Chapter 2

The Birth of Filipino

Nationalism

Lecture Notes in Life and Works of Rizal

Dr. Francis Baleta, RFT, RPT
Isabela State University
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM

 Nationalism or
“devotion to or advocacy
of national unity and
independence” is the
most important
prerequisite to the
formation of national
consciousness, indeed
the sine qua non to the
development of national
identities.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 It is a feeling developed in a
people living in a contiguous
geographic area, a sentiment
forged by a common history,
language and literature, customs
and traditions and even by a
common religion.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM

 As a historical development, it is a
relatively new concept, a product of
the ferment and political upheavals
of the 18th century and “a child of the
French Revolution”, which was
exported to other nations of Europe
during the Napoleonic wars and later,
by war and commerce, by
colonialism itself, to other parts of
the world.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 In the history of colonized and
exploited peoples all over the world,
no significant struggle for liberation
and independence ever succeeded in
making any headway without the
earlier development of nationalism
among the people involved in the
movement.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 No such sentiment existed in the
Philippines before the 19th century.
To be sure, the different ethnic groups in
the country shared the same basic
elements of nationalism such as
similarities of racial and cultural features,
but Spanish and colonial policy as well as
certain natural barriers retarded the
development of nationalistic feeling
among the Filipinos.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 The insular and mountainous character of
Philippine geography limited social contact
and communication.
The dismal state of transportation and
communication facilities rendered these
natural barriers much more formidable.
Moreover, the Spanish medieval practice of
requiring passports for travel from one
province to another virtually estranged
regions from one another.
 BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 The Filipinos in different parts of the country,
therefore, failed to realize the similarities of
their grievances and the existence of a
common source of suffering and misery.
Linguistic differences and the absence of a
common language, aggravated by the
deliberate refusal of the Spaniards to propagate
the Spanish language, weighed heavily in
fomenting regionalism and prevented the
people from developing a national language
that would have united them.
 FACTORS THAT LED TO THE
BIRTH OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
Opening of the
Philippines to world
trade from 1834 to
1873
-This stimulated the
economic activities in the
country which brought
prosperity to some of the
Filipinos but most of all to
the Chinese and the
Spaniards.
It resulted to the rise of a
new social class referred
to as “Middle Class” or
the “Ilustrados”
- Acquired material
wealth

- Improved their social

stature and influence

- Clamored for social

and political equality
with the colonial
masters.
 Influx of Liberal Ideas

 With the opening of the Philippines to

world trade, European ideas freely
penetrated the country in form of printed
books, newspapers, and treatises made
available to the natives as they
participated in the process of exchange of
goods and products.
 The new knowledge and current events
they learned and acquired outside affected
their ways of living and the manner of their
thinking
The Rise of the
Middle Class

- The middle class or the

Ilustrado family sent
members of their family
particularly male children
to study abroad.
- These students would be
exposed to European
thoughts and would later
lead in call for reforms.
- Filipino patriots and
propagandist mostly
came from this class
Opening of Suez
Canal

- The Suez Canal was

created by a French
engineer named
Ferdinand de Lesseps
- This man-made canal
made transportation
easier, making the
transfer of goods and
ideas better and faster.
Spanish Revolution of 1868
- The period when Queen
Isabella was ousted by
Generals Francisco Serrano
and Juan Prim
- This incident had proven that
Spain was not invincible and
that even how powerful it
was it cannot escape social
unrest and political
upheavals.
- In 1873, the first Spanish
Republic was established and
the Liberals installed Carlos Ma.
Dela Torre as the governor
general in the Philippines
Liberal Regime of
Carlos Ma. Dela
Torre

- It was during his term as

governor general that
freedom of speech was
allowed among the
Filipinos
- De la Torre was a well-
loved leader because he
was concern with the
needs of the natives
- He ordered the abolition of flogging as
punishment for military disobedience

- He implemented the Educational

Decree of 1863 and the Moret Law
which delimit the secularization of
educational institutions and allowed the
government to take control among
different schools and academic
institutions.
Secularization
Movement
- An interest group consisted
of Filipino priests who
demanded that they be
allowed to handle parishes
in accordance with the
provisions of the Council of
Trent
- It was once headed by
Father Pedro Pelaez and
was followed by Fr. Jose
Burgos.
Restoration of the
Monarch and the
Installation of
Izquierdo as gov. gen.
of the Philippines

- 1870, Spanish monarchy

was restored with Amadeo
de Savoy as new king.
- This king eventually sent
Rafael Izquierdo as the
governor general in Manila
Izquierdo was the
exact opposite of De
la Torre
He ordered that the
exemptions and
privileges enjoyed by
workers of the
arsenals and ship
yards be repealed,
giving reason for
these workers to
launch a mutiny that
took place in 1872.
The Cavite Mutiny

- An uprising of the arsenal and

shipyard workers of Cavite as a
response to the repeal of their
privileges such as exemption
from paying tributes and
performance of forced labor.
- This took place on January 20,
1872 and was headed by
Sergeant La Madrid
- This small mutiny was magnified
by Spanish to make it appear
that it was a wide-scaled
conspiracy and that even Filipino
clergy were part of it.
The Martyrdom of
GOMBURZA
The Three Martyr Priest
Jose Burgos
Born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Youngest among the
three
One of the major
advocates of
secularization
Born on 9 February1837
During that time was the
curate of the Cathedral
and Canonigo Magistral
Mariano Gomes
Born in Sta. Cruz,
Manila
First to be executed
Founded La Verdad,
which served as the
mouthpiece of
secularization
Oldest among the
martyr priests
Jacinto Zamora
Born August 14,
1835
He already lost
his mind during
the proceedings
Significance of the
martyrdom of the three
priests
Filipinos forgot their regional
hostilities and felt the need of
being united for a common cause
The Filipinos instead of
developing fear from the
Spaniards, developed hatred
instead
The GOMBURZA served as
inspiration to future patriots to
selflessly fight the Spaniards in
order to put a stop on injustices
and abusiveness committed by
the colonizers.
 THE REFORM AND COUNTER –
REFORM MOVEMENTS
REFORM MOVEMENTS:
The Propaganda
Movement
Major Propagandists
Graciano Lopez Jaena
A native of Jaro, Iloilo.
Famous for his
satirical work entitled
“Fray Botod”
Founded “La
Solidaridad” in 1889
Marcelo del Pilar
A fierce lawyer and
writer from Malolos,
Bulacan
Identified by
Spanish authorities
in Madrid as “the
most dangerous
Indio”
Founded the
“Diariong Tagalog”
in 1882, the first
Filipino newspaper
written in the
Used the pennames
“Plaridel”, “Dolores
Manapa”, “Piping
Dilat”
Famous works
include:

- La Soberania Monacal
en Filipinas (Monastic
Supremacy in the
Philippines)
- La Frailocracia Filipina
(The Friars in the
Philippines)
Jose Rizal
Known for his
novels Noli Me
Tangere and El
Filibusterismo
Founded La Liga
Filipina after the
failure of the
Propaganda
Movement
Other Propaganda Literature
Ninay – Pedro Paterno
Sampaguitas – Pedro Paterno
El Progreso de Filipinas – Gregorio
Sanciangco
Impresiones – Antonio Luna
La Universidad de Pilipinas: Plano de
Estudios – Jose Maria Panganiban
Celebres Filipinos – Mariano Ponce
Historia de Ilocos – Isabelo delos Reyes
El Folklore Filipino – Isabelo delos
Reyes
Masonry
One of the oldest fraternities in Europe
Became a popular organization for
Filipino liberals and democrats
Revolucion – 1st Filipino Masonic
lodge in Barcelona founded by Lopez
Jaena
Solidaridad – Founded by M. del Pilar
in Madrid
Nilad – 1st Masonic Lodge in the
Philippines founded by Pedro
Serrano Laktaw
COUNTER - REFORM MOVEMENTS:

Qiuopquiap
Pablo Feced in real life
His articles expressed hatred and
contempt against Filipino reformists
His articles were usually published in
Diario de Manila and El Liberal in
Madrid
His infamous work was
Filipinas:Ezbozos y Pinceladas
(Philippines: Sketches and Strokes)
that was a biased assessment of the
Philippines
Wenceslao Retana

Defender of Frailocracy
Published Questiones
Filipinas: Avisos y
Profecias, a compilation
of articles attacking
anti-friar Filipino
reformists
Had a dispute with Rizal
but eventually became
the hero’s biographer
Fray Jose
Rodriguez

Wrote an attack
against the Noli in a
pamphlet entitled
Caiingat Kayo
In response Rizal
wrote, La Vision del
Fray Rodriguez
Fray Lucio
Bustamante

Ridiculed the Filipinos

who wanted to learn
Spanish yet cannot
satisfactorily perform
their manual jobs.
Other Counter
Publications

Diario de Manila
El Liberal
La Voz de
Espana
 Failure of the Propaganda
Movement

Inadequacy of funds
The publication of La Sol ceased to
exist
Personal and health problems of
reformists
Homesickness
Conflict of interests and differences
in opinions
 La Liga Filipina

Founded by Rizal on 3 July 1892 at

Tondo, Manila
Objectives:
Unification of the archipelago into a one
compact, vigorous and homogenous body;
Mutual protection in every want and need;
Defense against all forms of violence and
injustices;
Encouragement of education, agriculture
and commerce;
The study of application of reforms
Significance of the
Movement
Succeeded in influencing
profound political
developments
Politicized a great
number of Filipinos
Establishment of a group
that yearned for reforms,
the Katipunan