Chapter 13: El Filibusterismo: Context and Content

Rizal’s second novel, El Filibusterismo, is a story set in twilight years of the Spanish colonial government
in the Philippines. It was first translated into English by Charles Derbyshire in 1912 under the title, The
Reign of Greed. The book according to the translator “represents Rizal’s more mature judgment on
political and social conditions in the islands, and in its graver and less hopeful tone reflects the
disappointments and discouragements which he had encountered in his efforts to lead the way to
reform.”

This Chapter will narrate how Rizal was able to write and publish his second novel despite threats from
the Spanish colonial government that regarded his first book, Noli Me Tangere, as subversive. A brief
synopsis of his novel will also be presented for discussion and analysis.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Trace the meaning of the term filibuster across time;
Explain historical context in which El Filibusterismo was written;
Examine current events through the eyes of characters; and
Evaluate Rizal as a novelist
VOCABULARY:
Filibustero (nineteenth century context) – translated as “subversive”; a patriot who was usually
associated with revolutionary activities
Guardia Civil – police/military force assigned by the colonial government to maintain peace and
order
Cabeza de Barangay – head of the barangay

Filibustero: History and Context

Rizal started writing El Filibusterismo as a sequel to the Noli Me Tangere after he returned to
Europe on February 1888 (Lacson-Locsin, 2004). The novel, therefore, was written in the midst of threats
and oppressions he and his family were experiencing because of the Noli and the Calamba incident.

Rizal continued working on his novel and made some revisions while he was in London in 1888.
He was able to complete the novel after three (3) years when he was in Biarritz, France on March 29,
1891. However, because of financial constraints, it was not until September of the same year that the
book was published with the help of his friend, Valentin Ventura.

In March 1887, after reading the Noli Me Tangere, Blumentritt asked Rizal the meaning of the
word “filibustero” which he did not find in the Spanish language (Aguilar, 2011).
To recall, Rizal replied:
The word filibustero is still very little known in the Philippines; the common people as yet do not know it.
I heard it for the first time in 1872 when the tragic executions took place. I still remember the terror it
aroused. Our father forbade us ever to utter it, as well as the words Cavite, Burgos, etc. The Manila
newspapers and the Spaniards apple this word to one whom they want to render suspect of
revolutionary activities. The educated fear the reach of the word. It does not have the meaning of
freebooter; it rather means a dangerous patriot who will soon be hanged, or a presumptuous fellow.
 In 1890, Wenceslao Retana wrote about the “filibustero” and described the term as “the one
who, eager for the independence of the country, resorts to various extralegal proceedings in order to
reach the objective that he pursues” (Aguilar,2011). By the end of the nineteenth century, the Spanish
colonial government defined “filibuster” as “someone who works for the separation of our overseas
provinces.” With these definitions, one will have an idea about the plot of Rizal’s second novel. It deals
with subversion. It pictures the lives of people under an oppressive regime. It narrates the struggles of
every Filipino in fighting for independence.

El Fili is dedicated to Gomburza, the three priest who were accused of being filibusters in 1872.
In his dedication, Rizal expressed his high regard for the priests who became victims of “the evil that I
am trying to fight.”

To the Memory of the priests:

Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old)
Don Jose Burgos (30 years old)
And Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old)

Executed on the scaffold at Bagumbayan

On February 28, 1872

The church, in refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime imputed to you; the government, in
shrouding your cause with mystery and obscurities, creates belief in some error committed in critical
moments, and the whole Philippines, in venerating your memory and calling you martyrs, in no way
acknowledges your guilt.

As long therefore as your participation in the Cavite uprising is not clearly shown, whether or not you
were patriots, whether or not you nourished sentiments of justice and liberty, I have the right to dedicate
my work to you, as to victims of the evil that I am trying to fight. And while we wait for Spain to reinstate
you and make herself jointly culpable for your death, let these pages serve as belated wreath of dried
leaves laid on your unknown graves; and may your blood be upon the hands of those who, without
sufficient proof, assail your memory!

Rizal, however, made mistakes in indicating the age of the three priests and the date they were
executed. The Gomburza were publicly executed by garrote on the early morning of February 17, 1872.
Gomez was then 73, Burgos was 35, and Zamora was 37.

In her translation of the novel, Soledad Lacson-Locsin described the book based on the themes
that can be seen in the story: “El Fili begins where the Noli leaves off, where love, romance, heroism,
idealism, and tragedy turn to hate, bitterness, anger, disillusionment and vengeance” (Lacson-
Locsin,2004). Unlike Noli, El Fili burns with passion and ideology. Rizal’s biographers opined that El Fili
showed his maturity as a novelist.

Synopsis
The story of El Filibusterismo revolved around the main character, Simoun, who was a rich
jeweler. Simoun was actually Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli whom everyone thought was killed by the
guardia civil at the Laguna de Bay thirteen years ago. He was able to escape and fled to Cuba. He
became wealthy and was able to establish connections with prominent Spanish officials. Upon his return
to the Philippines, Simoun became very influential being the consultant of the governor-general.

Simoun came back with his grand plan to exact revenge on Spanish officials and to rescue Maria
Clara who entered the convent after learning the news of Ibarra’s death. He planned to launch a
revolution which he started by smuggling arms and recruiting followers, mainly from the exploited and
abused natives. One of his recruits was Basilio, the son of Sisa. With the help of Capitan Tiago, Basilio
was able to study medicine in Manila. Simoun also began to establish an alliance with Kabesang Tales
and his revolutionary group. Kabesang Tales was a former cabeza de barangay who was maltreated by
the friars. Using his position, Simoun encouraged corruption and more oppressive government policies
to enrage the people and thus, provoke them to revolt.

Simoun’s plans of revolution failed twice. In his first attempt, he decided not to give the signal
for the outbreak of the uprising upon hearing the news of Maria Clara’s death. Basilio and other
students were then arrested for allegedly forming a seditious organization. Simoun arranged the release
of Basilio who became bitter and vengeful. However, he was very grateful to Simoun and offered his full
support for the revolution. The second attempt at starting a revolution entailed the planting of a bomb
at the wedding reception of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez. Illustrious guests at the mansion
(formerly the house of Capitan Tiago) included Padre Salvi and the governor-general. In Simoun’s plan,
the revolution would be triggered by his gift to the couple—a kerosene lamp with an explosive. When
the lamp starts flickering and someone turns the wick, there would be an explosion, signaling the
revolutionaries to attack all government buildings in Manila.

As planned, Simoun gave the lamp during the reception. Before leaving the venue, he left a note
with a message: “You will die tonight,” signed by Crisostomo Ibarra.

Meanwhile, when Basilio saw all the people at the venue, his conscience bothered him. He saw
his friend, Isagani, who was secretly watching his love, Paulita, celebrating her wedding. Basilio told
Isagani about the explosive and asked him to leave the place.

When Padre Salvi confirmed Ibarra’s handwriting, the guests began to panic. The lamp flickered
and Padre Irene tried to turn the wick. But Isagani, wanting to save Paulita, ran into the house, grabbed
the lamp, and threw it into the river where it exploded.

Simoun took refuge in the house of a kind Filipino priest, Padre Florentino. The guardias civiles,
however, learned about the whereabouts of the fugitive, and informed the priest that they would come
in the evening to arrest Simoun.

Instead of surrendering to the authorities, Simoun poisoned himself. As the poison started to
take effect on his body, he confessed to Padre Florentino his true identity and his plans for revenge.
After the long and tedious confession, the priest told Simoun that his plans might have failed because of
the unjust means that were used. He assured Simoun that there was still hope for the freedom of the
country.
 The story ended with Padre Florentino throwing Simoun’s jewels into the sea so that they would
not be used by the greedy. He also prayed that when the right time comes, the treasure would be
recovered and used for a noble purpose.

MODULE 14: EL FILIBUSTERISMO: CONTINUING RELEVANCE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. discuss the summary and the important themes in El Filibusterismo;
2. explain why a knowledge of history is important in reading a historical novel; and
3. examine the conditions of the Philippine society through Rizal’s El Filibusterismo.

VOCABULARY
reform – improvement or change to a better state (social, economic and political institutions)
revolution – a violent attempt to overthrow a government
principalia class – the ruling and usually educated upper class in the nineteenth century Philippines

LEARNING FOCUS
After tracing the historical background of Rizal’s El Filibusterismo in the previous chapter, it is
now time to look into its content and review its social significance as a novel. Rizal clearly stated that he
wrote the novel to describe the Philippine society and expose the injustices that he and his fellow
Filipinos were experiencing. The novel may be written more than a hundred years ago, but it cannot be
denied that the social ills that Rizal depicted in his novel are still present today.

This chapter will focus on the important themes tackled by Rizal in his second novel. Through
these themes, the national hero’s views and ideas about the different aspects of society can be
examined.

One hundred twenty years after Rizal’s execution, his writings remain socially relevant. The ills
that he rallied against— inept leadership, corruption, abuse of women, and the influence of the Catholic
Church over political and social affairs— are still persisting in the Philippine society today. A thorough
understanding of the historicity of his novels is important as it serves as the background of the story. In
reading historical novels like El Filibusterismo, one must be knowledgeable about the social milieu of the
period when it was written. In this way, history can be used as a tool for interpreting a literary work like
El Fili (Nuncio, 2014).

As with Noli Me Tangere, Rizal’s main objective in writing El Filibusterismo is to expose the
Philippine situation as he witnessed during his time. In reading this novel, one can see the nation’s past
and present situations which make this literary work enduringly significant. Renato Constantino (1971,
p. 137) wrote about the relevance of Rizal’s teachings where he said:

The importance of Rizal’s ideas for our generation has a twofold basis – first, the applicability to present-
day problems, and second, their inspirational value. Rizal holds a mirror to our faces and we see
ourselves, our vices, our defects, our meanness. Because the conditions he describes are the very
conditions we see around us, and the characters he portrays are people we continue to meet, we readily
respond to his earnest desire for basic changes in our society and in ourselves. One hand holds a mirror
to shame us and the other points the way to our regeneration. Yet, the truth is that the mirror was not
meant to reveal our image, but the image of the people and the society of Rizal’s time.

By going back to the themes that Rizal tackled in El Fili, one can see the importance of the novel
at present. Themes are the main ideas that flow through the narrative which can be used to evaluate
Rizal’s views and ideas on different social issues.

Revolution as a Means of Social Change

In the novel, Simoun is the filibustero who encourages the principalia class to abuse the poor so
that the latter would be driven to revolt against the government. His character may be interpreted as
someone who represents the Filipino revolutionaries that supported the idea of a bloody revolution
against the Spanish colonial government. Simoun’s death in the story made some readers conclude that
Rizal was against the idea of a revolution. Simoun’s failed uprisings in the narrative were interpreted as
Rizal’s abhorrence of violence and bloodshed. They failed to see that Rizal, together with other
reformists like Marcelo H. del Pilar, regarded reform and assimilation as a first step towards Philippine
independence. In his letter to Blumentritt on June 19, 1887, he said

“I assure you that I have no desire to take part in conspiracies which seem to me very premature and
risky. But if the government drives us to the brink, that is to say when no other hope remains but seek
our destruction in war, when the Filipinos would prefer to die rather than endure their misery any longer,
then I will also become a partisan of violent means. The choice of peace or destruction is in the hands of
Spain, because it is a clear fact, known to all, that we are patient and peaceful, mild, unfeeling, etc. But
everything ends in this life, there is nothing eternal in the world and that refers also to patience”
(Ocampo, 2012).

Rizal’s words in the aforementioned letter are significant because they proved that he was not
against the idea of violence if necessary. Historian Ambeth Ocampo (2012) wrote: “Simoun failed—not
because Rizal was against the revolution, but because he reflected on the anger and bitterness in his
heart following the agrarian dispute in Calamba, and realized that one must start with a good intention
to succeed.”

On Leadership and Governance

El Fili’s message is very clear—the inept leaders, corrupt officials, and system of government in
the Philippines could lead to Spain’s downfall. When Simoun said: “What is a man to do when he is
denied justice? Take the law into his own hands or wait for Spain to give him rights...?” he stressed that
if the demands of the people would not be granted, they would be driven to oppose the system and
organize movements to fight for their rights.

Rizal himself was admired as a good leader. His colleagues in the Propaganda Movement
respected him because he showed a kind of leadership that was not motivated by personal interest. The
call for a good leadership could be gleaned from El Fili when he stressed the importance of national
sentiment to guard the society against all kinds of injustices and oppression.

Rizal condemned the friar-led officials for their greed, corruption, and exploitation of the
natives. On the other hand, he also criticized his fellow Filipinos who did not respond to the challenges
under the abusive leadership of the Spaniards. The character of Basilio, for example, who, despite the
extreme sufferings that he and his family experienced, did not support Simoun’s plan of overthrowing
the government. He only joined the revolutionary group after being arrested and imprisoned, followed
by the death of his sweetheart, Juli. There was also one character, Senor Pasta, who abandoned his
noble ideas to serve only the interest of those who hired him.

While Rizal exposed the injustices done by the colonial government, he also challenged the
Filipinos to guard their rights as one of their main responsibilities. Good leadership and governance
bring about social, economic, and political reforms in the country. All this can be achieved if the leaders
have moral fiber, and are ready to give up their personal interests for the welfare of their constituents.

At the time that Simoun was planning to launch the revolution, students including Basilio were
also fighting for the establishment of a school that would allow natives to learn the Spanish language.
Simoun strongly reacted against the project advocated by the students. For him, it would mean the
death of national identity and the institutionalization of tyranny. In Chapters 6 (Basilio) and 7 (Simoun),
Simoun expressed his disapproval of the students’ program, convincing Basilio to join him in his plan of
revolution instead. He questioned the students’ advocacy and said:

What will you be in the future? A people without character, a nation without liberty. Everything in you
will be borrowed, even your very defects. You are asking to be Hispanized and you do not blanch with
shame when it is denied you! Even if it is conceded, what would you want? What would you gain? At
best, to become a country of pronouncements, a country of civil wars, are public of the rapacious and the
discontented, like some republics of South America. Why do you now come with your teaching of
Spanish, a pretension that would be ridiculous were it not for its deplorable consequences? Do you wish
to add another idiom to the more than forty already spoken in the islands so that you may understand
each other, each time, less...?

Still about the language issue, Simoun added:

You allow yourselves to be misled by big words and you never get to the bottom of things to examine the
effects in their ultimate manifestations. Spanish will never be the common language in the country; the
people will never speak it because for the ideas of its mind and the sentiments of its heart there are no
words in that idiom. Each country has its own, as it has its manner of feeling. What will you gain with
Spanish? The few w ho speak it? To stamp out your originality, subordinate your thoughts to other minds
and instead of making yourselves free make yourselves truly slaves! Nine out of ten of those among you
who presume to be enlightened, are renegades to your motherland. Those among you who speak that
language are indifferent to their own tongue, so much so that they neither write nor understand it. How
many have I seen who pretend not to know a single word of it!
 Basilio, on the other hand, believed that through education, he would be able to alleviate the
lives of his fellow Filipinos. He did not believe that revolution could be an effective means to achieve
freedom. For him, education and science would save the country from its present situation.
On the Filipino Youth
Where are the youth who will consecrate their golden hours, their illusions, and their enthusiasm for the
welfare of their country? Where are they who would generously shed their blood to wash away so much
shame, so much crime, so much abomination? Pure and spotless the victim has to be for the holocaust to
be acceptable!...Where are you, youth who will incarnate in yourselves the vigor of life that has fled from
our veins, the purity of ideas that have been soiled in our minds, and the fire of enthusiasm that has been
extinguished in our hearts?...We wait for you, O youth! Come, for we await you!

Such were the words of Jose Rizal through the character of Padre Florentino, a patriotic Filipino
priest in El Fili. Rizal saw the youth as the future of the country because this generation would one day
lead the nation. Their actions today would shape the path of tomorrow.

Rizal stressed the important role of the youth in challenging the government as seen in the
efforts of students like Basilio and Isagani to organize themselves and unite to call for reform. For
Simoun, it was a way of embracing the Hispanization of the country. On the other hand, it could also be
seen as Rizal’s way of showing what the youth could do if they wanted reforms from the government.

MODULE 15: THE DESTINY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. summarize in their own words Rizal’s essay, “The Philippines a Century Hence”;
2. present Rizal’s arguments on what the Philippines will be like in the future; and
3. construct their own arguments on what the Philippines at present will be like after fifty years.

VOCABULARY
Spanish Cortes – the government body in charge of drafting laws pertaining to Spain and its colonies

LEARNING FOCUS

Rizal’s work, “The Philippines a Century Hence” was serialized in La Solidaridad in four
installments from September 30, 1889 to January 31, 1890. In this essay, Rizal attempts to answer the
basic question of whether the Philippines will remain a Spanish colony or not.

Rizal’s essay titled, “The Philippines a Century Hence” presents compelling arguments on what
the state of the country will be like in the future. However, in order to be forward-looking, one must, at
first be able to look back at the country’s past. In Rizal’s words, “In order to read the destiny of a people,
it is necessary to open the book of its past.”
 The first part of Rizal’s essay does this by illustrating that with the arrival of the Spaniards, the
Filipinos were forced to accept and subject themselves to a new and foreign culture. Time passed while
Spaniards attempted to subjugate the Filipinos completely, but Rizal argues that the continued
oppression only resulted in the gradual awakening of the Filipinos.

By the nineteenth century, economic conditions had become better in the Philippines and Rizal
recognizes this. However, beyond the material prosperity, he points out that the Filipinos remain
brutalized and oppressed. Since advancement or progress is clearly inevitable, Rizal poses the question
on whether the Philippines will remain a colony of Spain despite all the changes.

To this question, his answer is straightforward. He states that the Philippines will remain a
colony of Spain if the mother country implements reforms such as freedom of the press and
representation in the Cortes. Rizal also concedes that if Spain does not grant these reforms, the Filipino
will likely become independent after a violent and bloody revolution.

The final part of Rizal’s work presents another interesting point of discussion since he attempts
to look into the future of the country. He argues that if the Philippines becomes free in the future, this
independence will be short-lived since the United States of America will probably acquire and colonize
the country as one of their own territories.

In the end, Rizal makes a strong assertion that it is imperative for Spain to grant the Filipinos
reform, for as he eloquently states, “It is better to keep pace with the desire of a people than to give
way before them; the former begets sympathy and love, the latter contempt and anger.”

MODULE 16: BIOGRPAHY AND NATIONAL HISTORY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. explain the history of biographical writing in the Philippines; and
2. appraise the importance of biography and national history.

VOCABULARY
biography – the story of one’s life written by someone else
national history – the study of a nation’s past events
social context – physical and social setting in which people live

LEARNING FOCUS
In the previous chapters, you have seen how Rizal’s biography has been incorporated in the
context of Philippine history and society. You have learned that the story of an individual is best
understood within a historical setting which can help you chart the major turning points of his/her life.
Rizal, as a product of his time, cannot be fully understood without looking at the period in which he
lived. Such factors are important in the study of his life and works.
 This final chapter will focus on the significance of biographical studies and its impact on national
history, specifically in the case of Rizal and Philippine history.

Biography in Philippine History

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Philippine history noted the publication of the
considered first biographies focusing on the life of the missionaries who worked in the evangelization of
the natives. These Spanish-written narratives can be read in religious chronicles and histories citing the
missionaries’ important roles in building churches or even bridges and fortresses. Filipino biographies
can only be found in the accounts of the Spanish priests who reported on how they defended the Spain
and the Catholic faith against the Filipino “enemies.” Early colonial Filipino biographies, therefore, are
narratives of Filipino fighters who were seen as “enemies of the State.” These references are still used
by historians and researchers who write the biographies of Filipino heroes such as Palaris, Sultan
Kudarat, Tamblot, and Dagohoy (Romanillos, 2008).

In postwar Philippines, the study on biographies broadened. One monumental work in the
history of life-writing in the country is that of E. Arsenio Manuel in 1955, a four-volume compilation
entitled Dictionary of Philippine Biography. Two years after, D. H. Soriano and Isidro L. Retizos published
The Philippines Who's Who, a book about the lives of 400 Filipinos and their achievements. The authors
mentioned the importance of writing biographies (Romanillos, 2008):

For many years now, there has been an imperative need for a simple and handy guidebook on notable
living Filipinos and prominent residents of the Philippines who are successfully established in their
various professions and callings. Students and scholars, businessmen here and abroad, organizations
and associations everywhere and the general public have the need for such a book—to save both time
and effort in gathering concise essential facts about well-known people in this country.

Following these publications is the National Historical Institute’s first book in its five-volume
project entitled Filipinos in History in 1965. The preface of the book was written by Carlos Quirino, then
Director of the National Library, who said:

Scores of men and women have been buried in the obscurity of the past. Their lives have been
resurrected from musty archives and forgotten volumes and from the memory of the still living few in
order that their deeds may serve as a guide and inspiration to our people.

Historian and biographer Gregorio Zaide also published his Great Filipinos in History in 1970. He
and his daughter revised the book in 1988 with the title Rizal and Other Great Filipinos, featuring the
biographies of forty heroes, foremost of which is Rizal. The purpose of the revised book, as summed up
by Sonia Zaide was “to inspire the younger generations of Filipinos to love and serve their country.”

Today, many Filipino biographies have been written. Undoubtedly, Jose Rizal’s life and works has
always been the favorite subject of writers and biographers. Among the most known biographies of Rizal
include the books of Austin Craig (1913); Carlos Quirino (1940); Rafael Palma (1949); Leon Ma. Guerrero
(1963); Gregorio Zaide (1981); and Austin Coates (1992).
 Historical biographies, therefore, serve as means or tools to study the lives and experiences of
Filipinos, particularly of Philippine heroes from which one can learn and be inspired to serve the country.

Biography and National History

In history, it is always important to connect the individual’s life story with the historical situation
he/she was in. Remember that the goal of studying a biography is to “read a society through an
individual’s story” (Ferraroti, 1983). In the case of Jose Rizal, the study of his life proved that by reading
his narratives, some of the national experiences can be reflected and identified.

Understanding Rizal, therefore, means comprehending the context of his time. Rizal’s biography,
for example, is not complete without mentioning the Industrial Revolution and the American Revolution
which happened years before he was born. The social impact of these events shaped the society in
which Rizal had lived. Moreover, Rizal’s life covers the period from 1861 to 1896; therefore, it is
inevitable to look into the events in the Philippines during the nineteenth century. Specific episodes in
Philippine history, like the rise in power of the Catholic Church called by the reformists as frailocracy; the
opening of the Suez Canal and the Philippines to free trade; the liberal rule of Carlos Ma. de la Torre; the
Cavite Mutiny of 1872 that resulted in the execution of Gomburza; and the founding of the Propaganda
Movement in the 1880s, were all significant in shaping Rizal’s views and ideas. Rizal was born and grew
up in a period of massive changes not just in Europe but also in Spain and the Philippines.

In the field of history and social sciences, biography is best understood with a contextual
backdrop. By looking at the individual and broader historical and social context, one can frame a
biography that is rooted in national history.