Section 2

RIZAL'S LIFE ABROAD

This section discusses Rizal's experiences living abroad. It focuses on his observations and realizations
while living somewhere far from his homeland, the different people he met, and the organizations he
became part of that have contributed to the development of his national consciousness.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

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

1. analyze the experiences Rizal had abroad that helped shape his nationalist sensibilities;

2. identify the different places that Rizal had been to and the people he met on his travels who might
have inspired him to be a propagandist; and

3. assess the significance and success of Rizal's mission abroad.

DIAGNOSTICS

Role Playing: Sumpaan ng Magkuya

Instructions: Divide the class into groups and reenact the scenes in Sumpaan ng Magkuya by Rene O.
Villanueva in The Anvil Jose Rizal Reader: On the Occasion of the Sesquicentennial of his Birth (1861-
2011), edited by Ani V. Habúlan. Then, do the activity on the next page.

1. Name at least four individuals who were aware of Rizal's departure bound for Spain.
a.

b.

C.

d.

2. Identify two individuals who made personal sacrifices in order to help Rizal in his mission abroad.
Name the individual and explain their personal sacrifices.

a.

b.

3. List Rizal's missions abroad.

a.

In 1882, after finishing his fourth year at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Rizal left for Spain to
continue his studies the According to some accounts, Rizal left the Philippines as part of a ve pact with
his brother Paciano. With only a few people departure, not even his parents nor his lover Leonor Rivera,
Rizal left the Philippines bound for Spain to observe life abroad and to write a book displaying Filipino
nationalism. In his journey, he was able to establi connections that facilitated the campaign for reforms
in the Philippines while trying to conceptualize his book. aware of

Rizal's trip was primarily funded by Paciano, who regularly sent him money for his upkeep. When the
agrarian crisis in Calamba took place, Rizal's allowance was delayed and he had to pawn the diamond
ring his sister Saturnina gave him before he left for Spain. He even had to cut his living costs, which
meant skipping meals and eating tuyo (dried fish). Rizal also had problems in paying rent which forced
him to move from one place to another.
Nevertheless, Rizal never lost focus on his mission. On his first visit to a foreign country, he witnessed
how people in Singapore displayed a carefree attitude whatever they did. This was because their rights
as were respected and their authorities were not abusive. He also traveled to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka),
Egypt, Italy, and France before finally arriving in Barcelona, Spain.

In Spain, Rizal regularly met with some of his former schoolmates from Ateneo Municipal and this
partially relieved his homesickness. He also wrote articles for a newspaper based in Manila, one of which
was his first published essay El Amor Patrio (Love of Country). He also spent his time growing his
personal library that included books on the lives of the presidents of the United States and the history of
the English civil war. In his collection of books, Rizal had two favorites-Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) by
Harriet Beecher Stowe and The Wandering Jew (1844) by Eugène Sue. These two books made Rizal
empathetic towards the less fortunate and reminded him of the unjust relationship between Filipinos
and Spaniards. This became Rizal's motivation to start drafting his own book.

Aside from reading and writing, Rizal was also overwhelmed by the courage and camaraderie displayed
by the Freemasonry. It did not take long before Rizal joined their ranks. Through the influence of his
uncle Jose Alberto, Rizal was given access to the Acacia Lodge of the Masonic Fraternity.

Rizal also met Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, a former alcalde of Manila, whose house commonly served as a
meeting place for Filipino students in Madrid. He soon joined the group, Circulo Hispano-Filipino, led by
Juan Atayde. He also regularly convened with his Filipino friends from the Los Indios Bravos that
included renowned painters Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.

Rizal also busied himself with learning different languages such as English, German, and French. Despite
his many engagements, Rizal still found time to continue drafting his book. One of his greatest influences
was Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist and traveler, whom he met in Berlin. Dr. Jagor's book inspired
Rizal to do something to emphasize that education is the answer to the Philippines' current social
condition. The biggest contributor to Rizal's venture in writing was Dr. Maximo Viola. He financed the
publication of Rizal's first book, Noli Me Tangere, in 1887 with 2,000 initial copies. Copies Viola and to
Rizal's friends in Spain, while others were Philippines that then reached the hands of the Governor
General of the Philippines and the Archbishop of Manila. were given to shipped to the
After the publication of Noli Me Tangere, Viola accompanied Rizal to Austria to finally meet Dr.
Ferdinand Blumentritt, with whom Rizal exchanged letters and books for several years and whom he
considered as one of his advisers. After a few trips to Rome and other parts of Italy, Rizal returned to the
Philippines to personally witness the impact of his novel.

EXERCISE 3.2.1 Scrapbooking/Travel Journal Project

Instructions: When Jose Rizal left the Philippines for Spain, he was able to meet many people and visit
many places. In each of Rizal's stopovers, identify a person or a place he visited. You may make a
scrapbook or a travel journal, highlighting Rizal's journey to:

1. Singapore

2. Colombo, Sri Lanka

3. Egypt

4. Naples, Italy

5. Marseilles, France

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Paris, France

8. Berlin, Germany

9. Prague, Czech Republic

10. Vienna, Austria

11. Bavaria, Germany

12. Geneva, Switzerland

13. Milan, Italy