Justine John D.

Jerao Bped-1

SUMMARY OF

EL FILIBUSTERISMO
The protagonist of El Filibusterismo is a jeweler
named Simoun. He is the new identity of Crisostomo Ibarra who, in
the prequel Noli, escaped from pursuing soldiers. It is revealed that
Crisostomo dug up his buried treasure and fled to Cuba, becoming
richer and befriending Spanish officials.

After many years, the newly fashioned Simoun returns to the

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

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

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

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board a steamer ship

sailing up the Pasig river from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the
passengers are Simoun; Doña Victorina, a pro-Spanish native woman
who is going to Laguna in search of her henpecked husband, Tiburcio
de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her beautiful
niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes
silly articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the
University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the
town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-Spanish Filipino holding a
position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan friar and
former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend
of the Filipino students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and
patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino
and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical
student, whose medical education is financed by his patron, Capitan
Tiago.
Justine John D. Jerao Bped-1

A man of wealth and mystery, Simoun is a very close friend

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

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of

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

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

Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani realizes

that his beloved Paulita is in grave danger. To save her life, he rushes
into the house, seizes the lightened lamp, and hurls it into the river,
where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot is thus discovered. Simoun is cornered

by the soldiers, but he escapes. Mortally wounded, and carrying his
Justine John D. Jerao Bped-1

treasure chest, he seeks refuge in the home of Padre Florentino by the

sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the

house of Padre Florentino. Lieutenant Perez of the Guardia Civil
informs the priest by letter that he will come at eight o’clock that
night to arrest Simoun.

Simoun eludes arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he

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

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is

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

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at

peace with God, Padre Florentino falls upon his knees and prays for
the dead jeweler. The priest then takes the treasure chest and throws it
into the sea.
Justine John D. Jerao Bped-1

REFLECTION
First of all, El Filibusterismo is classic Philippine Novel and a sequel to Jose
Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. The book is also known in English by the title The Reign
of Greed.

In fact, As I read El filibusterismo’s summary, I can say that it is really far

more way beyond and brutal, not like the first that made by Rizal which is the Noli
Me Tangere, Noli is a love story or a romantic novel, dedicated to our motherland,
there is aspiration, beauty, romance and mercy. While El fili is a political novel
associated with revenge and anger and is dedicated to GOMBURZA. The first is
more on action and motion, the latter is thoughtful, discursive and dialectal, there
is bitterness, hatred and antipathy. This sequel as far as I know, it was dedicated to
the three martyred preists. Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora.

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo is the same upon enlightening the

people and the society, and it shows the goal of a person that he wants to bring his
co-filipino to be closer to the truth. To know what is really happening to the
philppines. What Spaniards really doing in our country during their colonization.
On behalf of me, El Filibusterismo is a considerable turning point of the Philippine
revolution to the Spanish Colonization. The katipunan really understand how
chaotic the colonization was. Their eyes were wide open when they knew about the
writings of Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere. Especially El Filibusterismo, after of a lot
like a massive murders, sexual harassment to the women and suicide.

Our Filipino hero, Jose Rizal, really made a big impact to his fellow
Filipinos, you can really see it through their eyes the hatred, anger and
disappointments to the Spaniards even if you are just reading and not saw it on
firsthand.
Justine John D. Jerao Bped-1

However, El Filibusterismo serves as an inspiration, motivation,

encouragement and a helping hand, also a turning point to the Filipino people. It
brings a reflective effect on Philippine society in terms of views about national
identity, the Catholic faith and its influence on Filipino's choice, because of the
priars they made a dismay impact to the Filipino, we are known to have faith to our
God, they made us feel that we are helpless in way back then, they teach us false
teaching.

Another aspect, the government's issues of corruption, abuse, and

discrimination, and on a larger scale, the issues related to the effect of colonization
on people's lives and the cause for independence. They were very corrupt, it came
to the point that our natural resources were affected because of them.

Overall, I really reflect on this novel as a Filipino, We Filipinos known to be

a hospitable people way back then, we give and help to the foreign visitors in our
country, we act like a good Samaritans, all we want is to help and to do good
things in the name of our country, Philippines. We choose to be a good people over
a bad people. But how we can do it, if we are being abused and discriminate by
other foreign countries.

Sometimes, as a person, of course no one is perfect, it is just so tiring to be

good to other people and show happiness towards them because of their wrong
doings. In times with this, we just ask question ourselves if God is truly exist and
why don’t he help us in times on our grieving and helplessness.

There will be a point that all of us get tired of this chaotic world, ended up to
be a person who we don’t want to be. We turn into a bad person who wants
freedom and vengeance to our country. Angriness and bitterness are controlling us.
All we want is to take revenge to whoever degrade us especially here in our own
country.

It is just right the Jose Rizal wrote the book, El Filibusterismo, because if
not? Maybe until now were still in the hands of the Spaniards, torturing us and
being helpless. After Rizal’s writing, our ancestors aims for freedom and that is all
Justine John D. Jerao Bped-1

we want as Filipino who really love our own country. That shows how strong we
are if we are being tortured by other countries, even though our resources like
guns, military equipment to fight is not enough, we still fought for our freedom.
The only weapon that saved us from colonization was the paper and pen of Doctor
Jose Rizal.

The book awakened the Filipinos in the past and is still awakening the
Filipinos of today, to fight for what we believe is right. We may not be the victor
always in every battle but the most important is, we continue to fight until our very
last breath, just like Rizal.