What is meaning of placido penitente?

it literally means silent suffering. Rizal may have used it in EL Fili to pay homage to the Filipinos suffering injustice; through the persecution, discrimination by the Spaniards; while staying silent and simply trying to endure everything because if they tried to rise up against the oppression it would be to no avail since the Spaniards were in control at that time - 4EPSY09