The Life and Works of Rizal Republic Act 1425: The Rizal Law The Making of Rizal Law - In June 12, 1956, Senator Jose P. Laurel filed SB 448. o Otherwise known as the Rizal Bill The proposal was not easy because several persons tried to block its approval. o Some of the people (a combination of politicians and non-politicians) did not like the idea. The Opposition - The following are the individuals who opposed the bill: o Sen. Decoroso Rosales – brother of Cardinal Rosales o Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo – President, Catholic Association of the Philippines o Sen. Mariano Cuenco – brother of Abp. Cuenco o Jesus Paredes – radio commentator o Fr. Jesus Cavana – member of the Paulist order, wrote a pastoral letter about the bill. o The friars - The Noli Mi Tangere and El Filibustirismo are very damaging to the clerics - The novels were written when Rizal estranged from Catholic Faith and religion and contradict many of the Christian beliefs - Compelling catholic students to read a book which contains passages contradicting to the catholic faith, - - therefore a violation of the constitutional provision Art. 3, Sec. 1, par. 7 The novels do contain teachings to Catholic faith and so, Church is opposed to the proposed compulsory reading in their entirety of such books in any school in the Philippines where catholic students would be affected. The opposition acted as if they were the Spaniards, that they are the friars being attacked by the novel. o Mostly, however, the opposition is rooted to be political in nature. The Supporters - Sen. Jose P. Laurel - Sen. Claro M. Recto - There is a need for a rededication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died. o We need to renew and remember those heroes who fought and died for our freedom - There is a need to remember with special fondness and devotion the lives and works of our heroes who shaped the national character. - The life and works, and writings of Dr. Rizal particularly his novels are constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in school, should be suffused - There is a need to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and to teach the duties of citizenship. The Life and Works of Rizal - o The moral character of the Filipinos constantly change—to such extent that the beliefs and quotes of our heroes are just being laughed at in the present. o After the Spaniards came the American colonization, where the Filipinos are modernized, and even studied in the USA. o Most Filipinos now ignore the values of our freedom due to devaluation brought by modernization. o There is value for the sacrifice of life by the heroes of our freedom. The aforementioned points are what inspired Laurel and Recto to push for the bill. Results - The congress passed the Rizal Bill (SB 448) and was signed into Rizal Law (RA 1425) by President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12, 1956 Salient Points - Courses in the life, works, and writings of Rizal, particularly Noli Mi Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges, and universities, public and private - It obliged all schools, colleges, and universities to keep in their libraries adequate number of copies of the original or unexpurgated books of his novels and biography - It authorized and directed the Board of National Education to work for the translation of NMT and EF as - - well as other writings of Rizal into English, Tagalog, and other principal dialects and their printing in cheap or popular editions and their circulation. Rizal as a course, has been taught in college, generally as a supplementary course by teachers of different specializations In most cases, the focus of the course on Rizal’s biography and trivial matters, compounded by the varying interpretations of the spirit and the letter of Rizal law through the years. Important Issuances - Presidential Memo 247 dated December 28, 1994 - President Ramos directed the DECS and CHED to immediately and fully implement RA 1425 o In effect, CHED Memo Order 6 dated Feb. 15, 1996, ordered all colleges and universities to offer Rizal course as a separate 3-unit course fully and immediately. Heroes Definition - A hero/heroine is someone who takes actions to make things better for others. - “On this battlefield, man has no better weapon than his intelligence, no other force but his heart.” o Dr. Jose Rizal, National Hero, Philippines. The Life and Works of Rizal - - - - Rizal, as a hero, is identified as the person who stood up for our freedom and fought against the atrocities of the colonizers. Kabayan is a collective term that connects all Filipinos and gives all of them a key to identify who is one of them. It is a good term for Rizal’s way to connect to the other Filipinos who are in the country that he visits. o Although generally Filipino, Rizal can fluently speak the language of the country that he visits o He is never ashamed to tell who he is o o o o While kings are raised by one person, heroes are raised by families. Kings only fight for their nation A hero fights for everyone – Dr. Jose Rizal Rizal: An American-Sponsored Hero The Influence of Taft - Rizal’s becoming the national hero was the result of American sponsorship. - In 1901, William Howard Taft proposed that Rizal be named as our national hero because Rizal was already dead by the time the Americans colonized the Philippines. o He knew that religion can no longer be used as a mediator for colonization because the Filipino’s already fell for religion from the Spaniards. By this, they did research and was able to find that Rizal is the best one to be named a national hero They also found out that he did not make any anti-American sentiments during his visit The martyrdom of Rizal is a symbol of Spanish oppression. He urged reform from within by publicity, by public education, and appeal to public conscience. Lastly, his death is a leverage as he will no longer be able to make any other sentiment or spark another revolution Veneration Without Understanding - Renato Constantino Pilgrimage to Antipolo - - From Calamba going to Antipolo, they use steamship that passes through Pasig River via laguna de Bay On June 6, 1868, Rizal and his father left for Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow which made when Rizal was born. It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his pilgrimage to Antipolo He was thrilled, as a typical boy, of the scenery of waters After praying at the shrine of the virgin of Antipolo, Rizal and his father went to Manila. The Life and Works of Rizal Education - First Education: o Jose’s first teacher was his mother o At the age of 3, Jose learned the alphabet and prayers from her o Seeing he had a talent for poetry, she encouraged him to write poem. She gave all her love and all that she learned in college. Rizal was able to comprehend what his mother learned in college Of all the stories told by his mother, he loved the ‘young moth’ the most as it made the most profound impression on him. o After teaching all, Rizal sought for more knowledge, which made his mother look for a new teacher who will teach him new lessons Because his mother is already exhausted, she called for his three brothers to teach Jose. - The Three Uncles o Uncle Gregorio – lover of books, who taught Rizal to appreciate books. Taught him to work hard, and think of himself o Uncle Jose – Who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the youngest uncle who taught him about the arts o Uncle Manuel – was a big, strong, and husky man. He looked after the physical training of his sickly nephew. He encourage him to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports so that Rizal will acquire agility, endurance, and strength. Artistic Talents - Since early childhood, he revealed his God-given talents for the arts - He drew sketches and pictures on his books of his sisters. - He encountered talents in Europe - He carved figures of animals and persons out of wood - Even before he learned to read, he can already sketch pictures of birds, flowers, fruits, rivers, and other figures. - Rather an introvert child, with a skinny physique and sad dark eyes, he found great joy looking at the blooming flowers, the ripening fruits, the dancing waves of the lake, and the milky clouds in the sky - He loved to ride on a spirited pony (bought by his father) or take long walks in the meadows - He takes long walks in the meadows with Usman, his dog - In his room, he kept many figures and statues. - At one time, his sisters teased him about the statues. He marveled about how the future will have many statues of him - Not only was little Jose skilled in arts, he is also skilled in writing poem. The Life and Works of Rizal - Before he was eight years old, he wrote a Tagalog drama. This drama was staged in Calamba in connection with the town fiesta Lakeshore Reveries - During the twilight hours of summertime, Rizal accompanied by his dog, used to meditate at the shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people - Yong that he was, he grieved deeply over the unhappy conditions of the people - In the lives of all men, there are influences which cause some to be great and other not. In the case of Rizal, he had all favorable influences, which no other child in our country enjoyed. Early education in Calamba - Rizal’s parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. - The first was Maestro Lucas Padua - Later, an old man named Leon Manroy, a former classmate of Don Kiko became his tutor who taught him Spanish and Latin. He stayed in their home o Leon Monroy died shortly after five months. - After Monroy’s death, his parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school in Biñan - Paciano enrolled him to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz - Rizal met the bully, Pedro, He was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his conversation with the teachers, challenge Pedro to a fight. Rizal, having - - - - - learned the art of wrestling from Tio Manuel, defeated Pedro After class, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. He lost due to a weaker arm and nearly cracked his head to a sidewalk. In academic studies, Rizal beat all boys in Biñan and surpassed them in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects. They were all jealous of his intellectual superiority to such point that they always tell his fights outside of school to their teachers and even told lies to discredit him He received many whippings and strokes from the ferrule. Rare was the day that he was not stretched on the bench for a whipping or punished with five or six blows on the open palm. He learned to be strong, confident, and stand for himself His experiences in Biñan never came to light to his family as he does not want them to worry. When he finished his studies in Biñan, the same scenario of looking for further knowledge repeated. Rizal in Ateneo Ateneo de Municipal de Manila is a private education institution founded in 1859 by the Jesuits. In June 1872, 12-year-old rizal enrolled in Ateneo Municipal de Manila in Intramuros o He was not first accepted in ateneo, but Paciano’s connection was used The Life and Works of Rizal - He launched himself in this school as it sharpened his educational capabilities 1st Year in Ateneo - His professor was Fr. Jose Bech - He was an externo, thus he was assigned in Carthaginian, occupying the end of the line - At the end of the month, he became emperor and received the religious picture, the first prize ever won in ateneo - To improve Spanish, he took private lesson in Sta. Isabel during noon recess for 3 pesos - At the end of the year, he place second but still marked excellent nd 2 Year in Ateneo - He studied hard; thus, he became emperor once more. - At the end of the year, he received excellent grades and a gold medal - During one of his summer vacations, when he visited his mother in prison (being linked to the GOMBURZAS), the latter told him of her dream and Rizal interpreted the dream that she would be released from prison in 3 months and his prophecy came true. - He loves reading and his 1st favorite novel was The Count of Monte Cristo which is about the suffering of Emond Dantes in prison, his escape and the finding of buried treasure and dramatic revenge on his enemies 3rd Year in Ateneo - It was in this year that Teodora visited him after she released from prison - He did not study hard, thus he won only one medal–in Latin–but his grades were all excellent 4th Year in Ateneo - He became an interno and he was inspired by Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez whom he considered as his best professor in Ateneo - He topped all his classmates in all subjects and won 5 medals—sobresaliente Last Year in Ateneo - He obtained the highest grades in all subjects - At the age of 16, he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts with highest honors - Rizal was not mere bookworm, he was ana ctive member of marian congregation, a member of Academic of Spanish literature, and the academy of Natural Science - He was also a member of gymnastics The Professors - Francisco de Paula Sanchez – o taught Mathematics, Rhetoric, and Greek o Cares immensely for his students o Accompanied Rizal during his dapitan exile - Don Agustin Saez o Painter o Helped him indrawing - Romualdo de Jesus o Taught him to improve sculpture The Life and Works of Rizal Rizal in Ateneo - He carved an image of the Virgin mary with his pocketknife and was asked by Fr. Lleonary to carve the sacred heart of Jesus - Some of the significant poems written bu Rizal were: o My first Inspiration – dedicated to his mother o Through Education, Our Motherland Receives Light – depicts the significant role that education plays in the progress and welfare of our nations o The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Education – the relationship of God and learning. 1st Romance of Rizal - Rizal, at the age of 16, experienced his first romance - The girl was Segunda Katigbak - He met her at his grandmother’s house - At that very moment, he was asked by visitors to sketch her, and Rizal recalled that ‘from time to time, she looked at me and I blushed’ - Segunda Katigbak was studying at La Concordia College where his sister, Olimpia, was a boarding student - Thus, he came to know her better there but although it was a love at first sight, it was hopeless because Segunda was already engaged and to be married to her town mate, Manuel Luz Rizal in UST - - The UST was known to be ‘The Pontifical Univesity of Santo Tomas’ It was founded by Abp. Buenavides in 1611 Don Francisco decided that his son should go to UST as it is a prestigious university Doña Teodora opposed the idea of higher education Don Francisco was thinking of what Rizal should takeup. It was the following: o Law o Literature o Medicine In the end, he decided to sign up for Philosophy and Letter during his freshman year because of the following reasons: o It is what his father would have wanted o He was still uncertain as to what career to pursue (he asked the advice of Fr. Pablo (Rector of Ateneo) but it was too late) o And upon learning that he was advised to take up medicine, he took up medicine and simultaneously preparatory for medicine. o During his first year in UST, he also studied vocation course leading to the title of ‘Expert Surveyor’ o At the age of 17, he obtained gold medals in agriculture and topography and passed the final examination in surveying course but was not granted the title because he was below age, he was granted the title only in the year 1881, he was 20 to 21 years old. The Life and Works of Rizal - - - As part of the course, he had to complete units in the following subjects: o Cosmology and Metaphysics – Excellent o Theodicy – Excellent o History and Philosophy – Excellent After completing his first year, he decided to take up medicine as his university course. This change of heart was due to two factors: o Father Ramon Pablo, rector of Ateneo, had advised him to pursue the course o Rial’s mother had a failing eyesight, and he thought he owed to her to become a doctor and cure her condition. Rizal’s performance UST was not as excellent as his time at the Ateneo Victims of Spanish Brutality - When, in the streets of UST, he failed to greet a Guardia Sibil because it was very dark, he was brutally slashed by the latter Rizal: Champion of Filipino Students - Filipinos were often insulted by the Spaniards calling them ‘indio, chongo’ and they retaliated calling the Spaniards ‘Kastila Bangus’ - This often led to school brawls which involves Rizal - He founded the secret society of students called ‘Companerismo’ - Unfortunately, Rizal was not happy at UST, and this reflected his grades (Zaide & Zaide, 1999) - There were three main factors that contributed to this: o The Dominican professors were hostile to him o Filipino Students suffered discrimination o The method of instruction at UST was obsolete and repressive o Science subjects do not have laboratory experiments o Laboratory apparatuses were kept for show cases but not to be touched by students. - The aforementioned is credited to his poor performance in UST. - Likewise, there were three main reasons for his struggling performance (Guerrero, 1998): o Rizal was not satisfied with the system of UST o Medicine was not his true vocation o He later found out that his true calling was not medicine but arts. Rizal’s Romances with other girls - After losing Segunda, he paid court to a young woman of Calamba, describing her as fair with seductive and attractive eyes - But after several times of wooing her, he stopped the romance because his father does not like the family of the woman Leonor Valenzuela - A tall girl from Pagsanjan, Laguna - Rizal sent her love notes written in invisible ink that could only be deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his departure to Spain and bade her his last goodbye The Life and Works of Rizal Leonor Rivera - His cousin from Calamba - She was the pretty daughter and a student at La Concordia College - She had a beautiful romance with Rizal - They became engaged - She usually signed her name as Taimis - Leonor Rivera is his second cousin as their fathers are first cousins Rizal’s Last Years in UST - Rizal received his four-year practical training in medicine at Hospital de San Juan de Dos in Intramuros - During his last year at the University, Rizal has obtained the global grades of Notable (Very Good) in all his subjects - He was second-best student in a decimated class of seven who passed the medicine course - After finishing 4th year, Rial decided to study in Spain - His older brother, Paciano, approved his plan and so did his sisters Saturnina and Lucia - He left the country in the name of Jose Mercado - His parents and beloved Leonor did not know he left but they were given a letter right after he left - It was also the decision of his brother, Paciano o It is only Rizal who can do what has to be done because Paciano is not as smart as his brother - His decision is not just to advance his medical career but also for his secret mission - Rizal’s First Novel: Noli Me Tangere - - Rizal’s Secret Mission But as God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligation or a role in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt myself from this duty and small though it be, I too have a mission to fulfill, as for example: alleviating the suffering of my fellow men. I realize that all his mean sacrifices and terrible ones. I imagine the pain which I must give you, but I feel something that obliges and impels me to leave. I shall strive with fate, and I shall win or lose. God’s will be done. The title is translated as “Touch Me Not” coming from the Bible verse of John 20: 17 Inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ an anti-slavery novel He wanted to write a novel to expose Spanish colonial abuse in print Rizal began to work on the Noli while still in Madrid, Spain. Of the remainder, most was written in Paris, although he finished the book in Berlin, Germany Rizal originally planned to write the novel with other people Rizal and his friends: Paterno–brothers Pedro, Maximo, and Antonio; Graciano López-Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Melecio Figueroa, Valentin Ventura, and Julio Llorento agreed to write a unified novel Change of topic and of plans occurred because Rizal continuously travelled The Life and Works of Rizal - - - Rizal created memorable character whose lives manifested the effects of religious and colonial oppression The plot revolves around Crisostome Ibarra, mized-race heir of a wealthy clan, returning home after seven years in Europe and filled with ideas on how to better the lot of his countryment. Striving for reforms, he is confronted by an abusive ecclesiastical hierarchy and cruel Spanish civil administration. Rizal himself described Noli as ‘the first impartial and bold account of the life of the tagalogs.’ The Filipinos will find it in the history of the last ten years. The detailed story about the suffering of his countrymen was meant to awaken the Filipinos to the truth that was adversely affecting the society. The Characters - Crisostomo Ibarra – Maria Clara’s fiancé and Rizal’s reflection - Maria Clara – most beautiful girl in San Diego - Kapitan Tiago – richest man in Binondo - Padre Damaso - Elias – wants to revolutionize - Sisa - Crispin - Basilio - Padre Salvi Publications - Rizal finished in December 1887 where it was published in Berlin, Germany - Rizal feared the novel might not be printed - Financial aid came from Máximo Viola who lent him 300 pesos for the first 2,000 copies o This helped him print the book in Berlin, Germany Impact - Indirectly influenced the Philippine Revolution of independence from Spain - Though Rizal only advocated direct representation to the Spanish government - Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao, then later arrested, and executed for in sighting rebellion. Second Novel: El Filibusterismo - - Second novel written by Rizal Written in Spanish October 1887 in Calamba, Laguna March 29, 1891, in Biarritz, Paris English translation – The Reign of Greed Composed of 38 chapters Published and printed on September 1891 in Ghent (Belgium) and partially funded by Valentin Ventura o The printing in Belgium is much cheaper o He still does not have the total money but has half of it. The book is dedicated to the three martyred priests known as GOMBURZA o Mariano Gomes o Jose Burgos o Jacinto Zamora The Life and Works of Rizal - The latter are known as the ‘Filibusteros” - Issues Exposed - Need for reform in education - Superstition masquerading as religion - Abuses of the friars - Corruption of officials - Pretentions of social climbing natives and Spaniards - Spanish tyranny - Church acquiring immense political power - Noli and El Fili Compared - Romantic Novel Political Novel Book of the heart Work of the head Book of feeling Book of thought It has freshness, color, Contains bitterness, hatred, humor, and intelligence pain, violence, and sorrow Contains 64 chapters Contains 38 chapters - Originally, the chapters are 42, but to cut costs, he summarized some chapters that went down to 38. Paciano Rizal and the Revolutionary Movement - Born on March 9, 1851, in Calamba, Laguna. Paciano Rizal was the second to the eldest of 11 children of Teodeora and Francisco Life of Paciano - - - - Teodora taught aPaciano the rudiments of reading and writing Paciano’s mother belonged to a dignified and respectable family from the district of Santa Cruz, Manila Paciano was a founding member of La Juventud Liberal, a reformist student organization that worked under the direction of the Comite de Reformadores, among whose leaders was Padre Jose Burgos o Padre Burgos helped them to enroll Jose in Ateneo Among their tasks was to secretly distribute copies of the reformist paper. When Jose was arrested in 1896, Paciano was also arrested and detained. This was to ensure the incrimination or Jose Rizal. The older Rizal was torturd and asked to sign a statement linking his younger brother to the Katipunan and to the Philippine Revolution, which had broken out in August of that year o After three days of fruitless interrogation, Paciano was released o He was punched, kicked, drowned, fed with bottomless water, hammered in the hands, and nailed During Jose’s away aborad, Paciano met and fell in love with Severina Decena, a beautiful lass from Los Baños, Laguna. They had two children, a boy who died during infancy, and a girl they named Emiliana Before the end of 1896, the Philippine Revolution spread like wildfire to the province south of Manila. Laguna joined the fight for liberty. The emergence of The Life and Works of Rizal Paciano Rizl as a revolutionary leader was something that could not but draw attention. o He is a secret member of Katipunan o He was promoted and became a general of Katipunan Rizal and Propaganda Movement - The propaganda movement started in 1882 when jose Rizal started in University of Madrid - The principal ‘organ; of the movement was La Solidaridad–a newspaper publication used by the propaganda movement. - The propaganda movement was started by Filipino students who studied in Europe. The Purpose of the Propaganda Movement - Cultural organization formed in 1872 by Filipino expatriates in Europe. - Composed of Filipino elite called ‘ilustrados’, exiled liberals and students attending Europe’s universities gravitated to the movement - Peaceful crusafe or campaign for reforms - It began in 1872 when Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were executed at Luneta (February 17, 1872) Rizal’s Involvement - He is known as the most outstanding propagandist, a physician, scholar, scientist, and writer born in 1861 - Aftr Rizal’s medical study at UST, he wrnt to the capital of Spain, Madrid, in 1882 to finish his studies - - - He enrooled in Universidad Central de Madrid, Philosophy and letters and licentiate in medicine Academia de San Fernando, Painting and Sculpture Sanzan Carbonell, Fencing Ateneo de Madrid, English, French, and German He even contemplated taking the examination in Roman law for possible enrollment in law However, he focused in his secret mission to observe the life and culture, languages and customs, industries, commerce and government to know how ot liberate us September 2, 1882 o Rizal matriculated at Unversidad Central de Manila. He took the following subjects: medical clinic, surgical clinic, legal medicine, and obstetrical clinic November 2, 1882 o He wrote the article ‘Revista de Madrid’ which was intended for publication the Diaryong Tagalog o Add notes from slide Prominent Members of the Propaganda - Graciano Lopez Jaena o Publisher of La Solidaredad, which became the principal organ of the movement o Very fiery orator, his speeches helped to move the Filipino people to demand change - Mariano Ponce o The secretary o Wrote for la solidaredad under the name ‘Tikbalang” The Life and Works of Rizal - Marcel H. Del Pilar o The editor and co-pusher under the name ‘Plaridel’ The Goals of Propaganda Movement - The purpose of the movement is to make sure that the government in Spain will reply. - Representation of the Philippines in the Cortes, or the 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 - Equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service Aims of the Propaganda - Awaken the sleeping intellect of the Spaniard to the needs of our country - To create a closer, more equal association of the islands and the motherland - Representation of the Philippines in the Cortes, or Spanish parliament - Legalization of Spanish and Filipino equality La Solidaridad - Was created to reality that mass media is important in propagating the propaganda objectives - Portray vividly the deplorable The Katipunan - The writings in propaganda movement inspired Andres Bonifacio to establish the ‘Katipunan’ - The Katipunan (meaning ‘Association’) planned and initiated the Philippine Revolution The End of Philippine Propaganda - La Compromisarios o Members: Mabini, Domingo Frnaco, Numeriao Adriano, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Timoteo Paez (etc.) o A group organized in purpose of prolonging the movement (each member promised to contribute financially to aid the propaganda movement in Spain) o For some months, the group sent funds to M.H. del Pilar in Madrid for the continue printing of La Solidaridad. Later, many members stopped paying their contribution so that the flow of funds to Spain ceased. Primarily caused by the awareness of the government - The End o For lack of funds, La Solidaredad died out after its last issue on November 16, 1895 o With the demise of the La Solidaredad, the propaganda movement consequently ended The Life and Works of Rizal o The propaganda movement failed but the ideas of freedom and justice which paved the way for the revolution. Rizal and the La Solidaredad - ‘The Solidarity’ was an organization created in Spain on December 13, 1888 - It ws established to express the goal of the propaganda movement towards achieving assimilation with spain - The first issue of LS came out on February 15, 1889. A fortnightly and a bi-weekly news paper The Editorship - The editorship for the newspaper was first offered to Rizal. However, he refused because during that time, he was annotating Antonio de Morga’s ‘Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas’ in London. After Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena was offered for the editorship of LS and he accepted the position - On December 15, 1889, Marcelo H. del - Pilar replaced Graciano López Jana as the editor of La Solidaridad. - Under his editorship, the aims of the newspaper expanded. His articles caught the attention of Spanish leaders and ministers. Using propaganda, it pursued desires for: - That the Philippines be a province of Spain - Representation Filipino priests instead of Spanish friars - Augustinians, Dominicans, and - Franciscans - in parishes and remote sitios - Freedom of assembly and speech - Equal rights before the law (for both Filipino and Spanish plaintiffs) Failure of the Propaganda Movement - The colonial government did not agree to any of its demands. Spain itself was undergoing a lot of internal problems all that time, which could explain why the mother country failed to heed the Filipino's petitions. - The friars, on the other hand, were at the height of their power and displayed even more arrogance in flaunting their influence. They had neither the time nor the desire to listen to the voice of the people. - Many of the reformists showed a deep love for their country, although they still failed to maintain a united front. Because most of them belonged to the upper middle class, they had to exercise caution in order to safeguard their wealth and other private interests. Personal differences and petty quarrels, apart from the lack of funds, were also a hindrance to the movement’s success. - Lastly, no other strong and charismatic leader emerged from the group aside from Jose Rizal. Rizal ang La Liga Filipina La Liga Filipina - It is an organization founded by Dr. Jose Rizal in the Philippines in the house of Doroteo Onjungco at llaya street, Tondo, Manila on July 3, 1892. The Life and Works of Rizal - Rizal thought of organizing the league when he was at Hong Kong with the help of Jose Maria Basa, he wrote the constitution of the league. Duties of La Liga Filipina - Obey the orders of the supreme council. - To help in recruiting new members. - To keep in strictest secrecy the decision of the La Liga authorities. - To have a symbolic name which he cannot change until he becomes the president of the council. To report anything that he might hear which affects the Liga. To behave well and be a good Filipino citizen. Aims of La Liga Filipina - Insert notes The Split - At first the Liga was quite active. Bonifacio in particular exerted great efforts to organize chapters in various districts of Manila. A few months later, however, the Supreme Council of the Liga dissolved the society. The reformist leaders found out that most of the popular councils which Bonifacio had organized were no longer willing to send funds to the Madrid propagandists because, like Bonifacio, they had become convinced that peaceful agitation for reforms was futile. Afraid that the more radical rank and file members might capture the organization and unwilling to involve themselves in an enterprise which would surely invite reprisals from the authorities, the leaders of the Liga opted for dissolution. The Liga membership split into two groups: the conservatives formed the Cuerpo de Compromisarios which pledged to continue supporting the La Solidaridad while the radicals led by Bonifacio devoted themselves to a new and secret society, the Katipunan, which Bonifacio had organized on the very day Rizal was deported to Dapitan.
