The Philippines a Century Hence
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shutting its ears to all cries of reasons, however, great may be the loyalty of the Filipinos, it will be impossible to hinder the operations of the inexorable laws of history. Spain can not claim, nor even in the name of God himself, that six millions of people should be brutalized, exploited and oppressed, denied light and the rights inherent to a human being and then heap upon them slights and insults…No one can require an impossibility of the Filipino people. The noble Spanish people, so jealous of its rights and liberties, cannot bid the Filipinos to renounce theirs. A people that prides itself on the glories of the past cannot ask another, trained by it, to accept abjection and dishonor its own name!
PART FOUR: History does not record in its annals any lasting domination exercised by one people over another, of different races, of diverse usages and customs, of opposite and divergent ideals. One of the two had to yield and succumb. Either the foreigner was driven out, as happened in the case of Carthaginians, the Moors and the French in Spain, or else these autochthons had to give way and perish, as was the case with the inhabitants of the New World. If the dominators do not enter into the spirit of their inhabitants, if equitable laws and free and liberal reforms do not make each forget that they belong to different races…someday the Philippines will fatally and infallibly declare themselves independent. To this law of destiny can be opposed neither Spanish patriotism, nor the love of all Filipinos for Spain, not the doubtful future of dismemberment and intestine strife in the Islands themselves. Necessity is the most powerful divinity the world knows, and necessity is the resultant of physical forces set in operation by ethical forces. What interest would Spain have in the destruction of the inhabitants of a country she can not populate or cultivate, whose climate is to a certain extent disastrous to her? What good would the Philippines be without the Filipinos? Quite otherwise, under her colonial system and the transitory character of the Spanish who go to the colonies, a colony is so much the more useful and productive to her as it possesses inhabitants and wealth. The menace is that when the education and liberty necessary to human existence are denied by Spain to the Filipinos, then they will seek enlightenment abroad, behind the mother country’s back or they will secure by hook or by crook some advantages in their country with the result that the opposition of purblind and paretic politicians will not only be futile but even prejudicial because it will convert motives for love and gratitude into resentment and hatred. The result is that a chasm of blood is then opened between the two peoples that the wounded and the afflicted, instead of becoming fewer, are increased, for to the families and friends of the guilty, who always think the punishment excessive and the judge unjust, must be added the families and friends of the innocent, who see no advantage in living and working submissively and peacefully…In a county dominated by a foreign race, even the most just act of severity is construed as injustice and oppression, because it is ordered by a foreigner, who is unsympathetic or is an enemy of the country, and the offense hurts not only the victim but his entire race… Such is the descent down which the peoples are precipitated. In proportion as they are bathed in blood and drenched in tears and gall, the colony, if it has any vitality, learns how to struggle and perfect itself in fighting while the mother country whose colonial life depends upon peace and the submission of the subjects, is constantly weakened and even though she makes heroic efforts, she finally perishes. She is like the rich voluptuary accustomed to be waited upon by a crowd of servants toiling and planting for him and who on the day his slaves refuse him obedience, as he does not live by his own efforts, must die. The Spaniard is gallant and patriotic, and sacrifices everything in favorable moments, for his country’s good. He has the intrepidity of his bull. The Filipino loves his country no less and although he is quieter, more peaceful and with difficulty stirred up, when he is once aroused he does not
April 1st, 2009 at 02:36 AM
I tackled this article during our class report too. Since the other group was lazy and irresponsible of their work, our group decided to discuss this under my duration on class discussion.
About this, article, it simply tells that we are a race who become ABSOLUTELY SUBMISSIVE with the WEST! In addition to the quote “A race without mind or heart”, not only those are lacking with us but also our entire being as a Filipino. Perhaps Rizal is right because of of his fear that another colony will dominate us and follow them.
This is a mere reflection that we are completely submissive to the superior ones wherein we slowly eradicate our identity and pattern it to the Americans that’s why we need COUNTERCONSCIOUSNESS and COUNTER AWARENESS from the dictated environment.
April 1st, 2009 at 05:33 PM
The Filipino a century hence has become their own tyrants. What a tragedy, indeed. But there is always hope for national redemption. It’s up to us now to act on that hope and redefine the new Filipino. And it starts with a national introspection. The Brownraise is one instrument for this. We may not like what we see in the mirror for now, but we can build the conviction to bring out who we truly are at our core.
April 4th, 2009 at 09:19 AM
i’m not nationalistic, but this article explains ‘most everything about what is happening
April 6th, 2009 at 12:32 AM
“…If the Filipino, then, is sufficiently intelligent to pay taxes, he must also be able to choose and retain the one who looks after him and his interests, with the product whereof he serves the government of his nation. To reason otherwise is to reason stupidly.”
Exercise your right to vote. Get in that government young blood, filled with idealism, nationalism, hope, vision. May lack the experience, but compensated by new ideas to reform the government. New, not the same old rhetorics, and bold but refreshing.
“To reason otherwise, is to reason stupidly.” Just look at what we have now.
September 9th, 2009 at 09:43 PM
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
September 12th, 2009 at 10:46 AM
hoping to scribble a word or two…but i remain in awe! NICE
November 25th, 2009 at 01:27 PM
nothing is impossible! Instead of keep depending on west why don’t we give our country a second chance…and it’s in the hand of every Filipino…We have to patronize our country, Philippines not just because it is our responsibility but because we are “Filipinos” and if anybody denies it then you better call yourselves “alien”.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:45 AM
Let’s just hope that nationalism will arose in every heart of our fellow men…Hope is important for us to reign again….the problem is we do not know if they have the hope to carry on.
March 5th, 2010 at 03:59 PM
if Rizal did just wrote tpach, we act act on it for we are on the century he had written. and like Rizal, we can also write another Philippines a century hence. our present will become tomorrow’s past.
March 5th, 2010 at 04:02 PM
i would also like to recommend Historical Events of the Philippine Islands by Antonio de Morga
March 18th, 2010 at 08:10 AM
yes!! i also believe that we still have the spirit of nationalism and that we have to keep it up. but as a native filipino i can say that our love for the country is slowly deteriorating basing it from the obvervations that we dont even show a little sense of ownership. we are always saying “im proud to be a filipino” but look we dont love philippines. look what we are doing now, slowly killing philippines. sometimes i think that we just dont have a choice of being a filipino. im just being realistic…..
March 24th, 2010 at 12:40 AM
all i can say is that the country is sick… and thus it is our responsibility to put everything back in shape…. uhm… if japan was able to heal its wound after the bombings, why cant we? we could still rebuild/renew the fate of the country..