PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT
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Many Filipinos who took refuge in Europe initiated in Spain a crusade reforms in the Philippines
Emergence of more Filipino Ilustrados gave birth to a unified nationalist movement
Early stages
 After 8 years after the execution of GOM-BUR-ZA
Pedro Paterno
two Chinese mestizos
Gregorio Sancianco
both Doctor of Laws
- Literary works set the pattern of action and themes for other nationalists to follow
 Paterno’s “Sampaguitas” is a collection of verses which attempted to project to the public a
Filipino national personality
 Sancianco wrote on serious themes
- Economic reforms to improve political administration “El Progreso de Filipinas”
- Analyzed the revenue system and concluded that inequality of the Philippine tax structure
had stunted economic growth (irregular, full of privileges, inequalities and injustices)
- Tribute system which exempted Spaniards and Filipinos with Spanish blood caused
divisiveness and resentment among the racial and social groups
- A citizen should contribute to support the state according to his ability and should not be
compelled to pay tribute if he owes nothing; the amount of tax should be adjusted to the
value of the property of the citizen - the more property, the greater is the security service
that he needs)
- Reforms were possible if the Philippines were considered a province of Spain and not a
tributary colony and if the Filipinos were considered Spanish citizens
- Assimilation of the Philippines by Spain
 Spanish government took action :
- Tobacco Monopoly was abolished
- Spaniards were made to pay the “cedula personal”
 Spontaneous expression of nationalistic sentiments with no formal organization to coordinate
and direct their activities
- Worked individually writing articles for liberal and radical Spanish newspapers, but they
acted as one on certain occasions
 Occasions that brought them together
- Announcement of the abolition of Tobacco Monopoly (end of Spanish exploitation)
- Juan Luna’s and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s victories at a painting contest
- Exploitation of the Igorots and Muslims at the “Exposicion de Filipinas” (May 1887)
 Propaganda movement’s aim was peaceful assimilation – transition of the Philippines from
being a colony to a province of Spain
- Reforms only
- To be Spanish citizens since they would be enjoying the rights and citizens of Spaniards
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Reforms :
Equality of the Filipinos and Spaniards before the laws
Restoration of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes
Secularization of Philippine parishes and expulsion of the friars
Human rights (freedom of speech, press and to meet and petition for grievances)
Members of the Propaganda Movement (not all wealthy Filipinos but they were scions of good
families)
Filipino exiles of 1872
Patriots who left the islands to escape persecution and arrest
Those who had been to Spain
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Marcelo H. Del Pilar, a lawyer and journalist from Bulacan
Toribio, Marcelo’s brother was implicated in the Cavite Mutiny and exiled
Marcelo joined in “dupluhan and “dalitan” (literary jousts during fiestas)
Spoke and satirized corrupt Spanish officials and friars
“Dasalan at Tocsohan” (Prayers and Mockeries)
Parodied the Lord’s prayer, Hail Mary and the Apostles’ creed (anti-clerical protests)
Created the “Junta de Propaganda”
House was burned mysteriously
suspected of being the master mind of secret meetings held in various towns; being the author
of libelous and slanderous essays; popularizing the “Noli”; being against the church and
government (ordered arrested but escaped to Spain)
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Graciano Lopez Jaena
parodied religious literature in his satires
saw miser of the rural communities and the abuses done by the Spaniards in Iloilo
“Fray Botod” or Friar Pot belly (Fray Botod was thin and hungry as a mosquito but soon became
stout because of taking the food of people)
Because of his anti-clerical literature, he moved to Spain
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Jose P. Rizal, belonged to a well-to-do family in Calamba, Laguna
In 1882, went to Spain to study medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid
Gained prestige from the “Noli Me Tangere” (reflected the defects of Spanish rule in the
Philippines particularly abuses of the friars; forbidden for its intensity)
May have been the first Filipino political cartoonist
Most scholarly among the group
Annotated the “Sucessos de las Islas Filipinas” to inspire countrymen, to evoke pride in our
ancestry and the antiquity and gentility of Filipino culture (the Sucessos became a good source
of refuting prejudicial comments of the Spaniards)
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Other great Filipino propagandists : Antonio Luna, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Isabelo de los Reyes,
Juan Luna and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo
Supported by a number of Spanish friends like Juan Atayde and Miguel Morayta (Rizal’s
professor at the University)
“Circulo Hispano-Filipino” and “Associacion Hispano-Filipino” – were the first two propaganda
organizations founded with members who are mostly Spaniards; too moderate in clamoring for
reforms
“La Solidaridad” is the first purely Filipino organization founded in Barcelona
Equality so that the rights and dignity of the Filipinos would be granted and respected through
reforms
“La Solidaridad” is also the name of the org.’s newspaper which was published every two days
To spread and defend ideals of democracy
To work for and promote progress in politics, science, arts and letters, commerce, agriculture
and industry
Editorials, news stories, articles and speeches of Spaniards supporting the org. were contained
in the newspaper
They expose, criticize, satirize intolerable conditions in the Philippines caused by inefficient and
corrupt Spanish administration; they also made counter-attacks in the Solidaridad against antiFilipino writers
Many Filipino propagandists turned masons like Rizal and Del Pilar because the needed the help
of the masons in Spain and other countries for their fight for reforms
Freemasonry were fraternal lodges turned into social societies opened to non-masons
First Masonic lodge was already here in Manila in 1856, but did not allow Filipinos only
Spaniards
Filipino expatriates, students and intellectuals became Freemasons in Spain because they got
attracted to the freemason’s ideals of equality, religious tolerance, fraternity and liberty
Problems of the Propagandists
Inadequate financial resources (a few sympathizers gave money and Spanish government
deported propaganda movement supporters)
Differences of opinions (rivalries and criticism of one another because no substantial reform was
granted)
Personal problems (homesickness and concern for their families left in the Philippines)
Death of Del Pilar and Jaena (died of Tuberculosis)
Rizal’s La Liga Filipina was a mutual aid and self-help society which dispenses scholarship funds
and legal aid, loans capital and sets up cooperatives
OBJECTIVES :
1) Unification of the whole archipelago into one compact, vigorous and homogenous body
2) Protection in cases of want and necessity
3) Defense against violence and injustice
4) Encouragement of instruction, agriculture and commerce
5) Study and implementation of reforms
Rizal’s pamphlets distributed by the La Liga caused his deportation to Dapitan