RA 1425 and 19th Century Philippine Colonial History

RA 1425: The Rizal Law (Batas Rizal)

• General Overview: Republic Act $1425$, commonly known as the Rizal Law, was established to keep the spirit of nationalism alive among Filipinos.
• Legislative History:
  • Senate Bill No. $438$: Authored by Senator Claro M. Recto.
  • House Bill No. $5561$: Authored by Representative Jacobo Gonzales.
  • Sponsorship: Senator Jose P. Laurel sponsored the bill in the Senate and took the lead in its implementation.
  • Approval: The bill was signed into law on June $12$, $1956$, by the administration of President Ramon Magsaysay.
• Mandate: The law requires all schools, colleges, and universities (both public and private) to include in their curricula courses on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal. Particular emphasis is placed on his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Criticisms and Opposition (Senate Bill No. $438$)

• Religious and Civil Liberty Arguments:
  • Senators Rosales, Cuenco, and Rodrigo: Argued that the compulsory reading of materials that contradict one's faith is a violation of freedom of speech and religious freedom.
  • Senator Francisco Rodrigo: Emphasized that the nation and faith should not be pitted against each other (Nationalism vs. Religion), specifically regarding the relationship between the government and the Catholic Church.
• Religious Objections:
  • Fr. Jesus Cavanna: Asserted that Noli Me Tangere was anti-clerical and intended to discredit the beliefs of the Catholic faith.
  • Jesus Paredes: Opposed compulsory reading for two reasons: (1) to protect the faith and beliefs of individuals, and (2) because the content of the novels was explicitly anti-church.
• Institutional Opposition:
  • Catholic Action of Manila: Called for the total junking/scrapping of the Rizal Bill.
  • The Catholic Church: Argued that reading the novels would damage the image of the Church.
• Statistics from the Pastoral Letter:
  • The Church issued a pastoral letter analyzing the novels:
  • Total novel pages analyzed: $333$ pages.
  • Patriotic sentiments identified: $25$ parts.
  • Attacks against the Catholic Church identified: $120$ parts.
  • Lines damaging the Church image: $170$ lines from Noli Me Tangere and $50$ lines from El Filibusterismo.

Defenders and Revision of the Law

• Key Defenders:
  • Senator Claro M. Recto: Actively criticized the Church's pastoral letter.
  • Senator Jose P. Laurel.
  • Supporting Organizations: The Spirit of $1896$, Alagad ni Rizal, Freemasons, Booklover Society, Philippine Public School Teachers Association, and Knights of Rizal.
• Compromise and Revision:
  • To reach an agreement, the wording of the bill was revised from its original form of "obligating students to read Noli and El Fili" to "including it in the curriculum."
• Final Legislative Vote:
  • Senate: $23$ senators voted in favor.
  • House of Representatives (HOR): $71$ voted in favor; $2$ voted against; $2$ abstained.

The Philippines in the $19^{th}$ Century: Colonial Instability

• Political Context in Spain: The reign of King Fernando VII ($1808$-$-$1833) marked the beginning of political chaos in Spain.\n* **Impact on the Philippines**:\n * Frequent changes in colonial administration policies.\n * High turnover rate of colonial officials.\n* **Corrupt and Notable Colonial Officials**:\n * **Rafael de Izquierdo (1871$-$-$73$)**: Known as boastful and merciless; he was responsible for the execution of the priests known as "GOMBURZA."
  • Jose Malcampo ($1874$-$-$77)**: A Moro warrior by background but considered a weak leader in administration.\n * **Fernando Primo de Rivera (1880$-$-$83$, $1897$-$-$98)**: Known for enriching himself through bribes taken from gambling houses.\n * **Valeriano Weyler (1888$-$-$91$): Referred to as "The Butcher" (Ang Mangangatay); he amassed wealth through bribes and expensive gifts, including diamonds.
  • Camilo de Polavieja ($1896$-$-$97)**: The official who signed the execution order for Jose Rizal.\n* **Representation in the Spanish Cortes**:\n * **Ventura de los Reyes**: Represented the Philippines; he was involved in the first democratic constitution of Spain in 1812 and the abolition of the galleon trade.\n * **Abolition**: In 1837, the representation of the colonies in the Spanish Cortes was abolished.\n\n# Socio-Legal Injustices in the Colonial Era\n\n* **Denial of Human Rights**: While Spaniards enjoyed freedoms of speech, press, and association, these constitutional rights were withheld from Filipinos in Asia.\n* **Inequality Under the Law**:\n * **Leyes de Indias (Laws of the Indies)**: Laws intended to protect the welfare of natives in Spanish colonies, but they were rarely implemented.\n * **Spanish Penal Code**: Imposed significantly heavier punishments on Filipinos compared to the light penalties given to Spaniards for similar offenses.\n* **Corrupt Judicial System**:\n * Courts were often referred to as "courts of injustice."\n * Court officials were frequently ignorant of the law.\n * Justice was slow, biased, and could be purchased.\n* **Racial Discrimination**:\n * **Indio**: The derogatory term used by Spaniards for Filipinos.\n * **Bangus**: The retaliatory nickname Filipinos used for Spaniards or Mestizos.\n* **Frailocracia (Frailocracy)**:\n * Defined as the "government of friars" (Augustinians, Dominicans, and Franciscans).\n * These religious orders held immense political power, wealth, and social influence.\n\n# Labor, Land, and Law Enforcement\n\n* **Sapilitang Paggawa (Forced Labor/Polo)**:\n * **Polista**: Male Filipinos required to work.\n * **Age Range**: Originally 16$-$-$60$ years old; later changed to $18$-$-$60 years old.\n * **Duration**: Originally 40$days per year; later reduced to$15 days per year.\n * **Wage**: Polistas were paid a meager 2$pesetas ($50 sentimos).\n * **Falla**: A fee paid to the government to be exempt from performing the forced labor.\n* **Friar-Owned Haciendas**:\n * Friars obtained titles to vast lands from the Spanish Crown.\n * Native Filipinos who previously owned or lived on these lands were relegated to the status of tenants or "kasama."\n* **The Guardias Civiles**:\n * Created to maintain peace and order.\n * Eventually became the most hated symbol of Spanish cruelty and oppression.\n\n# Social Classes in the Spanish Philippines\n\n* **Peninsulares**: Full-blooded Spaniards born in Spain but residing in the Philippines. They held the highest social status and the most powerful government positions.\n* **Insulares**: Full-blooded Spaniards born in the Philippines. They were often discriminated against by the Peninsulares but still held various government and church roles.\n* **Ilustrados**: The "enlightened ones"; wealthy, middle-class Filipinos who were educated in Europe.\n* **Principalia**: The noble and ruling class in the towns (*pueblos*). This included landowners and local leaders like *gobernadorcillos* and *cabezas de barangay*. They were exempt from forced labor.\n* **Mestizos**: Individuals of mixed racial ancestry:\n * **Mestizo de Sangley**: Chinese and Filipino ancestry.\n * **Mestizo de Español**: Spanish and Filipino ancestry.\n * **Tornatras**: Mixed Spanish, Filipino, and Chinese ancestry.\n* **Indios**: Native or full-blooded Filipinos of pure Austronesian (Malay) descent.\n* **Sangley**: Full-blooded Chinese residents in the Philippines.\n\n# Colonial Administration Structure\n\n* **Spanish Reign**: Spain ruled the Philippines for 333$years ($1565$to$1898).\n* **National Government**:\n * **Governor-General**: Appointed by the King of Spain as the head of the colonial government.\n * **Roles**: Vice Royal Patron (nominates priests), President of the Royal Audiencia (Supreme Court), and legislator (enacts *Actos acordados*).\n * **Cumplase**: The power to decide which royal decrees or laws would be implemented or disregarded.\n * **Investigative Bodies (to check GG abuses)**: (1) Residencia; (2) Visitador; and (3) Royal Audiencia.\n* **Local Government**:\n * **Alcaldia**: A province headed by an *Alcalde Mayor* (Provincial Governor) possessing both executive and judicial powers. It was considered the most corrupt unit due to the *Indulto de comercio* (right to monopolize trade).\n * **Pueblo**: A town headed by a *gobernadorcillo* (town mayor). He was elected by 13 electors and was responsible for collecting taxes.\n * **Barrio**: A barangay headed by a *cabeza de barangay*, responsible for peace and order and tax/tribute collection.\n\n# Educational System Characteristics\n\n* **Control**: Schools were under the direct control of friars. The curriculum focused on the fear of God and total obedience to religious orders.\n* **Key Institutions**:\n * **University of Santo Tomas (UST)**: Founded by Dominicans in 1611$; it was the only higher education institution that eventually opened to Filipinos in the late$19^{th} century.\n * **Secondary Education (Boys)**: Colegio de Santo Tomas, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and Ateneo Municipal.\n * **Secondary Education (Girls)**: Santa Isabel, La Concordia, Santa Rosa, and Santa Catalina.\n* **Inspection**: All schools were subject to inspection by the Dominican Rector of UST.\n* **Educational Decree of 1863**: Mandated the establishment of at least one elementary school for boys and one for girls in every town.\n* **Weaknesses of the System**:\n 1. Over-emphasis on religion.\n 2. Limited and irrelevant curriculum content.\n 3. Obsolete facilities and lack of instructional materials.\n 4. Absence of academic freedom.\n 5. Racial prejudice against Filipino students.\n\n# Socio-Economic Policies and Trade\n\n* **Reduccion**: A policy of relocating natives into centralized settlements to facilitate government monitoring and conversion to Catholicism.\n* **Bandala**: The obligation of natives to sell their agricultural products to the Spanish authorities.\n* **Taxation**:\n * **Tribute (Buwis)**: Initiated by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Collected in cash (gold/money) or kind (rice, cloth, coconut oil, etc.).\n * **Cedula**: An annual tax paid by all males and females aged 18 and above.\n * **Sanctorum**: A specific tax designated for the Church.\n* **Galleon Trade (1565$-$-$1815$):
  • Ended the previous system of free trade.
  • Restricted trade mainly between Manila and Acapulco.
  • Boleta: The physical ticket required to participate in the galleon trade.
• Impact of the $19^{th}$ Century Economic Shift:
  • The opening of the Philippines to foreign trade in $1834$ led to the rise of foreign firms in Manila.
  • Increased contact with foreigners gave Filipinos broader worldviews.
  • Wealthy families could send their sons to study in Europe, leading to the rise of a class (Ilustrados) that became disenchanted with Spanish colonial rule.