The Indolence of the Filipinos
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English translation by Charles Derbyshire. The article by José Rizal, originally written in Spanish. It was published in La Solidaridad in five installments, from July 15 to September 15, 1890.
The word indolence has been greatly misused in the sense of little love for work and lack of energy…In the Philippines one’s and another’s faults, the shortcomings of one, the misdeeds of another, are attributed to indolence. And just as in the Middle Ages he who sought the explanation of phenomena outside of infernal influences was persecuted, so in the Philippines worse happens to him who seeks the origin of the trouble outside of accepted beliefs.
Indolence in the Philippines is a chronic malady, but not a hereditary one. The Filipinos have not always been what they are, witnesses whereto are all the historians of the first years after the discovery of the Islands.
All the histories of [the country’s] first years…abound in long accounts about the industry and agriculture of the natives; mines, gold-washings, looms, farms, barter, naval construction, raising of poultry and stock, weaving of silk and cotton, distilleries, etc., are things encountered at every step, and considering the time and the conditions in the islands, prove that there was life, there was activity, there was movement.
[The] Filipinos in spite of the climate, in spite of their few needs (they were less then than now), were not the indolent creatures of our time…their ethics and their mode of life were not what is not complacently attributed to them.
How is it strange, then, that discouragement may have been infused into the spirit of the inhabitants of the Philippines, when in the midst of so many calamities they did not know whether they would see sprout the seed they were planting, whether their field was going to be their grave or their crop would go to feed their executioner?
He who does not act freely is not responsible for his actions; and the Filipino people, not being master of its liberty, is not responsible for either its misfortunes or its woes. We say this, it is true, but, as well as seen later on, we also have a large part in the continuation of such a disorder.
Of no little importance were the hindrance and obstacles that from the beginning were thrown in the farmer’s way by the rules, who were influenced by childish fear and saw everywhere signs of conspiracies and uprisings. The natives were not allowed to go to their labors, that is, their farms, without permission of the governor, or of his agents and officers, and even of the priests as Morga says…
March 16th, 2009 at 08:19 AM
it was an astonishing and heart breaking to waken the spiritual understanding of the heart of man about the race to raise.to bring it forth to where it must be brought as the action speak louder than words and the word speak to it self.salamat sa lahat ng gumawa nito na nagpapamulat ng puso at isipan ng tao.
March 29th, 2009 at 01:58 AM
I had to tackle this article in our group report. From this article, I had to share the salient points by which our nation is going through it,precisely. Indolence is about being numb to ones country. His physical being is present but his spirit is flying somewhere.
It really breaks my heart whenever some of my classmates had a Westernize mentality wherein some would take things for granted.Some of the things are not seriously taken and some had to question me why should I limit myself.
Limiting oneself is about becoming a prisoner yet it makes us more discipline. Without discipline, indolence exists. Therefore, discipline also gives a greater imprint of our entire being that adds a positive output to our identity.
Without indolence, we become more responsible to our actions and we become more self-independent of what we had up to the point of limitation only. It also awakens me through helping them uplift their Filipino spirit and telling them that Filipinos are smart and it starts from disciplining ones self amd he rejects indolence.
March 29th, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Habang binabasa ko ‘tong sanaysay ni Jose P. Rizal ng paulit-ulit, naisip ko ano kaya ang nararamdaman niya habang sinusulat niya ito. Ang tagal na palang may alam sa “ka-eng-engan” natin at hanggang ngayon di pa rin tayo nakikinig kasi “eng-eng” pa rin tayo. “…with arms and a purse of gold…there’s the ideal native…” (Jose Rizal). Bakit ba tayo naging native kasi? Ang sakit namang isipin bakit tayo naloko ng mga Espanyol, ng mga frayle, at hanggang ngayon naman ideal native at indio pa rin tayo. Nakaka-inis na! Minsan tuloy ayoko na magbasa dito sa brownraise, ayoko na basahin ang noli, el fili, pati mga Rosales Saga ni Sionil Jose…kasi nasasaktan ako sa mga Pilipinang ina noon na nauto ng mga frayle e. Ba’t ba kasi ang tanga naman e. At ngayon tanga pa rin tayo…at kasali ako dun kasi Pilipino ako at kababayan ko ang mga global DH.
Tuloy naisip ko parang present day La Solidaridad ang BrownRaise.org. Kelan kaya lalabas ang present day Noli at El Fili or kelan kaya lalabas ang mga present day Jose Rizals?
April 4th, 2009 at 05:40 PM
“He who does not act freely is not responsible for his actions; and the Filipino people, not being master of its liberty, is not responsible for either its misfortunes or its woes.”
that was then, when the Philippines was under the Spanish colony. But we are a free nation today, so, whenceforth indolence comes from? Is it from lack of discipline and discouragement; or maybe dispirited and disillusioned after centuries of being shackled by our misfortunes as a nation. Do we need another Il Filibuster to waken us up? Maybe.
April 5th, 2009 at 03:07 AM
Hindi naman sa sinisisi ko pa rin ang mga Kastila hanggang ngayon kung bakit mahirap pa rin ang Pilipinas. Pero ang kahirapan noong panahon ng Kastila ay hindi lang basta-basta dahil sa maling pamamalakad ng gobyerno. “Spiritual abuse” ang dahilan kung bakit nagdusa ang mga ninuno natin. Ito ang klase ng pang-aabuso kung saan ginamit ng mga prayle ang kanilang “spiritual authority” para takutin ang mga tao (Pilipino man o Kastila) na pupunta sila sa impyerno kapag hindi sila sumunod sa mga tradisyon na inimbento lamang ng mga prayle at obispo. Sa pamamagitan ng relihiyon at maling pag-unawa sa Diyos, kinontrol ng mga iilang taong ito ang mga buhay ng mga Pilipino at ng mga nagpapalakad na mga Kastila noong mga panahong ‘yon. At isang resulta ng “spiritual abuse” ay ‘yung kawalan ng isang tao ng kakayahan na maghanapbuhay nang maayos para matustusan niya ang sarili niya. Nahihirapan siyang gawin ‘yon kasi nasanay na siyang mabuhay sa isang sistema kung saan lagi na lang siyang sumusunod sa mga batas at tradisyong hindi naman niya naiintindihan imbis na mag-isip siya para sa sarili niya at gawin niya kung ano ang tama, may sumusuporta man sa kanya o wala. Ito ang pinaalala sa akin ng Asian Century Museum, pati na rin ng Noli at El Fili.
Hindi na tayo Spanish colony. Pero hanggang ngayon, naniniwala pa rin tayo na uunlad tayo kapag sumunod tayo sa mga tradisyon at ritwal na gawa-gawa lamang ng tao. Ang kailangan natin para umunlad ang Pilipinas ay pagbabago na nagmumula sa puso (“from the inside-out” ika nga). Kailangang unti-unting mawala sa mga puso natin ‘yung takot at ‘yung lagi na lang sarili ang inaalala kahit may ibang masasaktan nang sa ganoon ay magkaroon tayo ng katapangang magsumikap at patuloy na mangarap kahit may kalakip itong hirap.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:28 PM
con’t..
In her simplicity, in her sure sense of self, Jackie S. reminds us how spoiled, how self-indulgent, how corrupt, many of our high-riding officials have become.
April 20th, 2009 at 03:41 AM
Speaking of Colonialism, I found it helpful to study the case of Nigeria and Kenya. Like Filipinos, Africans were also brutally colonized by the Europeans.
In a novel by Chinua Achebe “No Longer at Ease” there’s a group of people who contribute money (sort of taxes) to the community so they could send young Africans to Europe to study in return the scholar is obliged to come home and help the community. If you’re an African scholar, you would choose to come home no matter what because you know the money sent to you while you’re in Europe came from very poor people, the people who look up to you as their flame of hope.
In comparison to Jose Rizal’s experience it was only Paciano who drove Rizal away in a secret voyage to Europe, and needless to say with a secret mission. I say drove because Paciano was so determined to send his younger brother to study the culture, science, and art of the West.
Most colonized countries would send their people to the country that colonized them just like Lee Kuan Yew. But during Lee Kuan Yew’s time Singaporeans were not named the “glory of the universities”. During Jose Rizal’s time even Americans were awed by the “indios bravos’” academic excellence.
Rizal came home but nobody yet knew about his greatness. There’s a novel by Ordonez that narrates about a Filipina who had carnal knowledge with an American on the eve of Rizal’s execution.
In Africa when a scholar comes home he is welcomed with dances and all sorts of festivities. “Mag-aral ka lang para sa bansa mo hero ka na para sa mga Africans.”
Here in our country, nobody cared, except for a handful Filipinos when Rizal came home, exiled to Dapitan, arrested on his way to Cuba, and executed in Bagumbayan. Napaka walang pakialam.
I feel this pang terribly under my skin because I have grandparents who don’t and didn’t care about Rizal. Dito ko lang sa BrownRaise.org at sa “The First Filipino” nakilala si Rizal ng lubusan. My lola would even call the Filipino soldiers who fought for our freedom as “guerillas”. Such sharp apathy and disassociation from the soldiers who toiled and sacrificed for our freedom is really tragic.
I’m so pained because my lola doesn’t know about history. She doesn’t even know who the real Rizal is. Nung kinausap ko ang lola ko tungkol sa alibata, mga Espanyol, mga Hapon, at tungkol kay Rizal ay isa lang ang nakita ko—walang alam ang lola ko kasi di niya inaral. I pity my lola, I pity…
April 20th, 2009 at 03:58 AM
myself. I pray that one day when I become a grandma I’ll have stories of heroism and honor to narrate to my grandchildren. Stories about Li-gan-xie and his memorial engraved in a gold tablet, stories about Namwaran, stories about how Rizal wrote and published the Noli and the El Fili, and pages and pages of stories about OUR new Rizals.
Because of that “tragic” discussion with my lola, I am now eagerly waiting for that day when my grandchildren would either sit on my lap or sit next to me and ask for stories. I will narrate HIS–tory in our country. And I pray I will no longer mention about the sordid ideal natives whose happiness depends on their purse of gold except if such will teach them a lesson. I pray I will no longer say I pity me nor I pity my grandchildren. I will really pray. And of course, I will read; I will not for myself, but for my grandchildren.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:25 AM
Grabe, napakagaling talaga ni Rizal, mantakin mong makita na niya ang LAHAT nang ito noon pa lang, at ang pinakanakakalungkot doon ay kung paanong hanggang NGAYON, applicable pa rin ang naisulat na ito tungkol sa atin… at kasakit lang dahil ngayon, hindi na natin kailangan pa ng mga frayle’t mga kastila… dahil kapwa na natin ang gumagapi sa sarili nating bansa. Nakakaasar isiping nagwagi ang mga KAstila na wasakin ang ating kamalayan bilang isang “bansa”… naalala ko lang dun sa Ayala Museum, may part don sa parang “exhibit of Philippine history” (2nd floor ata), yung massacre ng PArian (Chinese community), AT makikita mong kalaban nila ay mga Pinoy din… pinoy laban sa pinoy… Dati hindi ko makita o maramdaman ang epekto nang 300++ years na nasakop tayo nang mga dayuhan. BAKIT KAYA HINDI ITO DINIDIINAN SA ATING MGA KLASE. Bakit kaya hindi magawang ipamukha sa atin nang ating mga guro kung gaano tayo naikulong sa isang mentalidad na kung saan, hindi tayo “malaya” dahil kung tutuusin, MASAKIT AT MAPAIT ang ating nakaraan.
at isa ring pinagtataka ko ay kung bakit napaniwala rin ang ating mga ninuno sa mga Kastila. Bakit kaya sila nakipagkaibigan sa mga ito… ano kaya ang kanilang naramdaman? nasindak ba sila sa taas at laki nang mga katawan nito, kasama na ang kanilang mga kasuotang bakal siguro? kasi di ba may sariling kultura naman ang mga naunang pilipino… kahit hindi man tayo pa bansa noon, naniniwala akong may kultura ang iba’t ibang mga grupo ng Pinoy noon… dahil ba sa SOBRANG INOSENTE sila at sa sobrang mapangahas nang mga dayuhan?? ano kaya ang pinakaMAIN strategy na ginamit sa mga Pilipino upang makuha ang kanilang loob?? Ang krus ba??? sandata?? ano kaya?!?!?!?!?!
Ang galing nitong sinulat ni Rizal kasi dahil dito ay naunawaan ko kung bakit hindi tayo “malapit” sa ating mga Asian neighbors… gawa rin pala ng mga Kastila…napakaganda rin nang paganalyze niya kung paanong hindi umuunlad ang mga industries sa bansa dahil sa pinahihirapan ng mga Kastila ang pagbubukas ng mga ito (para sila lang ang kumita). grabe grabe grabe grrrrr….
Salamat sa Diyos at may brownraise.
July 28th, 2009 at 01:33 AM
i’ve noticed something the whole time i was here in this site.
actually i’ve noticed this every single time there’s a nationalistic discussion about the Philippines.
the people seeing or hearing or is in the discussion keep saying this sentence: “When will those Filipinos come?” or “When will these present day national heroes come for this country?” or any other questions that sound like this. lagi nalang may tanong na kelan ba to mangyayari. kelan kaya uunlad ang pilipinas….stuff like that.
sometimes i wonder…is the answer too close to them that they cant see it or they deny to see it? because…a lot has been answering this for us over and over and over. the answer to those repetitive questions is…”us” “we” for general terms and “me” “i” “you” for singular. why do we keep looking at each other without looking at ourselves?
why…are we so scared to start something in us? (and i know that most of us feel that it will actually give a great impression if we actually do it) but why are we so scared of it? why do we always need someone else to support our cause? why not do something alone first?
i’m just merely asking..kasi ganun rin ako. hehehe and i’d like to know what other people think about it
August 21st, 2009 at 07:48 PM
Because of what the Spaniards showed us, we are here, looking down at ourselves and losing hope for the next generation……how can we be one if not all thinks that WE STILL CAN..
August 24th, 2009 at 12:10 AM
alam nyo po ba kung saan makakahanap ng tagalog version nito?post nyo nlng po dito…thank you!:D
August 29th, 2009 at 05:08 PM
Kahit gaano katalino nag mga Pilipino hindi tayo babangon kung tamad pa rin tayo. Dpat ay tanggalin natin sa ating mga sarili ang mga ibinigay ng mga Kastila sa atin na katangian.Lalo na ang mga masasama. Dati hindi naman tayo mga tamad. Hinid rinm tayo marunong mangloko. Mga tapat tayong mga tao. Ngunit noong dumating ang mga Kastila sa Pilipinas, natutunan natin maging tamad at mangloko. Katulad ng mga pulitiko. Ang mga gobernador heneral dito sa Pilipinas dati, nagbabayad ng mga tao upang hinid malaman ng harin ng Espanay kung ano an g tunay nilang ginagawa dito sa Pilipinas. Kaya naging ganoon din ang ating mga mamamayan. Nagbabayad ng mga tao upang sabihin ang taliwas sa pangyayari. Kailangan na nating magbago.
September 9th, 2009 at 09:56 PM
MIRACLE??? actually this is ryt, lazy people believes in miracle; those who believe in miracle are lazy people. Why? BECAUSE they just waiting for a miracle to come, like they take advantage of miracles WHICH! it doesn’t really exist, the only existing here is God so JUST believe in God.TY
♥kayumanggi-MJ♥
September 9th, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Looking down at oursleves? Loosing hope? That’s not us, that’s someone else. We were just influenced by the Spaniards. So why not show the world what WE CAN DO that THEY CAN’T DO? It’s time to shine. Stand up and show that we still have hope. IF WE DID IT BEFORE, WE CAN STILL DO IT NOW! Filipinos are not really lazy, I know it. We are just to comforable with the way things are… Just be who we are that’s what we should do.
PilipinoWarrior1
September 9th, 2009 at 11:42 PM
One last thing we should put into our heads. WE ARE WHO WE CHOOSE TO BE.