Mi Ultimo Adios

May 16, 2014 (Week #5)

Mi Ultimo Adios

http://thejemdiaries.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/bts-mi-ultimo-adios/

               As with Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios, this would also be my goodbye and my last post for this blog. This summer has been a productive one indeed. PI10, I used to think you were just a boring history course but I couldn’t be more wrong. The course was taught very well on a limited time. I learned a lot about Rizal, his works, and the situation of the Philippines during his time and how this manifested in the present day. He really is deserving to be called our Great National Hero. And to keep this post short, I’d just like to thank Professor Guiwa and the class of B-6R for giving me a fun experience with the course, and thank you to the people who were with me during the last “summer” class of UPLB. Last na ‘to guys, buti sinulit na natin :)

Rizal’s Biography

May 14, 2014 (Week #4)

Rizal’s Biography

http://malacanang.gov.ph/4036-152nd-birth-anniversary-of-dr-jose-p-rizal/

Rizal’s biography is mostly composed of:

1. Family, friends, and relatives
2. Education, professional training, and career
3. Hybridity (the native and foreign in him)
4. Calamba Hacienda problem
5. Dapitan Interlude
6. Trial, execution, and revolution of 1896

Rizal’s life history:

                1861-1882            Formative Years

                 Calamba, Binan, Ateneo, and the Jesuits, GOMBURZA martyrdom, imprisonment of Teodora Alonzo, literary ventures, encounter with the Guardia Civil.

                1882-1887            European Sojourn

                           Enlightenment education, medical studies, patriotism, Noli Me Tangere.

                1887-1888            The Turning Point

                           The Calamba Hacienda Case.

                1888-1892            The Second Sojourn

                           Radicalization of Rizal, historical, ethological, and linguistic studies, Los Indios Bravos, conflict with Marcelo H. del Pilar and La Soladiridad, El Filibusterismo.

                1892-1896            The Moment of Truth

                     Rizal and the revolution, La Liga Filipina and the Katipunan, exile to Dapitan, arrests and Martyrdom.

The Works of Rizal:

• Noli Me Tangere

                Also known as “Touch Me Not”. Jose Rizal made the novel to expose the ills of         Philippine society during the Spanish Era. This novel was supposed to be written by           a group of Filipinos; However, they didn’t contribute anything. So Rizal decided to           draft the novel all on his own.

• El Filibusterismo

             Also known as “Reign of Greed”. This is the second novel that is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. The novel already has a bit of a dark theme as compared to the romantic atmosphere of the previous one. This signifies that the character, Ibarra, is now resorting to violent means to solve the country’s issues after the previous attempt at reforming the country’s system have failed.

•  Letter to the Women of Malolos

               

               This was originally written in tagalog. Rizal wrote the letter when he was still in            Madrid, after Marcelo H. del Pilar’s request. Rizal was impressed after the young               women of Malolos fought for their rights of equality and education.

                Some of his other works are Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which was about the history of the Philippines before the Spaniards came. The Indolence of Filipinos, it is an exploratory essay to explain the alleged idleness of his people during the Spanish Colonization. The Philippines a Century Hence, this was to forecast the future of the country within a hundred years. The Religiosity of the Filipinos, which was Rizal’s point of view with regards to religion and religious misconceptions on Filipino Catholicism.

Read more at Other Works by and about Rizal

Nation and Nationalism

May 7, 2014 (Week #3)

Nation and Nationalism

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/philippines/independence-day

Did you know?

                Melchora Aquino, also known as Tandang Sora, is the “Mother of Philippine Revolution” in 1896.

                According to Agoncillo and Mojares, our nationalism is emotionally charged, outlet for bitterness and disenchantment, with less desirable effect of foreign rule. This produced an attitude to please the other, which hides a feeling of inferiority.

The difference between a Nation and a State

                A nation consists of an ethnic or cultural community, it is how you imagined it. Meanwhile, a state is a political entity with a high degree of sovereignty. It has coercive powers to police and impose taxes and to create laws.

19^th Century Philippines

A. Economic Conditions

1. Rise of the Haciendas or “cash crop economy”, sugar was the #1 cash crop of Negros and Panay, tobacco in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley, abaka in Bicol, and coffee in Batangas. 
2. The shift from barter to moneyed economy made the Indios more impoverished.
3. Land is the source of wealth; however, the biggest land owners are church and religious orders.
4. Technology facilitated interconnections between the islands and the world. There were already steam ships and railroads. These advances in communication moderated the sectionalism that sprang from regional diversity.

B. Social Conditions

·         Birth of the middle class, which were mostly Chinese mestizos.

1. Illustrado – are educated and have money.
2. Principalia – may not be educated, but have money.

Colonialism and Imperialism

April 30, 2014 (Week #2)

Colonialism and Imperialism

http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/05-28-2012_omg-canada-at-mass-moca.htm

What’s the difference?

                Well, colonialism is the transfer of population to a new territory, the new arrivals lived as permanent settlers while retaining allegiance to the country of origin. This comes from the latin “colonos”, meaning farmer.

                    Meanwhile, Imperialism is the way a country exercises power over the other wether through settlement, sovereignty, or indirect mechanism of control. This comes from the latin “Imperium”, meaning to command.

                One interesting fact I learned is that the name of our country, Philippines, actually came from King Philip II of spain. He was known as the “lunatic” king of Spain and he saw the downfall of Spain. So do you really want our country to be named after a failed King of Spain?! I don’t think so.

Read more at  Why is the Philippines called the Philippines?

                The Spanish colonizers used religious discourse to penetrate our country. I mean, they did use cannons, swords, and soldiers. But it is through religion, that they were able to rationalize the reason behind their military conquest. According to them, this will facilitate conversion and salvation of Indigenous people.

Some Interesting information I’ve learned...

•      Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world. Now, as a traveller myself, that is really impressive. At that time since planes didn’t still exist and they have to spend a lot of time in the open sea.

•      Franciscan Friars, called as Chronicers, are really keen at observing details. They would describe the Filipino natives down to the last scar on his body. This was funny, because when they described the Filipino warrior they first made contact with, it sounded like they were gays. They said that they have muscular bodies and this appeared really strong and shiny under the sun. But then again, that’s just my opinion. Turns out the natives were using “jole-jole” or sesame oil on their skin to prevent sunburn. Who knew they were already that beauty conscious at that time.

•     Colonialism is violent by nature and they exploited the raw materials and natural resources of our country. Some of these are Coffee, Indigo, Tobacco, Abaca, and Sugar. Some of the earlier writings even mentioned the abundance of gold in our country.

Ang Huling PI 10 sa Tag-init

April 23, 2014 (Week #1)

Ang Huling PI 10 sa Tag-init

http://matikaspilipinas.blogspot.com/2011/06/mi-ultimo-adios-by-dr-jose-p-rizal.html

Did you know?

          The last words of Jose Rizal is "Consummatum est" (It is finished).

           Hey guys!, my name is Adrian, and this blog will be about what I learned during my PI10 class. We will be talking about the History of the Philippines first, especially during the 19th century. This will give us a few background on the situation of the country during Rizal's time. Then we will move on to his life then last about his famous works and the not so famous ones.

The Philippines in the 1950's

                  The Agrarian unrest intensified and the HUKS or the Hukbalahap, an anti-Japanese resistance group in central Luzon during World War II, saw the government as the new enemy. President Elpidio Quirino tried to negotiate an amnesty with the HUKS but this was unfortunately sabotaged by the landlords. Since they didn't want their lands to be distributed.

               During 1950-1952, there was intensification of the anti-HUK campaigns of the government. On 1953, Magsaysay was elected as the president of the Republic of the Philippines. And just a year later, the HUKS surrendered. Sadly, on 1957, Magsaysay died in a plane crash. The cause was very controversial, and a lot of people still argue on the real culprit and reason behind his death.

Rizal Bill

                Senator Jose P. Laurel and Senator Claro M. Recto proposed the Rizal Bill. This was supposedly to spread Rizal’s ideas through his works. They require the compulsory reading of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo among the schools in the Philippines. But the Catholic was quick to argue on it. Stating that the Bill is an attempt to discredit the Catholic religion. According to them, there were 170 lines in Noli and 50 lines in El Fili that were inimical to the tenets of their faith. The Bill was ultimately approved with some modifications. The final version of the Bill included all the works and writing of and for Jose Rizal and removed the idea of compulsion by allowing exemption.

You can read more about Rizal Bill on NOLI-FILI/RIZAL BILL: ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL BILLS IN PHIL HISTORY