The Indolence of the Filipino People Summary On the first chapter, it primarily deals with the admittance of Rizal

that indolence does exist to Filipinos and he also pointed out reasons why it existed. Rizal also elucidate that the term indolence was greatly altered in the sense of no love or little love for work. In the Philippines, Rizal pointed out that the disaster, hardships, and weakness of the others are blamed to the indolence of the Filipino. Rizal agreed that laziness has been present to the lives of the natives. It has always been a battle between natives and the climate, native versus nature and natives versus natives. But despite this laziness and how natives battled with some factors of it, Rizal stated that it should have positive effects. The indolence of the native does not causes backwardness and misfortune but it is actually the effect of misfortune and backwardness. Rizal compared the climate of the Philippines to the European countries. He said that hot and humid climate in the country could be a reasonable rationalization for the indolence of the Filipinos. Unlike those European countries, which has cold climates and need to exert more strength to work, it is not correct for the Philippines to be compared to them. He even pointed out that an hour work under the scorching heat of the sun in our country is equivalent to a day work in temperate countries. The second chapter of this article, Rizal labelled indolence as a chronic disease. He said that if a disease is given a wrong treatment, then it would also follow that the disease will aggravate. In the case of indolence, the Filipinos should not be defeated in combating this malady. In this chapter, Rizal argued that the natives were engaged in trade and commerce even before the Spaniards came. This was even first noticed by Pigefatta when they arrived in the country in 1521 with Magellan. The involvement of natives in buying and selling and other industrial activities disproves the belief that Filipinos are indolent. Rizal ended this chapter with a question on what have caused the natives to completely forget their fertile past. The main ideas being discussed by Rizal in chapter three are the reasons that could have caused the natives culture and economy dissolution. There have been existences of frequent war, pirate attacks and invasion that lead to chaos among the natives. As a result, massive destruction of local areas was felt by the people. Aside from it, many natives were pulled out from their daily industrial activities and was sent to Spain for expeditions (natives were the one who is rowing the big ships of Spaniards) or to fight in battles. Some natives were put on forced labour in building ships of the Spaniards. Those native who has suffered too much and was able to escape the dilemma, fled to the upper lands. As a result, the once fertile and toiled land were abandoned and left barren. These scenarios presented are just few of good reasons that could have explained that there are deep rooted causes of the indolence of the Filipinos. Rizal pointed out in the fourth chapter that Filipinos who are not masters of liberty is not responsible for its misfortunes and anguish. The trade industry in the country died due to how the country was governed by the Spaniards. There has been pirate attacks and lack of funding from the government which were too much burden to the farmers. Encomenderos abused the natives which made them abandon the fields. The corrupt officials and friars have found way in easy money and they monopolized the trade. The government even tolerated gambling. The situations of the country were compounded by the Churchs off beam dogma. It has been emphasized by the church that being rich is a sin and this leads to wrong mind-set towards work. Natives were discriminated and were not given proper education. The last chapter solely emphasized on two factors that causes indolence. These two factors are the poor and limited education or training of the natives and the lack of national sentiment of unity among the people. It has been known that there have been discriminations among Spanish and the natives. Spaniards thought that the natives are of inferior race and thus does not need to have same opportunities as the foreigners. Since it has already been inculcated in the minds of the Filipinos are inferior, they easily surrender to foreign culture and would try their very best to be part of it by imitating other cultures. Many proposed ways on how to combat indolence. The government imposed higher taxes but this futile solution resulted into an increase number of thieves and criminals. With these factors being analyzed by Rizal, he said that the only solution to this is liberty and education. Rizal stressed that through education, the natives will be intelligent enough to be separated from the colonizers or questions and asked for their rights that they are worthy of.

Analysis Rizal started his argument with the admittance that Filipinos are indolent. The word indolent was termed by friars to illustrate that the natives dont like to work or dont have any idea on love for work. There are writings describing indolence but instead of dealing and scrutinizing the cause of it, a mere affirmation or denial was just being established by the writings. Undeniably, the natives were always put into shame by the Spaniards. Before the Spaniards come to the country, the economy and culture have been flourishing. It is appalling that the Spaniards created a new era for the natives. With the belief that the foreigners are superior, the natives willingly submit themselves to their will. Spaniards would often accentuate how indolent the native are. Contrary to what the Spaniards has been spreading about the Filipinos, Rizal took their words and gave a logical and sound rationale to their accusations. As noticed in his article, Rizal started off with the past of the natives and gradually shifted to the present situations. Rizal as an intellectual being, the reasons and defences he established in the articles should have concrete basis. He had many good points raised in every chapter of his article. He raised the idea that a climate difference between the European and Philippines greatly affect the performance of an individual. This idea he pointed out in his article generated curiosity to the readers. During the time that Rizal published this article, I do believe that this idea generated questions on how it is like to work in the Philippines. Another intellectual reason that was raised by Rizal was that he compared indolence to a chronic disease. As doctor, he was able to clearly relate and explain that if a certain disease was administered with a wrong drug or wrong medication then it would always follow that the disease will aggravate. In his article, the friars served as the doctors who diagnosed that the natives have sickness called indolence. Since they were able to detect a malfunctioning of the natives, they imposed treatments such as increasing the tax rate. However, the idea that the friars thought was a solution became part of the problem. As a result, the number of criminals increased and the natives productivity did not enhance. Rizal already established the past and the present situation of the natives. In order to connect the past and the present, he wanted to elucidate the thin line connecting the two circumstances. What could have really happened after the Spaniards came that resulted to the present situation of the country. As observed, Rizal can be likened to chemist in the laboratory. He is trying to complete the reaction to come up with sound solutions. He wanted to know what are the reactions involved in the creating the product which is indolence. He also wanted to know what is the catalyst involved that could hasten the said reaction. To put it in a clear perspective, what Rizal wanted is to answer the missing reactant below. As noted, the product indolence can only proceed in a forward reaction. past + *catalyst As shown in the above reaction, the catalyst in the reaction could be a positive or a negative one. A positive type of catalyst could actually make the reaction proceed in a fast manner. On the other hand, negative catalysts are those factors that would inhibit the reaction to proceed. What Rizal pointed out in the last chapter of his article is to find viable negative catalysts to inhibit the reaction. He proposed that the only way to combat indolence is through proper education and liberty. If the natives are knowledgeable, educated and trained enough, it would follow that the Spaniards will no longer oppress them and could possibly consider them as their equal. Novelty The ideas being presented by Rizal in his articles are too defensive which could even emphasize more that Filipinos are naturally indolent. The observations of the friars and Spaniards merely suggest that the natives dont have love for work. These observations were just made as a comparison to the people residing in Spain and in the Philippines. The Spaniards were still not accustomed to the daily activities of the natives. The lives of the natives could have been possibly too carefree and simple unlike to what the people in Spain. As a result, the Spaniards wants to share to the natives the complexity of life and would want to aide them in making the most out of their ______ *-> present (indolence)

complex life. It is not correct and illogical for Rizal to compare the weather and climatic conditions of the Philippines to European countries. This is, I think, the most futile and weakest argument presented by Rizal. Considering that the Philippines could only have two main seasons, wet and dry, I think the country is far more advantage in terms of cultivating lands, developing industry and improving lifestyle of the natives. Since the Spaniards are not used to the daily activities of the natives and wanted to maximize the resources the country has, they thought of increasing the tax rate of the natives. In this manner, the natives will be put into situation wherein he will be stimulated to work rather that spending free time without anything to do. I think what the government wanted to establish here is the value of time. Every second counts so it is of great advantage to both the Filipinos and the government to make the most of out of it. Rizal intended to have liberty and education to combat the indolence of the Filipinos. He wanted that every Filipinos should be educated. I think the government had been propagating education in the country. There are prestigious schools and universities that were built during their colonization. Education is a very long process. It needs time, effort and determination in order to finish the journey of becoming an educated and professional individual. The same process is also needed in liberty. It would take time before a country be liberated from its colonizers. The government had already assisted the Filipinos in their journey to education and liberty, however, due to indolence, everything become futile.