The Indolence of the Filipinos By Jose Rizal

When
Published in 5 instalments, from July 15 – September 15, 1890, in Madrid, Spain
(La Solidaridad).

Why
To explain the alleged “laziness” of the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization

Rizal’s Purposes

 To serve the country by telling the truth.-

 To show how we were discriminated.-
 To illustrate how we inherited some of our negative traits from the
Spaniards.-
 To let us know how we could rise from oppression.-
 To show us that we have been deceived-
 To remind us what we were, are, and could be.

Before the Spaniards came

we were active and honest in trading, use our abilities and
resources for our country’s benefits, never corrupt, industrious and passionate, independent,
value nature, and protective and defensive of our territory.

When the Spaniards came

we became gamblers, dependent, powerless, corrupt, amnesiacs,
disloyal to our “identity”, and indolent.

Being discontent, having continual wars and tolerance, due to slavery, getting
deceits from the Spaniards, allowing pirates from the south (Mindanao Muslim
pirates), and lacking unity, the Filipinos became indolent.

Two main reasons why the Filipinos are indolent:

 Defects of training
Limited training at home, school
Inactivity results from this
One will move to being a copycat (suited to nature)
Do what is told to us (e.g., giving gold to church, etc.)
  Lack of national sentiment

“A man in the Philippines is only an individual; he is not a member of a nation. He is

forbidden the right to association,
and is; therefore, weak and sluggish.”

The summary of the essay:

He defends the Filipinos by saying that they are not indolent by nature because
in fact, even before the arrival of Spaniards, Filipinos have been engaged in
economic activities such as agriculture and trade Indolence therefore has more
deeply rooted causes such as
abuse and discrimination,
inaction of the government,
rampant corruption and red tape,
wrong doctrines of the church and
wrong examples from some Spaniards who lead lives of indolence which
ultimately led to the deterioration of Filipino values. In the end, Rizal sums up the
main causes of indolence to the limited training and education Filipino natives
receive and to the lack of national sentiment and unity among them. Education
and liberty, according to Rizal, would be the cure to Filipino indolence

acapilco trade were shut down

Spaniards forced Filipino to worked
Did not protect the Filipino with the invaders
Education were limited
gambling