Manalo, Gerine Karla S.

BSA 1-3
Rizal’s Tungkol sa Katamaran ng mga Pilipino
From the work of Dr. Sancianco entitled, “Progreso de Filipinas” (Pagkakasulong ng
Pilipinas), it talked of the letters sent to the Mother Land of the Spaniards as to how lazy the
Filipinos were. Since Sancianco knew that Filipinos are not lazy bums, he dared to prove that the
letters’ contents are invalid. As Rizal started with this information, he reiterated the meaning of
this and how such ideologies of the friars are opposing to what is really happening.
Rizal is known to be a hardworking man and suffered during his stay in Europe due to his
lack of financial support from his family. It was said that Paciano was the one that was supposed
to provide the funds for him to experience a comfortable stay as he studies. Being industrious was
one that Filipinos were known for, pre-colonialization. But it was then that Filipinos were called
to be lazy bums once the outside world step foot in the land of the natives.
To describe katamaran, it was those who slack off and would prefer not doing rather than
being productive. If to compare to the Filipinos, it is the complete opposite of what they really are.
The main cause of the laziness that seem to of issue was the blazing heat in this tropical country.
The fact that the Spaniards are natives to a temperate country, disadvantages them to the never-
ending heat in the Philippines. They force the Filipinos to work for them as the credit goes to those
who are living the high life. Originally, pre-colonized Philippines was seen to be a prosperous
country with the active workers being diligent in doing labor for survival. The natives focused in
tending to the direct needs of humans and other recreational activities aligned to their beliefs. As
to the arrival of the Spanish, overworking became a norm for Filipinos in order to survive as money
has become the primary means of trading. Although in the past, Filipinos are able to trade with
other countries such as China, proving that even before, we are capable of handling trades and
exchange. After a tiring day of labor, it is normal for a human to feel the need to rest. And once
they are seen, they are immediately labelled as tamad without thinking of the context itself and
being tamad would end up to a punishment. With this kind of motivation to keep working, it
naturally made Filipinos to have the desire to achieve the comforts of being able to feel rested,
hence, causing a chain reaction of being a tyrant himself to his fellow men. It was perceived that
in order for someone to feel the luxury of having rest is only either to be a slave or the tyrant.
However, as to how these affected the lives of Filipinos, it resulted to the superiority
complex and others to aim in achieving the same level of those who abuse their fellow men. People
will do anything just to achieve the comfort of life, to the point of forgetting your own identity,
fueled by the unending desires of the human self.
Correlating this to the current situation in the Philippines, it is evident that the Colonial
Mentality still remains with limited ideas and/or interests in supporting locals’ products and culture.
To think that how Rizal wrote the letter, it was deeply made for the awareness and benefit of all
Filipinos. As to the situation in our country, there are Filipinos unable to rekindle with the great
history of our nation yet carries the effects of the abuse. Seeing that the past that we are productive
and hardworking, it is still seen in our culture that we allow ourselves to overwork on something
we recognize as a mean of survival. Even in helping and being hospitable, we perceive that it is
our utmost responsibility to be able to serve someone before ourselves. However, once inability is
seen, it would result to the ideologies of trying to achieve the higher ups that could possibly hinder
the individual to validate the self’s being at their current downfall.