Rizal, Morga and Ilustrado views of the pre-conquest past
1. Among Spanish conservatives and
reactionaries, which included almost
the entire clergy, _____________ had
identified Catholicism and Spanish
Patriotism almost inextricably, and
looked with nostalgic pride to Spain’s
golden century when she brought the
Catholic faith to the New World.
TRADICIONALISMO
The legacy of 19th century romantic
nationalism
–idealize the mother country to excess
Chauvansism common to members of
governing races which was decidedly
pronounced among the religious
orders
–even more so when anti-clericalism
was rife in Spain; the friars had to make
themselves useful/indispensable to the
government/crown
-such attitudes were not limited to
Spaniards as such chauvinism was
typical of 19th century indifference of
Western imperialism to indigenous
culture.
2. A zelous and devoted bishop of Nueva
Caceres, Fr. Francisco Gainza O.P.,
conceded that the nationales had fine
qualities which was entirely their own
and no one’s influence
FALSE
-Gainza was an APOLOGIST
3. Fr, Casimiro Herrero remarks that the
submissiveness and the respectfulness
typically displayed by the indios was
due to the climate which the former
asserts is conducive to laziness and
inaction
TRUE
-Herrero subscribes to European views
on climate affecting behavior
4. Pedro Paterno tries to demonstrate
that Christianity had existed in the
Philippines before the coming of the
Spaniards in the form of ___________
BATHALISMO
-the work El Cristianismo en la Antigua
civilizacion tagalor was not as well-
researched as Rizal’s annotation of
Morga
-Paterno inferior contribution to go
back to the sources of their society
-Paterno was grasping the straws in his
motive of glorifying the past (myth-
making)
-Paterno was “el loco” –Rizal to
Blumentritt
5. In Rizal’s scheme of the migration
wave theory, intermarriages occurred
with all the three waves of people who
migrated to the Philippines
FALSE
-Intermarriages occurred between the
first and second waves
-thus the 2nd wave’s capacity for
civilization was diluted
-the third wave remained “pure” hence
undiluted and capable of civilization
-a very racist view by rizal…
-Culture in the genes….
6. In Antonio de Morga’s account,
__________ figured as “natives who are
of black, complexion” whom he
described as “barbarians of trifling
mental capacity, who have no fixed
homes or settlements”.
NEGRITOS
-does Rizal refute any of Morga’s
comments on Negritos? NO.
7. In colonial society, the Spanish-era
word _________________ was applied to
all sorts of mountain dwellers and
became synonymous with primitivity
and savagery.
IGORROTES
-“together, with the name Igorots
much nonsense is attached.” –
Blumentritt
Rizal, Morga and Ilustrado views of the pre-conquest past
-Biological constitution was altered
with intermarriage with Negritos
-retreat to the mountainous interior
and subsequent resistance to Spanish
rule and culture were consistent with
racial concepts of metissage…
rendering them susceptible to
displacement by the next wave.
8. The 1887 Exposicion de las Islas
Filipinas was distasteful and offensive
to the illustrados primarily for the sole
reason of the affront to human dignity
FALSE
-delegation consisted of 8 igorots, 8
moros, 2 people from the Marianas, 2
from
11. Rizal vigorously denies Morga’s
assertion that Visayan men and
women were unchaste and of loose
morality
FALSE
12. The crime of ________ was not punished
physically but by the payment of an
____________ of the guilty spouse on the
aggrieved spouse after which all is
forgotten by the husband.
ADULTERY, INDEMNITY
13. How did Rizal initially answer the
question “Who are We?”

the carolines and about 24 others

(including Negritos) from the
Philippines
-appalling accommodations and
treatment as human exhibits
-main reason was that “savages”
embodied the Philippines thereby
marking the country as “backward” not
modern (Unlike Europeans)
-“Igorrote” even acquired currency in
Madrid infuriating the Ilustrados

9. In Blumentritt’s prologue to the

“Morga”, he notes that Rizal suffered
from “the error of modern historians
who censure the occurrences of
centuries past in accordance with the
concepts that correspond to
contemporary ideas”.
TRUE

-The other criticism is Rizal’s critique of

Catholicism
-at fault is the friars not Catholicism
-Blumentritt was sufficiently impartial
to realize that Rizal “proves too much”

10. Slavery in the pre-hispanic Philippines

resulted from debt and usurious
contract loans.
FALSE