THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS

“The indolence of the Filipinos” is an exploratory essay written by the Philippine

national hero Dr. Jose Rizal to explain the alleged idleness of his people during the Spanish

colonization. The word indolence has been greatly misused in the sense of little love for work

and lack of energy, while ridicule has concealed the misuse.

>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. 

>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. 

>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 is rampant. Many Filipinos have

also been sent abroad to fight wars for Spain or for expeditions. As a result, the population has

decreased in number. As 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. 

>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 neighboring 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, rampant gambling is tolerated

by the government. Moreover, since gambling was established and widely propagated during

those times, almost everyday there were cockfights, and during feast days, the government

officials and friars were the first to engage in all sorts of bets and gambles.

This situation is compounded by the Church's wrong doctrine or crooked system of

religion which holds that the rich will not go to heaven, thus engendering a wrong attitude

toward work. This also means that they preferred not to work and remain poor so that they could

easily enter heaven after they died. 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. 

>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. There was a crooked system of education, if it was considered an

education. What was 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.

The second factor is the lack of a national sentiment of unity among them. In the

absence of unity and oneness, the people did not have the power to fight the hostile attacks of the

government and the other forces of the society. There would also be no voice, no leader, to sow

progress and cultivate it, so that it may be reaped in due time. In such condition, the Philippines

remained a country that was lifeless, dead simply existing and not living. As Rizal stated in

conclusion “A man in the Philippines is an individual; he is not merely a citizen of a country”. In

addition, 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.