After the Cavite Mutiny on 1872, the condition of the Filipino worsens. This is because the Spanish government continuously abuse their powers against them. The middle class Filipinos go to other countries to continue their studies. There, they set up a group and unite to fight for the Filipino rights. They begin to lunch a peaceful campaign to ask for a reform and change in the government system from Spain. This group becomes the “Kilusang Propaganda” or “Propaganda Movement”. The members were called Reformists.
The aim are as follows:
- Equality amongst the Filipino and Spaniards
- To recognize the Philippines as a province of Spain rather than a colony
- To a Filipino who will represent the Philippines in Spain’s government body
- To remove all the Spanish priest in the country and replaced them with the Secular Priest (Filipino Priests)
- To return the freedom of the Filipinos such as the freedom of speech and justice and others
On 1882, a new group was founded named as the Circulo-Hispano Filipino (Association of Hispanic-Filipinos). This new group was founded by Filipinos and Spaniards who are pushing for the reform in the government. The group also created a newspaper called the Revista del Circulo Hispano-Filipino, in order to addressed to the government authorities in Spain all the abuses and harsh treatment being done to the Philippines and the changes that they wanted to be done. But the newspaper did not last long because of the lack of leadership and the lack of money to fund its operation.
Another newspaper was created by the Filipinos who were living in Spain. The La Solidaridad became the official newspaper of the Propaganda Movement. It was first printed and circulated in Barcelona, Spain on February 15, 1889. And
on November 15, 1889, it was also printed in Madrid, Spain. Majority of its writers were all Filipinos. The newspaper’s aim is to:- Bring to the authorities the corruptions that are happening in the Philippines
- To fight for justice and development of the country
- To ask for a change or reform in the government policies and society
- introduce the spirit of democracy
Some of these Filipinos in Spain who beheaded this desire include Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio and Juan Luna, and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo. So that they will not be persecuted by the Spaniards, these Filipinos uses an aliases or hid under a different names when they writes in the La Solidaridad. Some of their aliases are as follows:
- Marcelo H. Del Pilar (Plaridel)
- Dr. Jose Rizal (Laong-laan and Dimasalang)
- Antonio Luna (Taga-Ilog)
- Jose Ma. Panganiban (Jomapa)
Some foreigners also writes for the La Solidaridad such as Ferdinand Blumentrit, an Austrian National and Dr. Miguel Morayta, a Spanish historian and former minister in the Spanish government.
But unfortunately, the printing of the La Solidaridad did not also last long mainly because of the lack of funding.
Author’s note: Another compiling story and history of my motherland and its citizens.
