Nascent Philippine nationalism, 1872-1896

Abstract

During the period 1872-1896 a group of young Filipinos studying or residing in Spain laid the foundations of our nationalism. I would like to devote this paper to the political ideas of four of them: Sancianco y Goson of Manila, Lopez Jaena of Iloilo, Del Pilar of Bulacan, and Rizal of Laguna. One important consequence of the Cavite mutiny of 1872 and the demonstration against the friars of 1888 was the proscription or deportation of prominent Filipinos whom the authorities suspected of having fomented them. Some of these exiles took up their residence in the neighboring British colony of Hong Kong; but others found their way to Spain, where they were given wide freedom to express their views. Here they were joined by student patriots eager to be of service to their country, and a small but exceedingly active and articulate Filipino colony formed in Madrid, another in Barcelona. By cultivating the friendship of politicians of the liberal persuasion, by writing books and publishing articles in journals, and by speeches and informal discussions, these expatriates, though hounded by poverty and divided often by petty quarrels, tried to call attention to the shortcomings and abuses of the administration of the Philippines and to get the government to adopt what they considered to be the necessary reforms.