What Are Ilustrados? About The Filipino Class (Answer)

ILUSTRADOS – In this topic, we will discuss and discover things to know about the Filipino class called the “ilustrados”.

Ilustrados are defined as the Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial era in the late 19th century. The term simply means “erudite”, “learned”, or enlightened ones.

In New Spain, where Philippines is also a part of, there is the term called gente de razón (people of reason or rational people) that bear the same meaning.

These are middle men were educated in Spain and was exposed to the ideals of Spanish liberty and European nationalism.

The class was composed of native-born intellectuals and cut across ethnolinguistic and racial lines, namely Indios, Insulares, and Mestizos. They aim for reform via a more equitable arrangement of both political and economic power under the tutelage for Spain.

According to Stanley Karnow in his book “In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines,” the class was identified as the “rich Intelligentsia” or rich educated people, since many were offspring of wealthy landowners.

Known Ilustrado