BACKTO SPAIN

After Paris, Jose Rizal travelled to Spain and visited Madrid and Barcelona. His trip in Spain was
prompted by his desire to contact his comrades; they were Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce.
These two were forerunners of the propaganda movement in Spain. It was also his intention in visiting
Spain to study the present political climate in relation to the campaign for reforms in the Philippines.
After his brief visit, he returned to London to celebrate Christmas.

Days after he returned from London, his Filipino comrades in Spain met him on the eve of New
Year's Day in Barcelona. The purpose of the gathering was the formation of an association which they
named as Asociacion La Solidaridod (Solidaridad Association). This association was established to unite
the Filipinos in Europe in their quest for reforms in the Philippines. Galicano Apacible was elected as the
president of the association while Graciano Lopez Jaena became the vice-president; Manuel Sta. Maria as
secretary; Mariano Ponce, as the treasurer; and Jose Maria Panganiban as an accountant. But despite that
he was not elected, he was chosen as the honorary president.

To realize theobjectives of the La Solidaridad, the members decided to put up a publication of the
same name. As a result, many propagandists including Jose Baron Fernandez described this fortnightly as
the "most important paper of the Filipino abroad and their most signmcant work in connection with the
movement."

However, the La Solidaridad publication was not realized immediately. On February 15, 1889,
the first issue came out. The publication was led by Graciano Lopez Jaena the vice-president of the
asociacion, who was also the editor of the paper.

As the honorary president of the asociacion, Jose Rizal wrote several articles that came out in the
different editions of the propaganda paper. Among this were the "Letters the Women of Malolos”, The
Truth for Everyone", “Barantes and the Tagalog Theater" and "The Indolence of the Filipinos".

Prior to his visit in Madrid, he wrote a letter to Marcelo H. del Pilar, requesting him to stand as a
lawyer for his family. He even sought helped from the Asociacion Hispano-Filipino and even went to the
Minister of Colonies to present their grievances against the injustices committed by the friars and
Governor General Valeriano Weyler. All his effort remained futile because they lost in the case in court.

In April of 1891, Jose Rizal returned to Brussels, Belgium where he stayed at the Jacoby's house,
same house he used to stay. His returned was because of his desire to finish his second novel, E1
Filibusterismo since he started writing it four years ago.

THE EL FILIBUSTERISMO

Before the printing of the second novel, Jose Rizal faced the same problem during his first novel.
He ran out of money, that is why, he wrote Jose Maria informing him of his situation and eventually sent
him money and another helped came from Rodriguez Arias as royalty for the book sale of Dr. Morga.

However, the amount of money he received wasn't enough to print because of the high cost of
printing. But with full determination to print his novel, he moved in Ghent from Brussels for cheaper
printing. In Ghent, he met Jose Alejandrino, a Filipino engineering student at the University of Ghent.
Alejandrino agreed to share a room with Jose Rizal.

But when everything seemed to fall apart, good news came from Valentin Ventura where he
agreed to loan him money for the completion of the 39 printing. Thus, the printing of the second part
pushed through and finally the El Filibusterismo was published in Ghent on September 18, 1891.

Jose Rizal immediately sent two copies to Basa and Lopez in Hong Kong while to Valentin
Ventura, who was very instrumental to him, the copy of the original manuscript of the novel.

The EI Filibusterismo was sequel of the Noli Me Tangere where Jose Rival dedicated it to the
martyrs of the Cavite Mutiny, they were Marciano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. The
execution of the three priests was significant to the title of the novel. According to Jose Rizal, in his letter
to Blumentritt, explained the meaning of the title of the novel:

"The word filibusterismo is little known in the Philippines. The masses do not know it yet. I heard it for
the first time in 1872 when the tragic execution took place [execution of the GOMBURZA]. l still
remember the panic that this word has created. Our father forbade us to utter it, as well as the words
Cavite, Burgos etc. The Manila newspaper and the Spaniards applied this word to the one whom they
wanted to make revolutionary suspect. The Filipinos belonging to the educated class heard the meaning
of the word. lt does not have the meaning of free brothers but rather means a dangerous patriot who will
soon be hanged as well as presumptuous man."

It was his good friend Ferdinand Blumentritt who wrote the introduction of the novel. From the
message written by Blumentritt, one can discern that El Filibusterisrno is more intense than the Noli Me
Tangere in terms of the political ideas. The introduction reads:

"The policy of the pro-friars and retrogrades to the growth of filibusterism and convinced the Filipinos
that there was no other salvation but separation from mother Spain."

He even admitted that the El Filibusterismo was inferior to that of the Noli Me Tangere. In his
letter to Marcelo del Pilar, he wrote:

"For me, the El Filibusterismo as a novel is inferior as compare to the Noli Me Tangere, so that received
com gravo salis (with a grain of salt) the opinion of those who me that the El Filibusterismo is superior to
the Noli Me Tongere. Blumentritt and all those in Paris and Barcelona, for their benevolence towards me,
said it is superior I attributed it only to their benevolence. You are the first one to tell me the truth and
you coincide with the manner of my thinking. This flatters me as it proves that I still know how to judge
myself"

BOUND FOR HONG KONG

A month after his second novel was published; Jose Rizal decided to go in Hong Kong. However
prior to his departure, there was confusion in his mind as to whether he would go home to be with his
family or to proceed to the British colony

He wrote to Blumentritt:
“I still don't know exactly whether I would go to the Philippines or establish myself in Hong Kong. My
country draws me near, I want to embrace my parents and brothers, but friends and countrymen are
against it."

On October18, 1891, Jose Rizal made up his mind and left Europe via the S.S. Melbourne. After
a month long trip, he arrived in Hong Kong where Jose Maria Basa welcomed him. While in Hong Kong,
he practiced his profession as ophthalmic surgeon through his colleague Dr. Lorenzo Marques, a
Portuguese doctor. He rented a house at No. 2 Rednaxela Terrace which served as his clinic and his home.

It was in Hong Kong also which gave him the opportunity to reunite with his family. On
December 6, 1891, his father, Paciano, and brother-in-law Silvestre Ubaldo arrived in Hong Kong.

In his letter to his sister Maria, Rizal expressed his profound joy on seeing some of his family and
talked about his father's improvement and at the same time revealed how he missed his mother The letter
reads:

"Father, Paciano, and Bestre [Silvestre Ubaldo] were already here, thanks God. Father has put on
weight and his cheeks have become pinkish; he is cheerful, he always walks around, and he is very much
pleased in Hong Kong."

"Tell mother that I have very great desire to see her and to operate her eyes, if this letter should find her
there still."

Finally, his mother together with sisters Lucia, Josefa, and Trinidad arrived also in Hong Kong.
Their family was reunited just in time for Christmas and New Year.

Rizal wrote to Blumentritt on December 30, 1891 telling him of his profound happiness that his
family was with him in Hong Kong. The letter reads:

"They are now here and thanks to God thaf they find themselves in a free country. Life in the Philippines
has become impossible: without courtesy, without virtue, without justice!"

While in Hong Kong, there were ideas of his plan to go home, in fact, before his mother and
some of his sisters joined him Hong Kong, He Wrote a letter to them on December 1, 1891 of his desire
to return back home but instead to his surprise went in Hong Kong to see him.

Another opposition came from his brother-in-law, Antonio Lopez who informed him that
everyone doesn't want him to go home because of their fear that he (Jose) will be persecuted. He wrote:

“I’m glad that you have abandoned your plan to come here, well, almost everybody is opposing to your
coming and l am also of the same opinion, as l have already told Tatay and Senior Paciano in my letter
last month not to let you come home to avoid greater evils and displeasures, which you already know. l
believe that from there, without coming here, you can do all you want for the welfare of the Philippines."

Aside from his family, his friends and contemporaries likewise do not want him to go home because they
feared that with the novels he wrote, his attackers (friars and authorities) will surely looked after him.