The Centery Hence Insight Paper

Introduction:

The Philippines a Century Hence is an essay written by our Philippine national hero Great Filipino Dr. Jose Rizal to forecast the future of the country within a hundred years. Rizal felt that it was time to remind Spain that the circumstances that ushered in the French Revolution could have a telling effect for her in the Philippines.

Main Article:

This Century Hence which was published in La Solidaridad as a series in four parts contained José Rizal's predictions on the possible future of the Philippines within a hundred years formulated on present conditions and circumstances. Rizal notes several possibilities that the Philippines would stay a Spanish colony provided its citizens receive not only the rights and privileges of citizens of the Spanish crown, but also the inherent rights of a human being that the Philippines will inevitably rise in revolt against Spain if continuously exploited and abused, citing several historical events as examples and that the Philippines may be conquered by other nations after Spain's presence in the country is extinguished. Rizal also explains the various factors contributing to every possibility and how the Filipino and Malayan psyche might exacerbate or mitigate these factors.

• Spain’s implementation of her military policies because of such laws, the Philippine population decreased dramatically. Poverty became more rampant than ever, and farmlands were left to wither. The family as a unit of society was neglected, and overall, every aspect of the life of the Filipino was retarded.

• Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture – when Spain came with the sword and the cross, it began the gradual destruction of the native Philippine culture. Because of this, the Filipinos started losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of their present lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race.

• Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers – one of the most powerful forces that influenced a culture of silence among the natives were the Spanish friars. Because of the use of force, the Filipinos learned to submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.

One question Rizal raises in this essay is whether or not Spain can indeed prevent the progress of the Philippines are Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness had still awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble, Keeping he people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary, living a life of eternal destitution had allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their way of life. They began to explore other horizons through which they could move towards progress, and Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not work either. The Filipino race was able to survive amidst wars and famine, and became even more numerous after such catastrophes. To wipe out the nation altogether would require the sacrifice of thousands of Spanish soldiers, and this is something Spain would not allow.

Conclusion:

Therefore I conclude that I think the article was trying to tell. How one shall read this article must interpret it as not just as mere words but full of message for our own generation. History repeats itself; history may have repeated itself a hundred times now. But today’s battle was not the same battle our forefathers were fighting before. It is now a message with an intention of giving a warning. The colonization by the Spaniards which started four centuries ago is now parallel to the colonization of foreign minds of our countrymen. Most of us Filipinos are now enslaved by materials from other countries, that we neglect the riches of our own. Just as Rizal has thought of saving our ancestors, many modern Rizal’s will begin to save our vanishing culture. Everyone does not need to be a psychic to know what will happen. The Filipinos are now intelligent. It’s just a matter of choosing which way to take a way alike to what Rizal and many of our heroes had taken or another way of letting things be.

The article was tactful, as expected. It opened to me the thought of Rizal, not a prophet and seer, but just a normal man. Yet he was, no doubt, a genius. His ingenuity transcends through time, which eventually make him a “prophet”. He was a Great Filipino Genius. It’s the most appropriate title to be given to him.