Indolence or Industry

Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos ("On the Indolence of the Filipinos" in Spanish) is a
socio-political essay published in La Solidaridad in Madrid in 1890. It was written by José Rizal
as a response to the accusation of Indio or Malay indolence.

Before the Spaniards came, we were active and honest in trading; we use our abilities and
resources for our country’s benefits, and we never corrupt. Besides that, we are industrious and
passionate, independent, value nature, and protective and defensive of our territory.

When the Spaniards came we became gamblers, dependent, powerless, corrupt,

Being discontent, having continual wars and tolerance, due to slavery, getting deceits
from the Spaniards, allowing pirates from the south (Mindanao Muslim pirates), and lacking
unity, the Filipinos became indolent.

Contents:

CHAPTER 1

SUMMARY: Rizal admits that indolence does exist among the Filipinos, but it cannot be
attributed to the troubles and backwardness of the country; rather it is the effect of the
backwardness and troubles experienced by the country. Past writings on indolence revolve only
on either denying or affirming, and never studying its causes in depth. One must study the causes
of indolence, Rizal says, before curing it. He therefore enumerates the causes of indolence and
elaborates on the circumstances that have led to it. The hot climate, he points out, is a reasonable
predisposition for indolence. Filipinos cannot be compared to Europeans, who live in cold
countries and who must exert much more effort at work. An hour's work under the Philippine
sun, he says, is equivalent to a day's work in temperate regions.

CHAPTER 2

SUMMARY: Rizal says that an illness will worsen if the wrong treatment is given. The
same applies to indolence. People, however, should not lose hope in fighting indolence. Even
before the Spaniards arrived, Rizal argues, the early Filipinos were already carrying out trade within
provinces and with other neighboring countries; they were also engaged in agriculture and
mining; some natives even spoke Spanish. All this disproves the notion that Filipinos are by
nature indolent. Rizal ends by asking what then would have caused Filipinos to forget their past.

CHAPTER 3

SUMMARY: Rizal enumerates several reasons that may have caused the Filipinos' cultural
and economic decadence. The frequent wars, insurrections, and invasions have brought disorder
to the communities. Chaos has been widespread, and destruction rampant. Many Filipinos have
also been sent abroad to fight wars for Spain or for expeditions. Thus, the population has
decreased in
number. Due to forced labor, many men have been sent to shipyards to construct vessels.
Meanwhile, natives who have had enough of abuse have gone to the mountains. As a result, the
farms have been neglected. The so-called indolence of Filipinos definitely has deeply rooted
causes.

CHAPTER 4

SUMMARY: Filipinos, according to Rizal, are not responsible for their misfortunes, as they are
not their own masters. The Spanish government has not encouraged labor and trade, which
ceased after the government treated the country's neighbor ing trade partners with great suspicion.
Trade has declined, furthermore, because of pirate attacks and the many restrictions imposed by
the government, which gives no aid for crops and farmers. This and the abuse suffered under
encomenderos have caused many to abandon the fields. Businesses are monopolized by many
government officials, red tape and bribery operate on a wide scale, and rampant gambling is
tolerated by the government. This situation is compounded by the Church's wrong doctrine
which holds that the rich will not go to heaven, thus engendering a wrong attitude toward work.
There has also been discrimination in education against natives. These are some of the main
reasons that Rizal cites as causing the deterioration of values among the Filipinos.

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY: According to Rizal, all the causes of indolence can be reduced to two factors. The
first factor is the limited training and education Filipino natives receive. Segregated from
Spaniards, Filipinos do not receive the same opportunities that are available to the foreigners.
They are taught to be inferior. The second factor is the lack of a national sentiment of unity
among them. Because Filipinos think they are inferior, they submit to the foreign culture and do
everything to imitate it. The solution, according to Rizal, would be education and liberty.

Issues and Causes of Indolence:

First, the establishment of the Galleon Trade cut off all previous associations of the
Philippines with other countries in Asia and the Middle East. As a result, business was only
conducted with Spain through Mexico. Because of this, the small businesses and handicraft
industries that flourished during the pre-Spanish period gradually disappeared.

Second, Spain also extinguished the natives’ love of work because of the implementation
of forced labor. Because of the wars between Spain and other countries in Europe as well as the
Muslims in Mindanao, the Filipinos were compelled to work in shipyards, roads, and other
public works, abandoning agriculture, industry, and commerce.

Third, Spain did not protect the people against foreign invaders and pirates. With no
arms to defend themselves, the natives were killed, their houses burned, and their lands
destroyed. As a result of this, the Filipinos were forced to become nomads, lost interest in
cultivating their lands or in rebuilding the industries that were shut down, and simply became
submissive to the mercy of God.
 Fourth, there was a crooked system of education, if it was to be considered an education.
What were being taught in the schools were repetitive prayers and other things that could not be
used by the students to lead the country to progress. There were no courses in Agriculture,
Industry, etc., which were badly needed by the Philippines during those times.

Fifth, the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. The officials
reported to work at noon and left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties. The
women were seen constantly followed by servants who dressed them and fanned them – personal
things which they ought to have done for themselves.

Sixth, gambling was established and widely propagated during those times. Almost
every day there were cockfights, and during feast days, the government officials and friars were
the first to engage in all sorts of bets and gambles.

Seventh, there was a crooked system of religion. The friars taught the naïve Filipinos
that it was easier for a poor man to enter heaven, and so they preferred not to work and remain
poor so that they could easily enter heaven after they died.

Lastly, the taxes were extremely high, so much so that a huge portion of what they earned
went to the government or to the friars. When the object of their labor was removed and they
were exploited, they were reduced to inaction.