MELISSA KAYLA T.

MANIULIT
CBET-01-401A

1. Concerning the social picture of the 19 th century Philippines, what are the following
schools that were established during the Spanish Colonization? How would you describe
the quality of education during the past in connection with the quality of education that we
have today? State your answer briefly.
According to history, it was March 16, 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan was searching for
the “Spice Island” and accidentally arrives in Homonhon Island, Philippines. He and his
companions tried to befriend the locals and simply tried to spread Christianity but got rejected
and defeated. Magellan was then killed in the Battle of Mactan by Lapu-Lapu. The survivors
from the war reported the death of Magellan back to Spain. Upon hearing the news, Spain sent
many expeditions to the Philippines but unfortunately, only one expedition successfully reached
the Philippines. It was the expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, which eventually started
the Spanish Colonization. The Spain’s discovery of the Philippines was propelled by the 3Gs or
“God, Gold and Glory”. The first aim is to colonize the Philippines which they used religion as a
reason to Christianize the Philippines. The second goal was to use Philippines as a good medium
in trading with other neighbouring countries like Japan and China and to spread the Christianity
in other more developed civilizations. The third goal refers to the competitions between
monarchies and about having more territories and to colonize the country.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippine Islands, parents were considered as
the first teacher to the children. Same with the mindset we currently have today, our parents are
the one who provide basic information about life, principles, laws, customs, norms and many
more. The mothers are the one in charge of teaching how to do household chores like cooking,
cleaning the house, and taking care of the family. While the fathers, along with their sons are
tasked to hunt for food, build their homes and to learn self-defense to be able to protect their
family. When the Spaniards came to the Philippines in year 1521, they found out that the
Filipinos already had high literacy, having knowledge of reading and writing. Despite having an
informal education system, the Filipinos utilized the 17-symbol alphabet called the Baybayin, a
writing system and other syllabaries used throughout the archipelago. Philippine Education
during pre-colonial period was mainly focused on practical knowledge, respect to the laws and
customs, and the like. Also, the native population especially the children, along with or
supervised by their parents and tribal tutors, were provided with vocational training.
During the Spanish Colonial Period which lasted over 333 years (1565-1898), most of the
archipelago underwent huge transformation in many aspects like cultural and religious practices.
Spanish education played a major role in that transformation. Across the islands at that time,
there are schools and churches that were built by the Spaniards. Formal education was brought to
the Philippines by the Spaniards, which was conducted mostly by religious orders and controlled
by the Roman Catholic. The priests are the first teachers, Spanish friars and missionaries
educated the natives through religion with the aim of converting the native population to the
Catholic faith. During the Spanish Period, the oldest universities, colleges, and vocational
schools founded in Asia were created by Catholic missionary or religious orders. Upon learning
the local languages and writing systems, the Spaniards began teaching the Spanish language,
Spanish culture, spreading Christianity and many more.
The first established schools were exclusive for the boys. The Augustinians founded the
first school in the Philippines situated in Cebu in 1565. This was followed by the Franciscans in
1577, wherein they immediately taught Filipinos how to read and write aside from teaching the
natives the important industrial and agricultural techniques. The Jesuits who arrived in the year
1581, focused on teaching the young. The Dominicans arrived in the Philippines in 1587 and did
the same thing. The first college school for the boys was the “Colegio de San Ignacio” which
was established by the Jesuits in Manila in year 1589, initially named as Colegio-Seminario de
San Ignacio. In 1590, the Jesuits established “Colegio de Manila”, which was later renamed as
Universidad de San Ignacio in 1621. In year 1595, the Jesuits also built the “Universidad de San
Carlos” in Cebu which was initially named as “Colegio de San Idelfonso”. It was in the year
1589 when the “Escuela Pia” was entrusted by the government to the Jesuits. The Jesuits also
founded the “Colegio de San Jose” in year 1601 and took over the management of the school that
became the Escuela Municipal in year 1859. It was later renamed as “Ateneo Municipal de
Manila” in year 1865 and now known as“Ateneo de Manila University”. The oldest, existing
university in the Philippines and in Asia, the University of Santo Tomas, was founded by the
Dominicans on April 28, 1611. It was initially named as the “Colegio de Nuestra Señora del
Santisimo Rosario” and was later renamed as “Colegio de Santo Tomas”. The “San Juan de
Letran” for the orphaned boys was established in the year 1630. On the other hand, the “Colegio
de Santa Potenciano” was the first school and college for girls, which was opened in year 1589,
while the “Colegio de Santa Isabel” was opened in year 1632. Other schools and colleges for
girls were “Santa Catalina”, “Santa Rosa”, “La Concordia”, and many more. Several religious
congregations also established schools for orphaned girls who could not educate themselves.

If I were to describe the quality of education we had in the past, I can say that it is unfair.
During the Spanish regime, schools for boys and girls are separated which for me, promotes
discrimination in any way. Formal education was privileged only to the Spanish students, leaving
Filipinos behind. The education was religion-centered, Spanish language is mandatory, and
students were suppressed and controlled by the friars and missionaries. If I were to choose what
era I prefer, I would choose the present because we possess more freedom when it comes to
education. The schools today were co-educational wherein boys and girls can enroll to whatever
school they want without gender bias, although there are still other schools or universities that
are exclusive for girls or boys. Education is accessible for everyone, not only to those who can
afford the expensive tuition fees and other expenses because today, education is free so everyone
can enjoy learning. Students have the freedom to choose what course they want to take, and
education is more knowledge-centered than religious-centered. Although, we know that the
quality of education we have now is continuously growing, we can see a huge difference and
improvements compare to the quality of education we had in the past. Today, we can access
education in many different and easy ways because of the improved technology we have, but we
must not forget how things are in the past and treasure the education that we have now. We
should continue to learning and exploring things because it reflects the quality of education we
have now, and for the future as well.
2. Comparative Study: After studying Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo”,
which do you think is the superior novel or the magnum opus of Rizal? Discuss the issues
and controversies of Rizal as a person. Do you think Rizal is against the idea of Revolution
in order to attain freedom and to become the President of the Philippine Republic?
Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda also known as “Dr. Jose Rizal,” was
born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna. He was a Filipino nationalist and considered as the
national hero or “Pambansang Bayani” in of the Philippines. He expressed his love for the Inang
Bayan through his works in different forms — articles, essays, novels, etc. He is the author of the
two most famous novels in the Philippines, known by the title Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
Noli Me Tangere is a Latin word for “Touch Me Not” which is a societal novel. Dr. Jose
P. Rizal started writing it in Madrid, Spain on 1884, continued in Paris, France and was finished
in Berlin, Germany on February 1887. It was dedicated to his Inang Bayan, the Philippines. This
novel mirrors his persistence in attaining freedom from the Spaniards. The national hero
published Noli Me Tangere for the goal of redeeming the country and its people by exposing the
barbarity, greed, cruelty, and ignorance of the Spanish colonizers. This novel depicts different
aspects or traits of the Filipino people like the social climbers (Capitan Tiago and Dona
Victoria), abusive power (of civil guards, friars, and government officials), family devotion (of
Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara and Sisa), self-sacrifice (Sisa and Dr. Jose Rizal, himself), purity
and faithfulness (Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra). The issues discussed above can still be
seen nowadays.
On the other hand, El Filibusterismo is a political novel and a sequel of the Noli Me
Tangere which comes from the word “filibustero”, which means a person against the Roman
Catholic. Dr. Jose P. Rizal started writing it in London, England on 1890 and finished it in
Brussels, Belgium on 1891. This novel was dedicated to the “Three Martyrs”, GomBurZa
(Father Mariano Gomez, Father Jose Burgos, and Father Jacinto Zamora). Jose Rizal believed
that the three martyrs were only victims of cruelty and loss of justice. El Filibusterismo depicts
the system of governing the Philippines through corrupt and self-seeking officials influenced by
the friars.
These two novels displayed broad topics about revolution. Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo have similarities in terms of aim and purpose. Both artworks have the same
purpose which is to enlighten the Filipinos about what is happening in the country. Both aim to
encourage and persuade the people of the Philippines to fight for their country and to have the
total freedom that the country deserves. If I were to choose which was the superior novel or the
magnum opus between Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterimo, I think it is the latter. El
Filibusterismo displayed a strong idea of rebellion to achieve the freedom that the country
deserves. Yes, Noli Me Tangere awakens the sleeping Filipino awareness and established the
grounds to call for independence, it was more delicate and did not induce rebellion. Though, I
personally like Noli Me Tangere over El Filibusterismo because of the aspiration, romance,
beauty, mercy and other positive things the story entails putting aside the negative traits of the
Spaniards, unlike what is portrayed in El Filibusterismo, feelings of bitterness, hatred and
revenge. These events displayed what Dr. Jose P. Rizal truly felt. I chose El Filibusterismo as the
magnum opus because this novel brings out the eagerness, aggressiveness, and strong desires of
every Filipino to free our country from the Spaniards.
 As you try to dig deep in the life and works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, you will encounter many
issues and controversies that are still debated by many scholars and proving whether it is true or
not. One of the major controversies regarding Rizal is about the Retraction Document. Retraction
means a withdrawal of a statement, accusation, or undertaking. It means that Rizal is taking back
everything he said against the Catholic Church and the friars. However, the said retraction
documents have some sorts of copy issues (the content of the retraction documents differ from
the other copies). Up to now, the question of whether Dr. Jose P. Rizal has retracted or not, is
still not proven.
Another controversy with Rizal is whether he married Josephine Bracken or not.
According to what I have researched, there were no written accounts of the marriage between
Rizal and Josephine, but she claims that Rizal married him the day before his execution. Some
even says that Josephine Bracken was a spy of the Spanish government. This issue is still being
debated by the scholars, but one thing is for sure, Dr. Jose P. Rizal truly loved Josephine Bracken
because he even wrote poems about his love for her. Another controversy related to this issue is
that if Rizal had a child with Josephine Bracken? According to my research, Josephine gave birth
prematurely to an eight-month baby boy. Unfortunately, the baby was very weak and was
gasping for breath. Rizal immediately baptized and named the baby, Francisco in honor of his
father. Then the child died three hours after birth.
Another controversy about Rizal is that whether he deserves the title as the national hero
of the Philippines or not. Some people say that Andres Bonifacio is much more suited to be the
national hero of the Philippines but in my opinion, Rizal is much more deserving of the title. Dr.
Jose P. Rizal fought for the freedom of our country in a unique way — silent but powerful. He
expressed his love for the country through his articles, essays, and novels rather than using force.
He used a method for achieving freedom or independence in more peaceful way rather than
being aggressive.

Another controversy that questions the authenticity of being a national hero of Rizal is if
Rizal was in favor of the revolution during that time. Was he a reformist or revolutionist? Do you
think Rizal is against in the idea of revolution to attain freedom and to become the President of
the Philippine Republic? According to what I have researched scholars are still debating whether
Rizal is a reformist or revolutionist. It is possible that Rizal disproved the revolution due to his
belief that violence should not prevail. Rizal, during that time believed that the country was not
yet ready to launch a revolution against the Spanish rule. According to a study, he refused to
accept the revolution because he thought that reforms, to be successful should come from above.
On the other hand, I think that Rizal is not against the idea of revolution because his two novels,
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are enough proof that he wants change and freedom for
the country. Although he expressed his strong desire to fight for the country in more silent and
peaceful way, he did what he can do to awaken the sleeping awareness of the people in the
Philippines which eventually succeeded a couple of years after his death, when the country
gained its independence from the Spanish colonization.

3. Why do we need to study the Life, Works, and Writings of Rizal? What events or
circumstances could have contributed to Rizal’s ideologies and principles that led to the
enlightenment of the Filipino people? Considering Rizal’s personal circumstances, does he
really deserve the title of “National Hero” of the Philippines compare to his other
counterparts such as Andres Bonifacio, Lapu-Lapu and Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino,
Jr.? If there be a replacement, who should it be and why? State your answers briefly.
The Rizal Bill was also a controversy related to Dr. Jose P. Rizal. It therefore eventually
became the Republic Act No. 1425, known as the “Rizal Law”. This bill mandates educational
institutions to offer a course on the national hero’s life, works, and writings, especially the “Noli
Me Tangere” and El Filibusterismo”. Passing this bill to become a Republic Act, it faced a lot of
hindrances because there are intense opposition from the side of Catholic Church. The opposition
is all about the part of the two novels (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) that attacked the
Roman Catholic Church.
There are many reasons why we should include the Life, Works, and Writings of Rizal
into the subject that we need to learn. One of the reasons is that it foster nationalism and
patriotism to the Filipino youth. Nationalism involves the desire to attain freedom and political
independence while patriotism denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one’s nation.

The Republic Act No. 1425 is not signed into law just for nothing. Upon passing the bill
to the congress, Senator Claro M. recto knew for sure that mandating it to universities would
greatly help the students in understanding what nationalism and patriotism is all about. In my
own opinion, students need to study the Life, Works, and Writings of Rizal because of various
reasons; first, Rizal is a model and inspiration for every Filipino. His philosophies, principles,
thoughts, ideas, and dreams are a good influence to everyone. I truly admire his bravery,
academic excellence, respect and love for his parents, siblings, friends, and the country as a
whole. If there is someone I should look up to, when talking about love for the country and for
the Filipino people, it would be Dr. Jose Rizal. I want to have the trait of him that is brave and
ready to fight for everyone and his strong sense of moral uprightness.
When it comes to his works and writings, I personally enjoy reading and learning his two
famous novels (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo). There is a saying that suited this
situation, “He who controls the past, controls the future”. The past helps us understand who we
are. His works and writings help us better understand ourselves as Filipinos. Upon having
knowledge of the events from the past, it helped in knowing our identity as Filipinos. These two
novels offered us possible solutions concerning the problems that are similar to the past but
continuously take place in the present. Therefore, those scenarios may influence the kind of
solutions we will provide the current issues of today.
According to what I have researched, the ideas and principles of Dr. Rizal were the result
of many influences. These reasons are: his uncles and ancestors that were interested in education
and politics; his studies and travels around Asia, American, and Europe; himself, being excellent
in four languages (English, Spanish, French and German); his rich studies and researches in the
libraries of London, Leipzig, Paris and Madrid; his famous professors and tutors with Dr.
Ferdinand Blumentritt being the most famous; him being a sharp observer; and his strong desire
to help in the betterment of his countrymen and the advancement of the country’s civilization.
Also, according to the history, Rizal wrote the Noli Me Tangere because he saw its similarity to
the “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” of Hariet Beecher Stowe which depicts the sufferings of Negro slaves
under the cruelty of the American, same as the sufferings experienced by the Filipinos under the
Spanish rule. On the other hand, he dedicated the El Filibusterismo to the “Three Martyrs”,
GomBurZa (Father Mariano Gomez, Father Jose Burgos, and Father Jacinto Zamora) because
Rizal believed that the three martyrs were only victims of cruelty and loss of justice. I think the
event which greatly influenced Rizal was the abusive actions and violence of the Spaniards
towards his fellow Filipinos. His strong desire to expose their wrongdoings and fight for the
peace of the country molded Rizal to what he became, and that led to the enlightenment of the
Filipino people.
I personally believe that the true meaning of a “Hero” is someone who do good and when
we talked about ‘goodness’, Dr. Jose Rizal is the first person who comes to my mind. Rizal gave
the freedom that the country deserves using goodness. He used his intelligence, talent, and skills
in fighting through his writings rather than in aggressive way. The Americans proclaimed Rizal
as the national hero so people would see and follow what he did during the Spanish colonial
period. He used his talent and skills to fight for freedom rather than being aggressive towards the
Americans who are invading the Philippines that time — the reason why Rizal was chosen by the
Americans as the national hero of the Philippines instead of Bonifacio.
Although we know that the Americans are the ones who proclaimed Rizal as the national
hero, I still believe that Rizal was more deserving than his counterparts such as Andres
Bonifacio, Lapu-Lapu and Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. Also, although we know that
Rizal is against violence and aggressive act of revolutionizing, it was him who promoted the
Philippine Revolution through his works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Rizal truly inspired many Filipinos at that time. According to what I have read, Rizal is
the one who said that Antonio Luna should lead the revolutionaries because Luna studies
military science, a good idea to reduce the sacrifice of the lives of the military. He also said that
only the armies that is ready and has sufficient knowledge to use weapons can ensure victory.
Also, Rizal is the one who founded La Liga Filipina, a civil society organization that led to the
creation of Katipunan which was led by Andres Bonifacio. Therefore, Rizal is more deserving to
be the national hero rather than Andres Bonifacio, Lapu-Lapu and Senator Benigno “Ninoy”
Aquino, Jr for the very reason that everything started with Rizal.
If there is no Rizal, I think Andres Bonifacio suited the title of being the national hero of
the Philippines. Andres Bonifacio was the leader of the Philippine Revolution and he is a great
contributor of how the country and fellow Filipinos. I think Andres Bonifacio is deserves it
because of his bravery and unbreakable support for the armed revolution. He also had his own
way of fostering patriotism in every Filipino.