Grimpil Lea G. Malinao 2007-42521
January 21, 2010 PI 100 (TF 2:30 ± 4:00)
An Insight Paper on Rizal¶s ³The Indolence of the Filipinos´
This 5-part essay originally published and run in La Solidaridad f rom rom July 15 to September 15, 1890, is a continuation o f Rizal¶s campaign to expose the de f ects ects of the Spanish colonial system and to awaken his f e ellow llow citizens to their own f a aults ults that continued such de f ects. ects.
This work is an able de f ense ense of the Filipinos who are alleged as indolent by the Spaniards. It begins with Rizal¶s admittance that yes, it is true that a predisposition to indolence does exist in the Filipinos. But he justi f ies ies this by saying that the Filipinos are easy-going not only because o f the abundance o f resources available to them, but also because o f the f act act that they have to adjust themselves to the warm, tropical climate o f the country. Rizal compares that unlike people living in cold regions who are incited to labor and action, Filipinos do not have to work so hard because ³in ³ in tropical countries violent work is not a good thing, as it is death, destruction, annihilation. Nature Nature knows this and like a just mother has therefore made the earth more fertile, and more productive, as compensation. ´ For me, this statement could not have been put any better to explain why Filipinos, even in our present time, are inclined to quiet and rest.
In addition, Rizal makes a critical study o f the causes why his f e ellow llow citizens did not work so hard during the Spanish regime. He begins by pointing out that long be f ore ore the coming o f Spaniards, the Filipinos were already industrious as they were engaged in trade amongst themselves as well as with neighboring countries. They were also very active in agriculture and mining, as Rizal cites f rrom om credible sources. These all disproves the notion that Filipinos by nature are indolent.
According to Rizal, the Spanish colonization brought about the cultural and economic decadence of the Filipinos. He mentioned one by one the causes which made the people abandon their pre-Spanish activities, making them ³ f orget orget their past.´ These causes include: 1) the f rrequent equent wars and internal disorders f o ollowing llowing the establishment o f Spanish rule; 2) the ruitless f ruitless
wars f o ought ught by the Filipinos abroad in the name o f Spain who was trying to regain its
glory (as we have discussed in class when we tackled Spain in its decline starting in the 17 th century); 3) invasions o f the pirates f rrom om Sulu and Mindanao; and 4) the f orced orced labor where
many natives have been sent to shipyards to construct vessels (primarily in order f or Spain to maintain trade with China). As a result, the Philippines has been greatly depopulated o f skilled laborers.
Furthermore, Rizal goes on with some o f the main reasons causing the deterioration o f values among the Filipinos such as 5) the people¶s lack o f stimulus to work harder because they could not enjoy the f ruits of their labor (³M an works for an object. Remove the object and you reduce him to inaction.´); 6) the Spanish government¶s neglect o f agriculture and trade, which ceased because the Spaniards did not want the Filipinos to interact with neighboring trade partners who unlike them, enjoy f reedom; 7) the many restrictions imposed by the government to those who have tried to engage in business, bureaucratic red tape, and government o ff icial¶s monopoly of businesses ; 8) the wrong teaching o f the Church that says that the rich will not go to heaven, thus discouraging natives to work; 9) the rampant gambling tolerated by the government; and 10) lack of training and education o f the natives under the Spanish system o f education.
Pondering upon the f acts, one will realize that, the Spanish branding the Filipinos ³indolent´ is unf air and preposterous because in truth, they are the ones who rode carriages, who sat comf ortably in their tables with their f eet cocked up, and who even enjoyed siestas (note that this is a Spanish word), as well as the luxury o f having slaves. Rizal was right when he said that the Filipino¶s indolence is an e ff ect, and not the cause, o f the backwardness and troubles experienced by the country. In other words, because Spain brought a backward mentality, the Filipinos also sadly became backward in thinking.
Bef ore reading this work by Rizal, I have o f ten wondered why in the history o f nations, the great philosophers and thinkers were always Westerners. I f at all, there are only but a f ew who come f rom
the Philippines. Now I seem to understand that this is not due to the Filipino¶s incapacity to
think, but because o f the many subjugators who have tried to inject their in f luence among us by overpowering and making us believe that we are an in f erior race. First came the most oppressive Spaniards, then the American and Japanese occupations, then back to the Americans who until now, still have some power over us.
For me, solving this mindset o f being inf erior will require a lengthy overhaul o f the current system of governance, a good and quality education at par with our counterparts abroad, and last but not the least, the establishment o f true liberty in the Philippines.
