Atienza, John Kenneth R.

COE - 1304

Group 2

Rizal’s Travel Abroad

Looking Back from the Past,

Becoming an Inspiration from the Present,

and My Guide to the Future

In the year 1882, Rizal left Manila to go to Spain and pursue his studies at Universidad

Central de Madrid. After a year, Rizal decided to go to France to observe how medicine was

being practiced there. He came back to Spain 4 years later and thought about publishing a book

that exposed the colonial relationship of Spain and the Philippines. This idea was realized in

March 1887, with the publication of the novel Noli Me Tangere in Germany. In August 1887

which was 5 years later in Europe, he returned to Manila and started his journey to HongKong.

However, his homecoming was met by the friars’ furor over Noli Me Tangere.

Six months later, pressured by the Spanish authorities as well as by his family and friends

to leave the country and avoid further persecution, Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong. In August

1888, he was admitted to the British Museum, where he copied Antonio de Morga’s massive

study of the Philippines, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which Rizal later annotated for

publication “as a gift to the Filipinos.” In the museum he devoted his time reading all the sources

on Philippine history that he could find. After 2 years, Rizal shuttled between London and Paris,

where he wrote ethnographic and history-related studies, as well as political articles. He also
frequently visited Spain, where he met with fellow Filipino intellectuals like Marcelo H. del

Pilar, Mariano Ponce, and Graciano Lopez-Jaena.

In March 1891, Rizal finished writing his second novel, El Filibusterismo, in France. He

planned to publish the book in Belgium, but was financially hard up. His brother’s support from

back home was delayed in coming, and he was scrimping on meals and expenses. Lastly after a

year, Rizal decided to leave Europe to avoid the worsening rift between the Rizalistas and

Pilaristas, and to help maintain unity among Filipino expatriates. After staying for some time in

Hong Kong, where he practiced medicine and planned to build a “New Calamba” by relocating

landless Filipinos to Borneo, Rizal came home to the Philippines in June 1892.

Looking back when Rizal decided to travel abroad, it was hard to leave his family to the

country he loves the most to pursue his dreams. The time where he decided to go abroad to

continue his profession and because of discrimination he experience in his own country. This

leads him to observe and make a plan on how they plan to release his fellow Filipinos from

colonizers.

Rizal and I were very different from each other. But if I am going to relate my

experiences from the said topic, maybe on the part where I choose to go to a university in order

to pursue my dreams. Back then, I was really afraid to go farther from our house. But sometimes

I think it’s time to know better about the world. So enrolling from another town for my program

helps me to become more independent. Independent on the part that I am not relying on my

friend, being independent to apply for a program by myself, and being independent to decide

what I think is best (even though there is still guidance from my parents).
 Maybe I learned from this very known hero, is not to give up. I admit at first, there is

culture shock. But after the following days or weeks, we can still adapt to our new environment.

These situations we face today may not last forever, it is just part of the challenge and helps us to

grow more for what goal we are aiming to achieve. Just like stairs, sometimes there are weak

parts, even a broken one that might lead to our failure. Take patience and become more

hardworking. The success that we want will be near.

According to Quino de Jesus, “To be a modern day Rizal means knowing your heritage

and from there, work one’s way to success for the sake of showcasing to a globalized world: we

Filipinos are different.”. Becoming a modern-day Rizal must become more critical and be

smarter when giving your judgment. Same with Rizal, we must become more open on what is

happening around the world, we must live with faith in our God and have an open life not

because we have a POWER or because we are above others, but because we love the country that

we are serving, the Philippines.

To be a modern-day Rizal means to be critical and to keep a discerning mind, a consciousness that does not

accept the unbridled capitalism we have right now, an economic system that breeds the evils of consumerism, apathy

and shallowness of character. Like Rizal, we must imbibe a poetic and prophetic view of the world, one that sees

beyond edifices and is prepared to speak or be rejected for the sake of the truth. To be a modern day Rizal means

knowing your heritage and from there, work one’s way to success for the sake of showcasing to a globalized world:

we Filipinos are different.