I.

Background
The Philippines a Century Hence is an essay written by the Philippine national hero
Jos Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda to forecast the future of the
country within a hundred years. This article was originally published consecutively in the
Filipino newspaper La Solidaridad running through the issues from September 30,
1889 to February 1, 1890. Dr. Jose Rizal wrote this essay when he was 28 years old in
Barcelona and some part of it in Madrid, Spain.
It was subdivided into four parts. The first part was published on September 30, 1889
which tackled the events in past to open up its door to know what the future should be.
On October 30, 1889, the second part was published which attempt to discuss the
situation of the country that will experience for the subsequently hundred years. The third
part was published on December 15, 1889. Comprises here the control of the rulers over
political state should be changed to avoid rivals because if not, every citizen of the native
land will search for their own freedom. Lastly, on February 1, 1890 the final part was
made which reviewed the consequences in the knowledge of every Filipino in working in
their own.(ipaliwanag muh toh!)
Theoretical Framework
We will use in analyzing this essay the literary theory Post Modernism
that Jacques Derrida made in which often associated with deconstruction of ideas and
skeptical interpretations. Using the theory, we will discuss elaborately and widely the
concepts of the Rizals work The Philippines a century hence. As well, we make use of
it because Rizal made a hypothesis for what the Philippines will be in the future that is
absolutely contradictory to what is happening today. Moreover, this theory analyzes the
innermost ideas that is being imply and making the author out of the picture.













Conceptual Framework
It was already written that the way we search for change will become harsh and deadly if
it comes from the hand of the citizens of this nation, otherwise peaceful and in order when
the superiors give it to us.
To see things that were not did before will possibly do today and things that we did before
could not do these days.
The Philippines will proclaim in the future its separation to the Spain and have its
progress.
The Filipino loves his country no less and although he is quieter, more peaceful and difficulty
Thesis















Analysis of his work
thesis
It was already written that the way we search for change will become harsh and
deadly if it comes from the hands of the citizens of this nation, otherwise peaceful
and in order when the superiors give it to us. There is no one in this world who
wants to let his whole life in the process of someone. Every one of us wants to do
what we want without the control of others, it is just like the situation of a bird
being imprisoned in a cage. It will continue to search on how it can escape. No
matter how hard to escape we will surpass it to get freedom that we are aiming
for.
to see things that we didnt do before will possibly done today and things that we
did before could not be done these days. This sentence or passage was one of the
meaningful and eye-opener parts of the essay The Philippines a century hence.
It really describes that the events before are different from what is happening as of
now. The people, culture and scenarios are different.
The essay also means the Philippines will proclaim in the future its separation to
the Spain and have its progress. The Filipino helped the Spaniards to remain and
rule in the Philippines for more than 3 centuries. Without the cooperation of the
Filipinos themselves, Spain could have not used our country as its base in Asia.
Unfortunately, the Foreigners got the best homes, best lands and best jobs. And
they made the decisions for us. The Filipinos had to obey them and we were not
united or enlightened enough to break away from Spanish ruling until the 19th
century. The Filipinos served Spain instead of serving their own countrymen
because of the following reason. The reason is the Filipino were not united, they
did not think of themselves as one nation, so the Spaniards divided and conquered
them. Second, the Filipinos converted to the Roman Catholic religion, so the
Filipinos were taught to be loyal to the Spanish officials and priests who
converted them into that religion. The third one is the Filipinos were offered
rewards and honors by the Spanish rulers. The Spaniards flattered and took care
of the loyal Filipinos, but they punished and killed the Filipinos who disobeyed or
revolted. Loyal Filipinos were given positions in the local government.
Notwithstanding their failure, the early Filipino revolts were of vast significance.
They proved that the Filipinos were not satisfied to remain as dependent people
and that if given a chance to do so; they never hesitated or faltered to strike for
dignity, liberty and happiness. Moreover, out of the ashes of the unsuccessful
revolts of the Filipinos arose the spirit of dynamic nationalism. The failure of their
periodic uprisings taught them the bitter lesson that they could never free
themselves from Spanish misrule by struggling separately as separate tribes, but
that they had to unite and fight the common welfare of the fatherland.
Anti thesis
At the present, we have the power to speak and complain with our situation but
still, it doesnt affect on how the leader try to make decisions for his countrymen,
our government is acting like deaf leaders who are still abusing us, not physically
abuse but they are corrupting the money of Filipinos by the some ghost property
that they want to implement. As a result we experience poverty, food shortage,
huge unemployment rate and other serious dilemmas. In order for them to hear
our complaints, we should make demonstrations.
We cant tamper those problems we encountered with that way. Rizal had a weak
point on the particular passage mention above because not all the things we did
not do before it could possibly apply as of now. The situation is very different.
Those solutions before are maybe insignificant as of now if we compare it. I think
Rizal was trying to point out that it would be great if we do it as a guide. Just a
mirror or guidelines for as to know what will be the possible solutions if those
problems before will happen again as of now.
After we gained our freedom from the Spaniards, it seems that our life does not
change. Filipinos are still suffering from poverty. Our nation is being run by
corrupt and greedy politicians. They are stealing from our taxes instead of using it
for the progress of the country. Dr. Jose Rizal taught us how to love our
countrymen through his novels. He narrated a story similar to what our
countrymen is experiencing from the cruel treatment of Spaniards. Sad to say,
until now our country is still considered as a 3
rd
world country because of the
corrupt and greedy politicians. Now, we proclaim our separation to the Spain, but
until now many Filipinos are still suffering from poverty.
Nowadays, we see that the love of the Filipino in our country is fade away. We
see the troubles like robbery, snatching and the most terrible are war even our
countrymen are fighting to each other.

Relevance in the present
we all know that they experienced all the difficulties and sacrifices that the
Spanish did to us. They are the one who ruined and tortured us. Not only physically but
spiritually and mostly emotionally they are the one who manipulate and control us in our
own country. With them, we experience all the sufferings and difficulties that we should
not be experience. They are all the reason why we learn how to surpass even our own
country now. Thats why the one who govern us now have all the idea of corrupting
because during the Spanish regime, Filipinos that are been loyal to the Spaniards had
their position. As a result, those Filipinos that are already under the control of Spaniards
have ideas on how Spaniards corrupt and take advantage the kindness of the Filipino
people. This wrong thought now are still experiencing the brutality of the government.
Thats why Philippines is still looking for the freedom because even though we are free
from the Spanish colonization we are still experiencing the misdeeds of the Spaniards.
During their regime, so now, we are still looking, searching and expecting for the
freedom is. We are still longing for this and we are so eager of what is the feeling of
being free in other country.
Now we are still hoping for freedom and for the better government. Now
we should fight for our right and get what is rightfully ours. So the thing we should do for
that is to learn a lot from what happened in the past in order for us to face the future.
Those experiences help us to think that those sufferings should not be repeated again
because it is already happened and encountered so we should stop this chain because
continuing this means that we are not learned by those instances we should also be
concerned to the next generations because they also have the right to experience
freedom because the next generations will be the next leaders of the nation someday and
they should not adapt the wrong government of the Spanish government and even the
current administration. For us to have the right government for the next generation of
what happened and experienced during the Spanish regime not only during those times
but also all of the things we already experienced. Not all the things that we are experience
is a good experience for us, but there are some that is a bad experience that help us to
mold us only as a country but as individual. Those bad experiences that we encountered
help us also to be strong and have strength to face those problems. So even though we
experience all of the suffering we should be thankful if we have already learned those
things. So these experiences gives us ideas to fight for our rights and stand on our own
should not doubt to fight for own sake and not for the stranger one.
JOBERT: Aayusin ko pa toh . . . peo ganto ung ilalagay
ko . . . .ipaliwanag muh ha . . .