ABSTRACT

Don Santiago de los Santos, also known as Capitan Tiago, is having a dinner at his home in Binondo,
which is situated along Anloague Street and close to the Pasig River, to celebrate the end of the month of
October. The lady guests are being welcomed by Capitan Tiago's cousin, who is also giving the
Spaniards cigars and a mixture of betel nut, leaves, and lime. Soon after, she exits the living room party
because she is bored and doesn't come back. Padre Damaso, Padre Sibyla, a young blond man who is a
newbie to the Philippines, Senor Laruja, and a soldier are gathered around one of the tables in the living
room. English biscuits and bottles of wine are being consumed by the. five males. The group is hearing
from Padre Damaso about how stupid and lazy the indio are.

Padre Damaso and the Lieutenant nearly figures in a fist fight after the former insults the Vice-Royal
Patron (Capitan General). But Padre Sibyla intervenes and prevents the potential scuttle. Doctor de
Espadana and his wife Dona Victorina arrives at the dinner party. Padre Damaso and group greet the
couple and engage them in a conversation about the invention of the gunpowder. This chapter alone
provides deep insights on how some of the friars view themselves and how they cling onto an image that
they so desperately try to maintain, all the while creating a ominous foreboding for the things to come
upon Ibarra's homecoming.

Isang Pagtitipon whom has just arrived in the Philippines for the

first time. Authoritatively speaking over the

In late October, Don Santiago de los
others, Fray Damaso lectures this newcomer
Santos, who is known as Captain Tiago, throws
about the nature of “indios,” or native Filipinos.
a large dinner party in Manila. He is very wealthy
Father Damaso explains to his listeners that his
and, as such, the party takes place in his
first post in the Philippines was in a small town,
impressive home, to which people eagerly flock
where he worked for three years. He boasts that
so as not to miss an important social event. As
he made strong connections with the
the guests mill about, groups of soldiers,
townspeople, who he claims loved and
European travelers, and priests speak to one
respected him. When he was transferred three
another. An old lieutenant in the Civil Guard
years later to the town of San Diego, he
engages in conversation with a quiet but
explains, the town was sad to see him go. He
argumentatively cunning Dominican friar named
then spent the next twenty years in San Diego,
Fray Sibyla, a loudmouthed Franciscan friar
and though he still doesn’t understand very
named Fray Damaso, and two civilians, one of
many Tagalog—the country’s native language— when a priest tosses the body of a heretic out of

he believes himself a good preacher who his cemetery, no one, not even the king himself,

intimately knows the townspeople. Because of has the right to interfere, and has even less right

this, he is upset that when he recently ceased to to impose punishment,” Damaso says without

be San Diego’s friar, only “a few old women and explanation. He then references a “little

a few tertiary brothers saw [him] off.” general,” before trailing off, which angers the

lieutenant. The lieutenant, a member of the

Continuing his rant, Father Damaso says that
government’s Civil Guard, yells his support of
“indios are very lazy.” The foreigner who is new
the Spanish king’s representative in the
to the Philippines challenges this notion, asking,
Philippines, whom Damaso has insulted. As
“Are these natives truly indolent by nature, or is
Father Damaso and the lieutenant approach the
it, as a foreign traveler has said, that we make
possibility of a fistfight, Father Sibyla intervenes
excuses for our own indolence, our
with philosophical and diplomatic reasoning. The
backwardness, and our colonial system by
lieutenant dismisses this, saying that Damaso is
calling them indolent?” As Damaso refutes this
out of line. He explains that the man whose body
idea, Father Sibyla steps in and puts him back
was removed from the Catholic cemetery was a
on track, underhandedly prodding what he intuits
friend of his — “a very distinguished person.”
is a sensitive issue by asking the boisterous
“So, what if he never went to confessions,” the
priest why he left San Diego after twenty years.
lieutenant says. “So what? I don’t go to
For the first time all evening, Fray Damaso falls
confession either. But to claim that he committed
silent before slamming his fist into his chair and
suicide is a lie, a slur. A man like him, with a son
cryptically shouting, “Either there is religion or
in whom he has placed all his hopes and
there isn’t, and that’s that, either priests are free,
affections, a man with faith in God, who
or they aren’t! The country is being lost…it is
understands his responsibilities to society, an
lost!” When Sibyla asks what he means,
honorable and just man, does not commit
Damaso says, “The governors support the
suicide.”
heretics against God’s own ministers!” This

seems to unnerve the lieutenant, who begins to Continuing with his story, the lieutenant says

stand and asks Damaso to clarify. “I mean that that Father Damaso exhumed this distinguished
man’s body from the cemetery. The Captain the nature of “indios” indicates his excessive

General knew about this, and thus transferred confidence and lack of cultural compassion,

Damaso from San Diego as a punishment. considering that the term “indio” is a derogatory

Having finished the story, the lieutenant storms term for Filipinos. Furthermore, his domineering

off, leaving Father Sibyla to say, “I am sorry that character is evident by his authoritative

without knowing it I touched upon such a tendency take command of a conversation,

delicate matter.” Changing the subject, one of lecturing newcomers instead of entertaining their

the civilians asks about Captain Tiago, the host questions. It is clear right from the start, then,

of the party. Damaso says that there is “no need that priests are afforded an outsized amount of

for introductions” because Tiago is “a good sort.” power in this community. Father Dámaso’s

And in any case, there are rumors that he has ignorance emerges when he admits that he has

stepped out of the house for some reason, spent 23 years in the Philippines but still doesn’t

leaving his guests to mingle. Just then, two understand Tagalog, the native language.

people enter the room. What’s more, his disrespect for the community

and people he claims to serve is painfully

INTERPRETATION DURING JUNIOR HIGH
apparent in his apathy toward learning Tagalog.
SCHOOL
Thus, it’s not hard to see that he’s more
During high school, my Filipino
interested in appearing to be well-liked than he
instructor rarely gave any insights regarding the
is in taking the necessary measures to win the
events of this chapter. Since it has always been
townspeople’s respect.
a straightforward prose, the scene sets up who
REFLECTIONS OF THE ISSUE TO MODERN
the characters are and their roles. Obviously,
SOCIETY
Ibarra is the main character of the story, while

Padre Damaso is the antagonist of this chapter. Rizal has a habit of plunging readers into new

There wasn't much to talk about other than the storylines and alluding to certain plot elements

conversation between Damaso and Sibyla with a that aren’t explained until later, also known as

member of the Guardia Civil. The fact that foreshadowing. In one scene, Father Sibyla’s

Father Dámaso thinks he can generalize about question—regarding why Dámaso had to leave
San Diego—prompts an outburst from Dámaso would blame someone or something else in

that references the exhumation of an important order to maintain their "clean" image.

dead man, though readers aren’t expected to

PERSONAL REFLECTION
understand the relevance of this until later. For
This chapter serves as the "hook, line, and
now, it will suffice to point out that Dámaso
sinker" of the entire novel. It puts up a bright and
insults the king and asserts that priests have
witty banter, only to exhume the darker plot that
more power than the government.
lurks within the lines of each page. Rizal can
Unsurprisingly, this infuriates the lieutenant, who
definitely narrate two (2) stories, demonstrating
represents the government’s Guardia Civil. This
his fluid capacity to intertwine a light-hearted
is the novel’s first manifestation of the tension
scenario (which follows Ibarra's storyline and his
between the Spanish government and the
little adventures, only to fall down in the dark)
Catholic church. As the story revolves around
and the underside of the novel (which follows
power, colonialism, and religion, it certainly puts
the Filipinos are respectable people; in order for
into perspective of the current situation of the
him to feel authoritative, Filipinos must be below
country, particularly the secularization issue that
him.
eventually led into the Cavite Mutiny. In this

context, Padre Damaso's insistence of 1. How does Noli Me Tangere impact our

maintaining his authoritative status and current society?

appearance reflected how much the friars were

Because it has previously been covered
desperate enough to maintain hold over the
extensively in our schools, both in junior high
government and over the people. Also, it could
school and in college, I believe it now has
be hinted as to how the Spanish friars rejected
minimal impact on our culture. However, it still
the notion of ordaining local priests ever since
serves as a reminder of our past so that we
the Jesuits left the country. If placed in our
might examine it, draw lessons from it, and
modern context, this reflects how some of our
imitate the best traits of Filipino identity
countrymen are willing to put up a brave front
exemplified by some of the novel's characters.
instead of admitting their mistakes or

wrongdoings. And if things truly went south, they

2. Are the problems presented in Noli Me
Tangere somehow in our present society?
Some of the issues raised in the book
are still issues today. The first is the impact of
corruption on the nation. Some politicians
somehow resemble these dishonest friars, as
can be observed by the dishonest behavior of
some of the friars in the story. Some of these
dishonest politicians lust for wealth, enact laws
that they themselves violate, and act
capriciously. In this chapter, Fray Damaso
foreshadowed the incident of a dead heretic
throwing out its corpse from the grave it was
buried in, signifying the friars' dominance over
society. It is reflected also in some politicians
who use their authority to assert control over
anything -- or anyone.
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