LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL 2

The Development of Filipino Consciousness and Nationalism

This lesson is about the development of Filipino nationalism. It discusses the historical context of
the development of Filipino nationalism. It also provides a discussion on the events that have
shaped or influenced it and its repercussion to the Spanish colonial regime and to the Filipinos
Objectives:
The following are the learning outcomes we are expected to achieve at the end of the lesson:

Discuss the development of the meaning or connotation of Filipino;

Identify the factors that have led to the evolution of the Filipino consciousness;
Discuss Filipino nationalism;
Discuss the relevance and significance of the development of Filipino
consciousness at present time
Analyze the factors and reasons which lead to the development of Filipino
consciousness
Examine the role of Jose Rizal and other propagandists in the development of
Filipino consciousness

I. The concept of Nationalism and Filipino Nationalism

Nationalism in its broadest sense is the love of ones country. It is a consciousness, a
feeling or sentiment of belongingness to a particular community, group or race as a
result of having a common or shared language, religion, tradition, and history and
values system. It could manifest as the attitude of the members of a nation have when
they care about their national identity and the actions that they take in order to attain
or sustain self-determination or independence.
Filipino nationalism is a product of social, economic and political changes during the
19th century. Before the 19th century there was no national consciousness hence, no
Filipino nationalism. As historian Teodoro Agoncillo puts it, Although united as united as
one geographical unit called Las Islas Filipinas during the Spanish colonial rule, the
people called Filipinos applied only to the Spaniards born in the Philippines (insulares),
and the indigents were derogatorily called indios. The indios were not united in words
and in deeds, as the Spanish church and state officials, mainly the friars, divided and
ruled the natives. Thus, the indios, became Filipino only during the last years of
Spanish regime. (Agocillo, 1990)
II. Events that have influenced the emergence/evolution of Filipino nationalism
Filipino nationalism as many historians would say is a product of Spanish colonization
and the struggle of the Filipinos to create their own identity. Before the coming
and colonization of Spain, the Filipinos despite having a common Austronesian
ancestry, were divided geographically, thus, there was no concept of a nation nor of
Filipino race and identity. The Spaniards took advantage of this disunity and had
successfully pacified them. They named these islands Filipinas in honor of King Philip
of Spain, hence, a country was formed out of separate and sovereign islands of the
archipelago. It was only at the last century of Spanish rule that Filipino consciousness
emerged. The development of Filipino nationalism was a conglomeration of social,
economic and political phenomena that happened in the world and in the Philippines.
1. Opening of the Philippines in the World Trade

The opening of the port of Manila to the international trade in 1834 resulted to tremendous
socio-economic changes on the Philippines after decades of economic stagnation brought
about by Spanish monopolistic policies.
Despite economic restrictions, foreign investors flocked the Philippines resulting to the booming of
different economic establishments and institutions.
The opening of the Philippines to the world trade generated a great demand for export goods
such as rice, sugar, abaca, tobacco and indigo. This gave Filipino mestizos and Chinese merchants
huge profits.
Transportation and communication system was also improved.
1839 mail service between Cavite and Manila started
1846 the first daily newspaper appeared
1852 the Banco Espaol-Filipino de Isabel II and two British banks began to issue paper money
1880s the Hotel de Oriente in Binondo, the first hotel in the Philippines began its operations
2. The Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869
The travel between Europe and Asia (Spain to Philippines) was shorter, faster and safer which
led to the influx of liberal ideas from Europe to the Philippines. The ideas of liberty, equality and
fraternity that were legacies of the French Revolution and the democratic ideas from the United
States have penetrated the minds of the Filipinos in the Philippines.
3. Liberal administration and educational reforms
As a result of the victory of the liberals in the Spanish revolution of 1868, Carlos Maria
dela Torre was sent to the Philippines to serve as Governor-general from 1869-1871.
He was different from his predecessors and had implemented reforms such as the
abrogation of flogging as a punishment for Filipino deserters in the Spanish army,
abolished press censorship and encouraged freedom of speech.
In education, a decree was passed in 1863 instructing the establishment of
schools in different places and admitted Indios and allowing them to learn the Spanish
language as the national language. Eventually, this led to the development of
national identity when insulares, Chinese mestizos and Indios began to identify their
selves as Filipinos.
4. Rise of the middle class
As a result of great economic transformations in the life of the Filipinos, a middle class
(media clase) of Asian and Eurasian mestizos emerged in the Philippines social
pyramid. They formed the town principalia an elitesocial group composed of
former gobernadorcillos, minor native bureaucrats, decorated personel and school
masters. (Agoncillo, 1990)
The wealth of the pricipalia particularly the Inquilinos came from the profits
generated from owned or rented lands (Gripaldo, et., al., 2009).
The Ilustrados (the enlightened) emerged from the principalias or middle class
families and were educated in universities in the Philippines and in Europe. They
rallied for reforms for the Philippines
5. Secularization Movement

 Secularization of the parishes was the transfer of ministries establ ished and run by
regular clergy [Spanish friars] to the secular priests [Filipino priests]. By the
midst of 19th century, the secularization movement was transmuted into a political
and separatist movement which exploded in the Filipinization of the church, and
culminated in the separation of
the church from Rome during the Philippine
revolution (Agoncillo 1990).
The secularization was organized secretly by Padre Mariano Gomez and Padre
Pedro Pelaez. The conflict between regular and secular priests arose when the regular
priests (friars) attempted to seize the control of parishes from the secular priest and
the rampant abuses and discrimination made by the friars to the seculars (Gripaldo, et.,
al., 2009).
6. The Cavite Mutiny in 1872
In January 20, 1872, 200 Filipino soldiers joined by some laborers in the arsenal of
artillery led by Sgt. La Madrid waged a revolt because of unjust deductions in their
wages, high taxes and discrimination of Filipino soldiers from Spanish soldiers.
The Spanish authorities viewed the event as an overturning of the colonial rule in
the islands, even considering it as part of a greater national movement to
liberate the Philippines from Spain. (Agoncillo, 1990)
It was abruptly abrogated or pacified and all those who participated were either
executed or exiled. After the containment of the mutineers, the Spanish
authorities initiated a crackdown of those who have connections to the mutiny which
ended up in the implication of the GOMBURZA.
The 1872 Cavite Mutiny is considered as the first workers strike (welga) in the
Philippines and in Asia.
7. The Execution of GOMBURZA
Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora were prominent figures in the
secularization movement. They were implicated as leaders of the Cavite Mutiny. To
instill fear among Filipinos, they were publicly executed in February 07, 1872 in the
Bagumbayan. Fathers Gomez and Zamora served as spiritual adviser of the soldiers
and workers who joined the mutiny.
Their execution was witnessed by many Filipinos and have left them a great
feeling of indignation and injustice. They considered it as a way of Spanish authorities
to silence the secularization movement. This has also fueled the hatred of Filipinos
for the Spaniards which ignited national istic sentiments of the Filipinos.
The execution of the GOMBURZA had also inspired the Propaganda movement
and the Philippine revolution.
8. The Propaganda Movement (1880- 1892)
Due to abuses of Spanish authorities and clergies and the curtailment of
freedom of expression, Filipinos, specifically the IIustrados campaigned for the
assimilation of the Philippines to Spain by becoming a province of Spain so that
the Filipinos and Spaniards will be equal and Filipinos will enjoy the liberties enjoyed by
the Spaniards.
The Ilustrados organized the Propaganda movement which exposed the condition
of the Philippines under the Spanish rule and campaigned for reforms that the

country needed. They also campaigned for representation to Spanish Cortes

(legislature), freedom of the press, economic liberalization, secularization and
equality before the law of Filipinos and Spaniards.
The Propaganda movement expressed their campaigns in the La Solidaridad
the official newspaper of the movement. The Propagandists did not only expose the
social conditions of the Philippines and ask for reforms but they also wrote about
Philippine history, culture and identity.
According to Zeus Salazar, one legacy of the Propaganda movement is the
tripartite view of Philippine history. They propagated the idea that the Philippines,
contrary to the accounts of the Spaniards, had a culture and civilization before
the coming and colonization of Spain.

Reasons for the failure of the Propaganda movement:

Spain was too busy resolving her internal problems and the friars remained powerful and influential
and thus no tangible reforms were implemented.

The Propaganda movement also suffered financial problems to continue its publication.
Internal conflicts arose among the members of the Propaganda movement caused by
petty jealousies (e.i. Rizal del Pilar conflict).
Most of the members. of the Propaganda movement were conservative and lacked the courage
and the vigorous hope necessary to continue an unequal struggle. (Agoncillo, 1990)

Despite the failure of the Propaganda movement, it was successful in exposing the abuses and
incompetence of Spanish authorities. It also served an eye -opener for the Filipinos common
experience and struggle which became a catalyst for the emergence of Filipino consciousness
and nationalism.
The disbandment of Jose Rizals La Liga Filipina marked the end of the Propaganda
movement. An unintentional effect of the failure of the Propaganda movement was founding of
the Katipunan which aimed for freedom and independence through an armed struggle.

III. Implications of Filipino Nationalism

The development of Filipino consciousness and nationalism has fuelled the struggle of Filipinos for
freedom and emancipation from Spain. Because of it Philippines became the first Asian country to
wage a revolution and won its freedom from a European power. It has also shaped our national
identity and our history as a nation.