EL FILIBUSTERISMO

PUBLISHED IN GHENT (1891)

PRESENTATION BY:
JOHN EMANUEL CRUZ
JON EZEKIEL PANGANIBAN
● On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university in
Belgium.
● 2 Reasons for moving to Ghent:
○ The cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels and
○ to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne.

● Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga)

● Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila)
Jose Alejandro- engineer and general during the Filipino-American War
of 1899-1902

“ In Ghent we lived in a room paying so much for our lodging an

breakfast. Rizal asked me: "How much would the room cost us without
the breakfast?"I talked to the landlady and she told me that she would
reduce the rent so much if without breakfast. Rizal made his calculations
and concluded that if we made our own breakfast we could save
something….”
PRINTING OF
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● F. MEYER-VAN LOO PRESS, No.
66 Viaanderen Street
○ installment basis
○ He pawned his jewels in order to pay
the down payment and the early partial
payments.
PRINTING OF
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
- The money from his friends did not arrive.
- He received some money from Basa
- 200 pesos from Rodriguez Arias for the copies of Morga’s
Sucesos sold in Manila.
- July 1891 - Writing to Basa from Ghent
"I have already pawned all my jewels, I live in a small
room, I Eat in the cheapest restaurant in order to economize
and be able to publish my book; soon I will have to stop its
publication if no money comes…
PRINTING OF
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
- August 6- the printing had to be suspended, as Rizal
feared, because he could no longer give the necessary funds to
the printer.
- He wrote to Basa in Hong Kong: "As You will see in the
enclosed clipping, the printing of the second Part (sequel to
the Noli - Z.) is advanced, and I am now on page 112.
Because no money is forthcoming and I owe everybody and I
am broke, I will have to suspend the publication and leave
the work half-finished".
THE FILI COMES OFF THE PRESS
● September 18, 1891 - El Filibusterismo came off the press.
● He sent two printed copies Basa and for Sixto Lopez in Hong Kong.
● Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript, as well as an
autographed printed copy to Ventura.
● Sent complimentary copies to Blumentritt, Mariano Ponce, G. Lopez
Jaena, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna, and other
friends.
● The members of the Filipino colony of Barcelona published a tribute
in La Publicidad, a newspaper in Barcelona, eulogizing the novel's
original style which "is comparable only to the sublime Alexander
Dumas".
 THE FILI COMES
OFF THE PRESS
● The liberal Madrid newspaper,
El Nuevo Regimen, serialized
the novel and its issues of
October, 1891.
● First edition or Ghent edition
of El Filibusterismo
● 400 pesetas per copy
DEDICATED TO
GOM-BUR-ZA
● Evidently, Rizal in all the years of
his studies, travels, and labors in
foreign lands, had not
forgotten the martyrdom of
Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and
Zamora, which Paciano related
to him when he was a mere lad
in Calamba. He dedicated El
Filibusterismo to them.
 DEDICATED TO GOM-BUR-ZA
● First of all, the martyrdom of Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora courted on
February 17, 1872 -not on the 28th.
● Secondly, Father Gomez was 73 years
old- not 85,
● Father Burgos was 35 years old 30,
and
● Father Zamora was 37 years old - not
35.
 THE MANUSCRIPT AND THE
BOOK
The original manuscript of El
Filibusterismo in Rizal's own
handwriting is now preserved in the
Filipiniana Division of the Bureau
of Public Libraries, Manila.
- from Valentin Ventura for
P10,000.
- 279 pages of Long sheets of
paper.
 THE MANUSCRIPT AND THE
BOOK
● The author's corrections are seen throughout the manuscript.
Only a few pages have not been revised by Rizal.
● Two features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed
book, namely: the FOREWORD and the WARNING.
● These were not put into print, evidently, to save printing cost.
INSCRIPTION ON
THE TITLE PAGE
The title page of El FIlibusterismo
contains an inscription written by
Ferdinand Blumentritt. This
inscription, which is not found in
many published English translations.
SYNOPSIS OF EL
FILIBUSTERISMO
The novel is a sequel to Noli Me Tangere. It has a little humor, less
idealism, and less romance compared to Noli. It is more revolutionary
and more tragic than the previous novel.
The hero of El Filibusterismo is a jeweler named Simoun, the
alter-ego of Crisostomo Ibarra in the previous novel. Who, with the
help of Elias, was able to escape the pursuing soldiers of Laguna de
Bay, dug up his buried treasure, and fled to Cuba, where he became
rich and befriended many Spanish officials.
 Simoun was a powerful figure who had a strong influence over
Malacanang, being called the "Brown Cardinal" or "Black
Eminence". Not only was he a wealthy jeweller, he is also the
friend of Spanish authorities. With this reputation, he returns to
the Philippines with the plan of overthrowing the government.

After the passing of Maria Clara in the nunnery, he begins his

plan. At the wedding reception of Paulita Gomez and Juanito
Pelaez, he gives them a beautiful kerosene lamp as a wedding
gift. But a hidden compartment of this gift contained explosives.
After Isagani, whom Paulita rejected because of his
highly idealistic beliefs, heard about Simoun's plan.
He quickly rushed to the house, took the lamp and
threw it out into the river, where it detonated.
After Simoun's revolutionary plan was revealed, he
was chased and was cornered by soldiers, although
he managed to escape, he was severely wounded.
He sought refuge in the home of Padre Florentino,
where he also poisoned himself.
While dying from the poison, Simoun confessed
about his sinister plans of killing his friends and
seeking vengeance, as well as revealing his true
identity. Padre Florentino stands before the dead
jeweler's body and prayed, that he may be forgiven
by the Lord.
There are many more stories of
people symbolizing several idealistic
representations of Filipinos during
the Spanish colonial era, such as
Dona Victorina, a pro-Spanish
woman in the novel who
represented the natives who
embraced the unjust governance of
Spain. Or Kapitan Tiago and his
family, representing the farmers of
the Philippines who suffered from
poverty because of the injustice that
the laws of the Spanish government
brought during that time.
"NOLI" AND "EL FILI"
COMPARED
The two novels of Rizal vary in many respects, although they are
written by the same author and are supposed to be dealing with the
same story and have the same characters. The Noli is a romantic
novel; it is a “work of the heart” – a “book of feeling”; it has
freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit.
On the other hand, the Fili is a political novel; it is a “work of the
head”; a “book of the thought”; it contains bitterness, hatred, pain,
violence and sorrow.
 RIZAL'S UNFINISHED
THIRD NOVEL
Even before Lopez Jaena suggested the writing of another novel, Rizal
had already in mind to pen a third novel. On September 22, 1891,
four days after the Fili came of the press, he wrote to Blumentritt:
“I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the modern sense of the
word, but this time politics will not find much space in it, but ethics will play
the principal role. I shall deal mainly with the habits and customs of the
Filipinos, and only two spaniards, the friar curate and lieutenant of the
Guardia Civil will be there. I wish to be there. I wish to be humorous, satirical
and witty, to weep and to laugh, to laugh amidst tears, that is, to cry bitterly.
"
 RIZAL'S OTHER
UNFINISHED NOVEL
Rizal had other unfinished novels. One of the is entitled Makamisa,
a novel in Tagalog. It is written in a light sarcastic style and is
incomplete for only two chapters are finished. The manuscript consist
of 20 pages, 23 cm x 16 cm.
A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna, is also
unfinished. The manuscript consists of 147 pages, 8” x 6.5”, without
title.
CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Simon - Crisostomo Ibarra in disguise, left for dead at the end of Noli Me Tangere, has
resurfaced as the wealthy jeweler, Simon, sporting a beard, blue-tinted glasses, and a revolver.
Fueled by his mistreatment at the hands of the Spaniards and his fury at Maria Clara's fate, he
has since shed his pacifist image and become the titular "filibustero". pretending to side with
the upper class and encouraging them to enslave the masses, while in reality siding with the
masses and urging them to revolt against the oppressive Spanish regime. This time, he does
not attempt to fight the authorities with knowledge, but by force. He concocts a plot to set off
a bomb disguised as a beautiful lamp at a wedding where important members of civil society
and the church hierarchy are in attendance. Unfortunately for him, his plan fails and he
commits suicide by taking poison.
● Basilio - Son of Sisa. A graduating Medical Student who befriended Simon. This is the same
Basilio introduced in Noli Me Tangere.
● Isagani Villamor - Basilio's friend, ex-beau of Paulita Gomez and the man who removed the
explosive lamp from the Captain Tiago's house, thus sabotaging Simon's plans.
● Kabesang Tales - Cabeza Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay (barangay
head) of Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego's neighboring town Tiani, who resurfaced as the
feared Luzón bandit Matanglawin
 CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Don Custodio - Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a famous "journalist" who was
asked by the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano. In reality, he is quite an
ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila's high society.
● Paulita Gomez - 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 Juanito Peláez are wed, and she dumps Isagani, believing that she will have no future if she
marries him
● Macaraig - One of Isagani's classmates at the University of Santo Tomas. He is a rich student and
serves as the leader of the students yearning to build the Academia de Castellano.
● Father Florentino - Isagani's godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but chose
to be a priest after being pressured by his mother, the story hinting at the ambivalence of his
decision as he chooses an assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea.
● Juli San Jose - Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang
Tales. To claim her father from the bandits, she had to work as a maid under the supervision of
Hermana Penchang. Eventually, she was freed but committed suicide after Father Camorra attempted
to rape her.
CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Juanito Pelaez - A favorite student of the professors. They belong to the noble Spanish
ancestry.
● Doña Victorina - Victoria delos Reyes de Espadaña, known in Noli Me Tangere as Tiburcio de
Espadaña's cruel wife. She is the aunt of Paulita Gomez, and favors Juanito Pelaez than
Isagani. Although of Indio ideology, she considers herself as one of the Peninsular.
● Father Camorra - The lustful parish priest of Tiani, San Diego's adjacent town who has
longtime desires for young women. He nearly raped Juli causing the latter to commit suicide.
● Ben-Zayb - The pseudonym of Abraham Ibañez, a journalist who believes he is the "only" one
thinking in the Philippines. Ben-Zayb is an anagram of Ybanez, an alternate spelling of his
name.
● Placido Penitente - A student of the University of Santo Tomas who was very intelligent and
wise but did not want, if not only by his mother's plea, to pursue his studies. He He also
controls his temper against Padre Millon, his physics teacher.
● Hermana Penchang - Sagpang's rich pusakal (gambler). She offers Huli to be her maid so the
latter can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales. Disbelieving of Huli and her close friends, she
considers herself as an ally of the friars.
CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Tiburcio de Espadaña - Don Tiburcio is Victoria de Espadaña's lame husband. He is currently
on hiding with Father Florentino.
● Father irene - Captain Tiago's spiritual adviser. Although reluctant, he helped the students to
establish the Academia de Castellano after being convinced by giving him a chestnut. The only
witness to Captain Tiago's death, he forged the last will and testament of the latter so Basilio
will obtain nothing from the inheritance.
● Quiroga - A Chinese businessman who dreamed of being a consul for his country in the
Philippines. He hid Simon's weapons inside his house.
● Don Timoteo Pelaez - Juanito's father. He is a rich businessmen and arranges a wedding for
his son and Paulita. He and Simon became business partners.
● Tandang Selo - Father of Kabesang Tales. He raised the sick and young Basilio after he left
their house in Noli me Tangere. He died in an encounter on the mountains with his son Tales.
● Father Fernández - The priest-friend of Isagani. He promised to Isagani that he and the
other priests will give in to the students' demands.
● Sandoval - The vice-leader of Macaraig's gang. A Spanish classmate of Isagani, he coerces his
classmates to lead alongside him the opening of the Spanish language academy.
CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Hermana Báli - Another gambler in Tiani. She became Huli's mother- figure and counselor;
helped to release Kabesang Tales from the hands of bandits.
● Father Millon - The Physics teacher of the University of Santo Tomas. He always becomes
vindictive with Placid and always taunts him during class.
● Tadeo - Macaraig's classmate. He, along with the other three members of their gang,
supposedly posted the posters that "thanked" Don Custodio and Father Irene for the opening of
the Academia de Castellano.
● Leeds - An American who holds stage plays starring decapitated heads; he is good friends with
Simoun.
● Tano - Kabesang Tales's elder son after his older sister, Lucia died in childhood. He is currently
one of the Guardia Civil. He then returned under the name Carolino after his exile in Caroline
Islands.
● Pepay - Don Custodio's supposed "girlfriend". A dancer, she is always agitated of her
"boyfriend's plans. She seems to be a close friend of Macaraig.
CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
● Gobernador General - The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonial period, this unnamed character pretends that what he is doing is for the good of the
Indios, the local citizens of the country, but in reality, he prioritizes the needs of his fellow
Spaniards living in the country.
● Pecson - Basilio's classmate who had no idea on the happenings occurring around him. He
suggested that they held the mock celebration at the panciteria.
● Father Hernando de la Sibyla- A Dominican friar introduced in Noli Me Tangere, now the
vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas.
● Father Bernardo Salvi -Former parish priest of San Diego, now the director and chaplain of
the Santa Clara convent.
● Captain Tiago - Santiago delos Santos, although making a cameo appearance, Captain Tiago
is Maria Clara's stepfather and the foster- father to Basilio. His health disintegrates gradually
because of the opium he was forced to smoke given to him by Father Irene.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!