INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS

I. FILIPINOS WERE NOT BORN LAZY, BUT HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE ONE BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER
 Indolence was the effect of backwardness and NOT the cause

II. FILIPINOS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRADE WITH THEIR ASIAN NEIGHBORS (CHINESE, BORNEO,
THAIS, INDONESIANS, MALAYSIANS, VIETNAM)
 Products traded with China :
-crude wax (beeswax), cotton, pearls, tortoise shells betel nuts and dry goods
 Products traded with Spaniards :
-cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, mace and gold
 Filipinos already had :
-mines, gold-washings, looms, farms, barter system, naval construction and poultry and stock raising, silk
weavers, distilleries, arms manufacturers, pearl fisheries, civet industry, horn and hide industry
 When Spaniards came, Filipinos abandoned farming, raising poultry and stock and cloth weaving

III. STRICT SPANISH COLONIAL POLICIES

1) Native revolts and other internal disorders with the establishment of Spanish rule = massacres of natives
each time they revolted against the Spaniards leading to the loss of farms and depopulation
2) The wars which the Filipinos fought for Spain against the Dutch, Portuguese, English and other enemies =
native archers and rowers were taken by the Spaniards never to return again from these wars
3) The frightful raids on the coastal towns and villages of Christian Filipinos by the Muslim Filipinos =
Spaniards disarmed the Christian Filipinos because of distrust; the Christians then had no means to
protect themselves from these raids as the Spaniards did not even protect them
 Muslims raided the Christians to weaken the Spaniards by reducing Christian followers and because of
resentment against the Christians for cooperating with the Spaniards
4) Forced labor which compelled Filipinos to work in shipyards, roads, bridges and other public works
leading to abandonment of industry, commerce, agriculture = Filipinos were subjected to polo y servicios
for them to cut timber and construct naval ships
Resulting to :
-natives fleeing to the mountains
-women and children died of hunger
-infants were killed by mothers

IV. OTHER FACTORS THAT MAINTAIN AND FOSTER INDOLENCE

5) Lack of stimulus to work harder because the Filipinos cannot enjoy the fruits of their labor =
encomenderos did not pay and often times cheated the payments made to native farmers for their
harvests
 Encomenderos treated natives as slaves; did not protect them from outlaws and bandits which replaced
the Muslim pirates; did not allow them to have arms for protection
 Filipinos had to seek permission from the governors or his agents and officers and of priests to go to their
farms
 Friars often instructed Filipinos to stop working in the mines, abandon their industries and destroy their
looms to sabotage the encomenderos
6) Government neglect and indifference to agriculture, industry and commerce = Filipinos had to endure the
many documents, stamped papers, influence peddling and must have huge patience and most especially
money, needed to secure a business permit
 Spanish government in the Philippines did not encourage farmers in times of poor crop harvest, locusts,
storms; did not find markets for the products of their colonies
 Products were burdened with taxes when being entered in Spain while Spaniards did not encourage
consumption of these products in Spain (except Tobacco)
7) The bad example shown by Spaniards in hating manual labor = surrounded themselves with servants;
manual labor was treated with contempt as it does not fit nobility (these where imitated by Filipinos)
8) Teaching of Spanish missionaries that it was easier for the poor to enter heaven than for rich people =
made Filipinos prefer not to work, preoccupied themselves with fiestas, religious functions, processions,
praying novenas and rosaries (most especially the women); friars fooled Filipinos into giving their money
for scapularies, candles and novenaries
“Countries who believed most in miracles are the laziest” - Rizal
9) Encouragement and propagation of gambling by Spanish authorities = addiction to gambling which the
Spaniards promoted can be seen in gambling words (soltada, pusta, logro, sugal, kumpisal, braja, taya,
paris-paris, politana, sapote, kapote, monte) etc.
10) System of Spanish education did not promote economic interests, industry and commerce = to study is
very costly; government has no scholarship programs; if natives won a contest he is treated with
contempt; Spanish not taught; memorization of the contents of a book without understanding it

V. SHORTCOMINGS OF THE FILIPINOS THAT FOSTER INDOLENCE; WHAT MUST BE DONE

a. Lack of training at home
- Even a student’s own family, neighbors or acquaintances tells him not to aspire to excel
“Do not aspire to be greater than the curate”
- Other people’s achievements oftentimes become a reason for others to be lazy or to be envious
b. Lack of national sentiment
- During the Spanish period a Filipino feels he is only an individual and not a member of a nation
- No one protests nor forms groups or organizations to promote their interests

 Spaniards must give no obstacles for the Filipinos to make them work hard = give education and liberty