EL FILIBUSTERISMO

•Value the role of the youth in the development and future of society

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Compare and contrast the characters, plot, and

theme of the Noli Me Tangere and the El
Filibusterismo

Value the role of the youth in the development

and future of society
The story in El Filibusterismo revolves around its main character Simoun who is an affluent
jeweler. Simoun is actually Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli whom everyone thought had been
killed by the Guardia Civil at Laguna de Bay. He had in fact escaped, fled to Cuba, become
wealthy, and made connections with influential Spanish officials. Upon his return to the
Philippines after many years, he becomes very influential as the governor general, who
owes so much to him, consults him in making decisions. Rizal wrote the El Filibusterismo
about four years after the Noli. The experiences he had in those four years spelled a lot of
differences in the way he treated his two novels. In depicting the social conditions in the
country, both novels employ satires and caricatures. El Fili however is more serious as there
is less humor and more bitterness in the treatment of situations. In the Noli, the author
reveals the cruelty and exploitation suffered by the natives at the hands of colonizers. In El
Fili, Rizal depicts a society at the brink of rebellion as the natives’ minds have been
awakened and revolutionary forces have been formed.
This is Rizal’s sequel to his first book, Noli Me Tángere. In El Filibusterismo (The
Reign of the Greed), the novel exhibits a dark theme (as opposed to the hopeful
atmosphere in the first novel) in which it depicts the country’s issues and how
the protagonist attempts a reform. The story takes place 13 years after Noli Me
Tángere, where revolutionary protagonist Crisostomo Ibarra is now under the
guise of Simoun – a wealthy jewelry tycoon. Because the novel also portrays the
abuse, corruption, and discrimination of the Spaniards towards Filipinos, it was
also banned in the country at the time. Rizal dedicated his second novel to the
GOMBURZA – the Filipino priests named Mariano Gomez, Jose Apolonio
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora who were executed on charges of subversion. The
two novels of Rizal, now considered as his literary masterpieces, both indirectly
sparked the Philippine Revolution.
Thirteen years after he left the Philippines, Juan Crisostomo Ibarra (the main character from Noli Me Tangere)
returned as Simoun, a rich jeweler sporting a beard and bluetinted glasses, and a confidant of the Governor-
General of the Philippines Captain-General. Abandoning his idealism, he becomes a cynical saboteur, the titular
Filibuster (military)| filibustero, seeking revenge against the Spanish Philippines system responsible for his
misfortunes by plotting a revolution. Simoun insinuates himself into Manila high society and influences every
decision of the Captain-General to mismanage the country’s affairs so that a revolution will break out. He
cynically sides with the upper classes, encouraging them to commit abuses against the masses so that the
latter would be encouraged to revolt against the oppressive Spanish colonial regime. This time, he does not
attempt to fight the authorities through legal means, but through violent revolution using the masses. Simoun
has reasons for instigating a revolution. First is to rescue María Clara from the convent and second, to get rid of
ills and evils of Philippine society. His true identity is discovered by a now grown-up Basilio while visiting the
grave of his mother, Sisa, as Simoun was digging near the grave site for his buried treasures. Simoun spares
Basilio’s life and asks him to join in his planned revolution against the government, egging him on by bringing
up the tragic misfortunes of the latter's family. Basilio declines the offer as he still hopes that the country’s
condition will improve.
Basilio, at this point, is a graduating student of medicine at the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo Municipal de Manila. After the death of his mother, Sisa, and the disappearance of his
younger brother, Crispín, Basilio heeded the advice of the dying boatman, Elías, and traveled to
Manila to study. Basilio was adopted by Captain Tiago after María Clara entered the convent. With
Captain Tiago’s help, Basilio was able to go to Colegio de San Juan de Letrán where, at first, he is
frowned upon by his peers and teachers not only because of the color of his skin but also because
of his shabby appearance which he also experience at Ateneo. Captain Tiago’s confessor, Father
Irene is making Captain Tiago’s health worse by giving him opium even as Basilio tries hard to
prevent Captain Tiago from smoking it. He and other students want to establish a Spanish
language academy so that they can learn to speak and write Spanish language in the Philippines
Spanish despite the opposition from the Dominican Order Dominican friars of the University of
Santo Tomas| Universidad de Santo Tomas. With the help of a reluctant Father Irene as their
mediator and Don Custodio’s decision, the academy is established; however they will only serve as
caretakers of the school not as the teachers. Dejected and defeated, they hold a mock celebration
at a pancitería while a spy for the friars witnesses the proceedings.
Simoun, for his part, keeps in close contact with the bandit group of Kabesang Tales, a former
cabeza de barangay who suffered misfortunes at the hands of the friars. Once a farmer
owning a prosperous sugarcane plantation and a cabeza de barangay (barangay head), he
was forced to give everything to the greedy and unscrupulous Spanish friars. His son, Tano,
who became a civil guard was captured by bandits; his daughter Julî had to work as a maid to
get enough ransom money for his freedom; and his father, Tandang Selo, suffered a stroke
and became mute. Before joining the bandits, Tales took Simoun’s revolver while Simoun was
staying at his house for the night. As payment, Tales leaves a locket that once belonged to
María Clara. To further strengthen the revolution, Simoun has Quiroga, a China|Chinese man
hoping to be appointed consul to the Philippines, smuggle weapons into the country using
Quiroga’s bazaar as a front. Simoun wishes to attack during a stage play with all of his
enemies in attendance. He, however, abruptly aborts the attack when he learns from Basilio
that María Clara had died earlier that day in the convent.
A few days after the mock celebration by the students, the people are agitated when
disturbing posters are found displayed around the city. The authorities accuse the
students present at the pancitería of agitation and disturbing peace and has them
arrested. Basilio, although not present at the mock celebration, is also arrested. Captain
Tiago dies after learning of the incident and as stated in his will—forged by Father Irene,
all his possessions are given to the Church, leaving nothing for Basilio. Basilio is left in
prison as the other students are released. A high official tries to intervene for the release
of Basilio but the Captain-General, bearing grudges against the high official, coerces him
to tender his resignation. Julî, Basilio’s girlfriend and the daughter of Kabesang Tales,
tries to ask Father Camorra’s help upon the advice of an elder woman. Instead of helping
Julî, however, Father Camorra tries to rape her as he has longhidden desires for Julî. Julî,
rather than submit to the will of the friar, jumps over the balcony to her death.
Basilio is soon released with the help of Simoun. Basilio, now a changed man, and after
hearing about Julî's suicide, finally joins Simoun’s revolution. Simoun then tells Basilio his plan
at the wedding of Paulita Gómez and Juanito, Basilio’s hunch-backed classmate. His plan was
to conceal an explosive inside a pomegranate-styled Kerosene lamp|lamp that Simoun will
give to the newlyweds as a gift during the wedding reception. The reception will take place at
the former home of the late Captain Tiago, which was now filled with explosives planted by
Simoun. According to Simoun, the lamp will stay lighted for only 20 minutes before it flickers;
if someone attempts to turn the wick, it will explode and kill everyone—important members
of civil society and the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines|Church hierarchy—inside the
house. Basilio has a change of heart and attempts to warn the people inside, including
Isagani, his friend and the former boyfriend of Paulita. Simoun leaves the reception early as
planned and leaves a note behind
Initially thinking that it was simply a bad joke by those left behind,
Father Salví recognizes the handwriting and confirms that it was
indeed Ibarra’s. As people begin to panic, the lamp flickers. Father
Irene tries to turn the wick up when Isagani, due to his undying love for
Paulita, bursts in the room and throws the lamp into the river,
sabotaging Simoun's plans. He escapes by diving into the river as
guards chase after him. He later regrets his impulsive action because
he had contradicted his own belief that he loved his nation more than
Paulita and that the explosion and revolution could have fulfilled his
ideals for Filipino society.
Simoun, now unmasked as the perpetrator of the attempted arson and failed
revolution, becomes a fugitive. Wounded and exhausted after he was shot by the
pursuing Guardia Civil soldiers, he seeks shelter at the home of Father Florentino,
Isagani’s uncle, and comes under the care of Doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña, the husband
of Doña Victorina, who was also hiding at the house. Simoun takes poison in order for
him not to be captured alive by the authorities. Before he dies, he reveals his real
identity to Father Florentino while they exchange thoughts about the failure of his
revolution and why God forsook him. Father Florentino opines that God did not forsake
him and that his plans were not for the greater good but for personal gain. Simoun,
finally accepting Father Florentino’s explanation, squeezes his hand and dies. Father
Florentino then takes Simoun’s remaining jewels and throws them into the sea, hoping
that they would not be used by the greedy, and that when the time came that it would
be used for the greater good, when the nation would be finally deserving liberty for
themselves, the sea would reveal the treasures
LEARNING TASKS

 Make a graphic organizer to compare and

contrast, and show continuities and/or changes in
Rizal’s ideas expressed in the Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo
Write a reflection paper about selected
chapters discussing the role of the youth in
society (e.g..Ch.24. Ch. 39)