Lesson 2

 19th Century Philippines as Rizal’s

Context

Contextualization is imperative to have a better understanding of any events

and history in the truest sense. To contextualize is to place it within proper and larger
setting in which it presents its true and complete meaning. As Jose Rizal was born and
grew up in the 19th century, to place in context him -to rigidly and properly understand
his life, thoughts, and works to comprehend the economic, social and political context
of that era.

Nineteenth century is commonly depicted as the birth of modern life, as we as the

birth of many nation-states around the globe"- the century was also a period of massive
changes in Europe, Spain and consequently in the Philippines' colonizer, had waned in
its colonies and in the world.
Discussions on the 19th century Philippines as Rizal’s context are divided into three (3)
aspects: the economy social and political. Under these main headings are major
historical events or issues, which characterized the country during that era.

THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT

There are four historical elements that composed the economic context of the era in
which Jose Rizal. was born:
1, The end of the Galleon Trade,
1. Opening of the Suez Canal,
3. The rise of the export of the crop economy. and
4. the established monopolies in the Philippines.

THE END OF GALLEON TRADE

Generally, Filipinos were already trading with China, Japan, Siam (now Thailand),
India, Cambodia, Borneo, Mollucas (spice Islands) when the Spanish colonizers came to
the Philippine. In 1565 the Spanish government closed the ports of Manila to all
countries except Mexico thereby giving birth to the Manila-Acapulo trade popularly
known as the "Galleon Trade, The Galleon Trade (156.5 to 1815) was a ship (galleon)
trade going back and forth between Manila (which' actually landed first in Cebu) and
Acapulo, Mexico. It started when Andres de Urdaneta, in convoy under Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi, discovered a return route from Cebu to Mexico in1565. The trade served as the
central income-generating business for Spanish colonists in the Philippines.
Through this trans-pacific trade, the mongo de Manila, tamarind, and rice. the carabao
(known in Mexico by 1737, cockfighting, Chinese tea, textiles, fireworks display, tuba
(coconut wine) making went to Mexico. The return voyage, on the other hand brough
numerous and valuable ftora and fauna into the Philippines including guava, avocado,
papaya, pineapple, horses, and cattle Galleon Trade). Other consequences of this 250-
year trade-were the intercultural exchanges between Asia (especially Philippines),
Spanish America, and onward to Europe and Africa.
Because of the galleon trade, Manila became a trading hub where China, lndia, Japan,
and Southeast Asian countries sent their goods to be consolidated. for shipping. Those
who run the hub and did most of the work were primarily Chinese. They arrived in the
Philippines in junks yearly in bringing goods and workforce. With huge migration of
Chinese because of the galleon trade, the Spaniards feared them, taxed them sent
them out to the Parian and eventually, when tensions rose massacred some of them.
"Such massacres were at their height in 17th century from suspicion, unease, and fear,
until the Spaniards and the Chinese learned to live each other in the next few
centuries, (Ongpin, nd).
The Manila Galleon trade allowed modern liberal ideas to enter the Philippines,
eventually and gradually inspiring the movement for independence from Spain on
September 15 1815, Galleon Trade ended with México’s war of independence.
Previously, the Philippines were governed by Spain from Mexico- The Spanish crown
took direct control of the Philippines and administered it directly from Madrid. The
opening of the Suez Canal and the invention of steam ships, which lessened the travel.
time from Spain to the country to 40 days, made this more convenient.

THE OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL

The Suez Canal, as an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connects the
Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. Constructed by the Suez
Canal company between 1859 and1869 under the leadership of French diplomat
Ferdinand de Lesseps, it was officially opened on November 17,1869.
The distance of travel between Europe and the Philippines was eventually became
closer to Spain with the opening of the canal. The streamer from Barcelona had to sail
around the cafe of Good Hope to Manila after a menacing journey of more than three
months, with the Suez Canal, the journey was lessen to only 30 to 40 days
The opening of the Suez Canal became a big advantage in commercial enterprises
especially between Europe and East Asia. more importantly, it served as a significant
factor that enabled the growth of nationalistic desires of Jose Rizal and other Filipino
Ilustrado,
The Suez Canal expedited the importation not only of commercial products but also
books, magazines, and newspapers with liberal ideas from America and Europe, which
ultimately affected the minds of Rizal and another Filipino reformist. The political
views of Western liberal thinker enter the Philippines. Furthermore, the reduced route
stimulated more and more Spaniards and Europeans with liberal ideas to come to the
country and interact with local reformists.
The availability of the Suez Canal has also encouraged the ilustrados especially Jose
Rizal, to pursue education abroad and learn scientific -and liberal in European
academic institutions. Their social dealings with liberal in the West have influenced
their thoughts on nationhood, politics, and government.
THE RISE OF THE EXPORT OF CROP ECONOMY
Most of the Spaniards in the Philippines were engrossed in maritime trading
undertakings between Mania and Mexico during the Galleon Trade era. The exploitation
of the Philippines natural resources and the progress of an export crop economy were
phenomena of the nineteenth century, not of the Spanish rules early period.
Some years after the end of the Galleon Trade, between 1820 and1870, the Philippines
was well on its way of developing an export crop economy. Products, such as sugar,
Manila hemp, and coffee were produced for foreign markets while imported goods of
the European factory industry found their way into many parts of the Philippines. The
various economy activities. in the new export-crop economy in the country provided
many opportunities for the expanding Chinese population. Formerly concentrated in
Manila, many Chinese moved to provinces that produced export crop the hemp-
producing areas of Southeaster Luzon and Western Visaya and the tobacco provinces in
northeastern Luzon.
The export crop industry’s development in the Philippines was motivated by the
commercial undertakings of North European and north American merchants, who
provided capital, organization, and access to foreign markets and sources of imports.
But since they based their operations in port cities, especially Manila, they needed
agents who could distribute imports in the interior and buy up goods for export. This
role was assumed primarily by the Chinese

MONOPOLIES
Monopoly contracting was another prime source of wealth during the post-Galleon
period. After 1850, government monopoly contracts for the collection of different
revenues were opened to foreigners for the first time. The Chinese instantly took
advantage for this commercial opportunity and thus, the rest of the19th century,
enjoyed a pre-eminent position in monopoly contracting in the Philippines.
The opium monopoly was a profitable one. During the 1840’s, the Spanish government
had legalized the use of opium (provided it was limited to Chinese) and a government
monopoly or opium importation and sates was created. Most of the contracts in the
monopoly were held by the Chinese.
But even before 1850, monopolies on some products had been established, which were
basically controlled by the colonial government. There were monopolies of special
crops and items such as spirituous liquors (1712-1864), betel nut (1764), tobacco (1782-
1882), and explosives (1805-1864). Among these monopoly system and explosives,
(1805-1864) Among these monopoly systems, the most controversial and oppressive to
locals was perhaps the tobacco monopoly.
On March 1782, Governor General Jose Basco placed the Philippine tobacco industry
under government control, thereby establishing the tobacco monopoly. It aimed to
increase revenue since the annual subsidy- coming from. Mexico was no longer
sufficient to maintain the colony. An order was thus issued for the widespread
cultivation of tobacco in the provinces of Cagayan Valley, llocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union, lsabela, Abra, Nueva Ecija, and Marinduque.
These provinces planted nothing but tobacco and sold their product only to the
government at a pre-designated price leaving little or no profit for the local farmers.
The system set the required number of tobacco plants that must be sold to them by
each family. Nobody was allowed to keep even a few tobacco leaves for personal use,
thereby forcing the local farmers to buy the tobacco they themselves planted from the
government. Fines and/or physical punishments were sanctioned to anyone who would
transgress any of the decrees under the system.
The colonial government exported the tobacco to other countries and to the cigarette
factories in Manila. The Monopoly positively raised revenues for the government and
made Philippines tobacco prominent all over Asia and some parts in Europe. Negatively
though, the monopoly brought about food shortages since the planting of basic crops
like rice was somewhat neglected and abandoned.
The tobacco monopoly was finally abolished in 1880. (Some references state that the
tobacco monopoly in the Philippines was from 1781to1881, not 1782 to 1882) although
most authors agree that it tasted for exactly 10 years). A century of hardship and social
injustice caused by tobacco monopoly prompted Filipinos in general and Novo Ecijanos
in particular, to seek freedom from colonial bondage.
There are three events-factors of the Social Context of the 19th century Philippines:
1. Education
2. The rise of Chinese Mestizo
3. The rise of the Inguilinos.

EDUCATION IN THE 19TH CENTURY

The European system of Education was introduced to the Philippines with the coming of
Spanish invaders. School were established and ran by Catholic Missionaries
The Spanish Colonial Government and the Catholic Church made religion a compulsory
subject at all levels which aimed to convert natives to the catholic faith and made
them obedient.
King Philip II’s Leyes de indias (Law of the indies) mandated Spanish authorities in the
Philippines to educate the locals, teach them how to read and write and to learn
Spanish.- The Spanish missionaries thus established schools, somewhat educated the
natives, but did not seriously teach them the Spanish language, fearing that the indios
would became knowledgeable and turn out to be their co- equal. Less than one-fifth of
those who went to school could read and write Spanish and far fewer could speak the
language properly.
The first formal schools in the land were the parochial schools opened in their parishes
by the missionaries, such as the Augustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits' and Dominicians.
Aside from religion the native" children were taught reading, writing. Arithmetic and
some vocational and practical arts subjects' Aside from the Christian doctrine, Latin
(the official language of the Catholic church was also taught to the student instead of
Spanish. The Spanish friars believed that the native would not be able to match their
skills' and so one way for the locals to learn fast was to use strict discipline, such as
applying corporal punishment.
Later on, colleges (which were the equivalent of our high schools today) were
established for boys and girls. There was no co-education during the Spanish regime as
boys and girls studied in separate schools. The subjects taught to college students
included History, Latin, geography, mathematics and philosophy.
University education was opened in the country during the early part of the 17th
century. Initially, the college and university were open only to the Spaniards and those
with Spaniard blood (Meztisos). It was only in the19th century that these universities
started accepting native Filipinos. Still giving emphasis to religion, universities then did
not earnestly teach science and mathematics.
ln 1863, a royal decree called for the establishment of a public-school system in the
Philippines. Formerly run totally by religious authorities, education in the colony was
thus finally administered by the government during the fast half of 19 th century though
even then the church controlled its curriculum. previously exclusive for Spaniards and
Spanish mestizos, universities became open to natives though they limited their
accommodations to the sons of wealthy /indio families.
As a result of the growing number of educated Filipinos, a new social class in the
country emerged, who were known are Ilustrados. But despite their wealth and
education, the ilustrados were still deemed by the Spaniards as inferior to be in the
same level with the proud Spaniard was one of the aims of the ilustrados.
With the opening of the Suez Canal, which made the travel to Europe faster, easier,
and more affordable, many locals took advantage of the chance to pursue higher and
better education in that continent, typically in Madrid and Barcelona. There,
nationalism, and the thirst for reform bloomed in the liberal atmosphere. The new
enlightened class in Philippines society would later lead the Philippine independence
movement, using the Spanish language as their key means of communication. Out of
this talented group of students from the Philippines arose what came to be known as
the propaganda Movement. The most prominent of the ilustrados was Jose Rizal, who
inspired the craving for freedom and independence with the novels written in Spanish.

THE RISE OF CHINESE MESTIZO

With the beginning of the 19th century, economic and political changes in Europe were
finally starting to affect Spain and, consequently-the Philippines. Significant as a
motivation to broader trade was the gradual abolition of the monopoly enjoyed by the
Manila-Acapulo Galleon. Upon the elimination of the galleon trade, Manila became
open to foreign merchant almost without restriction by the mid-1830. The demand for
Philippine sugar and abaca (hemp) grew swiftly, and the amount of exports in European
countries increased even more after the opening of the suez canal in 1869.
The development of commercial agriculture in the archipelago resulted in the
presence of a new class. Alongside the landholding, of the church and the rice estates
of the pre-Spanish nobility, there emerged haciendas of sugar, coffee., and hemp,
typically owned by enterprising Chinese-Filipino mestizos, in fact, some of the families
which attained reputation in the 19th century have continued to play a vital role in the
country's economics and politics.
ln a larger perspective, the fast rhythm of economic progress in the Philippines during
the 19th century expedited by some mentioned factors resulted in the rise of a new
breed of rich and influential Filipino middle class- Non-existent in earlier centuries, this
class, composed of Spanish and Chinese mestizos ascended to a position of power in the
Philippine society

THE RISE OF THE INQUILINOS

At least in modern Spanish, the term Inquilinos has the same meaning as the English
“tenant” Contextually, the 19th century inquilino system in the Philippines is better
understood a qualified system of tenancy, or the right to use land in exchange for rent.
The elimination of-the Galleon Trade and the opening of the Suez Canal gave way for
more intensive rice cultivation and production of crops, such as sugar cane and
tobacco. As a result, many estates turned progressively to the inquilino system of land
tenure. But since the friars and secular Spanish were normally absentee landlord estate
management was granted to an administrator. Who was typically Spanish mestizo or
Filipino lay brother. During harvest time administrator would collect the rent of the
inguilinos, organize the delivery of the harvests to the local market or to Manila, and
remit income from sale and rents to the estate owners. ln some estates though, these
farm duties were consigned to trusted inquilinos. Acting as overlords, some inquilinos
would make innumerable and irrational demands from farm workers
The Inquilinos paid a fixed rent and the amount was determined by the size and
quantity of the land being worked on. But with the expansion of land owned by
missionary. congregations (friar estates), the proportions of farmlands leased to
inquilino, also increased allowing many of them to sub-lease parcels of their land to
sharecroppers or kasamas. This system eventually became very profitable that some
inquilinos acquired lands of their own and entered in other gainful commercial
ventures. Some inquilinos even ceased becoming farmers and relegate the job
completely to their sub-tenant.
As friar estates enlarged, outlining the boundaries that separated these estates from
communal lands become common cause of conflict:
Chaos and disputes. over communal woodcutting and grazing areas rose between
villages and estates, with the latter denying to the former their traditional communal
privileges, In Bulacan the villagers once complained that the friars took illegal
possession of their land and to compound this crime, they even denied the use of rivers
for fishing and the forest for collecting fire woods and wild fruit, In Cavite and Laguna
the Dominicians and Tagalogs frequently fought border lands. In one incident, the
former claimed that the pastured land in a nearby mountain was included in their land
grant, while the latter denied this and regularly killed the estate cattle grazing there.
Land boarders conflicts became so acute in these provinces that they served as
catalysts for agrarian uprising (Sobritchea, n.d.)
There were also conflicts between estate owners and workers. These stemmed from
collection of excessive taxes and land rent, the decline of sharing agreements, extreme
demands for labor services and capricious fixing of crop prices:
There were instances of peasants. taking arms to protest the alleged abuses and
usurpation of their lands by the Jesuits, Dominicans, Augustians and the Recollects. The
relative freedom, which the inquilinos acquired by sub-teasing their farms provided
them a tactical advantage, for arranging leading these peasant protest movement.

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

1. Liberalism
2. The impact of the Bourbon Reform
3. The Cadiz Constitution.

LIBERALISM
Liberalism is a worldview founded on ideas of freedom and equality. It is a wide range
of political philosophies that considered individual liberty to be the most significant
goal, and stresses individual rights and equality of opportunity. Liberals normally
believe that government is necessary to protect individuals from being abused by
others though they are also aware that government itself can pose a threat to liberty.
The French Revolution (1789-1799) started a political revolution in Europe and
consequently in some other part of the globe “Having liberty Equality and Fraternity”'
as its battle cry, this revolution became a period of fundamental change in the political
history of France as the French government structure was changed from absolute
monarchy (with feudal privileges for the rich and clergy) into a more liberal
government system founded on the principles of citizens[hip and inalienable rights.
The consequence of the French Revolution, Spain later experienced a stormy, century
of political disturbances which included numerous changes in parliaments and
constitutions, the Peninsular War, the loss of Spanish America, and the struggle
between the liberals and the conservatives” (Vallano n,d,) The Liberals in Spain
considered the Catholic church as an enemy of reforms. They thus pursued curbing its
influential in political life and education. In the 19th century, this movement against
the Catholic Church, called anti-clericalism, had gained some strength.
Radical alteration. and changes in government form were also introduced by liberals in
Spain, These political changes had their repercussions in the Philippines, “cracking the
fabric of the old colonial system and introducing through cracks perilous possibilities of
reform of equality and even emancipation” ( Dela Costa, as cited in Vallano, n.d.)
When our nation was opened to world trade in the l9th century liberal ideas from
America carried by ships and people from foreign ports started to penetrate the
country and sway the Ilustrados. These political thoughts included the ideologies of the
America and French Revolutions.
The opening of the Suez Canal eased the importation of books, magazines, and
newspapers with liberal ideas from the west, which eventually impacted the thoughts
or local reformist, such as Jose Rizal. The political views of liberal thinkers, as Jean
Rousseau (Social Contract), John Locke (Two Treaties of Government), Thomas Paine
(Common Sense), Thomas Jefferson, Montesquieu, Voltaire and some others thus
entered the Philippines.
The significant canal also encouraged more and more liberal Spaniards and Europeans
to come to the country and intermingle with the natives' The full-length route has also
stimulated the Ilustrados like Rizal to pursue higher studies abroad and learn ideas in
Europe universities' For sure. their social interaction with liberal foreign lands had
affected their beliefs on Politics and nationhood.
Philippines, actual experience of liberalism came from the role modeling of the “First
liberal governor-general in the Philippines” Governor-General Carlos Maris De la Torre.
After the liberals in had deposed Queen Isabela II in the 1868 munity, a provisional
government was formed, and the new government extended to Spain, colonies the
reforms they implemented in the motherland. The Liberal general Carlos Maria De ta
Torre was appointed by the provisional government as Governor-General of the
Philippines. He held the position from 1869 to 1871,and is widely considered to be the
most beloved of the Spanish Governor-general ever assigned in the country.
General De [a Torre's rule was essential in the dawn of national consciousness of the
locals in the l9th century. His liberal and democratic governance had provided. Jose
Rizal and the others a preview of a democratic rule and way of life:

THE IMPACT OF THE BOURBON REFORMS

The Spanish Bourbon King Philip V (b.1700-1746) ascended to the throne, he and
his successors, Ferndinand VI (r.17456-1746), Charles III (r. 1759-1788), and Charles IV
(r. 1788-1877) advocate a century long effort to reform and modify the Spanish empire.
These policy changes, known jointly as the Bourbon Reforms, endeavored to curtail
contraband commerce, reclaim control over transatlantic trade, restrict the church’s
power, reform state finances to fill dwindling royal coffers, and found tighter
administrative and political control within the empire
The Bourbon reform policies were an advantage to the Philippines, which was under
Spain from 15665-1898. They surely impacted the way the colony was run by Spanish
administrators but only limited extent. For one thing, the Philippines was practically
far from Spain, and so it was hard for Bourbon advocate to check if reform policies
were properly implemented in Spain's colony in the Far East.
Moreover, there were questionable matters as regards, the effectiveness of the
Bourbon reform project. Thee policies lacked some ideological coherence, with the
diverse and frequently contradictory aims of Madrid policy makers, who struggled
haltingly to balance the crowns several commercial, administrative, fiscal and military
aims. The reform process was also seen as so complex, much so that Spanish reformers
sometimes promoted distinctly different kinds of policies for provinces in its diverse
empire. Furthermore, there were instances when European conflicts forced. Charles lV
to go from one policy to another by the mid-179O, to meet the needs of financing
Spain’s wars.
There were very different impacts of reform in the diverse Spanish empire, having deep
consequences of colonial policy innovations in areas, such as Mexico, while in some
other regions, such as the Philippines, Chile and New Granada, the reforms had a much
more limited impact but while the Bourbon Reforms, its impact at least is thar it gave
people, especially the natives in the Philippines, the idea that colonization could be
done without much intervention from the Catholic Church.

THE CADIZ CONSTITUION

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain, a liberal constitution was promulgated in Cadiz in
March 1812. Drafted by elected representatives, the Cadiz Constitution was put in
practice in almost all the areas of the Hispanic Monarchy still under control of the
Spanish crown.
This milestone constitution had an impact on many other European constitutions, as
well as on the American states after independence. The Cadiz constitution was the first
constitution in Europe to deal with national sovereignty, recognizing sovereignty as
coming from the people and not from the king. Unlike the French constitution, which
applied to alt French speaking citizens of France, this Spanish Constitution of 1812 had
a universal character as it included everyone from overseas, tike the Italian kingdoms
and even the Philippines.
During the occupation of almost alt of the lberian Peninsula by the French army in that
fateful year, a group of around 300 deputies from Spain, Spanish America, and the
Philippines promulgated a Liberal constitution in the Mediterranean port of Cadiz. This
became possible especially because the city was protected by the British Navy.
The first delegates from the Philippines were Pedro Perez de Tagle and Jose Manuel
Coretto who took their oath of office in Madrid. The Cadiz Constitution, which was
formally implemented in Manila soon after, established the principles of universal male
suffrage, national sovereignty, constitutional monarchy, and freedom of the press, and
advocated Land reform and free enterprise. Dealing with policies on Spain's colonies
including the Philippines, the constitution issued a decree "granting all its colonies
representation as provinces in the Spanish Cortes through deputies chosen by the
various capital cities’ (Pedrosa, n.d.). Under the Cadiz Constitution:
The constitutional monarchy that the Cadiz Constitution attempted to put in place did
not come to fruition because in May of 1864, King Fernando Vll declared in invalid and
restored absolutism. however, Cadiz was a very significant period in the political
history of the Spanish-speaking world at least. On the part of the local in the
Philippines, one crucial creed embodied in the constitution was the exemption of the
native frompaying their tributes and rendering Public services based on its equality
clause.
For the freedom-loving people of the Philippines in the 19th cen tury, the constitution
was very influential as it was a liberal constitution, which vested sovereignty in the
people, recognized the equality of all men and the individual liberty of the citizen, and
granted the right of suffrage.

SEEING RIZAL'S LIFE IN HIS HISTORY

ln various social sciences, it is a widely accepted principle that we see the life of an
individual in his/her society in the life of an individual. This is precisely the reason that
19th century Philippines, as Rizal's society, is discussed here as a preliminary in studying
the hero’s life and works.
Nonetheless, one unique feature of Rizal is that, he did not only know the significant
information about his society but also had a quality of mind that helped him use the
information in a way that he could think about what was going on in the world and of
what might be happening within himself. Sociologists call this quality of mind the
“sociological imagination”.
This-sociological imagination can visualize their inner life and career in terms of larger
historical forces. Those who possess this quality of mind can understand their own
experiences by locating themselves in history; they can recognize the responses
available to them by becoming aware of all the individuals who share the same
situation as themselves.
People who cannot locate their lives in history are unlikely to know how to respond
effectively to a world in which one society’s problems are part of larger global
problems. On the other hand, those who have the sociological imagination can grasp
history in the context of realities they face and the connections between the two. As
will be discussed in this book, Rizal had this quality he knew his place in the greater
scheme of things, he understood the societal forces shaping his life and thus able to
respond in ways that benefitted others.

 MODULE SUMMARY

The Rizal Bill, at present is known as RA 1425 (Rizal Law) is a mandatory subject
in the Philippines. The bill mandates educational institutions in the Philippines to offer
a course on the hero life, works and writings, especially the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.

Senator Claro M. Recto the main proponent of the Rizal Bill was even considered
as a communist and an anti-Catholic. Catholic schools threatened to stop operation if
the bill was passed through Recto fought for the passage of the bill. The bill was
eventually passed but with a clause that would allow exemptions to student who think
that reading the Noli and Fili would ruin their faith. In other words one can apply to the
Department of Education for exemption from reading Rizal’s Novel- thought not from
taking the Rizal subject. The bill was eventually enacted on June 12, 1956.

Contextualization helps one to have better grasp towards comprehension- To

contextualize something is to place it within proper and larger setting in which it
presents its true and complete meaning. To properly understand Rizal’s life, thoughts,
and works - is to understand the social and political context of that century then.
 The birth of modern life is commonly depicted during the 19th century as well
as the birth of many nation-state around the globe The century was also the era of
massive changes in Europe, Spain and consequently in the Philippines' colonizer, had
disappeared both in its colonies and in the world

Nineteenth (19th) century Philippines as Rizal’s context are hereby divided into
three 3: aspects: the economic, social, and political. Under these main headings are
major historical events or issues, which characterized the country during that period

Congratulations! You have just studied Module I. now you are ready to
evaluate how much you have benefited from your reading by answering the
summative test. Good Luck!!!

 SUMMATIVE TEST

1. In your own words, explain the significance of Riza’s Law to the present time.
Discuss values which can be gotten from this subject.

2. What do you think were the reasons the Catholic Church opposed the Rizal bill?
Explain.

3. There are other Filipino heroes. Do you think their lives are also worth studying
like Rizal’s? Justify your answer.