Acierto, Christine Ena Joyce C.

3 – 14 – 2019
Elorde, Charisma C. Rizal’s Life, Works & Writings
Escaño, Angelica S.
Señora, Elyne Jade C.
Septimo, Ricka Marie D.

THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS

Summary of the essay:

Jose Rizal defends 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. Indolence therefore has more deeply rooted causes such as abuse
and discrimination, inaction of the government, rampant corruption and red tape, wrong
doctrines of the church and wrong examples from some Spaniards who lead lives of indolence
which ultimately led to the deterioration of Filipino values. Eventually, Rizal sums up the main
causes of indolence to the limited training and education Filipino natives receive and to the
lack of national sentiment and unity among them. Education and liberty, according to Rizal,
would be the cure to Filipino indolence.

1. What type of work is it?

- The work La Indolencia de los Filipino (The Indolence of the Filipinos) written by
Dr. Jose P. Rizal is a socio-political essay or political essay which simply means
that as the name suggests, it’s an essay based on politics or a political situation. In
addition, politics is the act of persuasion, acquisition, and exercise of political
power. Whereas, political power shapes and control people's attitude towards the
leader and the governing system.

2. When and where did Rizal write it?

When:
- Published in 5 instalments, from July 15 - September 15, 1890, in Madrid, Spain
(LaSolidaridad).
- The volume II 158-160 was published on July 15 1890 and the article 167-169 was
published on July 31,1890. Also, the article 178-180 was published on August 31, 1890
and the last article was published on September 1, 1890.

Why: To explain the alleged “laziness” of the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization

3. What were the factors that pushed him to write it?

Rizal’s Purposes:
✓ To serve the country by telling the truth.
✓ To show how we were discriminated.
✓ To illustrate how we inherited some of our negative traits from the Spaniards.
✓ To let us know how we could rise from oppression.
 ✓ To show us that we have been deceived
✓ To remind us what we were, are, and could be

It was written by Jose Rizal as a response to the accusation of Indio or Malay indolence.
Rizal wanted to show how we were discriminated and deceived by Spain. Furthermore, he
wanted to illustrate how we inherited some of our negative traits from the Spaniards and let us
know how we could rise from oppression. Jose Rizal wanted us to be reminded of what we
were, are, and what we could be. In his essay, he depicted a true Filipino whose purpose is to
serve our country by telling the truth and awaken the hearts of the Filipino people.

4. What is the main idea of the work?

Before the Spaniards came: Filipinos were active and honest in trading, use our abilities
and resources for our country’s benefits, never corrupt, industrious and passionate, independent, value
nature, and protective and defensive of our territory.

When the Spaniards came: became gamblers, dependent, powerless, corrupt,

amnesiacs, disloyal to our “identity”, and indolent.

- Being discontent, having continual wars and tolerance, due to slavery, getting deceits
from the Spaniards, allowing pirates from the south (Mindanao Muslim pirates), and
lacking unity, the Filipinos became indolent.

Two main reasons why the Filipinos are indolent:

Defects of training
• Limited training at home, school
• Inactivity results from this
• One will move to being a copycat (suited to nature)
• Do what is told to us (e.g., giving gold to church, etc.)

Lack of national sentiment

“A man in the Philippines is only an individual; he is not a member of a nation. He is forbidden the right
to association, and is; therefore, weak and sluggish.”

✓ The indolence of the Filipino is a study of the causes why 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.

The unwillingness to work when there is nothing in it for them is common to Filipinos and
Americans, for Thomas Jefferson admitted that extravagance and indolence were the chief
faults of his countrymen. Labor-saving machinery has made the fruits of Americans' labors in
their land of abundance afford a luxury in living not elsewhere existing. But the Filipino, in his
rich and not over-populated home, shutting out, as we do, oriental cheap labor, may employ
American machinery and attain the same standard. The possibilities for the prosperity of the
population put the Philippines in the New World, just as their discovery and their history group
them with the Western Hemisphere.

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. The Spanish reign brought about
a decline in economic activities because of certain causes:
First, the establishment of the Galleon Trade cut off all previous associations of
the Philippines with other countries in Asia and the Middle East. As a result, business was
only conducted with Spain through Mexico. Because of this, the small businesses and
handicraft industries that flourished during the pre-Spanish period gradually disappeared.
Second, Spain also extinguished the natives’ love of work because of the
implementation of forced labor. Because of the wars between Spain and other countries in
Europe as well as the Muslims in Mindanao, the Filipinos were compelled to work in shipyards,
roads, and other public works, abandoning agriculture, industry, and commerce.
Third, Spain did not protect the people against foreign invaders and pirates. With no
arms to defend themselves, the natives were killed, their houses burned, and their lands
destroyed. As a result of this, the Filipinos were forced to become nomads, lost interest in
cultivating their lands or in rebuilding the industries that were shut down, and simply became
submissive to the mercy of God.
Fourth, there was a crooked system of education, if it was to be considered
an education. What was being taught in the schools were repetitive prayers and other things
that could not be used by the students to lead the country to progress. There were no courses
in Agriculture, Industry, etc., which were badly needed by the Philippines during those times.
Fifth, the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. The officials
reported to work at noon and left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties. The
women were seen constantly followed by servants who dressed them and fanned them –
personal things which they ought to have done for themselves.
Sixth, gambling was established and widely propagated during those times. Almost
every day there were cockfights, and during feast days, the government officials and friars were
the first to engage in all sorts of bets and gambles.
Seventh, there was a crooked system of religion. The friars taught the naïve Filipinos
that it was easier for a poor man to enter heaven, and so they preferred not to work and remain
poor so that they could easily enter heaven after they died.
Lastly, the taxes were extremely high, so much so that a huge portion of what they
earned went to the government or to the friars. When the object of their labor was removed
and they were exploited, they were reduced to inaction.
Rizal admitted that the Filipinos did not work so hard because they were wise enough
to adjust themselves to the warm, tropical climate. “An hour’s work under that burning sun, in
the midst of pernicious influences springing from nature in activity, is equal to a day’s labor in
a temperate climate.”
✓ It is important to note that indolence in the Philippines is a chronic malady, but not a
hereditary one. Truth is, before the Spaniards arrived on these lands, the natives were
industriously conducting business with China, Japan, Arabia, Malaysia, and other
countries in the Middle East. The reasons for this said indolence were clearly stated in
the essay, and were not based only on presumptions, but were grounded on fact taken
from history.

✓ Another thing that we might add that had caused this indolence, is the lack of unity
among the Filipino people. 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.”

✓ It can clearly be deduced from the writing that the cause of the indolence attributed to
our race is Spain: When the Filipinos wanted to study and learn, there were no schools,
and if there were any, they lacked sufficient resources and did not present more useful
knowledge; when the Filipinos wanted to establish their businesses, there wasn’t
enough capital nor protection from the government; when the Filipinos tried to cultivate
their lands and establish various industries, they were made to pay enormous taxes and
were exploited by the foreign rulers.

✓ It is not only the Philippines, but also other countries, that may be called indolent,
depending on the criteria upon which such a label is based. Man cannot work without
resting, and if in doing so he is considered lazy, they we could say that all men are
indolent. One cannot blame a country that was deprived of its dignity, to have lost its
will to continue building its foundation upon the backs of its people, especially when
the fruits of their labor do not so much as reach their lips. When we spend our entire
lives worshipping such a cruel and inhumane society, forced upon us by aliens who do
not even know our motherland, we are destined to tire after a while. We are not fools,
we are not puppets who simply do as we are commanded – we are human beings, who
are motivated by our will towards the accomplishment of our objectives, and who strive
for the preservation of our race. When this fundamental aspect of our existence is
denied of us, who can blame us if we turn idle?

5. How was Rizal's humanism (refer to our previous discussion) reflected in the work?

P. 1 "We can only serve our country by telling her the truth, however bitter it be, as
categorical and artificial denial cannot destroy a real and positive fact, despite the
brilliance of the arguments, as a mere assertion is not enough to create an impossible
thing, we are going to examine the question calmly with all the impartiality of which a
man is capable who is convinced that there is no redemption unless based solidly on
virtue.”

We can only help our country by being honest, by differencing facts from fiction
and to accept the truth and make a solution out of it. With the text, Rizal gave us facts
that the Filipinos are not insolent, that being insolent is common but the problems lie
with what’s happening and what had happened to us; the malady had been cultivated
into our culture and no one had made any progressive move against it. For centuries we
are taught that the dignity of man was not his own possession. That we are judge by a
deity, whose invisibility has become the excuse of conniving conmen whose only
purpose, is to enriched themselves with money and power from the very hustles of the
Filipino masses who allowed themselves to be used and abused. This is what is
happening to the poor Filipino.

P. 243 “Man works for a purpose; remove the purpose and you reduce him to inaction.
The most industrious man in the world will fold his arms the moment he learns that it
is folly to be so, that his work will be the cause of his trouble, that because of it he will
be the object of vexations at home and the greed of the pirates outside. It seems that
these thoughts never crossed the minds of those who cry out against the indolence of
Filipinos”

Faced with a multitude of problems, it’s hard to stand back up. With a look from
the past, we see that Filipinos are rich with agricultural goods and such, there’s an
abundance of it in the islands but with the raging wars against piracy and fatal
expeditions from foreigners, the Filipinos has lost initiative and doubts started to settle
in. How is one supposed to be motivated to work, when the hardships they face is too
much? What we also lost is cooperation; we call this “bayanihan”. Filipinos these days
are more into “crab mentality” and have pessimistic views when facing national
concerns. “Hey if that is our problem, let us all sink in the mud together.” So how does
Juan Makabayan (Filipino Nationalists) resolve his problems? Well…maybe you have
seen a lot of militant rallies going on in the street of Mendiola. And we have this
mentality that as long as it hasn;t affected us, we’re fine with this or for example, a
group of workers and there’s an extreme hardworking one, most will just say that, “he’s
going to do it for us!” and let that one guy do it alone.

P. 264 "What we want is that no obstacles be placed on his way, not to increase the
many that the climate and the situation of the islands already create for him, not to
begrudge him educational opportunities for fear that when he becomes intelligent he
will separate from the colonizing nation or demand rights to which he is entitled."

For Rizal, freedom and God can be seem and achieved through education,
People that believe in miracles are the laziest. Christianity is greater not because of how
God discloses himself in the pages of the Old and New Testaments, but because it
conforms to nature and fulfills the needs of the human person. Rizal states that he
believes in God’s existence through reasoning and necessity than by faith and that his
faith in God is a conclusion of deductive reasoning process. Filipinos have been fond
of saying that they have been fighting for freedom, democracy, tyranny and poverty all
the time. Some are even saying that it’s time for the Filipino to tell the truth. But every
attempt that will be made will be useless unless we thoroughly understand the roots of
our history and the things that our mother country has went through. Some may suggest
that we should have better amenities such as job fairs, but the jobs need to have
experience, college graduates and such, but what about for those who don’t have those?
We’re in a cycle that we want reform, we want changes and yet where’s the change?
Only some will rally, some are just okay with it; a possibility that there’s a creation of
a solution but it’s not enough, then process repeats itself.
 6. How valuable is the work to you as a student and as a Filipino?

The Indolence of Filipinos by Rizal pointed out many important lessons for us to realize
and ponder on. This is a very valuable writing of Rizal. By reading this, we will come to know
that Filipinos are not by nature indolent. There are reasons behind why our ancestors did not
work hard during the colonial period. Rizal claimed that long before the Spaniards came,
Filipinos were industrious and hardworking. They were very active in agriculture, industries
and trading. The cruelty of Spaniards and unjust governance cause a decline in their economic
life. Who would be happy to work without a reasonable compensation?
Another importance of this writing is that this writing of Rizal serves as an eye-opener for
us to be aware of our history and be critical of our nationality. We should trace back our roots
to give us knowledge of our past and understand why our society is like the way it is today. For
example, an ordinary worker may not work as hardly as he or she can because at the end of the
day, the wage is below minimum and no promotion happens even when they do their best. As
stated in Rizal's work, there is a lack of stimulus to work harder because the people could not
enjoy the fruits of their labor. This will make us think that we must not just think superficially,
we must look at the bigger picture first.
One cannot blame a country that was deprived of its dignity, to have it lost its will to
continue building its foundation upon the backs if its people. During the Spanish regime,
Filipinos were helpless. We cannot expect them to fight for their rights easily when they are
prevented to have one. Also, the system of Spanish education during that period did not
promote economic enterprise and activity. Spaniards didn't want Filipinos to learn a lot so that
they will continue to follow them and not complain about their situation. On this case, it will
give us an insight that education and liberty is the key to solve this issue. If only the Filipinos
were granted freedom at that time, perhaps, they will not live in misery. But they are under
control in the hands of the oppressors. Now that we are free, we must also spend it rightly. For
with freedom comes responsibility. It comes hand in hand.
Lastly, reading the work will make us realize that we are not fools, we are not puppets that
simply do as we are commanded. As a student and as a Filipino, we must know when something
needs to be obeyed or turned down. We're no longer in the Spanish era where our moves will
be dictated. We are now living in a free country which means that we cannot be deceived easily.
We have our own minds and we can decide which work will we do
Notable quotes from the essay:
"A hot, climate requires of the individual quiet and rest, just as cold incites to labor and
action. For this reason, the Spaniard is more indolent than the Frenchman; the Frenchman
more so than the German."

"Perhaps the reply to this will be that white men are not made to stand the severity of the
climate. A mistake! A man can live in any climate, if he will only adapt himself to its
requirements and conditions."

"An hour's work under that burning sun, in the midst of pernicious influences springing from
nature in activity, is equal to a day's work in a temperate climate; it is, then, just that the earth
yield a hundred-fold!"
"Man's object is not to satisfy tile passions of another man, his object is to seek happiness for
himself and his kind by traveling along the road of progress and perfection."

"The evil is that the indolence in the Philippines is a magnified indolence, an indolence of the
snowball type, if we may be permitted the expression, an evil that increases in direct
proportion to the square of the periods of time, an effect of misgovernment and of
backwardness, as we said, and not a cause thereof."

"Indolence in the Philippines is a chronic malady, but not a hereditary one. The Filipinos
have not always been what they are, witnesses whereto are all the historians of the first years
after the discovery of the Islands."

"The first thing noticed by Pigafetta, who came with Magellan in 1521, on arriving at the first
island of the Philippines, Samar, was the courtesy and kindness of the inhabitants and their
commerce."

"Accordingly, the Filipinos, in spite of the climate, in spite of their few needs (they were less
than now), were not the indolent creatures of our time, and, as we shall see later on, their
ethics and their mode of life were not what is now complacently attributed to them."

"Man works for an object. Remove the object and you reduce him to inaction."

"The abandonment of the fields by their cultivators, whom the wars and piratical attacks
dragged from their homes was sufficient to reduce to nothing the hard labor of so many
generations."

SOURCES:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/64661685/The-Indolence-of-the-Filipinos-by-Dr-Jose-Rizal-Detailed-and-
Complete

https://www.scribd.com/document/26912167/RIZAL-The-Indolence-of-the-Filipinos

http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2011/08/indolence-of-filipinos-summary-and.html?m=1

http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-indolence-of-filipinos-highlights.html?m=1