WEEK 13

NOLI ME TANGERE
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learners are expected to:

 Appraise important characters in the novel and what they represent

 Examine the present Philippine situation through the examples mentioned in
the Noli

LEARNING CONTENT:

A. NOLI ME TANGERE

Noli Me Tangere is a novel by Filipino polymath and national hero José Rizal
first published in 1887 in Berlin. Early English translations used titles like An
Eagle Flight (1900) and The Social Cancer (1912), but more recent translations
have been published using the original Latin title.

Though originally written in Spanish, it is more commonly published and read in

the Philippines in either Filipino or English. Together with its sequel, El
Filibusterismo, the reading of Noli is obligatory for junior high school students
throughout the archipelago.

PLOT SUMMARY

Having completed his studies in Europe, young Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y

Magsalin comes back to the Philippines after a 7-year absence. In his honor,
Don Santiago de los Santos, a family friend commonly known as Captain Tiago,
threw a get-together party, which was attended by friars and other prominent
figures. One of the guests, former San Diego curate Fray Dámaso Vardolagas
belittled and slandered Ibarra. Ibarra brushed off the insults and took no offense;
he instead politely excused himself and left the party because of an allegedly
important task.

The next day, Ibarra visits María Clara, his betrothed, the beautiful daughter of
Captain Tiago and affluent resident of Binondo. Their long-standing love was
clearly manifested in this meeting, and María Clara cannot help but reread the
letters her sweetheart had written her before he went to Europe. Before Ibarra
left for San Diego, Lieutenant Guevara, a Civil Guard, reveals to him the
incidents preceding the death of his father, Don Rafael Ibarra, a rich hacendero
of the town.

According to Guevara, Don Rafael was unjustly accused of being a heretic, in

addition to being a subservient — an allegation brought forth by Dámaso
because of Don Rafael's non-participation in the Sacraments, such as
Confession and Mass. Dámaso's animosity against Ibarra's father is aggravated
by another incident when Don Rafael helped out on a fight between a tax
collector and a child fighting, and the former's death was blamed on him,
although it was not deliberate. Suddenly, all of those who thought ill of him
surfaced with additional complaints. He was imprisoned, and just when the
matter was almost settled, he died of sickness in jail. Still not content with what
he had done, Dámaso arranged for Don Rafael's corpse to be dug up from the
Catholic Church and brought to a Chinese cemetery, because he thought it
inappropriate to allow a heretic a Catholic burial ground. Unfortunately, it was
raining and because of the bothersome weight of the body, the undertakers
decide to throw the corpse into a nearby lake.

Revenge was not in Ibarra's plans, instead he carried through his father's plan of
putting up a school, since he believed that education would pave the way to his
country's progress (all over the novel the author refers to both Spain and the
Philippines as two different countries as part of a same nation or family, with
Spain seen as the mother and the Philippines as the daughter). During the
inauguration of the school, Ibarra would have been killed in a sabotage had Elías
— a mysterious man who had warned Ibarra earlier of a plot to assassinate him
— not saved him. Instead, the hired killer met an unfortunate incident and died.
The sequence of events proved to be too traumatic for María Clara who got
seriously ill but was luckily cured by the medicine Ibarra sent.

After the inauguration, Ibarra hosted a luncheon during which Dámaso, gate-
crashing the luncheon, again insulted him. Ibarra ignored the priest's insolence,
but when the latter slandered the memory of his dead father, he was no longer
able to restrain himself and lunged at Dámaso, prepared to stab him for his
impudence. As a consequence, Dámaso excommunicated Ibarra, taking this
opportunity to persuade the already-hesitant Tiago to forbid his daughter from
marrying Ibarra. The friar wished María Clara to marry Linares, a Peninsular who
had just arrived from Spain.
With the help of the Governor-General, Ibarra's excommunication was nullified
and the Archbishop decided to accept him as a member of the Church once
again. But, as fate would have it, some incident of which Ibarra had known
nothing about was blamed on him, and he is wrongly arrested and imprisoned.
The accusation against him was then overruled because during the litigation that
followed, nobody could testify that he was indeed involved. Unfortunately, his
letter to María Clara somehow got into the hands of the jury and is manipulated
such that it then became evidence against him by the parish priest, Fray Salví.
With Machiavellian precision, Salví framed Ibarra and ruined his life just so he
could stop him from marrying María Clara and making the latter his concubine.

Meanwhile, in Capitan Tiago's residence, a party was being held to announce

the upcoming wedding of María Clara and Linares. Ibarra, with the help of Elías,
took this opportunity to escape from prison. Before leaving, Ibarra spoke to María
Clara and accused her of betraying him, thinking that she gave the letter he
wrote her to the jury. María Clara explained that she would never conspire
against him, but that she was forced to surrender Ibarra's letter to Father Salvi, in
exchange for the letters written by her mother even before she, María Clara, was
born. The letters were from her mother, Pía Alba, to Dámaso alluding to their
unborn child; and that María Clara was therefore not Captain Tiago's biological
daughter, but Dámaso's.

Afterwards, Ibarra and Elías fled by boat. Elías instructed Ibarra to lie down,
covering him with grass to conceal his presence. As luck would have it, they
were spotted by their enemies. Elías, thinking he could outsmart them, jumped
into the water. The guards rained shots on him, all the while not knowing that
they were aiming at the wrong man.

María Clara, thinking that Ibarra had been killed in the shooting incident, was
greatly overcome with grief. Robbed of hope and severely disillusioned, she
asked Dámaso to confine her into a nunnery. Dámaso reluctantly agreed when
she threatened to take her own life, demanding, "The nunnery or death!"
Unbeknownst to her, Ibarra was still alive and able to escape. It was Elías who
had taken the shots.

It was Christmas Eve when Elías woke up in the forest fatally wounded, as it is
here where he instructed Ibarra to meet him. Instead, Elías found the altar boy
Basilio cradling his already-dead mother, Sisa. The latter lost her mind when she
learned that her two sons, Crispín and Basilio, were chased out of the convent
by the sacristan mayor on suspicions of stealing sacred objects. (The truth is
that, it was the sacristan mayor who stole the objects and only pinned the blame
on the two boys. The said sacristan mayor actually killed Crispín while
interrogating him on the supposed location of the sacred objects. It was implied
that the body was never found and the incident was covered-up by Salví).

Elías, convinced that he would die soon, instructs Basilio to build a funeral pyre
and burn his and Sisa's bodies to ashes. He tells Basilio that, if nobody reaches
the place, he come back later on and dig for he will find gold. He also tells him
(Basilio) to take the gold he finds and go to school. In his dying breath, he
instructed Basilio to continue dreaming about freedom for his motherland with
the words:

“ I shall die without seeing the dawn break upon my homeland. You, who
shall see it, salute it! Do not forget those who have fallen during the night. ”

Elías died thereafter.

In the epilogue, it was explained that Tiago became addicted to opium and was
seen to frequent the opium house in Binondo to satiate his addiction. María
Clara became a nun where Salví, who has lusted after her from the beginning of
the novel, regularly used her to fulfill his lust. One stormy evening, a beautiful
crazy woman was seen at the top of the convent crying and cursing the heavens
for the fate it has handed her. While the woman was never identified, it is
suggested that the said woman was María Clara.

Publication of the Noli

Rizal finished the novel on December 1886. At first, according to one of Rizal's
biographers, Rizal feared the novel might not be printed, and that it would remain
unread. He was struggling with financial constraints at the time and thought it
would be hard to pursue printing the novel. A financial aid came from a friend
named Máximo Viola which helped him print his book at a fine print media in
Berlin named Berliner Buchdruckerei-Actiengesellschaft. Rizal at first, however,
hesitated but Viola insisted and ended up lending Rizal P300 for 2,000 copies;
Noli was eventually printed in Berlin, Germany. The printing was finished earlier
than the estimated five months. Viola arrived in Berlin in December 1886, and by
March 21, 1887, Rizal had sent a copy of the novel to his friend Blumentritt.

On August 21, 2007, a 480-page then-latest English version of Noli Me Tangere

was released to major Australian book stores. The Australian edition of the novel
was published by Penguin Books Classics, to represent the publication's
"commitment to publish the major literary classics of the world”. American writer
Harold Augenbraum, who first read the Noli in 1992, translated the novel. A
writer well-acquainted with translating other Hispanophone literary works,
Augenbraum proposed to translate the novel after being asked for his next
assignment in the publishing company. Intrigued by the novel and knowing more
about it, Penguin nixed their plan of adapting existing English versions and
instead translated it on their own.

This novel and its sequel, El Filibusterismo (nicknamed El Fili), were banned in
some parts of the Philippines because of their portrayal of corruption and abuse
by the country's Spanish government and clergy. Copies of the book were
smuggled in nevertheless, and when Rizal returned to the Philippines after
completing medical studies, he quickly ran afoul of the local government. A few
days after his arrival, Governor-General Emilio Terrero summoned Rizal to the
Malacañang Palace and told him of the charge that Noli Me Tangere contained
subversive statements. After a discussion, the Governor General was appeased
but still unable to offer resistance against the pressure of the Church against the
book. The persecution can be discerned from Rizal's letter to Leitmeritz:

“My book made a lot of noise; everywhere, I am asked about it. They wanted to
anathematize me ('to excommunicate me') because of it... I am considered a
German spy, an agent of Bismarck, they say I am a Protestant, a freemason, a
sorcerer, a damned soul and evil. It is whispered that I want to draw plans, that I
have a foreign passport and that I wander through the streets by night...”

Rizal was exiled to Dapitan, and then later arrested for "inciting rebellion" based
largely on his writings. Rizal was executed in Manila on December 30, 1896 at
the age of thirty-five.

Rizal depicted nationality by emphasizing the qualities of Filipinos: the devotion

of a Filipina and her influence on a man's life, the deep sense of gratitude, and
the solid common sense of the Filipinos under the Spanish regime.
The work was instrumental in creating a unified Filipino national identity and
consciousness, as many natives previously identified with their respective
regions. It lampooned, caricatured and exposed various elements in colonial
society. Two characters in particular have become classics in Filipino culture:
Maria Clara, who has become a personification of the ideal Filipina woman,
loving and unwavering in her loyalty to her spouse; and the priest Father
Dámaso, who reflects the covert fathering of illegitimate children by members of
the Spanish clergy.

The book indirectly influenced a revolution, even though the author actually
advocated direct representation to the Spanish government and a larger role for
the Philippines within Spain's political affairs. In 1956, the Congress of the
Philippines passed the Republic Act 1425, more popularly known as the Rizal
Law, which requires all levels of Philippine schools to teach the novel as part of
their curriculum. Noli Me Tangere is being taught to third year secondary school
students, while its sequel El Filibusterismo is being taught for fourth year
secondary school students. The novels are incorporated to their study and
survey of Philippine literature.

Major Characters

Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin, commonly referred to the novel as Ibarra

or Crisóstomo, is the protagonist in the story. Son of a Filipino businessman, Don
Rafael Ibarra, he studied in Europe for seven years. Ibarra is also María Clara's
fiancé. Several sources claim that Ibarra is also Rizal's reflection: both studied in
Europe and both persons believe in the same ideas. Upon his return, Ibarra
requested the local government of San Diego to construct a public school to
promote education in the town.

In the sequel of Noli, El Filibusterismo, Ibarra returned with different character

and name: he called himself as Simoun, the English mestizo.

María Clara de los Santos y Alba, commonly referred to as María Clara, is

Ibarra's fiancée. She was raised by Capitán Tiago, San Diego's cabeza de
barangay and is the most beautiful and widely celebrated girl in San Diego. In
the later parts of the novel, María Clara's identity was revealed as an illegitimate
daughter of Father Dámaso, former parish curate of the town, and Doña Pía
Alba, wife of Capitán Tiago. In the end she entered local covenant for nuns
Beaterio de Santa Clara. In the epilogue dealing with the fate of the characters,
Rizal stated that it is unknown if María Clara is still living within the walls of the
covenant or she is already dead.

The character of María Clara was patterned after Leonor Rivera, Rizal's first
cousin and childhood sweetheart.

Don Santiago de los Santos, known by his nickname Tiago and political title
Capitán Tiago is a Filipino businessman and the cabeza de barangay or head of
barangay of the town of San Diego. He is also the known father of María Clara.

In the novel, it is said that Capitán Tiago is the richest man in the region of
Binondo and he possessed real properties in Pampanga and Laguna de Bay. He
is also said to be a good Catholic, friend of the Spanish government and was
considered as a Spanish by colonialists. Capitán Tiago never attended school,
so he became a domestic helper of a Dominican friar who taught him informal
education. He married Pía Alba from Santa Cruz.

Dámaso Verdolagas, or Padre Dámaso is a Franciscan friar and the former

parish curate of San Diego. He is best known as a notorious character that
speaks with harsh words and has been a cruel priest during his stay in the town.
He is the real father of María Clara and an enemy of Crisóstomo's father, Rafael
Ibarra. Later, he and María Clara had bitter arguments whether she would marry
Alfonso Linares or go to a convent. At the end of the novel, he is again re-
assigned to a distant town and is found dead one day.

In popular culture, when a priest was said to be like Padre Dámaso, it means
that he is a cruel but respectable individual. When one says a child is "Anak ni
Padre Damaso" (child of Padre Dámaso), it means that the child's father's
identity is unknown.

Elías is Ibarra's mysterious friend and ally. Elías made his first appearance as a
pilot during a picnic of Ibarra and María Clara and her friends. He wants to
revolutionize the country and to be freed from Spanish oppression.

Filosofo Tacio, known by his Filipinized name Pilosopo Tasyo is another major
character in the story. Seeking for reforms from the government, he expresses
his ideals in paper written in a cryptographic alphabet similar from hieroglyphs
and Coptic figures hoping "that the future generations may be able to decipher it"
and realized the abuse and oppression done by the conquerors.

His full name is only known as Don Anastacio. The educated inhabitants of San
Diego labeled him as Filosofo Tacio (Tacio the Sage) while others called him as
Tacio el Loco (Insane Tacio) due to his exceptional talent for reasoning.

Doña Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaña, commonly known as Doña

Victorina, is an ambitious Filipina who classifies herself as Spanish and mimics
Spanish ladies by putting on heavy make-up. The novel narrates Doña
Victorina's younger days: she had lots of admirers, but she did not choose any of
them because nobody was a Spaniard. Later on, she met and married Don
Tiburcio de Espadaña, an official of the customs bureau who is about ten years
her junior. However, their marriage is childless.

Her husband assumes the title of medical doctor even though he never attended
medical school; using fake documents and certificates, Tiburcio practices illegal
medicine. Tiburcio's usage of the title Dr. consequently makes Victorina assume
the title Dra. (doctora, female doctor). Apparently, she uses the whole name
Doña Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaña, with double de to emphasize her
marriage surname. She seems to feel that this awkward titling makes her more
"sophisticated."

Sisa, Crispín, and Basilio represent a Filipino family persecuted by the Spanish
authorities. Narcisa or Sisa is the deranged mother of Basilio and Crispín.
Described as beautiful and young, although she loves her children very much,
she cannot protect them from the beatings of her husband, Pedro.

Crispín is Sisa's 7-year-old son. An altar boy, he was unjustly accused of

stealing money from the church. After failing to force Crispín to return the money
he allegedly stole, Father Salví and the head sacristan killed him. It is not directly
stated that he was killed, but the dream of Basilio suggests that Crispín died
during his encounter with Padre Salvi and his minion.

Basilio is Sisa's 10-year-old son. An acolyte tasked to ring the church bells for
the Angelus, he faced the dread of losing his younger brother and the descent of
his mother into insanity. At the end of the novel, Elías wished Basilio to bury him
by burning in exchange of chest of gold located on his death ground. He will later
play a major role in El Filibusterismo.

Due to their tragic but endearing story, these characters are often parodied in
modern Filipino popular culture.

There are a number of secondary and minor characters in Noli Me Tangere.

Items indicated inside the parenthesis are the standard Filipinization of the
Spanish names in the novel.

Padre Hernando de la Sibyla is a Dominican friar. He is described as short and

has fair skin. He is instructed by an old priest in his order to watch Crisóstomo
Ibarra.

Padre Bernardo Salví is the Franciscan curate of San Diego, secretly harboring
lust for María Clara. He is described to be very thin and sickly. It is also hinted
that his last name, "Salvi" is the shorter form of "Salvi" meaning Salvation, or
"Salvi" is short for "Salvaje" meaning bad hinting to the fact that he is willing to
kill an innocent child, Crispin, just to get his money back, though there was not
enough evidence that it was Crispin who has stolen his 2 onzas.

El Alférez or Alperes is the chief of the Guardia Civil; mortal enemy of the
priests for power in San Diego and husband of Doña Consolacion.

Doña Consolacíon is the wife of the Alférez, nicknamed as la musa de los

guardias civiles (The muse of the Civil Guards) or la Alféreza, was a former
laundrywoman who passes herself as a Peninsular; best remembered for her
abusive treatment of Sisa.

Don Tiburcio de Espadaña is a Spanish Quack Doctor who is limp and

submissive to his wife, Doña Victorina.

Teniente Guevara is a close friend of Don Rafael Ibarra. He reveals to

Crisóstomo how Don Rafael Ibarra's death came about.

Alfonso Linares is a distant nephew of Tiburcio de Espanada, the would-be

fiancé of María Clara. Although he presented himself as a practitioner of law, it
was later revealed that he, just like Don Tiburcio, is a fraud. He later died due to
given medications of Don Tiburcio.
Tía Isabel is Capitán Tiago's cousin, who raised Maria Clara.

Governor General (Gobernador Heneral) is the Unnamed person in the novel,

he is the most powerful official in the Philippines. He has great disdain for the
friars and corrupt officials, and sympathizes with Ibarra.

Don Filipo Lino is the vice mayor of the town of San Diego, leader of the
liberals.

Padre Manuel Martín is the linguist curate of a nearby town who delivers the
sermon during San Diego's fiesta.

Don Rafael Ibarra is the father of Crisóstomo Ibarra. Though he is the richest
man in San Diego, he is also the most virtuous and generous.

Doña Pía Alba is the wife of Capitan Tiago and mother of María Clara, she died
giving birth to her daughter. In reality, she was raped by Dámaso so she could
bear a child.

These characters were mentioned in the novel, appeared once, mentioned many
times or have no major contribution to the storyline.

Don Pedro Y Barramendia is the great-grandfather of Crisóstomo Ibarra who

came from the Basque area of Spain. He started the misfortunes of Elias' family.
His descendants abbreviated their surname to Ibarra. He died of unknown
reasons, but was seen as a decaying corpse on a Balite Tree.

Don Saturnino Ibarra is the son of Don Pedro, father of Don Rafael and
grandfather of Crisóstomo Ibarra. He was the one who developed the town of
San Diego. He was described as a cruel man but was very clever.

Sinang is Maria Clara's friend. Because Crisóstomo Ibarra offered half of the
school he was building to Sinang, he gained Capitan Basilio's support.

Iday, Neneng and Victoria are Maria Clara's other friends.

Capitán Basilio is Sinang's father, leader of the conservatives.

Pedro is the abusive husband of Sisa who loves cockfighting.

Tandáng Pablo is the leader of the tulisanes (bandits), whose family was
destroyed because of the Spaniards.

El hombre amarillo (apparently means "yellowish person", named as Taong

Madilaw) is one of Crisostomo Ibarra's would-be assassins. He is not named in
the novel, and only described as such. In the novel, he carved the cornerstone
for Ibarra's school. Instead of killing Ibarra, he was killed by his cornerstone.

Lucas is the brother of the taong madilaw. He planned a revolution against the
government with Ibarra as the leader after he was turned down by Ibarra. He
was said to have a scar on his left cheek. He would later be killed by the
Sakristan Mayor.

Bruno and Tarsilo are a pair of brothers whose father was killed by the
Spaniards.

Ñor Juan (Ñol Juan) is the appointed as foreman of the school to be built by
Ibarra

Capitana Tika is Sinang's mother and wife of Capitan Basilio.

Albino - a former seminarian who joined the picnic with Ibarra and María Clara.
He was later captured during the revolution.

Capitana María Elena is a nationalist woman who defends Ibarra of the memory
of his father.

Capitán Tinong and Capitán Valentín are other known people from the town of
San Diego.

Sacristán Mayor is the one who governs the altar boys and killed Crispín for his
accusation.
The Indolence of the Filipinos: Summary and Analysis

La Indolencia de los Filipinos, more popularly known in its

English version, "The Indolence of the Filipinos," is an exploratory
essay written by Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, to explain
the alleged idleness of his people during the Spanish colonization.
SUMMARY
            The Indolence of the Filipinos is a study of the causes why
the people did not, as was said, work hard during the Spanish
regime.  Rizal pointed out that long before the coming of the
Spaniards, the Filipinos were industrious and hardworking.  The
Spanish reign brought about a decline in economic activities
because of certain causes:
            First, the establishment of the Galleon Trade cut off all
previous associations of the Philippines with other countries in
Asia and the Middle East.  As a result, business was only
conducted with Spain through Mexico.  Because of this, the
small businesses and handicraft industries that flourished during
the pre-Spanish period gradually disappeared.
            Second, Spain also extinguished the natives’ love of work
because of the implementation of forced labor.  Because of the
wars between Spain and other countries in Europe as well as the
Muslims in Mindanao, the Filipinos were compelled to work in
shipyards, roads, and other public works, abandoning agriculture,
industry, and commerce.
            Third, Spain did not protect the people against foreign
invaders and pirates.  With no arms to defend themselves, the
natives were killed, their houses burned, and their lands
destroyed.  As a result of this, the Filipinos were forced to become
nomads, lost interest in cultivating their lands or in rebuilding the
industries that were shut down, and simply became submissive to
the mercy of God.
            Fourth, there was a crooked system of education, if it was
to be considered an education.  What was being taught in the
schools were repetitive prayers and other things that could not be
used by the students to lead the country to progress.  There were
no courses in Agriculture, Industry, etc., which were badly needed
by the Philippines during those times.
            Fifth, the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise
manual labor.  The officials reported to work at noon and left
early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties.  The
women were seen constantly followed by servants who dressed
them and fanned them – personal things which they ought to have
done for themselves.
            Sixth, gambling was established and widely propagated
during those times.  Almost every day there were cockfights, and
during feast days, the government officials and friars were the first
to engage in all sorts of bets and gambles.
            Seventh, there was a crooked system of religion.  The friars
taught the naïve Filipinos that it was easier for a poor man to enter
heaven, and so they preferred not to work and remain poor so that
they could easily enter heaven after they died.
            Lastly, the taxes were extremely high, so much so that a
huge portion of what they earned went to the government or to the
friars.  When the object of their labor was removed and they were
exploited, they were reduced to inaction.
            Rizal admitted that the Filipinos did not work so hard
because they were wise enough to adjust themselves to the warm,
tropical climate.  “An hour’s work under that burning sun, in the
midst of pernicious influences springing from nature in activity, is
equal to a day’s labor in a temperate climate.”

ANALYSIS
It is important to note that indolence in the Philippines is a chronic
malady, but not a hereditary one.  Truth is, before the Spaniards
arrived on these lands, the natives were industriously
conducting business with China, Japan, Arabia, Malaysia, and
other countries in the Middle East.  The reasons for this said
indolence were clearly stated in the essay, and were not based only
on presumptions, but were grounded on fact taken from history. 
Another thing that we might add that had caused this indolence, is
the lack of unity among the Filipino people.  In the absence of
unity and oneness, the people did not have the power to fight the
hostile attacks of the government and of the other forces of
society.  There would also be no voice, no leader, to sow progress
and to cultivate it, so that it may be reaped in due time.  In such a
condition, the Philippines remained a country that was lifeless,
dead, simply existing and not living.  As Rizal stated in
conclusion, “a man in the Philippines is an individual; he is not
merely a citizen of a country.”
It can clearly be deduced from the writing that the cause of the
indolence attributed to our race is Spain: When the Filipinos
wanted to study and learn, there were no schools, and if there were
any, they lacked sufficient resources and did not present more
useful knowledge; when the Filipinos wanted to establish
their businesses, there wasn’t enough capital nor protection from
the government; when the Filipinos tried to cultivate their lands
and establish various industries, they were made to pay enormous
taxes and were exploited by the foreign rulers. 
It is not only the Philippines, but also other countries, that may be
called indolent, depending on the criteria upon which such a label
is based.  Man cannot work without resting, and if in doing so he is
considered lazy, they we could say that all men are indolent.  One
cannot blame a country that was deprived of its dignity, to have
lost its will to continue building its foundation upon the backs of
its people, especially when the fruits of their labor do not so much
as reach their lips.  When we spend our entire lives worshipping
such a cruel and inhumane society, forced upon us by aliens who
do not even know our motherland, we are destined to tire after a
while.  We are not fools, we are not puppets who simply do as we
are commanded – we are human beings, who are motivated by our
will towards the accomplishment of our objectives, and who strive
for the preservation of our race.  When this fundamental aspect of
our existence is denied of us, who can blame us if we turn idle?

UNIT 9
 ANNOTATIONS OF MORGA’S “SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS” AND OTHER WRITINGS

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learners are expected to:

 Analyze Rizal’s ideas on how to rewrite Philippine history

 Compare and contrast Rizal and Morga’s different views about Filipinos and Philippine
culture

LEARNING CONTENT:

RIZAL’S ANNOTATIONS TO MORGA’S SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS

To The Filipinos: In Noli Me Tangere I started to sketch the present state of our native land. But
the effect which my effort produced made me realize that, before attempting to unroll before
your eyes the other pictures which were to follow, it was necessary first to post you on the past.
So only can you fairly judge the present and estimate how much progress has been made during
the three centuries of Spanish rule.

Like almost all of you, I was born and brought up in ignorance of our country's past and so,
without knowledge or authority to speak of what I neither saw nor have studied, I deem it
necessary to quote the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who in the beginning of the new era
controlled the destinies of the Philippines and had personal knowledge of our ancient
nationality in its last days.

It is then the shade of our ancestor's civilization which the author will call before you... If the
work serves to awaken in you a consciousness of our past, and to blot from your memory or to
rectify what has been falsified or is calumny, then I shall not have labored in vain. With this
preparation, slight though it be, we can all pass to the study of the future.

Governor Antonio de Morga was not only the first to write but also the first to publish a
Philippine history. This statement has regard to the concise and concrete form in which our
author has treated the matter. Father Chirino's work, printed at Rome in 1604, is rather a
chronicle of the Missions than a history of the Philippines; still it contains a great deal of
valuable material on usages and customs. The worthy Jesuit in fact admits that he abandoned
writing a political history because Morga had already done so, so one must infer that he had
seen the work in manuscript before leaving the Islands.

•By the Christian religion, Doctor Morga appears to mean the Roman Catholic which by fire and
sword he would preserve in its purity in the Philippines. Nevertheless, in other lands, notably in
Flanders, these means were ineffective to keep the church unchanged, or to maintain its
supremacy, or even to hold its subjects.

•Great kingdoms were indeed discovered and conquered in the remote and unknown parts of
the world by Spanish ships but to the Spaniards who sailed in them we may add Portuguese,
Italians, French, Greeks, and even Africans and Polynesians. The expeditions captained by
Columbus and Magellan, one a Genoese Italian and the other a Portuguese, as well as those
that came after them, although Spanish fleets, still were manned by many nationalities and in
them went negroes, Moluccans, and even men from the Philippines and the Marianas Islands.

•Three centuries ago it was the custom to write as intolerantly as Morga does, but nowadays it
would be called a bit presumptuous. No one has a monopoly of the true God nor is there any
nation or religion that can claim, or at any rate prove, that to it has been given the exclusive
right to the Creator of all things or sole knowledge of His real being.

•The conversions by the Spaniards were not as general as their historians claim. The
missionaries only succeeded in converting a part of the people of the Philippines. Still there are
Mohamedans, the Moros, in the southern islands, and negritos, igorots and other heathens yet
occupy the greater part territorially of the archipelago. Then the islands which the Spaniards
early held but soon lost are non-Christian-Formosa, Borneo, and the Moluccas. And if there are
Christians in the Carolines, that is due to Protestants, whom neither the Roman Catholics of
Morga's day nor many Catholics in our own day consider Christians.

•It is not the fact that the Filipinos were unprotected before the coming of the Spaniards.
Morga himself says, further on in telling of the pirate raids from the south, that previous to the
Spanish domination the islands had arms and defended themselves. But after the natives were
disarmed the pirates pillaged them with impunity, coming at times when they were
unprotected by the government, which was the reason for many of the insurrections.

•The civilization of the Pre-Spanish Filipinos in regard to the duties of life for that age was well
advanced, as the Morga history shows in its eighth chapter.

•The islands came under Spanish sovereignty and control through compacts, treaties of
friendship and alliances for reciprocity. By virtue of the last arrangement, according to some
historians, Magellan lost his life on Mactan and the soldiers of Legaspi fought under the banner
of King Tupas of Cebu.

•The term "conquest" is admissible but for a part of the islands and then only in its broadest
sense. Cebu, Panay, Luzon Mindoro and some others cannot be said to have been conquered.
•The discovery, conquest and conversion cost Spanish blood but still more Filipino blood. It will
be seen later on in Morga that with the Spaniards and on behalf of Spain there were always
more Filipinos fighting than Spaniards.

•Morga shows that the ancient Filipinos had army and navy with artillery and other implements
of warfare. Their prized krises and kampilans for their magnificent temper are worthy of
admiration and some of them are richly damascened. Their coats of mail and helmets, of which
there are specimens in various European museums, attest their great advancement in this
industry.

•Morga's expression that the Spaniards "brought war to the gates of the Filipinos" is in marked
contrast with the word used by subsequent historians whenever recording Spain's possessing
herself of a province, that she pacified it. Perhaps "to make peace" then meant the same as "to
stir up war."

Magellan's transferring from the service of his own king to employment under the King of Spain,
according to historic documents, was because the Portuguese King had refused to grant him the
raise in salary which he asked.

•Now it is known that Magellan was mistaken when he represented to the King of Spain that
the Molucca Islands were within the limits assigned by the Pope to the Spaniards. But through
this error and the inaccuracy of the nautical instruments of that time, the Philippines did not fall
into the hands of the Portuguese.

•Cebu, which Morga calls "The City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus," was at first called "The
village of San Miguel."

•The image of the Holy Child of Cebu, which many religious writers believed was brought to
Cebu by the angels, was in fact given by the worthy Italian chronicler of Magellan's expedition,
the Chevalier Pigafetta, to the Cebuano queen.

•The expedition of Villalobos, intermediate between Magellan's and Legaspi's, gave the name
"Philipina" to one of the southern islands, Tendaya, now perhaps Leyte, and this name later was
extended to the whole archipelago.

•Of the native Manila rulers at the coming of the Spaniards, Raja Soliman was called "Rahang
mura", or young king, in distinction from the old king, "Rahang matanda". Historians have
confused these personages. The native fort at the mouth of the Pasig river, which Morga speaks
of as equipped with brass lantakas and artillery of larger caliber, had its ramparts reinforced
with thick hardwood posts such as the Tagalogs used for their houses and called "harigues", or
"haligui".

•Morga has evidently confused the pacific coming of Legaspi with the attack of Goiti and
Salcedo, as to date. According to other historians it was in 1570 that Manila was burned, and
with it a great plant for manufacturing artillery. Goiti did not take possession of the city but
withdrew to Cavite and afterwards to Panay, which makes one suspicious of his alleged victory.
As to the day of the date, the Spaniards then, having come following the course of the sun,
were some sixteen hours later than Europe. This condition continued till the end of the year
1844, when the 31st of December was by special arrangement among the authorities dropped
from the calendar for that year. Accordingly, Legaspi did not arrive in Manila on the 19th but on
the 20th of May and consequently it was not on the festival of Santa Potenciana but on San
Baudelio's day. The same mistake was made with reference to the other early events still
wrongly commemorated, like San Andres' day for the repulse of the Chinese corsair Li Ma-hong.

•Though not mentioned by Morga, the Cebuans aided the Spaniards in their expedition against
Manila, for which reason they were long exempted from tribute.

•The southern islands, the Bisayas, were also called "The land of the Painted People" (or
Pintados, in Spanish) because the natives had their bodies decorated with tracings made with
fire, somewhat like tattooing.

•The Spaniards retained the native name for the new capital of the archipelago, a little changed,
however, for the Tagalogs had called their city "Maynila."

•When Morga says that the lands were "entrusted" (given as encomiendas) to those who had
"pacified" them, he means "divided up among." The word "entrust," like "pacify," later came to
have a sort of ironical signification. To entrust a province was then as if it were said that it was
turned over to sack, abandoned to the cruelty and covetousness of the encomendero, to judge
from the way this gentry misbehaved.

•Legaspi's grandson, Salcedo, called the Hernando Cortez of the Philippines, was the
"conqueror's" intelligent right arm and the hero of the "conquest." His honesty and fine
qualities, talent and personal bravery, all won the admiration of the Filipinos. Because of him
they yielded to their enemies, making peace and friendship with the Spaniards. He it was who
saved Manila from Li Ma-hong. He died at the early age of twenty-seven and is the only
encomendero recorded to have left the great part of his possessions to the Indians of his
encomienda. Vigan was his encomienda and the Ilokanos there were his heirs.
•The expedition which followed the Chinese corsair Li Ma-Hong, after his unsuccessful attack
upon Manila, to Pangasinan province, with the Spaniards of whom Morga tells, had in it 1,500
friendly Indians from Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Panay, besides the many others serving as laborers
and crews of the ships. Former Raja Lakandula, of Tondo, with his sons and his kinsmen went,
too, with 200 more Bisayans and they were joined by other Filipinos in Pangasinan.

•If discovery and occupation justify annexation, then Borneo ought to belong to Spain. In the
Spanish expedition to replace on its throne a Sirela or Malaela, as he is variously called, who had
been driven out by his brother, more than fifteen hundred Filipino bowmen from the provinces
of Pangasinan, Cagayan, and the Bisayas participated.

•It is notable how strictly the earlier Spanish governors were held to account. Some stayed in
Manila as prisoners, one, Governor Corcuera, passing five years with Fort Santiago as his prison.

•In the fruitless expedition against the Portuguese in the island of Ternate, in the Molucca
group, which was abandoned because of the prevalence of beriberi among the troops, there
went 1,500 Filipino soldiers from the more warlike provinces, principally Cagayan and
Pampanga.

•The "pacification" of Cagayan was accomplished by taking advantage of the jealousies among
its people, particularly the rivalry between two brothers who were chiefs. An early historian
asserts that without this fortunate circumstance, for the Spaniards, it would have been
impossible to subjugate them.

•Captain Gabriel de Rivera, a Spanish commander who had gained fame in a raid on Borneo and
the Malacca coast, was the first envoy from the Philippines to take up with the King of Spain the
needs of the archipelago.

•The early conspiracy of the Manila and Pampanga former chiefs was revealed to the Spaniards
by a Filipina, the wife of a soldier, and many concerned lost their lives.

•The artillery cast for the new stone fort in Manila, says Morga, was by the hand of an ancient
Filipino. That is, he knew how to cast cannon even before the coming of the Spaniards, hence
he was distinguished as 4"ancient." In this difficult art of ironworking, as in so many others, the
modern or present-day Filipinos are not so far advanced as were their ancestors.

•When the English freebooter Cavendish captured the Mexican galleon Santa Ana, with 122,000
gold pesos, a great quantity of rich textiles-silks, satins and damask, musk perfume, and stores
of provisions, he took 150 prisoners. All these because of their brave defense were put ashore
with ample supplies, except two Japanese lads, three Filipinos, a Portuguese and a skilled
Spanish pilot whom he kept as guides in his further voyaging.

•From the earliest Spanish days, ships were built in the islands, which might be considered
evidence of native culture. Nowadays this industry is reduced to small craft, scows and coasters.

•The Jesuit, Father Alonso Sanchez, who visited the papal court at Rome and the Spanish King at
Madrid, had a mission much like that of deputies now, but of even greater importance since he
came to be a sort of counsellor or representative to the absolute monarch of that epoch. One
wonders why the Philippines could have a representative then but may not have one now.

•In the time of Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariňas, Manila was guarded against further damage
such as was suffered from Li Ma-Hong by the construction of a massive stone wall around it.
This was accomplished "without expense to the royal treasury." The same governor, in like
manner, also fortified the point at the entrance to the river where had been the ancient native
fort of wood, and he gave it the name Fort Santiago.

•The early cathedral of wood which was burned through carelessness at the time of the funeral
of Governor Dasmariňas' predecessor, Governor Ronquillo, was made, according to the Jesuit
historian Chirino, with hardwood pillars around which two men could not reach, and in
harmony with this massiveness was all the woodwork above and below. It may be surmised
from these how hard workers were the Filipinos of that time.

•A stone house for the bishop was built before starting on the governor-general's residence.
This precedence is interesting for those who uphold the civil power. Morga's mention of the
scant output of large artillery from the Manila cannon works because of lack of master
foundrymen shows that after the death of the Filipino Panday Pira there were not Spaniards
skilled enough to take his place, nor were his sons as expert as he.

•It is worthy of note that China, Japan and Cambodia at this time maintained relations with the
Philippines. But in our day it has been more than a century since the natives of the latter two
countries have come here. The causes which ended the relationship may be found in the
interference by the religious orders with the institutions of those lands.

•For Governor Dasmariňas' expedition to conquer Ternate, in the Moluccan group, two Jesuits
there gave secret information. In his 200 ships, besides 900 Spaniards, there must have been
Filipinos for one chronicler speaks of Indians, as the Spaniards called the natives of the
Philippines, who lost their lives and others who were made captives when the Chinese rowers
mutinied. It was the custom then always to have a thousand or more native bowmen and
besides the crew were almost all Filipinos, for the most part Bisayans.

•The historian Argensola, in telling of four special galleys for Dasmariňas' expedition, says that
they were manned by an expedient which was generally considered rather harsh. It was
ordered that there be bought enough of the Indians who were slaves of the former Indian
chiefs, or principales, to form these crews, and the price, that which had been customary in pre-
Spanish times, was to be advanced by the encomenderos who later would be reimbursed from
the royal treasury. In spite of this promised compensation, the measures still seemed severe
since those Filipinos were not correct in calling their dependents slaves. The masters treated
these, and loved them, like sons rather, for they seated them at their own tables an gave them
their own daughters in marriage.

•Morga says that the 250 Chinese oarsmen who manned Governor Dasmariňas’ swift galley
were under pay and had the special favor of not being chained to their benches. According to
him it was covetousness of the wealth aboard that led them to revolt and kill the governor. But
the historian Gaspar de San Agustin states that the reason for the revolt was the governor's
abusive language and his threatening the rowers. Both these authors' allegations may have
contributed, but more important was the fact that there was no law to compel these Chinamen
to row in the galleys. They had come to Manila to engage in commerce or to work in trades or
to follow professions. Still the incident contradicts the reputation for enduring everything which
they have had. The Filipinos have been much more long-suffering than the Chinese since, in
spite of having been obliged to row on more than one occasion, they never mutinied.

•It is difficult to excuse the missionaries' disregard of the laws of nations and the usages of
honorable politics in their interference in Cambodia on the ground that it was to spread the
Faith. Religion had a broad field awaiting it then in the Philippines where more than nine-tenths
of the natives were infidels. That even now there are to be found here so many tribes and
settlements of non-Christians takes away much of the prestige of that religious zeal which in the
easy life in towns of wealth, liberal and fond of display, grows lethargic. Truth is that the ancient
activity was scarcely for the Faith alone, because the missionaries had to go to islands rich in
spices and gold though there were at hand Mohamedans and Jews in Spain and Africa, Indians
by the million in the Americas, and more millions of protestants, schismatic and heretics
peopled, and still people, over six-sevenths of Europe. All of these doubtless would have
accepted the Light and the true religion if the friars, under pretext of preaching to them, had
not abused their hospitality and if behind the name Religion had not lurked the unnamed
Domination.
•In the attempt made by Rodriguez de Figueroa to conquer Mindanao according to his contract
with the King of Spain, there was fighting along the Rio Grande with the people called the
Buhahayenes. Their general, according to Argensola, was the celebrated Silonga, later
distinguished for many deeds in raids on the Bisayas and adjacent islands. Chirino relates an
anecdote of his coolness under fire once during a truce for a marriage among Mindanao
"principalia." Young Spaniards out of bravado fired at his feet but he passed on as if
unconscious of the bullets.

•Argensola has preserved the name of the Filipino who killed Rodriguez de Figueroa. It was
Ubal. Two days previously he had given a banquet, slaying for it a beef animal of his own, and
then made the promise which he kept, to do away with the leader of the Spanish invaders. A
Jesuit writer calls him a traitor though the justification for that term of reproach is not apparent.
The Buhahayen people were in their own country, and had neither offended nor declared war
upon the Spaniards. They had to defend their homes against a powerful invader, with superior
forces, many of whom were, by reason of their armor, invulnerable so far as rude Indians were
concerned. Yet these same Indians were defenseless against the balls from their muskets. By
the Jesuit's line of reasoning, the heroic Spanish peasantry in their war for independence would
have been a people even more treacherous. It was not Ubal's fault that he was not seen and, as
it was wartime, it would have been the height of folly, in view of the immense disparity of arms,
to have first called out to this preoccupied opponent, and then been killed himself.

•The muskets used by the Buhahayens were probably some that had belonged to Figueroa's
soldiers who had died in battle. Though the Philippines had lantakas and other artillery, muskets
were unknown till the Spaniards came.

•That the Spaniards used the word "discover" very carelessly may be seen from an admiral's
turning in a report of his "discovery" of the Solomon Islands though he noted that the islands
had been discovered before.

•Death has always been the first sign of European civilization on its introduction in the Pacific
Ocean. God grant that it may not be the last, though to judge by statistics the civilized islands
are losing their populations at a terrible rate. Magellan himself inaugurated his arrival in the
Marianas islands by burning more than forty houses, many small craft and seven people
because one of his boats had been stolen. Yet to the simple savages the act had nothing wrong
in it but was done with the same naturalness that civilized people hunt, fish, and subjugate
people that are weak or ill-armed.

•The Spanish historians of the Philippines never overlook any opportunity, be it suspicion or
accident, that may be twisted into something unfavorable to the Filipinos. They seem to forget
that in almost every case the reason for the rupture has been some act of those who were
pretending to civilize helpless peoples by force of arms and at the cost of their native land.
What would these same writers have said if the crimes committed by the Spaniards, the
Portuguese and the Dutch in their colonies had been committed by the islanders?

•The Japanese were not in error when they suspected the Spanish and Portuguese religious
propaganda to have political motives back of the missionary activities. Witness the Moluccas
where Spanish missionaries served as spies; Cambodia, which it was sought to conquer under
cloak of converting; and many other nations, among them the Filipinos, where the sacrament of
baptism made of the inhabitants not only subjects of the King of Spain but also slaves of the
encomenderos, and as well slaves of the churches and convents. What would Japan have been
now had not its emperors uprooted Catholicism? A missionary record of 1625 sets forth that the
King of Spain had arranged with certain members of Philippine religious orders that, under guise
of preaching the faith and making Christians, they should win over the Japanese and oblige
them to make themselves of the Spanish party, and finally it told of a plan whereby the King of
Spain should become also King of Japan. In corroboration of this may be cited the claims that
Japan fell within the Pope's demarcation lines for Spanish expansion and so there was
complaint of missionaries other than Spanish there. Therefore, it was not for religion that they
were converting the infidels!

•The raid by Datus Sali and Silonga of Mindanao, in 1599 with 50 sailing vessels and 3,000
warriors, against the capital of Panay, is the first act of piracy by the inhabitants of the South
which is recorded in Philippine history. I say "by the inhabitants of the South" because earlier
there had been other acts of piracy, the earliest being that of Magellan's expedition when it
seized the shipping of friendly islands and even of those whom they did not know, extorting for
them heavy ransoms. It will be remembered that these Moro piracies continued for more than
two centuries, during which the indomitable sons of the South made captives and carried fire
and sword not only in neighboring islands but into Manila Bay to Malate, to the very gates of
the capital, and not once a year merely but at times repeating their raids five and six times in a
single season. Yet the government was unable to repel them or to defend the people whom it
had disarmed and left without protection. Estimating that the cost to the islands was but 800
victims a year, still the total would be more than 200,000 persons sold into slavery or killed, all
sacrificed together with so many other things to the prestige of that empty title, Spanish
sovereignty.

•Still the Spaniards say that the Filipinos have contributed nothing to Mother Spain, and that it
is the islands which owe everything. It may be so, but what about the enormous sum of gold
which was taken from the islands in the early years of Spanish rule, of the tributes collected by
the encomenderos, of the nine million dollars yearly collected to pay the military, expenses of
the employees, diplomatic agents, corporations and the like, charged to the Philippines, with
salaries paid out of the Philippine treasury not only for those who come to the Philippines but
also for those who leave, to some who never have been and never will be in the islands, as well
as to others who have nothing to do with them. Yet all of this is as nothing in comparison with
so many captives gone, such a great number of soldiers killed in expeditions, islands
depopulated, their inhabitants sold as slaves by the Spaniards themselves, the death of
industry, the demoralization of the Filipinos, and so forth, and so forth. Enormous indeed would
the benefits which that sacred civilization brought to the archipelago have to be in order to
counterbalance so heavy a-cost.

•While Japan was preparing to invade the Philippines, these islands were sending expeditions to
Tonquin and Cambodia, leaving the homeland helpless even against the undisciplined hordes
from the South, so obsessed were the Spaniards with the idea of making conquests.

•In the alleged victory of Morga over the Dutch ships, the latter found upon the bodies of five
Spaniards, who lost their lives in that combat, little silver boxes filled with prayers and
invocations to the saints. Here would seem to be the origin of the anting-anting of the modern
tulisanes, which are also of a religious character.

•In Morga's time, the Philippines exported silk to Japan whence now comes the best quality of
that merchandise.

•Morga's views upon the failure of Governor Pedro de Acuna’s ambitious expedition against the
Moros unhappily still apply for the same conditions yet exist. For fear of uprisings and loss of
Spain's sovereignty over the islands, the inhabitants were disarmed, leaving them exposed to
the harassing of a powerful and dreaded enemy. Even now, though the use of steam vessels has
put an end to piracy from outside, the same fatal system still is followed. The peaceful
countryfolk are deprived of arms and thus made unable to defend themselves against the
bandits, or tulisanes, which the government cannot restrain. It is an encouragement to banditry
thus to make easy its getting booty.

•Hernando de los Rios blames these Moluccan wars for the fact that at first the Philippines
were a source of expense to Spain instead of profitable in spite of the tremendous sacrifices of
the Filipinos, their practically gratuitous labor in building and equipping the galleons, and
despite, too, the tribute, tariffs and other imposts and monopolies. These wars to gain the
Moluccas, which soon were lost forever with the little that had been so laboriously obtained,
were a heavy drain upon the Philippines. They depopulated the country and bankrupted the
treasury, with not the slightest compensating benefit. True also is it that it was to gain the
Moluccas that Spain kept the Philippines, the desire for the rich spice islands being one of the
most powerful arguments when, because of their expense to him, the King thought of
withdrawing and abandoning them.

•Among the Filipinos who aided the government when the Manila Chinese revolted, Argensola
says there were 4,000 Pampangans "armed after the way of their land, with bows and arrows,
short lances, shields, and broad and long daggers." Some Spanish writers say that the Japanese
volunteers and the Filipinos showed themselves cruel in slaughtering the Chinese refugees. This
may very well have been so, considering the hatred and rancor then existing, but those in
command set the example.

•The loss of two Mexican galleons in 1603 called forth no comment from the religious
chroniclers who were accustomed to see the avenging hand of God in the misfortunes and
accidents of their enemies. Yet there were repeated shipwrecks of the vessels that carried from
the Philippines wealth which encomenderos had extorted from the Filipinos, using force, or
making their own laws, and, when not using these open means, cheating by the weights and
measures.

•The Filipino chiefs who at their own expense went with the Spanish expedition against
Ternate, in the Moluccas, in 1605, were Don Guillermo Palaot, maestro de campo, and Captains
Francisco Palaot, Juan Lit, Luis Lont, and Agustin Lont. They had with them 400 Tagalogs and
Kapampangans. The leaders bore themselves bravely for Argensola writes that in the assault on
Ternate, "No officer, Spaniard or Indian, went unscathed."

•The Cebuanos drew a pattern on the skin before starting in to tattoo. The Bisayan usage then
was the same procedure that the Japanese today follow.

•Ancient traditions ascribe the origin of the Malay Filipinos to the island of Sumatra. These
traditions were almost completely lost as well as the mythology and the genealogies of which
the early historians tell, thanks to the zeal of the missionaries in eradicating all national
remembrances as heathen or idolatrous. The study of ethnology is restoring this somewhat.

•The chiefs used to wear upper garments, usually of Indian fine gauze according to Colin, of red
color, a shade for which they had the same fondness that the Romans had. The barbarous tribes
in Mindanao still have the same taste.

•The "easy virtue" of the native women that historians note is not solely attributable to the
simplicity with which they obeyed their natural instincts but much more due to a religious belief
of which Father Chirino tells. It was that in the journey after death to "Kalualhatian," the abode
of the spirit, there was a dangerous river to cross that had no bridge other than a very narrow
strip of wood over which a woman could not pass unless she had a husband or lover to extend a
hand to assist her. Furthermore, the religious annals of the early missions are filled with
countless instances where native maidens chose death rather than sacrifice their chastity to the
threats and violence of encomenderos and Spanish soldiers. As to the mercenary social evil,
that is worldwide and there is no nation that can 'throw the first stone' at any other. For the
rest, today the Philippines has no reason to blush in comparing its womankind with the women
of the most chaste nation in the world.

•Morga's remark that the Filipinos like fish better when it is commencing to turn bad is another
of those prejudices which Spaniards like all other nations, have. In matters of food, each is
nauseated with what he is unaccustomed to or doesn't know is eatable. The English, for
example, find their gorge rising when they see a Spaniard eating snails, while in turn the Spanish
find roast beef English-style repugnant and can't understand the relish of other Europeans for
beefsteak a la Tartar which to them is simply raw meat. The Chinaman, who likes shark's meat,
cannot bear Roquefort cheese, and these examples might be indefinitely extended. The
Filipinos' favorite fish dish is the bagoong and whoever has tried to eat it knows that it is not
considered improved when tainted. It neither is, nor ought to be, decayed.

•Colin says the ancient Filipinos had minstrels who had memorized songs telling their
genealogies and of the deeds ascribed to their deities. These were chanted on voyages in
cadence with the rowing, or at festivals, or funerals, or wherever there happened to be any
considerable gatherings. It is regrettable that these chants have not been preserved as from
them it would have been possible to learn much of the Filipinos' past and possibly of the history
of neighboring islands.

•The cannon foundry mentioned by Morga as in the walled city was probably on the site of the
Tagalog one which was destroyed by fire on the first coming of the Spaniards. That established
in 1584 was in Lamayan, that is, Santa Ana now, and was transferred to the old site in 1590. It
continued to work until 1805. According to Gaspar San Agustin, the cannon which the pre-
Spanish Filipinos cast were "as great as those of Malaga," Spain's foundry. The Filipino plant was
burned with all that was in it save a dozen large cannons and some smaller pieces which the
Spanish invaders took back with them to Panay. The rest of their artillery equipment had been
thrown by the Manilans, then Moros, into the sea when they recognized their defeat.

•Malate, better Maalat, was where the Tagalog aristocracy lived after they were dispossessed
by the Spaniards of their old homes in what is now the walled city of Manila. Among the Malate
residents were the families of Raja Matanda and Raja Soliman. The men had various positions in
Manila and some were employed in government work nearby. "They were very courteous and
well-mannered," says San Agustin. "The women were very expert in lacemaking, so much so
that they were not at all behind the women of Flanders."

•Morga's statement that there was not a province or town of the Filipinos that resisted
conversion or did not want it may have been true of the civilized natives. But the contrary was
the fact among the mountain tribes. We have the testimony of several Dominican and
Augustinian missionaries that it was impossible to go anywhere to make conversions without
other Filipinos along and a guard of soldiers. "Otherwise, says Gaspar de San Agustin, there
would have been no fruit of the Evangelic Doctrine gathered, for the infidels wanted to kill the
Friars who came to preach to them." An example of this method of conversion given by the
same writer was a trip to the mountains by two Friars who had a numerous escort of
Pampangans. The escort's leader was Don Agustin Sonson who had a reputation for daring and
carried fire and sword into the country, killing many, including the chief, Kabadi.

•"The Spaniards, says Morga, were accustomed to hold as slaves such natives as they bought
and others that they took in the forays in the conquest or pacification of the islands."
Consequently, in this respect the "pacifiers" introduced no moral improvement. We even do not
know if in their wars the Filipinos used to make slaves of each other, though that would not
have been strange, for the chroniclers tell of captives returned to their own people. The
practice of the Southern pirates almost proves this, although in these piratical wars the
Spaniards were the first aggressors and gave them their character.

Source: Rizal's Life and Minor Writings, pp. 310-331, Austin Craig, 1929, Translations were made
by Mr. Chas. E. Derbyshire for the author.

UNIT 13
  JOSE RIZAL AND THE PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM – BAYANI AND
KABAYANIHAN

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learners are expected to:

 Examine the values highlighted by the various representations of Rizal as a

national symbol
 Advocate the values Rizal’s life encapsulates

LEARNING CONTENT:

A national hero of the Philippines is a Filipino who has been recognized as a

national hero for his or her role in the history of the Philippines. Loosely, the term
may refer to all Filipino historical figures recognized as heroes, but the term more
strictly refers to those officially designated as such. In 1995 the Philippine
National Heroes Committee officially recommended several people for the
designation, but this was not acted upon. As of 2007, no one had ever been
officially recognized as a Philippine national hero.
The reformist writer José Rizal, today generally considered the greatest Filipino
hero and often given as the Philippine national hero, has never been explicitly
proclaimed as the (or even a) national hero by the Philippine
government. Besides Rizal, the only other Filipinos currently given implied
recognition as national hero such as revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio. While other
historical figures are commemorated in public municipal or provincial holidays,
Rizal and Bonifacio are commemorated in public nationwide (national) holidays
and thus are implied to be national heroes.

DR. JOSE P. RIZAL, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL HERO

Dr. José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, is not only admired for
possessing intellectual brilliance but also for taking a stand and resisting the
Spanish colonial government. While his death sparked a revolution to overthrow
the tyranny, Rizal will always be remembered for his compassion towards the
Filipino people and the country.

Rizal had been very vocal against the Spanish government, but in a peaceful
and progressive manner. For him, “the pen was mightier than the sword.” And
through his writings, he exposed the corruption and wrongdoings of government
officials as well as the Spanish friars.

While in Barcelona, Rizal contributed essays, poems, allegories, and editorials to

the Spanish newspaper, La Solidaridad. Most of his writings, both in his essays
and editorials, centered on individual rights and freedom, specifically for
the Filipino people. As part of his reforms, he even called for the inclusion of the
Philippines to become a province of Spain.

But, among his best works, two novels stood out from the rest – Noli Me
Tángere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of the Greed).

In both novels, Rizal harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in the country
and exposed the ills of Philippine society at the time. And because he wrote
about the injustices and brutalities of the Spaniards in the country, the authorities
banned Filipinos from reading the controversial books. Yet they were not able to
ban it completely. As more Filipinos read the books, their eyes opened to the
truth that they were suffering unspeakable abuses at the hands of the friars.
These two novels by Rizal, now considered his literary masterpieces, are said to
have indirectly sparked the Philippine Revolution.

Upon his return to the Philippines, Rizal formed a progressive organization called
the La Liga Filipina. This civic movement advocated social reforms through legal
means. Now Rizal was considered even more of a threat by the Spanish
authorities (alongside his novels and essays), which ultimately led to his exile in
Dapitan in northern Mindanao.

This however did not stop him from continuing his plans for reform. While in
Dapitan, Rizal built a school, hospital, and water system. He also taught farming
and worked on agricultural projects such as using abaca to make ropes.

In 1896, Rizal was granted leave by then Governor-General Blanco, after

volunteering to travel to Cuba to serve as doctor to yellow fever victims. But at
that time, the Katipunan had a full-blown revolution and Rizal was accused of
being associated with the secret militant society. On his way to Cuba, he was
arrested in Barcelona and sent back to Manila to stand for trial before the court
martial. Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion – and
therefore, sentenced to death by firing squad.

Days before his execution, Rizal bid farewell to his motherland and countrymen
through one of his final letters, entitled Mi Último Adiós or My Last Farewell. Dr.
José Rizal was executed on the morning of December 30, 1896, in what was
then called Bagumbayan (now referred to as Luneta). Upon hearing the
command to shoot him, he faced the squad and uttered in his final breath:
“Consummatum est” (It is finished). According to historical accounts, only one
bullet ended the life of the Filipino martyr and hero.

After his death, the Philippine Revolution continued until 1898. And with the
assistance of the United States, the Philippines declared its independence from
Spain on June 12, 1898. This was the time that the Philippine flag was waved at
General Emilio Aguinaldo’s residence in Kawit, Cavite.

Today, Dr. Rizal’s brilliance, compassion, courage, and patriotism are greatly
remembered and recognized by the Filipino people. His two novels are
continuously being analyzed by students and professionals.

Colleges and universities in the Philippines even require their students to take a
subject which centers around the life and works of Rizal. Every year, the Filipinos
celebrate Rizal Day – December 30 each year – to commemorate his life and
works. Filipinos look back at how his founding of La Liga Filipina and his two
novels had an effect on the early beginnings of the Philippine Revolution. The
people also recognize his advocacy to achieve liberty through peaceful means
rather than violent revolution.

In honor of Rizal, memorials and statues of the national hero can be found not
only within the Philippines, but in selected cities around the world. A road in the
Chanakyapuri area of New Delhi (India) and in Medan, Indonesia is named after
him. The José Rizal Bridge and Rizal Park in the city of Seattle are also
dedicated to the late hero.

Within the Philippines, there are streets, towns/cities, a university (Rizal

University), and a province named after him. Three species have also been
named after Rizal – the Draco rizali (a small lizard, known as a flying
dragon), Apogania rizali (a very rare kind of beetle with five horns) and
the Rhacophorus rizali (a peculiar frog species).

To commemorate what he did for the country, the Philippines built a memorial
park for him – now referred to as Rizal Park, found in Manila. There lies a
monument which contains a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, an obelisk, and a
stone base said to contain his remains. The monument stands near the place
where he fell during his execution in Luneta.

Source: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-life-and-legacy-of-jose-rizal-
the-philippines-national-hero/