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SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |1
 Introduction to the Course
Republic Act No. 1425 or the Rizal Law

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Explain the history of Rizal Law and its important provisions

• Critically assess the effectiveness and significance of the Rizal Course
• Reflect upon themselves the idea and principles of Rizal in their life

Introduction

Taking up Rizal course for credits, like reading Shakespeare to get by in English courses,
can be tiresome for the youth. If reading and discussing the text about Rizal can be challenging, then
it will just be like a cold stone without elaboration. To discuss a hero is to take him as a person with
flesh and blood, not as a deity or a supernatural being that is an object of reverence without
understanding.

To appreciate a hero like Rizal, we must be able to learn more about him – not his acts but
the thoughts behind his acts, his reasons, his experiences, and his works that are relevant to our time
and place. We should study Rizal as a person – his intelligence, courage, compassion, nationalism,
and also his weaknesses, like being a womanizer, violent, and short-tempered, that complete him as
a human being. When we realize that he is like us, then we can truly appreciate his being human,
and his great and exemplary deeds are word-emulating.

Activity

In the box below, write at least five reasons why we should study the life, works,
and writings of Jose Rizal.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |2

 Analysis

Why is it important for the Filipinos to study the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal?
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Abstraction

The Rizal Law, otherwise known as RA 1425

The Republic Act No. 1425 mandates studying Rizal’s life and works. Section 1 states
that Congress passed the Rizal law to increase nationalism among Filipinos significantly during
a diminishing Filipino identity. Based on the judicial system, a republic act is a law already
passed. On the contrary, a bill is merely a proposed law and will only be implemented after
the process.

President Ramon Magsaysay signed RA 1425 on June 12, 1956. From the notes
occurring immediately before the body of the document, one may infer the initial proposal in
the Legislative arm of the Philippine Republic, in the Senate and House of Representatives. The
official Gazette stated that the law was effective thirty days after its implementation. The fact
that the Act passed on the date of our independence seeks to stir up a greater sense of
enthusiasm among Filipinos. People should believe in their country, treasure their national
identity, and stand as one state. Filipinos should respect Jose Rizal as the national hero of the
Philippines; it is proper to commemorate all his accomplishments.

There are essential points that the author cited in the noteworthy Republic Act. First,
today, more than any other time in our history, it is essential for the re-dedication to the ideals
of nationalism and freedom for which our heroes suffered to death for this country as provided
in the written document in the year 1956 during the regime of late President Magsaysay, when
the country was still recovering from the Japanese occupation and still very dependent on US
governance. Ideals of freedom and nationalism were necessary during those times when the
Philippines sought independence and the country was developing its integrity and national
identity. During those times, devastation existed within communities since numerous uprisings
were against the Philippine government. Furthermore, even though this document was
inscribed several years ago, it is still evident that this article is essential for this present generation
when our culture is overpowered by foreign influence and Filipino diasporas are prevalent.

Another essential point in the Republic Act states that; every educational institution is
subject to regulation and supervision of the State, and all schools are advised to develop moral
character, civic consciousness, personal discipline, and learn the duties of citizenship.” It is
imperative to use our educational institutions to instill these values in their children who are in
their first years of learning and growing. During one’s formal years in education, especially the
collegiate level, individuals formulate their priorities in life and career tracks. The academe
must make students realize that they belong to this country. Therefore, as a citizen, it is their
primary duty to serve and protect their fatherland. Likewise, embedding an authentic moral
character and a profound, strong sense of personal discipline in the youth would yield this
country's genuine, proficient, and selfless citizens. The future of the Philippines would turn from
an impoverished country to a globally competitive nation.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |3

 In finality, the Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Other writings of Jose Rizal should be translated into English,
Tagalog, and the principal Philippine dialects; they should be printed in reasonable, popular
editions and distributed to persons free of charge. Providing a specific way to carry out this act
is very helpful.

Instead of the refined version of Rizal’s novels as mandatory readings, Claro M. Recto
explained his firm support for the uncensored version, exclaiming:

“The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools would absorb
out from our minds the memory of the national hero. It is not a fight against Recto
but a fight against Rizal” (Ambeth Ocampo, 2012)

The bill eventually passed, but with an article allowing exemptions for learners who think
reading the Noli and Fili would destroy their belief.

Historical Context

Senate Bill 438, known as Rizal Bill, was first authored, and
sponsored by Senator Claro M. Recto. The bill requires the
inclusion in the curricula of Rizal’s life, works, and writings in all
public and private schools, colleges, and universities and the
significant novels of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Republic Act 1425 must be considered one of the most
controversial bills in the Philippines. Before the bill was approved
and signed into law for implementation in all schools, it was
brought to the Senate and House of Representatives for
discussion. But what made it debatable is that the bill was not just
vehemently contradicted by some of the legislators but also by
the Roman Catholic Church due to the inclusion that it is a
mandatory reading of Rizal’s novels in which, according to them,
Claro M. Recto, the author and
Catholic dogmas were mortified. sponsor of SB 438

R.A. 1425 underwent the usual process. As such, senator Recto

brought the bill to the Senate, and Senator Jose P. Laurel Sr., then the
Chairman of the Committee on Education, sponsored the bill,
consequently leading to an exchange of views in both houses. Three
senators opposed the bill: Senator Mariano Cuenco, Senator
Francisco Rodrigo, a former Catholic Action President, and Senator
Decoroso Rosales, the brother of Julio Rosales, an archbishop. Other
oppositions were from the Lower House, namely Congressmen
Ramon Durano, Marciano Lim, Manuel Soza, Godofredo Ramos,
Miguel Cuenco, Jose Nuguid, Lucas Paredes, Tecia San Andres Ziga,
and Congressmen Carmen Consing. The Catholic Church, however,
Jose P. Laurel, Sr., Chairman was indirectly included in the debates but played a significant role.
of the Committee on The church battle against Rizal Bill was the Legion of Mary, the Holy
Education of the Philippines, Catholic Action of the Philippines, Daughters of Isabela, and
Name Society
Knights of Columbus.

Oppositions assert that the bill would go against freedom of religion and conscience,
where a pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to
which accordingly, such bill violates 1939 Canon Law which prohibits books that attack
Catholic doctrine and practices. The opposition argued that among the 333 pages of Noli Me
Tangere, only 25 passages were nationalistic, while 120 courses were anti-Catholic. Further
scrutiny of the two novels by some members of the Catholic hierarchy observed Noli Me
Tangere with 170 readings and El Filibusterismo 50 passages are against the Catholic faith.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |4

Furthermore, the opposition pointed out that Rizal admitted that he did not only attack the
friars who acted deceptively on the Filipinos but also the Catholic faith itself. They suggested
a reading medium for learners called Rizalian Anthology, a collection of Rizal’s written works
containing patriotic reasoning prohibiting the two novels.

However, Recto and Laurel defended the bill. They argued that the only objective of
the law is to keep the memory of the national hero alive in every Filipino’s mind, to emanate
Rizal as he peacefully fought for freedom, and not to go against religion. Senator Quintin
Paredes, Lorenzo Tanada, and Domocao Alonto of Mindanao also defended Rizal Bill favored
by House Representatives, namely Congressmen Jacobo Gonzales, Lancap Lagumbay, and
Pedro Lopez.

The excitement and intense scenes in fixing the Rizal Bill. One was the debate between
Cebu Representative Ramon Durano and Pampanga Representative Emilo Cortes, which
concluded in a fistfight in Congress. Bacolod City Bishop Manuel Yap menaced the campaign
against pro-Rizal bill legislators and punished them in the upcoming elections. Catholic school
representatives were forcing the government to close their schools if the Rizal Bill passed.
Senator Recto told them that if they did, the State could nationalize the Catholic schools in
the country. When there was a motion to use the bowdlerize novels as textbooks and put the
original copies under lock and key in the school libraries, Recto rejected this amendment and
expressed:

“The people who would banish the novel of Rizal from the schools… would blot out
from our minds the memory of the national hero… this is not a fight against Recto
but a fight against Rizal… now that Rizal is dead and they can no longer attempt
at his life, they are attempting to blot out his memory.”

Because of the never-ending debate on the Rizal Bill, approved amendments were
formulated through the proposal of three legislators from the upper house. Senator Laurel
proposed an amendment to the original bill in which, aside from Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, other written works of Rizal must include and be read out the unexpurgated
revision of the two novels would no longer be compulsory to elementary and secondary levels
but would strictly be included in college level. Senator Lim recommends relief to those students
who feel that reading Rizal’s novels would negatively affect their faith. Senator Primicias
proposed an additional amendment that promulgates the rules and regulations for getting an
exemption only from reading two novels through a written statement or affidavit and not from
taking the Rizal Course. According to Ambeth Ocampo, no student has ever availed of this
exemption. After the final amendments, the bill was finally passed on May 17, 1956, and was
signed into law as Republic Act 1425 by President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12 of the same
year.

Republic Act 1425 and Other Rizal Laws

The Rizal Bill became Republic Act No. 1425, known as the ‘Rizal Law.’ "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 Nowels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes."

Section 1 of Republic Act 1425 allowed the students to read Rizal's novels. The last two
parts involve making Rizal's writings accessible to the general public-they require the schools
to have a sufficient number of copies in their libraries and mandate the publication of the
works in major Philippine languages.

Senator Jose P. Laurel, who co-wrote the law, explained that since Jose Rizal was the
founder of the country's nationalism and had significantly contributed to the current condition
of the nation, it is only right that Filipinos, especially the youth, know about and learn to imbibe

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |5

the high ideals for which the hero died. Accordingly, the Rizal Law aims to realize the following
objectives:

1. To rededicate the lives of the youth to the ideals of Independence and nationalism,
for which our heroes lived and died
2. To dignify our national hero for devoting his life and works to shaping the Filipino
character
3. To stimulate patriotism through the study of Rizal's life, works, and writings

However, there were still students who did not took the subject and applied for exclusion from
reading Rizal’s novels. To enforce the Republic Act 1425, former President Fidel V. Ramos in
1994, through Memorandum Order No. 247, directed the Secretary of Education, Culture, and
Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to fully implement the RA
1425 as there had been reports that the law had still not been carried out. 1995 CHED
Memorandum No. 3 was issued, enforcing strict compliance with Memorandum Order No. 247.

Rizal as an American Sponsored Hero?

Jose Rizal's becoming a national hero resulted from American sponsorship. It was in 1901
when William Howard Taft proposed Rizal as our National hero because:

1. Rizal was already dead when the Americans colonized the Philippines.
2. He did not make any negative or embarrassing remarks of anti-American quotations.
3. Martyrdom of Dr Jose Rizal was a symbol of Spanish oppression.
4. He urged reform from within by publicity, by public education, and appeal to the
public conscience.

To Guererro (1998), Rizal was the First Filipino. It was Rizal who first called the Philippines
his fatherland. He taught his countrymen that they could be something else, Filipinos who were
members of the Filipino nation. He was the first to work towards unifying the Philippine
archipelago into a compact and homogenous body based on shared interests and mutual
protection.

Application

I. Compare and contrast the arguments and views of those in favor of and
against R.A. 1425, considering the text of the 1950s. Write your comparison on the
table below.

Arguments in favor of R.A. 1425 Arguments against R.A. 1425

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |6

 Reflection. Do you think it is effective to include the Rizal Law in instilling patriotism
among students like you? Why do you say so? Provide examples if you can justify your claim.
Write your reflection below.
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Application for DJAL

Compare and contrast the arguments and views of those in favor of and against R.A.
1425, considering the text of the 1950s. Write your comparison on the table below.

Arguments in favor of R.A. 1425 Arguments against R.A. 1425

Application for SETBI

Compare and contrast the arguments and views of those in favor of and against R.A.
1425, considering the text of the 1950s. Write your comparison on the table below.

Arguments in favor of R.A. 1425 Arguments against R.A. 1425

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya
Publishing House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |7

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |8
 The Philippine Condition in the 19th Century
as Rizal’s Context

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Illustrate the economic, socio-cultural and political structures during the 19th
century;
• Relate the educational system established in the 19th century with that of the
present;
• Differentiate the significance of the educational system established in the 19 th
century Philippines with that of the present; and,
• Analyze the economic, socio-cultural and political structures during the 19th
century and its corresponding implications to the present situation .

Introduction

Before we dive into learning about the life of Jose Rizal, we should first learn about the conditions of
the Philippines during the 19th century under the Spanish colonial period. Here we will be able to understand
how the conditions of the 19th century Philippines shaped the life of Jose Rizal and of the natives.

Activity

Recall your knowledge about the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period. Think at
least five of what was the condition of the colonial Philippines. Write your answers in each arrow.

The
Philippines
(1565 – 1898)

Analysis

Why did it took 300 years for the Filipinos to fight against the Spanish colonizers?
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Abstraction

Spain and the Philippines in Rizal’s Time

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal |9

 Spanish rule was imposed in the Philippines by conquest.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi established the first Spanish settlement in
1565 in Cebu. Before the conquest, the Filipinos had their own
indigenous culture and their own government, the barangay, headed
by a native chieftain called "datu," was independent of each other,
and each had its own laws. The people knew how to read and write
and had the beginnings of native literature and native art. Despite
being primitive, it was in the process of normal development. The
Spanish conquerors forced them to adopt foreign ways and Spanish
Catholicism that they never understood. They lost their ancestral lands
to the "conquistadores" by the encomienda system. Changes in the
form of government and laws took place. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
First Governor-General of the Spanish
Philippines
The Philippines became a colony of Spain and she belonged to the king of Spain. From
the beginning of Spanish rule up to 1821 the Philippines was administered by the Mexican
Viceroy, in the name of the Spanish King. After Mexico gained her independence from Spain
in 1821, the Philippines was directly ruled from Madrid.

Political Condition During the 19th Century: Political System

The Spanish King and other officials issued royal decrees governing the Philippines
through the Viceroyalty of New Spain (1565-1821) and Ministry of Colonies (Ministerio de
Ultramar) (1863-1898). These bodies helped the Spanish monarch managed the affairs of the
colonies and govern the Philippines through the centralized government in Manila, exercising
executive, legislative, and religious power.

The Spanish monarch ruled the Philippines indirectly through the Viceroyalty of New
Spain since Spain was able to colonize a big part of the world, they assigned viceroys who
would monitor the Spanish colonies. The capital of the colonial administration of the
Viceroyalty of New Spain was Mexico. Aiding the monarchy and viceroyalty, the Council of
Indies (Consejo de Indias) was the administrative and advisory body of the overseas realms.
The Council released the Laws of the Indies (Recopilacion de leyes de los reynos de las Indias)
which are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown for all of the possessions of its
empire. The laws regulated social, political, religious, and economic life in the entire empire,
including the Philippines.

The Governor General headed the central administration of the Philippines, appointed
by the viceroy of New Spain upon the recommendation of the Spanish Cortes. He was the
king’s representative in governmental matters and was the Vice-Royal Patron over religious
matters. With these powers, he exercised powers as the head of the state and the church.

As the highest government official of the colony, the governor general issued executive
orders and proclamations, he was the commander-in-chief of the military, and he also
exercised legislative powers with his “cumplase” by which he could decide which law or royal
decree to implement or disregard. He enjoyed judicial powers as an ex-officio president of
the Royal Audiencia. Being the Vice-Royal Patron, gave him the prerogative to nominate
priests to ecclesiastical positions and to control the finances of the missions.

The Governor General was assisted by the Lieutenant General (General Segundo
Cabo) and advisory bodies such as the Board of Authorities, Council of Administration and
Secretariat of the Central Government.

In checking the performance of the Governor General, he was checked by the

residencia and visitador. Residencia is the official who checks the abuse of power of the royal
officials who live in the country, and the visitador is the official who will just visit the colony to
check the royal officials.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 10

 However, the excessive powers and privileges of the governor-general made him weak
and undisciplined. His prerogatives often gave him the opportunity to reward his favorites and
relatives and to penalize those who had displeased him. He oftentimes lacked the moral
strength to resist corruption for material advancement. He filled in some positions in the
government from the highest bidder; thus, many officials exploited their offices to recover their
expenses and to enrich themselves.

The provincial governments (alcaldias) were run by the civil governors called alcalde
mayor. The city government (cabildo or ayuntamiento) was administered by a mayor and a
vice mayor, who were both chief executives and chief judicial magistrate. These positions are
occupied by the Spaniards.

As the alcalde mayor, his power is only in the province with a salary of 1 500 per year.
He was also given the power of Indulto de Comercio or the right to engage into trading.

The provincial government, where the alcalde mayor was the administrator, judge,
and military commander, was the most corrupt branch of the government. He controlled the
provincial trade. He bought the people's rice and other products at low prices and sold them
back to the natives at high prices. Moreover, he collected all the products to complete his
needed quota even in times of poor harvest or crop failure, thus leaving the farmers with no
seeds for the next planting. More taxes were collected than required by law and pocketed
the excess collections.

The local government unit (pueblo or town) were headed by the gobernadorcillo,
which was the highest position a native Filipino could be appointed. He was elected at the
beginning of year by the Spaniards and selected ‘principalia’ including the incumbent
cabeza de barangay.

Each barangay or barrio was headed by the Cabeza de barangay, whose main
responsibility was to collect taxes and tributes from the families. For his services, he received
two percent (2%) of the tax proceeds and four percent (4%) of the sanctorum – tax paid to
the Church each year to cover the costs of three fiestas, namely, All Saints day, Holy Thursday
and Corpus Christi (Feast of the Holy Eucharist). In ensuring that all revenues collected will be
submitted, the cabeza’s properties will be mortgaged to the state for his entire duration of his
term as the cabeza that ran for three years. For his service, he will be exempted in polo y
servicios.

The Indios or the natives can only occupy the gobernadorcillo and cabeza positions in
the government. They also practice their right to suffrage limited only to males, 23 years old
and above, well-educated and had properties, and tax amounting to 500 pesos.

The Supremacy of the Friars over the Colonial Government (Frailocracia)

The Spanish political philosophy of union of Church and State arose a unique form
of government in Hispanic Philippines called "frailocracy" (frailocracia), because it was
a government by friars. The friars (Augustinians, Dominicans, and Franciscans) controlled the
religious and educational life of the Philippines, and later in the 19th century, they came to
acquire tremendous political power, influences and riches. With this, they could influence the
Governor General, becoming rulers of municipalities and control the different aspects of
society like the education, trading, haciendas, and economy.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 11

 The friars practically ruled the Philippines through a façade of
civil government. The colonial authorities, from the governor general
down to the alcaldes mayores, were under the control of the friars.
Almost every town in the archipelago, except in lands, was ruled by
the friar curate. Aside from his priestly duties, the friar was the
supervisor of local elections, the inspector of schools and taxes, the
arbiter of morals, the censor of books, the superintendent of public
works, and the guardian of peace and order. So great was his political
influence that his recommendations were heeded by the governor
general and the provincial officials. He could send a patriotic Filipino
to jail or denounce him as a filibustero (traitor) to be exiled to a A Dominican Friar
distant place or to be executed as an enemy of God. Jose P. Rizal,
Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and other Filipino reformists denounced the friars
as the enemies of liberal reforms and modern progress in the Philippines.

Instability of Colonial Administration

The political instability in Spain adversely affected Philippine affairs because it brought
about frequent periodic shifts in colonial policies and a periodic rigodon of colonial officials.
For instance, from 1849 to 1898, the Philippines was ruled by forty-five governor-generals, each
serving an average term of only one year and three months. At one time from December 1853
to November 1854 - a period of less than a year, there were four governor generals.

The frequent change of colonial officials hampered the political and economic
development of the Philippines. Hardly had one governor-general begun his administration
when he was soon replaced by his successor. Naturally, no chief executive, no matter how
able and energetic he was, could accomplish much for the colony.

Philippine Representation in the Spanish Cortes

The first period of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes (1810-1813) was fruitful
with the beneficent results for the welfare of the colony. However, the second period of
representation (1820-23) and the third period (1834-37) were less fruitful in parliamentary work.

Unfortunately, the representation of the overseas colonies (including the Philippines) in

the Spanish Cortes was abolished in 1837. Since then, Philippine conditions worsened because
there was no means by which the Filipino people could expose the anomalies perpetrated by
the colonial officials. Many Filipino patriots valiantly pleaded for the restoration of the Philippine
representation in the Cortes. Spain ignored the fervent plea of Graciano Lopez Jaena and his
compatriots. Their grievance was embittered by the fact that Cuba and Puerto Rico were
granted representation in the Cortes by the Spanish Constitution of 1876. Until the end of
Spanish rule in 1898, Philippine representation in the Cortes was never restored.

Socio-Cultural Condition During the 19th Century

The Social Stratification/Social Structure

The coming of the Spaniards changed the social structure of the Philippines. Before,
the datu class was on the top of the hierarchy, but as the Spaniards colonized the Philippines,
they put themselves on top representing their economic, political, and social domination.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 12

 The highest class of the Spanish social
hierarchy is the Peninsulares – Spaniards born in Peninsulares

Spain and moved to the Philippines for

economic and political motives. The Insulares is Insulares
the second highest which refers to the Spaniards
born in the Philippines. Next is the Mestizos or the Mestizos
mixed blood – result of Filipino and Spanish
intermarriages or Chinese and Spanish
intermarriages. After the mestizos were the Ilustrados and Principalia

Ilustrado (well-educated Filipinos) and the

Principalia (rich Filipinos). The last class in the Indios
hierarchy were the indios or the natives.

Most of the privileges in the colonial law and in society are enjoyed by the highest class.
The peninsulares and insulares established their community in Intramuros and enclosed it in a
wall to segregate their populations from other class. The walled city (Intramuros) became the
site of power, center of education and spirituality.

The mixed blood or the mestizos are the first one who thought of fighting the Spaniards,
however, they only seek for reform and assimilation and not for the complete independence
of the Philippines. The unfortunate class, the indios, were the ones discriminated in the society
and subjected to numerous taxations.

Educational System during the Spanish Regime

Religion was the center of the educational system imposed by the Spaniards. The
primary education is catered by the friars to ensure that the young natives will learn the
Christian doctrine, the alphabet, language, customs and policies. Boys and girls attended
separate schools and follows different curriculums. The curriculum for boys includes Spanish
History, Latin, Philosophy, Canon and Civil Law, and Rhetoric. The curriculum for girls includes
rules of courtesy, vocal music, language and sewing.

The educational system is used to pacify the Filipinos and train them in Catholicism and
to ensure that they will follow all the laws imposed by the Spaniards. Filipino students are not
allowed to speak their own dialect and have to speak Spanish, however, the friars taught the
natives in their own dialect and refuse to teach the Filipinos speak Spanish. They believed that
if the Filipinos learn how to speak Spanish then the latter will later oppose to the Spanish rule.

Keeping the natives in the dark, the books used in the schools were censored and
thoroughly scrutinized by the friars before they give it to the natives. The friars decide what to
be taught to the children and religion was considered as the most important subject.
Moreover, the Spanish government could not provide enough books and other instructional
materials needed for quality education.

The school buildings and other facilities are not enough to cater the needs of the
students. The children attended their classes on the ground floor of the convent, or in the stable
or in the darkest corner of the town hall. The friars maintained these miserable places to repress
human intellect rather that to cultivate and develop them as they reminded the natives that
they have inferior intelligence, and they were fit only for manual labor.

There was a major change in education during the 19th century as the Spanish colonial
administration issued the Educational Decree of 1863 issued by Queen Isabella II on December
20, 1863 stating, “that each major town in the Philippines should establish at least one primary
school for boys and another for girls, that the medium of instruction is Spanish.” The friars
objected to this decree as they believe that if the Filipinos will be educated, it might inspire
new ideas of freddom and independence as well as justice among the natives.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 13

 The Moret Decree of 1970 was also passed to improve the Educational System in the
Philippines as it intended to secularize higher education in the colony; again, this resulted to
another opposition from the friars as they opposed to the idea of the government’s control
over the natives’ education.

Economic Condition During the 19th Century

The Encomienda System

One of the institutions established during the

Spanish period in the Philippines was the encomienda
system. Encomienda system was developed in the early
1500s as Spain was recovering from her struggle with the
Moors in the wars of the reconquest. The principle of the
encomienda was that all the natives in the newly
discovered colony were all vassals of the Spanish king, and
Visual Representation n the Abuses and Exploitation of
as such owed allegiance and tribute to the Crown. Indigenous Communities in the Encomienda

In the decree of King Philip II, he defined encomienda ‘a right granted by the Royal
Grace to the deserving of the Indies to receive and collect for themselves the tributes of the
Indians that shall be given them in trust for their life and the life of one heir… with the charge
of looking after the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Indians and of dwelling in and
defending the provinces…’

The Spanish Crown establish the encomienda as a reward to the conquistadores and
other worthy persons for services rendered to the crown. It was also established to ensure the
permanent colonization of the new lands and provide for the colony’s internal and external
military defense. The work encomienda comes from the Spanish word, encomendar which
means to entrust. The encomendero was granted inhabitants living in a particular conquered
territory, which was given to the Spanish colonizers as a reward for his services. However, the
encomienda was not considered as a land ownership feature nor a hereditary right. When an
encomendero dies, his family would not inherit the encomienda, it will be given back to the
Crown.

The encomenderos can use the lands granted to them for profits provided that they
will indoctrinate the natives living in his encomienda and teach them the Catholic doctrine.
The prime duty of the encomenderos is to Christianize the natives. The encomendero had the
right to collect taxes, monitor the peace and order, and can use the land for his own profit.
The natives who were the real owners of the land became slaves in their own properties. They
were also subjected to taxation.

Haciendas and the Friar Lands

The haciendas are land grants made by the King of Spain to various Spaniards who
took part of the original conquests; a few went to the Augustinians. However, given to the fact
that the Spaniards profited most in the Galleon trade, most of the land grants were passed
into the hands of the religious orders, except for the Franciscans (whose constitution did not
permit the ownership of property). The religious orders used the haciendas to supplement the
allowances granted by the King for the transportation of missionaries, for their educational
institutions (Dominicans and Jesuits), for the support of their monasteries and churches in
Manila, and for their missionaries to China and Vietnam. The friars acquired the haciendas as
donations or through sales by Spanish owners who became uninterested or found themselves
incapable of managing the estates successfully. Subsequently, these lands became friar lands
that were enlarged by donations or sales by Filipino principales.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 14

 During Rizal’s time, the friars became the richest landlords for they owned the best
haciendas (or friar lands) in the Philippines. The natives, who had been living in these haciendas
and cultivating them generation after generation, became tenants. Naturally, they resented
the loss of their lands, which belonged to their ancestors since pre-Spanish times; legally,
however, the friars were recognized as legal owners of said lands because they obtained royal
titles of ownership from the Spanish crown. No wonder these friar haciendas became hotbeds
of agrarian revolts, inasmuch as the Filipino tenants regarded the friar owners' revolts as the
agrarian upheaval in 1745-1746.

The Different Socio-Economic Policies Imposed by Spaniards

1. Reduccíon

The natives were forced to live in the place

near the center, and they could hear the sound of the
bell. This policy was implemented so that the
government and parish priest could easily monitor
them and for the easy conversion to Catholicism. The
program of Father Juan de Placencia led to the
creation of the center, which is composed of the The Reduccion Complex

church, the municipal hall, the plaza, the market, and

the school for each town.

2. Bandala
The natives are obliged to sell their products to the Spaniards even in the lowest
price and sometimes the Spaniards will just issue some promissory notes.

3. Forced Labor or Polo y Servicios

In addition to the tribute, the Polo or forced labor is another Spanish that had
created discontent among the indios during the Spanish times. The word "polo" is
actually a corrruption of the Tagalog pulong, originally meaning "meeting of persons
and things" or "community labor". Drafted laborers were either Filipino or Chinese male
mestizos who were obligated to give personal service to community projects, like
construction and repair of infrastructure, church construction, or cutting logs in the
forest, for forty (40) days. All able-body males, from 16-60 years of old, except chieftains
and their elder sons, were required to render labor for these various projects in the
colony. This was instituted in 1580 and reduced to 15 days per year in 1884.

There were laws that regulated polo. For instance, the polista (the person who
renders forced labor) will be paid a daily wage of 1/4 real plus rice. Moreover, the
polista was not supposed to be brought from a distant place nor required to work
during planting and harvesting seasons. Despite restrictions, polo resulted in disastrous
consequences. It resulted to the ruining of communities the men left behind. The
promised wage was not given exactly as promised, which led to starvation or even
death to some polistas and their families.

The Effects of Polo y Servicios

a. The decrease in the production in agriculture because the time for polo
y servicios coincides with the planting and harvesting period.
b. The decrease in population because there were a lot of polistas who
died because of the manual work in Polo.
c. The rebellion of the natives.

4. Taxation

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 15

 The natives are paying different types of taxes such as follows:
a. Cedula – male and female 18 years old and above will pay 8 reales
every year for the cedula.
b. Sanctorum – tax for the church amounting to 3 reales.
c. Donativo de Zamboanga – one-half real to finance the war in Mindanao
against the Muslims.
d. Tribute may be paid in cash or in kind

5. The Tribute (Buwis) or Tributo

As a sign of vassalage to Spain, the Filipino paid tribute to the colonial government
in the island. On July 26, 1523, King Charles. V decreed that Indians who had been pacified
should contribute a "moderate amount" in recognition of their vassalage.

Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was first to order the payment of tribute, both in the
Visayas and Luzon. His Successors followed this practice. As mentioned above, the buwis
(tribute) during this period consisted of two types: the direct taxes which came from
customs duties and bandala taxes, monopolies (rentas escantadas) of special crops and
items. The tribute or buwis was collected from the natives both in species (gold or money)
and kind (e.g. rice, cloth, chicken, coconut oil, abaca, etc.). The King of Spain preferred
the payment of gold, but the natives paid largely in kind. That was why King Philip II was
annoyed upon knowing that most of the tributes in the colony were paid in kind.

In the 1570's, the tribute was fixed at eight reales (1 real = 121/2 centavos) or in
kindo gold, blankets, cotton, rice, bells and raised to fifteen reales till the end of the Spanish
period. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the Filipinos were required to pay the tribute of 10
reales; 1-real diezmos prediales (tithes), 1 real town community chest, 3 reales of sanctorum
tax for church support or a total of 15 reales.

6. Galleon Trade

The trading system existed from 1565 until 1815, and the trading routes from Canton
in China, Acapulco in Mexico, and Manila. This trading policy changed the system of free
trading in the Philippines, where other nationalities, like the Chinese, were free to exchange
their goods with the Filipinos who had extra goods. In the policy of the Galleon trade, a
merchant could only participate in the trading if he can afford to pay for the boletas or
the ticket for the Galleon trade. The other effects of the Galleon Trade are the following:

a. The decrease in the productivity of the native industry because the

Alcalde Mayors, who were part of the trading, imposed the planting of
coconut and abaca fibers. The farmers who could not meet the
imposed quota will need to pay a heavy fine.
b. The loss of profit of the local industry
c. The intercultural exchanges between the Philippines and Mexico. The
products of Mexico like cocoa, sayote, tames, etc entered the country
while the mango of the Philippines, rice and textiles were able to reach
Mexico.

Application
True or False. Read the statements and identify whether it is True or False. If it
is True, write TRUE in the space provided before the number; if not, underline the word
or phrase that makes the statement False and write the correct word or phrase in the
space provided to correct the statement.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 16

___________________ 1. Cabeza de Barangay is the highest position in the government
to which a native could be appointed.
___________________ 2. The 19th century was marked as the most dynamic and
productive age in both Europe and Asia.
___________________ 3. The word “polo” is actually a corruption of the Tagalog pulong,
originally meaning “meeting of persons and things” or “community labor.”
___________________ 4. From the beginning of Spanish rule up to 1896 the Philippines
was administered by the Viceroy of Mexico.
___________________ 5. The natives completely understand Spanish Catholicism.
___________________ 6. The Spanish political philosophy of union of Church and State
arose a unique form of government in Hispanic Philippines called “democracy.”
___________________ 7. The local government unit were composed of barangays
headed by the Gobernadorcillo.
___________________ 8. The natives were forced to live in the place near the center
and they could hear the sound of the bell. The encomienda was implemented so that
the Spaniards could easily monitor them.
___________________ 9. The king and other officials issued royal decrees governing
the Philippines through the Ministry of Colonies based in Madrid.
___________________ 10. The regular priests were able to dominate the control of
different parishes and had the power to get the parishes from the secular.

Matrix Completion Chart. Compare and contrast the situation of the Philippines during
the 19th century and the present time.

SITUATIONS
19th Century
Indicator Present Day
Philippines

Political

Socio-
Cultural

Economic

Education

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 17

 Application for DJAL and SETBI

True or False. Read the statements and identify whether it is True or False. If it is True,
write TRUE in the space provided before the number; if not, underline the word or phrase
that makes the statement False and write the correct word or phrase in the space
provided to correct the statement.

___________________ 1. Cabeza de Barangay is the highest position in the government

to which a native could be appointed.
______2_____________ 2. The 19th century was marked as the most dynamic and
productive age in both Europe and Asia.
___________________ 3. The word “polo” is actually a corruption of the Tagalog pulong,
originally meaning “meeting of persons and things” or “community labor.”
___________________ 4. From the beginning of Spanish rule up to 1896 the Philippines
was administered by the Viceroy of Mexico.
___________________ 5. The natives completely understand Spanish Catholicism.
___________________ 6. The Spanish political philosophy of union of Church and State
arose a unique form of government in Hispanic Philippines called “democracy.”
___________________ 7. The local government unit were composed of barangays
headed by the Gobernadorcillo.
___________________ 8. The natives were forced to live in the place near the center
and they could hear the sound of the bell. The encomienda was implemented so that
the Spaniards could easily monitor them.
___________________ 9. The king and other officials issued royal decrees governing
the Philippines through the Ministry of Colonies based in Madrid.
___________________ 10. The regular priests were able to dominate the control of
different parishes and had the power to get the parishes from the secular.

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya
Publishing House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 18

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 19
 Nineteenth Century Philippines in the

Rizal’s Ancestry, Early Life and Education

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Analyze Rizal’s ancestry, childhood and early education; and,

• Evaluate the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early life.

Introduction

In this chapter, we will examine the life of Jose Rizal, his family, childhood and early education. We
will glean from Dr. Jose Rizal’s experiences and traits that later define his character.

Activity

Draw your family tree. Trace your ancestry by creating a family tree on the space provided
below. Write down the names of your family up to your maternal and paternal grandparents.

Analysis

How did his family and experiences influence Rizal’s outlook in life?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 20

 Abstraction

Birth of the First Filipino

It was just an ordinary midnight of June 19, 1861, until an infant's first cry echoed in a
house owned by a well-to-do family known by the surname Mercado. It was Wednesday, and
the moon shone beautifully over the town of Calamba amidst the agricultural province of
Laguna. Had it not been due to the divine providence, the infant's mother could have died
during her delivery.

The newborn was given the full name José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda,
the apostle of Philippine freedom; and as reasonably branded by the late Hon. Leon Ma.
Guerrero, the "First Filipino".

Guerrero (2003) argued that Rizal was the first among the indios to refer to himself as
"Filipino" as found in his works and writings. History has it that the people referred to as Filipinos
at the time were, in fact, the insulares or those Spaniards who were born in the Philippine
archipelago.

Three days later, José was christened in the town's church by Father Rufino Collantes,
and it was witnessed by his family, close relatives, and friends to the Mercados. His mother,
Doña Teodora Alonso y Realonda, a firm Catholic, chose "José since she was a devotee of
San Jose, the patron saint of workers. His father, Don Francisco Mercado y Alejandro, gave the
second name "Protacio" as near to "protesto" as he thought wise to spell it.

Despite this seemingly radical thought of naming his son, Rizal also was raised as a stern
Catholic whose devotion included his regular pilgrimage to Antipolo in the nearby province of
Morong (now known as the province of Rizal, aptly named after our National Hero).

Of Noble Ancestry

The family name "Mercado" had been given to Josés great- grandfather by their
Chinese great-great-grandfather Domingo Lam-co in 1731, who migrated to the Philippines
from Amoy, China and whose succeeding generations had an essential place in a society
primarily topped by elite Spaniards.

Again in 1850 the Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria had decreed that
"Mercado should be the family name.” The Governor-General had, indeed, been pleased to
grant names, both new and old, through the Royal Decree of 1849, to a vast number of families
all over the Spanish-occupied areas through the release of Catalogo Alfabetico de
Apellidosor or the Catalogue of Alphabetical Surnames.

However, it happened that Jose's father was a man of independent thought. To be

called "Mercado", which means "market", crossed his mind to be unsuitable for an inquilino or
tenant farmer. Don Francisco, called by the townsfolk as Mang Kikoy, was responsible for
clearing, weeding, preparing the fields, planting seedlings, raising them until maturity,
harvesting and preparing the crops for sale, and providing draft animals and tools.

Therefore, he decided to modify his family's surname and adopted the word "ricial",
which means "green field", changed the spelling to "Rizal", and gave his children that name,
just for the sake of his independent soul and his sense of fitness. However, Rizal himself revealed:
"I am the only Rizal because at home my parents, my sisters, my brother, and my relatives have
always preferred our old family name, Mercado". Don Francisco's independent spirit, which his
sons and daughters inherited, did not get him into trouble that time, but it did later.

If José Rizal inherited his free soul from his father, he inherited his intelligence mainly
from his mother. Aling Lolay, as Doña Teodora came to be known in the neighbourhood, had
ancestors and uncles by the dozen who had distinguished themselves as leaders and thinkers.
Her brothers, Gregorio, Manuel, and José Alberto were all unusual men. Her father Lorenzo
Alberto Alonso was a distinguished engineer, who had received the title of "Knight of the Grand

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 21

Order of Isabel the Catholic." One grandfather was attorney Manuel de Quintos; the other
grandfather was Captain Cipriano Alonso, at least three of her great-grandfathers were
captains, and one of these came from the famous "Florentino" family at that time.

The Ilustrado Family

Both of Jose's parents were educated in well-established schools at the time. Don
Francisco studied at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila while Doña Teodora completed her
education at the Colegio de Santa Rosa, a prestigious college for girls in Manila. José
described Mang Kikoy as a great model attributed to his honesty, frugality, productiveness,
composure, and profound dignity. José described Aling Lolay as a woman of discipline,
culture, literature, and religion. She was a good wife and a mother of warm affection. Both of
his parents were his source of virtues of patience and self-sacrifice.

The Mercados and the Alonsos belonged to the principalia, that is to say, they had
enough land and money to raise a living, stone houses which were among the first of its kind
in the town of Calamba, sari-sari store of no other competitors, horses that only affluent families
could own, preferences in civic and in religious processions. They were the ilustrados, that is to
say, they could read, write and figure, owned the most extensive built-in library in Calamba,
subscribed to newspapers, travelled abroad, they went to court, and they were oriented
entirely on the dynamics of political, economic, and social affairs of the time.

Other members of José's remarkably affectionate family are as follows:

1. Saturnina, the eldest, born in 1850,

2. Paciano, the only brother, born in 1851,

3. Narcisa, born in 1852,

4. Olympia, born in 1855,

5. Lucia, born in 1857, and Maria, born in 1859, were all older than him:

6. The younger sisters were Josefa, born in 1865,

7. Trinidad, born in 1868, and Soledad, the youngest, born in 1870,

As a matter of fact, in between José and Josefa, there was Concepcion, also called
Concha, born in 1862, who only lived for three years and died of illness. He could remember
very well the death of Concha. Thus, he recounted:

"For the first time I wept tears of love and grief, for until then I had only shed them
out of a stubbornness which my loving and prudent mother knew so well how to
correct."

His parents and siblings fondly called José as Ute. Among his friends and
acquaintances especially during his Ateneo days, José was known by the nickname "Pepe" as
people of the time used to call anyone José by such. It was so since the Latin for "foster father"
is "pater putativus", shortened by the Spaniards as "pp", pronounced as "fhefhe", and
converted into "Pepe". Jesus Christ's foster father is Joseph or in Spanish, José.

The religiosity of the Mercado family could trace back to their affluent ancestry. The
fact that Doña Teodora almost died upon giving birth to José subsequently made her vow to
go on pilgrimage to the Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo. In effect, the Mercado
children were bred in a firm Catholic environment and grew up morally upright. José and his
siblings were trained to offer prayer altogether each day, like the Angelus at dusk and the
Rosary before resting to bed. They were accompanied to hear mass in the town church during
Sundays and Christian feast days.

At five years of age, José was able to read, though short of fluency, the Spanish family
bible is known during the time as Historia Sagrada. Jose's profound religiosity would be

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 22

challenged and put at risk eventually as he faced many adversaries while fighting for social
reforms.

In later life, José's siblings would instead become his firmest supporters to his vision of
bringing transformation in the land they claimed for all the oppressed natives. Each member
of the Mercado family, both parents and siblings, played crucial roles in the formation of his
heroic consciousness. On this note, the hero we have come to know as José Rizal was
surrounded and molded by likely heroes as well.

Rizal's Early Informal Education

Rizal's first teacher was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character
and fascinating culture. At the very young age of three. he learned 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."

Doña Teodora was understanding, patient, and a conscientious tutor of Pepe. 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 alphabet 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 live long. He died five months later, After Monroy's death, Rizal's parents decided to send
their gifted son to a private school in Biñan.

The Mercado family enjoyed relative affluence as landowners who lease the land of
their hacienda to the Dominican friars in Laguna. Hence, education was the prime concern
for the Mercado family, and young Jose Protacio was sent to learn from Justiniano Aquino
Cruz, a tutor from adjacent Binan, Laguna.

However, the capability of a small town and a tutor did not fairly quench the young
man's thirst for education, and soon, the family decided to prepare for his new endeavour his
admission to the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, in the capital of the Philippines.

The school administered by the Jesuit Order, was one of the most distinguished
academic institutions in the country which catered to the rich, the powerful and most
intelligent students the country had, indeed a place for a young man like Jose Protacio
Mercado.

First Day in Biñan (1869-1871)

The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his dear brother to Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. The school was within the vicinity of teacher’s ancestral home, which was a small
nipa hut about 30 meters from the home of Jose's aunt. Paciano knew the teacher was
competent because he had been a pupil under him before. He introduced Jose to the
teacher, after which he left to return to Calamba.

According to Jose Rizal his teacher in Biñan was tall, thin, long- necked, with sharp nose
and body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled hands
of the women of Batangas. He knew by heart grammars by Nebrija and Gainza.

First School Brawl

In the afternoon of his day in school when the teacher was having his siesta, Jose met
the bully. Pedro. He was annoyed at this intimidator for making fun of him during his discussion
with the teacher in the morning. Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter quickly agrees,
thinking that he could easily beat the Calamba boy who was smaller and younger. The boys
grapple furiously in the classroom, much to the elation of their classmates.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 23

 Jose, having learned the art of fighting from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the
bigger boy. For this feat. he became well-liked among his classmates. In the afternoon after
school, a classmate named Andes Saladanan challenged him to an arm wrestling match.
They went to the sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the weedy
arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk. In succeeding days, he had other fights
with boys of Binan. He was quarrelsome by nature, but he never ran away from the fight.

End of Schooling in Biñan

In 1870 before the Christmas season, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina,
informing him of the arrival of the streamer Talim, which would take him from Biñan to
Calamba. After reading the letter, he had an intuition that he would not return to Binan so that
he beamed sad. He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in the river for souvenirs,
and regretfully bade farewell to his teacher and classmates. He left Biñan on Saturday
afternoon, December 17, 1870, after one year and a half of schooling in that town. He was
thrilled to take passage on the streamer Talim, for it was the first time he ever rode a streamer.
On board was a Frenchman named Arturo Camps, a friend of his father, who took care of him.

Life and Studies at Ateneo (1872-1877)

On June 10, 1872, Jose accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila. He took the
examinations on Christian doctrine, reading, and arithmetic, at the college of San Juan de
Letran, and passed them. He returned to Calamba to stay a few days with his family and to
attend the town fiesta. His father who first wished him to study at Letran changed his mind and
decided to send him to Ateneo instead.

Upon his return to Manila, Jose, again accompanied by Paciano, enrolled at the
Ateneo Municipal. At first. Father Magin Ferrando, who was college registrar, refused to admit
him for two reasons:

1. He was late for registrar, and

2. He was sickly and undersized for his age.

Rizal was then eleven years old. However, upon the intercessions of Manueleres Burgos,
nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo. Jose Rizal was the first
of his family to embrace the surname "Rizal." He registered under this name at the Ateneo
because their family name "Mercado” as his surname at the College of San Jose and he was
known to the authorities as Father Burgos favourite student and confidant.

The Ateneo, during this college days of Jose, was located in Intramuros, within the walls
of Manila. Rizal first lodge in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes’ walk
from the college. The lodging house was owned by a spinster named Titay who owed the Rizal
family the amount of £300. Jose boarded at Titay's place in order to collect part of the debt.

First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)

On his first day of class in the Ateneo, June 1872, Rizal first heard Mass at the college
chapel and prayed fervently to God for guidance and success. When the mass finished, he
went to his class, where he saw a significant number of boys, Spaniards, mestizos. and Filipinos.

Rizal's first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he described as a "tall, thin and
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.

As a newcomer who knew little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the back of the class. He
was externo: hence he was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.

After the first week, the infirm Calamba boy advanced swiftly. At the end of the month,
he became "emperor.” He was the dazzling pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 24

prize. "How pleased I was," he said, "when I won my first prize, a religious picture!" He was proud
of it because it was the prize, he ever won at the Ateneo,

To boost his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon
recesses, when other Ateneo students were playing or chatting. He paid three pesos for those
auxiliary Spanish lessons, but it was money well spent.

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-1874)

Nothing unusual happened during Rizal's second term in the Ateneo, except that he
got remorse full having failed to look after his studies the past year simply because he was
upset by the teacher's remarks. So, to get back his lost class leadership, he studied harder,
once more he became "emperor”.

Some of his classmates were new. Among them were three boys from Binan, who had
been his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.

Jose Rizal conferred excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal during the end
of the school year. With such scholastic honors, he jubilantly returned to Calamba in March
1874 for the summer vacation.

Third Year in Ateneo (1875-1875)

In June 1874, Rizal returned to the Ateneo for his junior year. Shortly after the opening
of classes, his mother arrived and joyously told him that she was released from prison, just as
he had predicted during his last visit to her prison cell in Santa Cruz, Laguna. He was happy, of
course, to see his mother once more a free woman.

However, despite the family happiness, Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his
studies as in the previous year. His grades remained excellent in all subjects, but he won only
one medal in Latin. He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was not
fluently sonorous. He was beaten by a Spaniard who, naturally, could speak Spanish with
fluency and with right accentuation.

March 1875 end of the school year, Rizal went home to Calamba for the summer
vacation. He was not impressed by his academic work.

Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-1876)

After a refreshing and happy summer vacation, Rizal went back to Manila for his fourth-
year course. On June 16, 1875, he became an interno in Ateneo. One of his professors this time
was Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, a great educator and scholar. He became an admirer
and friend of the slender Calambala, whose God-given genius he saw and recognised. On his
part, Rizal had the highest affection and respect for Fr. Sanchez, whom he considered his best
professor in the Ateneo.

In his student memoirs, Rizal wrote of Father Sanchez in glowing terms, showing his
affection and gratitude. He described this Jesuit professor as "model of uprightness,
earnestness, and love for his pupils".

Last Year in Ateneo (1876-1877)

After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila in June 1876 for his last year in the
Ateneo His studies continued to fare well. As matter of fact, he excelled in all subjects. The
most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was indeed "the pride of the Jesuits".

Rizal finished his last year at the Ateneo in a blaze of glory. He gained the highest
grades in all subjects-philosophy, physics, biology, chemistry, language, mineralogy, etc.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 25

Graduated with Highest Honors

Before his admission in this prominent learning institution, his older brother Paciano Rizal
Mercado made a stand that Jose drops the surname "Mercado", to ensure that the younger
Mercado would break away from the agitational reputation of his older brother. Thus, the
young man known as Jose Protacio Rizal enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.

Being the child of a family of wealthy landowners, Jose Rizal decided to study for a
degree in Land Surveying and Assessment at the Ateneo de Municipal de Manila where he
graduated on March 14, 1877, with honours or sobresaliente. He took and passed the licensure
exam for land surveying and assessment in 1878 but was not given a license until 1881 when
he turned 21.

In 1878, after the completion of his degree from Ateneo Municipal de Manila, he
pursued his passion for the arts as he enrolled at the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a degree in
Philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas. Although he excelled at philosophy, the news of
his mother's impending blindness convinced him to take up Medicine, and in 1878 he enrolled
in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at University of Santo Tomas to specialize in ophthalmology.

Education at the UST

In 1877, Rizal enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy
and Letters. He boarded in the house of a certain Concha Leyva in Intramuros, and later in
Casa Tomasina, at Calle 6, Santo Tomas, Intramuros. In Casa Tomasina, his landlord and uncle
Antonio Rivera had a daughter Leonor, who became Jose's sweetheart.

After a year at UST, Jose changed course and enrolled in Medicine following the
advice of Fr. Pablo Ramon, the Director of Ateneo de Manila, with the intention and desire to
cure the deteriorating eyesight of his mother.

Rizal experienced his first taste of Spanish brutality when he was in Calamba spending
summer vacation after a long tedious study as medical student of UST.

One night while he was walking alone a dark street, Rizal failed to recognize the
Spanish civil guard, passing by his side, thus, he did not bow, salute or greet the
man. At a striking distance, the civil guard (Guardia Civil) whipped Rizal mercilessly
at the back with a stingray tail (buntot pagi). He suffered from the wounds inflicted
on his back that lasted for two weeks before it was completely healed. He could
not accept such brutal treatment. When the incident was reported to the Captain
General Primo de Rivera, he was even reprimanded and even told Rizal that he
should be thankful for being still alive and spared by the civil guard.

Rizal’s study at UST was not meaningful and fruitful just like when he was in Ateneo. He
found the atmosphere at UST suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at the
Dominican institution of higher learning. The professors were hostile to him, the method of
teaching was far from the brilliant method at Ateneo, and prejudice and racial discrimination
was prevalent.

If records were accurate, Rizal had taken a total of 19 subjects in UST and finished them
with varied grades, ranging from excellent to fair Notably, he got 'excellent in all his subjects in
the Philosophy course.

Rizal, after completing his four years in medical school decided to leave the country
for Europe. He was no longer happy at the school. He can no longer contain the hatred,
discrimination, and discontentment he had towards the Spanish students and teachers. He
heard that teachings abroad were much better and far more advanced. The family, friends
and acquaintances believed that he was going to Europe to finish his medical schooling. But
it is more than that. From the letter Paciano sent to Rizal, the real purpose of Rizal’s journey to

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 26

Europe was to make a name for him in the realm of journalism and to observe and study
European way of life.

Application

Timeline. Create a timeline of Rizal’s education.

Rubrics: This rubric provides a framework for evaluating a timeline on José Rizal's
education. It considers accuracy, relevance, organization, and depth of
information to assess the overall quality and effectiveness of the timeline.
Criteria Excellent Good Needs
(4-5 points) (3 points) Improvement
(1-2 points)
Accuracy All events Most events Several events
and dates are and dates are or dates are
accurate and accurate, with inaccurate or
supported by minor errors or missing,
reliable omissions. demonstrating
sources. a lack of
research or
understanding.
Relevance Timeline Timeline Timeline
focuses primarily includes
solely on focuses on significant
Rizal's education, but amounts of
educational includes some irrelevant
journey, irrelevant information,
excluding information. detracting
extraneous from the
details. educational
focus.
Organization Events are Events are Events are not
presented in mostly in presented in
a clear, chronological chronological
chronological order, but order, making
order with some it difficult to
logical inconsistencies follow the
grouping and or lack of timeline.
headings. structure exist.
Depth of Each event is Some events Many events
Information described are described are described
with adequately, superficially or
sufficient while others lack any detail,
detail, lack sufficient making the
providing a detail or are timeline
balanced and too brief. incomplete.
informative
overview

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 27

 Application for DJAL

Timeline. Create a timeline of Rizal’s Life. For rubrics, please follow the rubrics of
regular students’ application.

Application for SETBI

Identification. Identify the following statements correctly by writing the answer in the space
provided before the number.

___________________ 1. An old man and former classmate of Rizal’s father who taught
Rizal Spanish and Latin.
___________________ 2. The complete name of our Philippine National Hero.
___________________ 3. The priest who baptized Rizal in the Catholic Church in Calamba
on June 22, 1861.
___________________ 4. The name of the saint whose feast day is celebrated every March
19 gave the mother of Rizal his name.
___________________ 5. A woman of refined culture and character, who studied at Colegio
de Sta. Rosa, with exemplary literary talents, with business ability and, was considered the
great mother to Rizal.
___________________ 6. A great man who took Latin and Philosophy at the Colegio de
San Jose, became a tenant farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda, hardworking and
in2dependent minded.
___________________ 7. Rizal’s sister who died at the age of three and her death was
considered as the first sorrow.
___________________ 8. The governor general who released Royal Decree of 1848 that
decreed that all families in Spanish-occupied areas must adopt Spanish surnames.
___________________ 9. Rizal described him as model of uprightness, earnestness and
love for his pupils.
___________________ 10. The course Rizal studied at the University of Santo Tomas.

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya Publishing
House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

Nineteenth Century Philippines in the

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 28

 Rizal’s Life Abroad

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda Movement;

• Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other propagandists; and,
• Analyze Rizal’s growth as a Propagandist and disavowal of assimilation.

Introduction

In this lesson, we will trace Rizal’s travels to Europe, his education, and his accomplishments to his
desire for freedom. We will also locate the places Rizal visited and learn the reasons why he visited them.

Activity

In the boxes below, put a picture of the cities (international or local) or countries you want
to visit in the future. Explain in the space provided why do you want to visit those places.

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_____________________________________________

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SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 29

 Analysis

How did Rizal’s travels influence his hopes for the Philippines?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Abstraction

Dr. Jose Rizal decided to complete his studies in Spain after he completed his
four-year medical course at University of Santo Tomas. He decided to study in Spain after he
was disgusted with the method of instruction of the Dominican-owned university and to
escape the racial prejudice of the Dominican professors against the Filipino students. Rizal had
a secret mission, that is to observe the life and culture, languages, and customs, industries and
commerce, and governments, laws of the European nations, keenly, in order to prepare
himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny. Rizal’s
departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the
friars. He used the name Jose Mercado, who was a cousin from Biñan.

Rizal’s First Trip Abroad

On May 3, 1882, Rizal left the Philippines for the first time to go to Spain, He boarded
the Salvadora using the passport of Jose Mercado, which was procured for him by his uncle,
Antonio Rivera – father of Leonor Rivera. He was accompanied to the quay where the
Salvadora moored, by his uncle Antonio, Vicente Gella, and Mateo Evangelista.

Singapore • On May 9, 1882, the steamer Salvadora docked at Singapore and

Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah going to Europe.
Sri Lanka, Yemen, • On May 17, 1882, Djemnah reached Point Galle (Sri Lanka) which
and Egypt Rizal described as a lonely and quiet place.
• The day after, Djemnah reached Colombo (capital city of Sri
Lanka), which Rizal described to be ‘beautiful, smart, and
elegant,’ and the voyage continued crossing the Indian Ocean.
• At Aden (Yemen), Rizal found the city hotter than Manila.
• From Aden, the Djemnah proceeded to the city of Suez (Egypt),
the red sea terminal of the Suez Canal – the key trade route
between Asia and Europe.
Italy, France • On June 11, 1882, Rizal reached Naples (Italy) which pleased him
because of the city’s business activity, lively people, and scenic
beauty.
• On June 12, 1882, the steamer docked at the French harbor of
Marseilles (France).
• On June 15, 2882, Rizal left Marseilles for Barcelona boarding an
express train.
Spain • Rizal reached Barcelona on June 16, 1882.
• He found the city of Barcelona a great city with an atmosphere of
freedom and liberalism; its people were open-hearted, hospitable,
and courageous.
• O August 20, 1882, his article ‘Amor Patrio’ was published in
Diariong Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by Basilio Teodoro,
the first article he wrote abroad.
• On September 2, 1882, he went to Madrid and enrolled at the
Universidad Central de Madrid in two courses – Philosophy and
Letters, and Medicine.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 30

 • He also studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fian Arts
of San Fernando and took private lessons in French, German, and
English.
• He joined the Circulo Hispano – Filipino and on October 4, 1882,
Rizal was asked to deliver a poem and he recited ‘Me Piden
Versos’ (They Ask Me for Verses).
• On November 2, 1882, Rizal wrote ‘Revisita de Madrid’ which was
intended for the publication of the Diariong Tagalog in Manila but
was not published as the newspaper stopped its circulation.
• On November 1882, he wrote an article ‘Las Dudas’ and he signed
it with his pen name, Laong Laan.
• In March 1883, Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in
Madrid. He became a mason so that he could secure
Freemasonry’s aid in his aim to fight against the friars in the
Philippines.
• Later on, Rizal transferred to Lodge Solidaridad where he became
a Master Mason.
France • During his summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris from June
17 to August 20, 1883.
• He was awarded the diploma as a Master Mason by Le Grand
Orient de France in Paris.
• On June 18, 1883, with Felipe Zamora and Cunanan, he visited the
Laennec Hospital to observe Dr. Nicaise treated his patients and
on the following day, he witnessed Dr. Nicaise’s technique on
operation.
• On June 20, 1883, he visited the Lariboisiere hospital where Felix
Pardo de Tavera was an extern and observed the examination of
diseases of the different diseases of women.
Spain • On September 28, 1883, Rizal enrolled at the Unibersidad Central
de Madrid for the second course in medicine.
• On January 2, 1884, Rizal proposed to the members of the Circulo
assembled in the house of the Pateros, the publication of a book
by association – this idea became the embryo of his first novel Noli
Me Tangere.
• On June 2, 1884, he finished the degree of Licentiate in Medicine
with the grade aprobado by the unibersidad.
• On June 25, 1884, Rizal competed in a Greek language contest
and won the gold medal.
o On the same day, he was a guest speaker at a banquet
honoring Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo at
Madrid's restaurant Ingles. The banquet was sponsored by
the Filipino community to commemorate the Filipino
artists’ double victory at the National Exposition of Fine Arts
in Madrid. The first prize went to Luna's Spoliarium, and the
second prize went to Hidalgo's Christian Virgins Exposed to
the Populace.
• On July 1, 1884, Rizal explained the term ‘Filibusterismo’ in the
newspaper of Madrid El Progreso, calling the attention of the
Spanish authorities over the case of the future of the Filipinos.
o He asked for freedom of the press and the right of
representation.
• On November 20, 1884, Rizal witnessed the violent scene in the
Unibersidad Central de Madrid where the students and professors
staged a strike against the excommunication imposed by the
bishop to Dr. Miguel Morayta for delivering a lecture proclaiming
the freedom of science and the teacher.
• In the next school year (1884-1885), he took and completed three
additional subjects leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree. He
was not awarded the Doctor's diploma though for failing to pay
the fee and the required thesis.
• Exactly on his 24th birthday (June 19, 1885), the Madrid university
awarded him the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters
with the grade of excellent (sobresaliente).

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 31

France • Wanting to cure his mother's advancing blindness, Rizal went to
Paris.
• He was said to have attended medical lectures at the University of
Paris, From November 1885 to February 1886. he worked as an
assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert.
• Through this leading French ophthalmologist, Rizal thankfully
learned how to perform all the ophthalmological operations.
Germany • On February 3, 1886, Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, Germany.
• He attended the lectures of Dr. Otto Becker and Professor Wilhelm
Kuehne at the University of Heidelberg. He also worked at the
University Eye Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Becker.
• Under the direction of this renowned German ophthalmologist,
Rizal had learned to use the then newly invented ophthalmoscope
(invented by Hermann von Helmholtz), which he later used to
operate on his mother's eye
• In Heidelberg. the 25-year-old Rizal completed his eye
specialization.
• Afterward, Rizal spent three months in the nearby village,
Wilhemsfeld, where he wrote the last few chapters of Noli Me
Tangere.
• In November 1886, he went to Berlin and further enhanced his skills
and knowledge in ophthalmology.
• In that famous city, not only did he learn other languages but also
became member of various scientific communities and
befriended many famed intellectuals at the time
• On February 21. 1887, he finished his first novel, the Noli and it came
off the press a month later.

Grand Europe • With his friend Maximo Viola who loaned him some amount to
Tour cover for the printing of the Noli, Rizal traveled to various places in
(Germany, Czech Europe.
• Through Paciano's remittance, Jose had paid Viola and decided
Republic, Austria,
to further explore some places in Europe before returning to the
Switzerland, Italy)
Philippines.
• They went first to see Potsdam, a city southwest of Berlin.
• On May 11, 1887, they left Berlin for Dresden (Germany) and
witnessed the regional floral exposition there.
• Wanting to see Blumentritt, they went to Leitmeritz, Bohemia
(Czech Republic).
o Professor Blumentritt warmly received them at Leitmeritz
railroad station.
o The professor identified Jose through the pencil sketch,
which he (Rizal) had previously made of himself and sent
to Blumentritt.
o The professor acted as their tour guide. introducing them
to his family and to famous European scientists, like Dr.
Carlos Czepelak and Prof. Robert Klutschak.
• On May 16, the two Filipinos left Leitmeritz for Prague (Czech
Republic) where they saw the tomb of the famous astronomer
Copernicus.
o They stopped at Brunn on their way to Vienna. They met
the famed Austrian novelist Norfentals in Vienna, and Rizal
was interviewed by Mr. Alder, a correspondent of the
newspaper Extra Blatt.
• In Vienna (Austria), Rizal was fascinated by its beautiful buildings,
religious images, haunting waltzes, and majestic charms.
• In Switzerland, they toured Schaffhausen, Basel, Bern, and
Lausanne before staying in Geneva.
o Rizal's 15-day stay in Geneva was generally enjoyable
except when he learned about the exhibition of some
Igorots in Madrid, side by side some animals and plants.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 32

 o Not only did the primitive Igorots in bahag become
objects of ridicule and laughter, one of them, a woman,
also died of pneumonia.
• On June 19, 1887. Rizal treated Viola for it was his (Rizal) 26th
birthday. Four days after they parted ways – Viola went back to
Barcelona while Rizal proceeded to Italy.
• In Italy, Rizal went to see Turin, Milan, Venice, and Florence.
o In Rome, he paid a visit to historical places, like the
Amphitheatre and the Roman Forum.
o On June 29 he had seen the famous edifices, like the St.
Peter's Church, in the Vatican City during the Feast Day of
St. Peter and St. Paul.

First Homecoming

Despite being warned by friends and loved ones, Jose was adamant in his decision to
return to his native land. From a French port in Marseilles, he boarded on July 3, 1887 in the
steamer Djemnah. It sailed to the East through the Suez Canal and reached Saigon (now
Vietnam) on the 30th of the month. Rizal then took the steamer "Haiphong" and reached
Manila near midnight of August 5.

After meeting some friends in Manila, he returned to Calamba on August 8. Restoring

his mother's eyesight, he began to be dubbed as "German doctor" or "Doctor Uliman" (from
the word "Aleman” which means German) and made a lot of money because people from
different places flocked to him for a better vision.

Because of his enemies’ allegation that his "Noli" contained subversive ideas. Rizal was
summoned by the Governor-General Emilio Terrero. Seeing no problem in the book. Terrero
nonetheless assigned to Rizal a bodyguard. Don Jose Taviel de Andrade, to protect the
balikbayan from his adversaries.

In December 1887, the Calamba folks asked Rizal's assistance in collecting information
as regards Dominican hacienda management. It followed the order of the government to
investigate the way friar estates were run. So, Rizal had objectively reported, among others,
that the Dominican Order had arbitrarily increased the land rent and charged the tenants for
nonexistent agricultural services. Enraged by Rizal's reports, the friars pressured the governor-
general to "advise” the author of the Noli to leave the country.

Rizal's (required) second travel abroad may have been upsetting, but it nonetheless
provided him with another opportunity to have a new set of adventurous journeys.

Second Travel Abroad

Bringing with only Php 5 000, which he earned from his practice, Rizal left the Philippines
for the second time after staying for almost six months. What Jose Rizal failed to accomplish in
his six-month stay in the country during his first homecoming was to visit his girlfriend Leonor
Rivera in Pangasinan. His father strongly opposed the idea, sensing that the visit would put
Leonor's family in jeopardy.

On February 3, 1888, Rizal sailed to Hong Kong onboard Zafiro and stayed inside the
ship during its short stop in Amoy (China). He arrived in Hong Kong on February 8, 1888 and
was welcomed by Filipino residents, including Jose Basa, Balbino Mauricio and Manuel Yriarte.

Hong Kong, • He stayed at Victoria Hotel in Hong Kong and visited the nearby
Macau city Macao for two days along with a friend, Jose Maria Basa.
o In Macau, they visited the theatre, casino, cathedral and
churches, pagodas, botanical garden, and bazaars. They
then returned to Hong Kong.
• Among other things, Rizal experienced in Hong Kong the noisy
firecracker-laden Chinese New Year and the marathon lauriat
party characterized by numerous dishes being served.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 33

Japan • From Hong Kong he reached Yokohama, Japan on February 28
and proceeded to Tokyo the next day.
• He lived in the Spanish legation in Tokyo upon the invitation of its
secretary, Juan Perez Caballero.
• In March 1888, he heard a Tokyo band nicely playing a European
music and was astonished to find out after the gig that some of its
members were Filipinos.
• But if there was a person who was truly entertained at the time, it
was Rizal himself who was amused by the Japanese girl who would
pass by the legation every day.
o The 23-year old Seiko Usul whom he fondly called 'O-Sei-
San' became his tour guide and sweetheart rolled into
one.
United States of • Rizal boarded the ship Belgic on April 13, 1888 and arrived in San
America Francisco, California on April 28, 1888.
• For a week, the ship's passengers were, however, quarantined,
allegedly because of the cholera outbreak in the Far East.
o In reality, some politicians were just questioning the arrival
of the Chinese coolies in the ship who would displace
white laborers in railroad-construction projects.
• On May 4, 1888, Rizal was allowed to go ashore and visited many
cities in different states.
• He finally reached New York on May 13 and on Bedloe Island, he
had seen the Statue of Liberty symbolizing freedom and
democracy.
o Ironically, Rizal observed that there was racial inequality in
the land and thus concluded that real freedom was only
for the whites.
Great Britain, • Onboard the ship City of Rome Rizal sailed for Liverpool on May 16,
Spain, France 1888 and arrived there on May 24.
• In London. Rizal manually copied and annotated Morga's Sucesos
de las Islas Filipinas, a rare book available in the British Museum.
• In December 1888, Rizal visited Barcelona and Madrid where he
first met, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, the leaders of
the Propaganda Movement (for more information about the Propaganda
Movement, see the next row).

• On December 31, 1888, the Asociacion La Solidaridad was

inaugurated and Rizal became the honorary president of the
patriotic society.
• On February 15, 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena founded La
Solidaridad in Barcelona and on March 25, 1889, Rizal’s first article
in the La Solidaridad entitled Los Agricultores Filipinos was
published.
• On February 22, 1889, Rizal wrote the Tagalog version of The
Women of Malolos – letters about the Filipino women and their
rights.
• Leaving London for good, he went to Paris on March 19, 1889.
• In Paris, Rizal continued his research in the National Library. He
finished and published his annotation of the Sucesos.
• Rizal witnessed the Universal Exposition of Paris, having as its
greatest attraction the Eiffel Tower
• Rizal formed the Kidlat Club a temporary social club, which
brought together Filipinos witnessing the exposition that was later
replaced by Indios Bravos, an association which envisioned
Filipinos being recognized for their admirable skills in many fields.
• Rizal, likewise, formed the mysterious Redencion de los Malayos
(Redemption of the Malays), which aimed to propagate useful
knowledge.
• Rizal wrote the essays, ‘The Philippine within a Century Hence’ and
‘The Indolence of the Filipinos.’
• On January 28, 1890, Rizal left for Brussels.
The Propaganda Movement was a patriotic socio-political organization founded in 1872 by
Filipinos who had settled in Europe. Its members were mainly the Filipino liberals exiled in 1872 and

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 34

the Filipino students studying in Europe's universities at the time. Also considered a cultural and
literary organization, the Propaganda had a principal publication, the La Solidaridad.
The Propaganda primarily aimed to bring to Spain's attention the real needs of its colony. the
Philippines. Among many other things, the Propagandists, specifically advocated:

(a) the recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain and its (Philippines)
representation in the Spanish parliament (Cortes Generales);
(b) the secularization of the Philippine parishes and clergy;
(c) the equality between the Spanish and the Filipino, especially in entering government
service;
(d) the establishment of government- funded schools not run by the friars;
(e) the abolition of the "polo" (forced labor) and "vandala" (forced sale of local products
to the government); and
(f) the recognition of human rights and freedom, especially the freedoms of speech and
association

Seemingly advocating racial or cultural integration, the Propaganda Movement is thus

branded as assimilationist. In anthropology and sociology, assimilation is the process whereby
individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a
society. The process of assimilating involves taking on the traits of the dominant culture (eg.
colonizer) to such a degree that the assimilating group (eg. the colonized people) becomes
socially indistinguishable from the other members of the society. Contextually, the assimilationist
stand in Rizal's time refers mainly to the advocacy to have the Philippines be treated as one of
Spain's provinces.
Belgium • In Belgium, Rizal busied himself with writing the Fili and contributing
for La Solidaridad using the pen names Dimas Alang and Laong
Laan.
• When he heard the news that the Calamba agrarian trouble was
getting worse, Rizal decided to go home but Paciano told him
through a letter that they lost the court case against the
Dominicans in the Philippines, and they intended to bring the case
to Madrid.
o This prompted Jose to go to Madrid instead to look for a
lawyer and influential people who would defend there the
Calamba tenants.
Spain • On August 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid, Spain.
• Rizal encountered many adversities and tribulations in Madrid.
o He heard that his family was forced to leave their land in
Calamba, and some family members were even
deported to far places.
• One day, Rizal challenged his friend Antonio Luna to a duel when
he (Luna), being unsuccessful in seeking Nellie Boustead's love,
gave negative comments on the lady Rizal also dared to a duel
Wenceslao Retana of the anti-Filipino newspaper La Epoca who
wrote that Rizal's family was not paying its land rent.
o Both duels were fortunately aborted-Luna became Rizal's
good friend again while Retana even became Rizal's
eventual first non-Filipino biographer.
• As if "misfortunes were not enough, there also emerged the Del
Pilar-Rizal rivalry for leadership in the Asociacion Hispano Filipino.
o The supposedly healthy election for a leader produced
unpleasant split among the Filipinos in Madrid (the
Rizalistas vs. the Pilaristas).
o Rizal won the election but he declined the coveted
position.
o Rizal thus decided to leave Madrid, lest his presence
results in more serious factions among Filipinos in Madrid.
France • Arriving in Biarritz, France on February 1891, Rizal was welcomed as
a family guest in the house of the Bousteds, especially by Nellie
with whom he later had a serious, but failed, romantic relationship
• In Biarritz, he continued to work on his El Fili and completed its
manuscript on March 29, the eve of his departure for Paris.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 35

 • Valentin Ventura hosted his short stay in Paris on March 30, 1891
and Rizal eventully left by mid-April and went to Brussels.
Belgium • The Jacoby sisters cordially welcomed Rizal’s arrival in Brussels in
April 1891.
• On May 1, 1891, Rizal notified the Propaganda movement
authorities of his retirement and stopped writing for La Solidaridad.
He also expressed his renunciation of receiving pension from the
Propaganda.
• In Brussels, Rizal revised and prepared for printing his second novel
until the end of May.
o By June 1891, he was already looking for a printing firm to
print the El Filibusterismo.
• By July 1891, Rizal was financially hard up as he did not receive any
pension since his renunciation and he did not receive any
allowance from his family in the Philippines.
• On July 5, 1891, Rizal left for Ghent as the cost of living and printing
was cheaper.
• He lived in a low cost boarding house and he frugally limited
himself to his daily allocation.
• The publisher F. Meyer Van Loo Press agreed to print the El Fili on
an installment basis.
o Despite pawning all his jewels and living tightfistedly, Rizal
ran out of funds, and the printing had to be suspended on
August 6.
o But through Valentin Ventura’s salvific act, the El
Filibusterismo came off the press on September 18, 1891.
o Two weeks after he visited Paris for the last time to bid
goodbye to his friends and compatriots.
Hong Kong, • In October 1891, Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong onboard the ship
Malaysia Melbourne on which he began writing his third (but unfinished)
novel (title Makamisa).
• Having escaped the friars persecution, Don Francisco, Paciano,
and Silvestre Ubaldo (Jose's brother in law) also arrived in Hong
Kong.
o Shortly after, afterward Doña Teodora and children Lucia
Josefa and Trinidad also arrived, and the Rizal family had
a sort of family reunion in the Yuletide season of 1891
• In Hong Kong, José opened a medical clinic and he successful
operated his mother's left eye that allowed her to read again.
• In March 1892, he went to Sandakan (East Malaysia) aboard
"Menon" to negotiate with British authorities concerning the
founding of a Filipino colony in North Borneo (now called Sabah)
o On March 21, Rizal asked Governor-General Eulogio
Despujol through a letter to allow the landless Filipinos,
especially the deported Calamba tenants, to establish
themselves in North Borneo.
o Rizal was back in Hong Kong in April 1892.

Second Homecoming and La Liga Filipina

Wanting to confer with Despujol concerning his North Borneo colonization project. Rizal
left Hong Kong on June 21, 1892 along with his sister Lucia. Rizal and his sister arrived in Manila
at noon on June 26, 1892. At 7 p.m., he was able to confer in Malacañan with Despujol who
agreed to pardon his father and told him to return on June 29. He then visited his sisters and
friends in Manila.

On June 27, he took a train and visited his friends in Central Luzon. He had a stopover
at the Bautista mansion in Malolos, Bulacan and spent the night in the house of Evaristo Puno
in Tarlac, Tarlac, about 30 kilometers away from the residence of Leonor Rivera-Kipping in
Camiling. He also went to San Fernando and Bacolor, Pampanga and returned to Manila on

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 36

June 28, at 5 pm. On June 29, 30, and July 3, he had other interviews with Despujol. Rizal's
colonization project was rejected, but his request to lift the exile of his sisters was granted.

On the evening of July 3, Rizal spearheaded the meeting in the house of Doroteo
Ongjunco on Ylaya Street. Tondo, Manila attended by at least 20 Filipinos, including Andres
Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini. Rizal founded La Liga Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos, which
he desired to establish and its role on the socio-economic life of the people. Officers were then
elected, having Ambrosio Salvador as the president, thereby officially establishing the league.
Unus instar omnium (One like them) was the motto of the Liga.

In the establishment of the Liga, Rizal explained the aims of the association which are
the following:

• To unite the archipelago into one compact and homogenous body.

• Mutual Protection in every want and necessity.
• Defense against all violence and injustice.
• Encourage education, agriculture, and commerce.
• Study of application and reforms.

Just three days after the meeting though, Rizal was arrested during his interview with
the governor-general. Despujol showed him anti-friar leaflets Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars), written
by Fr. Jacinto, allegedly discovered in his sister Lucia's pillowcases. Imprisoned in Fort Santiago
for almost ten days, Rizal was brought at 12:30 in the morning of July 14 to the steamer Cebu.
Passing through Mindoro and Panay, the vessel docked at Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte
on the evening of July 17, 1892.

Dapitan was a truly scenic place with fine beaches, for sure a soothing place for a
balikbayan like Rizal. But Jose was not there as a tourist or a vacationer, for he was a political
exile. The ship captain Delgras handed him over to the local Spanish commandant, Ricardo
Carnicero – and that event signaled the start of Rizal's life as a deportee in Dapitan.

Application

For Regular, DNLI, DJAL and SETBI students.

Essay. Answer the questions asked.

1. Explain the reasons behind the decision of Rizal to go to Spain.

__________________________________________________________________________
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____________________

2. Why did Rizal went back to Europe after his first homecoming?
__________________________________________________________________________
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3. Explain briefly the advocacies of the Propaganda Movement.

__________________________________________________________________________
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SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 37

 __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________

4. Did Rizal believe that assimilation of the Philippines is the key for independence of the
Filipinos? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________
____________________

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya
Publishing House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 38

 Rizal Exile, Trial and Execution

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Analyze the factors that to Rizal’s execution; and,

• Examine the effects of Rizal’s execution on Spanish colonial rule and the Philippine
Revolution

Introduction

As we already approached the final part on the discussion of Rizal’s life, we will discuss the reasons
why he was exiled and deported. Also, we will learn Rizal’s life in Dapitan before he was exiled in Intramuros
that led to his execution at Bagumbayan.

Activity

Search and read Rizal’s poem, Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell). Write a contextual
analysis of the last poem. Use the following questions as your guide:

a. What are the trigger words that imply his acceptance of death?
b. What do you think is Rizal’s frame of mind at the time when writing his poem?
c. How do readers interpret the poem within the context of society and politics?
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Analysis

How did the Spaniards handle the case of Rizal?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
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SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 39

 Abstraction

Bitter-Sweet Life in Dapitan

The deportee could have stayed in the Dapitan parish convent had he retracted his
anti-Catholic pronouncements and made a general confession of his past life. Not willing to
accede to these main conditions set by the Jesuits, Jose Rizal instead opted to live at the
commandant's residence called "Casa Real.” The commandant Captain Ricardo Carnicero
and Jose Rizal became such good friends that the exile did not feel that the captain was
actually his guard.

In September 1892. Rizal and Carnicero won in a lottery. The Manila Lottery ticket no.
9736 jointly owned by Rizal, Carnicero, and a Spanish resident of Dipolog won the second prize
of Php 20, 0000. Rizal used some part of his share (Php 6, 200) in procuring a parcel of land near
the coast of Talisay, a barrio near Dapitan. On a property of more than 10 hectares, he put up
three houses made of bamboo wood, and nipa. He lived in the house, which was square in
shape. Another house, which was hexagonal, was the barn where Rizal kept his chickens. In
his octagonal house lived some of his pupils-for Rizal also established a school, teaching young
boys practical subjects, like reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and Spanish and English
languages. Later, he constructed additional huts to accommodate his recovering out-of-town
patients.

Rizal and the Jesuits

The first attempt by the Jesuit friars to win back the deported Rizal to the Catholic fold
was the offer for him to live in the Dapitan convent under some conditions. Refusing to
compromise. Rizal did not stay with the parish priest Antonio Obach in the church convent.

Just a month after Rizal was deported to Dapitan, the Jesuit Order assigned to Dapitan
the priest Francisco de Paula Sanchez, Rizal's favorite teacher in Ateneo. Many times, they
engaged in cordial religious discussions. But though Rizal appreciated his mentor's efforts, he
could not be convinced to change his mind. Nevertheless, their differences in belief did not
get in the way of their good friendship.

The priest, Pablo Pastells, superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines, also made
some attempts by correspondence to win over to Catholicism the exiled physician Four times
they exchanged letters from September 1892 to April 1893. The debate was none less than
scholarly, and it manifested Rizal's knowledge of the Holy Scriptures for he quoted verses from
it. Though Rizal consistently attended mass in Dapitan, he refused to espouse the conventional
type of Catholicism.

Achievements in Dapitan

Rizal provided significant community services in Dapitan, like improving the town's
drainage and constructing better water system using empty bottles and bamboo joints. He
also taught the town folks about health and sanitation to avoid the spread of diseases. With
his Jesuit priest friend, Sanchez, Rizal made a huge relief map of Mindanao in Dapitan plaza.
Also, he bettered the forest there by providing evident trails, stairs, and some benches. He
invented a wooden machine for the mass production of bricks. Using the bricks he produced,
Rizal built a water dam for the community with the help of his students.

As the town's doctor, Rizal equally treated all patients regardless of their economic and
social status. He accepted as fees things like poultry and crops. and at times, even gave his
services to poor folks for free. His specialization was ophthalmology, but he also offered
treatments to almost all kinds of diseases, like fever sprain, broken bones, typhoid tuberculosis,
and even leprosy.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 40

 Rizal also helped in the livelihood of the abaca farmers in Dapitan by trading their crops
in Manila. He gave them lessons in abaca weaving to produce hammocks Noticing that the
fishing method by the locals was inefficient, he taught them better techniques, like weaving
and using better fishing nets.

As a Scientist and Philologist

Aside from doing archaeological excavations, Rizal inspected Dapitan's rich flora and
fauna providing a sort of taxonomy to numerous kinds of forest and sea creatures. From his
laboratory and herbarium. he sent various biological specimens to scientists in Europe, like his
dear friend Doctor Adolph B. Meyer in Dresden. In return, the European scholars sent him books
and some other academic reading materials,

From the collections he sent to European scholars, at least three species were named
after him: a Dapitan frog (Rhacophorus rizali), a type of beetle (Apogonia rizali). and a flying
dragon (Draco rizali)

Having learned the Visayan language, he also engaged himself in the study of
language, culture, and literature. He examined local folklores, customs. Tagalog grammar,
and the Malay language. His intellectual products about these subjects he related to some
European academicians, like Doctor Reinhold Rost, his close philologist friend in London.

The Spies and Secret Emissary

Not just once did Rizal learn that his ‘enemies’ sent spies to gather incriminating proofs
that he was a separatist and an insurgent. Perhaps disturbed by his conscience, a physician
named Matias Arrieta revealed his covert mission and asked for forgiveness after he was cured
by Rizal.

In March 1895, a man introduced himself to Rizal as Pablo Mercado. Claiming to be

Rizal's relative, this stranger eagerly volunteered to bring Rizal's letters to certain persons in
Manila. Made suspicious by the visitor's insistence, Rizal interrogated him, and it turned out that
his real name was Florencio Nanaman of Cagayan de Misamis, paid as a secret agent by the
Recollect friars. But because it was raining that evening, the kind Rizal did not command
Nanaman out of his house but even let the spy spend the rainy night in his place.

In June the next year, a different kind of emissary was sent to Rizal. Doctor Pio
Valenzuela was sent to Dapitan by Andres Bonifacio – the Katipunan leader who believed that
carrying out revolt had to be sanctioned first by Rizal. Disguised as a mere companion of a
blind patient seeking treatment from Rizal, Valenzuela was able to discreetly deliver the
Katipunan's message for Rizal. But Rizal politely refused to approve the uprising, suggesting that
peaceful means was far better than violent ways in obtaining freedom. Rizal further believed
that a revolution would be unsuccessful without arms and monetary support from wealthy
Filipinos. He thus recommended that if the Katipunan were to start a revolution, it had to ask
for the support of rich and educated Filipinos, like Antonio Luna who was an expert on military
strategy.

Visited by loved ones

Rizal was in Dapitan when he learned that his true love Leonor Rivera had died. What
somewhat consoled his desolate heart was the visits of his mother and some sisters.

In August 1893. Doña Teodora, along with daughter Trinidad, joined Rizal in Dapitan
and resided with him in his casa cuadrada (square house). The son successfully operated on
his mother's cataract.

At distinct times. Jose's sisters Maria and Narcisa also visited him. Three of Jose's
nephews likewise went to Dapitan and had their early education under their uncle Maria's son
Mauricio (Moris) and Lucia's sons Teodosio (Osio) and Estanislao (Tan) Jose's niece Angelica.
Narcisa's daughter, also experienced living for some time with her exiled uncle in Mindanao.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 41

 In 1895, Doña Teodora left Dapitan for Manila to be with Don Francisco who was
getting weaker. Shortly after his mother left, Josephine Bracken came to Jose's life. Josephine
was an orphan with Irish blood and the stepdaughter of Jose's patient from Hong Kong. Rizal
and Bracken were unable to obtain a church wedding because Jose would not retract his
anti- Catholic views. He nonetheless took Josephine as his common-law wife who kept him
company and kept house for him. Before the year ended in 1895, the couple had a child who
was born prematurely. The son who was named after Rizal's father (Francisco) died a few hours
after birth.

Goodbye Dapitan

In 1895, Blumentritt informed Rizal that the revolution-ridden Cuba, another nation
colonized by Spain, was raged by a yellow-fever epidemic. Because there was a shortage of
physicians to attend to war victims and disease-stricken people. Rizal in December 1895 wrote
to the then Governor-General Ramon Blanco, volunteering to provide medical services in
Cuba. Receiving no reply from Blanco, Rizal lost interest in his request.

But on July 30, 1896, Rizal received a letter from the governor-general sanctioning his
petition to serve as volunteer physician in Cuba. Rizal made immediate preparations to leave,
selling and giving as souvenirs to friends and students his various properties.

In the late afternoon of July 31, Rizal got on the España with Josephine, Narcisa, a
niece, three nephews, and three of his students. Many Dapitan folks, especially Rizal's students,
came to see their beloved doctor for the last time. Cordially bidding him goodbye, they
shouted “Adios (goodbye), Dr. Rizal!” as some of his students even cried. With sorrowing heart,
he waved his hand in farewell to the generous and loving Dapitan folks, saying, "Adios,
Dapitan.”

The steamer departed for Manila at midnight of July 31, 1896. With tears in his eyes. Rizal
later wrote in his diary onboard the ship. "I have been in that district four years, thirteen days,
and a few hours."

In Manila

As the steamer approached Luzon, there was an attempt by the Katipuneros to help
Rizal escape. The Katipunero, Emilio Jacinto, disguising himself as a ship crew member had
managed to get close to Rizal, while another Katipunan member, Guillermo Masangkay,
circled the ship in a boat Firm in his aim to fulfill his mission in Cuba. Rizal was said to have
refused to be rescued by Katipunan's envoys.

Rizal arrived in Manila on August 6, 1896, a day after the mail boat Isla de Luzon had
left for Spain, and so he had to stay in Manila until the next steamer arrived. Afraid that his one-
month stay onboard the ship might bring him troubles, he requested the governor-general that
he (Rizal) be isolated from everyone except his family. The government reacted by transferring
him near midnight of the same day to the cruiser Castilla docked at Cavite.

On August 19, the Katipunan plot to revolt against the Spanish authorities was
discovered through the confession of a certain Teodoro Patiño to Mariano Gil, Augustinian
cura of Tondo. This discovery led to the arrest of many Katipuneros. The Katipunan led by
Bonifacio reacted by convening many of its members and deciding to immediately begin the
armed revolt. As a sign of their commitment to the revolution, they tore their cedulas
(residence certificates).

Katipunan's first major assaults happened on August 29 and 30 when the Katipuneros
attacked the Civil Guard garrison in Pasig and more significantly the 100 Spanish soldiers
protecting the powder magazine in San Juan. But because Spanish reinforcements arrived,
about 150 Katipuneros were killed and more than 200 were taken prisoners. This bloody
encounter in San Juan and the uprisings in some other suburban Manila areas on that same
day prompted the governor- general to proclaim a state of war in Manila and seven other
nearby provinces.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 42

 On the same day (August 30), Blanco issued letters of recommendation on Rizal's
behalf to the Spanish Minister of War and the Minister of Colonies with a cover letter clearing
Rizal of any connection to the raging revolution. On September 2, he was transported to the
ship Isla de Panay.

Going to Spain

The steamer Isla de Panay left Manila for Barcelona the next day. Arriving in Singapore
on September 7, Rizal was urged by some Filipinos, like his co-passenger Don Pedro Roxas and
Singaporean resident Don Manuel Camus to stay in the British- controlled territory. Trusting
Blanco's words, Rizal refused to stay in Singapore. Without his knowledge, Blanco and the
Ministers of War and the Colonies had been exchanging telegrams planning his arrest upon
reaching Barcelona.

As Isla de Panay made a stopover at Port Said, Egypt on September 27, the passengers
had known that the uprising in the Philippines got worse as thousands of Spanish soldiers were
dispatched to Manila, and many Filipinos were either killed in the battle, or arrested and
executed. Rizal had the feeling that he had already been associated with the Filipino
revolution as his co-passengers became aloof to him. A day after he wrote a letter to
Blumentritt informing him that he (Rizal) received some information that Blanco had an order
to arrest him. Before reaching Malta on September 30. he was officially ordered to stay in his
cabin until further orders from Blanco come.

With Rizal as a prisoner onboard, the Isla de Panay anchored at Barcelona on October
3, 1899. He was placed under heavy guard by the then Military Commander of Barcelona,
General Eulogio Despujol, the same former governor general who deported Rizal to Dapitan
in 1892. Early in the morning of October 6, he was transported to Monjuich prison-fortress. In the
afternoon. he was brought to Despujol who told him that there was an order to ship him (Rizal)
back to Manila in the evening.

He was then taken aboard the ship Colon which left for Manila at 8 p.m. The ship was
full of Spanish soldiers and their families who were under orders not to go near or talk to Rizal.
Though he was allowed to take walks on deck during the journey, he was locked up and
handcuffed before reaching any port.

Last Homecoming

Arriving in Manila as a prisoner on November 3, 1896, Rizal was detained in Fort

Santiago where he had been imprisoned four years ago. To gather pieces of evidence against
him, some of his friends, acquaintances, members of the La Liga, and even his brother Paciano
were tortured and forcibly questioned. As a preliminary investigation, Rizal underwent a series
of interrogations administered by one of the judges, Colonel Francisco Olive – the same military
leader who led the troops that forced the Rizal family to vacate their Calamba home in 1890.
Those who were coerced to testify against Rizal were not allowed to be cross-examined by the
accused.

Rizal was said to have admitted knowing most of those questioned, "though he would
deny to the end that he knew either Andres Bonifacio or Apolinario Mabini.”

Fifteen pieces of documentary evidence were presented – Rizal's letters, letters of his
compatriots, like Marcelo del Pilar and Antonio Luna, a poem (Kundiman), a Masonic
document, two transcripts of speech of Katipuneros (Emilio Jacinto and Jose Turiano
Santiago), and Rizal's poem A Talisay. The testimonial evidence involved the oral testimonies
of 13 Filipinos notably including that of La Liga officers like Ambrosio Salvador and Deodato
Arellano, and the Katipunero Pio Valenzuela

Olive submitted the reports to Blanco on November 26, and Captain Rafael Dominguez
was assigned as special Judge Advocate in Rizal's case. Dominguez made a summary of the
case and delivered it to Blanco who subsequently sent the papers to Judge Advocate-
General Don Nicolas dela Peña. After examining the case. Peña recommended that (a) Rizal

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 43

be instantly brought to trial, (b) he be kept in jail. (c) an order of attachment be issued against
his property, and (d) a Spanish army officer, not a civilian lawyer, be permitted to defend him
in court

On December 8, Rizal was given the restricted right to choose his lawyer from a list of
100 Spanish army officers. He chose Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade who turned out to be the
younger brother of his bodyguard-friend in Calamba in 1887, Jose Taviel de Andrade. Three
days after (December 11), the formal charges were read to Rizal in his prison cell, with Andrade
on his side. In short, he was accused of being the main organizer and the “living soul" of the
revolution having proliferated ideas of rebellion and of founding illegal organizations. He
pleaded not guilty to the crime of rebellion and explained that La Liga, the constitution of
which he wrote. was just a civic organization.

On December 13. the day Camilo G. de Polavieja replaced Blanco as governor-

general papers of Rizal's criminal case was sent to Malacañang. Concerned about the welfare
of his people, Rizal on December 15 wrote a manifesto appealing to the revolutionaries to
discontinue the uprising and pursue to attain liberty instead by means of education and of
labor. But De la Peña interpreted the manifesto as all the more advocating the spirit of rebellion
as it ultimately willed the Filipino liberty, Polavieja, thus disallowed to issue Rizal's manifesto.

The Rat in the Kangaroo Court

On the morning of December 26, the Filipino patriot who was once figuratively referred
to by Spanish officials as a "trapped rat" appeared in the kangaroo court inside the military
building, Cuartel de España. He was tried before seven members of the military court with Lt.
Col. Jose Togores Arjona acting as the president.

Judge Advocate Dominguez presented Rizal's criminal case followed by the lengthy
speech of Prosecuting Attorney Enrique de Alcocer. To appeal to the emotions of the Spanish
judges, Alcocer went as far as dramatically mentioning the Spanish soldiers who had died in
the Filipino traitorous revolt and discriminately describing Rizal as “a typical 'Oriental,’ who had
presumed to rise from a lower social scale in order to attain powers and positions that could
never be his". At the end. Alcocer petitioned for a death sentence for Rizal and an indemnity
of twenty thousand pesos.

Rizal's defense counsel, Lt. Andrade, then took the floor and tried his very best to save
his client by reading his responsive defense, stressing, too, that it was but natural for anyone to
yearn for liberty and independence. Afterward, Rizal was allowed to read his complementary
defense consisting of logical proofs that he could have not taken part in the revolution and
that La Liga was distinct from Katipunan. He argued, among others, that he even advised the
Katipunan emissary (Valenzuela) in Dapitan not to pursue the plan to revolt; the revolutionists
had used his name without his knowledge, he could have escaped either in Dapitan or
Singapore if he were guilty, and the civic group La Liga, which died out upon his exile did not
serve the purpose of the uprising, and that he had no knowledge about its reformation.

Lt Col. Arjona then declared the trial over. Expectedly, the entire defense was
indifferently disregarded in Rizal's mock trial as it instantaneously considered him guilty. The jury
unanimously voted for the death sentence. The trial ended with the reading of the sentence
Jose Rizal was found guilty, and the sentence was death by firing squad.

On December 28, Governor-General Polavieja signed the court decision and decreed
that the guilty be executed by firing squad at 7 a.m. of December 30, 1896 at Bagumbayan
(Luneta). Because Rizal was also required to sign the verdict, he stoically signed his own death
sentence.

Rizal's Last 25 hours

What happened in Rizal's life from 6 a.m. of December 29, 1896, until his execution was
perhaps the most controversial in his biography, for the divisive claims-like his supposed
retraction and Catholic marriage with Bracken-allegedly occurred within this time frame.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 44

From 6 am to 12 Noon of December 29, 1896

6:00 A.M. Judge Advocate Dominguez formally read the death sentence to Rizal.
7:00 A.M. Rizal was transferred to either his "death cell" or "prison chapel." He was visited
by Jesuit priests, Miguel Saderra Mata and Luis Viza. They brought the medal of
the Ateneo's Marian Congregation of which Rizal was a member and the
wooden statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus he had carved in the school. Rizal
put the wooden image on his table while he rejected the medal saying "I’m
little of a Marian, Father."
8:00 A.M. The priest Antonio Rosell arrived, after his co-priest Viza left. Rizal shared his
breakfast with Rosell. Later, Lt. Andrade came, and Rizal thanked his defense
lawyer.
9:00 A.M. Santiago Mataix of the Spanish newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid interviewed
Rizal.
10:00 A.M. Friar Federico Faura came and advised Rizal to forget about his resentment
and marry Josephine canonically. The two had a heated discussion about
religion as witnessed by Rosell.
11:00 A.M. Two other priests, Jose Vilaclara and Vicente Balaguer (missionary in Dapitan)
also visited Rizal. The Jesuits tried to convince Rizal to write a retraction. Though
still believing in the Holy Scriptures, Rizal supposedly refused to retract his anti-
Catholic views. exclaiming, "Look, Fathers, if I should assent to all you say and
sign all you want me to, just to please you, neither believing nor feeling. I would
be a hypocrite and would then be offending God.”

From Noon to 7pm

Noon He had his lunch, read the Bible, and meditated.

About this time, Balaguer reported to the Archbishop that only a little hope
remained that Rizal would retract. Refusing to receive visitors for the meantime,
Rizal probably finished his last poem at this moment. Rizal also wrote to
Blumentritt his last letter in which he called the Austrian scholar my best, my
dearest friend.
2:00 P.M. He then had a talk with priests Estanislao March and Vilaclara.
3:30 P.M. Balaguer then returned to Rizal's cell and allegedly discussed (again) about
Rizal's retraction Rizal then wrote letters and dedications and rested shortly.
4:00 P.M. the sorrowful Doña Teodora and Jose's sisters went to see the sentenced Rizal.
The mother was not allowed a last embrace by the guard, but her beloved
son, in quiet grief, managed to press a kiss on her hand. Dominguez was said
to have been moved with compassion of the sight of Rizal's kneeling before his
mother and asking for forgiveness.

As the dear visitors were leaving, Jose handed over to Trinidad an alcohol
cooking lamp, a gift from the Pardo de Taveras, whispering to her in a
language which the guards could not comprehend. "There is something in it.”
That something was Rizal's elegy now known as “Mi Ultimo Adios.”
5:30 P.M. The Dean of the Manila Cathedral, Don Silvino Lopez Tuñon, went to see Rizal
to exchange some views with him. Balaguer and March then left, leaving
Vilaclara and Tunon in RIzal's cell
6:00 P.M. Josephine Bracken arrived in Fort Santiago. Rizal called for her, and they
emotionally talked with each other.

The Night of December 29, 1896

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 45

 7:00 P.M. Faura returned and convinced Rizal to trust him and some other Ateneo
professors. After some quiet moments, Rizal purportedly confessed to Faura.
8:00 P.M Rizal took his supper and attended to his personal needs. He then told
Dominguez that he had forgiven his enemies and the military judges who
sentenced him to death.
9:00 P.M. Manila's Royal Audiencia Fiscal Don Gaspar Cestaño arrived and had an
amiable talk with Rizal.
10:00 P.M. The alleged Rizal Retraction happened.

The Early Morning of December 30, 1896

3:00 A.M. Rizal heard Mass, confessed sins, and took Communion.

4:00 A.M. Rizal picked up the book Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, read, and
meditated.
5:00 A.M. Rizal washed up, attended to his personal needs, read the Bible, and
contemplated. For breakfast, he was given three boiled eggs and placed the
boiled egg (or eggs) to a cell corner, saying in effect, "This is for the rats, let
them celebrate likewise!." Afterwards, Rizal wrote letters to his family and
Paciano.
5:30 A.M. Bracken and Rizal’s sister, Josefa, arrived and the couple was said to have
embraced for the last time, and Rizal gave to Josephine the book Imitation of
Christ on which he wrote the dedication: To my dear and unhappy wife,
Josephine/ December 30th, 1896/ Jose Rizal.

Before Rizal made his death march to Bagumbayan, he managed to pen his last letters
to his beloved parents. To Don Francisco, he wrote. "Pardon me for the pain which I repay you.
Good bye. Father, goodbye.. Perhaps told by the authorities that the march was about to
begin, Rizal managed to write only the following to his mother:

To my very dear Mother.

Sra. Dia. Teodora Alonso
6 o'clock in the morning. December 30, 1896
Jose Rizal

Slow Walk to Death

At 6:30 a.m., Rizal in black suit and black bowler hat tied elbow to elbow, began his
slow walk to Bagumbayan. He walked along with his defense lawyer, Andrade, and two Jesuit
priests, March and Villaclara. In front of them were the advance guards of armed soldiers and
behind them was another group of military men. The sound of a trumpet signaled the start of
the death march, and the muffled sound of drums served as the musical score of the walk.

Early on that morning, many people had eagerly lined the streets. Some were
sympathetic to him, others especially the Spaniards wanted nothing less than to see him die.
Some observed that Rizal kept keenly looking around, and it was believed that his family or the
Katipuneros would make a last-minute effort to spring him from the trap.”

Once in a while, Rizal conversed with the priests, commenting on things like his happy
years at the Ateneo as they passed by Intramuros. Commenting on the clear morning, he was
said to have uttered something like, "What a beautiful morning! On days like this, I used to take
a walk here with my sweetheart.”

After some minutes, they arrived at the historic venue of execution. Filipino soldiers were
deliberately chosen to compose the firing squad. Behind them stood their Spanish
counterparts, ready to execute them if they decline to do the job.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 46

 There was just a glitch in the proceeding as Rizal refused to kneel and declined the
traditional blindfold. Maintaining that he was not a traitor to his country and to Spain, he even
requested to face the firing squad. After some sweet-talk, Rizal finally agreed to turn his back
to the firing squad on the condition that he would be shot not in the head-but in the small of
the back instead.

When agreement had been reached, Rizal thankfully shook the hand of his defense
lawyer. The military physician then asked permission to feel the pulse of the man who had only
a few minutes to live. The curious doctor was startled to find Rizal's pulse normal. Before leaving
Rizal in his appointed place, the priests offered him a crucifix to kiss "but he turned his head
away and silently prepared for his death.”

When the command had been given, the executioners' long guns barked at once.
Rizal yelled Christ's two last words "Consummatum est" (It is finished!) as he simultaneously
exerted a final effort to twist his bullet-pierced body halfway around. Facing the sky, Jose Rizal
fell to the ground dead at exactly 7:03 on the morning of December 30. 1896.

Application

For Regular, DNLI, DJAL and SETBI students.

Essay. Answer the questions asked.

1. Why do you think Rizal addressed Josephine Bracken as “My dear and unhappy wife”?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________

2. Explain the reason behind Rizal’s request to be shot in the small of the back instead of
the head?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________

3. Do you think Rizal’s dying for the country was really worth it?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya
Publishing House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 47

• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 48

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 49
 Nineteenth Century Philippines in the

Noli Me Tangere (1887)

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Appraise the important characters in the novel and what they represent; and,
• Examine the present Philippine situation through the examples mentioned in Noli

Activity

Write a haiku poem with the aim of answering: What is freedom?

Analysis

How significant is the Noli Me Tangere in defining the Philippine Nationalism?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________

Abstraction

Comprising 63 chapters and an epilogue, Jose Rizal's first novel Noli Me Tangere
exposes the abuses and inequities of many Spanish Catholic friars and government
officials during his time.

Rizal was a medicine student at the Universidad Central de Madrid when he

started writing it and was 26 years old at its publication.

The author fittingly dedicated the novel to the country of his people whose
miseries and sorrows he brought to light in an attempt to awaken them to the truths
concerning the ills of their society. Paradoxically though, the novel was originally written
in Spanish, the language of the colonizers and the educated at that time.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 50

 Published in early 1887 in Europe, the novel is now commonly called by its
shortened name Noli; its English translation is usually titled Touch Me Not and The Social
Cancer. The Latin title, which means "touch me not" was taken from Christ's words. In a
letter to Felix Hidalgo, Rizal, however, made a mistake in attributing the quotation to the
Gospel of Luke, for it was in fact recorded in John 20:17: "Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father."

The Writing of the Novel

Influenced by Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, Jose Rizal planned to
publish a book that would reveal the ills of Spanish-colonized Philippine society. Hence,
in a meeting of Filipinos in Madrid at the Paterno residence in January 1884, Rizal
suggested the creation of the book. The proposal that all of them would contribute
papers on the various facets of life in the Philippines and it was unanimously approved
by those present at the reunion, among whom were the (Pedro, Maximina and Antonio),
Graciano Lopez Jaena Valentin Ventura, Eduardo de Lete, Evaristo Aguirre and Julio
Llorente Paternos

The plan, nonetheless, did not materialize. "My proposal on the book," Rizal
explained in his letter dated 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." He noticed that
his compatriots were more interested in writing about women instead and in spending
time gambling or flirting with Spanish women. (Interestingly, those Filipinos must have
included Rizal's close friends like Jaena and Ventura)

Sensing that it was improbable to count on the support of his companions, Rizal
started writing alone the novel in Madrid toward the end of the same year and finished
about half of it in the city. Leaving for France in 1885, he had written the third quarter of
the novel in Paris. In Wilhelmsfeld, he penned the last few chapters of Noli from April to
June 1886. The novel was completed in Berlin, Germany at the end of 1886, and the final
draft was ready for publication at the onset of the year 1887.

The Printing of Noli

The transition between 1886 and 1887 was perhaps one of the most stressful parts
in Rizal's life. While painstakingly preparing the final draft of the Noli, he actually had in
his heart the fear that it might not be published at all. For how could he have it printed,
if for his personal needs alone, he had insufficient money? Rizal would not ask his co-
Filipinos in Europe for financial help, especially because none of them supported him in
writing the Noli.

Thankfully however, a friend from a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan arrived in
Berlin. The paldo (loaded with money) Dr. Maximo Viola went to Germany to invite Rizal
to accompany him on a Europe tour. But upon learning Rizal's quandary, the kind Viola
decided to delay the tour and insisted on lending Rizal some money so that the Noli
could be published.

But even then, Rizal made some adjustments in the novel to economize in its
printing. He deleted the chapter titled “Elias and Salome” which was supposedly
Chapter 25, following the chapter, "In the Woods.”

The P300 Viola lent to Rizal was thus used to print the first 2.000 copies of the Noli.
Some references state that the Noli Me Tangere officially came off the press on March

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 51

29, 1887 although records also showed that by March 21, Rizal was already sending
Blumentritt a copy of the novel.

For his generous act, Maximo Viola had fittingly gone down in Philippine history
as "the savior of the Noli.” As a token of gratitude, Rizal gave him the galley proofs of the
novel rolled around the pen used in writing the Noli. The author also gave the Noli savior
the first copy to come off the press on which Rizal inscribed a dedication, which
described Viola as the first to read and appreciate [Rizal's] work."

The Synopsis

The main character of the Noli Me Tangere young and wealthy Filipino
Crisostomo Ibarra returned to his country after some years of study in Europe. In his honor,
Capitan Tiago (Santiago de los Santos) threw a party at his house in Manila. The
gathering was attended by renowned local personalities like Padre Damaso, a fat
Franciscan priest who had been assigned for many years in Ibarra's native town (San
Diego), Fray Sybila, the young Dominican curate of Binondo, Lieutenant Guevarra of the
Guardia Civil, and Doña Victorina, wife of a fake Spanish physician Tiburcio de
Espadaña. Crisostomo's father, Don Rafael Ibarra, was Capitan Tiago's friend. Capitan
Tiago's supposed daughter, Maria Clara, was Crisostomo's fiancée.

During the party, Padre Damaso belittled Ibarra and rudely tried to harm his
reputation. But the gentleman Ibarra simply ignored the friar's affront. When Ibarra left
Capitan Tiago's house, Lieutenant Guevara talked to him and related the miserable fate
of his deceased father in San Diego.

Guevara explained that Don Rafael was unfairly accused by San Diego curate
of being a heretic and filibuster because of his non-participation in mass and confession.
One day, Don Rafael saw a Spanish tax collector and a weak boy fighting. In an attempt
to defend the powerless boy, he had accidentally pushed and killed the brutal Spaniard,
Don Rafael was thus imprisoned and died in his cell miserably Initially buried in
consecrated ground, his body was removed Catholic cemetery under the order of his
enemies.

The next day, Crisostomo visited his sweetheart, Maria Clara. After the lovely visit
to his girifriend, Ibarra went to San Diego to look for his father's grove had known through
the grave digger that his father's corpse was dug up by order of the curate to be
transferred to the Chinese cemetery. But since it was raining and the corpse was heavy,
the grave digger just threw Don Rafael's corpse into the river.

Angered by what he learned; Ibarra suddenly attacked Padre Salvi when he saw
this San Diego parish priest. But Salvi explained to him that it was Damaso who was the
town's parish priest at the time of Don Rafael's death.

When Maria Clara and her family arrived in San Diego, Ibarra had a picnic at the
lake. During the picnic, Ibarra saved the life of Elias-the boatman who was almost killed
by a crocodile trapped in the fish cage. Later in the picnic, some members of the
Guardia Civil also came, pursuing Elias who had previously assaulted Padre Damaso and
the alferez. But Elias had escaped even before the Guardia Civil arrived. Later on, Ibarra
received a notice that his donation to a school in San Diego had been approved by the
Spanish government.

On the day of the San Diego town fiesta, Ibarra and Maria Clara attended the
morning mass officiated by Padre Salvi and Padre Damaso. During the mass, Elias silently
went near Ibarra and notified him of the plot to kill him at the ceremony of the laying of
the school's cornerstone. So, during the inauguration, when Ibarra was about to cement

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 52

the foundation of the schoolhouse, the platform collapsed. Fortunately, the quick Elias
had rescued Ibarra and the man who was paid to harm Ibarra was the one killed in the
incident.

Ibarra hosted a banquet later that day. Padre Damaso who attended the feast
publicly attacked the dignity of Ibarra's dead father. The angered host lunged at the ill-
mannered friar and had almost killed Damaso with a knife were it not for Maria Clara,
who interfered just in time. Ibarra was consequently excommunicated and his
engagement with Maria Clara was broken as Damaso persuaded Capitan Tiago to
prohibit the lady from marrying Ibarra.

One day, Ibarra's enemies engineered a helpless attack on the Guardia Civil
station, making the attackers believe that Ibarra was the brain of the uprising. After the
attack failed, Ibarra was incriminated and arrested.

Elias helped Ibarra escape from prison. Before leaving, they discreetly stopped
at Capitan Tiago's house. Maria Clara explained that she was blackmailed by Padre
Salvi to surrender Ibarra's letter (which was used to incriminate him) in exchange for the
letters written by her dead mother. From these, she learned that her real father was
Padre Damaso.

Ibarra and Elias then took off by boat. Instructing Ibarra to lie down, Elias covered
him with grass to conceal his presence. As luck would have it, they were spotted by their
enemies. Elias, thinking he could outsmart them, jumped into the water. The guards
rained shots on him, all the while not knowing that they were aiming at the wrong man.

Badly injured, Elias reached the forest where he found the altar bay Basilio who
was sobbing over the body of his dead mother Sisa. His mother had previously lost her
mind upon learning that her two sons altar boys Crispin and Basilio were missing from the
convent. Falsely accused of stealing from the convent, Crispin had been tortured and
killed by the wicked and crooked sacristan mayor. Basilio had escaped, and the death
of his brother had been covered up by Salvi.

Knowing that he would eventually die, Elias instructed Basilio to make a funeral
pyre and burn his and Sisa's bodies to ashes. In his dying breath. Elias mumbled the
following hopeful patriotic words: “I shall die without seeing the dawn break upon my
homeland. You, who shall see it, salute it! Do not forget those who have fallen during the
night.”

The novel's epilogue narrates that Capitan Tiago became addicted to opium.
Padre Damaso was assigned to a far province and was found dead in his bedroom one
morning. The sorrowful Maria Clara, believing that Ibarra had been shot dead in the river,
entered the nunnery. Padre Salvi left the San Diego parish and became a chaplain of
the nunnery. Some infer that Salvi, who had been portrayed as having a hidden desire
for Maria Clara, regularly molested her in the nunnery. Consequently, a pretty crazy
woman was seen one rainy night at the top of the convent, weeping bitterly and cursing
the heavens for the fate it had bestowed upon her.

Characters of the Noli

Crisostomo Ibarra Also known as Juan Crisostomo Ibarra y Magsalin, a

Filipino who studied in Europe for seven years, the love
interest of Maria Clara.
Elias Ibarra’s mysterious friend, a fugitive, and a boatman as
well. He was often referred to at one point as “the pilot,”
who wants to revolutionize his country. Ibarra’s

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 53

 grandfather condemned of burning a warehouse that
made Elias a fugitive.
Maria Clara delos Santos Ibarra’s sweetheart and the fruit of Father Damaso’s
desire to Pia Alba
Padre Damaso A Franciscan friar and played a significant role in Maria
Verdolagas Clara’s life as her biological father
Kapitan Tiago Known as Don Santiago delos Santos, a rich man in
Binondo, the loving husband of Doña Pia Alba, and the
known father of Maria Clara
Don Filipo Lino A close relative of Ibarra and a filibuster
Linares A distant nephew of Don Tiburcio de Espadaña who
would be the fiancé of Maria Clara
Captain General The most powerful official in the Philippines, a hater of the
(no specific name) secular priest and corrupt officials, and a friend of Ibarra
Basilio A ‘sacristan’ and the elder son of Sisa
Crispin Youngest son of Sisa who was accused of stealing an
amount of money and brutally punished by the sacristan
mayor
Sisa Mother of Basilio and Crispin who suffered insanity after
the loss of her two sons
Padre Hernando de Dominican friar who is being described as short and has
Sibyla fair skin
Padre Bernardo Salvi Secret admirer of Maria Clara
Teniente Guevarra Spanish Guardia civil who revealed to Ibarra what
happened to his father, Don Rafael
Don Anastacio Known as Pilosopo Tasyo, who was portrayed in the novel
as a pessimist, cynic, and critical thinker which made him
hated by his neighbors

The Spirit of the Noli

As intended, Noli Me Tangere creatively depicts the real conditions of the various
aspects of Filipino society under the Spanish regime. Largely because of corrupt Spanish
officials and friars, the Filipino way of life had been backward, anti-intellectual, and anti-
progressive, and the country was not in any way catching up on developments and the
so-called Age of Enlightenment. Introducing the spirit of the novel to his friend Ferdinand
Blumentritt, Rizal himself 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.”

Typically, a parody, lampoon, and satire of the Filipino society under the
administration of the colonizers, the novel's characters represent the various kinds of
people inhabiting the country at the time. Crisostomo Ibarra, for instance, represents the
small group of Filipinos who had a chance to study abroad and dreamt of improving the
country. Like Jose Rizal, Ibarra wanted education for Filipino children, hence his plan to
construct a public school in San Diego.

Damaso, on the other hand, corresponds to wicked but ironically respected

priests. His character reflects the then rampant covert fathering of illegitimate children
by friars. In the novel, he is revealed to be the biological father of Maria Clara Ibarra's
fiancée who arguably stands for the powerless Filipina then. Patterned after that of
Leonor Rivera, Rizal's 'true love,’ Maria Clara's character also personifies some ideal
Filipina-loving and unwavering in their loyalty to their respective spouses.

Capitan Tiago represents the rich Filipinos who opted to be allies (as in tuta) of
Spanish officials and friars to preserve their wealth and political position. Damaso raped
Tiago's wife Pia Alba, but the Capitan seemed to be okay with it. Pilosopo Tasio, on the
other hand, symbolizes those whose ideas were so advanced that many other people
could not understand him. It is said that Tasio's character was patterned after that of

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 54

Paciano, Jose's intelligent brother who also sought reforms. Elias, Ibarra's mysterious friend
and supporter, signifies the Filipinos who wished to revolutionize the country by liberating
it from Spanish tyranny.

Sisa and her sons Crispin and Basilio epitomize a Filipino family oppressed by the
Spanish authorities. Doña Victorina represents some ambitious Filipinas who wanted to
be classified as Spanish, hence the putting on of heavy make-up. Don Tiburcio, her
husband, stands for incompetent and unqualified Spaniards who illegally practiced their
supposed profession in the Philippines.

Padre Salvi, the curate who secretly harbored lust for Maria Clara, represents the
seemingly kind but in fact wicked Spanish friars. Don Rafael Ibarra, Ibarra's father,
epitomizes the rich and at the same time virtuous and generous Filipinos during the
Spanish era.

Reactions to Noli

Expectedly, the Spanish officials and friars, especially the onion-skinned, were
infuriated by the contents of the Noli. Rizal's friends and compatriots, on the other hand.
praised and defended the novel.

Non-Filipino defenders of the Noli included Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal's Austrian

friend, and Dr. Miguel Morayta, statesman and history professor in Central University of
Madrid, and Federico Faura, Rizal's Jesuit professor, told the Noli's author that "everything
in it was the truth." but also foretold, "You may lose your head for it.” Today, there are
streets in Manila, which have been named after Morayta, Blumentritt, and Faura.

Even before Jose went home after the publication of the Noli his family had been
feeling the backlash produced by the novel. Using coded words, Paciano wrote Jose
that “a storm" was "threatening Makiling." "It's only waiting for time," he added. "It should
not surprise those who know that the time for typhoons.” Later in history, Paciano would
proudly translate the Noli into Tagalog.

During Rizal's first homecoming in 1887, Governor-General Emilio Terrero

summoned him to the Malacañan Palace a few days after his (Rizal's) arrival Terrero told
Rizal that Bernardino Nozaleda, the Archbishop of Manila, petitioned to ban the Noli. The
governor-general asked Rizal for a copy of the Noli and found nothing "criminal" in the
book. Nonetheless, he assigned Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade of the Guardia Civil to be
Rizal's bodyguard, fearing that Noli attackers would harm the author.

Meanwhile, an ad hoc committee of the faculty of the University of Santo Tomas

formed at the request of Manila Archbishop Pedro Payo, found and denounced Noli as
ecclesiastically heretical, impious, and scandalous and politically unpatriotic, subversive
of public order, and harmful to the Spanish government and its administration in the
Philippines. The Permanent Commission of Censorship led by Tondo cura Salvador Font
similarly found the Noli to contain subversive ideas against the Catholic Church and
Spain and, thus, recommended the absolute prohibition on the importation,
reproduction, and circulation of the book.

In Madrid, a newspaper article written by a Vicente Barrantes resentfully

attacked the Noli. Similarly, some members of the Spanish Cortes belabored the novel
through formal speeches, labeling it as "anti-Catholic, Protestant, socialistic."

Another attacker of Noli happened to be Rizal's namesake, Jose Rodriguez, an

Augustinian priest who even took great pains to write eight anti-Noli pamphlets, which
were forcibly sold to church-goers. Nonetheless, the arguments outlined in the

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 55

 pamphlets were logically addressed by an unexpected defender of the novel - the
Filipino theologian and priest, Vicente Garcia. Writing under the penname Justo
Desiderio Magalang, the priest countered the claim that Noli's author was an "ignorant
man" by saying that Rizal graduated from universities in Spain and received scholastic
honors. By sound inference, Garcia also answered Rodriguez' claim that those who read
the Noli committed a mortal sin by concluding that he (Rodriguez), therefore, committed
a mortal sin since he had read the novel, too.

Describing the effects of Noli, the author himself wrote, "My book made a lot of
noise; everywhere, I am asked about it. They wanted to anathematize me ['to
excommunicate me'] because of it... I am considered a German spy a Protestant, a
freemason, a sorcerer, a damned soul and evil.” In a letter to his friend Pastor Ullmer, Rizal
narrated “enemies burned my books. friends bought them for as much as fifty pesos.
Bookstores profited, but I got nothing.” Noli, therefore is a classic case of a black market
profiting much from an "illegal” product.

The author once received a letter dated February 15, 1888, which was
comparable to a death threat. The sender wrote in part, 'If you 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.” Ironically,
the sender did not indicate his real name and just cowardly signed the letter "A Friar."

Application

Noli Today. Imagine yourself writing an updated version of the Noli Me Tángere today.
Juxtapose your observations about the contemporary society with what Rizal saw in late nineteenth
century Philippines. In the second column on the table below, write Rizal’s observations about the
aspect mentioned on the first column. In the third column, write your own observations of present-
day conditions.

Rizal’s observations as depicted Your observations in the present

Aspect of Society
in the Noli Me Tángere context
Government and
officials
Church and
religion

Education

Romanic
relationships
(courtship,
marriage, etc.)
Past times/
hobbies
The rich and the
poor

Life in the city

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 56

 Application for DJAL and SETBI

Appraise important characters in the novel and what they represent. Explain the
representation of the characters.

Characters Representation

Sisa

Elias

Kapitan Tiago

Padre Damaso

Crisostomo Ibarra

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya Publishing
House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 57

 Annotation of Antonio de Morga’s
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Analyze Rizal’s ideas on how to rewrite Philippine history; and,

• Compare and contrast Rizal and Morga’s different views about Filipinos and Philippine
Culture

Activity

IRF Chart. Fill out the table from Initial Idea down to Refined Idea. Then, once you are
through, begin to draw an analysis of your final idea.

Initial Idea

What do you think

Refined Idea
of ‘bagoong’?

Final Idea

Analysis

If you were to correct one false thing from your past, what would it be?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________

Abstraction

The value of Antonio de Morga’s ‘Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas’ has been
recognized. A first-hand account of the early Spanish colonial venture into Asia, it was
published in Mexico in 1609 and has been re-edited on several occasions. Morga’s work
was based on personal experiences, or documentation from eyewitnesses of the events
described. Moreover, as he tells the readers himself, survivors from Legazpi’s expedition
were still alive while he was preparing his book in Manila.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 58

 As a lawyer, it is apparent that he would hardly fail to seek such evidence. It is the first
history of the Spanish Philippines to be written by a layman, as opposed to the religious
chroniclers. Filipinos have found it a useful account of the state of their native culture
upon the coming of the conquistadors; some have regarded it a work to be admired or
condemned, according to their views and their context of their times; but Rizal noted
that Morga has definite biases and would often distort facts or even rely on invention of
statement to fit his defense of the Spanish conquest.

It contains essays that describe events in the Philippine islands from 1493 to 1603, most
notably in 1565. The author explores the political, social, and economic aspects of Spain
and its colonies. The book consists of eight (8) chapters namely:

1. First Chapter – Of the Discoveries of the Eastern Island

2. Second Chapter – Of the Government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
3. Third Chapter – Of the Government of Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de
Peñalosa
4. Fourth Chapter – Of the Government of Dr. Santiago de Vera
5. Fifth Chapter – Of the Government of Gomez Perez de Dasmariñas
6. Sixth Chapter – Of the Government of Don Francisco Tello
7. Seventh Chapter – Of the Government of Don Pedro Acuña
8. Eighth Chapter – An Account of the Philippine Islands

Man of the Moment

Antonio de Morga (1559 – July 21, 1636) was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking
colonial official for 43 years, in the Philippines from 1564 to 1604, and in New Spain and
Peru, where he was president of the Audiencia for 20 years.

As Deputy Governor in the Philippines, he restored the Audiencia. He took over the
function of a judge or oidor. He also took command of Spanish ships in the 1600 naval
battle against the Dutch corsairs but suffered defeat and barely survived.

Being a historian, Morga was valuable in the sense that he had access to the survivors
of the earliest days of the colony, and he, himself, participated in many of the accounts
that he rendered. In the Sucesos, he narrated the history of wars, intrigues, diplomacy,
and evangelization of the Philippines.

The Two ‘Sucesos’

Morga wrote the Sucesos so he could chronicle “… the deeds of our Spaniards, the
discovery, conquest, and conversion of the Filipinas Islands – as well as various fortunes
that they from time to time in the great kingdoms and among the pagan peoples
surrounding the islands.”

However, Rizal argued that the conversion and conquest were not as widespread as
portrayed because the missionaries were only successful in conquering a portion of the
population of individual islands.

He speculated that the people of the islands were economically self-sufficient and
prosperous. Further, he was convinced that they had a dynamic community. Rizal
asserted that the conquest of Spain contributed to the decline of the rich traditions and
culture of the Philippine natives.

These and other misconceptions written by Morga, and of course, Rizal being an
earnest seeker of truth himself, annotated the Sucesos so he could ‘objectively’ describe
the conditions in the Philippines when the Spaniards came to conquer the islands.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 59

Interestingly, this would not possibly materialize without the persuasion and support from
his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, who fittingly wrote the prologue of his annotated
version.

Among other things, Rizal’s purpose of his edition of Morga’s Sucesos is this, “… if the
book succeeds in you the consciousness of our past which has been obliterated from
memory and in rectifying what has been falsified and calumniate, I shall not have
labored in vain, and on such basis, little though it may be, we can all devote ourselves
to studying the future.”

Reasons why Jose Rizal chose Morga’s Sucesos

Of numerous historical accounts about the Pre-Colonial Philippines, why did Rizal
choose Morga’s Sucesos instead of Plasencia’s The Customs of the Tagalogs or
Pigafetta’s First Voyage? Why did he recommend Morga to his countrymen? Here are
the reasons why Rizal chose him:

1. Morga’s Sucesos was originally published in Mexico and was rare. The book is
so rare that only few libraries that have a copy.
2. Morga’s Sucesos was the only civil, as opposed to religious or ecclesiastical,
history of the Philippines written during the colonial period. The main complaint
against the religious historians was that they dealt more with Church history than
the history of the Philippines and its people.
3. The choice of Morga was considered by Rizal because for him, this secular
account was more objective, more trustworthy, than those written by the
religious authorities.
4. Morga was more sympathetic, at least in parts, to the indios, in contrast to the
friar accounts, many of which were biased or downright racist in tone and
interpretation.
5. Morga is an eyewitness, and therefore a primary source, on the Philippines and
its people at the point of first contact with Spain.

Annotation of Rizal

The annotation of Rizal falls into two categories. First are the straightforward
historical annotation, where Rizal amplifies or corrects the original. Second, his
annotations reflect his strong anti-clerical bias, though they were historically based. The
latter is something to be expected as scholarly work, but these notes give Rizal’s edition
a distinct flavor. Rizal branded religious interpretation of events as ‘pious lies.’

Rizal’s humorless rebuttals of biased Spanish accounts of his country and his people
emphasized, on one level, the need for an indio interpretation of history, while on
another recreating the glories of the lost pre-Hispanic Philippines. Rizal argued that the
pre-Hispanic Filipinos had their own culture before 1521, and thus were not saved from
barbarism, and did not require “civilization” or a new religion from Spain. Rizal insists that
the flourishing pre-Hispanic Philippine civilization, obliterated by Spain and the friars,
could have developed on its own into something great. Rizal emphasizes that the pre-
Hispanic civilization had metallurgy, a ship-building industry, trade contacts with China,
and even a system of writing and accompanying literature, all ruined by Spanish
colonization. Rizal comments that the Philippines of his time was not better than the pre-
Hispanic Philippines. If Spain had not come or had left the Philippines to its own devices,
everyone would be better off.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 60

Same Book, Different Perspectives

Here are some of the excerpts from Morga’s Sucesos and Rizal’s Annotation of the
Sucesos.

Morga: “The first island conquered and colonized by the Spaniards was
Cebu.”
Rizal: “Sugbu, in the dialect of the country.”

Morga: “… a strip of colored cloth wrapped about the waist and passed
between the legs, so that it covered the privy parts, reaching
half-way down the thigh; these are called bahaques.”
Rizal: “Bahag, a richly dyed cloth, generally edged gold among the
chiefs.”

Morga: “Winter and summer for the rains generally last in all these islands
from June until September. The summer lasts from October to the
end of May, with clear skies and fair winds at sea.”
Rizal: “Morga considers the rainy season like winter and the rest of the
year as summer. However, this is not very exact, for at Manila, in
December, January, and February, the thermometer is lower
than in August and September.

Morga: “… they prefer to eat salt fish which begins to decompose and
smell.”
Rizal: “The fish that Morga mentions does not taste better when it is
beginning to rot; all, on the contrary, it is bagoong and all those
who have eaten it and tasted it know it is not or ought not to be
eaten.”

Further, Rizal precisely wrote that as a colony of Spain:

“The Philippines was depopulated, impoverished and retarded, astounded

by metaphor, with no confidence in her past, still without faith in her present and
without faltering hope in the future.”

“… little by little, they (Filipinos) lost their old traditions, the memories of their
past; they gave up their writing, their songs, their poems, their laws, in order to learn
other doctrines which they did not understand, another morality, another
aesthetics, different from those inspired by their climate and their manner of
thinking. They declined, degrading themselves in their own eyes. They become
ashamed of what was their own; they began to admire and praise whatever was
foreign and incomprehensible; their spirit damaged and it surrendered.”

Application

For Regular, DNLI, DJAL and SETBI students

Construct a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting Rizal and Morga’s views on
Philippine culture.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 61

 Rubrics: This rubric provides a framework for evaluating the graphic organizer. It considers
organization, content, and originality.

5 4 2-3 1
Organization Content is well- Uses headings or Content is There was no
organized using bulleted lists to logically clear or logical
headings or organize, but the organized for the organizational
bulleted list related overall organization most part structure, just
to the topic. of topics appears to lots of facts.
be flawed.
Content Covers topic in- Includes essential Includes essential Content is
depth with details knowledge about information minimal or
and examples. the topic. Subject about the topic there several
Subject knowledge knowledge appears but there are 1-2 factual errors.
is excellent. to be good. factual errors.
Originality Graphic organizer Graphic organizer Uses other Uses other
shows a large shows some original people’s ideas people’s ideas
amount of original thought. Work (giving them but does not
thought. Ideas are shows new ideas credit), but there give them any
creative and and insights. is little evidence credit.
inventive. of original
thinking.

References:
• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya Publishing
House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

Suggested Readings.

• De Morga, A. (2023). Events in the Philippine Islands. Annotated by Jose Rizal. NHCP: Manila

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 62

 El Filibusterismo (1891)

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the characters, plot and theme of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo; and,
• Value the ole of the youth in the development and future of society

Activity

Role of the Filipino Youth. In the box provided below, what should be the role of the
Filipino youth? Write at least five roles, a Filipino youth should do for the country.

Analysis

What was the socio-economic condition of the Philippines during the 19th century?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________

Abstraction

El Filibusterismo is Jose Rizal's second novel written as the sequel of his Noli
Me Tangere. Commonly nicknamed El Fili or simply Fili, the novel was written also in
Spanish. Its commonly known English alternative title is The Reign of Greed.

The Writing and Printing of Fili

Rizal started writing El Filibusterismo in October 1887 in Calamba during his first
homecoming. The novel was thus written against the background of threats and

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 63

oppressions he and his family suffered because of the Noli and the so-called Calamba
agrarian trouble.

He continued working on it, making some revisions, in London in 1888. Rizal then
went on to write the novel in Paris, and then in Brussels where distractions were less, and
the cost of living was cheaper. Being able to focus on finishing the book, Rizal had finally
completed it by March 29, 1891 in Biarritz.

Jose Alejandrino, Rizal's roommate in Belgium related that he was the one who
looked for a printing press for El Fili. He delivered proofs and revisions to F. Meyer van Loo
in Ghent. For his assistance, Rizal gave him the El Fili's corrected proofs and the pen used
in doing the corrections. Unluckily, these historical souvenirs were either lost or destroyed
during the revolution.

Alejandrino, who later became a general in the Philippine revolution, might have
possibly been the first person to read the novel aside from the author. However, the
honor of being called "the savior of the Fili" had gone to Valentin Ventura Rizal's friend
who partially financed the novel's publication.

Initially, Rizal financed El Fili's printing by pawning his properties. In a letter to Jose
Basa dated July 9, 1891, he related: "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."

Rizal's next letter to Basa carried the sad news that the printing had to be
suspended for lack of funds, and it was at this point where Valentin Ventura came into
the picture. Having known Rizal's predicament, Ventura offered him financial help. In
hindsight, we can assume that Ventura was bothered by his conscience, hence his
generous monetary assistance for Rizal's novel. Remember that Ventura was one of the
Filipinos who promised to co-author Rizal's proposed first book but ended up contributing
nothing.

But even with Ventura's help, Rizal found it necessary to fundamentally shorten
the novel, erasing 47 whole pages from the 279-page manuscript to save expenses. Thus,
the printed El Fili, which came off the press by the middle of September 1891, turned out
comprising only 38 chapters compared with the 64 of the Noli-contrary to his original
plan to make a longer sequel.

For Ventura's salvific act, Rizal gave him the novel's original manuscript, a pen,
and an autographed printed copy. In 1925, the Philippine government bought the El Fili
manuscript from Ventura for a large sum of 10, 000 pesos. It is now being kept in the
National Library.

Filibustero and Gomburza

The Filibusterismo in the novel's title is derived from the simpler term filibustero. Rizal
defined the word (filibuster) to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt who encountered but did
not fully comprehend the word in the Noli Rizal, thus, explained in a letter.

“The word filibustero is little known in the Philippines I heard it for the first time in 1872
when the tragic executions [of the Gomburza] took place. I still remember the panic
that this word created. Our father forbade us to utter it as well as the words Cavite,
Burgos (one of the executed priests), etc. The Manila newspapers and the Spaniards
apply this word to one whom they want to make a revolutionary suspect. The Filipinos
belonging to the educated class fear the reach of the word. It means a dangerous
patriot who will soon be hanged or well, a presumptuous man."

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 64

 The word filibustero, thus, contextually means subversive, dissident, revolutionary,
seditious. insurrectionary, and treasonous. Fittingly, Rizal dedicated the book to the
memory of the GOMBURZA, the three Filipino patriotic priests who were accused of being
filibustero and, thus, executed. In his dedication. Rizal fearlessly declared his conviction
that the Spanish officials' treatment of the priests' case was unjust "as [their] complicity in
the Cavite Mutiny is not clearly proved."

The dedication partly reads: "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 - I have the right to
dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat..."

Rizal, however, made mistakes in indicating the ages of the priests and the date of
their execution. During their martyrdom on the 17th (not 28th) of February. 1872, Gomez
was then 73 (not 85), Burgos was 35 (not 30) and Zamora was 37 (not 35). Like many other
students today (especially men), Rizal was not that good in memorizing historical details,
like dates and ages.

The foreword of the Fili was nonetheless addressed “To The Filipino People and Their
Government." The original manuscript also included a warning and an "Inscription" on
the title page written by the author's friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt.

Themes of Fili

Indeed, a continuation of the Noll, the El Filibusterismo exposes the real picture
of Filipino society at the hands of the Spanish authorities. Socio-political issues mentioned
in the Noli are also dealt with in its sequel: the abuses and hypocrisy of the members of
the Spanish Catholic clergy, superstitions disguising as religious faith, the need for reform
in educational system, the exploitation and corruption of government officials, and the
pretenses of some social-climbing Filipinos and Spaniards.

What makes El Fili essentially different from its prequel is that it offers various means
of attaining social reform and somewhat hinted what the author believed was ideal.
Some dialogues and incidents seem to suggest the apparent improbability of any
radical socio-political change. The main character's persistence to push through with
the rebellion, on the other hand, seems to suggest that independence is attainable
through revolution. However, the closing chapters rather insinuate that freedom must be
attained without bloodshed as the story ends with the failure of Simoun's planned
uprising.

Some scholars explain that the novel's ending should not be interpreted as Rizal's
categorical stand against revolution. At best, Rizal is against an unprepared and
disorganized rebellion of uneducated people, which could have a slim chance of
victory. It is important to note that Rizal once, commented that an upright, patriotic, and
selfless individual like Noli's Elias would be a viable revolutionary leader. In fact, Rizal was
said to have confessed that he seriously regretted having killed Elias instead of Ibarra.
These prove that Rizal. though practically promoting the attainment of reforms
peacefully, also advocated the idea of armed revolution under some conditions.
Intelligent as he was, what Rizal would never subscribe to is the "useless spilling of blood"
but not the uprising per se.

Noli vs. Fili

Rizal wrote the El Filibusterismo about four years after the Noli. The experiences
he had in those four years spelled a lot of differences in the way he treated his two novels.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 65

 Both novels employ satires and caricatures to depict the country's social
conditions. El Fili however is more serious as there is less humor and more bitterness in the
treatment of situations.

In the Noli, the author reveals the cruelty and exploitation suffered by the natives
at the hands of colonizers. In El Fili, Rizal depicts a society at the brink of rebellion as the
natives' minds have been awakened and revolutionary forces have been formed.

Generally, El Fili presents a gloomier depiction of the country under the Spanish
regime. More radical and revolutionary, the novel has less idealism and romance than
the Noli. The El Fili manifests Rizal's more mature and less hopeful attitude toward the
socio-political situation in the country. The grimmer outlook and more tragic mood can
be attributed to the persecutions and sufferings the author and his family experienced
from the Spanish friars and officials in the years he was writing the novel.

Notwithstanding the sufferings caused by the Spaniards to the Rizal family, the
Fili, its author claimed, is not a matter of revenge, Jose wrote to Blumentritt: "I have not
written in it any idea of vengeance against my enemies, but only for the good of those
who suffer, for the rights of Tagalogs..."

Some of Rizal's friends, like Blumentritt and Graciano Lopez Jaena, expressed that Fili
was superior to Noli. Rizal himself apparently once believed in the superiority of the Fili.
When its printing had to be stopped for lack of funds, he wrote to Basa "It is a pity
because it seems to me that this second part [the Fili] is more important than the first [the
Noli]."

After the Fili was published, nonetheless, Rizal appeared to have a change of heart.
In his October 13, 1891 letter to Marcelo Del Pilar, he said: "I appreciate what you say
about my work, and I value your opinion highly that considered my Filibusterismo
inferior to the Noli, too frankly, without irony or words with a double meaning, share
your opinion. For me, the Filibusterismo as a novel is inferior to the Noli.. You are the
first one to tell me the truth and I agree with you. This flatters me as it proves that I still
know how to judge myself.

Rizal explained in the same letter that his friends told him that Fili was better:
"Blumentritt, all those in Paris and Barcelona, for their benevolence towards me say it [the
Filij is superior. I attribute it only to their benevolence."

Synopsis

The story in El Filibusterismo revolves around its main character Simoun, he is an

affluent jeweler. Simoun is actually Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli whom everyone thought
had been killed by the Guardia Civil at Laguna de Bay. He has in fact escaped, fled to
Cuba, become wealthy, and made connections with influential Spanish officials. After
many years of returning to the Philippines, he becomes very influential as the governor-
general, who owes so much to him, consults him in making decisions.

In reality, however, everything Simoun does is just part of his grand plan to take
revenge against the Spanish officials and rescue Maria Clara from the convent. Planning
to stage a revolution, he smuggles arms and looks for followers mainly from the exploited
and abused natives. One of his recruits is Basilio, the son of Sisa, who with Capitan Tiago's
help was able to study in Manila. Simoun also makes an alliance with the revolutionary

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 66

group of Kabesang Tales, a former cabeza de barangay who suffered maltreatment
from the hands of the friars. Using his influence, Simoun encourages corruption,
decadence, and more oppressive government policies so that the citizens may become
more infuriated.

However, the planned revolt one night is not carried out because Simoun, upon
hearing that Maria Clara has died in the nunnery, decides not to give the signal for the
outbreak of the uprising.

Another plan is made some months later. At the venue of the wedding reception
of Juanito Pelaez and Paulita Gomez, Simoun plants many explosives enough to kill the
invited guests, primarily the friars and government officials. According to the plot the big
explosion shall be started by the gift he will give to the newlyweds at the reception-a
kerosene lamp with an explosive. When the lamp flickers and someone turns the wick, it
will result into a big explosion that will become a signal to the revolutionary troops to
attack all the government buildings in Manila simultaneously.

During the reception, Simoun gives his gift to the newlyweds. Before hurriedly
leaving the venue, he leaves a piece of mysterious paper bearing the message “YOU
WILL DIE TONIGHT” signed by Juan Crisostomo Ibarra.

Meanwhile, Isagani, the rejected lover of Paulita, is standing outside the

reception. His friend Basilio tells him to leave the place because the lamp will soon blow
up.

When Father Salvi identifies the handwriting in the note and confirms that it is
indeed Ibarra's, the guests begin to panic. When the lamp flickers, Father Irene tries to
turn the wick up. But Isagani, wanting to save Paulita's life, rushes into the house, grabs
the lamp, and throws it into the river where it explodes.

Simoun's revolutionary plot is thus known, and he is hunted by the law enforcers.
He manages to escape but is seriously wounded. Carrying his jewelry chest, he finds
shelter in the home of Padre Florentino by the sea. Leaning of his presence in the house
of the priest, the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil informs Padre Florentino that he will come
in the evening to arrest Simoun.

Simoun then takes poison so that he will not be caught alive. As the poison's
effects start to take toll on his body, he confesses to Florentino his true identity and his
plan of revenge through a bloody revolution. After the emotional and agonizing
confession of the dying man, the priest absolves the dying man from his sins, saying: "God
will forgive you Señor Simoun. He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have
suffered - He has frustrated your plans one by one-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!"

The story ends with the priest throwing Simoun's treasures into the sea so the
greedy will not use them. The priest hopes that when the right time comes, they will be
recovered and used only for good.

Characters of El Filibusterismo

Simoun The changed character of Crisostomo Ibarra who was chased to

death by the Guardia Civil in the last chapter of the Noli Me
Tangere. Simoun made his fortune abroad and made his fortune
abroad and returned to his homeland with revenge as a wealthy
jeweler. He disguised as a man in European clothes with a distinct

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 67

 beard and always wearing tinted eyeglasses. His revenge was
motivated by his sufferings, which much illustrated in his novel and
later led him to become a rebel, with a title of ‘filibustero.’ While
he existed as a wealthy and influential in his society, his motivation
is actually to encourage the affluent officials to abuse the masses
who would then be driven to revolt against them. Simoun once
sought reform and education but later resorted to subterfuge and
violence.
Basilio He took to his heart the advice of the dying boatman Elias at the
end of the Noli Me Tangere. After during his mother, Sisa, he went
to Manila and lived under the custody of Kapitan Tiago who
helped him to study at San Juan de Letran. Even though he is a
hard-working student, he hardly pleases his teachers, who insulted
the poor and native Filipinos. His situation at school suddenly
changed when his skill in fencing impressed one of his teachers.
Having high grades, he was encouraged by Kapitan Tiago to
continue his studies at Ateneo de Municipal where the teachers
are more enlightened and encouraging. While he is there, he
pursued medicine and become more involved in a specific
students’ organization headed by Isagani who wants to pursue
their school to teach the Spanish language to natives. At the
climatic part of the novel, he was accused of disseminating
‘pulietos’ (pamphlet) against the Spanish friars which caused him
to be imprisoned.
Isagani He is the best friend of Basilio, and he is a poor law student and
poet. He has little fear of authority and speaks openly of his
patriotic ideals. The leader of a group of students who plan to set
up a school to teach up the Spanish language to natives. With his
idealism, he clashes with the cynical Simoun, who is also in love
with the spoiled, flirtatious Paulita Gomez, against the advice of
his uncle and guardian Padre Florentino.
Makaraig He is the rich student who offered his own house as the dormitory
of the students studying in Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He leads
the students with Isagani to set up a Spanish school, but later they
were defeated in the movement.
Kabesang He always aspires to have his farm even if he is suffering significant
Tales losses. First, his wife and eldest daughter died while clearing their
land and then most part of his land was seized by the Spanish
authorities, and also, he was charged with an exorbitant tax which
left him with almost nothing. Known to be dependable, he was
elected as Kabesa or head of the barangay, which made him
often having to appease the higher officials by shouldering the
expenses of those who were unable to pay their taxes. His son was
conscripted by the Guardia Civil and his Juliana, became a
servant to help him pay off their debts. Finally, when Simoun
stayed for a night in his house, he took Simoun’s revolver and
joined the tulisanes. He murdered the friar-administrator and the
new tenants of his land. Later Juliana was killed in an encounter
with a friar and his father, struck dumb, dies in an encounter with
a Guardia Civil, shot by his grandson.
Padre He is a secular priest, who was pressured by his mother, then, he
Florentino became a priest even though he was in love with the woman he
considered as part of his life. After his former sweetheart married
a worthless man, he devoted himself to his priestly duties and his
study of natural sciences. He preferred to live alone in his family’s
remote seaside property than t maintain any position in the

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 68

 church which led him to avoid temptations of luxurious lifestyle,
anomalies, and corruption. Through his words to the dying Simoun,
Padre Florentino changed the vengeful heart of Simoun and his
views that liberation must be achieved not through bloody
revolution but peaceful reforms.
Don He is a high official in the government, who held many posts in the
Custodio government even though he is not qualified. He used the opulent
wealth of his wife in securing his political positions. He has a
mistress, a dancer named Pepay.
Paulita She is a beautiful girl who is being admired by so many students,
Gomez but she mesmerized by the diligence of Isagani. She forced to be
part of the company of Juanito Pelaez because of her aunt, and
the ridiculous Doña Victorina who has an interest in the young heir.
Eventually, the self-centered Paulita chose to marry the amusing
Juanito rather than Isagani.
Padre He promised to support the group of students to establish the
Irene Academia de Lengua Española in return for some amount of
money.
Padre He is a priest who tried to rape Juli in exchange of Basilio’s
Camorra freedom.
Quiroga He is a Chinese merchant who is secretly keeping armaments for
the Filipino rebels in preparation for the revolution plotted by
Simoun.

Noli and Fili Stolen

In Rizal's time, the Permanent Commission of Censorship recommended the

absolute prohibition on the importation, reproduction, and circulation of the Noli. The
copies of the Fili on the other hand, were destroyed by Customs in Manila upon shipment
to the Philippines. The rare surviving copies of the novels were secretly purchased and
"according to one friend of the family, had to be read in the smallest, most private room
in the house – the toilet."

That was the fate of the first editions of Rizal's novels. But that is nothing compared
to what happened to their original manuscripts about 70 years after their publication.

The original manuscripts of the Noli and Fili (along with that of the poem "Mi Ultimo
Adios") were stolen from the National Library on the evening of December 8, 1961. After
some days, the thieves who outsmarted the building's sleepy guards sent a ransom note
"made of newspaper cutouts" to the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission
(JRNCC). The robbers demanded 1.4 million pesos for the return of the original texts, else
Rizal's handiworks would be burned.

To summarize the "historic robbery," the then Education Secretary Alejandro

“Anding” Roces personally met with the burglars and, after some various negotiations,
had retrieved the documents without paying any single centavo. The manuscripts were
returned on installment basis-the "Ultimo Adios" during the first meeting, the El Fili on the
next negotiation, and lastly, the Noli. There was a time when the demanded ransom was
reduced to 100,000 pesos and then to 10,000 pesos. But recognizing perhaps that they
would get nothing from the government, the robbers ultimately settled on returning the
expensive documents, free of charge.

Many still find this "charge-free return of the manuscripts" strange and mind
blowing. The following additional details about the story could shed light on the account.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 69

 During the negotiations, one of the burglars related to Roces that on the night of
the robbery said that "the Rizal manuscripts suddenly became heavy [as] a cavan of
rice." The thief, thus, exclaimed, "The manuscript must be holy or haunted!" One robber
even claimed that he read Rizal's handwritten novels and described the feeling. "Ang
sarap basahin, kinikilabutan ako!” However, it is remarkably funny to note that the thief
did not understand Spanish! Nonetheless, these stealers were probably bothered by their
conscience, hence the consent to just send back the national hero's works.

Anding promised not to identify the robbers or to be a witness against them in

court. Thus, the hilariously controversial thieves were never known.

The Novels' Legacy

For fearlessly depicting the corruptions and abuses by the Spanish clergy and the
colonial government during the Spanish regime in the Philippines, the two novels are
historically very significant. Basically, a social sketch of the country then, the Noli and Fili
reveal the true setting and condition of the Filipino society in the era.

As essential sources of sociological and anthropological studies, the books

provide rich insights into the culture of the 19th and 20th-century Philippines. Their realistic
depictions expose a conflicted colonial society seriously split between the oppressors
and the suffering local slaves. The novels' characters mimic the various elements and
types of individuals in that society. Furthermore, they show favorable positive traits of the
natives then, like the sense of gratitude, the fidelity of women to their loved ones, and
the yearning for freedom and equality.

For their explicit portrayal of what the locals really wished for their country, the
books were instrumental in forming the Filipino's (Indios) sense of national identity.
Indirectly but significantly, the novels influenced the revolution led by the Katipunan as
they inspired Andres Bonifacio and the other revolutionaries in their cause.

Application

More about the characters. Relate the following characters to current social issues they
represent and justify your answer.

Character Current social issues he/ she represents

Simoun

Kabesang
Tales
Padre
Camorra

Juli

Paulita
Gomez

Application for DJAL and SETBI

Creating a graphic organizer. Make a graphic a graphic organizer comparing the characters,
plot and theme of the Noli Me Tangere and El FIlibusterismo.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 70

 Rubrics: This rubric provides a framework for evaluating the graphic organizer. It considers
organization, content, and originality.

5 4 2-3 1
Organization Content is well- Uses headings or Content is There was no
organized using bulleted lists to logically clear or logical
headings or organize, but the organized for the organizational
bulleted list related overall organization most part structure, just
to the topic. of topics appears to lots of facts.
be flawed.
Content Covers topic in- Includes essential Includes essential Content is
depth with details knowledge about information minimal or
and examples. the topic. Subject about the topic there several
Subject knowledge knowledge appears but there are 1-2 factual errors.
is excellent. to be good. factual errors.
Originality Graphic organizer Graphic organizer Uses other Uses other
shows a large shows some original people’s ideas people’s ideas
amount of original thought. Work (giving them but does not
thought. Ideas are shows new ideas credit), but there give them any
creative and and insights. is little evidence credit.
inventive. of original
thinking.

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya Publishing
House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 71

 The Philippines a Century Hence and
Other Related Essays

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Assess Rizal’s writings;

• Appraise the value of understanding the past; and,
• Frame arguments based on evidence

Activity

In the table below, write at least five characteristics of the Filipinos that are unique to
other foreign cultures.

Analysis

Do you believe that the writings of Rizal were able to awaken the Filipino patriotism?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________

Abstraction

Jose Rizal's "Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años” (translated as "The Philippines within
One Hundred Years" or "The Philippines A Century Hence") was serialized on September
30, October 31, and December 15. 1889, and February 15. 1890 in the fortnightly review
La Solidaridad of Madrid. In the articles, Rizal estimated the Philippines' future in a
hundred years and foretold the catastrophic end of Spanish rule in Asia.

Forecasting the future of the Philippines within a hundred years, the essay
reflected Rizal's feeling that it was time to remind Spain that the conditions that ushered
in the French Revolution could have a telling effect on the Philippine islands. Collectively,
the articles are in many senses. Supplemented Rizal's great novel Noli Me Tangere and
its sequel El Filibusterismo.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 72

 The essay also talked about the glorious past of the Philippines, recounted the
deterioration of the economy, and exposed the causes of the natives' sufferings under
the cruel Spanish rule. In the essay, he cautioned Spain as regards the imminent downfall
of its domination. Part of the purpose of writing the essay was to awaken the Filipinos'
minds and hearts concerning the Spaniards' oppression and encourage them to fight for
their rights.

Causes of Sufferings and Deterioration

In Rizal's annotation of Antonio Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (also penned
in 1889 to 1890), our national hero, through great efforts, proved and discussed the
glorious past of the Philippines. In "The Philippines a Century Hence," he analyzed the
deterioration of its economy and identified the causes of locals' suffering under the cruel
Spanish rule.

The essay, thus, gave the following as the various causes of the sorrows suffered
by the Philippine natives:

(1.) Spain's implementation of its military policies

Because of such decrees, the Philippine population decreased intensely. Poverty
became more widespread than ever as farmlands were left to wither. The people
continued to suffer from hunger and disease. The family as a unit of society was deserted,
and generally, all facets of the life of the natives became retarded.

(2.) Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture

The locals began needing to remember who they were and their valued beliefs:
religion, songs, poetry, and the other forms of their cultural heritage. When Spain came
with the sword and the cross, it started slowly but continued damage to the native
Philippine culture. Impoverished and retarded, the people began losing their sense of
self-worth and their confidence in their past and their heritage. Spirit-broken, they
became confused and hesitant in their current lifestyle, disgusted with themselves. And
they ultimately lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race.

(3.) Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers

The essay attributed the passivity and submissiveness of our people to the manner
of governance by the colonists. The Spanish friars were among the most powerful forces
that influenced a culture of silence and lethargy among the locals. Through their use of
force and intimidation (unfairly using God's name), the natives learned to submit
themselves to the whims and caprices of strangers fanatically.

The Inevitable

One of the main topics tackled by Rizal in the essay was whether Spain could
indeed prevent the looming progress of the Philippines. Despite the corruption and
deterioration brought about by the colonizers in the Philippines, he was hopeful that the
country's eventual improvement could not be hindered. For this, he made the following
points:

(1) Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant failed. National consciousness had
still awakened, and great Filipino minds emerged from the rubble.

(2) Keeping the people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary, living a life
of eternal destitution allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their way
of life. They began to explore some other horizons through which they could move
toward progress.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 73

(3) Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not work either.
The Filipino race survived 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 was something Spain would not allow.

Rizal, thus, concluded that Spain had no means to stop the progress of the
Philippines. The colonists had to change their colonial policies to suit the needs of the
Philippine society and the increasing nationalism of its people.

Rizal's "Prophecies"

Rizal expressed in the essay his confident prediction that something would
awaken the hearts and open the minds of the Filipino people as regards their plight. He
prophesied the Philippine people's revolution against Spain, winning their
independence, but later, the Americans would come as the new colonizers.

Eventually, the natives did recognize that the harassment and cruelty in their
society by foreign colonizers must no longer be tolerated. Thus, the natives, though
lacking arms and enough training, valiantly waged war against the colonizers. Even the
not-so-predictable element of Rizal's "prophecy" is actual: the Americans in 1898 wrestled
with Spain to win the Philippines and, in due course, took over the country. Relatively,
theirs was a reign of liberty and democracy.

Some years after Rizal's death, the Philippines attained its long-awaited liberation
and independence. Again, this appeared to fulfill what he had written in the 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.

The Essay's Relevance Today

One way to correctly interpret many of Rizal's writings is to consider the hint in his
Noli Me Tangere: "I do not write for this generation. I am writing for other ages. If this could
read me, they would burn my books, my whole life's work. On the other hand, the
generation that interprets these writings will be educated; they will understand me and
say: Not all were asleep in the night-time of our grandparents (by the Philosopher Tasio)."

Indeed, his essays like "The Philippines a Century Hence are as relevant today as
written over a century ago. As if talking today through the essay, Rizal was counseling us
to focus on strengthening the most important backbone of our country: our values,
outlooks, and all the views that have shaped our sense of national identity.

The essay, moreover, serves to remind us that we, the Filipinos, are historically
resolute and determined. All those efforts by the colonizers to keep us uneducated and
impoverished had failed. Nationalism eventually thrived, and the country became
independent after four centuries of tyrannical Spanish rule and five decades under the
Americans.

Challenges to the Filipinos

However, there are questions on whether we are independent today. Are we

free when an elite oligarchy dominantly controls our economy, and there are substantial
social and income disparities between a small favored economic and political elite and
the rest of the Filipino population? Rizal himself also forewarned about this when he wrote

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 74

in the El Filibusterismo. Why independence if the enslaved people today become the
tyrants of tomorrow?"

Moreover, some flaws in our character can get in the way of attaining what Rizal
envisioned about our country. These include attitudes such as the lack of appreciation
of the significance of adhering to the rule of law and upholding high standards of
excellence. As signposted by puwede na and bahala na attitudes, advocating
mediocrity is very unbecoming of what Rizal visualized in his essay.

The challenges posed by the essay to the present Filipino families, and especially
to the government, include instilling national discipline and genuine love of country;
exercising full control of our national sovereignty; assisting citizens to connect with their
communities; employing available communication means (the Internet and mobile
technologies) to join groups to inform and educate. To enable Filipinos to discover the
common ties we share, meet the challenges of founding a more peaceful and stable
social order, form a common bond with our brothers and sisters in marginalized
communities, and develop innovations that would improve dialogue and close gaps
between our fellow citizens the world outside: and preventing chaos and the spread of
malicious and destructive propaganda.

Ultimately, Rizal's “The Philippines a Century Hence” legacy is its timeless national
message that establishing a fairer, better society requires reminding the Filipino people
that our hope for survival relies on each of us taking responsibility.

Other Related Essays

Jose Rizal composed several other brilliant writings, which also helped to awaken
Filipino patriotism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution. The following are his
two other timeless writings:

"Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinos" (The Indolence of the Filipinos)

This logical essay is proof of the national hero's historical scholarship. The essay
rationally countered the accusations by Spaniards that Philippine natives were indolent
(lazy) during the Spanish reign. It was published in La Solidaridad in five consecutive issues
on July (15 and 31). August (1 and 31) and September 1, 1890.

In the articles, Rizal argued that Filipinos were innately hardworking before the rule of
the Spaniards. What brought about the decrease in the productive activities of the
natives was the Spanish colonization. Rizal explained the alleged Filipino indolence by
pointing to these factors:

(1.) The Galleon Trade destroyed the previous links of the Philippines with other
countries in Asia and the Middle East, thereby eradicating small local businesses
and handicraft industries;
(2.) The Spanish forced labor compelled the Filipinos to work in shipyards, roads,
and some other public works, thus abandoning their agricultural farms and
industries;
(3.) Many Filipinos became landless and wanderers because Spain did not defend
them against pirates and foreign invaders;
(4.) The system of education offered by the colonizers was impractical as it was
mainly about repetitive prayers and had nothing to do with agricultural and
industrial technology;
(5.) The Spaniards were a bad example as negligent officials would come in late
and leave their offices early, and servants always followed Spanish women;

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 75

 (6.) Gambling, like cockfights, was established, promoted, and explicitly practiced
by Spanish government officials and friars themselves, especially during feast
days;
(7.) The crooked system of religion discouraged the natives from working hard by
teaching them that it was easier for a poor man to enter heaven; and,
(8.) The very high taxes were discouraging as a big part of natives' earnings would
only go to the officials and friars.

Moreover, Rizal explained that Filipinos were just wise in their level of work under a
tropical climate. He explained, "Violent work is not a good thing in low countries as it
would be parallel to death, destruction, annihilation. Rizal, thus, concluded that the
natives' supposed indolence was an end-product of the Spanish colonization.

"Letter To The Young Women of Malolos"

Initially written in Tagalog, this famous letter directly addressed to the women of
Malolos, Bulacan, was written by Rizal as a response to Marcelo H. Del Pilar's request.

Rizal was greatly impressed by the bravery of the 20 young women of Malolos
who planned to establish a school where they could learn Spanish despite the opposition
of Felipe Garcia, the Spanish parish priest of Malolos. The letter expressed Rizal's yearning
for women to be granted the same chances given to men regarding education. In the
olden days, young women were not educated because of the principle that they would
soon be wives, and their primary career would be to take care of the home and children.
Rizal, however, advocated women's right to education.

Below are some of the points mentioned by Rizal in his letter to the young women of
Malolos
(1.) The priests in the country at that time did not embody the true spirit of Christianity;
(2.) Private judgment should be used;
(3.) Mothers should be the epitome of an ideal woman who teaches her children to love
God, country, and fellowmen;
(4.) Mothers should rear children in the service of the state and set standards of behavior for
men around them;
(5.) Filipino women must be noble, decent, and dignified, and they should be submissive,
tender, and loving to their respective husbands; and,
(6.) Young women must edify themselves, live the real Christian way with good morals and
manners, and be intelligent in choosing a lifetime partner.

Application

Essay. Write a reflective essay reflecting the current situation of the Philippines following Rizal works.

Application for DJAL and SETBI

Drawing. Draw one object that symbolizes the life and works of Rizal. Explain how your
drawing symbolizes Rizal.

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 76

 Rubrics for evaluating your drawing:
Criteria Excellent Good Needs
(4-5 points) (3 points) Improvement
(1-2 points)
Composition The drawing is well- The drawing is The drawing is
balanced and somewhat balanced, poorly balanced,
visually appealing. but elements may with elements
Elements are feel cluttered or feeling crowded or
arranged in a way randomly placed. misplaced, making it
that creates interest visually unappealing.
and guides the
viewer's eye
Subject Matter The subject is clearly
The subject is The subject is
recognizable andrecognizable but unclear or poorly
depicted withmay lack detail or depicted, making it
accuracy and detail. accuracy in some difficult to identify.
areas.
Linework Lines Lines are confident, Lines are generally Lines are shaky,
precise, and varied clear and consistent, inconsistent, or
to create depth and but may lack poorly defined,
texture. variation or making the drawing
precision in some look unfinished or
areas. amateurish.

Perspective Perspective is Perspective is Perspective is not

accurately applied, attempted, but may present or poorly
creating a sense of be inconsistent or executed, making
depth and realism. inaccurate in some the drawing appear
areas. distorted or
unrealistic.
Creativity and The drawing The drawing is The drawing is
Originality demonstrates competent, but may uninspired and lacks
unique ideas, artistic lack originality or any unique elements
vision, and personal personal expression. or artistic vision.
style.

References:

• De Viana, A., et al. (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of his Life and Times). Rex Book
Store: Quezon City.
• Mañebog, J.D. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writing, and Legacies of our Bayani. Mutya Publishing
House: Malabon City.
• Ocampo, A. (2022). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Anvil Publishing, Inc: Mandaluyong City.
• Pangilinan, M. (2018). Life and Works of Dr Jose Rizal. Mindshapers Co., Inc: Manila.
• Umali, V., et al. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.: Mandaluyong City.
• Valdez, M.S. (2008). Dr Jose Rizal and the Writing of his Story. Rex Book Store: Quezon City

SS 122: Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal | 77