Rizal Modules Complete

Republic of the Philippines
Surigao del Sur State University

Cantilan, Surigao del Sur 8300
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Website: www.sdssu.edu.ph
MC I- RIZAL’S LIFE AND WORKS
Name: (student) ______________________________________
Mobile Number: ______________________________________________

Course/ Year & Section: _______________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 1

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
CHAPTER 1: RIZAL LAW (RA 1425)
Introduction
The Rizal Law is about implementing rules to educate people about the Life, Works, and Writings of
our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, especially his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. This is to
give the students and the future generations an ample background and for them to understand about how
Jose Rizal hands over his life for our country.
This lesson will help to provide comprehensive understanding on how the course was originated from a
controversial platform into a legislative mandate.
Intended Learning Outcome
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to

1. Identify the opposing groups on the issue of the Rizal Law;
2. State the opposing groups’ points of contention and determine the interest of the contending groups;
and
3. Draw parallels to the present time.
Discussion
THE STORY OF THE RIZAL LAW
In 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto filed a measure, which became the original Rizal Bill, recognizing
the need to instill heroism among the youth at the time when the country was experiencing social turmoil. It
was a time when the country was being ravaged by the Hukbalahap insurgency. The imperialist presence in
the form of American influence was strong in the country’s economy and political policies. The communist
insurgency was fought through American guidance and material aid.
The Philippines became part of the global network to contain the spread of communism with the
conclusion of a mutual defense agreement with the United States in 1951 and its joining the Southeast Asia
Treaty Organization (SEATO). On the economic front, the United States still reigned supreme with the
enforcement of the Bell Trade Act back in 1947 and the parity rights granted in the Philippine Constitution
which allowed the Americans to exploit the country’s natural resources. In 1956, the Laurel-Langley
Agreement ensured the free entry of American products, thus ensuring the preference of Filipinos for
American goods. Internally, the country was buffeted by corrupt party politics and news of political
corruption was rampant. The 1950s was indeed confusing times.
This was the period when Recto submitted his bill, calling for a return to patriotic values enunciated by
Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal. Under the bill, it shall be obligatory for college and university students to
study the life and works of Jose Rizal. The issuance of the bill was not welcomed by various quarters. The
Catholic Church assailed the Rizal Bill as anti-Church because it forces the students to Read Rizal’s
works like the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which contain passages the were anti-Church.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
They presented fears that the religious beliefs of the young students would be harmed by reading Rizal’s
works while they were at their formative years.
Forcing the students to read Rizal’s works which have religious overtones would be a violation of the
constitutional freedom of religion and of conscience. The Church made use of lobbyists as well as priests in
opposing the Rizal Bill. Among them were Catholic organizations such as the Accion Catolico which was
formerly headed by Senator Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo. Priests attended and actively participated in the
hearings of the Senate.
Many of these priests were foreigners who sought audience with senators to convince them to oppose
the bill. This was a clear interference of the Church on the making of policies by the State.
Seminars were held across the countryside to oppose the bill. In one seminar, one of the oppositors, Fr.
Jesus Cavanna, commented that Rizal’s novels belonged to the past and it would be harmful to read them
because they presented a false picture of the conditions of the country at that time. He also said that out of
the 333 pages of the Noli Me Tangere, there were only 25 patriotic statements compared to 120 anti-
Catholic statements. One commentator, Jesus Paredes, said that the novels contain objectional matters and
Catholics had the right to refuse to read them, so as not to endanger their faith.
Another commentator, Narciso Pimentel, offered the speculation that Recto introduced his Rizal Bill to
get back at the Catholic voters, who, together with President Magsaysay, were responsible for his poor
showing in the 1955 elections. Lawmakers such as Representative Miguel Cuenco and Senator Francisco
“Soc” Rodrigo voiced the opposition of the Church in Congress. Senator Rodrigo commented that he would
not let his teenage son to read the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo lest he endangers his Catholic
faith. He proposed that the footnoted or annotated versions of the novels be used instead of the unexpurgated
versions required in the Recto Bill.
The Church continued its opposition of the bill by calling all Catholic voters to reject lawmakers who
supported Recto’s Rizal Bill. Pastoral letters were read in masses voicing opposition. Bishops threatened to
close down Catholic schools if the bill was approved. Recto, however, stood his ground and dared the
Catholic Church to shut down their schools, knowing that this was only an idle threat since the Catholic
learning institutions were its major source of income. He also rejected Senator Rodrigo’s suggestion that the
annotated or edited versions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo should be used.
After a month-long standoff, a compromise bill was filed It was authored by Senator Jose P. Laurel
and it was based on the proposal of Senators Roseller Lim and Emmanuel Pelaez. On June 12, 1956,
Republic Act No. 1425, better known as the Rizal Law, came into effect. The law accommodated the
objections of the Catholic Church. This could be seen in the second paragraph of Section 1, allowing
students to seek exemption from reading Rizal’s works for religious reasons.
To the authors of the original bill, it was a complete victory but its oppositions felt satisfied that at least
they achieved something. The law, however, still requires the reading of the unexpurgated versions of
Rizal’s novels. It also provided the funding of publication of Rizal’s works and their distribution to the
countryside. It was, however, a one-time appropriation and provision, for future publication was not given.
The Rizal Law is more than 50 years old now, and it may need revisions to make it more relevant.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Republic Act No. 1425

House Bill No. 5561
Senate Bill No. 438
An act to include in the curricula of all public and private schools, colleges, and universities
courses on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, authorizing the printing and distribution thereof, and for other purposes.
Whereas, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-dedication to the
ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died.
Whereas, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal, we
remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have shaped the national character;
Whereas, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and subject to regulatio by the State,
and all schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience and to teach
the duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,
Section 1. Courses on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges, and universities,
public or private: Provided, that in the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts.
The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith measures to
implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and printing of appropriate
primers, readers, and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act,
promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the
regulations of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of
students for reasons of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, form the requirement of the
provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course
provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days
after their publication in the Official Gazette.
Section 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges, and universities to keep in their libraries an
adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as Rizal’s other works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be
included in the list of approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges, and
universities.
Section 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal in English, Tagalog, and the principal Philippine
dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations and the Barrio Councils
throughout the country.
Section 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section nine hundred
twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by the public-
school teachers and other person engaged in any public school.
Section 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any
fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Section 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: June 12, 1956
CHAPTER 2: RIZAL IN THE EYES OF THE FILIPINOS
Introduction
Every Filipino has their own impression about Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Some are known of his ideals and
national perspectives while others narrowly identified him as an ordinarily subject of the past events.
Perhaps almost all Filipinos in the country recognized him as the national hero but barely understand how
his life and works shapes our identity today.
As time goes by, we can realize that the life story of Rizal is becoming dreary especially among the
youth of this generation. Many had lost their interest on learning the role of heroes and their contribution in
the country. People unconsciously forget the value of nationalism and tend to focus on extreme materialism
which gradually kills the love and loyalty of our national identity as a country.
This lesson will help us realize how our national heroes sacrificed their lives for the nation building.
This will enlighten us how the values and characteristics of Dr. Jose Rizal influence the minds of the
Filipinos to develop an identity as a nation and acquire knowledge and love for freedom.
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to
1. Develop appreciation of the values and characteristics of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

2. Acquire knowledge on the talents and skills portray by our National Hero in his time.
3. Reveal the good and other side of Rizal as a person.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discussion
RIZAL IN THE EYES OF THE FILIPINOS
We begin this lesson with a question: Who is the greatest hero of the Philippines? When asked this
question, a Filipino might answer: “Jose Rizal”
Who was Jose Rizal and why was he well-known among Filipinos?
Why are there so many monuments in his honor and why were many streets named after him?
To many Filipinos, their answers might be varied. He was a martyr who died for Filipinos. Some sectors
even call him the “Tagalog Christ” or “Kristong Tagalog.” Many Filipinos admire him as a man of many
talents - a poet, doctor, anthropologist, sculptor, surveyor, farmer, novelist, essayist, historian, teacher,
and a polyglot with a knowledge of, some authors say, 22 languages. Historians consider him as the man
who inspired a nation. To some sectors, he was revered as a saint or messiah who would one day free the
Philippines from oppression.
Rizal also had his share of detractors. Some writers depict him as an agitator, a wanderlust, a man
hungry for power, and an unpredictable person. Some write to denigrate him and question his motives.
There can be no Emilio Aguinaldo without Andres Bonifacio. It was Bonifacio who helped found the
Katipunan, the organization that launched the 1896 Philippine Revolution and recruited Aguinaldo into its
ranks. There will be no Bonifacio without Rizal - it was Rizal’s achievements which helped inspired the
foundation of the Katipunan.
Even his name is one of the passwords of one of the ranks of the organization. Going further, there will
be no Rizal without the GOMBURZA priests. It was the unjust execution of these Filipino secular priests,
Father Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, that inspired Rizal to embark on his nationalist
quest. The trio was his inspiration for his second novel, El Filibusterismo.
Chapter 3: The Philippines in the 19th Century
Introduction
The World during the 19th Century
The 19th century is known to be the Age of Enlighten in Philippine history which can be described as a
colorful part of our history. There were several events that took shape that had impact in the Philippine soil.
Among these were the ff.:

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
a.) United States of America - according to the diary of Rizal was too impressive in the sense of their rapid
industrialization that time and Rizal commented that America will be the next superpower after Spain. The
racial issue hampered its racial discrimination in the mainland as described in the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
written by Harriet Beecher Stowe where negroes are subject to slavery by the “whites”. When President
Lincoln became the president, several reforms took pace such as the “emancipation of slaves” in response to
the racial issue and enfranchising them as well as awarding them either American citizenship. When Rizal
was born on June 19, 1861, the American Civil War (1861-65) was raging furiously in the US over the issue
of Negro Slavery. This titanic conflict, which erupted on April 12, 1861, compelled President Abraham
Lincoln to issue his famous
Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1863 freeing negro slaves.
b.) England – One of the most powerful nations that colonized America was England. Under the reign of
Queen Victoria (1873 – 1901), England was transformed into a conqueror and the continent of Africa was
their main target. Several reforms were the Reform Bill of 18677 where voting rights to the labors were
extended, the Education Act of 1870 where free education was awarded to all British and in 1871 Unions
were organized as part of the worker’s rights and privileges.
c.) Italy – Italy is known for its magnificent churches and plazas became one of the tourism spots until now.
The reign of King Victor Immanuel II worked for the unification of Italy. Before its unification the country
was ruled by several kingdoms. For example, Giuseppe Garibaldi commanded his troops to subjugate
another kingdom thus, making Italy into one sovereign country. However, one city was separated, the
Vatican City which became a state within the sovereign territory in Italy that was proclaimed under Lateran
Treaty 1929.
d.) Germany – Germany was known as Prussia then which was led by the military General Otto von
Bismarck. In 1870 Germany attacked France resulting to the military domination of Germany in the region.
In 1871 William I was crowned the Emperor of Germany.
e.) France – After the French Revolution of 1789, the empire continued its rise to power under Emperor
Napoleon III. It was later defeated by Germany in 1871 led by Otto von Bismarck.
f.) India – At that time India was governed by the Mogul empire where Sepoy soldiers staged a mutiny and
murdered some British commanders of the army. After the mutiny, British authorities hired loyal Indian
soldiers to quell the Modul Empire and re-establish once again British colonialism in India.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
g.) China – is known to be one of the oldest trading partners of the Philippines. In the 19 th century, China
was ruled by a dynasty that was led by the family rulers. Manchu Dynasty ruled China when the Taiping
Rebellion happened between 1852 up to 1864. China was also fragmented into pieces by the foreign powers
particularly managed in whole or in part by Italy, France and Great Britain. Russia also took advantage of
China by taking some of the islands after the Sino-Russian War in the early 1900’s or latter part of the 19 th
century. There were some conflicts also with Mongolia in northern part of Chinese Mainland. The Opium
War (1856-1860) became one of the economic and political turmoil of that time where Hong Kong was
surrendered to the British under several treaties and agreements.
h.) Japan – In 1853 (8 years before Rizal was born), the American Naval Force headed by Matthew Perry
wanted to established ports for American ships. Japan signed several treaties with other European countries
particularly France, Russia, Holland and Great Britain. This was the first time the westerners entered Japan
which has established its Shogunate for a long time.
i.) Singapore – Singapore was known for its ports at that time where merchant and passenger ships loaded
and unloaded from place to place. It was founded by British Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and its complete
independence was established after its separation from the Federation of Malaya 1965.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:
1. Describe what was the political, economic and social life of the Philippines during the 19th century;
2. Discuss why Rizal was the product of his times;
3. What were the institutions being imposed by Spain in the Philippines during the 19th century;
4. Elaborate on the life of the Filipinos during that time; and
5. Give the importance and relevance of how nationalism was molded in the heart and mind of our
national hero.
Discussion
The Philippines in the 19th Century
As stated in the chapter about the Rizaliana batch of biographers, the history of the Philippines during the
19th century, was divided into three institutions namely:

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
a. Political Institutions
The Political set-up of the Philippines during those times was headed by the Governor-General. He was
appointed by the King of Spain for an “indefinite” period of time as loyalty was one of the major
qualifications of the government officials. It was during the time of Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,
then appointed by King Philip II of Spain that proportions of Land were awarded. The governor-general
performs dual functions – political and ecclesiastical. His political powers include being the chief executive
head of the colony – managing the internal affairs of the state as well as the executer of the laws of the land.
He was also the chief of Real Audiencia or the Spanish Supreme Court in the
Philippines where cases were elevated after the failure of cases in local courts. He was also the commanding
officer of the armed forces particularly the navy and army. His ecclesiastical power then was to settle
Church matter because there was Union of Church and State. In the 19 th century Philippines then the office
of the governor-general was the most powerful position in the land next to the King of Spain and the
Ministry of the Indies.
In order to check the powers of the Gov-Gen. then there were officials being sent by the King- the residencia
and visitadores. The Residencia are permanent officials who will scrutinize the performance of the out-going
Gov-Gen. The incoming Gov. Gen. would be probably coming from the residencia. Visitadores on the other
hand will check the performance of the Gov.-Gen and they were temporary and different from the
residencia.
In the local set-up then, local government was divided into provinces, cities and barangays. The provinces
were led by the alcalde-mayor who was the executive of the provinces. Cities were called, Ayuntamiento
that were headed by a petty governor known as the “governadorcillo.” The little towns were called pueblos.
During the 19th century the barangays were headed by a chief known as the cabeza de barangay and they
served as tax collectors of their constituents.
b. Economic Institutions – the encomienda system or the leasehold system became one of the main
economic programs of Spain in the Philippines. This system however, was abused by the Spaniards. The 70-
30 percentage crop sharing became the most abused practice to uneducated farmers because it was usurious.
Another form of abuse was the monopoly system or known as bandala system where the Spaniards
monopolized the buying and selling of raw materials and middlemen sold them at a higher cost. The Galleon
Trade was another economic activity at that time where “boletas” or tickets were used to purchase goods
from the ships though there were instances when ships never returned due to typhoons or man-made
accidents at sea.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
c. Social Institution – the social institution which was imposed by Spain in the Philippines was divided into
social strata wit;
Social Strata in the Philippines during Spanish Period (Source from Choose Philippines Archives)
The figure above shows the social strata which puts the principalia (the rich and opulent class) or the
peninsulares and insulares at the apex of the triangle. The lower portion of the apex is composed of mixed
races (Spaniard, Chinese and Austronesian ancestry). The rising middle class or the ilustrados (composed of
the educated class) including Rizal’s family and other propagandists are not presented in the figure. Almost
60% of the population is “indio” which belongs to the lower class and uneducated Filipinos. Religious
impositions were very strong that time where Filipinos are subjects under the Spanish friars. Marcelo H. Del
Pilar known to be one of the main propagandists coined the term, “frailocracy” which prevailed in the
Philippines.
Rizal as product of his times
Rizal was the product of his times and he was also one of the eyewitnesses of the execution of the
triumvirate priests, Gomez, Burgos and Zamora who were executed on February 17, 1872 after the Cavite
Mutiny on January 20, 1872 which was led by Sergeant La Madrid. Rizal, being an eyewitness of the
execution, reckoned his historical thoughts in his letters as revealed by his early biographers. On the other
hand, some points to be considered, to wit;
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
1. Divine Intervention
Rizal’s vast knowledge and social consciousness are God’s gifts to him. As a reformer, he was-versed in
letters and language. It is a fact that Jose Rizal possessed a lot of talents and he used his literary and writing
ability to fight the Spanish tyranny. He believed that “the pen is mightier than the sword”.
2. Environmental Awareness
The 19th century was the Age of Enlightenment and Rizal was the product of that time. His environment
might be one of the very reasons why he fought the Spanish authorities as he was surrounded by several
names who became his advisers and mentors. He witnessed the execution of the triumvirate priests
(GomBurZa) at a young age of 11 which awakened his awareness of the social injustices of the Spanish
authorities. He believed that “tyranny” has no room in a free society which he envisioned for the country.
3. Educational Factors
Rizal became a young professional who gained his expertise in Ateneo (as surveyor), University of Santo
Tomas (as a medical student) and in Universidad Central de Madrid (continuing his medical studies). His
expertise became in demand as a barrio doctor serving his less privileged compatriots. His literary
knowledge and observations in the Philippines and his travels abroad were his inspirations when he wrote
his two novels- Noli Me Tengere and El Filibusterismo.
4. Family Orientation
The Mercado family along with other “middle class families” were Rizal’s first teachers. Belonging to the
ilustrado class, Rizal was sent abroad to continue his medical studies though there were some objections
from his mother. His family was his source of strength in his flight for social justice from evil society of that
time. Paciano, his brother was his closest adviser and supporter during his stay in Europe. Rizal’s family has
influenced him a lot in inculcating and developing nationalism in his consciousness.
CHAPTER 4- THE FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION OF DR. JOSE RIZAL
Introduction
Heroes, according to a popular saying, are not born; they are made. Rizal and his contemporaries are
product of their time. They are molded by their environment and situations which constitute the call of
history. They simple responded to this call at the cost of ignoring their personal welfare and proceeded to
put the nation toward its historical path.
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
This module has been written to provide useful tool toward a better understanding of the life, times,
ideas and ideals of Jose Rizal. It contains a brief story of Rizal’s life and outline of his journey in the
Philippines and abroad. It answers issues regarding his life and his place in the pantheon of heroes.
It is hope that this module can help the Filipino students develop values that instill the mind of
patriotism, discipline, courage and perseverance whom Rizal called “the fair hope of the motherland”. They
will understand the different elements that came together to create their history and culture as a group of
people.
Through this module, the young readers will also acquire the ability to understand and analyze the
present issues, decisions and events in the country. It will enable them to see the wider picture beyond the
personal life of Jose Rizal and understand why he chose the path of martyrdom.
This module was outlined in the units which are accompanied by different lessons designed for a
three-day activity. For each unit, there is a set of questions intended to give students an overview of the
events. It also contains exercises intended to develop positive values based on Rizal’s experiences.
Utmost care and other methods were used in order to preserve the materials for the young students to
understand. In this kind of learning module that deals with a very broad topic, it is inevitable that there will
be some weaknesses and /or deficiencies. Even so, this work is a product of collective responsibility for
important contributions especially in helping our students gain positive knowledge, which are invaluable for
the youth of the country today.
At the end of the course, students should be able to

1. Point out important landmarks in the life of Jose Rizal.
2. Describe the characteristics of Jose Rizal.
3. Develop critical and analytical skills on the complex life events of Rizal.
4. Analyze the context and perspective of a hero.
5. Effectively communicate, using historical analysis of a particular event that could help others
understand various issues in the past.
6. Propose recommendations/solutions to present-day problems based on their understanding of root
causes and their anticipation of future scenarios.
7. Manifest interest in local history and concern in promoting and preserving our country's national
patrimony and cultural heritage.
RIZAL’S FAMILY BACKGROUND
Discussion
A. Birth
1. Date: June 19, 1861
2. Place: Calamba, Laguna
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
B. Parents
1. Father: Francisco Mercado
2. Mother: Teodoro Alonso y Realonda
C. Siblings
1. Saturnina
2. Narcisa
3. Olympia
4. Lucia
5. Maria
6. Concepcion
7. Josefa
8. Trinidad
9. Soledad
10. Paciano
RIZAL’S’ EDUCATION
A. Early Childhood

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
1. First teachers hired by his father:

a.Lucas Padua
b. Leon Monroy
2. His mother, Dona Teodora

a.Reader used: El Amigo de los Ninos (The Children’s Friend)
b. Prominent lesson learned as a young boy was from: The story of the moth”
B. Influences From Other Members of His Family

1. Uncle Gregorio, who taught him the value of hard work, to think for himself, and to observe
his surroundings keenly.
2. Uncle Jose, who encouraged him to sketch, paint, and make sculptures.
3. Uncle Manuel, who encourage him to pursue his physical development. He taught the young
boy swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports.
4. His yaya (nanny) who told stories that awakened the imagination and creativity of the young
boy. She told stories of duwendes (dwarves), ghosts, and aswangs (evil spirits), of the beautiful
Mariang Makiling and other tales on the beautiful surroundings of his hometown, Calamba.
C. Artistic Endeavors
1. Poems written:
a.“Sa Aking Mga Kabata”
b. “Un Recuerdo de Mi Pueblo” (“A Memory of my Town”, a poem about Calamba)
2. He made sculptures out of mud.

3. He drew things surrounding their house like trees, flowers, birds, butterflies, and anything he
saw around him. He used charcoal and juices of leaves and flowers for colors.
______________________________________________________________________________

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
CHAPTER 5: RIZAL’S HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFE ABROAD
Introduction
Rizal’s formal schooling begun on June 10, 1872 when he passed the entrance exams in Colegio de
San Juan de Letran. Though he passed with flying colors, his family already decided to send him to
the Ateneo Municipal (formerly Escuela Pia- a charity school for boys) for the obvious reason of
avoiding a confrontation of young Jose with the Dominicans who were much hated because of their
land lease policies as well as the tragic incident where Donya Teodora was accused of a crime that
she never committed. When Rizal was in Ateneo, he was very much interested in reading and some
of his readings inspired Rizal to write his first novel, Noli Me Tangere. Some of the notable books he
read were;
1. The Count of Monte Cristo- was written by Alexander Dumas where he tackled the social
justice of the society at that time. Its main character, Edmond Dantes led the struggle for his
people which consequently made him the Count of Monte Cristo, which may be a destiny for
those who are good to others.
2. Universal History- was written by Cesar Cantu, an Italian historian of World History. Rizal
voraciously read the book which opened his awareness world history and the world around
him.
3. Travels in the Philippines- was written by Feodor Jagor who traveled to the Philippines from
1859- 1860. After reading the works of Jagor, Rizal realized the weaknesses of Spain and he
predicted that Filipinos will raise arms against them thereafter.
At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:
1. Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda Movement.
2. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other Propagandists.
Discussion

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
RIZAL’S FORMAL EDUCATION
1. Place: Binan, Laguna

a.Teacher: Justiniano Aquino Cruz
b. Process used in teaching: He was quick to discipline his students for any infraction
using a short, thin stick.
2. Injustice to the Rizal Family

a.Dona Teodora was accused as an accomplice of Jose Alberto of trying to poison his wife.
b. Dona Teodora tried to mediate between the spouses but she was accused of trying to
poison the wife.
c.Dona Teodora was thrown to jail.
3. As a student of Ateneo (1872-1877)

a.Jose Rizal entered Ateneo Municipal as an eleven-year-old.
b. His close friendship with Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, S.J. inspired the young
student.
b.1 Some poems written under the guidance of Fr. Sanchez:
- “The Tragedy of St. Eustace”
- In the Memory of My Town”
- “Intimate Alliance between Religion and Good Education”
- “Through Education Motherland Receives Enlightenment”
b.2 He had excellent achievements and graduated highest in his class.
b.3 Other activities while in Ateneo:
b.3.1 He studied painting under Agustin Saez.
b.3.2 He studied sculpture under Teodoro Romualdo de Jesus.
b.3.3 He carved the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a batikuling wood.
b.3.4 He carved the image of the Sacred Heart.
b.3.5 He joined the organization Marian Congregation. His mentor was Fr. Pablo
Pastells, S.J.
b.3.6 He was a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature.
b.3.7 He was a member of the Academy of natural Sciences.
B.3.8 Fr. Jose Villaclara, S.J. encouraged him to pay attention also to the sciences and
philosophy.
4. AS A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS:
a.He enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters; majored in Philosophy, 1877-1878
b. In S.Y 1877-1878, he returned to Ateneo and took up a course on land surveying
which was offered then as a vocational course.
b.1 He completed the surveyor’s course and was awarded the title perito agrimensor.
b.2 He passed the final examination for the course.
b.3 He could not practice the surveyor’s profession since he was still underaged when he
passed the course.
b.4 He was issued his certificate on November 25, 1881, at the age of 20.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
c.He pursued medicine at the University of Santo Tomas.

c.1 Some of his grades were still excellent but he also had lower grades.
d. He submitted an entry in the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila in 1879, entitled A

La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth).
d.1 He won first prize in the contest.
d.2 He was awarded a silver quill.
d.3 For the first time, he used the phrase “the youth, the fair hope of my country”
(kabataan, pag-asa ng aking bayan”)
e.In 1880, literary contest was held by Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila. Jose Rizal
submitted an entry entitled El Consejo de los Dioses (Council of the Gods).
e.1 This was held in commemoration of the 400 th death anniversary of Miguel de
Cervantes, Spain;s national poet.
e.2 This poem was in praise of Cervantes and made him coequal with Homer and Virgil.
e.3 He was awarded the grand prize.
e.4 The award was a gold ring with an engraved bust of Cervantes.
f. Other literary works:

f.1 “Junto al Pasig” - This one-act play was requested by the Jesuits on the feast day of the
Immaculate Conception. This was a satire showing the good elements and bad elements. In the
end, it was a victory for the good elements.
f.2 “A Filipinas”
g. He decided to discontinue his studies in the Philippines and continue in Spain:

g.1 To widen his knowledge;
g.2 To avail of more conducive conditions in Europe; and
g.3 He wanted to learn a cure on the worsening eye condition of his mother.
RIZAL JOURNEY’S ABROAD
I. First Trip to Europe
A. Jose Rizal left Manila on May 3, 1882.
1. He left for Spain with the blessings of his brother Paciano and his uncle, Antonio Rivera.
2. He decided not to seek his parents’ blessing knowing they would never approve of his plan.
3. He secured endorsements from Pedro Paterno.
4. He first stopped in Singapore; Colombo in Sri Lanka; Aden in Yemen; and crossed the entire
length of the Suez Canal. They landed at Port Said, Egypt; Naples in Italy; and disembarked in
Marseilles, France.
B. Activities in Marseilles

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
1. Jose Rizal went to Chateau d’If, the venue of Alexandre Dumas’s novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.
2. He boarded in Portbou. He noticed the indifference of the Spanish immigration officers compared to
the courteous French counterparts.
C. He arrived in Spain
1. He first stopped in Barcelona, the capital of the Spanish province, Cataluna. According to him, the
people were indifferent and he arrived during the summer vacation of the students.
a. In this city, he found out that the people of the city enjoyed freedom and liberalism.
b. He wrote essays for Diariong Tagalog.
b.1 “Amor Patrio” (Love of Country)
b.2 “Los Viajes” (Travels)
b.3 “Revista de Madrid” (Review of Madrid)
c. He met his classmates from Ateneo at the Plaza de Cataluna.
2. Madrid
a. He enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3, 1882. He enrolled in the

following courses:
a.1 Medicine
a.2 Philosophy and Letters
b. He took courses at the Academy of San Carlos
b.1 Painting and Sculpture

b.2 Languages: French, German, and English
c. He took private lessons at the Hall of Sanz and Carbonell
c.1 Shooting
c.2 Fencing
d. Important people he met:
d.1 Dr. Miguel Morayta, an advocate of freedom and self-determination. Students from South
America hailed him as their champion. He joined his students and other supporters to this end.
d.2 Don Pablo Ortega y Rey, a Spanish liberal who used to live in the Philippines.
e. Jose Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano Filipino
e.1 It was a social organization where the members talked on the reforms needed in the Philippines.
e.2 This group was mostly made up of elder Filipinos who were the exiles of 1872.
e.3 It held informal programs which included poetry reading and debates.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
f. He joined freemasonry
f.1 He became a member and his masonic name was “Dimasalang”

f.2 Freemasonry was an organization outlawed by the Catholic Church because its beliefs are
contrary to the doctrines of the Church.
f.3 A mason’s outlook in life and adapted their view that knowledge should be achieved by the light
of reason and universal brotherhood of men.
f.4 Masonry attacked the Church for what they believed its because they believed it promoted of
religious superstition and obscurantism, hiding truth behind the veil of religion.
g. He was an avid book collector. He scrimped on food and clothes and lived in modest
accommodations but he bought books. Important books collected:
1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe

2. Works of Alexander Dumas
3. The Wandering Jew written by Eugene Sue
4. Lives of the Presidents of the United States
5. The Complete Works of Horace
h. Events on June 25, 1884
1. Juan Luna was awarded the top prize for his painting Spoliarium while Felipe Resurreccion Hidalgo
took the second place for his painting Virgines Christianas Expuestas al Populacho (Christian Virgins
Exposed to the Population)
2. The Filipino painters joined the National Exposition of Fine Arts
3. Jose Rizal gave a speech in a public audience saying that Luna an Hidalgo were the pride of the
Filipino people; that genuis is not a monopoly of any race and their prizes were products of both the
Philippines and Spain. He voiced the hope that, someday, Spain will grant the reforms needed by Filipinos.
4. This speech was published in the newspaper El Liberal. This reached the Philippines and there were
elements in the Philippines who were not pleased with this development.
i. COMPLETION OF HIS STUDIES
1. He completed his Licenciado en Medicina on June 21, 1884. He did not have his Doctorate in
Medicine because he did not present the thesis required for graduation. He can practice medicine with the
acquisition of this degree but he cannot teach medicine.
2. He finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters and obtained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y
Letras with the rating of sobresaliente.
j. He started writing the novel Noli Me Tangere when he was still a student at the Central University of
Madrid.
1. He was inspired to write after reading Uncle Tom’s cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book is
about the trial and hardship of the black slaves and awakened in him his inherent love and concern for
the afflicted.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
2. On January 2, 1884, the Filipino expatriates had a meeting at the house of the Paterno brothers. It
was during this meeting that the Filipinos who attended agreed to write a novel about the Philippines.
These were Pedro Paterno, Maximo Paterno, Antonio Paterno, Gracia Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre,
Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente. Valentin Diaz, and Jose Rizal.
3. The plan did not materialize and Jose Rizal was left to write the novel. He started writing in Madrid
and he continued to write while he was in France and Germany. Final revisions were made in Berlin.
4. He could not afford the printing cost but was saved by his friend, Maximo Viola. He lent Jose 300
Php, the needed amount for the first 2,000 copies of the novel.
5. On March 29, 1887, the novel was printed in Berlin. The first recipients of the novel were Dr.
Ferdinand Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marino Ponce, and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo.
6. As a way of showing his appreciation, he gave the original manuscript of the Noli Me Tangere and a
complimentary copy to Maximo Viola.
7. Jose Rizal explained the title “Noli Me Tangere” means “Touch Me Not.” This was from the bible,
from the Gospel of St. John.
8. The book was dedicated to the Philippines, his fatherland.
D. Paris, France
1. He arrived in Paris on November 1885.

2. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert.
3. He found time to be with his friends, Pardo de Taveras, Juan Luna, and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.
4. He posed for Juan Luna’s paintings.
5. Composed songs: “Alin Mang Lahi” and “La Deportacion”
E. Germany
1. On February 1886, he arrived in Heidelberg. An old university town.

a. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Otto Becker at the University Eye Hospital.
b. He listened to the lectures of Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne.
c. He wrote the poem, “To the Flowers of Heidelberg.”
d. He spent his summer vacation in 1886 in Wilhelmsfeld where he lived with protestant Pastor
Karl Ulmer to perfect his ability to speak German.
e. He started his cerrespondence with Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, the Director of Ateneo of
Leitmeritz, Austria. He sent a book to Prof. Blumentritt, Aritmetica by Rufino Baltazar.
2. On August 1886, he arrived in Leipzig.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
a. He met Prof. Friedrich ratzel and Dr. Hans Meyer who wrote a book on the Philippines.
b. He translated Schiller’s William Tell to Tagalog. The book narrates how the Swiss attained
their independence in a peaceful manner.
c. He translated Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales to Tagalog for his nephews and nieces.
3. On October 29, 1886, he arrived in Dresden.
a. He saw the painting of Raphael, the Sistine Madonna.

b. At the Zoological, Anthropological and Ethnographic Museum, he saw the collection on the
Philippines.
4. Berlin
a. He met Dr. Feodor Jagor who wrote Travels in the Philippines.

b. He met Dr. Rudolf and his son, Hans Virchow, two known German anthropologists; Dr. W.
Joest; and Dr. Ernest Schweigger, a known opthalmologist.
c. He became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnographic Society, and the
Geographic Society.
c.1 His paper entitled Tagalische Verkunst was delivered before the members.
c.2 He was accepted and became a very respected member.
d. He made the final revisions on the novel Noli Me Tangere. On March 29, 1887, the novel
was finally printed.
5. He went to Prague to visit the tomb of Nicolaus Copernicus.

6. In Geneva, Switzerland, Maximo Viola and Jose Rizal parted ways. Viola returned to Spain while
Rizal continued to Rome, Italy, then Marseilles, France where he boarded Djemnah to Saigon and finally,
Manila.
F. JOSE RIZAL RETURNED TO CALAMBA.
1. He established a clinic and his first patient was his mother.

2. He successfully removed the double cataract on his mother’s eyes.
3. He worked as a town physician.
4. He was called to Malacanang by Gov. Gen. Emilio Terrero due to the controversy raised by Noli Me
Tangere. The first copies had arrived in Manila.
5. Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade was assigned to watch over Jose Rizal.
6. After a review of the Noli Me Tangere, it was found out that the book was heretic, impious,
unpatriotic, subversive, and injurious to the government of Spain in the Philippines. It was recommended
that the importation, reproduction, and distribution of the book should be prohibited.
7. Gov. Gen. Terrero requested Jose Rizal to leave the country.
8. Investigation on the Calamba problem.
9. Before leaving the Philippines, he wrote the poem “Hymn to Labor”, to commemorate the elevation
of Lipa, Batangas into a villa.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
II. Second Leg of Jose Rizal’s Trip to Europe
A. He travelled through Asia.
1. In Hong Kong
a.He was met by Jose Ma. Basa and other Filipinos who were exiled due to the secularization
issue of 1872.
b. He studied the Chinese language, Chinese drama and theater, Chinese cultures and
Chinese values.
c.He visited Macau, a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong.
2. He visited Japan
a.He stayed in Yokohama.

b. He studied the Japanese language, Japanese culture, theaters, martial arts, and he
visited shrines.
c.On the way to the United States, on board a ship, he met Tetcho Suehiro.
c.1 Suehiro wrote the book Dead Traveler. In this book, he described his travel from Japan
to the U.S and his association with Jose Rizal.
c.2 He wrote another book, Storm Over the Southern Sea. This is said to be similar to
Rizal;s Noli Me Tangere.
B. In the United States of America
1. The entire boat was quarantined when it docked in San Francisco on April 28, 1888. The
reason given was because the boat came from a land where cholera was rampant. In reality, it was
because the boat carried several Chinese coolies and laborers who accepted cheap labor, displacing the
American laborers. This situation was resolved and the passengers were allowed to disembark safely.
2. He travelled westward through Reno, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Chicago, Albany, and New
York City.
3. His comments on America:
a.The United States was a progressive and prosperous country.
b. There was lack of racial equality because there was racial prejudice against the blacks.
c.America was a land of fairness and justice but only for the whites.
C. He reached Liverpool, England on May 24, 1888. Immediately after his arrival, he left for London.
1. He was met by Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, also an exile of 1872. He practiced law in London.
2. Jose Rizal was introduced to Dr. Reinhold Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
England. He was also an authority on Malay languages and customs.
3. His objectives for choosing to live in London:
a.To do research on Philippine history; and

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
b. To analyze Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, a rare Philippine history
book available at the British Museum.
4. Works of Jose Rizal
a. Letter to the Women of Malolos (published in February 1889) in Tagalog as requested by

M.H. del Pilar. This letter was to honor the young ladies of Malolos who, inspite of the opposition of the
parish priest, requested Gov. Gen. Valeriano Weyler to give his permission to this endeavor. He finaly
consented to the opening of a night school for women.
b. Specimen of Tagal Folklore (published in the Asian Studies journal Trubner’s Record on
May 1889). This article consisted of Filipino proverbs and puzzles.
c. An article on two eastern fables which compared the Filipino fable “Monkey and Turtle” with
the Japanese fable “Monkey and the Crab.”
d. He received news that Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the La Solidaridad, a fortnightly
periodical of the Propaganda.
d.1 When Marcelo H. del Pilar arrived in Barcelona, Spain, he took over as the editor.
d.2 He wrote articles for the periodical from 1889 to 1890.
d.3 He used the pen name “Laong Laan.”
5. Sculptural works:
a. Prometheus Bound
b. Triumph of Death over Life
c. Triumph of Science over Death
D. He transferred to Paris.
1. He continued his research on Philippine history at the Bibliotheque Nationale or the National
Library in Paris.
2. He continued to work on his annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. He
published his annotated version.
3. He studied the French language.
4. He wrote a volume of French exercises that the students of the French language may use as a
textbook or workbook.
5. He founded the Kidlat Club and the Indios Bravos. These social clubs which aimed to prove
that the Filipinos could excel intellectually and physically.
6. He published Por Telefono. This answered Fr. Salvation Font, a Spanish friar who attacked
the Noli Me Tangere.
E. His Activities in Brussels
1. He continued to write El Filibusterismo, his second novel.

2. He wrote articles for the La Solidaridad.
a. “La Verdad Para Los Todos” or “The Truth for All People”
b. “Verdades Nuevas” or “New Truths”

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
c. “Una Profanacion” or “A Profanation”

d. “Filipinas Dentro de Cien Anos” or “The Philippines A Century Hence”
e. “Sin Nombre” or “Without Name”
f. “Sobre La Nueva”
g. “Sobre La Indolgencia de los Filipinos”
3. Publication of the El Filibusterismo. Like Noli Me Tangere, money was very scarce and it was
financed by Valentin Ventura.
4. He received the news that the members of his family were deported to different places. They also lost
the agrarian case in Calamba.
5. Publication of El Filibusterismo
F. The Decision to Transfer to Madrid
1. The case of Rizal was elevated to the Supreme Court in Madrid. Rizal wanted to pay attention to the
case. The Calamba residents were forced to leave the town, their houses were burned and more people were
exiled, including the entire Rizal family.
2. He wrote a poem entitled “A Mi Musa” (“To My Muse”)
3. Rivalry between Jose Rizal and M.H. del Pilar
a.Another group of Filipinos was being formed in Madrid. This was composed of disgruntled
students who viewed that the members of Circulo Hispano Filipino were more inclined to
accomodation, moderation, and politeness toward the Spaniards than actually fighting for reforms
in the Philippines.
b. Another organization was formed. This was the Asosacion Hispano Filipino. It was
headed by Dr. Miguel Morayta, a Spanish professor and a Mason Grandmaster. In a meeting to
decide where the direction of the Propaganda was going, the group started with an election of the
leader. There were 90 Filipino members. An election was held and it was a contest between Jose
Rizal and M.H del Pilar. For two canvassings, del Pilar lead the votes but there was no majority.
Finally, on the third attempt, Jose Rizal won but Jose chose to leave than divide the Filipinos in
Madrid.
4. Paciano, his elder brother, advised Jose not to return to the Philippines but he compromised that Jose
can return to the East, near enough for his parents and relatives to visit him but he cannot be disturbed by the
Spaniards. He left for Hong Kong.
G. His Prodcutive Life in Hong Kong
1. Jose Ma. Basa initially paid for his fare to Hong Kong.
2. With his undesirable experience in Madrid, he decided to leave the political life in Europe and
concentrate on his endeavors.
3. He applied for his license to practice medicine in Hong Kong and this was granted.
4. He had a reunion with his siblings and his parents. He supported them in Hong Kong.
5. His friendship with Dr. Lorenzo P. Marquez helped him start his practice in Hong Kong.
6. He went to Sandakan, Borneo to look for an alternative place for displaced Calamba farmers.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
7. Writings
a.He translated The Rights of Man written in French to Tagalog, Ang Mga Karapatan ng Tao.
8. Jose Ma. Basa thought of the idea of a organized group of Filipinos toward the attainment of the
liberty of the people of the Philippines.
a. Jose Rizal wrote the constitution of the organization called La Liga Filipina.
9. Return to the Philippines
a. He wanted to face Gov. Gen. Eulogio Despujol on the fate of his North Borneo project since
the governor general remained silent on Jose Rizal’s petition.
b. Together with his sister Lucia, Rizal left Hong Kong and returned to Manila.
CHAPTER 6: RIZAL’S LIFE: EXILE, TRIAL AND DEATH
Introduction
This chapter intends to discuss the important events during the trial of Jose Rizal after he had been accused
by the Spanish government of several crimes including illegal organization, rebellion and illegal association
due to his alleged subversive activities. This will also discuss his execution despite of all valid pleadings and
defenses in the military court, until the death of the man of peace and bravery at Bagumbayan in the 30 th of
December, 1896.
Intended Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Evaluate Rizal’s deportation in Dapitan with an emphasis on the
following:
a. Rizal as a doctor in Dapitan

b. Rizal’s relationship with the people of Dapitan
c. Rizal’s relationship with Josephine Bracken
2. Review the kind of court proceedings given to Rizal during his trial.
3. Analyze the results of Rizal’s trial and why it rendered the verdict of execution.
4. Evaluate the political arena of his trial and discuss the nature of “retraction” as one of the issues of his
execution.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
5. Analyze the effects of Rizal’s execution on the Spanish colonization and the Philippine Revolution.
Discussion
RIZAL’S LIFE: EXILE, TRIAL AND DEATH
His Impending Arrest
Rizal’s bold return to Manila in June, 1892 was his second homecoming having stayed abroad since August
1887 or a period of almost five years. He had two reasons for coming home, in spite of the dangers that he
knowingly awaited him:
1) to talk personally with Governor Despujol of the British North Borneo colonization project; and
2) to establish the Liga Filipina in Manila.
He arrived in Manila on June 26, 1892, with his widowed sister, Lucia. Immediately in the afternoon at 4:00,
he went to Malacaῇang to seek an audience with Governor Despujol, but was told to come back at 7:00 in
the evening. He came back promptly at the time required and was able to confer with the Spanish Governor-
General, wherein the latter agreed to pardon his father but not the rest of the family.
After the first interview with the Governor, he visited his other sisters in the city, and on the evening of June
7, 1892 he boarded a train to visit his friends in Malolos, Bulacan; in San Fernando and Bacolor, both in
Pampanga; and in Tarlac, where he was lavishly welcomed and entertained. Like him, most of his friends
shared the same sentiments of their country and the reform Crusade, and in his visits took the opportunity of
meting them personally to discuss such issues. It is not known, whether he was aware that there were spies
that followed him and after he left, his friends’ residences were raided and copies of his two novels, the Noli
and the Fili, and other “subversive” materials, were confiscated.
He had other interviews with the Governor-General to seek pardon for his family and request that the
penalty of exile be lifted, but was unsuccessful, although there was hope for his sisters.
It was the interview with the Governor on June 30, where Rizal broached the idea of British North Borneo
Colonization Project, where he was most unsuccessful, with the governor being very much opposed to the
project.
On July 3, which was Sunday, he returned to talk with the Governor, but only to give his thanks for lifting
the penalty of exile for his sisters and to inform him that his father and brother were arriving on the first
boat.
On the second reason for his return, on the Sunday of his last interview with the Governor, Rizal attended a
meeting with the other Filipino Patriots at the home of Doroteo Ongjunco, a Chinese-Filipino mestizo, in
Ylaya Street in Tondo. There were many mason members who attended and among these were: Pedro
Serrano Laktaw (Panday Pira), a school teacher; Agustin dela Rosa, bookkeeper; Moises Salvador (Araw),
contractor; Domingo Franco (Felipe Leal), a tobacco shopkeeper; Luis Villareal, a tailor; Faustino Villareal
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
(Ilaw), a pharmacist; Numeriano Adriano (Ipil), a notary public; Estanislao Legaspi, an artisan; Bonifacio
Areval (Harem); Teodoro Plata, a court clerk; Andres Salvaldor, gobernadorcillo of Quiapo; Apolinario
Mabini (Katabay), a lawyer; and Jose A. Ramos, engraver, painter, owner of Bazar Gran Betana and first
Worshipful Master of Nilad, first masonic lodge. The meeting was also attended by Deodata Arellano,
brother-in-law of M.H. Del Pilar and civilian employee in the army; Ambrosio Flores (Musa), retired
lieutenant of infantry; Andres Bonifacio, warehouse employee; and Juan Zulueta, playwright, poet, and
government employee.
Rizal explained what Liga Filipina was about and its objectives; that the association was civic in nature and
should play an important role in the socioeconomic life of the Filipino people. At this time, he presented the
Constitution of the association, which he had prepared in Hong Kong, which was accepted favourably by the
members and gladly approved the establishment of the Liga.
As embodied in the constitution, the aims of the Liga Filipina were the following:
1. To unite the whole archipelago into one compact and homogenous body;
2. Mutual protection in every want and necessity;
3. Defense against all violence and injustice;
4. Encouragement of education, agriculture, and commerce; and
5. Study and application of reforms.
The association had a motto: Unus Instar Omnimium (One Like All). All Filipinos who have the welfare of
their country and their fellowmen were qualified for membership. Membership fee was fixed at two pesos
and monthly due of 10 centavos.
The duties of the members were as follows:
1. To obey the orders of the supreme council;

2. To help in recruiting new members;
3. To keep in strictest secrecy the decisions of the Liga Authorities;
4. To have a symbolic name which he cannot change until he become president of the council;
5. To report to the fiscal anything that he may hear which affects the Liga;
6. To behave well as befits a good Filipino; and
7. To help fellow members in all ways.
The officers of the association elected were as follows:
1. Ambrosio Salvador President

2. Deodato Arellano Secretary
3. Bonifacio Arevalo Treasurer
4. Agustin de la Rosa Fiscal
It was during one of his visits to the Malacaῆang to resume his talks with the governor, that the latter
showed him “subversive” materials allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow case. They were leaflets, entitled
Pobres Frailles (Poor Friars), a satire against the Dominican friars who amassed wealth and fortune
“contrary to their monastic vows of poverty,” written by Fr. Jacinto and printed in Manila. In spite of his

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
protestations of innocence, that the customs authorities had inspected their baggages and found nothing, he
was arrested. His arrest is vividly described as follows:
Despite of his denial and insistent demand for investigation in accordance with the due process of law, he
was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon Despujol, a nephew and aide of Governor
Despujol.
And in the diary, he described his imprisonment as follows:
They assigned me a fairly furnished room with a bed, a dozen chairs, one table, a wash basin, and a mirror.
The room had three windows, one without grills which opens on a patio, another with grills looks out on the
city walls and the beach, and another which was the door closed with a padlock. Two artillery men as
sentinels guarded it. They had orders to fire on anyone who might signal from the beach. I could not write
nor speak with anyone except the officer on duty.
The arrest was made known to the public the next day through the newspaper Gaceta de Manila, causing
indignation among the Filipino people and disturbance and uneasiness among the members of the newly
organized Liga Filipina. The same issue likewise contained the Governor’s decree dated July 7, 1892
deporting Rizal to “one of the islands in the south,” justifying its actions on the following grounds:
1. Rizal has published books and articles abroad which showed disloyalty to Spain and which wer e “frankly
anti-Catholic” and “imprudently anti-friar.”
2. A few hours after his arrival in Manila, “there was found in one of the packages...a bundle of handbills
entitled Pobres Frailles in which the patient and humble generosity of Filipinos is satirized, and which
accusation is published against the customs of the religious orders.”
3. His novel El Filibusterismo was dedicated to the memory of three “traitors” (Gomez, Burgos, Zamora),
and on the title page he wrote that in view of the vices and errors of the Spanish administration, “the only
salvation for the Philippines was separation from the mother country.”
4. The end, which he pursues in his efforts and writings, is to tear from the loyal Filipino breast the treasures
of our holy Catholic faith.
It will be recalled that the idea of “separation from the mother country” was actually contained in the last
sentence of the inscription on the Fili written by Blumentritt.
Nine days later, shortly after midnight, Rizal was brought under heavy guard to the steamer Cebu which
brought him to Dapitan, arriving at his destination on the 17 th of July at 7:00 in the m orning. Here he was
handed by Captain Delgras, the ship’s Captain, to Captain Ricardo Carnicero, the Spanish Commander of
Dapitan. Thus, started the moment of exile of Jose Rizal, at the secluded and lonely place of Dapitan where
he stayed for a period of four years.
EXILE: HIS LIFE IN DAPITAN

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
A letter was sent through the ship for Father Antonio Obach, Jesuit parish priest of Dapitan from Father
Pablo Pastells, Superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines, In this Letter, Father Pastells said that Rizal
could live at the parish convent provided the following conditions were met:
1. That Rizal publicly retract the errors concerning religion, and make statements that were clearly pro-
Spanish and against revolution.
2. That he would perform the church rites and make a general confession of his past life.
3. That henceforth, he would conduct himself in an exemplary manner as a Spanish subject and a man of
religion.
Rizal refused to follow the conditions set, and preferred to live in the house of the commandment, Captain
Carnicero, with whom he developed a warm friendship and a pleasant relationship, to the extent that the
commander gave him freedom to go anywhere, but to report only once a week at his office and even allowed
Rizal, who was a good equestrian to ride his chestnut horse. Rizal wrote his impressions about the kind
commandant in his poem A Don Ricardo Carnicero on the occasion of his birthday on August 26, 1892.
Wins Lottery
Their warm friendship can also be illustrated when both of them, together with the Spanish resident in
Dipolog, Francisco Equilior, bought a lottery ticket No. 9736 which won, so that on the morning of
September 21, 1892, the sleepy town of Dapitan was bursting with excitement, when the mail boat Butuan
arrived with colored penants flying high. The commandant thinking that a distinguished visitor was on board
dressed in his gala uniform, ordered the town folks to assemble at the shore and hired a brass band. It was
both a happy and pleasant surprise, when they found that the ticket they bought won second prize of P20,000
in the government-owned Manila Lottery. Of his share of P6,200, Rizal gave his father P2,000; P200 to his
friend in Hong Kong, Jose Ma. Basa; and the rest he invested in agricultural lands along the coast of Talisay,
a kilometer away from Dapitan.
A Rizal biographer, Wenceslao Retana, his former opponent in an aborted duel in Paris, remarked about this
certain aspect of Rizal’s character and that was: Rizal was a moralist; he did not smoke nor gamble, but he
had an obsession with lotteries, which “represented his lighter side.”
In his exile in Dapitan, the Jesuit Father Pastells never gave him peace with respect to his religious beliefs.
They had long and scholarly debates, which started with pastels sending him a book authored by Sarda
together with the advice that Rizal should stop the foolishness of viewing religion from the ”prism of
individual judgment and self-esteem.”
Their interesting debates were recorded in four letters written by Rizal, and the corresponding replies of
Pastells on the following dates:
1. September 1, 1892 — replied on October 12, 1892

2. November 11, 1892 — replied on December 8, 1892
3. January 9, 1893_ replied on February 2, 1893
4. April 4, 1893 — replied on April, (no date) 1893

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Rizal had the tendency of using his judgement on his experiences and orientations in Europe, and his
bitterness over his family’s and his own persecution at the hands of the bad friars, which were anti-Catholic.
Father Pastells tried his best to change Rizal’s opinions, but his efforts proved futile. As a matter of fact, in
his letter to Blumentritt on January 20, 1890, Rizal said that:
I want to hit the friars, but only friars who utilized religion not only as a shield, but also a weapon, castle,
fortress, armor, etc.; I was forced to attack their false and superstitious religion in order to fight the enemy
who hid himself behind it.
Nevertheless, he maintained his catholic faith by hearing mass at the Catholic Church in Dapitan and
celebrating Christmas as well as participating in various religious activities and fiestas. The Catholicism he
rigidly adhered to was that kind which “enlightens”, not of the bigotry and prejudice of the Dominicans, but
the Catholicism of Renan and Teilhard de Charin.
In Dapitan, Rizal almost had a duel with a French businessman, Mr. Juan Lardet, over the latter’s purchases
of logs from him, some of which were of poor quality. Lardet confined and wrote this problem to Antonio
Miranda, a friend of Rizal in Dapitan. His letter which stated that “if Rizal were a truthful man, he would
have told me that the lumber not in cluded in the account were bad,” was secretly sent by Miranda to Rizal.
As usual, Rizal flared up in anger and challenged the French man to a duel. The commandant, however,
when informed of the incident warned the Frenchman, “my friend, you do not have a Chinaman’s chance in
a fight with Rizal on a field of honor. Rizal is an expert in martial arts, especially in fencing and pistol
shooting.” He followed the commandant’s advice and sent letter to Rizal in French admitting his mistake.
Rizal based on the pundonor (Hispanic Chivalric code) accepted the apology and they became friends again.
Father Pastels, not contented with their friendly debates, virtually moved heaven and earth to persuade Rizal
from so-called “errors of religion,” by assigning Father Obach of Dapitan, Father Jose Villaclara, cura of
Dipolog, to the job, together with Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez, who was Rizal’s Favorite teacher
while at Ateneo. Father Sanchez had just come from a three-year sojourn in Europe to teach again at Ateneo
and to head its museum. Father Sanchez is remembered for his defense of the Noli Me Tangere in public.
In spite of his strong attachment and influence on Rizal, Father Sanchez, like those before him failed to
convince him much less convert him. They maintained their close relationship however, in spite of their
religious differences. Father Sanchez even helped Rizal in improving and beautifying the town plaza of
Dapitan. Rizal in turn gave him a gift entitled Estudios Sobre La Lengua Tagala, a Tagalog grammar written
by him and dedicated to his beloved teacher.
As the days went by, Rizal became adjusted to his exile life in Dapitan and was seemingly enjoying his
“idyllic life.” His loneliness was assuaged by the frequent visits of the members of his family, who took
turns in seeing him; his nephews, Teodosio, Estanislao, Mauricio and Prudencio. A square house surrounded
by trees was built in the land he bought in Talisay, and nearby, was a school house with eight sides, for boys
and a hospital for his patients. True to his ways of industry, his time was never wasted. In his letter to
Blumentritt dated September 29, 1893, he said:
I shall tell you how we live here. I have three houses: one is square, another hexagonal, and a third
octagonal; all of bamboo, wood and nipa. In the square house, we live, my mother, sister Trinidad, a

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
nephew and I; In the octagonal live my boys or some good youngsters whom I teach arithmetic, Spanish and
English; and in the hexagonal live my chickens. From my house, I hear the murmur of a crystal, clear brook
which comes from high rocks...I have many fruit trees, mangoes, lanzones, guyabanos, baluno, nanka,
etc ...I rise early – at five, visit my plants, feed the chickens awaken my people and put them in movement. At
half-past seven we breakfast with tea, pastries, cheese, sweet meats, etc. Later I treat my poor patients...I
dress and go to the town in my baroto, treat the people there, and return at 12, where my luncheon awaits
me. Then I teach the boys at 4 P.M. and devote the afternoon to agriculture. I spend the night reading and
studying.
A Spy in Their Midst
Their tranquil and peaceful life was disturbed with the discovery of a spy in their midst, who assumed the
name of “Pablo Mercado”, and posed as a relative. He secretly visited Rizal at his house on the night of
November 3, 1893 and introduced himself, showing a photo of Rizal and a pair of buttons with the initials
P.M., supporting his contentions that he was a relative. In their conversations, he offered his services as a
confidential courier of Rizal’s letters and writings for his compatriots in Manila, which aroused his
suspicions. He wanted to throw the spy out but since it was nighttime and there was a heavy rainfall, he
allowed the impostor to sleep in the house, but sent him on his way the next morning. He thought he had
gotten rid of the impostor, but he learned later that he was still in Dapitan, telling people that he was a
relative of Rizal and this time, Rizal informed the commandancia about the matter, also to Captain Juan
Sitges, a successor of Captain Carnicero, who ordered the arrest and investigation of the impostor. During
the investigation, he gave his true name which was Florencio Namanan, 30 years of age, and confessed that
he was sent by the Recollect Friars to a secret mission in Dapitan, particularly to spy on Rizal’s activities by
posing as a relative, and to gather evidences that will incriminate him in the revolutionary movement.
However, Rizal was surprised why the investigation was suddenly stopped and Captain Sitges released the
spy and forwarded the documents immediately to Governor-General Blanco. The documents were held
confidential and when Riza inquired for them, his request was denied.
The three biographers of Rizal, Retana (1907), Palma (1949), and Jose Baron Fernandez (1982) discussed
the incident but did not quote the best and the most reliable of all the documents regarding the incident,
which was the letter of Rizal to his brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, which runs as follows in full text:
My Dear Brother-in-law Maneng,
I was unable to write you by the previous mail for lack of time, for the boat left unexpectedly.
With regards to Pablo Mercado, I tell you that he came here presenting himself as a courteous friend in
order to get from me my letters and writings, etc.; but I found him out soon and if I did not throw him out of
the house brusquely it was because I always want to be nice and polite to everyone. Nevertheless, as it was
raining, I let him sleep here, sending him away very early the next day. I was going to let him alone in
contempt but the rascal went around saying secretly that he was my cousin or brother-in-law, I reported
him to the Commandant who had him arrested.
It was revealed in his declaration that he was sent by the Recollects who gave him P72 and promised him
more if he succeeded in wrestling from me my letters for certain persons in Manila. The rascal told me that

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
he was a cousin of Mr. Litonjua, son of Luis Chiquito, and brother-in-law of Marciano Ramirez. He wanted
me to write to these gentlemen. He brought along besides a picture of mine, saying that it was given to him
by one Mr. Legaspi of Tondo or San Nicolas. I don’t remember exactly. It seems that he belongs to a good
family of Cagayan de Misamis. Be careful of him, he is a tall boy, somewhat thickset, slightly squint-eyed,
dark, slender, broad shoulders, and of impudent manners. He spoke much, spits more and has thin lips.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Your brother-in-law who loves you,
(Signed) Jose Rizal
Here in the letter, Rizal identified the spy and those who sent him, including the amount of the bribe. The
hasty investigation and closing the matter could be attributed to the fact that the persons behind it were the
Recollect friars.
Rizal built a hospital for his patients, the majority of them were poor, so oftentimes medications were free.
However, there were also rich patient who paid him handsomely for his services. In August 1893, his mother
and sister, Maria came to visit him and stayed for a year and a half. Here, he operated on his mother’s right
eye, and was successful, but she disobeyed his son’s instructions not to remove the bandages which she did,
thereby causing the wound to be infected. The infection was, however, arrested and her sight was fully
recovered. He wrote to his brother-in-law, Maneng, about the incident and added that “Now I understand
very well why a physician should not treat the members of his family.”
Rizal’s fame as an eye specialist reached not just in the various parts of the Philippines, in Luzon, the
provinces in the Visayas; but also across the seas, especially in Hong Kong. He virtually had a lucrative
practice; a rich Filipino patient, Don Ignacio Tumarong, paid him P3,000 for restoring his sight; an
Englishman paid P500; Don Florencio Azcarraga, a rich haciendero of Aklan gave a cargo of sugar in
compensation for his services.
Being a scientist, he studied local herbs and their uses for medicine; studied plants and their curative effects,
and used them on patients who could not afford to buy expensive medicines.
Community Activities
Rizal gave much of himself in the place of exile paying off the peace and happiness it had given him. This
he did by playing an important role in its community activities as well as its development.
One of the problems besetting the municipality of Dapitan was its water system, Rizal used the knowledge
he had gained as an expert surveyor (perito agrimensor), one of the early degrees he obtained from Ateneo,
in the improvement of water system and was successful in furnishing clean water to the people. Modern
engineers of today marvel at the work of Rizal considering the inadequacy of engineering tools at the time
and the limited funds. As a matter of fact, such was the opinion of an American engineer, Mr. H.F. Cameron
when he said that:
Another famous and well-known water supply was at Dapitan, Mindanao, designed and constructed by Dr.
Rizal during his banishment in that municipality by the Spanish authorities ... When one considers that

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Doctor Rizal have no explosive with which to blast the hard rocks and no resources save his own ingenuity,
one cannot help but honor a man, who against adverse conditions had the courage and tenacity to construct
the aqueduct which had for its bottom the flatted tiles from house roofs and was covered with concrete made
from lime burned from the sea corral.
Another community work he indulged in was the draining of the marshes. Although he was a very busy man
with his medical practice, his school, his scientific studies, writing and reading, he spent plenty of time
draining the marshes to get rid of the breeding places of malarial mosquitos knowing from his knowledge
gained in Europe that they thrive well in swampy places.
With the P500 paid to him by an English patient, Rizal used it in equipping the town with a lighting system.
The lighting system was primitive, electricity unknown at that time, consisting of coconut oil lamps placed
in the dark streets in the town.
Rizal was born a teacher, his inclinations started when he was young for he realized the value of education.
While in Europe he made it his business to observe not only customs and tradition but also their school
systems. Once in Hong Kong, the idea of building a college was in his thoughts, but it was also one project
that he was not able to do. In Dapitan however, in 1893 he was able to finally put into use the different
pedagogical methods that he had learned in Europe, up to the end of exile. Although his school started with
only three pupils, it grew into 21.
And instead of charging school fees, they were required to render services or work in the garden, fields or on
construction projects in the community.
Rizal put up two-hour classes everyday starting at 2:00 till 4:00 in the afternoon under the Talisay tree,
which became the subject of one of his poems. The pupil sat on a bench, while the teacher seated on the
hammock. Subjects such as English and Spanish were taught every other day. He followed the style at
Ateneo where the best student was called an “emperor” and sat at the head of the bench, while the poorest
student sat at the other end of the bench. During recesses, they had other activities such as gardening and the
pupils pruned the trees, or built fire to get rid of the mosquitos or put fertilizers in the garden plots.
Gymnastic was not a part of the school program, but Rizal encouraged them to do exercise to strengthen
their bodies. Aside from gymnastics, they had other sports such as swimming, wrestling, stone throwing,
native fencing, and boating.
Rizal found Dapitan and its surroundings a rich field of specimens. Together with the students they would
go around his baroto and explore the jungles and costs. They collected different specimens of insects, frogs,
lizards, snakes, shells and plants. The exploration added to the students’ knowledge aside from their school
work under the trees.
Accomplishments
By the end of his exile, Rizal was able to master 22 languages, four languages in the Philippines such as:
Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisayan and Subanon, and 18 foreign languages such as English, Spanish, French,
German, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Malay, Sanskrit, Dutch, Catalan, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese,
Swedish, and Russian. He made use of his artistic skills in making sketches of persons and things that
attracted him. He had learned much from agriculture having to cultivate 16 hectares of land which he bought

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
in Talisay. He was doing business in agricultural crops, as well as in fish, copra, and hemp, which he
exported. He also went into manufacturing and even logging.
But after all was said and done, Rizal did not feel completely happy. There were moments when he was
lonely after the hard day’s work, and in spite of his successes in every fi eld that he ventured in, he misses
his family, relative and friends; he misses his life in Europe, but most of all his happy days in Calamba. The
death of Leonor Rivera added to his sadness and loneliness. He felt he needed someone, and from nowhere
came Josephine Bracken, the last woman in his life.
While in Dapitan he volunteered his services as military doctor in Cuba, where a revolution was going on
and yellow fever was ranging, through the advice of his friend, Blumentritt. There was no immediate
response from the Governor-General Blanco but a letter dated July 1, 1896 came unexpectedly notifying him
of the acceptance of his offer, and provided instructions for his departure to Spain where “the Minister of
war will assign you to the Army of Operations in Cuba detailed to the Medical Corps”Rizal’s joy knew no
bounds upon the receipt of the letter, for he would not only be free, but he would be travelling again. This
inspired him to write a poem, entitled Song to the Traveller.
His four-year exile in Dapitan came to an end on July 31, 1896, and on the very same day, midnight, he
boarded the steamer España, with Josephine; Narcisa, his sister; and Angelica, Narcisa’s daughter; three
nephews and three pupils. His departure was characterized by a teary farewell from his pupils and the
townsfolk’ s who went to the shore, with the town brass playing Chopin’s Funeral March. No one can
fittingly describe the emotional feelings of Rizal, except Zaide who wrote that:
As its melancholy melody floated in the air, Rizal must have felt it deeply, for with his presentiment of death,
it seemed an obsequy to a requiem.
...As the steamer pushed out into the sea, Rizal gazed for the last time on Dapitan with his hands saying in
farewell salute to its kind and hospitable folks and with crying heart filled with tears of nostalgic memories.
When the shorelines of Dapitan were no longer visible, Rizal went to his cabin and wrote the exact time that
he had been in Dapitan: “I have been in that district for four years, thirteen days, and a few hours.”
Thus, his travel began with his new freedom and to go into the next chapter of his life. He knew that he
would never be back again to this place, where he spent some happy years and part of his life.
In the Trap – Governor Blanco’s Duplicity
His Voyage to Manila
Rizal enjoyed his trip to manila, not only was he imbued with the spi rit of freedom but also that of a
traveler’s enthusiasm of seeing many islands on the way. He passed by Dumaguete and described it as a
place where “it spreads out on the beach.” He stopped at Cebu and stayed at the house of Attorney Mateos,
and met an old couple who was known to him in Madrid. Here in Cebu, he performed two operations, one of
“strabotomy, on the ears, and another of tumor”. On the third day of August, he was in Iloilo and visited
Molo and saw some paintings in a church. From here, the ship sailed on, without anchoring, passing by
Capiz, Romblon and soon they were on their way to Manila.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
The boat arrived in Manila Bay early in the morning of Thursday, only to find out that he had missed the
boat Isla de Luzon bound for Spain. Much to his disappointment, it had left the previous afternoon, but felt
resigned to the unlucky incident. However, uneasy and fearful of what might happen to him while in Manila,
he requested the Spanish Government to isolate him from everybody except the members of the family. In
acceding to his request, the Governor assigned him to a Spanish cruiser Castilla where he stayed about a
month, while waiting for a ship bound for Spain. The Ship’s captain was a friendly one, who gave him good
accommodations and who considered Rizal as a friend a guest on board the ship.
Outbreak of the Philippine Revolution
The day of August 19, 1896 will forever remain in the hearts of every Filipino as one of the most important
events in Philippine History: The outbreak of the Philippine Revolution!
It was during this period of stay on board the Castilla, that the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution
occurred. From the newspaper, Rizal learned of the “Cry of Balintawak” and the “Pinaglabanan incident” at
San Juan, where many Filipinos died. Rizal felt that the revolt was premature and feared the repercussions
and the consequences that may follow against the Filipino patriots.
Eleven days after the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, or on August 30, 1896, after the Governor-
General proclaimed a state of war in the eight provinces of Manila (as a province), Bulacan, Cavite,
Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac, Rizal received two identical letters of introduction,
for the Minister of War and the Minister of Colonies. Below is the letter written by the Governor for General
Marcelo de Azcarraga, the Minister of War (68):
Most excellent Marcelo de AzcarragaMy esteemed General and distinguished friend,
I recommend to you with genuine interest Dr. Jose Rizal who is departing for the Peninsula at the disposal
of the Government, ever desirous of rendering his services as physician to the Army of Cuba.
His conduct during the four years that he was in exile in Dapitan has been exemplary and he is, in my
opinion, the moreworthy in pardon and benevolence as he is in no way involved either in the criminal
attempt that we are lamenting these days or in any conspiracy or secret society that they have been plotting.
With this object I have the pleasure to remain,Your most affectionate friend and colleague who kisses your
hand,
Ramon Blanco
Together with the two identical letters, was Governor Blanco’s letter for him. In a portion of the letter, he
stated:
...I have no doubt that you will justify me before the Government, by your future behavior not only for your
word of honor but because the present happening must have shown you palpably that certain actions which
are the product of foolish ideas yield no result but hatred, destruction, tears, and blood.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
The letter and its invocation of his word of honor could have been one of the factors that made him refuse
various offers of rescue and escape and sent him to his death.
Prior to his departure, he wrote his mother a letter informing her of his departure for Cuba and his concern
about their future with the outbreak of the revolution. While fearful of the possible events and repercussions
the government may be taking, Rizal, nevertheless, invoked the power of Divine Providence and placed in
His hands, his life and future.
Boarding the steamer Isla de Panay, Rizal started his trip for Barcelona, Spain. Among the passengers of the
ship were Don Pedro Roxas, a rich industrialist, with his son, Periquin, who were then bound for Singapore,
who feared for Rizal’s safety. The two advised Rizal to stay in Singapore and take advantage of British
Protectio n, but Rizal refused them, as he said he “gave his word oh honor” to Governor Blanco.
The Trap
But unknown to Rizal was the treacherous plan of the man to whom he gave his honor, plotting a trap for
him which was now being laid. Fernandez gives a lucid account of what was happening behind the scenes.
The truth of the matter, as now substantiated by the declassified documents in the Ministries of War and
Colonies, was that Blanco was his implacable foe, who regarded him as a dangerous Filipino who was
responsible for the ranging Philippine Revolution, and therefore plotted his doom.
Just after the steamer left Port Said, Rizal heard of his impending arrest from a fellow passenger. He would
be arrested by order of Governor - General Blanco and would be sent to a prison in Ceuta in the Spanish
Morroco. He was shocked at the news and belatedly realized that he had fallen into the trap set by the sly
governor. Alarmed at his situation, he immediately wrote to his best friend, Blumentritt, which runs as
follows.
S.S. Isla de Panay, Mediterranean September 28, 1886
My very dear Friend,
A passenger on board has just told me that I can hardly believe and should it be true, would bring too an
end the prestige of the Philippine authorities.
.....
I cannot believe for it would be the greatest injustice and the most abominable infamy, unworthy of a
military official, but of the last bandit. I have offered to serve as a physician, risking my life in the hazards
of war and abandoning all my business.
I am innocent and now in reward, they are sending me to prison!!
I cannot believe it! This is infamous; but it turns out to be true, as everybody assures me, I am
communicating to you these so that you may appraise my salvation.
Yours,

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
(Signed) Jose Rizal
In that letter, he gave the purpose of writing his friend, that is to inform him of his present situation, so that
if anything happened to him, his friend was forewarned.
The Arrest
True to what the informer had said, the process of arrest was to begin on September 30, 1896, at 4:00 P.M.
when he was officially notified by Captain Alemany, the ship’s captain, to confine himself within his cabin,
per orders from the Spanish authorities in Manila.
Rizal arrived in Barcelona as a prisoner, being kept under heavy guards for three days, and was transferred
to the custody of the Military Commander of Barcelona, who incidentally was General Eulogio Despujol,
the same person who had signed his exile order to Dapitan. The two adversaries met again.
On his second day in Barcelona, he was escorted to the infamous prison-fortress of Monjuich. In the early
afternoon at the same day, he was brought to the headquarters of General Despujol, who informed him that
he would be shipped back to Manila on board the transport ship Colon to face trial.
HIS TRIAL AND EXECUTION
Rizal left Barcelona for his return trip to the Philippines, on October 6, 1886 to face his trial. It was probably
the saddest moments in his life, seeing the clouds of doom hovering over his head. No one can really fathom
his feelings nor describe his emotions knowing what was to come and what was to happen, that he felt an
impulse to record all the events in his diary.
He wrote that the “officer of the day seemed amiable, refined and polite, consistent with the seriousness of
his duty,” while on board the ship, fellow passengers did nothing but “slander me and invest fanciful stories
about me. I am going to become a legendary personage,” because as he was informed later by a friendly
officer, Madrid newspapers were full of publications concerning his so-called leadership in the bloody
revolution. He then felt that God was doing me a blessing, allowing to go back to the Philippines to be able
to destroy such accusations.”
Knowing that Rizal was keeping a diary, the Spanish Authorities curious about what was writing about
confiscated it. However, they could find nothing incriminating in it that it was returned after nineteen days,
the reason why Rizal’s diary does not contain entries from October 11 to November 1.
In his November 2 entry in the diary, he revealed that they did not just confiscate the diary, but also searched
his baggage’s and personal belongings. They then placed him behind bars and was not taken out until they
reached the Red Sea, and that in Singapore, they put him in handcuffs. The Spanish authorities on board the
ship were taking extreme precaution of possible rescue and escape of the prisoner.
Failed Rescue in Singapore

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
The Spanish Authorities on board the ship were right to exercise extreme vigilance over their prisoner.
Friends in Europe and Singapore did try to rescue him. Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez sent
telegrams to an English lawyer, Hugh Fort to rescue Rizal from the Spanish steamer when it arrives in
Singapore using a legal strategy, the use of the writ of habeas corpus, alleging that Rizal was illegally
detained by the Spanish Authorities. Unfortunately. The writ was denied by the Chief Justice Lionel Cox, on
the ground that it was a warship of foreign power carrying troops to the Philippines under international law,
the ship was therefore beyond the jurisdiction of the civil courts. Rizal never knew of this contemplated
rescue plan, since he was behind bars.
To successfully convict Rizal, his enemies gathered evidence against him by having his friends arrested and
tortured to implicate him, among these were Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Timoteo
Paez, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Domingo Paez, and Rizal’s own brother, Paciano. His brother suffered most,
with his body broken over torture rack and his left hand crushed with the screw, but like a hero, his spirit
never gave in and remained unbroken.
Preliminary Investigation
The preliminary investigation that followed constituted a five-day grueling, of being informed of the
charges, questioning by the judge advocate. But he was deprived of his right to confront those who testified
against him, but was confronted with both documentary and testimonial evidences. The following
documents serve as the basis for the charges by the prosecution:
1. A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce in Madrid dated October 16, 1888, showing Rizal’s
connection with the Filipino reform campaign in Spain.
2. Rizal’s letter to his family, Madrid, dated August 20, 1890 stating that the deportations are good for they
will encourage the people to hate tyranny.
3. A letter from Marcelo H. del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated January 7, 1889, implicating Rizal in the
Propaganda campaign in Spain.
4. A poem entitled “Kundiman,” allegedly written by Rizal
in Manila, Dated September 12, 1891, which contained the lines;

...She is a slave oppressed Groaning in the tyrant’s grips; Lucky shall he beWho can give her liberty!
5. A letter of Carlos Oliveros to an unidentified person, Barcelona, dated September 18, 1891,
describing Rizal as the man to free the Philippines from Spanish oppression,
6. A Masonic document, Manila, dated February 9, 1892, honoring Rizal for his patriotic services.
7. A letter signed Dimasalang (Rizal’s pseudonym) to Tenluz (Juan Zulueta’s pseudonym ), Hongkong,
dated May 14, 1892, stating that he was preparing a safe refuge for Filipinos who may be persecuted by the
Spanish authorities.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
8. A letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee, Hong Kong, dated June 1, 1892, soliciting the
aid of the committee in the “patriotic work.”
9. An anonymous and undated letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, censuring the
banishment of Rizal to Dapitan.
10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, Manila, dated September 3, 1892, saying that the Filipino
people look up to him (Rizal) as their savior.
11. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, Manila, dated March 17, 1893, informing him of an
unidentified correspondent of the arrest and banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador.
12. A letter of Marcelo H. Del Pilar to Don Juan Tenluz (Juan Zulueta), Madrid, dated June 1, 1893,
recommending the establishment of a special organization, independent of Masonry, to help the cause of the
Filipino people.
13. Transcript of a speech of Pingkian (Emilio Jacinto), in a reunion of the Katipunan on July 23,1893,
in which the following cry was uttered “Long live the Philippines! Long live liberty! Long live Doctor
Rizal! Unity!”
14. Transcript of a speech of Tik-tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the same Katipunan reunion, wherein the
Katipuneros shouted: “Long live the eminent Doctor Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!”
15. A poem by Laong Laan (Rizal) entitled “A Talisay” in which the author makes the Dapitan school
boys sing that they know how to fight for their rights.
There were testimonial evidences presented allegediy given by Martin Constantino, Aguedo del Rosario,
Jose Reyes, Moises Salvador, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Timoteo Paez, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quizon,
Domingo Franco, Jose Dizon, and Deodato Arellano not made in the presence of Rizal. But it must be
recalled that some of these persons were tortured brutally to implicate him. The oral testimonies could have
been forced and therefore fabricated, or they could have deliberately been misconstrued the testimonies of
these other patriots.
On November 26, the preliminary investigation was finished and the records were transmitted to Governor
Ramon Blanco by Colonel Olive, together with the appointment of Captain Rafael Dominguez as special
Judge Advocate for the resolution of the case based on “evidences” presented for the filing of charges,
which the letter immediately did. Governor Ramon Blanco referred the matter to the Judge Advocate
General were the following:
1. That Rizal be immediately brought to trial;
2. That he should be kept in prison;
3. That an order of attachment be issued against his property to the amount of one million pesos as
indemnity; and

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
4. That he should be defended in court by an army officer, not a civilian lawyer.
On December 8, a list of 100 first and second lieutenants was given to him from which the name of his
defense lawyer would come from. After looking over the names, there was one which caught his interest,
and the officer was Don Luis Taviel De Andrade, a First Lieutenant of the Artillery who gladly accepted the
assignment. It was found out later, that the reason why such name was familiar was because, he was the
brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade, Rizal’s former “bodyguard” in Calamba in 1887. The Lieutenant had
previously heard about Rizal from his brother.
On December 11, Rizal was informed of the charges against him, particularly of rebellion in his prison cell,
in the presence of his counsel. He did not object to the Court’s jurisdiction, but pleaded not guilty to the
charge of rebellion and although he admitted that he wrote the Constitution of the Liga Filipina, the
association was a civic one. He further waived his right to amend or make further statements other than
those already made and affirmed the statements that he had made except that he had not indulged in politics
since his exile in Dapitan.
As fate would have it, Governor Blanco, the more humane person, who was not convinced of Rizal’s guilt,
was replaced by Governor Polavieja, “the blood and iron governor,” who later signed the order of his
execution.
On December 15, 1896, Rizal wrote a manifesto the Filipino people, appealing to them to stop the
unnecessary shedding of blood and to achieve their liberties by more peaceful means, through education and
industry.
The manifesto was not issued to the public by Governor General Polavieja, upon the advice of Judge
advocate General Nicolas Dela Peña for it would contradict the evidences they had of him.
December 25, 1896 was the saddest Christmas Rizal spent in his whole life, alone in his cell, aware that his
case was a hopeless one, nevertheless, managed to write to his defender a letter (72):
Fort Santiago, December 25, 1896
My Very Distinguished Defender,
The investigating Judge has informed me that tomorrow my case will be heard before the court. I was
waiting for you this morning to tell you of an important matter but undoubtedly the pressure of your work
did not permit you to come as expected by the investigating Judge. If you have time, I should like to speak to
you, before I appear before the court; I shall be grateful if you come this afternoon, this evening or
tomorrow.Wishing you “Merry Christmas.” I reiterate, always your attentive and affectionate servant and
client.
Jose Rizal

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
There is no record that this defense counsel came to see him as he requested, but it can be surmised that he
might have been prevented from coming.
The Trial
The trial of Jose Rizal “was an eloquent proof of Spaniards injustice and misrule. More than a farce, it was
patently a mistrial.” His case was prejudged by a military court, in spite of being a civilian, with all
evidences of the prosecution accepted, but for the defense, ignored. He was deprived of his right to confront
the witnesses against him.
At 8:00 A.M., December 26, 1896, the court martial of Rizal started in the military of Building called
Cuartel de España, with seven member namely: Lt. Col. Jose Togores Arjona (President), Capt. Ricardo
Munoz Arias, Capt. Manuel Reguerro, Izquierdo Osorio, Capt. Braulio Rodriguez Nunez, Capt. Manuel
Dias Escribano, and Capt. Fermin Perez Rodriguez, Capt. Rafael Dominguez (Judge Advocate) with Lt.
Enrique de Alcocer were for the prosecution, while Lt. Taviel de Andrade, was for the defense. The accused,
was seated in a bench guarded by two soldiers, arms tied behind, elbow to elbow, like a common criminal.
There were many spectators, including Josephine Bracken, some newspapermen and many Spaniards. There
is no record to establish the presence of Filipinos in the courtroom.
The defense showed a brilliant performance, arguing point by point the charges against Rizal who wrote a
supplementary defense which runs as follows (74):
1. He could not be guilty of rebellion, for he advised Dr. Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan not to rise in revolution.
2. He did not correspond with the radical, revolutionary elements.
3. The revolutionists used his name without his knowledge. If he were guilty, he could have escaped in
Singapore.
4. If he had a hand in the revolution, he could have escaped in a Moro vinta and would not have built a
home, a hospital, and bought lands in Dapitan.
5. If he were the chief of the revolution, why was he not consulted by the revolutionists?
6. It was true he wrote the by-laws of the Liga Filipina, but this is only a civic association–not a
revolutionary society.
7. The Liga Filipina did not live long, for after the first meeting he was banished to Dapitan and it died out.
8. If the Liga was reorganized nine months later, he did not know about it.
9. The Liga did not serve the purpose of the revolutionists; otherwise they would not have supplanted it with
the Katipunan.
10. if it were true that there were some bitter comments in Rizal’s letters, it was because they were written in
1890 when his family was being persecuted, being dispossessed of houses, warehouses, land, etc. and his
brother and all his brothers –in-law were deported.
11. His life in Dapitan had been exemplary as the politico-military commanders and missionary priests could
attest.
12. It was not true that the revolution was inspired by his one speech at the house of Doroteo Ongjunco, as
alleged by witnesses whom he would like to confront. His friends knew his opposition to armed rebellion.
Why did the Katipunan send an emissary to Dapitan who is unknown to him? Because those who knew him
were aware that he could never sanction any violent movement.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
After a short deliberation, the military court voted unanimously for a death sentence. On the very same day,
the court decision was forwarded to Governor-General, Polavieja and after seeking the opinion of the judge
advocate, the latter confirmed the verdict: to be shot at the back on the morning of December 30 at
Bagumbayan Field (now the Luneta). The verdict of death runs as follows (75):
Manila, December 28, 1896
Conformably to the forgoing opinion. I approve the sentence dictated by the Court Martial in the present
case, by virtue of which the death penalty is imposed on the accused Jose Rizal Mercado, which shall be
executed by shooting him at 7 o’clock in the morning of the 30th of this month in the field of Bagumbayan.
For compliance and the rest that may correspond, let this be returned to the judge Advocate, Captain Don
Rafael Dominguez.
Camilo G. de Polavieja
Governor-General Polavieja, known in Philippine History as the “blood and iron governor” acted true to his
name. And all those who participated in the trial of Dr. Jose P. Rizal shall forever be condemned by those
who believe in justice, freedom and due process of law.
THE DEATH OF A NATIONAL HERO
The last days of Rizal were spent in meeting visitors, including Jesuit priests, Josephine, and members of his
family, a Spanish newspaper correspondent by the name of Santiago Mataix, and some friends. No one
knew he was writing a poem – a farewell poem. Rizal, to the end remained a Christian, resigned to his fate;
brave and courageous to meet his destiny. It must have been his religious upbringing and his closeness to the
Jesuit priests that he was calm and cool before his execution.
The last hours of Rizal have been well recorded and are chronologically arranged as follows:
December 29, 1896

6:00 A.M. – Captain Rafael Dominguez reads the death sentence to Rizal to be shot at the back by a firing
squad at 7:00 at Bagumbayan, the next day.
7:00 A.M. – Rizal was moved to the prison chapel, where he spent his last moments. His first visitors were
Father Miguel Saderra Mata (Rector of Ateneo Municipal) and Father Luis Vita, a Jesuit priest and at one
time his teacher.
7:15 A.M. – Rector Sanderra left. Alone with his former teacher, Rizal reminded him of the statuette of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus which he had given him when he was an Ateneo student. It was said that Father Vita
was expecting such reminiscence and got the statuette from his pocket and gave it to him, which the latter
happily placed on his table.
8:00 A.M. – Father Antonio Rosell arrived and replaced Father Vita, at the time that Rizal was eating his
breakfast. Upon invitation, Father Rosell ate with him for breakfast. A few minutes later, his counsel, Lt.
Luis Taviel de Andrade came and Rizal thanked him for his work.
9:00 A.M. – Father Federico Faura arrived, Rizal reminded him of saying once that he would lose his head
for writing the Noli and jokingly told him that he was indeed a prophet.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
10:00 A.M. – Another of Rizal’s teacher, Father Jose Villaclara (of Ateneo) and Father Vicente Balaguer,
another Jesuit missionary, whom Rizal befriended in Dapitan visited him. There was also the Spanish
journalist, Santiago
Mataix, who interviewed Rizal for his newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid.
12:00 noon to 3:30 P.M. – He was alone and probably spent it in writing his “My Last Farewell”, which he
hid inside his alcohol cooking stove. The cooking stove was given to him as a gift by Paz Pardo de Tavera,
wife of Juan Luna during his visit to Paris in 1890. He also wrote his best friend Dr. F. Blumentritt, which
runs as follows:
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt
My dear Brother:
When you receive this letter, I shall be dead. Tomorrow at seven, I shall be shot; but, I’m innocent of the
crime of rebellion. I am going to die with a tranquil conscience.
Goodbye, my best, my dearest friend, and never think ill of me. Fort Santiago, December 29, 1896
(Signed) Jose Rizal
Regards to the entire family, to Sra. Rosa, Loleng, Conradito and Federico.
I am leaving a book for you as a last remembrance of mine.
3:30 P.M. – Father Balaguer returned to Fort Santiago and talked about Rizal’s retraction of the anti -
Catholic ideas in his anti-Catholic writings and beliefs and also about his membership in the Masonry.
4:00 P.M. – His mother arrived. It was such a
pitiful sight, with Rizal kneeling before her and kissing her hand, and begging her forgiveness. No words
can describe the pain both had in their hearts so that it was difficult to
separate mother and son as they were locked in embrace with tears. A few moments, Trinidad entered the
cell to fetch her mother and it was to Trinidad that he whispered to her about “something” in the alcohol
cooking stove.
After his mother and sister left, Fathers Villaclara and Estanislao March entered the cell, with Father Rosell.
6:00 P.M. – Don Silvino Lopez Tunon, Dean of the Manila Cathedral, with Father Villaclara, visited him.
Earlier, Fathers Balaguer and March were there but left prior to the arrival of Don Silvino.
8:00 P.M. – After taking his supper, Rizal informed Captain Dominguez that he forgave all his enemies
including the military judges who sentenced him to death.
9:30 P.M. – The fiscal of the Royal Audiencia in Manila came to visit him. His pleasant conversation with
Rizal gave him a good impression of the prisoner’s intelligence and noble character.
10:00 P.M – Father Balaguer visited Rizal for him to sign a retraction sent by Archbishop Bernardino
Nozaleda, who was perceived to be anti-Filipino, which was however rejected on the ground that it was too
long, but it was said that he came back with a shorter one. Rizal’s retraction of his Masonry and anti -
Catholic religious beliefs is till today a controversial issue, with the Catholic Rizalists alleging that Rizal did
recant, and the Rizalists Scholars, claiming that the signature to the recantation papers was a forgery. Zaide
(1994) nevertheless has to say this on the issue:
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
...The debate between the two groups of Rizalists is futile and irrelevant. Futile on the sense that no amount
of evidence can convince the Masonic Rizalists that Rizal did not retract... It is likewise irrelevant because it
does not matter at all to the greatness of Rizal. Whether he retracted or not, the fact remains he was the
greatest Filipino hero.
The “Retraction Document of Dr. Rizal”, which has been the object of controversy, runs as follows:
I declare that I am a Catholic, and in this religion, in which I was born and educated, I wish to live and die.
I retract with all my heart anything in my words, writings, publications and conduct that has been contrary to
my character as a child of the Church. I believe and profess what it teaches. I submit to what it demands. I
abominate Masonry as an enemy of the Church and as a society prohibited by it.
The Diocesan Prelate, as the superior ecclesiastical authority may make this manifestation public. I declare
this spontaneously, in order to repair any scandal which my acts may have caused and so that God and man
may pardon me.
Manila, December 29, 1896
(Signed) Jose Rizal
(Witnesses)
Juan del Fresno, Chief of the Guard Detail Eloy Moure,
Adjutant of the Plaza
Whether Rizal recanted or not, it is irrelevant, it is true, for it does make him less a hero. His religious belief
from the present point of view is a personal matter, which did not affect his love for his country.
There is no record of what he did after the visit of Father Balaguer and the recantation papers, but for a few
hours, Rizal was by himself, probably finishing his last poem and masterpiece.
December 30, 1896
3:00 A.M. – The Fateful Day. Rizal heard mass, had confession and took Holy Communion.
5:30 A.M. – After taking his last breakfast, he wrote two letters, the first addressed to his family and the
second to his brother, who had suffered but withstood torture and physical punishment for him. There was
always that special kind of relationship between them till the end.
After he wrote his letters, Josephine Bracken, accompanied by Josefa (Rizal’s sister) arrived to bid him
farewell. He embraced her for the last time, while she was in tears and give her a gift: a religious book
entitled Imitation of Christ with a written inscription:
To my dear unhappy wife, Josephine

December 30, 1896 Jose Rizal

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
6:00 A.M. – He wrote another letter to his beloved parents, asking for forgiveness for the sorrows that he
had given them, and thanking them for their sacrifices to give him a good education.
6:30 A.M. – Rizal was prepared for the execution. A trumpet sounded in the stillness of the morning to
herald the event of the day. With four soldiers as advance guards, Rizal, a few meters behind walked calmly
towards “his rendezvous with death”, accompanied by Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, his defense counsel and
two Jesuit pries ts, Fathers March and Villaclara, followed by more soldiers behind him.
This time although his arms were tied behind from elbow to elbow, the rope was quite loose and allowed his
arms more freedom of movement. He was dressed in black suit, with black derby hat, black shoes but with
white
shirt and black tie.
Like any execution by musketry, muffled sound of drums rent the air, with the group marching solemnly and
slowly. Near the field a large group of spectators was out probably to see how a hero dies.
As they were walking to the field, Rizal looked at the sky and made a remark to one of the priests:
How beautiful it is today, Father. What morning could be more serene! How clear is Corregidor and the
mountains of Cavite! On mornings like this, I used to take a walk with my sweetheart.
While passing in front of Ateneo, he asked one of the fathers if the college towers were that of Ateneo’s,
which was affirmed by one of the priests.In the Bagumbayan field, now the Luneta, the group stopped and
he walked slowly to where he was told to stand – on a grassy lawn between two lamp posts, overseeing the
shores of the beautiful Manila Bay.He took time to bid farewell to his companions, and firmly shook their
hands. One of the priests blessed him and offered a crucifix for him to kiss, which he did.
He then requested the commander of the firing squad to shoot him facing the firing squad, which was
refused, with the commander telling him of the orders that he had to follow.
He did as he was ordered reluctantly and turned his back and faced the sea, even as a Spanish military
doctor, Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo asked his permission to feel his pulse. Nothing could be more extraordinary
that for a man facing the firing squad who will snuff out his life, as having a normal pulse. Rizal, man and
martyr had no fear to die; to die for his country; it was a rare opportunity and he would want it in no other
way.
When the command “fire” was heard, Rizal made a supreme effort to face the firing squad, and his bullet -
riddled body instead turned to the right with his face facing the morning sun. It was exactly 7:03 A.M.,
December 30th, 1896 when Rizal died, a martyr’s death, at the prime of his life, 35 years of age, five months
and eleven days.
No fitting description could be of his death as that which he wrote in his farewell poem, particularly, the
third stanza, which says:
I die just when I see the dawn break,Through the gloom of night, to herald the day; And if color is lacking,
my blood thou shalt take, Pour’d out at need for thy dear sake,To dye with its crimson the walking ray.
No greater sound could have been exploded and heard all over the country, than that shot that was fired on
that fateful morning in Bagumbayan field, and no greater thunderous fall than that of the Spanish empire.
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
While the Spaniards rejoiced and danced over the death of Rizal, little did they realize that their days of
power andoppression were numbered, for the Filipinos took a united stand with the Philippine Revolution on
their newly aroused nationalism born by the powerful catalyst of Rizal’s mighty pen and of his heroic death.
As it has been said “the pen is mightier than the sword” for it can destroy mountains of antipathy and build
boulders of unity. The impossible was now made possible.
No one can read or follow the life of Rizal without a feeling of pain, sorrow, tragedy and loss. His was a life
of never-ending tragedies; in spite his good intentions. But virtue has its own reward – that of being
worshipped, idolized and looked up as a national hero.
CHAPTER 7: RIZAL’S ANNOTATION OF ANTONIO MORGA’S SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS

FILIPINAS
Introduction
This chapter introduces the students to the kind of government, society, faith and economy the Filipinos had
during the nineteenth century as recorded by Antonio Morga. This will also discuss Rizal’s
agreement/disagreement to Morga’s statements, and to fulfil Rizal’s goal of posting the Filipino people on
the past so to fairly judge the present and estimate how much progress has been made compared to the three
centuries of the Spanish rule.
Intended Learning Application
1. Compare and contrast the should be able to different views of Rizal and Morga about the Filipinos and the
Philippine culture
2. Explain the relationship between literature and society
3. Give an assessment on Rizal’s interpretations of Morga’s Successos de las Islas Filipinas
4. Convey a personal conviction on how would someone learn the value of “patriotism” and “nationalism”
from literature
Discussion

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Las Islas Filipinas in English means “The Philippine Islands”, named after King Philip II of Spain while
Sucesos means the work of an honest observer, a versatile bureaucrat, who knew the workings of the
administration from the inside.
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas is an important work about the Spanish colonization in the Philippines,
published by Antonio De Morga in Mexico in the year 1609 which explains the political, social and
economic aspects of a colonizer and the colonized country.
The book is based on the experience and observation of Antonio De Morga. It was annotated by Jose Rizal
with a prologue written by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt.
The work consists of eight (8) chapters:
1. Of the first discoveries of the Eastern islands

2. Of the government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
3. Of the government of don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa
4. Of the government of Dr. Santiago de Vera
5. Of the government of Gomes Perez Dasmariñas
6. Of the government of don Francisco Tello
7. Of the government of don Pedro de Acuña
8. An account of the Philippine Islands
The first seven chapters mainly concern the political events which occurred in the colony during the terms of
the first eleven governor-generals in the Philippines, beginning with Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565 to
Pedro de Acuña who died in June 1606. For present-day Filipinos chapter eight is the most interesting,
because it gives a description of the pre-Hispanic Filipinos, or rather the indios, at the Spanish contact. This
same chapter was indispensable for Rizal, not only for its ethnographic value but more to help him
reconstruct the pre-Hispanic Philippines which Rizal wanted to present to his countrymen.
Antonio de Morga
Antonio de Morga was born in 1559 in Seville. He graduated from the University of Salamanca in 1574 and
in 1578 attained a doctorate in Canon Law. He taught briefly in Osuna, later returning to Salamanca to study
Civil Law. In 1580, he joined the government service, and was appointed in 1593 to Manila as Lieutenant
Governor, the second most powerful position in the colony, next to the Governor General of the Philippines.
In 1598 he resigned this post to assume the office of oidor or judge in the Audiencia.
In 1625, he was investigated for corruption and eventually found guilty. However, he escaped humiliation,
and the gallows, by dying in 1636, before the case was wound up.
Morga was not only the first to write but also the first to publish a Philippine history.Compared to Father
Chirino’s work, printed in 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.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Morga (1609) wrote that the purpose for writing Sucesos was so he could chronicle the deeds achieved by
the Spaniards, the discovery, conquest, and conversion of the Filipinas Islands - as well as various fortunes
that they had from time to time in the great kingdoms and among the pagan peoples surrounding the islands.
What led Rizal to Morga’s work?
Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as a historian. He had a burning desire to know
exactly the condition of the Philippines when the Spaniards came ashore. His theory was that the country
was economically self-sufficient and prosperous. Entertained the idea that it had a lively and vigorous
community. He believed the conquest of the Spaniards contributed in part to the decline of the Philippine’s
rich traditions and culture.
He then decided to undertake the annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas. His
personal friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt provided the inspiration for doing a new edition of Morga’s
work. He devoted four months of research and writing and almost a year to get his manuscript published in
Paris in January 1890.
Why did Rizal choose Morga’s work?
Rizal thought that Morga’s work, a secular account of Philippine history, was more objective, more
trustworthy, than those written by the religious missionaries which were liberally sprinkled with tales of
miracles and apparitions.
It was also the only civil, as opposed to religious or ecclesiastical, history of the Philippines written during
the colonial period.
It appeared to be more sympathetic, at least in parts, to the indios, in contrast to the friar ’s accounts– many
of which were biased or downright racist in tone and interpretation.
Morga was an eyewitness, and therefore a primary source of historical accounts in the Philippines.
How did he know about Morga’s work?
As a child José Rizal heard from his uncle, José Alberto, about an ancient history of the Philippines written
by a Spaniard named Antonio de Morga. The knowledge of this book came from the English Governor of
Hong Kong, Sir John Browning, who had once paid his uncle a visit. While in London, Rizal immediately
acquainted himself with the British Museum where he found one of the few remaining copies of that work.
In there, he hand-copied the whole 351 pages of the book and annotated every chapter of it. Rizal’s
annotations on Morga’s book is the first historical work on the Philippines by a Filipino. It is the first history
written from the point of view of the colonized and not by the colonizer. Austin Craig, an early biographer
of Rizal, translated into English some of the most important of these annotations.
Rizal’s Purpose for Annotating Morga’s Work

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Rizal annotated the Morga to awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos regarding their glorious ways of the
past, to correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish Conquest and to prove that the
Filipinos are civilized/advanced even before the coming of the Spaniards.
Ferdinand Blumentritt
Blumentritt was the one who encouraged Rizal to write about the Philippines’ pre-colonial History. He
praised Rizal’s works as “Scholarly and well-thought out”. He even noted that the book is so rare and that
very few libraries own it and guarded it like a treasure. However, he criticized some points made by Rizal.
He noticed that Rizal had committed the mistakes of many modern historians who judged events in the past.
He said that Rizal shouldn’t condemn Catholicism even though they didn’t do any effort to suppress calls for
reform. He should just keep the critique about religious orders in the Philippines.
Rizal’s Annotations
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 then 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.
- Jose Rizal, 1889
Jose Rizal’s Annotation
Rizal and Morga have a different perspective concerning geography, society, faith and economy during the
pre-colonial era. Rizal agreed to some of Morga’s opinions and agreed not some, as depicted below.
ANTONIO MORGA JOSE RIZAL

GEOGRAPHY (Location, Climate and Plant Species
Location There are many others on the More exactly, it is from 25
line within the tropic of degrees and 40 minutes
Capricorn, which extends up latitude North, until 12
to twelve (12) degrees, South degrees latitude South, if we
latitude. The ancient have are to include in the group
alleged that most of these Formosa, which is inhabited
Islands were deserted and also by the same race.
uninhabitable. Ptolemy in his geography

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
indicated three islands and

their inhabitants, which in the
Latin text are called Sindae,
which Mercator interprets as
Celebes, Gilolo, and
Amboina.
Thus, it would be erroneous
to say that the Philippines
was ever inhabitable.
Climate According to Morga, the In Manila, by December,

rainy season in the January, and February the
Philippines is the equivalent thermometer goes do wn
of winter in other countries more than it does in the
and the rest of the year is months of August and
summer. Thus, the rain pours September. Therefore, with
from month of June up to regards to seasons, it
September, and summer starts resembles Spain as all the rest
from October and extends to of the Northern Hemisphere.
the end of May.
Plant Species There is an abundance of In Tagalog, cachumba is

ginger which is eaten raw, in called kasubha. It comes from
vinegar or pickled, likewise the Sanskrit Kasumbha. It is
much cachumba, a plant not a tree but rather a vine
giving both taste and color, which is cultivated by making
used in cooking. it cling into bamboo poles.
In Asian mainland is the buyo Everybody knows the fruit is

or betel which is made out of not of the betel or buyo but of
a leaf, coupled with a seed or the bonga. It’s not quicklime
nut from the areca. This nut but a very hydrated lime.
called bonga is cut lengthwise
and placed inside the rolled
betel leaf with a bit of very
quick lime.
SOCIETY (Government, Art, Ethnology, Cloth, Custom, Women, Food and Lifestyle and
Language)
Government There were neither king nor Rizal agreed that there were
lords to rule the natives but no such Kings or Lords. In
there are those that are the view of the lack of
considered principals among communications, governance
them who had their own would be hard if that’s the

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
followers and henchmen case.

forming
barrios and families who In can be deduced from this
obeyed and respect them. that friendly relations were
more common than wars.
Those principal men used to
have friendship and
relationship with each other,
and sometimes even wars and
differences.
Art (Body Tattoo) The inhabitants–the natives– Rizal agreed with Morga for
residing in the place known Visayans also used the same
as Visayas are otherwise method as the Japanese.
called the “tattooed ones” for
the reason that the most
important male residents
there have, since their
childhood, decorated their
entire body by painting their
skins, following a pattern
drawn and by putting certain
black powder in certain parts
where the blood oozes out
and which can never be
removed.
Ethnology The natives of otherAncient traditions make

provinces of the islands as far
Sumatra the place of origin of
North as Cagayan, are of the the Filipinos. These traditions
same kind and fortune; except were completely lost as well
that it is known by tradition as the mythology and
that those of Manila and othergenealogies that old
neighboring communities, historians tell us about,
were not natives of said thanks to the zeal of the
island but immigrants therein.religious in extirpating every
national, gentile, or idolatrous
The natives living in Luzon memento.
are tribes of
whom one cannot be safe, as According to Rizal, the
they are inclined to kill and measures done against the
attack the settlements of natives of Luzon are more
the natives, to whom they often
caused considerable damages; by bad means and rather by
and no measure was able to good ones.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
effectively prevent them from Rizal also mentioned that the

having such conduct. natives chose to become
violent because of the strict
and brutal way of the Spanish
friars.
Origin of the Word “Chininas” Morga stated that the dress According to Rizal, the origin
a Kind of Cloth used by the native headmen of the word “chininas” is not
in Luzon was a red colored known, although it seems that
clothe which they called the word originated from
chininas. It is made of cangan China. If we may be allowed
fabric without collar, sewn in to make a conjecture, we
front, with short sleeves would say that perhaps a
extending down the waist. wrong phonetic transcription
had been made of chinina the
word tinina (from tina) which
in Tagalog means dyed,
which is almost always
monochromatic.
Custom According to Morga, the Rizal stated that rings of gold

natives had strings painted in with stones were worn on
black tied around their legs fingers. The last accessory of
several times. the gala dress is like a sash, a
richly colored cloak thrown
Morga said that in a certain over the shoulder and joined
province named Zambales, under the arm.
natives shave their heads
closely from the middle to the The manner of wearing the
forehead, with a large lock of hair and the long attire of the
loose hair on the back of the Bisayans have an analogy to
head the coiffure and kimono of
the Japanese.
Description of Women Morga stated that men and Rizal sarcastically mentioned
women are covetous and that it could be found
money-loving. everywhere even in Europe
itself.
Food and Lifestyle The ordinary food of the What was called laulau is a
natives is a very small fish, salted and dried sardine. It
such as laulau, which they sems that Morga was
enjoy better than larger referring to tawilis of
fishes. According to Morga, Batangas, or dilis, which is
in lieu of olives and other even smaller.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
aperitive fruits, they have a

green, very small fruit, more According to Rizal,
diminutive than a nut called paho/paos is a kind of mango
paos. of about 1 and 1⁄2 to five
centimeters long.
Language The language spoken in Throughout the Islands,

Luzon and the adjacent island writing is well developed.
is very different from that
spoken in Visayas. There’s no We are far from believing
uniform language and other that alphabet offers the
places have their own simplicity and clarity of Latin
dialects. The people of the but neither can we accept the
province of Manila were belief of other authors who,
called Tagalogs. They had a without knowing thoroughly
rich and abundant language about writing, claim to find it
whereby all that one desires is very imperfect for the
to say can be expressed in difficulty of pronouncing the
varied ways and with quiescent consonants.
elegance.
Rizal explains how is the
Writing was done on bamboo proper writing of this time in
pieces or on paper. two different manner; vertical
and horizontal
FAITH (Belief on Crocodiles, Healers and Dead)
Belief of Crocodiles The natives build on the Perhaps for the same reason
border of their rivers and other nations have great
streams. In their settlements esteem for the lion and bear,
where they bathe–traps and putting them on their shields
fences with thick enclosures and giving them honorable
were made to secure them epithets. The mysterious life
from the monsters of the crocodile, the
(crocodiles) which they fear enormous size that it
and respect to the degree of sometimes reaches, its
veneration as if they were fatidical aspect, without
somehow superior to them. counting anymore its
God has permitted those who voraciousness, must have
have sworn falsely or broken influenced greatly the
their promise, to become imagination of the Malayan
victims of the crocodiles, in Filipinos.
the view of their violation.
Healers Great sorcerers and wizards Speaking of the sick and

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
deceive the people who Anitos, Rizal related this to

communicates whatever Fr. Chirino’s illustration of
wishes to them. The natives the case of Armandao who,
also believed in omens and while sick, offered half his
superstitions so that they body to the Anito to see if he
could tell whether their sick would be cured. Fr. Chirino
persons would live or die. mentioned that if Armandao
was cured? What could be
said now to those who died,
despite all the Masses offered
to the different Virgins,
despite the sophisticated
offerings?
Dead They buried their dead in We find it much more natural

their own houses, keeping and pious to venerate the
their bodies and bones for a remains of the parents to
long time in boxes, and whom they own everything,
venerating their skulls. than to
venerate the memory, bones,
In their funeral rites, neither hair, etc. of certain saints.
pomp nor processions played Idolatry for idolatry, we
any part, except only those prefer that of our parents to
performed by members of the that of some dirty friar or
household of the dead. After fanatical martyr whom we
grieving, they indulged in don’t know and with whom
eating and drinking to the we have no dealings and who
degree of intoxication among probably will never
themselves. remember us.
ECONOMY (Wealth, Trade, Occupation)
Wealth After the Spaniards had Soldiers, abandoned the work

settled in the land, the natives in the mines,
became laxer in the mining of and priest historians relate
gold, contenting themselves that, in order to save them
with what they already had in from vexations, they
the form of jewelry and recommended on them such
ancient ingots of gold, procedure. However, Rizal
inherited from their forebears, said that it was later on
which were abundant in forbidden.
themselves.
Rizal supported what Morga
Morga said that the natives said by stating that the Igorots

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
take their still unrefined and were right about their practice
unperfected gold to certain that keeping their wealth on
appointed places where they the ground is more secure
meet the people from Ilocos, than in their own homes or
where, for their gold, settlements.
they are given in trade, rice,
pigs, carabaos, blankets and
other articles which they
need.
According to Morga, it was
said that the Igorots felt that
their gold was kept more
securely in the ground than in
their own homes or
settlements.
Trade Cotton is raised throughout Not only did they have large
the islands, and they spin it harvest of rice but also of
into thread and sell it by skins cotton which they wove into
to the Chinese and other textile for their garments and
nationals who come over for which is very much esteemed
trading. They also weave in New Spain. Out of cotton
blankets in various ways textile alone, there was an
which they also sell or trade. encomendero who left a
fortune of more than 50,000
accumulated in a few years.
Occupation of Native Men Most are laborers, while The men of the said islands
others are engaged in were great carpenters and
working, mining and in shipbuilders.
trading from one province to
another around Luzon
mainland.
Literature and Society
Literature mirrors society. What happens in a society is reflected in literary works in one form or another.
The literal meaning of literature is the art of written work in different forms, such as, poetry, plays, stories,
prose, fiction, etc. It may also consist of texts based on information as well as imagination.
A society is a group of people related to each other through their continuous and uninterrupted relations. It is
also a group of likeminded people largely governed by their own norms and values. Human society, it is

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
observed, is characterized by the patterns of relationship between individuals who share cultures, traditions,
beliefs and values, etc.
If one looks at the history of society, one will find that the nature of different societies has gone through
changes from the Palaeolithic period to the present age of Information Technology. The people’s living
style, faiths, beliefs, cultures, etc., have never remained uniformly consistent. With the passage of time,
owing to changes taking place in environment and with emergence of new technologies, we observe that the
societies have not remained stubborn with regards to their norms and values, the reflections of which can be
found in different forms of literature.
ACTIVITY 7
I. Multiple Choice. Read the sentence carefully. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What type of book was Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas?

a) Fairytale
b) Romance
c) History
d) Fables
2. Which would best describe Antonio Morga?

a) A Spanish lawyer and a governor-general who was the first to write and publish a Philippine history
b) A Spanish priest who accounted the history of the Philippines through religious his ideals
c) A Governor-General who ordered the execution of Jose Rizal
d) A traveler who came to the Philippines through his expeditions
3. What led Rizal to Morga’s work?

a) He was an intelligent man who wants to question the norm
b) He was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as a historian
c) He wants to prove his literary skills to the Spaniards
d) None of the above
4. Why did Rizal choose to annotate Morga’s work among others?

a) It was a secular account of Philippine history; it was more objective and trustworthy than those written by
the religious missionaries.
b) It was also the only civil, as opposed to religious or ecclesiastical, history of the Philippines written
during the modern period.
c) Morga was an eyewitness, and therefore an unreliable source of historical accounts in the Philippines.
d) All of the above.
5. What was Rizal’s theory before annotating Morga’s work?

a) The country was already economically self-sufficient and prosperous before the Spaniards came ashore
b) The theory that Filipinos a re well-grounded.
c) Spaniards contributed in part to the improvement of the Philippine’s traditions and culture.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
d) Both A and C
6. What was Rizal’s purpose for annotating Morga’s work?

a) to awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos regarding their glorious ways of the past
b) to correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish Conquest
c) to prove that the Filipinos were already civilized/advanced even before the coming of the Spaniards.
d) All of the above
7. What was Blumentritt’s initial comment on Rizal’s annotations?

a) Scholarly and well -thought out
b) Powerful and accurate
c) Timely and relevant
d) Clear and concise
8. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Rizal’s annotations?

a) It is the first historical work on the Philippines by a Filipino
b) It is the first history written from the point of view of the colonized and not by the colonizer
c) It was the first history written for the Philippines and published in a magazine
d) Translated into English by Austin Craig
9. Sucesos means
a) Successful colonization by the Spaniards among remote areas in the Philippines
b) Work of an honest observer who knew the workings of the administration from the inside
c) A Spanish word indicating continuous pursuit of freedom
d) A latin word meaning “Islands” in English
10. What is the relationship between Literature and Society?
a) Society has changed from the earliest times to the modern period and the reflections of which can be
found in different forms of literature.
b) Literature is the way of life and society is life, thus, the two are interrelated
c) Society goes in time with literature
d) All of the above
CHAPTER 8: NOLI ME TANGERE
Introduction
NOLI ME TANGERE PUBLISHED IN BERLIN (1887)
The bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin was Rizal’s darkest winter because no money arrived from Calamba and
he
was flat broke.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
It was memorable in the life of Rizal for two reasons:(1) it was a painful episode for he was hungry, sick and
despondent in a strange city; and (2) it brought him great joy after enduring so much sufferings because his
first novel, Noli Me
Tangere came off press in March, 1887.
Noli Me Tangere came from a Latin phrase which means “Touch Me Not”, a biblical phrase from the
Gospel of St. Luke, although Rizal made a mistake since the Biblical source should have come from John
20:13-17.
According to St. John on the First Easter Sunday, when Mary Magdalene visited the Holy Sepulchre where
the Lord has just risen, he said:
“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend
unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.”
The cover of Noli Me Tangere was designed by Rizal. It is a sketch of explicit symbols. A woman’s head
atop a Maria Clara bodice represents the nation and the women, victims of the social cancer. One of the
causes of social cancer is symbolized in the friar’s feet, outsized in relation to the woman’s head. The other
aggravating causes of oppression and discrimination are shown in the guard’s helmet and the iron chains, the
teacher’s whip and the alferez’s scourge. A slight cluster of bamboo stands at the backdrop; these are the
people, forever in the background of their own country’s history. There are cross, maze, flowers and thorny
plants, a flame; these are indicative of the religious policy, the misdirected ardor, the people strangled as a
result of these all.
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Appreciate important characters in the novel and what they represent.
2. Examine the present Philippine situation through the examples mentioned in the Noli.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Discussion
IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN THE NOLI
1. Crisostomo Ibarra - A wealthy young mestizo who has just returned to the Philippines after seven
years of studying in Europe, Ibarra is sophisticated, highly esteemed, and very idealistic. The priests
of San Diego all view him with great wariness on account of his highly liberal education and
connections. His father, the equally idealistic Don Rafael, was labeled a subversive and a heretic by

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
the corrupt priesthood and incarcerated, ultimately leading to his death. Ibarra hopes to create a
school in San Diego in order to carry out his father's dreams and ideals, but he becomes entangled in
conflicts with the church and is forced to flee San Diego as a result of a conspiracy led by the
scheming Father Salví. In contrast to his more radical friend Elías, Ibarra generally wants to work
within systems to reform the Philippines, rather than overthrow them, but he shifts towards Elías's
beliefs as the novel progresses.
2. Maria Clara – A woman of high social standing, she is thought to be the daughter of Capitan Tiago
and goddaughter of Father Dámaso. She is actually the biological daughter of Father Dámaso, the
product of a scandalous relationship between the old priest and Capitan Tiago’s wife. María Clara
grew up alongside Ibarra and planned to marry him, but Father Dámaso disapproved of the union.
After Ibarra is excommunicated from the church, her guardians set her up to be wed to Linares, a
wealthy young man of Spanish descent, and she tries to go along with the plan to avoid hurting her
father, the weak-willed Capitan Tiago. When Ibarra is put on trial for sedition, she is coerced into
surrendering the letters Ibarra has sent her as evidence of his guilt. Ultimately, when she hears of
Ibarra's apparent death, she refuses to marry Linares and joins a convent.
3. Padre Damaso – is an old, power-hungry, and shamelessly corrupt Spanish priest who has lived
among the native Filipinos for nearly two decades. In spite of having spent all that time among them,
the years have done nothing to endear him or develop any sympathy in him for his “flock.” He is
deeply racist, as well as petty and vindictive, and he thinks nothing of using his considerable
influence to ruin the lives of those who have slighted him, regardless of how small the offense is. He
masterminded the death of Don Rafael Ibarra, then brazenly taunted the younger Ibarra. After he
publically insults Ibarra's father, Ibarra attacks him and he excommunicates Ibarra from the church.
He is also the godfather (and, in fact, the biological father) of María Clara, giving him influence over
her relationship with Ibarra.
4. Kapitan Tiago – Capitan Tiago is a rarity in that he is a wealthy Filipino who is native-born. He
keeps close ties with high-ranking members of the Catholic Church, despite actually having no
respect for religion, and shamelessly joins in others' racist insults against his own people. His
primary concern is to marry off his daughter, María Clara, to an affluent man from an influential
family. This is one of the main reasons that he is quick to toss aside his loyalties to Ibarra when he is

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
labeled a subversive. His predilection for advantageous social pairings makes him quick to assent to
Linares as a potential new match for his daughter.
5. Pilosopo Tasyo – An old man who previously studied philosophy and is believed to be crazy by
most of the community. He respects Ibarra and gives him valuable advice, and also helped Ibarra's
father before him.
6. Elias – A mysterious character, Elías is a man on the run from the law who resents both the Spanish
colonial government and the Catholic Church, despite his strong religious convictions. He crosses
paths with the more temperate Ibarra when Ibarra bravely saves him from a crocodile. Elías uncovers
a plot against Ibarra's life and works closely with him throughout the second half of the novel. He
and Ibarra have several long conversations regarding the ethics of politics and governance, with Elias
taking a more revolutionary stance.
7. Dona Victorina – A brazen and determined Filipina social climber, Doña Victorina is the spouse of
the counterfeit doctor, Tiburcio de Espadaña. She is well past her prime and relies on garish make-up
to carry on a façade of youth. She eagerly tries to marry off her nephew to María Clara, likely as a
means to further advance her social status.
8. Sisa – The long-suffering mother of sextons-in-training Crispin and Basilio, she goes mad upon the
loss of her sons. Impoverished and married to a violent drunkard, she is allied only with her sons.
She wanders the town, clothes tattered and hair disheveled, calling out for her sons. When she
actually does meet Basilio, she cannot recognize him.
9. Dona Consolacion - The pugnacious wife of The Ensign, Doña Consolación is an older Filipina
woman who is ashamed of her heritage and pretends to be unable to speak Tagalog, her own native
language. She fights with her husband frequently and makes many of her husband's decisions for
him. Despite being described as very ugly, she is proud and demands respect from others.
Summary of the Novel
Don Cristostomo Ibarra returned to San Diego after his stay in Europe for his studies. He learned about
the death of his father because of sickness inside the prison. He attended a dinner in the house of Don Tiago
to see his girlfriend Maria Clara but in the same place he also saw Padre Damaso who had negative remarks
about him because he practiced the behaviour that he learned from Europe. During the dinner, Padre

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Damaso got mad because Crisostomo got the meaty part of the chicken tinola when he only got the neck
part. Senor Guevarra, a friend of his father, told Crisostomo about the misfortune that this father faced.
The knowledge about the misfortune of his father led him to seek justice and to know the persons
behind this injustice. The next day, he was able to walk to the cemetery to seek justice for his father. From
there, he knew that Padre Damaso was the one behind the sufferings of his father.
On his travel to difficult part of San Diego, he met Pilosopo Tasio to whom he had the conversation
about the school that he wanted to build for the reform of the society. He also learned about the story of Sisa
who became insane because of the search for his two sons who were abused by the Sakristan Mayor. In the
midst of insanity, she only uttered the name of Basilio and Crispin.
The friends of Crisostomo and Maria Clara had the picnic in the river. While riding in a boat, a
crocodile attacked the group. Elias dove into the water but the crocodile overpowered him so Crisostomo
also dove into the water and saved Elias. And this was the start of the friendship of Elias and Crisostomo. So
during the ground breaking of the school that Crisostomo planned to build, Elias saved Crisostomo for the
plan of assassination against him.
The search for justice and his good intention of building school for the poor led Padre Damaso to hate
Crisostomo so he always referred negative comments and criticism to Crisostomo during his homily. And
because he knew that Padre Damaso was the person behind the death of his father, in one dinner he
attempted to kill Padre Damaso but Maria Clara pleaded to him because Padre Damaso was her true father.
Crisostomo escaped after the incident.
The people had an uprising against the government but it was not successful. And Crisostomo was
accused to be the leader of the said uprising. Elias helped him to escape and before they left they went to the
house of Maria Clara. Unfortunately, the Guardia Civil knew that they were there so after bidding goodbye
to Maria Clara, the two jumped to the water to escape. The Guardia Civil shot Elias thinking that he was
Crisostomo and as the two jumped into the water, the truth was hidden from the authorities. Crisostomo
went to the cemetery to bury the body of Elias and in the same place there was Basilio who also buried the
body of her mother Sisa. It was only Basilio who knew the truth about Crisostomo. At the end of the novel,
the readers observed that the evil things could overshadow the good principles of the other people.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
RESULT OF NOLI ME TANGERE
The novel was printed due to the help of Dr. Maximo Viola who lent Jose Rizal an amount of 200
pesos, an amount which was intended for the allowance for food but Jose chose to use the amount in printing
his novel. His friends commended the novel. Ferdinand Blumentritt commended Jose Rizal because
according to him, the novel was written from the heart. And based on the technical aspects of the novel,
Rizal, according to Ferdinand Blumentritt, possessed a gift in writing and his novel could be a source of
enlightenment of the people of his country. Padre Francisco Sanchez commended the literary skills of Jose
Rizal which was evident in the novel, however he also suggested to Rizal that he should include the good
qualities of the priest in his novel. But still Padre Sanchez defended the novel against the public. Antonio
Ma. Regidor considered Noli Me Tangere as superior and could be compared to the novel Don Quijote. And
Padre Vicente Garcia objected the criticism that the novel discussed the issues and stories that did not
happen in the Philippines. According to him, the novel was a literary piece but based on the actual
observations of the writer. However, other personalities in the Philippines specially the friars criticized the
novel because the gobernadorcillo in the country had the petition to the Governor General to remove the
friars. So the friars brought the novel into censorship and they succeeded because the committee declared
the novel as anti-Church and so ordered the ban of the novel and the imprisonment of the people who had
copies of the book.
Background of the Publication of the Noli
Toward the end of 1884, Rizal started to write Noli in Madrid and finished about one-half of it. In Paris,
1885, while studying at the Universidad Central de Madrid, he finished one-half of the second half. He
finished the last fourth of Noli in Germany. The last few chapters were written at Wilhelmfeld in April –
June 1886.
Viola Financed Printing. Sick and penniless, Rizal had no cope of having it published, he received a
telegram from Dr. Maximo Viola that he was coming to Berlin. Dr Viola was a scion of rich family of San
Miguel, Bulacan. When Viola arrived before Christmas Day in 1887, he was shocked to find Rizal in
poverty and was sick due to lack of proper nourishment.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Viola gladly agreed to finance the printing cost of the Noli. He also loaned some cash money for the
living expenses. To save printing expenses, Rizal deleted certain passages in his manuscript, including the
whole chapter, Elias and Salome.
Printing of the Noli. Rizal with the help of Viola, supervised the printing of the Noli. Day by day, they
were at the printing shop proof-reading the printed pages. Noli came off the press on March 21, 1887. First
copies of the printed novel were sent to Rizal’s intimate friends like Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce and Felix R. Hidalgo.
On March 29, 1887. Rizal gave Viola the gallery proofs of the Noli in token of his appreciation and
gratitude.
The title of the Noli. Noli Me Tangere, which means “Touch Me Not”, was taken from the bible,
particularly the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20, Verses 13 to 17). According to St. John. On the first Easter
Sunday, St. Mary Magdalene visited the Holy Sepulcher, and to her our Lord Jesus, just risen from the dead
said:
“Touch Me Not”, I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I
ascend unto my Father and Your Father; and my God and your God”.
ATTACKERS AND DEFENDERS OF THE NOLI
Attackers:
1. Fr. Jose Rodriquez, an Augustine priest who published a series of eight (8) pamphlets to discredit
Noli.
2. Father Font—printed and distributed copies to discredit the controversial novel.
3. General Jose de Salamanca
4. General Luis M. de Prado
5. Sr. Fernando Vida
6. Vicente Barrantes, the Spanish academician of Madrid who bitterly criticized the Noli in an article
published in La Espana Moderna (Madrid newspaper) in January 1890.
Defenders:
1. Marcelo H. Del Pilar

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
2. Dr.. Antonio Ma. Regidor

3. Graciano Lopez Jaena
4. Mariano Ponce
5. Father Sanchez, Rizal’s favourite teacher in the Ateneo.
6. Don Segismundo Moret, former Minister of the Crown
7. Dr. Miguel Morayta, historian and stateman
8. Professor Blumentritt, scholar and educator
9. Other Filipino reformists in foreign lands
10. Rev. Vicente Garcia, a Filipino priest-scholar and a Tagalog translator
11. Desidorio Magalong
What are the characters of Noli represent:
Rizal’s portrayal of the characters in the novel Noli Me Tangere is relevant to the political and social
classes during his time.
1. Crisostomo Ibarra. He has a liberal mind. Outspoken and idealistic, patient and serious man. He
becomes very violent and impulsive when he is provoked. Ibarra is Rizal’s reflection of himself. He
symbolizes the idealism of the privileged youth.
2. Elias. He distrusts human judgement and prefers God’s justice instead. He prefers a revolution over
the reforms. He represents the common Filipino. He is said to be the personification of Andres
Bonifacio.
3. Kapitan Tiago. He is said to be a good Catholic, friend of the Spanish government. He symbolizes
the rich Filipinos who oppress their fellow countrymen.
4. Maria Clara, a religious woman. She was portrayed as a faithful sweetheart, a good friend and an
obedient daughter. She had childish simplicity. She gets easily nervous. Her character is related to
Rizal’s childhood sweetheart, Leonor Rivera. She symbolizes the purity and innocence of a sheltered
native woman.
5. Dona Victorina, an ambitious Filipina. She symbolizes those who have distorted view of their
identity. Wife of Don Tiburcio.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
6. Don Tiburcio de Espadana Dona Victorina’s husband. He is timid and rarely joins in conversation.
Makes living as a quack doctor. Represented the ignorant Spaniards whose foolishness the other
Spaniards tolerated, often resulting in disastrous consequences for the natives.
7. Pia Alba, a young healthy and beautiful woman, a very spiritual woman. By nature, a very merry
woman but she became melancholic when she became pregnant. Pia Alba represents the women who
had been abused by the clergy and had been silenced by their shame.
8. Gobernador General. He occupies the second most powerful rank in the colonial government,
second only to the king Supported Ibarra against Padre Damaso Represented the typical Governor
General of the Philippines who would often distain the power that the friars had.
9. A young and smart Spanish lawyer, Meek and shy Padre Damaso wanted Maria Clara to marry
him but she refused. Alfonso Linares represented the young Spaniards who came to the Philippines
hoping for a better life than in their motherland.
10. Alferez Dona Consolacion’s husband, shares rivalry with the priest, particularly Padri Salvi and
frequently has violent fights with his wife Represented the officials of the state who frequently had
power struggles with Church officials.
11. Pilosopo Tasyo known as “Pilosopo Tasyo”. He spent most of his money on books and now lives in
poverty Rizal can related to his character as his oldest brother, Paciano. He symbolizes the learned
Filipinos. He is pessimist.
12. Padre Hernando Sibyla. He is often cool and intelligent, especially when correcting the other friar,
Padre Damaso, of the latter’s ostentatiousness. A Dominican friar who is the curate of Binondo and
had been a former professor at San Juan de Letran College, symbolizes the liberal friar but would
rather stay in the background rather than incur the wrath of other priests in power. He is aware of the
injustices done to the natives but would not do anything to change it, as all he cares about it is getting
his congregation in power.
13. Padre Bernardo Salvi, manipulates people to get what he wants. He is described to be very thin and
sickly. The Franciscan curate of San Diego, secretly harbouring lust for Maria Clara.
14. Padre Damaso, the talkative and cruel priest. He raped Dona Pia, Maria Clara’s mother. He
continually antagonizes Ibarra and prevent his marriage to Maria Clara. He symbolizes the Spanish
friars of Rizal’s time.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
15. Sisa is the deranged mother of Basilio and Crispin. Described as beautiful and young, although she
loves her children very much, she cannot protect them from the beatings of her husband, Pedro.
Personified the suffering of the motherland. Named after Rizal’s older sister, Narcisa.
16. Basilio, he is 10 years old. An acolyte tasked to ring the church bells for the Angelus. They
represented the innocent who were wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit. Their story was
based on the true tale of the Crisostomo brother of Hagonoy.
17. Crispin, he is 7 years old. He often talks about silly things and is Sisa’s favorie son. An altar boy, he
was unjustly accused of stealing money from the church.
18. Don Consolacion, wife of the Alferez of San Diego, often has violent arguments with her husband
pretends not to know Tagalog and often uses Spanish words even if she does not the meaning.
Symbolizes the Filipinos in our society who are ashamed of their own race and nationality.
Conditions and Problems of Philippine Society in the 19th Century as Portrayed Through the Noli Me
Tangere
The novel conveyed the plight of the vanquished and the pathetic suffering of the Filipinos from the
hands of the abusive colonizers.
The Noli was perceived by Rizal as reflective of the spirit of the social, moral, and political life of
his time because it clearly showed mankind under severe ordeal. Mankind redeemed and reason and
aspiration in an open struggle with fanaticism and injustice. Rizal wrote a novel depicting the country to be
redeemed from bondage and repression.
CHAPTER 9: EL FILIBUSTERISMO

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Introduction
This chapter intends to single out the characters, major events and the plot of the El Filibusterismo. Inclusive
in this chapter are the differences of the two novels as well as the factors that contributed to the El Fili’s
success. Summary for each of the 38 chapters and a conclusion will be discussed below as well as the
analysis and other facts related to the Fili.

1. Compare and contrast the characters, plot and themes of the Noli and Fili
2. Value the role of the youth in the development and future of society.
Discussion
SUMMARY OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
El Filibusterismo, also known by its English title The Reign of Greed, is the second novel written by
Jose Rizal and the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. Published in 1891, it continues the Noli’s criticisms of the
abuses and corruption perpetrated by the Spanish government.
On the upper deck of the steamship Tabo, presumably in 1894, the passengers discuss its slow pace
as it sails along Pasig River on the way to Laguna Lake. Meanwhile on the lower deck, the students Basilio
and Isagani discuss their plans to establish an academy that teaches Spanish to Capitan Basilio, who
expresses his doubts that their plan will be approved by the governor-general. Back on the upper deck, the
passengers tell legends about the lake, including the tale of Crisostomo Ibarra.
The narration then shifts to the tale of Cabesang Tales; a religious order laid claim to his land and
taxed him for it, which he tried to oppose but ended up losing against. With Tales captured by bandits, his
daughter Juli borrows money from Hermana Penchang to ransom him and works as her servant in exchange.
Arriving at San Diego on Christmas Eve, Basilio learns of Tales' abduction, and makes his way to his
mother's grave. He recalls the events from thirteen years prior; it is also explained that he studied with the
help of his foster father Capitan Tiago and plans to marry his sweetheart Juli. As Basilio is about to leave, he
runs into the jeweler Simoun, who turns out to be Crisostomo Ibarra in disguise. Simoun attempts to recruit
Basilio into his plans for revolution, but Basilio refuses.
On Christmas Day, Juli starts her work as Hermana Penchang's servant; her grandfather Selo
discovers he has become dumb. As people gossip about the misfortune of Selo and his family, Tales returns
and entertains Simoun at his house as he sells jewelry to clients. He exchanges Juli's locket, which originally
belonged to Maria Clara, for Simoun's revolver and becomes a bandit, killing the friar administrator stealing
his land as well as the new tenant and his wife.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
On the last day of December, the governor-general and his advisers, as well as some friars, take a rest in Los
Baños. The governor-general asks their opinion on the students' plans for a Spanish academy; met with
disparate opinions, no decision is made.
In Manila, the student Placido Pentitente goes to school; his sycophant friend Juanito Pelaez speaks
with him on the way. In his class in physics, Placido gets in an argument with his professor Padre Millon
and walks out in anger. At the students' dormitory, the wealthy Makaraig announces that the decision to
establish the Spanish academy has been passed to a commission headed by Don Custodio. The students
devise plans to convince him, as well as the lawyer Señor Pasta, to approve the plan.
Isagani then approaches Señor Pasta, only for him to refuse for fear of angering the friars. At his
house, the Chinese businessman Quiroga entertains guests for dinner. Simoun asks him to store rifles in his
warehouse in exchange for absolving part of his debt to him. The guests then leave Quiroga's house to attend
the Quiapo Fair; at the American Mr. Leeds' show, the supposed Sphinx tells a story similar to that of
Ibarra's and calls out Padre Salvi, causing him to faint.
Later on, Placido meets with Simoun and learns of his plans to instigate a revolution and rescue
Maria Clara from the nunnery. As Don Custodio puzzles over his decision, people of Manila go to Teatro de
Variadades to watch Les Cloches de Corneville. During the performance, the students learn of Don
Custodio's decision.
At Capitan Tiago's house, Basilio is visited by Simoun; the man attempts to recruit him once again,
only to become distraught when Basilio informs him that Maria Clara has died. In Malecon, Isagani meets
with his sweetheart Paulita Gomez and tells her about his dreams for reform; Paulita dismisses them as
being idealistic and unattainable.
The students later organize a banquet to order Don Custodio's decision; Don Custodio has decided
that the academy be supervised by a Dominican order and that the students merely collect
contributions. Basilio later goes to the hospital and learns that seditious posters have been seen, with the
student organization being implicated. As he goes to Makaraig's house to ask for a loan, he is ultimately
arrested as well. Meanwhile, Isagani and Padre Fernandez argue regarding the friars' education of the
students.
As gossip spreads regarding the students' imprisonment, Capitan Tiago dies and his will is executed
by Padre Irene, who has forged it and distributed his properties, which were meant for Basilio, to the Sta.
Clara convent and other religious corporations. Back in San Diego, Juli learns of Basilio's imprisonment and
is reluctantly convinced to seek the help of Padre Camorra; she then kills herself when the priest assaults
her.
As a high official attempts to convince the governor-general to release Basilio, whom he believes to
be innocent, the governor-general refuses. Later on, the students Pecson, Tadeo, and Juanito, are freed from
prison but suspended from their classes; it is revealed that Juanito is to marry Paulita.
Basilio is released from prison, having learned of Juli's death, and joins Simoun in his revolution,
learning that the man plans to place a dynamite-laden lamp at an important gathering as a signal for the
attack. As Basilio walks along the streets later on, he sees the wedding reception of Juanito and Paulita,

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
surmising it to be the gathering Simoun was referring to. He then sees Isagani, whom he tells to leave
because of the bomb; as the guests panic over the lamp bearing a note from Ibarra, Isagani rushes into the
house and throws the lamp into the river before escaping.
Later on, news circulates about bandits attacking a friar country house. The bandits confess to a
mestizo matching Simoun's description being the mastermind of the attack. The day after the wedding
reception, Isagani discusses the events with several individuals; the silversmith Chichoy reveals Simoun was
the one who planned the attack.
As members of the Guardia Civil escort prisoners, they are ambushed by bandits; one of the soldiers,
Carolino, kills their leader, Cabesang Tales, and another one kills the old man Selo. It is then revealed that
Carolino is actually Tano, Tales' son and Juli's brother. Later on, Simoun escapes to the house of Isagani's
uncle Padre Florentino; pursued by the Guardia Civil, he kills himself by taking poison in order to avoid
arrest. Afterward, Padre Florentino throws his jewel chest into the sea.
SCHUMACHER’S REVIEW OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
Schumacher, John. 1997. Rizal’s break with del Pilar. In The propaganda movement: 1880– 1895; The
creators of a Filipino consciousness, the makers of the revolution, 260–80. Quezon City: Ateneo de
Manila University Press.
The New Novel
Rizal began his work on the sequel when he started residing in London in 1889 and printed the
sequel El Fili in sections Ghent in 1891 to defray the printing cost, printing was even suspended. Rizal was
reduced to near-starvation even pawned all what he had, when funds fail to arrive from the Comite de
Propaganda and from home. Luckily his friend Valentin Ventura sent him the money needed to finish the
book. After completing the book by September, it was then shipped to be smuggled in the Philippines via
Hong Kong, and other copies were sent to Rizal’s Friend in Spain.
The dialogue between Simoun-Ibarra and and a kindly retired priest Father florentino according to
Schumacher revealed the message of the novel and is very clear. First, Rizal not only delivers his judgement
on the methods of simoun, but also lay down his program for the nation. On Rizal’s question to the priest if
it’s God’s will that the Philippines should continue in their present conditions just before he dies.
Replies of Father Florentino:
“I do not know, I cannot read the mind of the inscrutable. But I know that He has not
forsaken those people that in times of decision have placed themselves in His hands
and made Him the judge of their oppression; I know that His arm has never been
wanting when, with justice trampled underfoot and all other resources exhausted, the
oppressed have taken up the sword and fought for their homes, wives and children,
and… inalienable rights…. God is justice and He cannot abandon His own cause, the
cause of freedom without which no Justice is possible.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Did He abandoned simoun in his struggle for using methods of which God cannot approve?
If our country is some day to be free, it will not be through vice and crime, it will not
be through the corruption of its sons… Redemption presupposes virtue; virtue,
sacrifice, and sacrifice, love!
Will the Filipino people suffer because it tolerates vice, and acquiesces in the deprivation of its
freedom?
He is the God of Liberty… who makes us love it by making the yoke heavy upon us; a
God of mercy and justice, who betters us as he chastises us, and only grants
happiness to him who has merited it by his efforts. The school of suffering tempers the
soul; the arena of combat gives it strength, I do not mean that our freedom is to be
won at the point of the sword; the sword counts for the little of the destinies of
modern times. But it is true that we must win it by deserving it, exalting reasons and
the dignity of the individual, loving what is just, what is good, what is great, even to
the point of dying for it. When the people rises to this height, God provides the
weapon, and the idol fall, the tyrants fall like a house of cards…. We owe our
misfortunes to ourselves; let us not blame anyone else. If Spain were to see us less
complacent with the tyranny and more disposed to struggle and to suffer for our
rights, Spain would be the first to give us liberty.
For Schumacher, as long as the Filipino people does not have the courage and vigor to protest, to
proclaim its rights, even at the cost of suffering: as long as it keeps silent in the face of tyranny so as to save
its own skin there is no us giving it freedom.
With Spain or without spain, they would always be the same, and perhaps, perhaps
even worse! Why independence, if the slave today will be the tyrants of tomorrow?
And will be, without a doubt, for he loves tyranny who submits to it.
And just before simoun dies, Father Florentino whispered:
Where are the youths who are to consecrate their budding years, their idealism
and enthusiasm to the good of their country? Where are they to pour out their
blood generously to wash away so much shame, so many crimes, and
abominations? Pure and immaculate must the victim be so that the holocaust
maybe acceptable! Where are you, youth who are to embody in ourselves the
vigor of life which has been drained from our veins, the purity of ideas which has
been stained in our minds, the fire of enthusiasm which has been quenched in our
hearts? We await you, oh youth; come for we wait you.
The present system of governing the Philippines through corrupt and self-seeking officials,
dominated by the friars and subservient to their interest in one fashion or another can only lead to disaster
for Spain. The government was pictured as arbitrary, cruel, completely lacking in a sense of justice or of

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
responsibility, and without interest or trust in the people it is to govern. Friars were depicted even harsher
than in the Noli according to Schumacher. Abusive of power, land grabbers, monopolizes education, and
enemy to knowledge and seeking interest for themselves than their country and even Spain.
Although the second novel maybe darker than its predecessor, Schumacher noted bright spot from
the El Fili. High official opposes governor-general arbitrary proceedings, sympathizes with and defends
Filipino people; denouncing the policy he then tendered his resignation so as not to be a party to it. He then
tell the Filipino people who opened the doors for him “ when you declare yourselves independent someday,
remember that there were not lacking in Spain hearts that beat for you and fought for your rights.” Another,
is the open minded Dominican priest, Father Fernandez who favors and willing to discuss with students in
their petition for a Spanish Academy. This bright spot to Schumacher illustrates Rizal’s pessimism.
The Second novel reveals, other than his warning to Spain, is his prevailing message to his
countrymen, the course to be taken if Spain fails to heed his warning. Rizal had been harsh and denounce
Spanish corruption, greed, etc., but he was also hard in condemning Filipino corruption, greed,
complacency, hypocrisy, and cowardice. Take the case of Dona Victorina, ashamed of her race. Senor Pasta,
time-serving and coward Filipino lawyer. Guardia Civil who have been brutal to their countrymen and the
corrupt Municipal officials. Rizal was also bit bitter to students who lacks self-respect, displays no courage
in fighting a stultifying system of education. Paulita who chooses the cowardly but wealthy Pelaez over the
brave and patriot Isagani. He also includes the fanaticism and superstitions of the women from San Diego.
Rizal never urges revolution, condemning independence won by immoral means based on
Schumacher’s study. For pepe, the end does justify the means, Filipinos should prepare to make themselves
worthy of freedom, and then God will grant the means, be it in revolution or peaceful separation from Spain.
Schumacher stressed that, education, exemplary lives, willingness to sacrifice for one’s convictions, even to
suffer martyrdom, this is the road to freedom that Rizal would have his countrymen travel.
Rizal sent the whole edition of his novel to Hong Kong to be smuggled in to the Philippines so
Filipinos may read his message, that his central aim.
Mid-1891 after his hopes for addressing himself both to Spaniards and to Filipinos when he started
writing vanished. His writings then fixated in preparing his people, pointing out to them the path to be taken,
then put his plans into action by taking the lead down to the path that he pointed out. Rizal then went straight
to Hong Kong where he can chart the next step.
CHAPTER 10: RIZAL’S SELECTED ESSAYS
Introduction
“The Philippines a Century Hence” is an essay written by Philippine national hero Jose Rizal to forecast the

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
future of the country within a hundred years. Rizal felt that it was time to remind Spain that the
circumstances that ushered in the French Revolution could have a telling effect for her in the Philippines.
Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Assess Rizal’s writings.
2. Evaluate the value of understanding the past.
3. Frame arguments based on evidence.
Discussion
The Philippines: A Century Hence
Rizal’s “Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años” (translated as “The Philippines within One Hundred Years” or
“The Philippines A Century Hence”) is an essay meant to forecast the future of the country within a hundred
years. This essay, published in La Solidaridad of Madrid, reflected Rizal’s sentiments about the glorious past
of the Philippines, the deterioration of the Philippine economy, and exposed the foundations of the native
Filipinos’ sufferings under the cruel Spanish rule. More importantly, Rizal, in the essay, warned Spain as
regards the catastrophic end of its domination – a reminder that it was time that Spain realizes that the
circumstances that contributed to the French Revolution could have a powerful effect for her on the
Philippine islands.
Part of the purpose in writingpromote a sense of nationalism among the Filipinos – to awaken their minds
and hearts so they would fight for their rights.
CAUSES OF MISERIES
The essay started by analyzing the various causes of the desolations suffered by the Filipino people (as
enumerated in The Philippines a Century Hence: Summary and Analysis, n.d.):
1. Spain’s implementation of her military laws
Because of such policies, the Philippine population decreased significantly. Poverty became more
widespread, and farmlands were left to wither. The family as a unit of society was neglected, and overall,
every aspect of the life of the Filipino was retarded.
2. Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture
When Spain came with the sword and the cross, it began the gradual destruction of the native Philippine

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
culture. Because of this, the Filipinos started losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became
doubtful of their present lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race.
The natives began forgetting who they were – their valued beliefs, religion, songs, poetry, and other forms
of customs and traditions.
3. Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers
One of the most powerful forces that influenced a culture of silence among the natives were the Spanish
friars. Because of the use of force and intimidation, unfairly using God’s name, the Filipinos learned to
submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.
The question then arises as to what had awakened the hearts and opened the minds of the Filipino people
with regards to their plight. Eventually, the natives realized that such oppression in their society by foreign
colonizers must no longer be tolerated.
One question that Rizal fosters in this essay is whether or not Spain can indeed inhibit the growth and
development of the Philippines. Despite the abuses, corruption, and deterioration brought by the colonizers,
Rizal was optimistic that there will still be progress for the motherland eventually. For this, he made the
following arguments:
1. Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness had still awakened, and
great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble.
2. Keeping he people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary, living a life of eternal destitution
had allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their way of life. They began to explore
other horizons through which they could move towards progress.
3. Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not work either. The Filipino race was
able to survive amidst wars and famine, and became even more numerous after such catastrophes. To
wipe out the nation altogether would require the sacrifice of thousands of Spanish soldiers, and this
is something Spain would not allow.
Rizal concluded therefore, that Spain, had no means to stop the progress of the country. What needs to be
done is to change her colonial policies so that they would suit the Philippine society and to the rising
nationalism of the people.
RIZAL’S FORECAST
What will become of the Philippines within a century? Will they continue to be a Spanish Colony? Spain
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
was able to colonize the Philippines for 300 years because the Filipinos remained faithful during this time,
giving up their liberty and independence, sometimes stunned by the attractive promises or by the friendship
offered by the noble and generous people of Spain.
Initially, the Filipinos see them as protectors but sooner, they realize that they are exploiters and executers.
So if this state of affair continues, what will become of the Philippines within a century? One, the people
will start to awaken and if the government of Spain does not change its acts, a revolution will occur. But
what exactly is it that the Filipino people like? 1) A Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes and
freedom of expression to cry out against all the abuses; and 2) To practice their human rights. If these
happen, the Philippines will remain a colony of Spain, but with more laws and greater liberty. Similarly, the
Filipinos will declare themselves ’independent’.
Note that Rizal only wanted liberty from Spaniards and not total separation. In his essay, Rizal urges to put
freedom in our land through peaceful negotiations with the Spanish Government in Spain.
Rizal was confident as he envisioned the awakening of the hearts and opening of the minds of the Filipino
people regarding their plight. He ‘prophesied’ that the Philippines will be successful in its revolution against
Spain, winning their independence sooner or later. Though lacking in weapons and combat skills, the natives
waged war against the colonizers and in 1898, the Americans wrestled with Spain to win the Philippines.
Years after Rizal’s death, the Philippines attained its long-awaited freedom — a completion of what he had
written in the essay, “History does not record in its archives 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.”
Indeed, the essay, The Philippines a Century Hence is as relevant today as it was when it was written over a
century ago. Alongside Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Rizal shares why we must focus on
strengthening the most important backbone of the country – our values, mindsets, and all the beliefs that had
shaped our sense of national identity.
Additionally, the essay serves as a reminder that we, Filipinos, are historically persevering and strong-
minded. The lessons learned from those years of colonization were that all those efforts to keep people
uneducated and impoverished, had failed. Nationalism eventually thrived and many of the predictions of
Rizal came true. The country became independent after three centuries of abusive Spanish rule and five
decades under the Americans.
CHALLENGES THAT CONFRONT THE FILIPINOS
The question now lies on whether or not we, Filipinos, are truly independent. Are we really free when there

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
is continuing control of our economy by an elite oligarchy, not to mention, the widening gap between the
rich and the poor? To quote Rizal in his in El Filibusterismo who said, “Why independence if the slaves
today become the tyrants of tomorrow?” is to have second thoughts about the kind of independence that we
have at present. In addition, there is failure of the family, the educational system and political leaders in
terms of instilling national discipline and love of country.
A number of analysts have pointed out some flaws in our national character that hinder our desired visions
such as competitiveness. These include mindsets like lack of appreciation of importance of adhering to the
rule of law and maintaining high standards of excellence. Prevailing attitudes like “puwede na” or “bahala
na” only foster mediocrity in a global setting where attributes of precision and critical thinking are needed.
As stated by Braid (2017) in her article, “The creeping autocracy and our inability to exercise full control
over our national sovereignty require public awareness, courage, and a strong sense of national identity. But
being a people divided and fragmented, a great challenge to governance is being able to help citizens
connect with their communities. There are opportunities lost such as using available communication
technologies – Internet and mobile technology to connect groups, to inform and educate, to enable all of us
citizens to discover the common ties we share. The delays we have faced in our peace talks are indicators of
our lack of resoluteness in taking risks and meeting challenges of establishing a more peaceful and stable
social order. The growing social and income gaps are symptoms of our inability to forge a common bond
with our brothers and sisters in marginalized communities. How some of us can possibly endure living in a
most unequal community befuddles neighbors who live in more egalitarian societies! We have failed to
utilize available communication technologies in creating innovations that would improve dialogue and close
gaps between our fellow citizens and the world outside. Instead, they have been used to create chaos and
spread fake news. If these statements appear to be indictments of the status quo, it is because we wish to
help establish a fairer, kinder society by reminding fellow citizens that our hope for survival depends on
each of us taking responsibility.”
What now, can you do for the country as a Filipino youth?
OTHER RELATED WRITINGS
Apart from Rizal’s essay on The Philippines: A Century Hence, he had also penned several other brilliant
writings that helped awaken the sense of patriotism among the early Filipinos, which paved the way for
Philippine Revolution. Discussed briefly below are the two other timeless writings:
SOBRE LA INDOLENCIA DE LOS FILIPINOS (The Indolence of the Filipinos)
This is said to be the longest essay written by Rizal, which was published in five installments in the La
Solidaridad, from July 15 to September 15, 1890. The essay was described as a defense against the

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Spaniards who charged that the Filipinos are inherently lazy or indolent. The Indolence of the Filipinos is
said to be 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 the following
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 everyday 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.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
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.” He explained, “violent
work is not a good thing in tropical countries as it would be parallel to death, destruction, annihilation.” 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 was not 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.
However, it is also important to note that the indolence of the Filipinos did not only stem from the many
factors related to the Spanish colonizers. There are, however, other factors attributable to the Filipinos
themselves and these are the following:
1. The feeling of inferiority is very much prevalent among the Filipinos. This paralyzes all possibilities for
growth and development, giving the Filipinos a tendency to give up without exerting extra effort.
2. With the antiquity of epics and legends in the country, the Filipinos have the propensity to place all hopes
on miracles. This is seen among the Filipinos who lead a contemplative and lazy life while giving money to
the Church in the hope of miracles and wonderful future ahead.
3. The Filipinos have developed a lack of spirit to pursue lofty purposes. Since we have been conditioned as
an inferior race, Filipinos opt to conform to routine activities up to the point that they no longer aspire to
become greater individuals.
4. There is lack of national sentiment among many of us. Instead of being proud of what the country has
achieved, we sometimes tend to focus more on the negative situations. As Rizal puts its, “A man in the
Philippines is only an individual; he is not a member of a nation.”
In conclusion to his Essay, Rizal emphasized on the need for good education and liberty as the main
solutions to achieving progress in the Philippines, and in solving the problem of indolence.
LETTER TO THE YOUNG WOMEN OF MALOLOS

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Jose Rizal’s legacy to Filipino women is embodied in his famous essay entitled, “To the Young Women of
Malolos,” where he addresses all kinds of women – mothers, wives, the unmarried, etc. and expresses
everything that he wishes them to keep in mind.
On December 12, 1888, a group of 20 women of Malolos petitioned Governor-General Weyler for
permission to open a night school so that they may study Spanish under Teodor Sandiko. Fr. Felipe Garcia, a
Spanish parish priest in Malolos objected. But the young women courageously sustained their agitation for
the establishment of the school. They then presented a petition to Governor Weyler asking that they should
be allowed to open a night school (Capino et al, 1977).In the end, their request was granted on the condition
that Señorita Guadalupe Reyes should be their teacher. Praising these young women for their bravery,
Marcelo H. del Pilar requested Rizal to write a letter commending them for their extraordinary courage.
Originally written in Tagalog, Rizal composed this letter on February 22, 1889
when he was in London, in response to the request of del Pilar. We know for a fact that in the past, young
women were uneducated because of the principle that they would soon be wives and their primary career is
to take care of the home and their children. In this letter, Rizal yearns that women should be granted the
same opportunities given to men in terms of education.
The salient points contained in this letter are as follows:
1. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars – not all of the priests in the country that time
embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were corrupted by worldly desires and used
worldly methods to effect change and force discipline among the people.
2. The defense of private judgment
3. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess – as evidenced by this portion of his letter, Rizal is greatly
concerned of the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they grow up in.
4. Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children
5. Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband - Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino
women ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.
6. Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF FILIPINO MOTHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN
Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young women of Malolos.
The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her children is what the children will

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand of the friars in submission, then her children will grow
up to be minions and mindless fools who do nothing but do as they are told, even if the very nature of the
task would violate their rights as individuals.
QUALITIES MOTHERS HAVE TO POSSESS
Rizal enumerates the qualities Filipino mothers have to possess:1. Be a noble wife - that women must be
decent and dignified, submissive, tender and loving to their respective husband.2. Rear her children in the
service of the state – here Rizal gives reference to the women of Sparta who embody this quality. Mothers
should teach their children to love God, country and fellowmen.3. Set standards of behavior for men around
her - three things that a wife must instill in the mind of her husband: activity and industry; noble behavior;
and worthy sentiments. In as much as the wife is the partner of her husband’s heart and misfortune, Rizal
stressed on the following advices to a married woman: aid her husband, share his perils, refrain from causing
him worry; and sweeten his moments of affliction.
RIZAL’S ADVICE TO UNMARRIED MEN AND WOMEN
Jose Rizal points out to unmarried women that they should not be easily taken by appearances and looks,
because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they should take heed of men’s firmness of character and lofty
ideas. Rizal further adds that there are three things that a young woman must look for a man she intends to
be her husband:
1. A noble and honored name
2. A manly heart
3. A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves.
CHAPTER 11: JOSE RIZAL AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM: BAYANI AND

KABAYANIHAN
Introduction

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
QUEZON CITY
UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social
Sciences and Philosophy
MODULE 9
DR. JOSE RIZAL AND THE
PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM –
BAYANI AND KABAYANIHAN
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you
should be able to
1. Understand the different
observations and sentiments about
“bayani” and

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
“kabayanihan” in the context of

Philippine History and society
weigh up the value of
understanding the past.
2. Assess the theories of “bayani”
and “Kabayanihan” in the context
of Philippine History
and people.
3. Examine the values highlighted
the various representations of Rizal
as a National
Symbol
Introduction

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
According to Dr. Zeus Salazar

(1997) “The idea of “bayani”
as translated into the
English word hero, however, is not
as neat as it appears to be, the local
concept of bayani has
a different value and is a richer
concept than its supposed western
counterpart. he used the
Spanish translation of hero,
“héroe,” as a heuristic to
differentiate it with the local
term

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
“bayani”. The “héroe” could be

likened to a martyr who may or
may not think of compatriots
when making actions. For him, a
“héroe” commonly acts as an
individual and is viewed to be
exceptional. On the other hand,
“bayani” is a counter-discourse to
the western concept of
“héroe”.”
According to Dr. Zeus Salazar (1997) “The idea of “bayani” as translated into the English word
hero, however, is not as neat as it appears to be, the local concept of bayani has a different value and is a
richer concept than its supposed western counterpart. he used the Spanish translation of hero, “héroe,”
as a heuristic to differentiate it with the local term “bayani”. The “héroe” could be likened to a
martyr who may or may not think of compatriots when making actions. For him, a “héroe” commonly acts
as an individual and is viewed to be exceptional. On the other hand, “bayani” is a counter-discourse to the
western concept of “héroe”.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Addition to this Dr. Salazar (2000)

added that “… bayani acts with the
collective and
with their common concern in
mind. In line with this, “bayanihan”
can be considered as a form
of active heroism (kabayanihan) of
an individual or a group of people
by helping others without
expecting anything in return.
In “bayanihan”, one who
volunteers and co-develops a
community spirit could emerge as a
hero in his/her own simple ways
and take pride of the
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
achievement of the group of people

in common. As illustrated in the
opening story, mining
together and extending support as a
collective could somehow bring a
community member out
of danger, both physically and
financially. Knowing that someone
from their neighborhood is
not in good shape affects miners
and their community. When they
would be in the same
situation as the community member
who is in need, the latter might do
the same thing for them
Telefax No. 086-214-4221
as a form of solidarity with the rest

the group “pakikisama”,
“pagdamay” and
“pakikipagkapwa”.
Working together can make
any action effective and any
task easier to accomplish. The
achievement of one is also an
achievement of the many, and vice
versa.”
QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY
General Education Division – Social Sciences and Philosophy
MODULE 9
DR. JOSE RIZAL AND THE PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM – BAYANI AND KABAYANIHAN
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be able to
1. Understand the different observations and sentiments about “bayani” and
“kabayanihan” in the context of Philippine History and society weigh up the value of
understanding the past.
2. Assess the theories of “bayani” and “Kabayanihan” in the context of Philippine History
and people.
3. Examine the values highlighted the various representations of Rizal as a National
Symbol
Introduction

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
According to Dr. Zeus Salazar (1997) “The idea of “bayani” as translated into the
English word hero, however, is not as neat as it appears to be, the local concept of bayani has
a different value and is a richer concept than its supposed western counterpart. he used the
Spanish translation of hero, “héroe,” as a heuristic to differentiate it with the local term
“bayani”. The “héroe” could be likened to a martyr who may or may not think of compatriots
when making actions. For him, a “héroe” commonly acts as an individual and is viewed to be
exceptional. On the other hand, “bayani” is a counter-discourse to the western concept of
“héroe”.”
Addition to this Dr. Salazar (2000) added that “… bayani acts with the collective and with their common
concern in mind. In line with this, “bayanihan” can be considered as a form of active heroism (kabayanihan)
of an individual or a group of people by helping others without expecting anything in return. In
“bayanihan”, one who volunteers and co-develops a community spirit could emerge as a hero in
his/her own simple ways and take pride of the achievement of the group of people in common. As illustrated
in the opening story, mining together and extending support as a collective could somehow bring a
community member outof danger, both physically and financially. Knowing that someone from their
neighborhood is not in good shape affects miners and their community. When they would be in the
same situation as the community member who is in need, the latter might do the same thing for the mas a
form of solidarity with the rest the group “pakikisama”, “pagdamay” and “pakikipagkapwa”.Working
together can make any action effective and any task easier to accomplish. The achievement of
one is also an achievement of the many, and vice versa.”
1. Interpret views and opinions about bayani and kabayanihan in the context of Philippine history and
society.
2. Assess the concepts of bayani and kabayanihan in the context of Philippine society.
Discussion
Rizal valued nationalism, patriotism and heroism (kabayanihan). Serving as a role model and inspiration to
every Filipino, he has manifested versatility and flexibility while sustaining a strong sense of moral
uprightness. Indeed, he is our national hero. But what exactly is the definition of the word, “hero”?
HERO vs. BAYANI
In mythology, a hero is someone who possesses great courage, strength, and is favored by the gods. The
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines "hero" as "a mythological or legendary figure often of divine
descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a person admired for achievements
and noble qualities; one who shows great courage.”
The Filipino counterpart, bayani, has a similar meaning but with some contextual distinctions. Bayani is

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
someone who fights with his bayan or community. The Vicassan's Dictionary (Santos, 1978) provides the
following meanings for bayani:"... hero, patriot ("taong makabayan"), cooperative endeavor, mutual aid, a
person who volunteers or offers free service or labor to a cooperative endeavor, to prevail, to be victorious,
to prevail ("mamayani"), leading man in play (often referred to as the "bida"--from the Spanish for life,
"vida"--who is contrasted with the villain or "kontrabida" from the Spanish "contra vida", against life)” as
cited in Ocampo, 2016.
UP Diksiyonariyong Filipino (2001) gives three meanings for 'bayani': (1) a person of extraordinary courage
or ability; (2) a person considered to possess extraordinary talents or someone who did something noble
("dakila"); and (3) a leading man in a play (Ocampo, 2016).
The Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala by the Jesuits Juan de Noceda and Pedro de Sanlucar (1755 and1860)
lists these meanings for bayani: "someone who is brave or valiant, someone who works towards a common
task or cooperative endeavor ("bayanihan") ( as cited in Ocampo, 2016).
History professor Ambeth Ocampo sees it significant that bayani comes a few words under bayan, which is
also defined as: "the space between here and the sky." Bayan is also a town, municipality, pueblo, or nation,
and can refer to people and citizens (mamamayan) who live in those communities, or those who originate or
come from the same place (kababayan). Bayan (Ocampo, 2016) also refers to the day (araw) or a time of a
day (malalim ang bayan) or even to the weather, good or bad (masamang bayan). Ocampo, thus, concludes
that "hero" and bayani do not have the same meaning. Bayani is a richer word than hero because it may be
rooted in bayan as place or in doing something great, not for oneself but for a greater good, for community
or nation.
THE CHANGING FORMS AND DEFINITIONS OF BAYANI AND KABAYANIHAN
Anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to
those who contributed to the birth of a nation. In the early times, heroes are the warriors and generals who
serve their cause with sword, distilling blood and tears; they are those, for the Filipinos, who served their
cause with a pen, demonstrating that the pen is as mighty as the sword to redeem a people from their
political slavery.
However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a nation in a global world.
In modern definitions, a Hero is: someone who has distinguished courage and ability, someone who do good
deeds for the greater good of others, and mostly works alone. One case in point is our Overseas Filipino
Workers ( OFWs) — Filipinos who are working in foreign countries who basically travel abroad in pursuit
of better employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines. The OFWs
sacrifices play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines economic status — by remitting their savings

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the economy through the overall dollar reserve.
The money that they send provides the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting debt
obligations. Aside from this, they also help stabilize the Philippine Peso in relation to peso-dollar exchange,
which in turn, contributes to the country s Gross National Product (GNP) growth. Truly, when they work
abroad, they are taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) and in recognition of their sacrifices, they are named
Bagong Bayani or “Modern-Day Heroes”, acknowledging their contributions every December as the Month
of Overseas Filipino Workers.
Many Filipino bayani have fought and died for the Philippines, some of which are Jose Rizal, Andres
Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, and many more. They can be considered as traditional Bayani, someone who
fought for the people of his community and for their greater good, and died in exchange. But in our modern
world, does our country need a bayani who will sacrifice his/her life for the country?
Without a doubt, the concept of bayani and kabayanihan have evolved through the years. To better
understand this evolution, let us compare the notion of OFWs as modern-day heroes to the early definitions
of bayani. Its etymology is explained in an online article entitled, “Ang Salitang Bayani sa Pilipinas” (n.d.).
“Ang salitang “bayani” ay isang Austronesian na salita na dinala ng ating mga katutubo sa ating bayan.
Ang mga bayani ay ang mga mandirigma kung saan sila ay nangunguna sa pagtatanggol ng pamayanan
laban sa mga kinakaharap na mga kaaway at panganib. Ang ilan sa mga diribatibo ng salitang bayani ay
bajani, majani, bagabnim, bahani.
Sa kultura nating mga Pilipino, ang pagiging bayani ay nasusukat sa katapangan at sa bilang ng napapatay
na kaaway. May iba’t-iba itong antas. Ang mga antas na ito ay kinikilala bilang: 1) Maniklad, ang
pinakamababang uri ng bayani na nakapatay ng isa o dalawang kaaway, karaniwang siya ay nakasuot ng
putong na pula at dilaw; 2) Hanagan naman kung tawagin ang nasa ikalawang antas, siya ay sumasailalim
sa ritwal na kung saan ay dapat siyang sapian ni Tagbusawa, ang diyos ng pakikidigma at kainin ang atay
at puso ng mga kaaway. Karaniwang nagsusuot ang mga ito ng pulang putong; 3) Kinaboan naman kung
tawagin ang makakapatay ng dalawampu hanggang dalawampu’t pito at karaniwang nakasuot ng pulang
pantalaon; 4) Luto naman kung tawagin ang makakapatay ng limampu hanggang 100 na kaaway at
karaniwang nagsusuot ng pulang jacket; 5) Lunugum naman ang pinakapaborito ng diyos na si Tagbusaw
dahil dito maipapakita niya ang kanyang katapangan sa pakikipagdigma kung saan napatay niya ang
kanyang kaaway sa sarili nitong tahanan. Itim ang karaniwang suot ng mga ito.
Father of New Philippine Historiography and Pantayong Pananaw (For-Us-From-Us Perspective)

Proponent, Dr. Zeus A. Salazar gives a different definition of the term bayani. In fact, he believes that
bayani is different from “heroes.” For him, “ang mga bayani ay mga taong naglalakbay at bumabalik sa

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
bayan... ang mga bayani ay lumalaban ng may kooperasyon [samantalang] ang mga hero (western concept)
ay lumalaban mag-isa... Ang bayani ay hindi kailangang mamatay upang maging bayani... Kailangan niya
lang gumawa ng magagandang impluwensya at mga gawain sa bayan upang tawaging bayani (Ang Salitang
Bayani sa Pilipinas, n.d.).
This definition gives us hope that anyone of us can be a bayani, too, in our respective communities.
Thus, we should now realize that a modern bayani can be anyone who sacrifices even the littlest of things
for the benefit of others. A good example for a modern bayani is Efren Peñaflorida, who sacrificed his time
and effort just to teach out-of-school youths in a simple pushcart classroom. He may not have died for the
country, but he responded to the needs of others – education.
“Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be
the hero to the next one in need.”
– Efren Peñaflorida
Today, anyone can be a bayani. A bayani who can sacrifice the simplest of things like: time, effort, and
knowledge for those who are in need. We do not need to die like our traditional heroes, rather, a simple act
of kindness can be worth a lot to someone.
So, how can you be a Bayani of your time?
WHY IS RIZAL OUR GREATEST HERO?
In an article entitled, “Who Made Rizal Our Foremost National Hero and Why?,” the author, Esteban A. de
Ocampo, denies the claim that Rizal is a made-to-order national hero manufactured by the Americans,
mainly by Civil Governor William Howard Taft. Instead, he defended Rizal as the country s foremost hero.
This was done, allegedly, in the following manner:
"And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hero". These were sup-posed to be the words addressed by
Gov. Taft to Mssrs. Pardo deTavera, Legarda and Luzurriaga, Filipino members of the Philippine
Commission, of which Taft was the chairman. It was further reported that "in the subsequent discussion in
which the rival merits of the revolutionary heroes (Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Gen.
Antonio Luna, Emilio Jacinto were considered, the final choice—now universally acclaimed wise one - was
Rizal. And so history was made."
De Ocampo s justification is founded on the definition of the term “hero,” which he took from the Webster s

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
New International Dictionary of the English Language, that a hero is "a prominent or central personage
taking admirable part in any remarkable action or event". Also, "a person of distinguished valor or enterprise
in danger". And finally, he is a man "honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service
to mankind".
Why is Rizal a hero, more correctly, our foremost national hero? It was said in the article that he is our
greatest hero because he took an “admirable part” in the Propaganda Campaign from 1882-1896. His Noli
Me Tangere (Berlin, 1887) contributed tremendously to the formation of Filipino nationality and was said to
be far superior than those published by Pedro Paterno s Ninay in Madrid in 1885; Marcelo H. del Pilar s La
Soberania Monacal in Barcelona in 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena s Discursos y Articulos Varios, also in
Barcelona in 1891; and Antonio Luna s Impresiones in Madrid in 1893. This claim was evident in the
comments that Rizal received from Antonio Ma. Regidor and Professor. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Regidor, a
Filipino exile of 1872 in London, said that "the book was superior" and that if "don Quixote has made its
author immortal because he exposed to the world the sufferings of Spain, your Noli Me Tangere will bring
you equal glory..."
Blumentritt, on the other hand, after reading Rizal sNoli, wrote and congratulated its author, saying among
other things: "Your work, as we Germans say, has been written w/ the blood of the heart... Your work has
exceeded my hopes and I consider myself happy to have been honored by your friendship. Not only I, but
also your country, may feel happy for having in you a patriotic and loyal son. If you continue so, you will be
to your people one of those great men who will exercise a determinative influence over the progress of their
spiritual life."
While Rizal s friends and admirers praised him and his Noli with justifiable pride, his enemies were equally
loud and bitter in attacking and condemning the same. Perhaps no other work has, up to this day, aroused as
much hostile and spiteful argument not only among our people but also among reactionary foreigners as the
Noli of Rizal. In the Philippines alone, De Ocampo shared in his article that Rizal s novel was attacked and
condemned by a faculty committee of a Manila university (UST) and by the permanent censorship
commission in 1887 because the committee found the book "heretical, impious, and scandalous to the
religious order, and unpatriotic and subversive to the public order, libelous to the government of Spain and
to its political policies in these islands", while the commission recommended that "the I mportation,
reproduction, and circulation of this pernicious book in the islands be absolutely prohibited." Coming down
to our time, during the congressional discussions and hearings on the Rizal (Noili-Fili) in 1956, the
proponents and opponents of the bill also engaged themselves in a bitter and long drawn-out debate that
finally resulted in the enactment of a compromise measure, now known as RA 1425.
In the Spanish capital, attacks on Rizal s Noli were also staged - Senator Vida, Deputy (and ex-general) Luis
de Pando and Premier Praxedes Mateo Sagasta were among those who unjustly lambasted and criticized

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Rizal and his Noli in the two chambers of the Spanish Cortes in 1888 and 1889.
But it was comforting to learn that 13 years later, Cong. Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered a
eulogy of Rizal and even recited the martyr s Ultimo Pensamiento on the floor of the U. S. House of
Representatives in order to prove the capacity of the Filipinos for self- government. He said in part: "It has
been said that, if American institutions had done nothing else to furnish to the world the character of George
Washington, that alone would entitle them to the respect of mankind. So Sir, I say to all those who
denounces the Filipinos indiscriminately as barbarians and savages, without possibility of a civilized
future, that this despised race proved itself entitled to their respect and to the respect of mankind when it
furnished to the world the character of Jose Rizal." The result of this appeal was the approval of what is
popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902. The preceding paragraphs, De Ocampo claimed, have
shown that by the Noli alone Rizal, among his contemporaries, had become the most prominent/ the central
figure of the Propaganda Movement.
Ask again, why did Rizal, become the greatest Filipino hero? De Ocampo further justifies that [no Filipino
has yet been born who could equal or surpass Rizal as a "person of distinguished valor/enterprise in danger,
fortitude in suffering."] Of these traits of our hero, let us see what a Filipino and an American biographer
said:
"What is most admirable in Rizal," wrote Rafael Palma, is his complete self-denial, his complete
abandonment of his personal interests to think only of those of his country. He could have been whatever he
wished to be, considering his natural endowments; he could have earned considerable sums of money from
his profession; he could have lived relatively rich, happy, prosperous, had he not dedicated himself to public
matters. But in him, the voice of the species was stronger than the voice of personal progress or of private
fortune, and he preferred to live far from his family and to sacrifice his personal affections for an ideal he
had dreamed of. He heeded not his brother, not even his parents, beings whom he respected and venerated so
much, in order to follow the road his conscience had traced for him.
He did not have great means at his disposal to carry out his campaign, but that did not discouraged him; he
contented himself w/ what he had. He suffered the rigors of the cold winter of Europe, he suffered hunger,
privation, and misery; but when he raised his eyes to heaven and saw his ideal, his hope was reborn. He
complained of his countrymen, he complained of some of those who had promised him help and did not help
him, until at times, profoundly disillusioned, he wanted to renounce his campaign forever, giving up
everything. But such moments are evanescent, he soon felt comforted and resumed the task of bearing the
cross of his suffering." (8)
Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American biographer of Rizal, spoke of the hero s courage in the following words:

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
“His consuming life purpose was the secret of his moral courage. Physical courage, it is true, was one of his
inherited traits. But that high courage to die loving his murderers, w/c he at last achieved--that cannot be
inherited. It must be forged out in the fires of suffering and temptation. As we read through his life, we can
see how the moral strength and fiber grew year by year as he faced new perils and was forced to make
fearful decisions. It required courage to write his two great novels telling nothing that no other man has
ventured to say before, standing almost alone against the powerful interests in the country and in Spain, and
knowing full well that despotism would strike back. He had reached another loftier plateau of heroism when
he wrote those letters to Hong Kong, "To be opened after my death", and sailed to the "trap" in Manila
without any illusions. Then in his Dapitan exile when he was tempted to escape, and said "No", not once but
hundreds of times for four long years, and when, on the way to Cuba, Pedro Roxas pleaded with him to step
off the boat of Singapore upon British territory and save his life, what an inner struggle it must have caused
him to answer over and over again, "No, no, no!" When the sentence of death and the fateful morning of his
execution brought the final test, he walked with perfect calm to the firing line as though by his own choice,
the only heroic figure in that sordid scene."
To the bigoted Spaniards in Spain and in the Philippines, Rizal was the most intelligent, most courageous,
and most dangerous enemy of the reactionaries and the tyrants; therefore he should be shot publicly to serve
as an example and a warning to those of his kind. This was the reason why Rizal, after a brief mock trial,
was sentenced to death and made to face the firing squad at Bagumbayan Field, now Luneta, in the early
morning of December 30, 1896.
And for the last time, we repeat the question: Why is Rizal the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived? De
Ocampo claims that "he is a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to
mankind". It was said that even before his execution, Rizal was the already acclaimed by both Filipinos and
foreigners as the “foremost leader of his people".
From Barcelona, M. H. del Pilar wrote to the Great Malayan on March 10, 1889 and said: "Rizal no tiene
aun derecho a morir: su nombre constituye la mas pura e immaculada bandera de aspirationes y Plaridel los
suyos no son otra causa ma que immaculada unos voluntarios que militan bajo esa bandera."
Fernando Acevedo, who called Rizal his distinguido amigo, compañero y paisano", wrote the letter from
Zaragoza, Spain, on October 25, 1889 and said: "I see in you the model Filipino; your application to study
and you talents have placed on a height w/c I revere and admire."
The Bicolano Dr. Tomas Arejola wrote Rizal in Madrid on February 9, 1891, saying: "Your moral influence
over us is indisputable." And Guillermo Puatu of Bulacan wrote this tribute to Rizal, saying: "Vd. a quien se
le puede (llamar) con razon, cabeza tutelary de los Filipinos, aunque la comparacion parezca algo ridicula,

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
porque posee la virtud la atraer consigo enconadas voluntades, zanjar las discordias y enemistades
renorosasnreuniren fiestas a hombres que no querian verse ni en la calle...”
Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the leading Filipino of his time were Blumentritt, Napoleon
M. Kheil, Dr. Rheinhold Rost, and Vicente Barrantes. Prof. Blumentritt told Dr. Maximo Viola in May 1887
that "Rizal was the greatest product of the Philippines and that his coming to the world was like the
appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only every other century." Napoleon Kheil of
Prague, Austria, wrote to Rizal and said: "admiro en Vd. a un noble representante de la España colonial." Dr.
Rost, distinguished Malayologist and librarian of the India office of London, called Rizal "una perla
hombre" , while don Vicente Barrantes had to admit that Rizal was “the first among the Filipinos."
Even before the outbreak of the revolution against Spain in 1896, many instances can be cited to prove that
his country here and abroad recognized Rizal s leadership. In the early part of 1899 he was unanimously
elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid as Honorary President of La Solidaridad. Some months
later in Paris, he organized and became Chief of the Indios Bravos. In January 1891, Rizal was again
unanimously chosen Responsable (chief) of the Spanish-Filipino Association. He was also the founder and
moving spirit in the founding of La Liga Filipina on Manila in July 3, 1892.
History tells us that the revolutionary society known as Katipunan likewise acknowledged Rizal s leadership
and greatness by making him its honorary President and by using his family name Rizalas the password for
the third-degree members.
A year after Rizal s execution, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and the other revolutionary chiefs exiled to Hong
Kong held a commemorative program on December 29, 1897 on the occasion of the First Anniversary of the
hero s execution and martyrdom.
Of utmost significance in the public s appreciation for Rizal s patriotic labors in behalf of his people were
the tributes paid by the revolutionary government to his memory. In his opening address at the congress
assembled at Malolos, Bulacan on September 15, 1898, Pres. Aguinaldo invoked the spirits of the departed
heroes of the fatherland, thus: “Illustrious spirits of RIZAL, Lopez Jaena, of Marcelo del Pilar! August
shades of Burgos, Pelaez and Panganiban! Warlike geniuses of Aguinaldo! (Crispulo---O.), and Tirona, of
Natividad and Evangelista! Arise a moment from your unknown graves!
Then on December 20, 1898 at the revolutionary capital of Malolos, Pres. Aguinaldo issued the first official
proclamation making December 30 of that year as "Rizal Day". The same proclamation ordered the hoisting
the Filipino flags at half-mast "from 12:00 noon on December 30, 1898" and the closing of "all offices of the
government" during the whole day of December 30. Actually, the impressive Rizal Day program, sponsored
by the Club Filipino, was held in Manila on December 30,1898.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Two of the greatest of Filipino poets in the Spanish language paid glowing tributes to the martyr of
Bagumbayan in acknowledgement of the hero s labors and sacrifices for his people. Fernando Ma. Guerrero
wrote on September 25, 1898, thus: "No has muerto, no. La Gloria es tu destino; tu corona los fuegos de la
aurora, y tu inviolable altar nuestra conciencia." Cecilio Apostol, on December 30 of the same year, wrote
these lines:
"!Duerme en paz las sombras de la nada, Redentor de una Patria esclavizada! !No llores de la tumba en el
misterio Del español el triunfo momentaneo: Que si Una bala destrozo tu craneo, Tambien tu idea destrozo
un emperio!
The Filipinos were not alone in grieving the untimely death of their hero and idol, for the intellectual and
scientific circles of the world felt keenly the loss of Rizal, who was their esteemed colleague and friend. Dr.
Camilo Osias and Wenceslao E. Retaña both spoke of the universal homage accorded to Rizal immediately
after his death.
Among the scientific necrological services held especially to honor Rizal, the one sponsored by the
Anthropological Society of Berlin in November 20, 1897 at the initiative of Dr. Rudolph Virchow, its
president, was the most important and significant. Dr. Ed Seler recited the German translation of Rizal s
"My Last Farewell" on that occasion.
The newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals throughout the civilized world – in Germany, Austria,
France, Holland, London, the US, Japan, Hong Kong and Macao, Singapore, Switzerland, and in Latin
American countries — published accounts of Rizal s martyrdom in order to render homage to his greatness
(De Ocampo, n.d.).
Perhaps the following quotation from the late William Cameron Forbes, an ardent admirer of Rizal and the
governor-general of the Philippines during the construction of the Rizal Mausoleum on the Luneta, is
appropriate at this point. He said:
“It is eminently proper that Rizal should have become the acknowledged national hero of the Philippine
people. The American administration has lent every assistance to this recognition, setting aside the
anniversary of his death to be a day of his observance, placing his picture on the postage stamp most
commonly used in the Islands, and on the currency, cooperating with the Filipinos in making the site of his
school in Dapitan a national park, and encouraging the erection by public subscription of a monument in his
honor on the Luneta in Manila near the place where he met his death. One of the longest and most important
street in Manila has been named in his memory—Rizal Avenue. The Filipinos in many cities and towns have
erected monuments to his name, and throughout the Islands the public schools teach the young Filipinos to
revere his memory as the greatest of Filipino patriots.”

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
We are all aware of some Filipinos who, every now and then, argue that Andres Bonifacio, and not Jose
Rizal, deserves to be acknowledged and canonized as our first national hero. They maintain that Rizal never
held a gun, a rifle, or a sword in fighting for the liberty and independence of our country in the battlefield.
They further assert that while the foremost national heroes of other countries are soldier-generals, like
George Washington of US, Napoleon I and Joan of Arc of France, simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Jose de San
Martin of Argentina, Bernardo O Higgins of Chile, Jimmu Tenno of Japan, etc., our greatest hero was a
pacifist and a civilian whose weapon was his quill. However, our people in exercising their good sense,
independent judgment, and unusual discernment, have not followed the examples of other nations in
selecting and acknowledging a military leader for their greatest hero. Rafael Palma has very well stated the
case of Rizal versus Bonifacio in these words:
“It should be a source of pride and satisfaction to the Filipinos to have among their national heroes one of
such excellent qualities and merits which may be equaled but not surpassed by any other man. Whereas
generally the heroes of occidental nations are warriors and generals who serve their cause with the sword,
distilling blood and tears, the hero of the Filipinos served his cause with the pen, demonstrating that the pen
is as mighty as the sword to redeem a people from their political slavery. It is true that in our case the sword
of Bonifacio was after all needed to shake off the yoke of a foreign power; but the revolution prepared by
Bonifacio was only the effect, the consequence of the spiritual redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal.
Hence not only in the chronological order but also in the point of importance the previous works of Rizal
seems to us superior to that of Bonifacio, because although that of Bonifacio was of immediate results, that
of Rizal will have more durable and permanent effects.
In the preceding discussions, we have tried to establish that Rizal was not only a great hero, but the greatest
among the Filipinos. In summary, Prof. Blumentritt judged him as "the most prominent man of his own
people" and "the greatest man the Malayan race has produced"; during his lifetime, Rizal was already
acclaimed by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost leader of his people and that this admiration for
him has increased with the passing of time since his dramatic death at Luneta that fateful morning of
December 30, 1896. Likewise, we attempted to disprove the claim made by some quarters that Rizal is an
American-made hero, and we also tried to explain why Rizal is greater than any other Filipino hero,
including Andres Bonifacio.
The question now is, who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines? De Ocampo (n.d.) writes, “no
single person or groups of persons were responsible for making the Greatest Malayan the No. 1 Hero of his
people. Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the greatest
hero and martyr of his people. No amount of adulation and canonization by both Filipinos and foreigners
could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did not possess in himself what Palma calls "excellent qualities
and merits" or what Retaña calls "la finura exquisite de su espiritu,...la nobleza quijotesca de su corazon,...

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
su psicologia toda, romantica, soñadora, buena, adorable, psicologia que sintetizo todos los entimientos y
aspiraciones de un pueblo que sufria, vien- dose victima de su regimen oprobioso...."
CHAPTER 12: JOSE RIZAL AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM: NATIONAL SYMBOL
Introduction
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), official national symbols of the
Philippines represent the country s traditions and ideals and convey the principles of Philippine sovereignty
and national solidarity.
Some of these symbols are stated in the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which is also known as
Republic Act 8491. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino as stated in the Constitution of the
Philippines. Aside from those stated symbols in the Constitution and in Republic Act 8491, there are only
five official national symbols of the Philippines enacted through law, namely 1) sampaguita as national
flower, 2) narra as national tree, 3) the Philippine eagle as national bird, 4) Philippine pearl as national gem
and 5) arnis as national sport.
There are symbols such as the carabao (national animal), mango (national fruit) and anahaw (national leaf)
that are widely known as national symbols but have no laws recognizing them as official national symbols.
Even Jose Rizal, who is widely considered as a national hero, has not been declared officially as a national
hero in any existing Philippine law according to historical experts. Although in 2003, Benigno Aquino, Jr.
was officially declared by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a national hero by an executive order.
On the other hand, a National Artist of the Philippines is a rank or a title given to a Filipino citizen in
recognition to the recipient's contributions to Philippine arts and letters and they are not considered as a
national symbol that represents traditions and ideals.On February 17, 2014, Bohol First District
Representative Rene Relampagos filed a bill at the Philippine House of Representatives that seeks to declare
or re-declare and to recognize a number of national symbols. The proposed bill, House Bill 3926 or the
"Philippine National Symbols Act of 2014", aims also to encourage nationalism and unity; to guarantee
respect, preservation and promotion of national symbols; and to correct the "unofficial" status of the

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
symbols. Among the proposed national symbols listed in the measure are Jose Rizal as the only historical
Filipino to be recognized as national hero, adobo as national food and jeepney as national vehicle. It also
includes the previously mentioned national symbols.During the Commonwealth Era in 1934, it was
Governor-General Frank Murphy who declared sampaguita and narra as national flower and national tree,
respectively, through Proclamation No. 652. Philippine President Fidel Ramos proclaimed the Philippine
eagle as the national bird in 1995 through Proclamation No. 615. Ramos also declared the South Sea Pearl or
Philippine Pearl as the national gem in 1996 through Proclamation No. 905. In 2009, President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo declared arnis as the national sport and martial art through Republic Act 9850.
In February 2013, the Philippine Senate passed a bill declaring waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana) as the
national flower alongside sampaguita. A similar bill in the House of Representatives had already been
passed in 2012. Normally, the bill would become law after being signed by the President however, it was
vetoed by President Benigno Aquino III. The veto has left the waling-waling as an unofficial national
symbol.
1. Examine the values highlighted by the various representations of Rizal as a national symbol.
2. Advocate the values Rizal s life encapsulates.
Discussion
MAKING A NATIONAL SYMBOL OFFICIAL
A Philippine national symbol will be considered official once it is declared through a law or a proclamation.
National symbols such as the cariñosa, carabao, bangus (milkfish), and anahaw (footstool palm) that are
circulating through various sources have no official status and have not established by law. According to
Nestor Castro, a Filipino cultural anthropologist, most of these unofficial symbols were passed on as
tradition in schools every start of the school year when students were asked to buy posters containing the
supposed national symbols. While official national symbols are declared through law, Castro and National
Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Section Chief Teodoro Atienza considered that the public
must be consulted first before declaration of national symbol.
FILIPINOS AS NATIONAL SYMBOL

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
According to the NHCP Section Chief Teodoro Atienza,and Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, there is no
Filipino historical figure officially declared national hero through law or executive order, although there
were laws and proclamations honoring Filipino heroes. In the Rizal Law principally sponsored by Claro M.
Recto and enacted in 1956, Jose Rizal is mentioned as a national hero in the "whereas" clause of the law.
Although, "whereas" clauses function as a preamble or introduction and it is not part of the provisions. On
November 15, 1995, the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee, created through Executive
Order No. 5 by former President Fidel Ramos, recommended nine Filipino historical figures to be National
Heroes: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan
Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang. No action has been taken for these
recommended National Heroes until it was revisited in one of the proceedings of the 14th Congress in 2009.
On 3 August 2009, shortly after the death of former President Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino,
Jr., legislative measures have been filed calling for her official recognition as a national hero.
Congresswoman Liwayway Vinzons-Chato filed a house resolution declaring Corazon Aquino a national
hero. Although, a week after she filed the resolution, she realized that there is no Filipino historical figure
declared through law. On August 10, 2009, she cited on her privilege speech in Congress the nine Filipino
heroes recommended by National Heroes Committee in 1995. She then urge the Congress to sign the
resolutions declaring the nine Filipinos recommended by the National Heroes Committee plus Benigno
Aquino, Jr. and Corazon Aquino as national heroes. Congressman Salvador Escudero interpellated Vinzons-
Chato's speech and stated that heroes are made in the hearts and minds of people and not through legislation.
After the interpellation, it was moved by House of Representatives to refer the privilege speech of Vinzons-
Chato to the Committee of Basic Education and Culture. Up to now, these resolutions have not been acted
upon.
As mentioned earlier, in a measure filed by Congressman Relampagos from Bohol in February 2014, he
sought to declare Jose Rizal as the sole Filipino national hero. According to the bill, he was a nationalist and
well known for his Philippine reforms advocacy during the Spanish colonial era.
RIZAL AS A NATIONAL SYMBOL
It was shown in the previous lesson how Rizal was recognized as our national hero. Granting that he belongs
to the unofficial national symbols, it cannot be denied that Rizal s name and memory have long been
representing the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity, symbolizing our country.
Even in the international arena, Rizal s name elicits the name of our country. In places where he had been
and where his books [and the books about him] are found in foreign libraries, the name Philippines is
necessarily indicated. Indeed, Ri- zal is unquestionably the greatest hero and martyr of our nation.
Borrowing the words of De Ocampo:

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
“The day of his birth and the day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all classes of our people
throughout the length and breadth of this country and even by Filipinos and their friends abroad. His name is
a byword in every Filipino home while his picture adorns the postage stamp and paper money of widest
circulation. No other Filipino hero can surpass Rizal in the number of towns, barrios, and streets named after
him; in the number of educational institutions, societies, and trade names that bear his name; in the number
of persons, both Filipinos and foreigners, who were named "Rizal" or "Rizalina" because of their parents’
admiration for the Great Malayan; and in the number of laws, Executive Orders and Proclamations of the
Chief Executive, and bulletins, memoranda, and circulars of both the bureaus of public and private schools.
Who is the Filipino writer and thinker whose teachings and noble thoughts have been frequently invoked
and quoted by authors and public speakers on almost all occasions? None but Rizal. And why is this so?
Because as biographer Rafael Palma said, "The doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch but for all epochs.
They are as valid today as they were yesterday. It cannot be said that because the political ideals of Rizal
have been achieved, because of the change in the institutions, the wisdom of his counsels or the value of his
doctrines have ceased to be opportune. They have not."
VALUES DERIVED FROM RIZAL S LIFE
From the various representations of Rizal as a national symbol, one may learn significant ideals and
principles that may be of good use in everyday life. By studying Rizal s life and works, the following values
may be captured (as adopted from Mañebog et. Al, 2018):
1. Nationalism and Patriotism
Nationalism involves the desire to attain freedom and political independence, especially by a country under
a foreign power. Jose Rizal s life, works and writings, especially his novels, radiate this value.
2. Patriotism
Patriotism denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one s nation. Rizal s visions and proposals on how the
people of our country could be on the road to progress are commendable. The aim, of course, is so that the
Filipinos could enjoy the fullness of nationhood, especially politically, culturally, and economically, under
the mantle of national solidarity.
3. Faith in God
When Rizal was studying in Madrid, Spain, he assured his mother, through his letter, of his faith in God.
When his sister Olympia dided of childbirth in 1887, Rizal pronounced, “I console myself saying that it was
the will of God and what He does must be the best.”

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
4. Love of Fellowmen
Rizal advocated thinking well of our fellowmen. His life exemplified the principle that love of neighbor
entails involvement in his or her behalf. Rizal s thought on love for our fellowmen is biblical and timeless.
5. Love of Parents
Rizal s love for his parents is great and very admirable. He studied medicine and ophthalmology just to cure
his mother s failing eyesight. Rizal also adored his father. In 1881, he made a clay bust of his father. About
six years later, he carved a life-size wood sculpture of Don Francisco as an expression of his love for him. In
his novels, Noli and El Fili, the character of Ibarra has also shown his love for his father.
6. Devotion to Truth
Rizal is a believer of revealing the truth. He believed that it was not good to hide the truth. Rizal s
persevering search for truth in serving his country was a motivating virtue. Wishing to get a t the cause of
his people s backwardness, Rizal did intensive studies and carried out broad observations on the progress of
other nations.
7. Purity and idealism
Rizal was a person guided not only by practical considerations but also by ideals. Extraordinary also was his
insistence on purity of thoughts.
8. Noble Thought and Conduct
Rizal s works and writings promoted good conduct, clean conscience, and upright thinking. In his writings,
for instance, he advised mothers to awaken the mind of the children and prepare them for every good and
desirable thought and deed.
9. Charity
Rizal seemed to feel happy when he could give joy to somebody. All his sacrifices for his country were
charitable acts for his fellowmen.
10. Dedication to Duty
Dedication to one s duty was another splendid virtue of Rizal. He virtually dedicated his whole life in
securing freedom for his country and happiness for his people, a commitment historically unequaled in the
history of his country.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
11. Moral Courage
Rizal s courage in working for the betterment of his country, despite all odds, is a virtue that is so essential
even today. His moral courage to do the best for his people is worth imitating by our present leaders.
12. Willpower
Willpower is the ability to control or restrain oneself. Although the Spanish colonizers instilled in Rizal s
generation inferiority complex and the idea that locals were better governed by the Spaniards, Rizal worked
on the opposite idea that his people could be great and deserved freedom.
13. Integrity
Integrity refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In many aspects, Rizal is a
model of moral uprightness and honesty. These virtues he held were the result of his constant love and
search for the truth.
14. Sincerity
Sincerity is essentially linked to humility as it makes us know the truth about ourselves, to accept the truth
whatever it may be, and live according to it. Rizal s sincerity is manifested in his acceptance that whatever
he possessed, he owed them to God who had planned a duty he had to carry out.
15. Self-Denial
Rizal gave up his personal desires for a better cause, that is, working for the welfare of his country. His self-
denial involved self-sacrifice and altruism.
16. Perseverance
It refers to the steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. In serving
his country, Rizal showed mental and moral strength in meeting and enduring pain, adversity and peril.
17. Discipline and Self-Control
Discipline is the suppression of base desires, and is typically understood to be synonymous with self-
restraint and control. In many instances, Rizal used reason to determine the best course of action regardless
of his desires. In fact, he deprived himself of many unsound pleasures.
18. Initiative

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Initiative is the ability to assess and initiate things independently. Patriotic as he was, Rizal manifested the
power to act or take charge before others do, especially in nationalistic pursuits.
19. Prudence
Prudence is care, caution and good judgment, as well as wisdom in looking ahead. Rizal showed prudence in
choosing the best means of accomplishing things. He had the habit of selecting the most courteous and
profitable course of action.
20. Chivalry, Courtesy and Politeness
Chivalry is the combination of qualities expected of an ideal gentleman, especially courtesy and readiness
to help the weak or women. Rizal s sense of chivalry prompted him to challenge Antonio Luna to a duel
when the intoxicated Luna made negative comments against a woman. Nellie Boustead. Being well-bred,
Rizal was courteous as he was gracious and considerate towards others.
21. Frugality
Rizal was careful about spending money and any other resources and in using thing when he did not need to.
He practice frugality when he was a student Madrid; he would have his shoes repaired instead of buying new
ones. To economize in the printing of his Noli, Rizal deleted the chapter “Elias and Salome,” which was
supposed to be Chapter 25.
22. Love for Justice
Justice refers to fairness in the way people are dealt with. Having a good conscience, Rizal found joy in
being just and in fighting for justice. He died fighting for justice not only for himself and his family but also
for his people.
CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL HEROES
The concept of officially recognizing heroes began in the Philippines in 1900 when the Philippine
Commission (Pardo de Tavera, Legarda, Luzurriaga (Filipino members) and headed by William Howard
Taft) approved Act No. 137 combining the districts of Morong and Manila to be named as “Province of
Rizal,” in honor of the most illustrious Filipino. From that time on, heroes were celebrated here and there,
hearing their names in many speeches, declaring holidays, naming streets, constructing monuments, and
many more, in their honor.
It was until one day that the need to evaluate the situation was proposed, realizing that there were so many
names that were acknowledged as heroes. During Ferdinand Marcos presidency, he tasked the National

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Heroes Commission to come up with the criteria for national hero. On March 28, 1993, thru the President s
Executive Order No. 75 under the former President Fidel V. Ramos, the National Heroes Committee (NHC)
was created. They were commissioned to study, evaluate and recommend historical figures to be declared as
national heroes. The Committee composed of worthy members , with a series of discussions came up with
the new criteria. The criteria is composed of 10 standards and they are as follows:Adopted from Galang
(2012):
1.The extent of a person s sacrifices for the welfare of the country
2.The motive and methods employed in the attainment of the ideal (Was his ideal purely for the welfare of
the country and without any taint of self- interested motives, most of all the method of attainment should be
morally valid)
3.The moral character of the person concerned (the person should not have any immorality issue that
affected his ideal)
4.The influence of the person concerned on his age and or the succeeding age.
5.Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation s freedom
(they must have desired the country s freedom in any situation especially when there s a threat of invasion in
any form).
6.Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system of life of freedom and order for a nation (one who
helps in the orderliness and betterment of the country).
7.Heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation.
8.A hero is part of the people s expression (the citizen must have recognized and acknowledged the person
as a hero).
9.A hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations, his concern for the future generations must
be seen in his decisions and ideals).
10.The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history, but of the entire
process that made this particular person a hero. As discussed earlier, no law, executive order, or
proclamation has been officially enacted or issued proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national
hero. But of course, there were laws enacted and proclamations issued to honor some names because of their
substantial roles in the process of nation-building and contributions to history.

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Nevertheless, our national heroes remain admired and revered for their roles in the country s history. Heroes,
according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics.
Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.
For many, Rizal holds the status of being a universally-acclaimed Philippine national hero as
acknowledgement of his contribution t the major social transformations that took place in the Philippines. In
spite of the fact that Rizal did not participate in an actual revolution, the late journalist Armando Malay
expressed this:
“The field from which a national hero would spring is not limited to the field of revolution. Maybe, in some
new African nation, the national hero would be the one who invents a vaccine that would forever banish a
debilitating disease (as cited in De Ocampo, n.d.).”
References:
Agoncillo (2010), Philippine History. C & E Publishing, Inc.
Ariola (2018), The Life and Works of Rizal. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing
Inc.
Bayly (2019), The Evolution of Colonial Cultures: Nineteenth-Century Asia - Oxford

University Press
De Viana et al., (2018). Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot (A Study of His Life and
Times) Rex Printing Company, Quezon City
Zaide (2003). Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings. Revised Millennium Edition.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.
Gregorio et al., (2012), Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writing of a Genius, Writer,
Scientist, and National Hero. 2nd Edition: Published by All Nations Publishing Inc.
Russell & Rodriguez (2018). The Hero of the Filipinos. The story of Jose Rizal Poet,
Patriot and Martyr. Routledge Revivals

Telefax No. 086-214-4221
Slawson (2018), Imperialism, Revolution and Industrialization in 19 th Century Europe.

https://owlcation.com
Teodoro (1990), History of the Filipino. 8th Edition Quezon City: Garotech Publishing
The Making of a Philippine National Hero; The Manila Times, 2015
END!

Telefax No. 086-214-4221

Rizal Modules Complete

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rizal Modules Complete

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Republic of the Philippines

Surigao del Sur State University

MC I- RIZAL’S LIFE AND WORKS

Name: (student) ______________________________________

Mobile Number: ______________________________________________

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 1

CHAPTER 1: RIZAL LAW (RA 1425)

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to

THE STORY OF THE RIZAL LAW

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 2

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 3

Republic Act No. 1425

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 4

Approved: June 12, 1956

CHAPTER 2: RIZAL IN THE EYES OF THE FILIPINOS

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to

1. Develop appreciation of the values and characteristics of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 5

RIZAL IN THE EYES OF THE FILIPINOS

Chapter 3: The Philippines in the 19th Century

The World during the 19th Century

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 6

Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1863 freeing negro slaves.

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 7

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:

The Philippines in the 19th Century

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 8

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 9

Rizal as product of his times

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the course, students should be able to

RIZAL’S FAMILY BACKGROUND

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 13

1. First teachers hired by his father:

2. His mother, Dona Teodora

B. Influences From Other Members of His Family

2. He made sculptures out of mud.

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 14

CHAPTER 5: RIZAL’S HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFE ABROAD

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:

1. Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda Movement.

2. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other Propagandists.

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 15

RIZAL’S FORMAL EDUCATION

1. Place: Binan, Laguna

2. Injustice to the Rizal Family

3. As a student of Ateneo (1872-1877)

4. AS A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS:

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 16

c.He pursued medicine at the University of Santo Tomas.

d. He submitted an entry in the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila in 1879, entitled A

f. Other literary works:

g. He decided to discontinue his studies in the Philippines and continue in Spain:

RIZAL JOURNEY’S ABROAD

I. First Trip to Europe

A. Jose Rizal left Manila on May 3, 1882.

MC-1 (The Life and Works of Rizal) Page 17

a. He enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3, 1882. He enrolled in the

b. He took courses at the Academy of San Carlos