RIZAL: FINAL EXAMINATION
Topic 1. El Filibusterismo
EL FILIBUSTERISMO (The Reign of Greed)
• 39-chapter novel that serves as sequel to his earlier work
• published in 1891
• a Spanish term to “The Filibustering” or “The Subversive” in English.
• revolves around Simoun, who is actually Crisostomo Ibarra from "Noli Me Tangere” but has returned to the Philippines
under a new identity
• a literary masterpiece that delves deep into the various social, political, and religious issues that were prevalent
during the era of its author, Rizal
• Valentin Ventura: offered financial assistance to cover the novel’s publication costs
NMT:
• Expose to the Filipinos the abusive ways of the Spanish authorities and friars
• Bring to light the corruption of the Spaniards
• Recognize the ills that plagued the society
• Recognize their role in the society – catalyst for social change
EL FILI:
• Warned Spain that its corrupt and self-seeking colonial government would only lead to disaster
• Focuses on the discontent of the youth with the condition of Philippine society
• Condemned elite Filipinos who turned a blind eye to the abuses of the Spanish authorities as long as these did not
affect them
CHARACTERS
1. SIMOUN
• symbolizes revolutionaries who advocated for a bloody revolt against the Spanish government, but his death in El
Filibusterismo shows Rizal’s disapproval of armed rebellion.
• the alter ego of Crisostomo Ibarra from Noli Me Tangere, is a wealthy jeweler who disguises himself after being
presumed dead.
• Mysterious; confrontational figure with his tanned skin, sparse beard, long white hair, and blue-tinted glasses.
• Although he appears arrogant, he secretly plans a violent revolution to avenge his past and accelerate Elias’ reformist
goals.
2. BASILIO
• represents the youth striving for personal advancement but lacking social awareness.
• son of Sisa from Noli Me Tangere, is a hardworking student on the verge of earning his medical degree. As Captain
Tiago’s protege, he dreams of a better future through education. Despite his success, he remains indifferent to
society’s needs.
3. ISAGANI
• embodies the youth with great love for their country, willing to stand up for their beliefs.
• Basilio’s friend and aspiring poet, is the passionate and idealistic nephew of Father Florentino.
• He values his principles above all else, even when it costs him his relationship with his girlfriend, Paulita Gomez.
4. FATHER FLORENTINO
• His character also emphasizes Rizal’s opposition to a bloody revolt.
• Isagani’s uncle and a retired priest, is a respected figure despite his past romantic entanglements.
• Having chosen priesthood over love, he represents the secular Filipino priests of Rizal’s time.
5. FATHER IRENE
• Father Irene represents the few Spaniards who show sympathy towards Filipinos.
• Capitan Tiago’s spiritual adviser, criticized for his alliance with temporal authority for power and monetary gain.
Despite receiving gifts from the student association, he betrays them by advising against their vision of a secular,
privately managed school.
• He secretly supplies Capitan Tiago with opium, and upon Basilio’s imprisonment, ensures Basilio inherits nothing
from Tiago’s estate.
6. CAPITAN TIAGO
• Don Santiago de los Santos, Maria Clara’s father, is a wealthy landowner with properties in Pampanga, Binondo, and
Laguna. Despite his wealth, he falls into depression after Maria enters the convent, leading him to develop an opium
addiction, fueled by his association with Padre Irene.
•
Capitan Tiago hires Basilio as a servant-student, who eventually becomes his caregiver and estate manager. He dies
from shock after hearing of Basilio’s arrest and tales of violent revolt.
7. CAPTAIN-GENERAL
• The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, the Captain-General is Simoun’s
friend and confidant. He is driven by an insatiable lust for gold, which Simoun exploits to manipulate him and drive the
country towards revolution. After a public rebuke, he is shamed into not extending his tenure in the Philippines.
8. QUIROGA
• A Chinese businessman aspiring to become a consul for China in the Philippines. Simoun coerces him into hiding
weapons in his warehouses for the planned revolution.
9. FATHER CAMORRA
• the parish priest of Tiani and often mocks Ben-Zayb’s liberal views, despite their contrasting appearances.
• Known for his insatiable lust, Father Camorra’s actions ultimately lead Juli to take her own life after he tries to assault
her within the convent. Due to his misconduct, he is placed under “house arrest” in his order’s lavish riverside villa just
outside of Manila.
10. FATHER BERNARDO SALVI
• The former parish priest of San Diego, is now the director and chaplain of the Santa Clara convent. Implied to have
assaulted Maria Clara, he remains fearful of Ibarra’s potential revenge.
11. FATHER HERNANDO DE LA SIBYLA
• He is a liberal friar who values reason.
• Introduced in Noli Me Tangere as the curate of Binondo, Father Sibyla now serves as the director and chaplain of the
University of Santo Tomas.
12. PAULITA GOMEZ
• Isagani’s girlfriend and Doña Victorina’s niece, Paulita eventually breaks up with Isagani to marry Juanito Pelaez,
believing she has no future with Isagani.
13. DON CUSTODIO
• An opportunist and social climber, he is portrayed as incompetent and laughably ineffective.
• Custodio de Salazar y Sanchez de Monteredondo is a contractor tasked with developing a proposal for a Spanish
language academy.
SIGNIFICANCE TO PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
1. inspired generations of Filipinos to strive for social change and national liberation
• a testament to Rizal's vision of a society grounded in justice, equality, and human dignity
2. novel's exploration of the complexities of power and the human condition
• themes of social injustice, corruption, and resistance resonate with contemporary struggles
3. the complexities of the struggle for liberation
• highlight the diverse struggles within Filipino society
4. Basilio and Isagani, represent the hopes and aspirations of the Filipino youth
PPT 2
Context and Content
• Translated by Charles Derbyshire in 1912: The Reign of Greed
o Represents Rizal’s more mature judgement on political and social conditions in the country
o Reflects the disappointments and discouragements which he had encountered in his efforts to lead the way
to reform
o EL FILI: hate, bitterness, anger, disillusionment, and vengeance; maturity as a novelist
Filibustero: History and Context
• Started writing el fili as a dequel to NMT after he returned to Europe on feb 1888.
• Written in the midst of threats and oppression he and his family were experiencing
• When blumentritt asked the meaning for FILI: a dangerous patriot who will soon be hanged, or a presumptuous fellow
• Wenceslao Retana: means the one who, eager for independence of the country, resort to various extralegal
proceedings in order to reach the objective he pursues
• Spanish colonial gov: someone who works for the separation of our overseas provinces
• EL FILI: deals with subversion;
o pictures the lives of people under an oppressive regime;
o narrates struggles of every Filipino in fighting for independence
CONTINUING RELEVANCE
• 124 years after rizal’s execution, his writing remains socially relevant
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The ills he rallied continue to persist in the society: inept leadership, corruption, abuse of women, influence of
Catholic Church over political and social affairs
EL FILI objective: expose the Philippine situation as he witnessed during his time
REVOLUTION AS A MEANS OF SOCIAL CHANGE
• Simoun encouraged the principalia class to abuse the poor so that the latter would be driven to revolt against the
government
• Simoun’s failed uprising interpreted Rizal’s hatred of violence and bloodshed.
ON LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE
• EL FILI’s message: inept leader, corrupt officials, and system of government in the Philippines could lead to Spain’s
downfall
• Rizal condemned the friar-led officials for their greed corruption, and exploitation of the natives. On the other hand, he
also criticized his fellow Filipinos who did not respond to the challenges under the abusive leadership of the
Spaniards.
• Basilio did not support Simoun’s plans however joined the revolution after he was arrested and Juli died
• Senor Pasta: abandoned his noble ideas to serve only the interest of those who hired him
ON EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE
• Basilio and the other students were also fighting for the establishment of a school that would allow natives to learn
Spanish language.
- He believed that true education will alleviate the lives of his fellow Filipinos.
- He did not believe that revolution could be an answer to achieve freedom
- Education and science would save the country from its present condition
ON THE FILIPINO YOUTH
• Padre Florentino: patriotic Filipino priest
• Rizal saw the youth as the future of the country because this generation would one day lead
• Youth actions would shape the path of tomorrow
EL FILI IN PRESENT TIME
• NMT was acquired by the Philippine government in 1911 from Soledad Rizal Quintero
• EL FILI was sold by Valentin Ventura to the Philippine government in 1928
- Both were kept in Manila City Hall
• 1946: Rizal’s works were kept by the National Library in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section
• 1961: Rizal’s works were exhibited as a part of the international conference organized by the Jose Rizal Centennial
Commission
• Dec. 8, 1961: his three works were stolen but was returned on Feb. 9, 1962
SUMMARY
• Rizal’s second novel showed how Rizal matured as a writer
- Seen in Simoun who changed from being a moderate ilustrado to a revolutionary jeweler and planned to launch a
revolution
- One could see how a victim of oppression and injustice could turn into an influential revolutionary
• EL FILI can be used in examining the Philippine condition during Rizal’s time
- Readers got a glimpse of the kind of society where Rizal lived
Topic 2. Jose Rizal And Philippine Nationalism – National Symbol
RIZAL AS A NATIONAL SYMBOL
• SYMBOLS: express thoughts that are represented by things. Those things are conventionally associated with
meanings that made them called to be symbols.
• 2 types of symbols
o Officially
o Traditionally
• National symbols represent and distinguish a certain country from other country. It also somehow unites its people
and provoke some sense of nationalism.
The NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS (NCCA) of the Philippines: national symbols represent the
country’s traditions and ideals that also convey the principles of the Philippine sovereignty (self-governing state) and
national solidarity (unity)
The official national symbols of the Philippines according to NCCA
1. Philippine Flag (Republic Act 8491, known also as Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines)
2. National Anthem (Lupang Hinirang) (Republic Act 8491, known also as Flag and Heraldic Code of the
Philippines)
3. Coat-of-Arms and other heraldic items and devices of the Philippines. (Republic Act 8491, known also as Flag
and Heraldic Code of the Philippines)
4. Arnis, the Philippine National Martial Art and Sport on December 11, 2009 through Republic Act 9850 signed by
Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The Philippines has only four (4) other official national symbols (meaning, those which represent Philippine traditions
and ideals and convey the principles of Philippine sovereignty and national solidarity) enacted through a proclamation by
the executive department, namely:
1. Sampaguita (National Flower) – Commonwealth Proclamation No. 652 Governor-General Frank Murphy (1934)
2. Narra (National Tree) - Commonwealth Proclamation No. 652 Governor-General Frank Murphy (1934)
3. Philippine Eagle (National Bird) - Presidential Proclamation No. 615 Pres. Fidel V. Ramos (1995)
4. Philippine Pearl (National Gem) - Presidential Proclamation No. 905 Pres. Fidel V. Ramos (1996)
WIKANG PAMBANSA (FILIPINO) KONSTITUSYON 1987
TAGALOG
Katutubong Wikang pinagbatayan ng pambansang wika ng Filipinas (1935)
PILIPINO
Unang tawag sa pambansang wika ng Pilipinas
FILIPINO
Kasalukuyang tawag sa pambansang wika ng Pilipinas, lingua franca ng mga Pilipino, at isa sa mga opisyal na wika sa
Pilipinas kasama ng Ingles
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Kailanman, hindi naging wikang Pambansa ang Tagalog. Ito ay katutubong wikang pinagbatayan ng pambansang wika
ng Pilipinas
Ang unang tawag sa pambansang wika ng Pilipinas ay Pilipino ayon sa Kautusang Pangkagawaran na nilagdaan ni
Kalihim Jose F. Romero ng Kagawaran ng Pagtuturo noon 1959.
Filipino ang kasaliukuyang pambansang wika ng Pilipinas at lingua franca ng mga Pilipino, at isa sa mga opisyal na
wika sa Pilipinas kasama ng Ingles.
However, there is also a list of our country’s unofficial but traditional national symbols: anahaw, mango, carabao or
tamaraw, bahay kubo, bangus, tinikling or cariñosa and adobo or sinigang.
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Dr. Jose Rizal is the country’s well-known national hero but nonetheless belongs to the unofficial national symbol
category.
However, this does not make him less of a symbol of the Philippines. Rizal’s name elicits the name of our country
internationally. The monuments built by people in countries where he had been and his books in foreign libraries bear
the name of the Philippines.
DR. ESTEBAN DE OCAMPO
no other Filipino Hero can surpass Rizal. He said that his birthdate and day of his execution are constantly commemorated
by the Filipino people. Rizal’s name is a byword and his picture are evident in the postage stamps and the one-peso coin.
Numerous towns, barrios and streets were named after him as wells as educational institutions, societies and trade
names.
• Some people were even named “Rizal” or “Rizalina” by their parents because of their adoration to Jose Rizal. He also
emphasized that Rizal as the Filipino writer whose teachings and noble thoughts are frequently invoked and quoted by
authors and public speakers on most occasion and it is because according to RAFAEL PALMA, the doctrines of Rizal
are not for one epoch but for all epochs and they are today as they are valid yesterday
Species named after Rizal
1. Draco rizali
2. Apogania rizali
3. Rhacophorus rizali
VALUES HIGHLIGHTED BY RIZAL’S LIFE
1. NATIONALISM
desires to attain freedom and political independence especially by a country under foreign power. Jose Rizal’s life
works, and writings radiates this value
2. PATRIOTISM
denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one’s nation
3. FAITH IN GOD
When Rizal was studying in Madrid, Spain, Rizal through his letters assured his mother of his faith in God
4. LOVE OF FELLOWMEN
Rizal’s thought on love for our fellowmen is biblical and timeless
5. LOVE OF PARENTS
Rizal’s love for his parents is great and very admirable
6. DEVOTION TO TRUTH
Rizal’s persevering search for truth in serving his country was a motivating virtue.
7. PURITY AND IDEALISM
Rizal was guided by his ideals and he was extraordinary in the purity of his thoughts.
8. NOBLE THOUGHT AND CONDUCT
Rizal’s works and writing promoted good conduct, clean conscience, and upright thinking.
9. CHARITY
All his sacrifices for his country were charitable acts for his fellowmen.
10. DEDICATION TO DUTY
Dedication was one of Rizal’s virtues; he dedicated his whole life in securing freedom for his country
11. MORAL COURAGE
The moral courage that Rizal had signified is worth imitating by our present leaders
12. WILLPOWER
This strong determination of Rizal, allowed him to express his ideas and wills through calmness and peace.
13. INTEGRITY
This refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
14. SINCERITY
Rizal’s sincerity is manifested in his acceptance that whatever he possessed he owed them to God who had
planned a duty he had to carry out
15. SELF-DENIAL
The selfdenial of Rizal involved selfsacrifice and altruism
16. PERSEVERANCE
This value let him show his strength in meeting and enduring pain, adversity, and peril.
17. DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL
Rizal used reason to determine his actions regardless of his desires. In fact, he deprived himself of many unsound
pleasures.
18. INITIATIVE
The ability to asses and initiate things independently.
19. PRUDENCE
This is care, caution, and good judgment, as well as wisdom in looking ahead.
20. CHIVALRY, COURTESY, AND POLITENESS
Rizal was an ideal gentleman, one of the qualities of being a chivalry. In addition, he was always ready to help the
weak or women.
21. FRUGALITY
He also showed the quality of being economical with money and any other resources; in simple way, thriftiness.
22. LOVE FOR JUSTICE
Rizal found his joy in being just and in fighting for justice.
Topic 3. The Philippines: A Century Hence, The Indolence of the Filipinos, and Letter to the Young Women of Malolos
Three of Dr. Jose Rizal‘s essays
1. The Philippines: A Century Hence
2. On the Indolence of the Filipino
3. To the Young Women of Malolos
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contain his ideas and thoughts about the prevailing conditions of the Philippines under the Spanish colonial regime
Rizal shed light on the complexities of Filipino life under colonial rule, inspiring generations to strive for social justice
and national identity.
THE PHILIPPINES: A CENTURY HENCE FILIPINAS DENTRO DE CIEN AÑOS
Overview:
• Published in La Solidaridad
• Forecasts the future of the country within a hundred years
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What would be the situation of the Philippines within 100 years?
About glorious past of the Philippines, the deterioration of the Philippine economy, and exposed the foundations of the
native Filipinos’ sufferings under the cruel Spanish rule.
Analyzed various causes of miseries suffered by the Filipino people.
CAUSES OF MISERIES OF THE PEOPLE
1. Spain’s implementation of military policies
• Philippine population decreased significantly
• Poverty became widespread
• Farmlands were left to dry
• Family as a unit of society was neglected
• Every aspect of the life of the Filipino was discarded
2. Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture
• Filipinos started losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of their present lifestyle,
and eventually lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race
• Natives began forgetting who they were – their valued beliefs, religion, songs, poetry, and other forms of
customs and traditions.
3. Passivity and submissiveness of Filipinos to the Spanish colonizers
▪ The use of force and intimidation, unfairly using God’s name, the Filipinos learned to submit themselves to
the will of the foreigners.
RIZALS’S PREDICTION
➔ Initially, the Filipinos see the Spaniards as protectors but sooner, they realize that they are exploiters and executors. So,
if this state of affair continues, What will become of the Philippines within a century? Will they continue to be a Spanish
Colony?
1. A Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes* and freedom of expression to cry out against all the abuses; and
2. To practice their human rights.
3. Filipinos will declare themselves as ‘independent’
If these happen, the Philippines will remain a colony of Spain, but with more laws and greater liberty.
*a bicameral legislature in Spain
Note that Rizal only wanted liberty from Spaniards and not total separation.
▪ Rizal, in his essay, urges to put freedom in our land through peaceful negotiations
▪ He envisioned the awakening of the hearts and opening of the minds of the Filipino
▪ He ‘prophesied’ that the Philippines will be successful in its revolution against Spain
▪ “does not record in its archives any lasting domination by one people over another of different races, of
diverse usages and customs, of opposite and divergent ideas. One of the two had to yield and succumb.”
RELEVANCE TODAY
we must focus on strengthening the most important backbone of the country – our values, mindsets, and all the beliefs
that had shaped our sense of national identity serves as a reminder that we, Filipinos, are historically persevering and
strong-minded
INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS
• The essay was published by Jose Rizal in the La Solidaridad in five installments running from July 15 - September 15,
1890. It was written in response to the perpetuation of the belief from foreigners that the Filipinos were indolent.
• “indolent”: inclination to laziness, the avoidance of doing activity or exertion, or little love for work.
• In the first installation, Rizal commented that the word indolence had been greatly misused in the sense of having little
love for work and lack of energy, with ridicule concealing the misuse. This misuse comes in the form of attributing
indolence to the shortcomings and faults of a person Or, in other words, if one fails in their task, there are those quick
to assume they are indolent people.
• Rizal acknowledges that indolence does exist in Filipinos, but the mistake of those who do only see it as the cause of
their backwardness and the trouble rather than being the effect of such. He states that no one he knows made an
effort to study its causes and advise remedies from the different colonies of the Eurpoeans, which he plans to do so in
this essay.
• He then listed causes for the Filipinos’ supposed indolence. His first cause was the hot tropical climate that the
Philippines finds itself in and the conditions that the Filipinos work under.
• Working under the heat is harder compared to a more temperate climate, and as such, workers would require more
rest. And he admonishes the Europeans for their reproach of the people in their colonies, as it is rather hypocritical for
one to call another indolent when they live under such lascivious lifestyles who cannot even stand to bear the severity
of the heat.
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Rizal states that the tendency for indolence is very natural amongst men as their purpose is not merely to produce or
work to satisfy another man but rather it is to seek happiness for themselves by traveling along the road of progress
and perfection.
In the second installment, he first starts by lamenting the state of the Philippines, comparing it to a disease-riddled
patient, and here is what he said from the English translation.
Rizal believes that even though indolence is a chronic malady in the Philippines, it is not hereditary, as he describes
the natives before the arrival of the Europeans to be an active people, constantly in trade with neighboring countries,
with many Spanish accounts like those of Pigafetta describing the abundance of wealth and products that the islands
possess as a result of the agriculture and the different industries practiced by the natives, which paints a society of
movement and activity that contradicts the indolence that the natives in Rizal’s time seem to exhibit.
Multiple travelers and historians from the start of the Spanish colonization and even 250 years later asserts the same
claim that Morga states, supporting the notion that indeed, the natives weren’t indolent back then, they were very
much much more.
Rizal then wonders how the active and enterprising infidel native of ancient times was converted into the lazy and
indolent Christian, as the writers in his time would say.
In the third installment, Rizal describes the horrors of conflict and war that plagued the Philippines in behest of the
Spanish crown: the attempted expansion to Borneo, the Moluccas, and Indo-China, conflicts to repel the Dutch which
resulted in costly wars and fruitless expeditions that yielded nothing as thousands of natives embarked to never
return.
Rizal laments the loss of energies the country has lost in these fatal expeditions
Rizal states that this continual depletion of natural resources of the Spaniards and depopulation of the islands has
forced the abandonment of the industry, agriculture and commerce the natives once practiced.
In the fourth installment, Rizal reasons as to why the indolence of Filipinos continued to fester among them in his
time.
1. Constantly lessening encouragement for labor: the nations that once traded with the Filipinos were treated with
great mistrust and severity by the Spanish government leading to cutting off communications and the exportation
a. The government had also thrown hindrances in the farmer’s way:
i. such as not being allowed to go back to their labors without permission or a permit
ii. the disallowance for farmers to possess a weapon to defend themselves, like a shotgun.
b. Speaking of meager returns, the one Rizal points to blame for this are the encomenderos, those who
extract forced-labor from their subjects.
2. introduction of gambling: created vice by making promises of sudden wealth and appeal to the emotions while
breeding dislike for the steady and difficult toil of work, breeding indolence among the natives.
3. The advent of Christianity: Fiestas, novenas and processions spearheaded by the Church demanded monetary
contributions.
4. The curtailment of individual liberty: they are liable to secret reports and the accusations of being a rebel or
suspect, which doesn’t need much proof from the accuser for the government to arrest you.
5. The apathy of the government in terms of commerce and agriculture. They provide no aid when a poor harvest
comes, when locusts sweep over the fields or when a typhoon destroys the crops and the soil, nor does it trouble
to seek a market for the product.
6. The ownership of the best plantations in the hands of religious corporations.
7. The lack of moral support for the bright minds among the natives. He provided an example, a young man who
studied to become a chemist without any help from the government nor anyone else, who was able to win a
position as director of a laboratory, only for it to be closed for no reason. Another example is a man who won a
literary competition, his piece acclaimed as a masterpiece by the newspapers, and when his status as a native is
found out, they all rush to extol his work!
8. The education of the native. Filipino is taught to not be separated from his carabao, for the friars to admonish
them for trying to learn Castilian, that they should not have any further inspirations. These kill any self-respect that
they might have, forced to content to only being farmers and laborers. These attempts at education of the friars
only serve to treat the natives like animals whose purpose is to do nothing more than to labor and serve others.
9. The fifth and final installment had Rizal reducing these causes to two classes: the defects of training, and the
lack of national sentiment.
o With the limited training at home, the sterile education system, the blind subordination, and the influence for one
to never aspire to excel and be content to follow orders, this results in stagnation and thus indolence which
follows from the lack of stimulus and vitality. The constant insinuation of inferiority and depreciation prevents any
movement for advancement and progression, and this is how you put a man down without a fight.
LETTER TO THE YOUNG WOMEN OF MALOLOS
When Spain colonized the Philippines, they brought with them the idea of a patriarchal society, wherein men should be the
provider of the family and protector of women.
• This system of society enforced the idea that men were superior to women.
•
Prior to the education reform of 1863, education was left entirely in the hands of priests or curates of the parish. Since
the responsibility of educating the natives belonged to the friars, its thrust was more of religious education. Students
were taught to read the alphabet and syllables; and study sacred songs and music, and basic arithmetic. Education
for females was not the same with males. Education was more of a privilege than a right, daughters of well-to-do
families were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, religion and needlecraft, a benefit not enjoyed by daughters of Indios.
Formal training beyond the primary grades was generally a male privilege. For the most part of the Spanish period, the
majority of secondary and vocational schools as well as colleges were exclusively for males.
Education for Women
• A group of twenty young women, majority of whom were related to each other by blood or affinity, were members of
the four major- Sangley clans of Malolos:
o the Tiongsons,
o the Tantocos,
o the Reyeses,
o Santoses,
had been trying to secure permission to hire a professor by the name of Teodoro Sandiko, for a private school where they
might learn Spanish.
• The Spanish parish priest, Felipe Garcia, always on the lookout for subversive activity, frowned on the project and
managed to get Governor-General Weyler to disapprove it.
• But the young women of Malolos had, with what M.H. Pilar called their 'noble intrepidity' and 'uncommon poise',
continued their agitation and submitted a formal petition to the governor during his yearly progress through their
province.
• They were to meet in the evening in the home of an old familial, chaperoned by their mothers and would pay the
professor’s salary out of their own private funds, they wrote in a letter dated Dec. 13, 1888, and some weeks later,
permission was granted under the condition that Señorita Guadalupe Reyes was their teacher.
Rizal’s Letter
• The establishment of a school out of the enduring efforts of the women to be educated in Spanish was commended by
several newspapers. Graciano Lopez Jaena in the column Ecos de Ultramar, praised the women because of their
courage to present themselves to the governor-general, an action considered bold that time.
• Right after the article of Lopez Jaena was published in La Solidaridad, Marcelo H. del Pilar wrote from Barcelona to
Jose Rizal in Madrid, on February 17, 1889, requesting Rizal to write them a letter in Tagalog commending the bravery
of the women and with hopes that this valiant struggle against friar hegemony in the affairs of the Filipinos will enthuse
all compatriots. Hence, Rizal sent del Pilar on February 22, 1889 the letter written in Tagalog for transmission to the 20
young women of Malolos.
Salient Points
The salient points contained in this letter are as
follows:
1. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars - not all of the priests in the country that time embodied the true
spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were corrupted by worldly desires and used worldly methods to
effect change and force discipline among the people.
2. The defense of private judgment.
3. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess - as evidenced by this portion of his letter, Rizal is greatly concerned of
the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they grow up in.
4. Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children
5. Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband - Filipino women are known to be submissive, tender, and
loving. Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino women ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the
identity of the race.
6. Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner.
Rizal’s Message to Filipino Women
His ultimate desire was for women to be offered the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education.
Qualities a Mother Should Possess
1. Be a noble wife.
2. Rear her children in the service of the state - here Rizal gives reference to the women of Sparta who embody this
quality
3. Set standards of behavior for men around her. (Activity and industry, noble behavior, sentiments)
Mothers should inculcate the following values to their children:
1. love of honor
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
sincere and firm character;
clear mind
clear conduct
noble action
love for one’s fellowmen
respect for God
Rizal’s Advice to Unmarried Men and Women
1. A noble and honored name
2. A manly heart
3. A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves.
Summary
To summarize the common themes across the
3 essays:
• Emphasis on the pervasive effects of colonization on the Philippines and Filipinos
• Use of history as an effective tool to analyze social conditions and rectify misconceptions
• Advocacy for Filipino empowerment, sovereignty, and social justice
IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THREE OF DR. JOSE
RIZAL‘S ESSAYS:
• Understanding Historical Context
• Relevance to Contemporary Issues
• Inspiration for Social Change
• Preservation of Cultural Heritage
INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS
The Indolence of the Filipinos is a study of the causes why the people did not, as was said, work hard during the Spanish
regime. Rizal pointed out that long before the coming of the Spaniards; the Filipinos were industrious and hardworking. The
Spanish reign brought about a decline in economic activities because of certain causes:
1. First, the establishment of the Galleon Trade cut off all previous associations of the Philippines with other countries
in Asia and the Middle East. As a result, business was only conducted with Spain through Mexico. Because of this, the
small businesses and handicraft industries that flourished during the pre-Spanish period gradually disappeared.
2. Second, Spain also extinguished the natives’ love of work because of the implementation of forced labor. Because
of the wars between Spain and other countries in Europe as well as the Muslims in Mindanao, the Filipinos were
compelled to work in shipyards, roads, and other public works, abandoning agriculture, industry, and commerce.
3. Third, Spain did not protect the people against foreign invaders and pirates. With no arms to defend themselves,
the natives were killed, their houses burned, and their lands destroyed. As a result of this, the Filipinos were forced to
become nomads, lost interest in cultivating their lands or in rebuilding the industries that were shut down, and simply
became submissive to the mercy of God.
4. Fourth, there was a crooked system of education, if it was to be considered an education. What we’re being taught
in the schools were repetitive prayers and other things that could not be used by the students to lead the country to
progress. There were no courses in Agriculture, Industry, etc., which were badly needed by the Philippines during those
times.
5. Fifth, the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. The officials reported to work at noon and
left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties. The women were seen constantly followed by servants
who dressed them and fanned them – personal things which they ought to have done for themselves.
6. Sixth, gambling was established and widely propagated during those times. Almost every day there were
cockfights, and during feast days, the government officials and friars were the first to engage in all sorts of bets and
gambles.
7. Seventh, there was a crooked system of religion. The friars taught the naïve Filipinos that it was easier for a poor
man to enter heaven, and so they preferred not to work and remain poor so that they could easily enter heaven after
they died.
8. Lastly, the taxes were extremely high, so much so that a huge portion of what they earned went to the government or
to the friars. When the object of their labor was removed and they were exploited, they were reduced to inaction.
Rizal admitted that the Filipinos did not work so hard because they were wise enough to adjust themselves to the warm,
tropical climate. “An hour’s work under that burning sun, in the midst of pernicious influences springing from nature in
activity, is equal to a day’s labor in a temperate climate.”
TRIVIA/S:
1. The Indolence of the Filipinos is the longest essay of Rizal. It was published in five installments in the La
Solidaridad from July 15 to September 15, 1890.
2. This essay represents his defense of the Filipinos from the charge that they were inherently lazy or indolent.
3. This was written as a response to the accusation of Indio or Malay’s Indolence.
Topic 4. The Etymology of Bayani and Kabayanihan
BAYANI
• Mga mandirigma na magtatanggol mga pamayanan
• Other names: magani, bahani, bayani
• Antas ng pagkabagani:
o Taguri: Bilang ng kinitil
o MANIKLAD: 1-2 na kaaway
o HANAGAN: 5
o TAGBUSAWAN: 5, sinaniban ni Tagbusaw
o KINABOAN: 7 to 27
o LUMUGUM: nakapatay ng kaaway sa loob ng pamamahay nito
Kulay ng kasuotan ayon sa antas
1. PULANG PUTONG: pagkain ng atay o puso ng kaaway
2. PULANG DYAKET: nakapatay ng 7-27 na kaaway
3. PULANG PANTALON: 50 to 100
4. ITIM NA KASUOTAN: nakapatay ng pamamahay sa loob mismo ng bahay nito
Ayon naman kay Prof. Vicente Villan (UP Diliman) ang pinagmulan at kahulugan ng salitang bayani:
1. Bayagni na galing sa salitang “bayag” o sa panlalaking kasarian
2. Sa mga epiko ang mga pangkaraniwang mga bayani ay lalaki.
3. Ang bayag ay ginagamit rin na panungat temperature ng mga mandirigma sa pangangayaw (pakikipagdigma).
The word “Bayani” or hero in Filipino is someone who saves people’s lives or have a great act of bravery.
- Essential trait: bravery
- Kabayanihan makes a person at present a bayani
Wani: to take the lead in assisting helping, service, bring order
Other use and meaning of bayani
• Cooperative endeavor; mutual aid (bayanihan)
• One who offers free service in a cooperative endeavor
• To prevail, predominate, be triumphant, or victorious
Meaning of bayani at present
• Bayani (bikol, Cebuano, tagalog)
• Baganihan (hiligaynon)
• Banuar (ilocano)
• Palbayani (Pangasinan)
• Batobalani: magnet, loadstone
• Batumblani: magnet
What does it take to be a hero?
• The heroism in real life does not require someone to sacrifice his or her life to be called a bayani.
• The people that we set up as heroes are people that generally go above and beyond in terms of the call of duty, they do
things that are extraordinary
• The act of heroism is debatable to some people however, for any hero, it's enough just knowing they helped someone
else. That's what makes them a true hero.
HOW DID JOSE RIZAL BECOME A NATIONAL HERO?
American criteria for a National Hero:
1. Must be a Filipino
2. Already dead
3. Displayed unconditional love for his country
4. Low temper
5. Died dramatically
It is said that the Americans, Civil Governor William Howard Taft, chose Jose Rizal to be the national hero as a strategy.
Rizal didn't want bloody revolution in his time. So they wanted him to be a "good example" to the Filipinos so that the
people will not revolt against the Americans.
Jose Rizal is a National Hero according to Esteban A. De Ocampo:
1. a prominent or central personage taking admirable part in any remarkable action or event
2. a person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger
De Occampo claims that no Filipino has yet been born who can equal or surpass Rizal as a "person of distinguished valor/
enterprise in danger, fortitude in suffering
3. a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind
even before his execution. Rizal was already acclaimed by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost leader of his
people. Rizal was unanimously elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid as honorary president of La Solidaridad.
Founder and moving spirit in the founding of La Liga Filipina in Manila on July 3, 1892.
Other statues of Rizal: Singapore, USA, Japan, Alaska, Spain
December 20, 1898, Pres. Aguinaldo issued the first official proclamation making December 30 of that year "Rizal Day”
Act No. 137, which organized the politicomilitary district of Morong into the Province of Rizal , was the first official step
taken by the Taft Commission to honor our greatest hero and martyr
Is RIZAL an American-made hero?
"But many Filipinos had already made Rizal a national hero; even before the Americans arrived. The Katipunan itself
venerated Rizal and Reynaldo Ileto's research reveals how deeply this veneration verging on worship had penetrated the
peasantry, especially in the Tagalog region.
Is there a law proclaiming Rizal as the National Hero? “No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or
issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero.” “When William Howard Taft arrived in the
Philippines in June 1900 and became the chairman of the 2nd Philippine Commission, the American governor general
suggested to name Rizal a national hero.”
On March 28, 1993 , President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No.75 entitled “Creating the National Heroes
Committee Under the Office of the President”.
MGA NOMINADO: ✓Jose Rizal ✓Andres Bonifacio ✓Emilio Aguinaldo ✓Apolinario Mabini ✓Marcelo H. del Pilar ✓Sultan
Dipatuan Kudarat ✓Juan Luna ✓Melchora Aquino ✓Gabriela Silang ✓Lapulapu
III. The Decision of National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on the issue of Dr. Jose Rizal as
National Hero