The Indolence of the Filipino

by José Rizal

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, popularly known as José Rizal; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain. He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion after an anti-colonial revolution, inspired in part by his writings, broke out. Though he was not actively involved in its planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its goals which eventually led to Philippine independence. He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines, and is implied by Philippine law to be one of the national heroes. He was the author of the novels Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo, and a number of poems and essays.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Classics, Politics, Historical, School, Sociology

52 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1890

About the author

Spanish exiled Philippine reformer and writer José Rizal from 1892 to 1896 for his political novels, later arrested him, and executed him for sedition; his death helped to fuel an insurrection against rule from 1896 to 1898.

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, a polymath nationalist, most prominently advocated during the colonial era. Poeple consider him the national hero and commemorate the anniversary of his death as a holiday, called Rizal day. His military trial made him a martyr of the revolution.

The seventh of eleven children to a wealthy family in the town, Rizal attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, earning a Bachelor of Arts. He enrolled in medicine and philosophy and letters at the University of Santo Tomas and then traveled alone to Madrid, Spain, where he continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid, earning the licentiate in medicine. He attended the University of Paris and earned a second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. Rizal, a polyglot, conversed at least in ten languages. He was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist, correspondent, and novelist whose most famous works were his two novels, Noli me Tangere and El filibusterismo. These are social commentaries on the Philippines that formed the nucleus of literature that inspired dissent among peaceful reformists and spurred the militancy of armed revolutionaries against the Spanish colonial authorities.

As a political figure, Rizal was the founder of La Liga Filipina, a civic organization that subsequently gave birth to the Katipunan led by Andrés Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. He was a proponent of institutional reforms by peaceful means rather than by violent revolution. The general consensus among Rizal scholars, however, attributed his martyred death as the catalyst that precipitated the Philippine Revolution.

Reviews

[Fadillah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We have already truly said that when a house becomes disturbed and disordered, we should not accuse the youngest, child or the servants, but the head of it, especially if his authority is unlimited, he who does not act freely is not responsible for his actions; and the Filipino people, not being master of its liberty, is not responsible for either its misfortunes or its woes. We says this, it is true, but, as will be seen later on, we also have a large part, in the continuation of such a disorder”.
- The Indolence of Filipinos by Jose Rizal
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To summarize this book in one sentence is the cause of indolence of Filipinos is none other than the coloniser themselves, SPANISH. Every single things that Filipinos tried to do, Spanish is there to block / reject / hinder or simply not grant it. No education for Filipinos first and foremost and even if they did establish school, the resources is scarce and the knowledge wasn’t useful to them. Filipinos wanted to self-sustain by opening their business or cultivate the land, then these imbeciles decided to impose large amount of taxes. SO why were they are the one called Indolent when Friars and foreign rulers got their wealth by exploiting Filipinos? Shame on the Spaniards Occupation! Shame on those years of Spanish Colonisation! Overall, an insightful reading!
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I think this is the time for me to pick up “The myth of the lazy natives by Syed Hussain Alattas. The word Indolence itself is interesting. Rather than laziness, i would choose Idleness as the closest meaning to it. Growing up Malay, i have heard many telling me straight to my face or insinuating that my race is lazy quite few times. Imagine listening to that over and over again, i did end up internalizing it and as a result, i used to feel the same way about my race. Over times, after reading and understanding it, this notion that natives are lazy is just a seed planted by the coloniser in order to divide and rule. At least, from what i have read.

[April Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wanted to keep putting up snaps every other paragraph. This piece is so poetic yet demanding; it outlines the history of colonization specifically in the Philippines, but these trends are visible in many other colony/colonizer relationships as well. Though written a hundred years ago, it's still applicable today. I wonder what percent of Filipinos have read this book... I wonder what they think about it, if it inspires anything in them, and what it inspires them to do. What does it inspire me to do? My aunt has always talked about wanted to spread literacy somehow in the Philippines. She was appalled when I told her about libraries that loan books out to residents for free in America. Since then, she's dreamed about one day opening up her own library and cafe in the Philippines to somehow encourage our kababayan to read more and empower themselves. What can I do to contribute to this dream as a Filipino-American outside of the Philippines?

All in all, a thought-provoking, inspiring, (and quick!) read.

[Nuruddin Azri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gaya penterjemahan daripada bahasa Inggeris ke bahasa Melayu yang agak kaku, sedikit lewah dan bersifat tergesa-gesa dalam buku ini menyebabkan inti besar yang ingin disampaikan oleh Jose Rizal tidak sempat berkunjung ke lubuk hati pembaca kendatipun kata pengantar sudah diulas baik oleh Syed Farid Alatas.

[Syed Fathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sumbangan Jose Rizal dalam memupuk semangat kebangsaan Filipina sememangnya harus dijadikan teladan. Walaupun usianya pendek, sumbangan pemikiran dan penulisan beliau masih bergetar hingga ke hari ini. Kajian beliau dalam membedah sifat kemalasan orang Filipina juga merupakan satu sumbangan yang penting dalam kajian pasca-kolonial. Sifat peribumi itu tidak harus ditentukan oleh catatan penguasa-penguasa kolonial mereka. Sebaliknya ia perlu diteliti dengan adil dan munasabah. Dalam hal ini, Rizal membawakan hujah-hujah yang meneliti tuduhan malas yang dilemparkan kepada masyarakat Filipina. Dari pengaruh cuaca, hinggalah keadaan sistemik yang ditimpakan kepada masyarakat oleh kerajaan, penguasa kolonial dan juga golongan paderi. Semuanya diteliti oleh Rizal bagi mendapatkan jawapan yang komprehensif bahawa sifat malas itu bukanlah merupakan sifat asal peribumi sebaliknya merupakan kesan dari sistem represif yang dipaksakan pada peribumi.

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was something we discussed in our Rizal class. Reading through it, I couldn't help but feel a kind of admiration for Rizal, who was able to lay bare the, simply put, indolence of the Filipino. The reasons for it may be looked at as mere excuses, but the train of thought is still something exciting and interesting. I suppose the only thing that is perceived bothersome is that Rizal seems to still convey a subtle message on wanting the Islas Filipinas to be a province of Spain, as one may see in the last sentence of the book:

This policy has the advantage in that while it may
not lull the instincts of liberty wholly to sleep, yet the day when
the mother country loses her colonies she will at least have the gold
amassed and not the regret of having reared ungrateful children.

(An explanation/reaction to this subject would actually be of use to me, as our PI 100 discussions seemed a long time past... Perhaps I should go read again, though o___O)

Nevertheless, Rizal's stress for the importance of national sentiment and lack of training is quite realistic, and valid still today. The PDI's article about it should summarize it quite well.

All in all, a good read for the indios, even at present.

[William Wehrmacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jose Rizal was a philosopher hero of the Philippines who was executed by the Spanish army for his trouble.

I found his arguments that explain the perceived indolence of Filipino. He explained that any group learns to live. He explained that as it is very hot and very fertile. As a result, the Filipino did not work sunrise to sun set, but produced the food needed to keep the culture alive. Other outside groups like the Spanish, Chinese, and others decided that if they worked longer and harder they could produce more, which they did. So, native Filipino riches were stolen to the profit of those who subjugated the native. The natives lost any real interest in being slaves, and reduced their efforts. Fortunately (notice tongue deeply in cheek here) the Catholic church taught the natives their slavery is OK, because god will give them something better after they are dead.

I read this book because I was making a short visit to Manila. I stayed at a hotel right next door to the oldest cathedral in the Philippines. I noticed that the church seemed to be a gathering place for the poor to sleep on mats and beg at the church doors. It seems the Catholic church is still promising the same thing, but at least from my small very unscientific observation, are doing little to deliver.

[Syima Misrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Orang-orang Filipina itu telah diyakinkan bahawa untuk mendapatkan kebahagiaan dia perlu mengetepikan maruahnya sebagai makhluk yang rasional. Dia perlu hadir ke upacara keagamaan, percaya pada apa yang diberitahu, membayar dan menderita dalam diam tanpa bercita-cita. Dia harus terus-meneruskan tidak memahami bahasa Sepanyol, tidak memisahkan diri daripada kelompoknya, tidak bertindak jika diserang mahupun dihina, tidak mempunyai hati, akal mahupun jiwa. Dia hanya perlu menjadi makhluk yang mampu bekerja keras yang mana poketnya penuh dengan emas untuk diambil. Bagi mereka, itulah orang peribumi yang ideal! Namun begitu, atas sebab kekejaman berterusan yang dilakukan ke atas mereka dan kerana manusia itu ada nuraninya masih ada sifat semula jadi, dia bangkit melawan dan bercita-cita. Dia berfikir dan berusaha untuk bangkit, dan bagi penjajah ini satu masalah!” – (muka surat 56)

Bagi orang putih, melayu kena kerja jadi hamba kepada mereka. Malas adalah sikap individu dan bukannya sikap yang diwarisi turun-temurun memandangkan ada ahli sejarawan sendiri mengesahkan bahawa terdapat aktiviti perdagangan dan sektor pertanian yang pesat sebelum penjajahan bangsa luar di Filipina adalah bukti yang peribumi bukan malas tetapi menolak untuk dipergunakan oleh bangsa luar dan menjadi hamba mereka. Sesiapa pun tidak akan bekerja keras jika segala usaha dan hasil akhirnya pergi ke orang lain yang tidak perlu berusaha sedikit pun dan menikmati hasil itu.

[Azhar Shukri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terdapat tiga dimensi daripada tulisan Rizal tentang Filipina.

Pertama, kritik mengenai pengetahuan bangsa penjajahan tentang Filipina. Menurut Rizal, sifat korup yang ada pada birokrasi kolonial orang Sepanyol tanpa sebarang belas ihsan yang sebenarnya menyakiti orang Filipina, tetapi mereka menyalahkan kemunduran orang Filipina itu disebabkan kemalasan mereka.

Kedua, idea-idea tentang keadaan dan persekitaran semasa dalam sebuah masyarakat kolonial. Rizal telah menelusuri sejarah zaman sebelum kolonial bagi membincangkan pandangan penjajah terhadap kemalasan orang Filipina. Fakta menunjukkan bahawa masyarakat pra-kolonial Filipina sangat maju, menunjukkan bahawa kemunduran yang wujud adalah hasil daripada kolonialisme.

Terakhir, diskusi Rizal tentang makna dan syarat-syarat untuk pembebasan. Polisi-polidi penjajah sangat bersifat zalim. Rizal merujuk kepada wakil-wakil tuhan (paderi) dan pembebasan cahaya (?) yang tidak terdidik atau mendidik asas-asas moral Kristian. Mereka tidak mengajarkan agama sebaliknya ritual dan kepercayaan tahyul.

Rizal membuktikan pandangan bangsa Filipina malas adalah salah sama sekali. Malah bangsa kolonial menggunakan sentimen agama untuk memperbodohkan bangsa Filipina juga sama seperti keadaan hari ini dan masih relevan.

[. nelle ❀˖° · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jose Rizal is indeed a national icon in the Philippines. His words are powerful and impactful ! It's like a lifeline toward awareness and nationalism. No wonder Bonifacio was deeply inspired by his writings and led a revolution for Philippine independence. Nothing and no one can beat a person who is educated about the illness and cancer of his surroundings. Rizal is truly a beacon of light for every Filipino. Realizing that what happened over 350 years ago is still prominent in the present situation in the Philippines, especially in terms of western influences, capitalism and governance that reveals the ongoing greed for fame, power and money. This, in turn, contributes to the persistence of indolence among Filipinos.

holy shit??? i can't wait to discuss this on our Rizal subject.

[Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gospel truths befitting the present political climate:

"We have already truly said that when a house becomes disturbed and disordered, we should not accuse the youngest child or the servants, but the head of it, especially if his authority is unlimited, he who does not act freely is not responsible for his actions; and the Filipino people, not being master of its liberty, is not responsible for either its misfortunes or its woes."

"Peoples and governments are correlated and complementary: a fatuous government would be an anomaly among righteous people, just as a corrupt people cannot exist under just rulers and wise laws. Like people, like government, we will say in paraphrase of a popular adage."

[William Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is could be read as an epilogue to The Social Cancer. In his view the Spanish colonization of the Philippine Islands was a total disaster for the indigenous populace, and all its alleged benefits were either fake or meager. To my impression the bitter conclusions and resentment of Rizal toward those more than 360 years have either barely reached the present consciousness of Filipinos, or when it did, they let the bygones be bygones.

[Zanela · Rating 4 out of 5]

rizal's brain is so pogi

[Syazwina Johari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kita seringkali diuarkan dengan gelaran Melayu pemalas. Nescaya buku ini akan mengubah fikiran kita apabila kita meneliti kisah sejarah.

Secara ringkas, Jose Rizal seorang nasionalis Filipina memperjuangkan maruah bangsanya apabila dikategorikan sebagai bangsa pemalas oleh bangsa imperialis sehingga menjadi pembakar dan tunjang perjuangan tokoh negara di tanah Melayu dulu.

Namun mengapa perlunya bersusah payah menepis gelaran sedemikian? Hal ini kerana, masakan kita mampu sewenangnya membiarkan bangsa kita dituduh sebagai pemalas dan dikenali di mata dunia sebagai bangsa tersebut? Di manakah maruah bangsa kita?Itulah semangat yang ditonjolkan oleh Jose Rizal yang kental memperjuangkan bangsanya biarpun ditentang oleh bangsa sendiri yang menghisap darah keparat imperialis khususnya orang gereja iaitu paderi.

Walau bagaimanapun, Jose Rizal tidaklah bercakap kosong. Beliau bahkan usulkan bukti yang kukuh dan fakta bagi menyokong kenyataan beliau.

Apa yang ditegaskan di dalam buku adalah, kemalasan itu merupakan sebahagian daripada lumrah manusia yang tidak dapat kita nafikan namun tidak wajar bagi pihak imperialis tidak mengkaji secara menyeluruh akan punca dan sumber kepada sifat malas rakyat borneo dan terus mengecop kita sebagai pemalas bagi menyalahkan kita atas kemunduran yang berlaku dan menutupi kejahatan mereka yang tidak berperikemanusiaan mengerah keuntungan.

Malahan, definisi malas bagi mereka dikaitkan dengan produktiviti iaitu kurangnya hasil penternakan dan pertanian tanpa mengira aspek cuaca, keadaan alam semula jadi, ketidakadilan pemerintah, sistem kerajaan yang tidak efektif, pemberontakan yang meragut banyak nyawa rakyat tempatan dan seumpamanya adalah suatu kenyataan yang amat berat sebelah dan tidak relevan.

Mengapa? Kerana mereka cuba memperlihatkan kepada dunia bahawa kononnya jika bukan kerana kehadiran imperialis Sepanyol ke tanah borneo maka tidak akan berlakunya sebarang kemajuan adalah tidak benar sedangkan mereka adalah punca utama kepada kemunduran yang berlaku.

[Haziq Hakimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting work that shows how Jose Rizal needs to be treated as a serious thinker and scholar in his own right. This work, albeit being short, systematically studies the causes of indolence of the Filipinos, which is mostly due to the oppresssion of the Spanish colonial powers.

[Jason Friedlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty fascinating and worth revisiting today, a lot of its sentiments still (sadly) hold up over a hundred and twenty years later

a 21st century update of the arguments would be an interesting task

[Muadz Mohd Haslan]

DID NOT FINISH
-terlebih berat

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a second generation, half-Filipino, only knowing life in the USA, I learned more about Filipino history here in these 50-ish pages than my entire childhood. Rizal is such a passionate writer. His method of deduction to try and persuade the reader that, yes, Filipinos have indolence, but who wouldn't given the factors in play. Also, that all man is inherently indolent, and that instead of wearing this as a burden, moving past it like other countries who place high value on industry and liberty. Very strong recommend.

[Gianne Kris]

some of the points of this one is reiterated in this other works. if you read this other works (just his works), you will notice them more quickly.

[Johnlord · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like it. that's all!

[Roma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rizal's arguments re the Filipino's indolence were on point and put the Spaniards (during their occupation for 333 years) to shame.

[Kren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for our Rizal subject, and I'm grateful to the teacher for allowing us to read this despite its length as a modular learning material, which I know only a few percentage of enrolled students would make efforts to fully intake.

The Indolence of the Filipino adds another one to the list of Dr. Jose Rizal's plentiful social diagnosis of the persistent ills of the Philippines and her children. One could clearly feel the frustration transported from the internal regions to his pen as he enumerates and wholly supports with elaboration in strong tones the reason of the Filipinos' idleness,--from its source, to its nourishment, to its perseverance--outsourcing evidence from the established works of various historians, allowing for persuasive interpretations and arguments based on facts, clearly not a case of apophenia.

Indolence is human nature. Rizal begins his clinical evaluation of this social ill by accepting that it is in and of itself existent in all races to desire the avoidance of toil as humans are not of mechanical constitutions without free will, bound to slavery by higher powers. And the concept of higher powers is attributed to religion, whereby religion was used to gradually perverse the masses by the machinations of the colonizers spanning three whole centuries--three whole centuries of turmoil and disaster as we are gone from our nation's spirit, imagine that!

Imagine the debilitation of the organs of man caused from that subjugation clearly unwelcomed, how much road needs to be travelled by a nation left behind due to its conditions, how the situation arrived to the physician--the government--and even fellow patients--fellow Filipinos--attacking the same sick, delaying symptoms with petty words and promises of miracles, never having experienced the absence of the malady.

But why has it matured to such extent? As it was established that indolence is universal, what is the need for relating it with the social struggles of the life of the Philippines?

First we look at the base causes as mentioned before: natural laws breed indolence. It is too cold, it is too hot, it is too warm, it is raining. Such factors influence the energies of man, thus a cycle of rest and work exists, not a linear methodology.

In correlation to the environmental conditions, the Pearl of the Orient Seas is laden with material sheen. However, this has not blinded the natives before. Their naturalism culture respects the land and its offspring, taking the position of a swimmer of the flow, and not a spectator leaving behind harmful excretions. They were men of agriculture, men of sweat and hard work, men of agency. The Spaniards took advantage of this and forced upon societal, economic, and religious systems of exploitation meant to mold their colony into intrinsic hand-kissing, collar-wearing, mindless sycophants on tattered soil, servile in the name of Spain.

Thus started the ruinous sequence of events. It was told that the encomienda system, along with the tribute and force labor, were the supreme governmental tactics in order to pin down the natives, and I dare say they were successful in doing so. For galleons for war and trade to be made, the forests were debased, and the natives of the mountain villages extinguished along with the land's beauty, eradicating any opportunities for resistance. And what manpower was used to serve wars and make ships? The Filipino men themselves, rendered expedient resources for immoral battles unrelated to their own country. And with the usage of men, with the forced labor and tools for warfare and numerous expeditions, with the removal of populations lest resistance ensues, famine came around to finally destroy the remnants of the withered gardens. Pirates took their shot to further add to the death toll and more. Accounts tell of poverty driving the natives to unspeakable acts unto themselves and their fellowmen, in desperation for survival. The Mindanaoans, retaining their religious status, grew in anger with it all, and thought of reducing the number of subjects as a way to chip away at the power of the colonizers. Discord came between men against the foreign men, the foreign men against nature, nature against men, and men against the fellow men.

With all of this happening, it is not a surprise that the typical Filipino, experiencing the role of a mere marionette on a string, played by man and nature and fate itself, is demotivated and feels powerless against the social hierarchy. But the colonizers did not stop there at all, no, they did not. They call in Christianity as the last slice of bread sandwiching the soul of the Filipinos and confining it with inactions. For the promise of miracles and enduring, they will be rewarded salvation in Heaven. The friars used their god as a means to use people, and that triggers me with fiery indignation. Establishing set routines for the natives to follow,--mass, rosaries, novenaries, processions--taking up much of their daily time to enhance the potency of their fear to oppose exponentially solidified the foundation of indolence.

The future has become dreary: the lands are ruined and yield is not certain, liberty from the colonizers has yet to happen, but miracles exist! That's what they all said! There is only stagnancy and degeneracy in slavery. The vitality is sapped from the human soul, the mind deprecated by centuries of irrevocable conquer, the body molested in every nook and cranny, wherefore it is reduced into a corpse swarming with worms. And thus a fatalistic habit has brewed inside the people's hearts, unfortunately so. Amassing prayers and neglecting practical investments is the lapse of the Filipino.

Yes, the patient contains part of the blame. The insufficient national consciousness made subjugation easier to do. The temptation of climbing atop, with the siren of tangible opulence numbing the senses of the Filipinos, such that discrimination and crab mentality abounded. Hypocrisy had its turn as natives feed on relatives with capabilities while they continue the progression of gossip culture.

Yet, it is not too appropriate to further defame the Filipinos. The demoralizing educational system in schools founded by the friars allowed for a playground where they could freely inject the mental faculties of students with information advantageous to them, the illusion of holistic excellence a front for brainwashing. It inculcated an elitist form of education which still persists to this day. They do not even hide the clear discrimination happening around the institutions. The colonizers were wise. To turn something as powerful and impactful to the core of human nature as education as a weapon for reproducing robots like some sort of factory, such that we were rid of critical thinking and the desire for greatness; such that the typical Filipino does not have dreams, nor does he have the resources to pursue such aspirations, and as a weapon for harassing the self-esteem and dignity of the native man, is up there with the utmost manifestation of their expertise of domination.

"Without education and liberty, that soil and that sun of mankind, no reform is possible, no measure can give the result desired."

Those were the wise words of Rizal, and something which resonated with me. Education is literally divine. It defogs the smoke and mirrors laid upon as obstacles in each person's roads to success; it has potential for more. But I digress. The indolence of the Filipinos became a cockroach with wings than a caterpillar into a butterfly due to an endless seemingly inextricable elements brought about by 333 years of colonization and more. The author presented his points and argued very convincingly. It all rings true in present generation, and that is something that saddens me as a Filipino youth. It is clear that society is dreary and corrupt officials permeate the government body like a breeding ground. It is also true that the citizens permit this to happen, whether in ignorance or in hopelessness. To find a solution is something I have yet to fathom to conceptualize. In the end, our religion and education are not intrinsically errors in existence. However, the way it was used, and is still being used today, by the government, by the ghosts of the past colonizers haunting the motherland in spite of their being overruled by the people, made the indolence of the Filipinos as tormenting of nation and citizen as it is today. Therefore, I pray for the miracle of souls coming to the stage to present noble and exceptional solutions and converted souls adorning the stage with better decorations to aid in the pursuit of change as people in power, and I would work as well with my nourished national consciousness to support my country and its beloved offsprings as much as I can.

As a staple Filipino adage goes, "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa."

After all, all hope is not lost. Filipinos are capable of change despite history. They are not inferior from other countries despite reputation. There were and are Filipinos who revitalized the implications of our identity, and there will be children of the Philippines in the future who would continue the support of nation building and more. Despite the indolence which plagues us all, we are still capable of being free from the shackles of the past, and that is not an exaggeration. This is a proclamation of hope, and a sign of miracles.

I wish to read the Spaniards' sides next, those defending the colonization, if they are ever capable, as even the anti-Filipino accounts express without bias the cruelties that took place over the centuries.

Overall, Dr. Jose Rizal masterfully printed out the contains of his diagnosis with coherence, sufficient historical support, literary creativity, and logical and systematic argumentation. As a medical professional and as a writer simultaneously, making use of his expertise for societal changes, he truly is a figure for admiration, and that sentiment resounds strongly as incited in every reader upon the perusing of The Indolence of the Filipino.

PS: The Indolence of the Filipino was a great fortifier of national sentiment without the serious antagonization of the descendants, because by the tales of history we can understand why these things occur & how we can practice efforts on potential resolutions. Placed frustrations here which was quite inevitable, but really it just made me realize how complicated societal issues are, and how important it is for each and every citizen to do their part and not impede the ideals of peace and harmony.

[Ezlin Ilyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ini menghimpunkan pandangan hero kebangsaan orang Filipina yang terkenal iaitu Jose Rizal berkenaan tohmahan dan tuduhan yang dilemparkan oleh bangsa penjajah terhadap penduduk Filipina. Menurut penjajah ketika itu iaitu bangsa Sepanyol, rakyat Filipina dituduh sebagai pemalas. Malah tuduhan seperti ini juga pernah dilemparkan oleh penjajah di Tanah Melayu terhadap bangsa Melayu dan sehingga zaman kini kita (Melayu) masih dituduh pemalas. Namun tuduhan ini bukan lagi dari penjajah tetapi dari bangsa Melayu sendiri. Sebelum ini, saya juga mudah menerima dan bersetuju dengan tuduhan 'Melayu pemalas' tetapi setelah banyak membaca dan mendengar pendapat, hujah malah setelah semakin meningkat umur dan melalui beberapa siri pertukaran pucuk pemerintahan di Malaysia, mata dan minda semakin terbuka dan lebih memahami bahawa Melayu bukan bangsa yang pemalas. Sifat pemalas masih ada pada segelintir kelompok dan juga mana-mana bangsa di dunia ini, namun tidak wajar kita labelkan sesuatu bangsa itu sebagai pemalas.

Baiklah, berbalik semula kepada tujuan asal penulisan ini adalah untuk mengulas sedikit isi kandungan pemikiran dan lontaran pandangan dari Jose Rizal mengenai kemalasan di negaranya. Memetik tulisan Syed Farid Alatas dalam perenggan pertama di awal bab buku ini iaitu Tentang Eurosentrisme & Kemalasan: Pandangan Jose Rizal - beliau (Syed Farid) menyatakan 'Jose Rizal merupakan seorang penulis intelektual pertama di Asia Tenggara yang telah berfikir secara sistematik tentang isu-isu sosial dan politik. Malah boleh dikatakan bahawa pemikiran dan pandangan Rizal tentang sifat masyarakat kolonial Filipina telah meletakkan batu asas untuk sosiologi masyarakat kolonial Asia Tenggara yang asli'.

Menurut Syed Farid, terdapat tiga dimensi daripada tulisan Rizal tentang Filipina:

- Kritik mengenai pengetahuan bangsa penjajah tentang orang Filipina
- Idea-idea tentang keadaan dan persekitaran semasa dalam sebuah masyarakat kolonial
- Diskusi Rizal tentang makna dan syarat-syarat untuk pembebasan.

Secara ringkasnya, Rizal berpendapat kezaliman dan eksploitasi dari pemerintah seperti rampasan tanah, cukai yang tinggi dan buruh paksaan membuatkan orang-orang Filipina enggan bekerja. Sebelum kedatangan penjajah, orang Filipina sudah sekian lama hidup aman damai dengan bercucuk tanam dan menjalankan kegiatan pertanian yang lain, namun setibanya penjajah di Filipina, tanah mereka dirampas, mereka dipaksa menjadi buruh sama ada secara paksa atau bayaran yang tidak setimpal dan kebajikan mereka tidak dijaga. Pegawai-pegawai pula terdiri dari kalangan bangsa penjajah yang datang lewat ke pejabat, segala serbi cukup dan elok, dianggap sebagai bangsa yang berjaya, manakala rakyat tempatan dilabel sebagai pemalas kerana kemiskinan. Situasi sebegini membuatkan orang-orang Filipina berasa putus asa.

Di samping itu, Rizal juga menyatakan faktor cuaca di Filipina menyebabkan pergerakan hasil kerja adalah terbatas. Keterbatasan ini tidak wajar dilabel sebagai tindakan malas untuk bekerja. Malah pihak penjajah di sana juga sukar untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan iklim tropika.

Antara penjelasan lain yang boleh didapati di dalam buku ini adalah seperti berikut:

- Berlaku banyak kegiatan lanun di kepulauan sana oleh orang Mindanao dan Sulu. Kegiatan
lanun ini juga bertujuan untuk mengurangkan kekuasaan Sepanyol dengan mengurangkan jumlah rakyat jajahan Sepanyol (iaitu orang-orang Filipina sendiri).
- Penjajah berpendirian bahawa rakyat perlu dikawal sama ada melalui paksaan atau pujukan. Penindasan sering dilakukan ke atas penduduk tempatan menyebabkan berlaku banyak peperangan dan pemberontakan yang membawa kepada pembunuhan dan kemalangan jiwa.
- Rakyat tempatan juga dipaksa oleh Sepanyol untuk berperang melawan Belanda bagi menguasai Borneo, Maluku dan Indo-China.
- Rakyat Filipina juga menjadi buruh paksa/kasar untuk membuat kapal-kapal perang dan kebajikan mereka tidak dijaga.
- Sebelum kedatangan Sepanyol, orang Filipina adalah orang pagan dan kehidupan mereka sebelum ini aman damai dengan mengusahakan tanah dan sumber alam. Sejak diajarkan agama Kristian oleh Sepanyol dan perilaku penjajah yang menindas dan merampas hak milik tanah, orang Filipina diajar untuk menerima takdir dan sentiasa berdoa untuk menerima penindasan tersebut dengan lapang dada.

Begitulah serba sedikit perkara-perkara penting yang didapati dalam pendapat yang dilontarkan oleh Jose Rizal yang menyangkal orang-orang Filipina sebagai peribumi yang malas.

[amirul zafran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nama Jose Rizal pertama kali dilihat dalam buku Sejarah Tingkatan 5 di bawah tajuk "Nasionalisme di Asia Tenggara". Beliau merupakan antara tokoh nasionalis terawal yang berusaha menghalau penjajah Sepanyol dari bumi Filipina, diikuti oleh tokoh-tokoh lain seperti Bonifacio dan Aguinaldo. Pada amatan saya, buku ini adalah hasil karya dan idea yang ditulis oleh Jose Rizal sendiri sebelum diterjemahkan dalam Bahasa Melayu.

Buku Kemalasan Peribumi Filipina ini hanya mengandungi 67 muka surat, namun begitu mampu untuk membuka mata pembaca terhadap keperitan hidup dan kemunduran yang dialami oleh rakyat Filipina pada ketika itu. Secara asasnya, buku ini bertunjangkan pada satu tema utama, iaitu kemalasan. Walaupun begitu, Jose Rizal berjaya menghuraikannya secara terperinci dan membuktikan dalam karyanya bahawa peribumi Filipina bukanlah secara semula jadinya pemalas. Beliau menyelitkan pelbagai fakta dan kajian untuk mengukuhkan hujahnya, bermula daripada faktor cuaca, sentimen keagamaan, kepercayaan tahayul yang digunakani untuk memperbodohkan masyarakat, sehinggalah serangan lanun di bumi Filipina yang semuanya menjadi penyumbang kepada kemunduran dan kemalasan serta tanggapan negatif terhadap rakyat Filipina pada ketika itu.

Melalui karyanya ini, pembaca dapat menelusuri sejarah Filipina dengan lebih mendalam, bukan hanya dari sudut sosiologi yang disampaikan oleh Jose Rizal malahan juga dalam mengenali latar belakang negara itu sendiri. Jelaslah bahawa Jose Rizal telah melakukan penyelidikan dan kajian yang teliti sebelum menerbitkan karyanya ini. Tambahan pula, beliau menyelitkan beberapa persoalan di akhir setiap bahagian bagi memastikan pembaca kekal tertarik untuk meneruskan pembacaan. Huraian yang disampaikan oleh beliau juga sangat terperinci, disertai dengan contoh-contoh situasi agar konteks dan mesejnya dapat difahami dengan lebih mudah oleh pembaca.

Namun begitu, idea yang disampaikan tidaklah terlalu mendalam sehingga pembaca mampu membayangkan diri mereka dalam situasi tersebut. Saya faham mungkin ini disengajakan bagi mengekalkan gaya penulisannya yang ringkas dan mudah difahami oleh pelbagai lapisan masyarakat. Akhirulkalam, buku ini sesuai untuk dibaca oleh semua lapisan umur memandangkan gaya penulisannya yang ringan, mudah difahami, dan bilangan halaman muka suratnya yang sedikit. Selamat membaca!

[Shima Membaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jose Rizal, hero kebangsaan orang Filipina, yang juga merupakan intelektual pertama di Asia Tenggara yang telah berfikir secara sistematik tentang isu-isu sosial dan politik. Malah boleh dikatakan bahawa pemikiran dan pandangan Rizal tentang sifat masyarakat kolonial di Asia Tenggara yang asli.

Dalam buku 'Kemalasan Peribumi Filipina' Rizal telah menyentuh tentang perkataan malas yang banyak disalahgunakan oleh orang Barat. Pada kaca mata Orientalis, peribumi Filipina kelihatan tiada nilai-nilai yang boleh dimanfaatkan. Jose Rizal menyangkal tuduhan tidak berasas dengan mengemukakan bukti-bukti yang berfakta.

Sebelum kedatangan kuasa asing menapak ke negara mereka, orang Filipina bangsa yang rajin bekerja. Mereka mengusahakan bahan dagangan dan produk serta membina hubungan baik dengan Siam dan juga China.

Kecendurangan sentiasa ingin berehat disalah tafsir oleh bangsa Barat merasakan mereka ini pemalas dan tidak gemar bekerja sedangkan faktor cuaca panas terik telah mendorong mereka untuk mengambil kesempatan melepaskan lelah. Tambahan pula, seterik manapun cuaca panas mereka tetap mendorong semangat untuk membanting tulang demi melunaskan barang keperluan. Tafsiran sebegini mampu membunuh keaslian sikap sebenar bangsa peribumi ini.

Dalam buku ini, banyaknya faktor-faktor yang mendorong kepada kemalasan. Jose Rizal menerangkan secara terperinci agar pembaca celik dengan hakikat yang sebenar.

[Nazri Roslan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini membicarakan perihal peribumi Filipina yang dianggap malas oleh penjajah Sepanyol ketika zaman José Rizal (m.1896). José Rizal dinobatkan sebagai adiwira kebangsaan Filipina yang banyak mengkritik penjajah yang zalim melalui karyanya seperti Noli Me Tangere (Jangan Sentuh Daku) dan El Filibusterismo (Revolusi!). Akibat kelantangan beliau, beliau dituduh oleh pihak kolonial di atas tuduhan menghasut ramai memberontak pada tahun 1896. Akhirnya, beliau dijatuhkan hukuman mati melalui skuad tembakan pada 30 Disember 1896 dan umurnya ketika itu baru 35 tahun.

Antara faktor kemalasan peribumi Filipina ketika itu menurut José Rizal adalah disebabkan segala keuntungan dan hasil dikaut oleh golongan penjajah sahaja dan rakyat dibiarkan merana. Pihak penjajah juga tidak menjaga kebajikan rakyat seperti memberikan mereka gaji dan mengenakan cukai yang tinggi kepada mereka. Selain itu, golongan paderi juga banyak mengambil keuntungan daripada rakyat jelata untuk ritual yang merepek. Golongan lanun juga menyebabkan kemalasan kepada peribumi Filipina. Akhir sekali, buku ini sangat berpengaruh sehinggakan ia menjadi inspirasi kepada ilmuwan Prof Syed Hussein Al-Attas untuk mengarang buku "Mitos Pribumi Malas."

[Bidasari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini membentangkan fakta kenapa sifat pemalas peribumi Filipina yang digembar gemburkan adalah berpunca daripada penjajahan oleh orang Sepanyol dan sifat menunggang agama oleh paderi gereja.

Peribumi Filipina asalnya adalah pelayar navigasi lautan yang begitu cemerlang, petani, peladang dan penternak yang hasilnya melimpah ruah, usahawan yang hebat dalam berurus niaga, etc.

Salah guna kuasa oleh pemimpin menambahkan keparahan nasib peribumi Filipina.

Bagaimana orang yang tidak merdeka daripada pemerintahan yang tidak adik dan saksama dapat mengubah nasib mereka.

Persoalan yang dilontarkan oleh José Rizal 'bagaimana peningkatan cukai boleh membantu memperbaiki taraf kehidupan rakyat jelata' membuatkan den terfikir tentang kehidupan kita di Malaysia.

Beberapa fakta yang dibentangkan oleh penulis sebenarnya juga adalah perkara yang berlaku di Malaysia.

Antara buku terbaik dengan pernah baca.

[Micaela Ramos]

In 30 years, the pre-hispanic Philippines went from a thriving civilization with honest and respectable citizens to a neglected land left with jaded and indolent peoples. The indolence is the product of the environment - the result of the hopelessness our people felt around the prevalent injustice that defined their new reality. I beg to disagree that it was simply because of the weather as we were thriving before the Spaniards came.

Unfortunately, we seem to be stuck in that rut until now. Though the faces of our conquerers have changed and leadership has been handed over to our own kind, somehow, the environment has not changed and the indolence and sense of hopelessness stayed.

What needs to change? What do we need to do to regain our lost dignity? What needs to be done in order for us to achieve the good life we once had?

[adriyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fervid and upfront essay of Dr. Jose Rizal. Every sentence composed on this composition contains great truth and heftiness and has a great contribution to the freedom the Philippines, my country, incurred from the Spaniards, our colonizers for 500 years.

Even until now, this article is very crucial especially the given situation of the Filipinos in this modern age. Agitated changes, corrupt authorities, misdistribution of cash and expenses, privation, lack of education, etc. are still present. However, the solution is at our hands, even already hinted at by the author of this masterpiece, and all we have to do is be aware and take action.

Guidance and complete perusal of these realities is vital, not only because of the past but in addition to the current and future generations.

[Abdulrahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read and deconstruction of the racist throwaway line dubbing an entire people with a derogatory label, internalized racism, and a brief history on the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

Every single societal issue will have roots that can be dismantled if the governments wished it so, and the average asshole will be more than happy to point at the result through their prejudiced lens and stop there.

Also, I'm not sure if it's me being illiterate or the book being old, but I noticed many grammatical errors in this version > ISBN 9781539807827

[Lew · Rating 5 out of 5]

So quotable. So timeless.

A favorite quote of mine:

Alas! The whole misfortune of the present Filipinos consists in that they have become only half-way brutes. The Filipino is convinced that to get happiness it is necessary for him to lay aside his dignity as a rational creature, to attend mass, to believe what is told him, to pay what is demanded of him, to pay and forever to pay; to work, suffer and be silent, without aspiring to anything, without aspiring to know or even to understand Spanish, without separating himself from his carabao, as the priests shamelessly say, without protesting against any injustice, against any arbitrary action, against an assault, against an insult; that is, not to have heart, brain or spirit: a creature with arms and a purse full of gold ………… there's the ideal native! Unfortunately, or because the brutalization is not yet complete and because the nature of man is inherent in his being in spite of his condition, the native protests; he still has aspirations, he thinks and strives to rise, and there's the trouble! (p. 27)