The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LXIII 307
[62] The common crowd is a fool and since it pays for it, it is proper to talk to it foolishly to please it.
[63] "The schools are under the inspection of the parish priests. Reading and writing in Spanish are taught, or
at least it is so ordered; but the schoolmaster himself usually does not know it, and on the other hand the
Spanish government employees do not understand the vernacular. Besides, the curates, in order to preserve
their influence intact, do not look favorably upon the spread of Castilian. About the only ones who know
Spanish are the Indians who have been in the service of Europeans. The first reading exercise is some
devotional book, then the catechism; the reader is called Casaysayan. On the average half of the children
between seven and ten years attend school; they learn to read fairly well and some to write a little, but they
soon forget it."--Jagor, Viajes por Filipinas (Vidal's Spanish version). Jagor was speaking particularly of the
settled parts of the Bicol region. Referring to the islands generally, his "half of the children" would be a great
exaggeration.--TR.
[64] A delicate bit of sarcasm is lost in the translation here. The reference to Maestro Ciruela in Spanish is
somewhat similar to a mention in English of Mr. Squeers, of Dotheboys Hall fame.--TR.
[65] By one of the provisions of a royal decree of December 20, 1863, the Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristina,
by Gaspar Astete, was prescribed as the text-book for primary schools, in the Philippines. See Blair and
Robertson's The Philippine Islands, Vol. XLVI, p. 98; Census of the Philippine Islands (Washington, 1905),
p. 584.--TR.
[66] The municipal police of the old régime. They were thus described by a Spanish writer, W. E. Retana, in a
note to Ventura F. Lopez's El Filibustero (Madrid, 1893): "Municipal guards, whose duties are principally
rural. Their uniform is a disaster; they go barefoot; on horseback, they hold the reins in the right hand and a
lance in the left. They are usually good-for-nothing, but to their credit it must be said that they do no damage.
Lacking military instruction, provided with fire-arms of the first part of the century, of which one in a hundred
might go off in case of need, and for other arms bolos, talibons, old swords, etc., the cuadrilleros are truly a
parody on armed force."--TR.
[67] Headman and tax-collector of a district, generally including about fifty families, for whose annual tribute
he was personally responsible. The "barangay" is a Malay boat of the kind supposed to have been used by the
first emigrants to the Philippines. Hence, at first, the "head of a barangay" meant the leader or chief of a
family or group of families. This office, quite analogous to the old Germanic or Anglo-Saxon "head of a
hundred," was adopted and perpetuated by the Spaniards in their system of local administration.--TR.
[68] The hermano mayor was a person appointed to direct the ceremonies during the fiesta, an appointment
carrying with it great honor and importance, but also entailing considerable expense, as the appointee was
supposed to furnish a large share of the entertainments. Hence, the greater the number of hermanos mayores
the more splendid the fiesta,--TR.
[69] Mt. Makiling is a volcanic cone at the southern end of the Lake of Bay. At its base is situated the town of
Kalamba, the author's birthplace. About this mountain cluster a number of native legends having as their
principal character a celebrated sorceress or enchantress, known as "Mariang Makiling."--TR.
[70] With uncertain pace, in wandering flight, for an instant only--without rest.
[71] The chinela, the Philippine slipper, is a soft leather sole, heelless, with only a vamp, usually of plush or
velvet, to hold it on.--TR.
[72] "All hope abandon, ye who enter here." The words inscribed over the gate of Hell: Dante's Inferno, III,
9.--TR.