From 1872 and 1892, the Filipino émigrés who had established themselves in Europe
developed a sense of national identity. These émigré liberals were exiled to Europe's freer
environment in 1872, and undergraduates at European colleges created the Propaganda
Movement. The propagandists, who included upper-class Filipinos from all the lowland
Christian districts, aimed to "awaken the sleeping mind of the Spaniard to the demands of our
nation" and to promote a tighter, more equitable link between the territories and the country.

  Abolition of the labor service and the hostile takeover of local goods by the government, the
certainty of fundamental freedoms of speech and association, and social equality for Filipinos
and Spanish to work for the government were among their concrete objectives. Other objectives
included representation of the Philippines in the Cortes, or Spanish parliament, secularization of
the clergy, legalizing Filipino and Spanish equality, establishing a public school system
independent of the friars, and creating a public school system.

  José Rizal, a physician, scholar, scientist, and author, was the most notable propagandist. He
was raised in Laguna Province in a wealthy Chinese mestizo household and showed outstanding
brilliance from a young age. He moved to Spain in 1882 to complete his medical studies at the
University of Madrid after spending several years studying medicine at the University of Santo
Tomás. In the decade that followed, Rizal's career spanned two continents: in the smaller Filipino
student groups in Madrid and other European towns, he rose to prominence as a leader and
persuasive orator; and in the larger world of European research and scholarship, notably in
Germany, he developed strong bonds with eminent scientific and social scientists.

  He was particularly interested in the emerging field of anthropology since he was dedicated to
using evidence from science to disprove the friars' claims that Filipinos were a less advanced
race. His two works, El Filibusterismo (The reign of greed) and Noli Me Tangere (Touch me
not), both published in 1886 and 1891, respectively, had the biggest influence on the formation
of a Filipino national consciousness. Using his own experiences as inspiration, Rizal painted a
picture of life under Spanish authority in the islands, highlighting the friars' mistreatment of the
locals. Although Rizal's works were outlawed by the friars, they were smuggled into the
Philippines and quickly attracted a large following.

   Other notable propagandists were Graciano Lopez Jaena, a well-known orator and pamphleteer
who had emigrated to Spain in 1880 following the release of his satirical short book, Fray Botod
(Brother Fatso), which painted an ugly picture of a rural Franciscan. He started publishing La
Solidaridad (Solidarity), a biweekly newspaper, in Barcelona in 1889. This publication
eventually became the main vehicle for the Propaganda Movement and attracted readers from
both Spain and the islands. Along with Rizal, Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, an ethnologist and
geographer from Austria whom Rizal had met in Germany, and the reform-minded attorney
Marcelo del Pilar contributed to it.

    Prior to being forced to evacuate the islands in 1888 and establishing himself in Spain as the
editor of La Solidaridad and head of the Filipino community there, Del Pilar was an active
member of the anti-friar campaign in the islands.
   Rizal made a brief trip back to the islands in 1887, but the governor recommended he depart
because of the uproar caused by Noli Me Tangere's release the year before. After finishing his
second novel and an edition of Antonio de Morga's seventeenth-century work, Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas, he traveled to Japan and North America before returning to Europe (History of
the Philippine Islands). The latter initiative was inspired by an ethnological curiosity about the
cultural ties between the peoples of the pre-Spanish Philippines and those of the greater Malay
area (including contemporary Malaysia and Indonesia), as well as by the closely connected
political goal of fostering national pride. De Morga gave trustworthy reports of pre-Christian
religion and social customs, as well as favorable details about the islands' first occupants.

   From visiting Hong Kong and Europe, Rizal made his way back to the Philippines in June
1892, in part because the Dominicans had driven his family from the property they had rented
from the friars' estate in Calamba, Laguna Province. In addition, he believed that foreign
governments could no longer successfully lead the fight for reform. He founded the Liga Filipina
(Philippine League) in July with the intention of creating a truly national, peaceful organization.
However, after his capture and banishment to the isolated village of Dapitan in northwest
Mindanao, it was disbanded.

  After Rizal's incarceration and the Liga Filipina's demise, the Propaganda Movement stalled. La
Solidaridad ended its operations in November 1895, and Lopez Jaena and del Pilar both passed
away in Barcelona in 1896, exhausted by deprivation and despair. The Liga Filipina attempted to
be revived, but the national movement was now divided between ilustrado supporters of reform
and peaceful development (the compromisarios, or compromisers), and a plebeian majority that
desired revolution and national independence. The initiative swiftly switched from the first group
to the second since the Spanish forbade true reform.

  The propagandists, including Rizal, eventually got into a brawl. The Indios Bravos came up
with the idea of writing a book on the Philippines during one of their meetings. Everyone present
made contributions in good faith, but Rizal ultimately wrote the Noli Me Tangere all by himself.
The book project's failure was a result of the Filipino feature of "ningas-cogon," or early
excitement, when individuals have a fantastic idea but then lose interest.

  Another project was to establish an institution that would advance Filipino culture. It was one
of the ningas-cogon concepts, and Rizal and his group even chose individuals to oversee the
school's administration and faculty. The project was never completed. For Consuelo Ortiga's
hand, Rizal and Eduardo de Lete, another member of his gang, competed. Eventually, De Lete
weds her. The ill will didn't stop there. That will be covered later in my response.

  When they were choosing a leader for their group, Rizal and his fellow propagandists had their
worst episode. The group was divided between Marcelo H. and Rizal from Pilar. Within the
group, rumors abounded that del Pilar was a superior person since he was already the editor of
La Solidaridad, that Rizal was often missing because he was traveling, and that del Pilar had
progressively grown his base of support by staying in Spain.

   The first two attempts at choosing between Rizal and Del Pilar resulted in a tie. In the end,
Rizal triumphed, but following his public humiliation, he drafted a letter announcing his
departure from the organization and vowing to stop writing for Solidaridad. Despite efforts to
mend their disagreements with Rizal by their shared friends, the group was unable to reconcile
with Rizal. Rizal claimed that despite efforts to make him feel at peace with his community, he
still had one flaw: mistrust. After being misled by trusted friends, this fault developed in him and
his family.

   Then, Rizal traveled to Hong Kong from Europe. Eduardo de Lete, who was vying with him
for Consuelo's hand, assaulted him for leaving the group. He also referred to him as an
opportunist and a coward. Del Pilar was subsequently admonished by Rizal in a letter to stop
bashing him. He said he was going out on his own. This explains why Rizal decided to stay in
Hong Kong and leave the gang. In this place, he is free to do things on his own, like starting La
Liga Filipina.

   In short, Rizal and his fellow propagandists had a rocky relationship that was marked by
competitiveness, minor quarreling, and intrigue. It demonstrates that the propagandists were not
an organized, cohesive organization. When it came to how or which reforms should be pursued,
the Indios and Filipinos of Spanish descent, as well as friendly Spaniards, disagreed. Eventually,
other members of the organization dispersed as well, including Manuel Blanco, whose brother
Eugenio rose to the rank of colonel in the Spanish army and took leadership of the Macabebes.