Part 1 – PRELIM

A. The Rizal Law (RA 1425)

Republic Act No. 1425

June 12, 1956

AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS,

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON THE LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF
JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO,
AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need
for a re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our
heroes lived and died;

WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero

and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion
their lives and works that have shaped the national character;

WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially during their
formative and decisive years in school, should be suffused;

WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and
subject to regulation by the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop
moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience and to teach the
duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,

SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly
his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the
curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, public or private: Provided,
That in the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of the
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used
as basic texts.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to

adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this
Section, including the writing and printing of appropriate primers, readers
and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of
this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary
nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall
promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students
for reasons of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the
requirement of the provision contained in the second part of the first
paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course provided for in the
first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty
(30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to

keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and
unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well

1
•

as of Rizal’s other works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of

the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in English as
well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved books
for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and universities.

The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the

number of books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or
university.

SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of

the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose
Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them
to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed,
free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok
organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country.

SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or

repealing section nine hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code,
prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by public school teachers
and other person engaged in any public school.

SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized

to be appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the
National Treasury to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

Activity 1
The Debates about the Rizal Bill

2
 Read the following excerpts from the statement of the legislators
who supported and opposed the passage of the Rizal Law in 1956. Then,
answer the questions that follow.

FOR
“Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo must be read by all Filipinos.
They must be taken to heart, for in their pages we see ourselves as in the
mirror, our defects as well as our strengths, our virtues as well as our vices.
Only then would we become conscious as a people and to learn to
prepare ourselves for painful sacrifices that ultimately lead to self-reliance,
self-respect and freedom.” (Sen. Jose P. Laurel)
“Rizal did not pretend to teach religion when he wrote those books.
He aimed in inculcating civic consciousness in the Filipinos, national
dignity, personal pride, and patriotism and if references were made by
him in the course of his narration to certain religious practices in the
Philippines in those days, and in the conduct and behavior of erring
ministers of the church, it was because he portrayed faithfully the general
situation in the Philippines as it then existed.” (Sen Claro m. Recto)

AGAINST

“A vast majority of our people are, at the same time, Catholic and
Filipino citizens. As such, they have two great loves: their country and their
faith. These two loves are not conflicting loves. They are harmonious
affections, like the love for his father and for his mother.
This is the basis of my stand. Let us not create a conflict between
the government and the church.” (Sen. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo)

Questions:

1. What was the major argument raised by Sen Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo
against the passage of the Rizal Bill ?
2. What was the major argument raised by Senators Jose P. Laurel and
Claro M. Recto in support of the passage of the Rizal Bill ?
3. Are there points of convergence between the supporters and opposers
of the Rizal Bill based on these statements.
4. Do you think the debates on the Rizal Law have some resonance up to
the present ? If yes, in what way ? If no, why ?
5. Explain the process on how a bill becomes law ?

DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA

MEANINGS OF NAME

Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and

was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by
the Universidad Central de Madrid
Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of
the Christian saint San Jose St. Joseph)
Protacio- from Gervacio P. which come from a
Christian calendar

3
•

Mercado- adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the

paternal great-greatgrandfather of Jose Rizal) which
the Spanish term mercado means ‘market’ in English
Rizal- from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field
where wheat, cut while
still green, sprouts again
Alonzo- old surname of his mother
Y- and
Realonda- it was used by Doña Teodora from the
surname of her godmother based on the culture by
that time.

June 19, 1861- moonlit of Wednesday between eleven and midnight Jose
Rizal was born in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna.
June 22, 1861- aged three days old, Rizal was baptized in the Catholic
Church in Calamba
Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueño, the parish priest who baptized Rizal
Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal’s godfather, native of Calamba and close
friend of the Rizal family
Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines
when Rizal was born.

RIZAL’S PARENTS

Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

-born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818
-studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila
- became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda
-independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more,
and was strong in body and valiant in spirit -died in Manila on
January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
-Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers”

Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911)

-born in Manila on November 8, 1826
-educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for
girls in the city
-a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent,
business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan women - is a woman
of more than ordinary culture: she knows literature and speaks
Spanish (according to Rizal ) -died in Manila on August 16, 1911
at the age of 85.

THE RIZAL
CHILDREN

Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913)

Saturnina was the eldest child of Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso
Realonda. She was married to Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan,

4
Batangas. It was Doña Saturnina who published Pascual Poblete’s
translation in Tagalog language of the Noli Me Tangere in 1909.

Paciano Rizal (1851-1930)

Paciano - served as second father of the hero. An older brother and

confident of Jose Rizal. Immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere
as the wise Pilosopong Tasio. Studied at San Jose College in Manila;
became a farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.

Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)

Narcisa is the third child and was married to Antonio Lopez, a teacher and
musician from Morong, Rizal. Like a doting sister, Narcisa was very close to
Rizal and could recite all of Rizal’s poems from memory.

Olympia Rizal (1855-1887)

Olympia was married to Silvestre Ubaldo, who was a telegraph operator

from Manila. Olympia unfortunately died in 1887 from childbirth.

Lucia Rizal (1857-1919)

Lucia was the fifth child and was married to Matriano Herbosa. One
important fact to know is that Lucia’s daughter, Delfina, was the first wife of
Gen. Salvador Natividad and Delfina helped Marcela Agoncillo to make
the first Philippine flag in Hong Kong.

Maria Rizal (1859-1945)

Maria was the sixth child in the family. She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of
Biñan, Laguna. She was the grandmother of Bb. Pilipinas 1963, Gemma
Cruz- Araneta.

Jose (1861-1896)
Jose Rizal was the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius. His nickname
was Pepe and he lived with Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl from Hong Kong
And had a son named Francisco who died a few hours after birth, Rizal
buried him in Dapitan.

Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865)

Concepcion (nicknamed “Concha”) did not live long to see Rizal’s

martyrdom. She died early at the age of three.

Josefa Rizal (1865-1945)

Josefa Rizal was nicknamed Panggoy in the family. Despite suffering from
epilepsy, she joined and was an active member of the Katipunan. She died
a spinster.

Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951)

5
•

Josefa and Trinidad were together living. Like Josefa, Trinidad also became
a member of the Katipunan and died a spinster, as well. Rizal’s elegy, Mi
Ultimo Adios, was in the safekeeping of Trinidad. The last to die in the Rizal
family.

Soledad Rizal (1870-1929)

Soledad, the youngest child in the family, was married to Pantaleon

Quintero. She was a teacher and was considered as the best educated
among the sisters of Rizal.

Rizal always called her sisters Doña or Señora (if married) and
Señorita ( if single )
Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda married on
June 28, 1848, after which they settled down in Calamba
The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado, which was
adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (the paternal great-great
grandfather of Jose Rizal), who was a full blooded Chinese)
Rizal’s family acquired a second surname—Rizal—which was given
by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who
was a family friend.

THE RIZAL HOME

Rizal’s home was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba

during the Spanish times, it was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape,
built of adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles -by day, it
hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the
garden; by night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers

The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in

Spanish Philippines
The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life

6
RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

FATHER’S SIDE
Domingo Lamco Ines de la Rosa
(a Chinese immigrant from ( Well-to-do Chinese
the Fukien city arrived in Christian girl of Changchow
Manila about 1690)

Francisco Mercado Cirila Bernacha

Juan Mercado
Rizal’s
( grandfather
) Cirila Alejandro

Had thirteen children, the youngest being Francisco

Mercado (Rizal’s father
)

MOTHER’S SIDE

Lakandula
(The last native king of Tondo
)

Eugenio Ursua
(Rizal’s maternal
Great-great Grandfather of
Benigma
(a )
Filipina
Japanese Ancestry)

Manuel de Quintos
Regina (a Filipino from Pangasinan
)

Lorenzo Alberto Alonso

Brigida (a prominent Spanish Filipino
mestizo of Biñan)

Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s mother), Gregorio, Manuel at Jose

7
 •

CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

Calamba was named after a big native jar. Calamba was a

hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which also
owned all the lands around it.

Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a poem about Rizal’s

beloved town written by Rizal in 1876 when he was 15 years old and was
student in the Ateneo de Manila
The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in
the family garden when he was three years old
Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By
nightfall, Rizal related, his mother gathered all the children at
the house to pray the Angelus
Another memory of Rizal’s infancy was the nocturnal walk in
the town, especially when there was a moon
The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow
At the age of three, Rizal began to take a part in the family
prayers
When Rizal was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the
Spanish family bible.
The Story of the Moth- made the profoundest impression on Rizal “died a
martyr to its illusions”
At the age of five, Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil
and to mold in clay and wax objects which attracted his fancy.

INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD

1. hereditary influence
2. environmental influence
3. aid of Divine Providence

Tio Jose Alberto- studied for eleven years in British school in

Calcutta, India
and had traveled in Europe inspired Rizal to develop his artistic
ability
Tio Manuel- a husky and athletic man, encouraged Rizal to
develop his frail body by means of physical exercises
Tio Gregorio- a book lover, intensified Rizal’s voracious reading
of good book
Father Leoncio Lopez- the old and learned parish priest of
Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual
honesty

RIZAL’S EARLY EDUCATION

Education in Calamba

8
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical
schooling that a son of an ilustrado family received during his time,
characterized by the four R’s- reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds of the
pupils by means of the tedious memory method aided by the teacher’s
whip. Despite the defects of the Spanish system of elementary education,
Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction preparatory for college
work in Manila. It may be said that Rizal, who was born a physical weakling,
rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in spite of,
the outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the
Philippines during the last decades of Spanish regime.

The Hero’s First Teacher

The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of
good character and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of
three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother," wrote Rizal in his student
memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers
which I raised fervently to God."

As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It

was she who first discovered that her son had a talent for poetry.
Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. To lighten the monotony
of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate her son’s imagination, she related
many stories.

As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons
at home. The first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas
Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of
Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This old teacher lived at the Rizal
home and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not
lived long. He died five months later.

After a Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to send their gifted son
to a private school in Biñan.

Education in Biñan

When he was nine years old, his father sent him to Biñan to continue
studying Latin, because his first teacher had died. His brother Paciano took
him to Biñan one Sunday, and Jose bade his parents and sisters good-bye
with tears in his eyes. Oh, how it saddened him to leave for the first time and
live far from his home and his family! But he felt ashamed to cry and had to
conceal his tears and sentiments. "O Shame," he explained, "how many
beautiful and pathetic scenes the world would witness without thee!"

They arrived at Biñan in the evening. His brother took him to the house of his
aunt where he was to stay, and left him after introducing him to the
teacher. At night, in company with his aunt’s grandson named Leandro,

9
 •

Jose took a walk around the town in the light of the moon. To him the town
looked extensive and rich but sad and ugly .

His teacher in Biñan was a severe disciplinarian. His name was Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. "He was a tall man, lean and long-necked, with a sharp nose
and a body slightly bent forward. He used to wear a sinamay shirt woven
by the deft hands of Batangas women. He knew by memory the grammars
of Nebrija and Gainza. To this add a severity which, in my judgement I have
made of him, which is all I remember."

The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and succeeded in surpassing

many of his older classmates. Some of these were so wicked that, even
without reason, they accused him before the teacher, for which, in spite of
his progress, he received many whippings and strokes from the ferule. Rare
was the day when he was not stretched on the bench for a whipping or
punished with five or six blows on the open palm. Jose’s reaction to all these
punishments was one of intense resentment in order to learn and thus carry
out his father’s will.

Jose spent his leisure hours with Justiniano’s father-in-law, a master painter.
From him he took his first two sons, two nephews, and a grandson. His way
life was methodical and well regulated. He heard mass at four if there was
one that early, or studied his lesson at that hour and went to mass
afterwards. Returning home, he might look in the orchard for a mambolo
fruit to eat, then he took his breakfast, consisting generally of a plate of rice
and two dried sardines.

After that he would go to class, from which he was dismissed at ten, then
home again. He ate with his aunt and then began at ten, then home
again. He ate with his aunt and then began to study. At half past two he
returned to class and left at five. He might play for a short time with some
cousins before returning home. He studied his lessons, drew for a while, and
then prayed and if there was a moon, his friends would invite him to play in
the street in company with other boys.

Whenever he remembered his town, he thought with tears in his eyes of his
beloved father, his idolized mother, and his solicitous sisters. Ah, how sweet
was his town even though not so opulent as Biñan! He grew sad and
thoughtful.

First Day in Biñan School

A day after their arrival in Biñan, Paciano brought his younger brother to the
school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.

The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut
about 30 meters from the home of Jose’s aunt.

Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under
him before. He introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to
return to Calamba.

10
Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. The teacher asked him:

"Do you know Spanish?"

"A little, sir," replied the Calamba lad.
"Do you know Latin?"
"A little, sir."

The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the teacher’s son laughed at Jose’s
answers.

The teacher sharply stopped all noises and begun the lessons of the day.

First School Brawl in the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher
was having his siesta, Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully
for making fun of him during his conversation with the teacher in the
morning.

Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that
he could easily beat the Calamba boy who was smaller and younger.

The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their
classmates. Jose, having learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio
Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this feat, he became popular among
his classmates.

After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan

challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of a
house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the weaker arm, lost and
nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.

In succeeding days he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not
quarrelsome by nature, but he never ran away from a fight.

Best Student in Biñan School

In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in
Spanish, Latin, and other subjects.

Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. They
wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the
school, and even told lies to discredit him before the teacher’s eyes.
Consequently the teacher had to punish Jose.

Rizal In Ateneo

In 1872, Rizal was sent by his parents to study in Manila. And so he did. He
entered Ateneo Municipal. As what usually happens, Rizal was
discriminated by his classmates and professors, mainly because he had only
a little knowledge about Spain, and also the fact that he was form
Calamba, Laguna. He was also a late enrollee, so that added up to the
situation.

11
 •

But inspite of the negative things that happened to him during this time, he
also experienced good things. The Jesuits thought them about the
educational system like discipline, character building and religious
instruction. Because of that, he learned about the real value of education
in a person’s life, and of course, to be strong despite of all the people who
were trying to pull him down. He also experienced and went through
hispanization, which made him a kind of better in Spanish than using his
own language – Filipino.

He wrote, “To the Filipino Youth”. In his poem, he enlightened the readers
about the truth – which Filipinos must be standing and being proud of what
they are, and not just be slaves of somebody else. He also mentioned the
famous quote that the youth is the hope of our nation. Lastly, he ended
with a thanksgiving to God, and praise to our country’s youth by saying that
wherever he may be going, he would always be proud of the Filipino youth.

Aside from the poem, he also wrote, “The Intimate Alliance Between
Religion and Education”.

Looking Back: Rizal’s Ateneo

By: Ambeth R. Ocampo

Ateneo Loyola Schools welcomed a new batch of freshmen

and returning students this school year on June 16, the
same day in 1875 that Jose Rizal returned to Ateneo
Municipal after the summer vacation. Contrary to popular
belief, Ateneo in Rizal’s time was a colegio, meaning a
secondary or high school, and not a facultad or universidad,
referring to tertiary education or college in our usage. In the
book I am working on, titled “Rizal and me,” I ask Rizal
about his school days.

ARO: What was a typical day at Ateneo like?

JR: I dressed like the other students—that is, I put on a coat with a ready-made
necktie. With what fervor I entered the chapel of the Jesuit fathers to hear Mass,
what most fervent prayers I addressed to God, for in my sadness I didn’t know
whom else to invoke. After Mass, I went to class where I saw a great number of
boys, Spaniards, mestizos, and Filipinos, and a Jesuit who was the professor.

ARO: Aside from your “enhanced” boyhood photograph in Ateneo uniform that
seems suspiciously elongated because we all know you were short, there is a
charming 19th-century painting in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that depicts two
Ateneo boys standing by a table. On that table rest some thick leather-bound
books, one of which an art critic mistook for the reading and writing primer or
caton. Ateneo boys already knew how to read and write; the book was part of their
classical education (this caton is the Spanish form for Cato the Wise). Then as
now, I think you could tell the school from the uniform. You make a nice
observation in Chapter 12 of “El Filibusterismo” of students on their way to
Intramuros.

JR: Some were dressed in European attire, walking fast, carrying books and
notebooks; preoccupied they were in thinking of their lessons and their

12
compositions. These were the Atenistas. The Letranistas could be distinguished by
their being mostly dressed in native attire or a la Filipina, being more numerous
and less loaded with books. Those from the University [of Santo Tomas] dressed
more neatly and smartly, walked slowly and, instead of books, often carried
canes… Here and there the procession was made pleasant by the graceful charm
and the richness in colors of the female students of the Escuela Municipal, ribbons
over their shoulders and books on their arms, followed by their maids.

ARO: You wrote in your student diary a great tribute to the Jesuits, “I owe to
this Order all, all that I am.” What do your remember of your Jesuit teachers
at Ateneo?

JR: [One] was called Father José Bech, a tall man, thin,
with a body slightly bent forward, with hurried walk, an
ascetic, severe and inspired face, small, deep-sunken
eyes, a sharp Grecian nose, with thin lips forming an arc
whose ends turned toward his chin. This priest was a bit
crazy, so that one should not be surprised to find him
sometimes disgusted and ill-humored; other times he
played like a child.

Another] professor was a model of uprightness,

earnestness, and devotion to the progress of his pupils;
and such was his zeal that I, who scarcely spoke
middling Spanish, was able after a short time to write it
fairly well. His name was Francisco de Paula Sanchez.
[. With his aid I studied mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek to some advantage.
Father Sanchez was a penetrating observer, although rather pessimistic, always
looking at the bad side of things. When we were in school we used to call him a
“dark spirit,” and the students nicknamed him Paniki, which is a kind of bat.

I had other professors, called Fathers Vilaclara and Minoves, the first one of whom
liked me very much and to whom I was somewhat difficult. Although I was studying
philosophy, physics, chemistry, and natural history, and in spite of the fact that
Father Vilaclara had told me to give up communing with the Muses and give them
a last goodbye (which made me cry), in my leisure hours I continued speaking and
cultivating the beautiful language of Olympus under the direction of Father
Sanchez.

Father Heras, our friend and chief, complained that the work was very tiresome.
Father Pastells was my best friend; he was the most distinguished and the best
traveled among the Jesuit missionaries. He was also very zealous. I sketched his
picture from memory but Father Sánchez took it away from me… Fr. Federico Vila
was a linguist; he also spoke German, French, English, Greek, Latin, etc. I still
remember the hardships of Father Torra when he entrusted to me the first page for
the Cartas de los PP, etc. Those were happy days.

ARO: Can you tell us about the Jesuit teaching methods?

JR: You should know that in the Jesuit colleges, two empires were established to
stimulate learning and competition among the students. One was Roman and the
other Carthaginian or Greek, constantly at war, and in which the highest positions
were won by challenges that were successful when the opponent made three
mistakes. They put me at the tail end. I scarcely knew Spanish, but I already
understood it.

13
 •

Rizal would not recognize 21st-century Ateneo because the campus he attended is
now a historic ruin. There is a lot more he would not recognize in the Philippines
we now live in. Which often makes me wonder: If Rizal foresaw the sorry mess we
find ourselves in today, if he saw the pork barrel scam, corruption, worst airport in
the world, etc., would he have allowed himself to be shot in Bagumbayan?

History of Ateneo de Manila University

The Ateneo de Manila University (Filipino:Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila;

Spanish: Universidad Ateneo de Manila), also known as simply Ateneo or
The Ateneo, is a private Roman Catholic Jesuit research university in
Quezon City, Philippines., Ateneo is the third-oldest university in the
Philippines.

The Ateneo de Manila University began in 1859 when Spanish Jesuits

established the Escuela Municipal de Manila, a public primary school
established in Intramuros for the city of Manila. However, the educational
tradition of the Ateneo embraces the much older history of the Jesuits as a
teaching order in the Philippines.

The first Spanish Jesuits arrived in the country in 1581. While primarily
missionaries, they were also custodians of the ratio studiorum, the system of
Jesuit education formulated about 1559. In 1590, they founded one of the
first colleges in the Philippines, the Colegio de Manila (also known as the
Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio) under the leadership of Antonio
Sedeño, S.J. The school formally opened in 1595.

In 1621, Pope Gregory XV, through the archbishop of Manila, authorized the
San Ignacio to confer degrees in theology and the arts. Two years later,
King Philip IV of Spain confirmed this authorization, making the school a
royal and a pontifical university, the very first university in the Philippines and
in Asia.

14
However, by the mid-18th century, Catholic colonial powers, notably
France, Portugal, and Spain, had grown hostile to the Society of Jesus. The
colonial powers eventually expelled the Society, often quite brutally, from
their realms.

The Jesuits had to relinquish the San Ignacio to Spanish civil authorities in
1768, upon their violent expulsion from all Spanish territories. Finally, under
pressure from Catholic royalty, Pope Clement XIV formally declared the
dissolution of the Society of Jesus in 1773.

Pope Pius VII reinstated the Society in 1814, after almost seven decades of
persecution and over four decades of formal suppression. However, the
Jesuits would not return to the Philippines until 1859, almost a century after
their expulsion.

Authorized by a royal decree of 1852, ten Spanish Jesuits arrived in Manila

on April 14, 1859. This Jesuit mission was sent mainly for missionary work in
Mindanao and Jolo. However, despite almost a century away from the
Philippines, the Jesuits’ reputation as educators remained entrenched in
the minds of Manila’s leaders. On August 5, the ayuntamiento or city
council requested the Governor-General for a Jesuit school financed by
public money.

On October 1, 1859, the Governor-General authorized the Jesuits to take

over the Escuela Municipal, then a small private school maintained for 30
children of Spanish residents. Partly subsidized by the ayuntamiento, it was
the only primary school in Manila at the time. Under the Jesuits, the Escuela
eventually became the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865 when it was
elevated to an institution of secondary education. The Ateneo Municipal
offered the bachillerato as well as technical courses leading to certificates
in agriculture, surveying, and business.

When American colonial rule came in 1902, the Ateneo Municipal lost its
government subsidy. In 1908, the colonial government recognized it as a
college licensed to offer the bachelor’s degree and certificates in various
disciplines, including electrical engineering. In 1909, years after the Ateneo
became a private institution, the Jesuits finally removed the word
“Municipal” from the Ateneo’s official name, and it has since been known
as the Ateneo de Manila.

American Jesuits took over administration in 1921. In 1932, under Fr. Richard
O’Brien, third American rector, the Ateneo transferred to Padre Faura after
a fire destroyed the Intramuros campus.

Devastation hit the Ateneo campus once again during World War II. Only
one structure remained standing – the statue of St. Joseph and the Child
Jesus which now stands in front of the Jesuit Residence in the Loyola Heights
campus. Ironwork and statuary salvaged from the Ateneo ruins have since
been incorporated into various existing Ateneo buildings. Some examples
are the Ateneo monograms on the gates of the Loyola Heights campus,
the iron grillwork on the ground floor of Xavier Hall, and the statue of the
Immaculate Conception displayed at the University archives.

15
 •

But even if the Ateneo campus had been destroyed, the university survived.
Following the American liberation, the Ateneo de Manila reopened
temporarily in Plaza Guipit in Sampaloc. The Padre Faura campus
reopened in 1946 with Quonset huts serving as buildings among the
campus ruins.

In 1952, the university, led by Fr. William Masterson, S.J. moved most of its
units to its present Loyola Heights campus. Controversy surrounded the
decision. An Ateneo Jesuit supposedly said that only the ‘children of Tarzan’
would study in the new campus. But over the years, the Ateneo in Loyola
Heights has become the center of a dynamic community. The Padre Faura
campus continued to house the professional schools until 1976.

The first Filipino rector, Fr. Francisco Araneta, S.J. was appointed in 1958.
And in 1959, its centennial year, the Ateneo became a university.

The Padre Faura campus was closed in 1976. A year after, the University
opened a new campus for its professional schools in Salcedo Village, in the
bustling business district of Makati. In October 1998, the University
completed construction of a bigger site of the Ateneo Professional Schools
at Rockwell, also in Makati.

JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

It trained the character of the student by rigid discipline.

Students were divided into two groups :
Roman Empire- consisting of internos (boarders); red banner
Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-
boarders); blue banner
Emperor- the best student in each “empire”
Tribune- the second best
Decurion- the third best
Centurion-the fourth best
Stand-bearer- the fifth best.
The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which
consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”
The coat material was called rayadillo.

FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873)

• Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo whom he
described as a “tall thin man, with a body slightly bent forward,
a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-
sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips
forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin
• A Religious picture- Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil
in the whole class
• To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel
College during the noon recesses. He paid three pesos for those
extra Spanish lessons
• At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to
Calamba for summer vacation

16
 • When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for
his second year term in Ateneo. This time he boarded inside
Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was an old
widow named Doña Pepay.

SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-1874)

At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all
subjects and a gold medal
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas- the first favorite
novel of Rizal which made a deep impression on him
• Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded his father to
buy him this set of historical work that was a great aid in his
studies
• Dr. Feodor Jagor- a German scientist-traveler who visited the
Philippines in 1859-1860 who wrote Travels in the Philippines
Rizal was impressed in this book because of:

(1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish

colonization
(2) his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines
and that America would come to succeed her as colonizer

THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875)

Rizal’s grades remained excellent in all subjects but he won only one
medal—in Latin. At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal returned
to Calamba for the summer vacation. He himself was not impressed by
his scholastic work

FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO

• June 16, 1875- Rizal became an interno in the Ateneo
• Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great educator
and scholar, one of Rizal’s professors who inspired him to
study harder and to write poetry. Rizal described this
Jesuit professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness,
and love for the advancement of his pupils”. Rizal topped
all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at
the end of the school term.

LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-1877)

Rizal’s studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled in all
subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of
the Jesuits”
• March 23, 1877- Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years
old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the
degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
• Marian Congregation- a religious society wherein Rizal was an
active member and later became the secretary
Rizal cultivated his literary talent under the guidance of Father
Sanchez
• Father Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop communing with
the Muse and pay more attention to more practical studies

17
•

• Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter,

Agustin Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus, noted
Filipino sculptor
• Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of
batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocketknife
• Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent,
requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred Heart of
Jesus

ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN

• Felix M. Roxas- one of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo,
related an incident of Rizal’s schooldays in Ateneo which
reveals hero’s resignation to pain and forgiveness. “Neither
bitterness nor rancor towards the guilty party”
• Manuel Xerez Burgos- This anecdotes illustrates Rizal’s
predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life

Activity 1

Choose one of the places/events below and make a conversation

between Jose Rizal and you regarding his experiences in that place using
the pattern of Ambeth R. Ocampo (above). Give at least five questions
and five answers of Rizal.

1. Exile in Dapitan
2. Tour with Maximo Viola in Europe
3. Rizal’s last twenty four hours
4. Rizal’s Execution
5. Rizal’s Trial

Activity 2

MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882)

After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-
1878), Rizal transferred to the medical course “Don’t send him to Manila
again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off
his head.” Doña Teodora, vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue
higher learning in the university

April 1877- Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in
the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and
Letters because (1) his father like it (2) he was “still uncertain as to
what career to pursue”
Father Pablo Ramon-Rector of Ateneo, who had been good to him
during his student days in that college, asking for advice on the
choice of a career but unfortunately he was in Mindanao
It was during the following term (1878-1879) that Rizal, having
received the Ateneo Rector’s advice to study medicine
During Rizal’s first school term in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-
1878), Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational course
leading to the title of Perito Agrimensor (expert surveyor)

18
 Rizal excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in Ateneo,
obtaining gold medals in agriculture and topography
November 25, 1881- the title was issued to Rizal for passing the final
examination in the surveying course
Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila- a society
of literary men and artists, held a literary contest in the year 1879

UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST

Rizal found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas
suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican
institution of higher learning because
(1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him
(2) the Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the
Spaniards
(3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive

In Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino

students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and
how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of
the natural sciences. He related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”

SHATTERING THE MYTH ABOUT RIZAL AND THE PONTIFICAL UST

This can be very exhaustive as I deal with historical facts apropos of

the relationship of Jose Rizal with the University of Santo Tomas. I am
indebted to Fr. Fidel Villaroel, OP, the eminent historian and former archivist
of the UST Archives for giving me the distinct privilege (without going
through the norms and policies) of touring the archives and letting me
examined some important documents pertaining but not principally to the
history of the Philippines.
As a pioneering institution of learning – from the martyrdom of
Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, to the propaganda movement, to the
revolution of 1896, to the birth of the Republic in 1898, to the
commonwealth period and finally to the restoration of independence in
1946 – it is therefore presumptuous to assume the UST has had a hand in the
making of the history of the Philippines.
Sadly, in spite of some efforts of few academicians and historians to
present a more truthful history of the UST during the Spanish era, many still
were caught off guard and instead decided to rely on meager source
materials. Worse, some merely copied what pre-war and post-war authors
written in the past 100 years. New generation writers, historians and
biographers of Jose Rizal are no exception to such historians like Retana,
Craig, Russel, Laudback, Coates, Hernandez and Zaide who had pictured
a villain character of the university.

As what Fr. Villaroel said, none of the biographers and historians took
the time of looking into the original academic records of Rizal. Neither there
were efforts on their part to make a study on UST based on the archival
records of the Pontifical University. “It has been treated inadequately, at
times, with a good deal of misunderstanding, exaggeration or prejudice.”

19
•

The second confusion was their failure to understand the underlying

principles behind the anti-friars and anti-UST writings of Rizal particularly the
El Fili.

After seeing the documents at the UST Archives and reading Fr.
Villaroel’s well-written study on Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas, I can
only scoff at those who bask at their ignorance and use many of the myths
to advance their cause. Such is the case of some pexers here who
undoubtedly use these myths for their own good. In the words of Dr. Serafin
Quiason, former chairman of the National Historical Institue, “it is a great
virtue of his (Fr. Villaroel) study that he sweeps away many of the myths
which have passed for facts for almost three quarters of a century. He has
solved many difficult questions and the readers can be grateful for a
valuable and devoted piece of work.”

This thread intends to rectify some issues pertaining to the negative

pictures projected about Rizal’s relationship with his alma mater, the
University of Santo Tomas based on the study by Fr. Villaroel who had
diligently dug through the archival materials of UST and Archivo de la
Provincia del Sto. Rosario. Was Rizal discriminated and treated shabbily by
the Dominicans? Why did he leave UST? Why did he criticize the University
years later? How are the stories of El Filibusterismo to be understood?

Here are some excerpts from Fr. Fidel Villaroel’s study:

MYTH:
Rizal complained about his grades in UST and was discriminated and
treated shabbily by the Dominicans.

FACTS:
(1) Rizal entered the UST in 1877, enrolling in the Pre-Law Course,
which was made up of philosophical subjects. The course was commonly
called metaphysics. He passed the course brilliantly with the highest grades
in spite of his initial indifference to philosophy and his youthful distractions
through the year. Then he opted for the career of medicine. And in 1878-
1879 he took simultaneously the Pre-Medical Course and the First Year of
Medicine; this was against the rules, but Rizal was favored with a
dispensation. The Pre-Medicine Course was also called Ampliacion,
because the student, having taken already Physics, Chemistry and Natural
History in the high school, now took an advanced course on the same subjects
(Rizal did not take in Santo Tomas the “class of physics” described in El Fili but rather in
Ateneo).

In his courses of medicine, Rizal was a good student, above-average,

though not excellent; but none of his classmates were excellent either.
Summing up, in the 21 subjects taken in UST, Rizal obtained one aprobado
(passing grade), eight bueno (good), six notable (very good) and six
sobresaliente (excellent). Majority of students in Rizal’s time, or in any time,
would have been satisfied with the above grades. It is possible that Rizal
was not, but it is a fact that he never complained about his grades, there
is not a single word in his works showing displeasure at the unfairness of UST.

20
 Yet many of his biographers are angry, unreasonably angry
(including anti-ust pexers?) at the treatment given to the national hero by
his alma mater. How could Rizal, after a perfect record of “Excellent” in the
high school (Ateneo) now receive such “low” grades at UST? The critics had
to look for an explanation, and since they did not find fault in Rizal, then
they had to blame the Dominicans and UST. And from Retana to Austin
Craig, from Frank Lauback to Austin Coates and to quite a long line of
Filipino biographers (with some exceptions), we only hear the same
repeated lamentation that every school child must now learn in the
textbooks: that Rizal was “below his usual standards”, and for the extremely
serious charge that the “Dominican professors were hostile to him” and “the
Filipino students were racially discriminated” (Zaide), and that there was
“excessive harping on the alleged intellectual superiority of the Spanish
(because he was white) to the Filipino, a brown man, and Indio (JM
Hernandez), and so on. An objective historian must squarely face and
honestly answer these grave statements, which sound like accusations.

Was Rizal “far below his usual standards”? What standards, in the first
place? If by usual standards we mean the grades of his Ateneo high school
studies, the comparison is unfair. Nobody places elementary or high school
standards against college or University standards. They belong to different
levels. At Ateneo municipal, Rizal was excellent, though not the only
excellent student. At the UST, none of his classmates ever got near to
keeping a straight record of Excellent. And this was because Medicine was
a different kind of stuff altogether.

Therefore, if we are to arrive at a just appreciation of Rizal’s

performance at the UST, we should compare, not his grades in the high
school with those in the university, but Rizal’s grades in Medicine against
those of his classmates. In the first year of medicine, Rizal’s class was made
up of 24 students, but due to academic failures, seventeen of them were
left by the roadside before they reached the fourth year, when only seven
took the final examinations. And in this fourth (and for Rizal last) year, he
landed in second place behind Cornelio Mapa. A persecuted Rizal would
have probably ended by the same roadside as the seventeen “debarred”
classmates, or would have never boasted of being second when he left for
Spain in 1882.

(2)It can hardy be said that Rizal was discriminated and treated
shabbily by the Dominicans since he was granted the rare privilege of
studying simultaneously in the Preparatory Course of Medicine and the First
Year of Medicine.

Records likewise show that six Spaniards were enrolled with Rizal in
the first year of Medicine, of whom three were Peninsular and three
Philippine-born. If the criticism of some biographers were true, these six
students would have been favored by the friars. Yet at the end of the fourth
year there remained only one Philippine-born Spaniard, Jose Resurreccion
y Padilla, who managed to get only a poor passing grade (aprobado), last
among successful students, and who in the following year received a
crushing suspenso. It would be unkind to rejoice over failures, whether of
Spanish or of Filipinos, but the biographers of Rizal will not be convincing
unless they prove with valid documents the existence of “racial

21
•

discrimination” in UST in the 19th century when it came to academic

grades.

(2) Rizal’s inclinations and abilities must be taken into account. While he
was undoubtedly inclined to, and remarkably fitted for, the arts and letters,
he was not much attracted to Medicine. “Perhaps – says Leon Ma.
Guerrero – Medicine was not his real vocation”. Medicine was a
convenient career taken up in consideration of the poor health of Rizal’s
mother, whom he wanted to help, and eventually helped as a physician.

(3) When Rizal transferred to Spain and continued his studies at the
University of Madrid, he showed there similar characteristics. He was
sobresaliente in the humanistic studies (literature, languages, history), while
in Medicine he fared worse than at the University of Santo Tomas. Ye no
historian or biographer has ever complained about his poor performance
in Madrid or hinted that Rizal was discriminated against in that Central
University.

(4) Rizal had Dominican friends in the persons of Fr. Evaristo Arias and Fr.
Joaquin Fonseca. It was while studying at UST that Rizal obtained public
recognition as a poet. It was the Dominican; Fr. Arias who helped him
cultivate his craft in poetry. During his Thomasian years, Rizal composed the
best poems of his pre-European period, one of them being A la Juventud
Filipina, winner of the first prize in the contest organized by the Liceo
Artistico-Literario in 1879.

MYTH:
Rizal is said to have left UST for the following reasons:
a. because a certain professor of UST caused him displeasure (P. Pastells,
SJ, 1897)
b. because the atmosphere in UST (meaning Thomistic atmosphere)
suffocated him, and “it is presumed that because of it he left” (E.
Retana, 1907)
c. because in his class of medicine the lay professor made a statement
contrary to the textbook and then he
refused to permit discussion or to give explanations; “so Rizal decided
he was wasting his time to remain in
the University” ( Craig, 1909)
c. because he found unfriendliness in the University, (Lauback, 1936)
d. because UST could not give “fuller learning” to the youth, and its
“usefulness was almost, if not altogether nil.” (D. Abella, 1965)

FACT:
Twenty authors quoting from the same erroneous source commit the
same error twenty times over. Therefore, what the quoted authors have said
must be submitted to scrutiny. More significantly, all the authors quoted
above have one thing in common: none of them quote any historical
source, like words from Rizal’s correspondence, his articles, etc. If any
source is ever mentioned it is infallibly the novel El Fili.

But is there not, we ask, a better source to support historical facts than
a novel? In the present case, there seems to be no other, and for one
fundamental reason: because Rizal never revealed in clear terms why he

22
left the Philippines in 1882. Neither he nor his brother Paciano, nor his uncle
Antonio Rivera, nor his most intimate friends. Not a clear word from them,
who were the only persons who could have known. This fact leads us to
conclude that the writers who put the blame for Rizal’s departure on the
University of Santo Tomas are only guessing, honestly guessing of course,
but mistakenly.
It is almost needless to enter into discussion with those writers who lay the
responsibility for Rizal’s departure at the door of UST. But let us face the
question squarely.

(1) It has been stated that a certain professor, more concretely a lay
professor of medicine, disagreed with the textbook and refused to
entertain discussion on the topics of his subject (so Pastells and Craig). This
professor is identified by Craig as one who, some years later, was classmate
of Rizal at the University of Madrid. He was Dr. Jose Franco who, as professor
of Rizal in Santo Tomas, had threatened to fail the whole medical class (P.
Pastells). But granting that Professor Franco was speaking seriously, it is quite
improbable that Rizal decided to leave the Philippines for an incident with
one professor, who besides did not fail him in the final examinations. Rizal’s
companions and friends did not seem to have noticed any
misunderstanding between Rizal and any professor, as shown in a letter of
Jose M. Cecilio: “Your departure without notice has caused surprise among
many friends to the point of stirring their curiosity. They ask whether there
were serious matters going on which prompted you to leave.”

(2) To attribute Rizal’s departure to what oneauthor calls “rampant

bigotry, discrimination and persecution” existing in UST, whether said in
general or whether specifically referring to Rizal, is a gratuitous accusation
expressed in readymade phrases loaded with feeling. I presume that an
educational policy like the one implied in such words has never existed in
any school or university anywhere in any period. As for Rizal, we have
already explained with academic records on hand, that there was in fact
a discrimination in his favor when he was allowed to take simultaneously
the Preparatory course of Medicine and the First Course of Medicine
Proper. And finally, he was one of the seven, out of 26, who reached the
beginning of the fifth year course, which he started in Madrid. All this has
been shown here without rhetoric, without feeling and only with the aid of
laconic, diplomatic record as basis.

(3) That the UST did not provide “fuller learning” to its students, and that
this prompted some of them like Rizal to go abroad, as suggested by some
authors, might be as true then as it can be true at any other period of her
history. This can also be said of any Philippine university today. The
temptation to try better institutions abroad is always better, and those who
can afford it, occasionally fall for it. There is no denying that, in the last
quarter of the 19th century, Europe offered to the students of science,
philosophy, literature and every aspect of material progress, horizons of
learning that no colonial land in other continents could possibly give in such
measure. But if many student like Rizal went abroad is search of “fuller
learning” and profited from that experience, it would be wrong to
conclude that a university like UST was therefore worthless. Whether by
choice or by the force of circumstances many more students stayed
behind than left for Europe, and those who remained received a tertiary

23
•

education of such quality that enabled them to become builders of the

Philippine Republic. Thomasians trained here and only here were Pedro
Pelaez and Jose Burgos, Apolinario Mabini and Cayetano Arellano, Manuel
Araullo and the Mapa brothers, Sergio Osmena and Manuel L. Quezon,
Leon Maria Guererro and Anacleto del Rosario, Felipe Calderon and
Epifanio de los Santos, etc. and most of the men of the Malolos Congress,
all belonging to the generation of Rizal.

Until further historical research can project more light on the life of
Rizal, little more remains to be said on this point. This little more is reduced
to the following: If neither the UST records nor the correspondence of Rizal
with Paciano and his family nor his letters to or from his intimate friends can
support the alleged misunderstanding between Rizal and the University; if
those documents do not explain the reasons for Rizal’s departure for Spain,
then i believe that the only valid recourse left to the historian is the recourse
to the oral tradition. And two traditions come handily on our way, one
preserved in Rizal’s own family and another in the University of Santo Tomas.

MYTH:
The “Class of Physics” (Chapter 13) in El Filibusterismo is
autobiographical of Rizal’s stay in UST and that Rizal’s antifriars and anti-UST
writings are reflective of how the national hero loathed the University.

FACT:
(1) While in Europe (1882-1892), Rizal changed considerably in at least
one aspect, in his attitude towards religion. He gave up some basic and
essential tenets of his faith and ceased to be a practicing Catholic. This was
due mainly to his continuous association with many rationalist thinkers and
liberal politicians of Spain and other countries of Europe. A new rationalistic
approach to life and his affiliation to freemasonry accentuated his anti-
clerical sentiments and his antipathy for the Catholic Church, for her belief
and external manifestations (dogmas, rites and rituals and devotional life).
These changes in Rizal must be taken into account when assessing his ironic
criticism of the Church, the religious Orders and the University of Santo
Tomas. History showed that the attacks thrown by propagandists at Santo
Tomas, particularly the Church, were just part and parcel of the clash
between liberalism and Thomism. And that the attack thrown at Santo
Tomas , which was under the Royal patronage of Spain, was not unique
since every university in Europe like Oxford received the same fate for
upholding Thomism. The Vatican in an encyclical endorsed Thomism as an
instrument to counteract rationalism, which at that time began to
penetrate all spheres of society.

(2) Crucially affecting this new attitude of criticism were the events that
occurred in Calamba from 1887 onwards as a result of the famous agrarian
litigation between his family and the Dominican Hacienda. Whatever
reasons for dissension might have existed in previous years due to worsening
economic conditions affecting the country at large, Rizal’s personal
intervention in the affair in 1887 precipitated the legal suit. The case ended
in the courts with an adverse sentence against the family and other tenants
and the tragic deportation of some of Rizal’s immediate relatives. That
social question and lawsuit had nothing to do with the UST, but it surely
soured Rizal’s pen when writing about an educational institution that was
run by the owners of Calamba Hacienda. We have here another factor for

24
his critical attitude; again he had not in mind any past academic
experience.

(3) The novel El Fili was written precisely during the years of the Calamba
agrarian crisis (any student of literature or a practicing writer would agree
that if there are things that affect the consciousness of a writer, it would be
the moment, the milieu, and the race).

The “Class of Physics” is the subject of chapter 13 of the Fili, a subject

that some historians and biographers have used and abused lavishly. They
have a reason, because the story comes in very handily to illustrate the
student years of Rizal at the UST, regardless of the novelistic character of
the source.

The practical question here is whether the story of the “Class of

Physics” really happened on even one day, whether it reflects educational
methods practiced in UST in the 19th century, or whether Rizal was just
creating a scene suitable to the aims of the novel, that is, to attack and
discredit the religious institutes. Some biographers easily believe Retana’s
remark that “this chapter is an accurate picture of what happened in the
Pontifical University of Manila when Rizal studied there.” a remark written of
course, when Retana had turned into a bitter enemy of the religious orders.

But even taking for granted that Rizal based his story on some incident that
happened during his university years, this is no reason to conclude that the
general life of the University was similar. And as for the bleak picture of the
physical classroom itself, the UST still possess the schedules of classes in those
years, and the Class of Physics is invariably assigned to the Physics
Laboratories, not to an ordinary classroom.

Finally, Austin Coates’ statement that this chapter of the Fili is “clearly
autobiographical” is totally unacceptable, if by autobiographical he
meant that the experience of Placido was actually felt by Rizal personally
or by some of his classmates. And the reason is very simple: Rizal did not
take Physics at the UST. He had taken that course at the Ateneo Municipal
in 1876-1877. Rafael Palma who took up Physics and Chemistry in 1890 at
Ateneo Municipal, a little over ten years after Rizal, recalled later that the
laboratory materials in use at the Ateneo for teaching Natural History and
Physics were “very poor” (Rafael Palma, My Autobiography, Manila 1953).
The whole chapter is a caricature, very useful for the aims of the novel; it is
not Rizal’s biography.

History of UST

25
•

Miguel de Benavides, O.P.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the oldest

existing university in Asia. In terms of student
population, it is the largest Catholic university in the
world in a single campus. The institution was
established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel
de Benavides, O.P., third Archbishop of Manila. On
July 24, 1605, he bequeathed the amount of one
thousand five hundred pesos and his personal
library for the establishment of a “seminary-
college” to prepare young men for the priesthood.
Those funds, and his personal library, became the
nucleus for the start of UST and its library.

The founding of the University of Santo Tomas followed on April 28, 1611.
With the original campus located in Intramuros, the Walled City of Manila,
UST was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, and
later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas, in memory of the foremost
Dominican Theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Pope Innocent X

On July 29, 1619 the Colegio was

authorized to confer academic degrees
in theology and philosophy. By
November 20, 1645, Pope Innocent X
elevated the college to a university. In
1680, it was subsequently placed under
the royal patronage of the Spanish
monarchy. In 1681, Pope Innocent XI
declared it a Public University of General
Studies allowing it to confer other
degrees. In 1734 Pope Clement XII
authorized the University to confer
degrees in all existing faculties as well as
in all others that might be introduced in
the future. The Pope also approved the curriculum in the entire field of
jurisprudence.

During the British invasion of Manila in 1762, the University raised four
companies of students and professors numbering 400 men each. These saw
action in battles against the British until 1764.

The expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Philippines in 1768 left the
University of Santo Tomas as the only institution of higher learning in the
islands.

26
 King Carlos III

In 1785 in recognition of the role of the students

and faculty in resisting the British, King Charles
III conferred the title of “Royal” to the university
and formally granted it the status of a royal
university.

On May 20, 1865, a royal order from Queen

Isabella II gave the University the power to
direct and supervise all the schools in the
Philippines and the Rector of the University
became the ex-officio head of the secondary
and higher education in the Philippines. All
diplomas issued by other schools were
approved by the Rector of the University and
examinations leading to the issuance of such
diplomas were supervised by the Dominican
professors of UST.

On September 17, 1902, Pope Leo XIII made the University of Santo Tomas
a “Pontifical University”, and by 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed upon it the
title of “The Catholic University of the Philippines”. The University of Santo
Tomas is the second university in the world after the Gregorian University in
Rome to be granted the formal title of Pontifical University. The Gregorian
University was allowed to assume this title in 1873.

The continuing increase in enrolment prompted the administration, in 1927

to transfer the university campus from Intramuros to its present site in
Sampaloc district, which covers a total of 21.5 hectares. The Intramuros
campus continued to operate until its destruction during the Second World
War.

Pope Leo XIII

Since its establishment in 1611, the

university academic life was disrupted
only twice: once, from 1898 to 1899, during
the second phase of the Philippine
Revolution and the Filipino-American War,
and for the second time, from 1942 to
1945, when the Japanese Occupation
Forces during the Second World War
converted the UST campus into an
internment camp where around 2,500
allied civilians were detained. Buildings
such as the Main Building, the Gymnasium
and an annex building behind the Main
Building called the Domestic Arts building,
were used as living quarters. The internees
were liberated by the U.S. forces on February 3, 1945.

Throughout its more than 400 years of existence, the University has become
the alma mater of four Filipino heroes who shaped the nation’s destiny like

27
•

Jose Rizal, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Apolinario Mabini; Philippine
Presidents such as Manuel Luis Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Jose P. Laurel and
Diosdado Macapagal; various Chief Justices of the Supreme Court,
senators, congressmen, scientists, architects, engineers and writers, all
outstanding in their chosen professions. It was visited by three popes, Pope
Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Francis, and various heads of states
and foreign dignitaries.

Exile in Dapitan

Upon his return to Manila in 1892, he formed a civic movement

called La Liga Filipina. The league advocated these moderate social
reforms through legal means, but was disbanded by the governor. At that
time, he had already been declared an enemy of the state by the
Spanish authorities because of the publication of his novel.

Rizal was implicated in the activities of the nascent rebellion and in

July 1892, was deported to Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga, a
peninsula of Mindanao. There he built a school, a hospital and a water
supply system, and taught and engaged in farming and horticulture.
Abaca, then the vital raw material for cordage and which Rizal and his
students planted in the thousands, was a memorial.

The boys' school, which taught in Spanish, and included English as a

foreign language (considered a prescient if unusual option then) was
conceived by Rizal and antedated Gordonstoun with its aims of
inculcating resourcefulness and self-sufficiency in young men. They would
later enjoy successful lives as farmers and honest government officials.
One, a Muslim, became a datu, and another, José Aseniero, who was
with Rizal throughout the life of the school, became Governor of
Zamboanga.

In Dapitan, the Jesuits mounted a great effort to secure his return to

the fold led by Fray Francisco de Paula Sánchez, his former professor, who
failed in his mission. The task was resumed by Fray Pastells, a prominent
member of the Order. In a letter to Pastells, Rizal sails close to the deism
familiar to us today.

We are entirely in accord in admitting the existence of God. How

can I doubt His when I am convinced of mine. Who so recognizes
the effect recognizes the cause. To doubt God is to doubt one's
own conscience, and in consequence, it would be to doubt
everything; and then what is life for? Now then, my faith in God, if
the result of a ratiocination may be called faith, is blind, blind in the
sense of knowing nothing. I neither believe nor disbelieve the
qualities which many attribute to Him; before theologians' and
philosophers' definitions and lucubrations of this ineffable and
inscrutable being I find myself smiling. Faced with the conviction of
seeing myself confronting the supreme Problem, which confused
voices seek to explain to me, I cannot but reply: ‘It could be’; but
the God that I foreknow is far more grand, far more good: Plus
Supra!...I believe in (revelation); but not in revelation or revelations
which each religion or religions claim to possess. Examining them

28
 impartially, comparing them and scrutinizing them, one cannot
avoid discerning the human 'fingernail' and the stamp of the time in
which they were written... No, let us not make God in our image,
poor inhabitants that we are of a distant planet lost in infinite space.
However, brilliant and sublime our intelligence may be, it is scarcely
more than a small spark which shines and in an instant is
extinguished, and it alone can give us no idea of that blaze, that
conflagration, that ocean of light. I believe in revelation, but in that
living revelation which surrounds us on every side, in that voice,
mighty, eternal, unceasing, incorruptible, clear, distinct, universal as
is the being from whom it proceeds, in that revelation which speaks
to us and penetrates us from the moment we are born until we die.
What books can better reveal to us the goodness of God, His love,
His providence, His eternity, His glory, His wisdom? ‘The heavens
declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his
handiwork.

His best friend, Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, kept him in touch

with European friends and fellow-scientists who wrote a stream of letters
which arrived in Dutch, French, German and English and which baffled
the censors, delaying their transmittal. Those four years of his exile
coincided with the development of the Philippine Revolution from
inception and to its final breakout, which, from the viewpoint of the court
which was to try him, suggested his complicity in it. He condemned the
uprising, although all the members of the Katipunan had made him their
honorary president and had used his name as a cry for war, unity, and
liberty.

He is known to making the resolution of bearing personal sacrifice

instead of the incoming revolution, believing that a peaceful stand is the
best way to avoid further suffering in the country and loss of Filipino lives. In
Rizal's own words, "I consider myself happy for being able to suffer a little
for a cause which I believe to be sacred [...]. I believe further that in any
undertaking, the more one suffers for it, the surer its success. If this be
fanaticism may God pardon me, but my poor judgment does not see it as
such. In Dapitan, Rizal wrote "Haec Est Sibylla Cumana", a parlor-game
for his students, with questions and answers for which a wooden top was
used. In 2004, Jean Paul Verstraeten traced this book and the wooden
top, as well as Rizal's personal watch, spoon and salter.

Arrest and trial

By 1896, the rebellion fomented by the Katipunan, a militant secret

society, had become a full-blown revolution, proving to be a nationwide
uprising. Rizal had earlier volunteered his services as a doctor in Cuba and
was given leave by Governor-General Ramón Blanco to serve in Cuba to
minister to victims of yellow fever. Rizal and Josephine left Dapitan on
August 1, 1896, with letter of recommendation from Blanco.

Rizal was arrested en route to Cuba via Spain and was imprisoned
in Barcelona on October 6, 1896. He was sent back the same day to
Manila to stand trial as he was implicated in the revolution through his
association with members of the Katipunan. During the entire passage, he

29
•

was unchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and had many

opportunities to escape but refused to do so.

While imprisoned in Fort Santiago, he issued a manifesto disavowing

the current revolution in its present state and declaring that the education
of Filipinos and their achievement of a national identity were prerequisites
to freedom.

Rizal was tried before a court-martial for rebellion, sedition, and

conspiracy, was convicted on all three charges, and sentenced to death.
Blanco, who was sympathetic to Rizal, had been forced out of office. The
friars, led by then Archbishop of Manila Bernardino Nozaleda, had
'intercalated' Camilo de Polavieja in his stead, as the new Spanish
Governor-General of the Philippines after pressuring Queen-Regent Maria
Cristina of Spain, thus sealing Rizal's fate.

Execution

A photographic record of
Rizal's execution in what was
then Bagumbayan.

Moments before his

execution on December
30, 1896, by a squad of
Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army, a backup force of regular Spanish
Army troops stood ready to shoot the executioners should they fail to
obey orders. The Spanish Army Surgeon General requested to take his
pulse: it was normal. Aware of this the sergeant commanding the backup
force hushed his men to silence when they began raising "vivas" with the
highly partisan crowd of Peninsular and Mestizo Spaniards. His last words
were those of Jesus Christ: "consummatum est", – it is finished.

He was secretly buried in Pacò Cemetery in Manila with no

identification on his grave. His sister Narcisa toured all possible gravesites
and found freshly turned earth at the cemetery with guards posted at the
gate. Assuming this could be the most likely spot, there never having been
any ground burials, she made a gift to the caretaker to mark the site "RPJ",
Rizal's initials in reverse.

His undated poem Mi Ultimo Adiós, believed to have been written a

few days before his execution, was hidden in an alcohol stove, which was
later handed to his family with his few remaining possessions, including the
final letters and his last bequests. During their visit, Rizal reminded his sisters
in English, "There is something inside it", referring to the alcohol stove given
by the Pardo de Taveras which was to be returned after his execution,
thereby emphasizing the importance of the poem. This instruction was
followed by another, "Look in my shoes", in which another item was
secreted. Exhumation of his remains in August 1898, under American rule,
revealed he had been uncoffined, his burial not on sanctified ground
granted the 'confessed' faithful, and whatever was in his shoes had
disintegrated. And now he is buried in Rizal Monument in Manila.

30
In his letter to his family he wrote: "Treat our aged parents as you would
wish to be treated...Love them greatly in memory of me...December 30,
1896. He gave his family instructions for his burial: "Bury me in the ground.
Place a stone and a cross over it. My name, the date of my birth and of
my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a
fence, you can do it. No anniversaries.

In his final letter, to Blumentritt – Tomorrow at 7, I shall be shot; but I

am innocent of the crime of rebellion. I am going to die with a tranquil
conscience. Rizal is believed to be the first Filipino revolutionary whose
death is attributed entirely to his work as a writer; and through dissent and
civil disobedience enabled him to successfully destroy Spain's moral
primacy to rule. He also bequeathed a book personally bound by him in
Dapitan to his 'best and dearest friend.' When Blumentritt received it in his
hometown Litoměřice (Leitmeritz) he broke down and wept.

Rizal's pencil sketch of Blumentritt.

ILUSTRADO

Ilustrados in Madrid (c.1890)

The Ilustrados (Spanish: [ilusˈtɾaðos], "erudite",[1] "learned"[2] or

"enlightened ones"[3]) constituted the Filipino educated class during the

31
•

Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century.[4][5] Elsewhere in New

Spain (of which the Philippines were part), the term gente de razón
carried a similar meaning.

They were the middle class who were educated in Spanish and exposed
to Spanish liberal and European nationalist ideals. The Ilustrado class was
composed of native-born intellectuals and cut across ethnolinguistic and
racial lines—Indios, Insulares, and mestizos, among others—and sought
reform through "a more equitable arrangement of both political and
economic power" under Spanish tutelage.

Stanley Karnow, in his In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines,

referred to the Ilustrados as the “rich Intelligentsia” because many were
the children of wealthy landowners. They were key figures in the
development of Filipino nationalism.

Three prominent Ilustrados in Spain: José

Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano
Ponce (from left to right). Photo was
taken in Spain in 1890.

The most prominent Ilustrados were

Graciano López Jaena, Marcelo H. del
Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Antonio Luna and
José Rizal, the Philippine national hero.
Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere ("Touch
Me Not") and El filibusterismo ("The
Subversive") “exposed to the world the
injustices imposed on Filipinos under the
Spanish colonial regime”.

In the beginning, Rizal and his fellow

Ilustrados preferred not to win
independence from Spain, instead they
yearned legal equality for both Peninsulares and natives—Indios, Insulares,
and mestizos, among others—in the economic reforms demanded by the
Ilustrados were that “the Philippines be represented in the Cortes and be
considered as a province of Spain” and “the secularization of the
parishes.”[10][11]

However, in 1872, nationalist sentiment grew strongest, when three Filipino

priests, José Burgos, Mariano Gómez and friar Jacinto Zamora, who had
been charged with leading a military mutiny at an arsenal in Cavite, near
Manila, were executed by the Spanish authorities. The event and "other
repressive acts outraitings and activities, Rizal was executed on
December 30, 1896. His execution propelled the Ilustrados . This also
prompted unity among the Ilustrados and Andrés Bonifacio’s radical
Katipunan.[10] Philippine policies by the United States reinforced the
dominant position of the Ilustrados within Filipino society. Friar estates were
sold to the Ilustrados and most government positions were offered to
them.[10]

32
 Juan Luna y Novicio (Spanish: [ˈxwan ˈluna]
October 24, 1857 – December 7, 1899), better
known as Juan Luna was a Filipino painter,
sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine
Revolution during the late 19th century. He
became one of the first recognized Philippine
artists.

His winning the gold medal in the 1884 Madrid

Exposition of Fine Arts, along with the silver win
of fellow Filipino painter Félix Resurrección
Hidalgo, prompted a celebration which was a
major highlight in the memoirs of members of
the Propaganda Movement, with the fellow
Ilustrados toasting to the two painters' good health and to the
brotherhood between Spain and the Philippines.

Regarded for work done in the manner of the Spanish, Italian and French
academies of his time, Luna painted literary and historical scenes, some
with an underscore of political commentary. His allegorical works were
inspired with classical balance, and often showed figures in theatrical
poses.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name
is Resurrección Hidalgo and the second or maternal family name is
Padilla.

Félix Resurrección Hidalgo y Padilla (February 21, 1855

– March 13, 1913) was a Filipino artist. He is
acknowledged as one of the great Filipino painters of
the late 19th century, and is significant in Philippine
history for having been an acquaintance and
inspiration for members of the Philippine reform
movement which included José Rizal, Marcelo del
Pilar, Mariano Ponce and Graciano López Jaena,
although he neither involved himself directly in that
movement, nor later associate himself with the First
Philippine Republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.

His winning the silver medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts,
along with the gold win of fellow Filipino painter Juan Luna, prompted a
celebration which was a major highlight in the memoirs of members of the
Philippine reform movement, with Rizal toasting to the two painters' good
health and citing their win as evidence that Filipinos and Spaniards were
equals.

33
•

Graciano López Jaena (December

18, 1856 – January 20, 1896) was a
Filipino journalist, orator,
revolutionary, and national hero
who is well known for his
newspaper, La Solidaridad.[2][3]

Philippine historians regard López

Jaena, along with Marcelo H. del
Pilar and José Rizal, as the
triumvirate of Filipino propagandists.
Of these three ilustrados, López
Jaena was the first to arrive in Spain and may have begun the
Propaganda Movement which advocated the reform of the then-Spanish
colony of the Philippines and which eventually led to the armed Philippine
Revolution that begun in Manila in 1896. The Propaganda Movement was
a key step towrds a Philippine national identity.

Antonio Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta

October 1866 – 5 June 1899) was a Filipino
army general who fought in the Philippine–
American War.

Regarded as one of the fiercest generals of his

time, he succeeded Artemio Ricarte as Chief
of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
He sought to apply his background in military
science to the fledgling army. A sharpshooter
himself, he organized professional guerrilla
soldiers later to be known as the "Luna
Sharpshooters" and the "Black Guard". His
three-tier defense, now known as the Luna
Defense Line, gave the American troops a
hard campaign in the provinces north of Manila. This defense line
culminated in the creation of a military base in the Cordillera.

Despite his commitment to discipline the army and serve the Republic
which attracted the admiration of people, his temper caused some to
abhor him.[2] His efforts were not without recognition during his time, for he
was awarded the Philippine Republic Medal in 1899. He was also a
member of the Malolos Congress.[3] Besides his military studies, Luna also
studied pharmacy, literature and chemistry.[4]

2nd Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Cause of death Assassination
Relations Juan Luna (brother)
Awards Philippine Republic Medal

34
 Military service
"The Fiery General"
Nickname(s)
"Heneral Artikulo Uno"
Allegiance First Philippine Republic

Branch/service Philippine Revolutionary

Army
Years of
1898–1899
service

Rank
Captain General,
Philippine–American War

 Manila
 Caloocan
 Second Caloocan
Battles/wars  Malolos
 Pulilan
 Calumpit
 Apalit
 Santo Tomas

Mariano Ponce (March 22, 1863 – May 23,

1918), was a Filipino physician, writer, and
active member of the Propaganda
Movement. In Spain, he was among the
founders of La Solidaridad and Asociacion
Hispano-Filipino. Among his significant works
was Efemerides Filipinas, a column on
historical events in the Philippines which
appeared in La Oceania Española (1892–
1893) and El Ideal (1911–1912). He wrote Ang
Wika at Lahi (1917), a discussion on the
importance of a national language. He
served as Bulacan's representative to the
Philippine Assembly.

Jose Rizal(left), Marcelo del Pilar (middle),

Mariano Ponce (right)

35
•

Isabelo de
los Reyes y
Florentino,
also known
as Don
Belong (July
7, 1864 –
October 10,
1938), was
a prominent
Filipino
politician,
writer and labor activist in the
19th and 20th centuries. He
was the original founder of the
Iglesia Filipina Independiente,
an independent Philippine
national church. He is now
known as the "Father of
Philippine Folklore", the "Father
of the Philippine Labor
Movement",[1] and the "Father
of Filipino Socialism".[2]

As a young man, de los Reyes

followed his mother's footsteps
by initially turning to writing as
a career; his works were part of
the 1887 Exposicion General
de las Islas Filipinas in
Madrid.[3]:258 He later became
a journalist, editor, and
publisher in Manila, and was
imprisoned in 1897 for
revolutionary activities. He was
deported to the Kingdom of
Spain, where he was jailed for
his activities until 1898. While
living and working in Madrid,
he was influenced by the
writings of European socialists
and Marxists.

Returning to the Philippines in

1901, de los Reyes founded the
first labor union in the country.
He also was active in seeking
independence from the United
States. After serving in the
Philippine Senate in the 1920s,
he settled into private life and

36
religious writing. de los Reyes
wrote on diverse topics in
history, folk-lore, language,
politics, and religion.[3]:255 He
had a total of 27 children with
three successive wives; he
survived all his wives and 12 of
his children.

37
•

Honorary Bishop
Philippine Independent Church
In office
1929–1938
Senator of the Philippines from the First
Senatorial District
In office
1922–1928
Serving with Santiago Fonacier (1922-1925)
Elpidio Quirino (1925-1928)
Vicente Singson
Preceded by
Encarnacion
Succeeded by Melecio Arranz
Member of the Manila City Council
In office
1912–1919
President of the Union Obrera Democratica
In office
1902–1902
Dominador
Succeeded by
Gomez
Personal details
Isabelo de los
Reyes y
Florentino
Born
July 7, 1864
Vigan, Ilocos Sur,

38
 Captaincy
General of the
Philippines
October 10, 1938
(aged 74)
Died
Manila, Philippine
Commonwealth
Nationality Filipino
Josefa Sevilla
María Ángeles
Spouse(s)
López Montero
Maria Lim
Mother Leona Florentino
Father Elias de los Reyes
Colegio de San
Juan de Letran
Alma mater
University of
Santo Tomas
Don Belong,
Nickname(s)
Beluco

Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino, also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October
10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino politician, writer and labor activist in the 19th and
20th centuries. He was the original founder of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, an
independent Philippine national church. He is now known as the "Father of Philippine
Folklore", the "Father of the Philippine Labor Movement",[1] and the "Father of Filipino
Socialism".[2]

As a young man, de los Reyes followed his mother's footsteps by initially turning to
writing as a career; his works were part of the 1887 Exposicion General de las Islas
Filipinas in Madrid.[3]:258 He later became a journalist, editor, and publisher in Manila,
and was imprisoned in 1897 for revolutionary activities. He was deported to the Kingdom
of Spain, where he was jailed for his activities until 1898. While living and working in
Madrid, he was influenced by the writings of European socialists and Marxists.

Returning to the Philippines in 1901, de los Reyes founded the first labor union in the
country. He also was active in seeking independence from the United States. After
serving in the Philippine Senate in the 1920s, he settled into private life and religious
writing. de los Reyes wrote on diverse topics in history, folk-lore, language, politics, and
religion.[3]:255 He had a total of 27 children with three successive wives; he survived all
his wives and 12 of his children.

39
•

Dominador Gómez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Dominador Gomez)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Dominador Gómez (1868 – 1929) was a Filipino ilustrado nationalist,[1] physician, and a
labor leader. He was born in Intramuros, Manila in 1868. He was a nephew of Padre
Mariano Gómez, one of the three secular priests (collectively known in history as the
Gomburza) who were executed in 1872 after being falsely accused of orchestrating the
Cavite mutiny. In 1881 he obtained his bachelor's degree from Ateneo Municipal. He
then took medicine in the University of Santo Tomas, but left for Spain in 1887 to
continue his studies. In Spain he got his license to practice medicine from the University
of Barcelona in 1889 and then went to Madrid to get his doctorate. During this time, he
was an active member of the propaganda movement. He was a leading member of the
Asociacion Hispano-Filipina and a contributor to La Solidaridad. He used the pen name
Ramiro Franco.[2]

After being based in Spain, the "flamboyant Spanish mestizo and propagandist"[2]
returned to the Philippines six months after the return of fellow ilustrado Isabelo de los
Reyes. He succeeded de los Reyes as the head of the Union Obrera Democratica in

40
February 1903.[3] Under his leadership, the UOD launched strikes against American
companies in Manila. He was known for delivering fiery speeches against capitalism and
imperialism. However, his leadership came to an abrupt halt when he was arrested on
May 1, 1903, under charges of sedition and illegal association. The UOD was also
accused of aiding the anti-US resistance of Filipino revolutionary Macario Sakay.
Following the arrest, Gómez resigned from his position in the UOD. He was sentenced
for four years of imprisonment and a year of hard labor, but he was able to gain early
freedom by agreeing to help in the negotiations for Sakay's surrender to the American
Insular Government in 1906. After Sakay's surrender, he engaged in the parliamentary
arena and was elected in the Philippine Assembly in 1909.[3]

Association with Leonor Rivera

See also: Leonor Rivera

A crayon portrait of Leonor Rivera by José Rizal

Leonor Rivera is thought to be the inspiration for the character of María Clara in Noli Me
Tángere and El Filibusterismo.[28] Rivera and Rizal first met in Manila when Rivera was
only 14 years old. When Rizal left for Europe on May 3, 1882, Rivera was 16 years of
age. Their correspondence began when Rizal left a poem for Rivera saying farewell.[29]

The correspondence between Rivera and Rizal kept him focused on his studies in Europe.
They employed codes in their letters because Rivera's mother did not favor Rizal. A letter
from Mariano Katigbak dated June 27, 1884, referred to Rivera as Rizal's "betrothed".
Katigbak described Rivera as having been greatly affected by Rizal's departure,
frequently sick because of insomnia.

When Rizal returned to the Philippines on August 5, 1887, Rivera and her family had
moved back to Dagupan, Pangasinan. Rizal was forbidden by his father Francisco
Mercado to see Rivera in order to avoid putting the Rivera family in danger because at
the time Rizal was already labeled by the criollo elite as a filibustero or subversive[29]
because of his novel Noli Me Tángere. Rizal wanted to marry Rivera while he was still in
the Philippines because of Rivera's uncomplaining fidelity. Rizal asked permission from
his father one more time before his second departure from the Philippines. The meeting
never happened. In 1888, Rizal stopped receiving letters from Rivera for a year, although
Rizal kept sending letters to Rivera. The reason for Rivera's year of silence was the
connivance between Rivera's mother and the Englishman named Henry Kipping, a

41
•

railway engineer who fell in love with Rivera and was favored by Rivera's mother.[29][30]
The news of Leonor Rivera's marriage to Kipping devastated Rizal.

Relationship with Josephine Bracken

Further information: Josephine Bracken

In February 1895, Rizal, 33, met Josephine Bracken, an Irish woman from Hong Kong,
when she accompanied her blind adoptive father, George Taufer, to have his eyes
checked by Rizal.[31] After frequent visits, Rizal and Bracken fell in love with each other.
They applied to marry but, because of Rizal's reputation from his writings and political
stance, the local priest Father Obach would only hold the ceremony if Rizal could get
permission from the Bishop of Cebu. He was unable to obtain an ecclesiastical marriage
because he would not return to Catholicism.[6]

After accompanying her father to Manila on her return to Hong Kong, and before heading
back to Dapitan to live with Rizal, Josephine introduced herself to members of Rizal's
family in Manila. His mother suggested a civil marriage, which she believed to be a
lesser sacrament but less sinful to Rizal's conscience than making any sort of political
retraction in order to gain permission from the Bishop.[32] Rizal and Josephine lived as
husband and wife in a common-law marriage in Talisay in Dapitan. The couple had a son
who lived only for a few hours after Josephine suffered a miscarriage; Rizal named him
after his father Francisco.[33]

Mi último adiós"

Main article: Mi último adiós

The poem is more aptly titled, "Adiós, Patria Adorada" (literally "Farewell, Beloved
Fatherland"), by virtue of logic and literary tradition, the words coming from the first
line of the poem itself. It first appeared in print not in Manila but in Hong Kong in 1897,
when a copy of the poem and an accompanying photograph came to J. P. Braga who
decided to publish it in a monthly journal he edited. There was a delay when Braga, who
greatly admired Rizal, wanted a good facsimile of the photograph and sent it to be
engraved in London, a process taking well over two months. It finally appeared under 'Mi
último pensamiento,' a title he supplied and by which it was known for a few years. Thus,
the Jesuit Balaguer's anonymous account of the retraction and the marriage to Josephine
was published in Barcelona before word of the poem's existence had reached him and he
could revise what he had written. His account was too elaborate for Rizal to have had
time to write "Adiós."

Six years after his death, when the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 was being debated in
the United States Congress, Representative Henry Cooper of Wisconsin rendered an
English translation of Rizal's valedictory poem capped by the peroration, "Under what
clime or what skies has tyranny claimed a nobler victim?"[71] Subsequently, the US
Congress passed the bill into law, which is now known as the Philippine Organic Act of
1902.[72]

This was a major breakthrough for a US Congress that had yet to grant the equal rights to
African Americans guaranteed to them in the US Constitution and at a time the Chinese
Exclusion Act was still in effect. It created the Philippine legislature, appointed two
Filipino delegates to the US Congress, extended the US Bill of Rights to Filipinos, and
laid the foundation for an autonomous government. The colony was on its way to
independence.[72] The Americans, however, would not sign the bill into law until 1916
and did not recognize Philippine Independence until the Treaty of Manila in 1946—fifty
years after Rizal's death. This same poem, which has inspired independence activists

42
across the region and beyond, was recited (in its Indonesian translation by Rosihan
Anwar) by Indonesian soldiers of independence before going into battle.[73]

Later life of Bracken

Josephine Bracken, whom Rizal addressed as his wife on his last day,[74] promptly joined
the revolutionary forces in Cavite province, making her way through thicket and mud
across enemy lines, and helped reloading spent cartridges at the arsenal in Imus under the
revolutionary General Pantaleón García. Imus came under threat of recapture that the
operation was moved, with Bracken, to Maragondon, the mountain redoubt in Cavite.[75]

She witnessed the Tejeros Convention prior to returning to Manila and was summoned by
the Governor-General, but owing to her stepfather's American citizenship she could not
be forcibly deported. She left voluntarily returning to Hong Kong. She later married
another Filipino, Vicente Abad, a mestizo acting as agent for the Tabacalera firm in the
Philippines. She died of tuberculosis in Hong Kong in March 15, 1902, and was buried at
the Happy Valley Cemetery.[75] She was immortalized by Rizal in the last stanza of Mi
Ultimo Adios: "Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, my joy...".

Criticism and controversies

Attempts to debunk legends surrounding Rizal, and the tug of war between free thinker
and Catholic, have kept his legacy controversial.

43
•

Rizal Shrine in Calamba City, Laguna, the ancestral house and birthplace of José Rizal, is
now a museum housing Rizal memorabilia.

José Rizal's original grave at Paco Park in Manila. Slightly renovated and date repainted
in English.

National hero status

The confusion over Rizal's real stance on the Philippine Revolution leads to the
sometimes bitter question of his ranking as the nation's premier hero.[77][78] But then
again, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)
Section Chief Teodoro Atienza, and Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, there is no
Filipino historical figure, including Rizal, that was officially declared as national hero
through law or executive order.[79][80] Although, there were laws and proclamations
honoring Filipino heroes.

Made national hero by colonial Americans

Some[who?] suggest that Jose Rizal was made a legislated national hero by the American
forces occupying the Philippines. In 1901, the American Governor General William
Howard Taft suggested that the U.S. sponsored Philippine Commission name Rizal a
national hero for Filipinos. Jose Rizal was an ideal candidate, favourable to the American
occupiers since he was dead, and non-violent, a favourable quality which, if emulated by
Filipinos, would not threaten the American rule or change the status quo of the occupiers
of the Philippine islands. Rizal did not advocate independence for the Philippines
either.[81] Subsequently, the US-sponsored commission passed Act No. 346 which set the
anniversary of Rizal’s death as a “day of observance.”[82]

Renato Constantino writes Rizal is a "United States-sponsored hero" who was promoted
as the greatest Filipino hero during the American colonial period of the Philippines –

44
after Aguinaldo lost the Philippine–American War. The United States promoted Rizal,
who represented peaceful political advocacy (in fact, repudiation of violent means in
general) instead of more radical figures whose ideas could inspire resistance against
American rule. Rizal was selected over Andrés Bonifacio who was viewed "too radical"
and Apolinario Mabini who was considered "unregenerate."[83]

Made national hero by Emilio Aguinaldo

On the other hand, numerous sources[84] quote that it was General Emilio Aguinaldo, and
not the second Philippine Commission, who first recognized December 30 as "national
day of mourning in memory of Rizal and other victims of Spanish tyranny. As per them,
the first celebration of Rizal Day was held in Manila on December 30, 1898, under the
sponsorship of the Club Filipino.[85]

The veracity of both claims seems to be justified and hence difficult to ascertain.
However, most historians agree that a majority of Filipinos were unaware of Rizal during
his lifetime,[86] as he was a member of the richer elite classes (he was born in an affluent
family, had lived abroad for nearly as long as he had lived in the Philippines) and wrote
primarily in an elite language (at that time, Tagalog and Cebuano were the languages of
the masses) about ideals as lofty as freedom (the masses were more concerned about day
to day issues like earning money and making a living, something which has not changed
much today).[87]

Teodoro Agoncillo opines that the Philippine national hero, unlike those of other
countries, is not "the leader of its liberation forces". He gives the opinion that Andrés
Bonifacio not replace Rizal as national hero, like some have suggested, but that be
honored alongside him.[88]

Constantino's analysis has been criticised for its polemicism and inaccuracies regarding
Rizal.[89] The historian Rafael Palma, contends that the revolution of Bonifacio is a
consequence wrought by the writings of Rizal and that although the Bonifacio's revolver
produced an immediate outcome, the pen of Rizal generated a more lasting
achievement.[90]

The Galleon Trade

THE Manila Galleon Trade lasted for 250 years and ended in 1815 with Mexico’s war of
independence. In terms of longevity alone, plus the trade that it engendered between
Asia, Spanish America and onward to Europe and Africa, it brought in its wake events
and movement of people among the various continents that are still apparent and in place
today.

It made Mexico a world city. The Philippines, ostensibly a Spanish colony, was governed
from Mexico which gave it an Asian extension. Population flows between Asia and
Spanish America via Acapulco were, in terms of the times, huge. About 40,000 to
60,000, maybe 100,000, mostly Chinese and in particular Filipinos, made up that flow.
There is an existing Filipino presence in Louisiana and definitely in Mexico from those
times. Some of the founders of California seem to be of Filipino descent. Emiliano
Zapata, the Mexican revolutionary, was said to have Filipino ancestry.

The migrants came as servants, slaves, sailors, barbers, vendors, harp players, dancers,
scribes, tailors, cobblers, silversmiths and coachmen. Mexico’s Plaza Mayor, known as
the Zocalo, became a place of stalls and shops selling the Asian imports where the city’s
myriad populations mixed in buying and selling. They called it the Parian after the
Chinese district of Manila known as such. Manila’s Chinatown is considered the oldest in
the world. In Mexico, the Parian began in the late 16th century and by the 18th century
was a permanent edifice. Items sold or traded were spices from the Orient, ivory,

45
•

diamonds, Chinese porcelain, Indian fabrics, Siamese ebony, rubies and emeralds from
India. From the Philippines, I would guess, ivory religious images, our indigenous fabrics
in cotton, indigo and wooden furniture.

Asian arts found a market in Mexico and beyond. They were eventually emulated and
adapted locally. Thus, Japanese lacquer desks, Chinese wall hangings and Chinese
porcelain were imitated and reproduced in Mexico. For example, the folding screens
called “biombo” in Spanish were originally from the Japanese word for them “byobu.”
Eventually, these biombos showed images of Mexico City’s best known places.

Mexico became a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan nation in urbanization and sophistication.

At the time of the Manila Galleon, it was one of the richest cities in the world with
leading cultural and intellectual aspects to its urban life. It had a printing press as early as
1535. Its native costumes had an Oriental influence acknowledging its opening to the
world. It introduced chocolate and other crops (sweet potato, vegetables, fruits) not only
to the world but particularly to the Orient because of trade. Mexico and the rest of
Spanish America (also grown rich from trading and silver mines) had the first universities
in the American continent, long before those of North America. Mexico was then a city
of books, writers, students, with influences from Asian cultures. A historian, Juan
Gonzales de Mendoza published in Mexico Historia de las Cosas Mas Notables, Ritos y
Costumbres del Gran Reyno de la China in 1583. It became the first popular book on
China in the West. Antonio de Morga who wrote Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas in 1609
(not only about relations with the Philippines but with China, Japan and Southeast Asia)
published it in Mexico in 1609. Here was a city on the cutting edge of world knowledge,
trade and diplomacy.

Potosi in Bolivia began mining a mountain of silver in 1545 and soon produced half of
the world’s silver, which during the Manila Galleon trade was coveted by the Chinese
economy in exchange for its goods. As a result, Potosi’s population was larger than that
of any other city in the Americas at the end of the 16th century. It had more than a dozen
dancehalls, 80 churches, and fountains (?) of wine and chicha (Andean corn beer). It is
estimated that one-third of its silver production ended up in China. By that time Mexican
silver mines had made an industrial innovation – the use of mercury to extract silver from
ore as against smelting. This was certainly in the light of today and its consequences, an
unhealthy and anti-environmental industrial innovation but at that time it made things
easier – more silver could be extracted from ore. Potosi was so famous it was mentioned
in Don Quijote and Mateo Ricci placed it in the Chinese world map of 1602.

Manila ranked just below Mexico in urbanization and sophistication. It was not quite a
world city compared to Mexico, being more a regional trading hub where China, India,
Japan and Southeast Asia sent their goods to be consolidated for shipping. Those who ran
the hub and did most of the work were Chinese. They packed the goods (no one could
pack better than them, putting more merchandise in the limited spaces and chests on the
galleon than anyone else could). They came in junks yearly, bringing goods that not only
competed in price but in quality and innovation with the rest of the world. The Chinese
served as part of the galleon crews together with Filipinos and other nationalities (the
galleon crews were mostly East Asian with a sprinkling of various European
nationalities). They most probably clandestinely participated in the galleon trade which
no one but Spaniards were allowed to do. Many Chinese became very wealthy through
hard work. Manila was almost a Chinese city with the huge migration of Chinese due to
the Manila Galleon trade as against the few Spaniards and Filipino natives. So much so
that the Spaniards feared them, taxed them, sent them out to the Parian and eventually,
when tensions rose, massacred them. Such massacres were at their height in the 17th
century from suspicion, unease and fear, until the Spaniards and the Chinese learned to
live with each other in the next few centuries.

Advertisements

46
Manila was the gateway to China not only for being the entrepot where Chinese goods
along with those of Japan, India, Southeast Asia were assembled for re-export to the
West, but for its role in mediating information about China. Martin de Rada acquired
Chinese books in Manila in 1575. The first translation of classical Chinese texts into a
European language took place in Manila when Mingxin Borojiau was translated into
Espejo Rico de Claro Corazon in 1593 and published in Manila by Juan Cobo who also
translated Seneca into Chinese.

Manila was so widely famed as the galleon trade hub that it attracted predators who
dreamed of or imagined the riches it had. For example, the Dutch East India Company
believed trade could not be maintained without war. It proved it in the Dutch East Indies.
The British East India Company led the way (with the British Navy in complicity) to take
Manila in 1762, using the Seven Years’ War in Europe as an excuse. But when it came to
larger longstanding nations in the East like China and Japan and Thailand, European
colonizers could not project much force. Spain did not, but it was able to run the Manila
Galleon trade for years despite its problems with the Chinese in Manila and the fact that
both sides were breaking the rules along the way. There was an equilibrium between
China and Spain (the Sinic-Spanish global trade) that brought on trade understanding,
diplomatic relations, enduring relationships. Much different from the Anglo-American
and Dutch events in Asia with colonization, trade with colonies, industrialization and
gunboat diplomacy, the opium wars, oppressive demand for cash crops, taking advantage
of the chaos in China, and the weakness of the East Indies.

In the above trade relations, China is the other, the hostile, the dangerous. There must be
a lesson to be learned from the Sinic-Spanish Manila Galleon Trade which could be
applicable today for better relations in the modern world. The authors of The Silver Way
have interesting insights and recommendations along this line.

There is much more to be said and learned about the initial globalization chapter of
history that was the Manila Galleon Trade. Indeed, it was the first established world trade
relationship that can only be recognized as global for its influence on not only those
directly involved but by diffusion, the rest of the world.

I highly recommend The Silver Way by Peter Gordon and Juan Jose Morales (Penguin
Books, 2017), on which I have based this review. I thank Peter Geldart of the Philippine
Map Collectors Society for bringing me an autographed copy from the book launch last
week in Hong Kong.

47
•

ANOTHER Source of Gal Trade

Manila galleon

The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons (Spanish: Galeones de Manila-

Acapulco) were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific
Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain (present-day
Mexico). The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from. Service
was inaugurated in 1565 with the discovery of the ocean passage by Andrés de Urdaneta,
and continued until 1815 when the Mexican War of Independence put a permanent stop
to the galleon trade route.

Though service was not inaugurated until almost 50 years after the death of Christopher
Columbus, the Manila galleons constitute the fulfillment of Columbus’ dream of sailing
west to go east to bring the riches of the Indies to Spain, and the rest of Europe.
Contents

Discovery of the route

The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade began when Andrés de Urdaneta, sailing in convoy
under Miguel López de Legazpi, discovered a return route from Cebu City to Mexico in
1565. Attempting the return the fleet split up, some heading south. Urdaneta reasoned
that the trade winds of the Pacific might move in a gyre as the Atlantic winds did. If in
the Atlantic ships made a wide swing (the “volta”) to the west to pick up winds that
would bring them back from Madeira, then, he reasoned, by sailing far to the north before
heading east he would pick up trade winds to bring him back to the west coast of North
America.

48
Though he sailed to 38 degrees North before turning east, his hunch paid off, and he hit
the coast near Cape Mendocino, California, then followed the coast south to San Blas and
later to Acapulco. Most of his crew died on the long initial voyage, for which they had
not sufficiently provisioned.

By the 18th century it was understood that a less northerly track was sufficient, but
galleon navigators steered well clear of the forbidding and rugged fogbound California
coast; According to historian William Lytle Schurz, “They generally made their landfall
well down the coast, somewhere between Point Conception and Cape San Lucas…After
all, these were preeminently merchant ships, and the business of exploration lay outside
their field, though chance discoveries were welcomed”.

The first motivation for exploration of Alta California was to scout out possible way-
stations for the seaworn Manila galleons on the last leg of their journey. Early proposals
came to little, but in the later 18th century

The Manila-Acapulco trade route started in 1568 and Spanish treasure fleets and its
eastwards rivals, the Portuguese India Armadas routes of 1498-1640.

Trade served as the fundamental source of income for Spanish colonists in the Philippine
Islands. A total of 110 Manila galleons set sail in the 250 years of the Manila-Acapulco
galleon trade (1565 to 1815). Until 1593, three or more ships would set sail annually
from each port. The Manila trade was becoming so lucrative that Seville merchants
petitioned king Philip II of Spain to protect the monopoly of the Casa de Contratación
based in Seville. This led to the passing of a decree in 1593 that set a limit of two ships
sailing each year from either port, with one kept in reserve in Acapulco and one in
Manila. An “armada” or armed escort of galleons, was also approved.

With such limitations it was essential to build the largest possible galleons, which were
the largest class of ships known to have been built anywhere up to that time. In the 16th
century, they averaged from 1,700 to 2,000 tons, were built of Philippine hardwoods and
could carry a thousand passengers. The Concepción, wrecked in 1638, was 43 to 49 m
(140–160 feet) long and displacing some 2,000 tons. The Santísima Trinidad was 51.5 m
long. Most of the ships were built in the Philippines and only eight in Mexico. The
Manila-Acapulco galleon trade ended in 1815, a few years before Mexico gained
independence from Spain in 1821. After this, the Spanish Crown took direct control of
the Philippines, and was governed directly from Madrid. This became manageable in the
mid-19th century upon the invention of steam power ships and the opening of the Suez
Canal, which reduced the travel time from Spain to the Philippines to 40 days.

The galleons carried spices, porcelain, ivory, lacquerware, processed silk cloth gathered
from both the Spice Islands, and Asia-Pacific, to be sold in the Americas, namely New
Spain and Peru as well as in European markets. East Asia trading was primarily on a
silver standard; the goods were mostly bought by Mexican silver. The cargoes were
transported by land across Mexico to the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, where
they were loaded onto the Spanish treasure fleet bound for Spain. This route was the
alternative to the trip west across the Indian Ocean, and around the Cape of Good Hope,
which was reserved to Portugal according to the Treaty of Tordesillas. It also avoided
stopping over at ports controlled by competing powers, such as Portugal and the
Netherlands. From the early days of exploration, the Spanish knew that the American
continent was much narrower across the Panamanian isthmus than across Mexico. They
tried to establish a regular land crossing there, but the thick jungle, and malaria made it
impractical.

It took four months to sail across the Pacific Ocean from Manila to Acapulco, and the
galleons were the main link between the Philippines and the viceregal capital at Mexico
City and thence to Spain itself. Many of the so-called “Kastilas” or Spaniards in the

49
•

Philippines were actually of Mexican descent, and the Hispanic culture of the Philippines
is somewhat close to Mexican culture. Even when Mexico finally gained its
independence, the two nations still continued to trade, except for a brief lull during the
Spanish-American War. The Manila galleons sailed the Pacific for nearly three centuries,
bringing to Spain their cargoes of luxury goods, economic benefits, and cultural
exchange.

The wrecks of the Manila galleons are legends second only to the wrecks of treasure
ships in the Caribbean. In 1568, Miguel López de Legazpi’s own ship, the San Pablo (300
tons), was the first Manila galleon to be wrecked en route to Mexico.

 Home
 Visit
 Research
 News
 Contact

The Galleon Trade 3rd source

From 1565 to 1815, the galleon trade contributed to the change of culture, language and
environment for both Philippines and Mexico

The Galleon Trade

When the remarkable navigator-priest Andres de Urdaneta figured out how to get back to
Mexico from the Philippines in 1565—where previous navigators failed to recognize the
Kuroshio Current, a nautical highway in the northern Pacific Ocean, moving from Japan to
California’s Monterrey coastline, and thus to Acapulco—the world was reborn.

From that point onwards, the extraordinarily luxurious artisanal material from China and
the rest of Asia, would travel by water to the New and Old Worlds. The New World (the
Americas) and the Old World (Europe) had an almost inexhaustible yearning for silks and

50
damasks, medicinal concoctions, exotic animals and exotic animal parts, rare woods and
hard wood furniture, spices, minerals, planting materials, tools, and, indeed, information.

No longer passing through the arduous Silk Road to Europe, via caravans that remained
vulnerable, through centuries, to sandstorms and thieves, the traders of 15th century Manila
and Acapulco embarked on a novel trading concept. The goods were, to be sure, vulnerable
to fierce storms and perhaps even fiercer pirates; but would, with luck and through the
intercession of the Christian Virgin Mary, ride the waves towards buyers for European, or
European-style aristocratic salons.

The spaces in the cargo holds of these ships were divided amongst holders of tickets called
boletas. Charitable institutions as well as legitimate traders held these boletas which were
spaces they were entitled to in the galleon holds. For 250 years, these represented real
measures of wealth.

Should these shipments fall to pirates or inclement weather, not only fortunes were lost.
Family honor and individual lives met unhappy ends. But the history of the trade produced
the first banks (from the charitable institutions that undertook pious work, obras pias) and
commodity markets with global breadth.

The galleon trade persisted—and persisted with gumption!—within its theater of

economic hopes, knavery, prayer, bravura risk-taking, political shenanigans, exchange of
vital ideas and fluids. Residents of Las Islas Filipinas took the pineapple of the Americas
and wove its leaves into the finest cloth imaginable. Residents of Mexico took to the
fighting cock, apparently brought on board by the men from the Philippines. Music, of
course, was to weave together from melodies spun on both sides of the Pacific.

51
•

The wealth built cities. The earliest walls of Intramuros were paid for by galleon profit.
The markets built distribution networks through deep parts of Mexico. The galleons left
Manila to the ringing of the bells of the Manila Cathedral and choirs singing the Te Deum.
Upon arrival in Acapulco, a gargantuan feria was held to sell the goods.

Through those two centuries and a half, Cavite boat builders created almost all the galleons
that sailed. Ilocano weavers provided the sails. The Philippines was governed from
Acapulco, so far were these islands from the seat of the Spanish Crown.

The demise of the trade in the Pacific coincided with the War of Independence. This is not
regarded as mere coincidence, because the death knell for the period of colonization was
also the arrival bells for a modern world built on sovereign nations. The galleon trade itself
ended as it yielded to faster ships, new routes opened up by the newly built Suez Canal,
and liberalization of politics in centers such as Madrid.

But the galleon remains a vivid shadow of the present and the future of commerce and
cultural exchange in the Pacific. The Filipinos and the Mexicans apparently created a
mutually intelligible common culture; and they are determined to participate in global
exchange, simply on the basis of this common heritage.

52
53
•

54
Suez Canal
canal, Egypt
Written By:

 Charles Gordon Smith

 William B. Fisher

See Article History

55
•

Alternative Title: Qanāt al-Suways

Suez Canal, Arabic Qanāt al-Suways, sea-level waterway running north-south across
the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean and the Red seas. The canal
separates the African continent from Asia, and it provides the shortest maritime route
between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It is
one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes. The canal extends 120 miles (193
km) between Port Said (Būr Saʿīd) in the north and Suez in the south, with dredged
approach channels north of Port Said, into the Mediterranean, and south of Suez. The
canal does not take the shortest route across the isthmus, which is only 75 miles (121
km). Instead, it utilizes several lakes: from north to south, Lake Manzala (Buḥayrat al-
Manzilah), Lake Timsah (Buḥayrat al-Timsāḥ), and the Bitter Lakes—Great Bitter Lake
(Al-Buḥayrah al-Murrah al-Kubrā) and Little Bitter Lake (Al-Buḥayrah al-Murrah al-
Ṣughrā). The Suez Canal is an open cut, without locks, and, though extensive straight
lengths occur, there are eight major bends. To the west of the canal is the low-lying delta
of the Nile River, and to the east is the higher, rugged, and arid Sinai Peninsula. Prior to
construction of the canal (completed in 1869), the only important settlement was Suez,
which in 1859 had 3,000 to 4,000 inhabitants. The rest of the towns along its banks have
grown up since, with the possible exception of Al-Qanṭarah.

Read More on This Topic

Noli Me Tangere (English Summary)

A summary in English of the classic Philippine novel Noli Me Tangere, written in
Spanish by Filipino national hero Jose Rizal

Juan Crisostomo Ibarra is a young Filipino who, after studying for seven years in Europe,
returns to his native land to find that his father, a wealthy landowner, has died in prison
as the result of a quarrel with the parish curate, a Franciscan friar named Padre Damaso.
Ibarra is engaged to a beautiful and accomplished girl, Maria Clara, the supposed
daughter and only child of the rich Don Santiago de los Santos, commonly known as
“Capitan Tiago.”

Ibarra resolves to forego all quarrels and to work for the betterment of his people. To
show his good intentions, he seeks to establish, at his own expense, a public school in his
native town. He meets with ostensible support from all, especially Padre Damaso’s
successor, a young and gloomy Franciscan named Padre Salvi, for whom Maria Clara
confesses to an instinctive dread.

At the laying of the cornerstone for the new schoolhouse, a suspicious accident,
apparently aimed at Ibarra’s life, occurs, but the festivities proceed until the dinner,
where Ibarra is grossly and wantonly insulted over the memory of his father by Fray

56
Damaso. The young man loses control of himself and is about to kill the friar, who is
saved by the intervention of Maria Clara.

Ibarra is excommunicated, and Capitan Tiago, through his fear of the friars, is forced to
break the engagement and agree to the marriage of Maria Clara with a young and
inoffensive Spaniard provided by Padre Damaso. Obedient to her reputed father’s
command and influenced by her mysterious dread of Padre Salvi, Maria Clara consents to
this arrangement, but becomes seriously ill, only to be saved by medicines sent secretly
by Ibarra and clandestinely administered by a girl friend.

Ibarra succeeds in having the excommunication removed, but before he can explain
matters, an uprising against the Civil Guard is secretly brought about through agents of
Padre Salvi, and the leadership is ascribed to Ibarra to ruin him. He is warned by a
mysterious friend, an outlaw called Elias, whose life he had accidentally saved; but
desiring first to see Maria Clara, he refuses to make his escape, and when the outbreak
page occurs, he is arrested as the instigator of it and thrown into prison in Manila.

On the evening when Capitan Tiago gives a ball in his Manila house to celebrate his
supposed daughter’s engagement, Ibarra makes his escape from prison and succeeds in
seeing Maria Clara alone. He begins to reproach her because it is a letter written to her
before he went to Europe which forms the basis of the charge against him, but she clears
herself of treachery to him. The letter had been secured from her by false representations
and in exchange for two others written by her mother just before her birth, which prove
that Padre Damaso is her real father. These letters had been accidentally discovered in the
convento by Padre Salvi, who made use of them to intimidate the girl and get possession
of Ibarra’s letter, from which he forged others to incriminate the young man. She tells
him that she will marry the young Spaniard, sacrificing herself thus to save her mother’s
name and Capitan Tiago’s honor and to prevent a public scandal, but that she will always
remain true to him.

Ibarra’s escape had been effected by Elias, who conveys him in a banka up the Pasig to
the Lake, where they are so closely beset by the Civil Guard that Elias leaps into the
water and draws the pursuers away from the boat, in which Ibarra lies concealed.

On Christmas Eve, at the tomb of the Ibarras in a gloomy wood, Elias appears, wounded
and dying, to find there a boy named Basilio beside the corpse of his mother, a poor
woman who had been driven to insanity by her husband’s neglect and abuses on the part
of the Civil Guard, her younger son having page disappeared some time before in the
convento, where he was a sacristan. Basilio, who is ignorant of Elias’s identity, helps him
to build a funeral pyre, on which his corpse and the madwoman’s are to be burned.

Upon learning of the reported death of Ibarra in the chase on the Lake, Maria Clara
becomes disconsolate and begs her supposed godfather, Fray Damaso, to put her in a
nunnery. Unconscious of her knowledge of their true relationship, the friar breaks down
and confesses that all the trouble he has stirred up with the Ibarras has been to prevent her
from marrying a native, which would condemn her and her children to the oppressed and
enslaved class. He finally yields to her entreaties and she enters the nunnery of St. Clara,
to which Padre Salvi is soon assigned in a ministerial capacity.

El Filibusterismo (English Summary)

A summary in English of the classic Philippine novel El Filibuterismo, a sequel to Jose
Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere

The book is also known in English by the title The Reign of Greed.

57
•

SUMMARY OF EL FILI

The protagonist of El Filibusterismo is a jeweler named Simoun. He is the new identity

of Crisostomo Ibarra who, in the prequel Noli, escaped from pursuing soldiers. It is
revealed that Crisostomo dug up his buried treasure and fled to Cuba, becoming richer
and befriending Spanish officials.

After many years, the newly fashioned Simoun returns to the Philippines, where he is
able to freely move around. He is a powerful figure not only because of his wealth but
also because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general.

Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain; however, in secret, he is plotting a terrible

revenge against the Spanish authorities. His two obsessions are to rescue his paramour
Maria Clara from the nunnery of Santa Clara and to foment a Philippine revolution
against Spain.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board a steamer ship sailing up the Pasig river
from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the passengers are Simoun; Doña Victorina, a
pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her henpecked husband,
Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her beautiful niece; Ben-
Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly articles about the
Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra,
the parish priest of the town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-Spanish Filipino holding a
position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan friar and former cura of San
Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend of the Filipino students; Padre
Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of
Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical
student, whose medical education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.

A man of wealth and mystery, Simoun is a very close friend and confidante of the
Spanish governor general. Because of his great influence in Malacañang, he was called
the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black Eminence”. By using his wealth and political
influence, he encourages corruption in the government, promotes the oppression of the
masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the country so that the people may become
desperate and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with the help of a rich Chinese
merchant, Quiroga, who aspires to be Chinese consul of Manila. His first attempt to
begin the armed uprising did not materialize because at the last hour he hears the sad
news that Maria Clara died in the nunnery. In his agonizing moment of bereavement, he
did not give the signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun
perfects his plan to overthrow the government. On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita
Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives a wedding gift to them a beautiful lamp. Only he and
his confidential associates, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined his revolutionary cause), know
that when the wick of his lamp burns lower the nitroglycerine, hidden in its secret
compartment, will explode, destroying the house where the wedding feast is going to be
held killing all the guests, including the governor general, the friars, and the government
officials. Simultaneously, all the government buildings in Manila will be blown by
Simoun’s followers.

As the wedding feast begins, the poet Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita because
of his liberal ideas, is standing outside the house, sorrowfully watching the merriment
inside. Basilio, his friend, warns him to go away because the lightened lamp will soon
explode.

58
Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani realizes that his beloved Paulita is in
grave danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the lightened lamp, and
hurls it into the river, where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot is thus discovered. Simoun is cornered by the soldiers, but he
escapes. Mortally wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he seeks refuge in the home
of Padre Florentino by the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the house of Padre Florentino.
Lieutenant Perez of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he will come at
eight o’clock that night to arrest Simoun.

Simoun eludes arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he confesses to Padre Florentino,

revealing his true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his
sinister aim to destroy his friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is already night when Padre
Florentino, wiping the sweat from his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to meditate. He
consoles the dying man saying: “God will forgive you Señor Simoun. He knows that we
are fallible. He has seen that you have suffered, and in ordaining that the chastisement for
your faults should come as death from the very ones you have instigated to crime, we can
see His infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans one by one, the best conceived, first
by the death of Maria Clara, then by a lack of preparation, then in some mysterious way.
Let us bow to His will and render Him thanks!”

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God, Padre
Florentino falls upon his knees and prays for the dead jeweler. The priest then takes the
treasure chest and throws it into the sea.

Liberalism, Suez Canal, Manila to World

Trade

Origins of 19c Liberalism

 easier and faster communication with Spain

 development of agricultural exports
 development of Manila to world trade
 Often going of foreign merchants in the Philippines carrying their liberal thought.
 emergence of another elite among the native population- the ilustrados.

Liberalism in Europe and the Philippines

1868-1870 -the revolt in Spain, which had deposed Isabella II, succeeded in establishing a Provisional
Republic, which for about two years put liberalism in the saddle.

General Carlos Maria de la Torre, a fierce liberal, brought liberalism in the Philippines and was appointed
to be the Governor-General.

 1787 -a Frenchman named Sebir conducted a profitable business in Manila

59
•

 1798 -Tomas de Comyn, a Spanish writer, in his book published in Madrid 1820, mentioned an
unnamed English merchant who left the Philippines in 1798 after living in Manila for 20 years
during which he became rich.
 1821 -George W. Hubbell, an American businessman, and his younger brother Henry, arrived in
Manila, engaged in business, and founded the Hubbell Company.

General Francisco Serrano

The opening on November 17, 1869 of the Suez Canal in Egypt, one of the
most important artificial sea-level waterways in the world, paved the way
for the Philippines' direct commercial relations with Spain instead of via
Mexico.

Factors of the Rise of Filipino Nationalism

The word was first used when the term was adopted by the Spanish political party, the Liberales, in 1812.

ADIOS!
November of 1870, the Spanish Cortes elected a new constitutional monarch (an Italian prince, Amadeo,
who reigned only three years) and six months later, brought a new Governor to the Philippines, General
Rafael de Izquierdo.

Opening of Manila to World Trade

Opening of Suez Canal

Effects:
In general, liberalism in Europe is a political movement that supports a broad tradition of individual
liberties and constitutionally-limited and democratically accountable government. This usually
encompasses the belief that government should act to alleviate poverty and other social problems, but not
through radical changes to the structure of society.

In the nineteenth century the European powers, including Spain,

liberalized their colonial policies because of the teachings of the English
thinker, Adam Smith, and other advocates of economic freedom.

Influenced by this new spirit, the Spanish king issued the Royal Decree of
September 6, 1834, which officially opened the port of Manila to world
trade.

60
Rizal and the Ilustrados in Spain*
Noel V. Teodoro
University of the Philippines

This article focuses on the experiences of the ilustrados as exiles in

Spain.Censorship was an important factor in the decision of several ilustrados to
leave the country. In addition to the notable propagandistas, Jaena, del Pilar,and
Rizal, the article also mentions others who were part of the Filipino community in
Spain. In their campaign for reforms, the ilustrados workedhard to correct racist
images drawn by Spanish writers about the Philippinesand the Filipinos. Together
with progressive Spaniards, they presented theirdemands for assimilation, good
governance, and representation in the Cor-tés. The newspaper La solidaridad and
the founding of masonic organizationswere the venues for the reforms waged by the
ilustrados. Rizal later con-cluded that they needed to return to the Motherland and to
initiate changefrom within.At the outset, it is important to highlight the statement
of Jose Rizal toMariano Ponce and the editorial staff of La solidaridad in his
letter of April18, 1889 regarding the events of 1872, particularly the execution
of the threepriests, Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora who
wereimplicated in the uprising of the workers in the arsenal of Cavite:If it were
not for the events of 1872 there would not have been aPlaridel, or a Jaena, or
a Sancianco or the great and noble Filipinosociety in Europe would have not
been formed. If not for the eventsof 1872, Rizal would have been a Jesuit and
instead of writing theNoli me tangere, he would have written the opposite of it.
The reign* Translated from Pilipino.
66ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALof injustice and wickedness
opened my mind and I vowed tomyself to someday avenge for the victims and
the aggrieved...(Guerrero, 1969:508).It is clear from the quotation that the
year 1872 was significant to theFilipinos who left, if not fled, to Spain to
escape the conservatism of theprevailing social order. The climate of
persecution and oppression was notconducive to the Filipino ilustrados who
espoused patriotism and national-ism through progressive and liberal ideas.
This development challengedthe monastic authority or frailocracia, the
backbone of the reactionarycolonial government.The prolonged colonization
of Spain gave birth to a backward society.Education was weak and stagnant,
since, according to a Franciscan friar,the Filipino Indio did not need it because
it was not important for theattainment of glory in heaven (Bustamante, 1996,
1885). It is not good forthe Indio, he said, to separate from his carabao in

61
•

order to waste his timestudying in Manila (more so outside the country after
the opening of theSuez Canal in 1869) because, when he returns to his place
of origin, hebecomes a treacherous man, meaning an enemy of the state, of
the churchand those in power.Another obstacle to the progress of knowledge
and education was theComisión permanente de censura (Permanent
Commission of Censors) whichwas established on October 7, 1856
(Agoncillo, 1974:13; Retana, 1965). Allprintings and publications, newspapers
and magazines, books, variousother forms of publications, shows, and even
materials which containeddrawings and engravings, were subject to the
scrutiny of the censors.Often, the reason for censorship,especially texts which
contained new and“dangerous” ideas like “pantheism” and “materialism,” were
shallow andunjustified (Mojares,1983:110). Censorship inflicted great damage
to theintellectual freedom of writers and because of this, the Filipino
ilustradoscampaigned to have it abolished in the soonest time possible
(Agoncillo,1974). In a report by W.E. Retana, a certain Georgel was quoted
as saying:“the oppressed always demand the right to freedom of the press
while theoppressor and the unjust demand the right to censorship” (Retana,
1965).The author ended his report by saying that there was only one
comment orobservation that can be made in relation to the senseless
censorship in thearchipelago: that in the Philippines, works which are
worthless and full ofstupidity are the ones which pass censorship — like Fr.
Casimiro Herrero’sEl Capitán Juan (Captain Juan) and Fr. Miguel Lucio
Bustamante’s TandangBasio Macunat (Miserly Old Basio), well known
documents on racismduring the 19th century (Salazar, 1998). These works did
nothing but speak
67RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAINof negative values like sorrow, the
lowliness and weaknesses of the Brown(Filipino) race. As such, the Brown
race will have to bow down to thesuperiority of the white race to which the
former is indebted for the logic,morality and religion which saved the Indio
during the dark ages (Salazar,1983), when he was pictured as a cimarron
(wild) and salvaje (barbaric), wildand uncivilized in the minds of those from
the west. Related to this, it canbe recalled that in 1889, on the occasion of the
Paris Exposition (Schumacher,1973), Rizal founded the Indios Bravos (“The
Noble Indios” not wild norsavages!), the primary objective of which was to
uplift and promote theesteem of the Filipinos by highlighting their positive
traits, with the hopethat this would convince the Spaniards to correct their
derogatory views ofthe Indio and change their views of the colonized country.

The Filipino Community in Spain

The Filipino ilustrados, who were not only Indios but also beasts in the eyesof
the arrogant Spanish colonizers, did not fight their battles in thePhilippines but
instead went to Spain to ask for assimilation and cam-paigned to make the
Philippines a province of Spain, which would establishequality between the
Spaniards and the Filipinos. It should be noted thatbefore Rizal, and the
Indios Bravos association which he founded, therewere already Filipinos living
in Europe. Among them were the Taveras ofParis, the woman painter Pelagia
Mendoza, who traveled to Europe duringthe 1880s, the Regidors of Madrid
and London (Joaquin, 1981:40),PedroPaterno (of Salamanca, and later of
Madrid), Gregorio Sancianco (inMadrid). Pedro Paterno was the son of
Maximo Paterno, a rich business-man from Manila who was exiled to the
Marianas in 1872. Pedro Paternostudied philosophy and theology in
Salamanca, and he continued to live inMadrid after getting his doctorate in
law in 1880 at the Universidad Centralde Madrid. His house was usually the

62
venue of reunion artisticas, whereprominent persons in the field of letters and
politics of Spain gathered(Schumacher, 1973:21).On these occasions,
Paterno read his poems whichhe compiled in 1880 in a book entitled
Sampaguitas, which became part ofthe collection Biblioteca Filipina. The
latter aimed to make known to theSpanish audience the achievements of the
Filipino youth. Paterno’s en-deavors to make known the origins of the
indigenous culture and pre-hispanic society were intended to show that the
Filipinos had a certain levelof civilization which could equal if not surpass that
of the Spaniards. Theseworks, published in Madrid, included the following: La
antigua civilizacióntagala (“Ancient Tagalog Civilization,”1887); Los itas (“The
Aetas,” 1890);El Cristianismo en la antigua civilización Tagalog (“Christianity
in the AncientTagalog Civilization,” 1892), which suggested that Christianity
was al-
68ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALready in the Philippines in the
form of “bathalismo” (worship of Bathala orSupreme Creator) before the
arrival of the Spaniards; La familia tagálo en lahistoria universal (“The
Tagalog Family in World History,” 1892), whichdiscussed the high level of
morality and marriage traditions of pre-hispanicFilipinos; and El barangay
(“The Barangay,” 1892), which dealt with pre-hispanic forms of government in
the Tagalog kingdom based on principlesof democracy and “bathalismo” and
some characteristics of monarchy(Schumacher, 1973). Paterno was also
recognized because of his novelentitled, Ninay: Costumbres filipinas (“Ninay:
Filipino Traditions,” Madrid,1885), which described the way of life of a gentle
race or Tagalog royalty,regarded as a model of manners and an advanced
culture from indigenousas well as borrowed elements from other cultures.Also
highly esteemed was the lawyer Gregorio Sancianco y Goson, ahalf Chinese
from Malabon, because of his book El progreso de Filipinas(“The Progress of
the Philippines,” Madrid 1881) (Sancianco, 1975). In thiswork, Sancianco
explained (predating Rizal’s essay, Sobre la indolencia de losFilipinos, La
solidaridad, 1890) that indolence or laziness was the outrightresponse of the
ordinary Filipino against the long period of oppression anddominance not only
of the Spaniards but also of their fellow citizens whowere close to those in
power. From his point of view the progress of thePhilippines should be
gauged by the freedom of the ordinary citizen fromthe shackles of dominance
and excessive taxes. His capability can only beimproved through education,
technology, social programs, liberal lawsand economic development.
According to one historian: “Gregorio San-cianco paved the way for reforms
when he published ... El progreso deFilipinas ... which opposed the
shortcomings of the colonial government ineconomics, way of thinking and
morality.” Almost all the revenues col-lected by the government, according to
Sancianco, went to the military andother purposes which do not bring
prosperity to the Philippines. On theother hand, the money spent on the
nautical academy, the academy of arts,and the botanical garden was minimal,
208,475.32 pesos only, while theamount for the military reached 3,677,534.49
pesos. Clearly, the colonialgovernment was spending money on matters
which were not so important.The data presented by Sancianco indeed
showed that the military had abigger budget because the colonial government
was afraid of the danger ofthe rising discontent in the Philippines, hence the
need for a larger force.Other than this, there was a need to provide jobs to
Spanish soldiers whowere neglected in Spain (Agoncillo, 1980:147).He also
added that “thebudget of the government before the revolution of 1896
erupted had thesame intention: the military’s budget was bigger than the other
servicesand branches of government. The military’s budget increased from
morethan three million in 1880-81 to more than four million in 1896. Because
of RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAIN

63
•

this, the coffers of the country were almost empty, and instead of a
surplus,the country had to contend with deficits ... because it was always in
deficit,the Philippines was constantly wallowing in poverty” (Agoncillo, 1980).It
is important to mention at this point the statement of Jaime C. deVeyra that
the Filipinos in Spain came from the different regions of thearchipelago
(Jaena, 1974:xvi). Julio Llorente, a native of Cebu, finished hisdoctorate in
law in Madrid while writing for La solidaridad. ValentinVentura, who gave
financial help to Rizal for the publication of his secondnovel, Elfilibusterismo,
was from Bacolor, Pampanga, and died in Barcelonain 1935 (Quirino,
1995:201).Francisco Liongson, who also studied inMadrid (Larkin, 1993:160-
161), was Ventura’s townmate. Jose MariaPanganiban was from Mambulao
(now Jose Ma. Panganiban), CamarinesNorte. He also wrote for La
solidaridad, and like Jaena and Ventura, died inBarcelona on August 19, 1890
due to tuberculosis (Quirino, 1995:159-160).From Vigan, Ilocos Sur came
Isabelo de los Reyes, the founder of thebilingual newspaper El Ilocano. He
was exiled to Barcelona because of hislinks with the Katipunan. His historical
and anthropological works couldbe compared with the works of Paterno and
Rizal (specifically, the latter’sannotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las islas
filipinas), wherein he discussedthat the ancient Philippine society had a
culture and a civilization that hecould be proud of. Isabelo de los Reyes
published from 1887 to 1909 thefollowing cultural studies: Filipinas: Articulos
varios; Ilocandas: Varios trabajosliterarios; Las Visayas en la época de la
conquista; El folklore filipino; Historia deFilipinas; Historia de Ilocos; and La
religion antigua de los filipinos.The brothers Manuel and Juan Luna y Novicio
(who died of heartattack in Hong Kong on December 7, 1899) were born in
Badok, IlocosNorte. The latter was known for his painting called “Spoliarium,”
whichwas awarded the gold medal in the Exposicion de bellas artes, held in
Madridin 1884. Jose Torres Bugallon of Salasa, Pangasinan, became a
pensionadoand scholar in the Military Academy (Toledo) in 1892. Telesforo
Sucgangwho came from Banga, Capiz (Banga is now part of Aklan), was a
historicalpainter, religious sculptor, and musical composer, who became a
pensionadofor four years in Madrid (Manuel, 1955:437-440).Sucgang
highlighted thetheme of Spain in the Philippines which was related to the
program ofassimilation of the ilustrados through several paintings — El
desembarco deMagallanes (1888), La llegada de Legazpi y Urdaneta, and La
llegada del correoespanol el la bahia de Manila (1887). Was there a deeper
meaning in Sucgang’suse of the words desembarco (landing) and llegada
(arrival)? Was this a formof celebration of the “landing” or “arrival” of western
civilization whichwere symbolized by Magallanes, Legazpi and Urdaneta, the
messengersand emissaries of the forces of “light” which imposed itself on the
“orien-tal” civilization, the indigenous society which Spain now refuses to em-
brace or assimilate?
70ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALThe absence of a representative
from Mindanao is very apparent. It isalso notable that many came from the
Tagalog region and Manila, whichwas the center of the colonial power:
Gregorio Sancianco (Malabon), JoseAlbert (Binondo), Pedro Paterno
(Quiapo), Teodoro Sandiko (Pandacan),Moises Salvador (San Sebastian,
Quiapo), Antonio Luna (born in Binondoalthough his ancestors were Ilocano),
Rafael del Pan (Intramuros), PabloRianzares (Biñan), Manuel Araullo
(Manila), Jose Maria Asuncion (Sta.Cruz, Manila), Fernando Canon (Biñan),
Mariano V. del Rosario (Intra-muros), Joaquin Gonzalez, (Baliwag, Bulacan),
Edilberto Evangelista (Sta.Cruz, Manila), and Mariano Ponce (born in
Bulacan, died in Hong Kong in1918). Ponce published in 1887 his Folklore
Bulakeño, a series of articles in theSpanish periodical, La oceania española

64
(Zaide, 1968:62).Maximo Viola, who helped Rizal in the printing of Noli me
tangere, wasfrom San Miguel, Bulacan. He finished medicine at the University
ofBarcelona (Zaide, 1968:203-204).Dominador Gomez (1868-1929) was
bornand died in Manila. He wrote and used the pen name “Ramiro Franco”
inLa solidaridad. Upon his return to Manila, he became a leader of the
UnionObrera Democratica de Filipinas (UODF), which was founded by
Isabelo delos Reyes. Joaquin Gonzalez, from Baliwag, Bulacan, obtained his
licenciatefrom the University of Villadolid, and the medical degree from the
Univer-sidad Central de Madrid. Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo (born in Binondo
in1853) also died in Barcelona (1913). He was known for his painting
Virgenescristianas expuestas al populacho. Galicano Apacible, who became
presidentof the Barcelona-based organization, La solidaridad, the same name
as thenewspaper of the Propaganda Movement, was born in Hacienda
deNasugbu, Batangas. Jose Rizal came from the town of Calamba,
Laguna,the erstwhile hacienda of the Dominican priests where his parents
served astenants.

“Diego Laura,” “Dolores Manapat” and “Dimasalang”

Among the three expatriates after Sancianco – G.L. Jaena, M.H. del Pilar,J.
Rizal – it was Jaena, the author of the provocative literary work entitledFray
Botod (1874), who first arrived in Spain in 1880 to study medicine atthe
University of Valencia but did not finish because he became busy
withjournalism (Jaena, 1974:195-219). Jaena founded in Barcelona in
February1889 the newspaper La solidaridad whose program was, “...Aside
frombeing simple, our program is clear: fight the reaction, stop any effort
thathinders progress, encourage and strengthen liberal thinking, defend
theprogressive movement. In short, to be a disseminator of democratic
ideasso that they will flourish here and in other countries... It is the aim, in
otherwords, of La solidaridad to gather and publish liberal ideas which are
71RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAINpresent in the areas of politics,
science, arts, literature, economy, agricul-ture and industry... La solidaridad
shall promote the just and legitimateaspirations of Spanish provinces across
the seas, proclaim their needs andexpose their problems needing solution...
Regarding the Philippines,because these islands need full protection due to
the absence of represen-tation in the Cortés, we shall give her special
attention, and through this, wecan fulfill the patriotic duty in defending
democratic principles in thearchipelago... This province, which is inhabited by
eight (8) million people,should not remain as a land ruled or colonized by
theocracy and tradition-alism” (Jaena, 1974:220-222; Agoncillo, 1980:150-
151).Jaena eventually left the work in La solidaridad. In his letter dated July2,
1889 to Miguel Morayta Sagrario, a well known mason, leader of theAnti-
clerical League and a history professor at the Central Universidad deMadrid,
Jaena mentioned his plan to go to America. This did not pushthrough
because of lack of funds and his active involvement with theProgressive
Republicans in Barcelona. One of the leaders of this organiza-tion, Juan Sol y
Ortega, became a supporter of Jaena. Jaena’s plan to go toCuba did not also
push through when Manuel Becerra of the Ministerio deUltramar withdrew
permission for Jaena to go to Spain’s colony in theCaribbean. He continued
his active participation in republican organiza-tions in Barcelona and
contributed to newspapers such as La publicidad(where Rizal also wrote an
article or two) and El látigo nacional (whichfirmly believed that human will and
freedom are more powerful than ahundred oppressions). Events in the
Philippines were not given dueattention in these papers, and the editorial staff

65
•

promised that they willdisseminate information on republican programs in the

colonies, includingdevelopments concerning citizenship rights in the Spanish
empire.Back then, Jaena (together with other Filipinos like Pedro Govantes
yAzcarraga and Tomas del Rosario) interacted with Spanish journalists
likeJesus Pando y Valle, editor of Los dos mundos, where he published an
articlecriticizing the defective system of taxation, forced labor and caciquismo.
Inan article which came out on January 28, 1885 Jaena defended
Govantesand Eduardo de Lete, who previously published in the pro-
republican Elglobo (Madrid) articles which discussed the weaknesses of the
governmentand the church in the Philippines. Together with Rizal, Jaena also
wrote inthe radical republican newspaper El progreso. He also debated with
theconservative editorial staff of La época and La correspondencia de España
in thenewspaper El porvenir of Manuel Ruiz Zorilla, a progressive
republican.In July 1891, with the support of the Comité de propaganda
(whichbecame Hermandad de San Patricio in Manila, headed by Pedro
SerranoLaktaw of Malolos, Bulacan), Jaena secretly returned to Manila for
fourdays, using the alias Diego Laura. Afraid of being caught, he escaped –
72ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALpretending to be a sailor – to
Barcelona. He relayed to Rizal the proposalof Basilio Teodoro of Bulacan, a
colleague of M.H. de Pilar in the newspaperDiariong Tagalog, to continue the
journey to Europe and America to knowthe sentiments and views of other
western countries regarding the situa-tion in the Philippines (Schumacher,
1973:244-245). However, towards theend of October 1891, he started to pour
out his ill feelings towards M.H. delPilar and Mariano Ponce whom he called
patrioteros or “exaggerated” or“overacting” patriots, who according to him,
were just using patriotism fortheir own interests (Schumacher,
1973:260).Since then, he slowly withdrewfrom his group and focused his time
pursuing his ambition to be elected asa representative to the Cortés, with the
help of Filipinos and pro-republicanSpaniards in Barcelona. Jaena
unabashedly stated, “...Undoubtedly, onlypersonal interest pushed me to
aspire to be a representative in the Cortés,nothing more. If it is realized, I can
no longer fight for the attainment ofindependence and rights of the Filipinos.
The Philippines has to securethese, including independence, through blood...
If I want to become arepresentative, my only aim is to be able to say proudly
that a Filipino waselected by the Spaniards in a Spanish district.” However,
the launching ofhis candidacy did not push through. He was also unable to go
back to Jaro(Iloilo). On January 20, 1896, Jaena died of tuberculosis in
Barcelona, wherethe Discursos y articulos varios containing his speeches and
articles waspublished in 1891. General Jose Alejandro, a Kapampangan, who
studiedchemical and industrial engineering in Ghent, Belgium, and who
alsowrote in the La solidaridad, allotted a few pages in his book La senda
delsacrificio, for Graciano López Jaena, orator of the Propaganda
Movement(Alejandrino, 1949).Considered as the most effective propagandist,
Marcelo H. del Pilarwas born in Bulacan, Bulacan, on August 30, 1850, but
also died inBarcelona on July 4, 1896. Other than his nom de plume
“Plaridel,” he alsoused the pen names “Dolores Manapat” and “Piping Dilat.” It
was practicaland useful for the Filipino ilustrados in Spain to use pen names
in order toprotect their families and relatives in the Philippines from reprisals
thatcould be launched by those in power, who were the objects of criticism
inLa solidaridad.1Before going to Spain in October 1888 to escape
persecution, M.H. delPilar was already known as the foremost leader of the
PropagandaMovement in the Philippines. He co-founded, with Basilio
Teodoro yMoran, the bilingual (Tagalog-Spanish) Diariong Tagalog, in 1882.
Among1. Other writers for La solidaridad also used pen names: Jose Rizal (Dimasalang/Laon

66
Laan),Antonio Luna (Taga-Ilog), Jose Ma. Panganiban (Jomapa), Dominador Gomez (Ramiro
Franco),Mariano Ponce (Kalipulako/Tikbalang) (Zaide, 1968:32).

73RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAINothers, the said newspaper

published Jose Rizal’s article, El Amor Patrio(“Patriotism”), which del Pilar
translated into Tagalog. In 1870, while astudent of law at the University of
Santo Tomas (he finished in 1880), hefought with the parish priest of San
Miguel, Manila over the exorbitantbaptismal fees charged by the Spanish friar.
This was perhaps his first everpersonal encounter with the frailocracia and
colonial power, the same oneswho were behind the deportation of his older
brother, the secular priest Fr.Toribio H. del Pilar (Schumacher, 1981:24), to
Guam due to his allegedinvolvement in the Cavite uprising in 1872
(Schumacher, 1973). Plaridelcriticized and attacked the monastic authority,
which he consideredharmful and a real obstacle to good governance, in
literary works inTagalog or Spanish. Some of them were written as poems
such as PasiongDapat Ipag-alab ng Puso ng Taong Baba sa Kalupitan ng
Fraile (“Passion thatShould Burn in the Hearts of the Lowly People
Oppressed by the Friar”)Dupluhan, Sagot nang España sa Hibik ng Pilipinas
(“Spain’s Reply to the Cryof the Philippines,”); some were parodies, for
example, Dasalan at Toksohan(“Prayer and Jest”), Caiigat Cayo (“Beware”);
and others were manifestosand pamphlets like Viva España, Viva el ejercito,
!Fuera los frailes! andManifiesto que a la noble nacion española dirigen los
leales filipinos...”.In 1885, del Pilar urged the cabezas de barangay of Malolos
to oppose theorder which gave the friars the power to change the list of
taxpayers. In1887, he was able to persuade the governor of Malolos to
criticize Fr. FelipeGarcia for violating the directive of the government which
prohibited theviewing of the dead in the church (Zaide, 1968:52). In the same
year, hesided with the people of Binondo against their parish priest who
assignedhigh positions in the church to the mestizos, to the disadvantage of
thenatives whose progress was always suppressed and prevented by dis-
crimination and corruption. Together with Doroteo Cortés and Jose
Ramos,del Pilar was active in launching the demonstration of March 1, 1888,
whichwas participated in by about 800 people who demanded for the removal
ofthe friars, including the dismissal of their archbishop.In Barcelona, the
Imprenta Ibérica de Francisco Fossas published twoanalytical essays of “Mh.
Plaridel,” namely, La soberania monacal en Filipinas(1888) and La frailocracia
filipina (1889), which provided convincing argu-ments of the economic,
political and religious dimensions of churchmanagement, not unlike the
management of business corporations. Thecolony was portrayed as
relentlessly burdened by excessive taxes, otherexpenses, and the voluntary
services rendered by the converts/believers ofthe missionaries and friars, who
became rich to the detriment of theFilipinos. About the tributes and
impuestos, del Pilar (Del Pilar, 1974:194-195) saidthat the Filipinos paid direct
taxes which consisted of residencecertificates, municipal, city and provincial
taxes, and indirect taxes levied
74ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALon markets and stores, vehicles,
horses, stamps and fines, slaughter ofcows, usage of the river, and others. In
addition, duties were also leviedduring the celebration of religious festivities.
The feast/birthday of apatron saint was celebrated lavishly and large amounts
were collected forthe novena, mass, sermon, procession, music, band, choir,
acolytes, bellringer, curtain, altar, silver candle stands, hanging chandelier,
candles, andothers. In these celebrations, people used up their saving to
spend on thingslike fireworks. Also to be added to the list are the payments
for religiousitems like rosaries, scapulars, and miraculous objects, which
ended up inthe pockets of the “fat and overweight friars.” Therefore, Filipinos

67
•

werecontributing thousands of pesos to the monastic fund or treasury. If

Christwhipped the traders in the temple in the land of miracles, according to
delPilar, those who are whipped (in the Philippines) are those who refuse
tobuy the traded goods in the temple (Del Pilar, 1974:194-195). As editor ofLa
solidaridad, a responsibility which Jaena was not able to carry out fully(and
which was removed from him in December 1889), del Pilar reiteratedthe
demands of the Filipino ilustrados: that the Philippine islands should
begoverned well while at the same time pushing for Hispanization
andassimilation. Included in the principal demands were the expulsion of
thefriars and the secularization of the parishes, more rights and social
andpolitical freedoms, participation in government, and representation in
theCortés.Like other ilustrados in Spain, del Pilar actively participated in
masonryand masonic lodges,which soon after developed as the vehicle or
center ofliberal thinking supporting anti-clerical and progressive
movements(Schumacher, 1991:156-177). The very names of these masonic
organiza-tions were indicative of the stance they took against reactionary
gover-nance and traditional authority. Among these were the Hijos del
progreso(Sons of Progress) of Miguel Morayta, Solidaridad (Solidarity),
founded bytwo Filipinos (Rafael del Pan and Ricardo Ayllon), and Revolución
(Revo-lution), whose membership was largely Filipino. It appears that Celso
MirDeas, a former official of the Spanish Forces in the Philippines who
marrieda Filipina, spearheaded the founding in Barcelona of the
organization,Revolución. Other than Mir Deas, who became the editor of El
pueblosoberano, a republican newspaper in Barcelona, original members
includedGraciano Lopez Jaena, M.H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Jose Ma.
Panganiban,and two Cubans – Justo Argudin and Juan Jose Cañarte (who
weremembers of Solidaridad in 1886). Cañarte also helped in the newspaper
Lasolidaridad. In 1889, Santiago Icasiano, Ariston Bautista, Galicano
Apacible,Damaso Ponce, Ramon Imperial, Agustin Blanco, Domingo Marcelo
Cortesand Teodoro Sandiko became new members of Revolución.
Masonrybecame very important to Ponce and Del Pilar, who regarded it as a

66ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALof injustice and wickedness

opened my mind and I vowed tomyself to someday avenge for the victims and
the aggrieved...(Guerrero, 1969:508).It is clear from the quotation that the
year 1872 was significant to theFilipinos who left, if not fled, to Spain to
escape the conservatism of theprevailing social order. The climate of
persecution and oppression was notconducive to the Filipino ilustrados who
espoused patriotism and national-ism through progressive and liberal ideas.
This development challengedthe monastic authority or frailocracia, the

68
backbone of the reactionarycolonial government.The prolonged colonization
of Spain gave birth to a backward society.Education was weak and stagnant,
since, according to a Franciscan friar,the Filipino Indio did not need it because
it was not important for theattainment of glory in heaven (Bustamante, 1996,
1885). It is not good forthe Indio, he said, to separate from his carabao in
order to waste his timestudying in Manila (more so outside the country after
the opening of theSuez Canal in 1869) because, when he returns to his place
of origin, hebecomes a treacherous man, meaning an enemy of the state, of
the churchand those in power.Another obstacle to the progress of knowledge
and education was theComisión permanente de censura (Permanent
Commission of Censors) whichwas established on October 7, 1856
(Agoncillo, 1974:13; Retana, 1965). Allprintings and publications, newspapers
and magazines, books, variousother forms of publications, shows, and even
materials which containeddrawings and engravings, were subject to the
scrutiny of the censors.Often, the reason for censorship,especially texts which
contained new and“dangerous” ideas like “pantheism” and “materialism,” were
shallow andunjustified (Mojares,1983:110). Censorship inflicted great damage
to theintellectual freedom of writers and because of this, the Filipino
ilustradoscampaigned to have it abolished in the soonest time possible
(Agoncillo,1974). In a report by W.E. Retana, a certain Georgel was quoted
as saying:“the oppressed always demand the right to freedom of the press
while theoppressor and the unjust demand the right to censorship” (Retana,
1965).The author ended his report by saying that there was only one
comment orobservation that can be made in relation to the senseless
censorship in thearchipelago: that in the Philippines, works which are
worthless and full ofstupidity are the ones which pass censorship — like Fr.
Casimiro Herrero’sEl Capitán Juan (Captain Juan) and Fr. Miguel Lucio
Bustamante’s TandangBasio Macunat (Miserly Old Basio), well known
documents on racismduring the 19th century (Salazar, 1998). These works did
nothing but speak
67RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAINof negative values like sorrow, the
lowliness and weaknesses of the Brown(Filipino) race. As such, the Brown
race will have to bow down to thesuperiority of the white race to which the
former is indebted for the logic,morality and religion which saved the Indio
during the dark ages (Salazar,1983), when he was pictured as a cimarron
(wild) and salvaje (barbaric), wildand uncivilized in the minds of those from
the west. Related to this, it canbe recalled that in 1889, on the occasion of the
Paris Exposition (Schumacher,1973), Rizal founded the Indios Bravos (“The
Noble Indios” not wild norsavages!), the primary objective of which was to
uplift and promote theesteem of the Filipinos by highlighting their positive
traits, with the hopethat this would convince the Spaniards to correct their
derogatory views ofthe Indio and change their views of the colonized country.

The Filipino Community in Spain

The Filipino ilustrados, who were not only Indios but also beasts in the eyesof
the arrogant Spanish colonizers, did not fight their battles in thePhilippines but
instead went to Spain to ask for assimilation and cam-paigned to make the
Philippines a province of Spain, which would establishequality between the
Spaniards and the Filipinos. It should be noted thatbefore Rizal, and the
Indios Bravos association which he founded, therewere already Filipinos living
in Europe. Among them were the Taveras ofParis, the woman painter Pelagia
Mendoza, who traveled to Europe duringthe 1880s, the Regidors of Madrid
and London (Joaquin, 1981:40),PedroPaterno (of Salamanca, and later of

69
•

Madrid), Gregorio Sancianco (inMadrid). Pedro Paterno was the son of

Maximo Paterno, a rich business-man from Manila who was exiled to the
Marianas in 1872. Pedro Paternostudied philosophy and theology in
Salamanca, and he continued to live inMadrid after getting his doctorate in
law in 1880 at the Universidad Centralde Madrid. His house was usually the
venue of reunion artisticas, whereprominent persons in the field of letters and
politics of Spain gathered(Schumacher, 1973:21).On these occasions,
Paterno read his poems whichhe compiled in 1880 in a book entitled
Sampaguitas, which became part ofthe collection Biblioteca Filipina. The
latter aimed to make known to theSpanish audience the achievements of the
Filipino youth. Paterno’s en-deavors to make known the origins of the
indigenous culture and pre-hispanic society were intended to show that the
Filipinos had a certain levelof civilization which could equal if not surpass that
of the Spaniards. Theseworks, published in Madrid, included the following: La
antigua civilizacióntagala (“Ancient Tagalog Civilization,”1887); Los itas (“The
Aetas,” 1890);El Cristianismo en la antigua civilización Tagalog (“Christianity
in the AncientTagalog Civilization,” 1892), which suggested that Christianity
was al-
68ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALready in the Philippines in the
form of “bathalismo” (worship of Bathala orSupreme Creator) before the
arrival of the Spaniards; La familia tagálo en lahistoria universal (“The
Tagalog Family in World History,” 1892), whichdiscussed the high level of
morality and marriage traditions of pre-hispanicFilipinos; and El barangay
(“The Barangay,” 1892), which dealt with pre-hispanic forms of government in
the Tagalog kingdom based on principlesof democracy and “bathalismo” and
some characteristics of monarchy(Schumacher, 1973). Paterno was also
recognized because of his novelentitled, Ninay: Costumbres filipinas (“Ninay:
Filipino Traditions,” Madrid,1885), which described the way of life of a gentle
race or Tagalog royalty,regarded as a model of manners and an advanced
culture from indigenousas well as borrowed elements from other cultures.Also
highly esteemed was the lawyer Gregorio Sancianco y Goson, ahalf Chinese
from Malabon, because of his book El progreso de Filipinas(“The Progress of
the Philippines,” Madrid 1881) (Sancianco, 1975). In thiswork, Sancianco
explained (predating Rizal’s essay, Sobre la indolencia de losFilipinos, La
solidaridad, 1890) that indolence or laziness was the outrightresponse of the
ordinary Filipino against the long period of oppression anddominance not only
of the Spaniards but also of their fellow citizens whowere close to those in
power. From his point of view the progress of thePhilippines should be
gauged by the freedom of the ordinary citizen fromthe shackles of dominance
and excessive taxes. His capability can only beimproved through education,
technology, social programs, liberal lawsand economic development.
According to one historian: “Gregorio San-cianco paved the way for reforms
when he published ... El progreso deFilipinas ... which opposed the
shortcomings of the colonial government ineconomics, way of thinking and
morality.” Almost all the revenues col-lected by the government, according to
Sancianco, went to the military andother purposes which do not bring
prosperity to the Philippines. On the other hand, the money spent on the
nautical academy, the academy of arts,and the botanical garden was minimal,
208,475.32 pesos only, while theamount for the military reached 3,677,534.49
pesos. Clearly, the colonialgovernment was spending money on matters
which were not so important.The data presented by Sancianco indeed
showed that the military had abigger budget because the colonial government
was afraid of the danger ofthe rising discontent in the Philippines, hence the
need for a larger force.Other than this, there was a need to provide jobs to
Spanish soldiers whowere neglected in Spain (Agoncillo, 1980:147).He also

70
added that “thebudget of the government before the revolution of 1896
erupted had thesame intention: the military’s budget was bigger than the other
servicesand branches of government. The military’s budget increased from
morethan three million in 1880-81 to more than four million in 1896. Because
of
Trinidad Rizal, and Josefa Rizal (who became the leader of the
women’schapter of the Katipunan).It was not easy to unite the ilustrados, as
was the dream of del Pilar,Ponce and Rizal. There were times when the unity
of Filipinos in Spain waslike fragile glass. For example, the conflict between
del Pilar and Rizal wasa major hindrance in the “community” or “colony,”
dividing the Filipinosinto two camps, the Pilaristas (pro-del Pilar) versus the
Rizalistas (pro-Rizal). The conflict may have started when Rizal criticized the
Filipinostudents for their lack of commitment. He was hurt that they were
notgiving due attention to their studies and to the nationalist campaign led
bythe editorial staff of La solidaridad. Instead, Rizal noted that they were
busywith fashion, gambling and womanizing. Ariston Bautista Lim, for ex-
ample, was known to have an amulet that was supposed to ensure that
nowoman would reject him (Joaquin, 1981:48). Leading the playboys was
onenamed Zacarias Robles (Joaquin, 1981:48). Rizal was not remiss in
remind-ing, if not admonishing, the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid. He
thoughtthat through his example as “a model ilustrado,” he could give moral
andintellectual leadership to his compatriots which he attempted to
actualizethrough the organization Indios Bravos.However, on December 31,
1890, in the midst of celebrating new year’seve, Rizal came out as a boastful
person when he refused to offer his co-patriots free champagne, followed by
his observations of the Filipinostudents’ lack of enthusiasm in their studies.
The following day, the Fili-pinos proposed to unite the “colony” under one
elected president, Rizal ordel Pilar. Rizal won, although he was already
harboring ill feelings towardsdel Pilar because of the alleged attempt of his
supporters to disown ortopple Rizal down from power as the legitimate leader
of the Filipino“community” in Spain. In the end, del Pilar had to lead when his
“oppo-nent” resigned and ultimately left Madrid for Hong Kong and
eventuallythe Philippines. Rizal refused the attempts by del Pilar and his
friendFerdinand Blumentritt to write again for La solidaridad. According to
Rizal,he did not want to waste his time in a project that had no relevance to
curethe cancer which was destroying Filipino society, as he depicted
andanalyzed in his novels, Noli me tangere (Berlin, Germany, 1887) and
Elfilibusterismo (Ghent, Belgium, 1891). Rizal said the remedy or
medicinemust be brought to the patient (Schumacher, 1973:233). The remedy
wasnot in Madrid, which was what La solidaridad asserted, but in our
owncountry, the real arena of battle. Despite everything, del Pilar still hoped
forRizal’s support who, perhaps because he was steeped in books
(Schumacher,1973:234),seemed to lack the capacity to understand the
different ways andtemperaments of human beings. For del Pilar, what was
important wasunity and consensus deriving shared sentiments and
aspirations. There
77RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAINwere two things to aspire for — the
elimination of all obstacles to freedomin the Philippines and the ultimate
removal of the Spanish flag (Schumacher,1973; Del Pilar, 1955; 1958).It may
be recalled that it was del Pilar who proposed that Rizal writea letter in
Tagalog to the women of Malolos, the townmates of del Pilar (22February
1889), where the author emphasized the important role playedby women in
the progress of the country, society, and family (Rizal,1961:64-73). Despite
the opposition and refusal of the friars, the women ofMalolos persisted in
fighting for the right to have an education. And thiswas through studying

71
•

Spanish first, the colonial language, and the meansto acquire knowledge and
awareness about contemporary events. Thelatter can be read in the
smuggled literature of the Propaganda Movementwhose distribution was
strictly prohibited by the Comisión permanente decensura. This did not
prevent the dissemination of “subversive” readings.In 1892, the constabulary
confiscated some copies of El filibusterismo in asimultaneous raid of houses
in Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac (Guerrero,1969:339), which had just
recently been visited by Governor EulogioDespujol.Busy with his research in
London, where he composed the famousletter, Rizal (Fischer, 1970)was
occupied in detailing his annotations to thechronicle Sucesos de las islas
filipinas (Mexico, 1609) of Antonio de Morga,doctor of canonical and civil law
(Morga, 1964). Rizal planned to smugglethe book with the help of Jose Maria
Basa from Hong Kong to Manilathrough Manuel Arias Rodriguez, a Spanish
mason who owned Agenciaeditorial. The book had an introduction by the
“Filipinologist” Blumentritt(Sichrovsky, 1987), El historiador de Filipinas
(Schumacher, 1973:72), ascholar from Austria who became a confidant and
close friend of Rizal. Thelatter undertook research from 1888 in the library of
the British Museum inorder to discover the important historical sources which
would be aneffective weapon of the nationalist discourse against the deluge
of attacksand insults disseminated by Francisco Gainza, O.P., Vicente
Barrantes,Pablo Feced y Temprano alias “Quioquiap,” Miguel Lucio
Bustamante,Casimiro Herrero, Gaspar de San Agustin, Francisco
Cañamaque andother anti-Filipino Spanish writers whose mental frameworks
derivedfrom the popular ideology of racism of the 19th century.For example,
Francisco Gainza, O.P., the bishop assigned to the dioceseof Nueva Caceres
in 1863, proclaimed that the Bicol region owed theirnatural culture and
civilization to the Spanish missionaries who lifted themfrom their lowly
material and moral situation. Because of this, they nolonger live in sordid
conditions and indignity, which was a far cry from theway of life of their
savage ancestors, whose uncivilized state was madeworse by ignorance,
worship of idols, cruel sacrifices which required that
78ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALblood be spilled, cursed dances,
noisy and indecent celebrations (Schu-macher, 1973:192-193). It was Fr.
Cura Gaspar de San Agustin who saidthat the Filipino who descended from
the apes,had only half a soul (Schu-macher, 1973:64). Author of Recuerdos
de Filipinas: Cosas, casos y usos deaquellas islas (Madrid, 1877),
Cañamaque wrote that the indolence of theindio/native was beyond remedy;
he regarded “the indolence of thenatives” as the primary characteristic of the
local population which hechastised and loathed. Rizal had a radical reaction
to this in his annotationof Morga, and to the two long essays which were
published in La solidaridad,Filipinas dentro de cien años (The Philippines a
Century Hence, 1889) andSobre la indolencia de los filipinos (On the
Indolence of the Filipinos, 1890). Inthe first essay, he reminded the colonizing
country that the natives hadtheir own government, religion, laws, customs,
characteristics, ways ofwriting, literature and music which would slowly
“disappear” with theadvent of the “new age” (of terror and disorder) when the
Philippines cameunder the Spanish crown. In the second essay, Rizal told the
mockingSpaniards that, in truth, the Spaniards were the hardheaded and lazy
ones.To the question, “how do they live in a tropical land?” Rizal provided
theanswer: “They are surrounded by many helpers, they never walk,
insteadthey always ride in their carriages, and they always need helpers, not
onlyto remove their boots or shoes but to fan them!... they live and
eatabundantly, work for themselves alone in order to become rich, with
hopein the future, free and respected, while the lowly subjects, the lazy
subjectsare not eating well, they are without hope, they work for others, and

72
areforced to work and are even raped!” (Rizal, 1961:264). Rizal also said
thatif there is laziness/indolence on the part of the natives, this resulted
froman unprogressive quality of life, and was made worse by
oppressivegovernance.The efforts of Rizal to deepen and enhance
knowledge about Philippinehistory and civilization, including its relation to the
Malayan-Polynesianworld, led to his founding of the Association
Internationale des Philippinistes(“International Association of Filipinologists”),
in Paris in 1889, which wascomposed of scholars from different countries who
were interested in thePhilippines as a field of expertise (Zaide, 1968:34-35;
Schumacher, 1973:208-212; Guerrero, 1969:221-222). The primary objective
of the group was thestudy of the Philippines from a scientific and historical
perspective. Amongthe planned activities were regular conferences and
lectures, public con-tests about topics related to the Archipelago, and to try to
put up a museumand library whose contents will focus on the
Philippines.Rizal planned to call for an international congress in August
1889,simultaneous with the Paris Exposition, where well-known experts
andscholars would discuss the following topics: (1) pre-Hispanic times (before
79RIZAL AND THE ILUSTRADOS IN SPAIN1521), (2) from the time of discovery
to the loss of Filipino independence(1521-1808), (3) from the loss of
independence to the Rebellion in Cavite(1808-1872), and (4) Linguistics
(Tagalog, Visaya, Iloko, Ibanag, Kapam-pangan, Pangasinan, and
others).The leadership of the association was composed of Ferdinand Blu-
mentritt (President), Edmund Plauchut (French, Vice President),
AntonioRegidor and Reinhold Rost (the latter was an English born in
Germany) asadvisers, and Rizal (as Secretary). Through Blumentritt, Rizal
also metAdolf B. Meyer (Director of the Ethnographic Museum of Dresden),
RudolfVirchow (an anthrolopologist who was active in the liberal movement
inGermany), Feodor Jagor (he was in the Philippines in 1859-1860 and
authorof Reisen in den Philippinen, 1873), and Wilhelm Joest (an expert in
ethnog-raphy). Rizal also became a member of Gesellschaft für
Anthropologie, Ethno-logie und Urgeschichte, with the help of Virchow,
president of the organiza-tion. In April 1887, he read a paper in front of the
assembly regarding theart of Tagalog poetry. He also published, with the help
of Rost, articleswhich featured the folklore of the Tagalogs in Trübner’s
Record, a fieldwhich interested Hendrik Kern, professor of Sanskrit and
Javanese in theUniversity of Leiden (Holland) and an expert in Malayan-
Polynesianlanguages. Kern was born in Java in 1883 and died in Utrecht in
1917 at theage of 84 (Kern, 1998:10).He studied Tagalog closely and he read
a paperabout its use in the national literature in an international conference
oforientalists held in Stockholm, Sweden (Schumacher, 1973:211).
Rizalheard of Kern from Blumentritt but he was not sure whether they will
meetin person.The international conference did not push through because the
Frenchgovernment limited the number of conferences related to the Paris
Expo-sition in 1889. The association did not also last long because Rizal was
alsobusy in his work annotating Morga. Also, the financial support from
thePhilippines, which Rizal expected in April 1890, did not arrive because
hisfamily was seriously involved in an agrarian dispute in Calamba,
whichresulted in his family’s dismissal from the hacienda owned by the
Domini-can order.Rizal went back to the Philippines to found the reformist La
liga filipinain Tondo on July 3, 1892. The following were the objectivesof the
neworganization which were embodied in the constitution prepared by Rizalin
Hong Kong: (1) unite the whole Archipelago into a strong, stable, andcommon
group of citizens, (2) support one another in times of need, (3) putup a
defense against all kinds of oppression/violence, (4) revitalize educa-tion,
agriculture, and commerce, and (5) study and implement the plannedreforms

73
•

(Agoncillo, 1980:154). La liga was short-lived. The authoritiesconsidered it

subversive. On July 7, 1892, Rizal was arrested and exiled to
80ASIAN AND PACIFIC MIGRATION JOURNALDapitan, Zamboanga, in
northwestern Mindanao, where he stayed for fouryears.It was in 1896
when Rizal was sentenced to death by firing squad forthe crime of
rebellion, sedition, and founding an illegal association. Thiswas
according to the military court that tried him. He was shot
inBagumbayan (now Luneta) on December 30, 1896 because of his
being anecrivain engagé (committed writer), and his political ideas
which criticizedor exposed the graft and corruption in the government.
However, beforehis death, Rizal wrote Mi ultimo adios (My Last
Farewell) (de Veyra,1946:87-92), a poem written in Spanish. The text
of the poem seems tosuggest that his return to the Philippines was
just physical or external. Itappears that his will, essence and soul
were still connected to the westernidea of patria (which he repeated
five times), not in Inang Bayan (Mother-land) but rather in patria
adorada, in querida patria, in patria idolatrada, leftbehind if not
forgotten in his “father” Spain, which for a long time was theadopted
nation of the Filipino ilustrados. It seems that Rizal did not consideror
was not conscious that the reason for returning to the
Philippines(Querida Filipinas in the 13th stanza of Mi Ultimo Adios),
was the morefundamental return to Bayan (people, country), and not
to the patria ornación of the west.REFERENCESAgoncillo,
Teodoro1980Ang Pilipinas at ang Mga Pilipino: Noon at Ngayon. Quezon City: R.P.
Garcia PublishingCo., Inc.1974Filipino Nationalism, 1

A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth)

Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted this poem -is an inspiring poem
of flawless form. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let
genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break the
chains that have long bound the spirit of the people. This winning poem of Rizal is
a classic in Philippine literature for two reasons:
(1) it was the great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was
recognized by Spanish literary
authorities
(2) it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not
the foreigners, were
the “fair hope of the Fatherland”
• The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s
poem and gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-
shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon

El Consejo de los Dioses (The Councils of the Gods)

Was an allegorical drama written by Rizal which he entered in the literary
contest of Artistic-Literary Lyceum in 1880 to commemorate the fourth
centennial of the death of Cervantes
- was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek classics
- The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust
of Cervantes
- D.N. del Puzo- a Spanish writer, who won the second prize

74
 Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)- a zarzuela which was staged by the Ateneans
on December 8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Feats
Day of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo
- Rizal wrote it as President of the Academy of Spanish Literature in Ateneo
• A Filipinas- a sonnet written by Rizal for the album of the Society of Sculptors;
in this sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines
• Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma- Rizal composed a poem in 1879 which was
declaimed by an Atenean, Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December
8, 1879, in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness
• Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon- Rizal composed a poem in 1881, as an expression
of affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo rector, who had been so
kind and helpful to him
• Vicenta Ybardolaza- a pretty girl colegiala who skillfully played the harp at
the Regalado home, whom Rizal was infatuated in Pakil
• Rizal mentioned Turumba (wherein the people dancing in the streets during
the procession in honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores) in
Chapter VI of Noli Me Tangere and Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (united
States—Saturday, May 12, 1888), where he said that Niagara Falls was the
“greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so beautiful nor fine as the falls at
Los Baños, Pagsanjan”
• Compañerismo (Comradeship)- Rizal founded a secret society of Filipino
students in University of Santo Tomas in 1880
• Companions of Jehu- members of the society whose after the valiant
Hebrew general
• Galicano Apacible-Rizal’s cousin from Batangas who is the secretary of the
society

NOLI ME TANGERE - Context (1887)

The bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin was

Rizal’s darkest winter because no money
arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke.
The diamond ring which his sister, Saturnina,
gave him was in the pawnshop. It was
memorable in the life of Rizal for two reasons (1)
it was a painful episode for he was hungry, sick
and despondent in a strange city (2) it brought
him great joy after enduring so much sufferings,
because his first novel, Noli Me Tangere came
off the press in March, 1887

• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin-

inspired Dr. Rizal to prepare a novel that would
depict the miseries of his people under the lash
of Spanish tyrants
• January 2, 1884- in a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno
residence in Madrid, Rizal proposed the writings of a novel
about the Philippines by a group of Filipinos
• Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began writing the novel in
Madrid and finished about one-half of it
• When Rizal went to Paris, in 1885, after completing his studies
in the Central University of Madrid, he continued writing the
novel, finishing one half of the second half

75
•

• Rizal finished the last fourth of the novel in Germany. He wrote

the last few chapters of the Noli in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June,
1886
• In Berlin during the winter days of February, 1886, Rizal made
the final revisions on the manuscript of the Noli
• Maximo Viola- Rizal’s friend from Bulacan, arrived in Berlin at
the height of Rizal despondency and loaned him the needed
funds to publish the novel; savior of Noli
• After the Christmas season , Rizal put the finishing touches on
his novel. To save printing expenses, he deleted certain
passages in his manuscript, including a whole chapter—“Elias
and Salome”
• February 21, 1887- the Noli was finally finished and ready for
printing
• Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft- a printing shop
which charged the lowest rate, that is, 300 pesos for 2,00
copies of the novel
• March 21, 1887- the Noli Me Tangere came off the press
• March 29, 1887- Rizal, in token of his appreciation and
gratitude, gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli carefully
rolled around the pen that he used in writing it and a
complimentary copy, with the following inscription: “To my
dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my
work—Jose Rizal”
• The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin phrase which means “Touch
Me Not”. It is not originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted
taking it from the Bible
• Rizal, writing to Felix Hidalgo in French on March 5, 1887, said:
“Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of St. Luke,
signify “do not touch me” but Rizal made a mistake, it should
be the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20 Verses 13 to 17)
• Rizal dedicated his Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines—“To My
Fatherland”
• The cover of Noli Me Tangere was designed by Rizal. It is a
ketch of explicit symbols. A woman’s head atop a Maria Clara
bodice represents the nation and the women, victims of the
social cancer. One of the causes of the cancer is symbolized
in the friar’s feet, outsized in relation to the woman’s head. The
other aggravating causes of oppression and discrimination
are shown in the guard’s helmet and the iron chains, the
teacher’s
whip and the alferez’s scourge. A slight cluster of bamboo
stands at the backdrop; these are the people, forever in the
background of
their own country’s history. There are a cross, a maze, flowers
and thorny plants, a flame; these are indicative of the religious
policy, the misdirected ardor, the people strangled as a result
of these all
• The novel Noli Me Tangere contains 63 chapters and an
epilogue

76
 • Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor- Filipino patriot and lawyer who had
been exiled due to his complicity in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872,
read avidly the Noli and was very much impressed by its
author

CHARACTERS OF NOLI
• The Noli Me Tangere was a true story of the Philippine
conditions during the last decades of Spanish rule
• Maria Clara-was Leonor Rivera, although in real life she
became unfaithful and married an Englishman
• Ibarra and Elias- represented Rizal himself
• Tasio-the philosopher was Rizal’s elder brother Paciano
• Padre Salvi-was identified by Rizalists as Padre Antonio
Piernavieja, the hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was
killed by the patriots during the Revolution
• Capitan Tiago-was Captain Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas
• Doña Victorina- was Doña Agustina Medel
• Basilio and Crispin- were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy
• Padre Damaso- typical of a domineering friar during the days
of Rizal, who was arrogant, immoral and
anti-Filipino
STORM OVER THE NOLI
• Governor General Emilio Terrero (1885-1888)- requesting Rizal
to come to Malacańang Palace
• Don Jose Taviel de Andrade-a young Spanish lieutenant
assigned by Governor General Terrero to posed as bodyguard
of Rizal
• Msgr. Pedro Payo (a Dominican)- sent a copy of Noli to Father
Rector Gregorio Echavarria of the University of Sto. Tomas for
examination by a committee of the faculty
• The report of the faculty members of University of Santo Tomas
stated that the Noli was “heretical, impious, and scandalous
in the religious order and anti-patriotic, subversive of public
order, injurious to the government of Spain and its function in
the Philippine Islands in the political order”
• Permanent Commission of Censorship- a committee
composed of priest and laymen
• Fr. Salvador Font- Augustinian cura of Tondo, head of the
committee
-found the novel to contain subversive ideas against the Church and
Spain, and recommended “that the importation, reproduction, and
circulation of this pernicious book in the islands be absolutely prohibited.”
• Fr. Jose Rodriguez- Augustinian priest, published a series of
eight pamphlets under the general heading Cuestiones de
Sumo Interes (Questions of Supreme Interest) to blast the Noli
and other anti-Spanish writings

77
•

• Vicente Barrantes- Spanish academician of Madrid, who

formerly criticized the Noli in an article published in La Espańa
Moderna (a newspaper of Madrid) in January, 1890
• What marred Rizal’s happy days in Calamba with Lt. Andrade
were (1) the death of his older sister, Olimpia, and (2) the
groundless tales circulated by his enemies that he was “a
German spy, an agent of Bismarck, a Protestant, a Mason, a
witch, a soul beyond salvation, etc.”
• Rev. Vicente Garcia-a Filipino Catholic priest-scholar, a
theologian of the Manila Cathedral and a Tagalog translator
of the famous Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis
-writing under the penname Justo Desiderio Magalang, wrote a defense
of the Noli which was published in
Singapore as an appendix to a pamphlet dated July 18, 1888, he blasted
the arguments of Fr. Rodriguez
• Rizal, himself defended his novel against Barrantes’ attack, in
a letter written in Brussels, Belgium in February 1880.

EL FILIBUSTERISMO- Context (1891)

Rizal was busy revising and polishing the

manuscript of El Filibusterismo so that it could be
ready for the press.
Rizal had begun writing it in October, 1887, while
practicing medicine in Calamba, the following
year (1888), in London; he made some changes
in the plot and corrected some chapters already
written. He wrote more chapters in Paris and
Madrid, and finished the manuscript in Biarritz on
March 29, 1891. It took him, therefore, three years
to write his second novel

July 5, 1891- Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous

university city in Belgium
Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were (1) the
cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels (2) to
escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne
Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose Alejandro (from
Pampanga) and Edilberto Evangelista
(from Manila), both studying engineering in the world-famed
University of Ghent
F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66 Viaanderen Street)-a printing
shop that give Rizal the lowest quotation for the publication of
his novel, who was willing to print his book on installment basis
August 6, 1891-the printing of his book had to be suspended
because Rizal could no longer give the necessary funds to the
printer
Valentin Ventura- the savior of the Fili. When Ventura learned
of Rizal’s predicament, he immediately sent him the necessary
funds

78
 September 18, 1891- El Filibusterismo came off the press. Rizal
immediately sent on this date two printed copies to Hong
Kong—one for Basa and other for Sixto Lopez
Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an
autographed printed copy to Valentin Ventura.
La Publicidad- a Barcelona newspaper, wherein it published a
tribute eulogizing the novel’s original style which “is
comparable
only to the sublime Alexander Dumas” and may well be offered as
“a model and a precious jewel in the now decadent
literature of Spain”
• El Nuevo Regimen- the liberal Madrid newspaper that
serialized the novel in its issues of October, 1891
• Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to Gom-Bur-Za (Don Mariano
Gomez, 73 years old; Don Jose Burgos, 35 years old; Jacinto
Zamora, 37 years old)
• The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own
handwriting in now preserved in the Filipiana Division of the
Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila. It consists of 270 pages of
long sheets of paper
• Two features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed
book, namely: the FOREWORD and the WARNING. These were
not put into print to save printing cost
• The title page of El Filibusterismo contains an inscription written
by Ferdinand Blumentritt
• El Filibusterismo is a sequel to the Noli. It has little humor, less
idealism and less romance than the Noli Me Tangere. It is more
revolutionary, more tragic than the first novel
• The characters in El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal from real
life. Padre Florentino was Father Leoncio Lopez, Rizal’s friend
and priest of Calamba; Isagani, the poet was Vicente Ilustre,
Batangueño friend of Rizal in Madrid and Paulita Gomez, the
girl who loved Isagani but married Juanito Pelaez, was Leonor
Rivera

COMPARISON BETWEEN NOLI and FILI

NOLI ME TANGERE EL FILIBUSTERISMO

> Noli is a romantic novel > Fili is a political novel
> It is a “work of the heart”—a > It is a “work of the head”—a book
book of feeling” of the thought
> It has freshness, color, > It contains bitterness, hatred,
humor, lightness, and wit pain, violence, and sorrow
> It contains 64 chapters > It contains 38 chapters

• The original intention of Rizal was to make the Fili longer than
the Noli
• The friends of Rizal and our Rizalist as today differ in opinion as
to which is the superior novel—the Noli or the Fili. Rizal himself
considered the Noli as superior to the Fili as a novel, thereby
agreeing with M.H. del Pilar who had the same opinion

79
•

Unfinished Novels

Four days after the Fili came off the press, Rizal wrote to
Blumentritt: “I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the
modern sense of the word, but this time politics will not find
much space in it, but ethics will play the principal role.”
• October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in
Marseilles bound for Hong Kong
- during the voyage, Rizal began writing the third novel in
Tagalog, which he intended for Tagalog readers
• The unfinished novel has no title. It consists of 44 pages (33cm
x 21 cm) in Rizal’s handwriting, still in manuscript form, it is
preserved in the National Library, Manila

The story of this unfinished novel begins with the solemn burial of Prince
Tagulima. The hero of the novel was
Kamandagan, a descendant of Lakan-Dula, last king of Tondo
-It is said that Rizal was fortunate not to have finsihed this novel,
because it would have caused greater scandal and more Spanish
vengeance on him
• Makamisa- other unfinished novel of Rizal in Tagalog written in
a light sarcastic style and is incomplete for only two chapters
are finished. The manuscript consists of 20 pages, 34.2cm x
22cm

80
 Dapitan - another novel which Rizal started to write but it is
unfinished, written in ironic Spanish. He wrote it during his exile
in Dapitan to depict the town life and customs. The manuscript
consists of 8 pages, 23 cm x 16cm
• A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna, is also
unfinished. The manuscript consists of 147 pages, 8” x 6.5”,
without title
• Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title is about
Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who has returned from
Europe. The manuscript consist of 34 pages, 8 ½” x 6 ¼”
• The beginnings of another novel are contained in two
notebooks—the first notebook contains 31 written pages, 35.5
cm x 22 cm and second 12 written pages, 22cm x 17cm. this
unfinished novel is written in Spanish and style is ironic

Rizal's Letter: To the Young Women of Malolos (Full Copy)

When I wrote Noli Me Tangere, I asked myself whether bravery
was a common thing in the young women of our people. I brought
back to my recollection and reviewed those I had known since my
infancy, but there were only few who seem to come up to my
ideal. There was, it is true, an abundance of girls with agreeable
manners, beautiful ways, and modest demeanor, but there was in all
an admixture of servitude and deference to the words or whims of their
so-called "spiritual fathers" (as if the spirit or soul had any father other
than God), due to excessive kindness, modesty, or perhaps
ignorance. They seemed faced plants sown and reared in darkness,
having flowers without perfume and fruits without sap.

However, when the news of what happened at Malolos reached

us, I saw my error, and great was my rejoicing. After all, who is to blame
me? I did not know Malolos nor its young women, except one called
Emila [Emilia Tiongson, whom Rizal met in 1887], and her I knew by name
only.

Now that you have responded to our first appeal in the interest of
the welfare of the people; now that you have set an example to those
who, like you, long to have their eyes opened and be delivered from
servitude, new hopes are awakened in us and we now even dare to
face adversity, because we have you for our allies and are confident
of victory. No longer does the Filipina stand with her head bowed nor
does she spend her time on her knees, because she is quickened by
hope in the future; no longer will the mother contribute to keeping her
daughter in darkness and bring her up in contempt and moral
annihilation. And no longer will the science of all sciences consist in
blind submission to any unjust order, or in extreme complacency, nor
will a courteous smile be deemed the only weapon against insult or
humble tears the ineffable panacea for all tribulations. You know that
the will of God is different from that of the priest; that religiousness does
not consist of long periods spent on your knees, nor in endless prayers,
big rosarios, and grimy scapularies [religious garment showing
devotion], but in a spotless conduct, firm intention and upright

81
•

judgment. You also know that prudence does not consist in blindly
obeying any whim of the little tin god, but in obeying only that which is
reasonable and just, because blind obedience is itself the cause and
origin of those whims, and those guilty of it are really to be blamed. The
official or friar can no longer assert that they alone are responsible for
their unjust orders, because God gave each individual reason and a
will of his or her own to distinguish the just from the unjust; all were born
without shackles and free, and nobody has a right to subjugate the will
and the spirit of another your thoughts. And, why should you submit to
another your thoughts, seeing that thought is noble and free?

It is cowardice and erroneous to believe that saintliness consists in blind

obedience and that prudence and the habit of thinking are
presumptuous. Ignorance has ever been ignorance, and never
prudence and honor. God, the primal source of all wisdom, does not
demand that man, created in his image and likeness, allow himself to
be deceived and hoodwinked, but wants us to use and let shine the
light of reason with which He has so mercifully endowed us. He may be
compared to the father who gave each of his sons a torch to light their
way in the darkness bidding them keep its light bright and take care of
it, and not put it out and trust to the light of the others, but to help and
advise each other to fiind the right path. They would be madman were
they to follow the light of another, only to come to a fall, and the father
could unbraid them and say to them: "Did I not give each of you his
own torch," but he cold not say so if the fall were due to the light of the
torch of him who fell, as the light might have been dim and the road
very bad.

The deceiver is fond of using the saying that "It is presumptuous to

rely on one's own judgment," but, in my opinion, it is more presumptuous
for a person to put his judgment above that of the others and try to
make it prevail over theirs. It is more presumptuous for a man to
constitute himself into an idol and pretend to be in communication of
thought with God; and it is more than presumptuous and even
blasphemous for a person to attribute every movement of his lips to
God, to represent every whim of his as the will of God, and to brand his
own enemy as an enemy of God. Of course, we should not consult our
own judgment alone, but hear the opinion of others before doing what
may seem most reasonable to us. The wild man from the hills, if clad in
a priest's robe, remains a hillman and can only deceive the weak and
ignorant. And, to make my argument more conclusive, just buy a
priest's robe as the Franciscans wear it and put it on a carabao
[domestic water buffalo], and you will be lucky if the carabao does not
become lazy on account of the robe. But I will leave this subject to
speak of something else.

Youth is a flower-bed that is to bear rich fruit and must accumulate

wealth for its descendants. What offspring will be that of a woman
whose kindness of character is expressed by mumbled prayers; who
knows nothing by heart but awits [hymns], novenas, and the alleged
miracles; whose amusement consists in playingpanguingue [a card
game] or in the frequentconfession of the same sins? What sons will she
have but acolytes, priest's servants, or cockfighters? It is the mothers

82
who are responsible for the present servitude of our compatriots, owing
to the unlimited trustfulness of their loving hearts, to their ardent desire
to elevate their sons. Maturity is the fruit of infancy and the infant is
formed on the lap of its mother. The mother who can only teach her
child how to kneel and kiss hands must not expect sons with blood other
than that of vile slaves. A tree that grows in the mud is unsubstantial
and good only for firewood. If her son should have a bold mind, his
boldness will be deceitful and will be like the bat that cannot show itself
until the ringing of vespers. They say that prudence is sanctity. But,
what sanctity have they shown us? To pray and kneel a lot, kiss the
hand of the priests, throw money away on churches, and believe all
the friar sees fit to tell us; gossip, callous rubbing of noses. . . .

As to the mites and gifts of God, is there anything in the world that
does not belong to God? What would you say of a servant making his
master a present of a cloth borrowed from that very master? Who is so
vain, so insane that he will give alms to God and believe that the
miserable thing he has given will serve to clothe the Creator of all
things? Blessed be they who succor their fellow men, aid the poor and
feed the hungry; but cursed be they who turn a deaf ear to
supplications of the poor, who only give to him who has plenty and
spend their money lavishly on silver altar hangings for the thanksgiving,
or in serenades and fireworks. The money ground out of the poor is
bequeathed to the master so that he can provide for chains to
subjugate, and hire thugs and executioners. Oh, what blindness, what
lack of understanding.

Saintliness consists in the first place in obeying the dictates of

reason, happen what may. "It is acts and not words that I want of you,"
said Christ. "Not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in Heaven." Saintliness does not consist in abjectness, nor is the
successor of Christ to be recognized by the fact that he gives his hand
to be kissed. Christ did not give the kiss of peace to the Pharisees and
never gave his hand to be kissed. He did not cater to the rich and vain;
He did not mention scapularies, nor did He make rosaries, or solicit
offerings for the sacrifice of the Mass or exact payments for His
prayers. Saint John did not demand a fee on the River Jordan, nor did
Christ teach for gain. Why, then, do the friars now refuse to stir a foot
unless paid in advance? And, as if they were starving, they sell
scapularies, rosaries, bits, and other things which are nothing but
schemes for making money and a detriment to the soul; because even
if all the rags on earth were converted into scapularies and all the trees
in the forest into rosaries, and if the skins of all the beasts were made
into belts, and if all the priests of the earth mumbled prayers over all this
and sprinkled oceans of holy water over it, this would not purify a rogue
or condone sin where there is no repentance. Thus, also, through
cupidity and love of money, they will, for a price, revoke the numerous
prohibitions such as those against eating meat, marrying close relatives,
etc. You can do almost anything if you but grease their palms. Why
that? Can God be bribed and bought off, and blinded by money,
nothing more nor less than a friar? The brigand who has obtained a bull
of compromise can live calmly on the proceeds of his robbery,

83
•

because he will be forgiven. God, then, will sit at a table where theft
provides the viands? Has the Omnipotent become a pauper that He
must assume the role of the excise man or gendarme? If that is the God
whom the friar adores, then I turn my back upon that God.

Let us be reasonable and open our eyes, especially you women,

because you are the first to influence the consciousness of
man. Remember that a good mother does not resemble the mother
that the friar has created; she must bring up her child to be the image
of the true God, not of a blackmailing, a grasping God, but of a God
who is the father of us all, who is just; who does not suck the life-blood
of the poor like a vampire, nor scoffs at the agony of the sorely beset,
nor makes a crooked path of the path of justice. Awaken and prepare
the will of our children towards all that is honorable, judged by proper
standards, to all that is sincere and firm of purpose, clear judgment,
clear procedure, honesty in act and deed, love for the fellowman and
respect for God; this is what you must teach your children. And, seeing
that life is full of thorns and thistles, you must fortify their minds against
any stroke of adversity and accustom them to danger. The people
cannot expect honor nor prosperity so long as they will educate their
children in a wrong way, so long as the woman who guides the child in
his steps is slavish and ignorant. No good water comes from a turbid,
bitter spring; no savory fruit comes from acrid seed.

The duties that woman has to perform in order to deliver the

people from suffering are of no little importance, but be they as they
may, they will not be beyond the strength and stamina of the Filipino
people. The power and good judgment of the women of the
Philippines are well known, and it is because of this that she has been
hoodwinked, and tied, and rendered pusillanimous, and now her
enslavers rest at ease, because so long as they can keep the Filipina
mother a slave, so long will they be able to make slaves of her
children. The cause of the backwardness of Asia lies in the fact that
there the women are ignorant, are slaves; while Europe and America
are powerful because there the women are free and well-educated
and endowed with lucid intellect and a strong will.

We know that you lack instructive books; we know that nothing is

added to your intellect, day by day, save that which is intended to dim
its natural brightness; all this we know, hence our desire to bring you the
light that illuminates your equals here in Europe. If that which I tell you
does not provoke your anger, and if you will pay a little attention to it
then, however dense the mist may be that befogs our people, I will
make the utmost efforts to have it dissipated by the bright rays of the
sun, which will give light, thought they be dimmed. We shall not feel
any fatigue if you help us: God, too, will help to scatter the mist,
because He is the God of truth: He will restore to its pristine condition
the fame of the Filipina in whom we now miss only a criterion of her own,
because good qualities she has enough and to spare. This is our dream;
this is the desire we cherish in our hearts; to restore the honor of woman,
who is half of our heart, our companion in the joys and tribulations of
life. If she is a maiden, the young man should love her not only because
of her beauty and her amiable character, but also on account of her

84
fortitude of mind and loftiness of purpose, which quicken and elevate
the feeble and timid and ward off all vain thoughts. Let the maiden be
the pride of her country and command respect, because it is a
common practice on the part of Spaniards and friars here who have
returned from the Islands to speak of the Filipina as complaisant and
ignorant, as if all should be thrown into the same class because of the
missteps of a few, and as if women of weak character did not exist in
other lands. As to purity what could the Filipina not hold up to others!

Nevertheless, the returning Spaniards and friars, talkative and fond

of gossip, can hardly find time enough to brag and bawl, amidst
guffaws and insulting remarks, that a certain woman was thus; that she
behaved thus at the convent and conducted herself thus with the
Spaniards who on the occasion was her guest, and other things that set
your teeth on edge when you think of them which, in the majority of
cases, were faults due to candor, excessive kindness, meekness, or
perhaps ignorance and were all the work of the defamer himself. There
is a Spaniard now in high office, who has set at our table and enjoyed
our hospitality in his wanderings through the Philippines and who, upon
his return to Spain, rushed forthwith into print and related that on one
occasion in Pampanga he demanded hospitality and ate, and slept at
a house and the lady of the house conducted herself in such and such
a manner with him; this is how he repaid the lady for her supreme
hospitality! Similar insinuations are made by the friars to the chance
visitor from Spain concerning their very obedient confesandas, hand-
kissers, etc., accompanied by smiles and very significant winkings of the
eye. In a book published by D. Sinibaldo de Mas and in other friar
sketches sins are related of which women accused themselves in the
confessional and of which the friars made no secret in talking to their
Spanish visitors seasoning them, at the best, with idiotic and shameless
tales not worthy of credence. I cannot repeat here the shameless
stories that a friar told Mas and to which Mas attributed no value
whatever. Every time we hear or read anything of this kind, we ask
each other: Are the Spanish women all cut after the pattern of the Holy
Virgin Mary and the Filipinas all reprobates? I believe that if we are to
balance accounts in this delicate question, perhaps, . . . But I must drop
the subject because I am neither a confessor nor a Spanish traveler and
have no business to take away anybody's good name. I shall let this go
and speak of the duties of women instead.

A people that respect women, like the Filipino people, must know the
truth of the situation in order to be able to do what is expected of it. It
seems an established fact that when a young student falls in love, he
throws everything to the dogs -- knowledge, honor, and money, as if a
girl could not do anything but sow misfortune. The bravest youth
becomes a coward when he married, and the born coward becomes
shameless, as if he had been waiting to get married in order to show his
cowardice. The son, in order to hide his pusillanimity, remembers his
mother, swallows his wrath, suffers his ears to be boxed, obeys the most
foolish order, and becomes an accomplice to his own dishonor. It
should be remembered that where nobody flees there is no pursuer;
when there is no little fish, there cannot be a big one. Why does the girl
not require of her lover a noble and honored name, a manly heart

85
•

offering protection to her weakness, and a high spirit incapable of

being satisfied with engendering slaves? Let her discard all fear, let her
behave nobly and not deliver her youth to the weak and faint-
hearted. When she is married, she must aid her husband, inspire him
with courage, share his perils, refrain from causing him worry and
sweeten his moments of affection, always remembering that there is no
grief that a brave heart cannot bear and there is no bitterer inheritance
than that of infamy and slavery. Open your children's eyes so that they
may jealously guard their honor, love their fellowmen and their native
land, and do their duty. Always impress upon them they must prefer
dying with honor to living in dishonor. The women of Sparta should serve
you as an example should serve you as an example in this; I shall give
some of their characteristics.

When a mother handed the shield to her son as he was marching

to battle, she said nothing to him but this: "Return with it, or on it," which
mean, come back victorious or dead, because it was customary with
the routed warrior to throw away his shield, while the dead warrior was
carried home on his shield. A mother received word that her son had
been killed in battle and the army routed. She did not say a word, but
expressed her thankfulness that her son had been saved from
disgrace. However, when her son returned alive, the mother put on
mourning. One of the mothers who went out to meet the warriors
returning from battle was told by one that her three sons had fallen. I
do not ask you that, said the mother, but whether we have been
victorious or not. We have been victorious -- answered the warrior. If
that is so, then let us thank God, and she went to the temple.

Once upon a time a king of theirs, who had been defeated, hid in the
temple, because he feared their popular wrath. The Spartans resolved
to shut him up there and starve him to death. When they were blocking
the door, the mother was the first to bring stones. These things were in
accordance with the custom there, and all Greece admired the
Spartan woman. Of all women -- a woman said jestingly -- only your
Spartans have power over the men. Quite natural -- they replied -- of
all women only we give birth to men. Man, the Spartan women said,
was not born to life for himself alone but for his native land. So long as
this way of thinking prevailed and they had that kind of women in
Sparta, no enemy was able to put his foot upon her soil, nor was there
a woman in Sparta who ever saw a hostile army.

I do not expect to be believed simply because it is I who am saying this;

there are many people who do not listen to reason, but will listen only
to those who wear the cassock or have gray hair or no teeth; but while
it is true that the aged should be venerated, because of their travails
and experience, yet the life I have lived, consecrated to the happiness
of the people, adds some years, though not many of my age. I do not
pretend to be looked upon as an idol or fetish and to be believed and
listened to with the eyes closed, the head bowed, and the arms crossed
over the breast; what I ask of all is to reflect on what I tell him, think it
over and shift it carefully through the sieve of reasons.

86
 First of all. That the tyranny of some is possible only through
cowardice and negligence on the part of others.

Second. What makes one contemptible is lack of dignity and

abject fear of him who holds one in contempt.

Third. Ignorance is servitude, because as a man thinks, so he is; a

man who does not think for himself and allowed himself to be guided
by the thought of another is like the beast led by a halter.

Fourth. He who loves his independence must first aid his

fellowman, because he who refuses protection to others will find himself
without it; the isolated rib in the burin is easily broken, but not so the
broom made of the ribs of the palm bound together.

Fifth. If the Filipina will not change her mode of being, let her rear
no more children, let her merely give birth to them. She must cease to
be the mistress of the home, otherwise she will unconsciously betray
husband, child, native land, and all.

Sixth. All men are born equal, naked, without bonds. God did not
create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with intelligence to
have him hoodwinked, or adorn him with reason to have him deceived
by others. It is not fatuous to refuse to worship one's equal, to cultivate
one's intellect, and to make use of reason in all things. Fatuous is he
who makes a god of him, who makes brutes of others, and who strives
to submit to his whims all that is reasonable and just.

Seventh. Consider well what kind of religion they are teaching

you. See whether it is the will of God or according to the teachings of
Christ that the poor be succored and those who suffer
alleviated. Consider what they preaching to you, the object of the
sermon, what is behind the masses, novenas, rosaries, scapularies,
images, miracles, candles, belts, etc; which they daily keep before your
minds; ears and eyes; jostling, shouting, and coaxing; investigate
whence they came and whiter they go and then compare that religion
with the pure religion of Christ and see whether the pretended
observance of the life of Christ does not remind you of the fat milk cow
or the fattened pig, which is encouraged to grow fat nor through love
of the animal, but for grossly mercenary motives.

Let us, therefore, reflect; let us consider our situation and see how
we stand. May these poorly written lines aid you in your good purpose
and help you to pursue the plan you have initiated. "May your profit be
greater than the capital invested;" and I shall gladly accept the usual
reward of all who dare tell your people the truth. May your desire to
educate yourself be crowned with success; may you in the garden of
learning gather not bitter, but choice fruit, looking well before you eat
because on the surface of the globe all is deceit, and the enemy sows
weeds in your seedling plot.

All this is the ardent desire of your compatriot.

87
•

Rizal Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about the park located in Manila. For the park located in Seattle with the
same name, see Rizal Park (Seattle).
Rizal Park
Luneta Park

The Rizal Monument in Rizal Park

Show map of Manila Show map of

Philippines Show all
Type Urban Park
Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila,
Location
Philippines
14°34′57″N
Coordinates 120°58′42″ECoordinates:
14°34′57″N 120°58′42″E
Area 58 hectares (140 acres)
Created 1820
National Parks Development
Administered by
Committee
Website rizal.npdc.gov.ph

Rizal Park (Filipino: Liwasang Rizal, Spanish: Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta
Park or simply Luneta , is a historical urban park in the Philippines. Formerly known as
Bagumbayan in the era of colonialism under the Spaniards. Rizal Park is located along
Roxas Boulevard, Manila, adjacent to the old walled city of Intramuros, it is one of the
largest urban parks in Asia. It has been a favorite leisure spot, and is frequented on
Sundays and national holidays. Rizal Park is one of the major tourist attractions of
Manila.

88
Situated by the Manila Bay, it is an important site in Philippine history. The execution of
Filipino patriot José Rizal on December 30, 1896 fanned the flames of the 1896
Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain. The area was officially renamed
Rizal Park in his honor, and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the park's
symbolic focal point. The Declaration of Philippine Independence from the United States
was held here on July 4, 1946 as were later political rallies including those of Ferdinand
Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986 that culminated in the EDSA Revolution.

Location
Luneta is situated at the northern terminus of Roxas Boulevard. To the east of the
boulevard, the park is bounded by Taft Avenue, Padre Burgos Avenue and Kalaw
Avenue. To the west is the reclaimed area of the park bounded by Katigbak Drive, South
Drive, and the shore of Manila Bay.

History
Spanish colonial period

View of Manila (Intramuros) from Luneta also known as "Bagumbayan" at that time
1818.

Rizal Park's history began in 1820 when the Paseo de Luneta was completed just south of
the walls of Manila on a marshy patch of land next to the beach during the Spanish rule.
Prior to the park, the marshy land was the location of a small town called Nuevo Barrio
(New Town or Bagumbayan in Tagalog language) that dates back to 1601. The town and
its churches, being close to the walled city, were strategically used as cover by the British
during their attack. The Spanish authorities anticipated the danger posed by the
settlements that immediately surrounded Intramuros in terms of external attacks, yet
Church officials advocated for these villages to remain. Because of the part they played
during the British Invasion, they were cleared after the short rule of the British from 1762
to 1764.[1] The church of Bagumbayan originally enshrined the Black Nazarene. Because
of the order to destroy the village and its church, the image was transferred first to San
Nicolas de Tolentino then to Quiapo Church. This has since been commemorated by the
Traslación of the relic every January 9, which is more commonly known as the Feast of
the Black Nazarene. This is why the processions of January 9 have begun there in the
park beginning in 2007.[2] After the clearing of the Bagumbayan settlement, the area later
became known as Bagumbayan Field where the Cuartel la Luneta (Luneta Barracks), a
Spanish Military Hospital (which was destroyed by one of the earthquakes of Manila),
and a moat-surrounded outwork of the walled city of Manila, known as the Luneta
(lunette) because of its crescent shape.[3][4]

West of Bagumbayan Field was the Paseo de la Luneta (Plaza of the Lunette) named
after the fortification, not because of the shape of the plaza which was a long 100-by-300-
metre (330 ft × 980 ft) rectangle ended by two semicircles. It was also named Paseo de
Alfonso XII (Plaza of Alfonso XII), after Alfonso XII, King of Spain during his reign
from 1874 to 1885.[5] Paseo de la Luneta was the center of social activity for the people

89
•

of Manila in the early evening hours. This plaza was arranged with paths and lawns and
surrounded by a wide driveway called "La Calzada" (The Road) where carriages
circulate.[3][4]

Execution of Gómez, Burgos and Zamora

The Paseo de Luneta, around 1920's (The Rizal Monument was already present)

During the Spanish period from 1823 to 1897 most especially in the latter part, the place
became notorious for public executions. A total of 158 political enemies of Spain were
executed in the park.[4] On February 17, 1872, three Filipino priests, Mariano Gómez,
José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as Gomburza, were executed by
garrote, accused of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny.[6]

American colonial period

Rizal Monument

Main article: Rizal Monument

The execution of Jose Rizal on December 30, 1896

The bronze-and-granite Rizal monument is among the most famous sculptural landmarks
in the country. It is almost protocol for visiting dignitaries to lay a wreath at the
monument. Located on the monument is not merely the statue of Rizal, but also his
remains.[7]

On September 28, 1901, the United States Philippine Commission approved Act No. 243,
which would erect a monument in Luneta to commemorate the memory of José Rizal,
Filipino patriot, writer and poet.[8] The committee formed by the act held an international
design competition between 1905 and 1907 and invited sculptors from Europe and the
United States to submit entries with an estimated cost of ₱100,000 using local
materials.[9]

The first-prize winner was Carlos Nicoli of Carrara, Italy for his scaled plaster model
titled “Al Martir de Bagumbayan” (To the Martyr of Bagumbayan) besting 40 other
accepted entries. The contract though, was awarded to second-placer Swiss sculptor
named Richard Kissling for his “Motto Stella” (Guiding Star).

After more than twelve years of its approval, the shrine was finally unveiled on
December 30, 1913 during Rizal’s 17th death anniversary. His poem "Mi Ultimo Adios"
("My Last Farewell") is inscribed on the memorial plaque. The site is continuously
guarded by ceremonial soldiers of Philippine Marine Corps’ Marine Security and Escort
Group[10]

90
National Government Center

Play media
Proclamation of independence at Rizal Park

In 1902,[11] William Taft commissioned Daniel Burnham, architect and city planner, to do
the city plan of Manila. Government buildings will have Neo-classical edifices with
Greco-Roman columns. Burnham chose Luneta as the location of the new government
center. A large Capitol building, which was envisioned to be the Philippine version of the
Washington Capitol, was to become its core. It was to be surrounded by other
government buildings, but only two of those buildings were built around Agrifina Circle,
facing each other. They are the Department of Agriculture (now the National Museum of
Anthropology) and the Department of Finance (now the Department of Tourism and soon
to be the National Museum of Natural History). These two buildings were completed
before the Second World War.[12]

The park was also intended to become a Philippine version of The Mall in Washington,
D.C., with the planned building of the government offices.

Luneta National Park

In August 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay created the Jose Rizal National Centennial
Commission to organize and manage the celebrations for the centennial of José Rizal’s
birth.[13] Its plans include building a grand monument of José Rizal and the Rizal
Memorial Cultural Center that would contain a national theater, a national museum, and a
national library at the Luneta.[14] The site was declared a national park on December 19,
1955 by virtue of Proclamation No. 234 signed by President Magsaysay.[15] The Luneta
National Park spans an area of approximately 16.24 hectares (40.1 acres) covering the
area surrounding the Rizal Monument. The Commission of Parks and Wildlife (now
Biodiversity Management Bureau) managed the site upon its establishment as a protected
area.

In 1957, President Carlos P. Garcia issued Proclamation No. 470 transferring the
administration of the national park to the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission.[16]
In 1961, in commemoration of Rizal's birth centennial, the National Library was
inaugurated at the park.[14] Its management was then handed over to the National Parks
Development Committee, an attached agency of the Department of Tourism, created in
1963 by President Diosdado Macapagal.[17][18] In 1967, the Luneta National Park was
renamed to Rizal Park with the signing of Proclamation No. 299 by President Ferdinand
Marcos.[19]

Philippine Centennial

On June 12, 1998, the park hosted many festivities which capped the 1998 Philippine
Centennial, the event commemorating a hundred years since the Declaration of
Independence from Spain and the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. The
celebrations were led by then President Fidel V. Ramos.[20]

91
•

2011 renovations

Rizal Park underwent renovations by the National Parks Development Committee

(NPDC) aimed at restoring elements of the park. The plans included the rehabilitation of
the old musical dancing fountain located on the 40 m × 100 m (130 ft × 330 ft) pool,
which is the geographical center of the park. The fountain, which is set for inauguration
on December 16, 2011, is handled by German-Filipino William Schaare, the same person
who built the original fountain in the 1960s. Restoration also included the Flower Clock
which was set for inauguration on the 113th Philippine Independence day; the Noli Me
Tangere Garden and the Luzviminda Boardwalk, for the 150th birthday celebration of
Jose Rizal.[21]

Notable events in the park

Aerial shot of the Rizal Park during Pope Francis' concluding mass

 Various mass protests were held during 1986 as opposition to the government of
Ferdinand Marcos. This culminated into the People Power Revolution.
 January 15, 1995. The closing Mass of the X World Youth Day 1995 was held
here attended by more than 10 million people. This is the record gathering of the
Roman Catholic Church.
 June 12, 1998. The Philippine Centennial Celebrations featured a Grand
Centennial Parade culminating in a fireworks display emanating from ships in
Manila Bay that was the most expensive ever produced in the country at the time.
Rizal Park had over five million celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the
Philippine Declaration of Independence.
 December 31, 1999 – January 1, 2000. The turn-of-the-century celebration was
held here attended by more than 500,000 people.
 November 27, 2005. Rizal Park was the venue of the opening ceremony for the
2005 Southeast Asian Games at the Quirino Grandstand. It was held at an open-
air park instead of a stadium, a historic first for a Southeast Asian games' opening
ceremony. It was again used on December 5, 2005 for the games' closing
ceremony.
 August 23, 2010. The park was the site of the 11-hour hostage crisis where a
Hong Thai Travel Services tour group on a coach was hijacked by Rolando
Mendoza, causing casualties and injuries.

92
  August 22–26, 2013. The Million People March was held in the park, and other
different locations, to protest against the improper use of Priority Development
Assistance Fund.
 January 18, 2015. The concluding mass of the Papal visit of Pope Francis was
held here attended by more than 6 million people, making it the largest papal
gathering in history.[22]

Recurring events

 The annual Independence Day (June 12), Rizal Day (December 30) and New
Year's Eve (December 31) celebrations are held at the park.
 The park is the traditional end of the Marlboro Tour (now known as the Tour de
Filipinas), the national road bicycle racing event every April or May. Recently,
the tour has ended in Baguio.
 The park is also the host of the National Milo Marathon.
 The parade of floats for the Metro Manila Film Festival is annually held every
Christmas. Recently, the cities and towns in Metro Manila have begun rotating the
hosting of the parade.
 Presidential inaugurations are usually held in the park every June 30, six years
starting from 1992.

Park layout

Panorama of the park along Roxas Boulevard

The park is divided into three sections beginning with the 16-hectare (40-acre) Agrifina
Circle adjoining Taft Avenue, where the Department of Tourism and the National
Museum of Anthropology (formerly the Department of Agriculture and the Department
of Finance respectively) are located, is the Northeastern section; followed by the 22-
hectare (54-acre) park proper that extends down to Roxas Boulevard is the Central
Section; and terminating at Southwestern section which includes Burnham Green, a 10-
hectare (25-acre) open field, the Quirino Grandstand and the Manila Ocean Park along
Manila Bay.

Location of buildings in and around Rizal Park

N
W

93
•

E
S
Northeastern side
Northwestern side Southeastern side

National Museum of
Anthropology
National Museum of Natural
Agrifina Circle and History
the Sentinel of Freedom

Japanese Garden National Library of the

Philippines

94
 Intramuros National Historical Commission
of the Philippines

Rizal Monument

Quirino Grandstand

Museo Pambata, formerly the

Manila Hotel
Manila Elks Club
Southwestern side

Activities

The park is home to various Kali/Eskrima/Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) groups. Every
morning, especially on Sundays, Eskrimadors, or Eskrima practitioners can be seen at the
Luneta. Even up to the present, stickfighting duels are still very common, albeit in a
friendly atmosphere. Various physical fitness groups doing aerobics at the park are also
present on weekends.

Like-minded individuals from all walks of life who have a knack or penchant for quizzes
and trivia (any trivial or academic questions under the sun) also gravitates for graveyard
Trivia Meetups at the Luneta Park on weekends, especially on Saturday from dusk till
dawn along the promenade of Japanese Garden and Chess Plaza. Kite flying is also seen
in the park area.

Gardens

Inside the Chinese Garden.

95
•

The Orchidarium.

 Children's Playground, the section of the park built for kids, is located at the
southeastern corner of the Rizal Park. The playground was also renovated in
2011.[21]
 Chinese Garden. An ornate Chinese-style gate, carved with swirling dragons,
leads you into this whimsical garden which looks like it has been transported from
old Peking. Along the lagoon constructed to simulate a small lake, are pagodas
and gazebos that are set off by red pillars and green-tiled roofs and decorated with
a profusion of mythical figures.
 Japanese Garden. The gardens were built to promote friendship between Japan
and the Philippines. Inside is nice place for pleasant walks around the Japanese
style gardens, lagoon and bridge.
 Noli me Tangere Garden, recently unveiled, It features the Heidelberg fountain
where Rizal used to drink from when he was staying in Germany. It was donated
as a symbol of Filipino-German friendship, The bust of Ferdinand Blumentritt can
be found at the garden.
 Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion, established in 1994, was a former parking
lot developed into a one-hectare rainforest-like park. The Orchidarium showcases
Philippines' rich collection of orchid species and butterflies. The pavilion is also a
favorite venue for weddings.

Event venues

The Open Air Auditorium.

 Open-air Auditorium, Designed by National artist for architecture, Leandro

Locsin,It features performances provided for free to the general public by the
National Parks Development Committee, Department of Tourism and the
National Broadcasting Network. Free entertainment are also provided elsewhere
in the park.[23] Featured shows are a mix of performances from dance, theatre, to
musical performances by local and foreign artists. This is also the venue for the
Cinema in the Open-Air, which provides free showing of critically acclaimed
films.
 Quirino Grandstand, Originally called grand Independence Grandstand. It was
designed by architect Juan M. Arellano, in preparation for the proclamation of
Independence on July 4, 1946, and to avoid overcrowding in front of the
Legislative Building during the inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic. It
was designed in Neoclassical style. However, in 1949 Federico Illustre, chief

96
 architect at the Bureau of Public Works, modify the some designs of Arellano. It
was completed on the reclaimed area along Manila Bay where President Elpidio
Quirino was sworn in after winning the presidential election. Since then, newly
elected Presidents of the Philippines traditionally take their oath of office and
deliver their inaugural address to the nation in the grandstand, which was later
renamed after President Quirino. Many important political, cultural and religious
events in the post war era have been held here.

 Parade grounds and the Burnham Green, Parade grounds is a popular

venue for fun run, races, motorcades and parades. The Burnham Green,
named after American architect Daniel Burnham is a large open space in
front of the Quirino grandstand, Designed to accommodate large crowd
gatherings at the park, It also serves as picnic grounds and venue for
different sports activities. The Narra tree planted by Pope Paul VI and the
bronze statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz that was given by Pope John Paul II
can be found in this area.

 Valor's Hall/Bulwagan ng Kagitingan, situated at the light and sound complex,

Its artistic landscape and design made it one of the top-pick venues for event and
cocktail receptions.

Educational establishments

 National Planetarium
 National Museum of Anthropology, on the building north of Agrifina Circle, are
the Anthropology and Archeology collections of the National Museum of the
Philippines.
 National Library of the Philippines is the country's premier public library. The
library has a history of its own and its rich Filipiniana collections are maintained
by the librarians to preserve the institution as the nations fountain of local
knowledge and source of information for thousands of students and everyday
users in their research and studies.
 National Museum of Fine Arts, located on the northeastern tip of Rizal Park, is
an art museum of the National Museum of the Philippines.
 Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium located in the westernmost part of Luneta
behind the Quirino Grandstand and along Manila Bay. The complex opened on
March 1, 2008.

JOSÉ RIZAL

Sobre La Indolencia de los Filipinos

Sobre la indolencia de los Filipinos ("On the Indolence of the Filipinos" in
Spanish) is a socio-political essay published in La Solidaridad in Madrid in
1890. It was written by José Rizal as a response to the accusation of Indio
or Malay indolence. He admits the existence of indolence among the
Filipinos, but it could be attributed to a number of reasons. He traces its
causes to factors such as the climate and social disorders. He defends the
Filipinos by saying that they are by nature not indolent, because in fact,
even before the arrival of Spaniards, Filipinos have been engaged in
economic activities such as agriculture and trade. Indolence therefore
has more deeply rooted causes such as abuse and discrimination.

97
•

Summary

Chapter 1

Rizal acknowledges the prior work of Gregorio Sancianco and

admits that indolence does exist among the Filipinos, but it cannot be
attributed to the troubles and backwardness of the country; rather it is the
effect of the backwardness and troubles experienced by the country.
Past writings on indolence revolve only on either denying or affirming, and
never studying its causes in depth. One must study the causes of
indolence, Rizal says, before curing it. He therefore enumerates the
causes of indolence and elaborates on the circumstances that have led
to it. The hot climate, he points out, is a reasonable predisposition for
indolence. Filipinos cannot be compared to Europeans, who live in cold
countries and who must exert much more effort at work. An hour's work
under the Philippine sun, he says, is equivalent to a day's work in
temperate regions.

Chapter 2

Rizal says that an illness will worsen if the wrong treatment is given.
The same applies to indolence. People, however, should not lose hope in
fighting indolence. Even before the Spaniards arrived, Rizal argues, the
early Filipinos were already carrying out trade within provinces and with
other neighboring countries; they were also engaged in agriculture and
mining; some natives even spoke Spanish. All this disproves the notion that
Filipinos are by nature indolent. Rizal ends by asking what then would
have caused Filipinos to forget their past.

Chapter 3

Rizal enumerates several reasons that may have caused the Filipinos'
cultural and economic decadence. The frequent wars, insurrections, and
invasions have brought disorder to the communities. Chaos has been
widespread, and destruction rampant. Many Filipinos have also been sent
abroad to fight wars for Spain or for expeditions. Thus, the population has
decreased in number. Due to forced labor, many men have been sent to
shipyards to construct vessels. Meanwhile, natives who have had enough
of abuse have gone to the mountains. As a result, the farms have been
neglected. The so-called indolence of Filipinos definitely has deeply
rooted causes.

Chapter 4

Filipinos, according to Rizal, are not responsible for their misfortunes, as

they are not their own masters. The Spanish government has not
encouraged labor and trade, which ceased after the government
treated the country's neighboring trade partners with great suspicion.
Trade has declined, furthermore, because of pirate attacks and the many
restrictions imposed by the government, which gives no aid for crops and
farmers. This and the abuse suffered under encomenderos have caused
many to abandon the fields. Businesses are monopolized by many
government officials, red tape and bribery operate on a wide scale,
rampant gambling is tolerated by the government. This situation is

98
compounded by the Church's wrong doctrine which holds that the rich
will not go to heaven, thus engendering a wrong attitude toward work.
There has also been discrimination in education against natives. These are
some of the main reasons that Rizal cites as causing the deterioration of
values among the Filipinos.

Chapter 5

According to Rizal, all the causes of indolence can be reduced to

two factors. The first factor is the limited training and education Filipino
natives received. Segregated from Spaniards, Filipinos do not receive the
same opportunities that are available to the foreigners. They are taught to
be inferior. The second factor is the lack of a national sentiment of unity
among them. Because Filipinos think they are inferior, they submit to the
foreign culture and do everything to imitate it. The solution, according to
Rizal, would be education and liberty.

The Philippines a Century Hence: Summary and Analysis

“The Philippines a Century Hence” is an essay written by Philippine national hero

Jose Rizal to forecast the future of the country within a hundred years. Rizal felt
that it was time to remind Spain that the circumstances that ushered in the
French Revolution could have a telling effect for her in the Philippines.

This essay, published in La Solidaridad starts by analyzing the various causes of

the miseries suffered by the Filipino people:

1. Spain’s implementation of her military policies – because of such laws, the

Philippine population decreased dramatically. Poverty became more
rampant than ever, and farmlands were left to wither. The family as a unit
of society was neglected, and overall, every aspect of the life of the
Filipino was retarded.
2. Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture – when
Spain came with the sword and the cross, it began the gradual destruction
of the native Philippine culture. Because of this, the Filipinos started
losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of their
present lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the
preservation of their race.
3. Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers – one of the most
powerful forces that influenced a culture of silence among the natives
were the Spanish friars. Because of the use of force, the Filipinos learned
to submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.

The question then arises as to what had awakened the hearts and opened the
minds of the Filipino people with regards to their plight. Eventually, the natives
realized that such oppression in their society by foreign colonizers must no
longer be tolerated.

One question Rizal raises in this essay is whether or not Spain can indeed
prevent the progress of the Philippines:

99
•

1. Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National

consciousness had still awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged
from the rubble.
2. Keeping he people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary,
living a life of eternal destitution had allowed the Filipinos to act on the
desire for a change in their way of life. They began to explore other
horizons through which they could move towards progress.
3. Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not
work either. The Filipino race was able to survive amidst wars and
famine, and became even more numerous after such catastrophes. To
wipe out the nation altogether would require the sacrifice of thousands of
Spanish soldiers, and this is something Spain would not allow.

Spain, therefore, had no means to stop the progress of the country. What she
needs to do is to change her colonial policies so that they are in keeping with the
needs of the Philippine society and to the rising nationalism of the people.

What Rizal had envisioned in his essay came true. In 1898, the Americans
wrestled with Spain to win the Philippines, and eventually took over the
country. Theirs was a reign of democracy and liberty. Five decades after Rizal’s
death, the Philippines gained her long-awaited independence. This was in
fulfillment of what he had written in his essay: “History does not record in its
annals any lasting domination by one people over another, of different races, of
diverse usages and customs, of opposite and divergent ideas. One of the two
had to yield and succumb.”

A la Juventud Filipina

A la Juventud Filipina (English Translation: To The Philippine Youth) is a

poem written in Spanish by Filipino writer and patriot José Rizal, first
presented in 1879 in Manila, while he was studying at the University of
Santo Tomas.

"A la juventud Filipina" was written by Rizal when he was only eighteen
years old, and was dedicated to the Filipino youth which he describes as
"the fair hope of my motherland."

Summary

In the poem Rizal praises the benefits that Spain had bestowed
upon the Philippines. Rizal had frequently depicted the renowned Spanish
explorers, generals and kings in the most patriotic manner. He had
pictured education (brought to the Philippines by Spain) as "the breath of
life instilling charming virtue". He had written of one of his Spanish teachers
as having brought "the light of the eternal splendor".

In this poem, however, it is the Filipino youth who are the

protagonists, whose "prodigious genius" making use of that education to
build the future, was the "bella esperanza de la patria mia" (beautiful
hope of the motherland). Spain, with "pious and wise hand" offered a
"crown's resplendent band, offers to the sons of this Indian land."

100
Awards

The poem was presented in 1879 in Manila at a literary contest held

in the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila (Manila Lyceum of Art and
Literature), a society of literary men and artists, where he won the first
prize, composed of a feather-shaped silver pen and a diploma.

To The Philippine Youth

by Dr. José Rizal

Hold high the brow serene,

O youth, where now you stand;
Let the bright sheen
Of your grace be seen,
Fair hope of my fatherland!

Come now, thou genius grand,

And bring down inspiration;
With thy mighty hand,
Swifter than the wind's violation,
Raise the eager mind to higher station.

Come down with pleasing light

Of art and science to the fight,
O youth, and there untie
The chains that heavy lie,
Your spirit free to blight.

See how in flaming zone

Amid the shadows thrown,
The Spaniard'a holy hand
A crown's resplendent band
Proffers to this Indian land.

Thou, who now wouldst rise

On wings of rich emprise,
Seeking from Olympian skies
Songs of sweetest strain,
Softer than ambrosial rain;

Thou, whose voice divine

Rivals Philomel's refrain
And with varied line
Through the night benign
Frees mortality from pain;

El Consejo de los Dioses

101
•

El Consejo de los Dioses (English Translation: The Council of the G

a play written in Spanish by Filipino writer and national hero José
first published in 1880 in Manila by the Liceo Artistico Literario de
in 1880, and later by La Solidaridad in 1883.

El Consejo de los Dioses was written by Rizal when he was

only nineteen years old, and reveals the humanistic
education of the Philippines at the time and his answer
to scholasticism.

Summary

The play exposes how an Asian teenager seizes the cultural elements of
the Western humanistic tradition, overcoming not only its formalism, but
at the same time laying the foundations for an effort toward self-
knowledge.

Depicting Olympian deities discussing Western literary standards, it

becomes a reference text of literary criticism in the Philippines. Rizal
further explores the true meaning of human desire for knowledge and
designs the guidelines for a Filipino speculative thought.

Awards

The play won the first prize award in an 1880-1881 literary contest
commemorating the death of Cervantes sponsored by the Liceo
Artistico Literario de Manila. “Con el recuerdo del pasado entro en el
porvenir” (“I enter the future remembering the past”), was Rizal's
epigraph for the award.

ORGANIZATIONS FOUNDED/HEADED BY RIZAL

Asociacion La Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association)- a patriotic society,

which cooperate in the crusade fro reforms, was inaugurated on
December 31, 1888, with the following officers: Galicano Apacible
(president); Graciano Lopez Jaena (vice-president); Manuel Santa Maria
(secretary); Mariano Ponce (treasurer) and Jose Ma. Panganiban
(accountant)
• By unanimous vote of all members, Rizal was chosen honorary
president
• January 28, 1889- Rizal wrote a letter addressed to the
members of the Asociacion La Solidaridad

102
Kidlat Club
March 19, 1889-the same day when he arrived in Paris from London, Rizal
organized his paisanos (compatriots) into a society called Kidlat
Club
Kidlat Club- purely a social society of a temporary nature founded by
Rizal simply to bring together young Filipinos in the French capital so
that they could enjoy their sojourn in the city during the duration of
the Universal Exposition
Indios Bravos
Rizal was enchanted by the dignified and proud bearing of the
American Indians in a Buffalo Bull show
Indios Bravos (Brave Indians)- replaced the ephemeral Kidlat Club
-its members pledged to excel in intellectual and physical prowess in
order to win the admiration of the foreigners
-practiced with great enthusiasm the use of the sword and pistol and
Rizal taught them judo, an Asian art of selfdefense, that he learned
in Japan
R.D.L.M Society
o Sociedad R.D.L.M. (R.D.L.M Society)- a mysterious society
founded by Rizal in Paris during the Universal Exposition
of 1889
-its existence and role in the crusade reforms are really enigmatic
-Of numerous letters written by Rizal and his fellow propagandists,
only two mentioned this secret society, as follows (1) Rizal’s Letter to Jose
Maria Basa, Paris, September 21, 1889 (2) Rizal’s Letter to Marcelo H. del
Pilar, Paris,
November 4, 1889
o According to Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, grandnephew of
the hero, the society has a symbol or countersign
represented by a circle divided into three parts by two
semi-circles having in the center the intwerlocked letters
I and B meaning Indios Bravos and the letter R.D.L.M.
placed outside an upper, lower, left and right sides of the
circle
o The letters R.D.L.M. are believed to be the initials of the
society’s secret name Redencion de los Malayos (
Redemption of the Malays)—Redemption of the Malay
Race
o It was patterned after Freemasonry. It had various
degrees of membership, “with the members not knowing
each other.”
The aim of the secret society, as stated by Rizal, was “the
propagation of all useful knowledge—scientific, artistic, and
literary, etc.—in the Philippines. Evidently, there was another
aim that is, the redemption of the Malay race
o It must be noted that Rizal was inspired by a famous
book entitled Max Havelaar (1860) written by Multatuli
(pseudonym of E.D. Dekker, Dutch author)

103
•

RIZAL AND THE LA SOLIDARIDAD NEWSPAPER

• February 15, 1889- Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the patriotic
newspaper called La Solidaridad in Barcelona
• La Solidadridad- fortnightly periodical which served as the organ of the
Propaganda Movement
• Its aims were as follows: (1) to work peacefully for political and social
reforms (2) to portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines so that
Spain may remedy them (3) to oppose the evil forces of reaction and
medievalism (4) to advocate liberal ideas and progress (5) to champion
the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life, democracy and
happiness
• Los Agricultores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)- Rizal’s first article which
appeared in La Solidaridad which is published on March 25, 1889, six days
after he left London for Paris

ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN LA SOLIDARIDAD

Rizal wrote articles for La Solidaridad in defense of his oppressed

people and to point out the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines
1. “A La Defensa” (To La Defensa), April 30, 1889- this was a reply to an
anti-Filipino writing of a Spanish author Patricio de la Escosura which
was published by La Defensa on March 30, 1889
2. “La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth For All), May 31, 1889- Rizal’s
defense against the Spanish charges that the native local officials
were ignorant and depraved
3. Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro Tagalo”, June 15, 1889- in this article, Rizal
exposes Barrabtes’ ignorance on the Tagalog theatrical art
4. Una Profanacion” (A Profanation), July 31, 1889- a bitter attack against
the friars for denying Christian burial to Mariano Herbosa in Calamba
because he was a brother-in-law of Rizal. Herbosa, husband of lucia
died of cholera on May 23, 1889
5. Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths), July 31, 1889- a reply to Vicente
Belloc Sanchez’ letter published in La Patria, Madrid newspaper, on
July 4, 1889, which asserted that the granting of reforms in the
Philippines would ruin the “peaceful and maternal rule” of the friars
6. Crueldad (Cruelty), August 15, 1889- a brilliant defense of Blumentritt
from the scutrillous attack of his enemies
7. Diferencias (Differences), September 15, 1889- a reply to a biased
article entitled “Old Truths” published in La Patria on August 14, 1889,
which ridiculed those Filipinos who asked for reforms
8. Inconsequencias (Inconsequences), November 30, 1889- a defense
of Antonio Luna against the attack of Pablo Mir Deas in the Barcelona
newspaper El Puieblo Soberano“Llanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughter),
November 30, 1889- a denunciation of Spanish racial prejudice
against brown Filipinos
9. Ingratitudes (Ingratitude), January 15, 1890- a reply to Governor
General Valeriano Weyler who, while visiting Calamba, told the people
that they “should not allow themselves to be deceived by the vain
promises of their ungrateful sons.”

104
 • Simultaneous with Rizal retirement from the Propaganda
Movement, Rizal ceased writing articles for La Solidaridad
• August 7, 1891- M.H. del Pilar wrote to Rizal begging forgiveness
for any resentment and requesting Rizal to resume writing for
the La Solidaridad
• Rizal stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of
several reasons: (1) Rizal need to work on his book (2) He
wanted other Filipinos to work also (3) Rizal considered it very
important to the party that there be unity in the work (4)
Marcelo H. del Pilar is already at the top and Rizal also have his
own ideas, it is better to leave del Pilar alone to di rect the policy
WRITINGS IN LONDON
• While busy in research studies at the British Museum, Rizal received news on
Fray Rodriguez’ unabated attack on his Noli
• La Vision del Fray Rodriguez (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez)-pamphlet wrote
by Rizal which published in Barcelona under his nom-de-plume Dimas Alang
in order to defense his novel
-In La Vision del Fray Rodriguez, Rizal demonstrated two things: (1) his profound
knowledge of religion (2) his
biting satire
• Letter to the Young Women of Malolos- a famous letter wrote by Rizal on
February 22, 1889 in Tagalog
-this letter is to praise the young ladies of Malolos for their courage to establish a
school where they could learn Spanish, despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia, a
Spanish parish priest of Malolos
• The main points of this letter were: (1) a Filipino mother should teach her
children love of God, fatherland, and mankind (2) the Filipino mother should
be glad, like the Spartan mother, to offer her sons in the defense of the
fatherland (3) a Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity
and honor (4) a Filipino woman should educate herself, aside from retaining
her good racial virtues (5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers and
wearing religious pictures, but rather it is living the real Christian way, with
good morals and good manners
• Dr Reinhold Rost, editor of Trubner’s Record, a journal devoted to Asian
studies, request Rizal to contribute some articles. In response to his request,
the latter prepared two articles—(1) Specimens of Tagal Folklore, which
published in the journal in May, 1889 (2) Two Eastern Fables, published in
June, 1889
• March 19, 1889- Rizal bade goodbye to the kind Beckett Family and left
London for Paris

ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA PUBLISHED

• Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of his
annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos, which he wrote in the British
Museum. It was printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by
Professor Blumentritt upon the request of Rizal
• Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino people so that they
would know of their glorious past
• The title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga reads: “Paris, Liberia de
Garnier Hermanos, 1890”
• Por Telefono-another satirical work as a reply to another slanderer, Fr.
Salvador Font, who masterminded the banning of his Noli, in the fall of 1889
-it was published in booklet form in Barcelona, 1889, this satirical pamphlet under the
authorship of “Dimas
Alang” is a witty satire which ridicules Father Font
• Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a brief visit to London. It may be due to
two reasons: (1) to check up his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos with

105
•

the original copy in the British Museum (2) to see Gertrude Beckett for the
last time

EL FILIBUSTERISMO PUBLISHED IN GHENT (1891)

- Rizal was busy revising and polishing the manuscript of El Filibusterismo so that it could be
ready for the press
-Rizal had begun writing it in October, 1887, while practicing medicine in Calamba, the
following year (1888), in London; he made some changes in the plot and corrected some
chapters already written. He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid, and finished the
manuscript in Biarritz on March 29, 1891. It took him, therefore, three years to write his
second novel

• July 5, 1891- Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in Belgium
• Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were (1) the cost of printing in Ghent was
cheaper than in Brussels (2) to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite
Suzanne
Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga) and
Edilberto Evangelista
(from Manila), both studying engineering in the world-famed University of
Ghent
• F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66 Viaanderen Street)-a printing shop that give
Rizal the lowest quotation for the publication of his novel, who was willing
to print his book on installment basis
• August 6, 1891-the printing of his book had to be suspended because Rizal
could no longer give the necessary funds to the printer
• Valentin Ventura- the savior of the Fili
-When Ventura learned of Rizal’s predicament and immediately
sent him the necessary funds
• September 18, 1891- El Filibusterismo came off the press
-Rizal immediately sent on this date two printed copies to Hong
Kong—one for Basa and other for Sixto Lopez
• Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an
autographed printed copy to Valentin Ventura
• La Publicidad- a Barcelona newspaper, wherein it
published a tribute eulogizing the novel’s original style
which “is comparable
only to the sublime Alexander Dumas” and may well be offered as
“a model and a precious jewel in the now decadent
literature of Spain”
• El Nuevo Regimen- the liberal Madrid newspaper that
serialized the novel in its issues of October, 1891
• Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to Gom-Bur-Za (Don
Mariano Gomez, 73 years old; Don Jose Burgos, 35 years old; Jacinto
Zamora, 37 years old)
• The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting in now
preserved in the Filipiana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila.
It consists of 270 pages of long sheets of paper
• Two features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed book, namely:
the FOREWORD and the WARNING. These were not put into print to save
printing cost
• The title page of El Filibusterismo contains an inscription written by
Ferdinand Blumentritt
• El Filibusterismo is a sequel to the Noli. It has little humor, less idealism and
less romance than the Noli Me Tangere. It is more revolutionary, more tragic
than the first novel
• The characters in El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal from real life. Padre
Florentino was Father Leoncio Lopez, Rizal’s friend and priest of Calamba;
Isagani, the poet was Vicente Ilustre, Batangueño friend of Rizal in Madrid
and Paulita Gomez, the girl who loved Isagani but married Juanito Pelaez,
was Leonor Rivera

106
COMPARISON BETWEEN NOLI and FILI

NOLI ME TANGERE EL FILIBUSTERISMO

>Noli is a romantic novel > Fili is a political novel
>it is a “work of the heart”—a book of feeling” > it is a “work of the head”—a book of the thou
>it has freshness, color, humor, lightness, and > it contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, a
wit >it contains 64 chapters sorrow > it contains 38 chapters
• The original intention of Rizal was to make the Fili longer than the Noli
• The friends of Rizal and our Rizalistas today differ in opinion as to which is
the superior novel—the Noli or the Fili. Rizal himself considered the Noli as
superior to the Fili as a novel, thereby agreeing with M.H. del Pilar who had
the same opinion

• September 22, 1891-four days after the Fili came off the press, Rizal wrote
to Blumentritt: “I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the modern
sense of the word, but this time politics will not find much space in it, but
ethics will play the principal role.”
• October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles
bound for Hong Kong
- during the voyage, Rizal began writing the third novel in Tagalog, which he intended for
Tagalog readers
• The unfinished novel has no title. It consists of 44 pages (33cm x 21 cm) in
Rizal’s handwriting, still in manuscript form, it is preserved in the National
Library, Manila
-The story of this unfinished novel begins with the solemn burial of Prince Tagulima. The
hero of the novel was
Kamandagan, a descendant of Lakan-Dula, last king of Tondo
-It is said that Rizal was fortunate not to have finsihed this novel, because it would
have caused greater scandal and more Spanish vengeance on him
• Makamisa- other unfinished novel of Rizal in Tagalog written in a light
sarcastic style and is incomplete for only two chapters are finished. The
manuscript consists of 20 pages, 34.2cm x 22cm

107
 •
Dapitan-another novel which Rizal started to write but it is unfinished, written in ironic Spanish. He
wrote it during his exile in Dapitan to depict the town life and customs. The manuscript consists of
8 pages, 23 cm x 16cm
• A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna, is also unfinished. The manuscript consists
of 147 pages, 8” x 6.5”, without title
• Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title is about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student
who has returned from Europe. The manuscript consist of 34 pages, 8 ½” x 6 ¼”
• The beginnings of another novel are contained in two notebooks—the first notebook contains 31
written pages, 35.5 cm x 22 cm and second 12 written pages, 22cm x 17cm. this unfinished novel
is written in Spanish and style is ironic

OPHTHALMIC SURGEON IN HONG KONG (1891-1892)

-Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong, where he lived from November, 1891 to June, 1892. His reasons for leaving Europe
were (1) life was unbearable in Europe because of his political differences with M.H. del Pilar and other Filipinos
in Spain (2) to be near his idolized Philippines and family

• October 3, 1891-two weeks after the publication of Fili, Rizal left Ghent for Paris, where he stayed
a few days to say goodbye to the Lunas, the Pardo de Taveras, the Venturas and other friends;
Rizal proceeded by train to Marseilles
• October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne bound for Hong Kong
• Father Fuchs- a Tyrolese, Rizal enjoyed playing chess. Rizal describe him to Blumentritt as “He is a
fine fellow, A Father Damaso without pride and malice”
• November 20, 1891- Rizal arrived in Hong Kong
• Rizal established his residence at No. 5 D’ Aguilar Street No. 2 Rednaxola Terrace, where he also
opened his medical clinic
• December 1, 1891- Rizal wrote his parents asking their permission to return home.
-On the same date, his brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, sent him a letter relating the sad news of the
“deportation of twenty-five persons from Calamba, including father, Neneng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano and the rest of
us.”
• The Christmas of 1891 in Hong Kong was one of the happiest Yuletide celebrations in Rizal’s life:
For he had a happy family reunion
• January 31, 1892- Rizal wrote to Blumentritt, recounting pleasant life in Hong Kong
• To earn a living for himself and for his family, Rizal practiced medicine
• Dr. Lorenzo P. Marques- a Portuguese physician, who became Rizal’s friend and admirer, who
helped him to build up a wide clientele. In recognition of Rizal’s skill as an ophthalmic surgeon, he
turned over to him many of his eye cases
• Rizal successfully operated on his mother’s left eye so that she was able to read and write again.

BORNEO COLONIZATION PROJECT

• Rizal planned to move the landless Filipino families Filipino families to North Borneo (Sabah), rich
Britishowned island and carve out of its virgin wildness a “New Calamba”
• March 7, 1892- Rizal went to Sandakan on board the ship Menon to negotiate with the British
authorities for the establishment of a Filipino colony
• Rizal looked over the land up the Bengkoka River in Maradu Bay which was offered by the British
North Borneo Company
• April 20, 1892- Rizal was back in Hong Kong
• Hidalgo- Rizal’s brother-in-law, objected to the colonization project
• Governor Valeriano Weyler- Cubans odiously called “The Butcher”
• Governor Eulogio Despujol- the Count of Caspe, a new governor general after Weyler
• December 23, 1891- first letter of Rizal to Governor Despujol
• March 21, 1892- Rizal’s second letter and gave it to a ship captain to be sure it would reach
Governor Despujol’s hand
-in this second letter, he requested the governor general to permit the landless Filipinos to establish themselves
in
Borneo
• Despujol could not approve the Filipino immigration to Borneo, alleging that “the Philippines
lacked laborers” and “it was not very patriotic to go off and cultivate foreign soil.”

108
 •
WRITINGS IN HONG KONG
• “Ang Mga Karapatan Nang Tao- which is a Tagalog translation of “The Rights of Man” proclaimed
by the French Revolution in 1789
• “A la Nacion Española” (To the Spanish Nation)- Rizal wrote in 1891, which is an appeal to Spain
to right the wrongs done to the Calamba tenants
• “Sa Mga Kababayan” (To my Countrymen)- another proclamation written in December, 1891
explaining the Calamba agrarian situation
The Hong Kong Telegraph- a British daily newspaper whose editor is Mr. Frazier Smith, a friend of
Rizal
-Rizal contributed articles to this newspaper
• “Una Visita a la Victoria Gaol” (A Visit to Victoria Gaol)- Rizal wrote on March 2, 1892, an account
of his visit to the colonial prison of Hong Kong
-in this article, Rizal contrasted the cruel Spanish prison system with the modern and more humane British
prison system
• “Colonisation du British North Borneo, par de Familles de Iles Philippines” (Colonization of British
North Borneo by Families from the Philippine Islands)- an article in French which Rizal elaborated
on the same idea in aonther article in Spanish, “Proyecto de Colonizacion del British North Borneo
por los Filipinos” (Project of the Colonization of British North Borneo by the Filipinos)
• “La Mano Roja” (The Red Hand)- Rizal wrote in June, 1892, which was printed in sheet form in Hong
Kong
- it denounces the frequent outbreaks of intentional fires in Manila
• Constitution of La Liga Filipina- the most important writing made by Rizal during his Hong Kong
sojourn, which was printed in Hong Kong, 1892
-to deceive the Spanish authorities, the printed copies carried the false information that the printing was done
by
the LONDON PRINTING PRESS
• Domingo Franco- a friend of Rizal in Manila whom the copies of the printed Liga constitution were
sent

THE LIGA FILIPINA

• July 3, 1892- on the evening of Sunday, following his morning interview with Governor General
Despujol, Rizal attended a meeting with patriots at the home of the Chinese-Filipino mestizo,
Doroteo Ongjunco, on Ylaya Street, Tondo, Manila
• Rizal explained the objectives of the Liga Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos, which he desired to
establish and its role in the socio-economic life of the people.
• The officers of the new league were elected, as follows: Ambrosio Salvador (President); Deodato
Arellano
( Secretary); Bonifacio Arevalo (Treasurer); and Agustin de la Rosa (Fiscal )
• Unus Instar Omnium (One Like All)- the motto of the Liga Filipina
The governing body of the league was the Supreme Council which had jurisdiction over the whole
country. It was composed of a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a fiscal. There was a
Provincial Council in every province and a Popular Council in every town
• The duties of the Liga members are as follows (1) obey the orders of the Supreme Council (2) to
help in recruiting new members (3) to keep in strictest secrecy the decisions of the Liga authorities
(4) to have symbolic name which he cannot change until he becomes president of his council
(5) to report to the fiscal anything that he may hear which affect the Liga (6) to behave well as
befits a good Filipino (7) to help fellow members in all ways

RIZAL ARRESTED AND JAILED IN FORT SANTIAGO

• July 6, 1892- Wednesday, Rizal went to Malacañang Palace to resume his series of interviews with
governor general
• Pobres Frailles (Poor Friars)- incriminatory leaflets which allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow cases; it
is under the authorship of Fr. Jacinto and printed by the Imprenta de los Amigos del Pais, Manila
• Rizal was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon Despujol, nephew and
aide of Governor General Despujol
• July 7, 1892- the Gaceta de Manila published the story of Rizal’s arrest which produced indignant
commotion among the Filipino people, particlarly the members of the newly organized Liga
Filipina
• The same issue of the Gaceta (july 7, 1892) contained Governor General Despujol’s decree
deporting Rizal to “one of the islands in the South”

109
 •
• July 14, 1892, shortly after midnight (that is 12:30 am of July 15, 1892) – Rizal was brought under
heavy guard to the steamer Cebu which was sailing for Dapitan. This steamer under Captain
Delgras departed at 1:00 AM, July 15, sailing south, passing Mindoro and Panay and reaching
Dapitan on
Sunday, the 17 th of July at 7:00 in the evening
• Captain Ricardo Carnicero- Spanish commandant of Dapitan whom Captain Delgras handed
Rizal
• July 17, 1892- July 31, 2896- Rizal began his exile in lonely Dapitan, a period of four years

EXILE IN DAPITAN, 1892-1896

-Rizal lived in exile far-away Dapitan, a remote town in Mindanao which was under the missionary jurisdiction of
the
Jesuits, from 1892 to 1896
-Rizal practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, continued his artistic and literary works, widened his
knowledge of languages, established a school for boys, promoted developments projects, invented a wooden
machine for making bricks, and engaged in farming and commerce

BEGINNING OF EXILE IN DAPITAN

• The steamer Cebu which brought Rizal to Dapitan carried a letter from Father Pablo Pastells,
Superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippine, to Father Antonio Obach, Jesuit parish priest of
Dapitan
• Rizal lived in the house of the commandant, Captain Carnicero
• A Don Ricardo Carnicero- Rizal wrote a poem on August 26, 1892, on the occasion of the
captain’s birthday
• September 21, 18792- the mail boat Butuan was approaching the town, with colored pennants
flying in the sea breezes
• Butuan- the mail boat, brought the happy tidings that the Lottery Ticket no. 9736 jointly owned by
Captain Carcinero, Dr. Jose Rizal, and Francisco Equilior (Spanish resident of Dipolog, a
neighboring town of Dapitan) won the second prize of P20,000 in the government-owned Manila
Lottery
• Rizal’s winning in the Manila Lottery reveals an aspect of his lighter side. He never drank hard liquor
and never smoked but he was a lottery addict—this was his only vice
• During his exile in Dapitan, Rizal had a long and scholarly debate with Father Pastells on religion.
• In all his letters to Father Pastells, Rizal revealed his anti-Catholic ideas which he had acquired in
Europe and embitterment at his persecution by the bad friars
• According to Rizal, individual judgment is a gift from God and everybody should use it like a
lantern to show the way and that self-esteem, if moderated by judgment, saves man from
unworthy acts
• Imitacion de Cristo (Imitation of Christ)- a famous Catholic book by Father Thomas a Kempis which
Father Pastells gave to Rizal
• Mr. Juan Lardet- a businessman, a French acquaintance in Dapitan, Rizal challenge in a duel—
this man purchased many logs from the lands of Rizal
• Antonio Miranda- a Dapitan merchant and friend of Rizal
• Father Jose Vilaclara- cura of Dipolog

• Pablo Mercado-friar’s spy and posing as a relative, secretly visited Rizal at his house on the night
of November 3, 1891
-he introduced himself as a friend and relative, showing a photo of Rizal and a pair of buttons with the
initials “P.M.” (Pablo Mercado) as evidence of his kinship with the Rizal family
• Captain Juan Sitges- who succeeded Captain Carnicero on May 4, 1893 as commandant of
Dapitan, Rizal denounced to him the impostor
Florencio Namanan- the real name of “Pablo Mercado”
-a native of Cagayan de Misamis, single and about 30 years old. He was hired by the Recollect friars to a
secret mission in Dapitan—to introduce himself to Rizal as a friend and relative, to spy on Rizal’s activities, and to
filch certain letters and writings of Rizal which might incriminate him in the revolutionary movement.
• As physician in Dapitan—Rizal practiced Medicine in Dapitan. He had many patients, but most of
them were poor so that he even gave them free medicine.
-As a physician, Rizal became interested in local medicine and in the use of medicinal plants. He studied the
medicinal plants of the Philippines and their curative values.

110
 •
• August 1893- Rizal’s mother and sister, Maria, arrived in Dapitan and lived with him for one year
and a half. Rizal operated on his mother’s right eye
• Rizal held the title of expert surveyor (perito agrimensor), which obtained from the Ateneo
-In Dapitan, Rizal applied his knowledge of engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order
to furnish clean water to the townspeople
• Mr. H.F. Cameron- an American engineer who praised Rizal’s engineering

COMMUNITY PROJECTS FOR DAPITAN

• When Rizal arrived in Dapitan, he decided to improve it, to the best of his God-given talents and
to awaken the civic consciousness of its people
(1) Constructing the town’s first water system
(2) Draining the marshes in order to get rid of malaria that infested Dapitan
(3) Equip the town with its lighting system—this lighting system consisted of coconut oil lamps placed in the
dark streets of Dapitan
(4) Beautification of Dapitan—remodeled the town plaza in order to enhance its beauty

• Rizal as Teacher—Rizal exile to Dapitan gives him the opportunity to put into practice his
educational ideas. In 1893 he established a school which existed until the end of his exile in July,
1896. Rizal taught his boys reading, writing, languages (Spanish and English), geography, history,
mathematics (arithmetic and geometry), industrial work, nature study, morals and gymnastics. He
trained them how to collect specimens of plants and animals, to love work and to “behave like
men”
• Hymn to Talisay (Himno A Talisay)- Rizal wrote this poem in honor of Talisay for his pupils to sing
• Contributions to Science—during his four-year exile in Dapitan, Rizal built up a rich collection of
concology which consisted of 346 shells representing 203 species. Rizal also conducted
anthropological, ethnographical, archaeological, geological, and geographical studies, as
revealed by his voluminous correspondence with his scientists friends in Europe.
• Linguistic Studies—In Dapitan, he learned the Bisayan, Subanum, and Malay languages. He wrote
Tagalog grammar, made a comparative study of the Bisayan and Malayan languages and
studied Bisayan (Cebuan), and Subanum languages
-By this time, Rizal could rank with the world’s great linguists. He knew 22 languages—Tagalog, Ilokano,
Bisayan, Subanun, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Arabic, Malay, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Dutch,
Catalan, Italian,
Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, and Russian
• Artistic works in Dapitan—Rizal continued his artistic pursuits in Dapitan. Rizal made sketches of
persons and things that attracted him in Dapitan.
-The Mother’s Revenge- a statuette made by Rizal representing the mother-dog killing the crocodile, by
way of avenging her lost puppy
-Other sculptural works of Rizal in Dapitan were a bust of Father Guerrico (one of his Ateneo professors),
a statue of a girl called “the Dapitan Girl”, a woodcarving of Josephine Bracken (his wife) and a bust of St. Paul
which he gave to
Father Pastells
• Rizal as Farmer—In Dapitan, Rizal devoted much of his time to agriculture. Rizal introduced modern
methods of agriculture which he had observed in Europe and America. He encouraged the
Dapitan farmers to discard their primitive system of tillage and adopt the modern agricultural
methods
• Rizal as Businessman—Rizal engaged in business in partnership with Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan
merchant, he made profitable business ventures in fishing, copra, and hemp industries
-January 19, 1893- Rizal wrote a letter to Hidalgo expressing his plan to improve the fishing industry of
Dapitan
-The most profitable business venture of Rizal in Dapitan was in the hemp industry. May 14, 1893-Rizal
formed a business partnership with Ramon Carreon in lime manufacturing
-January 1, 1895-Rizal organized the Cooperative Association of Dapitan Farmers to break the Chinese
monopoly on business in Dapitan
• Rizal’s Inventive Ability—Rizal invented a cigarette lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt. He
called it “sulpukan”. This unique cigarette lighter was made of wood. “Its mechanism”, said Rizal
“is based on the principle of compressed air.”
- During his exile in Dapitan, he invited a wooden machine for making bricks

111
 •
• My Retreat (Mi Retiro)- Rizal wrote this beautiful poem about his serene life as an exile in Dapitan
and sent it to her mother on October 22, 1895, which acclaimed by literary critics as one of the
best ever penned by Rizal.

RIZAL AND THE KATIPUNAN

Andres Bonifacio- the “Great Plebeian”, sowing the seeds of an armed uprising—the secret
revolutionary society, called Katipunan, which he founded on July 7, 1892
• May 2, 1896- a secret meeting of the Katipunan at a little river called Bitukang Manok near the
town of Pasig, Dr. Pio Valenzuela was named emissary to Dapitan, in order to inform Rizal of the
plan of the Katipunan to launch a revolution for freedom’s sake
• June 15, 1896-Valenzuela left Manila on board the steamer Venus
• To camouflage Valenzuela’s real mission, he brought with him a blind man Raymundo Mata and
a guide, ostensibly going to Dapitan to solicit Rizal’s expert medical advice
• June 21, 1896- evening, Dr. Pio Valenzuela arrived in Dapitan
• Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s audacious project to plunge the country in bloody revolution
because he was of sincere belief that it was premature, for two reasons: (1) the people are not
ready for a revolution (2) arms and funds must first be collected before raising the cry of revolution

• Rizal had offered his services as military doctor in Cuba, which was then in the throes of a revolution
and a ranging yellow fever epidemic. There was a shortage of physicians to minister to the needs
of the Spanish troops and the Cubans people
• December 17, 1895- Rizal wrote to Governor General Ramon Blanco, Despujol’s successor, offering
his services as military doctor in Cuba
• July 30, 1896- Rizal received the letter from Governor General Blanco dated July 1, 1896 notifying
him of acceptance of his offer.
• “The Song of the Traveler” (El Canto del Viajero) -Rizal wrote this heart-warming poem because of
his joy in receiving the gladsome news from Malacañang
• July 31, 1896- Rizal’s four-year exile in Dapitan came to an end -Midnight of that date, Rizal
embarked on board the steamer España
• As farewell music, the town brass band strangely played the dolorous Funeral March of Chopin.
Rizal must have felt it deeply, for with his presentment of death, it seemed an obsequy or a regimen
• Rizal wrote in his diary, “I have been in that district four years, thirteen days and a few hours”

LAST TRIP ABROAD (1896)

-No longer an exile, Rizal had a pleasant trip from Dapitan to Manila, with delightful stopovers in Dumaguete,
Cebu, Iloilo,
Capiz, and Romblon

• Isla de Luzon-a regular steamer that Rizal missed which sailed to Spain the day before he arrived
in Manila Bay
• Castilla- a Spanish cruiser wherein Rizal was kept as a “guest” on board
• August 26, 1896- Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan raised the cry of revolution in the hills of
Balintawak, a few miles north of Manila
• September 3, 1896- Rizal left for Spain on the steamer Isla de Panay
• July 31, 1896- Rizal left Dapitan at midnight on board the España sailed northward
• August 1, 1896- at dawn of Saturday, it anchored at Dumaguete, capitan of Negros Oriental
-“Dumaguete” wrote Rizal in his travel diary “spreads out on the beach. There are big houses, some with
galvanized iron roofing. Outstanding are the house of a lady, whose name I have forgotten, which is occupied
by the government and another one just begun with many ipil post
• Herrero Regidor- Rizal friend and former classmate, who was the judge of the province,
Dumaguete
• The España left Dumaguete about 1:00pm and reached Cebu the following morning
“In Cebu, Rizal wrote in his diary “I did two operations of strabotomy, one operation on the ears and
another of tumor.”
• In the morning of Monday, August 3, 1896, Rizal left Cebu going to Iloilo. Rizal landed at Iloilo, went
shopping in the city and visited Molo. From Iloilo, Rizal’s ship sailed to Capiz. After a brief stopover,
it proceeded towards Manila via Romblon
• August 6, 1896- morning of Thursday, the España arrived in Manila Bay

112
 •
• Rizal was not able to catch the mail ship Isla de Luzon for Spain because it had departed the
previous day at 5:00pm
• Near midnight of the same day, August 6, Rizal was transferred to the Spanish cruiser Castilla, by
order of Governor General Ramon Blanco. He was given good accommodation by the gallant
captain, Enrique
Santalo
• August 6 to September 2, 1896 , Rizal stayed on the cruiser pending the availability of Spain-bound
steamer

OUTBREAK OF PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION

• August 19, 1896- the Katipunan plot to overthrow Spanish rule by means of revolution was
discovered by Fray Mariano Gil, Augustinian cura of Tondo
• August 26, 1896- the “Cry of Balintawak” which raised by Bonifacio and his valiant Katipuneros
August 30, 1896- sunrise, the revolutionists led by Bonifacio and Jacinto attacked San Juan, near
the city of Manila
-in the afternoon, after the Battle of San Juan, Governor General Blanco proclaimed a state of war in the
first eight provinces for rising in arms against Spain—Manila (as a province), Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna,
Pampanga,
Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac
• Rizal learned of the eruption of the revolution and raging battles around Manila through the
newspapers he read on the Castilla. He was worried for two reasons: (1) the violent revolution
which he sincerely believed to be premature and would only cause much suffering and terrible
loss of human lives and property had started (2) it would arouse Spanish vengeance against all
Filipino patriots
• August 30, 1896- Rizal received from Governor General Blanco two letters of introduction for the
Minister of War and Minister of Colonies, which a covering letter which absolved him from all blame
for the raging revolution
• September 2, 1896- the day before Rizal departure for Spain, Rizal, on board the Castilla, wrote to
his mother
- At 6:00pm, Rizal was transferred to the steamer Isla de Panay which was sailing for Barcelona, Spain
• The next morning, September 3, this steamer left Manila Bay
• The Isla de Panay arrived at Singapore in the evening of September 7
• Don Pedro Roxas- rich Manila creole industrialist and Rizal’s friend that advised him to stay on
Singapore and take advantage of the protection of the British law
• Don Manuel Camus- headed several Filipino residents in Singapore, boarded the steamer, urging
Rizal to stay in Singapore to save his life
• The Isla de Panay, with Rizal on board, left Singapore at 1:00pm, September 8
• September 25, 1896- Rizal saw the steamer Isal de Luzon, leaving the Suez Canal, crammed with
Spanish troops
• September 27, 1896- Rizal heard from the passengers that a telegram arrived from Manila reporting
the execution of Francisco Roxas, Genato and Osorio
• September 28, 1986- a day after the steamer had left Port Said (Mediterranean terminus of the
Suez Canal), a passenger told Rizal the bad news that he would be arrested by order of Governor
General Blanco and would be sent to prison in Ceuta (Spanish Morocco), opposite Gibraltar
• September 29, 1896- Rizal wrote in his travel diary: There are people on board who do nothing but
slander me and invent fanciful stories about me. I’m going to become a legendary personage
• September 30, 1896- at 4:00pm, Rizal was officially notofied by Captain Alemany that he should
stay in his cabin until further orders from Manila
-about 6:25pm, the steamer anchored at Malta. Being confined to his cabin, Rizal was not able to visit
the famous island-fortress of the Christian crusaders
• October 3, 1896- at 10:00am, the Isla de Panay arrived in Barcelona, with Rizal, a prisoner on board
• The trip from Manila to Barcelona lasted exactly 30 days. Rizal was kept under heavy guard in his
cabin for three days
• General Eulogio Despujol- military commander of Barcelona who ordered his banishment to
Dapitan in July 1892
• October 6, 1896- at 3:00am, Rizal was awakened by the guards and escorted to the grim and
infamous prison-fortress named Monjuich

113
 •
• About 2:00 in the afternoon, Rizal was taken out of prison by the guards and brought to the
headquarters of General Despujol
• Colon- a transport ship back to Manila
• Rizal was taken aboard the Colon, which was “full of soldiers and officers and their families.”
• October 6, 1896- at 8:00pm, the ship left Barcelona with Rizal on board

LAST HOMECOMING AND TRIAL

-Rizal’s homecoming in 1896, the last in his life, was his saddest return to his beloved native land. He knew he was
facing the supreme test, which might mean the sacrifice of his life, but he was unafraid
- The trial that was held shortly after Rizal’s homecoming was one of history’s mockeries of justice

A MARTYR’S LAST HOMECOMING

• October 6, 1896- Tuesday, Rizal leaved Barcelona, Rizal conscientiously recorded the events on his
diary
• October 8, 1896- a friendly officer told Rizal that the Madrid newspaper were full of stories about
the bloody revolution in the Philippines and were blaming him for it
• October 11, 1896- before reaching Port Said, Rizal’s diary was taken away and was critically
scrutinized by the authorities
• November 2, 1896- the diary was returned to Rizal
• Attorney Hugh Fort-an English lawyer in Singapore
-his friends (Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez) dispatched frantic telegrams to Fort to rescue Rizal
from the Spanish steamer when it reached Singapore by means of writ of habeas corpus
Chief Justice Loinel Cox- denied the writ on the ground that the Colon was carrying Spanish troops
to the Philippines
• November 3, 1896- the Colon reached Manila, where it was greeted with wild rejoicings by the
Spaniards and friars because it brought more reinforcements and military supplies
• November 20, 1896- the preliminary investigation on Rizal began
• Colonel Francisco Olive- the judge advocate
• Two kinds of evidence were presented against Rizal, namely documentary and testimonial. The
documentary evidence consisted of fifteen exhibits, as follows:
(1) A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce, dated Madrid, October 16, 1888, showing Rizal’s connection
with the
Filipino reform campaign in Spain
(2) A letter of Rizal to his family, dated Madrid, August 20, 1890, stating that the deportations are good for they
will encourage the people to hate tyranny
(3) A letter from Marcelo H. del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated Madrid, January 7, 1889, implicating Rizal in
the Propaganda campaign in Spain
(4) A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal in Manila on September 12, 1891
(5) A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person dated Barcelona, September 18, 1891, describing Rizal
as the man to free the Philippines from Spanish oppression
(6) A Masonic document, dated Manila, February 9, 1892, honoring Rizal for his patriotic services
(7) A letter signed Dimasalang (Rizal’s pseudonym) to Tenluz (Juan Zulueta’s pseudonym), dated Hong Kong,
May 24,
1892 , stating that he was preparing a safe refuge for Filipinos who may be persecuted by the Spanish authorities
(8) A letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee, dated Hong Kong, June 1, 1892, soliciting the aid of
the committee in the “patriotic work”
(9) An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, censuring the banishment of
Rizal to
Dapitan
(10) A letter of Idefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 3, 1892, saying that the Filipino people look
up to him
( Rizal) as their savior
(11) A letter of Idefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 17, 1893, informing an unidentified
correspondent of the arrest and banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador
(12) A letter of Marcelo H. del Pilar to Don Juan A. Tenluz (Juan Zulueta), dated Madrid, June 1, 1893
recommending the establishment of a special organization, independent of Masonry, to help the cause
of the Filipino people

114
 •
(13) Transcript of a speech of Pingkian (Emilio Jacinto), in reunion of the Katipunan on July 23, 1893, in which
the following cry was, uttered “Long Live the Philippines! Long live Doctor Rizal! Unity!”
(14) Transcript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the same Katipunan reunion, where in the
katipuneros shouted: “Long live the eminent Doctor Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!”
(15) A poem by Laong Laan (Rizal), entitled A Talisay in which the author makes the Dapitan schoolboys sing
that they know how to fight their rights

• The testimonial evidence consisted of the oral testimonies of Martin Constantino, Aguedo del
Rosario, Jose Reyes, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Deodato Arellano, Ambrosio
Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quison, and
Timoteo Paez
• November 26, 1896- after the preliminary investigation, Colonel Olive transmitted the records of
the case to Governor Dominguez as special Judge Advocate to institute the corresponding action
against Rizal
• After studying the papers, Judge advocate General, Don Nicolas de la Peña, submitted the
following recommendations: (1) the accused be immediately brought to trial (2) he should be
kept in prison (3) an order of attachment be issued against his property to the amount of one
million pesos as indemnity (4) he should be defended in court by an army officer, not by a civilian
lawyer
• The only right given to Rizal by the Spanish authorities was to choose his defense counsel
• December 8, 1896- Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, a list of 100 first and second
lieutenants in the Spanish Army was presented to Rizal
• Don Luis Taviel de Andrade- 1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, chosen by Rizal to defend him -brother
of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade, Rizal’s “bodyguard” in Calamba in 1887
• December 11, 1896- the information of charges was formally read to Rizal in his prison cell, with his
counsel present
• Rizal was accused of being “the principal organizer and the living soul of the Filipino insurrection,
the founder of societies, periodicals, and books dedicated to fomenting and propagating ideas
of rebellion.”
• December 13, 1896- Dominguez forwarded the papers of the Rizal case to Malacañang Palace
• December 15, 1896- Rizal wrote the Manifesto to His People in his prison cell at Fort Santiago,
appealing to them to stop the necessary shedding of blood and to achieve their liberties by
means of education and industry
• December 25, 1896- a dark and cheerless Christmas for Rizal, his last on earth, was the saddest in
Rizal’s life
• December 26, 1896- at 8:00am, the court-martial of Rizal started in the military building called
Cuartel de España
• Lt. Col. Togores Arjona- considered the trial over and ordered the hall cleared. After a short
deliberation, the military court unanimously voted for the sentence of death
December 28, 1896- Polavieja approved the decision of the court-martial and ordered Rizal to be
shot at 7:00 in the morning of December 30 at Bagumbayan Field (Luneta )

MARTYRDOM AT BAGUMBAYAN
- After the court-martial, Rizal returned to his cell in Fort Santiago to prepare his rendezvous with destiny
-During his last 24 hours on earth—from 6:00am December 29 to 6:00am December 30, 1896—he was busy
meeting visitors
• Santiago Mataix- Spanish newspaper correspondent
• Pearl of the Orient Sea- Rizal called the Philippines
• Pearl of the Orient- Rizal’s last poem in an article entitled “Unfortunate Philippines” published in The
Hong Kong Telegraph on September 24, 1892

LAST HOURS OF RIZAL

DECEMBER 29, 1896

• 6:00 am
=Captain Rafael Dominguez, who was designated by Governor General Camilo Polavieja to take charge of
all arrangements for the execution of the condemned prisoner, read the death sentence to Rizal—to be s
December 15, 1896 shot at the back by a firing squad at 7:00am in Bagumbayan (Luneta )

115
 •
• 7:00 am
=Rizal was moved to the prison chapel, where he spent his last moments. His first visitors were Father Miguel
Saderra Mata (Rector of Ateneo Municipal), and Father Luis Viza, Jesuit teacher
• 7:15 am
= Rizal, in a jovial mood, reminded Fr. Viza of the statuette of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which he had carved
with his pen knife as an Ateneo student. Fr. Viza, got the statuette from his pocket and gave it to Rizal. The
hero happily received it and placed it on his writing table
• 8:00 am
= Fr. Antonio Rosell arrived to relieve Father Viza. Rizal invited him to join him at breakfats, which he did. After
breakfast, Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade (Rizal’s defense counsel) came, and Rizal thanked him for his gallant
services
• 9:00 am
= Fr. Federico Faura arrived. Rizal reminded him that he said that (Rizal) would someday lose his head for
writing the Noli. “Father”, Rizal remarked, “You are indeed a prophet.”
• 10:00 am
= Father Jose Vilaclara (Rizal’s teachet at the Ateneo) and Vicente Balaguer (Jesuit missionary in Dapitan
who had befriended Rizal during the latter’s exile) visited the hero. After them came Spanish journalist,
Santiago Mataix, who interviewed Rizal for his newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid
• 12:00 am (noon) to 3:30pm
= Rizal was left alone in his cell. He took lunch after which he was busy writing. It was probably during this time
when he finished his farewell poem and hid it inside his alcohol cooking stove which was given to him as a
gift by Paz Pardo de Tavera (wife of Juan Luna) during his visit to Paris in 1890. at the same time, he wrote his
last letter to Professor Blumentritt in German
• 3:30 pm
= Father Balaguer returned to Fort Santiago and discussed with Rizal about his retraction of the anti-Catholic
ideas in his writings and membership in Masonry
• 4:00 pm
= Rizal’s mother arrived. Rizal knelt down before her and kissed her hands, begging her to forgive him. Trinidad
entered the cell to fetch her mother. As they were leaving, Rizal gave to Trinidad the alcohol cooking stove,
whispering to her in English; “There is something inside” This “something” was Rizal’s farewell poem. After the
departure of Doña Teodora and Trinidad, Fathers Vilaclara and Estanislao March entered the cell, followed
by Father Rosell
• 6:00 pm
= Rizal received a new visitor, Don Silvino Lopez Tuñon, the Dean of the Manila Cathedral. Fathers Balaguer
and March left, leaving Vilaclara with Rizal and Don SIlvino
• 8:00 pm
= Rizal had his last supper. He informed Captain Dominguez who was with him that he forgave his enemies,
including the military judges who condemned him to death
• 9:30 pm
= Rizal was visited by Don Gaspar Cestaño, the fiscal of the Royal Audiencia of Manila. As a gracious host,
Rizal offered him the best chair in the cell. After a pleasant conversation, the fiscal left with a good impression
of Rizal’s intelligence and noble character
• 10:00 pm
=The draft of the retraction sent by the anti-Filipino Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda (1890-1903) was
submitted by Father Balaguer to Rizal for signature, but the hero rejected it because it was too long and he
did not like it.

DECEMBER 30, 1896

• 3:00 am
= Rizal heard Mass, confessed his sins, and took Holy Communion
• 5:30 am

116
 =Rizal took his last breakfast on earth. After this, he wrote two letters, the first addressed to his family and the
second to his older brother Paciano.
=Josephine Bracken, accompanied by a sister of Rizal (Josefa), arrived. Josephine, with tears in her eyes,
bade him farewell. Rizal embraced her for the last time and before she left, Rizal gave her a last gift—a
religious book, Imitation of Christ by Father Thomas a Kempis
• 6:00 am
= As the soldiers were getting ready for the death march to Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote his last letter to his
beloved parents.
• About 6:30am
=a trumpet sounded at Fort Santiago, a signal to begin the death march to Bagumbayan, the designated
place for the execution
=Rizal was dressed elegantly in black suit, black derby hat, black shoes, white shirt and black tie. His arms
were tied behind from elbow to elbow. But the rope was quite loose to give his arms freedom of movement
• Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo- a Spanish military physician, asked Rizal permission to feel his pulse and was
amazed to find it normal showing that Rizal was not afraid to die
• 7:03 am
=Rizal died in the bloom of manhood—aged 35 years, five months and 11 days

• Mi Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell)- farewell poem of Rizal that originally was without title and was
unsigned.
• Father Mariano Dacanay- a Filipino priest-patriot, who gave the title Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell)
and under such title the poem was published for the first time in La Independencia (General
Antonio Luna’s newspaper) on September 25, 1898
• Immediately after Rizal’s execution the Spanish spectators shouted “Viva España!” “Muerte a los
Traidores’ (“Long Live Spain! “Death to the Traitors!”) and the Spanish Military Band, joining the
jubilance over Rizal’s death, played the gay Marcha de Cadiz
• By Rizal’s writings, which awakened Filipino nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine
Revolution, he proved that “pen is mightier than the sword”

WHY IS RIZAL OUR GREATEST NATIONAL HERO

(1) Rizal is our greatest hero because, as a towering figure in the Propaganda Campaign, he took an
“admirable part” in that movement which roughly covered the period from 1882-1896
(2) Rizal’s writings contributed tremendously to the formation of Filipino nationality
(3) Rizal becomes the greatest Filipino hero because no Filipino has yet been born who could equal or surpass
Rizal as
“a person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering.”
(4) Rizal is the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived because he is “a man honored after death by public worship,
because of exceptional service to mankind”

WHO MADE RIZAL THE FOREMOST NATIONAL HERO OF THE PHILIPPINES

=No single person or groups of persons were responsible for making the Greatest Malayan the Number One
Hero of his people. Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the
greatest hero and martyr of his people. No amount of adulation and canonization by both Filipinos and
foreigners could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did not possess in himself what Palma calls “excellent
qualities and merits”

ROMANCES OF RIZAL First romance—“that painful experience which comes to

nearly all adolescents”

• Julia
- from Dampalit, Los Baños, Laguna
• Segunda Katigbak
- Rizal first romance that was then sixteen years
old - a pretty fourteen-year old Batangueña from
Lipa
-In Rizal’s own words: “She was rather short, with eyes that were eloquent and ardentat times and languid at
others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and provocative smile that revealed very beautiful teeth and the
air of a sylph; her entire self diffused a mysterious charm.”
- she was the sister of Rizal’s friend, Mariano Katigbak
- close friend of Rizal’s sister Olimpia, was a boarding student in La Concordia College

117
- engaged to be married to her town mate, Manuel Luz
*The love of Rizal and Segunda was indeed “a Love at first sight”
*The last time they talked to each other was one Thursday in December, 1877 when the Christmas vacation
was about to begin
*Rizal returned home, dazed and desolate, with his first romance “ruined by his own shyness and reserve.”
• Miss L (Jacinta Ibardo Laza)
- young woman in Calamba
- Rizal describe her as “fair with seductive and attractive eyes
*After visiting her in her house several times, Rizal suddenly stopped his wooing, and the romance died a
natural death
*Rizal gave two reasons for his change of heart namely (1) the sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his
heart
(2) his father did not like the family of “Miss L”
• Leonor Valenzuela
*During Rizal sophomore year at the University of Santo Tomas, he boarded in the house of Doña Concha
Leyva in
Intramuros wherein the next-door neighbors of Doña Concha were Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela - charming daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela from Pagsanjan,
Laguna - a tall girl with a regal bearing
-Rizal sent her love notes written in invisible ink—ink consisted of common table salt and water—the secret of
reading any note written in the invisible ink by heating it over a candle or lamp so that the words may
appear - Orang was her pet name
- Rizal stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang
• Leonor Rivera
- Rizal’s cousin from Camiling, Tarlac
*In 1879, at the start of his junior year at the university, Rizal lived in “Casa Tomasina” at No. 6 Calle Santo
Tomas, Intramuros owned by his uncle Antonio Rivera
- a student at La Concordia College, where Soledad, youngest sister, was then studying
- born in Camiling, Tarlac on April 11, 1867
-she was a frail, pretty girl “tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes
-in her letters to Rizal, she signed her name as “Taimis” in order to camouflage their intimate relationship from
their parents and friends - died on August 28, 1893
• Consuelo Ortiga y Perez
- a young woman in Madrid
- prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey’s daughters
- Rizal was attracted by Consuelo’s beauty and vivacity
-Rizal composed a lovely poem on August 22, 1883 dedicated to her, entitled A La Señorita C.O.y.P (to Miss
C.O.y.P) expressing his admirations for her
*Before Rizal romance with Consuelo could blossom into a serious affair, he suddenly backed out for two
reasons: (1) he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera (2) his friends and co-worker in the Propaganda Movement,
Eduardo de Lete, was madly in love with Consuelo and he had no wish to break their friendship because of
a pretty girl
• Seiko Usui
- Rizal affectionately called her O-Sei-San
- a pretty Japanese girl that Rizal saw walking past the legation gate
- Rizal was attracted by her regal loveliness and charm
- a lonely samurai’s daughter of 23 years old and had never yet experienced the ecstasy of true love
- Rizal saw in her the qualities of his ideal womanhood—beauty, charm, modesty and intelligence
*The beautiful romance between Rizal and O-Sei-San inevitably came to a dolorous ending. Sacrificing his
personal happiness, Rizal had to carry on his libertarian mission in Europe, leaving behind the lovely O-Sei-San
- married Mr. Alfred Charlton, a British teacher of chemistry, and was blessed by only one child—Yuriko - died
on May 1, 1947 at the age of 80
• Gertrude Beckett
- oldest of the three Beckett sisters
- called Gettie or Tottie by her friends
- a buxom English girl with brown hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks
- Rizal affectionately called her “Gettie”, in reciprocation; she fondly called him “Pettie”
*Rizal suddenly realized that he could not marry Gettie for he had a mission to fulfill in life
• Petite Suzanne Jacoby
- pretty niece of his landladies
118
 *Rizal found certain bliss in the company of this pretty Belgian girl
*Rizal might flirted with Petite Suzanne, but he could not stoop low to a deceptive amorous relationship
-she fell in love with Rizal and cried when Rizal left toward the end of July, 1890 for Madrid, stopping for a few
days in
Paris
• Nellie Boustead
- the prettier and younger daughter of Eduardo Boustead
- Rizal found her to be a real Filipina, highly intelligent, vivacious in temperament, and morally upright
- also called Nelly
*Rizal wrote to his intimate friends, except Professor Blumentritt, of his love for Nellie and his intention to
propose marriage to her
*Rizal’s marriage proposal failed for two reasons: (1) he refused to give up his Catholic faith and be converted
to Protestantism, as Nelly demanded (2) Nelly’s mother did not like Rizal as a son-in-law
• Josephine Bracken
-an Irish girl of sweet eighteen, “slender, a chestnut blond, with blue eyes, dressed with elegant simplicity, with
an atmosphere of light gayety.”
-born in Hong Kong on October 3, 1876 of Irish parents—James Bracken, a corporal in the British garrison and
Elizabeth Jane Macbride
- she was adopted by Mr. George Taufer, who later became blind
*Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each other at first sight
*After a whirlwind romance for one month, they agreed to marry but Father Obach, the priest of Dapitan,
refused to marry them without the permission of the Bishop of Cebu
*Since no priest would marry them, Rizal and Josephine held hands together and married themselves before
the eyes of God. They lived as man and wife in Dapitan
- Rizal wrote a poem for Josephine
*In the early part of 1896, Rizal was extremely happy because Josephine was expecting a baby
*Unfortunately, Rizal played a prank on her, frightening her so that she prematurely gave birth to an eight-
month baby boy who loved only for three hours
*The lost son of Rizal was named “Francisco” in honor of Don Francisco (hero’s father) and was buried in
Dapitan

RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN

-Since early manhood Rizal had been interested in magic. With his dexterous hands, he learned vicarious tricks,
such as making a coin appear or disappear in his fingers and making handkerchief vanish in thin air. He
entertained his town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions. He also gained skill in manipulating marionettes
(puppet shows)
-In later years when he attained manhood, he continued his keen predilection for magic. He read many books
on magic and attended the performances of the famous magicians in the world. In Chapter XVII and XVIII of
his second novel, El Filibusterismo (Treason), he revealed his wide knowledge of magic

RIZAL AS LOVER OF BOOKS

-A favorite pastime of Rizal in Madrid was reading. Instead of gambling and flirting with women, as many young
Filipino did in Spanish metropolis, he stayed at home and read voraciously until midnight. Since early childhood,
he liked to read -Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books
form a second-hand book store owned by certain Señor Roses. He was able to build a fair-sized private library
-Rizal was deeply affected by Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew.
These books aroused his sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people

RIZAL AS A MASON
-In Spain, Rizal came in close contact with prominent Spanish liberal and republican Spaniards, who were
mostly Mason.
-Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish Masons openly and freely criticized the government policies and
lambasted the friars, which could not be done in Philippines
-Rizal’s reason for becoming a mason was to secure Freemasonry’s aid in his fight against the friars in the
Philippines. Since the friars used the Catholic religion as a shield to entrench themselves in power and wealth
and to persecute the Filipino patriots, he intended to utilize Freemasonry as his shield to combat them - As a
mason, Rizal played a lukewarm role in Freemasonry

RIZAL AS MUSICIAN
-Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, and this he admitted. But he studied music because many of his
schoolmates at the Ateneo were taking music lessons.

119
 -By sheer determination and constant practice, Rizal came to play flute fairly well. He was a flutist in various
impromptu reunions of Filipinos in Paris.

RIZAL AS HISTORIAN
-Rizal’s research studies in the British Museum (London) and in Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris) enriched his
historical knowledge. His splendid annotations to Morga’s book showed his familiarity with the basic principles
of historiography. -As Rizal once told Isabelo de los Reyes: “A historian ought to be rigorously imparted… I never
assert anything on my own authority. I cite texts and when I do, I have them before me.”
-His knowledge of foreign languages enabled Rizal to read historical documents and books in languages in w

MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA
• Night of January 20, 1872- about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the
leadership of Lamadrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of their
usual privileges
• Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora- were executed at sunrise of February
17, 1872, by order of Governor General Izquierdo
• The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny and redeem
his oppressed people
• Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za

INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER

• Before June, 1872- Doña Teodora was suddenly arrested on a malicious charge that she and her
brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poison the latter’s perfidious wife
• Antonio Vivencio del Rosario- Calamba’s gobernadorcillo, help arrest Doña Teodora
• After arresting Doña Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her to walk from Calamba to
Santa Cruz (capital of Laguna province), a distance of 50 kilometers
• Doña Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where she languished for two years and
a half
• Messrs. Francisco de Marcaida and Manuel Marzan- the most famous lawyers of Manila that
defend Doña Teodora

Rizal and the Propaganda Movement

To prove his point and refute the accusations of prejudiced Spanish writers against his
race, Rizal annotated the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, written by the Spaniard
Antonio Morga. The book was an unbiased presentation of 16th century Filipino culture.
Rizal through his annotation showed that Filipinos had developed culture even before the
coming of the Spaniards.

While annotating Morga’s book, he began writing the sequel to the Noli, the El
Filibusterismo. He completed the Fili in July 1891 while he was in Brussels, Belgium. As
in the printing of the Noli, Rizal could not published the sequel for the lack of finances.
Fortunately, Valentin Ventura gave him financial assistance and the Fili came out of the
printing press on September 1891.

The El Filibusterismo indicated Spanish colonial policies and attacked the Filipino
collaborators of such system. The novel pictured a society on the brink of a revolution.

To buttress his defense of the native’s pride and dignity as people, Rizal wrote three
significant essays while abroad: The Philippines a Century hence, the Indolence of the
Filipinos and the Letter to the Women of Malolos. These writings were his brilliant
responses to the vicious attacks against the Indio and his culture.

While in Hongkong, Rizal planned the founding of the Liga Filipina, a civil organization
and the establishment of a Filipino colony in Borneo. The colony was to be under the
protectorate of the North Borneo Company, he was granted permission by the British
Governor to establish a settlement on a 190,000 acre property in North Borneo. The
120
colony was to be under the protectorate of the North Borneo Company, with the "same
privileges and conditions at those given in the treaty with local Bornean rulers".

Governor Eulogio Despujol disapproved the project for obvious and self-serving reasons.
He considered the plan impractical and improper that Filipinos would settle and develop
foreign territories while the colony itself badly needed such developments.

Peaceful Life in Dapitan

During the early part of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal lived at the commandant’s residence. With his prize from the
Manila Lottery and his earnings as a farmer and a merchant, he bought a piece of land near the shore of Talisay
near Dapitan. On this land, he built three houses- all made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. The first house which
was square in shape was his home. The second house was the living quarters of his pupils. And the third house
was the barn where he kept his chickens. The second house had eight sides, while the third had six sides.

In a latter to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, on December 19, 1893, Rizal described his peaceful life in
Dapitan.

"I shall tell you how we lived here. I have three houses-one square, another hexagonal, and the third octagonal.
All these houses are made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. I live in the square house, together with my mother, my
sister, Trinidad, and my nephew. In the octagonal house live some young boys who are my pupils. The
hexagonal house is my barn where I keep my chickens.

"From my house, I hear the murmur of a clear brook which comes from the high rocks. I see the seashore where
I keep two boats, which are called barotos here.

"I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats,
and other animals.

"I rise early in the morning-at five-visit my plants, feed the chickens, awaken my people, and prepare our
breakfast. At half-past seven, we eat our breakfast, which consists of tea, bread, cheese, sweets, and other
things.

"After breakfast, I treat the poor patients who come to my house. Then I dress and go to Dapitan in my baroto. I
am busy the whole morning, attending to my patients in town.

"At noon, I return home to Talisay for lunch. Then, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., I am busy as a teacher. I teach the
young boys.

"I spend the rest of the afternoon in farming. My pupils help me in watering the plants, pruning the fruits, and
planting many kinds of trees. We stop at 6:00 p.m. for the Angelus

"I spend the night reading and writing."

121
Rizal in Manila Bay

6 August 1896
At dawn the España entered Manila Bay. He was not able to depart immediately for Spain, because the Isla de
Luzon which Rizal was supposed to board left the day before they arrived at Manila.

6 August to 2 September 1896

For twenty-seven days, from Thursday, August 6, to Wednesday, September 2,1896, Rizal was kept under
arrest aboard the cruiser, Castilla, anhored off Cañacao, Cavite.

12 August 1896
He sent a letter to his sister Narcisa , asking her to let Josephine Bracken send him pants, vests, collars, and
cuffs, through a certain Prudencio Bulag.

19 August 1896
He advised his parents and sisters how they could visit him on board the Castilla, and likewise requested
Narcisa to buy fruits for the officers of the cruiser, who treated him well.

25 August 1896
In a letter, he thanked his sister Narcisa for the hospitality she had shown by letting Josephine Bracken stay in
her house.

30 August 1896
Governor Ramon Blanco sent Rizal a letter recommending him to the Minister of War, saying that Rizal’s
conduct in Dapitan was exemplary and that he had no connection at all with the Philippine Revolution.

2 September 1896
Rizal was transferred to the boat Isla de Panay at 6:00 o’clock in the evening. He was met by the captain of the
boat, Capt. Alemany, and was given the best cabin. Later, he wrote a letter to his mother informing her of his
good health on board the ship.

He informed his mother of his departure for Cuba, comforting her that everybody is in the hands of the Divine
Providence. To his sisters, he urged them to take good care and and love their aged parents the way they expect
their children to love them.

Rizal's Last Hours

Dec. 29, 1896. 6:00 – 7:00 a.m.

Sr. S. Mataix asks Rizal’s permission to interview him. Capt.

Dominguez reads death sentence to Rizal. Source of information: cablegram of Mataix to EL Heraldo

De Madrid, "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez and Testimony of Lt. Gallegos.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Rizal is transferred to his death cell. Fr. Saderra talks briefly with Rizal. Fr. Viza

presents statue of the Sacred hearth of Jesus and medal of Mary. Rizal rejects the letter, saying , "Im little of a
Marian, Father." Source: Fr. Viza.

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Rizal is shares his milk and coffee with Fr. Rosell. Lt. Andrade and chief of Artillery come to visit Rizal who
thanks each of them. Rizal scribbles a note inviting his family it visit him. Sources: Fr. Rosell and letter of
Invitation.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Sr. Mataix, defying stringent regulation, enters death cell and interviews Rizal in the presence of Fr. Rosell.
Later, Gov. Luengo drops in to join the conversation. Sources: Letter of Mataix ti Retana Testimony of Fr.
122
Rosell.

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Fr. Faura persuades Rizal to put down his rancours and order to marry josephine canonically. a heated
discussion on religion occurs between them ion the hearing of Fr. Rosell. Sources: El Imparcial and Fr. Rosell .

11:00 – 12:00 noon.

Rizal talks on "various topics" in a long conversation with Fr. Vilaclara who will later conclude (with Fr.
Balaguer, who is not allowed to enter the death cell) that Rizal is either to Prostestant or rationalist who speaks
in "a very cold and calculated manner" with a mixture of a "strange piety." No debate or discussion on religion
is recorded to have taken place between the Fathers mentioned and Rizal. Sources: El Imarcial and Rizal y su
Obra.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Rizal reads Bible and Imitation of Christ by Kempis, then meditates. Fr. Balaguer reports to the Archbishop that
only a little hope remains that Rizal is going to retract for Rizal was heard saying that he is going to appear
tranquilly before God. Sources: Rizal’s habits and Rizal y su Obra.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Rizal denies (probably, he is allowed to attend to his personal necessities). Source: "Notes" of Capt.
Dominguez.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Rizal confers with Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara. Sources: "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez in conjunction with the
testimonies of Fr. Pi and Fr. Balaguer.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Rizal reads verses which he had underlined in Eggers german Reader, a book which he is going to hand over to
his sisters to be sent to Dr. Blumentritt through F. Stahl. He "writes several letters . . . ,with his last
dedications," then he "rest for a short." Sources: F. Stahl and F. Blumentritt, Cavana (1956) – Appendix 13, and
the "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez.

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Capt. Dominguez is moved with compassion at the sight of Rizal’s kneeling before his mother and asking
pardon. Fr. Rosell hears Rizal’s farewell to his sister and his address to those presents eulogizing the cleverness
of his nephew. The other sisters come in one by one after the other and to each Rizal’s gives promises to give a
book, an alcohol burner, his pair of shoes, an instruction, something to remember. Sources "notes" of Capt.
Dominguez and Fr. Rosell, Diaro de Manila.

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

The Dean of the Cathedral, admitted on account of his dignity, comes to exchange views with Rizal. Fr. Rosell
hears an order given to certain "gentlemen" and "two friars" to leave the chapel at once. Fr. Balaguer leaves Fort
Santiago. Sources: Rev. Silvino Lopez-Tuñon, Fr. Rosell, Fr. Serapio Tamayo, and Sworn Statement of Fr.
Balaguer.

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Fr. Rosell leaves Fort Santiago and sees Josephine Bracken. Rizal calls for Josephine and then they speak to
each for the last time. Sources: Fr. Rosell, El Imparcial, and Testimony of Josephine to R. Wildman in 1899.

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Fr. Faura returns to console Rizal and persuades him once more to trust him and the other professors at the
Ateneo. Rizal is emotion-filled and, after remaining some moments in silence, confesses to Fr. Faura. Sources:
El Imparcial.

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Rizal rakes supper (and, most probably, attends to his personal needs). Then, he receives Bro. Titllot with whom
he had a very "tender" (Fr. Balaguer) or "useful" (Fr. Pi) interview. Sources: Separate testimonies of Fr.
Balaguer and Fr. Pi on the report of Bro. Titllot; Fisal Castaño.

123
9:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Fiscal Castaño exchanges views with Rizal regarding their respective professors. Sources: Fiscal Castaño.

10:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Rizal manifests strange reaction, asks guards for paper and pen. From rough drafts and copies of his poem
recovered in his shoes, the Spaniards come to know that Rizal is writing a poem. Sources: El Imparcial and
Ultimo Adios; probably, Fiscal Castaño.

11:00 – 12:00 midnight

Rizal takes time to his hide his poem inside the alcohol burner. It has to be done during night rather than during
daytime because he is watched very carefully. He then writes his last letter to brother Paciano. Sources:
Testimonies and circumstantial evidence.

12:00 – 4:00 a.m.

Rizal sleeps restfully because his confidence in the goodness of God and the justness of his cause gives him
astounding serenity and unusual calmness.

Dec. 30, 1986. 4:00 – 5:00 a.m.

Rizal picks up Imitation of Christ, reads, meditates and then writes in Kempis’ book a dectation to his wife
Josephine and by this very act in itself he gives to her their only certificate of marriage.

5:00 – 6:15
Rizal washes up, takes breakfast, attends to his personal needs. Writes a letter to his parents. Reads Bible and
meditates. Josephine is prohibited by the Spanish officers from seeing Rizal, according to Josephine’s testimony
to R. Wildman in 1899.

6:15 – 7:00
Rizal walks to the place of execution between Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara with whom he converses. Keeps
looking around as if seeking or expecting to see someone. His last word, said in a loud voice: "It is finished"

7:00 – 7:03
Sounds of guns. Rizal vacillates, turns halfway around, falls down backwards and lies on the ground facing the
sun. Silence. Shouts of vivas for Spain.

Rizal's Retraction: Introduction

This section presents contrasting views on the retraction by biographers of Rizal.The team deemed it proper to
present the views in the exact words of the scholars so as to avoid misinterpretations.

Read on and judge for yourself whether Rizal retracted or not.

Interested readers may submit their materials for inclusion in this site or you may advise us of your own web
site on this topic for linkage. Any contribution shall be deeply appreciated since it will help in further
enlightening our students on this controversial issue.

Rizal's Paintings

Title: Saturnina Rizal

Material: Oil
Remarks: Now in Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago

Title: Dapita church curtains

Material: Oil
Remarks: Made in Dapitan, 1894

Title: A painting on a pair of mother-of-pearl

Material: Oil

124
 Remarks: Shells painted by Rizal in Dapitan and given as a gift to Doña Leonor Valenzuela and later
passed into the hands of Doña Margarita Valenzuela

Title: Spanish coat of arms

Material: Water color
Remarks: Done during a fiesta of San Rafael in Calamba in 1867

Title: Allegory on a pair of porcelain bases of the new year celebration

Material: Oil
Remarks: Made in Berlin in 1886

Title: Christ crucified

Material: Crayon
Remarks: 1875

Title: Immaculate Conception

Material: Crayon
Remarks: Made in Manila, 1974

Title: Portrait of Morayta

Material: Crayon
Remarks: Made in Barcelona, 1885

Rizal, the Romantic

There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga,
O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. These women might have been beguiled by
his intelligence, charm and wit.

Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuela

Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first love was engaged to be married to a town mate- Manuel Luz. After his
admiration for a short girl in the person of Segunda, then came Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan. Rizal send her love
notes written in invisible ink, that could only be deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his
departure to Spain and bade her a last goodbye.

Leonor Rivera
Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from falling in love with other women during
his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor’s mother disapproved of her daughter’s relationship with Rizal, who was then a known filibustero.
She hid from Leonor all letters sent to her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already forgotten her, sadly consented her to
marry the Englishman Henry Kipping, her mother’s choice.

Consuelo Ortiga
Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga’s daughters, fell in love with him. He dedicated to her A la Senorita C.O. y
R., which became one of his best poems. The Ortiga's residence in Madrid was frequented by Rizal and his compatriots. He probably
fell in love with her and Consuelo apparently asked him for romantic verses. He suddenly backed out before the relationship turned
into a serious romance, because he wanted to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did not want to destroy hid friendship with
Eduardo de Lete who was madly in love with Consuelo.

O Sei San
O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s daughter taught Rizal the Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also helped Rizal improve
his knowledge of Japanese language. If Rizal was a man without a patriotic mission, he would have married this lovely and intelligent
woman and lived a stable and happy life with her in Japan because Spanish legation there offered him a lucrative job.

Gertrude Beckett
While Rizal was in London annotating the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded in the house of the Beckett family, within
walking distance of the British Museum. Gertrude, a blue-eyed and buxom girl was the oldest of the three Beckett daughters. She fell
in love with Rizal. Tottie helped him in his painting and sculpture. But Rizal suddenly left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude, who
was seriously in love with him. Before leaving London, he was able to finish the group carving of the Beckett sisters. He gave the
group carving to Gertrude as a sign of their brief relationship.

Nellie Boustead
Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courting other ladies. While a guest of the Boustead family at their
residence in the resort city of Biarritz, he had befriended the two pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead. Rizal used to fence
with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna. Antonio Luna, Juan’s brother and also a frequent visitor of the Bousteads, courted Nellie
but she was deeply infatuated with Rizal. In a party held by Filipinos in Madrid, a drunken Antonio Luna uttered unsavory remarks

125
against Nellie Boustead. This prompted Rizal to challenge Luna into a duel. Fortunately, Luna apologized to Rizal, thus averting
tragedy for the compatriots.

Their love affair unfortunately did not end in marriage. It failed because Rizal refused to be converted to the Protestant faith, as Nellie
demanded and Nellie’s mother did not like a physician without enough paying clientele to be a son-in-law. The lovers, however,
parted as good friends when Rizal left Europe.

Suzanne Jacoby
In 1890, Rizal moved to Brussels because of the high cost of living in Paris. In Brussels, he lived in the boarding house of the two
Jacoby sisters. In time, they fell deeply in love with each other. Suzanne cried when Rizal left Brussels and wrote him when he was in
Madrid.

Josephine Bracken
In the last days of February 1895, while still in Dapitan, Rizal met an 18-year old petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair and
a happy disposition. She was Josephine Bracken, the adopted daughter of George Taufer from Hong Kong, who came to Dapitan to
seek Rizal for eye treatment. Rizal was physically attracted to her. His loneliness and boredom must have taken the measure of him
and what could be a better diversion that to fall in love again. But the Rizal sisters suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars and
they considered her as a threat to Rizal’s security.

Rizal asked Josephine to marry him, but she was not yet ready to make a decision due to her responsibility to the blind Taufer. Since
Taufer’s blindness was untreatable, he left for Hon Kong on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s family in Manila. Upon her
return to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father Antonio Obach for their marriage. However, the priest wanted a retraction as a
precondition before marrying them. Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends and with Josephine’s consent took her as his wife
even without the Church blessings. Josephine later give birth prematurely to a stillborn baby, a result of some incidence, which might
have shocked or frightened her.

Rizal's Famous Quotations

"Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda."

"He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."

"It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without
becoming a part of any edifice."

"While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty."

"There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves."

"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan."

"He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination."

"The youth is the hope of our future."

Did You Know...

 Animals named after Jose Rizal

Did you know that three of the animal species we know today were actually named after Rizal?
 Rizal Monument
Did you know that the famous Rizal monument in Luneta was not the work of a Filipino but a
Swiss sculptor named Richard Kissling?

126
For Your Information

REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

(Decree of December 20,1898)

In recognition of the aspirations of the Filipino nation and in proclaiming its noble and patriotic sentiments, I
hereby decree.

Article 1. In memory of the Filipino patriots, Dr. Jose Rizal and the other victims of the past Spanish
domination, I declare the 30th of December as a national day of mourning.

Article 2. On account of this, all national flags shall be hoisted at half-mast from 12:00 noon on December 29,
as a sign of mourning.

Article 3. All offices of the Revolutionary Government shall be closed during the whole day of December 30.

Given in Malolos, December 20,1898

(Signed) EMILIO AGUINALDO

The truth it was General Aguinaldo, and not the second Philippines Commission headed by Civil Governor
Taft, who first recognized Dr. Jose Rizal as "national day of mourning" in memory of Rizal and other victims of
Spanish tyranny. Full text of these decree in two languages, Tagalog and Spanish, appeared in the government
organ, El Heraldo dela Revolution on December 25,1898.

It is interesting to recall that the first celebration of Rizal Day in the Philippines was held in Manila on
December 30,1898, under the sponsorship of the Club Filipino. This was In pursuance of General Aguinaldo’s
Decree of December 20,1898. On the same date (December 30, 1898), the patriotic town of Daet in Camarines
Norte, likewise celebrated Rizal Day, the festivities being climaxed by the unveiling of the Rizal monument,
which was constructed at the expense of the townfolks. This was the first monument ever created in the
Philippines-and still exists today.

Jose Rizal

Rizal at age 11

Rizal at age 16

Rizal at 18 years old while a student of medicine at the U.S.T

127
 Rizal in Madrid at the age of 25

Rizal at age 35

hich they were originally written

The Mercado - Rizal Family

Francisco, the father, was a serious looking man of sturdy build. He was born
in Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818.

Teodora, the mother, was a vigorious and persevering woman with a

benevolent heart and a likable personality.

Saturnina (1850-1913), eldest of the Rizal children, became the wife of

Manuel T. Hidalgo of tanauan, Batangas.

Paciano, the second child in the family and Rizal's only brother.

Narcisa (1852-1939), third Rizal, was married to Antonio Lopez of Morong,

Rizal.

128
 Olympia (1855-1887), fourth Rizal child, was married to Silvestre Ubaldo. She
died of childbirth in 1887.

Lucia (1857-1919), fifth Rizal child, was the wife of Mariano Herbosa.

Maria (1859-1945), the sixth Rizal child, became the wife of Daniel Faustino
Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

Jose Rizal (1861-1896), became the national hero of the Philippines.

Trinidad (1868-1951), the tenth Rizal child.

Soledad (1870-1929), the youngest Rizal child became the wife of Pantaleon
Quintero.

Scultures

Sacred Heart, carved by Rizal while he was a student at the Ateneo

Triumph of Science Over Death - made of escayola. This was sent

to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt as a gift

Prometheus bound - statue made by Rizal

129
 A clay statue of a wild boar, done by Rizal in Dapitan

Model of a head of a Dapitan girl

Josephine sleeping

Women in Rizal's Life

Gertrude Beckett
Daughter of a London organist. She fell in love with Rizal.

Josephine Bracken

Josephine Bracken
She loved Rizal and stood by him up to his last hour

Leonor Rivera
Crayon sketch by Rizal

Leonor Rivera
Sweetheart of Rizal

130
 Leonor Valenzuela
Friend of Rizal during his student days at University of Sto. Tomas

Nelly Bousted of Biarritz whom Rizal almost married in 1891, after

learning that Leonor Rivera got married

O-Sei Kiyo San whom Rizal met during his one and a half month
sojourn in Japan in the spring of 1888. She taught him Japanese

Susan Jacoby
Rizal stayed in the house of the Jacoby's in Brussels, Belgium

In Calamba, Laguna

19 June 1861
JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos, was
born in Calamba, Laguna.

22 June 1861
He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev.
Rufino Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor.

28 September 1862
The parochial church of Calamba and the canonical books, including the book in which Rizal’s
baptismal records were entered, were burned.

1864
Barely three years old, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother.

1865
When he was four years old, his sister Conception, the eight child in the Rizal family, died at the
age of three. It was on this occasion that Rizal remembered having shed real tears for the first
time.

1865 – 1867
During this time his mother taught him how to read and write. His father hired a classmate by the
name of Leon Monroy who, for five months until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the rudiments
of Latin.

At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto, seeing
Rizal frail in body, concerned himself with the physical development of his young nephew and
taught the latter love for the open air and developed in him a great admiration for the beauty of
nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love for education. He
advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be swift as well as
thorough; be independent in thinking and make visual pictures of everything."

131
6 June 1868
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his mother to
take the child to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she and her child survive the ordeal
of delivery which nearly caused his mother’s life.

From there they proceeded to Manila and visited his sister Saturnina who was at the time
studying in the La Concordia College in Sta. Ana.

1869
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was
written in tagalog and had for its theme "Love of One’s Language."

Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch

BY TEOFILO H. MONTEMAYOR

JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and pride of the Malayan race, was born on
June 19, 1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the seventh child in a family of 11
children (2 boys and 9 girls). Both his parents were educated and belonged to distinguished
families.

His father, Francisco Mercado Rizal, an industrious farmer whom Rizal called "a model of
fathers," came from Biñan, Laguna; while his mother, Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, a highly
cultured and accomplished woman whom Rizal called "loving and prudent mother," was born in
Meisic, Sta. Cruz, Manila. At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his mother; at 5, while
learning to read and write, he already showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his
family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At the age
8, he wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of
one’s language. In 1877, at the age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with an
average of "excellent" from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the same year, he enrolled in
Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while at the same time took courses
leading to the degree of surveyor and expert assessor at the Ateneo. He finished the latter course
on March 21, 1877 and passed the Surveyor’s examination on May 21, 1878; but because of his
age, 17, he was not granted license to practice the profession until December 30, 1881. In 1878,
he enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo Tomas but had to stop in his studies when he
felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated upon by their Dominican tutors. On May
3, 1882, he sailed for Spain where he continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid.
On June 21, 1884, at the age of 23, he was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine and on
June 19,1885, at the age of 24, he finished his course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of
"excellent."

Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22 languages. These
include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese,
Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other native dialects. A
versatile genius, he was an architect, artists, businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist,
ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist,
nationalist, naturalist, novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist,
sculptor, sociologist, and theologian.

He was an expert swordsman and a good shot. In the hope of securing political and social
reforms for his country and at the same time educate his countrymen, Rizal, the greatest apostle
of Filipino nationalism, published, while in Europe, several works with highly nationalistic and
revolutionary tendencies. In March 1887, his daring book, NOLI ME TANGERE, a satirical
novel exposing the arrogance and despotism of the Spanish clergy, was published in Berlin; in
1890 he reprinted in Paris, Morga’s SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS with his
annotations to prove that the Filipinos had a civilization worthy to be proud of even long before
the Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil; on September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO, his
second novel and a sequel to the NOLI and more revolutionary and tragic than the latter, was
printed in Ghent. Because of his fearless exposures of the injustices committed by the civil and
132
clerical officials, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in power. This led himself, his relatives
and countrymen into trouble with the Spanish officials of the country. As a consequence, he and
those who had contacts with him, were shadowed; the authorities were not only finding faults but
even fabricating charges to pin him down. Thus, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago from July 6,
1892 to July 15, 1892 on a charge that anti-friar pamphlets were found in the luggage of his
sister Lucia who arrive with him from Hong Kong. While a political exile in Dapitan, he engaged
in agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and operated a hospital; he conducted classes-
taught his pupils the English and Spanish languages, the arts.

The sciences, vocational courses including agriculture, surveying, sculpturing, and painting, as
well as the art of self defense; he did some researches and collected specimens; he entered into
correspondence with renowned men of letters and sciences abroad; and with the help of his
pupils, he constructed water dam and a relief map of Mindanao - both considered remarkable
engineering feats. His sincerity and friendliness won for him the trust and confidence of even
those assigned to guard him; his good manners and warm personality were found irresistible by
women of all races with whom he had personal contacts; his intelligence and humility gained for
him the respect and admiration of prominent men of other nations; while his undaunted courage
and determination to uplift the welfare of his people were feared by his enemies.

When the Philippine Revolution started on August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in pressing
him down. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked him with the revolt and these were
never allowed to be confronted by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986, to the date of his
execution, he was again committed to Fort Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an untitled
poem, now known as "Ultimo Adios" which is considered a masterpiece and a living document
expressing not only the hero’s great love of country but also that of all Filipinos. After a mock
trial, he was convicted of rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal association. In the cold
morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, a man whose 35 years of life had been packed with varied
activities which proved that the Filipino has capacity to equal if not excel even those who treat
him as a slave, was shot at Bagumbayan Field.

The Mercado - Rizal Family

The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the
family's paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from Amoy,
China in the closing years of the 17th century and married a Chinese half-breed by the name of
Ines de la Rosa.

Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay
and Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese.

Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and
Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother.

FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)

Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in
Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)

Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She
studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous, religious,
hard-working and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and
died in 1913 in Manila.

SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan,
Batangas.

133
PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a
farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.

NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)

The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.

OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth.

LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)

The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)

The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896.

CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)

The eight child. Died at the age of three.

JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.

TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)

The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die.

SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)

The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.

Early Education in Calamba and Biñan

Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical schooling that a son of an
ilustrado family received during his time, characterized by the four R’s- reading, writing,
arithmetic, and religion. Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds of
the pupils by means of the tedious memory method aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the
defects of the Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessary
instruction preparatory for college work in Manila. It may be said that Rizal, who was born a
physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in spite of, the
outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last
decades of Spanish regime.

The Hero’s First Teacher

The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and
fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother,"
wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble
prayers which I raised fervently to God."

As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It was she who first
discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems.
To lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate her son’s imagination, she
related many stories.

As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The first
was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon
Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This old teacher lived at
134
the Rizal home and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not lived long. He
died five months later.

After a Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school in
Biñan.

Jose Goes to Biñan

One Sunday afternoon in June , 1869, Jose, after kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful
parting from his sister, left Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by Paciano , who acted as
his second father. The two brothers rode in a carromata, reaching their destination after one and
one-half hours’ drive. They proceeded to their aunt’s house, where Jose was to lodge. It was
almost night when they arrived, and the moon was about to rise.

That same night, Jose, with his cousin named Leandro, went sightseeing in the town. Instead of
enjoying the sights, Jose became depressed because of homesickness. "In the moonlight," he
recounted, "I remembered my home town, my idolized mother, and my solicitous sisters. Ah,
how sweet to me was Calamba, my own town, in spite of the fact that was not as wealthy as
Biñan."

First Day in Biñan School

The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz.

The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 30 meters from the
home of Jose’s aunt.

Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him before. He
introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to return to Calamba.

Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. The teacher asked him:

"Do you know Spanish?"

"A little, sir," replied the Calamba lad.
"Do you know Latin?"
"A little, sir."

The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the teacher’s son laughed at Jose’s answers.

The teacher sharply stopped all noises and begun the lessons of the day.

Jose described his teacher in Biñan as follows: "He was tall, thin, long-necked, with sharp nose
and a body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear a sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled
hands of the women of Batangas. He knew by the heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza.
Add to this severity that in my judgement was exaggerated and you have a picture, perhaps
vague, that I have made of him, but I remember only this."

First School BrawlIn the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher was having his
siesta, Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher in the morning.

Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that he could easily beat
the Calamba boy who was smaller and younger.

The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their classmates. Jose,
having learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this
feat, he became popular among his classmates.

135
After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged him to an
arm-wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose,
having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.

In succeeding days he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not quarrelsome by
nature, but he never ran away from a fight.

Best Student in School

In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects.

Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. They wickedly squealed
to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school, and even told lies to discredit him
before the teacher’s eyes. Consequently the teacher had to punish Jose.

Early Schooling in Biñan

Jose had a very vivid imagination and a very keen sense of observation. At the age of seven he
traveled with his father for the first time to Manila and thence to Antipolo to fulfill the promise
of a pilgrimage made by his mother at the time of his birth. They embarked in a casco, a very
ponderous vessel commonly used in the Philippines. It was the first trip on the lake that Jose
could recollect. As darkness fell he spent the hours by the katig, admiring the grandeur of the
water and the stillness of the night, although he was seized with a superstitious fear when he saw
a water snake entwine itself around the bamboo beams of the katig. With what joy did he see the
sun at the daybreak as its luminous rays shone upon the glistening surface of the wide lake,
producing a brilliant effect! With what joy did he talk to his father, for he had not uttered a word
during the night!

When they proceeded to Antipolo, he experienced the sweetest emotions upon seeing the gay
banks of the Pasig and the towns of Cainta and Taytay. In Antipolo he prayed, kneeling before
the image of the Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage, of whom he would later sing in elegant
verses. Then he saw Manila, the great metropolis , with its Chinese sores and European bazaars.
And visited his elder sister, Saturnina, in Santa Ana, who was a boarding student in the
Concordia College.

When he was nine years old, his father sent him to Biñan to continue studying Latin, because his
first teacher had died. His brother Paciano took him to Biñan one Sunday, and Jose bade his
parents and sisters good-bye with tears in his eyes. Oh, how it saddened him to leave for the first
time and live far from his home and his family! But he felt ashamed to cry and had to conceal his
tears and sentiments. "O Shame," he explained, "how many beautiful and pathetic scenes the
world would witness without thee!"

They arrived at Biñan in the evening. His brother took him to the house of his aunt where he was
to stay, and left him after introducing him to the teacher. At night, in company with his aunt’s
grandson named Leandro, Jose took a walk around the town in the light of the moon. To him the
town looked extensive and rich but sad and ugly.

His teacher in Biñan was a severe disciplinarian. His name was Justiniano Aquino Cruz. "He was
a tall man, lean and long-necked, with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward. He used to
wear a sinamay shirt woven by the deft hands of Batangas women. He knew by memory the
grammars of Nebrija and Gainza. To this add a severity which, in my judgement I have made of
him, which is all I remember."

The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and succeeded in surpassing many of his older
classmates. Some of these were so wicked that, even without reason, they accused him before the
teacher, for which, in spite of his progress, he received many whippings and strokes from the
ferule. Rare was the day when he was not stretched on the bench for a whipping or punished with
five or six blows on the open palm. Jose’s reaction to all these punishments was one of intense

136
resentment in order to learn and thus carry out his father’s will.

Jose spent his leisure hours with Justiniano’s father-in-law, a master painter. From him he took
his first two sons, two nephews, and a grandson. His way life was methodical and well regulated.
He heard mass at four if there was one that early, or studied his lesson at that hour and went to
mass afterwards. Returning home, he might look in the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat, then
he took his breakfast, consisting generally of a plate of rice and two dried sardines.

After that he would go to class, from which he was dismissed at ten, then home again. He ate
with his aunt and then began at ten, then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began to
study. At half past two he returned to class and left at five. He might play for a short time with
some cousins before returning home. He studied his lessons, drew for a while, and then prayed
and if there was a moon, his friends would invite him to play in the street in company with other
boys.

Whenever he remembered his town, he thought with tears in his eyes of his beloved father, his
idolized mother, and his solicitous sisters. Ah, how sweet was his town even though not so
opulent as Biñan! He grew sad and thoughtful.

While he was studying in Biñan, he returned to his hometown now and then. How long the road
seemed to him in going and how short in coming! When from afar he descried the roof of his
house, secret joy filled his breast. How he looked for pretexts to remain longer at home! A day
more seemed to him a day spent in heaven, and how he wept, though silently and secretly, when
he saw the calesa that was flower that him Biñan! Then everything looked sad; a flower that he
touched, a stone that attracted his attention he gathered, fearful that he might not see it again
upon his return. It was a sad but delicate and quite pain that possessed him.

Maps and Plans Made by Rizal

Title: Relief map of Mindanao

Material:
Remarks: Made in Dapitan church plaza by the end of 1892

Title: Pacific ocean spheres of influence

Material:
Remarks: Made during the administration of Pres. Benjamin Harrison. Mentioned by Rizal
in his Article "The Philippines a Century Hence", made in London in 1889.

Title: Plan for modern college (front and side views)

Material:
Remarks: Owned by Dr. L. L. R, apparently in Paris, 1872

Title: The lake district of central Luzon

Material:
Remarks: Mentioned in "Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila", 1872.

Title: Plan of the waterworks in Dapitan

Material:
Remarks: Made with Father Sanchez, in Dapitan, 1895

Title: Sketch of the Lumanao Hill where jewels were found

Material:
Remarks: Owned by Ateneo. Made in 1895

Noli Me Tangere

137
Spain, to Rizal, was a venue for realizing his dreams. He finished his studies in Madrid and this
to him was the realization of the bigger part of his ambition. His vision broadened while he was
in Spain to the point of awakening in him an understanding of human nature, sparking in him the
realization that his people needed him. It must have been this sentiment that prompted him to
pursue, during the re-organizational meeting of the Circulo-Hispano-Filipino, to be one of its
activities, the publication of a book to which all the members would contribute papers on the
various aspects and conditions of Philippines life.

"My proposal on the book," he wrote on January 2, 1884, "was unanimously approved. But
afterwards difficulties and objections were raised which seemed to me rather odd, and a number
of gentlemen stood up and refused to discuss the matter any further. In view of this I decided not
to press it any longer, feeling that it was impossible to count on general support…"

"Fortunately," writes one of Rizal’s biographers, the anthology, if we may call it that, was never
written. Instead, the next year, Pedro Paterno published his Ninay, a novel sub-titled Costumbres
filipinas (Philippines Customs), thus partly fulfilling the original purpose of Rizal’s plan. He
himself (Rizal), as we have seen, had ‘put aside his pen’ in deference to the wishes of his
parents.

But the idea of writing a novel himself must have grown on him. It would be no poem to
forgotten after a year, no essay in a review of scant circulation, no speech that passed in the
night, but a long and serious work on which he might labor, exercising his mind and hand,
without troubling his mother’s sleep. He would call it Noli Me Tangere; the Latin echo of the
Spoliarium is not without significance. He seems to have told no one in his family about his
grand design; it is not mentioned in his correspondence until the book is well-nigh completed.
But the other expatriates knew what he was doing; later, when Pastells was blaming the Noli on
the influence of German Protestants, he would call his compatriots to witness that he had written
half of the novel in Madrid a fourth part in Paris, and only the remainder in Germany.

"From the first," writes Leon Ma. Guerrero, Rizal was haunted by the fear that his novel would
never find its way into print, that it would remain unread. He had little enough money for his
own needs, let alone the cost of the Noli’s publication… Characteristically, Rizal would not hear
of asking his friends for help. He did not want to compromise them.

Viola insisted on lending him the money (P300 for 2,000 copies); Rizal at first demurred…
Finally Rizal gave in and the novel went to press. The proofs were delivered daily, and one day
the messenger, according to Viola, took it upon himself to warn the author that if he ever
returned to the Philippines he would lose his head. Rizal was too enthralled by seeing his work in
print to do more than smile.

The printing apparently took considerably less time than the original estimate of five months for
Viola did not arrive in Berlin until December and by the 21st March 1887, Rizal was already
sending Blumentritt a copy of "my first book."

Rizal, himself, describing the nature of the Noli Me Tangere to his friend Blumentritt, wrote,
"The Novel is the first impartial and bold account of the life of the tagalogs. The Filipinos will
find in it the history of the last ten years…"

Criticism and attacks against the Noli and its author came from all quarters. An anonymous letter
signed "A Friar" and sent to Rizal, dated February 15, 1888, says in part: "How ungrateful you
are… If you, or for that matter all your men, think you have a grievance, then challenge us and
we shall pick up the gauntlet, for we are not cowards like you, which is not to say that a hidden
hand will not put an end to your life."

A special committee of the faculty of the University of Santo Tomas, at the request of the
Archbishop Pedro Payo, found and condemned the novel as heretical, impious, and scandalous in
its religious aspect, and unpatriotic, subversive of public order and harmful to the Spanish
government and its administration of theses islands in its political aspect.

138
On December 28, 1887, Fray Salvador Font, the cura of Tondo and chairman of the Permanent
Commission of Censorship composed of laymen and ordered that the circulation of this
pernicious book" be absolutely prohibited.

Not content, Font caused the circulation of copies of the prohibition, an act which brought an
effect contrary to what he desired. Instead of what he expected, the negative publicity awakened
more the curiosity of the people who managed to get copies of the book.

Assisting Father Font in his aim to discredit the Noli was an Augustinian friar by the name of
Jose Rodriguez. In a pamphlet entitled Caiingat Cayo (Beware). Fr. Rodriguez warned the people
that in reading the book they "commit mortal sin," considering that it was full of heresy.

As far as Madrid, there was furor over the Noli, as evidenced by an article which bitterly
criticized the novel published in a Madrid newspaper in January, 1890, and written by one
Vicente Barrantes. In like manner, a member of the Senate in the Spanish Cortes assailed the
novel as "anti-Catholic, Protestant, socialistic."

It is well to note that not detractors alone visibly reacted to the effects of the Noli. For if there
were bitter critics, another group composed of staunch defenders found every reason to justify its
publication and circulation to the greatest number of Filipinos. For instance, Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, cleverly writing under an assumed name Dolores Manapat, successfully circulated a
publication that negated the effect of Father Rodriguez’ Caiingat Cayo, Del Pilar’s piece was
entitled Caiigat Cayo (Be Slippery as an Eel). Deceiving similar in format to Rodriguez’
Caiingat Cayo, the people were readily "misled" into getting not a copy o Rodriguez’ piece but
Del Pillar’s.

The Noli Me Tangere found another staunch defender in the person of a Catholic theologian of
the Manila Cathedral, in Father Vicente Garcia. Under the pen-name Justo Desiderio Magalang.
Father Garcia wrote a very scholarly defense of the Noli, claiming among other things that Rizal
cannot be an ignorant man, being the product of Spanish officials and corrupt friars; he himself
who had warned the people of committing mortal sin if they read the novel had therefore
committed such sin for he has read the novel.

Consequently, realizing how much the Noli had awakened his countrymen, to the point of
defending his novel, Rizal said: "Now I die content."

Fittingly, Rizal found it a timely and effective gesture to dedicate his novel to the country of his
people whose experiences and sufferings he wrote about, sufferings which he brought to light in
an effort to awaken his countrymen to the truths that had long remained unspoken, although not
totally unheard of.

El Filibusterismo

The word "filibustero" wrote Rizal to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, is very little known in
the Philippines. The masses do not know it yet.

Jose Alejandro, one of the new Filipinos who had been quite intimate with Rizal, said, "in
writing the Noli Rizal signed his own death warrant." Subsequent events, after the fate of the
Noli was sealed by the Spanish authorities, prompted Rizal to write the continuation of his first
novel. He confessed, however, that regretted very much having killed Elias instead of Ibarra,
reasoning that when he published the Noli his health was very much broken, and was very
unsure of being able to write the continuation and speak of a revolution.

Explaining to Marcelo H. del Pilar his inability to contribute articles to the La Solidaridad, Rizal
said that he was haunted by certain sad presentiments, and that he had been dreaming almost
every night of dead relatives and friends a few days before his 29th birthday, that is why he
wanted to finish the second part of the Noli at all costs.

139
Consequently, as expected of a determined character, Rizal apparently went in writing, for to his
friend, Blumentritt, he wrote on March 29, 1891: "I have finished my book. Ah! I’ve not written
it with any idea of vengeance against my enemies, but only for the good of those who suffer and
for the rights of Tagalog humanity, although brown and not good-looking."

To a Filipino friend in Hong Kong, Jose Basa, Rizal likewise eagerly announced the completion
of his second novel. Having moved to Ghent to have the book published at cheaper cost, Rizal
once more wrote his friend, Basa, in Hongkong on July 9, 1891: "I am not sailing at once,
because I am now printing the second part of the Noli here, as you may see from the enclosed
pages. I prefer to publish it in some other way before leaving Europe, for it seemed to me a pity
not to do so. For the past three months I have not received a single centavo, so I have pawned all
that I have in order to publish this book. I will continue publishing it as long as I can; and when
there is nothing to pawn I will stop and return to be at your side."

Inevitably, Rizal’s next letter to Basa contained the tragic news of the suspension of the printing
of the sequel to his first novel due to lack of funds, forcing him to stop and leave the book half-
way. "It is a pity," he wrote Basa, "because it seems to me that this second part is more important
than the first, and if I do not finish it here, it will never be finished."

Fortunately, Rizal was not to remain in despair for long. A compatriot, Valentin Ventura, learned
of Rizal’s predicament. He offered him financial assistance. Even then Rizal’s was forced to
shorten the novel quite drastically, leaving only thirty-eight chapters compared to the sixty-four
chapters of the first novel.

Rizal moved to Ghent, and writes Jose Alejandro. The sequel to Rizal’s Noli came off the press
by the middle of September, 1891.On the 18th he sent Basa two copies, and Valentin Ventura the
original manuscript and an autographed printed copy.

Inspired by what the word filibustero connoted in relation to the circumstances obtaining in his
time, and his spirits dampened by the tragic execution of the three martyred priests, Rizal aptly
titled the second part of the Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo. In veneration of the three
priests, he dedicated the book to them.

"To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years
old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in the Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of
February, 1872."

"The church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been imputed to
you; the Government, by surrounding your trials with mystery and shadows causes the belief that
there was some error, committed in fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by worshipping your
memory and calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability. In so far, therefore, as
your complicity in the Cavite Mutiny is not clearly proved, as you may or may not have been
patriots, and as you may or may not cherished sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the
right to dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat. And while
we await expectantly upon Spain some day to restore your good name and cease to be
answerable for your death, let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves over one who
without clear proofs attacks your memory stains his hands in your blood."

Rizal’s memory seemed to have failed him, though, for Father Gomez was then 73 not 85, Father
Burgos 35 not 30 Father Zamora 37 not 35; and the date of execution 17th not 28th.

The FOREWORD of the Fili was addressed to his beloved countrymen, thus:

"TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT"

Rizal and the Katipuan

140
On June 21, 1896. Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Bonifacio’s emissary, visited Rizal in
Dapitan and informed him of the plan of the Katipunan to launch a
revolution. Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s bold project stating that such would
be a veritable suicide. Rizal stressed that the Katipunan leaders should do
everything possible to prevent premature flow of native blood. Valenzuela,
however, warned Rizal that the Revolution will inevitably break out if the
Katipunan would be discovered.

Sensing that the revolutionary leaders were dead set on launching their
audacious project, Rizal instructed Valenzuela that it would be for the best
interests of the Katipunan to get first the support of the rich and influential
people of Manila to strengthen their cause. He further suggested that
Antonio Luna with his knowledge of military science and tactics, be made to
direct the military operations of the Revolution.

US President Bush Visits Rizal Monument

from http://news.yahoo.com

U.S. President Bush, center, is accompanied by Mayor Lito Atienza, during a wreath laying
ceremony at Rizal Monument in Manila, the Philippines, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003. President
Bush will address the National Congress and meet with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo before continuing with his Asia tour. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Philippine Marine honor guards stand at attention while US President George W. Bush pays his
respects in front of the monument of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal during a wreath laying
ceremony in Manila (AFP/Jay Directo)

Rizal Laws

141
  RA 1425
An act to include in the curricula of all public and private Schools,
Colleges and Universities courses on the Life Works and Writings of JOSE
RIZAL, particularly his novels NOLI ME TANGERE and EL FILIBUSTERISMO,
Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes.
 RA 229
An act to prohibit cockfighting, horse racing and jai-alai on the thirtieth
day of December of each year and to create a committee to take
charge of the proper celebration of rizal day in every municipality and
chartered city, and for other purposes
 Memorandum Order No. 247
Directing the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the
Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to fully implement
Republic Act No. 1425
 CHED Memorandum No. 3, s. 1995
Enforcing strict compliance to Memorandum Order No. 247

Frequently Asked Questions

 How old was Rizal when he died?

o 35 years, 6 months and 11 days old
 What is the first novel of Rizal
o Noli Me Tangere
 What is the title of Rizal's unfinished novel in Tagalog?
o Nakamisa
 Where and when did he finish his Bachelor of Arts degree?
o Areneo Municipal (now Ateneo de Manila) on March 23, 1872
 When and where did Rizal start formal schooling?
o In Biñan on 1869
 What was Rizal's first poem?
o "Sa aking mga kababata"
 What was Rizal’s first winning literary piece on the competition sponsored
by the Artistic-Literary Lyceum?
o A La Juventud Filipina
 When and where did Rizal finish his medical course?
o Central University of Manila, on June 21, 1884, he was awarded the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine.
 Who was the youngest sister of Rizal?
o Soledad
 Who was the oldest sister of Rizal?
o Saturnina

142
 Where did Rizal obtain his early schooling?
o Jose Rizal obtained his early schooling at a private school in Biñan,
because Biñan at that time was famous for its private school. Rizal
studied under Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz – a well-known
teacher of young boys. Rizal was nine (9) years old when his parents
sent to him to study in Biñan.
 Why did Rizal leave Japan when he was happy in that beautiful country
and was in loved with a pretty Japanese girl?
o There is no doubt that Rizal and O-sei-san were deeply in love. If
Rizal were a man without patriotism and without self-control, he
would have stayed permanently in Japan. He could have married
beautiful O-sei-san and lived happily with her. He could have a
good life in Japan, for the Spanish legation offered him a job with a
high salary. But he was dedicated to a noble mission - the welfare
and freedom of his oppressed people. And nothing, even the love
of the pretty girl and a good job could make him forgets his mission
in life.
 Who became Rizal’s wife? How did they meet?
o Rizal has his last romance in Dapitan. He falls in love with a pretty
Irish girl from Hongkong name Josephine Bracken. This girl
accompanied her blind foster father, George Taufer, to treated by
Jose Rizal. Rizal fails to cure Taufer’s blindness, but he won the love
of Josephine. Josephine proved to be worthy of Rizal. Together they
lived as man and wife in Dapitan. Josephine made Rizal happy.
Unfortunately, there only child-a-boy- died three hours after his birth.
 To Jose Rizal, what is the most important contribution of every Filipino to his
country’s progress?
o The main thing is that every Filipino must be a good man, a good
citizen so that he can help his country to progress by contributing his
heart, and if need, be his arm. (With the head and heart, we ought
to work always; with the arm when the time comes when physical
strength is needed. The principal tool of the heart and the head is
the pen. Other prefer the brush; others the chisel. On my part, I
prefer the pen.)
 Why did Leonor Rivera break her engagement with Rizal? Who did she
marry?
o Another sorrow of Rizal in Madrid was the break-up of his
engagement with Leonor Rivera. One cold day in December 1890
he received a letter from Leonor announcing her marriage with
Henry Kipping, a British Engineer in the Manila, Dagupan Railway.
This sorrowful news broke his heart.

143