THE INDOLENCE

OF THE FILIPINOS

THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS

essaypublished in La Solidaridad Madrid, Spain (July 15, 1890 – September 15, 1890)

Why did Rizal write this essay?Rizal wrote this essay to defend the Filipinos from the charge that they were born indolent.

INDOLENTIdleLazylittle love for work lack of activity

CAUSES OF THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS

1. Warsthe inhabitants of the Philippines

were dragged to maintain the honor of Spain (thousands and thousands of Filipinos were sent but nothing was said if they ever returned to their homes.)

great diminution of the natives because the governors got them as crews for the vessels they send out.

2. Piratical Attacksdevastation of the terrible piratesReduced more and more the number

of inhabitants of the Philippinesburned down the towns, captured and

enslaved mendisarmed and subjected to tributes so

that they were left without the means to defend themselves

3. Attitude of the FriarsAt that time, the friars advised their

poor parishioners:to stop work in the mines,to abandon their industries, to destroy their looms and pointing

them that heaven is their sole hope

The friars told them that it is easier for a poor man to enter heaven than for a rich man

4.Lessening encouragement

to LaborTrade contact or relations between

the Borneans, Siamese, Cambodians and Japanese nations were being cut off

The coast wide trade which was flourishing before disappeared

5. Miserly return for one’s Labor(selfish, greedy, mean)Encomenderos

reduced many to slaverycompelled Filipinos to work for their

benefitMade them sell their products at an

insignificant price or for nothing or cheated them with false measures

Treated them like slaves

6. GamblingThe sugal (from the Spanish word jugar, to gamble) indicates that gambling was unknown in the Philippines before the Spaniards

Balasa – from the Spanish word barajar, the introduction of playing cards

7. FiestasGave their contribution to large

number of fiestas, lengthy masses, novenae, processions, rosaries

Filipinos were much less lazy before the word miracle was introduced into their language

8. Curtailment of individual liberty(to cut off, to cut short, doubtful) Individual liberty is being cut offaccused of being a filibustero (rebel)

or a suspectLack of confidence in the futureUncertainty of reaping the fruits of

their labor

9. Apathy of the Government No encouragement, aid pertaining to

commerce or agricultureThe products coming from the

Philippines were burdened with imposts and duties and have no free entry in the ports of the mother country and the consumption of the products are not encouraged

Due to the fraudulent (dishonest, deceitful) manipulations of the Chinese, the Filipino industries were dying.

10. Ownership of the big estates by the friarsthe best estates, the best tracts of

land in some provinces were in the hands of the religious corporations

the friars have deceived many by making them believe that those estates were prospering because those were under their supervision

11. Lack of moral support

Absence of moral support Absence of help from the governmentChemist (competitive examination)Young man won a prize in a literary contestEducation of the Filipino

12. Deprivation of human dignity

the students have to contend with the daily preaching that lowers human dignity, gradually or brutally killing their self-respect

Priests who boldly declared that it is evil for the Filipinos to know Castilian, that the Filipinos should not be separated from his carabao, and that he should not have any further ambition.

13. Feeling of inferiorityConstant plucking (pulling, removing)

of the soulDeadens the energyParalyzes all tendency towards

advancement

14. Vicious dressing of the intelligence and will“You can’t do more than old So and

So!-Don’t aspire to be greater than the curate! You belong to an inferior race! You haven’t any energy.”

They say this to the child; and as it is repeated so often, it has inevitably engraved in his mind and thence it seals and shapes all his actions.

Ridicules with cruel sarcasm

15. Lack of an ideal for a good worker

the Filipinos’ spirits were transformed according to the taste of the nation that imposed upon them its God and its laws

INSTEAD: Ideal and prototype tanned and muscular

laborer (who should have brought along with him the useful iron implements and the hoes to till the fields)

BUT IT WAS AN:Aristocratic lord who brought along with

him stamped papers, crucifixes, bulls and prayer books

AS A RESULT:the imitative people became clerks,

devout, prayer-loving, acquired ideas of luxurious and ostentatious living without improving correspondingly their means of subsistence.

16. Lack of national sentiment

(expression of emotional ideas, feelings, etc.)

Scarcity of any opposition to the measures that are prejudicial to the people and the absence of any initiative that will redound to their welfare

Deprived of the right of association, therefore they were weak and inert (inactive, unmotivated, passive)

That’s all folks! ;D