Hello, I'm Humi. In this video, we will talk about the changes that the Philippines and the world experienced in the 19th century, which directly affected the shaping of Rizal's personality. Have you ever asked yourself how you became who you are? Our personality is not only defined by genetics, but by a multitude of experiences and events that are interwoven throughout our lives. Not just one but many factors have shaped and continue to shape your personality. If you're a little confused, let's compare him to a jigsaw puzzle. Here, the pieces are the experiences and events that have happened in your life, and when we put them together, it creates a picture. And that picture is you. There are factors you can control, like deciding whether to save money, whether to exercise, or whether to study instead of spending time on social media. Other factors are beyond our control. Like the world we grew up in. What if you were born rich? Is your family loving? Who are those around you? What events are happening in the world? Where do you live? What generation are you? Is your race beautiful? and many more. All of those factors have to do with how you became who you are. Let's go to Rizal. Rizal was born and raised in the 19th century. And he grew up amidst the Philippines' struggle for independence and the shifting social, economic, and political landscape of the time. And those changes contributed to developing his perspective on life. To better understand how Rizal became Rizal, let 's look back at what was happening in the 19th Century. What were these changes, in terms of economic, social, cultural, and political landscape, that shaped him, his family, the Philippines, and the world at that time? So 19th Century. The 19th Century is called by some the birth of modernity. Why? That's why it's called the birth of modernity because this era emphasized our breaking with traditional ways of life for the emergence of more modern or new ideas, attitudes, and institutions. Previously, it was monarchy. This is the 19th century, democracy. In the past, feudalism. Now, capitalism. Previously, passively accepting. Now, reform-minded. This period has also been called part of the Age of Revolution. Why? During this time, the Industrial Revolution was happening. New modes of production, transportation, and communication emerged, which resulted in the transformation of the economy as the world shifted from manual labor to machine-based production. This transformation of the economy and society resulted in new forms of work and leisure, as well as urbanization and the growth of cities. There were also political revolutions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. There is the American Revolution, and this French Revolution on your screen , which were both heavily influenced by the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that valued reason , rationality, and individualism. These political revolutions challenged the power of the monarchy and paved the way for new forms of governance based on individual rights, nationalism, and freedom. Let me just clarify that these two political revolutions happened in the late 18th century. But they had a great influence, proving that this system was achievable, which opened the door for many more revolutions that occurred in the 19th Century. The 19th Century encompasses a new way of thinking about the world and one's place in it, characterized by an increased focus on individualism, rationality, and the belief in progress and the ability to shape the world through scientific, technological, and social advancement. Also in the 19th century, while various places in Europe grew stronger, such as Britain, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, and France, thanks to the French Revolution, the Spanish state weakened. Why is it weakening? Let's look at their *economic condition during this period. And I think we can understand it better if we go back a few centuries. At a time when we were not yet conquered by the Spaniards. Even before the Spanish conquered us, we were already trading with various neighboring countries. Like China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Borneo, Spice Islands... When they conquered us, the Spanish crown saw the opportunity to control and profit from this trade. And that's not all. They turned it into a government monopoly. They closed all ports of Manila to all countries and places, except for *Acapulco, Mexico. Why is it still open in Mexico? Because at that time, Mexico was part of the Spanish Empire. And Spain governs the Philippines from Mexico. Because both countries were colonies of Spain, Spain had exclusive control over the trade route and the goods that were traded. From that point, the Manila-Apaculco Trade was formed. Or maybe you're more familiar with another name, Galleon Trade. A galleon is the name given to a ship used for trade. Throughout centuries, Manila was the center of commerce in the East. *They send something. On their way to Apaculco, they brought Chinese silk, tuba, fireworks, buffalo, various textiles, perfume, precious stones... Then on their way back, they brought various flora and fauna such as guava, avocado, papaya, pineapple, horses, cows... In short, Spain became a mercantilist superpower . But they did not reign forever. Why? Furthermore, Spain was heavily dependent on the silver mines of its colonies in South America and they were being depleted. If they don't have wealth, they won't have any income. Also, silver production increased in America, and because there was *TOO much supply, the price of silver dropped. And most importantly, Mexico had a War of Independence. Mexico revolted against Spain, thus shifting the focus and priority of consumers away from the trade. So in the first decade of the 19th century, because trade was no longer sustainable, the Galleon Trade came to a complete halt. Since the Galleon Trade has stopped, the Philippines needs a commercial purpose. Thankfully, there are many economic opportunities because of the Industrial Revolution. Therefore, the Philippines was opened to world commerce. We have transitioned as a supplier of raw materials to Western industries. We utilized our underutilized land resources and ventured into cash crop agriculture. If before, we only grew crops for ourselves, by the 19th century, we were growing crops to supply other countries. British, Dutch, and American trading companies invested capital here for large-scale production of various products, such as tobacco and sugar. To make transactions easier, foreign investors need help from people in the Philippines. This is where the Chinese, mestizos, and wealthy natives entered. Chinese immigrants served as the middlemen between the provinces, where the products were grown, and the merchant houses of the mestizos in Manila. The wealthy natives became tenants or Inquilino in Spanish. This is what Tenants do. They rented large haciendas to the friars. What they rented , they will partition and rent it out cheaper to indigenous farmers. When the Suez Canal, an artificial sea-level waterway, was opened, the distance of travel between Europe and the Philippines was considerably shortened. If it used to take three months, now it only takes forty days. (thanks to railways and steamships) It cannot be denied that the Industrial Revolution had a great impact on us. We are opened to world commerce. Foreigners were engaged in manufacturing and agriculture. Our economy is dynamic and balanced. There was the rise of a new influential and wealthy Filipino middle class. People were encouraged to participate in the trade. And migration and increase in population were encouraged. In 1825, the total trade of the Philippines alone was 2.8 million pesos. But by 1875, it was 31.1 million. And that doubled by 1895. You may be wondering, what does what I am saying have to do with Rizal? Because the economy is good, the Inquilinos become rich. And among these wealthy Inquilinos was the Mercado family, on Rizal's father's side. Let's see how much they have benefited from this economic progress. During the mid-eighteenth century, at the time of Domingo Lam-co, Rizal's Chinese ancestor, the average holding of an Inquilino was only about three hectares. But by the 1890s, after Rizal's father had moved to the Calamba hacienda, Rizal's family already owned almost 400 hectares. The Mercado family became one of the most affluent families in Calamba. And not only on his father's side, Rizal's mother's side was also rich. So what if they are rich? Well, because they are rich, they can live comfortably and most of all, they can afford to educate their children. Education, whether we admit it or not, is a status symbol. During this time (up until the mid-19th century), almost only the wealthy and those of Spanish blood could afford to study at a college or university. Those at the top of the hierarchy. To better understand why education was such a luxury during this period (until the mid-19th century), it would be good to check the racial hierarchy in the 19th Century. At the very top, there are the Peninsulares or the pure-blooded Spaniards born on the Iberian Peninsula, such as Spain. They are the officials and the friars, and they are the only ones who have the power and authority to rule the Philippines. Below the Peninsulares, there are the Insulares or the Creoles. Insulares are just like Penisulares. 100% of Spanish blood. The only difference is, the Insulares were not born in Spain, but in the Philippines. So if your father and mother are 100% pure-blooded Spaniards, but you were born here, you cannot be called a Peninsulares. Below the Insulares, there are the Mestizos. When we say Mestizo or Tisoy, it means you are mixed. Suppose your father is a native Filipino but your mother is a Spaniard or Chinese. At the bottom of the hierarchy, there are the Native Filipinos and the Indians. Because we are at the bottom, the Spaniards look down on us. (derogatory term used by Spanish officials; it has lost its original meaning on their hands) If you notice, Spanish blood was of great importance during the Spanish era. Highly valued. In the eyes of Spanish officials, if you are pure-blooded, you are superior to any Filipino. And as Spanish blood disappeared, so did all the privileges that came with it. If we look at it, the Insulares are still 100% Spanish. But just because they were born in the Philippines, they are inferior to the racial caste system. According to the Peninsulares, the Philippines is only a dumping ground for misfits and dregs of society, and to be born in such a place lowered their racial status. Even the most stupid Spaniard, as long as he's a Spaniard, will still look up to him. Because even if you have just a tiny drop of Indio blood, in the eyes of the Spaniards, you will not be their equal. Because the Spaniards have little regard for the Filipinos, they do not give them even the slightest respect for their humanity. And this includes access to education. They associated us with ideas of backwardness, primitiveness, and inferiority. Because they are not given opportunities, (likely) those at the bottom of the hierarchy cannot easily study in college. But if Rizal's family was as rich as you , this wouldn't be a problem for you. Wealthy families during this period (latter half of 19th century) were able to send their children to study in prestigious schools. The female children of the Rizal family were educated at La Concordia. Their son, Paciano, is at Colegio San de Jose. The relative prosperity of the period has enabled them (wealthy Filipino families) to send their other sons to Spain and Europe for higher studies. Rizal's family was not the only one to enjoy this kind of education, many other wealthy Filipinos had their children educated in Madrid and Barcelona. In college, they were exposed to secular and liberal ideas. That, thanks to revolutions like the French Revolution, a world where we are not oppressed by these bastards is achievable. (It may be more accurate to say that they "sought reforms.") Ilustrado means erudite, learned, or enlightened one. As Ilustrado, let's just say that they envy the democracy that other countries enjoy, and hope that the Philippines enjoys the same. Hopefully, we are not being oppressed. That we would be treated as human beings. And one of their goals is to have the Spaniards treat us as equivalents. To be fair, it's easy to say that the nationalist movement emerged in the Philippines because of the Ilustrados. But there was an even bigger factor that stimulated nationalism among the natives in the Philippines. Let's examine these educational reforms that occurred in the 19th Century. First. Because of the Industrial Revolution, the Philippine educational system was forced to change. We can no longer just teach prayer, because the economy needs skilled labor. Schools, before we were affected by the Industrial Revolution, were actually controlled by friars. And that environment can be summed up in three words: inadequate, suppressive, and controlled. Fear of God is more prevalent than basic literacy. Obedience to the friars instead of the child learning to count. Children in the schools were taught to instill in their minds that they were inferior to others and were only capable of doing manual work. Clearly, this educational system will no longer work to keep up with the modernizing world. Second. The Educational Decree of 1863. This is an attempt by the Spanish Colonial government to address the lack of formal education among Filipinos. This decree mandates that every town in the Philippines must build at least one primary school for boys and girls. which was to be supported by municipal funds and supervised by the local government. This decree marked the beginning of (wider) formal education in the Philippines and opened up educational opportunities to a wider segment of society, including the middle and lower classes. Primary education became free and open to Filipinos. This is significant, because learning how to read, write, and count is no longer just for the wealthy and elite. Although, it's not perfect. It lacked resources and qualified teachers. There are also discriminations that occur that natives experience. And because Spaniards are in charge of education, it is still heavily influenced by Catholicism and Spanish Culture. That's why the development of the national identity of Filipinos is hindered. But it's still an important step. Because of this, we learned to understand the Spanish language, and it became the foundation for the development of formal education and subsequent educational reforms. Third, the return of the Jesuits was a significant event that influenced the educational system in the Philippines. When the Jesuits returned to the Philippines, they brought ideas and methods that were new to the Philippine educational system. In 1865, the Ateneo, which was then handled by the Jesuits, was transformed into a secondary school. And what they teach is beyond the official requirements. It's college-level even though the student is still in high school. And because of these secondary schools like Ateneo, the ideas of nationalism became awakened, even among Filipinos who did not study in Europe. According to a letter from Rizal to Blumentritt, these educational reforms helped give other people access to the opportunity to study, read, and learn. In fact, in 1866, the proportion of literate people in the Philippines was even greater than in Spain. The proportion of Filipino children attending school was also above average in European standards. Why did Filipinos shout like that during Rizal's time? That we need democracy. To understand better, perhaps we need to go back to the 16th Century. When the Spaniards introduced the religion of Christianity to us. When the Spaniards introduced Christianity to us , they said that we should love all people, regardless of color, wealth, or characteristics, because we are all equal creations of God. There is a problem. They forgot to say that the word "human" does not include us. The Spanish colonial authorities did not treat brown-skinned Filipinos equally. This hypocrisy reminded me of the famous quote from George Orwell's book, Because they forgot to say it, or in fact, they really forgot, almost all Filipinos in Luzon became Christians. And throughout the next three centuries, they used religion to justify all their wrongdoings. Forced labor? For God. Cultural Suppression? For God. Conquest and Violence? For God. During Rizal's time, the Court of Justice was notoriously corrupt. It should probably be called the "Court of Injustice." Justice is only for the rich. It seems that the rich are wrong. Justice, only for the Spanish. Because at that time brown Filipinos were often treated unfairly and justice was costly, partial, and slow. If you are a poor Filipino, you simply cannot afford the exorbitant costs of litigation. If you're a rich white person, you win. The Filipino is the one who is guilty and will go to jail. According to John Foreman, the judicial procedure is already slow, making it easy for justice to be delayed or denied, and it is easy to find loopholes. You have no choice about who will govern your area, because you don't have the right to vote. The government enforced strict social and political hierarchies, denying Filipinos basic political rights and freedoms. This led to limited participation in the government, and the responsibilities of the natives were often not adequately compensated, (likely) leading to poor job performance. If the left hand of the Spanish crown is for officials, the right hand is for the church. They can go to jail, and even if the friars do something wrong, because they are under the law, they are still technically innocent. The imposition of heavy taxes and levies on the local population resulted in widespread poverty and deprivation. In addition, the officials are corrupt. They are collecting money, not to fix the broken bridge or repair the schools, but for their own pockets. Let's summarize what I said. The Spanish colonial period in the Philippines was marked by racial prejudice or racism, discrimination, almost no political rights, the local population was monetized, the church manipulated the country, and the Spanish government saw us as a money-making machine, so they focused on exploiting the country's resources and labor. Rich Spaniards continue to get richer, and poor Filipinos continue to get poorer. If you see these unjust things being done in your country and to your fellow Filipinos, wouldn't you be angry? Because that was the anger that Rizal, the Ilustrados, and the Filipinos exposed to liberal ideas felt when they saw these abuses. They think that (Spanish officials and its practices) are regressive, incompatible, childish, backward, and the reason why the Philippines is not developing. Rizal said in one of his letters, " A while ago we talked about the revolutions that happened." And those are the things that happened in 19th Century Philippines as Rizal's context, in terms of *economic, social, cultural, and political landscape. If Rizal had been born today, would he still be the Rizal we know? It's hard to say. If he had been born in a different time period, the experiences and ideas he would have had would also be different, that would lead him down a different path. But can you also argue that something has changed? Is n't oppression and inequality still ongoing and wasn't Rizal passionate about advocating for the rights of Filipinos? So if he were born today, he might still be the Rizal we consider a hero. Nevertheless, it is worth pondering how different circumstances, such as being born into a less privileged family or not having access to like-minded individuals , would have influenced his life's trajectory. Now, only one thing is clear, our personality is not just defined by genetics, but by a multitude of experiences and events that are interwoven throughout our lives.