Notes on JPRMyAR2

The Development of National Consciousness

- In 1834, Spain was following the trend of globalization; it opened Manila and the rest of Philippines in world commerce.
- The move brought prosperity and created a middle class among the Filipinos, specifically, the Chinese Mestizos.
- They started to send their sons to be educated locally as well as abroad.
- Education brought more influence and agitation for a betterment of treatment in the colony.
- Educated Filipinos were now asking for social and political equality.
- These educated Filipinos became the first batch of propagator of reform in the Philippines.


The Secularization Movement

- Since 1565, religious orders (e.g. Augustinians, Recollects, Dominicans, and Franciscans) led the conversion of the Philippine colony to Catholicism through the parishes.
- Now, this is a violation of a directive from the Vatican that “administration of the parishes should be under the secular priests”.
- There were only few priests in the colony then hence the violation of the Vatican provision.
- But by the late 18th century, there were already a considerable number of secular priests but unfortunately, the religious orders wouldn’t want to give up their important role (i.e. by relinquishing their parishes to the seculars).
- This scenario created a conflict between the foreign priests and the local priests, such became a racial issue.
- Thus the Secularization Movement became a national and a racial issue among the many Spanish colonies.


The Cavite Mutiny and the Execution of Gomburza

- The Spanish Republic ended in 1870 and the monarchy was again restored. As a result the political landscape in the Philippines again changed from liberal to autocratic.
- On January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino soldiers and workers in the Cavite arsenal revolted over tax exemptions.
- The Governor General dispatched a punitive force leading to a violent resolution.
- The revolt became an excuse for the Governor General to persecute the leaders of the secularization movement and other liberal oriented Filipinos.
- A simple rebellion became a grand conspiracy of the indios to topple down the Spanish colonizers.
- Fathers Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora were sentenced to die by the garrote.
- On February 17, 1872, the three priests were executed in Bagumbayan (Luneta).
- Jose Rizal witnessed the execution.


Propaganda Movement

- Among the rising middle class, the globalization of liberalism and the execution of the “gomburza” started the peaceful campaign for reforms. The propagandists were simply reformers as they did not have the objective and intention of achieving social changes through an armed struggle or revolution.
- Their principal objective was the assimilation of the colony as a regular province of Spain, because they believe that through integration, equality between the natives and the Spaniards would surely be attained.
- The reformers worked for the secularization of the parishes, the restoration of the Filipino representative in Spanish Cortes and the fundamental freedoms of speech, of the press, assembly and religion.


The Liga Filipina

- Rizal founded the Liga Filipina with the aim of forming a civic organization composed of patriotic Filipinos in pursuit of new approaches in achieving reforms in the Philippines.
- The objectives were: the unification of the country into one compact and homogenous body, mutual protection in every want and necessity, defense against all forms of violence and injustices, encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce, and the study and application of reforms.
- The liga however was short-lived, three days after its founding; Rizal was arrested and deported in Dapitan.


Failure of the Reform Movement

- The propagandists were afflicted by a perennial problem, inadequacy of finance.
- The La Solidaridad ceased its publication because of it, homesickness and difference of opinions leading to internal conflicts compelled Del Pilar and Jaena to change their political platform from assimilation to separation or revolution.
- The propaganda movement did not achieve its basic aims, but it succeeded in influencing profound political awakenings.
- When Bonifacio, Jacinto and Aguinaldo saw the futility of achieving reforms through peaceful means, they realized that the last option was in the guise of revolt.
- Ironically, on July 7, 1892, the day that Rizal was arrested and deported was also the day that Katipunan was founded.


The Philippine Revolution of 1896

- Realizing the futility of reforms, on August 22, 1896, Bonifacio summoned all the leaders (of Katipunan) in Balintawak. Around 500 katipuneros tore their cedulas starting the first phase of the Philippine Revolotuion.
- Rizal was charge with being the “soul of the revolution” and executed him on December 30, 1896.
- On June 12, General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines from Spain.