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The Indolence of the Filipinos by Dr.

Jose Rizal

BACKGROUND

The Indolence of the Filipinos (“La Indolencia De Los Filipinos” in Spanish) is a socio-political essay
written by Dr. Jose Rizal that originally appeared in the Filipino forthrightly review, La Solidaridad, of
Madrid in five instruments, from July 15 to September 15, 1890. This essay was a response to the
accusation of Filipino indolence. Rizal’s The Indolence of the Filipinos is a study of the causes why the
people did not, as was said, work hard during the Spanish regime. Rizal pointed out that long before
the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos were industrious and hardworking. He defended the
Filipinos by saying that they are not indolent by nature because in fact even before the arrival of
Spaniards, Filipinos have been engaged in economic activities such as Agriculture and Trade.

SUMMARY

Rizal admits that indolence does exist among the Filipino, he enumerates that causes of indolence and
elaborates on the circumstances that have led to it. One factor of these was the hot climate in the
Philippines. The hot climate, he points out, is a reasonable predisposition for indolence. Also, the
misgovernment of the Spanish rules has influence the attitude of the Filipinos towards their work.
Spaniards became bad example as negligent officials who come in late and leave their work early and
Spanish women are always being followed by servants that do personal things for them.

Rizal says that an illness will worsen if the wrong treatment is given. The same applier to indolence.
People, however, should not lose hope in fighting indolence. Even before the Spaniards arrived, Rizal
argues, the early Filipinos were already carrying out trade within provinces and with other neighboring
countries; they were also engaged in agriculture and mining; some natives even spoke Spanish. All this
disproves the nation that Filipinos are by nature indolent. Rizal ends by asking what then would have
caused Filipinos to forget their past.

It also contains several reasons that may have caused the Filipinos’ cultural and economic corruption
due to the Spanish government. They extinguished the native’s love of work in shipyards, roads and
some other public works in which agriculture, industry, and commerce was abandoned. Many Filipinos
became landless and wanderers because Spain did not protect the people against foreign invaders.
The natives were killed, houses are burned, and their lands were destroyed. In addition, taxes were
extremely high that led the natives to be discouraged of paying taxes because earnings would only to
the corrupt officials and friars.

The Spaniards insisted to Filipinos the crooked system of religion that discouraged the natives from
working hard. The friars taught them that is was easier for a poor man to enter heaven, and so they
prefer not to work and remain poor so that they could easily enter heaven after death. During those
times, gambling was also widely propagated by the Spanish government. Almost every day there were
cockfights, and during feast days and it was the officials and friars who was initiating those gambles
and other sort of bets.

In the end, Rizal sums up the main causes of indolence into two factors: first is the limited training and
education Filipino and secondly the lack of national sentiment and unity among them. In the absence
of unity and oneness, the people did not have the power to fight the hostile attacks of the government
and of the other forces of society. There would also be no voice, no leader to sow progress and to
cultivate it, so that it may be reaped in due time. In such a condition, the Philippines remained a
country that was lifeless, dead, simply existing and not living. As Rizal stated in conclusion, “A man in
the Philippines is an individual; he is not merely a citizen of a country.”
ALLUSION TO THE REAL LIFE

1. Jose Rizal portrayed the true nature and character of Filipinos in their original state—when they
were free from demands, a people with boundless industry, creativity, and resourcefulness.

2. The Indolence of the Filipinos represents the Filipinos that are wrong judged. Filipinos are belittle
by other country because of wrong perceptions. This book shows the reason and whole picture why
Filipinos are not indolencent in nature but a victim and only fooled by other country.

3. Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. It represents the officials who are
reporting to work at noon and left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties.

GROUP REFLECTION

Indolence really does exist in our society that we are living today, we cannot deny the fact that
indolence is indolence even in the simplest form like disobeying traffic rules, not falling in line when
there’s supposed to be one, leaving the trash behind when you can throw them properly yourself,
procrastinating and the countless, mamaya nalang or bukas nalang syndrome.

Rizal wanted us to reflect on ourselves. It should inspire us to continue working for the progress of the
country and also for the common good. We should leave this kind of attitude and develop a good
mentality. He wanted us to realize that we deserved to be treated equally, that we should not let
foreigners to insult us and our culture as well, to be aware of our rights as a citizen and of course to
be a responsible citizen who thinks of the welfare of the country and someone who loves his country
as he loves himself.
ON THE
INDOLENCE
OF THE FILIPINOS
(Written Report)

Sibug, Ralph Eric V.


Guevarra, Ckeith L.
Malit, Rizzle Kate M.
Mamangun Faith Danielle A.
Manaloto, Alicia Dane B.
Mercado, Jasmine Erica S.

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