Rizal Module 3-6
Rizal Module 3-6
Maybelyn M. Mata
Instructor
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Units:3
Course Description:
As mandated by Republic Act 1425, this course covers the life and works of the country's national hero, José Rizal. Among the topics covered are Rizal's biography and his
writings, particularly the novels Noli me Tangere and El filibusterismo, some of his essays, and various correspondences.
The components which will serve as basis for class performance of a student shall be:
Course Requirements
Quizzes
Performance Tasks
Exam
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Course Outline
7 Noli Me Tangere
8 El Filibusterismo
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Module No. 3
Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education
Pre-assessment
2. What do you think your life may be if you were born in 19th century?
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Content
Rizal-Mercado Family
The Rizal family is considered as one of the biggest family during their time Domingo Lam-co, the family's paternal ascendant was Chinese who came to the
Philippines from Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th century and married a half-Chinese by the name of Ines de la Rosa.
Jose Protacio Realonda Alonzo Mercado Rizal
Known to a “child of a good family”
Jose was born on June 19, 1861
Calamba, Laguna (between 11 and 12 at night)
He was the seventh of eleventh children, the younger of two boys and with nine sisters all in all
Jose Florentino
Uncle of Rizal
Elected to the Spanish Cortes
Distinguished government servant
inspiration of Rizal to be a government servant too
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The Siblings
Saturnina (1850-1913), eldest of the Rizal children, became the wife of Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. She and her mother provided the little Jose with the
basic education by the age of three.
Paciano, the second child in the family and Rizal's only brother, was born on March 7, 1851 in Calamba, Laguna. He was fondly addressed by his siblings as Nor
Panciano, short for “Senior Panciano”. The 10 year older brother of Jose studied at San Jose College in Manila, became a former and later general of the
Philippine Revolution.
Narcisa (1852-1939), third Rizal, was married to Antonio Lopez, a teacher of Morong, Rizal. Later in history, Narcisa (like Saturnina) would help in financing Rizal’s studies
in Europe, even pawning her jewelry and peddling her clothes if needed.
Olimpia (1855-1887), fourth Rizal child, was married to Silvestre Ubaldo. Jose loved to tease her, sometimes good-humoredly describing her as his stout sister. She died
of childbirth in 1887.
Lucia (1857-1919), fifth Rizal child, was the wife of Mariano Herbosa.
Maria (1859-1945), the sixth Rizal child, became the wife of Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna. It was to her whom Jose talked about wanting to marry
Josephine Bracken when the majority of the Rizal family was apparently not amendable to the idea. In his letter date December 28, 1981, Jose wrote to Maria.
Concepcion (1862-1865)- her pet name was Concha; she died of sickness at the age of 3; her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
Josefa (1865-1945) was the ninth child in the family, Panggay (her nickname) died an old maid at the age of 80.
Trinidad (1868-1951), the tenth Rizal child. Historically, she was the custodian of Rizal’s greatest poem. She died also an old maid in 1951 at the age of 83.
Soledad (1870-1929), the youngest Rizal child became the wife of Pantaleon Quintero.
Rizal’s Childhood
Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town Calamba where he grew up with his family. The happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this
lakeshore town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like tragic manhood.
Rizal loved Calamba with all his heart and soul. In 1876, when he was 15 years old and was a student in Ateneo de Manila, he remembered his beloved town.
Accordingly, he wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was three years old. Because he was a frail, sickly, and undersized child, he
was given the tender care by his parents. His father built a nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in a day. A kind old woman was employed as an aya (nurse maid) to
look after his comfort.
“Pepe” or “Pepito” to the town people of Calamba
Was struck by tragedy with the death of his favorite sister Concha.
1868 (7 yrs. Old), he wrote a comedy for the local fiesta
A voracious reader, was able to read at age of 3
Was influenced greatly by his mother in his education and development of interest in poetry, music and European literature
Readings in Tagalog poetry and assignments in Phil. History inculcated sense of Filipino Culture
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language entitled Sa Aking mga Kababata (To My Fellow Children)
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Martyrdom of GOM-BUR-ZA
On the night of January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the leadership of Lamandrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent
mutiny because of the abolition of their usual privileges, including exemption from tribute to polo (forced labor) by the reactionary Governor Rafael de Izquierdo.
Unfortunately, this Cavite Mutiny was suppressed two days later by troop reinforcements from Manila. The Spanish authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers Mariano
Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, leaders of secular movement to Filipinize the Philippine parishes, and their supporters (Jose Ma. Basa, Attorneys Joaquin Pardo
de Tavera and Antonio Ma. Regidor, etc.) magnified the failed mutiny into a “revolt” for Philippine Independence.
Accordingly, Gom-Bur-Za despite the archbishop’s plea for clemency because of their innocence, were executed at sunrise, February 17, 1872, by order of Gov Gen.
Izquierdo. Their martyrdom was deeply mourned by Rizal family and many other patriotic families in the Philippines.
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Panciano, enraged by the execution of Burgos, his beloved friend, teacher, and housemate, quit his studies at the College of San Jose and returned to Calamba,
where he told the heroic story of Burgos to his younger brother, Jose, who was then nearly eleven years old. The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight
the evils of Spanish tyranny his oppressed people. In 1891, Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za.
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Module 4
Rizal’s Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad
Intended Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to
1. Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda Movement
2. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other Propagandists
3. Analyze Rizal’s growth as a Propagandist and disavowal of assimilation
Content
AT ATENEO DE MANILA
Ateneo was known to be the most prestigious college for boys because of its great teachings. From 1872-1877, under the supervision of the Jesuit priests Rizal
studied in Ateneo de Manila. Rizal went to Ateneo Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia. In search for Rizal’s formal knowledge as a high school student, his father wanted
to send Rizal to Letran but decided to have him enrolled at the latter instead.
Rizal took first the entrance examination at the Colegio de San Juan de Letranon June 10, 1872. His brother, Paciano, accompanied him when he took the exam. The
exams for incoming freshmen in the different colleges for boys were administered or held at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran since the Dominicans exercised the power of
inspection and regulation over Ateneo that time. After passing the exam, Rizal was admitted at the Ateneo Municipal. Although Rizal qualified in the entrance examination,
Father Magin Ferrand, who was then the College Registrar, refused Rizal’s admission in the institution for two reasons: first, Rizal was a late registrant and
second, he was very pale, thin and undersized for an 11-year old. But, with the help of Manuel Burgos he was accepted in the institution. Jose was not able to use
Mercado as his surname when he enrolled at Ateneo.
He was registered as Jose Rizal because his real surname had ring a bell to the ears of the authorities — this was because of Paciano’s relation with one of the leaders of
the secularization movement, Father Burgos. At that time, Ateneo was offering a six-year program that gives students the academic title of Bachiller en Artes. This program
exposed students to five subjects: Christian doctrine; Languages of Spanish, Latin, Greek and French; History and Geography (World History and Geography and
History of Spain and the Philippines; Mathematics and Sciences (geometry, trigonometry, mineralogy, chemistry, physics, botany and zoology); and the Classic
disciplines (poetry, rhetoric, and philosophy).
Ateneo, as a prestigious school, offered the best secondary education for boys that enhances the character of their students through strict religious instruction and
discipline. Before the classes start, the students must first hear masses and end with prayers. To encourage the spirit of competition among students in academics, with the
help of Atenean teachers, the school proposed a program of dividing the class into two competing groups (empires): the Roman Empire composed of boarding students at
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Ateneo and the Carthaginian Empire composed of non-boarding students. Both groups have ranks and classifications and they competed through question and answers. When
banners are raised, it means victory for the group; there is defeat if banners are lowered.
Rizal’s first professor was Father Jose Bech. At first, Rizal was left behind among his classmates but he knew the severity of his studies, so he organized and seriously
observed himself a timetable to manage his studies. He excelled as the emperor in his class, a title given to the most intelligent in the class. The method of instruction used at
Ateneo was the ration studio rum, a system of indoctrination under tight and constant discipline but with reward. It applies memorization and understanding of the concepts
taught in class. At that time, the Atenean education had one goal: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (or For the Greater Glory of God). A student’s life was centered on the chapel,
considered as the highest level of extra-curricular activity. Rizal was able to pass his oral examination on March14,1877.
He finished with the degree, Bachiller en Artes, with the highest academic honors. Looking at Rizal’s scholastic records, it is evident that he
excelled in his academic studies during the entire time that he was studying at Ateneo. Racial pride, monastic discipline and seclusion of boarding school life were the factors
that gave Rizal the motivation to outshine his classmates. Note that in doing so, he wanted to prove to his Spanish classmates that a Filipino student can compete and
beat them academically. The competition inside the classroom was an opportunity to outdo his classmates in the daily activities designed to test the student’s memory and
understanding of their lessons in the different curriculum. For Rizal, being in a boarding school was effective as it gave him more time to focus on his studies.
Aside from academics, Rizal was also active in extra-curricular activities. He became a member of Marian Congregation and an officer in the religious
confraternities at Ateneo. This position is only offered to students who consistently possessed the highest degree of scholarship and leadership. There, he was mentored by
Father Pablo Pastells, S.J. He was also a member of two academic societies: Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences, both were
considered elite organizations for students who excelled in literature and the sciences.
Rizal did not waste any time to learn new things during his time. On his vacant time, Rizal took painting lessons from Agustin Saez and sculpture lessons from Teodoro
Romualdo de Jesus to enhance his interest in arts. As a result, he was able to sculpt the image of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Father Jose Villaclara, S.J.
encouraged him to pay attention also to the sciences and philosophy.
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The first woman he was into was Segunda Katigbak of Batangas, whom he frequently visited in her boarding house. But when Rizal learned that she was getting married,
he turned his eyes on other women. At that time, he was courting both Leonor (Orang) Valenzuela and Leonor Rivera. Upon learning that Orang was already engaged with
another man, Rizal focused on courting Leonor Rivera, his first cousin. From these, we could tell that Rizal became very busy with other things, a reason why he had less time for
studies. He also joined gang fights, attended parties and even did cutting classes.
A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA
This literary work is considered as one of the best work of Rizal. The English translation of this poem is seen on the next page, which Rizal wrote when he was 18.Rizal
expressed that he wanted to contribute to Spanish-Philippine society, but instead of being famous to have the prize for excellence in the arts, it was rejected.
The poem won the grand prize in the contest wherein Rizal received a silver quill for sharing his talent in poetry. A La Juventud Filipina was considered a great work in
Philippine literature for the following reasons: one, the Spanish authorities noticed that it was the first best poem in Spanish written by a Filipino; and two, it showed that the
Filipinos were the fair hope of the motherland — a nationalistic concept that portrayed Rizal’s love for the country. In his piece, he clearly mentioned that Philippines is his
motherland, Mi Patria.
However, the Spanish authorities did not see the political involvement of the poem. In the poem Spain was considered to be the Patria but, contrary to what was
written, Rizal used the term to mean the Philippines. Rizal, for that reason was the first Filipino to call the country his motherland. He also pointed out in his poem the role of
the youth in nation-building. In the poem, he stated that the youth is, “THE FAIR HOPE OF THEMOTHERLAND” (La Bella Esperanza de la Patria Mia). He challenges
the youth of hisday to practice three things: to enhance their talents in the arts; to develop their knowledge of the sciences; and to not be afraid of the future
and remove the chain of bondage
EL CONSEJO DE LOS DIOS
This is one of Rizal’s entries in the literary contest of 1880. The poem was announced as the best entry in the competition that year. However, the jury
knew that its author was a Filipino so they decided to confer the grand prize to a Spaniard. Even though Rizal did not receive the best award, he had proven that Filipinos can
compete with other races in a fair play irrespective of the superiority of the Spaniards.
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JUNTO AL PASIG
At the request of the Jesuits, Rizal wrote a one-act play and was staged at Ateneo in celebration of the Feast Day of Immaculate Conception on December 8. The
play was essentially considered as continuation of Rizal’s appeal to the Filipino youth to rebuke foreign individuals for causing them misery.
A FILIPINAS
In February 1880, Rizal wrote a sonnet dedicated to the Philippines that aimed at encouraging Filipino artists to thank the country through their art works. This is the
most passionate poem about the Philippines written by Rizal. It can be deducted from Rizal’s work that he is grateful to God for all hisexperiences of the
scenery of his country. His love for natural beauty had always been appreciated since he was a child, but the depiction of the lake, sky, mountains and fieldsin “A Filipinas”, the
country to which he was personally connected, was something new.
ACTIVISM AT UST
Rizal stood as a leader in student activism when he was studying philosophy and medicine in UST. The Spanish and mestizo students called the Filipinos indio
orchongo. In return, Rizal and his peers retaliated by calling them Kastila or bangus. As a result, student fights in the university campus and even in the streets of Manila became
common. Rizal, being the front-runner, was recognized for winning the brawls because of his determination and skills in fencing and wrestling. In fact, there was also a time that
Rizal was wounded due to a fight with the Spanish students of Escolta, Manila
Rizal then created a secret group of Filipino students called “Compañerismo.”The members were called Companions of Jehu, the patriot general of the Jews. Rizal
automatically became the president of this secret society and Galiciano Apacible was the secretary. Rizal’s activism was also expressed in his disapproval of the faulty and
outmoded system of education in the university during his time. He condemned the humiliation of brown Filipino students, who were most of the time insulted by their
Dominican mentors. He also criticized the archaic method of instruction at UST. He ridiculously described the teaching of Physics devoid of laboratory
experiments. Students were not allowed to touch the laboratory apparatus and equipment that is why they were always kept inside the display cabinets. Besides, favoritism
and skin color were bases for getting the good grades and not the actual intellectual capacity of the students.
Rizal first experienced Spanish brutality during his first summer vacation at Calamba after his freshman year in UST. While walking past the streets, he did not
notice the man passing by because of the darkness of the night. This man happened to be a lieutenant of the Guardia Civil. But since Rizal did not pay respect to the lieutenant
by saluting or greeting him, the lieutenant whipped him with his sword and slashed it at Rizal’s back causing him to be wounded. Of course, everybody was expected to bow
down for the Guardia Civil during that time. Consequently, Rizal wrote a complaint letter to Governor-General Primo de Rivera but the response, as foreseen, was nothing as
good, considering that he was an indio. The incident left Rizal a bad impression of the unfair and unjust acts of the Spaniards towards the Filipinos.
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Barcelona
Rizal did not continue his studies in the Philippines, instead, he went to Europe to widen his learning and to acquire knowledge about a cure for his mother’s worsening
eye condition. He left Calamba on May 1, 1882 and was able to reach Manila in ten hours. He left Manila on May 3, 1882, with his brother Paciano and Uncle Antonio
Rivera’s blessing. He decided to go abroad after completing his fourth year in the medical course. But he did not seek his parents’ permission because clearly, they will
not approve of Rizal’s plan. Bringing with him his disappointments during his days as student, he left the Philippines for Europe. Initially, he was going to finish his medical
course in Barcelona, Spain. Then again, he wanted to make a name for himself in the field of journalism, to observe and study the European society and to prepare himself from
being freed from the tyrants of Spain. This was seen in Paciano’s letter to Rizal dated May 26,1882 and reads:
“When the telegram advising us of your departure was received in Kalamba, our parents were naturally grief-stricken, especially the old man who would not speak a
word and took to his bed, crying to himself at night, all advice from the family, the parish priest and others not doing any good at all. He made me go down to Manila to
find out his satisfaction how you had managed to make a trip. When I returned, I told them that some friends of yours in Manila had shouldered the expenses, hoping to
reassure them. For all that, I could see that he was still depressed and, seeing this and fearing, for another thing, that his continued brooding might make him ill, I told him
everything, but only to him, pleading with him to keep it to himself, which he promised. Only since then have I seen him somewhat cheerful and back to his usual self. This is what
happened in the family. As far as our friends, our acquaintances, and strangers are concerned, you will finish your medical course in Barcelona, not in Madrid; to my way of
thinking, the main purpose of your going is not to improve yourself in the profession but in other more useful things or what comes to the same thing, that to which you have
greater inclination. That is why I believe you should follow it in Madrid, the center of all the provinces, for, while it is true that in Barcelona there is more activity and even less to
do business and as afar as a good education is concern, if it should not be available in Madrid, the application of the student can supply it. It should be more convenient for you
to be there together with our countrymen who can show you around until you can get the hang of things.”
Paciano did everything to make sure that Rizal can leave the country secretly to avoid detection by Spanish authorities, especially by the friars. He was the one who
secured Rizal’s passport using the name Jose Mercado and through the endorsements from Pedro Paterno. From Manila, he boarded the steamer Salvadora and sailed to
Singapore. Rizal stayed there for two days and visited the botanical garden, art galleries, parks and some historical places. After Singapore, he boarded
the ship Djemnah that passed through Colombo in Sr Lanka, Aden in Yemen, and the entire Suez Canal until it landed at Port Said. The ship reached the Naples in Italy on
June11,1882. From there, the steamer stopped at the harbor of Marseilles, and then he rode a train going to Barcelona, Spain. He arrived at the city on June 16,1882.
Upon his coming, Rizal noticed that the community practices freedom and liberalism. But in the end, he adored the hospitality, open-heartedness and courage shown by the
people. To welcome Rizal, his fellow Filipinos (most of them were his former schoolmates at Ateneo Municipal), gave him a celebration at Plaza de Cataluna. He roamed around
the city and visited the historical spots. Not forgetting his family, he made sure that he wrote them, his relatives and friends a letter. This trip aimed to satisfy one of Rizal’s
mission: to make a name for himself by sharing his writings and to express his love for his country. At the age of 21, the first piece he made was the essay entitled, El Amor
Patrio orLove of Country. While writing this, he used the screen name Laong Laan. It was published in the Diariong Tagalog in Manila on August 20, 1882
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Madrid
On September 1882, Rizal moved to the capital city of Spain to continue his studies. Rizal enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3, 1882 he took up
Philosophy and Letters in Medicine. While studying in the university, he also enrolled at the Academy of San Carlos taking up painting and sculpture, and languages in French,
German and English. He also took up shooting and fencing at the Hall of Sanz and Carbonell. He also showed great interest in taking the examination in Roman law. Rizal passed
the medical examination which he took from June 5 to 26. He was given the degree of Licentiate in Medicine for this and continued his doctorate degree in medicine. However,
he was not able to accomplish the diploma because he failed to present the thesis required for graduation. He was allowed to practice medicine but cannot teach medicine.
Rizal was saddened by this decision and thought that the education system in Madrid had no difference with that in Manila. He then finished his course in Philosophy and
Letters and gained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras. During this time, Rizal was halfway done with his novel, the Noli Me Tangere.
Rizal, while in Madrid, sent a letter to Don Francisco about joining the Circulo Hispano. But later on, he told him that the society was disbanded because of: 1) the
differences among its members who were young student expatriates and retired colonials, and 2) due to their age difference. It was difficult for Rizal during his stay
in Madrid. There were delays in his monthly allowance coming from the Philippines, considering the financial status of Rizal’s family caused by crop failures
brought by drought and locusts, and the increase in rentals of the Dominican hacienda lands in his hometown. Truth be told, there were times when Rizal attended his classes
on an empty stomach. Influenced by Miguel Morayta, a history professor at the Universidad de Madrid, Rizal became a member of freemasonry with “Dimasalang” as its
masonic name. It is an organization outlawed by the Catholic Church because its beliefs are contrary to the doctrines of the church. It is said that the mason’s view of life is that,
knowledge should be achieved by the light of reason and universal brotherhood of men. He became a Master Mason in Lodge Solidaridad on November 15,1890.
Hence, Rizal was immediately removed from the Catholic church.
Rizal’s love interest in Madrid was Consuelo, Don Pabolo’s daughter. Because of her good traits and beautiful smile he got attracted and fell for her but he held back his
feelings for Consuelo knowing that he was engaged with Leonor Rivera in the Philippines. Aside from this, Rizal did not want to ruin his friendship with Eduardo de
Lete, who is the latter’s love interest. Before leaving Madrid in 1883, Rizal composed a poem that expressed his admiration to Consuelo, entitled A La Senorita C.O. y R. On
June 25, 1884, in honor of Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo Rizal made a speech, the Brind is which gave him praises from the public audience because for the first time,
they heard a Filipino delivering a speech fluently in the Castillan language. He stated that Luna and Hidalgo were the pride of Filipino people. Luna was awarded thetop prize for
his painting Spolarium while Hidalgo got the second place for his painting Virgines Christianas Expuestas al Populacho (Christian Virgins Exposed to the Population).
Both Filipino painters joined the National Exposition of Fine Arts. In his speech, Rizal said that intelligence knows no race and the prizes they got were results of bothPhilippines
and Spain. He also hoped that someday, Spain will accept the changes that the Filipinos have to offer. The speech was published in the newspaper, El Liberal.
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PARIS
Rizal arrived in Paris on November 1885. At that time, he was 24 years old and afull-pledged surgeon. He decided to migrate to Paris to specialize in Ophthalmology, but
prior to doing so, he went to visit Maximo Viola, a friend from San Miguel, Bulacan. Rizal also worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert’s eye clinic for four months. During
his stay, Rizal knew how to conduct the operation of the eye, its ailments, and the different techniques of eye operation. He spent his past time with his fellow Filipinos in the
city, something that contributed much to learning how to speak French fluently. His friends were Felix Hidalgo, Juan Luna and Pardo de Tavera. For the duration of his stay with
Juan Luna, Rizal became a model and posed for two historical paintings of Luna: The Blood Compact (as Sikatuna) and Death of Cleopatra (as a Priest). It was also in Paris that he
finished some part of his Noli.
GERMANY
Due to high cost of living, Rizal left Paris for Germany on February 1886. Hearrived at an old university town in Heidelberg. He worked as an assistant of Dr. Otto Becker
at the University Eye Hospital. It is where Rizal mastered the techniques of diagnosing eye ailments, which he learned from Dr. Louis de Wecker. But before
transferring to the university, Rizal resided in a German boarding house where he became friends with a number of German law students. He became a member of
the Chess Players’ Club of Heidelberg. He was known among the students not because he was good at chess but because he also joined them in their drinking sessions. While
in Heidelberg, he used to write letters to his sisters Maria and Trinidad in the Philippines, telling them good things about Germany, the good traits of the German students
including the women. The letter was to show her sisters that they can imitate the virtues of German women. There, he wrote a poem entitled, A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To
the Flowers of Heidelberg) to express his homesickness for his loved ones.
During the summer, Rizal spent his three-month vacation at Wilhelmsfeld. He stayed with Dr. Karl Ulmer, a pastor of the vicarage of Wilhelmsfeld, owing to
his pleasant traits, his skills in sketching and his knowledge on different languages. For these reasons, Pastor Ulmer’s wife genuinely admired Rizal. With the hospitality and
friendship that the Ulmer family showed him, Rizal enjoyed his vacation at Wilhelmsfeld. Rizal had the thought that, unlike the friars in the Philippines, Pastor Ulmer can get
along well with the Catholic priest in the area. After his vacation at Wilhelmsfeld, on July 31,1886 Rizal started his correspondence with Professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt, the director of Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria then. Together with his letter, Rizal sent him a book entitled Aritmeticaby Rufino Baltazar Hernandez.
Blumentritt was amazed by Rizal and their frequent communication started through writing and sending letters to each other.
On August 14, 1886, after attending the fifth centenary foundation day celebration of the University of Heidelberg, he arrived in Leipzig. There he met Prof.
Friedrich Ratzel, a well-known German historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a famous German anthropologist who both wrote a book on the Philippines. In Leipzig, he was able to
translate Schiller’s William Tell into Tagalog. The book presented how the Swiss achieved their independence in a peaceful manner. For his nephews and nieces in
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the Philippines, Rizal also translated the fairy tales that Hans Christian Andersen wrote. During his two months stay in Leipzig, he worked in a publishing company
as a proofreader to sustain his allowance.
Then on October 29, 1886, Rizal arrived at Dresden. There he met Dr. Adolph Meyer, the Director of Anthropological and Ethnological Museum of the city, where he saw
the collection about the Philippines. After three days in Dresden, he left for Berlinand rode the train. Rizal arrived at Berlin on November 1, 1886. He wanted to learn more
about ophthalmology, languages and sciences. He then became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnographic Society and the Geographic Society
because of the recommendation from Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer. Rizal wanted to learn the economic and political conditions of Germany so he also joined the circle
of famous German scientists and scholars. There he aimed to complete and publish the novel, Noli Me Tangere. In Berlin, he met Dr. Rudolf Virchow and his son Dr. Hans
Virchow, two known German anthropologists; Dr. W. Joest, a famous German geographer; and Dr.Karl Ernest Schweigger, a well known ophthalmologist. He also
presented a paper entitled Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art) to the Ethnographic Society of Berlin.
Rizal’s life in Berlin was challenging — in the morning, he worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr. Schweigger; in the evening, he attended classes at the University of
Berlin. He continued his physical training and practiced his languages of German, French, and Italian at home. He also took the time to finish his novel. At times,
Rizal cannot sustain his daily needs in Berlin as his brother Paciano failed to send his monthly allowance because of the crop failures in Calamba. Rizal had
to pawn his diamond ring given to her by his sister Saturnina and sell his books to bookstores to enable him to eat. Due to his poor nutrition, he got sick with tuberculosis.
Without money during his time in Berlin, he planned to burn the manuscript of his first novel. In Prague, Viola and Rizal visited several historical places. They were
accompanied by Dr. Welkomm, a history professor at University of Prague through there commendation of Blumentritt. They visited the tomb of Nicolaus Copernicus, a famous
Polish astronomer; the museum of natural history, the bacteriological laboratories; and the cave where San Juan Nepomuceno was jailed.
Rizal and Voila arrived at Vienna, the capital city of Austria-Hungary, on May 20,1887. They visited art galleries, museums, public parks and recreation centers. The two
doctors spent four days in the city and stayed at Hotel Metropole. They decided to take a small boat that brought them to the famous Danube River, where they saw the archaic
villages on the riversides. After passing by the Danube River, they ended their trip at Linz. Rizal and Viola left Austria, went back to Germany and arrived at Munich on
May 27,1887. They continued to Nuremberg, where they saw the torture machines used during the Inquisition against the enemies of the Catholic Church. After
Munich they proceeded to Ulm, known to have the largest and tallest cathedral in Germany. Both Rizal and Viola tried to climb the cathedral. From Ulm, they went to Stuttgart,
Baden and Rheinfall. At Rheinfall, the most beautiful waterfall in the continent of Europe can be seen, the Bin Waterfall. From Rheinfall, Rizal and Viola crossed the Swiss
border. They rode a small boat and arrived at Geneva, the most beautiful city of Switzerland. In Geneva, Rizal received a bad news from his friends in Madrid about the bad
conditions of the primitive Igorots who were exhibited in the Exposition on the Philippines. Rizal learned that some of the Igorots died and some of their possessions like
their g-strings and crude weapons became the source of bullying and laughter by the Spaniards and the Spanish press. On June 6,1887, he started communicating with
Blumentritt about what had happened to his fellowmen from Northern Luzon. Rizal, as an advocate of human dignity, was angered by the incident. After fifteen days in the city,
Rizal and Viola parted ways on June 23, 1887. Rizal continued his trip to Italy, while Viola returned to Barcelona. After aweek of travel in Rome, Rizal prepared for his return in
the Philippines.
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Rizal lived five years of his life abroad and away from his loved ones. He left Rome and rode the train going to Marseilles, France on July 3,1887. He then boarded the
Djemnah, the vessel that ferried him to Saigon, and from Saigon, he transferred to the steamer Haiphong in Vietnam and reached Manila on August 5,1887. He stayed in Manila
for three days and tried to visit and call Isabelo de los Reyes twice but unfortunately, he was unable to reach him. Later on, he visited Ateneo wherein the Jesuits
attempted to get Rizal back to his old faith. Rizal was able to talked to Padre Faura, the priest who showed him the Sacred Heart of Jesus that he carved during his
student days. Then, Padre Faura told Rizal all the wrong points that he said in his novel, Noli Me Tangere. But for Rizal, everything he wrote was the truth.
Upon Rizal’s arrival in Calamba on August 8, 1887, there were rumors spreading that Rizal was a German spy, a mason and many more. Because of these,
Rizal received death threats each day and his family was worried about the possible consequences of such. So Paciano accompanied him whenever he goes out—
even his father, Don Francisco, had hesitations on allowing Rizal to go out of their house. Nevertheless, Rizal kept himself busy while in Calamba. He established a
medical clinic and his first patient was his mother. He cured the sick and soon he was known to be an eye specialist and surgeon. Rizal successfully removed the cataracts on his
mother’s eyes. In the town, Rizal was called Doctor Uliman, because he was mistaken for a German. On August 30, 1887, Rizal left Calamba and went to Manila for
he was invited to see Governor-General Emilio Terrero as regards his Noli. The Governor-General asked for a copy of the novel and so Rizal gave him the copy that was worn
out. The former did not see anything wrong with the novel. On the same day, the Archbishop of Manila recommended that the importation, reproduction, distribution and
possession of the book should be stopped. The Governor-General, concerned about the safety and security of Rizal, assigned Lieutenant Jose Taviel de Andrade to protect
him. Terrero requested Jose Rizal to leave the country, but Rizal refused and stayed at his hometown.
At about the same time, Terrero wanted to have an investigation to solve the Calamba agrarian problems. The Dominican-owned hacienda in Calamba was one of the
properties owned by the friars that were affected. Rizal led the group of Calamba tenants to represent for the investigation. Rizal presented the following findings
to Terrero for actions (Zulueta 2004):
1. The hacienda of the Dominican Order comprised not only the lands around Calamba but the whole town of Calamba;
2. There were increased profits of the Dominican order because of the arbitrary increase of the rentals paid by the tenants;
3. The hacienda owner never contributed for the celebration of the town fiesta, fore ducation of the children, and for the improvement of agriculture;
4. Tenants who spent more labor in clearing the lands were dispossessed of the said lands for a weak reason;
5. For delayed payment of rentals, high rates of interest were charged to the tenants;6. Work animals, tools and farm implements of the tenants were confiscated by the
hacienda management if the rentals were not paid by the tenants.
In effect, the friars were furious so they commanded the Malacañang to order the departure of Rizal to leave the country. But Terrero did not mind the friars’ request.
As a result, the friars demanded his deportation. Then again, Terrero advised Rizal to leave the country for good. The same counsel was given to Rizal by his family and relatives
for his own safety. After six months in the Philippines, he left the country and went to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the friars forced all the tenants to leave the Dominican
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Hacienda as a revenge. The Rizal family was the first among the tenants to be evicted because they refused to pay the rent and interest. Terrero, on the other hand,
was replaced by Lieutenant General Valeriano Weyler, who was grateful of the role of the friars in the conquest of Luzon and Visayas. He pointed out that religion should be a
means of the government in the aforementioned islands in the Philippines. The tenants protested in Manila headed by Doroteo Cortes. In the said demonstration,
the tenants presented a petition to Queen Regent requesting the departure of the friars from the Philippines. After the protest, there were rallyists who got arrested.
On the other hand, Rizal’s brother-in-law, Mariano Herbosa was denied of havinga Christian burial by the Roman Catholic Church because he was married to Lucia,
Rizal’s sister. Rizal wrote an essay to address this issue and it was entitled, “A Profanation” (Una Profanacion). Note that when Rizal left, Don Francisco,
Paciano, Saturnina, Narcisa and Lucia were exiled to other parts of the country. Rizal felt sorry for what had happened to his family after supporting the rights of the tenants.
This caused him so much despair. Before leaving Calamba on February 3,1888, a friend of Rizal from Lipa requested him to write a poem to celebrate the conversion
of Lipa from a pueblo (town)to a villa (city). The poem, Himno al Trabajo or Hymn to Labor (Osias, 1948) depicts Rizal’s appreciation for men’s efforts and compliment the
country’s wealth and energy. He believed that hard work or labor is the country’s blood, health and life
Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on February 8,1888. His fellow Filipinos namely Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio and Manuel Yriarte, who were all exiled in 1872, met Rizal.
In Hong Kong, he was able to study the Chinese language, Chinese drama and theater, Chinese cultures and Chinese values. Rizal even became friends with some Spaniards that
were based in Hong Kong. He met Barranda, Terrero’s secretary, together with other Spaniards and went to visit Macao, a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong. Rizal and his
friends visited the botanical garden, theatre, casino, cathedral and churches, pagodas and bazaars. They lived in the house of Juan Lecaroz and on February 20, 1888, he went
back to HongKong. Two days after, he left for Japan on Board the SS Oceania on February 22, 1888.
Rizal arrived in Yokohama, Japan and stayed at Tokyo Hotel on February 28,1888f or a few days. He was then invited by Juan Perez Caballero to live at the Spanish
Legation for a month. On March 7,1887, he left the hotel and lived at the Spanish legation. During his stay in Japan, he studied the Japanese language or Nippongo,
Japanese culture, theatres, martial arts and visited Japanese provinces. Rizal appreciated the cleanliness, politeness, and industry of the Japanese. Rizal then met O-
Sei-San and their romance began when he lived at the Spanish legation. They became friends and later on developed to become lovers. O-Sei-San or Seiko Usui and Rizal fell in
love for each other. Because of this, Rizal thought of staying in Japan for good. Nonetheless, Rizal had duties to fulfill for his country. So he decided to leave Japan and said his
goodbyes to O-Sei-San.
Aboard a steamer on April 28,1888, the entire boat was quarantined when it stopped in San Francisco because accordingly, the ship came from a country where
cholera was epidemic. Rizal knew that this was not the fact — he found out that the ship was halted for the Chinese and Japanese laborers who accepted cheap labor, replacing
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the American laborers. On May 4, 1888, after a week of the quarantine, some passengers were allowed to disembark, except for the Japanese and Chinese passengers who
were quarantined for a longer period. Rizal went to different cities in America like Reno, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Chicago, Albany, and New York City. He was very much
impressed with all the cities for its natural beauty, the hardworking Americans, the material progress and the high standard of living, and the opportunities offered for poor
immigrants for a better life. The negative impressions include the lack of racial equality and the presence of racial prejudice against other nations. The Americans value valued
money more than human life and fairness and justice were only offered to white people.
TRIP IN LONDON
After Rizal’s trip to the United States of America, he left New York City on May16, 1888 and arrived in Liverpool, England on May 24 of the same year. He stayed for a day
at Adelphi Hotel and left for London the following day. He was welcomed by Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor on May 25, 1888 and stayed as a guest in their home. Dr. Regidor was an
exile of 1872 and a practicing lawyer in London. Rizal had reasons why he chose to live in London. First, he wanted to enhance his knowledge on the English language; he sought
to have further study on AntonioMorga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas; to do research on the Philippine history; and to continue to write for La Solidaridad in defense of
his people against the Spanish tyranny.
Jose Rizal then met Dr. Reinhold Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in England and also an authority on Malay languages and customs. Dr. Rost was the
one who allowed Rizal to undertake research at the British Museum. Thankful to Dr. Rost, Rizal had the time to read Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. The doctor was also
the one who inspired Rizal to contribute two articles in the Asian Studies Journal Trubner’s Record on May 1889. The first was entitled, Specimens of Tagal Folklore (a collection
of 14 proverbs, 8 puzzles and 2 verses) and the second was Two Eastern Fables (a comparison of Japanese fables with the Filipino fables). At that time, he transferred
and became a boarder of the Beckett family. Unfortunately, he still received good and bad news from the Philippines while he was in London and some of them are as follows:
1. Persecution of his fellow Filipinos who signed the Anti-Friar Petition of 1888 that was submitted to Queen Regen for the expulsion of the friars in the Philippines;
2. Persecution of the tenants of Calamba, including the Rizal family and relatives because of their petition for the reforms in the government;
3. The exile of Rizal’s brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, in Bohol;
4. Furious attacks of the Spanish senators;
5. The arrest of Rizal’s friend, Laureano Vida, for keeping copies of Noli Me Tangere in his home;
6. The good news that Rev. Vicente Garcia defended the Noli against the attacks of the friars.
Earlier in September 1888, Rizal went to Paris to continue his research on the Philippine history in the Bibliotheque Nationale or the National Library in Paris. There he
polished the annotated version of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Rizal stayed in the house of Valentin Ventura. Despite the good life that he had in Paris, Rizal
kept himself busy at the National Library. He also studied the French language and made plenty of lesson drills for the students. On December 24,1888, Rizal spent his Christmas
and New Year with the Beckett family. That time, Rizal was attracted to another woman, Gertrude Beckett, known by her nicknames Tottie and Sissie. Like Segunda
Katigbak, Gertrude was small and chubby. This just goes to show that Rizal’s love for Leonor Rivera was not that deep. But unlike Leonor, Gertrude was not as appealing.
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Rizal was interested with Gertrude because they had close relationship and have a happy family. Rizal, however, prevented his feelings for Gertrude when he knew
that she was falling in love with him. Rizal was also welcomed by Juan Luna and his wife in London. Rizal visited Madrid and Barcelona again on December 1888 and there he
first met Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, the leaders of the Propaganda Movement. Rizal became more active in the Propaganda Movement with his fellow
ilustrados. In the face of Rizal’s absence, he was still chosen to be the Honorary President during the inauguration of Asociacion La Solidaridad on December
31,1888, which was founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena in Barcelona on February 15,1889.
The Propaganda Movement aimed for reforms such as: 1) for the Philippines tobe made a province of Spain so that the native Filipinos would have equal
rights accorded to Spaniards; 2) to have a representation of the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes; and (3) secularization of parishes. Rizal became busy in writing articles and
essays that were published in the Propaganda Movement’s newspaper, La Solidaridad. Rizal had translated into Tagalog the letter to The Women of Malolos on
February22,1889 as requested by Marcelo H. del Pilar. Rizal founded the Kidlat Club and the Indios Bravos on March 19,1889 to prove that the Filipinos are not only capable of
excellence but can also be the best in terms of intellectual and physical aspects. Another society that Rizal founded in Paris in 1890was the R.D.L.M. (Redencion de los Malayos),
its acronym revived the Malay race, for the purpose of increasing the knowledge of the people in the Philippines. To continue his writings for La Solidaridad, Rizal contributed
articles such as the “Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años (The Philippines a Century Hence) and the essay “Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos” (On the Indolence of the Filipinos) in
1890. In Paris, Rizal published Por Telefono, using the screen name Dimas Alang, to answer the attacks of the Spanish friar, Fr. Salvacion Font against the novel Noli Me
Tangere.
IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
On January 28,1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels, Belgium. He was accompanied by Jose Alberto when he moved to Brussels. When Jose Alberto left the country, an
engineering student, Jose Alejandro stayed with Rizal at the boarding house owned by Suzanne and Marie Jacoby. Aside from the cost of living in Paris, which was too much,
Rizal cannot focus on writing his second novel El Filibusterismo because of the social life in Paris that interfered with his writings. While doing the chapters of the novel, he
continued to write articles for La Solidaridad and they were:
1. “ A La Defensa” (To la Defensa) on April 30, 1889 as his answer to an Anti-Filipino writing of Patricio de la Escorura;
2. “La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth For All) on May 31, 1889 as his reply against the Spanish accusations that the Filipino officials were ignorant and immoral;
3. “Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro Tagalo” on June 15, 1889;
4. Barrantes’ ignorance on the theatrical art of the Tagalog;
5. “Una Profanacion” (A Profanation) on July 31, 1889 as his attack against the friars for ignoring and not allowing Christian burial for his brother-in-law, Mariano Herbosa;
6. “Crueldad” (Cruelty) on July 31, 1889 defending Blumentritt from mocking and insulting attacks of his rivals;
7. “Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths) on August 15, 1889, that because of the letter written by Vicente Belloc Sanchez, saying that if reforms were granted, it will start in
the destruction of the peaceful ruling of the friars in the Philippines;
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8. “Diferencias” (Differences) on September 15, 1889 in response of the attacks of the article, saying mean and bad comments to the Filipinos who were then protesting for
reforms from the Spanish government;
9. “In consequencias” (In consequences) on November 30, 1889 to defend Antonio Luna against the attacks of Pablo Mir Deas’s article in El Pueblo Soberano, a newspaper
in Barcelona;
10.“LLanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughters) on November 30, 1889 as Rizal’s way of saving the Filipinos from the Spaniards racial prejudice;
11.“Ingratitudes” (In gratitudes) on January 15, 1890 in response to Governor General Weyler’s words, that people of Calamba should not be fooled by empty promises of
their ungrateful sons.
To sustain his living condition in Brussels, Rizal practiced and treated patients as a surgeon. Unlike the Noli Me Tangere, Rizal spent too much time in writing his second
novel El Filibusterismo and articles for La Solidaridad. Rizal had been hearing news from Juan Luna and Valentin Ventura that his fellow Filipinos in Spain were too much into
gambling. With this, Rizal sent a letter to Marcelo H. del Pilar on May 28,1890,asking him to remind the Filipinos in Madrid that they are not to gamble in Europe but to work for
the freedom of the Philippines. On the other hand, Rizal received bad news coming from home that his family and relatives were forced to leave and go to different places
because the Calamba land problem had worsened, that the Dominican management raised the rents for the land. This was the reason why the tenants, including Rizal’s father,
refused to pay the rent, which resulted for the filing of a case by the Dominicans to strip the ownership of Calamba land from the Rizal family.
The illegal eviction of his family angered him and made him depressed. Rizal planned to go home to the Philippines because he could not bear the pain about what
happened to his family. Rizal then wrote a poem entitled “A Mi Musa” (To My Muse) to address his disappointments on the land problems of Calamba. This poem
was published in La Solidaridad with Laong Laan as Rizal’s pen name on December15,1890. Rizal failed to defend the case against the Dominicans and
justice was not received for his family and the tenants of Calamba. While in Madrid, Rizal attended a gathering of Filipinos where he had a fight with Antonio Luna and dared
Wenceslao Retana to a duel. Retana, was a Spanish scholar and Rizal’s rival in writing. While in Madrid, Rizal asked for the help of the former members of the ministry who were
liberal Spanish statesmen, but they only gave him a pat on the shoulder and sympathized with him. The Asociacion Hispano Filipino was formed, led by Dr. Miguel Morayta, a
Spanish professor and a mason grandmaster. To decide what is the goal of the propaganda, they initiated an election who the leader will be. There were ninety participants, all
were Filipinos. The competition was between Jose Rizal and Marcelo H.del Pilar and during the first two canvass, M.H. del Pilar was leading the votes and it was Rizal who won
in the end. But Rizal chose to leave rather than divide the Filipinos in Madrid. On February 1891, Rizal arrived in Biarritz, France. He was entertained by the Boustead family. The
one-month trip to France made him forget all his bad experiences in Madrid and on his vacation, he once again had an affection to Nelly Boustead. He finished his second novel
El Fili on March 29,1891 and on March 30,1891, the revision of the novel was completed, ready to be published anytime soon.
Rizal left Madrid and went to Hong Kong after he published the El Fili in Europe. He did not like the political situation between him and del Pilar, and the other Filipinos
in Spain. It was during this time that Rizal heard that his friend, Jose Ma. Panganiban (his pen name was Jomapa), bid his farewell to the world. As saddened as he was, here
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cognized Jomapa’s talent, intelligence, and industry through a eulogy, considering him as a lost for the country. Due to his unpleasant experiences in Madrid, Rizal
planned on leaving the political life in Europe to focus on his mission instead. On November 20,1891, he arrived in Hong Kong. He then decided to practice
medicine, through his association with Dr. Lorenzo P. Marquez, so he applied for a license and the license and was eventually granted. His family went to Hong Kong and
he supported them in the city.
While in Hong Kong, he translated The Rights of Man written in French into Tagalog, Ang Mga Karapatan ng Tao. He also wrote articles entitled, A La
Nacion Española (To The Spanish Nation), as a reconsideration for Spain to correct the wrong things they have done to the tenants of Calamba; and Sa Mga Kababayan (To My
Countrymen), as Rizal’s interpretation of the Calamba agrarian problem. During his days in Hong Kong, he started to write the constitution of La Liga Filipina, through the
help of Jose Ma. Basa. La Liga Filipina aimed for: the unity of the whole archipelago into one body; common protection in every want and necessity; protection against all forms
of violence and injustice; stimulation of instruction, agriculture and commerce; and the undertaking of study and application of reforms. The motto of the league was Unus
Instar Omnium Or One Like All. There were three organizational councils in La Liga: popular, provincial and supreme. Qualification in the tests and a recommendation from the
town’s council was necessary to become a member of this organization. It also requires a monthly contribution for the following projects:
1. Helping a member or his son who had problem in financing his studies but with excellent aptitude for study;
2. Helping member who are less fortunate;
3. Lending funds to all member who needs finances for his farm or industrial activities;
4. Aiming to help the member to defend his rights;
5. Putting up stores to help members in their needs at lesser price.
Before going back to the Philippines, he sought to see Governor-General Eulogio Despujol on his North Borneo project because the latter does not have a response to it.
Rizal and his sister Lucia left Hong Kong and returned to Manila in 1892, Despite the warnings and his family’s disapproval, Rizal arrived on June 26, 1892 and immediately went
to visit his friends in Central Luzon. He encouraged them to join the La Liga Filipina but sadly, a few days after the Liga’s formation, Rizal was captured and brought to Fort
Santiago on July 6, 1892 for the accusation that he brought with him from HongKong, leaflets entitled “Pobres Friales” or poor friars — a satire against the rich
Dominican friars and their accumulation of wealth, which was against their vow of poverty. Though untrue, Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, Mindanao.
Post-Assessment 2:
I. Choose 1 literature of Rizal. Write here and explain your own understanding on the poem.
Title:___________________________________________________________________
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Post Assessment 3
Describe Rizal’s life in each country that he visited. Write the highlight of his experience in each country on the table below.
Country Highlight
Barcelona
Madrid
Paris
Germany
Hongkong
Japan
USA
London
Belgium
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Module 5
Rizal’s Life: Exile, Trial and Death
Intended Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to
1. Analyze the factors that led to Rizal’s execution.
2. Analyze the effects of Rizal’s execution on Spanish colonial rule and the Philippine Revolution
Content
As soon as Rizal arrived in Manila on June 26,1892, he was welcomed by Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano
Laktaw, Deodato Arellano, and other patriots, who, altogether founded La Liga Filipina (The Filipino League). They wanted to discuss the plan for La Liga Filipina which was
held in a house on Calle Ylaya. That time, Rizal was able to talk to Governor-general Despujol on July 1892, saying his gratitude for lifting the order of exile for his sisters. Dapitan
is a remote town in Mindanao, which served as an outpost of the Spaniards in the Philippines. Dapitan became the only witness to Rizal’s fate since July1896.
During his exile, Rizal became close with Captain Ricardo Carnicero for allowing him to roam the place on the condition that Rizal will relay his activities in his office once week.
In Dapitan, he continued his medicine, research and continued his talent in sculpture, painting, sketching and poetry writing. He put up a school for boys and
introduced projects for the community. As a gift to Captain Carnicero, Rizal wrote a poem entitled, “A Don Ricardo Carnicero” on August 26, 1892.
Rizal helped the people of Dapitan with their livelihood — he did farming and business and even invented a wooden equipment in making bricks. On September 21,1892,
Rizal together with Carnicero and another Spaniard, won a lottery ticket. The amount given to him as his share was P6,200. Part of his share was used to buy a land in Talisay.
He built a house, a clinic and a school within the area. He sent letters to Blumentritt, narrating his daily activities in Dapitan: He wrote poems, performed operation
on his mother’s eyes, and studied on medicinal plants of Dapitan to be prescribed to his patients. That time, Rizal had been known to be one of the best
ophthalmologists. Upon hearing this, George Tauffer who had an eye ailment, together with her adopted daughter, Josephine Bracken, traveled from Hong Kong
to Dapitan. Rizal developed an attraction with Josephine and soon, they became husband and wife even if it was against Father Obach and both their relatives.
Another project of Rizal for Dapitan was the creation of a big map of Mindanao at the plaza to be used for geography class. He explained the position of Dapitan to the
town people in relation to other places in Mindanao. With the help of Rizal’s students, he invented a water system that gave the town people water for their drinking and
irrigation. He also helped the people in putting-up lamp posts in every corner of the town. When revolution commenced in Manila in 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela together with
Raymundo Mata, a blind man, visited Rizal in Dapitan to narrate to him the founding of Katipunan and its plan for revolution. For a while, Rizal sent letters to Governor General
Ramon Blanco from 1894 to 1895. He wanted his case be reviewed so Blumentriit proposed that Rizal may offer his services as a surgeon to the Spanish government in Cuba
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to end his exile. That time, Cuba was also a colony of Spain and was raged by a yellow-fever epidemic. On July 30,1896, Governor-General Ramon Blanco granted Rizal’s
request to go to Cuba. Rizal left Manila, embarked the steamer España and on September 3, 1896 he went to Barcelona boarded the steamer Isla de Panay. When he arrived at
the port, Governor-General Despujol told Rizal that there was a command to return him back to Manila. Rizal was arrested while on his trip at the Mediterranean Sea. He was
put into prison in Barcelona, Spain and was brought back to the Philippines. Safely guarded while on the way from Barcelona to Manila, Rizal reached the capital
on November 3,1896 and was soon brought to be imprisoned at Fort Santiago.
On November 20, 1896, the assigned Judge to summon Rizal was Colonel Francisco Olive, an Advocate of the Spanish military tribunal. The
preliminary investigation began, and a five-day investigation was conducted. He was blamed for being the leader of the revolution by increasing the people’s ideas about
rebellion and making illegal organizations. As expected, Rizal was not given the chance to interrogate his witnesses. He was only allowed to choose his lawyer from a list of
young Spanish officers who were not into law. He chose Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, who was the bodyguard of Rizal when he first came home. There were two
kinds of evidences presented to him during the investigation: documentary and testimonial. There were fifteen documents against Rizal and ten witnesses for testimonial.
All efforts were made by Lt. Taviel de Andrade to defend Rizal of his innocence but as obvious as it may have seemed, Rizal was still found guilty.
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When Rizal heard the court decision, he knew that there will be no chance of changing his fate. At six o’ clock in the morning of December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael
Dominguez, read him the official notice of his execution. Rizal spent his last hours by going to the prison chapel. His mother and sisters visited him on the same day. He then
gave them his remaining possessions, reached out for the gas lamp and gave it to his sister, Trinidad and carefully whispered, “There is something inside.” Then Trinidad and his
sister Maria got a copy of Rizal’s last poem from the lamp. Unfortunately, it was said that on his last days that Rizal was not allowed to embrace his mother.
He took time to write his last letter to his best friend Bluementrit. The last poem he composed was the longest he ever written, it was entitled “Mi Ultimo Adios” or My
Last Farewell. Rizal had his last supper in the evening of December 29, 1896. At that time, he said to Captain Dominguez that he has already forgiven his enemies including those
who wanted him dead. At three in the morning on the day of his execution, he prayed and confessed his sins in the chapel. At exactly 5:30 in the morning, he had his last
breakfast of three hard boiled eggs. After breakfast, he singed some memorabilia including religious pictures and books, some of which he gave to his mother and
sister, Trinidad. To his wife Josephine, he gave the Imitacion de Cristo as a gift.
He once again wrote a letter to his family, sisters and brother that said:
To my family, I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause you, but someday I shall have to die and it is better that I die now in the plentitude of my conscience. Dear parents and brothers: give
thanks to God that I may preserve my tranquility before my death. I die resigned, hoping that with my death you will be left in peace. Ah! It is better to die than to live suffering. Console yourselves.
I enjoin you to forgive one another the little meanness of life and try to live united in peace and good harmony. Treat your old parents as you would like to be treated by your
children later. Love them very much in my memory.
Bury me in the ground. Place a stone and a cross over it. My name, the date of my birth and of my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a fence, you can do it. No
anniversaries. I prefer Paang Bundok.
Have pity on poor Josephine.
My Dear Brother, It is now four and a half years since we have seen one another, or have we exchanged letters. This I think is not because of any lack of love on my part or yours, but because,
knowing one another so well, we do not need to talk in order to be understood by one another.
Now I am about to die, and it is to you I dedicate my last line, to tell you how sorry I am to leave you alone in this life, burdened with the weight of the family and of our old parents. I am
thinking how hard you have work to give me a career; I have tried not to waste my time. My brother, if the fruit been bitter, it is not my fault, but the fault of circumstances. I know that you have
suffered much for me, and I am sorry.
I assure you, brother, that I die innocent of this crime of rebellion. That my former writings may have contributed toward it, I cannot wholly deny; but then, I thought I had
expiated for the pass in my deportation.
Tell our father that I remember him, and how much! I remember his affection and his love since my earliest childhood. Ask him to forgive me for the pain I have unwillingly caused him.
(Signed)Jose Rizal
Wearing a black suit, black pants, black bowler hat, and white shirt with his arms tied behind his back, Rizal walked to Bagumbayan at 6:30 in the morning of
December30, 1896. He walked along with his defense lawyer, Andrade, and two Jesuit priests, March and Vilaclara. In front of them was the advance guard of armed soldiers
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and behind them were another group of military men. The sound of a trumpet signaled the start of the death march and the muffled sound of drums served as the musical
score of the walk. People were lined up in the streets—”some were sympathetic to him, to others, especially the Spaniards, wanted nothing less than to see him die. Some
observed that his family or the katipuneros would make a last minute effort to sprint him from the trap”(Ocampo, 2016). Prior to his death, it was believed that Rizal
has managed to remain calm. Spectators said Rizal acknowledged the familiar faces in the crowd by nodding his head from left and right. Some people even saw that Rizal
smiled from time to time.
At the time of his death, Rizal refused to kneel and declined the traditional blindfold. Maintaining that he was not a traitor to his country and to Spain, he
even requested to face the firing squad. The Commander of the firing squad denied his request but after some time, Rizal agreed to turn his back to the
firing squad but requested that he be shot not in the head — but in the small of the back instead. When agreement has been reached, Rizal shook the hand of his defense
lawyer. The military physician asked permission to feel the pulse of the man who had only a few minutes to live and the doctor was startled to find it normal. Before leaving
Rizal in his appointed place, the priests offered him a crucifix to kiss “but he turned his head away and silently prepared for his death. When the command had been given, the
executioners’ guns barked at once. Rizal yelled Christ’s two words, “Consummatum est!” (It is finished!)Simultaneously with his final effort to twist his bullet-pieced body
halfway around.
Silence was all over. Unfortunately, the Captain did not keep his words about therequest made by Rizal of not shooting his head, but one of his men came near to the
body and gave Rizal “tira de gracia” or the mercy shot in the head to make sure that Rizal is dead. The Spaniards houted, Viva Espana! Muerte a los Traidores! But the crowd did
not respond. To break the ice, the military band played “Marcha de Cadiz,” and so they cheered.
Post-Assessment 4
Read and analyze each question. Answer each item briefly but concisely.
1. Agree or Disagree. Rizal is a coward when he refused to approve the planned uprising of the Katipunan. Explain your answer in brief.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think Rizal’s dying for the country was really worth it? Prove your point.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Module 6
Annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
Intended Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to
1. Analyze Rizal’s ideas on how to rewrite the Philippine History.
2. Explain the underlying purpose of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.
3. Compare and contrast Rizal and Morga’s different views about Filipinos and Philippine culture
Content
Through the centuries, Jose Rizal has been known to be an earnest seeker of truth – it is this characteristic that marked him as a great historian. When the Spaniards
came to conquer the islands, he had been so passionate to know the true conditions of the Philippines. But imagine how difficult it was to search for information during those
days – most of the available sources were either written by friars of the religious orders and zealous missionaries determined to wipe out native beliefs and cultural practices,
which they considered idolatrous and savage. Despite the colonizers’ claim that they were solely responsible for refining the Philippine islands, Rizal’s beliefs say otherwise. For
him, the native populations of the Filipinos were self-sustaining and customarily spirited - it was because of the Spanish colonization that the Philippine’s rich culture and
tradition faded to a certain extent. In order to support this supposition, Rizal went to look for a reliable account of the Philippines in the early days and at the onset
of Spanish Colonization. Some references say that while in Europe, Rizal came across research papers published by eminent European scientists about ethnic communities in
Asia – one of them was Dr. Ferdinand Blumentrit, author of “Versucheiner Ethnographie der Philippine.” Rizal wrote to him and that was how their friendship
began. It was Dr. Blumentritt, , who recommended Dr. Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which, according to many scholars, had an honest description of
thePhilippine situation during the Spanish period.
Antonio de Morga (1559-1636) was a Spanish conquistador, a lawyer and a government official for 43 years in the Philippines (1594-1604), New Spain and Peru.
As Deputy Governor in the country, he reinstated the Audiencia, taking over the function of judge or oidor. He was also in command of the Spanish ships in a 1600 naval battle
against Dutch corsairs, but suffered defeat and barely survived. He may have undergone important failures in both his military and political capacities but he is now
remembered for his work as a historian. He was also a historian. He authored the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas(Events in the Philippine Islands) in 1609 after being
reassigned to Mexico. This book narrates observations about the Filipinos and the Philippines from the perspective of the Spaniards. In fact, this book is considered valuable in
the sense that it reflects the first formal record of the earliest days of the Philippines as a Spanish colony. Morga’s work, which is based partly on documentary research, keen
observation, and partly on his personal involvement and knowledge, is said to be the best account of Spanish colonialism in the country. With Morga’s position
in the colonial government, he had access to many important documents that allowed him to write about the natives’ and their conquerors’ political, social and
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economic phases of life from the year 1493 to 1603.Rizal was greatly impressed by Morga’s work that he, himself, decided to annotate it and publish a new
edition. He meticulously added footnotes on every chapter of the Sucesos that could be a misrepresentation of Filipino cultural practices.
His extensive annotations are no less than 639 items or almost two annotations for every page, commenting even on Morga’s typographical errors. Rizal began his
work in London and completed it in Paris in 1890. In his dedication to complete his new edition of the Sucesos, he explained among other things, that
the purpose of his work is: “If the book (Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas) succeeds to awaken your consciousness of our past, already effaced from your memory, and
to rectify what has been falsified and slandered, then I have not worked in vain, and with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall be able to study the future. ”What,
then, was Morga’s purpose for writing the Sucesos? Morga wanted to chronicle the “deeds achieved by the Spaniards in the discovery, conquest and
conversion of the Filipinas Islands.” Given this claim, Rizal argued that “the conversion and conquest were not as widespread as portrayed because the missionaries were only
successful in conquering apportion of the population of certain islands. ”Why, you may ask, would Rizal annotate Morga’s work? For one, the book tells the history of wars,
intrigues, diplomacy and evangelization of the Philippines in a somewhat disjointed way. Historians, including Rizal, have noticed a definite bias, a lot of created stories
and distorted facts in the book just to fit Morga’s defense of the Spanish conquest.
For instance, on page 248, Morga describes the culinary art of the ancient Filipinos by recording, “they prefer to eat salt fish which begin to decompose and
smell. ”Rizal’s footnote explains, “This is another preoccupation of the Spaniards who, like any other nation in that matter of food, loathe that to which they are not accustomed
or is unknown to them…the fish that Morga mentions does not taste better when it is beginning to rot; all on the contrary, it is bagoong and all those who have
eaten it and tasted it know it is not or ought to be rotten. ”
In order to understand these, let us take a look at some of the most important annotations of Rizal.
The Preface
Written with ”Jose Rizal, Europe 1889” as a signature, the following Preface was indicated in Rizal’s Annotation (From Annotations to Dr. Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas, n.d., as translated in English):“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. ”
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Notable Annotations
The English translation of some of the more important annotations of the Sucesos was done by an early biographer of Rizal, Austin Craig (1872-
1949). The following are excerpts from Rizal's annotations to inspire young Filipinos of today (Taken from Craig, 1929 as translated by Derbyshire, n.d. in
kahimyang.com).Governor Antonio de 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 at Rome in1604, 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. By the Christian religion, Doctor 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. Great kingdoms were indeed discovered and conquered in the remote and
unknown parts of the world by Spanish ships but to the Spaniards who sailed in them we may add Portuguese, Italians, French, Greeks, and even Africans and Polynesians. The
expeditions captained by Columbus and Magellan, one a Genoese Italian and the other a Portuguese, as well as those that came after them, although Spanish fleets, still were
manned by many nationalities and in them went negroes, Moluccans, and even men from the Philippines and the Marianes Islands. Three 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 conversions by the Spaniards were not as general as their historians claim. The missionaries only succeeded in converting a part of the people of the Philippines. Still
there are Mahometans, the Moros, in the southern islands, and negritos, Igorot sand other heathens yet occupy the greater part territorially of the archipelago. Then the
islands which the Spaniards early held but soon lost are non-Christian-Formosa, Borneo, and the Moluccas. And if there are Christians in the Carolines that is due to
Protestants, whom neither the Roman Catholics of Morga's day nor many Catholics in our own day consider Christians. It is not the fact that the Filipinos were unprotected
before the coming of the Spaniards. Morga himself says, further on in telling of the pirate raids from the south, that previous to the Spanish domination the islands had
arms and defended themselves. But after the natives were disarmed the pirates pillaged them with impunity, coming at times when they were unprotected by the
government, which was the reason for many of the insurrections. 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. The islands came under Spanish sovereignty and control through compacts, treaties of friendship and alliances for
reciprocity. By virtue of the last arrangement, according to some historians, Magellan lost his life on Mactan and the soldiers of Legaspi fought under the banner
of King Tupas of Cebu. The term "conquest" is admissible but for a part of the islands and then only in its broadest sense. Cebu, Panay, Luzon Mindoro and some others cannot
be said to have been conquered. The discovery, conquest and conversion cost Spanish blood but still more Filipino blood. It will be seen later on in Morga that with the
Spaniards and on behalf of Spain there were always more Filipinos fighting than Spaniards. 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. Morga's expression that the Spaniards "brought war
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to the gates of the Filipinos "is in marked contrast with the word used by subsequent historians whenever recording Spain's possessing herself of a province, that she pacified it.
Perhaps "to make peace "then meant the same as "to stir up war." (This is a veiled allusion to the old Latin saying of Romans, often quoted by Spaniard's, that they
made a desert, calling it making peace. (Austin Craig).Magellan's transferring from the service of his own king to employment under the King of Spain, according to historic
documents, was because the Portuguese King had refused to grant him the raise in salary which he asked. Now it is known that Magellan was mistaken when he represented to
the King of Spain that the Molucca Islands were within the limits assigned by the Pope to the Spaniards. But through this error and the inaccuracy of the nautical
instruments of that time, the Philippines did not fall into the hands of the Portuguese. Cebu, which Morga calls "The City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus," was at first called
"The village of San Miguel. "The image of the Holy Child of Cebu, which many religious writers believed was brought to Cebu by the angels, was in fact given by the worthy
Italian chronicler of Magellan's expedition, the Chevalier Pigafetta, to the Cebuano queen. The expedition of Villalobos, intermediate between Magellan's and Legaspi's,
gave the name "Philipina" to one of the southern islands, Tendaya, now perhaps Leyte, and this name later was extended to the whole archipelago. 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 native fort at the mouth of the Pasig river, which Morga speaks of as equipped with brass lantakas and artillery of larger caliber, had its
ramparts re enforced with thick hardwood posts such as the Tagalogs used for their houses and called "harigues", or "haligui". Morga has evidently confused the pacific
coming of Legaspi with the attack of Goiti and Salcedo, as to date. According to other historians it was in 1570 that Manilawas burned, and with it a great plant for
manufacturing artillery. Goiti did not take possession of the city but withdrew to Cavite and afterwards to Panay, which makes one suspicious of his alleged victory. As to
the day of the date, the Spaniards then, having come following the course of the sun, were some sixteen hours later than Europe. This condition continued
till the end of the year 1844, when the 31st of December was by special arrangement among the authorities dropped from the calendar for that year.
Accordingly Legaspi did not arrive in Manila on the 19th but on the 20th of May and consequently it was not on the festival of Santa Potenciana but on San Baudelio's day. The
same mistake was made with reference to the other early events still wrongly commemorated, like San Andres' day for the repulse of the Chinese corsair Li Ma-hong. Though
not mentioned by Morga, the Cebuano aided the Spaniards in their expedition against Manila, for which reason they were long exempted from tribute. The southern
islands, the Bisayas, were also called "The Land of the Painted People (or Pintados, in Spanish)" because the natives had their bodies decorated with tracings made with fire,
somewhat like tattooing. The Spaniards retained the native name for the new capital of the archipelago, a little changed, however, for the Tagalogs had called their city
"Maynila."
When Morga says that the lands were "entrusted" (given as encomiendas) to those who had "pacified" them, he means "divided up among." The word "en trust," like
"pacify," later came to have a sort of ironical signification. To entrust a province was then as if it were said that it was turned over to sack, abandoned to the
cruelty and covetousness of the encomendero, to judge from the way these gentry misbehaved. Legaspi's grandson, Salcedo, called the Hernando Cortez of the Philippines,
was the "conqueror's" intelligent right arm and the hero of the "conquest." His honesty and fine qualities, talent and personal bravery, all won the admiration of the
Filipinos. Because of him they yielded to their enemies, making peace and friendship with the Spaniards. He it was who saved Manila from Li Ma-hong. He died at the early age
of twenty-seven and is the only encomendero recorded to have left the great part of his possessions to the Indians of his encomienda. Vigan was his encomienda and
the Ilokanos there were his heirs. The expedition which followed the Chinese corsair Li Ma-hong, after his unsuccessful attack upon Manila, to Pangasinan province,
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with the Spaniards of whom Morga tells, had in it 1,500 friendly Indians from Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Panay, besides the many others serving as laborers and crews of the ships.
Former Raja Lakandola, of Tondo, with his sons and his kinsmen went, too, with 200 more Bisayans and they were joined by other Filipinos in Pangasinan. If discovery and
occupation justify annexation, then Borneo ought to belong to Spain. In the Spanish expedition to replace on its throne a Sirela or Malaela, as he is variously called, who had
been driven out by his brother, more than fifteen hundred Filipino bowmen from the provinces of Pangasinan, Kagayan, and the Bisayas participated. It is notable
how strictly the earlier Spanish governors were held to account. Some stayed in Manila as prisoners, one, Governor Corcuera, passing five years with Fort Santiago as his
prison. In the fruitless expedition against the Portuguese in the island of Ternate, in the Molucca group, which was abandoned because of the prevalence of beriberi among the
troops, there went 1,500 Filipino soldiers from the more warlike provinces, principally Kagayans and Pampangans. The "pacification" of Kagayan was accomplished by
taking advantage of the jealousies among its people, particularly the rivalry between two brothers who were chiefs. An early historian asserts that without this
fortunate circumstance, for the Spaniards, it would have been impossible to subjugate them. Captain Gabriel de Rivera, a Spanish commander who had gained fame in a
raidon Borneo and the Malacca coast, was the first envoy from the Philippines to take up with the King of Spain the needs of the archipelago. The early conspiracy of the Manila
and Pampangan former chiefs was revealed to the Spaniards by a Filipina, the wife of a soldier, and many concerned lost their lives.
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 4"ancient." In this difficult art of iron working, as in so many others, the modern or present-day Filipinos are not so far advanced as
were their ancestors. When the English freebooter Cavendish captured the Mexican galleon Santa Ana, with 122,000 gold pesos, a great quantity of rich textiles-silks,
satins and damask, musk perfume, and stores of provisions, he took 150 prisoners. All these because of their brave defense were put ashore with ample supplies, except two
Japanese lads, three Filipinos, a Portuguese and a skilled Spanish pilot whom he kept as guides in his further voyaging. 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. The Jesuit, Father Alonso Sanchez, who
visited the papal court at Rome and the Spanish King at Madrid, had a mission much like that of deputies now, but of even greater importance since he came to be a sort of
counsellor or representative to the absolute monarch of that epoch. One wonders why the Philippines could have are presentative then but may not have one
now. In the time of Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, Manila was guarded against further damage such as was suffered from Li Ma-hong by the construction of a massive
stone wall around it. This was accomplished "without expense to the royal treasury. "The same governor, in like manner, also fortified the point at the entrance to the river
where had been the ancient native fort of wood, and he gave it the name Fort Santiago. The early cathedral of wood which was burned through carelessness at the time of the
funeral of Governor Dasmariñas' predecessor, Governor Ronquillo, was made, according to the Jesuit historian Chirino, with hardwood pillars around which two men could not
reach, and in harmony with this massiveness was all the woodwork above and below. It may be surmised from this how hard workers were the Filipinos of that time. A stone
house for the bishop was built before starting on the governor-general's residence. This precedence is interesting for those who uphold the civil power. Morga's mention of the
scant output of large artillery from the Manila cannon works because of lack of master foundry men shows that after the death of the Filipino Panday Pira there were not
Spaniards skilled enough to take his place, nor were his sons as expert as he. It is worthy of note that China, Japan and Cambodia at this time maintained relations with the
Philippines. But in our day it has been more than a century since the natives of the latter two countries have come here. The causes which ended the relationship
may be found in the interference by the religious orders with the institutions of those lands.
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For Governor Dasmariñas' expedition to conquer Ternate, in the Moluccan group, two Jesuits there gave secret information. In his 200 ships, besides 900 Spaniards,
there must have been Filipinos for one chronicler speaks of Indians, as the Spaniards called the natives of the Philippines, who lost their lives and others who were made
captives when the Chinese rowers mutinied. It was the custom then always to have a thousand or more native bowmen and besides the crew were almost all Filipinos, for the
most part Bisayans. The historian Argensola, in telling of four special galleys for Dasmariñas' expedition, says that they were manned by an expedient
which was generally considered rather harsh. It was ordered that there be bought enough of the Indians who were slaves of the former Indian chiefs, or principales, to form
these crews, and the price, that which had been customary in pre-Spanish times, was to be advanced by the encomenderos who later would be reimbursed from the royal
treasury. In spite of this promised compensation, the measures still seemed severe since those Filipinos were not correct in calling their dependents slaves The masters treated
these, and loved them, like sons rather, for they seated them at their own tables an gave them their own daughters in marriage. Morga says that the 250 Chinese oarsmen who
manned Governor Dasmariñas' swift galley were under pay and had the special favor of not being chained to their benches. According to him it was covetousness of the wealth
aboard that led them to revolt and kill the governor. But the historian Gaspar de San Agustin states that the reason for the revolt was the governor's abusive language
and his threatening the rowers. Both these authors' allegations may have contributed, but more important was the fact that there was no law to compel these Chinamen to
row in the galleys. They had come to Manila to engage in commerce or to work in trades or to follow professions. Still the incident contradicts the reputation
for enduring everything which they have had. The Filipinos have been much more long-suffering than the Chinese since, in spite of having been obliged to row on more than
one occasion, they never mutinied. It is difficult to excuse the missionaries' disregard of the laws of nations and the usages of honorable politics in their interference in
Cambodia on the ground that it was to spread the Faith. Religion had a broad field awaiting it then in the Philippines where more than nine-tenths of the natives were infidels.
That even now there are to be found here so many tribes and settlements of non-Christians takes away much of the prestige of that religious zeal which in the easy life in towns
of wealth, liberal and fond of display, grows lethargic. Truth is that the ancient activity was scarcely for the Faith alone, because the missionaries had to go to
islands rich in spices and gold though there were at hand Mohammedans and Jews in Spain and Africa, Indians by the million in the Americas, and more millions of protestants,
schismatic and heretics peopled, and still people, over six-sevenths of Europe. All of these doubtless would have accepted the Light and the true religion if the friars, under
pretext of preaching to them, had not abused their hospitality and if behind the name Religion had not lurked the unnamed Domination. In the attempt made by Rodriguez de
Figueroa to conquer Mindanao according to his contract with the King of Spain, there was fighting along the Rio Grande with the people called the Buhahayenes. Their
general, according to Argensola, was the celebrated Silonga, later distinguished for many deeds in raids on the Bisayas and adjacent islands. Chirino relates an
anecdote of his coolness under fire once during a truce for a marriage among Mindanao "principalia." Young Spaniards out of bravado fired at his feet but he passed on as if
unconscious of the bullets. Argensola has preserved the name of the Filipino who killed Rodriguez de Figueroa. It was Ubal. Two days previously he had given a
banquet, slaying for it a beef animal of his own, and then made the promise which he kept, to do away with the leader of the Spanish invaders.
A Jesuit writer calls him a traitor though the justification for that term of reproach is not apparent. The Buhahayen people were in their own country, and had neither
offended nor declared war upon the Spaniards. They had to defend their homes against a powerful invader, with superior forces, many of whom were, by reason of their armor,
invulnerable so far as rude Indians were concerned. Yet these same Indians were defenseless against the balls from their muskets. By the Jesuit's line of reasoning, the
heroic Spanish peasantry in their war for independence would have been a people even more treacherous. It was not Ubal's fault that he was not seen and, as it was wartime, it
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would have been the height of folly, in view of the immense disparity of arms, to have first called out to this preoccupied opponent, and then been killed himself. The muskets
used by the Buhahayens were probably some that had belonged to Figueroa's soldiers who had died in battle. Though the Philippines had lantakas and other artillery, muskets
were unknown till the Spaniards came. That the Spaniards used the word "discover" very carelessly may be seen from an admiral's turning in a report of his "discovery" of the
Solomon Islands though he noted that the islands had been discovered before. Death has always been the first sign of European civilization on its introduction in the Pacific
Ocean. God grant that it may not be the last, though to judge by statistics the civilized islands are losing their populations at a terrible rate. Magellan himself
inaugurated his arrival in the Marianes islands by burning more than forty houses, many small craft and seven people because one of his boats had been stolen. Yet to the
simple savages the act had nothing wrong in it but was done with the same naturalness that civilized people hunt, fish, and subjugate people that are weak or ill-armed. The
Spanish historians of the Philippines never overlook any opportunity, be it suspicion or accident, that may be twisted into something unfavorable to the Filipinos. They seem to
forget that in almost every case the reason for the rupture has been some act of those who were pretending to civilize helpless peoples by force of arms and at the cost of
their native land. What would these same writers have said if the crimes committed by the Spaniards, the Portuguese and the Dutch in their colonies had been
committed by the islanders?
The Japanese were not in error when they suspected the Spanish and Portuguese religious propaganda to have political motives back of the
missionary activities. Witness the Moluccas where Spanish missionaries served as spies; Cambodia, which it was sought to conquer under cloak of converting; and
many other nations, among them the Filipinos, where the sacrament of baptism made of the inhabitants not only subjects of the King of Spain but also slaves of
the encomenderos, and as well slaves of the churches and convents. What would Japan have been now had not its emperors uprooted Catholicism? A missionary record of
1625 sets forth that the King of Spain had arranged with certain members of Philippine religious orders that, under guise of preaching the faith and making Christians, they
should win over the Japanese and oblige them to make themselves of the Spanish party, and finally it told of a plan whereby the King of Spain should become also King of Japan.
In corroboration of this may be cited the claims that Japan fell within the Pope's demarcation lines for Spanish expansion and so there was complaint of missionaries
other than Spanish there. Therefore it was not for religion that they were converting the infidels! The raid by Datus Sali and Silonga of Mindanao, in 1599 with 50 sailing
vessels and 3,000 warriors, against the capital of Panay, is the first act of piracy by the inhabitants of the South which is recorded in Philippine history. I say "by
the inhabitants of the South" because earlier there had been other acts of piracy, the earliest being that of Magellan's expedition when it seized the shipping of friendly islands
and even of those whom they did not know, extorting for them heavy ransoms. It will be remembered that these Moro piracies continued for more than two
centuries, during which the indomitable sons of the South made captives and carried fire and sword not only in neighboring islands but into Manila Bay to Malate, to the
very gates of the capital, and not once a year merely but at times repeating their raids five and six times in a single season. Yet the government was unable to repel them or to
defend the people whom it had disarmed and left without protection. Estimating that the cost to the islands was but800 victims a year, still the total would be more than
200,000 persons sold into slavery or killed, all sacrificed together with so many other things to the prestige of that empty title, Spanish sovereignty. Still the Spaniards say
that the Filipinos have contributed nothing to Mother Spain, and that it is the islands which owe everything. It may be so, but what about the enormous sum of gold
which was taken from the islands in the early years of Spanish rule, of the tributes collected by the encomenderos, of the nine million dollars yearly collected to pay the
military, expenses of the employees, diplomatic agents, corporations and the like, charged to the Philippines, with salaries paid out of the Philippine
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treasury not only for those who come to the Philippines but also for those who leave, to some who never have been and never will be in the islands, as well as to others who
have nothing to do with them. Yet all of this is as nothing in comparison with so many captives gone, such a great number of soldiers killed in expeditions, islands depopulated,
their inhabitants sold as slaves by the Spaniards themselves, the death of industry, the demoralization of the Filipinos, and so forth, and so forth. Enormous indeed would the
benefits which that sacred civilization brought to the archipelago have to be in order to counterbalance so heavy a-cost. While Japan was preparing to invade the Philippines,
these islands were sending expeditions to Tonquin and Cambodia, leaving the homeland helpless even against the undisciplined hordes from the South, so obsessed were the
Spaniards with the idea of making conquests. In the alleged victory of Morga over the Dutch ships, the latter found upon the bodies of five Spaniards, who lost their lives in that
combat, little silver boxes filled with prayers and invocations to the saints. Here would seem to be the origin of the anting anting of the modern tulisanes, which
are also of a religious character. 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 Acunia's ambitious expedition against the Moros unhappily still apply for the same conditions yet exist. For fear of uprisings and loss of
Spain's sovereignty over the islands, the inhabitants were disarmed, leaving them exposed to the harassing of a powerful and dreaded enemy. Even now, though the use of
steam vessels has put an end to piracy from outside, the same fatal system still is followed.
The peaceful country folk are deprived of arms and thus made unable to defend themselves against the bandits, or tulisanes, which the government cannot restrain. It is
an encouragement to banditry thus to make easy its getting booty. Hernando de los Rios blames these Moluccan wars for the fact that at first the Philippines were a source
of expense to Spain instead of profitable in spite of the tremendous sacrifices of the Filipinos, their practically gratuitous labor in building and equipping the galleons,
and despite, too, the tribute, tariffs and other imposts and monopolies. These wars to gain the Moluccas, which soon were lost forever with the little that had been so
laboriously obtained, were a heavy drain upon the Philippines. They depopulated the country and bankrupted the treasury, with not the slightest compensating
benefit. True also is it that it was to gain the Moluccas that Spain kept the Philippines, the desire for the rich spice islands being one of the most powerful
arguments when, because of their expense to him, the King thought of withdrawing and abandoning them. Among the Filipinos who aided the government when the
Manila Chinese revolted, Argensola says there were 4,000 Pampangans "armed after the way of their land, with bows and arrows, short lances, shields, and broad and long
daggers." Some Spanish writers say that the Japanese volunteers and the Filipinos showed themselves cruel in slaughtering the Chinese refugees. This may very well
have been so, considering the hatred and rancor then existing, but those in command set the example The loss of two Mexican galleons in 1603 called forth no comment
from the religious chroniclers who were accustomed to see the avenging hand of God in them is fortunes and accidents of their enemies. Yet there were repeated shipwrecks
of the vessels that carried from the Philippines wealth which encomenderos had extorted from the Filipinos, using force, or making their own laws, and, when not using these
open means, cheating by the weights and measures. The Filipino chiefs who at their own expense went with the Spanish expedition against Ternate, in the Moluccas, in
1605, were Don Guillermo Palaot, Maestro de Campo, and Captains Francisco Palaot, Juan Lit, Luis Lont, and Agustin Lont. They had with them 400 Tagalogs and
Pampangans. The leaders bore themselves bravely for Argensola writes that in the assault on Ternate, "No officer, Spaniard or Indian, went unscathed. "The Cebuanos drew
a pattern on the skin before starting in to tattoo. The Bisayan usage then was the same procedure that the Japanese today follow. 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.
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The study of ethnology is restoring this somewhat. The chiefs used to wear upper garments, usually of Indian fine gauze according to Colin, of red color, a shade for
which they had the same fondness that the Romans had. The barbarous tribes in Mindanao still have the same taste. The "easy virtue" of the native women that
historians note is not solely attributable to the simplicity with which they obeyed their natural instincts but much more due to a religious belief of which Father Chirino
tells. It was that in the journey after death to "Kalualhatian," the abode of the spirit, there was a dangerous river to cross that had no bridge other than a very narrow strip of
wood over which a woman could not pass unless she had a husband or lover to extend a hand to assist her. Furthermore, the religious annals of the early missions
are filled with countless instances where native maidens chose death rather than sacrifice their chastity to the threats and violence of encomenderos and Spanish soldiers.
As to the mercenary social evil, that is worldwide and there is no nation that can 'throw the first stone' at any other. For the rest, today the Philippines has no reason to blush in
comparing its woman kind with the women of the most chaste nation in the world. Morga's remark that the Filipinos like fish better when it is commencing to turn bad is
another of those prejudices which Spaniards like all other nations, have. In matters of food, each is nauseated with what he is unaccustomed to or doesn't know is
eatable. The English, for example, find their gorge rising when they see a Spaniard eating snails, while in turn the Spanish find roast beef English-style repugnant and can't
understand the relish of other Europeans for beefsteak a la Tartar which to them is simply raw meat. The Chinaman, who likes shark's meat, cannot bear Roquefort
cheese, and these examples might be indefinitely extended. The Filipinos' favorite fish dish is the bagoong and whoever has tried to eat it knows that it is not considered
improved when tainted. It neither is, nor ought to be, decayed. Colin says the ancient Filipinos 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. The cannon foundry mentioned by Morga as in the walled city was probably on the site of the Tagalog one which was destroyed by
fire on the first coming of the Spaniards. That established in 1584 was in Lamayan, that is, Santa Ana now, and was transferred to the old site in 1590. It continued to work
until 1805. According to Gaspar San Agustin, the cannon which the pre-Spanish Filipinos cast were "as great as those of Malaga," Spain's foundry. The Filipino plant was burned
with all that was in it save a dozen large cannons and some smaller pieces which the Spanish invaders took back with them to Panay. The rest of their artillery
equipment had been thrown by the Manilans, then Moros, into the sea when they recognized their defeat. Malate, better Maalat, was where the Tagalog aristocracy lived
after they were dispossessed by the Spaniards of their old homes in what is now the walled city of Manila. Among the Malate residents were the families of Raja
Matanda and Raja Soliman.
The men had various positions in Manila and some were employed in government work near by. "They were very courteous and well-mannered," says San
Agustin. "The women were very expert in lacemaking, so much so that they were not a tall behind the women of Flanders."Morga's statement that there was not a province or
town of the Filipinos that resisted conversion or did not want it may have been true of the civilized natives. But the contrary was the fact among the mountain tribes. We have
the testimony of several Dominican and Augustinian missionaries that it was impossible to go anywhere to make conversions without other Filipinos along and a guard of
soldiers. "Otherwise, says Gaspar de San Agustin, there would have been no fruit of the Evangelic Doctrine gathered, for the infidels wanted to kill the Friars who
came to preach to them." An example of this method of conversion given by the same writer was a trip to the mountains by two Friars who had a numerous
escort of Pampangans. The escort's leader was Don Agustin Sonson who had a reputation for daring and carried fire and sword into the country, killing many, including the
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chief, Kabadi. The Spaniards, says Morga, were accustomed to hold as slaves such natives as they bought and others that they took in the forays in the conquest or pacification
of the islands.” Consequently, in this respect, the “pacifiers” introduced no moral improvement. We even do not know, if in their wars the Filipinos used to make slaves of each
other though that would not have been strange, for the chroniclers tell of captives returned to their own people. The practice of the southern pirates almost proves this,
although in these piratical wars the Spaniards were the first aggressors and gave them their character.
Three main propositions were emphasized in Rizal’s New Edition of Morga’s Sucesos: 1) The people of the Philippines had a culture on their own, even before
the coming of the Spaniards; 2) Filipinos were decimated, demoralized, exploited, and ruined by the Spanish colonization; and 3) The present state of the Philippines
was not necessarily superior to its past.
In Rizal’s historical essay, he correctly observed that as a colony of Spain, “The Philippines was depopulated, impoverished and retarded, astounded by metaphors is,
with no confidence in her past, still without faith in her present and without faltering hope in the future. He went to say:“…little by little, they (Filipinos) lost their old traditions,
the mementoes of their past; they gave up their writing, their songs, their poems, their laws, in order to learn other doctrines which they did not understand, another
morality, another aesthetics, different from those inspired by their climate and their manner of thinking. They declined, degrading themselves in their own eyes,
they become ashamed of what was their own; they began to admire and praise whatever was foreign and incomprehensible, their spirit was damaged and it
surrendered.” Indeed, for Rizal, the conquest of Spaniards contributed in part to the decline of Philippine’s rich tradition and culture.
Post-Assessment 5
You have learned the differences between Rizal and Morga’s views
on Filipino culture. From what you have learned, provide at least 5
differences and 5 similarities on their descriptions of the Filipino
culture and write it down using the Venn diagram.
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PERFORMANCE TASK
Make your own poem that will inspire youth in relevance to present situation. (Can be economically, Politically, Socially … anything as long as youth can relate)
Mechanics:
Must have at least 3 paragraphs with at least 4 lines each paragraph.
Encode your poem in Microsoft word and attach it to google classroom where the performance task is posted. (PT-2nd | Poetry Writing)
Criteria
I: Poetry Writing II: Poem Recitation (Through google meet)
References:
https://ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Life-and-Works-of-Jose-Rizal.pdf
Zulueta, Francisco M. (2004). Rizal: Life, works and ideals. National Bookstore.
Pasigui, Ronnie E. and Danilo H. Cabalu (2006). The man and the hero (An Anthology of Legacies and Controversies). C & E Publishing, Inc.
Zaide, Gregorio F. and Sonia M. Zaide (1997). Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero.All Nations Publishing Co. Inc.
https://cmlssc1516.weebly.com/uploads/5/2/8/1/52810061/ge-sosc_110-life_works_and_writings_of_rizal.pdf
https://pdfcoffee.com/qdownload/3-the-philippines-in-the-19th-century-as-rizals-context-economic-social-and-political-aspects-pdf-free.html
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/ilocos-sur-polytechnic-state-college/life-and-work-of-rizal/rizals-life-family-childhood-and-early-education/14375559
https://bangkokpe.dfa.gov.ph/advisories-and-announcements/443-poetry-writing-and-recitation-contest
For some clarifications, you can post your question in google classroom or message me thru:
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