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Why Study Rizal: Because It Is Mandated by Law

This document provides an introduction to Jose Rizal and the Rizal Law, which mandates the study of his life and works in Philippine schools and universities. It discusses that the Rizal Law was enacted in 1956 to foster nationalism in youth and pay tribute to Rizal as the founder of Philippine nationalism. Studying Rizal is also important because his novels and ideals are still relevant to understanding current Philippine society and can inspire patriotism. The document then provides details on the specific sections and requirements of the Rizal Law.

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Chriszanie Cruz
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
335 views28 pages

Why Study Rizal: Because It Is Mandated by Law

This document provides an introduction to Jose Rizal and the Rizal Law, which mandates the study of his life and works in Philippine schools and universities. It discusses that the Rizal Law was enacted in 1956 to foster nationalism in youth and pay tribute to Rizal as the founder of Philippine nationalism. Studying Rizal is also important because his novels and ideals are still relevant to understanding current Philippine society and can inspire patriotism. The document then provides details on the specific sections and requirements of the Rizal Law.

Uploaded by

Chriszanie Cruz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO JOSE RIZAL requirement to all non-degree courses in the

tertiary education. Primarily, its rationale is to


 Welcome to Rizal class.  The lesson for today is foster in the Filipino youth a nationalistic
focused on R.A. 1425 or what we call the “Rizal sentiment both for their appreciation and
Law”.  But the question is that, why study Rizal? emulation.”

 It is of great importance that students like  For more information:


you understand the rationale behind
having to take up a Rizal course in  Laws on Rizal
college.  For high school students, the  There are at least two Republic Acts and
Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo two Memorandum Orders pertaining to
are injected into the Filipino subject as Jose Rizal:
part of the overall curriculum.  In tertiary 1. Republic Act N. 1425 or the Rizal
education, however, Rizal is a subject Law
required of any course, in any college or 2. Republic Act No. 229 or the
university in the Philippines.  Celebration of Rizal Day’
 Memorandum Order No. 247 by President
Usually, during the first day of the course, a Fidel V. Ramos
professor asks the well-overused questions:  CHED Memorandum No. 3, s 1995 by
Commisioner Mona D. Valismo
 Why study Rizal?
 What is the importance of studying Rizal? Republic Act No. 1425 The Rizal Law
 Why is Rizal one of the minor subjects
taken up in college?  Republic Act no. 1425- an act to include in the
 Why is Rizal included in the course curricula of all public and private schools,
outline? colleges and universities courses on the life,
 What relevance does Rizal have in works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly
college education? His novels Noli Me Tangere and el
Filibusterismo, authorizing the printing and
 The answer to such questions can be summed distribution thereof, and for other purposes.
up in two points:
 Section 1.
1. it is mandated by law. Courses on the life, works  and
2. because of the lessons contained within writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his
the course itself. novel Noli me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo shall be included in the
Let us discuss those reasons one by one: curricula of all schools, colleges and
universities, public or private:
WHY STUDY RIZAL:  BECAUSE IT IS Provided, that in the collegiste
MANDATED BY LAW courses, the original or unexpurgated
editions of the Noli Me Tangere and
 The teaching of Jose Rizal’s life, works, El   Filibusterismo of their English
and writings is mandated by Republic Act translation shall be used as basic
1425, otherwise known as the Rizal texts.
Law.  Senator Jose P. Laurel, the person  Section 2
who sponsored the said law, said that It shall be obligatory on all schools,
since Rizal was the founder of Philippine colleges and universities to keep in
nationalism and has contributed much to their libraries an adequate number of
the current standing of this nation, it is copies of the original and
only right that the youth as well as all the unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me
people in the country know about and Tangere and el filibusterismo, as well
learn to imbibe the great ideals for which as of Rizal’s other works and
he died.  The Rizal Law, enacted in 1956, biography,  The said unexpurgated
seeks to accomplish the following goals: editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
 To rededicate the lives of youth to Filibusterismo or their translations in
the ideals of freedom and English, as well as other writings of
nationalism, for which our heroes Rizal shall be included in the list of
lived and died. approved books for required reading in
 To pay tribute to our national hero public or private schools , colleges and
for devoting his life and works in universities. The board of national
shaping the Filipino character Education shall determine the
 To gain an inspiring source of adequacy of the number of books,
patriotism through the study of depending upon the enrollment of the
Rizal’s life, works, and writings. school, college and university.
 Section 3
Likewise, “As mandatory law (R.A 1425) , the The Board of national Education shall
study of Rizal’s life, works and writings is a cause the translation of the Noli me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well humanity.
as other writings of Jose Rizal  into  One cannot fully understand Rizal’s thought
English, tagalog and the principal without understanding the social and political
Philipine dialects; cause them to be context of the 19th century. Social scientists
printed in cheap, popular editions; and marked the 19th century as the birth of
cause them to be distributed, free of modern life as well as the birth of many
charge, to persons desiring to read nation-states around the world. The birth of
them, through the purok orgsnizations modernity was precipitated by three great
and Barrio Councils throughout the revolutions around the world: the Industrial
country. revolution in England, the French Revolution
 Section 4 in France and the American Revolution.
Nothing in this act shall be construed
as  amended or repealing section nine  A PANORAMIC SURVEY
hundred twenty-seven of the
administrative code, prohibiting the  The essence of the life of Jose Rizal is
discussion of religious doctrines by marked by the conditions that existed during
public school teachers and other his lifetime
person engaged in any public school.  Rizal is a product of his era and his
 Section 5 message sets forth a human declaration
The sum of three hundred thousand that:
pesos is hereby authorized to be  “All human beings are born free and equal in
appropriated out of any fund not dignity and rights”
otherwise appropriated in the national
Treasury to carry out the purposes of Take note: Rizal’s life experienced challenged
this   act.  him to push his ideals and limits just to obtain
 Section 6. justice and equality among mankind.  He fought
This act shall take effect upon its against slavery, discrimation and manipulation to
approval.  other nation like the Philippine people.  He
served as an advocate of freedom and equality
 Approved: June 12, 1956 and aimed at peaceful and harmonious nation.
 Senate Bill No. 438
 House Bill No. 5561  THE WORLD IN THE 19th CENTURY
 Archbishop of Manila -  bishop Rufino
Santos The 19th Century stands out as an extremely
 Mayor of Manila – Arsenio Lacson dynamic and creative age especially in Europe
and the United States.
WHY STUDY RIZAL:  BECAUSE OF THE -Concepts such as industrialism, democracy and
LESSONS CONTAINED WITHIN THE COURSE nationalism had triggered revolutionary changes
in science, technology, economics and politics.
Aside from those mentioned above, there are
other reasons for teaching the Rizal course in The Church also took part in the changes of the
Philippine schools: political condition of the 19th Century.

 To recognize the importance of Rizal’s THE CHURCH IN THE 19TH CENTURY


ideals and teachings in relation to present
conditions and situations in the society.  In addition to the three great revolutions, the
 To encourage the application of such weakening of the grip of the Catholic Church of
ideals in current social and personal the growing secularalized society of Europe and
problems and issues. Spain has implications to the Philippines.
 To develop an appreciation and deeper Conversely, the Catholic Church in Europe was
understanding of all that Rizal fought and a most powerful institution in Europe. The union
died for. of Church State has identified the Church with
 To foster the development of the Filipino the monarchy and aristocracy since the Middles
youth in all aspects of citizenship. Ages. Since it upheld the status quo and favored
 Take note, Rizal’s legacy is very important in the monarchy, the Church in the nineteenth
changing the condition of our present century had been considered an adversary to the
society.  His teachings challenges us all new Republican states and the recently unified
filipinos to make a difference for the future of countries. The French saw the Church as a
our country by living the teachings of Rizal.  threat to the newly formed republican state and
Likewise, it teaches us to be more Bismarck of Germany also saw it as a threat to
responsible and brave enough to face the the unified German Empire. In Spain, the liberals
challenges in our present society by acting on considered the Church as an enemy of reforms.
the principles that Rizal had strongly spoken Thus they sought to curtail to influence of the
and lived. Church in political life and education. This
 Rizal in his experience during the movement against the Catholic Church called
19th Century where he experienced anti-clericalism had gained strength in the
discrimination to race and inequality to nineteenth century not only for political reasons
but also of the materialistic preferences of the Filipinos.
people generated by the economic prosperity of
the period (Romero et al 1978: 17-18). Its censorship and racial discriminatory practices
were oppressive.
The declining influence of the Catholic Church in
Europe and Spain has little effect, however, to  Government processes had no respect for the
the control and power of the local Church in the needs of the people.
Philippines. Despite the anti-clericalism in Spain,
the power of the friars in the Philippines in the These conditions that had experienced by many
19thcentury did not decline; instead, it became Filipinos led to the development of:
consolidated after the weakening of civil
authority owing to constant change in political  Nationhood
leadership. This means that Filipinos turned  Nationalism
more and more to the friars for moral and  Patriotism
political guidance as Spanish civil officials in the  Desire for Independence
colony became more corrupt and immoral. The
union of the Church and State and the so- It made Filipinos strived in uplifting the Filipino
called “rule of the spirit and fight for their rights and freedom.
friars” or “frailocracy” continued during this
period. In the last decades of the 19th century,  Social Structure
the Spanish friars were so influential and
powerful that they practically ruled the whole  Predominantly feudalistic (Spanish land
archipelago. The Spanish civil authorities as well holding system) with the arrival of
as patriotic Filipinos feared them. In every conquistadores
Christian town in the country, for instance, the
 -Conquistadores were the elite class that
friar is the real ruler, not the
exploited the masses
electedgobernadorcillo. He was the supervisor of
 -Master-slave relationship between the
local elections, the inspector of the schools, the
Spaniards and the Filipinos
arbiter of morals, and the censor of books and
stage shows. He could order the arrest of or  -Spaniards exacted all forms of taxes and
exile to distant land any filibustero (traitor) or tributes and forced the natives to manual
anti-friar Filipino who disobeyed him or refused labor
to kiss his hands (Zaide 1999: 209).  This conditions of Rizal’s fellow Filipinos
triggered him to resist on the power of the
One of the aims of Dr. Rizal and the Spaniards.  He eagerly encouraged
propagandists in order to prepare the Filipino equality and justice in societal setting
people for revolution and independence was to where Filipinos must also be respected as
discredit the friars. Exposing the abuses and part of the society.
immoralities of the friars is one way to downplay  Below is the division of the Philippine
their power and influence among the people and political structure. In here, native Filipinos
thus can shift the allegiance of the Indiosfrom the are seen as the lowest class:
friars to the Filipino reformists and leaders. The
strengthening power of the friars in the The Pyramid Social Structure
19th century has encouraged the nationalists to
double their efforts to win the people to their  In terms of its Political Structure, Spain
side. governed the Philippines through the
Ministro de Ultramar
The 19th century era brought changes to the  -Ministry of the Colonies established in
Philippine setting especially its political, 1863
economic, technological and societal concerns.  It helped the Spanish monarchs manage
the affairs of the colonies
 THE PHILIPPINES IN THE 19th CENTURY  Governed the Philippines through a
centralized machinery
However, 19th Century Philippines was largely  Exercising executive, legislative, judicial
medieval.  The inclusivity of the Church in the and religious powers
Political setting was very powerful.
 The Governor General
Its social and economic structure was based on
the old feudalistic system.  Appointed by the King of Spain, headed
the central administration in Manila.  He
Abuses and exploitations of the Indio were very served as the King’s representative.
rampant.  But the treatment of the Indio in the  He issued executive and administrative
western country was very different in the orders over all government officials
Philippine setting.  Spanish officials were very  Responsible for all government and
oppressive to Indio.  This brutal treatment to religious activities
Indios made Rizal a fighter against Spanish  He was assisted by Lieutenant General
colonialism, especially their treatment to us (general segundo cabo)
 Alcaldes Mayores situation between the union of the church
and state.  The priest or what we call the
Civil Governors- Led the provincial government “Friars” also became powerful, cruel and
(alcaldias) corrupt. 
 The checks adopted by Spain to minimize
Alcaldes en ordinario abuses either proved ineffective or
discouraged
 City mayor and vice mayor  The officials appointed by the King of
 Ruled the city government (ayuntamiento) Spain were ignorant of Philippine needs. 
This was the reason behind their bad
 Gobernadorcillo motives to our Philippine nation.
 The most corrupt branch of government
 Town mayor was the alcaldias
 Ruled the town government (principalia)  Dishonest and corrupt officials often
exacted more tributes than required by
Cabeza de Barangay- law and pocketed the excess collections.
 They also monopolized provincial trade
 Barangay captain and controlled prices and business
 Ruled the barrio  practices.
 The parish priests could checked this
The Guardia Civil anomaly but in many cases they
encouraged the abuses in exchange for
 Headed by alferez (Second lieutenant) favors.
 Performed police duties  Participation in the government of the
 Helped in the maintenance of peace and natives was confined to the lowest offices
order  They participate only as gobernadorcillo
of a town and cabeza de barangay of a
The system of courts was a centralized system barrio.
 The position of gobernadorcillo was
 It was a pyramidical organization honorary entitled to two pesos/month.
 Headed by the Royal Audiencia  The natural and constitutional rights and
 Served as highest court for civil and liberties of the indios were curtailed. 
criminal cases Homes were searched without warrants.
 Together with the Governor General, they  People were convicted and exiled for
made laws for the country called autos being filibusteros
acordados  Books, magazines and other written
materials could not be published without
Above shows the structure of the Philippine the approval of the Board of Censors
government and its function. Unluckily, there
were abuses of the officials in their power to hold
public office. So, below is the specified sources The Educational System
of abuses and sometimes corruption by the
officials in the administrative system.  There was no systematic government
supervision of schools.
SOURCES OF ABUSES IN THE  The teaching methods was obsolet. 
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM There was a limited curriculum and poor
classroom facilities.  And  the was an
 The main cause of weakness of the absence of teaching materials.
administrative system was the  The friars inevitably occupied a dominant
appointment of officials with inferior position in the Philippine educational
qualifications. system.  Religion was the main subject in
 Without dedication to duty, no moral the schools.
strength to resist corruption.  The kind of  Fear of God was emphasized and
officials sent in the Philippines were obedience to the friars was instilled.
corrupt, abusive and unqualified officers.   Indios were constantly reminded that they
They were not equipped to any public had inferior intelligence and were fit only
office.  This was the reason why instead for manual labor.
of focusing on their role as public officers  These practices resulted in a lack of
to form a good and well nation, they personal confidence and a development
focused on getting wealth through of inferiority complex.
corruption.  The worse thing was that,  Students memorized and repeated the
they became brutal and abusive to native contents of books which they did not
Filipinos to the extent that they executed understand. Teacher discrimination
most of our fellow native Filipinos who against Filipinos was present.
fought and resisted against them.  The friars were against the teaching of
 There was also complication in the Spanish in the Philippines
 They believed that the knowledge of the education (Agoncillo 1990: 129-130). This class
Spanish language would encourage the included the ilustrados who belonged to the
people to oppose Spanish rule. landed gentry and who were highly respected in
 Indios might be inspired by the new ideas their respective pueblos or towns, though
of freedom and independence, so they regarded asfilibusteros or rebels by the friars.
isolate Filipinos in the light of intellectual The relative prosperity of the period has enabled
attainment. them to send their sons to Spain and Europe for
higher studies. Most of them later became
 CHALLENGES OF THE 19TH CENTURY members of freemasonry and active in the
Propaganda Movement. Some of them sensed
Industrial Revolution the failure of reformism and turned to radicalism,
and looked up to Rizal as their leader
The industrial revolution is basically an economic (PES 1993:239)
revolution which started with the invention of
steam engine and resulted to the use of Lastly, safer, faster and more comfortable means
machinery in the manufacturing sector in the of transportation such as railways and
cities of Europe. It has changed the economy of steamships were constructed. The construction
Europe from feudalism—an economic system of steel bridges and the opening of Suez Canal
which relied on land and agriculture--to opened shorter routes to commerce. Faster
capitalism which relied on machinery and wage means of communications enable people to have
labor. The merchants of Europe who became better contacts for business and trade. This
rich through trade became the early capitalists of resulted to closer communication between the
this emerging economy. Farmers from rural Philippines and Spain and to the rest of the world
areas migrated to the cities and became in the 19th century (Romero 1978: 16).
industrial workers while their wives remained as
housekeepers at home in what Karl Marx’s The French Revolution
characterized as the first instance of the
domestication of women. If the Industrial Revolution changed the
economic landscape of Europe and of the
The Industrial Revolution that started in Europe Philippines, another great Revolution changed
had repercussions to the Philippine economy. A their political tone of the period—the French
radical transformation of the economy took place Revolution. The French revolution (1789-1799)
between the middle of the eighteenth century started a political revolution in Europe and in
and the middle of the nineteenth; something that some parts of the world. This revolution is a
might almost be called an agricultural revolution, period of political and social upheaval and
with a concomitant development of agricultural radical change in the history of France during
industries and domestic as well as foreign trade which the French governmental structure was
(De la Costa 1965: 159). The economic transformed from absolute monarchy with feudal
opportunities created by the Industrial Revolution privileges for the rich and clergy to a more
had encouraged Spain in 1834 to open the democratic government form based on the
Philippine economy to world commerce. As a principles of citizenship and inalienable rights.
result, new cities and ports were built. Foreign With the overthrow of monarchial rule,
firms increased rapidly. Foreigners were allowed democratic principles of Liberty, Equality and
to engage in manufacturing and agriculture. Fraternity--the battle cry of the French
Merchant banks and financial institutions were Revolution--started to spread in Europe and
also established. The British and Americans around the world.
improved agricultural machinery for sugar milling
and rice hulling and introduced new methods of Not all democratic principles were spread as a
farming. The presence of these foreign traders result of the French Revolution. The anarchy or
stimulated agricultural production, particularly political disturbance caused by the revolution
sugar, rice, hemp, and—once the government had reached not only in neighboring countries of
monopoly was removed in 1882—tobacco. France, it has also reached Spain in the
Indeed, the abolition of restrictions on foreign 19th century. Spain experienced a turbulent
trade has produced a balanced and dynamic century of political disturbances during this era
economy of the Philippines during the which included numerous changes in
19th century (Maguigad & Muhi 2001: 46; parliaments and constitutions, the Peninsular
Schumacher 1997: 17). War, the loss of Spanish America, and the
struggle between liberals and conservatives (De
Furthermore, the fast tempo of economic la Costa 1965: 159). Moreover, radical shifts in
progress in the Philippines during the government structure were introduced by liberals
19th century facilitated by Industrial Revolution in the motherland. From 1834 to 1862, for
resulted to the rise to a new breed of rich and instance, a brief span of only 28 years, Spain
influential Filipino middle class. Non-existent in had four constitutions, 28 parliaments, and 529
previous centuries, this class, composed of ministers with portfolio (Zaide 1999: 203). All
Spanish and Chinese mestizosrose to a position these political changes in Spain had their
of power in the Filipino community and repercussions in the Philippines, cracking the
eventually became leaders in finance and fabric of the old colonial system and introducing
through cracks perilous possibilities of reform, of in the 2nd half of the 19th century
equality and even emancipation” (De la Costa  2nd Industrial Revolution had taken its
1965: 159). path towards development
 3rd: The use of steel, the discovery of oil,
Because of this political turmoil in the gasoline and electricity, invention of
motherland, the global power of the “Siglo de combustion engine triggered the
Oro of Spain in the sixteenth century as the motorized age
mistress of the world with extensive territories  Safer, faster and more comfortable means
had waned abroad in the nineteenth century. Her of transportation were constructed
colonies had gained momentum for  Faster means of communication like
independence owing to the cracks in political telephone and telegraph enabled people
leadership in the motherland. In fact, Cuba, a to have better contacts
colony of Spain, was waging a revolution against  3rd: Closer communication between the
Spain when Rizal volunteered to discontinue his Philippines and Spain was now feasible
exile in Dapitan to work as volunteer doctor there (possible)
in order for him to observe the revolution. The
divided power of Spain was triggered by The Philippines as a source of raw materials and
successive change of regimes due to the as market of finished products was eventually
democratic aspiration created by the French drawn into the orbit of international trade after
Revolution. This aspiration had inspired colonies 1834
under Spain and Portugal to revolt in order to
gain independence from their colonial masters in  1st: With the emergence of development,
the 19th century. the Philippines was gradually opened into
the changing world
The American Revolution
 3rd: This marked a change in the
economic and social life of those Filipinos
Finally, the American Revolution, though not
who came into contact with development
directly affecting the local economy and politics
in Europe
of the Philippines in the nineteenth century, had
important repercussions to democratic
2. The Altered Position of the Catholic
aspirations of the Filipino reformist led by Rizal
Church
during this period. The American
 The Catholic Church in Europe was a
Revolution refers to the political upheaval during
powerful influential institution in the 19th
the last half of the 18th century in which the 13
century
colonies of North America overthrew the rule of
 The Church has been identified with the
the British Empire and rejected the British
monarchy to make the United States of monarchy and aristocracy
American a sovereign nation. In this period the
colonies first rejected the authority British  3rd: The church therefore was considered
Parliament to govern without representation, and an adversary of the young Republican
formed self-governing independent states. The states and recently unified countries
American revolution had given the world in the The French viewed the Church as a threat
19thcentury the idea that colonized people can to their newly established republican state
gain their independence from their colonizers.  In Spain, the liberals considered the
The Americans were able to overthrow their Church an enemy of reforms.
British colonial masters to gain independence
and the status of one free nation-state. This  Other countries sought to curtail the
significant event had reverberated in Europe and Church’s influence, to breakdown its
around the world and inspired others to follow. political power, and destroy its traditional
Indirectly, the American Revolution had in a way control over education
inspired 
Filipino reformists like Rizal to aspire for freedom A movement was established called “anti-
and independence. When the Philippines was clericalism”
opened by Spain to world trade in the
19th century, liberal ideas from America borne  To maintain what was left of its power and
by ships and men from foreign ports began to influence, Pope Leo XIII accepted the
reach the country and influenced the ilustrados. demands of modern society without 
These ideas, contained in books and surrendering its dogmas (beliefs)
newspapers, were ideologies of the American  The Italian Parliamentary curtailed the
and French Revolutions and the thoughts of Papal sovereign authority in the Vatican
Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, Locke,  Rizal and other Filipino leaders were
Jefferson, and other political philosophers (Zaide exposed to these reforms and
1999: 214) movements
 The Philippines was opened to world
 The Challenge of Industrialization trade and a new breed of middle class
emerged.
 Industrialization rapidly gained momentum  The once obedient and passive Filipino
now became aggressive in his struggle family friend.  Rizal's mother named him after St.
for his rights Joseph, to whom she was ardently devoted.
 Isolated Philippines activated its citizens
into a revolution of change and economic THE SURNAME
adjustments
Mercado was the original surname of the Rizal
The Philippines is Drawn within the Orbit of family.  Domingo Lamco, Jose's great-great-
World Trade grandfather, adopted the name Rizal in 1731 and
it became a second surname of the family.  In
 The beneficial effects of economic Jose's letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, he says:
liberalism in Europe and US convinced
Spain to abandon mercantilism. "I am the only Rizal in because at home my
 3rd: It reluctantly opened the Philippines parents, my sisters my brother and my relatives
to world trade have always preferred our old surname
 Spain opened the Philippine ports to Mercado. Our family name was in fact Mercado,
foreign trades starting with Manila in but there were many Mercados in the Philippines
1834, followed by Iloilo, Zamboanga, who are not related to us.  It is said that an
Cebu, Legaspi and Tacloban alcalde mayor, who was a friend of our family
 2nd: The presence of foreign traders and added Rizal to our name.  My family did not pay
their investments in the Philippines led to much attention to this, but now I have to use
prosperity it.  In this way, it seems that I am an illegitimate
 3rd: These developments encourage son."
social mobility and interaction among the
people facilitating closer understanding RIZAL'S BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE
and unity His baptismal certificate reads:
 These conveniences abetted (assisted)
the people’s awareness of the changes "I, the undersigned parish priest of Calamba,
that would give them a better life certify that from the investigation made with
proper authority, for replacing the parish books
which were burned September 28, 1862, to be
The New Breed of Native Middle Class
found in Docket No. 1 of Baptisms, p.49, it
appears by the sworn testimony of competent
 The 19th century economic and social
witnesses that Jose Rizal Mercado is the
motivation affected a marked
legitimate son, and of lawful wedlock, of Don
improvement in the standard of living of
Francisco Rizal Mercado and Dona Teodora
indios and mestizos
Realonda, having been baptized in this parish on
 2nd: This group became the foundation of the 22nd day of June in the years 1861, by the
a growing middle class parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes, Rev. Pedro
3rd: They were able to send their children Casanas being his godfather. -- Witness my
to schools in Manila and Europe signature."
 By this time, Philippine education began
to share the existing liberals in Europe (Signed): Leoncio Lopez
The Educational Reform Decree in 1859
ordered the establishment of public Rizal’s complete name: Rizal José Protacio
primary schools Mercado Rizal Alonzo Y Realonda
 3rd: A normal school to train teachers for
the primary grades was also established This outline shows the following: Multiracial
 The Jesuits opened a secondary school Ancestry/Mixed racial ancestry
subsidized by the government
 2nd: The Jesuits had been influential in  Birth and Early Childhood
disseminating general primary education  Studies/Education in the Philippines
 3rd: Improving methods of instruction and  Travels,lovelife,ideals, aspirations and
enriching the curricula for higher  The meaning of his fall
education
 Natives had gone to school and small The objectives of this lesson are:
group of college students was influenced
by modern ideas  To identify the significant factors
contributed to Rizal's being a hero;
Development Of Rizal’s Nationalism
 To know how his parents mold him to
become a better person;
Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861.  It was a
 To appreciate the qualities of Rizal as a
Wednesday evening in Calamba, Laguna, and
child to his parents, student, champion
his mother nearly died in the process.  He was
and genius.
baptized three days later, on June 22, by the
parish priest of the Catholic Church in his town,
Let me introduce the description of who Rizal is?
Fr. Rufino Collantes from Batangas.  His
godfather, Fr. Pedro Casanas, was a close
 He is a Patriot, a Physici
  Chinese
 an, a Man of Letters who was an  Japanese
inspiration to the Philippine nationalist  Malayo-Polynesian
movement (La Solidaridad --- Katipunan ),  Negrito
and a National Hero and pride of the
Malayan race. This is what makes us uniques from all other
 In terms of his ancestry, Rizal has a nations.  Our uniqueness is our differences.  We
Mixed Racial Origin. are a comnination of some races.  It is what
makes us a Filipino.
From his father side:
It is difficult to say when Filipinos began to think
 Domino Lam-Co (a full-blooded Chinese of themselves as Filipinos and not simply
from Amoy, China) - - Ines de la Rosa as Tagalogs, Ilokanos or Visayans. Probably the
(Chinese half-breed) preliminary stage in the development of national
 Francisco Mercado - -  Bernarda Monicha consciousness was reached
(21 children) when indios realized that they have something in
 Juan Mercado - - Cirila  Alejandra (14 common, that is, a common grievance against
children) the Spaniards (De la Costa 1965: 213). Our
 Francisco Mercado Rizal national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, was the first to
think the indios as one nation when he first used
RIZAL'S FAMILY the word “Filipino” to refer to all inhabitants in the
country whether they are of Spanish or Filipino
Francisco Mercado Rizal was born on May 11, blood. During the Spanish period, the native
1818 in Binan, Laguna.  He was a graduate of inhabitants were called “Indios” while only the
the College of San Jose in Manila, studying Latin inhabitants with Spanish blood
and Philosophy.  Francisco moved to Calamba (peninsulares,insulares or mestizos) were
to become a tenant-farmer of a hacienda owned regarded as Filipinos. Rizal could not have
by the Dominicans.  He died at the age of 80 on thought of one people and one nation which
January 5, 1898 in Manila. About his father, Jose include all people in archipelago without the
Rizal says that he is "a model of fathers." influence of the social milieu of his time. Rizal
was born and grew up in the 19th century, a
Teodora Alonso Realonda was born on period of massive changes in Europe, Spain and
November 8, 1826 in Manila.  She was a in the Philippines. During this era, the glory and
graduate of the College of Santa Rosa.  She power of Spain had waned both in her colonies
died at the age of 85 on August 16, 1911 in and in the world.
Manila. About his mother, Jose Rizal says, "My
mother is a woman of more than ordinary With respect to Rizal’s Immediate Family
culture; she knows literature and speaks Spanish
better than I. She corrected my poems and gave This is his Father
me good advice when I was studying rhetoric.
She is a mathematician and has read many - Studied Latin & Philosophy at the College of
books." San Jose (Manila)
- described by Rizal as “model of fathers”
Rizal is the seventh of eleven children: - he inherited  . . . Profound sense of dignity,
self-respect, seriousness and self-possession
1. Saturnina - a successful farmer
2. Paciano - he loved books
3. Narcisa - an excellent model for Rizal that molded him up
4. Olimpia into a man of honor
5. Lucia  - understood the world of humanity which
6. Maria furnished him with greater respect for other
7. Jose people, and a greater respect to the dignity of
8. Concepcion labor.
9. Josefa
10. Trinidad This is her Mother
11. Soledad
- born in Meisik, Sta. Cruz Manila.
  - talented and remarkable woman
- he inherited . . . temperament of the poet and
Rizal's family was a mixture of races.  They were dreamer and bravery for sacrifice
a combination of Negrito, Malay, Indonesian, - his first teacher
Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish, though Jose - inculcated the value of knowledge and
was predominantly Malayan. education to the young Rizal
- a good Mathematician and Manager of
 Rizal’s Multiracial Ancestry are the following: business of the Rizal family.

 Spanish Rizal mentioned something about his mother, he


said: 1871 - His mother was imprisoned in Sta. Cruz,
Laguna for allegedly poisoning the wife of Jose
“My mother is not a woman of ordinary culture. Alberto
She knows literature and speaks Spanish better
than I do. She even corrected my poems and 1872 - Cavite Mutiny on January 20, 1872;    his
gave me wise advice when I was studying father forbid the words:
rhetoric. She is a mathematician and has read Burgos, filibuster, Cavite
many books.”
Rizal Education here and abroad 
It is Rizal’s mother that influenced him alot. His
mother encouraged him to express his ideas and    
sentiments in verse. In Binan and Calamba, Laguna
 
It was the “story of the Moth” that changed the
life of Rizal. “The Story of the Moth” is about the 19 June 1861
mother moth warning its offspring of the danger JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco
of fluttering to close to  flame. The little moth did Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos,
not heed the advice, thus it was burned by the was born in Calamba, Laguna.
flame. 
22 June 1861
This gave him the moral lesson that if one must He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at
succeed, he must take risks and prepare for the the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest
worst consequences. Without courage, there will Rev. RufinoCollantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas
be no glory. as the sponsor.

His mother knew of the consequences of Rizal’s 28 September 1862


ideals and aspirations in changing the The parochial church of Calamba and the
Philippines as he fought against the spaniards.  canonical books, including the book in which
He conquered death with his principles and Rizal’s baptismal records were entered, were
fought well against his enemies. burned.

1864
Rizal’s Birth and Early Childhood
Barely three years old, Rizal learned the
alphabet from his mother.
 In Calamba, Laguna:
 19 June 1861 – birth 1865
 22 June 1861 – baptized When he was four years old, his sister
 1864 - learned the alphabet from his Conception, the eighth child in the Rizal family,
mother died at the age of three. It was on this occasion
 1865 - his sister Conception (8th child) that Rizal remembered having shed real tears
died at the age of three. for the first time.

1865 – 1867 - his mother taught him how 1865 – 1867


to read and write During this time his mother taught him how to
 Leon Monroy - taught Rizal the rudiments read and write. His father hired a classmate by
of Latin the name of Leon Monroy who, for five months
 Uncle Manuel Alberto - taught the latter until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the
love for the nature rudiments of Latin.
 Usman – Rizal’s dog
 Uncle Gregorio - instilled love for At about this time two of his mother’s cousin
education   frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto,
 1869 - he wrote "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself
with the physical development of his young
In Biñan, Laguna : nephew and taught the latter love for the open
air and developed in him a great admiration for
 1870 - His brother Paciano brought Rizal the beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a
to   Biñan, Laguna scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love
 Justinian Aquino Cruz – taught Rizal Latin for education. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and
and Spanish perform every task very carefully; learn to be
 Juancho Carrera – taught him the art of swift as well as thorough; be independent in
painting thinking and make visual pictures of
 On 17th of December 1870 - Rizal everything."
returned to Calamba after he finished his
studies in Biñan. 6 June 1868 
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to
Back in Calamba: Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his mother to
take the child to the Shrine of the Virgin of
Antipolo should she and her child survive the
ordeal of delivery which nearly caused his One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose, after
mother’s life. kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful
parting from his sister, left Calamba for Biñan.
He was accompanied by Paciano, who acted as
From there they proceeded to Manila and his second father.
visited his sister Saturnina who was at the time
studying in the La Concordia College in Sta. The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his
Ana. younger brother to the school of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
1869
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem The school was in the house of the teacher,
entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was which was a small nipa hut about 30 meters from
written in tagalog and had for its theme "Love of the home of Jose’s aunt.
One’s Language."
Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he
  had been a pupil under him before. He
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he
Biñan. It was a typical schooling that a son of an departed to return to Calamba.
ilustrado family received during his time,
characterized by the four R’s- reading, writing, His teacher in Biñan was a severe disciplinarian.
arithmetic, and religion. Instruction was rigid and His name was Justiniano Aquino Cruz. "He was
strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds of a tall man, lean and long-necked, with a sharp
the pupils by means of the tedious memory nose and a body slightly bent forward. He used
method aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the to wear a sinamay shirt woven by the deft hands
defects of the Spanish system of elementary of Batangas women.
education, Rizal was able to acquire the
necessary instruction preparatory for college The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and
work in Manila. It may be said that Rizal, who succeeded in surpassing many of his older
was born a physical weakling, rose to become classmates. Some of these were so wicked that,
an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in even without reason, they accused him before
spite of, the outmoded and backward system of the teacher, for which, in spite of his progress,
instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the he received many whippings and strokes from
last decades of Spanish regime. the ferule. Rare was the day when he was not
stretched on the bench for a whipping or
The Hero’s First Teacher punished with five or six blows on the open palm.
Jose’s reaction to all these punishments was one
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who of intense resentment in order to learn and thus
was a remarkable woman of good character and carry out his father’s will.
fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of
three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother," Jose spent his leisure hours with Justiniano’s
wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me father-in-law, a master painter. From him he took
how to read and to say haltingly the humble his first two sons, two nephews, and a grandson.
prayers which I raised fervently to God." His way life was methodical and well regulated.
He heard mass at four if there was one that
As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, early, or studied his lesson at that hour and went
conscientious, and understanding. It was she to mass afterwards. Returning home, he might
who first discovered that her son had a talent for look in the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat,
poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write and then he took his breakfast, consisting
poems. To lighten the monotony of memorizing generally of a plate of rice and two dried
the ABC’s and to stimulate her son’s sardines. 
imagination, she related many stories.
After that he would go to class, from which he
As Jose grew older, his parents employed was dismissed at ten, and then home again. He
private tutors to give him lessons at home. The ate with his aunt and then began at ten, then
first was Maestro Celestino and the second, home again. He ate with his aunt and then
Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named began to study. At half past two he returned to
Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s class and left at five. He might play for a short
father, became the boy’s tutor. This old teacher time with some cousins before returning home.
lived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in He studied his lessons, drew for a while, and
Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not live then prayed and if there was a moon, his friends
long. He died five months later. would invite him to play in the street in company
with other boys.
After a Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents
decided to send their gifted son to a private First School Brawling
school in Biñan.
The afternoon of his first day in school, when the
Early Schooling in Biñan teacher was having his siesta, Jose met the
bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for Burgos, in whose house he lived, Jose adopted
making fun of him during his conversation with the second surname, Rizal.
the teacher in the morning.
Paciano who accompanied Jose, found him a
Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter house in Walled City, but Intramuros looked
readily accepted, thinking that he could easily gloomy to Jose, and he later found lodging
beat the Calamba boy who was smaller and outside, in the house of a spinster situated on
younger. CalleCarballo, district of Santa Cruz. As if
chance would furnish him data for his future
The two boys wrestled furiously in the campaigns, he became acquainted in that house
classroom, much to the glee of their classmates. with various mestizos, begotten by friars.
Jose, having learned the art of wrestling from his
athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For The Jesuitical system of instruction was
this feat, he became popular among his considered more advanced than that of other
classmates. colleges in that epoch. Its discipline was rigid
and its methods less mechanical. It introduced
After the class in the afternoon, a classmate physical culture as part of its program as well as
named Andres Salandanan challenged him to an the cultivation of the arts, such as music,
arm-wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of drawing, and painting. It also establishes
a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, and
having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked mechanics as a religious institute, its principal
his head on the sidewalk. purpose was to mold the character and the will of
the boys to comply more easily with the percepts
In succeeding days he had other fights with the of the Church. The students heard mass before
boys of Biñan. He was not quarrelsome by the beginning of the class, which was opened
nature, but he never ran away from a fight. and closed with prayers.

Best Student in School On June 10, 1872, Jose together with his brother
went to Manila to grant his wish of enrolling Jose
In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. in San Juan de Letran. Jose Rizal took the
He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and entrance examination and passed them with
other subjects. flying colors, and then he went back to Calamba
to stay for a while with his family and attend their
Some of his older classmates were jealous of his town fiesta only to find out that his father’s wish
intellectual superiority. They wickedly squealed changed instead of enrolling him to San Juan de
to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside Letran he wished to enroll him to Ateneo de
the school, and even told lies to discredit him Manila. 
before the teacher’s eyes. Consequently the
teacher had to punish Jose.  Thus, being an obedient child, upon his return to
Manila accompanied again by his brother
Life and Studies at Ateneo Paciano, they proceeded to Ateneo Municipal. At
first Father Magin Fernando, who was the
The Jesuits were considered the best educators college registrar, denied them of admittance for
of Spain, and perhaps of Europe, and so, when two reasons:  Late for registration and Sickly and
they were permitted to return to the Philippines, undersize for his age. Jose Rizal was then
although their power to administer parishes was eleven years old.
restricted except in the remote regions of
Mindanao, the privilege of founding colleges, However, they sought the intercession of Manual
they had to apply to the City of Manila for Xerez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos. As a
subsidies. That is why the college which began result, he was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo.
to function in the year 1865 was called the
Ateneo Municipal.  First Year in Ateneo (1972-73)

To enter the Ateneo, a candidate was subjected Jose Rizal belonged to the class composed of
to an entrance examination on Christian Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos. His first
doctrine, reading, writing, grammar, and teacher was Fr. Jose Bech. As a newcomer and
elementary arithmetic. Jose did not take his knowing little Spanish, he was considered as
entrance examinations Jose did not remain in inferior and placed at the bottom of the class. He
Manila but returned first to his town to celebrate was an externo hence he was assigned to the
the fiesta of its patron saint; it was then that his Carthaginians, an occupant of the end of the
father changed his mind and decided to send line.
him to the Ateneo instead.
He proved he was no inferior for at the end of the
Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, month he became the emperor and received a
had come under suspicion of the authorities prize, a religious picture. To improve his
because it was the name used by Paciano when Spanish, Jose Rizal took private lesson in Santa
he was studying and working with Father Isabel College during the noon recess while
students were playing and gossiping. In the As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of
second half of the first year, his performance the class, but he was soon promoted and kept
declined and was not able to maintain his on being promoted so that at the end of one
academic supremacy that he held during his first month he had attained to the rank of Emperor. At
half of the term for the reason that he was the end of the term he obtained marks of
affected so much by the remarks of some excellent in all the subjects and in the
professors. He placed second at the end of the examinations. He had reason to feel proud of his
year although his grades were marked advancement; and so when he went home on
excellent.  vacation that year, he ran alone to see his
mother in the prison and tell her the happy news.
According to AmbethOcampo there were only
twelve students in a class, nine of which, He must have uttered this exclamation on
including Jose Rizal, graduated sobresaliente learning from his mother that they had played
with the same excellent mark in all their subjects her a mean trick. The judge, who was a blind
in school year 1876-77. partisan of the friars having been a domestic of
theirs, told her that if she confessed her
In the first two terms the classes were divided culpability he would release her at once. With the
into groups of interns and externs: the first desire to see her children again, she pleaded
constituted the Roman Empire and the second, guilty; but the judge, instead of releasing her,
the Carthaginian Empire. In each empire there convicted her. In a few months the judge asked
were five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, her forgiveness for what he had done because
Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer. according to him his conscience hurt him, but the
These dignities were won by means of individual case had no remedy because it was already on
competitions in which it was necessary to catch appeal. 
one’s adversary in error three times. The
empires considered themselves in perpetual Second year in Ateneo (1873-74)
warfare, and when an individual of one empire
was caught in error by one belonging to the The second year, Jose had the same professor
enemy empire, a point was counted in favor of as in the previous year; but instead of lodging
the latter. At the end of each week or two, the outside the City, he resided at No. 6
points in favor of each were added and the CalleMagallanes. At the end of the term he
empire, which obtained more point, was declared obtained a medal, and upon returning to his
winner. town, he again visited his mother in jail alone.
This was three months before her release.
There was a fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis
Gonzaga, to which only those who distinguished The rejoicing that her release produced in his
themselves in the class for their piety and spirit had much influence on the result of his
diligence could belong. This fraternity met on studies in the third year, for he began to win
Sundays and after mass held public programs in prizes in the quarterly examinations. 
which poems were recited or debates were held.
With all these inducements it was only natural About that time he devoted himself to reading
that should be a spirit of emulation, a striving to novels, and one of those he enjoyed most was
surpass ones colleagues found in the Ateneo. Dumas’ (father) The Count of Monte Cristo, the
sufferings of the hero of twelve years. He also
The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, asked his father to buy him a copy of The
whom he describes as a man of high stature; Universal History by Cesar Cantanu, and
lean body, bent forward; quick gait; ascetic according to himself he profited much from its
physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, perusal.
sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin lips
forming an arch with its sides directed toward the The family, who saw in Jose great aptitude for
chin." He was somewhat of a lunatic and of an study, decided to place him as intern or boarding
uneven humor; sometimes he was hard and little student in the college the following year. In the
tolerant and at other times he was gay and corner of the dormitory facing the sea and the
playful as a child. Among Jose’s classmates pier Jose passed his two years of internship.
were Peninsulares and sons of Peninsulares; Jose Rizal repented having neglected his studies
Francisco G. Oliva, very talented but not very the previous year. He studied harder this year
studious; Joaquin Garrido, endowed with a poor and regained his leadership composure and
memory but with much talent and industry; and became an emperor again.
Gonzalo Marzano, who occupied the throne of
Emperor. His Favorite Books

From the first days Jose learned to systematize ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ (Alexander
his work; he fixed a program of what he had to Dumas) – characterized by Edmond Dantes (the
do in the twenty-four hours of the day and did not hero) in prison, is spectacular escape from the
in the least deviate from it. Thus he disciplined dungeon of Chateau d’ If, the finding of buried
his will and subjected it to the commands of his treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and
reason. his dramatic revenge on his enemies who had
wronged him; An incident which demonstrates Jose’s
independence of character took place at this
‘Travels in the Philippines’ (Dr. Feodor Jagor) – a time. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, parish priest of the
German scientist-traveler who visited the town, who was a great friend of his father, also
Philippines in 1859-1860. What struck him most liked Jose as a little friend. He was cultured but
in this book were Jagor’s keen oberservations of at the same time timid and tender. One day
the defects of Spanish colonization and his Jose’s mother showed Father Lopez a poem of
prophecy that someday Spain would lose the his young friend and that the latter must have
Philippines and that America would come to copied it from a book. Jose, who heard this,
succeed her as colonizer; answered the priest violently, for which his
mother reprehended him. Afterward Father
‘Universal History’ (Cesar Cantu) – a non-fiction Lopez came to know from the Jesuits
historical work. He was able to acquire an themselves that Jose was a pupil who excelled
expensive set of this book by convincing his in poetry; and, in spite of his age, made a trip to
father that this book would be of great aid in his Manila expressly to apologize to Jose. That
studies and enabled him to win more prizes. gesture of Father Lopez’ won him Jose’s esteem
and they became good friends again, lending
Third year in Ateneo (187-75) each other the books they had.

Jose Rizal returned to Ateneo shortly before the Last year in Ateneo (1876-77)
classes began to start his junior year. He met his
mother and informed him that she was finally In the fifth years Jose had other professors: Frs.
released from prison, just as he predicted when Vilaclara and Mineves. He studied philosophy,
he visited her to her prison cell in Santa Cruz, physics, chemistry, and natural history, but his
Laguna. devotion to poetry was such that his professor in
philosophy advised him once to leave it, which
However, he was disappointed to the result of made him cry. But in his rest hours he continued
his class performance as in the previous year, cultivating the Muses under the direction of his
although his grades remained excellent in all old professor, Father Sanchez. Jose had then
subjects. He won a single medal in Latin. He written a short story (leyenda), which was only
failed to win a medal in Spanish because his slightly corrected by his professor, and a
spoken Spanish was not that fluent. A Spaniard dialogue, which was enacted at the end of the
who delivered Spanish with fluency and right course, alluding to the collegians’ farewell.
accentuation defeated him. However, philosophy, just and serve, inquiring
into the wherefores of things, interested him as
Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-76) much as poetry; physics, drawing back the veil
that divine drama of nature was enacted, natural
On June 16, 1875, he became a boarder in history seemed to him somewhat uninteresting
Ateneo. He befriended his professor Fr. although he much liked the shells and
Francisco de Paula Sanchez, whom he regarded sometimes imagined seeing a goddess in each
as great educator and scholar. He inspired him shell he was on the shelf.
to write poetry and to study harder. Fr. Sanchez
recognized his God-given talents. Because of Jose was considered small of stature and he
the inspiration and recognition given, he tried to correct this defect by applying himself
regarded the Jesuit professor as “model of regularly to gymnastics in the college. He also
uprightness, earnestness, and love” for the engaged in other physical exercises, such as
advancement of his students. fencing. After his baccalaureate, he surprised his
family with his skill in handling the sword when
Consequently, he resumed his studies with vigor he gave an exhibition bout with the best
and dedication and topped all his classmates in swordsman of the town.
all subjects and won five medals at the end of
the school term. He also devoted time to painting and sculpture.
In drawing and painting he was under the
In the fourth year of his course he had Fr. guidance and direction of the Ateneo professor,
Francisco Sanchez as professor. Jose describes the Peninsula Don AugustinSaez, who honored
him as a model of rectitude, a solicitude, and him with his affection and consideration because
love for the student, and his studied of his progress. In sculpture his instructor was a
mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek, and he must Filipino, Romualdo de Jesus, who felt proud in
have progressed much, for at the end of the year the last years of his life of having had such an
he-obtained five medals, which pleased him excellent pupil. 
immensely because with them I could repay my
father somewhat for his sacrifices. Although there was a great improvement in his
performance but his previous years of
 His aptitude for poetry revealed itself performance made a great effect, he graduated
early, and from that time on he did not on March 23, 1877 (16 years old) and received
cease to cultivate it. the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest
honors and not a valedictorian.
Extra-Curricular Involvement Ateneo, who had been good to him during his
days in Ateneo, asking for advice in the choice of
 -an emperor inside the classroom career. Unfortunately, Father Rector was in
 -campus leader Mindanao and during those days it several
 -active member and became a secretary, months to travel a letter from Manila to
the Marian Congregation Religious Mindanao. Consequently during his first
Society term (1877-78) in the University of Santo
 -member of the Academy of Spanish Tomas he studied Cosmology, Metaphysics,
Literature and the Academy of Natural Theodicy and History of Philosophy. 
Sciences 
 -poet It was during the school term (1878-79) that
 -studied painting under the famous Rizal took up medicine, enrolling simultaneously
Spanish Painter, Agustin Saez in preparatory medical course and the regular
first year medical course. 
 -improved his sculpture talents under the
supervision of Romualdo de Jesus
The reasons why he studied medicine: 
 -Engaged in gymnastics and fencing and
continued the physical training under his
He wanted to be a physician so that he may cure
sports-minded Tio Manuel.
his mother’s failing eyesight.
 Finishes Surveying course in Ateneo
(1878)
The Father Rector of the University, whom he
consulted for a choice of career, finally answered
During his term in University of Santo
his letter, and recommended medicine.
Tomas (1877 – 78), Rizal also studied at Ateneo;
he took the vocational course leading to a title
Decision to study abroad
of porito agrimensor (expert surveyor)). In those
days it should be remembered, the college for
After finishing the fourth year of his medical
boys in Manila offered vocational courses in
course, Rizal decided to study in Spain. He could
agriculture, commerce, mechanics and
no longer endure the rampant bigotry,
surveying. 
discrimination, and hostility at UST. His uncle,
Antonio Rivera, Leonor’s father, encouraged him
Rizal’s unhappy days at UST. Rizal’s Ateneo boy
to go abroad. Both Paciano and Saturnina,
wonder, found the atmosphere at the UST a
whom he contacted secretly, were of similar
suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was
opinion. 
unhappy of this Dominican Institution of high
learning because:
For the first time, Rizal did not seek his parent’s
decision and blessing to go abroad, because he
 the Dominican professors were hostile to knew that they, especially his mother will
him disapprove his plan. He did not also bring his
 the Filipino students were racially beloved Leonor in his confidence. He had
discriminated, and enough common sense to know that Leonor,
 the method of teachings were obsolete being a woman, and young and romantic at that,
and repressive could not keep a secret. Thus, Riza’s parent,
Leonor, and the Spanish authorities knew
Discontented days at UST nothing of his decision to go abroad in order to
finish his medical studies in Spain, where the
Fearful of the Spanish authorities who seem to professors were more tolerant and
frown on those Filipinos who learn too much, she understanding than those of the University of
warned her husband. “Do not send Jose again to Santo Tomas. 
Manila. If gets to know too much, they will cut off
his head!” Jose, who was present in their family With his parent’s blessings and unknown to
council when his mother said this, was shocked. Spanish authorities, Rizal left Manila on May 8,
He knows her mother was a woman of education 1882. He went to Spain where he completed his
and culture: she even taught him and inspired university study, improved his knowledge in
him to write poetry; she came from a family of language and arts. At that time, the government
high learning – her own brother (and his uncle) in Spain was a constitutional monarchy.  
Jose Alberto Alonso had been educated abroad
and could speak multiple Spanish, French, Secret departure on Spain
English and German. 
Rizal’s departure in Spain was kept secret in
Rizal enters the university. In April 1877, Rizal, order to avoid detection by the colonial officials
who was barely 16 years old, matriculated in the and the friars. Even his own parents did not
University of Santo Tomas taking up Philosophy know that he was leaving. Only Uncle Antonio
and Letters. He enrolled in this course for two Rivera, Paciano and sisters and some close
reasons: (1) his father like it and (2) he was “still friends knew. Paciano gave him 700 pesos.
uncertain to what career to follow”. He had Saturnina gave hima diamond ring which helped
written to father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the him very much during his days of poverty in
Europe. To maintain his studies and Sojourn of Suez, the Red Sea terminal of the Suez
abroad, he needed a monthly allowance of 35 Canal. 
pesos, and this amount Paciano promised to
send regularly through Uncle Antonio.  Naples and Marseilles

Rizal used a passport obtained by a cousin From Port Said, the Djemnah proceed to its way
named “Jose Mercado”. To outwit the Spanish to Europe. On June 11, Rizal reached Naples.
authorities, he went to Calamba ostensibly to On the night of June 12, the steamer docked at
attain the town fiesta. A cryptic telegram by the French harbor of Marseilles. 
Manuel T. Hidalgo from Manila arrived,
announcing that the Spanish steamer Salvadora Barcelona
was scheduled to sail Singapore. Early in
Morning in May 1, 1882, he left Calamba by At Marseilles, Rizal took the train for the last lap
carromata, reaching manila after 10 hours of for his trip to Spain.  After the passport
travel. He had time to book travel. He had time to inspection on Port-Bou, Rizal continued his trip
book passage on the Salvadora, to write farewell by rail, finally reaching destination, Bacelona. 
letters to his family and friends, and bid good-
bye to his friends. The kind Jesuit father, whom Rizal became a Mason
he visited to say adios, gave him letters of
recommendation to members of their Society in In Spain, Rizal came in contact with the liberal
Barcelona. He said also a tearful farewell and republican elements, most of whom were
meeting to his beloved, Leonor. This proved to Masons. Being young and lonely in foreign
be their last meeting, for they were destined country, he was easily impressed by the way of
never to meet again.  the prominent Spanish attacked the government
and the Church. 
Singapore
In due time, his friends who were Masons
During the voyage, Rizal keenly observed the persuade him to join Masonry. In 1883 he joined
persons and things around him and compared the Masonic Lodge Acacia in Madrid. His
him with those in Philippines. He was the only Masonic name was Dimasalang. 
Filipino on board. His fellow passengers were
foreign travelers and some Spanish imployees Two reasons why he joined Masonry:
and merchants returning to Spain. “Almost all of
those men” he wrote, speaking of the Spanish   The bad friars in the Philippines, by their
travelers, “spoke ill of the country for which they abuses unworthy of their priestly habit or
have gone for pecuniary reasons”.  calling, Rizal drove to desperation and
Masonry.
After five days of sailing, the Salvadora reached  He needed the help of Masons to fight the
the English colony in Singapore. For the first bad friars in the Philippines, for Masonry,
time, Rizal saw Singapore and was impressed to Rizal, was a shield to use in his fight
by its progress and beautiful sights. He against the evil forces of tyranny.
particularly admired “the confidence which the
native Singapore seemed to have their Rizal became a master of Masons in Lodge
government” surely a great contrast to “the fear Solidaridad on November 15, 1890. Later, on
of their shown in the Filipinos”.  February 15, 1892, he became a Master Mason
of Le Grand Orient France in Paris. 
First trip through Suez Canal
Rizal’s salute to Luna and Hidalgo.
In Singapore, Rizal boarded in Djemnah, a
French steamer, which was sailing to Europe. It At the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid
was Larger and cleaner than the Salvadora. He in 1884, both Luna and Hidalgo won signal
tried to Speak French in some passengers, but honors for their country. They entered this art
to his surprise, the bookish French which he competition against many painters in Europe,
learned in Ateneo could not be understood. He and emerged triumphant. 
had to speak it with a mixture of Latin and
Spanish words, aided with much gesticulation Studies completed in Spain.
and frequent sketching on paper, to him
understood.  Rizal completed his medical course in Spain. He
was awarded the degree of Licentiate in
A week after leaving Singapore, the steamer Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid
reached Point de Galle. In the morning of May on June 21, 1884. The next academic year
18, voyage was resumed, and in the afternoon (1884-85) he studied and passed all subjects
on the same day the steamer docked at the leading to the degree of Doctor of
Colomb, Ceylon. From Colombo the steamer Medicine. “Due to the fact that he did not present
crossed the Indian Ocean to Café Guardafui in the thesis required for graduation nor paid the
Africa. On May 18, he saw for the first time the fees, he was not awarded his Doctor’s Diploma”. 
coast of Africa.On June 2, he arrived in the city
Paris to Berlin  After the Noli came off the press in Berlin, Rizal
planned to visit the important places in Europe.
After completing his studies in Madrid, Rizal Dr. Maximo Viola agreed to be his traveling
went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize componion. Rizal had received Paciano’s
in ophthalmology. remittance of 1,000 pesos which was forwarded
by Juan Luna to Paris. He immediately paid
In Gay Paris (1885-86) Viola the sum of 300 pesos which the latter
kindly loaned so that the Noli could be printed.
Shortly after terminating his study in Universidad Having paid his debt, and with adequate fund in
Central de Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24 years his pocket, he was ready to see Europe before
old and already a physician, decided to go to returning to Calmba. First, he and Viola visited
Paris in order to acquire more knowledge Potsdam, a city near berlin, which Frederick the
in ophthalmology.  Great made famous. 

On his way to Paris, he stopped at Barcelona to The tour begins


visit his friend, Maximo Viola, a medical student
and a member of rich family in San Miguel, At the dawn of May 11, 1887, Rizal and Viola,
Bulacan.  two brown-skinned doctors on roaming spree,
left Berlin by train. It was an ideal reason for
In October, 1885, Rizal was living in Paris, where traveling. Spring was in the air, and all over the
his sojourned for about four months. He worked Europe the flowers were blooming, the meadows
as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852- were turning green and the villagers were
1906), leading French ophthalmologist.  humming with activity. According to Viola the
luggage of Rizal included all the letters he had
In Historic Heidelberg received from his (Rizal’s) family and friends.
Their destination was Dresden, “one of the best
After acquiring enough experience as an cities in German.” 
ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckert’s clinic, Rizal
reluctantly left Gay Paris, where he spent so Dresden
many happy days. 
Rizal and Viola tarried for some times in
First letter to Blumentritt Dresden. Their visit coincided with the regional
floral exposition. Rizal was interested in botany,
On July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote his letter in studied the “numerous plant varieties of
German to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, extraordinary beauty and size.” They visited Dr.
Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Australia. He Adolph B. Meyer, who was overjoyed to see
had heard of this Australia ethnologist and his them. In the Museum of Art, which they also
interest on Philippine language.  visited, Rizal was deeply impressed by a painting
of “Prometheus Bound” and recalled seeing a
Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University representation of the same idea in an art gallery
in Paris. 
Rizal was fortunate to be sojourned in
Heidelberg when the famous University of Beautiful Memories of Leitmeritz
Heidelberg held his fifth centenary celebration on
August 6, 1886. It was two days before his Rizal had beautiful memories of his visit to
departure, and he was sad because he came to Leitmeritz. He enjoyed the warm hospitality of
love the beautiful city and its hospitable people.  the Blumentritt family. The proffesor’s wife Rosa,
was a good cook, and she prepared special
Rizal welcomed in Berlin’s Cientific Circles. Rizal Australian dishes which Rizal liked very much.
was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific Prague. After Leitmeritz, Rizal and Viola visited
atmosphere and the absence of race prejudice.  the historic city of Prague. Vienna. On May 20,
Rizal and Viola arrived in the beautiful city of
Rizal’s life in Berlin Vienna, capital ofd Australia-Hungary. Danubian
Voyage to Lintz. On May 25, Rizal and Viola left
In Berlin, Rizal was not a mere student or a Vienna on a rivedr boat to see the beautiful
curious tourist. He lived in this famous capital for sights of a Danube river. 
five reasons:
From Lintz to Rheinfall
 To gain further knowledge in
ophthalmology. The river voyage ended in Lintz. They traveled
 To further his studies in sciences and overland to Salzburg, and from there to Munich
languages. where they sojourned for a short time savor the
 To observe the conditions of German famous Munich beer, reputed to be the best in
Nation. Germany.
 To finish his novel, Noli Me Tangere
Crossing the Frontier to Switzerland
Rizal’s tour of Europe with Viola, 1887 
From Rheinfall, they crossed the frontier to accompanied him.  Mariano's family were close
Schaffhausen, Switzerland. They continued their with Rizal's grandmother, and upon arrival at
tour to Bassel, Bern, and Lausanne.  Lipa, Mariano's sister Segunda was there at the
old woman's house along with other guests.
Geneva Rizal was drawn to hear instantly.  

After sightseeing in Lausanne, Rizal and Viola Some of the other guests knew that Rizal was a
left on a little boat, crossing the foggy Leman skilled painter and asked him to draw a portrait
Lake to Geneva. of Segunda.  He obliged, and reluctantly worked
on a pencil sketch of the girl.  "From time to time,
Rizal in Italy she looked at me, and I blushed."

From Geneva, Rizal went to Italy. He visited A Blossoming Love


Turin, Milan, Venice, and Florence. On June 27,
1887, he reached Rome, the “City of the Rizal's sister Olympia was a close friend of
Ceasar”. After a week, he prepared to return in Segunda and a student at La Concordia College,
Philippines and Rizal went to visit her every week, during
which he came to know Segunda more
Women in the Life of Rizal intimately.  Their affection for each other grew
deeper with every meeting, one that began with
There are ten (10) recorded women in Rizal's "love at first sight." 
life; however some historians suggest that there
have been more.  Below are brief accounts of Hopeless from the Beginning
Jose Rizal's romances
Unfortunately, Segunda was already engaged to
 Julia/ Ms.L be married to her townmate, Manuel Luz, and
 Segunda Katigbak although Rizal had gotten hints of the lady's
 Leonor Valenzuela affection for him, he timidly decided to back
 Leonor Rivera away and did not propose.  Years later Segunda
  Consuelo Ortiga returned to Lipa and wed her betrothed, leaving
 Gertrude Beckette a frustrated Rizal to the mercy of his nostalgic
memories.  Rizal said while recording his first
 Sei San
romance three years later, "Ended, at an early
 Suzanne Jacoby
hour, my first love! My virgin heart will always
 Nelly Boustead mourn the reckless step it took on the flower-
 Josephine Bracken decked abyss.  My illusions will return, yes, but
indifferent, uncertain, ready for the first betrayal
Rizal was only 15 when he first saw Julia by on the path of love."
accident in a river in Los Baños a few days after
Easter in 1877. She was wearing a red After his admiration for a short girl in the person
wraparound skirt. “Julia could not catch the of Segunda, then came Leonor Valenzuela, a tall
butterfly she was chasing. Rizal, ever gallant, girl fromPagsanjan. Rizal sends her love notes
caught two,” Trillana wrote. Heart beating with written in invisible ink thatcould only be
strange fondness, Rizal offered her the deciphered over the warmth ofthe lamp or
butterflies and she laughed with innocent candle. He visited her on the eve of his
pleasure. He was instantly attracted to her. departure to Spain.
Rizal next met SegundaKatigbak, a charming girl When Rizal was a sophomore at the University
from Lipa, Batangas.She was his puppy love, of Santo Tomas and was boarding in the house
accordingto Trillana. Unfortunately, his first love of Dona ConchaLeyva in Intramuros he met
was engaged to be married to a town mate- Leonor "Orang" Valenzuela, his next-door
Manuel Luz.  neighbor and daughter of Capitan Juan and
Capitana Sanday Valenzuela. She was a tall girl
Jose Rizal was only a young boy of sixteen (16) who carried herself with grace and elegance.
when he first fell in love, and it was with
Segunda Katigbak, a girl from Lipa, Batangas Exchanging Love Notes
and two years his junior.  According to
Rizal,"She was rather short, with eyes that were Rizal was always welcome at the Valenzuela
eloquent and ardent at times and languid at home.  He eventually courted Leonor by sending
others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and her love notes, which he wrote in invisible ink
provocative smile that revealed very beautiful made from a mixture of water and table salt.  He
teeth, and the air of a sylph; her entire self taught Leonor how to read his letters by heating
diffused a mysterious charm." them over a lamp or a candle to allow the words
to surface.
Stolen Glances
Almost simultaneously, Rizal was meeting
Rizal went to Trozo, Manila one day to visit his another Leonor. The girl, Leonor Rivera, would
grandmother.  His friend, Mariano Katigbak,
be his girlfriend for the next 11 years. The two accomplish it he could not yield to the option of
were distant cousins. Rivera was to him his ideal marrying her.  He suppressed the yearnings of
woman, his model for Maria Clara, one of the his heart and decided to leave so that the lady
main characters in his first novel, “Noli Me may forget him.  Before he did, however, he
Tangere.”  finished a number of sculptural works, one of
which was a carving of the heads of the Beckett
He was ready to marry her; unfortunately, sisters.
Rivera’s mother disliked Rizal who was then
earning the reputation of being a dissident. The  On his second trip to Europe in1888, Rizal
two last saw each other before Rizal left for stopped by Japan wherehe met O Sei San, a
Spain in May 1882. The mother hid from Rivera lovely andintelligent daughter of a samurai. 
all the letters that Rizal was sending from Spain.
After a passage of many years, thinking that  When Rizal was in Tokyo a few days after he
Rizal had abandoned her, Rivera sadly had moved to the Azabu district in 1888, he
consented to marry Henry Kipping, an spotted a pretty Japanese girl walking past the
Englishman who was her mother’s choice. Rizal legion gate.  He was captured by the lady's regal
was said to have cried shamelessly when news air and charisma and endeavored to find ways to
of the wedding reached him. Rivera never got to meet her.  The girl's name was Seiko Usui.  She
know that Rizal loved her just as much. lived with her parents and often took afternoon
walks by the legation.  Rizal waited by the gate
Rizal met Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of one afternoon and introduced himself.
Don Pablo Ortiga’s two daughters, in Madrid.
She fell in love with him after only a few dates.  An Exploration of Beauty
He dedicated to her “A la Senorita C.O. y
R,” which became one of his best poems. The Rizal and O-Sei-San, as he fondly called her,
Ortigas residence in Madrid was frequented by met almost daily.  They toured the beautiful city
Rizal and his compatriots. He probably fell in spots, enjoyed the scenery, and visited the
love with her and Consuelo apparently asked picturesque shrines.  Rizal was then a lonely
him for romantic verses.  young physician, disillusioned by his frustrated
romance with Leonor Rivera and burdened by
Rizal's romance with Consuelo did not turn into a soured hopes for justice in his country.  O-Sei-
serious affair; he decided to take a step back for San provided the beautiful escape that he deeply
two reasons:  first, he was still engaged to needed, and he saw in her the qualities of his
Leonor Rivera at that time; and second, he was ideal woman.  He was her first love.
aware of his friend's (Eduardo de Lete) affection
for the girl and he did not want to ruin their  Sayonara
friendship over her
Because of his deep affection for her, Rizal was
While Rizal was in London annotating almost tempted to settle down in
theSucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded Japan.  Conveniently enough, he was also
inthe house of the Beckett family, withinwalking offered a good position at the Spanish Legation
distance of the British Museum. Shefell in love during that time.  Rizal, however, had set his
with Rizal. Tottie helped him inhis painting and sights on other matters.  He decided to leave
sculpture. But Rizalsuddenly left London for Japan and forget his romance, which pained him
Paris to avoidGertrude, who was seriously in gravely as attested by an entry in his diary. His
love withhim. 45-day sojourn in Japan was one of the happiest
interludes in his life.
The Artist's Right Hand
In 1890, Rizal moved to Brusselsbecause of the
Gertrude was a buxom young lady with blue high cost of living inParis. In Brussels, he lived in
eyes and brown hair.  She fell in love with Rizal theboarding house of the two Jacobysisters. In
and gave him all of her attention during the time, they fell deeply in lovewith each other.
family picnics and gatherings.  When Rizal Suzanne cried whenRizal left Brussels.
stayed indoors during rainy days painting and
sculpting, she helped him mix his colors and  On January 28, 1890, Rizal left for Brussels,
prepare his clay. Belgium.  He stayed for a considerable time,
paying for room and board.  His landladies had a
Rizal enjoyed her company.  Eventually their pretty niece named Petite Suzanne Jacoby.  She
flirtatious friendship drifted towards a blossoming was taken by Rizal's charm and gallantry, and
romance.  He affectionately called her "Gettie," provided him good company.  Rizal could have
and in return she called him "Pettie." flirted with the lady, considering that his beloved
Leonor was far away and he was a lonely man in
Leaving for a Higher Cause a strange and foreign land, but he realized he
could not deceive her.
Rizal withdrew before his relationship with Gettie
could become more serious, realizing that he  A Broken Heart
had a greater mission to fulfil and that in order to
Suzanne fell in love with Rizal, and wept when apologized to Rizal, thus averting tragedy for the
he left for Madrid in July 1890.  She wrote to him compatriots. Rizal's friends were delighted to
in French:  hear that he had found a suitable girl whom he at
last wished to settle down with.  Even Antonio
 "Where are you now? Do you think of me once Luna, who had previously loved Nellie,
in a while? I am reminded of our tender encouraged Rizal to court her and ask for her
conversations, reading your letter, although it is hand in marriage. With all the encouragement
cold and indifferent.  Here in your letter I have from the friends he held dear, Rizal wooed Nellie
something which makes up for your (also called Nelly) who, in turn, returned his
absence.  How pleased I would be to follow you, affections. 
to travel with you who are always in my thoughts.
 A Broken Engagement
You wish me all kinds of luck, but forget that in
the absence of a beloved one a tender heart Rizal's marriage proposal failed for two
cannot feel happy. reasons:  first, Nellie demanded that he give up
his Catholic faith and convert to Protestantism,
A thousand things serve to distract your mind, which was her religion.  Rizal did not like this
my friend; but in my case, I am sad, lonely, idea.  Second, Nelly’s mother did not approve of
always alone with my thoughts -- nothing, Rizal, as she had no desire to entrust her
absolutely nothing relieves my sorrow.  Are you daughter to a man that was wanting in wealth
coming back?  That's what I want and desire and persecuted in his own country.   In spite of
most ardently -- you cannot refuse me. the circumstances, Rizal and Nellie parted as
good friends.
I do not despair and I limit myself to murmuring
against time which runs so fast when it carries us Rizal's exile in Dapitan was one of the most
toward a separation, but goes so slowly when it's lonesome and sorrowful periods of his life.  He
bringing us together again. missed the company of his friends and family,
and the death of Leonor Rivera on August 28,
I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps I might 1893 left a gaping void in his heart.
never see you again.
 Josephine Bracken arrived at the shores of
Goodbye! You know with one word you can Dapitan accompanying her blind adoptive father,
make me very happy.  Aren't you going to write Mr. George Taufer.  No ophthalmologist in Hong
to me?"  Kong, their home country, could cure the man's
blindness and so they sought the services of the
In 1891, Rizal took a vacation in Biarritz in order famous Dr. Jose Rizal.
to find reprieve from his troubles in Madrid.  He
was a guest of the Boustead family in their winter  While on exile in Dapitan, Zamboanga, in early
residence, Villa Eliada.  Mr. and Mrs. Boustead February 1895, Rizal met an 18-year-old petite
had two beautiful daughters, Adelina and Nellie. Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair and a
happy disposition. She was Josephine Bracken,
 An Emotional Rebounce the adopted daughter of George Taufer who had
traveled to Dapitan from Hong Kong to have his
Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the eye treated by Rizal. Josephine stayed with
thought of courting other ladies. While a guest of Rizal’s family in Manila. Upon her return to
the Boustead family at their residence in the Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father
resort city of Biarritz, he had befriended the two Antonio Obach for their marriage. 
pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo
Boustead.  After having lamented his frustrated  Overcoming Barriers
romance with Leonor Rivera on account of the
lady's engagement to another man, Rizal came  Rizal was immediately attracted to
to develop considerable affection for Nellie, the Josephine.  He called her “dulceestranjera,” or
prettier and younger daughter of Mr. Eduardo sweet foreigner. The loneliness and boredom of
Boustead.  He found her to be intelligent, morally exile may have taken its toll as he found himself
upright, and full of life.  Rizal wrote to his closest falling in love quite easily. However, Rizal’s
friends about his intention to marry her. sisters suspected Josephine of being a spy for
the Spanish authorities and a threat to his
Consent from the Lady's Past Love security. Rizal and Josephine fell in love at first
sight.  Their romantic interlude went on for about
Rizal used to fence with the sisters at the studio a month, after which they decided to marry. The
of Juan Luna. Antonio Luna, Juan’s brother and priest of Dapitan, however, refused to conduct
also a frequent visitor of the Bousteads, courted the ceremony without consent from the Bishop of
Nellie but she was deeply infatuated with Rizal. Cebu.  
In aparty held by Filipinos in Madrid, a drunken
Antonio Luna uttered unsavory remarks against  When Mr. Taufer heard of his daughter's plan to
Nellie Boustead. This prompted Rizal to marry he became so enraged at the thought of
challenge Luna into a duel. Fortunately, Luna losing Josephine that he attempted to kill himself
with a razor to his throat.  Rizal prevented this gained friendship with other nations like the
tragedy by holding the man's wrists Spanish colonizers. 
back.  Josephine left with her father on the first
available steamer to Manila in order to avoid  realize the significance of the treaty they
more trouble.  Since Mr. Taufer's blindness was made
venereal in nature, it was incurable.  unify their goals and intentions for the
nation.
 Exchanging Vows
we see the good reasons of their agreement. 
 Mr. Taufer went back to Hong Kong alone, and
Josephine stayed in Manila with Rizal's Pacto de sangre- traditionally rendered in
family.  At length, she returned to Dapitan.  Since English as the Blood compact
no priest would marry them, Rizal and Josephine
held hands, exchanged vows, and married
Blood compact - was one of the “principal points
themselves before God. 
emphasized” in the historical writings of
Illustrados, the well-educated early Filipino
 Romantic affair with Josephine Bracken Nationalist. Points out, was based on the
“custom among the ANCIENT Filipinos of sealing
 Rizal had always been missing his family and a TREATY of alliance and friendship by mixing
their happy moments together in Calamba and the blood taken from an incision in the arms of
his despair doubled upon the announcement the two leaders entering into alliance” in
of Leonor Rivera's death. Not soon, to his alcoholic drink that both leaders drank.
surprise, an Irish girl enlightened his rather
gloomy heart. This girl was the 18-year
Blood oath of Sikatuna and Legazpi- a token of
old Josephine Bracken who, to Wenceslao
friendship and allegiance between a
Retana's words, was “slender, a chestnut blond,
conquistador and a chief who was “undoubtedly
with blue eyes, dressed with elegant simplicity,
merely a local datu”.
with an atmosphere of light (gaiety).”

 From Hongkong, she arrived in Dapitan in that two nations (Spain and the Philippines)
February, 1895 with his blind foster father, came into an agreement, through blood
George Taufer, and a Filipina named Manuela compact, for purposes of friendship and
Orlac. Rizal's fame as an opthalmic surgeon alliance.  As a colonizer, you do not simply
reached overseas, and one of Rizal's imposed leadership and power to the country
friends, Julio Llorente referred the group to Rizal. you colonize, but you have to  learn how to earn
Rizal and Bracken instantly fell in love with each the attention of the foreign land you are
and in just one month, they agreed to marry colonizing so that all your plans will be
which appalled and disturbed Taufer. However, successful. 
the parish priest of Dapitan, Father Pedro
Obach, refused to do so unless they be Not all of his friends appreciated his intention of
permitted by the Bishop of Cebu. colonizing foreign nations, but this is exactly the
purpose of the treaty that started between
Week 4 Lesson Legaspi and Sikatuna. The said treaty or
THE MORGA AND RIZAL’S SEARCH FOR agreement is a very serious matter for both
ORIGINS parties because the act of drinking mixed blood
into a cup of wine meant a lot than just a simple
promise to keep.
1. PACTO DE SANGRE: WHY WERE
CONQUERED?
 Pacto de sangre was used to signify the
PACTO DE SANGRE( Blood Compact) right of Filipinos to withdraw from the pact their
ancestor had entered into”. 
1565- BOHOL, the blood compact happens  The treaty can signify our intention to
involving Sikatuna and Legazpi. withdraw from the pact their ancestors had
entered into previously.  This is the same
The two principal narratives strands were intention of the blood compact that took place
Marcelo del Pilar and Andres Bonifacio different during the Katipunan for wanting to withdraw
owing to divergent political projects. from the hands of the spaniards. 

-This article revisits the making of a founding  MORGA’S VIEWS OF THE


myth of Filipino Nationhood in light of scholarship PRECONQUEST PAST
on ancient blood oaths and the historical account
Schumacher empahasizes the
of the encounter of Sikatuna and Legazpi.
understanding of Spain’s failure to abide by the
agreement”between King Sikatuna and Legazpi”
keywords: Historiography, Blood Oath, Blood
justified the position that “ Filipinos are no longer
brotherhood, Nationalism.
bound by the pacto de sangre,and not subject to
Spanish soveriengnity.” Andres Bonifacio would
native ancestors- started having alliances and
do in 1896 to start the Revolution through       -Legazpi forces landed Bohol in mid-March
Katipunan. 1565, they were in dire need of provisions and
their flagship needed major repairs. 
Pacto de Sangre in the Philippine History:
      -MORO- a cooperative captive, to seek out
Gregorio Zaide- at Limasawa(Legazpi) was well Sikatuna, who could found” near a river two
received by Bankaw, king of the island, at bohol , leagues away” from where they had anchored.
he made  a blood compact with two Filipino kings -Legazpi sent soldier named Santiago, together
of the island- Sikatuna and  Sigala”.   For Zaide, with the Moro, to meet Sikatuna, who then gave
Legaspi did not just had blood compact to them a warm reception: He gave him food and
Sikatuna but also to another chieftain in the told him to make a blood   compact and sealed
name of Sigala. their friendship .Both drank the blood mixed with
wine.
-the writers of Tadhana mentioned the
SANDUGO( literally unified blood ceremony of MORGA’S VIEWS OF THE PRECONQUEST PAST
Legazpi with Sikatuna and Sigala, as well as that Morga’s Succesos de las Islas Filipinas a work that
of KOLUMBU and Magellan. appeared in late 1889. The complex world of alliance
building a blood brotherhood, status competition, and
To the Filipino, the blood compact was an agreement
social fluidities evidently had become murky to them  and
between EQUALS a pledge of ETERNAL
it had difficult to appreciate Sikatuna’s attempt to
fraternity and ALLIANCE.
maneuver through a time that was unlike all they had
According to Ocampo- blood compact or Sandugo known previously, a world that was turned upside down
between Sikatuna and Legazpi by European empire builders.

1.       Stressed, can be seen not only as the Sikatuna –Filipinos           Legazpi- Espanya


first bond of friendship between the Philippines
and Spain, but also the first international Malinis ang hangarin ng dalawang bansa, ang
TREATY between the Philippines and a foreign sanduguan ay dapat magbunga ng assimilasyon.
country.
SHUMACHER- ayon sa mga illustrado ito ay
2.       Contends, merging the historic event
isang kontrata sa pagitan ng dalawang
with the book of the same title, pacto de sangre
magkapantay na Bansa.
is symbolic of the cultural transfusion ,is largely
one-side.
Floro Quibuyen- superior of Spain/Legazpi-
ANCIENT BLOOD OATHS: superior of Sikatuna

The foraging of an alliance in the context LUNA-: ambivalence in El Pacto de Sangre


of preventing bloodshed or ending a feud or
warfare involved a ceremony in which drops of The use of the word “pacto” and its usual English
blood from the persons entering into this translation as “ compact” has reinforced the
relationship were mixed in an alcoholic drink, interpretation of the blood oath as legal treaty.
which they then drank.  This was one of the
reasons behind the treaty so as to stop possible The position of the Philippines as a “ annexed
bloodshed that can happen in the clashing of two territory” in need of redemptive assimilation
nations.  Another reason was to end up a fued indicated it was in subordinate positon, even as
between Spain and the Philippines.  This treaty Del Pilar argued Filipinos should not be regarded
can settle the dispute of both nations  before it is as a racially in ferior.
too late to stop when it resulted to war.
Bonifacio: The fall in the Plot of Nationalist
-Laura Lee Junker- prefers to call this ritual a blood history
oath.
The illustrados, missed a crucial element in the
 Suggest the following blood oaths:
nationalist construction of the past.
Hostilities- were suspended or avoided by sandugo:
peace pacts in which two parties drank a few The moment of recovery begins with the rise of
drops of one another’s blood in a draught of Nationalist Consciousness, which eventually
wine…. It was a procedure by which two men, leads to the birth of the nation. Rizal did his part
not necessarily enemies, became blood envisioning the pre-Hispanic past in his
brothers, vowing to stick together through thick annotation of Morga AND HIS ESSAY” On the
and thin, war and peace, and to observe Indolence of the Filipinos”.Bonifacio, built on the
mourning restriction whenever they were illustrados’ Golden Age and finally provided an
separated from one another.  The friendship explanation for the fall.
between two nations signifies their brotherhood. 
“ Ang dapat mabatid ng mga tagalog” (What the
No one can take away what the two had
Tagalog should Know) it signified “ the condition
promised to each other no matter what happens.
of wholeness of the Pre-Spanish past.
The blood oath of Legazpi and Sikatuna:
-Kaginhawaan bago ang pananakop
-ang pagbagsak dahil sa sanduguan. backwardness and the trouble, favoring the
development of a lamentable predisposition.
The coming of Spaniards, according to manifesto,
was purportedly to offer friendship, but their We find therefore the tendency to indolence very
actions were full of deceit: natural and we have to admit and bless it
because we cannot alter natural laws and
“pacto de sangre ng haring Sikatuna at ni Lagazpi na because without it, the race would have
pinaka katawan ng Espana. disappeared. Man is not a brute, he is not a
machine, his object is not merely to produce in
Espiritwal na Pananakop:
spite of the claims of some Christian whites who
-Debosyon wish to make a colored Christian a kind of motive
force somewhat more intelligent and less costly
-Paggamit ng kapangyarihan than steam. Man’s purpose is not to satisfy the
passion of another man his object is to seek his
-cosmological parallelism happiness and that of his kind by travelling along
the road of progress and perfection.
-Pagkamangha ng mga Indio sa kapangyarihan ng
Prayle Sobre la indolencia de los filipinos ("On the
Indolence of the Filipinos" in Spanish) is a socio-
-Pagkahina ng kapangyarihan ng mga babaylan. political essay published in La
solidaridad in Madrid in 1890. It was written
-Because of the pacto de sangre, which resulted in
by José Rizal as a response to the accusation
banishment from paradise.the dark ages came
of Indio or Malay indolence. He admits the
upon the Philippines. the manifesto concluded
existence of indolence among the Filipinos, but it
that the light of truth must prevail., the tagalog
could be attributed to a number of reasons. He
must realize the source of their misfortune and
traces its causes to factors such as the climate
unite, and realize that reason dictates justness of
and social disorders. He defends the Filipinos by
separating from Spain..
saying that they are by nature not indolent,
CONCLUSION: because in fact, even before the arrival of
Spaniards, Filipinos have been engaged in
The late 19th century views on the Pacto de Sangre of economic activities such as agriculture and
Sikatuna and Legazpi all averred that the trade. Indolence therefore has more deeply
Spaniards came to the Philippines to offer rooted causes such as abuse and discrimination.
friendship only for them to betray it.  The event in
We ask the question: Why Rizal wrote the
Bohol in 1565 was presented in a manner that
indolence of the Filipino?
explicitly advanced a political agenda- from Del
Pilar assimilation to Bonifacio’s revolution- in the It was written by José Rizal as a response to the
process constructing the plot of nationalist accusation of Indio or Malay indolence. He
history that would seek final realization in the admits the existence of indolence among
revolution. the Filipinos, but it could be attributed to a
number of reasons. He traces its causes to
 Week 5 Lesson factors such as the climate and social disorders. 
The indolence of the filipino Also, what causes indolence?
The word Indolence has been greatly misused in Indolence therefore has more deeply
the sense of little for work, lack of energy, etc. rooted causes such as abuse and discrimination,
ridicule has covered the misuse of it. inaction of the government, rampant corruption
and red tape, wrong doctrines of the church and
In the Philippines the shortcomings of one or of wrong examples from some Spaniards who lead
others, the misdeeds of some and the crimes of lives of indolence which ultimately led to the
others are attributed to indolence. And just as deterioration of Filipino values.  
the middle ages , he who sought  the explanation
of phenomena outside  of international  But the use of this word "Indolence" has been
influences persecuted , in the Philippines worse misused by many for some reasons. Why do you
happens  to Him  who seeks the origin of the think the word indolence is much misused?
trouble outside  of accepted beliefs.
The word indolence has been greatly misused in
The consequence of this misuse is that some are the sense of little love for work and lack of
very much interested in proclaiming it as a energy, while ridicule has concealed the misuse.
dogma and others in contributing it as a This much-discussed question has met with the
ridiculous superstition, if not a punishable same fate as certain panaceas and specifies of
delusion. the quacks who by ascribing to them impossible
virtues have discredited them.
We must confess that there indolence actually
and positively exists, only that, instead of holding How does Rizal define indolence?
it to be cause of backwardness and the trouble,
we should regard it as the effect of the He clarified the word “indolence” as meaning
sluggish or lazy as a result of illness; he was a
doctor and he knew whereof he spoke.  There is education Filipino natives receive and to the lack
a valid reason for being indolent and it was not of national sentiment and unity among them.
merely a true nature of the Filipino character. Education and liberty, according to Rizal, would
be the cure to Filipino indolence.
Rizal wrote "The Indolence of the Filipinos" to
explain the alleged "laziness" of the Filipinos In addition to the summary of The Indolence of
during the Spanish colonization. the Filipinos: 
            The Indolence of the Filipinos is a study
And the purposes of writing this are the of the causes why the people did not, as was
following: said, work hard during the Spanish regime. 
-to serve the country by telling the truth because Rizal pointed out that long before the coming of
people have to understand what was really going the Spaniards, the Filipinos were industrious and
on at that time hardworking.  The Spanish reign brought about a
-to show how we were discriminated  because of decline in economic activities because of certain
the unjust treatment of the Spaniards to the causes:
Filipinos
-to illustrate how we inherited some of our             First, the establishment of the Galleon
negative traits from the Spaniards  and Filipinos Trade cut off all previous associations of
originally were not that bad.  We were just the Philippines with other countries in Asia and
influenced by this colonizers. the Middle East.  As a result, business was only
-to let us know how we could rise from conducted with Spain through Mexico.  Because
oppression  or else we will never gain our of this, the small businesses and handicraft
identity and respect if we don't industries that flourished during the pre-Spanish
-to show us that we have been deceived and this period gradually disappeared.
will be an open mind to every Filipino of the             Second, Spain also extinguished the
reality that was really going on. natives’ love of work because of the
-to show us that we were, are, and could be to implementation of forced labor.  Because of the
prove what we are really capable of before, now wars between Spain and other countries in
and later on as Filipino.  They could not simply Europe as well as the Muslims in Mindanao, the
define us from what they have made us during Filipinos were compelled to work in shipyards,
their period.  roads, and other public works, abandoning
agriculture, industry, and commerce.
Well, before the Spaniards came, we were active
and honest in trading, use our abilities and             Third, Spain did not protect the people
resources for our country's benefits, NEVER against foreign invaders and pirates.  With no
CORRUPT, industrious and passionate, arms to defend themselves, the natives were
independent, value nature, protective and killed, their houses burned, and their lands
defensive of our territory. destroyed.  As a result of this, the Filipinos were
forced to become nomads, lost interest in
But when the Spaniards came,  we became cultivating their lands or in rebuilding the
gamblers, dependent, powerless, corrupt, industries that were shut down, and simply
amnesiacs, disloyal to  our "identity," and became submissive to the mercy of God.
indolent. 
Being discontent, having continual wars and Let us remember that Rizal defended the
tolerance, due to slavery, getting deceits from Filipinos by saying that they are not Indolent by
the Spaniards, allowing pirates from the south nature.  In fact even before the arrival of
(Mindanao Muslim  Pirates), and lacking unity, Spaniards, Filipinos have been engaged in
the Filipinos became indolent. economic activities such as agriculture and
trade.  Indolence therefore has more deeply
Two main reasons why the Filipinos are indolent: rooted causes such as abuse and discrimination,
1. Defects of training inaction of the government, rampant corruption
     -limited training at home and school; and red tape, wrong doctrines of the church and
     -inactivity results from this wrong examples from some Spaniards who lead
     -one will move to being a copycat (suited to lives of indolence which ultimately led to the
nature) deterioration of Filipino values. As regards the
     -do what is told to us (e.g. Giving gold  to main point of the indolence of the Filipino,
church) Rizal sums up the main causes of indolence to
2. Lack of National sentiment the limited training and education Filipino natives
receive and to the lack of national sentiment and
    -"A man in the Philippines is only an unity among them. Education and
individual; he is not a member of a nation. He is liberty, according to Rizal, would be the cure
forbidden the right to association and is; to Filipino indolence.
therefore, weak and sluggish."
COCKFIGHTS AND ENGKANTOS
What is the main point of the indolence of the
Filipino? By imperial design catholic priest were at the
forefront of Spanish colonialism. For the first two
In the end, Rizal sums up the main causes countries of colonial rule, natives had virtually no
of indolence to the limited training and contact with Spaniard other than the friars.
Despite the absence of conventional evidence, it The URASYON was recited during healing
can be argued that the circumstances of an rituals and in imitation of European missals and
imperial conquest led by a priestly caste breviaries, copied onto paper in tiny and easily
impressed upon the natives a veritable concealable booklets known in the Visayass as
“SPIRITUAL INVASION” a massive intrusion of Librutu.
Hispanic spirit-beings into the islands.
CREATION OF CULTURAL MINORITY
Commonly used words in the contemporary
Filipino spirit-world include: Isang lahi, isang bansa,isang tadhana,- one
race, one nation,one destiny.
Engkanto,  engkantu  or engkanto, referring to a
generic spirit-being,  a word derived from These Filipinos used to be called ethnic
encanto(charm/ enchantment/spell) or minorities because their ancestors resisted
encantado (encahanted); dwende from duende assimilation into the Spanish and American
(elf) multo or murto ( meaning ghost) from empires and therefore retained more of the
muerto (dead) malign ( an evil spirit) from malign culture and customs of their ethnos or “tribe”
( malicious/ malignant) kapre( a dark hairy, than their colonized brothers who eventually
otherworldly giant) from cafre ( kaffir) santilmo (  came to outnumber them.
a spirit or soul in the appearance of fire) from
fuego  de santelmo (  Saint elmo’s fire)  sirena The cultural minority- Isneg people sub province
(sea nymph) from sirena ( mermaid) ,  tag-lugar ( of Apayao of the province of Kalinga-Apayao in
environmental spirit) in a lugar ( place, spot or the mountains or far northern Luzon. Isneg
site). settled in the Cagayan VALLEY in 1518. FOTOL
is the modern Pudtol, Apayao and it was until
The features and qualities ascribed to these recently inhabited by people who speak the
imagined preternatural   entities are particular Isneg language- that is, by Filipinos who have
revealing, the first in the list being an exemplary come to be called a cultural minority- while the
case. Ibanag-speaking natives of Cagayan who
descended from Yringan, Siriban and Tuliao are
Engkantos are said to be romantically attracted simply called Filipinos.
to a brown-skinned girl or boy. They are said to
indulge in alliance with mortal beings. Engkanto People are divided in three language groups at
belief had significance other than as trope, for to that time:
the natives, the engkanto represented a “real”
entity in the spirit world. 1.      Lower Cagayan Valley spoke Ibanag
2.      Coastal plain along the south china
The prevailing orthodoxy encouraged the sea Ilocano
popularity of ensalmadores (caste of spells) and 3.      Those in the mountains in between,
saludadores (healers) in the 17th and Isneg.
18th centuries.  They use magical objects and 4.      They were all composed of
performed incantatory rituals whose formula independent barangay communities whose
(ensalmos) were culled from the drama of the relations with each other, whether of the same
crucifixion- practices treated indulgently by the language or different, varied from isolation to
Inquisirion. cooperation or conflict according to
circumstances. So as the years of occupation
Foremost among the games of chance was passed, the Ilocanos and Ibanags gave up more
cockfighting- bulang , sabongor as as the and more of their own culture to assimilate more
Spaniards calle dit juego de gallos- a source of and more of their conquers’ culture.
fun said to have been used to enticerecalcitrant 5. Rizal’s Abandonment of Assimilation
indios to join the colonial settlements. In
cockfighting, the native could be entertained by ANATOMY OF THE ANTI-HERO
witnessing what was essentially a cosmic battle. 
Gambling especially in the cockfight, was a “Paint my picture truly like me and not flatter me
visual and thrilling display of the clash of power at all, but remark all these rughnesses, pimples, 
ealms.  The language of the ritual game warts, and everything as you see me” Oliver
simplified the cock’s colors into either red (pula) Cromwell 
or white (puti), the first referring to the superior
bird, the second to the inferior. A starting anatomy of the hero is offered in “the
first Filipino” by Leon Maria Guerrero and in
RED –superiority “Rizal From Within” by Ante Radiac.

WHITE- death and defeat Radiac- emphasis on his formative years, and
has clinical fascination,
Under Spanish colonial rule, the popularly of
cockfighting (like the prevalence of the anting- Guierrero- opus is magnum.  It’s a massive tome
anting amulets widely used in the pit) could be has 24 pagesof bibliographical references, study
attributed to the game’s subtle subversion of the is basically an extended essay and a tentative
dominant colonial order. one.
Guerrero sees Rizal as the first man to use  The colonial state’s maneuver of implicating
the term Filipino in its present sense, and members of the secular clergy as leading as
stresses  the role in the revolution-  also paints a separatist uprising and executing  Mariano
cruel picture of Rizal sitting  comfortably in a Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora made
ships cabin,  filibuster a terror-filled word.  The members of
the native elite who actually planned the failed
Radaic –Rizal is “a mystery still tobe revealed” a revolution- Maximo Inocencio, Crisanto   de los
sphinix when even in the impulsive confessions Reyes and Enrique Paraiso were condemned to
of his youth death.

Observe Guerrero 1872 onward the term filibuster which made an


impression on Rizal even as a lad, remained in
Assimilation has been rejected as a vain hope, circulation among the native elites. Noli Me
“separatism,”  or in plainer words, independence, Tangere, 1887which describes the injustices
has been advocated almost openly. Rizal in the suffered by Don Rafael, Crisostomo Ibarra’s
Fili is no longer the loyal reformer he is the father, a just man who was accused of being
“subversive separatist, making so little effort of filibuster and presumed guilty with neither
concealement tha the arrogantly announces his evidence nor trial.
purpose in the very title of his novel which mean
subversion.” What is the use of independence if Filibustero- as someone who works for
the slaves of today will be the tyrants of separation of our overseas provinces.
tomorrow? Father Florentino
Manilamen- were usually the steermers or
RADAIC: quarter masters, on American sailing ships in the
pacific, Manilamen settled in Hawaii by the
THE KEY image of the child Rizal, as described 1850’s
by his sister Narcisa and Maria, Jose was a very
tiny child, and his head grew disproportionately. The last Galleon trade sailed from manila for
His head being too heavy for his frail body. Acupulco Mexico in 1811  returning to
Philippines in 1885.these early seafarers, as well
Radaic believes that Rizal was aggrieved by his as those came after them in the course of the
puny physique. 19th century were known in the English-speaking
world as Manilamen. Because the Philippines as
Comments: “Truly, the mystery of the body in a nation-state did not exist.
great. It’s as if every man carried within himself
and ideal or invisible image of the body, of his Manila was a place name than unlike Las Islas
body and looking in the mirror, compares what Filipinas, was recognizable in colonial ports and
he sees there, the visible image that confronts in the world metropolises, Manila was a global
him.  Rizal as adolescent,  his mind a clear and brand name, attaché tobacco from the Ilocos
vexing image of his puny stature, , saw his body hence “manila cigar” and abacca from Bicol. In
as inadequate, and this in turn influenced his English –language text both governmental and
complex psychological structure. private seafarers and other labor migrants from
the Philippines were often known as Manila men
Rizal’s career was an effort to reduce the or Manilamen on rare occasions as “Philippine
discrepancy between interior image which Islanders.”
carried himself and the image he saw in the
mirror. 1840’s Manilamen sailors were involved in the
wailing industry, both in the arctic and in the
Radiac, is that the young lover knew how to pacific.
behave with the strictness decorum and delicacy
toward a girl already engaged. Rizal who, when Conclusion:
he first meets Segunda Katigbak.
Rizal, as writer in exile nonetheless used the
 FILIBUSTERO, RIZAL AND THE MANILAMEN image of the filibuster to conjure a possibly
OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY explosive end Spanish rule in the Philippines,
however in making Simoun’s appearance that of
Keyword: Cavite Mutiny, Revolution, Filbustero, a foreigner’s Rizal could have but did not model
migrant workers, Cuba this  spectro mundial on the Manila men who had
roamed the seas, and certainly not on their
Filibusterismo –it rather means a dangerous sense of adventure and revolutionary potential.
patriot who will soon be hanged, or
presumptuous fellow. Week 6 Lesson
Is a very little known in the Philippines-to render The First Filipino
suspect of revolutionary activities. Educated
(natives) The central figure in the revolutionary generation
was Jose Rizal, poet, novelist, ophthalmologist,
El Filibusterismo- Cavite Mutiny historian, doctor, polemical essayist, moralist
and political dreamer. He was born in 1986; 5 generation has a two-fold basis—their
years after Freud, 4 years after Conrad, one year applicability to present day problems, and their
after Chekov; the same as Tagore, 3 years inspirational values.
before Max Weber, 5 before Sun Yat-sen, 8
before Gandhi and 9 before Lenin.  At the time of Two Extremes
Rizal’s death, Lenin had just sentenced to exile
in Siberia, Sun Yat-sen had begun organizing for First claim: Rizal is still applicable today, he must
Chinese nationalism outside China, and Gandhi have possessed uncanny powers of prophecy.
was conducting his early experiments in Because he is still valid today, Rizal will be valid
anticolonial resistance in South Africa. for all time. Second claim: professes to love our
hero by conceding his greatness, but in reality
Rizal had the best education then available in emasculates his teachings by emphasizing only
the colony, provided exclusively by the religious what it considers the harmless and non-
Order, notably the Dominicans and Jesuits. His controversial aspects of his life and works. Rizal
education gave him a solid classical antiquity, wrote about no longer exist today. Others even
and introduction to western philosophy and even go so far as to say that Rizal’s characters in his
to medical science. Rizal exhibited remarkable two novels were pure fiction, without basis in
literary abilities. He was growing up at a time fact.
when modern politics had begun to arrive in the
colony. A Mirror Of The Past

In 1871, when Jose was ten years old, his His zeal as a social reformer, his dedicated
mother was accused of poisoning a neighbor, efforts to improve his countrymen, all his patriotic
forced to walk twenty miles to prison and held labors were directed to one goal--- reforms. If we
there for over 2 years before being released. His revere Rizal, if we wish to honor him, if we want
elder brother Paciano, a student of Father to follow his footsteps, our task is clear.
Burgos, the leader of garrotted priests, narrowly
escaped arrest and was forced to discontinue his That task is to make Rizal obsolete. To do this,
education. Under these circumstances, in 1882, we must eradicate the ills of present-day society
with his brother’s support, Jose left quietly for the so that Rizal’s teachings will become what they
relative freedom of Spain to continue his medical were meant to be, a mirror of the past; and the
studies. future Philippine society, a realization of Rizal’s
dream. Rizal would then be obsolete as a critic
He spent the next 5 years in Europe, studying on of the present, although he will forever remain
and off, but also traveling widely--- to Bismarck’s the courageous and wise commentator of the
Germany and Gladstone’s England, as well as past whose life and works guided his people to
Austro- Hungary, Italy, and France--- and picking worthy achievments.
up French, German and English with the ease of
an obsessive and gifted polyglot. Europe Tullisanes in Cadillacs
affected him decisively. The two most
astonishing features of Noli Metangere are its In page after page of his Noli Metangere and El
scale and its style. Its characters come from Filibusterismo we read indictments of our
every stratum of late colonial society, from the present society. In Chapter IX El Filibusterism,
liberal-minded peninsular Captain-General  down Simoun addressing the Friars and the military
to the racial tiers of colonial society—creoles, and civil functionaries, said, “The evil is not in
mestizos, chinos to the illiterate indio masses. Its that there are tulisanes in the mountains and
pages are crowded with Dominicans, shady uninhabited parts--- the evil lies in the tulisanes
lawyers, abused acolytes, corrupt policemen, in the towns and cities” when we consider the
Jesuits, small-town caciques, mestizo school widespread corruption in our society today, we
girls, ignorant peninsular carpetbaggers, hired can agree with Simoun’s verdict.
thugs, despairing individuals, social climbing
A tulisan is someone who disregards and
devotes, dishonest journalist, actresses, nuns,
contemptuous of the law and who by fair means
gravediggers, artisans, gamblers, peasants,
or foul, is bent n getting for himself whatever he
market-women, and so on. The context is
desires regardless of the consequences of
located in the colonial capital Manila. This
antisocial actions.
restriction made clear to Rizal’s readers that “the
Philippines” was a society in itself even though it A Broken People
did not have yet a common name. That he was
the first to imagine this social whole explains why In the indolence of the Filipinos, Rizal rebuked
he is remembered today as the first Filipino. his countrymen for their lack if nationalist
sentiment by stating that “A man in the
Our task: To make Rizal obsolete Philippines is only an individual, he is not a
member of the nation.” Many Filipinos today, like
Prof. Renato Constantino
the Filipinos Rizal was referring to, are working
The validity of Rizal’s teachings today is both a merely for their own interests, hardly taking to
measure of his greatness and of our lack of consideration the common good.
greatness as a nation. Rizal’s ideas for our
Basilios in our Midst communications and education languishing
under its most backward state. It was because of
Basilio forgot his past, the murder of Crispin, the this social malady that social evils like inferiority
death of Sisa. These experiences were not complex, cowardice, timidity and false pride
enough to motivate him to work so that others pervaded nationally and contributed to the decay
would not be victims of the injustices his family of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s
has endured. Instead of making him more life philosophy to contain if not eliminates these
determined to defend his fellowmen from social ills.
oppression, his experience with cruelty and
injustice turned him into a timid man who wanted Educational Philosophy
only to be left in peace.
Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is
A Nation Of Rizal clearly enunciated in his work entitled instruction
wherein he sought improvements in the schools
Rizal was never like Basilio. Rizal’s personal and in the methods of teaching. He maintained
goals were always in accordance with what he that the backwardness of his country during the
considered to be in the best interest of the Spanish ear was not due to the Filipinos’
country. We need a nation of heroes who live indifference, apathy or indolence as claimed by
and work with patriotic dedication to realize the rulers, but to the neglect of the Spanish
Rizal’s dream. authorities in the islands. For Rizal, the mission
of education is to elevate the country to the
From Dream To Reality highest seat of glory and to develop the people’s
mentality. Since education is the foundation of
To make him obsolete does not mean to forget society and a prerequisite for social
him. We have realized Rizal’s dream and progress, Rizal claimed that only through
appreciate his greatness because of the great education could the country be saved from
values of his ideals. When Rizal becomes domination. 
obsolete we will no longer be infected with
Donya Victorinas, because the triumph of For Rizal, Education is important in the
nationalism will make us proud of our race, no development of a nation and its people.
Basilios because everyone will consider it Rizal peaches the need of education and said
beneath his manhood to be considered only with that “ignorance is slavery.”
personal, material success, no Simouns
motivated by personal revenge.  A reorientation
of our ways and our thoughts along nationalist Rizal’s philosophy of education,
lines will fulfill the dreams of Rizal and at the therefore, centers on the provision of proper
same time make them obsolete as goals motivation in order to bolster the great social
because the dream will have become a reality. forces that make education a success, to create
in the youth an innate desire to cultivate his
Philosophies in Life of Rizal intelligence and give him life eternal.

PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study Political Philosophy


and pursuit of facts which deal with the
ultimate reality or causes of things as they In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country like
affect life. the Philippines should not be taken advantage of
but rather should bedeveloped, civilized,
The philosophy of a country like the Philippines educated and trained in the science of self-
is made up of the intricate and composite government.
interrelationship of the life histories of its people;
in other word, the philosophy of our nation would He bitterly assailed and criticized in publications
be strange and indefinable if we do not delve into the apparent backwardness of the Spanish
the past tied up with the notable life experiences ruler’s method of governing the country which
of the representative personalities of our nation. resulted in: 

Being one of the prominent representatives of 1. The bondage and slavery of the
Filipino personalities, Jose Rizal is a fit subject conquered ;
whose life philosophy deserves to be 2. the Spanish government’s requirement of
recognized.  forced labor and force military service
upon the n natives;
Having been a victim of Spanish brutality early in 3. the abuse of power by means of
his life in Calamba, Rizal had thus already exploitation;
formed the nucleus of an unfavorable opinion of 4. the government ruling that any complaint
Castillian imperialistic administration of his against the authorities was criminal; and
country and people. 5. Making the people ignorant, destitute and
fanatic, thus discouraging the formation of
Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines a national sentiment
as late as three centuries after his conquest in
Spain, with agriculture, commerce, Rizal’s guiding political philosophy proved to be
the study and application of reforms, the 2.       influential factors in human life;
extension of human rights, the training for 3.       racial problems;
self government and the arousing of spirit of 4.       social constant;
discontent over oppression, brutality, 5.       social justice;
inhumanity, sensitiveness and self love. 6.       social ideal;
7.      poverty and wealth;
8.       reforms;
Ethical Philosophy 9.       youth and greatness;
10.       history and progress;
The study of human behavior as to whether it is 11.       FuturePhilippine
good or bad or whether it is right or wrong is that
science upon which Rizal’s ethical philosophy
was based. The fact that the Philippines was The above dealt with man’s evolution and his
under Spanish domination during Rizal’s time led environment, explaining for the most part human
him to subordinate his philosophy to moral behavior and capacities like his will to live; his
problems. This trend was much more needed at desire to possess happiness; the change of his
that time because the Spaniards and the mentality; the role of virtuous women in the
Filipinos had different and sometimes conflicting guidance of great men; the need for elevating
morals. The moral status of the Philippines and inspiring mission; the duties and dictates of
during this period was one with a lack of man’s conscience; man’s need of practicing
freedom, one with predominance of foreign gratitude; the necessity for consulting reliable
masters, one with an imposition of foreign people; his need for experience; his ability to
religious worship, devotion, homage and racial deny; the importance of deliberation; the
habits. This led to moral confusion among the voluntary offer of man’s abilities and possibilities;
people, what with justice being stifled, limited or the ability to think, aspire and strive to rise; and
curtailed and the people not enjoying any the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of
individual rights. these combining to enhance the intricacies,
beauty and values of human nature. All of the
To bolster his ethical philosophy, Dr. Rizal had above served as Rizal’s guide in his continuous
recognized not only the forces of good and evil, effort to make over his beloved Philippines.
but also the tendencies towards good and evil.
As a result, he made use of the practical method
of appealing to the better nature of the
conquerors and of offering useful methods of
solving the moral problems of the conquered.

To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal:

1. censured the friars for abusing the


advantage of their position as spiritual
leaders and the ignorance and fanaticism
of the natives;
2. counseled the Filipinos not to resent a
defect attributed to them but to accept
same as reasonable and just;
3. advised the masses that the object of
marriage is the happiness and love of the
couple and not financial gain;
4. censured the priests who preached greed
and wrong morality; and
5. Advised every one that love and respect
for parents must be strictly observed.

Social Philosophy

That body of knowledge relating to society


including the wisdom which man's experience in
society has taught him is social philosophy. The
facts dealt with are principles involved in nation
building and not individual social problems. The
subject matter of this social philosophy covers
the problems of the whole race, with every
problem having a distinct solution to bolster the
people’s social knowledge.

Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with;

1.       man in society;

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