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... ...Universal Declaration of Human Rights, December 10, 1948 -- "A Cause for Celebration" ... 'Demands of Dignity' 'Demands of Dignity' <DEVELOPING THE DISCOURSE ON OUR DECEMBER 1Oth DECLARATION>
On-Line Edition of the Book by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes Appendix 4-- B: Life in the Islands at the Start of Spanish Rule |
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CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK: Response
to the Spanish Response Response to the American Non-Response Demands of Dignity
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Chapter Four ----------------------
Appendix 4-B Life in the Islands at the Start of Spanish Rule 1. Excerpts from "The Indolence of the Filipinos," by Jose Rizal, 1890: BEFORE THE ARRIVAL of the Europeans, the Malayan Filipinos carried on an active trade, not only among themselves but also with all the neighboring countries. A Chinese manuscript of the 13th century, translated by Dr. Hirth [Globus, Sept. 1889], which we will take up at another time, speaks of China's relations with the islands, relations purely commercial, in which mention is made of the activity and honesty of the traders of Luzon, who took the Chinese products and distributed them throughout the islands, traveling for nine months, and then returned to pay religiously even for the merchandise that the Chinamen did not remember to have given them. The products which they in exchange exported from the islands were crude wax, cotton, pearls, tortoise shell, betel nuts, dry goods, etc. The first thing noticed by Pigafetta, who came with Magellan in 1521, on arriving at the first island of the Philippines, Samar, was the courtesy and kindness of the inhabitants and their commerce. "To honor our captain," he says, "they conducted him to our boats where they had their merchandise, which consisted of cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmegs, mace, gold and other things; and they made us understand by gestures that such articles were to be found in the islands to which we were going." Further on, he speaks of the vessels and utensils of solid gold that he found in Butuan, where the people worked mines. He describes the silk dresses, the daggers with long gold hilts and scabbards of carved wood, the gold sets of teeth. Among cereals and fruits he mentions rice, millet, oranges, lemons, panicum, etc. That the islands maintained relations with neighboring countries and even with distant ones is proven by the ships from Siam, laden with gold and slaves, that Magellan found in Cebu. These ships paid certain duties to the King of the island. xxx At
that time, that sea where float the islands like a set of emeralds on a
paten of bright glass, that sea was everywhere traversed by junks, paraus,
barangays, vintas, vessels swift as shuttles, so large that they could
maintain a hundred rowers on a side [Morga];
that sea bore everywhere commerce, industry, agriculture, by the force of
the oars moved to the sound of warlike songs of the geneologies and
achievements of the Philippine divinities. (Co
lin, Chap. XV] Wealth abounded in the islands. Pigafetta tells us of the abundance of foodstuffs in Paragua and of its inhabitants, who nearly all tilled their own fields. At this island, the survivors of Magellan's expedition were well-received and provisioned. A little later, these same survivors captured a vessel, plundered and sacked it, and took prisoner in it the chief of the island of Paragua (!) with his son and brother. In this same vessel they captured bronze lombards, and this is the first mention of artillery of the Filipinos, for these lombards were useful to the chief of Paragua against the savages of the interior. They let him ransom himself within seven days, demanding 400 measures [cavanes?] of rice, 20 pigs, 20 goats, and 450 chickens. This is the first act of piracy recorded in Philippine history. The chief of Paragua paid everything, and moreover voluntarily added coconuts, bananas, and sugarcane jars filled with palm wine. When Caesar was taken prisoners by the corsairs, and required to pay 25 talents ransom, he replied, "I'll give you fifty, but later I'll have you all crucified!" The chief of Paragua was more generous: he forgot. His conduct, while it may reveal weakness, also demonstrates that the islands were abundantly provisioned. xxx.. xxxss.... Legazpi's expedition met in Butuan various leaders of Luzon with their boats laden with iron, wax cloths, porcelain, etc. [Gaspar de San Agustin] plenty of provisions, activity, trade, movement in all the southern islands. They arrived at the island of Cebu, "abounding in provisions, with mines and washings of gold, and peopled with natives," as Morga says; "very populous and as a port frequented by many ships that came from the islands and kingdoms near India," as Colin says; and even though they were peacefully received discord soon arose. The city was taken by force and burned. The fire destroyed the food supplies and naturally famine broke out in that town of a hundred thousand people, as the historians say, and among the members of the expedition, but the neighboring islands quickly relieved the need, thanks to the abundance they enjoyed. All the histories of those first years, in short, abound in long accounts about the industry and agriculture of the natives: mines, gold washings, looms, farms, barter, naval construction, raising of poultry and stock, weaving of silk and cotton, distilleries, manufacturers of arms, pearl fisheries, the civet industry, the horn and hide industry, etc., are things encountered at every step, and, considering the time and the conditions in the islands, prove that there was activity, there was movement. [Rizal
adds here as credible reference the work of Dr. Antonio Morga,
Lieutenant-Governor of Manila for seven years, plus Chirino, Colin,
Argensola, Gaspar de San Agustin, etc.] 2. Opening of "What the Tagalogs Should Know," by Andres Bonifacio, 1896: THE PEOPLE of this Katagalugan archipelago, governed in the olden days by our real ancestors, when the Spaniards had not yet set foot upon this land, were living in full abundance and well-being. They were in good terms with neighboring countries, especially the Japanese. They were partners in the trading of commodities, and more than enough means of livelihood were being developed, and so there was enrichment in the conduct of all. Young and old, including women, knew how to read and write in our indigenous writing as Tagalogs. The Spaniards came, claiming to seek friendship with us. With their glib claim that we would be led to better welfare and our minds would further be awakened, those in charge of governance were deceived by the sweetness of their tongues in persuasion. However they were placed under the real custom of the Tagalogs where their accord was to be witnessed and sealed by an oath taking blood from their respective arteries to be mixed and drunk by both parties as a sign of their vow to be forthright and never to turn their backs on the pact. This is what is called Pacto de Sangre (blood compact) between King Sikatuna and Legazpi, representative of the king of Spain. After this happened, for three centuries now, we have been supporting Legazpi's race in full abundance: we have maintained their enjoyment and kept them well-fed even to the extent that we have had to suffer scarcity and destitution; we have spent our wealth, our blood, and our very lives in defending them; we have fought even our own real compatriots who refused to submit to them; and moreover we also fought the Chinese and the Dutch who tried to wrest from them this Katagalugan archipelago. Now, for all these, for all our sacrifices, what do we see as the well-being given to our Country? What do we see by way of fulfillment of their promises that caused our sacrifices? None but pure treachery has been our reward for all our benevolence toward them. Instead of keeping their promise to awaken us to greater well-being, they blinded us, they rubbed of on us their own lowly ways, and forcibly destroyed the good and cherished customs of our people. They brought us to false beliefs and sank into the pits of evil the honor of our country. [Author's Note: These excerpts from the more important writings of the two most prominent national heroes of the Philippines give us detailed descriptions of the conditions of progress and prosperity being enjoyed by our people, who were also widely known for their nobility, when the Spanish colonial rule started almost half a millennium ago. Both the Spanish people and their government deserve to know fully upon what kind of society their three centuries of colonialism imposed itself, and also its effects that they have no reason at all to be proud of. Separate researches indicate that the Filipinos were supporting not just the Spaniards here but Spain itself. ] back to top of this page. back to main chapter text.
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APPENDICES: App 4-A: Text of Response from Spain’s Envoy App. 4-B: Life in the Islands at the start of Spanish Rule
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