Notes on: The Modern Times and the Living past
By Jose Sison Luzadas
Delray Beach, FL
Sat 16th October 2010
To understand the destiny of the people, it is necessary to open the book of its past so says Dr. Jose Rizal wishing his readers to observe. Not all colonial officials and minor bureaucrats who were sent by Spain to govern the Philippines were really that bad that many of us still believe. As non-fiction writer, Rizal was candid and honest to acknowledge who among the Spaniards whose conduct and behavior during their tour of duty as appointed colonial officials deserved praise and respect. This is the theme I am fascinated to bring out.
One description in the NOLI is about a peninsular official about to return to Spain after his tour of duty left a message to his ardent listener, a native lackey: If one day you declare your independence, remember that there were many hearts in Spain which beat for you and fought for your rights!
Rizal described a NOLI character Crisostomo Ibarra, as a young man sent by his father to study abroad who after seven years returned home, felt embarrassed to confess his ignorance of what was going on in his country during his absence. But the good thing to note is his honesty and eagerness to know, his willingness to compensate in order to catch up what he missed.
Like Ibarra of the NOLI novel, Rizal, as a non-fiction writer revealed himself of his shortcomings but was brutally frank to admit what motivated him to comment, explain, make and add footnotes to all that were written about the life of Filipinos at the time Legaspi and his men showed up in our shores in 1565.
Here is his opening paragraph of ANNOTATION:
Like almost all of you, I was born and brought up in ignorance of our countrys past and so, without knowledge or authority to speak of what I neither saw nor have studied. I deem it necessary to quote the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who in the beginning of the new era controlled the destinies of the Philippines and had personal knowledge of our ancient nationality in its last days. Rizal
Unlike Blumentritt and Virchow, his colleagues and fellow scientists from whom we learned so much of Dr. Rizals life and times, this illustrious Spaniard admired by Rizal was also addressed doctor. A graduate of the University of Salamanca, Spain in 1574, he was highly educated and highly trained too in civil law and jurisprudence to assume his post as lieutenant governor when he arrived in the Philippines.
YET, he was never a contemporary, as he lived 400 years earlier than Rizals, Blumentritts or Virchows time. Other interesting features to know will show that he was a failed naval commander when volunteered in 1600 to refit old commercial galleon ships with canons so he can fight and drive away the Dutch pirates harassing other ships in the waters of Manila Bay. In the ensuing battle with Captain Van Noort and the Dutch corsairs, his flag ship the San Diego was burned. He barely escaped by swimming to save his life while more than 300 of his men died. He was also indicted and investigated for corruption charges during his term of office. Charged but never served a prison term.
But whatever is the judgment of history o the role he played be it in the military or serving as overseas colonial government official in the Philippines, there is one special accomplishment that Dr. Antonio de Morga did that impressed Dr. Rizal to the extent of singling him out as the illustrious Spaniard among the early Spanish writers. Rizal looked at him a credible witness who was not biased recording the social and political life of the natives 50 years after Conquistador Conquistador Legaspi and his cousin, Padre Andres Urdaneta started colonizing and Christianizing them.
Antonio de Morga, whose keen observation and active participation as lieutenant governor in the administration and operation of the local government and whose flair for writing history gave him vantage point as historian that offering proof that the early Filipinos were civilized.
With Morgas historical accounts as primary source, Rizal started writing his Annotation that began in London, England and completing the book in Paris, France, to constitute a valuable contribution to our history and culture. There was strong motive in annotating why he wanted to correct the wrong impressions of most Spanish writers and historians. What Rizal would expect of the book as legacy to his people, he wrote:
If the book (Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas) succeeds to awaken your consciousness of our past, already effaced from your memory, and to rectify what has been falsified and slandered, then I have not worked in vain, and with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall be able to study the future.
A reading from the Philippine Post magazine, available at the Internet, one-time head of the Philippine Historical Institute, Prof. Serafin Quiazon wrote a nicely worded explanation on the above quotation. Incidentally, Dr Quiazon was my UP professor.
Like other professional historians, Rizal also subscribed to the old dictum: the past shapes the present and the present, the future. To be able to foretell the future, one must have a correct perceptive reading of the past and a proper understanding of the present.
Rizal’ “Illustrious Spaniard” and awakening Consciousness of the PAST”
Delray Beach, FL
Sat 16th October 2010
To understand the destiny of the people, it is necessary to open the book of its past so says Dr. Jose Rizal wishing his readers to observe. Not all colonial officials and minor bureaucrats who were sent by Spain to govern the Philippines were really that bad that many of us still believe. As non-fiction writer, Rizal was candid and honest to acknowledge who among the Spaniards whose conduct and behavior during their tour of duty as appointed colonial officials deserved praise and respect. This is the theme I am fascinated to bring out.
One description in the NOLI is about a peninsular official about to return to Spain after his tour of duty left a message to his ardent listener, a native lackey: If one day you declare your independence, remember that there were many hearts in Spain which beat for you and fought for your rights!
Rizal described a NOLI character Crisostomo Ibarra, as a young man sent by his father to study abroad who after seven years returned home, felt embarrassed to confess his ignorance of what was going on in his country during his absence. But the good thing to note is his honesty and eagerness to know, his willingness to compensate in order to catch up what he missed.
Like Ibarra of the NOLI novel, Rizal, as a non-fiction writer revealed himself of his shortcomings but was brutally frank to admit what motivated him to comment, explain, make and add footnotes to all that were written about the life of Filipinos at the time Legaspi and his men showed up in our shores in 1565.
Here is his opening paragraph of ANNOTATION:
Like almost all of you, I was born and brought up in ignorance of our countrys past and so, without knowledge or authority to speak of what I neither saw nor have studied. I deem it necessary to quote the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who in the beginning of the new era controlled the destinies of the Philippines and had personal knowledge of our ancient nationality in its last days. Rizal
Unlike Blumentritt and Virchow, his colleagues and fellow scientists from whom we learned so much of Dr. Rizals life and times, this illustrious Spaniard admired by Rizal was also addressed doctor. A graduate of the University of Salamanca, Spain in 1574, he was highly educated and highly trained too in civil law and jurisprudence to assume his post as lieutenant governor when he arrived in the Philippines.
YET, he was never a contemporary, as he lived 400 years earlier than Rizals, Blumentritts or Virchows time. Other interesting features to know will show that he was a failed naval commander when volunteered in 1600 to refit old commercial galleon ships with canons so he can fight and drive away the Dutch pirates harassing other ships in the waters of Manila Bay. In the ensuing battle with Captain Van Noort and the Dutch corsairs, his flag ship the San Diego was burned. He barely escaped by swimming to save his life while more than 300 of his men died. He was also indicted and investigated for corruption charges during his term of office. Charged but never served a prison term.
But whatever is the judgment of history o the role he played be it in the military or serving as overseas colonial government official in the Philippines, there is one special accomplishment that Dr. Antonio de Morga did that impressed Dr. Rizal to the extent of singling him out as the illustrious Spaniard among the early Spanish writers. Rizal looked at him a credible witness who was not biased recording the social and political life of the natives 50 years after Conquistador Conquistador Legaspi and his cousin, Padre Andres Urdaneta started colonizing and Christianizing them.
Antonio de Morga, whose keen observation and active participation as lieutenant governor in the administration and operation of the local government and whose flair for writing history gave him vantage point as historian that offering proof that the early Filipinos were civilized.
With Morgas historical accounts as primary source, Rizal started writing his Annotation that began in London, England and completing the book in Paris, France, to constitute a valuable contribution to our history and culture. There was strong motive in annotating why he wanted to correct the wrong impressions of most Spanish writers and historians. What Rizal would expect of the book as legacy to his people, he wrote:
If the book (Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas) succeeds to awaken your consciousness of our past, already effaced from your memory, and to rectify what has been falsified and slandered, then I have not worked in vain, and with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall be able to study the future.
A reading from the Philippine Post magazine, available at the Internet, one-time head of the Philippine Historical Institute, Prof. Serafin Quiazon wrote a nicely worded explanation on the above quotation. Incidentally, Dr Quiazon was my UP professor.
Like other professional historians, Rizal also subscribed to the old dictum: the past shapes the present and the present, the future. To be able to foretell the future, one must have a correct perceptive reading of the past and a proper understanding of the present.