Jose Rizal’s Essays

The National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal composed several brilliant essays in his lifetime.
These writings awakened the Filipino patriotism and pave the way for Philippine
Revolution. Moreover, his writings were living proofs that “The pen is mightier than the
sword.” The following are some of his timeless articles:
Articles in Diariong Tagalog
“El Amor Patrio” (The Love of Country)
This was the first article Rizal wrote on Spanish soil. Written in summer of 1882, it was
published in Diariong Tagalog in August. He used the pen name “Laong Laan” (ever
prepared) as a byline for this article and he sent it to Marcelo H. Del Pilar for the
Tagalog translation.
Written during the Spanish colonization and reign over the Philippine islands, the article
aimed to establish nationalism and patriotism among the natives. Rizal extended his call
for the love of country to his fellow compatriots in Spain, for he believed that nationalism
should be exercised anywhere a person is.
“Revista De Madrid” (Review of Madrid)
This article written by Rizal on November 29, 1882 was unfortunately returned to him
because Diariong Tagalog had ceased publications for lack of funds.
Articles in La Solidaridad
“Los Agricultores Filipinos” (The Filipino Farmers)
This essay dated March 25, 1889 was the first article of Rizal published in La
Solidaridad. In this writing, he depicted the deplorable conditions of the Filipino farmers
in the Philippines, hence the backwardness of the country.
“A La Defensa” (To La Defensa)
This was in response to the anti-Filipino writing by Patricio de la Escosura published by
La Defensa on March 30, 1889 issue. Written on April 30, 1889, Rizal’s article refuted
the views of Escosura, calling the reader’s attention to the insidious influences of the
friars to the country.
“Los Viajes” (Travels)
Published in the La Solidaridad on May 15, 1889, this article tackled the rewards gained
by the people who are well-travelled to many places in the world.
“La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth for All)
This was Rizal’s counter to the Spanish charges that the natives were ignorant and
depraved. On May 31, 1889, it was published in the La Solidaridad.
“Vicente Barrantes” (Teatro Tagalo)
The first installment of Rizal’s “Vicente Barrantes” was published in the La Solidaridad
on June 15, 1889. In this article, Rizal exposed Barrantes’ lack of knowledge on the
Tagalog theatrical art.
“Defensa Del Noli”
The manuscripts of the “Defensa Del Noli” was written on June 18, 1889. Rizal sent the
article to Marcelo H. Del Pilar, wanting it to be published by the end of that month in the
La Solidaridad.
“Verdades Nuevas” (New Facts/ New Truths)
In this article dated July 31, 1889, Rizal replied to the letter of Vicente Belloc Sanchez
which was published on July 4, 1889 in La Patria, a newspaper in Madriid. Rizal
addressed Sanchez’s allegation that provision of reforms to the Philippines would
devastate the diplomatic rule of the Catholic friars.
“Una Profanacion” (A Desecration/A Profanation)
Published on July 31, 1889, this article mockingly attacked the friars for refusing to give
Christian burial to Mariano Herbosa, Rizal’s brother in law, who died of cholera in may
23, 1889. Being the husband of Lucia Rizal (Jose’s sister), Herbosa wa denied of burial
in the Catholic cemetery by the priests.
“Cruedad” (Cruelty)
Dated August 15, 1889, this was Rizal’s witty defense of Blumentritt from the libelous
ttacks of his enemies.
“Diferencias” (Differences)
Published on September 15, 1889, this article countered the biased article entitled “Old
Truths” which was printed in La Patria on August 14, 1889. “Old Truths” ridiculed those
Filipinos who asked for reforms.
“Inconsequencias” (Inconsequence)
The Spanish Pablo Mir Deas attacked Antonio Luna in the Barcelona newspaper El
Pueblo Soberano. As Rizal’s defense of Luna, he wrote this article which was published
on November 30, 1889.
“Llanto Y Risas” (Tears and Laughter)
Dated November 30, 1889, this article was a condemnation of the racial prejudice of the
Spanish against the brown race. Rizal remembered that he earned first prize in a literary
contest in 1880. He narrated nonetheless how the Spaniards and mestizo spectators
stopped their applause upon noticing that the winner had a brown skin complexion.
“Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años (The Philippines within One hundred Years)
This was serialized in La Solidaridad on September 30, October 31, December 15, 1889
and February 15, 1890. In the articles, Rizal estimated the future of the Philippines in
the span of a hundred years and foretold the catastrophic end of Spanish rule in Asia.
He ‘prophesied’ Filipinos’ revolution against Spain, winning their independence, but later
the Americans would come as the new colonizer.
The essay also talked about the glorious pat of the Philippines, recounted the
deterioration of the economy, and exposed the causes of natives’ sufferings under the
cruel Spanish rule. In the essay, he cautioned the Spain as regards the imminent
downfall of its domination. He awakened the minds and the hearts of the Filipinos
concerning the oppression of the Spaniards and encouraged them to fight for their right.
Part of the essays reads, “History does not record in its annals any lasting domination
by one people over another, of different races, of diverse usages and customs, of
opposite and divergent ideas. One of the two had to yield and succumb”. The
Philippines had regained it long-awaited democracy and liberty some years after Rizal’s
death. This was the realization of what the hero envisioned in this essay.
“Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude)
Dated January 15, 1890, this article was the hero’s reply to Governor General Weyler
who told the people in Calamba that they “should not allow themselves to be deceived
by the vain promises of their ungrateful sons.” The statement was made as a reaction to
Rizal’s project of relocating the oppressed and landless Calamba tenants to North
Borneo.
“Sobre La Nueva Ortografia De La Lengua Tagala” (On the new Orthography of
the Tagalog Language)
Rizal expressed here his advocacy of a new spelling in Tagalog. In this article dated
April 15, 1890, he laid down the rules of the new Tagalog orthography and, with
modesty and sincerity, gave the credit for the adoption of this new orthography to Dr.
Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, author of the celebrated work “El Sanscrito en la Lengua
Tagala” (Sanskrit in the Tagalog Language) published in Paris, 1884.
“I put this on record,” wrote Rizal, “o that when the history of this orthography is traced,
which is already being adopted by the enlightened Tagalists, that what is Caesar’s be
given to Caesar. This innovation is due solely to Dr. Pardo de Tavera’s studies on
Tagalismo. I was one of its most zealous propagandists.
“Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinas” (The Indolence of the Filipinos)
This logical essay is a proof of the national hero’s historical scholarship. The essay
rationally countered the accusations by Spaniards that Filipinos were indolent (lazy)
during the Spanish reign. It was published in La Solidaridad in five consecutive issues
on July (15 and 31), August (1 and 31) and September 1, 1890.
Rizal argued that Filipinos are innately hardworking prior to the rule of the Spaniards.
What brought the decrease in the productive activities of the natives was actually the
Spanish colonization. Rizal explained the alleged Filipino indolence by pointing to these
factors:
1. The Galleon Trade destroyed the previous links of the Philippine with other countries
in Asia and the Middle East, thereby eradicating small local business and handicraft
industries.
2. The Spanish forced labor compelled the Filipinos to work in shipyard, roads, and
other public works, thus abandoning their agricultural farms and industries.
3. Many Filipinos became landless and wanderers because Spain did not defend them
against pirates and foreign invaders.
4. The system of education offered by the colonizers was impractical as it was mainly
about repetitive prayers and had nothing to do with agricultural and industrial
technology.
5. The Spaniards were a bad example as negligent officials would come in late and
leave early in their offices and Spanish women were always followed by servants
6. Gambling like cockfights was established, promoted, and explicitly practiced by
Spanish government officials and friars themselves especially during feast days.
7. The crooked system of religion discouraged the natives to work hard by teaching that
it is easier for a poor man to enter heaven.
8. The very taxes were discouraging as big part of native’s earnings would only go to
the officials and friars.
Moreover, Rizal explained that Filipinos were just wise in their level of work under
topical climate. He explained, “violent work is not a good thing in tropical countries as it
is would be parallel to death, destruction, annihilation.” Rizal concluded that natives’
supposed indolence was an end-product of the Spanish colonization.
Historical Commentaries Written in London
“Ma-yi”
This historical commentary was written by Rizal in London on December 6, 1888.
“Acerca de Tawalisi de Ibn Batuta”
This historical commentary is believed to form part of “Notes” (written in collaboration
with A>B> Meyer and F. Blumentritt) on a Chinese code in the Middle Ages, translated
from German by Dr. Hirth. Written on January 7, 1889. The article was about the
“Tawalisi” which refers to the northern part of Luzon or any of the adjoining islands.
“La Vision Del Fray Rodriguez” (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez)
Jose Rizal, upon receipt of the news concerning Fray Rodriguez’ bitter attack on his
novel Noli Me Tangere, wrote this defense under his pseudonym “Dimas Alang”.
Published in Barcelona, it is a satire depicting a spirited dialogue between the Catholic
Saint Augustine and Rodriguez. Augustine, in the fiction, told Rodriguez that he was
commissioned by God to tell him of his stupidity and his penance on earth that he shall
continue to write more stupidity so that all men may laugh at him. In this pamphlet, Rizal
demonstrated his profound knowledge in religion and his biting satire.
“To the Young Women of Malolos”
Originally written in Tagalog, this famous essay directly addressed to the women of
Malolos, Bulacan was written by Rizal as a response to Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s request.
Rizal was greatly impressed by the bravery of the 20 young women of Malolos who
planned to establish a school where they could learn Spanish despite the opposition of
Felipe Garcia, Spanish parish priest of Malolos. The letter expressed Rizal’s yearning
that women be granted the same chances given to men in terms of education. In the
olden days, young women were not educated because of the principle that they son be
wives and their primary career would be to take care of the home and children. Rizal
however advocated women’s right to education.
Some points mentioned by Rizal in his letter to the young women of Malolos:
1. The priest in the country that time did not embody the true spirit of Christianity.
2. Private judgment should be used.
3. Mothers should be an epitome of an ideal woman who teaches her children to love
God, country, and fellowmen.
4. Mother should rear children in the service of the state and set standards of behavior
for men around her.
5. Filipino women must be noble, decent, and dignified and they should be submissive,
tender, and loving to their respective husband.
6. Young women must edify themselves, live the real Christian way with good morals
and manners, should be intelligent in their choice of a lifetime partner.
Writings in Hong Kong
“Ang Mga Karapatan ng Tao” (The Rights of Man)
This was Rizal’s tgalog translation of “The Rights of Man” which was proclaimed by the
French Revolution in 1789.
“A La Nacion Espanola” (To the Spanish Nation)
Written in 1891, this was Rizal’s appeal to Spain to rectify the wrongs which the Spanish
government and clergy had done to the Calamba tenants.
“Sa Mga Kababayan” (To My Countrymen)
This writing written in December 1891 explained the Calamba agrarian situation.
“Una Visita A La Victoria Gaol” (A Vist to Victoria Gaol)
On March 2, 1892, Rizal wrote this account of his visit to the colonial prison of Hong
Kong. He contrasted in the article the harsh Spanish prison system with the modern and
more humane British prison system.
“La Mano Roja” (The Red Hand)
This was a writing printed in sheet form. Written in Hon Kong, the article denounced the
frequent outbreaks of fires in Manila.
“Constitution of the La Liga Filipina”
This was deemed the most important writing Rizal had made during his Hong Kong
stay. Though it was Jose Ma. Basa who conceived the establishment of La Liga Filipina,
his friend and namesake Jose Rizal was the one who wrote its constitution and founded
it.
Articles for Trubner’s Record
Due to the request of Riza’s friend Dr. reinhold Rost, the editor of Trubner’s Record ( a
journal devoted to Asian Studies ), Rizal submitted two articles:
Specimens of Tagal Folklore
Published in May 1889, the article contained Filipino proverbs and puzzles.
Two Eastern Fables
It was comparative study of the Japanese and Philippine folklore. In this essay, Jose
Rizal compare the Filipino fable, “The Tortoise and the Monkey” to the Japanese fable
“Saru kani Kassen” (Battle of the Monkey and the Crab).
Citing many similarities in form and content, Rizal surmised that the two fables may
have had the same roots in Malay folklore. The scholarly work received serious
attention from other ethnologists, and became a topic at an ethnological conference.
Among other things, Rizal notice that both versions of the fable tackled about morality
as both involve the eternal battle between the weak and the powerful. The Filipino
version however had more philosophy and plainness of form whereas the Japanese
counterpart had more civilization and diplomacy.
Other Writings
“Persamientos De Un Filipino” (Reflections of a Filipino)
JoseRizal wrote this in Madrid, Spain from 1883-1885. It spoke of a liberal minded and
anti- friear Filipino who bears penalties uch as an exile.
“Por Telefono”
This was a witty satire authored by “Dimas Alang” ridiculing the Catholic monk Font, one
of the priest who masterminded the banning of the “Noli”. Published in booklet form in
Barcelona, Spain, it narrated in a funny way the telephone conversation between Font
and the provincial friars of the San Agustin Convent in Manila.
This pamphlet showed not only Rizal’s cleverness but also his futuristic vision.
Amazingly, Rizal had envisaged that overseas telephonic conversations could be
carried on something which was not yet done during that time (1889). It was only in
1901, twelve years after Rizal wrote “Por Telefono” when the first radio-telegraph
signals were received by Marconi across the Atlantic.
“La Instruccion” (The Town School in the Philippines)
Using the penname “Laong Laan”, Rizal assessed in this essay the elementary
education system in the Philippines during his time. Having observed the educational
systems in Europe. Rizal found the Spanish administered education in his country poor
and futile. The hero thus proposed reform and suggested a more significant and
engaging system.
Rizal for instance pointed out that there was a problem in the mandated medium of
instruction- the colonizers’ language which was not perfectly understood by the natives.
Rizal thus favored Philippine language for workbook and instructions.
The visionary thinking of Rizal might have been working when he wrote the essay.
Interestingly, his call for educational reforms, especially his stand on the use of the local
languages for instruction, is part of the battle cry and features of today’s K to 12
program in the Philippines.