Mallig Plains Colleges, Inc.

Casili, Mallig, Isabela

EL FILIBUSTERISMO

(The Reign of Greed)

Novel by Jose Rizal

1-39 Chapter Summary

Submitted by:

Maricar H. Ramos

BSED 2 English

Submitted to:

Gloria Dela Cruz

 Instructor
CHARACTERS

1. Simoun

Crisostomo Ibarra reincarnated as a wealthy jeweler, bent on starting a revolution

2. Basilio

Sisa’s son, now an aspiring doctor

3. Isagani

Poet and Basilio’s best friend; portrayed as emotional and reactive; Paulita Gómez’

boyfriend before being dumped for fellow student Juanito Peláez

4. Kabesang Tales

Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay (barangay head) who resurfaced as

the feared Luzón bandit Matanglawin (Tagalog for Hawkeye); his father, Old Man Selo,

dies eventually after his own son Tano, who became a guardia civil, unknowingly shoots

his grandfather in an encounter

5. Don Custodio

Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a famous journalist who was asked by

the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano. In reality, he is quite an

ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila’s high

society

6. Paulita Gómez

The girlfriend of Isagani and the niece of Doña Victorina, the old India who passes

herself off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña. In

the end, she and Juanito Peláez are wed, and she dumps Isagani, believing that she will

have no future if she marries him

7. Father Florentino

Isagani’s godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but chose the

priesthood instead, the story hinting at the ambivalence of his decision as he chooses an

assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea.

8. Huli

Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales
9. Ben Zayb

Abraham Ibañez is his real name. He is a journalist who thinks he is the only one thinking

in the Philippines

10. Placido Penitente

A student of the University of Santo Tomas who is always miserable, and therefore

controls his temper

11. Quiroga

A Chinese businessman who dreamt of being a consul of a Consulate of China in the

Philippines. He hid Simoun’s weapons inside his house

12. Old Man Selo

Father of Kabesang Tales. He raised the sick and young Basilio after his mother Sisa had

died

13. Father Fernandez

The priest-friend of Isagani. He promised to Isagani that he and the other priests will

give in to the students’ demands

14. Attorney Pasta

One of the great lawyers of mid-Hispanic Manila

15. Captain-General

(no specific name) the powerful highest official of the Philippines

16. Padre Sibyla

Hernando de la Sibyla, a Filipino friar and now vice-rector of the University of Santo

Tomas (U.S.T.)

SETTING

The story El Filibusterismo is set in the Philippines. It is about a wealthy Cuban

jeweler who goes to the Philippines in an attempt to work for the governor general, but

he is planning to start a revolution against the authorities.

THEME

The book focuses on the inevitable revolution and whether or not the Philippines

should rebel peacefully and diplomatically or violently.

 Chapter 1: On the Upper Deck

The novel begins with the steamship Tabo sailing on the Pasig River on its way to

Laguna. While the passengers on the upper deck discuss subjects regarding the lake

and the slow pace of ship travel, readers are gradually introduced to some characters of

the novel such as the jeweler Simoun, Doña Victorina, Ben Zayb, Don Custodio, Padre

Irene, Sibyla, Camorra, and Salvi.

Chapter 2: On the Lower Deck

On the lower deck of the steamship Tabo, Basilio and Isagani converse with Don

Basilio. The two students tell the Don the plan of the students to establish a Spanish

academy. Although the two students are hopeful that the academy would be approved

by the Governor-General, Don Basilio expresses his pessimism.

Chapter 3: Legends

The wealthy passengers of the steamship amuse themselves by telling stories and

legends of interesting places and spots along the river. Padre Florentino recounts the

legend of Doña Jeronima, while Padre Salvi narrates the story of a Chinese infidel who

was saved from the caymans by asking St. Nicholas for help. Ben Zayb then asks the

captain the exact spot where a man named Ibarra was killed. While pointing to the

exact spot, Ben Zayb observes that Simoun is silent and thoughtful.

Chapter 4: Cabesang Tales

Cabesang Tales with his family and father cultivate a piece of land. From the hardship

the experience and sickness they experience, Tales's wife and eldest daughter die.

When he is about to harvest his crops, a religious order lays claim to the land and

demands an annual rent. Tales eventually agrees to the arrangement, but every year

the rent keeps going up until he has had enough. He goes to the courts and demands
that the religious order present some proof of their ownership of the land. After a long

and expensive litigation, Tales loses the case. He is unfortunately abducted by bandits

demanding ransom. Not enough money is raised for the ransom, so Juli, the daughter

of Cabesang Tales, borrows money from Hermana Penchang. To pay the debt, Juli

agrees to work for the Hermana as a servant.

Chapter 5: A Cochero’s Christmas Eve

On the way to the town of San Diego, a cochero endures abuse and maltreatment from

the Guardia Civil. He is hit with a rifle butt when he tells them he has forgotten to

bring his cedula with him. He is detained and beaten up again when the light of his

carromata goes out. Basilio arrives at San Diego and, after making his way to Capitan

Tiago's house, he receives the news that Cabesang Tales has been abducted by bandits.

Chapter 6: Basilio

At Christmas Eve, Basilio enters the forest previously owned by the Ibarra family but

has been sold to Capitan Tiago. In the middle of the forest stands a Balete tree, where

he visits the grave of his mother Sisa and a stranger (Elias). He remembers that

thirteen years ago, a second stranger (Ibarra) had helped him cremate and bury his

mother and the stranger. Through Capitan Tiago’s help, he is now studying to be a

doctor and plans to marry his sweetheart, Juli.

Chapter 7: Simoun

Basilio is about to leave the forest when he sees someone approach and starts digging

near the Balete tree. He announces his presence and is surprised that the man turns out

to be Simoun the jeweler, who is none other than Crisostomo Ibarra. Simoun

convinces Basilio to cooperate in his plans of avenging the death of his mother (Sisa)

and his younger brother (Crispin) but Basilio remains steadfast saying that revenge

would never bring back his brother and mother.

 Chapter 8: Merry Christmas!

It is Christmas day and Juli wakes up early to pack her things to go to Hermana

Penchang. She forgets to greet his grandfather Tata Selo a Merry Christmas. After

Juli leaves, Tata Selo is preoccupied with thoughts of his pretty granddaughter with

her delicate hands working as a servant, of his son Cabesang Tales still held by

bandits, and of being alone on Christmas Day. Dwelling on all these misfortunes, he

discovers that he has become dumb.

Chapter 9: Pilates

The gossip about the misfortunes of Tata Selo and his family spreads around town, and

a number of people are claiming that they are not to blame for these misfortunes. The

Alferez of the Guardia Civil says that he was just following a government order to

collect all firearms in town. The friar who has taken over Cabesang Tales's comments

that if Tales had remained at home, he would never have been abducted by the bandits.

Hermana Penchang merely says that God brought down hardships on Tata Selo’s

family because they had not taught Juli to pray properly.

Chapter 10: Wealth and Want

Simoun visits Cabesang Tales's house to sell his jewelry to the rich inhabitants of San

Diego and Tiani. Cabesang Tales is convinced to sell his daughter’s locket but decides

to get his daughter's permission first. The following day Simoun discovers that his

revolver has been stolen by Tales. News circulates in the town that three persons have

been murdered: the friar administrator, as well as the new tenant and his wife. A piece

of paper with the wordTales written in blood is found near the dead tenant’s wife.

Chapter 11: Los Baños

On the last day of December, the Governor-General and his advisers, together with

some friars, are taking a rest in Los Baños. After the game of cards, the Governor-

General asks his advisers' opinion about the students' proposal to put up a self-
sufficient Spanish academy. There is a disagreement of opinions, so no decision is

made. Afterwards, the Governor-General orders the release of Tata Selo, who has

been arrested by the Guardia Civil in place of his son, Cabesang Tales.

Chapter 12: Placido Penitente

Placido enters the class in physics conducted by Padre Millon. The class has no

laboratory equipment, while the instruments bought by the university are never used.

At a class recitation, Placido argues with the professor when he gets a bad mark even

if he had been marked as being absent. From disgust and frustration, Placido Penitente

walks out of the class.

Chapter 13: The Class in Physics

Juanito signals to Placido for answers, but Placido cannot help and is in turn called

upon by the professor. Placido is also unable to answer, and when the professor asks

him to recite, he makes mistakes, earning him a bad mark.

Chapter 14: In the House of the Students

Arriving at the school dormitory, Makaraig announces that the decision to issue the

permit for building the academy has been passed to a commission headed by Don

Custodio. The students then devise schemes to influence Don Custodio or Señor

Pasta, a lawyer, to give a favorable decision. Isagani volunteers to persuade Señor

Pasta to support and to endorse their project.

Chapter 15: Señor Pasta

Isagani approaches Señor Pasta to persuade him to support and endorse the students'

project. Not wishing to provoke the friars who are against the project, Señor Pasta

decides to oppose it and to convince Isagani instead to focus on his studies.

 Chapter 16: The Tribulations of a Chinese

Quiroga, a Chinese businessman, gives a dinner in his house. Friars, government

officials, soldiers, and merchants attend the dinner. Simoun asks Quiroga to store

some rifles in his warehouse as exchange for the portion of the debt that the Chinese

merchant owes him.

Chapter 17: The Quiapo Fair

Twelve people leave Quiroga's house to watch Mr. Leeds' show. Padre Camorra ogles

the young women at the fair, and gets more excited when he sees Paulita Gomez,

Isagani's rich and beautiful sweetheart.

Chapter 18: Legerdemain

Ben Zayb, Padre Camorra, Padre Salvi, and others enter the tent of Mr. Leeds to watch

his show. Mr. Leeds presents to them a box containing some ashes that had been found

in one of the pyramids of Egypt. Upon shouting a magic word, the ashes come to life

and the Sphinx named Imuthis narrates his sad story. A priest, he says, was in love

with his sweetheart and in order to eliminate him, he was implicated in a rebellion.

Imuthis was then arrested but was killed in a lake while trying to escape. Seeing the

parallelism between Imuthis' story and that of Crisostomo Ibarra, Padre Salvi faints

when the Sphinx starts calling him murderer, slanderer, and hypocrite.

Chapter 19: The Fuse

Placido Penitente meets and joins Simoun in his trip around the city. Placido learns

that Simoun is organizing a revolution in order to rescue Maria Clara from the

convent.

Chapter 20: The Arbiter

Don Custodio studies his decision regarding the proposal of the university students.

He is undecided, since he wants to please the friars who are against the proposal while

at the same time desires to give the students a chance to study the Spanish language.
Señor Pasta and Pepay the dancer have been consulted, but they they do not not give

him a concrete answer. After much contemplation, he arrives at a decision.

Chapter 21: Manila Types

The people of Manila gather in the Teatro de Variadades to watch Les Cloches de

Corneville. Camarrocido, who is from a prominent family in Spain, is poorly dressed

and is employed in putting up posters of upcoming shows of the Teatro. While

walking near the Teatro he sees some men suspiciously loitering around. He finds out

that Simoun is ordering the men to stop a civil unrest.

Chapter 22: The Performance

Humorous incidents happen at the show. Juanito Pelaez pretends to understand French

in order to impress Paulita Gomez but is embarrassed when he mistranslates some

French words. Padre Irene, in a disguise, watches the show and applauds one of the

French actresses. Don Custodio is also present at the show, falsely claiming that he

watching the show to judge if it is indecent or not. During the show, the students led

by Makaraig learn about Don Custodio' s decision.

Chapter 23: A Corpse

Basilio reads some medical books when Simoun arrives at Capitan Tiago's house.

Simoun convinces Basilio in vain to assist in the revolution initiated by the jeweler.

Simoun adds that a revolution is necessary to rescue Maria Clara at the Sta. Clara

nunnery. Basilio informs Simoun that Maria Clara is dead. Simoun leaves the house

weeping, tormented and bereaved.

Chapter 24: Dreams

Isagani meets Paulita at Malecon. In their conversation, Isagani is revealed to be an

idealist who envisions progress and economic development of his country. He

converses with Paulita about railway expansion, cooperation between Spaniards and
Filipinos, and the imminent commercial trade. Paulita dismisses these thoughts saying

they are unattainable dreams.

Chapter 25: Smiles and Tears

The students organize a banquet at a panciteria to honor Don Custodio and his

decision about the Spanish academy. In his decision, the academy must come under

the supervision of the Dominican order and the students would simply collect

contributions for the proposed school.

Chapter 26: Pasquinades

Basilio goes to the hospital but sees students acting as if classes are suspended. A

student informs him that seditious and revolutionary posters are found at the university

implicating the student organization. The government has also issued the arrest of all

its members and students who participated in the banquet at the panciteria. Basilio

then goes to the house of Makaraig to ask for a loan, but he and Makaraig are arrested

by soldiers.

Chapter 27: The Friar and the Filipino

Padre Fernandez calls Isagani to discuss his involvement at the banquet in the

panciteria. Their discussion centers on the policy of the friars in educating students.

Isagani argues that the friars are deliberately teaching antiquated education in order to

inhibit the aspiration of the people to be free. He argues that people who aspire to be

educated are branded as filibusters. Padre Fernandez replies that he has done what he

could and that not all friars are backward and against the idea of educating the people.

He says that education can only be bestowed to a deserving and ready people.

Chapter 28: Tatakut

Because of the seditious posters found in the university, the city is adrift with rumor

and gossip. Gossip about arrested students being shot and deported is circulated, while
rumor exists that members of the student association had connived with bandits and

the German ships to bring down the government.

Chapter 29: Exit Capitan Tiago

Capitan Tiago dies, and Padre Irene becomes the executor of his will. Capitan Tiago

has willed his properties to Sta. Clara, to the pope, to the archbishop, and to religious

corporations.

Chapter 30: Juli

The news of Basilio’s imprisonment deeply troubles Juli. The town clerk, Hermana

Pechang, and Hermana Bali convince Juli to ask Padre Camorra to intercede for

Basilio. She is hesitant to approach the friar since he is known to be frolicsome and

fond of women. When news reaches Tiani that Basilio is about to be shot, Juli is

compelled to ask the friar’s help.

Chapter 31: The High Official

A high official convinces the Governor-General in vain to release Basilio who he

believes is innocent. The Governor-General insists that innocent individuals must

suffer in order to restore order and to cow the people into submission. Because of this

disagreement, the high official resigns and goes back to Spain.

Chapter 32: Effect of the Pasquinades

Because of the revolutionary and seditious posters, Pecson, Tadeo, and Juanito Pelaez

are suspended from their classes. Tadeo burns his books, while Juanito gets engaged

in his father’s business. In jail, Basilio learns the sad news of Juli’s death. Simoun

befriends Don Timoteo Pelaez, who is now busy preparing for the wedding of his son

to Paulita Gomez.

Chapter 33: La Ultima Razón

Basilio is released from prison and immediately approaches Simoun in order to help

him initiate a revolution. Simoun is pleased that Basilio will join his cause. He directs

Basilio to meet Cabesang Tales at a designated time to acquire the rifles that are

hidden in Quiroga’s warehouse. Simoun is to place at an important gathering a

dynamite-laden lamp that would then explode to signal the attack.

Chapter 34: The Wedding

Basilio walks aimlessly in the streets of Manila to wait for the agreed signal for the

revolution. He passes Calle Anloague where the wedding fiesta of Juanito Pelaez and

Paulita Gomez is being held. After seeing the rich decorations, the number of guards,

and the important visitors that would be coming, he assumes that this is the crucial

gathering mentioned by Simoun.

Chapter 35: The Fiesta

Basilio sees Simoun placing the lamp at the center of the house. Basilio is about to

leave the place when he sees Isagani. He tries to convince Isagani to stay away from

the house and explains that the lamp from Simoun would explode killing everybody in

the house. In a rare act of love and loyalty to Paulita, he boldly rushes to the house,

quickly throwing the lamp into the river to prevent it from exploding.

Chapter 36: Ben-Zayb’s Afflictions

The Governor-General prohibits any mention of the events that have taken place at the

wedding fiesta of Juanito Pelaez and Paulita Gomez. News circulates that a band of

tulisanes have attacked a friar country house. The robbers who are caught describe a

Spanish mestizo as the one who ordered them to attack the city at a designated signal.

The description given by the robbers perfectly fits Simoun.

Chapter 37: The Mystery

The events of the previous night are discussed by Isagani, Capitana Loleng, Capitan

Toringoy, Sensia, and Chichoy. Chichoy divulges that Simoun is the mastermind

behind storing the sacks of gunpowder in order to kill all the people at the wedding

feast. He also adds that the lamp was to start the fire and ignite the gunpowder.

Chapter 38: Fatality

A group of prisoners are being escorted by the soldiers when they are ambushed.

Carolino, one of the members of the Guardia Civil and the son of Cabesang Tales,

bravely fight the bandits, killing with a spear the bandits' leader and an old man. Upon

approaching the dead, he recognizes that the old man that he has shot is none other that

his grandfather, Tata Selo.

Chapter 39: Conclusion

A wounded and exhausted Simoun goes to Padre Florentino's house to hide from the

Guardia Civil that are out to arrest him. After taking a poison, he informs Padre

Florentino of his true identity. He says that he is the fugitive Juan Crisostomo Ibarra

and that his was the unsuccessful attempt to corrupt the government in order to start a

revolution that would free the country. Padre Florentino reprimands Simoun, saying

that freedom cannot be won through violence and bloodshed but by education,

constant work, and suffering.