RIZAL AS

PROPAGANDIST
 ANNOTATIONS
 Rizal comments that the Philippines of his
time was no better than the pre- Hispanic
Philippines. He says it could have developed
on its own into something great.According
to Rizal, Filipinos has a system of writing,
an advanced knowledge of metallurgy and a
ship-building industry.Rizal knew that the
Spaniards wouldn’t like his work with it
being banned in the Philippines.
 However, the works first critic is his
friend Blumentritt. In his introduction for
the book, he cited hindsight and
anticlericalism as fatal defects in a purely
scholarly work.Rizal used history as a
propaganda weapon. It was deemed too
much propaganda for historians and too
historical for propagandists.By
recreating the proud pre- Hispanic
civilization, Rizal's Morga had set the
tone for Philippine historiography and
Filipino identity.
 The formation of Association
International de Philippinistes showed
how Rizal wanted to study history as a
coherent whole extending from before
the conquest to the present.Rizal strove
to establish that the Filipinos could be
proud of the pre-conquest past.Rizal
presented an outline periodization of
Philippine history to this body, hoping
that it could convene a conference of
European Philippinologists in Paris.
 Rizal wrote important treatises such as
“Sa mga Kababayang Dalaga sa Malolos”
and “Filipinas dentro de cien años”.The
latter treatise had four parts: national
spiritual history, comparative
examination of the political situation,
reforms needed in the country, and the
inevitability of the independence of
colonial areas
 “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. At his own expense, he had the
work republished with annotations that showed
the Philippines was an advanced civilization prior
to the Spanish conquest. Austin Craig, an early
biographer of Rizal, translated into English some
of the more important of these annotations.
 Here are excerpts from Rizal’s annotations
to inspire young Filipinos of today.
 “To the Filipinos: In Noli Me Tangere (The

Social Cancer) I started to sketch the

present state of our native land. But the
effect which my effort produced made me
realize that, before attempting to unroll
before your eyes the other pictures which
were to follow, it was necessary first to post
you on the past. So only can you fairly judge
the present and estimate how much 
progress has been made during the three
centuries (of Spanish rule).
 Like almost all of you, I was born and
brought up in ignorance of our country’s
past and so, without knowledge or
authority to speak of what I neither saw
nor have studied, I deem it necessary to
quote the testimony of an illustrious
Spaniard who in the beginning of the
new era controlled the destinies of the
Philippines and had personal knowledge
of our ancient nationality in its last days.
 It is then the shade of our ancestor’s
civilization which the author will call
before you. If the work serves to awaken
in you a consciousness of our past, and
to blot from your memory or to rectify
what has been falsified or is calumny,
then I shall not have labored in vain. With
this preparation, slight though it may be,
we can all pass to the study of the
future, wrote Rizal in Europe in 1889.
 “Governor Morga was not only the first to
write but also the first to publish a Philippine
history. This statement has regard to the
concise and concrete form in which our
author has treated the matter. Father
Chirino’s work, printed 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, so one
must infer that he had seen the work in
manuscript before leaving the Islands.”
 Here are items I have chosen from the
annotations.
 “By the Christian religion, Dr. Morga

appears to mean the Roman Catholic

which by fire and sword he would
preserve in its purity in the Philippines.
Nevertheless in other lands, notably in
Flanders, these means were ineffective to
keep the church unchanged, or to
maintain its supremacy, or even to hold
its subjects.
 These centuries ago it was the custom to
write as intolerantly as Morga does, but
nowadays it would be called a bit
presumptuous. No one has a monopoly of
the true God nor is there any nation or
religion that can claim, or at any rate prove,
that to it has been given the exclusive right
to the Creator of all things or sole
knowledge of His real being.
 The civilization of the Pre-Spanish Filipinos

in regard to the duties of life for that age

was well advanced, as the Morga history
shows in its eighth chapter.
 Morga shows that the ancient Filipinos had
army and navy with artillery and other
implements of warfare. Their prized krises and
kampilans for their magnificent temper are
worthy of admiration and some of them are
richly damascened. Their coats of mail and
helmets, of which there are specimens in
various European museums, attest their great
advancement in this industry.
 Of the native Manila rulers at the coming of

the Spaniards, Raja Soliman was called

“Rahang mura,” or young king, in distinction
from the old king, “Rahang matanda.”
Historians have confused these personages.
 The artillery cast for the new stone fort
in Manila, says Morga, was by the hand
of an ancient Filipino. That is, he knew
how to cast cannon even before the
coming of the Spaniards, hence he was
distinguished as “ancient.” In this
difficult art of ironworking, as in so many
others, the modern or present-day
Filipinos are not so far advanced as were
their ancestors.
 From the earliest Spanish days ships
were built in the islands, which might be
considered evidence of native culture.
Nowadays this industry is reduced to
small craft, scows and coasters.
 In Morga’s time, the Philippines exported

silk to Japan whence now comes the best

quality of that merchandise. Morga’s
views upon the failure of Governor Pedro
de Acuña’s ambitious expedition against
the Moros unhappily still apply for the
same conditions yet exist.
 Ancient traditions ascribe the origin of
the Malay Filipinos to the island of
Sumatra. These traditions were almost
completely lost as well as the mythology
and the genealogies of which the early
historians tell, thanks to the zeal of the
missionaries in eradicating all national
remembrances as heathen or idolatrous.
The study of ethnology is restring this
somewhat.
Filipinos had had minstrels who had
memorized songs telling their genealogies
and of the deeds ascribed to their deities.
These were chanted on voyages in cadence
with the rowing, or at festivals, or funerals,
or wherever there happened to be any
considerable gatherings. It is regrettable
that these chants have not been preserved
as from them it would have been possible
to learn much of the Filipinos’ past and
possibly of the history of neighboring
islands.”
 
EL FILI IN GENT
 Rizal Was Busy Revising And Polishing The
Manuscript Of El Filibusterismo So That It
Could Be Ready For The Press
 -Rizal Had Begun Writing It In October, 1887,

While Practicing Medicine In Calamba, The

Following Year (1888), In London; He Made
Some Changes In The Plot And Corrected Some
Chapters Already Written. He Wrote More
Chapters In Paris And Madrid, And Finished
The Manuscript In Biarritz On March 29, 1891.
It Took Him, Therefore, Three Years To Write
His Second Novel
 July 5, 1891- Rizal Left Brussels For Ghent, A
Famous University City In Belgium
 · Rizal Reasons For Moving To Ghent Were:
 (1) The Cost Of Printing In Ghent Was

Cheaper Than In Brussels

 (2) To Escape From The Enticing Attraction Of

Petite Suzanne Rizal Met Two Compatriots

While In Ghent, Jose Alejandro (From
Pampanga) And Edilberto Evangelista (From
Manila), Both Studying Engineering In The
World-Famed University Of Ghent.
 F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66
Viaanderen Street)-A Printing Shop That
Give Rizal The Lowest Quotation For The
Publication Of His Novel, Who Was
Willing To Print His Book On Installment
Basis
 · August 6, 1891-The Printing Of His

Book Had To Be Suspended Because Rizal

Could No Longer Give The Necessary
Funds To The Printer
 Valentin Ventura- The Savior Of The Fili
 -When Ventura Learned Of Rizal’s Predicament And
Immediately Sent Him The Necessary Funds
 · September 18, 1891- El Filibusterismo Came Off The
Press
 -Rizal Immediately Sent On This Date Two Printed
Copies To Hong Kong—One For Basa And Other For
Sixto Lopez
 · Rizal Gratefully Donated The Original Manuscript
And An Autographed Printed Copy To Valentin Ventura
 · La Publicidad- A Barcelona Newspaper, Wherein It
Published A Tribute Eulogizing The Novel’s Original
Style Which “Is Comparable Only To The Sublime
Alexander Dumas” And May Well Be Offered As
 “A Model And A Precious Jewel In The Now Decadent
Literature Of Spain”
 · El Nuevo Regimen- The Liberal Madrid Newspaper
That Serialized The Novel In Its Issues Of October,
1891
 · Rizal Dedicated El Filibusterismo To Gom-Bur-Za
(Don Mariano Gomez, 73 Years Old; Don Jose
Burgos, 35 Years Old; Jacinto Zamora, 37 Years Old)
 · The Original Manuscript Of El Filibusterismo In
Rizal’s Own Handwriting In Now Preserved In The
Filipiana Division Of The Bureau Of Public Libraries,
Manila. It Consists Of 270 Pages Of Long Sheets Of
Paper
 · Two Features In The Manuscript Do Not Appear In
The Printed Book, Namely: The Foreword And The
 Warning. These Were Not Put Into Print To Save
Printing Cost
 The Title Page Of El Filibusterismo Contains An
Inscription Written By Ferdinand Blumentritt
 · El Filibusterismo Is A Sequel To The Noli. It
Has Little Humor, Less Idealism And Less
Romance Than The Noli Me Tangere. It Is More
Revolutionary, More Tragic Than The First Novel
 · The Characters In El Filibusterismo Were
Drawn By Rizal From Real Life. Padre Florentino
Was Father Leoncio Lopez, Rizal’s Friend And
Priest Of Calamba; Isagani, The Poet Was Vicente
Ilustre, Batangueño
 Friend Of Rizal In Madrid And Paulita Gomez,
The Girl Who Loved Isagani But Married Juanito
Pelaez, Was Leonor Rivera
INDIOS BRAVOS
 Los Indios Bravos is translated as "The Brave
Filipinos." It is an association that consists of
Filipino writers in European countries. The
purpose of this group is to write poems, stories
and newspaper articles showing the current
condition of the Philippines in the hands of the
Spaniards and friars. They wanted people to be
aware of the cruel and terrible treatment of
those Spaniards towards their fellow Filipinos.
Also, its other goal is for every Filipino to have
an education and the likes of Rizal to grant
reforms from Spain.
 How was the group formed with the name Los
Indios Bravos?
 Los Indios Bravos is known as a pre-Katipunan

organization whose name Rizal took from the

spectacle of Native Americans performing in a
Wild West show.  
 During the 1889 Paris World Expo, the
performance of the American Indians drew
cheers of “Indians brave! Indians brave!” from
the French crowds, and stirred the sense of
national pride in Rizal. The next day Rizal met
with his Filipino friends in Paris and proposed
the creation of an organization to be called Los
Indios Bravos.
 “Indios” was used by the Spaniards as a
derogatory term for the native inhabitants
of the Philippines. Rizal decided to convert
this derogatory term into a badge of honor.
 He proclaimed: “Let us wear the name indio

as our badge of racial pride! Let us make

the Spaniards revise their concept of the
indio—we shall become Indios Bravos!”
 From there on, their group was called Los

Indios Bravos and wrote works to raise

awareness of how Filipinos were being
mistreated.
INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS
 Essay published in La Solidaridad Madrid, Spain
(July 15, 1890 – September 15, 1890) Why did
Rizal write this essay? Rizal wrote this essay to
defend the Filipinos from the charge that they
were born indolent.
 Idle Lazy little love for work lack of activity
 Wars the inhabitants of the Philippines were
dragged to maintain the honor of Spain
(thousands and thousands of Filipinos were sent
but nothing was said if they ever returned to their
homes.) great diminution of the natives because
the governors got them as crews for the vessels
they send out.
 Piratical Attacks  devastation of the terrible
pirates  Reduced more and more the number
of inhabitants of the Philippines  burned down
the towns, captured and enslaved men 
disarmed and subjected to tributes so that they
were left without the means to defend
themselves
 Attitude of the Friars  At that time, the friars

advised their poor parishioners:  to stop work

in the mines,  to abandon their industries,  to
destroy their looms and pointing them that
heaven is their sole hope  The friars told them
that it is easier for a poor man to enter heaven
than for a rich man
 Lessening encouragement to Labor  Trade
contact or relations between the Borneans,
Siamese, Cambodians and Japanese nations
were being cut off  The coast wide trade
which was flourishing before disappeared
 Miserly return for one’s Labor  (selfish,

greedy, mean) Encomenderos reduced

many to slavery compelled Filipinos to
work for their benefit Made them sell their
products at an insignificant price or for
nothing or cheated them with false
measures Treated them like slaves
 Gambling  The sugal (from the Spanish word
jugar, to gamble) indicates that gambling was
unknown in the Philippines before the
Spaniards  Balasa – from the Spanish word
barajar, the introduction of playing cards
 Fiestas  Gave their contribution to large
number of fiestas, lengthy masses, novenae,
processions, rosaries  Filipinos were much
less lazy before the word miracle was
introduced into their language
 Curtailment of individual liberty  (to cut off, to
cut short, doubtful)  Individual liberty is being
cut off  accused of being a filibustero (rebel)
or a suspect  Lack of confidence in the future
 Uncertainty of reaping the fruits of their labor
 Apathy of the Government No
encouragement, aid pertaining to
commerce or agriculture The products
coming from the Philippines were
burdened with imposts and duties and
have no free entry in the ports of the
mother country and the consumption of
the products are not encouraged Due to
the fraudulent (dishonest, deceitful)
manipulations of the Chinese, the Filipino
industries were dying.
 Ownership of the big estates by the friars 
the best estates, the best tracts of land in
some provinces were in the hands of the
religious corporations  the friars have
deceived many by making them believe that
those estates were prospering because
those were under their supervision
 Lack of moral support  Absence of moral

support  Absence of help from the

government  Chemist (competitive
examination)  Young man won a prize in a
literary contest  Education of the Filipino
 Deprivation of human dignity  the students
have to contend with the daily preaching
that lowers human dignity, gradually or
brutally killing their self-respect  Priests
who boldly declared that it is evil for the
Filipinos to know Castilian, that the Filipinos
should not be separated from his carabao,
and that he should not have any further
ambition.
 Feeling of inferiority  Constant plucking

(pulling, removing) of the soul  Deadens

the energy  Paralyzes all tendency towards
advancement
 Vicious dressing of the intelligence and
will  “You can’t do more than old So and
So!- Don’t aspire to be greater than the
curate! You belong to an inferior race!
You haven’t any energy.”  They say this
to the child; and as it is repeated so
often, it has inevitably engraved in his
mind and thence it seals and shapes all
his actions.  Ridicules with cruel
sarcasm.
 Lack of an ideal for a good worker  the
Filipinos’ spirits were transformed
according to the taste of the nation that
imposed upon them its God and its laws
INSTEAD:  Ideal and prototype tanned
and muscular laborer (who should have
brought along with him the useful iron
implements and the hoes to till the
fields) BUT IT WAS AN:  Aristocratic lord
who brought along with him stamped
papers, crucifixes, bulls and prayer
books
 AS A RESULT:  the imitative people became
clerks, devout, prayer-loving, acquired ideas
of luxurious and ostentatious living without
improving correspondingly their means of
subsistence.
 Lack of national sentiment  (expression of

emotional ideas, feelings, etc.)  Scarcity of

any opposition to the measures that are
prejudicial to the people and the absence of
any initiative that will redound to their
welfare  Deprived of the right of association,
therefore they were weak and inert (inactive,
unmotivated, passive)
LA SOLIDARIDAD
 “The pen was yield to the sword.”
 La Solidaridad and the Propaganda Movement
 The Propaganda Movement Reforms Desired

• Equality of the Filipinos and Spaniards

before the laws • Assimilation of the
Philippines as a regular province of Spanish •
Restoration of the Philippine restoration in
the Spanish Cortes • Filipinization of the
Philippine parishes and expulsion of the friars
• Human rights for Filipinos, such as freedom
of speech, freedom to meet and petition for
redress of grievances
 MIAGAO 23 MARZO DE 2018Año II Num. 09
Quincenario democratico La Solidaridad
Member of the Asscoiated Press. NUESTROS
PROPOSITOS Our aspirations are modest, very
modest. Our program, aside from being simple,
is clear: to combat reaction, to stop all
retrogressive steps, to extol and adopt liberal
ideas, to defend progress; in a word, to be a
propagandist, above all, of democratic ideas in
order to make these supreme in all nations
here and across the seas. The aims, therefore,
of La Solidaridad are described as to collect, to
gather, libertarian ideas which are manifested
daily in the field of politics, science, art,
literature, commerce, agriculture and industry.
 We shall also discuss all problems relating
to the general interest of the nation and
seek solutions to those problems in high-
level and democratic manner. ** * With
regard to the Philippines, since she needs
the most help, not being represented in the
Cortes, we shall pay particular attention to
the defense of her democratic rights, the
accomplishment of which is our patriotic
duty. That nation of eight million souls
should not, must not be the exclusive
preserve of theocracy and traditionalism.
 LA SOLIDARIDAD. -- 23 MARZO DE
2018A$o II Num. 09 PLARIDEL, GATMAITAN,
DOLORES MANAPAT DIMAS-ALANG, LAON
LAAN DIEGO LAURA NANING, KALIPULAKO,
TIKBALANG TAGA-ILOG JOMAPA, JMP
 II Num. 09 RAMIRO FRANCO JUSTO
DESIDERIO MAGALANG BUAN, JB DON
BELONG KUITIB MIGUEL DE MORAYTA LA
SOLIDARIDAD. -- 23 MARZO DE 2018
 We know their present. Now what will their
future be? Will the Philippine Islands
continue to be a Spanish colony, and if so,
what kind of colony? Will they become a
province of Spain, with or without
autonomy? And to reach this stage, what
kind of sacrifices will have to be made? Will
they be separated from the mother country
to live independently, to fall into the hands
of other nations, or to ally themselves with
neighboring powers? Filipinas Dentro De
Cien Anos LAONG LAAN
 Sobre La Indolencia De Los Filipinas This logical
essay is a proof of the national hero’s historical
scholarship. The essay rationally countered the
accusations by Spaniards that Filipinos were
indolent (lazy) during the Spanish reign. It was
published in La Solidaridad in five consecutive
issues on July (15 and 31), August (1 and 31) and
September 1, 1890.
 Rizal explained the alleged Filipino indolence by
pointing to these factors:
 1) the Galleon Trade destroyed the previous links
of the Philippines with other countries in Asia and
the Middle East, thereby eradicating small local
businesses and handicraft industries;
 2) the Spanish forced labor compelled the
Filipinos to work in shipyards, roads, and other
public works, thus abandoning their
agricultural farms and industries;
 3) many Filipinos became landless and
wanderers because Spain did not defend them
against pirates and foreign invaders;
 4) the system of education offered by the

colonizers was impractical as it was mainly

about repetitive prayers and had nothing to do
with agricultural and industrial technology;
 5) the Spaniards were a bad example as

negligent officials would come in late and leave

early in their offices and Spanish women were
always followed by servants;
 6) gambling like cockfights was established,
promoted, and explicitly practiced by
Spanish government officials and friars
themselves especially during feast days;
 7) the crooked system of religion
discouraged the natives to work hard by
teaching that it is easier for a poor man to
enter heaven; and
 8) the very high taxes were discouraging as

big part of natives’ earnings would only go

to the officials and friars. LAONG LAAN
 Issues of La Solidaridad
 Lopez Jaena & Del Pilar The first editor of La
Solidaridad was Graciano Lopez Jaena, but it was
totally under Marcelo del Pilar from its earliest
inauguration to its ignominious death. It’s
because Del Pilar and his Comite de Propaganda
in Manila worked for the entire project and
financing (real moving force, the conduit of
funds, and the organizer of the newspaper).
Lopez Jaena was chosen as editor because he
already had reputation as a fiery political orator
and had influential contacts among the
anticlerical republicans and masons of
Barcelona, where the newspaper made its debut,
but then he realized that his editorship was only
nominal (La Solidaridad vol. 1, 1996).
 Rizal & Wenceslao Retana Retana wrote an
article in La Epoca which was an anti-Filipino
newspaper in Madrid. The article declares that
Rizal’s family and friends were ejected in
calamba because they did not paid their rents.
Rizal, after hearing the insult was enraged and
challenge Retana to duel for only Retana’s
blood can accepted be as an apology because
of what he had done to Rizal’s family. Retana
who know that he had no chance of winning,
published a retraction and apology in the same
paper. From that incident, Retana’s pen
became silent. Eventually, he developed a great
admiration for Rizal and made the first book-
length biography of the greatest filipino hero.
 Other Opposing Newspaper Publication of La
Solidaridad:
 Rizal & Del Pilar When the year 1890 was about
to end, an unwanted rivalry between Rizal and
Del Pilar nonetheless arose. By the time, Del
Pilar had become the owner of La Solidardad
and had taken the place of Graciano Lopez
Jaena as its editor. Del Pilar’s management and
editorial policy were occasionally dissimilar to
Rizal’s political vision. The editorial policy of La
Solidaridad under Del Pilar’s management
enhanced the cleavage between Rizal and Del
Pilar. Rizal and his close friends objected to the
periodical’s editorial policy which was
occasionally contrary to Rizal’s political views.
 Ideally to fix differences and solidify the unity
among them, about 90 Filipinos in Madrid met
on the New Year’s Day of 1891. It was agreed
upon in the gathering that a leader called
Responsable, be elected to administer the
campaigns for reform of the Filipinos. The
voting happened during the first week of
February that year. It was decided that the
‘Responsible’ must be elected by a two-thirds
vote of the participants. The supposedly healthy
election for a leader produced divisive
unpleasant split among the Filipinos, the
Rizalistas and the Pilaristas, as both camps
zealously campaigned for their respective
choice.
 Rizal won the election but his votes fell short of
the required two-thirds vote to be declared
Responsable. He won again on the second day,
but then again, the votes counted for him did
not reach the needed fraction. On the third day,
since Mariano Ponce appealed to some Pilaristas
to surrender their will to what the majority
wanted, the election resulted in Rizal’s becoming
the ‘legal’ Responsable. Rizal, however,
courteously declined the position. He knew that
there were ‘Pilaristas’ who did not like either his
views or personality. Jose Rizal, a man of
delicadeza, thus decided to abdicate his
leadership and leave Madrid, lest his presence
results in more serious faction among Filipinos
in Madrid.
 “If you have any resentment, I beg you to
put it aside; if you consider me at fault,
and this fault is pardonable, forgive me…
We would much like that you resume
writing for it; not only would we
strengthen La Solidaridad but we would
defeat the friar intrigue in the
Philippines.” – Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s
letter to Jose Rizal (August 7, 1892)
 “I am extremely surprised at your letter, telling
me about resentments, disagreements, and
reconciliations, etc. I believe it is useless to talk
about what does not exist, and if it has existed, it
ought to have evaporated in the past. I think like
you do, that there being nothing, one ought not
to waste time talking about it.’ If I stopped
writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of
several reasons, 1st, I need time to work on my
book; 2nd, I wanted other Filipinos to work also;
3rd, I considered it very important to the party
that there be unity in the work; and you are
already at the top and I also have my own ideas,
it is better to leave you alone to direct the policy
such as you understand it and I do not meddle in
it
 This has two advantages: It leaves both of
us free, and it increases your prestige,
which is very necessary, inasmuch as men
of prestige are needed in our country. This
does not mean to say that I need not work
and follow the course of your work. I am
like an army corps who, at a needed
moment, you will see arrive to descend
upon the flanks of the enemy before you.
Only I ask God to give me the means to do
it… I fight for the nation, the Philippines. –
Jose Rizal’s reply to Marcelo del Pilar’s letter
(undated)
 “You will remember that, walking on the
Pascode Recoletos … I told you: "Watch out,
for some fine day we shall wake up
quarrelling without knowing why." You
laughed at my witticism and so did I … that
occurred to me without reason as a vague
presentment.” – Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s letter
to Jose Rizal (July 20, 1892)
 “... We are persuaded that no sacrifices are
too little to win the rights and the liberty of a
nation that is oppressed by slavery. We work
within the law and thus will we continue
publishing this newspaper whether here or
abroad, depending on the exigencies of the
fight wherein Filipino reactionaries have come
to impress upon all Filipinos that in its soul
there beats some sentiment of dignity and
shame. Whether here or abroad, we will
continue developing our program”
 Did La Solidaridad Fail? Did the Propaganda

Movement achieve its goal?

 Reasons of failure; • Confiscation of
newspaper issues in the mails • Lack of
fund to support the movement • Friars were
busy collecting money and making
themselves rich • Many members wanted
true change but were cautious of their
wealth • The conflicts between Lopez Jaena
- del Pilar, and Rizal - del Pilar. • No strong
leader aside from Rizal • Spanish
government did not agree to any of its
demands
 Modestas, modestisimas, son nuestras
aspiraciones. Nuestro programa, por demas
sencillo, sencillismo, es: combatir toda
reaccion, impedir todo retroceso, aplaudir,
aceptar toda idea liberal, defendar todo
progreso; en una palabra; un propagandista
mas de todos los ideales de la democracia,
aspirando que impere en todos los pueblos
de aquende y allende los mares. LA
SOLIDARIDAD
POR TELEFONO
 Rizal wrote Por Telefono in the fall of 1889
in Barcelona as reply to another slanderer,
Fr. Salvador Font who was the mastermind
of banning Noli.This was under the
authorship of “Dimas Alang” Describes in
comical vein a telephone conversation
between Fr. Font who was in Madrid and
father provincial of St. Agustin Convent in
Manila.
 Demonstrates Rizal’s prophetic insight:oIn
the year 1900, Philippines was connected to
Metropolis by means of telephone laid out
by Anglo-Catalan company called Trans-
Oceanic Telephone Company.oRizal
predicted much ahead of time that people
could carry on overseas telephonic
conversations.
 Rizal and Jose Albert planned to have
sumptuous Christmas dinner – fried
chicken, rice and vegetables.After New
Year, Rizal made a brief visit to London due
to two reasons:oTo check up his annotated
edition of Morga’s Sucesos with the original
copy in British MuseumoTo see Gertrude
Beckett for last timeBy mid January 1890,
he was back in Paris and suffered a terrible
headache.
RIZAL AND DEL PILAR RIVALRY
 When the year 1890 was about to end,
an unwanted rivalry between Rizal and
Del Pilar nonetheless arose. By the time,
Del Pilar had become the owner of La
Solidardad and had taken the place of
Graciano Lopez Jaena as its editor. Del
Pilar’s management and editorial policy
were occasionally dissimilar to Rizal’s
political vision.
 The editorial policy of La Solidaridad
under Del Pilar’s management enhanced
the cleavage between Rizal and Del Pilar.
Rizal and his close friends objected to
the periodical’s editorial policy which
was occasionally contrary to Rizal’s
political views.
 Ideally to fix differences and solidify the unity
among them, about 90 Filipinos in Madrid
met on the New Year’s Day of 1891. It was
agreed upon in the gathering that a leader
called Responsable, be elected to administer
the campaigns for reform of the Filipinos.
 The voting happened during the first week of

February that year. It was decided that the

‘Responsible’ must be elected by a two-thirds
vote of the participants. The supposedly
healthy election for a leader produced divisive
unpleasant split among the Filipinos,
the Rizalistas and the Pilaristas, as both
camps zealously campaigned for their
respective choice.
 Rizal won the election but his votes fell
short of the required two-thirds vote to be
declared Responsable. He won again on the
second day, but then again, the votes
counted for him did not reach the needed
fraction. On the third day, since Mariano
Ponce appealed to some Pilaristas to
surrender their will to what the majority
wanted, the election resulted in Rizal’s
becoming the ‘legal’ Responsable.
 Rizal, however, courteously declined the
position. He knew that there were
‘Pilaristas’ who did not like either his views
or personality. Jose Rizal, a man of
delicadeza, thus decided to abdicate his
leadership and leave Madrid, lest his
presence results in more serious faction
among Filipinos in Madrid. 
 Inactive in the Propaganda Movement, Rizal
also stopped contributing to La Solidaridad.
Realizing that Rizal’s involvement in the
reform campaigns was necessary, the
humble Del Pilar wrote to Rizal on August 7,
1891, saying, “If you have any resentment, I
beg you to put it aside; if you consider me
at fault, and this fault is pardonable, forgive
me… We would much like that you resume
writing for it; not only would we strengthen
La Solidaridad but we would defeat the friar
intrigue in the Philippines.”
 In his reply, Rizal denied any resentment
and enumerated his reasons for stopping to
write for La Solidaridad:
 “I am extremely surprised at your letter,

telling me about resentments,

disagreements, and reconciliations, etc. I
believe it is useless to talk about what does
not exist, and if it has existed, it ought to
have evaporated in the past. I think like you
do, that there being nothing, one ought not
to waste time talking about it.’
 “If I stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because
of several reasons, 1st, I need time to work on my
book; 2nd, I wanted other Filipinos to work also; 3rd, I
considered it very important to the party that there be
unity in the work; and you are already at the top and I
also have my own ideas, it is better to leave you alone
to direct the policy such as you understand it and I do
not meddle in it. This has two advantages: It leaves
both of us free, and it increases your prestige, which is
very necessary, inasmuch as men of prestige are
needed in our country. This does not mean to say that
I need not work and follow the course of your work. I
am like an army corps who, at a needed moment, you
will see arrive to descend upon the flanks of the enemy
before you. Only I ask God to give me the means to do
it… I fight for the nation, the Philippines.” (as quoted
in Zaide, p. 188)
 After Rizal’s El Filibusterismo came off the
press, Del Pilar frankly commented that it was
inferior compared to Noli. This remark was
freely acknowledged and granted by the
author. Reading the La Solidaridad from Hong
Kong, Rizal was however disgusted with the
articles’ allegations about him. On May 23,
1892, Rizal sent a letter of protest to Mariano
Ponce against Eduardo Lete’s article which
alleged, among other things, that Rizal was a
coward and had abandoned the patriotic
cause. Rizal wondered why Del Pilar allowed
the publication of such an article, fearing that
it would lead the readers to believe in the
existence of division among them.
 During Rizal’s exile in Dapitan, he nonetheless
received a letter dated July 20, 1892 from Del
Pilar, stating his grievance on Rizal’s case. In his
last letter to Rizal, Del Pilar explained Lete’s
article, saying, “How could I allow him to attack
you when I am interested in your prestige? …I am
sure that when Lete wrote the article he did not
intend to allude to you and much less to molest
you. He described an individual whose methods
are diametrically opposed to yours.” Ever wishing
to reconcile with Rizal, Del Pilar lovingly said, “I
have not stopped wishing for the renewal of our
former ties, for I believe that slight differences in
procedure are not enough to destroy our
common principles, purposes, and feelings…”
 Last days and legacy
 Del Pilar became a close friend of Miguel
Morayta, a professor at the Universidad Central
de Madrid and his co-member in the
Freemasonry. Before he died, Del Pilar
abandoned the ‘assimilationist’ stand, that is,
the advocacy to have the Philippines be treated
as one of Spain’s provinces. Wanting an armed
revolution, Del Pilar bravely stated,
“Insurrection is the last remedy, especially when
the people have acquired the belief that
peaceful means to secure the remedies for evils
prove futile.” This pronouncement inspired the
establishment and mission of Andres
Bonifacio’s revolutionary society, the Katipunan.
 Shortly before his 46th birthday, Del Pilar
died of tuberculosis on July 4, 1896, barely
six months before Rizal’s execution. Initially
buried at the ‘Cementerio del Sub-
Oeste’ (Southwest Cemetery) in Barcelona,
his remains were brought to the Philippines
on December 3, 1920. Buried at
the ManilaNorth Cemetery, it was later
transferred to his birthplace in Bulacán,
Bulacan, under a monument, on his
134th birth anniversary celebration (August
30, 1984).
 Other notable writings of Del Pilar were
“Pasiong Dapat Ipag-alab nang Puso nang
Tauong Babasa” (Passion That Should
Inflame the Heart of the Reader, 1888), “La
Frailocracia Filipina” (Friarocracy in the
Philippines, 1889), and “Sagot ng España sa
Hibic ng Filipinas” (Spain's Reply to the Cry
of the Philippines, 1889). Del Pilar had seven
children by his wife Marciana, but only two
of whom (Sofia and Anita) grew to
adulthood.The building that houses
the PolytechnicUniversity of the Philippines
Graduate School was named after Marcelo H.
Del Pilar.   (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)
RIZAL IN BRUSSELS
 Rizal In Brussels
 PORTUGAL SPAIN FRANCE BELGIUM GERMANY
 Why are you leaving Paris? Because the cost of living
here in Paris is very high and the gay social life in
the city is hampering my literary works. Sure? Isn’t it
because you’re running away from a girl in London?
 Ok then! Of course not! The prices here are just
really high. Well then, you can stay in my place
without paying any rent. Thank you, but no thanks
my friend.
 Jose Albert accompanied Rizal to move to Brussels.
Jose Alejandro an engineering student who replaced
Jose Albert.
 They stayed in a boarding house at 38 Rue
Philippe Champagne. Rizal lived in this
house when he wrote his novel‘El
Filibusterismo’ in 1890-1891 The boarding
house is run by two Jacoby sisters named
Suzanne and Marie.
 Rizal spent his time writing his second

novel, El Filibusterismo. • He also wrote

articles for La Solidaridad and letter for his
family and friends. • He also spent his
remaining time doing gymnastic in the
gymnasium, target practice and fencing at
the armory.
 The articles he wrote for La Solidaridad during
his stay in Brussel. • “A La Defensa” (To La
Defensa), April 30, 1889. • “La verdad Para
Todos” ( The Truth For All), May 31, 1889. •
“Vicente Barrantes’(Teatro Tagalo) June 15,
18889 • “Una Profanacion” (A Profanation), July
31, 1889 • “Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths),
July 31, 1889 • “Crueldad” (Cruelty), August 15,
1889 • “Differencias” (Differences), September
15, 1889 • “Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences),
November 30, 1889 • “Llanto y Risas” (Tears
and Laughters), November 30, 1889 •
“Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude), January 15, 1890
Articles published in La Solidaridad
 New tagalog orthography • Sobre la Nueva
Ortografia de la Lengua Tagala The New
Orthography of the Language • Rizal adapted
the Filipinized tagalog in his translations of
Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell and Andresen’s Fairy
Tale • Rizal gave credit to Dr. Trinidad H.
Pardo de Tavera’s work El Sanscrito en
Lengua Tagala
 “I put this on record so that when the history

of this orthography is traced, which is already

being enlightened Tagalists, that what is
Caesar‟s be given to Caesar. This innovation
is due solely to Dr. Pardo de Tavera „s studies
on Tagalismo. I was one of its most zealous
propagandists”
 Rizal Criticizes Madrid Filipinos for Gambling
MAY 28, 1890 – Rizal wrote to Marcelo H. del
Pilar to remind the Filipinos in Madrid that they
went to Europe to work for their Fatherland’s
freedom and not to gamble.
 “ Luna in Paris complains about the gambling of
the Filipinos in Madrid, and so does Ventura.
They say that according to news from the
Philippines, the parents are very much
disgusted…I am afraid we are serving the friars‟
scheme. There is nothing at home to remind
them that the Filipino does not come to Europe
to gamble and amuse himself, but to work for
our liberty and for the dignity of his race.
 It is not necessary to leave the Philippines to
gamble, for they already gamble very much. If we
who are called upon to do something, if we, in
whom the poor place their modest hopes, spend
our time in these things precisely when the years
of youth should be employed in something more
noble and lofty for the very reason that youth is
noble and lofty, I fear much that we are fighting
for a useless illusion, and that, instead of being
worthy of liberty we are worthy of slavery. I
appeal to the patriotism of all Filipinos to give the
Spanish people proof that we are superior to our
misfortune and that neither are we capable of
being brutalized, nor can our noble sentiments be
deafened with the corruption of customs."
 • Through gambling they are showing that the
Filipinos are not worthy of freedom but of
slavery • They should spend their time doing
something noble and generous because the
youth is noble and generous • The gambling
Filipinos in Madrid became very angry when
they learned of Rizal’s moralizing that they
called him “Papa” (pope) instead of “Pepe”.
 PRESINTEMENT OF DEATH • Rizal had a bad

dreams during the night in Brussels. • LETTER

TO DEL PILAR: • In my childhood I had a
strange belief that I would not reach 30 years
of age. • I am preparing myself for death. •
Laong Laan (Ever Ready) is my true name.
 SUMMARY OF RIZAL’S LETTER TO DEL PILAR:
“Sad presentiments (intuitions) assault me
though I do not give them entire credence
(belief). In my childhood I had a strange belief
that I would not reach thirty years of age. I do
not know why I thought, this. There were two
months during which almost every night I had
no other dream than that my friends and
relatives were dead. Although I do not believe in
these things and although my body is very
strong and I have no illness and have no fear.
I‟am preparing myself for death and for any
eventuality. Laong Laan is my name (Laging
Handa) is my true name. • Rizal wanted to finish
his second novel before went to his grave.
 PREPARATION TO GO HOME • Rizal could not
stay in Brussels writing a book while his
parents, relatives and friends in the
Philippines were prosecuted. RIZAL’S LETTER
TO PONCE: “I want to go back to the
Philippines, and although I know it would be
daring and imprudent, what does that matter
? The only thing that can detain me is a
doubt whether my parents agree. Iam afraid
to disturb their last years . In case they
should object my homecoming, I would work
for a livelihood in some part of the world.” •
Rizal’s friends warned him of the danger that
awaited him at home
 Something happened that made Rizal change
his plan in returning to the Philippines when he
received a letter from Paciano which related
that they lost the case against the Dominicans
in Manila but they appealed it to the Supreme
Court in Spain. June 20, 1890 – Rizal wrote to
M. H. Del Pilar retaining the latter’s service as a
lawyer and informed Del Pilar that he was going
to Madrid, in order to supervise the handling of
the case. July 29, 1890 – he wrote a letter to
Ponce announcing that he was leaving Brussels
at the beginning of the following month and
would arrive Madrid about the 3rd and 4th of
August. Decision to go to Madrid
 August 1890 - He arrived in Madrid, burdened
with sorrow brought about by terrible news
about his family and the worsening trouble in
his hometown Spanish newspapers. - El
Resumen, El Dia, La Justicia and El Globo “to
cover the ears, open the purse, and fold the
arms” – El Resumen (liberal Spanish
newspaper), in an article they published which
talks about the colonial policy of the Spaniards
especially those in the Philippines and other
colonies December 1890 - Rizal spent a cold
month with a letter from Leonor Rivera asking
his forgiveness and telling him about her
forthcoming marriage to an Englishman chosen
by her mother.
 To my Muse Invoked no longer is the Muse,
The lyre is out of date; The poets it no
longer use, And youth its inspiration now
imbues With other form and state. If today
our fancies aught Of verse would still
require, Helicon’s hill remains unsought;
And without heed we but inquire, Why the
coffee is not brought. In the place of
thought sincere That our hearts may feel,
We must seize a pen of steel, And with
verse and line severe Fling abroad a jest and
jeer.
 Muse, that in the past inspired me, And with
songs of love hast fired me; Go thou now to
dull repose, For today in sordid prose I
must earn the gold that hired me. Now
must I ponder deep, Meditate, and struggle
on; E’en sometimes I must weep; For he
who love would keep Great pain has
undergone. Fled are the days of ease, The
days of Love’s delight; When flowers still
would please And give to suffering souls
surcease From pain and sorrow’s blight.
 One by one they have passed on, All I loved
and moved among; Dead or married—from
me gone, For all I place my heart upon By
fate adverse are stung. Go thou, too, O
Muse, depart, Other regions fairer find; For
my land but offers art For the laurel, chains
that bind, For a temple, prisons blind. But
before thou leavest me, speak: Tell me with
thy voice sublime, Thou couldst ever from
me seek A song of sorrow for the weak,
Defiance to the tyrant’s crime.
 Romance with petite Jacoby As the
despondent Rizal was preparing for his trip
to Madrid, two things brought some
measure of cheer to him: • First, was the
summertime festival of Belgium which was
celebrated in carnival style with:  Colorful
costumes  Fantastic floats and  Many
days of merriment • Second, was his
romance with Petite Suzanne Jacoby, the
pretty niece of his land ladies.
 Leaving Brussels, Rizal left the young
Suzanne a box of chocolates. Two months
later, Suzanne wrote a letter to Dr. Rizal,
saying: “After your departure, I did not take
the chocolate. The box is still intact as on
the day of your parting. Don’t delay too
long writing us because I wear out the soles
of my shoes for running to the mailbox to
see if there is a letter from you. There will
never be any home in which you are so
loved as in that in Brussels, so, you little
bad boy, hurry up and come back…”
 In her another letter, “Where are you now? Do
you think of me once in a while? I am
reminded of our tender conversations,
reading your letter, although it is cold and
indifferent. Here in your letter I have
something which makes up for your absence.
How pleased I would be to follow you, to
travel with you who are always in my
thoughts. You wish me all kinds of luck, but
forget that in the absence of a beloved one a
tender heart cannot feel happy.
 A thousand things serve to distract your
mind, my friend; but in my case, I am sad,
lonely, always alone with my thoughts –
nothing, absolutely nothing relieves my
sorrow. Are you coming back? That’s what I
want and desire most ardently – you cannot
refuse me. I do not despair and I limit
myself to murmuring against time which
runs so fast when it carries us toward a
separation but goes so slowly when it’s
bringing us together again.
 I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps I
might never see you again. Goodbye! You
know with one word you can make me very
happy. Aren’t you going to write to me? To
her surprise, Rizal returned to Brussels by the
middle of April 1891 and stayed again in the
Jacoby’s boarding house. Rizal’s return
however was not specifically for Suzanne for
the hero just busied himself revising and
finalizing the manuscript of El Fili for
publication. On July 5, 1891, Rizal bade
goodbye to Brussels and Suzanne, never to
come back again in Belgium and in her arms.
 El Filibusterismo “Reign of Greed” Aim: to
address and reform the Spanish system
Writing of the novel: Started writing in
Calamba 1887 – revised the plot and some
chapters and continued in Paris - then to
Brussels – completed on March 29 1891 at
Biarritz- published on September 1891 at
Ghent. It was partially funded by his friend
Valentin Ventura. Comparison: (nher, I really
don’t know if nindot ba ni i.apil or dili,basin
lang buh) In Noli ma Tangere , there is
aspiration, beauty, romance, and merc, while,
in El Filibusterismo, all the reader will feel is
bitterness, hatred, and antipathy.
 Aim: (1) to work peacefully for political and social
reforms (2) to portray the deplorable conditions of the
Philippines so that Spain may remedy them (3) to
oppose the evil forces of reaction and medievalism (4) to
advocate liberal ideas and progress (5) to champion the
legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life,
democracy and happiness The articles he wrote for La
Soli during his stay in Brussel. “A La Defensa” (To La
Defensa), April 30, 1889. “La verdad Para Todos” ( The
Truth For All), May 31, 1889. “Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro
Tagalo,” June 15, 18889 “Una Profanacion” (A
Profanation), July 31, 1889 “Verdades Nuevas” (New
Truths), July 31, 1889 “Crueldad” (Cruelty), August 15,
1889 “Differencias” (Differences), September 15, 1889
“Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences), November 30,
1889 “Llanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughters), November
30, 1889 “Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude), January 15, 1890
  
RIZAL EXECUTION
 "I SAW RIZAL DIE"
 There is one eyewitness to Rizal’s execution whose
observation was told to a journalist in 1949, or 53 years
after the event. A man named Hilarion Martinez, then 72
years old, relayed to Alberto Mendoza of the Sunday Times
Magazine what he witnessed during Rizal’s execution.
 In 1896, a then 20-year old Martinez was a member of the
Leales Voluntarios de Manila (Loyal Volunteers of Manila)
and was assigned to the drum corps. Martinez and his
fellow drum corps members accompanied the condemned
man from the time he left Fort Santiago until he reached
Bagumbayan. Because of his role in the drum corps, it is
said that he occupied a good vantage point from which to
observe the execution. Martinez’ complete account is
reproduced below:
 "It was six o’clock in the morning of
December 30, 1896, when we woke up at our
quarters at the corner of Sta. Potenciana and
Magallanes Streets, in Intramuros, to attend
the execution of Jose Rizal, about which we
had been briefed the day before. We were in
the Leales Voluntarios de Manila, a semi-
military organization under the command of
Capt. Manuel Leaño. Our immediate officer
was a youthful Spanish lieutenant named Juan
Pereira. I was twenty years old then, and a
member of the drum corps.
 "We marched out of Intramuros through the
Puerta Real, or where Nozaleda (now General
Luna) Street out through the walls on the south,
clad in our cañamo uniforms and with our cajas
vivas strapped around our waists. We
proceeded to what is now Padre Burgos Street,
under an overcast sky and a biting December
morn.
 "Bagumbayan is not the Luneta now. The waters
of Manila Bay still reached the other side of
Malecon Drive (now Bonifacio Drive) where the
new Luneta is located. The Luneta of those days
was as far back as the site of the old
Bagumbayan police station, near which lush
bamboo thickets grew.
 "As we rounded the corner of P. Burgos and
General Luna Streets, we got a glimpse of the
cuadro, a square formation of about ten
companies of Filipino and Spanish soldiers.
The former occupied the inner portion of the
quadrangle, while the latter were at the rear.
This formation was strategic because the
Filipino soldiers’ position within the cuadro
signified that the Spanish authorities wanted
Rizal to die in the hands of the Filipino
soldiers. If the latter disobeyed the command
to fire upon Rizal, the Spanish soldiers
positioned at the rear would fire upon them.
 "There were civilian spectators, too. The side
of the cuadro near the bay was open.
 "As we approached the quadrangle, we saw
some Spanish military officers earnestly
talking in low voices. Rizal was nowhere to be
seen – yet. Not having had a glimpse of the
man before, I began to wonder what he
looked like. I remembered how my mother
told me Rizal was so learned, nobody could
poison him as he always carried with him his
own spoon and fork with which he could
detect whether his food was poisoned or not. I
heard too, of his fighting for our (Filipino)
cause aside from legends that were beginning
to be woven around him.
 "Soon the small crowd heard the muffle
sound of our approaching vivas draped with
black cloth during execution ceremonies. A
slight commotion broke out at the right end
of the cuadro near the bay as some soldiers
with fixed bayonets entered followed by a
man in black, his arms tied at the elbows
from the back, on his head, a derby hat or
chistera, on his sides, a Spanish officer and
a Jesuit priest.
 "When I saw the man, I knew he was Rizal.
 "A group of Spanish officers who were
standing nearby opened into a semicircular
formation or media luna. Then a Spaniard (we
would learn later he was Lt. Luis Andrade,
one of Rizal’s popular Spanish defenders and
sympathizers) affectionately shook the
latter’s hand. When Rizal was near the center
of the quadrangle, the mayor de la plaza, a
colonel, announced at the bandillo: “En el
nombre del Rey, el que se levante la voz a
favor del reo sera ejecutado.” (In the name of
the King, he who raises his voice in favor of
the criminal will be executed.)
 "A deep silence enshrouded the whole assembly.
 "We in the drum corps were about seven paces
behind Rizal who then faced the bay. Our
commanding officer approached us and told us
should Rizal attempt to speak aloud, we should
beat our drums hard to drown out his voice. I
looked at Rizal. He was of regular build,
unshaven, quite pale, perhaps as a result of his
confinement but he was visibly composed and
serene. A Jesuit approached him, said a prayer
and blessed him. Then a colonel approached him
too, as our commanding officer ordered us to
move two paces backwards, and the firing squad
of six Filipinos came forward and took our
former position behind Rizal.
 With visible effort, Rizal raised his right hand
which was tied and took off his chistera or derby
hat. My heart beat fast, as in all other executions
I had witnessed before, I felt tense and nervous.
Amidst the silence, Rizal moved his head very
slowly up and down, his lips moving as if in
prayer.
 "Then the commanding officer by means of his
saber, signaled the firing squad to aim. Then the
saber dropped and there was a simultaneous
crack of rifle fire that shattered the stillness of
the morning. Jose Rizal wheeled in one last effort
and toppled forward with a thud, his face towards
the sky and his derby hat thrown ahead. He had
fallen in the direction of the bay.
 "Many of the reos [condemned criminals] had been caused to
kneel and be hoodwinked before they were shot on the head.
But Rizal was spared that humiliation.
 "Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a small dog appeared and ran
in circles around Rizal’s fallen body, barking and
whimpering. This incident would much later be the subject of
our talk in our quarters. Some of my comrades were quick to
conclude that it was a premonition of a coming misfortune.
 "Then the capitan militar de la sanidad (medical officer)
stepped forward, knelt before the fallen man, and felt his
pulse. Looking up, he beckoned to a member of the firing
squad to come forward and give the final tiro de gracia,
another shot done at close range. I thought I saw a faint haze
rise from Rizal’s coat, but it might be a wisp of the morning
mist. Seeing the body before me, I felt weak.
 "The officers began to show animation again. They fell in
formation and marched to the tune of the Spanish national
air, the Paso Doble Marcha de Cadiz.
 "As was customary in past executions, we
filed past the body to view it for the last
time. When we were commanded 'eyes left,'
I did not shut my eyes as I did at the sight
of the several reos whose heads were blown
off by rifle fire. I wanted to see the face of
the man for one last time. Rizal lay dead on
the dewy grass. The day had started and I
realized that I was gazing on the face of the
great Malayan; that I was witnessing history
in the making."
THE PHILIPPINE CENTURY HENCE
“The Philippines a Century Hence” is an
essay written by Philippine national hero
Jose Rizal to forecast the 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.
 
 This essay, published in La Solidaridad
starts by analyzing the various causes of the
miseries suffered by the Filipino people:
 Spain’s implementation of her military
policies – because of such laws, the
Philippine population decreased
dramatically.  Poverty became more
rampant than ever, 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.
 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 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.
 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, 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 Rizal raises in this essay is

whether or not Spain can indeed prevent the

progress of the Philippines:
 Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant
had failed.  National consciousness had still
awakened, and great Filipino minds still
emerged from the rubble.
 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.
 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.
 Spain, therefore, had no means to stop the
progress of the country.  What she needs to
do is to change her colonial policies so that
they are in keeping with the needs of the
Philippine society and to the rising
nationalism of the people.
  
 What Rizal had envisioned in his essay came

true.  In 1898, the Americans wrestled with

Spain to win the Philippines, and eventually
took over the country.  Theirs was a reign of
democracy and liberty. 
 .  Five decades after Rizal’s death, the
Philippines gained her long-awaited
independence.  This was in fulfillment of
what he had written in his essay: “History
does not record in its annals any lasting
domination by one people over another, of
different races, of diverse usages and
customs, of opposite and divergent ideas.
One of the two had to yield and succumb.”
TO THE YOUNG WOMEN OF MALOLOS
 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. 
 “To the Women of Malolos” was originally
written in Tagalog.  Rizal penned this writing
when he was in London, in response to the
request of Marcelo H. del Pilar.  The salient
points contained in this letter are as follows:
 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.
 The defense of private judgment
 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.
 Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers
to their children
 Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her
husband – Filipino women are known to be
submissive, tender, and loving.  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.
 Counsel to young women on their choice of

a lifetime partner
 RIZAL’S MESSAGE TO FILIPINO WOMEN
 Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting
spirit that the young women of Malolos had
shown.  In his letter, he expresses great joy and
satisfaction over the battle they had fought.  In
this portion of Rizal’s letter, it is obvious that his
ultimate desire was for women to be offered the
same opportunities as those received by men in
terms of education.  During those days young
girls were not sent to school because of the
universal notion that they would soon only be
taken as wives and stay at home with the
children.  Rizal, however, emphasizes on freedom
of thought and the right to education, which must
be granted to both boys and girls alike.
 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 become
also.  If the mother is always kissing the hand
of the friars in submission, then her children
will grow up to be sycophants 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:

 Be a noble wife.
 Rear her children in the service of the

state – here Rizal gives reference to the

women of Sparta who embody this
quality
 Set standards of behavior for men
around her.
 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:
 A noble and honored name
 A manly heart
 A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with

engendering slaves.
 “To the Women of Malolos” centers around five
salient points (Zaide &Zaide, 1999):
 Filipino mothers should teach their children
love of God, country and fellowmen.
 Filipino mothers should be glad and honored,
like Spartan mothers, to offer their sons in
defense of their country.
 Filipino women should know how to protect
their dignity and honor.
 Filipino women should educate themselves
aside from retaining their good racial values.
 Faith is not merely reciting prayers and
wearing religious pictures. It is living the real
Christian way with good morals and manners.
 In recent times, it seems that these qualities are
gradually lost in the way Filipino women conduct
themselves.  There are oftentimes moments where
mothers forget their roles in rearing their children
because of the overriding idea of having to earn for
the family to supplement their husband’s income. 
Although there is nothing negative about working
hard for the welfare of the family, there must
always be balance in the way people go through
life.  Failure in the home cannot be compensated
for by any amount of wealth or fame.