LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

MODULE

Noli Me Tangere
6
OVERVIEW
The Noli Me Tangere was Rizal‘s fierst novel which tackled the society and government in
the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. He used cancer as the metaphor of the Philippines
society since like cancer, the sicknes of our society was untouched, growing to be chronic malady and
incurable. In his novel, he discussed how the friars deceived the Filipinos and made them blindly
believe in the practices of religion.

He used San Diego as the epitome of the Philippines, they events in San Diego were based
on his observation in political situations and society in our country and also there were influences of
the books that he had read while he was in Europe like the books of Harriet Beecher Stone entitled
‘’Uncle Tom’s Cabin’’ which described the abuses experienced by the Africans under their
American masters and the book written by Eugene Sue entitled ‘’ The Wandering Jew’’.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, after learning the module, you are expected to:

 Appraise the important characters of the novel and what they represent
 Examine the present Philippines situations through the examples mentioned in the novel

Learning Task 1

Present a skit showcasing a theme presented in the Noli (some examples; comparison of
women in the nineteenth century and in the present; social change; colonization; church
ministries; social hierarchy; patriotism; social reform)

Characters of the Novel

1. Juan Crisostomo Ibarra

He was main character in the novel, a gentlemen who studied in Europe, fully of
idealism and dream to contribute change in the society by the establishment of a school. He
was the son of Don Rafael Ibarra and the lover of Maria Clara. However, his good intention
failed because of Padre Damasco who did everything against his father and him. He was
also a picture of a son who wanted justice for his father who died because of injustice and
abuse of others in their power.

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2. Don Rafael Ibarra

He was the father of Crisostomo, a person who belonged to the high part of
the society but had a heart for the poor. Dignified and a person of principles.
A former friend of Padre Damaso and because of the prestige and recognition
that Don Rafael experienced, Padre Dasco envied him and plotted different
things against Don Rafael. He was imprisoned because he helped a child
under the abuse of a Spaniard. Inside the prison, he died and Padre Damaso
ordered that his remains should be thrown in the river.
3. Elias
He was a rebel in the novel. He became friends with Crisostomo when the latter
saved him from the crocodile who attacked them. He symbolized the less fortunate
Filipinos who though that uprising could be a means in ending their poverty and
abuse in the society.
4. Maria Clara
She was e girlfriend of Crisistomo, she symbolized a Filipina who came from a good
education, modest, faithful, reserved and conservative.
5. Sisa
The mother of Crispin and Basilio. She came from a rich family and married a man
who was engaged in gambling. They became poor and because her husband Pedro
did not want to work, her two children worked in the church. Unfortunately, the
Sakristan Mayor accused Crispin that he got the seven silver coins of the church.
Crispin was punished and later on died in the hands of Sakristan Mayor. Sisa
became insane because of her search for Basilio and Crispin. Sisa symbolized a
mother who would do everything for the sake of her children.
6. Kapitan Tiago
He was Don Anastacio de los Santos and one of the richest men in San Diego. He
was known as the father of Maria Clara and his house was often the venue for the
gatherings in the town. Even though he knew some of the irregularities in the
government and society, he would not do anything because he wanted were passive
and though of their welfare first.
7. Padre Damaso
The head priest of San Diego for 20 years. He was a former friend of Don Rafael Ibarra and
the real father of Maria Clara. He was envious, greedy and he would use his power to get
what he want. He symbolized the abusive leaders of the church and society.
8. Doῆa Victorina
She was the wife of Don Tiburcio de Espadaῆa a doctor. She was a social; climber and
dreamed to be part of the upper society. She symbolized the Filipinos who would give up
their principles and identities as a Filipino just to be part of the higher society.
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9. Doῆa Patrocino
She had an elicit love affair with the Alferez. Although she had bad attitudes and
habits, she wanted to hide it by being prayerful. She symbolized the Filipina who
always prayed and joined the activities in church just to hide her bad attitudes.
10. Pilosopo Tasio
He was considered insane in the novel because of his intelligence and his
assertiveness in speaking his mind. However, Crisostomo Ibarra often reffered to him
for truth and knowledge. He symbolized a Filipino who was intelligent and spoke for
his principle.

Learning Task 2

1. What is the most tragic story of the Noli Me Tangere?

____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why Dr Jose Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere?

____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What does Noli Me Tangere say about revenge?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. What do the characters Ibarra and Elías represent in the novel?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

5. Is Noli Me Tángere anti-Catholic or anti-religion? Why or why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE NOLE

Noli Me Tangere takes place in the Philippines during the time of Spanish colonization. In the

opening scene, a wealthy and influential Filipino man named Captain Tiago hosts a dinner party to

welcome Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin back to the Philippines. Ibarra has spent the last seven
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years studying in Europe. In talking to the various guests at Captain Tiago‘s dinner party, he

discovers that his father, Don Rafael, recently died, though he doesn‘t know why or how. During the

dinner, Father Dámaso, a loud-mouthed friar Ibarra has known since childhood, stands up and

insults Ibarra, disparaging him for having traveled to Europe to pursue an education he could have

obtained in the Philippines. In response, Ibarra swallows his pride and refrains from directing insults at

the half-drunk friar. Instead, he leaves the dinner early, ignoring Captain Tiago‘s plea that he stay a

little longer in order to see his fiancée (and Captain Tiago‘s daughter), María Clara.

On his way home, Ibarra walks with Señor Guevara, a lieutenant of the Civil Guard, Spain‘s

colonial armed forces that police the Philippines. The lieutenant explains that a few months after

Ibarra left, Father Dámaso accused Don Rafael of not going to confession. Don Rafael was a very

powerful man, which meant he had many enemies in both the Spanish government and in the church.

The lieutenant tells Ibarra that one day Don Rafael came upon a government tax collector beating a

boy in the street. When Rafael interfered, he accidentally pushed the man too hard, causing the tax

collector to hit his head on a rock. This injury eventually led to the man‘s death, and Ibarra‘s father

was thrown in jail and accused of subversion and heresy. At this point, Father Dámaso heaped new

accusations on him and everybody abandoned him. By the time he was finally proven innocent,

Guevara explains, Don Rafael had already died in prison.

Ibarra goes to his hometown, San Diego, where the unfortunate events of his father‘s death

took place. Since Captain Tiago owns multiple properties there, María Clara also relocates to San

Diego. November is approaching, a time the town celebrates with a large festival. This festival is

surrounded by various religious holidays, such as All Souls‘ Day, which commemorates dead people

in purgatory waiting for their souls to be cleansed before ascending to heaven. Taking advantage of

this, San Diego‘s priests implore the villagers to purchase indulgences, which they claim shorten the

length of time a soul must languish in purgatory. Ibarra quickly sees that the power of the Catholic

friars in the Philippines has greatly increased since he left for Europe, a fact made clear by their

control over even governmental officials. For instance, Father Salví, San Diego‘s new priest, is

constantly at odds with the military ensign in charge of the village‘s faction of the Civil Guard. Salví

uses his important religious position to spite the ensign, fining the man for missing church services

and delivering purposefully boring sermons when he does attend.

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The friars interfere with other elements of everyday life in San Diego too, which Ibarra learns

after speaking with the schoolmaster. The schoolmaster tells him that Father Dámaso actively

meddles with his educational techniques by demanding that he teach only in the country‘s native

language, Tagalog, instead of instructing the children to speak Spanish. Dámaso also insists that the

schoolmaster beat the children, creating a hostile environment that doesn‘t lend itself to productive

learning. Hearing this, Ibarra decides to build a secular school in San Diego, a project his father

dreamed about before his death. On the advice of the town‘s old philosopher, Tasio, Ibarra presents

his ideas to the town‘s religious and civic leaders, making it seem as if he wants them to be involved

with the school, even though he plans to ignore their influence after it is built.

Meanwhile, two poor boys named Crispín and Basilio study to be sextons, or people who

take care of the church. They do so in order to financially help their mother, Sisa, but Crispín is

unfairly accused of theft and thus must work constantly with his brother to pay off the absurd amounts

the chief sexton claims that Crispín owes the church. When he protests this injustice one night,

Crispín is hauled away and severely beaten. Scared for his brother‘s life, Basilio searches him out

before running home during a storm and waiting in vain with his mother for Crispín to appear. This

never materializes, and the next day Basilio goes back into town. Frightened, Sisa looks for both her

boys and is told that the Civil Guard has been ordered to arrest them for theft, though nobody can find

them. She herself is arrested and then released, at which point she searches throughout the night for

her boys, working herself into permanent insanity and destitution as she wanders the town and the

surrounding woods.

Visiting the Catholic cemetery, Ibarra speaks to a gravedigger and learns that, upon Father Dámaso‘s

orders, he dug up Don Rafael‘s body. Although the friar had instructed the gravedigger to take

Rafael‘s body to the Chinese cemetery—a less respected cemetery—the gravedigger threw Don

Rafael into the lake, thinking it a more honorable resting place.

Ibarra and the town‘s influential religious and government leaders decide to celebrate the new

school on the same day as the town‘s fiesta. The church makes plans to bless the new educational

building (though it is not yet completed) directly after a long sermon by Father Dámaso. During this

sermon, a mysterious figure approaches Ibarra. His name is Elías, a man whose life Ibarra recently

saved on an eventful fishing trip. Elías tells Ibarra that there is a plan to kill him during the school‘s

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benediction ceremony, warning him not to walk beneath a certain large stone suspended by a pulley

system. Ibarra ignores this advice, and sure enough, the stone hurdles toward him. Luckily Elías takes

action and covertly puts the criminal—the man plotting against Ibarra—in the way of the stone, killing

him instead of Ibarra. The festivities go on, but Ibarra now knows he has enemies.

That night, during a celebratory dinner hosted by Ibarra, Father Dámaso arrives uninvited. All

of San Diego‘s most respected individuals are in attendance, including the governor and the town‘s

other friars. Dámaso loudly insults the school and its architecture while also making callous remarks

about ―indios,‖ a racial slur for native Filipinos. He flippantly speaks about how ―indios‖ abandon their

country because they think they‘re superior, traveling to Europe instead. ―In this life the fathers of

such vipers are punished,‖ he says. ―They die in jail, eh, eh, or rather, they have no place…‖ When

Ibarra hears Dámaso make this crude reference to his father‘s unfair death, he jumps up and pins the

priest down, holding a knife in his free hand and publicly accusing Dámaso of exhuming his father‘s

body. Ibarra says he won‘t kill Dámaso, but his actions say otherwise, and as he lifts the knife to bury

it in the friar‘s body, María Clara snatches it from his hand.

In the aftermath of this scandalous event, Ibarra is excommunicated from the church. Captain

Tiago proves himself a spineless socialite by calling off the wedding between Ibarra and María Clara,

instead betrothing his daughter to Linares, a young man from Spain. Linares is the nephew of Don

Tiburcio de Espadaña, a fraudulent doctor who treats María Clara for a sudden illness that

incapacitates her for several days after the incident between Ibarra and Father Dámaso. Meanwhile,

the Captain General—the topmost government official representing Spain—visits San Diego. The

friars implore him to punish Ibarra, but because his priorities are more civic than religious and

because he supports Ibarra‘s mission to build a school, he pulls strings to have the young man‘s

excommunication lifted.

While Ibarra continues his project, Father Salví makes arrangements with a man

named Lucas, the brother of the man hired to kill Ibarra with the large stone. Because his brother

died, Lucas wants revenge on Ibarra. Father Salví—who secretly loves María Clara and who believes

Ibarra is a heretic—hatches a plot with Lucas to frame Ibarra. With Lucas‘s help, he organizes a band

of rebels to attack the Civil Guard‘s military barracks, telling them that Ibarra is the ringleader. Hours

before the attack takes place, Father Salví rushes to the ensign and warns him of the plan, making

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sure to request that the ensign let it be known that he—Salví—was the one to save the town by

discovering the plot and issuing a warning.

The attack goes according to Salví and Lucas‘s plan, and Ibarra is arrested. He is imprisoned and

found guilty, a verdict based on an ambiguous line in a letter he sent to María Clara. Once again Elías

comes to the rescue, breaking him out of prison and taking him away in a boat. Before they leave

town, Ibarra stops at María Clara‘s house, climbs onto her patio, and says goodbye to her. She

explains that she only parted with his letter—which led to his guilty sentencing—because she was

blackmailed. Apparently, a man came to her and told her that her real father is Fray Dámaso, not

Captain Tiago. The man threatened to spread this information if she didn‘t give him Ibarra‘s letter.

Feeling that she must protect Captain Tiago‘s honor and the memory of her deceased mother, she

handed over Ibarra‘s letter. Nonetheless, she tells Ibarra that she will always love him and that she is

deeply sorry for having betrayed him.

After saying goodbye to María Clara, Ibarra gets into Elías‘s boat. As the two men row into

the night, they continue a heated discussion they‘ve already begun about the nature of revolution and

reform, debating the merits of working within a corrupt system to change it rather than overthrowing

the system completely. As they talk, they realize they‘re being chased by another boat. Elías tries to

out-row their pursuers, but quickly realizes they‘ll eventually catch up. As bullets whip by, he tells

Ibarra to row, deciding to jump off the boat to confuse the people behind them. Before diving, he tells

Ibarra to meet him on Christmas Eve in the woods near San Diego, where Ibarra‘s grandfather is

buried with the family‘s riches. When Elías plunges into the water, the boat follows him instead of

Ibarra. Elías throws them off by diving deep into the water, only surfacing periodically. Soon, though,

the people chasing him don‘t see him come back up. They even think they see a bit of blood in the

water.

Back in San Diego, Father Dámaso visits María Clara, who tells him she can‘t marry Linares because

she doesn‘t love him. She references a newspaper, which falsely reported that Ibarra was found dead

on the banks of the lake. She tells the friar that this news has given her no reason to live and, as

such, she can‘t go through with the wedding, instead deciding to enter a convent.

On Christmas Eve, the young Basilio wanders forth from a cabin in the woods, where he‘s

been living with a kind family ever since the Civil Guard started looking for him. He goes into San

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Diego in search of Sisa, his mother. When he finds her, she doesn‘t recognize him and runs away,

leading him back to the woods, where she goes to the old tomb that contains Ibarra‘s grandfather.

Once he finally catches up to his mother, though, Basilio faints. Seeing finally that he is her son, Sisa

covers him with kisses. When Basilio wakes up, he finds that she has died by his side. At that

moment, Elías appears. He is wounded, and seeing that Ibarra has not arrived, he tells Basilio he is

about to die, instructing the boy to burn his and Sisa‘s bodies on a pyre. Looking up at the sky, he

utters his final words: ―I die without seeing dawn‘s light shining on my country…You, who will see it,

welcome it for me…don‘t forget those who fell during the nighttime.‖ The book ends without mention

of Ibarra‘s fate.

Assessment 1
Multiple Choice. Rear the following questions. Write the correct letter of
your answer on the space provided.
_____1. Which was NOT a reason why Rizal went to Berlin, Germany?
a. To publish Nili Me Tangere
b. To observe the social and economic conditions
c. To mingle with fellow scientists
d. To publish El Filibusterismo

_______2. Which was NOT TRUE about Noli Me Tangere?

a. It was originally a project that would be made with other propagandists.

b. It was only published through the financial help of Maximo Viola
c. It was well received by everyone who read it
d. It was written well in Spanish

_______3. How do we translate the title of Noli Me Tangere in English?

a. Touch Ne Never c. Touch Me Not

b. Touch Me Here d. No Touch

_______4. Which was NOT TRUE about the title of Noli Me Tangere?

a. The title served to confuse the readers

b. The title was taken from a passage from Bible
c. The title referred to a social cancer
d. The title was Latin

_______5. Which was TRUE about the social cancer Rizal talks about?

a. It referred to vanity.
b. It referred to the Spaniards
c. It referred to a chronic ailment that haunts society
d. It referred to nothingness.

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Required Readings:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal: A Modular Approach
Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum ., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St., Intramuros, Manila:
Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018

References:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal A Modular
Approach Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St.,
Intramuros, Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018
 https://www.litcharts.com/lit/noli-me-tangere/summary

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MODULE

El Filibusterismo
7
OVERVIEW
The second and last novel completed by José Rizal (though he left behind the unfinished
manuscript of a third one), El Filibusterismo is a sequel to Noli Me Tangere. A dark, brooding, at times
satirical novel of revenge, unfulfilled love, and tragedy, the Fili (as it is popularly referred to) still has
as its protagonist Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra. Thirteen years older, his idealism and youthful dreams
shattered, and taking advantage of the belief that he died at the end of Noli Me Tangere, he is
disguised as Simoun, an enormously wealthy and mysterious jeweler who has gained the confidence
of the colony‘s governor-general.

A number of other characters from the Noli reappear, among them: Basilio, whose mother
and younger brother Crispin met tragic ends; Father Salví, the devious former curate of San Diego
responsible for Crispin‘s death, and who had lusted after Ibarra‘s love, María Clara; the idealistic
schoolmaster from San Diego; Captain Tiago, the wealthy widower and legal father of María Clara;
and Doña Victorina de Espadaña and her Spanish husband, the faux doctor Tiburcio, now hiding from
her with the indio priest Father Florentino at his remote parish on the Pacific coast.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, after learning the module, you are expected to:

 Compare and contrast the plot, character and theme of El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere
 Value the role of youth in the development of future society.

Learning Task 1

The student will choose a character in El Filibusterismo and make a symbol about the
personality, contributions or part of the character in the novel.

El FILIBUSTERISMO AND NOLI Me TANGERE

Noli Me Tangere
El Filibusterismo
 Published in Berlin, Germany  The Subversive
 March 21, 1887  Published in Ghent, Belgium
 Published through the help of Maximo Viola  September 18, 891

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 Influenced by the novel entitled ‘’Uncle  Saved by Vaentine Ventura

Tom’s Cabin’’  Dedicated to the GOMBURZA
 A novel exposing the real situation in the
 Sequel to the Noli
Philippines
 Darker and more tragic than its
 Touch Me Not
predecessor
 Huwag mo akong Salingin
 Shorter than Noli (Noli- 64
 Came from Bible
chapters; Fili- 38 chapters)
 Sometimes used to described an eye cancer
 Refers to the existing SOCIAL CANCER  A Political Novel

 Culture of the Philippines  A story of revenge and revolution.

 An idealist introducing reforms  Metaphor of Philippine Society
(Bapor Tabo and Pasig River)
 Simoun‘s plot of revenge and
revolution
 Failure of Revolution planned by
Simoun.

Major characters
 Simoun

– Crisóstomo Ibarra in disguise, presumed dead at the end of Noli Me Tángere. Ibarra has
returned as the wealthy jeweler Simoun. His appearance is described as being tanned,
having a sparse beard, long white hair, and large blue-tinted glasses. He was sometimes
crude and confrontational. He was derisively described by Custodio and Ben-Zayb as an
American mulatto or a British Indian. While presenting as the arrogant elitist on the outside,
he secretly plans a violent revolution in order to avenge himself for his misfortunes as
Crisóstomo Ibarra, as well as hasten Elias' reformist goals.

 Basilio

– son of Sisa and another character from Noli Me Tángere. In the events of El fili, he is an
aspiring and so far successful physician on his last year at university and was waiting for his
license to be released upon his graduation. After his mother's death in the Noli, he applied as
a servant in Kapitán Tiago's household in exchange for food, lodging, and being allowed to
study. Eventually he took up medicine, and with Tiago having retired from society, he also
became the manager of Tiago's vast estate. He is a quiet, contemplative man who is more
aware of his immediate duties as a servant, doctor, and member of the student association
than he is of politics or patriotic endeavors. His sweetheart is Juli, the daughter of Kabesang
Tales whose family took him in when he was a young boy fleeing the Guardia Civil and his
deranged mother.

 Isagani

– Basilio's friend. He is described as a poet, taller and more robust than Basilio although
younger. He is the nephew of Padre Florentino, but is also rumored to be Florentino's son
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with his old sweetheart before he was ordained as a priest. During the events of the novel,
Isagani is finishing his studies at the Ateneo Municipal and is planning to take medicine. A
member of the student association, Isagani is proud and naive, and tends to put himself on
the spot when his ideals are affronted. His unrestrained idealism and poeticism clash with
the more practical and mundane concerns of his girlfriend, Paulita Gomez. When Isagani
allows himself to be arrested after their association is outlawed, Paulita leaves him for
Juanito Peláez. In his final mention in the novel, he was bidding goodbye to his landlords, the
Orenda family, to stay with Florentino permanently.

 Father Florentino

– Isagani's uncle and a retired priest. Florentino was the son of a wealthy and influential
Manila family. He entered the priesthood at the insistence of his mother. As a result he had
to break an affair with a woman he loved, and in despair devoted himself instead to his
parish. When the 1872 Cavite mutiny broke out, he promptly resigned from the priesthood,
fearful of drawing unwanted attention. He was an indio (native) and a secular (a priest that
was unaffiliated with the Catholic religious orders), yet his parish drew in huge income. He
retired to his family's large estate along the shores of the Pacific. He is described as white-
haired, with a quiet, serene personality and a strong build. He did not smoke or drink. He
was well respected by his peers, even by Spanish friars and officials.

 Father Fernández

– a Dominican who was a friend of Isagani. Following the incident with the posters, he invited
Isagani to a dialogue, not so much as a teacher with his student but as a friar with a Filipino.
Although they failed to resolve their differences, they each promised to approach their
colleagues with the opposing views from the other party – although both feared that given
the animosity that existed between their sides, their own compatriots may not believe in the
other party's existence.

 Kapitán Tiago

– Don Santiago de los Santos. María Clara's father. Having several landholdings in
Pampanga, Binondo, and Laguna, as well as taking ownership of the Ibarras' vast estate,
Tiago still fell into depression following María's entry into the convent. He alleviated this by
smoking opium, which quickly became an uncontrolled vice, exacerbated by his association
with Padre Írene who regularly supplied him with the substance. Tiago hired Basilio as a
capista, a servant who given the opportunity to study as part of his wages; Basilio eventually
pursued medicine and became his caregiver and the manager of his estate. Tiago died of
shock upon hearing of Basilio's arrest and Padre Írene's embellished stories of violent revolt.

 Captain-General

– the highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The
Captain-General in the novel is Simoun's friend and confidant, and is described as having an
insatiable lust for gold. Simoun met him when he was still a major during the Ten Years'
War in Cuba. He secured the major's friendship and promotion to Captain-General through
bribes. When he was posted in the Philippines, Simoun used him as a pawn in his own
power plays to drive the country into revolution. The Captain-General was shamed into not
extending his tenure after being rebuked by a high official in the aftermath of Basilio's
imprisonment. This decision to retire would later on prove to be a crucial element to Simoun's
schemes.

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 Father Bernardo Salví

– the former parish priest of San Diego in Noli Me Tángere, and now the director and
chaplain of the Santa Clara convent. The epilogue of the Noli implies that Salví regularly
rapes María Clara when he is present at the convent. In El fili, he is described as her
confessor. In spite of reports of Ibarra's death, Salví believes that he is still alive and lives in
constant fear of his revenge.

 Father Millon

– a Dominican who serves as a physics professor in the University of Santo Tomas.

 Quiroga

– a Chinese businessman who aspired to be a consul for China in the Philippines. Simoun
coerced Quiroga into hiding weapons inside the latter's warehouses in preparation for the
revolution.

 Don Custodio

– Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a famous "contractor" who was tasked

by the Captain-General to develop the students association's proposal for an academy for
the teaching of Spanish, but was then also under pressure from the priests not to
compromise their prerogatives as monopolizers of instruction. Some of the novel's most
scathing criticism is reserved for Custodio, who is portrayed as an opportunist who married
his way into high society, who regularly criticized favored ideas that did not come from him,
but was ultimately, laughably incompetent in spite of his scruples.

 Ben-Zayb

– A columnist for the Manila Spanish newspaper El Grito de la Integridad. Ben-Zayb is his
pen name and is an anagram of Ybáñez, an alternate spelling of his last name Ibáñez. His
first name is not mentioned. Ben-Zayb is said to have the looks of a friar, and believes that in
Manila they think because he thinks. He is deeply patriotic, sometimes to the point
of jingoism. As a journalist, he had no qualms embellishing a story, conflating and butchering
details, turning phrases over and over, making a mundane story sound better than it actually
was. Father Camorra derisively calls him an ink-slinger.

 Father Camorra

– the parish priest of Tiani. Ben-Zayb's regular foil, he is said to look like an artilleryman in
counterpoint to Ben-Zayb's friar looks. He stops at nothing to mock and humiliate Ben-Zayb's
liberal pretensions. In his own parish, Camorra has a reputation for unrestrained lustfulness.
He drives Juli into suicide after attempting to rape her inside the convent. For his
misbehavior he was "detained" in a luxurious riverside villa just outside Manila.

 Father Írene

– Kapitán Tiago's spiritual adviser. Along with Don Custodio, Írene is severely criticized as a
representative of priests who allied themselves with temporal authority for the sake of power
and monetary gain. Known to many as the final authority who Custodio consults, the student
association sought his support and gifted him with two chestnut-colored horses, yet he
betrayed the students by counseling Custodio into making them fee collectors in their own
school, which was then to be administered by the Dominicans instead of being a secular and
privately managed institution as the students envisioned. Írene secretly but regularly supplies
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Kapitán Tiago with opium while exhorting Basilio to do his duty. Írene embellished stories of
panic following the outlawing of the student association Basilio was part of, hastening
Kapitán Tiago's death. With Basilio in prison, he then removed Basilio out of Tiago's last will
and testament, ensuring he inherited nothing.

 Placido Penitente

– A student of the University of Santo Tomas who had a distaste for study and would have
left school if it were not for his mother's pleas for him to stay. He clashes with his physics
professor, who then accuses him of being a member of the student association, whom the
friars despise. Following the confrontation, he meets Simoun at the Quiapo Fair. Seeing
potential in Placido, Simoun takes him along to survey his preparations for the upcoming
revolution. The following morning Placido has become one of Simoun's committed followers.
He is later seen with the former schoolmaster of San Diego, who was now Simoun's bomb-
maker.

 Paulita Gómez

– The girlfriend of Isagani and the niece of Doña Victorina, the old Indio who passes herself
off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña. In the end,
she and Isagani part ways, Paulita believing she will have no future if she marries him. She
eventually marries Juanito Peláez.
Characters from Barrio Sagpang:

 Kabesang Tales

– Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former Cabeza de Barangay of Barrio Sagpang in Tiani. He was
a sugarcane planter who cleared lands he thought belonged to no one, losing his wife and
eldest daughter in the endeavor. When the Dominicans took over his farm, he fought to his
last money to have it retained in his possession. While his suit against the Dominicans was
ongoing, he was kidnapped by bandits while he was out patrolling his fields. Having no
money to pay his captors, his daughter Juli was forced to become a maid in exchange for her
mistress paying his ransom. When his son Tano was conscripted into the Guardia Civil,
again Tales had no money to pay for Tano's exclusion from the draft. When in spite of all
Tales lost the case, he not only lost his farm but was also dealt with a heavy fine. He later
joined the bandits and became one of their fiercest commanders. Tandang Selo, his father,
would later on join his band after the death of Juli.

 Tandang Selo

– father of Kabesang Tales and grandfather of Tano and Juli. A deer hunter and later a
broom-maker, he and Tales took in the young, sick Basilio who was then fleeing from the
Guardia Civil. On Christmas Day, when Juli left to be with her mistress, Selo suffered some
form of stroke that impaired his ability to speak. After Juli's suicide, Selo left town
permanently, taking with him his hunting spear. He was later seen with the bandits and was
killed in an encounter with the Guardia Civil – ironically by the gun of the troops'
sharpshooter Tano, his grandson.

 Juli – Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales.
When Tales was captured by bandits, Juli petitioned Hermana Penchang to pay for his
ransom. In exchange, she had to work as Penchang's maid. Basilio ransomed her and
bought a house for her family. When Basilio was sent to prison, Juli approached Tiani's
curate, Padre Camorra, for help. When Camorra tried to rape her, Juli jumped to her death
from the church's tower.
 Tano
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– Kabesang Tales's son, second to Lucia who died in childhood. He was nicknamed
"Carolino" after returning from Guardia Civil training in the Carolines. His squad was
escorting prisoners through a road that skirted a mountain when they were ambushed by
bandits. In the ensuing battle, Tano, the squad's sharpshooter, killed a surrendering bandit
from a distance, not knowing it was his own grandfather Selo.

 Hermana Penchang

– the one among the "rich folks" of Tiani who lent Juli money to ransom Kabesang Tales
from the bandits. In return, Juli will serve as her maid until the money was paid off. Penchang
is described as a pious woman who speaks Spanish; however, her piety was clouded over
by the virtues taught by the friars. While Juli was in her service, she made her work
constantly, refusing to give her time off so she can take care of her grandfather Selo.
Nevertheless, when the rich folks of Tiani shunned Juli because to support her family in any
way might earn some form of retribution from the friars, Penchang was the only one who
took pity upon her.

 Hermana Báli

– Juli's mother-figure and counselor. She accompanied Juli in her efforts to secure
Kabesang Tales' ransom and later on Basilio's release. Báli was a panguinguera – a gambler
– who once performed religious services in a Manila convent. When Tales was captured by
bandits, it was Báli who suggested to Juli the idea to borrow money from Tiani's wealthy
citizens, payable when Tales' legal dispute over his farm was won.
Student association for the teaching of Spanish:

 Macaraig

– the leader. He is described as wealthy, with his own coach, driver, and set of horses. He is
said to own several houses, and that he is lending one to serve as the schoolhouse for their
planned Spanish language academy. After the outlawing of the group, he was the first to
post bail. He then left the country after his release.

 Sandoval

– a Peninsular who had come to Manila as a government employee and was finishing his
studies, and who had completely identified himself with the cause of the Filipino students.
After the outlawing of the group, he still managed to pass his courses through sheer
oratorical skill.

 Pecson

– described as chubby, pessimistic, and having an annoying grin. He is Sandoval's regular

foil when Sandoval launches into any kind of patriotic, optimistic speech. After they receive
disappointing news about their Spanish language academy project, it was Pecson who
suggested a torch-lit dinner at the Panciteria Macanista de Buen Gusto, just a block away
from the Binondo Church and Convent, served by naked Chinese waiters. From there
Sandoval and Pecson became more gracious to each other.

 Tadeo

– a truant and charlatan who regularly dreamed of an eternal "holiday" from school, but was
all the same beloved by professors and passed courses. A longtime Manila resident, he is
seen having fun by telling outrageous stories about himself to a newcomer student from his

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home province. After the outlawing of the group, he alone seemed to welcome imprisonment
as it meant not going to school. His holiday realized at last, he "celebrated" by setting up a
bonfire using his books upon his release.

 Juanito Peláez

– Isagani's rival for Paulita Gomez's affection. He was the son of a Timoteo Peláez, a
metalworks trader. He was a favorite of his professors. A regular prankster, he was said to
have developed a hump by playing some trick and then hunching behind his classmates. He
paid his dues to the student association, but broke away just as easily when the association
was outlawed. Following Isagani's arrest, Paulita breaks off from Isagani to marry Juanito.

Learning Task 2

1. Why el Filibusterismo dedicated to GOMBURZA?

____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

2.Why did Rizal decide d to make the revolution fail in Fili?

____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why did Simoun want to make the Filipinos suffer?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. Compare the differences of Noli and El Filibustirismo?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

5. What were the struggles that Rizal went through to publish El Fili?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

PLOT OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO

In the events of the previous novel, Crisóstomo Ibarra, a reform-minded mestizo who
tried to establish a modern school in his hometown of San Diego and marry his
childhood sweetheart, was falsely accused of rebellion and presumed dead after a shootout
following his escape from prison. Elías, his friend who was also a reformer, sacrificed his life to
give Crisóstomo a chance to regain his treasure and flee the country, and hopefully continue
their crusade for reforms from abroad. After a thirteen-year absence from the country, a more
revolutionary Crisóstomo has returned, having taken the identity of Simoun, a corrupt jeweler

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whose objective is to drive the government to commit as much abuse as possible in order to
drive people into revolution.
Simoun goes from town to town presumably to sell his jewels. In San Diego, he goes to
the Ibarra mausoleum to retrieve more of his treasure but accidentally runs into Basilio, who was
then also in the mausoleum visiting his mother's grave. In the years since the death of his
mother, Basilio had been serving as Kapitán Tiago's servant in exchange for being allowed to
study. He is now an aspiring doctor on his last year at university as well as heir to Kapitán
Tiago's wealth. When Basilio recognizes Simoun as Crisóstomo Ibarra, Simoun reveals his
motives to Basilio and offers him a place in his plans. Too secure of his place in the world, Basilio
declines.
At Barrio Sagpang in the town of Tiani, Simoun stays at the house of the village's cabeza de
barangay, Tales. Having suffered misfortune after misfortune in recent years, Kabesang Tales is
unable to resist the temptation to steal Simoun's revolver and join the bandits.
In Los Baños, Simoun joins his friend, the Captain-General, who is then taking a break
from a hunting excursion. In a friendly game of cards with him and his cronies, Simoun raises the
stakes higher and higher and half-jokingly secures blank orders for deportation, imprisonment,
and summary execution from the Captain-General.
In Manila, Simoun meets with Quiroga,[2] a wealthy Chinese businessman and aspiring consul-
general for the Chinese empire. Quiroga is heavily in Simoun's debt, but Simoun offers him a
steep discount if Quiroga does him a favor—to store Simoun's massive arsenal of rifles in
Quiroga's warehouses, to be used presumably for extortion activities with Manila's elite. Quiroga,
who hated guns, reluctantly agrees.
During the Quiapo Fair, a talking heads[3] exhibit[4] ostensibly organized by a certain Mr.
Leeds but secretly commissioned by Simoun is drawing popular acclaim. Padre Bernardo Salví,
now chaplain of the Convent of the Poor Clares,[5] attends one of the performances. The exhibit is
set in Ptolemaic Egypt but features a tale that closely resembled that of Crisóstomo Ibarra and
María Clara, and their fate under Salví. The show ends with an ominous vow of revenge. Deeply
overcome with guilt and fear, Salví recommends the show be banned, but not before Mr. Leeds
sailed for Hong Kong.
Months pass and the night of Simoun's revolution comes. Simoun visits Basilio in Tiago's
house and tries to convince him again to join his revolution. Simoun's plan is for a cannon volley
to be fired, at which point Kabesang Tales, now a bandit who calls himself Matanglawin, and
Simoun who managed to deceive and recruit a sizable rogue force among the government
troops, will lead their forces into the city. The leaders of the Church, the University, scores of
bureaucrats, the Captain-General himself, as well as the bulk of officers guarding them are all
conveniently located in one location, the theater where a controversial and much-hyped
performance of Les cloches de Corneville[6] is taking place. While Simoun and Matanglawin direct
their forces, Basilio and several others are to force open the door of the Convent of the Poor
Clares and rescue María Clara.
However, Basilio reports to Simoun that María Clara died just that afternoon, killed by the
travails of monastic life under Salví, who always lusted after her. Simoun, driven by grief, aborts
the attack and becomes crestfallen throughout the night. It will be reported later on that he
suffered an "accident" that night, leaving him confined to his bed.
The following day posters threatening violence to the leaders of the university and the
government are found at the university doors. A reform-oriented student group to which Basilio
belonged is named the primary suspects; the members are arrested. They are eventually freed
through the intercession of relatives, except for Basilio who is an orphan and has no means to
pay for his freedom. During his imprisonment, he learns that Capitan Tiago has died, leaving him
with nothing (but Tiago's will was actually forged by Padre Írene, Tiago's spiritual advisor who
also supplies him with opium); his childhood sweetheart has committed suicide to avoid getting
raped by the parish priest when she tried asking for help on Basilio's behalf; and that he has
missed his graduation and will be required to study for another year, but now with no funds to go

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by. Released through the intercession of Simoun, a darkened, disillusioned Basilio joins
Simoun's cause wholeheartedly.
Simoun, meanwhile, has been organizing a new revolution, and he reveals his plans to a
now committed Basilio. The wedding of Juanito Peláez and Paulita Gomez will be used to
coordinate the attack upon the city. As the Peláez and Gomez families are prominent members
of the Manila elite, leaders of the church and civil government are invited to the reception. The
Captain-General, who declined to extend his tenure despite Simoun's urging, is leaving in two
days and is the guest of honor.
Simoun will personally deliver a pomegranate-shaped crystal lamp as a wedding gift. The
lamp is to be placed on a plinth at the reception venue and will be bright enough to illuminate the
entire hall, which was also walled with mirrors. After some time the light will flicker as if to go out.
When someone attempts to raise the wick, a mechanism hidden within the lamp
containing fulminated mercury will detonate, igniting the lamp which is actually filled
with nitroglycerin, killing everyone in an enormous blast.
At the sound of the explosion, Simoun's mercenaries will attack, reinforced by
Matanglawin and his bandits who will descend upon the city from the surrounding hills. Simoun
postulates that at the chaos, the masses, already worked to a panic by the government's heavy-
handed response to the poster incident, as well as rumors of German ships at the bay to lend
their firepower to any uprising against the Spanish government, will step out in desperation to kill
or be killed. Basilio and a few others are to put themselves at their head and lead them to
Quiroga's warehouses, where Simoun's guns are still being kept. The plan thus finalized, Simoun
gives Basilio a loaded revolver and sends him away to await further instructions.
Basilio walks the streets for hours and passes by his old home, Kapitán Tiago's riverside
house on Anloague Street. He discovers that this was to be the reception venue – Juanito
Peláez's father bought Tiago's house as a gift for the newlywed couple. Sometime later, he sees
Simoun enter the house with the lamp, then hastily exit the house and board his carriage. Basilio
begins to move away but sees Isagani, his friend and Paulita Gomez's former lover, sadly
looking at Paulita through the window. Noting how close they were to the condemned house,
Basilio tries to head Isagani off, but Isagani was too dazed with grief to listen to him. In
desperation, Basilio reveals to Isagani how the house is set to explode at any time then. But
when Isagani still refuses to heed him, Basilio flees, leaving Isagani to his fate.
Seeing Basilio's demeanor, Isagani is temporarily, rather belatedly unnerved by the revelation.
Isagani rushes into the house, seizes the lamp leaving the hall in darkness, and throws it into the
river. With this, Simoun's second revolution fails as well.
In the following days, as the trappings at the reception venue are torn down, sacks
containing gunpowder are discovered hidden under the boards all over the house. Simoun, who
had directed the renovations, is exposed. With his friend, the Captain-General, having left for
Spain, Simoun is left without his protector and is forced to flee. A manhunt ensues and Simoun is
chased as far away as the shores of the Pacific. He then spends the rest of his days hiding in the
ancestral mansion of Padre Florentino, Isagani's uncle.
One day, the lieutenant of the local Guardia Civil informs Florentino that he received an
order to arrest Simoun that night. In response, Simoun drinks the slow-acting poison which he
always kept in a compartment on his treasure chest. Simoun then makes his final confession to
Florentino, first revealing his true name, to Florentino's shock. He goes on to narrate how thirteen
years before, as Crisóstomo Ibarra, he lost everything in the Philippines despite his good
intentions. Crisóstomo swore vengeance. Retrieving some of his family's treasure Elias buried in
the Ibarra mausoleum in the forest, Crisóstomo fled to foreign lands and engaged in trade. He
took part in the war in Cuba, aiding first one side and then another, but always profiting. There
Crisóstomo met the Captain-General who was then a major, whose goodwill he won first by
loans of money, and afterwards by covering for his criminal activity. Crisóstomo bribed his way to
secure the major's promotion to Captain-General and his assignment to the Philippines. Once in
the country, Crisóstomo then used him as a blind tool and incited him to all kinds of injustice,
availing himself of the Captain-General's insatiable lust for gold.

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The confession is long and arduous, and night has fallen when Crisóstomo finished. In
the end, Florentino assures the dying man of God's mercy, but explains that his revolution failed
because he has chosen means that God cannot sanction. Crisóstomo bitterly accepts the
explanation and dies.
Realizing that the arresting officers will confiscate Crisóstomo's possessions, Florentino
divests him of his jewels and casts them into the Pacific, proclaiming that God will provide means
to draw them out if they should be needed for righteous causes, God will provide the means to
draw them out and that they will not be used to either distort justice or incite greed.

ASSESSMENT
Multiple Choice. Read the following questions. Write the correct letter on the space
provided.
_______1. What are main themes of El Filibusterismo?
a. Life and Love
b. Revenge and Revolution
c. Greatness and Destruction
d. Death and Rreincanation
_________2. What is the symbolism of Bapor Tabo and its environment?
a. It symbolize the social classes, discrimination, and corruption in the Philippine.
b. It symbolizes the revival of Philippine culture.
c. It symbolizes the emancipation of the Filipinos from the shackles of colonization
d. It symbolizes nothing
_________3. What is the purpose of Rizal when he put a secular priest *Padre Florentino) in the
novel?
a. He tried to convince Spain not to accept Filipino priests.
b. He tried to show that corruption was also done by Filipino priests.
c. He tried to show the importance of abstinence.
________4. Why did the revolution fail in the novel?
a. Because Simoun was ill-prepared.
b. Because the Spaniards discovered it.
c. Because there was betrayal
d. Because the leader had selfish desires.
________5. How was El Filibusterismo connected with Noli Me Tangere?
a. They were both written in Germany
b. They were both comedic novels
c. El Fili was the sequed of Noli
d. The two novels were about the oppression of the Filipinos

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Required Readings:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal: A Modular Approach
Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum ., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St., Intramuros, Manila:
Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_filibusterismo

References:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal A Modular
Approach Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St.,
Intramuros, Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018
 https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/302595/el-filibusterismo-by-jose-
rizal/9780143106395/readers-guide/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_filibusterismo

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MODULE

8 The Philippines: A Century Hence

(Other possible topics: Letter to the
Women of Malolos/ The Indolence)

OVERVIEW

In this last module we will discuss Jose Rizal essay the ―Indolence of the
Filipino People‘‘ and legacy to Filipino women is embodied in his famous essay entitled, ―To the
Young Women of Malolos,‖ where he addresses all kinds of women – mothers, wives, the unmarried,
etc. and expresses everything that he wishes them to keep in mind. Also in this module we will tackle
the difference between the ―bayani and kabayaniha‘‘ .

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, after learning the module, you are expected to:

 Assess Rizal‘s Writings

 Appraise the values of understanding the past
 Interpret views and opinions about bayan/kabayanihan in the context of Philippine history and
society.
 Assess the concepts of bayani and kabayanihan in the context of Philippine Society.

Learning Task 1

Make your own script spoken poetry about how you love our mother land ‗‘Philippines‘‘

The Indolence of the Filipino People

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

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Main Points of the Essay

1. Indolence is not only laziness but little love for work and lack of energy.
2. Man is not a brute nor a machine so indolence is natural.
3. Indolence is not the cause of backwardness is the result of indolence.
4. The cause of indolence are climate, Spanish colonization, and Filipinos own fault.
5. The indolence of the Filipinos is the result of the following reasons:
a. Spanish policies like forced labor and taxation without representation
b. Religion
c. No motivation for work
d. Gambling

6. The solution to indolence are proper training and sense of nationalism.

ASSESSMENT 1

1. How does Rizal define indolence?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you agree with Rizal‘s presentation of our pre-colonial history? why or why not?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why did the Spaniards brand us as indolent?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why did the Spaniards brand us as indolent?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Philippines A Century Hence

Background
The Philippines A Century Hence contain the predictions of Jose Rizal about the Philippines
100 years before its publication. He published the essay on September 30, 1889 under the
La Solidaridad .

Main Points of the Essay

1. Using the past to understand the present thus predicting the future.
2. Filipinos have lost confidence in their past, lost faith in the present, and lost their hope in the
future.

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3. The Filipinos will still be under Spain if they will implement the freedom of the press and the
Filipinos has representation in the Spanish Cortez.
4. If the reforms are not implemented then a spirit of nation rises and thus, a revolution is highly
positive.

ASSESSMENT 2
1. What did Jose Rizal foresee of the Philippines to become 100 years from his time?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. What was Rizal really hoping for the Philippines in this essay?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the main idea of the Philippines a century hence?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. Will the Philippine Islands continue to be a Spanish colony and if so what kind of colony?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Letter to the Young Women of Malolos

Background
The Letter to the Young Women of Malolos was written by Dr. Jose P. Rizal as fulfillment
of the request of Marcelo H. del Pilar to commend the young women of Malolos who fought for their
rights for education.

On December 12, 1888, the committee of 20 young women of Malolos expressed their desire
to acquire education. They wrote a letter of request to Governor Valeriano Weyter and petition to
establish a night school.

The young ladies were:

1. Cecilia Tiongson 11. Teresa Tantoco

2. Merced Tionson 12. Maria Tantoco
3. Aleja Tiongson 13. Rufina Reyes
4. Agapita Tiongson 14. Leonisa Reyes
5. Filomena Tiongson 15. Olimpia Reyes
6. Paz Tiongson 16. Juana Reyes
7. Feliciana Tiongson 17. Elisea Reyes
8. Anastacia Tiongson 18. Alberta UJi-Tangloy
9. Emilia Tiongson 19. Eugenia M. Tanchangco
10. Basilia Tiongson 20. Aurea M. Tanchangcp

Main Points of the Essay

1. The problem of the Filipina
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a. Blind obedience
b. Wrong understanding of religion
c. At fault for the continuing slavery of the Filipinos
2. The Filipino women should do the following:
a. Fight for their rights for education
b. Teach their children to love their country more than they love themselves like the
Spartan mother.
c. Fulfill their duty as mothers and wives.
3. All men are corrected equal and the ability to think.
4. The teaching of the friars about religion is not the same as God‘s teaching.
5. Saintliness is doing what is right and understanding your own religion.

ASSESSMENT 3
1. Why did Marcelo del Pilar request Rizal to write a congratulatory letter to the young women of
Malolos?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the impact of the ‖ letter to the Young Women of Malolos‖ to all women during the
colonization of Spaniards?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Filipina women during colonization of Spaniards are luck of what? Explain your answer.

_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Jose Rizal And The Philippine Nationalism: Bayani And

Kabayanihan

BAYANI AT KABAYANIHAN
 The word ―Bayani‖ or hero in Filipino is someone who saves somebody‘s lives. However, this
word carries a deeper context wherein only those people who are willing to suffer and
sacrifice themselves for the good of the country are worthy enough to be called as such.
Being called a hero requires a greater act of bravery.

 Dr. Jose P. Rizal was a man of intellectual power and artistic talent whom Filipinos honor as
their national hero (Szczepanski, 2019). Rizal is not only admired for possessing intellectual
brilliance but also for taking a stand and resisting the Spanish colonial government. While his
death sparked a revolution to overthrow the tyranny, Rizal will always be remembered for his
compassion towards the Filipino people and the country. Another remarkable hero that we all
know is Andres Bonifacio. The Kataas- taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan or KKK played a huge role in the revolt of the Filipinos against the Spaniards.
In the center of that revolution was its founder, Supremo Andres Bonifacio. Furthermore,
according to Vallejo Jr., (2010), Filipinos also remember General Antonio Luna as a brilliant,
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brave soldier and tactician of the second phase of the Revolution and the proverbial hothead
but never as the excellent scientist. He has no epitaph but perhaps his words before leaving
exile in Europe for Manila are apt: ―I will fight and offer my life, my small knowledge and
science for the liberation of the Motherland.‖

 What does it take to be a hero? The heroism in real life does not require someone to sacrifice his or her life to be
called a bayani. The people what we set up as heroes are people that generally go above and beyond in terms
of the call of duty, they do things that are extraordinary. The act of heroism is debatable to some people
however, for any hero, it‘s enough just knowing they helped someone else. That‘s what makes them a true
hero.

 The American decided for him a national hero at their time in the country. It is side that the
Americans, Civil Governor William Howard Taft; chose Jose Rizal to be the national hero as
strategy. Rizal didn‘t want bloody revolution in this time. So they wanted him to be a ― good
example‖ to the Filipinos so that the people will not revolt against the Americans. Rizal
became a National Hero because he passed the criteria by being National Hero during the
American period.

Adding that Rizal passed the criteria for National Heroes:

1. Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and
struggle for the nation‘s freedom. In reality, however, a revolution has no end.
Revolutions are only the beginning. One cannot aspire to be free only to sink
back into bondage.
2. Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system or life of freedom
and order for a nation. Freedom without order will only lead to anarchy.
Therefore, heroes are those who make the nation‘s constitution and laws. To
the latter, constitution are only the beginning, for it is the people living under
the constitution that truly constitute a nation.
3. The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events
in history, but of the entire process that made this particular person a hero.

Jose Rizal and Philippines Nationalism: National Symbol

Rizal as a National Symbol

Symbols express thoughts that are represented by things. Those things are conventionally
associated with meaning that made them called to be symbols. There are 2 types of symbols: either
officially or traditional, National symbols represent and distinguish a certain country from other
country. It also somehow unites it‘s people and provoke some sense of nationalism.
The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines defined that national
symbols represent the country‘s traditions and ideals that also convey the principles of the Philippine
sovereign (self-governing state) and national solidarity (unit). According to NCCA, official national
symbols of the Philippines are the following: Philippines national flag, Lupang Hinirang, sampaguita,
narra, Philippine eagle, Philippine pearl and aims. However, there is also a list of our country‘s
unofficial but traditional national symbols: anahaw, mango, carabao or tamaraw, bahay kubo, bangus,
tinikling or cariῆosa and adobo or sinigang.
Dr. Jose Rizal is the country‘s well-known national hero but nonetheless belongs to the
unofficial national symbol category. However, this does not make him less of a symbol of the
Philippines. Rizal‘s name elicits the name of our country internationally. The monuments built by

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people in countries where he had been and his books in foreign libraries bear the name of the
Philippines.
According to Dr. Esteban De Ocampo, no other Filipino Hero can surpass Rizal. He said that his
birthdate and day of his execution are constantly commemorated by the Filipino people. Rizal‘s name
is a byword and his picture are evident in the postage stamps and the one-peso coin. Numerous
towns, barrios and streets were named after him as wells as educational institutions, societies and
trade names. Some people were even named ‗‘Rizal‘‘ or ‗‘Rizalina‘‘ by their parents because of their
adoration to Jose Rizal. He also emphasized that Rizal as the Filipino writer whose teachings and
noble thoughts are frequently invoked and quoted by authors and public speakers on most occasion
and it is because according to Rafael Palma, the doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch but for all
epochs and they are today as they are valid yesterday.

Values Highlighted by Rizal‘s Life

The following are the values of Rizal as a National symbols:
1. Nationalism
Nationalism desires to attain freedom and political independence especially by a
country under foreign power. Jose Rizal‘s life works, and writings radiates this value.

2. Patriotism
Patriotism denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one‘s nation.

3. Faith in God
When Rizal was studying in Madrid, Spain, Rizal through his letters assured his
mother of his faith in God.

4. Love of Fellowmen
Rizal‘s thought on love for our fellowmen is biblical and timeless.

5. Love of Parents
Rizal‘s love for his parents is great and very admirable.

6. Devotional to Truth
Rizal‘s persevering search for truth in serving his country was a motivating virtue.
7. Purity and Idealism
Rizal was guided by his ideals and he was extraordinary in the purity of his thoughts.
8. Noble Thought and Conduct
Rizal‘s works and writing promoted good conduct, clean conscience, and upright
thinking.

9. Charity
All his sacrifices for his country were charitable acts for his fellowmen.

10. Dedication to duty

Dedication was one of Rizal‘s virtues; he dedicated his whole life in securing
freedom for his country.

11. Moral Courage

The moral courage that Rizal had signified is worth imitating by our present
leaders.

12. Willpower
This strong determination of Rizal, allowed him to express his ideas and wills through
calmness and peace.

13. Integrity
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This refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

14. Sincerity
Rizal‘s sincerity is manifested in his acceptance that whatever he possessed he owed
them to God who had planned a duty he had to carry out.

15. Self-Denial
The self-denial of Rizal involved self-sacrifice and altruism.

16. Perseverance
This value let him show his strength in meeting and enduring pain, adversity, and
peril.

17. Discipline and Self-Control

Rizal used reason to determine his actions regardless of his desires. In fact. He
deprived himself of many unsound pleasures.

18. Initiative
The ability to assess and initiate things of independently.

19. Prudence
This is care, caution, and good judgment, as well as wisdom in looking ahead.

20. Chivalry, Courtesy, and Politeness

Rizal was an ideal gentlemen, one of the qualities of being was an ideal gentlemen,
one of the qualities of being a chivalry. In addition, he was always ready to help the
weak or women.

21. Frugality
He also showed the quality of being economical with money and any other resources;
in simple way, thriftiness.

22. Love for Justice

Rizal found his joy in being just and in fighting for justice.

ASSESSMENT 4

1. What is the difference between Bayani and Kabayanihan?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the differences of western concept of hero and Filipino concept of Bayani?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does Rizal and his works relate to Philippine nationalism?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. Who made Rizal our Foremost National Her, and Why?

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Required Readings:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal: A Modular Approach
Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum ., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St., Intramuros, Manila:
Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018
 https://www.scribd.com/document/481750286/JOSE-RIZAL-AND-THE-PHILIPPINE-
NATIONALISM-BAYANI-AND-KABAYANIHAN

References:

 Virlyn Francisco, Paul Micah Francisco, Rex Oliver T. Papel, MAT., Rizal A Modular
Approach Bsed On The New Ched Curriculum., Rm. 108, ICP Bldg., Recoletos St.,
Intramuros, Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2018
 https://www.scribd.com/document/481750286/JOSE-RIZAL-AND-THE-PHILIPPINE-
NATIONALISM-BAYANI-AND-KABAYANIHAN

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