Module 2 The Historical Backdrop

◘ Rizal was a product of his era

◘The 19th century was a period of revolutionary changes in science, technology, economics, and politics.

What triggered these changes?

♠ the advent of industrialism, democracy, and nationalism

Renaissance – the period of Western history, beginning in the 1300’s, when far reaching changes
occurred in the arts, intellectual life, and ways of viewing the world.

Commercial Revolution – the period of Western history (1450 – 1700) when new resources and new
business practices resulted in great changes in all economic aspects of life.

Enlightenment (Age of Reason) – the period in Western history (in the 1700’s) when thinkers,
especially in Britain and France, tried to use reason to understand and improve society,
government, and humanity (1650 – 1781); a philosophical movement of the 18th century,
concerned with the critical examination of previously accepted doctrines and institutions
from the point of view of rationalism.

Rationalism – the theory, as exemplified in the philosophy of Descartes and Spinoza, that the exercise
of reason, rather than empiricism, provides the only valid basis for the source of
knowledge.

Empiricism – the view that experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge.

1775-1875 – In the West, NATIONALISM and REPUBLICANISM, following the Enlightenment, led
to the armed struggles of nations for independence and democracy.

Liberalism – philosophy or movement that has its basic concern the development of personal freedom
and social progress.

 In countries in which a state-church exists or a church is politically influential, liberalism

connotes, mainly anticlericalism.

 In domestic politics, liberals have opposed feudal restraints the prevent the individual from rising
out of a low social status; barriers such as censorship that limit free expression of opinion; and
arbitrary power exercised over the individual by the state.

How about in the Philippines?

☻It was largely MEDIEVAL

► Its social and economic structure was based on the old feudalistic patterns of abuse and exploitation of
the INDIO.

► Its censorship and racial discrimination practices were oppressive.

 ► Intellectual decadence prevailed and the government processes had no respect for the needs of
the people.

♥ These differences in the conditions between Europe and the Philippines deeply influenced the development of a
sense of nationhood among the Filipinos.

The Philippines in the 19th Century

A. SOCIAL STRUCTURE

 Philippine society was predominantly feudalistic.

Why?

◘ Because the arrival of the conquistadores developed a “master-slave” relationship where the
elite class exploited the masses.

● The pyramidal structure of the 19th century Philippine society favored the Spaniards

Spanish officials, peninsulares, friars

Favored natives, mestizos, criollos

Natives or INDIOS

B. POLITICAL SYSTEM

 Spain governed the Philippines through the MINISTRO de ULTRAMAR (Ministry of the Colonies)
established in Madrid in 1863.

◘ helped the Spanish monarchs manage the affairs of the colonies and govern the Philippines
through centralized machinery exercising executive, legislative, judicial, and religious powers.

The Governor-General

- appointed by the Spanish monarch

- issued executive orders and proclamations
- had disciplinary powers over all government officials
- Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
- had supreme authority on financial matters
- exercises legislative powers with his CUMPLASE by which he could disregard or suspend any law
or royal decree from Spain
- had prerogative to nominate priests to ecclesiastical positions and controls the finances of the
missions.

Provincial Government

Alcaldias – headed by alcalde mayors (pacified provinces)

Corrigimientos - headed by corrigidores (unpacified provinces)

Ayutamiento/Cabildo – city government

 Gobernadorcillo (called capitan) – municipal government

- chief executive and chief judge of a town

- elected at the beginning of every year by a board composed of members of the town
PRINCIPALIA, a body of citizens of high standing, usually made up of the incumbent or
ex-cabeza de barangay.

Cabeza de Barangay – usually a Filipino or Chinese mestizo

- responsible in maintaining peace and order

- collect tributes and taxes in his barrio

How about the POLICE FORCE?

 performed by the GUARDI CIVIL and CUADRILLEROS (guarded the municipal building)

ALFEREZ (2nd lieutenant) – headed the corps of guardia civil in each town

The Judiciary

Royal Audiencia – the highest judicial body; it also acted as auditor of the finances of the
government.

☻ The Governor-General and the Royal Audiencia, acting separately or together, occasionally made
laws for the country called AUTOS ACORDADOS.

AUTOS ACORDADOS were executive decrees issued by the Governor General upon
advice of the Royal Audiencia. They had the binding force of law.

♦ No regular body took charge of enacting laws in the Philippines. Laws originating from various
sources were applied to the Philippines.

Sources of Abuses in the Administrative System

 the appointment of officials with inferior qualifications, and without dedication to duty, and moral
strength to resist corruption for material advancement.
 The officials were assigned manifold duties and given many powers and privileges
 The union of the church and state
 Administrative positions were either obtained through Royal Appointment or were sold to the
highest bidder (one reason was to raise revenues)

- the term of office of the Royal appointees depended on the king’s whims
- often the kin’s appointees were ignorant of Philippine needs

 The distance of the colony perpetuated the anomalies in the government service
 After spending so much time and money to obtain their royal appointment, many officials
exploited their office and its powers to recover their expenses and enrich themselves.
 The insecurity of their term of office made them more unscrupulous and determined to recover
their financial losses through devious means.
  The most corrupt branch of the government was the provincial administrative system where
the ALCALDE was the administrator, judge, military commandant, all rolled into one, with
liberal allowances and privileges.

♣ Unscrupulous officials often exacted more tributes than required by law and pocketed
the excess collections.

♣ Another source of abuse was the license to engage in trade, known as the
INDULTO PARA COMERCIAR

♣ The provincial governors monopolized provincial trade and controlled prices and
business practices. They bought goods from the natives at a cheap rate and sold
these goods back to the natives in times of scarcity at a much higher price.

♦ In 1600, Governor Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera begins collecting the bandala from the natives.

Bandala is an annual quota of products assigned to the natives for compulsory sale to the government.

The Checks adopted by Spain to minimize abuses proved ineffective. The checks were:

a. Visitador ( investigating officer)

- investigating officer which the king of Spain or the viceroy of Mexico sent to
Manila at certain times to investigate Philippine conditions and the
complaints against the governor general and other Spanish officials

b. Residencia

- it as a trial of an outgoing governor general and other Spanish officials who

were obliged to give an accounting of their acts during their term of
office. This trial was conducted by their successor or by a special judge
appointed for this purpose.

The Educational System

 Overemphasis on religious matters ● absence of academic freedom

 Obsolete teaching methods ● absence of teaching materials
● Limited curriculum ● Poor classroom facilities
● prejudice against Filipinos in the schools of higher learning
● rote learning – students memorized and repeated the contents of books without understanding

Academic freedom – The most fundamental virtue, common to all universities, is academic
freedom, which may be defined as the freedom to conduct research, teach, speak and
publish, subject to the norms and standards of scholarly inquiry, without interference or
penalty, wherever the search for truth and understanding may lead.

Academic Freedom – The right to freely teach or learn without unreasonable interference from authority

Academic Freedom - the right of the teacher and student to be free from external or institutional censorship
or other forms of restrictive interference in the teaching, research and critique of the University's
governance.
 Section 5(2), Article XIV of the Constitution guaranties all institutions of higher learning academic
freedom. This institutional academic freedom includes the right of the school or college to decide for
itself, its aims and objectives, and how best to attain them free from outside coercion or interference
save possibly when the overriding public interest calls for some restraint. According to present
jurisprudence, academic freedom encompasses the independence of an academic institution to
determine for itself (1) who may teach, (2) what may be taught, (3) how it shall teach, and (4) who
may be admitted to study.

Indeed, while it is categorically stated under the Education Act of 1982 that students have a right “to
freely choose their field of study, subject to existing curricula and to continue their course therein up
to graduation,” such right is subject to the established academic and disciplinary standards laid down
by the academic institution. Petitioner DLSU, therefore, can very well exercise its academic freedom,
which includes its free choice of students for admission to its school. — De La Salle University, Inc.,
et al. vs. Court of Appeals, et al., G.R. No. 127980, December 19, 2007

 The friars inevitably occupied a dominant position in the Philippine educational system for
RELIGION was the main subject in the schools.

● Fear of God was emphasized and obedience to the friars was instilled in the minds of the people.
They were constantly reminded that they had inferior intelligence and they were fit only for
MANUAL LABOR.

Results

▪ lack of personal confidence

▪ development of inferiority complex

☻Theological seminaries were also established

► BUT the Filipino seminarians were trained only as assistants to the Spanish priests

☻By 1885 the Spanish colonial authorities realized the need of establishing a system of
public education for the INDIOS

▪ Governor MANUEL CRESPO organized a commission to improve elementary

education in the Philippines

Result

 Issuance of the Educational Decree of 20 December 1863

- Each major town in the Philippines was to establish at least one primary
school for boys and another for girls
- NORMAL school for MEN was opened in 1865
- Spanish was to be the medium of instruction

♦ The use of Spanish in schools was strongly opposed by the FRIARS.

 An enlightened people cannot be kept long in subjugation. The Filipino must

therefore be kept in the dark so that they would remain isolated from the
intellectual ferment of times. Otherwise, they might be inspired by the new ideas of
freedom and independence.
What the Spaniards did?

 Books read by the Filipino people had to pass through rigid censorship by church
authorities as well as the government.

In 1870, a Filipino student FELIPE BUENCAMINO circulated anonymous letters at

the University of Santo Tomas, that criticized the Dominican methods of instruction,
clamored for better professors, demanded government control of the University, and
suggested keeping the university abreast with academic developments in Spain.

- The petition was taken by the authorities as SUBVERSIVE.

How About Spain in the 19th Century?

 The principles of freedom advocated by the leaders of the French Revolution and the American
Declaration of Independence had become the political guidelines for watching the world.

 The celebrated motto of the French Revolution, “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” and the
pronouncements of philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu eventually influenced the
Spanish intelligentsia.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

 believed that mankind is essentially good but corrupted by society

 believed in the inherent equality of men
 the general will as the basis of government

Baron de Montesquieu

 He attacked monarchy and institutions of the ancient regime

 He put forth the principle of Separation of powers – executive, legislative, and judiciary

Voltaire

 skeptical but deistic religious attitude

 castigation of bigotry (a superstitious religious hypocrite)
 He attacked injustice and intolerance

DEISM is the belief that the truth of the existence of God can be discovered only by the
individual through the evidence of reason and nature without resort to any particular
church or to revelation.

John Locke

 The purpose of government is to protect what he called the “natural rights” of its citizens.

“All people are born free and equal, with a right to life, liberty, and property, and the right to
the pursuit of happiness.”

► If a government fails to protect the rights of its citizens, the people have the right to overthrow
that government and establish a better one
 Birth of A Filipino National Consciousness

NATIONALISM usually springs from the consciousness of a national identity of being one people, with common
aspirations and ideals.

 In the 19th century, Philippine nationalism was born.

 The people began to think of themselves as one nation with common origin, customs and tradition, history and
destiny, and aspirations.
 They wanted to be separated or be independent of Spain

● Roots of the formation of national consciousness

 It had its roots in the pre-Hispanic

 The Malays brought here their technology that started the development of our indigenous culture.
 The arrival of the Muslims marked the foundation of Islam in Mindanao and Sulu.
 The fusion of these successive cultural migrations and the mingling of their Asian blood have assimilated so
well to produce the Filipino people and our indigenous culture.

 Then came the Spaniards

● For more than three (3) centuries, Spain dominated the Philippines

Most worthy legacy

 functional unification of the widely-scattered people under a highly centralized and

bureaucratic government
 Roman Catholicism was made the state religion

■ But the Spaniards remained notorious by employing DIVIDE and RULE policy to further control and
dominate the Indio’s lives.

☻Initial manifestations of the Filipino desire to be freed from the atrocious Spanish rule came in the form
of numerous REGIONAL REVOLTS.

Most common causes of revolts

1. Discontent and humiliation brought about by racial discrimination and the wanton abuse of the
officials in the implementation of policies.

Main abuses

- exploitation of manpower through forced labor

- the collection of taxes or tributes
- indulto para comerciar
- bandala

2. Religious freedom

- Some Filipinos wanted the right to retain their pre-Spanish religious practices or the right to
establish their own religion.

3. Friar’s usurpation of the natives

All these revolts had failed because

 sectional jealousies
 lack of communication in the provinces
 absence of national leadership
 Challenge of the 19th Century

 Europe was developing. These developments were the advances of industrialization, the wide
acceptance of the concept of democracy, the spirit of liberalism and the growing salutary effects of
nationalism.

Industrial Revolution is the era in which machine power replaced human and animal power in the
production process, generally said to have first begun on a large scale in England during the
1600s.

Industrialization is the introduction of the factory system, that is, specialized

establishments where there is the centralization of power-driven machinery and where
workers gather specifically for the purpose of production; is the change to industrial
methods of production such as the use of factories.

Liberalism is a broad class of political philosophies that consider individual liberty to be the
most important political goal; openness to progress and change. Liberalism has also
been defined as generosity, tolerance, open-mindedness and willingness to give.
Liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity

Nationalism is the love of one's country and the desire to be free from other countries; a devotion
to the interests and culture of one's nation.

The Challenge of Industrialization

 Because of scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs, closer communication between the
Philippines and Spain and between Europe and Asia became feasible.
 Industrialism mechanized production that in turn increased the demand for raw materials and markets
for finished products. It encouraged free trade policies that hastened the development of international
commerce.

Results

♦ trading centers and cities flourished

♦ people enjoyed material and economic prosperity, better standards of living, better education,
and social opportunities.

☻ The Philippines as a source of raw materials and as a market for finished products was eventually
drawn into the orbit of international trade.

☻ This marked a change in the economic and social life of those Filipinos who eventually came into
contact with the political and socio-economic developments in Europe.

The Wide Acceptance of Democracy

Although the philosophy of SOCIALISM was gaining ground in Europe, the Filipino middle class
members who went to Europe were attracted to the manifestations of democratic and nationalistic ideals.

- the adoption of a constitution that guarantees natural and civil rights, movements toward
popular suffrage, and setting up of parliaments.

The Altered Position of the Catholic Church

▪ The Catholic Church in Europe was a most powerful influential institution

▪ The Church has been identified with the monarchy and aristocracy
▪ The Church was considered an adversary of the young Republican states and the recently unified
countries like France, Germany, and Italy.
 In Spain, the LIBERALS considered the Church an enemy of reforms.

 In separate moves, other countries sought to curtail the Church’s influence, to break down
its political power, and to destroy its traditional control over education. This movement
was called “ANTI-CLERICALISM”

♦ When “Anti-clericalism” gained strength in the 19th century, the Church through the leadership of
Pope Leo XIII acceded to the demands of modern society without surrendering its dogma.

♦As part of the ecclesiastical “retreats” or readjustments, Pope Leo XIII issued RERUM
NOVARUM which defined the modern position of the church on social questions.

☻ The RERUM NOVARUM called upon all states to help labor and reiterated church support
in the promotion of the welfare of labor, appealed for economic and social reform, and
exhorted its followers to live within the principles of social justice.

♦ The intellectual Filipinos ( ilustrados) served as bridged between the liberal Europeans and
the oppressed and exploited INDIOS.

►When the Philippines was drawn within the orbit of world trade, the new breed of native middle
class emerged. With their newly-acquired wealth they were able to send their children to school
in Manila and Europe

►With the opening of elementary and secondary schools, education became accessible to the
INDIOS.

Initial Response to 19th Century Challenges

◙ In his numerous literary works, Francisco Balagtas portrayed the “social cancer” of his time and
earned the distinction of being the first Filipino artist with a social conscience.

◙ The first united movement against racial discrimination was made by the native clergy with their
demand for the right to administer parishes (the question of secularization). The problem started as a
religious question involving the right of either the regular or the secular priests to administer parishes.

◙ The first to champion the cause of the native clergy was a Spanish mestizo, Father Pedro Pelaez, the
ecclesiastical governor of the Philippines in 1862. His broad idealism had convinced him to fight
for justice was not a matter of blood and position but sound values and principles.

▪ Father Jose A. Burgos published anonymously a manifesto on June 27, 1864.

- He believed that the friars were responsible for the backwardness of the country and the
fanaticism of the indio.
- He accused the friars for having opposed the teaching of Spanish and for having kept the
indio ignorant so they could be kept in perpetual subjugation

▪ In 1868 the mutiny of the Spanish fleet in Cadiz against the monarchy mounted into a revolution which
deposed Queen Isabela II.

♦ The provisional government appointed General Carlos Ma. De la Torre as Governor General of
the Philippines

 De la Torre abolished the censorship of the press, fostered free political discussions, and
supported the secularization of parishes.
 ▪ When the liberal regime in Spain was deposed by the conservative, Governor de la Torre was replaced
by Governor Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-1873).

 Izquierdo restored strict censorship of the press, prohibited political discussions, and put a
stop top the secularization of parishes.
 Due to dissatisfaction, continuous social unrest, the CAVITY MUTINY erupted on
January 20, 1872.
 The mutiny resulted into the execution of the three martyred priests – Gomez, Burgos, and
Zamora – by the strangulation machine called GARROTE.

The Propaganda Movement: Growth and Development

 Dr. Pedro Paterno published his first literary work which was a collection of verses
entitled SAMPAGUITAS (1880). He attempted to the public a Filipino national
personality through the works of a Filipino.
 Dr. Gregorio Sanciano wrote about economic reforms and to improve political
administration. His book, EL PROGRESO DE FILIPINAS (1881), analyzed the revenue
system and concluded that the inequality of the Philippine tax structure had
deterred the economic growth of the Philippines.
 The victory of Juan Luna and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo at the Exposicion de Bellas
Artes in Madrid in 1884.
 The formation of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino led by Juan Atayde, a Spaniard born in
the Philippines.
 The publication of Rizal’s NOLI ME TANGERE in March 1887.

José Rizal and the Propaganda Movement

http://countrystudies.us/philippines/10.htm

Between 1872 and 1892, a national consciousness was growing among the Filipino
émigrés who had settled in Europe. In the freer atmosphere of Europe, these émigrés--
liberals exiled in 1872 and students attending European universities--formed the
Propaganda Movement. Organized for literary and cultural purposes more than for
political ends, the Propagandists, who included upper-class Filipinos from all the lowland
Christian areas, strove to "awaken the sleeping intellect of the Spaniard to the needs of
our country" and to create a closer, more equal association of the islands and the
motherland. Among their specific goals were representation of the Philippines in the
Cortes, or Spanish parliament; secularization of the clergy; legalization of Spanish and
Filipino equality; creation of a public school system independent of the friars; abolition of
the polo (labor service) and vandala (forced sale of local products to the government);
guarantee of basic freedoms of speech and association; and equal opportunity for
Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service.

The most outstanding Propagandist was José Rizal, a physician, scholar, scientist, and
writer. Born in 1861 into a prosperous Chinese mestizo family in Laguna Province, he
displayed great intelligence at an early age. After several years of medical study at the
University of Santo Tomás, he went to Spain in 1882 to finish his studies at the University of
Madrid. During the decade that followed, Rizal's career spanned two worlds: Among small
communities of Filipino students in Madrid and other European cities, he became a leader
and eloquent spokesman, and in the wider world of European science and scholarship--
particularly in Germany--he formed close relationships with prominent natural and social
scientists. The new discipline of anthropology was of special interest to him; he was
committed to refuting the friars' stereotypes of Filipino racial inferiority with scientific
arguments. His greatest impact on the development of a Filipino national consciousness,
however, was his publication of two novels--Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not) in 1886 and El
Filibusterismo (The reign of greed) in 1891. Rizal drew on his personal experiences and
depicted the conditions of Spanish rule in the islands, particularly the abuses of the friars.
Although the friars had Rizal's books banned, they were smuggled into the Philippines and
rapidly gained a wide readership.

Other important Propagandists included Graciano Lopez Jaena, a noted orator and
pamphleteer who had left the islands for Spain in 1880 after the publication of his satirical
short novel, Fray Botod (Brother Fatso), an unflattering portrait of a provincial friar. In 1889
he established a biweekly newspaper in Barcelona, La Solidaridad (Solidarity), which
became the principal organ of the Propaganda Movement, having audiences both in
Spain and in the islands. Its contributors included Rizal; Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, an
Austrian geographer and ethnologist whom Rizal had met in Germany; and Marcelo del
Pilar, a reformminded lawyer. Del Pilar was active in the antifriar movement in the islands
until obliged to flee to Spain in 1888, where he became editor of La Solidaridad and
assumed leadership of the Filipino community in Spain.

In 1887 Rizal returned briefly to the islands, but because of the furor surrounding the
appearance of Noli Me Tangere the previous year, he was advised by the governor to
leave. He returned to Europe by way of Japan and North America to complete his
second novel and an edition of Antonio de Morga's seventeenth-century work, Sucesos
de las Islas Filipinas (History of the Philippine Islands). The latter project stemmed from an
ethnological interest in the cultural connections between the peoples of the pre-Spanish
Philippines and those of the larger Malay region (including modern Malaysia and
Indonesia) and the closely related political objective of encouraging national pride. De
Morga provided positive information about the islands' early inhabitants, and reliable
accounts of pre-Christian religion and social customs.

After a stay in Europe and Hong Kong, Rizal returned to the Philippines in June 1892, partly
because the Dominicans had evicted his father and sisters from the land they leased from
the friars' estate at Calamba, in Laguna Province. He also was convinced that the struggle
for reform could no longer be conducted effectively from overseas. In July he established
the Liga Filipina (Philippine League), designed to be a truly national, nonviolent
organization. It was dissolved, however, following his arrest and exile to the remote town of
Dapitan in northwestern Mindanao.

The Propaganda Movement languished after Rizal's arrest and the collapse of the Liga
Filipina. La Solidaridad went out of business in November 1895, and in 1896 both del Pilar
and Lopez Jaena died in Barcelona, worn down by poverty and disappointment. An
attempt was made to reestablish the Liga Filipina, but the national movement had
become split between ilustrado advocates of reform and peaceful evolution (the
compromisarios, or compromisers) and a plebeian constituency that wanted revolution
and national independence. Because the Spanish refused to allow genuine reform, the
initiative quickly passed from the former group to the latter.
 Module 3 The Development of Rizal’s Nationalism

 Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in Kalamba, Laguna

 He was baptized Jose Rizal Mercado
 Kalamba is an agricultural town devoted to the production of SUGAR. It is situated at
the foot of Mt. Makiling.
 The family was tenant to the Dominican estate.

Rizal’s Immediate Family

 The industry of Rizal’s parents raised them to the privilege class, the PRINCIPALIA
 Because of their social standing, they enjoyed the esteem of the local Spanish officials.
 Don Francisco Mercado was born in Biñan, Laguna. He studied Philosophy and Latin at the College of San Jose
de Manila.
 Doña Teodora Alonso was born in Sta. Cruz, Manila. She was a good mathematician.
 Both parents greatly influenced Rizal and left their imprint in his character.

Father’s influence

- modesty, integrity, and honesty

- profound sense of dignity and self-respect
- seriuousness and self-possession

Mother’s influence

- temperament of the poet

- dreamer
- bravery for sacrifice
- learned the rudiments of mathematics, grammar, and poetry
- influenced in Rizal positive values and a deep sense of spirituality and religiosity
- inculcated value of education and the value of time

Early Manifestations of Innate Talents

 Rizal learned his alphabet at the age of THREE

 He loves reading and literature; the family has extensive library
 He manifested skills in sculpture, sketching, and painting
 At the age of 8, he wrote his first poem, SA AKING MGA KABATA
 His favorite fable was “The Story of the Moth”

The mother moth warned its offspring to the danger of fluttering too close to the flame. The advice was not
heeded and the little moth was burned by the blue flame. The impact of this story that impressed so much
the young Rizal was the moth’s daring and its attraction to the dazzling light. Rizal would never forget this
story because it would serve as a constant reminder of the daring risks that he would take as a young idealist.
The flame may singe but Rizal learned later that one must suffer any consequence if one is to succeed.

● Rizal’s elder sister Narcisa reflected on his solitude:

 He was nearly always quiet and very observant . . . His pastime notions and habits were more
characteristic of the mature than of the young. He liked being alone; he did not play with
ordinary toys. He loved reading and listening to his elders discuss matters of moment.

 Curiosity left a lasting impression

- What was beyond Laguna de Bay?

- Are they also maltreated by the Guardia Civil whose duty it was to protect the
people and keep the public peace and yet they were the real outlaws?
Formal Search for Knowledge

 Informal education was provided by the MOTHER

 First formal education was acquired in Biñan at age 9
- developed his painting skills (9 years old)

June 10, 1872 – Rizal took the entrance examination at San Juan de Letran College

 Passing all qualifying test, he studied in Ateneo from 1872 to 1877 and obtained a Bachelor
of Arts degree, with the highest honors, that entitled him to admission in any university.
 In Ateneo, he discovered the wisdom of books and its influences on his search for knowledge
 Ateneo had taught him that the mind would achieve its purpose as long as one sought truth
in a spirit of love and understanding of one’s fellowman
 He left Ateneo at age 16

Literary Works while in Ateneo

“Through Education the Country Receives Light”

● Here, Rizal expressed the potential benefits that can be derived from educating the
citizenry. He stressed that responsible education instills in the youth noble ideas and
sublime virtues.

“Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education”

● Rizal elucidated the concept that faith and belief in truth and love of God are
discovered in dedicated study and the cultivation of the human mind.

At the University of Santo Tomas

♦ At the University of Santo Tomas, he enrolled in courses in philosophy and letters

♦ He also took up surveying and agriculture at the Ateneo
♦ He finally decided to take up medicine to treat the failing eyesight of his mother
♦ He experienced prejudicial limitations at the University

☻ Upon the advise of PACIANO, Rizal decided to pursue his studies in Europe. He was also propelled by his
growing sense of nationalism.

Racial Discrimination Inspired a Lifetime Search

◘ As a boy he knew he was looked down upon simply because he was a native, an INDIO.

◘ In Ateneo, the teachers were fair and recognition was achieved through skill, but outside the
classroom the Spanish boys were still arrogant and insolent towards their brown classmates.

● In spite of his resentment Rizal did not seek to get even through violence. He sought equality
through the mastery of mental skills. He proved that despite the use of Spanish, the language of the
white boys, as a medium of instruction, a brown boy could equal them and still emerge the winner under
the same circumstances.

◘ In Sto. Tomas, he won twice in a literary competition (Liceo Artistico de Manila)

1879 – his poem A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino Youth) won him First Prize

A La Juventud Filipina was an open avowal of nationalism that evoked ideas of freedom and
independence from one nation and one people.
 1880 – his play El Consejo de los Dioses (The Council of the Gods) won him another first prize

 El Consejo de los Dioses presented a discussion among the Olympian gods and goddesses as to who
the greatest pet was – Homer, Virgil, or Cervantes. Jupiter was the final judge who measures the
values of each poet’s masterpiece. His evaluation showed that all three works were of equal value.

☻ When the critics learned that the author of El Consejo was an INDIO, they turned their
attention and praises to the second place winner, a Spaniard by birth.

♦ Rizal was indignant at this absurd behavior which was a clear evidence of the
irrational racial prejudice at that time.

 These experiences strengthen his resolve to use his intelligence to save his people from the quagmire
of ignorance and made him believe that educating the masses was the answer to the worsening
misery of his countrymen. The uphill struggle would be long and tedious but he knew that the only
way to emancipate his people was through education.

☻ The oppressive racial discrimination at the university of Santo Tomas gave Rizal an idea
for his one-act play, Junto al Pasig. He satirized the priest in the person of a devil who
sought adoration, and he described Spain as impious and pictured her as the cause of the
unhappiness of his once rich and happy country.

Education in Europe: Professional Skills Developed

SS “Salvadora” – vessel boarded by Rizal from Manila to Barcelona

♦ left the Philippines May 3, 1882

 Moved to Madrid because medical education was reportedly cheaper there. He followed a
systematic and well organized schedule of study because he wanted to learn so much within a short
time.

June 21, 1884 – completed the course for the licentiate in medicine with satisfactory grades. The next
year he proceeded to a doctorate in medicine but he did not submit his thesis. The degree of
Doctor of Medicine was conferred on him posthumously in 1961 during the centenary of his birth.

 He received his licentiate in philosophy and letters which entitled him to a university professorship in
1885.
 In Paris, he worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr. Louis de Weker, a leading French
ophthalmologist.
 His limited allowance and his desire to learn more about eye ailments prompted him to go to
Germany where the cost of living was cheaper.

 In Heildelberg, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Otto Becker, a renowned German
doctor.
 In Berlin, he worked as an assistant in the clinics of Dr. Schultzer and Dr. Xavier Galezowski,
eminent German ophthalmologists.

The Resolute Propagandist

 He proposed a book writing project to the Filipino members of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino. The books would
deal on various aspects of Philippine life. When details were discussed at a meeting, most of the members
wanted to write about the character and Activities of the Filipino women and were scarcely interested in
Rizal’s true purpose for the proposed project. Disgusted, Rizal decided to write the books by himself.

Result : NOLI ME TANGERE

  His desire for more mature contacts and his search for enlightenment to complete his book led him
to join the Brotherhood of Masons and seek the friendship of eminent scholars.

 Their liberal ideas showed him how much change as needed in the Philippines.

♦ started writing NOLI in Madrid

♦ continued writing in Paris where the immortal declaration of the rights of man had been passed a century
before

♦ finished his book in Germany where scientific research and philosophy were free from Church and State
Control

 He was charged Php 300.00 for 2,000 copies. His friend, MAXIMO VIOLA offered to lend him the
amount and the book was finally released in March 1887.

 Rizal studied HEBREW to enable him to interpret the Bible in its original text and be better prepared to defend
any controversial religious issue that NOLI ME TANGERE might arouse.

 While in Germany, Rizal met Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt who became his most cherished friend. They
corresponded and exchanged opinions on political, racial and social issues.

 Through research Rizal was convinced that “we are all human and we can improve ourselves through
education and culture …”

Then he went home …

 He arrived in Manila on August 5, 1887.

 He opened a medical clinic, successfully operated on his mother’s eyes and established a gymnasium
 He felt the pressure of the groups that he had antagonized in his novel.

 Liberal-minded Governor Emilio Terrero assigned Jose Taviel de Andrade, a lieutenant of the guardia
civil, as Rizal’s personal escort.

 Security for the Rizal family became a problem and Rizal was advised to leave the country. He secretly
deoarted on February 3, 1888.

 … he deplored the racial discrimination against the Negroes in the United States and noted the
absence of true civil liberties.

July 1891 – completed the manuscript of El Filibusterismo

Valentin Ventura – savior of Fili

EL FILIBIBUSTERISMO is a strong indictment of Spanish colonialism and of native supporters and defenders of the
system. It portrayed a society on the verge of a revolution.

 On April 2, 1889 he wrote to his fellow reformists

“The fight has begun; he who wavers shall fall. Let us now show he world and our enemies that we are
not afraid of the friars’ threats.”

 On March 29, 1891, Rizal wrote to Blumentritt about the persecution of his family because of his a activities as
a propagandist. His heart ached over their misfortune but his spirit was not discouraged that if he were to be
born again: “I would do first what I have done … it was the duty of any man, and God might ask me why I
had nor fought evil and injustice when I saw them.”
 ☻Rizal decided to went home

 While in Hong Kong…

♦ he met his father, brother and a brother-in-law

♦ met his mother, and his sisters, Lucia, Josefa, and Trinidad
♦ practiced medicine and started to write another book
♦ Paciano translated the NOLI into Tagalog
♦ he planned a Filipino community in Borneo

◘ the plan to resettle the Filipinos to Borneo was disapproved by Governor Eulogio
Despujol because the Philippines was short of manpower, and he considered it improper
and impractical for the natives to cultivate other lands while the Philippines itself was still
underdeveloped.

Rizal Comes Home

 In his letter “To The Filipinos” he wrote that the final decision he made was very risky but he had to
come home partly because “I also want to show those who deny our patriotism that we know how to
die doing our duty and for our convictions. What does death matter if one dies for what one loves,
for one’s country and loved ones ... I shall die blessing her and wishing her the dawn of her
redemption.”
 Together with his sister Lucia, he arrived in the Philippines on Sunday, June 26, 1892.

July 6, 1892 – Rizal was summoned to Malacañang Palace because of a charge having brought with him
from Hong Kong leaflets entitled Pobres Frailes (“Poor Friars”). This article is a satire
by “P Jacinto” against the rich Dominican friars who had violated their vow of poverty.
 He was arrested and brought to the Royal Fortress of Santiago for detention.

July 14, 1892 - Rizal was deported to Dapitan in Mindanao on board steamship Cebu.

The Nationalist in Exile

July 17, 1892 – arrived in Dapitan

Rizal’s Description of Dapitan

 It was lonely and desolate but it has a good harbor, vast fertile virgin lands, brooks, and abundant
flora and fauna.
 The town was swampy with unplanned streets, no potable water and lighting system, and no
provisions for medical services
 The people still practiced primitive agricultural methods, the fishing industry was underdeveloped,
and the trade was controlled by a few Chinese inhabitants.

What Rizal did?

 He practiced his profession as a doctor, farmer, teacher, businessman, community redevelopment

leader, engineer, and a scientist.

 He studied the Malayan language and several Philippine dialects

☻ Captain Ricardo Carnicero, the politico military governor, gave Rizal a free rein with his ingenuity to help
improve the community and allowed him all the liberties except leaving the place.

◘ he purchased a parcel of land near the town plaza and 16 hectares of agricultural
land in Talisay where he built a house, a school and a clinic. His property totaled
70 hectares where, with the help of his pupils, he planted coconuts, sugar cane,
 corn, coffee, cacao, and fruit trees of different varieties.

 As a DOCTOR

 woke up early in the morning and attend to his patient; board his baroto to attend his
patients in town
 charged his wealthy patients fees proportionate to their capacity to pay, he
rendered free medical services to the poor.
 Provided his poor patients with medicine and drugs which he himself concocted
from his knowledge of the curative value of local medicinal plants
 He constructed small houses which he called casitas de salud where his patients and
their families stayed during the treatment period.

● Mr. George Taufer of Hong Kong used his savings to come for treatment; he was
accompanied by his adopted daughter, Josephine Bracken.

 As a TEACHER

 Accommodated 16 boys in a house near his own to apply some of his modern ideas
 Gave the boys vocational and academic training to integrate their education toward home
and community development
 He taught the boys to earn their living from their labor and skill
 He charged no tuition fees, but the boys helped him in his clinic and worked in his farm
where they were taught better methods of agriculture and stock raising.
 Formal classes were held daily from 2 to 4 o’clock in the afternoon

● The lessons were supplemented with field trips

● Rizal believed in the dictum that a sound body makes a sound mind

 As a COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LEADER

 he made a big relief map of Mindanao in the main plaza

 As an ENGINEER

 Constructed street in the town

 Provided the town with a water system from the mountain several kilometers away from the town
proper
 Provided the town with a lighting system which consisted of coconut oil lamps placed in dark streets
 He invented a wooden machine for making bricks

 As a BUSINESSMAN

 Setting an example of self-help to curb Chinese control of domestic trade, he and a business partner,
Ramon Carreon, ventured into the hemp and copra trade and into the fishing business.

─ Bought big net for trawl fishing

 He promoted the establishment of a Dapitan farmers cooperative association, managed by the

people themselves, to improve farm products, promote cooperative marketing, and extend
protection to its members.

☻These work experiences in Dapitan enhanced Rizal’s concept of practical nationalism. He was more than
ever fully convinced that self improvement and community improvement were an impetus to
national governance, respect and integrity.
 Rizal’s Reaction to the Katipunan

 On the eve of June 21, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela visited Rizal in Dapitan to inform him about the founding of the
Katipunan on July 7, 1892.

▪ His mission was to secure the approval of Rizal of the resolutions passed by the general assembly which
included the objectives of the revolutionary association

 Rizal considered the resolutions just and patriotic but warned that a premature revolution without
sufficient arms would be a veritable suicide. Nonetheless, he instructed Valenzuela to get the
support of the rich and the influential sectors of Manila for stronger unity.

♦ Before the two parted ways, Rizal said to Valenzuela : “To die and conquer is pleasant but to die and be
conquered is painful.”

 He also informed Valenzuela regarding his pending application as volunteer surgeon in the Spanish
army fighting the Cuban revolution.

Reason?

► Once in Cuba he would study the war in a practical way: mix with the
Cuban soldiers he could find solutions to the Philippines situation.


End of Rizal’s Exile

July 30, 1896 - Rizal received a notice that he would be pardoned; his request to go to Cuba was also approved.

September 3, 1896 – Rizal left for Barcelona on board the “Islas de Panay”

Rizal was not surprised when he learned through the newspaper about the outbreak of the
Philippine revolution.

♦ He had heard rumors on board the ship that he was being blamed for the outbreak of the
revolution in the Philippines. The ship docked at Barcelona harbor on the early afternoon of
October 6, 1896 and after a few hours’ stay at cell no. 11 at Montjuich Castle, he was brought
to the SS “Colon” bound for Manila which was carrying soldiers to fight the Filipino revolutionists.

Before his diary was confiscated, Rizal wrote an accurate prognosis:

I think God is doing me good by allowing me to return to the Philippines in order to

disprove so many charges against me. Either they will give justice and acknowledge my
innocence, and then I shall have all my rights restored, or they will condemn me to death
and then I shall have expiated my supposed crime in the eyes of society. She will forgive
me later, without any doubt, I shall be given justice, and become one martyr more.

November 3, 1896 – SS “Colon” reached Manila and Rizal was brought directly to Fort Santiago under heavy guard.

The Trial and Execution

December 29, 1896 – Rizal was formally notified of the court’s verdict: DEATH

 The verdict had been reached after an unprecedented one day trial held the day after Christmas by a military
court

 Rizal was condemned for “founding illegal associations and of promoting and inducing rebellion, the first
being the necessary means to the second.”
Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade – defense lawyer of Rizal; brother of Rizal’s body guard in Kalamba in 1887 – 1888.

Trinidad – given a little alcohol burner saying, in English, : “There I something in it.”

While waiting for Josephine he wrote a final letter to his family:

… I ask for you forgiveness, for the pain I cause you, but someday I shall have to die, and it is better
that I die now in the plentitude of my conscience.

Dear parents and brothers: give thanks to God that I may preserve my tranquility before my
death. I die resigned, hoping that with my death you will be left in peace. Ah! It is better to die than
to live suffering. Console yourselves.

I enjoin you to forgive one another the little vexations of life and try to live in peace and
harmony. Treat our old parents as you would like to be treated by your children later. Love them
very much in my memory.

Bury me in the ground. Place a stone or a cross over it. My name, the date of my birth and
of my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to fence in my grave, you can do so. But no
anniversary celebrations. I prefer Paang Bundok.

Imitation of Christ – book given to Josephine

 At the execution square he was blessed and given the crucifix to kiss. The army doctor, Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo,
felt his pulse and found it normal and steady.

 Just before the order to fire was given, Rizal requested that he be shot in the front for he was not a traitor.
But the explicit orders were otherwise. His second request, that his head be spared, was granted.

 The orders rang out and a volley of shots were fired. As the bullets pierced him, Rizal tried to turn right about
and fell. He had proudly offered his life as a supreme sacrifice for his country that the wisdom of his example
would serve as an inspiration to his fellowmen.