RIZAL - Lecture on Rizal’s First Travel Abroad

The preparation made before his travel.

Everybody would like to find their own destiny and meaning in life. Some find it just in their
own place and some others in a place where they never expected to happen. They just follow their
own plans and goals in life. Somehow fulfilling the goals gives a sense of confidence and contentment.
Rizal still finished his four years sojourn at the University of Sto Tomas, then one of the most
popular and elite schools/universities in the Philippines (and still is today). but he was not satisfied at
all with the kind of education or insruction then. He labeled it as “antiquated method.” It was, to him
obsolete or probably not the kind of education he expected to receive from a very prestigious
institution. What was next then to Rizal’s quest for better education?
When students feel they are discriminated, then it is to fight back. In any fight they feel they
can do. Rizal just did, too but in a impalpable way. He was not a harsh person. Even if he had his way
he always wanted a peaceful way to end up his battles. As we all know, he gave up his life for the love
of his country.
Then came his decision to study abroad, particularly in Spain. The country was known then
for her respecting people accorded them with them rights specifically, freedom of speech, freedom of
the press and freedom of assembly. Here, Rizal probably thought that these rights would give him a
reason to learn more and solicit ideas and solutions to problems of the society then. Problems that
confronted many small countries which were colonized by stronger nations.
This was in consonance with another goal Rizal had why he wanted to move out of the
country. However, like any other who transferred or migrated to other countries, Rizal, too went
abroad with a clear vision in mind observing the strengths of the target country to learn from. To
Rizal, it was Spain. He wanted to observe the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and
commerve, government and laws, and many other things that might contribute to making a country
better than her present state. In fact this was part of the bigger plan of Rizal for his country - to
LIBERATE THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE FROM THE SPANISH TYRANNY (dictatorship). the Spaniards were
then too powerful of staying in the Philippines that Pilipinos [Filipinos] became slaves of their own
country.
Rizal’s travel abroad was not known to his parents. He went there without the blessings of
his parents and it was only a few people very close to him and who he trusted knew of his plan and
eventually the realization of it. It was only upon the knowledge of Paciano, his only brother and whom
Rizal and his biographers considered as his second father, approved of it. It was kept secret to avoid
the nosy Spaniards in authority and the friars who started hating him and his ideologies. Probably at
that time, he was already considered as a threat to the administration. The very intelligent Rizal who
had observed the ill activities of the Spaniards started to become a strong leader among the silent
Pilipinos who were full of rage of this “masters” inside their country.
Just the same, noble and good child as he was always, Rizal wrote a letter to his parents
asking for their forgiveness. It was a painful saying of goodbye, unlike what Filipinos would do today
when sending our relatives and loved ones or even just our friends abroad. It would be a lot of
goodbyes and good luck and most of all, God bless. But like what Rizal has written, it was for a greater
kind of love for his fellow Pilipinos that he would leave them behind, for according to him, and I
quote, “ But God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role
in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt myself from this duty, and small though it may be,
I, too have a mission to fill…
He realized, too, the pain he would leave behind. Imagine the hurt his parents felt not being
able to say the proper words to send their children to study abroad and more so upon knowing that
their plans will something bigger than themselves, it is really a BIG SACRIFICE.
As of Rizal’s family, their patriarch, was the most affected. He really truly adorned his
youngest son so that according to Paciano when he later replied to him after receiving the telegram
informing them of his departure, and I quote, “…our parents are grieved, especially the old man who
became taciturn, always staying in bed, and weeping at night…” No parent can be happy not really
knowing what happened. Much more when parents worry where children got means to spend in a
land that they are not aware of.
Don Francisco, like any other parent and a father who loved his children very much,
remained always sad. It was only when Paciano told everything that he acted like his old self. But no
parent will be at peace when the kind of travel is like what happened to Rizal. But maybe because of
their big trust to Rizal and they knew, he was not just an ordinary person but somebody special as we
know today, then it pacified them.
Paciano, his brother was also in a dilemma, too when he had to keep secret of his brother
plan of studying abroad, more so because of the big and noble intention of giving it back to his
country. And the rest we know, what happened. He supported his brother’s dream and plan. He might
have thought that the intelligence especially towards his quest for the best for their country might
have given all hope to change the Philippines to what it was then.
And history told us that we truly have a big result of the sacrifices Rizal and his family had to
undergo. It was never selfish and greedy. It was not only to make their own life stable and
comfortable. To the Rizal Family, it was an honorable thing to do. And they never imagined that that
sacrifice they offered changed the Philippines.

Please print this part. Keep it first and pass them all with your notebook on the date we will
agree upon.

Name: __________________________________________________
Course/Year and Section: ___________________
Date: ____________________
Lesson : RIZAL - Lecture on Rizal’s First Travel Abroad
The preparation made before his travel.

Please answer the following questions:

Question 1. What kind of sacrifice Rizal did for his country with his decision to study abroad?
If you were Rizal, what must you do if you are in a situation like his? Please give a reason/reasons.

Question 2. How did Rizal’s father feel about the decision of his son? Would you do the same
to your parents? Why or why not?

Question 3. Why did Paciano approve of Rizal’s travel abroad? Do you believe that a
sibling/brother like him would decide all by himself on matters like this? Why?

Task : If you were to go abroad, how will you disclose your plan? Do it in a letter address to
your parents or anyone you would like to share with your plan of going outside the country. (please
use again another sheet of paper).

November 8, 2022