PI 10 - Veneration Without Understanding

Jose Rizal

the Philippine National Hero who, unlike leaders in other nations, repudiated his country’s revolution and favored reform from “above” through education and elite leadership

William Howard Taft

the American Civil Governor who, in 1901, suggested to the Philippine Commission that the Filipinos be given a national hero

Andres Bonifacio

• the radical leader of the Katipunan who advocated for liberation through people’s action

• he was considered “too radical” by American colonial officials for the title of national hero

W. Cameron Forbes

an American Governor-General who noted that the American administration provided every assistance in recognizing Rizal, including placing his image on currency and postage stamps

Theodrore Friend

• author of Between Two Empires

• noted that Rizal was chosen as a “model hero” over others like Aguinaldo or Mabini because he was less militant or “ungenerate”

Graciano Lopez-Jaena

• a leading propagandist

• the first editor of La Solidaridad

• he was a “genuine” Filipino (indio) whi criticized the moderate stance of Spanish mestizos

Marcelo H. del Pilar

• a prominent propagandist

• leader of the indio-led portion of the Propaganda movement

• succeeded Lopez-Jaena as editor of La Solidaridad

Veneration Without Understanding

• the title and central theme of the essay

• referring to the uncritical and blind worship of Rizal without a historical analysis of his limitations or the colonial motives behind his elevation

Ilustrado

• the “enlightened” or educated class to which Rizal belonged

• characterized by a Spanish orientation

• they favored assimilation and reforms over independence and often feared mass-led revolution

Indio

• the derogatory term used by Spaniards to refer to the natives of the Philippines

• it was later transformed into “badge of honor” by Rizal and his contemporaries (as Indios Bravos)

Filipino (evolution of the term)

• originally, this term referred only to creoles (Spaniards born in the Philippines)

• it was only in the late 19th century that urbanized indios and mestizos began to appropriate the name

Creoles

• Spaniards born in the Philippines

• also called Españoles-Filipinos

• were the original referents of the term “Filipino”

Hagiolatry/Hagiographer

• the uncritical worship of a person as a saint

• Constantino argues that many Rizal biographers act a hagiographers by exaggerating his virtues and hiding his errors

Mendicancy

• a policy of “begging” for reforms from a colonial power rather than taking independent action

• Constantino views the propagandists’ focus on Spain as the arena of struggle as a precursor to modern political medicancy

Katipunan

• the revolutionary movement of the masses led by Bonifacio

• it embodied the unity of revolutionary consciousness and practice, which Rizal condemned

Assimilation

• the goal of the early reformists to make the Philippines a province of Spain

• giving Filipinos equal rights and status as Spanish citizens

December 30, 1896

the date of Jose Rizal’s execution (martyrdom), which added drama to the period and served as a catalyst for his veneration

December 25, 1896

the date Rizal issued a manifesto condemning the Philippine Revolution, calling it “useless misfortune” and “criminal”

Act No. 137

the act passed by the Philippine Commission that organized the province of Rizal in honor of the hero

Act No. 243

the act that authorized public subscriptions to build the Rizal monument at the Luneta

Act No. 346

the act that set aside the anniversary of Rizal’s death (December 30) as a day of national observance

Sedition Law

• a law passed by the Americans prohibiting the display of the Filipino flag

• it was part of the colonial context in which the “safe” and non-revolutionary Rizal was promoted

Suez Canal

• its opening reduced the travel time between Spain and Manila to thirty days

• allowed liberalism to invade the country and influenced the ideological framework of affluent natives

Export Economy

• the emergence of an economy based on prime exports like abaca and sugar

• driven by European and American entrepreneurial activities and the introduction of steam-powered milling

Infrastructure of Change

• the 19th-century modernization of the Philippines

• including the opening of railroad lines, the 1870 modernization of Manila’s water systems, and the 1881 introduction of street cars and electric lights

1873

the year the telegraph was inaugurated in the Philippines, contributing to improved communication during the 19th century

1880

the year the Philippines was connected to the rest of the world via a submarine cable to Hong Kong

1881

the period when street cars, telephones, and electric lights were introduced to the metropolitan region of Manila

Steam-powered Milling

a technological introduction that revolutionized the sugar industry, increasing production from 3,000 piculs to nearly 2,000,000 piculs over four decades

Non-Hispanic Commercial Houses

the 51 shipping and commercial houses (including 12 American and non-Hispanic European ones) that broke the insular belt of Philippine life and monopolized the import-export trade

Peninsulares

• Spaniards born in Spain living in the Philippines

• they were the class with whom the rising native elite sought practical economic and political equality

Principalia

• the local noble or upper class

• Constantino notes that almost all the principal characters in Rizal’s novels belonged to this group, reflecting his social milieu

Españoles-Filipinos

• another term for creoles (Spaniards born in the Philippines)

• they were the original referents of the word “Filipino” before it was appropriated by the natives

Indios Bravos

• a term used by Rizal and other natives in Paris to reclaim the derogatory “indio” as a “badge of honor”

• marking a shift toward a distinct national consciousness

Circulo Hispano-Filipino

an early organization in Spain dominated by creoles and peninsulares, whose organ, España en Filipinas, was criticized by Lopez-Jaena for being too moderate and sympathetic to Spanish interests

Limited Filipino

Constantino’s term for Rizal and the illustrados who, despite winning the name Filipino for the natives, remained separated from the masses by culture, education, property

The True FIlipino

defined by Constantino as the de-colonized Filipino of the present day who consciously strives for independence and has surpassed the “incipient” or “limited” Filipino identity of the 19th century

Reformism

Rizal’s political stance that focused on assimilation—making the Philippines a province of Spain with better education and government—rather than seeking separation

Rizal’s Manifesto

a document written by Rizal while in prison in which he explicitly condemned the uprising as a “useless misfortune” that “dishonors us Filipinos”

Homogenized Version of Rizal

the result of efforts to “expunge” controversial aspects of Rizal’s writings—such as his views on religion and the friars—to make him a “safe” authority for the status quo

American Tutelage

• the colonial policy of “preparing” Filipinos for self-government

• the Americans used Rizal’s focus on education to justify their stay, arguing that the unlettered masses were not yet ready for independence

Intellectual Timidity

the reluctance of modern Filipinos to espouse new causes unless they can find sanctions for them in Rizal’s works, which Constantino views as a danger to creative thinking

The Negation of Rizal

the idea that as the goals of the people are achieved, the “limited Filipino represented by Rizal will be surpassed (negated) by the “true Filipino”