Ang Pilipinas sa Loob ng Sandaang
Taon
An Article featured in La Solidaridad
Prepared by. Ma. Stefanie P. Reyes
Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años
- A political and historical article
published on September 30, 1889
- Ran for 4 parts until February 1,
1890
- Translated by Charles E. Derby to
English (The Philippines a Century
Hence)
Unang Bahagi : Ang Balangkas ng
Kanilang Nakaraan
A look at the past of the Philippines
“In order to read the destiny of a people, it
is necessary to open the book of its
past...”
- Rizal’s introduction to the work
- Listed down the changes that
happened in the Philippines and the
Filipinos during Spanish time
“... the Philippines was depopulated,
impoverished and retarded - caught in
their metamorphosis without confidence in
their past, without faith in their present and
with no fond hope of the years to come.”
Changes brought by Spanish colonization:
- The former rulers of the Philippines
and their lands were put under
foreign rule due to the promise of
development.
“The former rulers [...] fell like leaves from a
dead tree, and the people, who had no love
for them nor knew what liberty was, easily
changed masters, perhaps hoping to gain
something by the innovation.”
- The Filipinos gradually put aside
native traditions to accept new and
foreign doctrines that they, truthfully,
didn’t quite understand
- Ikinahiya at tinanggihan ng mga
Pilipino ang sariling kultura.
- The Spaniards used religion to get
Filipinos to follow their will
- Filipinos were treated like animals -
Inalisan ng kaisipan at damdamin -
became slaves
- Due to the hurt and shame fueled
the feelings of the Filipinos.
- Rizal asked what would happen to
the Philippines in the future.
“Will the Philippine Islands continue to be a
Spanish colony, and if so, what kind of
colony? Will they become a province of
spain, with or without autonomy? And to
reach this stage, what kind of sacrifices will
have to be made?”
“Will they be separated from the mother
country to live independently, to fall into the
hands of other nations, or to ally themselves
with neighboring powers?”
- Showed Rizal’s observations on
Spanish colonization
- He hoped that Filipinos would realize
the truth about evil foreign rule.
Ikalawang Bahagi : Ang Mga Frayle Noon
(October 31, 1889)
The downfall of colonial policy in the
Philippines’ development
“What will become of the Philippines within
a century? Will they continue to be a
Spanish colony?
Ikalawang Bahagi : Ang Mga Frayle Noon
(October 31, 1889)
The downfall of colonial policy in the
Philippines’ development
- Rizal commented that if the Filipinos
fought right from the start, there
would already have been freedom
by then.
“To a spirit enthusiastic over the liberty of
the country, [...] independence was assured;
it was merely a question of getting together
and making a determination.”
“But for him who, disillusioned by sad
experience, saw everywhere discord and
disorder, apathy and brutalization in the
lower classes, discouragement and disunion
in the upper, only one answer presented
itself, and it was: extend his hands to the
chains, bow his neck beneath the yoke and
accept the future with the resignation of an
invalid who watches the leaves fall and
foresees a long winter amid whose snows
he discerns the outlines of his grave.”
“[...] but three centuries passed, the meek
had become accustomed to the yoke, and
each new generation, begotten in chains,
was constantly better adapted to the new
order of things.”
“Now then, are the Philippines in the same
condition they were three centuries ago?”
- Mentioned the state of the country
after 300 years of Spanish rule
- According to liberal Spaniards, the
state of the country in those times
were just like before, no changes.
“[...] the people have been redeemed from
savagery.”
- An “ethical decay” occurred
- Difficulties of Spanish rule:
- Few and scattered military
- Slow communication
between Mexico and Spain,
relied on Chinese trade
*Gomez Perez Dasmariñas
- Unsafe to travel by sea due
to pirates, Spanish enemies
1889 - Better situation for the Spaniards
- Organized civil government
- Efficient, easy, quick communication
- No outside enemies
- Colonial rule became permanent
- The Filipinos wanted independence
less and less
The Philippines quieted down under
Spanish rule
- Filipinos became military officials
- Indios could become
encomenderos, generals
- Not much insults and abuses yet
- Friars cooperated with the Filipinos
against the harsh encomendero
“Naturally, the people saw in them learning
and some prestige and place its confidence
in them, followed their advice, and listened
to them in the darkest hours. If they wrote,
they did so in defense of the rights of the
native and made his cry reach even to the
distant steps of the Throne.”
- Filipinos trusted friars, residencia,
but it didn’t last for long
- Friars broke their trust, became the
new abusers.
“It has been that the love and piety of the
past have come to resemble the devotion of
a nurse, who, unable to live elsewhere,
desires the eternal infancy, eternal
weakness, for the child in order to go on
drawing her wages and existing at its
expense, it has seen not only that she does
not nourish it to make it grow but that she
poisons it to stunt its growth and at the
slightest protest she flies into a rage!”
- All good things toward development
were lost
- The government took advantage and
enslaved
- The Filipinos slowly realized this and
united against the Spaniards
- Showed Rizal’s study of what the
Spaniards did
- How the friars took advantage of the
indio’s frailty
Ikatlong Bahagi : Kung Hindi sila
Maghihimagsik (Disyembre 15, 1889)
Radical and political reforms needed to still
be a colony under Spain
- If the Philippines remains as a
colony, it needs transformation
- If it starts with the common man, it
would be tough (marahas at
madugo)
- If it starts with those higher up, if
would be peaceful and productive.
- Leaders tried reforms to avoid
revolution, but to no avail, a
temporary solution.
“[...] the partial reforms are only plasters and
salves of a physician, who, not knowing how
to cure the cancer, and not daring to root it
out, tries in this way to alleviate the patient’s
sufferings of to temporize with the
cowardice of the timid and ignorant.”
Sancho Panza (Philippines) - Leader of
Barataria Island, wasn’t allowed by the
physician to eat
Pedro Rezio (People with selfish
intention) - Sancho’s physician
Food (Reforms)
- Politics must be geared towards
people’s needs
Initial/Primary reform needed:
- Freedom of speech
- May be dangerous for the
Spanish government (Spain
is too far)
- Representation in the Spanish
Cortes
- May become “political
trimmers”
- Spain wanted an alternative
- Justice (A primary need for a
civilized country)
- Filipino’s rights
- “Competitive examination”
- Positions in the government
must be determined through
this and its results must be
reported to the public
- Agriculture, Education, Commerce
- Security of an individual and their
property
- The Philippines will remain with
Spain if it is being governed
properly, otherwise if there are no
changes, Filipinos will not rest in
seeking freedom.
- La Solidaridad’s political aim was
shown here - Rizal’s perspectives on
radical and political reform for the
Philippines to remain a colony of
Spain.
Ika-apat na Bahagi : Ang mga Bagong
Tao (Enero 31, 1890)
Predictions for the Future
- Rizal used events in Spain as an
example
 - After violent wars between
the Moors and French, the
conquerors were oustered.
“The existence of a foreign body within
another endowed with strength and activity
is contrary to all natural and ethical laws.
Science teaches us that it is either
assimilated, destroys the organism, is
eliminated or becomes encysted.”
- If the Filipinos are continually
mistreated, they would eventually
declare and strive for freedom and
independence
- There would be a great conflict/fight
between the conquerors and the
Filipino, causing great consequence.
- One the Philippines achieves
freedom, another conqueror would
continue what the Spaniards left
behind
Possible Colonizers:
- Inglatera
- Sufficient colony in the East
- Would not sacrifice their
imperialism in India to gain
the Philippines
- Alemanya
- The scattering of their forces
would not end badly
- If there would be a war, that
would be its reason for
downfall
- Pransiya
- Mas maganda ang hinaharap sa
Tonking at Tsina
- Olandiya
- Content with Moluccas and Java
- Sumatra is more promising
- Tsina
- Maswerte na kung mapapanatili
ang kalagayan
- Hapon
- In a dangerous situation due to
the Russians and English
- Amerika
- Mayroong pagkakabahala lalo
na sa Pasipiko
- With any colonizer, Rizal assures that
Filipinos would still fight
- May be the most important part of the
essay
Three things that would happen in the
Philippines:
1. Remain a colony of Spain, with good
relations between the two
2. Would be forced to be independent
from the colonizers in armed conflict
3. The Philippines would be colonized
by another country.
- Rizal based these on past instances of
colonized countries.
- Rizal gave emphasis on the issues of
Spanish rule (human rights violations,
loss of rights, freedom of press)
- Served as a warning for the Spaniards
Rizal’s Perspective
- He would rather resolve things
peacefully
- The Philippines is not ready for self-
rule
“You can achieve freedom without being
independent.”
- Liberty but not total separation. -