READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

RIZAL’S RETRACTION
Who is Rizal?
-Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
-Born on June 19, 1861, and died on December 30, 1896
-Born in Calamba, Laguna
"Laong Laan" and "Dimasalang" were pseudonyms used by Jose Rizal in some of his
writings. "Laong Laan" means "Ever Ready" or "Constantly Prepared", while "Dimasalang"
means "The Unfortunate One.”

THE 10 IDEOLOGIES OF JOSE RIZAL

• NATIONALISM: Advocated for the Philippines' independence and promoted Filipino
identity.

• LIBERALISM: Championed individual rights, freedom of speech, and democratic

principles.

• EDUCATION: Emphasized the importance of education in shaping the nation's future and
combating ignorance.

• REFORMISM: Believed in gradual, peaceful reforms to address social and political issues.

• EQUALITY: Fought against discrimination and inequality based on race, social class, or
gender.

• PATRIOTISM: Displayed love and loyalty to his country, urging others to do the same.

• HUMANISM: Stressed the value of human dignity, compassion, and empathy.

• PROGRESSIVISM: Supported modernization, scientific advancement, and social progress.

• INTERNATIONALISM: Engaged with global issues and sought solidarity with other
oppressed peoples.

• CULTURAL REVIVAL: Promoted the preservation and revitalization of Filipino culture,

language, and traditions.

WHAT IS RETRACTION?
A retraction is a public statement about an earlier statement that withdraws, cancels,
refutes, or reverses the original statement or ceases and desist from publishing the original
statement.
Reasons for Retraction:
1. To save his family and town from further persecution.
2. To give Josephine a legal status as a wife.
3. To secure reforms from the Spanish Government.
4. To help the church to cut away from the disease which harmed him.

Major Arguments for the Retraction

1. The Retraction Document discovered in 1935 is considered the chief witness to the
reality of the retraction Affirmative:
2. The testimony of the press at the time of the event, of "eyewitnesses", and other
"qualified witnesses", those closely associated with the events such as the head of the
Jesuit order the archbishop etc.
3. "Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity" reportedly recited and signed by Dr. Rizal as
attested by "witness" and the signed "Prayer book" which was amongst the documents
discovered by Father Garcia along with the Retraction.
4. Acts of Peity performed by Rizal during his last hours as testified to by "witness“.
5. His "Roman Catholic Marriage" to Josephine Bracken as attested to by the witnesses,
there could be no marriage without retraction.

Iterations of the texts of Rizal’s retraction:

 The first was published in La Voz Española and Diario de Manila on the day of the
execution, 30 December 1896.
 The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, on the magazine La Juventud, a few
months after the execution, 14 February 1897, from an anonymous writer who was
later on revealed to be Fr. Vicente Balaguer. However, the "original" text was only
found in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935, after almost four decades of
disappearance.
 The “original” text was discovered in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935,
after it disappeared for thirty-nine years from the afternoon of Rizal's shot.
 The fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the day after Rizal's execution; it is the
short formula of the retraction.

Witnesses

Father Vicente Balaguer, S.J.

He claimed that Rizal signed a retraction document that included his renouncement of his anti-
Catholic views and his writings, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
which criticized the Church and the Spanish government.

Father Pio Pi, S.J.

Father Pio Pi was among those who assisted Rizal in his spiritual preparations before the
execution. He later provided a copy of the alleged retraction document, asserting that Rizal
voluntarily signed it. Father Pi’s testimony became a critical part of the narrative supporting the
retraction, presenting it as an act of Rizal’s personal choice and religious reconciliation.
Archbishop Nozaleda
Archbishop Nozaleda firmly believed and publicly declared that Jose Rizal retracted his
revolutionary views against the Spanish government and the Catholic Church shortly before his
execution. Nozaleda’s claim was based on the testimony of Jesuit priests allegedly present when
Rizal signed the retraction document. According to Nozaleda, Rizal's retraction was not coerced,
and the hero willingly returned to the Catholic faith.

Gaspar Castaño
Gaspar Castaño claimed that Rizal did indeed retract his anti-Catholic views and writings before
his death. According to Castaño, Rizal expressed regret for his critical stance against the Catholic
Church and the Spanish government. Castaño’s account emphasized that Rizal signed a
retraction document, renouncing his previous statements, and sought spiritual reconciliation
with the Church.

FATHER VIZA’S ACCOUNTS – May 22, 1916 - on the other hand was less detailed, being a form
of declaration before a notary public. “That night, which was December 29, 1896, Rizal wrote
and signed in his handwriting in my presence the document of retraction.”

CAPTAIN RAFAEL DOMINGUEZ is the last eyewitness account of Rizal’s retraction. Captain
Rafael Dominguez was noting down the happenings in Rizal's last moments, with an hour-by-
hour record. So Dominguez noted significant events happening every hour in the previous 24
hours of Rizal. This manuscript was ratified and authenticated on May 30, 1918.

Father Francisco Rosell, O.P.

Father Rosell asserted that Rizal signed a retraction document before his death. According to
Rosell, Rizal had expressed regret for his anti-Catholic writings, including his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, and had sought reconciliation with the Church.
Rosell's involvement was primarily in providing spiritual guidance to Rizal, and he was present at
the time of Rizal's confession and absolution. According to him, Rizal's spiritual preparation and
confession were genuine acts of repentance, leading to his eventual retraction from his previous
writings and beliefs.

Luis Taviel de Andrade

Taviel de Andrade’s testimony regarding Rizal’s retraction is somewhat conflicting. While he was
a loyal supporter of Rizal and had tried to protect him during his trial, Taviel de Andrade later
recounted that Rizal had indeed signed the retraction document, though his doubts about the
document’s authenticity are not fully clear from his statements. According to Taviel de Andrade,
Rizal seemed at peace with the Church’s attempt to reconcile with him and was spiritually
prepared for his death. He witnessed the signing of the retraction document, although Taviel de
Andrade himself did not give a direct account of the content of the document.
 -The Cry of Pugad Lawin or Balintawak-

The "Cry" refers to the first clash between the Katipuneros showing their reform by tearing up
their cedulas into pieces, implicating that they have pronounced to refuse their enslavement
and servitude with the Spaniards.

Dr. Pio Valenzuela

-A Filipino physician and revolutionary leader.
-at the age of 23 he joined the Katipunan and became one of the officials.
-he was also a friend of Andres Bonifacio

First version:
BALINTAWAK on Wednesday, August 26, 1896
Second version:
Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.

GEN. SANTIAGO MIRATA ALVAREZ

 A delegado general of the provincial council of the Katipunan in Cavite.
 became the captain-general and later commander-in-chief of the Magdiwang forces and
valiantly fought the Spaniards from 1896-1897
 In his account, the first cry happened on August 24, 1896, at Bahay Toro, Quezon City

GEN. GUILLERMO MASANGKAY

 He designated to build the KKK in Cavite
 he played a key role in the Filipino-American War as a revolutionary general
First version:
August 26, 1896 ("Sunday Tribune, first decade of American Occupation")
Second version:
August 23, 1896 ("Bagong Buhay")
Changed back on August 26, 1896, by his granddaughter Soledad Buehler-Borromeo.

GREGORIA DE JESUS
 the lakambini of the Katipunan
 she was the custodian of the documents and seal of the Katipunan
 In her account, the first cry happened near Caloocan on August 25, 1896

-AGRARIAN REFORM POLICIES-

AGRARIAN REFORM
Agrarian Reform is the redistribution of agricultural lands to farmers and regular farmworkers
who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement. It includes the provision of support
services such as credit extension, irrigation, roads and bridges, marketing facilities, human
resources, and institutional development.

I. Pre-Spanish Period
System of Land Ownership:
Communities, clans, or families communally owned the land. The concept of private ownership
did not exist; land was used based on need and shared by all barangay members.

II. Spanish Colonial Period (1521–1898)

Encomienda: The Spanish crown granted land to encomenderos, who collected tributes and
provided protection to locals.
This system led to the exploitation of Filipino farmers, who became tenants on lands they once
freely used.
Development of the Hacienda System:

Haciendas (Estates): Large agricultural estates controlled by the Spanish friars and local elites.
Filipino farmers were reduced to tenant farmers or landless laborers, subject to heavy tributes
and forced labor.

III. American Colonial Period

Land Policies and Laws:
Philippine Bill of 1902 – Set the ceilings on the hectarage of private individuals and corporations
may acquire: 16 has. for private individuals and 1,024 has. for corporations.
Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No. 496) – Provided for a comprehensive registration of land
titles under the Torrens system.
Public Land Act of 1903 – introduced the homestead system in the Philippines
Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and 4113) – regulated relationships between landowners
and tenants of rice (50-50 sharing) and sugar cane lands.

The Torrens system, which the Americans instituted for the registration of lands, did not solve
the problem completely. Either they were not aware of the law or if they did, they could not pay
the survey cost and other fees required in applying for a Torrens title.

IV. Commonwealth Period

President Manuel L. Quezon espoused the "Social Justice" program to arrest the increasing
social unrest in Central Luzon.

Legislation enacted during the Commonwealth Period

1935 Constitution – “The promotion of social justice to ensure the well-being and economic
security of all people should be the concern of the State”
Commonwealth Act No. 178 (An Amendment to Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045), Nov. 13, 1936 –
Provided for certain controls in the landlord-tenant relationships National Rice and Corn
Corporation (NARIC), 1936 – Established the price of rice and corn thereby helping the poor
tenants as well as consumers.
Commonwealth Act. No. 461, 1937 – Specified reasons for the dismissal of tenants and only
with the approval of the Tenancy Division of the Department of Justice.
Rural Program Administration, created March 2, 1939 – Provided the purchase and lease of
haciendas and their sale and lease to the tenants.
Commonwealth Act No. 441 enacted on June 3, 1939 – Created the National Settlement
Administration with a capital stock of P20,000,000.

V. JAPANESE OCCUPATION
The Second World War II started in Europe in 1939 and the Pacific in 1941. Hukbalahap
controlled whole areas of Central Luzon; landlords who supported the Japanese lost their lands
to peasants while those who supported the Huks earned fixed rentals in favor of the tenants.
Unfortunately, the war's end also signaled the end of gains acquired by the peasants.
Upon the arrival of the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942, peasant and worker's organizations
grew stronger. Many peasants took up arms and identified themselves with the anti-Japanese
group, the HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon).

VI. PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948)
Republic Act No. 34 - Established the 70-30 sharing arrangements and regulating share-tenancy
contracts.
Republic Act No. 55 - Provided for a more effective safeguard against arbitrary ejectment of
tenants.

Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953)

xecutive Order No. 355 issued on October 23, 1950 — Replaced the National Land Settlement
Administration with Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO) which takes over
the responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn
Production Administration.

Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)

Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 - Abolished the LASEDECO and established the National
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to resettle dissidents and landless
farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel returnees providing home lots and farmlands in
Palawan and Mindanao.

Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the relationship between
landowners and tenant farmers by organizing a share-tenancy and leasehold system.

Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) — Created the Land Tenure Administration
(LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of large tenanted rice and corn
lands over 200 hectares for individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.
Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) —
Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low interest rates of six to eight percent.

President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965)

Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 (Agricultural Land Reform Code) —Abolished share
tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set retention limit at 75 hectares, invested rights of
preemption and redemption for tenant farmers, provided for administrative machinery for
implementation, institutionalized a judicial system of agrarian cases, incorporated extension,
marketing and supervised credit system of services of farmer-beneficiaries.
The RA was hailed as one that would emancipate Filipino farmers from the bondage of tenancy

Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. (1965-1986)

Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, ushered in the Period of the New Society. Five
days after the proclamation of Martial Law, the entire country was proclaimed a land reform
area, and simultaneously the Agrarian Reform Program was decreed.
Republic Act No. 6389, (Code of Agrarian Reform) and RA No. 6390 of 1971 —Created the
Department of Agrarian Reform and the Agrarian Reform Special Account Fund. It strengthened
the position of farmers and expanded the scope of agrarian reform.
Presidential Decree No. 2, September 26, 1972 — Declared the country under a land reform
program. It enjoined all agencies and offices of the government to extend full cooperation and
assistance to the DAR. It also activated the Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council.
Presidential Decree No. 27, October 21, 1972 — Restricted land reform scope to tenanted rice
and corn lands and set the retention limit at 7 hectares.

Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)

President Corazon C. Aquino provides under Section 21 under Article II that “The State shall
promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.”
On June 10, 1988, former President Corazon C. Aquino signed into law Republic Act No. 6657 or
otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). The law became effective
on June 15, 1988.
Subsequently, four Presidential issuances were released in July 1987 after 48 nationwide
consultations before the actual law was enacted.
Executive Order No. 228, July 16, 1987 – Declared full ownership to qualified farmer-
beneficiaries covered by PD 27. It also determined the value of remaining unvalued rice and
corn lands subject to PD 27 and provided for the manner of payment by the FBs and the mode
of compensation to landowners.

Executive Order No. 229, July 22, 1987 – Provided mechanism for the implementation of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Proclamation No. 131, July 22, 1987 – Instituted the CARP as a major program of the
government. It provided for a special fund known as the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), with an
initial amount of Php50 billion to cover the estimated cost of the program from 1987-1992.
Executive Order No. 129-A, July 26, 1987 – streamlined and expanded the power and
operations of the DAR.
Republic Act No. 6657, June 10, 1988 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) – An act which
became effective June 15, 1988, and instituted a comprehensive agrarian reform program to
promote social justice and industrialization providing the mechanism for its implementation and
for other purposes. This law is still the one being implemented at present.
Executive Order No. 405, June 14, 1990 – Vested in the Land Bank of the Philippines the
responsibility to determine land valuation and compensation for all lands covered by CARP.
Executive Order No. 407, June 14, 1990 – Accelerated the acquisition and distribution of
agricultural lands, pasture lands, fishponds, agro-forestry lands, and other lands of the public
domain suitable for agriculture.

President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

President Fidel V. Ramos formally took over in 1992, his administration came face to face with
the public who had lost confidence in the agrarian reform program. His administration
committed to the vision of “Fairer, faster and more meaningful implementation of the Agrarian
Reform Program.”
Republic Act No. 7881, 1995 – Amended certain provisions of RA 6657 and exempted fishponds
and prawns from the coverage of CARP.
Republic Act No. 7905, 1995 – Strengthened the implementation of the CARP.
Executive Order No. 363, 1997 – Limits the type of lands that may be converted by setting
conditions under which limits the type of lands that may be converted by setting conditions
under which specific categories of agricultural land are either non-negotiable for conversion or
highly restricted for conversion.
Republic Act No. 8435, 1997 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act AFMA) – Plugged
the legal loopholes in land use conversion.
Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill) – Provided an additional Php50 billion for
CARP and extended its implementation for another 10 years.

JOSEPH E. ESTRADA (1998-2000)

Executive Order NO. 151, September 1999 (Farmer's Trust Fund) - Allowed the voluntary
consolidation of small farm operations into medium and large-scale integrated enterprises that
can access long-term capital.
During his administration, President Estrada launched the Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang
Agraryo or MAGKASAKA. The DAR forged into joint ventures with private investors in the
agrarian sector to make FBs competitive.
However, the Estrada Administration was short-lived. The masses who put him into office
demanded his ouster.

GLORIA MACAPACAL-ARROYO (2000-2010)

The Arroyo administration's agrarian reform program aims to make rural life economically viable
for Filipino families by fostering partnerships, promoting social equity, and creating new
economic opportunities.
Land Tenure Improvement - DAR will remain vigorous in implementing the land acquisition and
distribution component of CARP. The DAR will improve the land tenure system through land
distribution and leasehold.

Provision of Support Services – CARP not only involves the distribution of lands but also
includes a package of support services which includes: credit assistance, extension services,
irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities, and training and technical support
programs.
Infrastructure Projects – DAR will transform the agrarian reform communities (ARCs), an area-
focused and integrated delivery of support services, into rural economic zones that will help in
the creation of job opportunities in the countryside.
KALAHI ARZone – The KALAHI Agrarian Reform (KAR) Zones were also launched. These zones
consist of one or more municipalities with the concentration of ARC population to achieve
greater agro-productivity.
Agrarian Justice – To help clear the backlog of agrarian cases, DAR will hire more paralegal
officers to support undermanned adjudicatory boards and introduce a quota system to compel
adjudicators to work faster on agrarian reform cases. DAR will respect the rights of both farmers
and landowners.

PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO III (2010-2016)

President Benigno Aquino III vowed during his 2012 State of the Nation Address that he would
complete the end of his term the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the
centerpiece program of the administration of his mother, President Corazon Aquino.
The younger Aquino distributed their family-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart from the
said farm lots, he also promised to complete the distribution of privately owned lands of
productive agricultural estates in the country that have escaped the coverage of the program.
Under his administration, the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support
Services (ARCCESS) project was created to contribute to the overall goal of rural poverty
reduction, especially in agrarian reform areas.
Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) provided credit support for crop production to
newly organized and existing Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs) and farmers’
organizations not qualified to avail themselves of loans under the regular credit windows of
banks.
The Legal Case Monitoring System (LCMS), a web-based legal system for recording and
monitoring various kinds of agrarian cases at the provincial, regional, and central offices of the
DAR to ensure faster resolution and close monitoring of agrarian-related cases, was also
launched.
Aside from these initiatives, Aquino also enacted Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, to
mandate the Department of Agriculture-Department of Environment and Natural Resources-
Department of Agrarian Reform Convergence Initiative to develop a National Greening Program
in cooperation with other government agencies.

RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE (2016 - 2022)

  The president wants to pursue an “aggressive” land reform program that would help
alleviate the life of poor Filipino farmers by prioritizing the provision of support services
alongside land distribution.
 The President directed the DAR to launch the 2nd phase of agrarian reform where
landless farmers would be awarded undistributed lands under the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
 Duterte plans to place almost all public lands, including military reserves, under agrarian
reform.
 The President also placed 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Boracay under CARP.
 Under his administration the DAR created an anti-corruption task force to investigate
and handle reports on alleged anomalous activities by officials and employees of the
department.
The Department also pursues an “Oplan Zero Backlog” in the resolution of cases to agrarian
justice delivery of the agrarian reform program to fast-track the implementation of CARP.