GENERAL EDUCATION SOCIAL STUDIES

RIZAL AND OTHER HEROES

A. Decree of December 20, 1898, issued by General Emilio Aguinaldo, declared December 30 of every year a
day of national mourning in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal and other victims of the Philippine Revolution.
B. Act No. 137, which organized the politico-military district of Morong into the Province of Rizal, was the first
official step taken by the Taft Commission to honor our greatest hero and martyr.

WHAT IS THE RIZAL LAW OR RA 1425?

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

POEMS:
a) Mi Ultimo Adios (Ang Huling Paalam/My Last Farewell) - written at his death cell in Fort Santiago
on the eve of his execution.

b) Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children)

a. first poem, written when he was eight years old, urging love of native language.

c) Mi Retiro (My Retreat) – written by Rizal in a response to a request from his mother.

d) Mi Primera Inspiraccion (My First Inspiration) – written in Ateneo, dedicated to his mother.

e) A La Juventud Filipina (Sa Kabataang Pilipino/To the Filipino Youth) - won first prize, written age
18 when he was in UST.

f) A Las Flores de Heidelberg – written when Rizal attended lecture courses in the University of
Heidelberg. The ancient city of Heidelberg is a scenic attraction in Europe.

ESSAYS:
1. To the Young Women of Malolos
 In his letter to the young women of Malolos written in 1889, Rizal pays homage to the 20 courageous
women of the town for their desire to educate themselves – a liberating action at that time.
 Rizal sees in these women a ray of hope in restoring Filipinas’ dignity and worth, who are being
denigrated at that time.
 He emphasizes the importance of the Filipino mothers, as it is in their nurturing hands where the
children's future lie – whether they be free or enslaved.
 Rizal advices the Filipino women to use reason, to know what a good mother is, and how to become
one.

2. Indolence of the Filipinos

 Rizal admits that indolence does exist among the Filipinos, but it cannot be attributed to the troubles and
backwardness of the country; rather it is the effect of the backwardness and troubles experienced by the
country.
 Filipinos, according to Rizal, are not responsible for their misfortunes, as they are not their own masters.
The Spanish government has not encouraged labor and trade, which ceased after the government treated
the country's neighboring trade partners with great suspicion.
 According to Rizal, all the causes of indolence can be reduced to two factors. The first factor is the
limited training and education Filipino natives receive. The second factor is the lack of a national
sentiment of unity among them.
 3. The Philippines A Century Hence
 Presents a radical prophesy of Rizal of how the Philippines would be through the century.
 Rizal presented a clear idea of how our Motherland will end up centuries later proposing that our
country will end up in either of the three ways:
1. That the Philippines will remain to be a colony of Spain but will be in good terms with it’s captors
2. That the Philippines will try to cut the ties of our Motherland from it’s captors through violent means
3. That we will be colonized by another country.
NOVELS

A. Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not )

- Dedicated to the Motherland, published in Berlin, Germany 1887.
- Rizal's main purpose was to expose the abuses of the Spanish friars and government officials.
- Rizal also presents the positive qualities of his countrymen. Family devotion is seen in the relations of
Ibarra, Maria Clara and others, like the schoolteacher, with their parents and guardians.
- By presenting different sides of the national situation, Rizal fulfilled his intent of presenting a "bold and
impartial account" of Philippine life.
- The novel not only exposed the sufferings of the Philippine natives but took steps towards defining the
national identity.

B. El Filibusterismo (Treason)
- Dedicated to GOMBURZA, Published in Ghent, Belgium in 1891.
- The main theme focused on by El Filibusterismo is the ideal means of achieving social reform.
- A number of chapters have long dialouges that seem like debates, pitting Rizal's fading hopes for reform
against his long-held aversion to revolution.

C. Makamisa
- Unfinished novel by Jose Rizal, begun in Tagalog and and continued in Spanish.
- It was a sequel to Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
- The novel revives the character Isagani from El Filibusterismo. Like the previous two novels, Makamisa
deals with problems of the Filipinos at that time, such as corrupt friars. Too little of the novel has been
found, however, to ascertain what plot Rizal intended.
- The Spanish drafts of Makamisa were discovered by Ambeth Ocampo in 1987 while he was going
through a 245-page collection of papers mistakenly labeled Borrador del Noli Me Tangere (Draft of Noli
Me Tangere). Ocampo translated the Spanish and Tagalog drafts that he found and edited them to form a
clear narrative, which is included in his book Makamisa: The Search for Rizal's Third Novel (Anvil,
1992).

FILIPINO HEROES

 Dr. Jose Rizal - The National Hero.

 Andres Bonifacio - The Great Plebian and Father of the Katipunan.

 General Gregorio del Pilar - Hero of the Battle of Tirad Pass.

 General Emilio Aguinaldo - President of the First Philippine Republic.

 Apolinario Mabini – Sublime Paralytic and Brains of the Revolution.

 GOMBURZA - Martyred Priests of 1872.

 Trece Martirez - 13 Martyrs from Cavite.

 Emilio Jacinto - Brains of the Katipunan.

 General Antonio Luna - Cofounder of La Independencia.

 Melchora Aquino ( Tandang Sora ) - Mother of Balintawak.

 Graciano Lopez-Jaena - Greatest Filipino Orator of the Propaganda Movement.

 Panday Pira - First Filipino Cannon-maker.

 Mariano Ponce - Propagandist, Historian, Diplomat and Managing Editor of La Solidaridad.

 Gregoria de Jesus – Lakambini of Katipunan and Wife of Andres Bonifacio.

 Fernando Ma. Guerrero – Poet of the Revolution.

 Felipe Agoncillo – Outstanding Diplomat of the First Philippine Republic.

 Rafael Palma - Cofounder of La Independencia and First UP president .

 Juan Luna - Greatest Filipino Painter.

 Marcelo H. Del Pilar – Greatest Journalist and Moving Spirit of the Propaganda Movement.

 Leona Florentino - First Filipino Poetess(from Ilocos Sur).

 Pedro Paterno - Peacemaker of the Revolution.

 Isabelo delos Reyes – Founder of Philippine Socialism.

 Artemio Ricarte – Revolutionary General, known as Viborra.

 Jose Palma - Wrote the Spanish Lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem.

 Lakandola - Chief of Tondo, Friendly to the Spaniards.

 Rajah Soliman - The Last Rajah of Manila.

 Leonor Rivera - Cousin and Fiancee of Jose Rizal.

 Marcela Agoncillo - Maker of the First Filipino Flag.

 Galicano Apacible - One of the Founders of Katipunan.

 Jose Ma. Panganiban - Bicolandia's Greatest Contribution to the Historic Campaign for Reforms.

 Diego Silang - Leader of the Ilocano Revolt.

 Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang - Continued the Fight After her Husband's Death.

 Lapu-Lapu - Chieftain of Mactan Who Killed Magellan. First Filipino Hero.

 Francisco Dagohoy - Leader of the Longest Revolt in Bohol.

 Epifanio delos Santos - A Man of Many Talents; the Former Highway 54 is Now Named After him

(EDSA).

 Francisco Baltazar - Prince of Tagalog Poets.

  Teresa Magbanua – First Woman Fighter in Panay. Visayan Joan of Arc.

 Trinidad Tecson - Mother of Biak-na-Bato.

 Agueda Esteban - Wife of Artemio Ricarte Who Carried Secret Messages About Spanish Troops.

 Marina Dizon - Daughter of One of the Trece Martirez.

 General Francisco Makabulos - Leader of the Revolt in Tarlac.

 Julian Felipe - Composer of the Philippine National Anthem.

GREGORIA DE JESUS (1875-1943)

 She established the women’s section of the Katipunan and at the same time served as document security
officer of the movement.
 Also known as Aling Oriang, she was the wife of Andres Bonifacio.

TERESA MAGBANUA (1871-1947)

 She was a member of the Katipunan in Panay in 1897 who had led a number of successful military
attacks against Spanish troops.
 She continued to support the people’s movement and fought for the Filipinos during the American
invasion in 1899 and Japanese invasion in 1941.
 She is also known as "the Visayan Joan of Arc".

TRINIDAD TECSON (1848-1928)

 She used her own blood to sign her membership in the Katipunan.
 As a general in the Katipunan she led a group in Biyak-na-Bato that successfully defeated the attack of
Spanish soldiers.
 She started Red Cross work in the Philippines and organized groups of women to do nursing work for
the soldiers, a task that earned her the title of the "Mother of Biyak- na Bato".

LORENA BARROS
 She founded Makibaka, the first underground organisation for women which is fighting to change
society’s attitude towards women and women’s empowerment.
 She was arrested when Martial Law was declared but she eventually escaped from her prison cell in
Bicutan.
 She joined the New Peoples Army and was killed in action by the military in 1976.

LIZA BALANDO
 She was a farmer from Samar who came to Manila to work.
 She became a union activist at Rossini’s Knitwear and had joined many demonstrations.
 During the May Day rally in front of the Congress in 1972, she was shot, among others, by men in
helicopters flying overhead.

LILLIOSA HILAO
 A student activist from the University of Manila, she was arrested and tortured by the military in 1973 to
squeeze out information on the whereabouts of her comrades.
 The torture was unsuccessful.
 She died in her cell in Camp Crame.

AGUEDA ESTEBAN
 Katipunan member who later married Artemio Ricarte.
 She commuted from Cavite to Manila to buy saltpeter, lead, and copper which were used to make
ammunitions.
 She also carried secret messages about the planned offensives against the Spanish posts.