The Philippines: A Century Hence

“The Philippines A Century Hence” is an essay written by Jose Rizal in 1889 on

his prediction for our country, the Philippines. In his essay, Rizal said that there
are only two alternative futures the Philippines will face – One, is that the
Philippines will remain under the Spanish colony but will be treated with
respect, and the second, is that the Philippines will cut her ties with Spain
through violent means.

With his research on world history, he understood the pattern of cause and
effect, and how it has affected and changed the world. Rizal observed the present
and past situations of our Motherland, and from then, “predicted” the future of
our country. He bravely spoke to the people about the plans of other countries.
This was, in my opinion, to open the eyes of the people that there is still hope for
the country – that a great nation will sooner or later save the Philippines from
the dictatorial rule of Spain. Or maybe, to give a hint of fear to the Spaniards for
them to flee from the country.

The essay says a lot about the author’s thoughts – how he longs for something to
do for our Homeland. The author also tried to portray a message to our
generation that the past situation may repeat itself – history repeats itself.
History may have repeated itself a hundred times now but the past’s battle is not
the same today. We may not have been under the rule of the Spaniards for a long
time now, but we have their culture and practices. Which concludes that even
without the brutality of the Spaniards, they still exist in today’s generation.