Jason E.

Origenes BS PSYCH 2

February 3, 2014 HISTO 17 MWF 8:30-9:30

The Indolence of the Filipinos

The essay Indolence of the Filipinos by Jose Rizal is an essay that discusses the causes why the Filipinos under the regime of the Spaniards did not, as was said, work hard or became indolent. As Rizal stressed in this essay, the Filipinos were never indolent and as a matter of fact industrious and hardworking if not only because of the Spanish regime which brought a decline to the economic activities in the Philippines. This decline was because of the following reasons: (1) The establishment of the Galleon Trade which cut off all previous associations of the Philippines with other countries in Asia and the Middle East. (2) Spain also extinguished the natives love of work by the implementation of forced labor. (3) Spain did not protect the people against foreign invaders and pirates. Since the natives have no arms to defend themselves, the natives were killed, their houses burned, and their lands destroyed. (4) There was a crooked system of education, if it was to be considered an education. What were 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. (5) The Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. The officials were reported to work at noon and left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties. (6) Gambling was established and widely propagated during those times. (7) There was a crooked system of religion. The friars taught the nave 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. (8) The taxes were extremely high, so much so that a huge portion of what they earned went to the government or to the friars. REACTION: As pointed out by Rizal in his essay, he admitted that the Filipinos have been indolent in the regime of the Spaniards. But looking at all the aspects of this said indolence of the Filipinos,

are they really to be blamed? For me the Filipinos are just wise enough not to work as hard as they used to be for these unworthy Spaniards. Would you ever want to work without a good pay? Would you still have the energy to work if you are downgraded to the ground? Would you ever want to work when all you see is corruption? Would you ever want to work with under all these circumstances? I think the answer is a definite NO. Therefore the said indolence of the Filipinos is nothing but a protest; it is a message for the Spaniards saying that they should make something at the very moment and not any later. But as always the Spaniards did nothing and even see the issues as nothing but a mere trash as how they see the Filipinos.

The Last Letters of Rizal

REFLECTION: Bold and unafraid is how I would describe the last letters of Rizal. In all his honesty, Rizal wrote the very words that he truly wanted to say. His last letters were brief but full of emotions. The letters were full of courage but do not hide its weaknesses. Human as he is he acknowledges that we may be full of heart and true fear is still inevitable and that what makes Rizal more than a hero. For a man that is going to die, what Rizal did was a mere reflection of how brave of a man he is. If you would read his last letters and try to really understand, you would perceive and know that he has give his heart whole heartedly for the love of his parents and the of course the love of Rizal for the Motherland. Sacrificing his life though he would have chosen to be with his family and live far off the country. Now think if only the modern generation of Filipinos would mind and care. If only we would all be brave enough to fight for the truth and what is right. If we would only follow the example of Rizal, I believe the Philippines would be better as a nation of the free and believer of change.