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l'iflN '111 (. 12 07116
PROLOGUE
Rimi and His Times
To a.pprmatc and undentand the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, it
is necessary to know the historical background of the wortd and
of the Philippines during hi, times. The 19th century when ~c
lived wu I century or rennent caused by the blowin1 winds r1f
history. In Asia, Europe, and the Amencas, events surged 10,,•<>r·
ably like sea tides, ugnificantly affcctlng the lives and fortunes
of ,mnltind
TIN World o1 Rial's Tlaa
On February 19, 1861 , four months before Rizal's birth In
CaJamba, ll1c.libcral Cur Alcundcr ll (IIISS-1881}, 10 IPf><:....C
the nsing disc:ontcnt of tbc Russian masses, issued a pnxlamahon
cmanapanng 22,500,000
When Rizal was born on Jur,,e
19, 1861, the Amencan Civt1 War (1861-65) wa. raging funouwy
in the United States over the 111Suc of Negro slavery. This titanic
conftict, which erupted on April 12, 1861, compelled President
Lincoln 10 aaue his !1JDOus Enanapauon Pr~1ion on Sq>,
tember 22, 18<>3 frCW1g the Neg,o $lava
&em.
On Jur,e I , 1861, just e1gbtccn daya before Rizal'• btrtll,
Benito Juarez, a full-blooded Zapotec lodian. was rleclcd Preaide111 ,of Mexico.' A yeu after his elecuon (in April 1862)
&1pcror Napol:on Ill of the Seoond Fn:nd1 Empire, in his
impr riawtic desuc ro secure a colonial ,we in Latin America,
teGl Freach troof'6 whicb i,ovaded and QODqUetcd Melico. Prc:a,idcnt Juarez.. owing to the ragmg Amencan Civil Wu, could
not obtain military aid fl'OOI his friend , l'ruid<,nt Uncoln, but
be continued to rCJist the Frend! invaders with hit valiant Indian
and Mexican freedom fi&btcn. To consolid.tte his occupation o f
Mellicx>, Napoleon Ill, installcd Ardldukc Muimilian of Austria
• puppet emperor of Mexico at Mexico aty on Juoc 12, 1864.
Finllly, lfie:r the cod of the American Civil War, JuaRZ, witll
U.S. wppon, defeated Me:rimllien'• French fon:ca in the 81tll,e
of Oueretaro (May 1S, 1867) and executed Emperor Maximilian
on June 19, 1867 (Rlzal's sixth bin~y anniversary). Thus fizzled
out Emperor Napoleon Ill'& ambition to colonize Lalin America.
In Ri:r;al's limes two European nations (Italians and Germans) succeeded in unifying their own countries. The Italians
under the leadership of Count Cavour and of Garibaldi and his
Army of "Red Shins" drove out the Austnans and French armies
from ltaly and proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy under King
Victor Emmanuel, wi1h Rome as c:ap1tal city The Prussians led
by Otto von Bwnarck, the "Iron Chancellor", defeated France
in the Franco-Prussian War and e,ublished 1he German Empire
on January 18, 1871, with King Wilhelm of Prussia as fir:s1 Kaiser
of the Gennan Empire. With his defeat in the Franco-Prussian
War, Emperor Napoleon nt's Second French Empire collapsed,
and over its ruins the Third French Republic arose, with Adolph
Thlers u first President.
The times of Rizal saw the flowcnng of Western imperiahsm
Fngland emerged as the world's leading 1mperialis1 power. On
account of her invmcibl'e navy and magnificent army, she wa~
able 10 conquer many countries throughout the world and to
c,tabh<h a global colonial empire. Thus the Bntish people during
the glonous reign of Queen Victoria (1837- 1901) proudly
=rti:d: "Britanma rules the waves." By winning , he First
Opium War (1~1842) against the tottering Chinese Empire
under ,~., M~ncbu dynasty, ,he acquired the ~land of llong
Kong ( -,a;;nnt Harbor> In the Second Op1uln War (18S6-1860),1
she ••01 , 6 am and forced the hel;•lcss Maochu dynasty to cede
the Ko,.,loon Peninsula oppo,11e l!ong Kong. In 11!5!1, after
, uppre,~ing the lndrnn R ·bclho~ .tnd dhmalllhng the Mogul
Empire. she impo<ed her r&J (rule) over the subcontinent of
India (now cons,stmg of India. PakiMan, and Banglade•'1\ By
w111111ng th Three Anglo Burme,e W:1r, (1824-16, 1852, and
18k'i}, she conquered Burma Other land~ ,n A"a which became
Bnush colon,~ were Ceylon (Sr, Lanka), MaJd,ve,. Aden,
Mal~ya, Singapore, and Cgypt Australia and New Zealand in
the South P mfic also became Bntish colonies.
Other imp,. iahsts, following Britain's example, grahbed the
"eak countries ,n Southeas, Asia and colomzed them. In 1858ltioJ 1- Hnce, . ,11, the help of Filipino troops under Spanish
h
officers.3 conquered Vietnam; annexed Cambodia (1~3) and
Laos (1893); and merged all th~e cuunlnc, ,ntu • lcdc1JteJ
colony under the name of French Indochina The Outd{ 1fter
driving away the Portuguese and Spanmrds from the Ea~, Indies
m the 17th century, colonized th1, vast and nch arch,pµlago a~·j
named it the Netherlands East lndie~ lnn11, lndone~if.t,)
Czarist Russia , unable to expand Wl's&w:H<I to Fun Jr,:, turned
eastward to Asia, conquering Siberia and latt·r otci~p,ed Kam
cbatka, Kuriles. and Alaska (which she ,old m 1867 to the lJ .S
for $7,200,000). From 11!65 10 11184, ~he: conqucr.:tJ the Mu,hm
KhBnntes of Bokhura. Khiva, and Kokond on 1,"entr.il A"a
Expanding tow~rds O,ma. Czarist Russ,a jn'lned Entzland,
Fcancc, and Germany 10 the despoliation of the crumbling
Chinese Empire, acquiring Manchuria~ a "~pberc of innucncc ..
thus enabling her to buil~ the 5,80(1-mile Tran~•Sibcnan RailWll),
reputed to be "the world's longest railrbad" hnlung Vl:Jdi,,,~1ok
and Moscow ,
On July !I, 11!5~. an Amcncan squadron unJl! r th,: rnmm.nJ
of C.ommodore M•tthew C. Perry re-opened Jfiian II• 1h ~ "orld,
After this event, which ended Japan's 214-ye ,r isolation (16391853), Emperor MetJi (Mutsuhtto) modermzid 1hc c:ountry by
freely accepting Western influences, ,ndud,ng ,mpcriah~m Nq
sooner bad Japan strengthe'1cd her navy and arm~ at.>11)! w.,.,,cm
lines, when she, Joining thli Western 1mpe'na1t,1 power., ht:gan
be.r imperialist career by fighting 11,cal Clurr.; ,n the S1110 'J1w1c"'
War ( 1894-9$) and grabbed Formosa ('fa'1wan) and Pc mlurc,
And later in 1910 she annexed Korea /
Germany ti should be recalled bfx:ame a "wcreigr ,utc m
January 1871, and wa. late 1n the scra.mblc for colunic, ,n Asia
and Africa. In search !or ooloni11I ~takc:s. ~he turned to the 1,l:ind
archipelagoes of the mid-Pacifi~ world On August -2~. IAA~ a
German warship. the llt~s. entered the harbor of Yap (an ,~land
in the Carolincs). landing the German ,nannc~ who M"1zcd the
island, ho.sled the C,crman flag and prod~1mcd the Carohncs
and Palaus arcbipelagoes as colonies of German, Stran!!el\ the
Spanish governor of the Carolines (Don Enrique C1pnlcs) was
present in the L~land, with two Spam<h \hips moored ut it. harbur.
but due to cowardice or other reasons, he d,d nut nffcr re~iMancc
to the German aggression.
"'
The Gennan seizure or Yap Wand enraged Spain who
claimed 50vereia,ity over the Carolines and PalaL1S by
cl
discovery ft should ~ noted that the islll1l(I of Yap wu discovered by the Manila galleon pilot, Fr81!cisco Lezcano, who
name~ it ~Carolina" in honor of King Charles 11 (1665-1700) of
Spain, which name was applied to t he 01her islands.• Spanish-German r~~tions grew critical. In Madrid, the Spanish populace
ro5c an1t•olcn1 nots, demanding war agains1 Gennany. To aven
ae1ual d'511 of arms, Spain and Germany suhmiltcd the Carolina
Oues1100 to Pope Leo XIII for arbitration.
right
The Holy Fa1her, after careful study of the pertinent documents submitted by both panics. issued his decision on October
22, 1885 favoring Spain - recognizing Spain's sovereignty ove.r
lhc Caroline\ and Palaus, but granting two concessions to Germany - ( 1) the right to 1rade in the dispuled arc:hipclagoei and
(2) the right to cS1ablish a ooaling station in Yap for the German
navy Boll\ Spoin and Gcnnany accepted the Papal decision. so
1ha1 lhc Hi!.pJno-Gcm,an War was aborted II i~ in1ercsl ing to
recall that during the critical days of the Hispano-German imbrogho over the ~oline~, Rizal was an Barcelona v1Siting hrs friend
Muimo Viola Al the i.11me time he wrote an anicle on the
Carohna Quest ,o n which was published in L,i Pi,bfi<:idad, 5 a
newspaper owne\t by Don Miguel Morayta.
While the ill\J>Crialist powers were enjoying the fruits or
1he1r colonial ventures and achaeVJng global prestige. Spain. once
upon a trmc the ~mi~trc~s or 1he v.orld." wa~ StJgnating as a
v.orld power Gone with the winds of nme v.a, 1hc dalliance of
the 1mper1al glory l•I Ii~, vanished Siglo d, Oro (Golden Age)
S:i lo~_• her nch colonles ,u Laun Amenca - Paraguay ( 1811),
(1816), ~ile (1817), Colombia and Ecuador (1819),
lhe Central Amencan countnes (Costa Rica . HonJuras.
Gua1cmalJ, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) in 1821, Vene2:uela
(1112:!), Peru ( 1824), and Bolivia and Uruguay (1825). These
fonner Sranish colonies had risen in arm~ agains1 Spanish tyranny
and achae\'cd their independence . EVJdently, Spain never learned
a lesson from 1he loss or these colonies, for she conunued a
despocic rule in her remaining overseas coloniei, including Cuba,
Puenc, Rico, and the Philippines.
A•A•"'.'"a
n. n ,., , •- "' 1t1111•• n..
During the times of Rlzal, the linister shadows of Spa.in',
decadenc:e darkened Philippine sltiea. The Filipino people
aaonized beneath the yoke or Spanllh 1nisnale, for they were
unfonunate victims of the evils of an unjust, bigoted , and
deteriorating colonial power. Among these evils were as follows:
(1) lnstabihty of cc>loni,I administration, (2) corrupt officialdom
(3) no Philippine reprcsfntation in the Spanish Cones, (4) human
rag)\LS deDJCd to Filiptl¥)$, (S) no equality before the law, (6)
m1ladmlnistre11on of justice, (7) racial discrimination (8) frailoc
racy, (9) forced labor. l10) haciendas owned by the friars, and
(11) the Guardia CiVil. \
lmtabillty of Colonial Admlnlttradon. The Instability of
Spanish politics smce 1hc! turbulent reign of King Ferdinand VII
(1808-1833) marked the beginning of political chaos in Spain.
1'hc Spanish government underwent frequent changes owing to
bluer struggles between the forces of despotism and liberalism
and the explosions of the Carlast Wars. From 1834 to 1862,
Spain had adopted four constitutions, elected 28 parliaments,
and installed no less than 529 ministers with ponfobos; followed
,n su~quent years by pany strifes, revolu1ion1, and other
political upheavals 6
This political in51ability in Spain adversely affe<:ted Philippine affairs because it brought about frequent pcriooic shifts ir
colonial polic:ics and a periodic rigodon of colorual o(ficials For
insiance, from 1835 10 1897, the Philippines wa~ naled hy ~
governors general, each serving an average term of only one
year and three months, 7 Al one time - from December H!53
10 November 1854 - a period of less than a year, 1herc wer•
four governors-general.
To illustrate the confusing instability of Spanish politics Jn
its anamic:al effect, an anecdote was 1old KS follows: In the year
1850 a Spani~h JUriSI, who was appointed oidor (magima1e) of
1hc Royal Aud,encia or Manila, left Madrid with his whole family
and took the longer route via Cape of Good Hope, arnving an
Manila after a leisutely trip of about six months. Much to bu
surprise and discomfiture, he found out that another Jurist wa.s
already occupying his position. During 1he six months when he
was leisurely cruising at sea. the ministry which appointed bin>
fell
Madrid, •and
Andinth"
• the AK:Ceeding mlnlct..,
- ; , Iiamed h'1s successor
IS new Jllnst traveled faster, taking tlhe shoner route vi~
the Isthmus of Suez and reached Manila earlier.
. The frequent change of colorual offi,cials hampered the
pol111c;al and economic development of the Philippines. Hardi
had one governor-general begun his administration when he ~
soon replaced by his successor. Naturally, no chief executive
no matter how able and energetic he was, could aa:om r15
much for the colony
P
h
~rrupt Colcoial Offld•~· With few ex.cepnons, the colonial
officials (go~ernors-general , Judges, provincial executives etc )
sent by Spain to the Philippines in the 19th century we...; 8 r~r
cry fro m their a_ble and dedicated prcdeces/;;rs of the 16th, 17th,
and 18th centun~. They were either highly/corrupt, incompetent,
cruel , or venal. Apparently, they symbola;'ed the decadent Spa1
of the 19th century - not Spain of the Siglo de
h· ~
produced Miguel Cervantes, Lope de Vega Calden:~ :e •~a
8 arc;a , El Gr:co (Oomeniw ~cotoc:opuli)', Velasquez, SI.
Theresa de Avda, and other glones of the Hispanic nalion.
o
General Rafael de ~uierdo (1871-73), a boastful and rurhless ~vemor _g eneral , aroused the anger of the Filipinos by
exndccu1lll~ theZamnooent Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos,
a
1acmto
mora, the "M•...,,.. of 1...,.,,,
H"s
0
Admiral
successor
"
•
,
- ·, ••
1ose Malcampo (1874-n). was a good Moro fighter'
bu_1 was an__irtepl and weak administrator. General Fernan~
Primo de Riv~ra, governor general for two tenns (1880-83 ,md
1897-98)_. ennc~ed himself by accepting bribes from gambling
casinoc m Manila which be scandalously permilted to operale
General Valeriano Weyler (1888-91 ). a auel and corrupt govcr:
nor general or Hispanic-Oerman an<:estry, arrived in Manila 8
poor man and retu~ to Spain a ?ri"ioaaire. He received huge
b n bes and gills of ~,a~nds for bis wife from wealthy ChtnC$C
whl> !vaded}he anti-Chi~ law. The FilipinQS scornfully called
bun tyrant . because of bis brutal persecution of the Calamblo
tenants, particularly the family of Or. Rizal. The Cubans contcmptuolllly _curMd him a "'lbe Butcher~ becallle of his ruthless
reconcen~llon policy during his brief governorship in Cuba in
1896, ca~g the death of thoUWlds of Cubans. General Camilo
tie PolavteJa (189<>-97), an able militarist but heaniess governor
ull
general, was widely deteated by the Filipino people for cxecullng
Dr. Rizal.
Other Spanish colonial officials were of the same evil breed of
men as the corrupt and degenerate governors-general men11oncd
above. After the loss of Mexioo , G ua1cmala, Chile , Argcnlirs,
and other colonies in Latin America, numeroUJ> job-seelcens and
penniless Spanish sycophants came to the Philippines, where they
became judges, provincial executives, anny officers, and
empleados (govcmmcn1 employees). They we re either rcla1ive~ nr
proteges of civil o fficials and frians. Mostly ignora nt and profligate,
they conducted themselves with arrogance a nd superciliousnc,s
because of their alien wtute skin and 1all noses. They bccMm<' rich
by illegal means· or by marrying the hcircsse~ of rich Filipino
families.
As early as ,n 11:no, Tomas de Co myn, Spanish writer and government official, bewailed the o bnoxio us fact 1ha1 igMrunt h.ir•
hers a nd lackeys were appoinled p rovinciGI governors, and rough
53ilors and soldie rs were named district magistrales and gam:,,.>n
commanders. 8
Philippine Represotadon in Spanish Cortes. To win the ,uppon of her overseas colonies during the Napoleonic inv~sion,
Spain granted them representation in 1he Con es (Spanish parha•
ment). Accordingly, the Philippines experienced her fim perioJ ol
representation in the Cortes from 1810 10 1813 Hl\tory
demonstrates that· the first Philippine delegate, Ven1ura de In·
Reyes, took active pan in the framing o f the Constttulion of 11112,
Spain's lirs1 democratic constitution , and was o ne o f its 11!4 "gnen..
This cons111ution was extended to the Ph11ippme• Anothct
achievement of Delegate Delos Reyes was the abolition of the galleon trade .
The first period or Philippine representation m the Spanish
Cones ( 1810-1813) was thus fruitful with beneficent rc<ult• for 1hc
welfare of the colony. However, 1he second period o f represent a•
tion (1820-23) and the third period (1834-37) were less fruitlul
because the Philippine delegates were no r M energetic and dcvot~d
in parliamentary work as De los Reyes.
Unfonunatcly, the reprCKntation or 1he oversea~ culnmc,
(including the Philippines) in the Spl(llish Cones was abolished i1
1837. Since then Philippine conditions worsened beca~ there wu
eo means by wblch the Filipino people Q0QJd e1pose the anomabea
perpetrated by the colonial officials. Many Filipino pauiot• vat-
a.c llintcrtands of LWIIOII ud die Vilayu and ill Mindenao and
1antly pleaded for the rC$1onuion of Ph11Jpp,ne representahon in
the Cones . On~ of them , the 1il\er-toniued 0radano Lopez
Jacna , implored 1D wnoroua Castilian on Oct.9b:r 12, 1883, durinc
, the 391st anmven.ary of the discot'eryof America byCohimbuJ 1D
Madrid: · we waot rcprcaentauon in the legislative chArnbcr 10
that our up1ra1iom may be known to the morhcr country and 111
government ."9 umentably Spam 1gno~d the fervent plea of
Lopc,z Jacna and ho:. compatnots 'Olcir g11evancc was embirtered
by 1he fact that Cuba 111d Puerto Rico were ,ranted ~prescnuhon
in the Corta by tile Spanish Constitution of 1876 Unul the end of
Spanuh rule n IS'lll, Ph1hpptne represcniauon m the Cortes waa
ne,.cr restored
tn practice, however, the Spanish colonial authorilict, who
Olnslians did not implement Christ's precept of !he brotherof all me~ under the fatherhood of God . Eapecially dunng
I.be 11111 decade$ of Hrspanic rule, they arropntly regarded the
brown-skinned Filipino& u irtfenor bcinp, not their Omsnan
brothert to be protected but rather u their ma1c.ty's subJ~_ts to be
exploited To their ,mperillllM way of tlunkmg, brown 1-tllp,nos
and white Spaniardl. may be equal before God, but not before the
law and certainly not in practKZ.
It II true that the IL}C
lndiaJ (1.aw, of the Indies) were
promulgateJ by the Oms111n monan.-h1 of Spain 10 protect the
rigllll of the nativew in Spain's overscu oolonitll and lo promote
their welfare . However, these good colomal laws. infll5Cd aii they
were11>ith Chruua.nchanty andiushcc, were rarely enfo~ccd by the
officials m the ,fotanl col<>IIIC$, partkularly the Phlhpptna , Cnn •
sequcntly, the Filipmos were abuscJ, brutalized, pcr5CCUkd , and
•landcrcd by their Span1>h m~c~. 'lllcy could not appeal to the
law for 111,11cc because the law, being d1~pcnscd by Spaniards, Wal
only for the white Spani"nb.
The Spanish Penal C.ode, which was enforced in lhc Phihppi~. panicularly imposed heavier penalties on n.,uvc fihp1~ or
n~tu.o,, and hgllter penaltie. on whit1:-o->mplcx10ncd Sran11rds.
To .. legal inequality wa, naturally ro<"ntcd hy _th<' ,Filipino~. As
Professor Ferdmand Blumenlritl wrote to Dr. Riul in 111117: The
provision of the Penal Code that a heavier penalty will be 1mpo~d
on the lnJio or mesh.a> irritates me exceedingly. bccau\C 11 sigmfi~ that every pc,_ noc born while is 1n fact a latent cnm,nal .
is • very great 1nJU$l1CC that seems enormous and unJust for
' Iaw. " 11
bc1ngcm bod1.eel 10
No wQndcr. Jose Riz,11, M H. dcl Polar, Graciano Lope:,
Jacna , and o ther youthful pa1no11 launched the Propapnda
Movement, which paved the way tor the Ph1hppme Revolution ol
1896
Human Righll Dailed to Filipinos. Smee the adoprion of the
Spanish C".on~111u11on of 1812 knd other cons111utions tn succeed Ina
years, the people of Sp"m enjoyed freedom ol speech, freedom pf
the PrClS , freedom of assoa.111on, and other human rishts (e11,,ep1
freedom of religion). The Spaniard. ardently guarded thele riahts
IO that no Spamih monarch dared aboli~h them.
Strangely enougll the Spanish authonue, who cherished
these human riahtsorcon,11tu11onal libert1e11n Spain denied them
10 the Flhpm~ m A!Ja . Such inconsistency was lamented by
S1mbaldo Jc Mu, Spanish ccono1X11St arid d1plom•t. who wrote in
1843 " Why do ,.e fall into an anomaly, such as comb1nlns our
chum for hbeny for ounelvcs, and our wish to impoi;c our law on
remote pt."Oples'1 Why Jo we deny to others the benefit which we
desire for our fatherlond?• 10
.
No £quality Bcf'ore the Law. The Sp.tnish mlllionane$, who
llltroduccd ChnU1&1llt) IDtO the Ph1hppincs as tariy as 1n the 16th
century, taught 1hat all men, lm:specuvc of color a11J race are
c~tldren o( God and as such they are brothen, oequal before
!'~oared by tht• noble concept of human relations and convinced
by the truths of the Chrntlan faith, mott Filipino• (except those In
God.
Suha) b«aioe Olrilaiam.
=
u
Th••
Maladmlnlstnlloe vi Juab. The courts of JUJtice in the
Ph1hppmc, durina Ri,al', time were notoriously coi:rur• Verily,
they were courts of MtnJUSbCC". as far a., the brown Filipinos were
con.:crned . The SpaRQI\ iudgc:s, fise&II (pr01Ccut1ng attorney~).
and oth,·r court offioal• were ,nept, venal, and oftentamca 11noran1
oflaw .
Justice was costly. partial, and slow Poor Filipinos ha<I no
access to the courts because they could not afford the heavy
=
eqie1- (If litipdoo. Wealdi, IIOdal pratige, and color of akin
were pn,pooderant facton in winnina a cue in coun. II 1apcctive
of tbe weipt ol evldellce, a ricb man or a Spaoiard, wt:io.e skin wu
wlllt.e, cuily lldlieved vtetory m any litigallOIL
To the Flllplno IDUICI, a llt1gation 1n court was a ca1anuty.
1be expenses inc;urred even In a simple lawsuit often ucel:dcd the
value of the property at mue, 10 that in many instances the litipnts
fOWld themselves ,mpovenshedat theendorthelong tussle. Cnminal cuesdniggedon for many years during which periode1ther1he
delinquents took to flight, or the documencs were loat.
The judicial pnlQCdure wu so llow and clumsy thac it was easy
to bave justice delayed. AJid justice delayed, as a popular maxim
states, *is justu;e denied". Thu., related John Foreman. a Bntish
eyewitness of the last yean of Spanish sovereignty in the P1nhpp111e1: 12
It WU bard co Fl the jllClpnent executed u II WU lo win
the C&5e. Even when the queitioo at wue wusuppoted to be
settled, a «feet in lhe acntencie could always be eoncocted to
reopen !ht whole affJ11r If tbe case bad been tned and iud&·
-.at g,v"D undtT tbe Cavil Code, a way ,i,u found to convcn
11 mto a Cnm1nal Code. a flaw c:ould be dlscovcn:d u~r the
I.Awa or the lndJes, or the Siete Pan1da1, or the Roman I.Aw,
or the NovuJma Recopllaooo. or the Anus- f11el'OI ,
Decrees, Royal Orders, Orden11JU1 del Buen Goble mo, and
so forth, by,. lncft the case 00Uld be reopened
A speafic instance of Spanish maladmirustr11tion of j11$ticc
wu theinfamouacueof Juan Jela Cl'Ulin 1886-1898. On the night
of June 7. 1886, two men were bnitally killed ID their sleep at the
waterfroot of Cavite. 1be oen day a couwain of a motor la1111ch
named Juan de la Cl'\ll wu arrested on mere suspicion of having
perpetrated the murder. Without preliminary inveshgalion and
proper trial, he wu jailed in Cavite, where he languished for
twelve yca.n. When the Americans landed ID Cavite after the Bat•
tie of Manila Bay (May l, 1898), they found him ID Jail 1.ull awai11ng
trial.13
Dr Rizal and his family were victim, of SpaniJh inJ~llcc.
Twioe, fint m 1871 and aecond in 1891, Dona Teodor11 (Riul·s
mother) was UDJUllfy arrested and Jailed on fumsy lfOUllds. Rw.l
bim,elf wu deported in July, 189210 Dap1tan without benefit of a
av!
tnnl. His brother Paciano and severll brothers-in-law were exiled
to various parts of the archipelago without due process of law Like
Fa then Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, Rita!
was executed - a noble v1cum of Spani•h miscamage of JI.CltKC
Racial Dllcrtaunatlon. Spain introduced Christianity into the
Philippines with its beauuful egalitarian concept or the brother·
hood of all men under God the Father The Spano<h au1hon11«:i.
civil u well as eccl~iastical. zealou.<ly propagated the Chn<t1an
faith but seldom practised its sublime tenets. They regarded the
conv~ned fihpinos not as brother Chnstians. but a, infcnnr l>cinjts
who were 1Dfin11ely uodeacrv1ngofthe rightsand prh lc2~ 1t,at the
white Spaniards enjoyed.
With this unchristian attitude, many Spaniards and 1hc1r me,dzo satellites derisively called the brown-skinned Jnd tlJt. no,cJ
Filipinos *Indios" (Indians) In retahall<>n. the r·,hp1no,1ealou_sly
dubbed their pale-complexioned detractors with the d1<para)!ing
term "banguJ" (m1lkfish) Ounng R,zar~ time a wh11e <km. a high
nose and Castilian lineage were a badge of vaunted \Upenorny .
Hen~. a Spaniard or a mc,1110, no matter hvw ,1up1d or mun~rcl•
bom he was, always en)Oyed political and social prest111,c 1n the
community.
Racial prejudice w:n prevalent e,·er,"Wherc - in &°'crnment
office~. in the courts of ju.mce, 10 the armed fore.;< 1n the '<Klal <'Ir•
cles and even 1n the educ111onal m~t1tu11on, an<1 111 the cccksi,,,11
cal hierarchy One of the \hiningstors of the FilipinoclerJ)', Fathcr
Jose Burgos (1837-1872) bewailed the Spanish ml\concepuon 1ha1
1 man's ment depended on the pigment of h1> ,kin. the h, tht ,,f
)us nose . the color of his hair, and th~ •hare of h1> ~\.ull. ,~nd cum•
plained. of the lack of opponunitie, for educated young Fihrin•.'.' to
rise ID the service of God and country "Why for in;1.incc. h~
Jameoted. •·shall a young man stnve 10 nse ID the profcSMon 1•f lav.
or of theology, when he can vision no futu~e for himself ~a~e that
of obscurity and jaunty unconcern? What F1hp1no will aspire to the
seats of the wise and will devote sleepless nighb 10 ~uch an ideal.
when he clearly sees that hil noblest feeling. are crushed down ID
the unwelcome atmosphere of contumely and obhv1on, and when
he knows that among the pnvileged few only are dispen11ed the
sinecures of honor and profit? .."
•J.
,..., 1
Owin1 to the Spqiah polltic&I philoeoplay ot
lllliDa of Onm:la and State, tlieff ll10IC a lllliqw form of p,•u•
mcnt lti Hiapank Philippmea c:&llcd •tm1oc:ncy· (fral/Offlld4)
~ named because it wu •• pernmc.a1 by frian• History
dndoses that 1111CC the d.lys of the Spanish conque11, the frian
(Augustlnhns, O'lminicans, and Franci.1ea111) controlled the
rtligjous and educational life of the Pbalippinea, and later in die
19th ccntury they tame to acquire lrtmcridou, polibcal J>C",er.
in!lucna:, and n ~.
_The frian pranically ruled the Philippines throuah a facade
o f civil ,ovemmem. The coloo1.1I authorities, from the aovcmor
1encul drn.11 to the a lc1tldes mayorca, were uodcr the control
of 0c trian Al!nosl ~ IOWD Ill the ardupcl•go. cscq,c 111
unpaafied Islamic Mindanao and Sulu and 1n the pa,an hinter,
lands, was nalcd by a friar curete AJ.ide from his priesth dutiee,
the fnu was the 111pav1sot of loc:&1 clcctiom, lbc w~--tor of
schoob and Illes, the arbhcr of 1110ral1, the censor of bookt
and CO!lledias (Jta&e pbys). 1bc superintendent of pllbhc wort,,
and the guudl3n of peace and order. So ercat
bla polibcal
b.llucnce that bis rccommcndaUom WW' bccdcd by the 1o~cmor
1e~crnl knd the provtndal official, He could &end a patriotic
Filipino to ,all or deno:mce him • a filibaaicro (traitor I to be
Hllcd 10 a distant place or to be executed II an enemy of Ood
and Sp&U1.
w•
0
Rizal , M.H dcl Pilar, G . Lopez Jaena, and other F"illptno
rdormulJ aSS;&ilcd frailocracy , bumina it for the prcv.Wna policy
of obscurantum , fanaric1wn, and opp,eaion in the country.
Rizal, for imtana:, denounced the frian II the cncmica of liberal
reform, and modem proarcu tn the Phllippina.
Like the Roman god Janua, fnilo,ncy had~ faca. Iu
bad fa,-c was darkly ponrayed by Rizal and hi, oontemporarie1
by way of rttaliatiOn qainst cien.a.1n evil-hearted fnan who
penecu1cd them . For the lake of lust<>tical llllth, the other,_
of fratlocucy, 111 Sood face, lhould be known. In the felicitOlll
llpin,oo 01 Dr, JOK P. I.Am-cl, •11 would be a arou iDVlbllldc
on the pan of the Filipinos 10 be oomcioua only of the abm.
of the fnan, and to c:IOK the1r eyea to 1h41 bcne6ocn1 1nnueof the oo:lesi1111cal elc111e'nt on the life ol 111c: Fi11plnoa~ 11
u rlU
Q-edd mlllt certainly be s,vca tow Span• fsian Cor baviac
inlroduced Ou'iltianil)' ud European~ inlO t h e ~
ptnca To them, the Filipinoa owe a las!•~• debt of pbl\ldc.
Without their anapificent ICrviccs tbe F'wpiPo people would not
have emerged from dlc1r pa.11 as a unique Ouilti.an n.woe, lbs
only nation tn A11a with an Oriental, Latin and tlispanic-Amen•
CIIII cull Uf1II hental'" •
Of c:ou=, 11 ii regrettable that nol alt Sr,amsh fn~ who
came 1o 1hc Ptulip~ were sood men aad wonhy mumtcn
of God Among the bad lnara who wtrc recreant 10 thcu ,ubbmc
ailing and 10 1hc 6nnt tr.dt11on, of Jbc:rian p ~ r were
Fray M1gucl Lucio Bustamante, Fray Jose Rodrif,llClt, Fray
Junomo Picmaue1a, and other rcacgadc man """1,wcre
traycd by Ri,..al tn hu novcb aa P;1dre Damno and I aJre Salvi
ud htlariottlly canca1urcd by Jacna IIS Froy Bot<:>d 'l'hc<e had
frian besaurchcd lhc noble csmtdlcon of Spain. wnisbed the
repuw 1on 1,I hundred of 1he1r gooJ brethren (including fr~y
Andres de Urdaneta. Fray Manin Ra.la, Fray J= de Plascncu,
Bishop Doaun,:o de Sabz.u , Fray Franwco Blancas de San
JOM: , and Fniy Mtpel de BcnavidCJ), and ~ d the biller
luttn-d of the: t iliplnos 10..aril, lhe Sp111iilll religious ordcn.
P.":
• .-a,it LMNr. Kno,r,n a, the polo. 11 was the: rompubof)
labor impi,..·ll hy 1hc Spam~h coloni~I authonttea on adult
filipmo males in lhc comtructton of chun.hcs, acbool•, hospiUb;
bwldong and repair ol roach und bridges; the building of shop&
in 111(, ,hipya,d,; and other pubhc worb .
Ongin.tlly , F1hrino males from 16 to 61) ycan old WCK
obli~I to render torccd lab<1r for 40 daya • ~car. Later, the
Royal Decree of July 12. 1883, llllf!cmcnlcJ by the New Rcgut..liom promulptcd ti) the Co un.:11 o f State of February 3,
HIii~ ,ncrc-d the m1rum11m ai:c of the pollitas (those wbo
perl~rmc:d the fori;cJ lal11,r) frorn lb 10 IK and reduced_the days
o( I ,1 .. r tr..,n 40 to IS lbe umc royal decree provided !bat
nol only nahvc r 1hp1r,oa, hul alr,o all male Spa111~h resulcnts
frol'I 18 v•·•n old 10 60 mu~, render forced labor hul this
partu:ular p<o\llS10n ..-a. nc,cr 1mplcmcn1~ _ID the Phabpptn<:~
for uhviou reason,. So actuallv the hrown f-lhp,n~ d,d 1b.- dirty
joh of bu1ldtng or rep:a1ring the public works. ~ well to-do
111nt"'1 them were able to escape tlui manl.lll labor by payui£
l&U,
tbe /.U., wbidl .,.. a awn of money paid to the aovemment to
be cuaipted froo, the polo.
'The Fihpiooa came to hate the forced labor because of the
abuses conaected with it Fint of all, the white Spanish resident.•.
contrary to law, were not recruited by the colonial authoriliti
to pcrfonn the ubliJatory labor. Second. 1be Filipino po/uuu,
accord1n1 to law, •ere to receive a daily stapend of two ~tas
(SO centavos) but actually received only a pan or this 1muun1
and worse, they got nothing. And, tlurdly, the annual fon:ed
labor caused so much inconvenience and suffering to the common
people because 11 disturbed their work m farm, 1d hops ,nd
also because they were so~tuncs compelled to work m construction proJCClS far from their homes and towns.
A true iOCtdcnt or the; hardship suffered by the F"tl1pinos
from fortcd labor "'U related by Riul, u follo,., ••
In the to-a,n of Lot B•llos a hosp1uil was but11 by laborers
Nl&tcbcd fTOm Ill the towns of the province. Each laborer
fnr.,.d by the autbontiea w1> paid ei&(,1 cuanos (five ccnllvoa) daily, llw onlin,ry d~dy •Hgc bcmg n.o pcw:w Of
fout peales fllcrus. In ldd1t10n. Mies and cbanly l>.u.aan
"ere hc-lJ 10 defray the "'"' of 1bc buildings. The arch11ea
wus a Fnmruc:an brother. Tht h0ip1lal wu erected. a p•lacc
of the captain icncraJ wa, 00nst.ructcd. a,:riculturc and the
suffcreJ for lhc.ir con.trua.oo Why are the people
,.1,n pay 1hcir tucs compelled lo worl,, grahs' Why do they
pay tucs if they are 001 g01ng 10 be allowed to live wilh
their families? Do they pay taus su 1h01 they w,11 be
cll!bved? Will lhc mor,,y of the ta•peytr be u!ICJ to hire
po:«y !yrantl and 1101 to aucnd to the dcmanda or ""'''Y'
\lih11? b •he Spani.tt Oaa pc,rchancc 1he flag or the slave
lradc'
'°'""'
•ta:1 hr OwDtd bJ th.- •'rtan. Dunng Riral', tm>Q the
Sparu.h from bcl<lnr.ing to d1fferen1 religious ord"" were the
nchct11 landlor<ll, for the) owned the be,t haciendas (agnculturat
!ands) in the Ph1hppin1:1 The rural folk\, who had Ileen hving
ID these hacicndiu and cull1vatina them gcnera11on aOer gene,
l.bOn became tenants. Naturally. they resented the loS$ of their
lands wh,ch bclonaed to_ their all()Cstors since pre-SpantSh umcs;
l~ally, however, the friars wcto recognized BS legal o wners or
aaid lands becaWIC they obtained royal btlcs of ownership from
tbc Spanish crown No wonder, these friar haciendas became
hotbeds of agrarian revolts, in as much as the Filipino tenanu
regarded t.h e fnar owners ~s usurpers of their ancntral lamls
One of these bloody aparian revolts wa~ the agranan upheaval
in 1745-1746.
As early as in 1768 Governor Anda realiDng the danger
of the {nar-owned haciendas to F1hpt~Sp1uush rclattons.
strongly recommended to the M adrid government the. snle of
the friar estates Unfonunately, his wise recommendation w:i\
ignored Filipino odium towards the fnars. who turned hacienda
owocr5. persisted unabated unul the end of Span"h ruk
Rizal, whose faMJly and rela1.-es were tenant;, of 1hc
Dominican Estate of Calumba. tncJ 1<1 i111tia1c agrunan rclorm,
in 11187, but in vain Hi, ~dvocacy of 11grarian reforms 11n11cd
the wrath of the Domirucan fnars. v.ho rctahatcd b) ramnr, the
rental~ or the land, leased by his family and other C'alantha
tenanu
Acu>rd1ng to Riul the fnar "'"nt'--sh1p or the produ t.-e
tarnh contributed 10 the economic \tagn · uon of the Ph1hpptncs
dunng the Spanish penod. In his famou~ essay "Sobrt' lo lndo(~ncia dt los Fllip111os" (Indolence of the hhpmo;,) he wrulc
1be fact that the bcSl plantalJOllS, the l>c ' lla<:b of
arc 1n th< h19ds ol the r,hg1ous
land 1n &0me prov,o,;c1
corporation,
. i• one of lhe rea,on• why many 1<1wn~ do
not progress insp11, of the cf{ons ol I heir mhab1tk"l<. We
v.,11 be mcl w1tb the obt<ChC'fl u n ar,umcol n 1h<· olh<- r
\ICX, l~t lhllK which do not l>clong 10 them They <urcly
are! Jusl u their brethren ,n Eumpc. in lounJm~ then
convenu, knew how to r.t'lec-t lhe hc:\t ....nc\ , the hc11
upland> for the C\lluvauon or 1hc """ ,, th,· f'' xloct,on ur
beer. so al,o the Phibpptnc mool.< h~•c lcno"'n tov. 1 \ClcCI
th<c bc,1 town,. the hc•u11h.l pl1111, the .. en-w,trrcJ ftctd,.
10 male of 1hcm nch pl,in1a1ion,. For "'me time 1hc friars
have dc,civcd many b) making 1hcm hehe•c thul 11 tbc,;c
plantaoon, 'Acre progprnnJ:. 1t "".a' ~•cau..c lhC"\ "-'Cfc unJicr
1hcir arc and the indolence ol 1h• na11,.-. "',.. 1hu,
cmpbas,zed, t,ut they fort<>t 1ha1 1n some pro,1ncc, where
they bav,· not been able IO a~•
of th~ llcM tra,1~
of land, their planm,on.. hke Bauan and uani arc ,nfcnor
f'<""'""'"
"'
IO Taal, Balayan and Lipa, rqk,01 cubivated entirely by
the nativca ..-ithout any monltilh m~nce what90eVer.
ne Guardia CMI. The last hated symbol of Spanish tyranny
was the Guardia Civil (Constabulary) which was created by the
Royal Decree of February 12, 1852, as amended by the Royal
Decree of March 24, 1888, for the purpose of maintaining internal
peace and order in the Philippine,. It was patterned af1er the
famo115 and well-disciplined Guardia Civil in Spain
While it is true that the Guardia Civil in the Philippines
hAd rendered meritorious services in suppressing ,e bandits in
the provinces. thc,y later became infaJJ10~ for u1eu rampant
abuse$. such as maltreating innocent people, loo11ng their
can.baas, chickens, and valuable belongings. and raping helple,._,
women. Both officen (Spania.rds) and men (natives) were illtrained and unditeiplined, unlike the Guardia Civil 1n Spain who
were respected and well-liked by the populace
~ actually witnessed the atrocities committed by the
Gulltdui Civll on the Calamba folks. He hlm$elf and his mother
had been vicums of the hrutahtic~ of the lieutenant of the
Guardia 0vil
It was natural that Rizal directed his $tinging ~lire agam111
the hated Guardia Civil. Through Ehas in Noli Me Tangere, he
cJtposcd the GuarJia Civil as a bunch of ruthless ruffians good
only J'for disturbing the peace" and "persecuting hone,1 men"
He proposed 10 improve • the! military organization by having it
be oompo-.cd cf good men who possessed educi11ion and good
prin<"iple~ nnd who were oonscious of the limuauons and responsib11Jties of authority and power "So much po.,.er io the hands
of men, ignorant men filled with passions, without moral trainin&,
of untned pnn,iplcs," he said thtough cllas, "is a weapon In
the hands of a madman in a dcfenscle$S multitude."
0
•••• •
Chapter 1
Advent of A National Hero
Dr. Jose R izal is a unique CJtamplef of ati~:"f!~~;:r:~
the greatest hero o • na
·
be
gm1us who c:i-me
ked with the world's geniuses.
I
God with versatile gifts, he tru Y ra_n
) poet dramatist,
(oph1halm1c surgeon ,
•
h •·
He was a P ysici_a n .
·hitect painter, sculptor, educator.
essayist, novelist , h1stonan,_arc
• . . surveyor, engineer,
her bibl·ngu'•t musician naturahs1, cthnologis1.
1 ~•
•
·
cographer cartograp ,
farmer businessm_an. cconom,~t. g, lkl st 'philosopher, trans. phil
h.l l .,,st grammanan • ,o on •
. .
lio
e, p , o o..,. • . ,
hurnorul saurist, polemicist,
lator, inventor, magician, h
Abov~ and beyond all these,
I
sportsman, traveler. a~ prop c · who consecrated his life for
he was a hero and ~bucal
le. No wonder, he 1s now
the redemption ot bis opprcsse pcop
.
.
'
acclaimed as the naiional hero of the Ph1hppines
.
Rizal wa, born on the moonht
Tht- Birth of • Htro. Jo~
. the lakcshore town o f
86~~" His mother almost died
night of Wedne~day, J_unc
Calamba, L.ag~a Province, f
big. head As he rccoun1ed
O
oirs· ,. 1 was born in Calamba
<!uring the dehvcry ~ausc
many years later In his student mem
.d 'dn1gh1 a few days
·
.
186! between eleven an mi
,
dncsda and my coming out m
o n 19, June,
before full moon. 11 was a We
. \,other her lift> had she
this vale of ICJl"S wo~ld ~aA'(e ~';
take me to her sanctuary
not vowed to the virfllll o nupo 0
by way of pilgrimage.'' 1
J e
. th
h 0 I church of his 1own on un
He was baptized m e Cal . ,c .'h ric-;t Father Rufino
~a7
~bi/
~Pf:
~J
22, aged. three days o~d, b)', 1h;o p~: f.:dfath,er (mnong) was
Collan1C$, who wa•, a aui~g~e Calamba and close fnend o f
father Pedro Casan~s. nauv~Jof tt . chosen by his mother
Rizal f ii His- name O>'; was
:.:, was a ~~o{e~ of lhe Otri,11an iaint San Jost (St Jo~crh)
Durin1 the chnsteruna ceremony Father Coll1n1e, '"'b
impresaed by the baby's bi1 head, and told rhe nl(mbers or rhe
fanuly •bo ,..ere present : "Take sood care or lhtS child, for
someday he wUI become a IJeat man.• His words pro,ed 10 be
propbetic. as confinocd by sut.quent evcnu
The bapfi,mal cert1f1C:111e or Rizal reads u follow,
·1, the undc:ni,ned pa11111 pncac or Calamt,a , a:n,ty
that fTom the 1n•atipdon made ••th propc,r 1u1honl)'. (or
ttrl«M1& the: parl&h booh ,.hod, •ere burned September
28, 1862, IO be round ,n Docket No .I o( B•rc•smi, p 4Y ,
II appcan by the SWOt'II lalunony Of COlllpCtCDI •1t...,_.
that JOSE RIZAi.. MERCADO d the fe&JUmatc ton , and
of la'Wful wedloclt, of Don f'ranc:isro Raul Mercado ~ml
Dolla Teodota Realoftda , U\IUI& bttn bap11ud ,n 1h,s P,,n\h
on the 22nd day ul June 1n the )car 11161, by the IM"'h
pone Rn- Rurino ~ntcs, Rev Pedro C.a\l= Mina h11
aodlalher
W,1nesa my ..a.,,a,ure
(S.aned): I.IONCIO LOPCZ
It should be nored that at the hrnc R,,al w.~ hc>rn, the
ao•cmor general of the Philippon~ v,as l.Jcutenant Gen~ral Jose
Lemery. forffl(r senator of Spain (member of the upper ,hambcr
of the Spanish C'ortes) , He 1ovcmcd th<' Ph,hpp,n ~ from Feb
nwy 2, 1861 to July 7, 1862. lnaden1ally. on the same d~tc or
Rizal'< birth (June 19, 1861). he \Cnt Jn off,c,nt t.ll\f'Jlch 10 the
Mini,try of War and the: Mon,,try of Ultram•r in Madr,tJ ,
dcnounana Sultan Pulalun or Sulu and .cvual ,,.,,.c,rut Moro
t.la1us for fr.11emi1mg "'1th a Bnti,h con,ul Among hi< a.:hic,r,
rnenl\ n ao•emor genaal v,ere (I) fo~1errn1 1hc cu11 .. ~11on or
cotton m 1hc provm«, and (2) e•tul>hshrng the pulot1<.o-nul11.1r)
gc>\'er~ni, ,n lhc VN1ya, and tn Mmdanao
IUw·, ~nts. J,>,c Ru~ 11,~S the SC\Cnlh nf th< de I
ch,ldru of Fran,r:,co Mercado RILII ant.I Tcot.lora \lon,n
f •..ionda Oic hero•, fllhcr. Fronm,c o (111111-18911) ... , l>om ,n
IJ111an. Laauna on May JI. 11118 Ile ,1udict.l I mu, ~nil
Phtlo<tophy 11 the College of San Jose ,n Manila In earl) man
hood. followina
p.rrenl, dea1h, he moYcd 10 (alamhJ ~nil
hecame a tenant-farmer or 1he Oominrcan-o,.,ncd hJoenda . He
,..,lS • hardy and tndcpcndcnHninded man. who talked les., and
w. ked more, ant.I was 11r0ng m body and v1han1 in sp,nt. He
h,.
1
died in Manila on January S, 1898, al the age oJ MO. In tu.
ltudcnt memous, Rizal a(lc,110111tcly called him • l!IO<kl of
f11hen" 1
0 0 IUI Teodora (tl!2t,..191I) , the hero'• mother,"' t '" n
Mami. on November 8, 1826 and wai educated at the C"nllq:e
of Santa ROMI a well-known cullcg,: for girls '" th• "'
oc
"'u a remarlt~ble v,oman , pol'c•<ine rchnct.l cult ure . htcr ,,ry
talent bu inei.~ at,ility, and tht t •11,·u,1, of Srartaa .,.
"' ·
R12al '1ovmgly said of her · .. My mo1hcr ts a wom~n of null~
than ordmary n1lturc; t,h., ._"""'' hlcrJtu,c and 'J)Ca\.s Sr ' .
l>ellcr 1han I Sh<' cmrc,tcd my r<>cms .ind ~u,c m~ good ~•~<e
when I
<tu,ty,n,: rh<"tnrit" -..h,· IS a mat~mat,c,an a
•~
'--··k .. f l'-" a feodora 1.hed ,n M,,n,I., on Au~u,1
read many uuv •·
"''
l'h I
16 1911 II lhc ~IC ol KS. Shortly before her dca1h the '~rpme
vcmmo;nl ofrcrcd her I hrr rcnsinn ~he ~ourteoml) n,1c<1c-d
~,a m . "M family has nc-,er hccn p.11nouc for cwnc} II lht
govirn~ent
pknl) of lun,h ,,nd docs not 1.rn,...
10 d~
wuh them, belier rcclun: 1he IM\es " Such rtm.ir1" truh hd,11~
her as I wonhy mother of a natronal hero
•.i•
:a.
,.f.,,
Tht Rllal Chlldrffl. GoJ hlcs.scd the mamagc of hanc1'1('('
do Rizal and feodura Alon'ill Realonda w,th dcven ,h, I•
erca
bo and •~
"'- ..••rb · I hc-sc ctuldrcn "-ere as foll>-..~
drcn _
M
,,..o )•
I ~turnena (IR~l91))
~ of tl>c R,ul ,hll
drcn , meknamed Nencng; •he marr,c,d M,nucl T H1<l,,l1W
of Tanaw1n, Baungaa
2 f>ari1no ( 18'1 ' IY:IO) ol1lcrl>r111hcr ,utd" nhJ nl
0 r J • Rizal afttt hn younger brot~r•• e1rcu11on he
, . ; :the
Re•olu110n and became • coml>at
: ....... •fl<r the ~•oluhoei, hr IChfcd lo h farm '"di::,
B li<>f •here he l"cd "' a a<"ntkman fat mer one! dJt
~ l'130 , an olJ l>achek,r ~d 79 Ile h.,I '"" du:drcn
by tu• mlstreu CS.---cnna l'leccfta)
M h<>) •nJ • '
3 Nud.., (U!S2 1\llV) - h, r pcl n:uae wa, ~'"' an,1
11w nwncd AftlOftk> ~ I \nt,.... ol Fathct ~
~%), a Khoo! tc..<:her uf Mo«,ng.
Ph,hppu,,,
il,
4, Otitnpoa ( 18U-1 lll>---J I - Ypoa '""'
P'
she roamed Sil•~tro Ub.Joo, • tcleaurh up,.r~11>< from
Manila
3
S. Lucia (18S7-1919) - She married Mariano Herboa or ~lamba, who wu a nephew of Father
Hcrnosa died of cholera in 1889 and wu denied Christian
bunaJ because he wu a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal.
ea.an...
6.
Maria (l859-194S) -
B.iang wu her nlclr.namc·
•
she married Ditniel Faustino Cruz of Billan, Laguna.
7.
JOSE _(1861:18?6) -
!be grca1ea1 Filipino hero
~d pe~rlcss ge~1us; Im nickname was Pepe; during his exile
1n D1p11an he hved .with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from
Hong Kong; he ha~ • so~ by her, but Ibis baby•boy died
• .few hours after birth; Rlzal named him ~Francisco• after
h,s father and buried him in Dapltan.
8. Con<:cpcion (1862-11165)- her pet name was Concha; she died of sicltness at the age of 3; her death wu
Rb:.al's first sorrow In life.
9. Josefa (186S-1945) - her pel name was Panggoy·
she died an old maid at the age of 80.
'
I_O. Trinidad (1868-1951)-Tri~ing was her pel Mme;
she died also an old maid in 1951 aged 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929)-youngesr of the Rizal dill·
dre~; her pet name was Cholchg, she married Pantaleon
Quintero of Calamba.
Siblin~ relations.hip among the Rizal children was affcctiona_rcly cord,al. As a little boy •. Rizal used to play games with his
SJS(ers. Although he had bo)'lSh quarrels with them he respected
them. Ye_ars later when. he ·grew to manhood, he always called
them Dona or Senora (if married) and Senorita (if single). For
he cal!ed ~~ olde_r sister "Doila Ypia, • his oldest sister
Senora Saturnma, and his unmarried sisters ~senorita Josefa"
and "Senorita Trinidad."
:~•~occ.
~••s r_elation with his only brother Paciano, who wa.i, U!.11
yea~ his seo1or, was more than that of younger to older brother.
Paciano wa~ a second father 10 him. Throughout his life, Rizal
respecte~ b1:"1 a_nd greatly valued his sagacious advice. He imrnor•
ta~ed him m his first novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise Pilosopo
T8$to. In a lencr to Blumentritt, written in London on June 23
1888, he regarded f'aciano ilS the "most noble of F"ilipinos" and
~though an Indio, more generous and noble than all the Spanl'uds
put together"•. And in a ~ubsequent letter also written to Blumen-
,
tritt and dated London, October 12, 1888, he spoke of his
beloved older brother, as follows: ~He is much finer and mor~
serious than I am; he is bigger and more slim; he is not so dart;
his nose is fine, beautiful and sharp; but he ls bow-legged.~,
RIDl's Ancemy, As a typical Filipino, Rizal was a product
of the mixture of races.6 In his veir,s flowed the blood of both
East and West-Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese,
and Spanish. Predominantly, he WII$ a Malayan and was a magnificent specimen of Asia.n manhood Rwll's great-great.grandfather on his father's side was Domingo Lam~o. a Otlnese
immigrant from the Fulcien city of Changchow, who arrived in
Manila ahout 1690. He be~me a Chnstian, manied a weU-10-do
Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la Rosa, and
'
.
.
assumed in 1731 the surname Mercado which was appropnate
for him because he. was a merchant. The Spanish term mercado
means "market" in English. Domingo Mercado and Ines de la
Rosa bad a son, Francisco Men:ado, who resided in Biiian,
m.,rried a Chinese-Filipino mestiza, Chila Bemacha, and was
elected gobern1JdorcUlo (municipal mayor) of the town One ul
their sons, Juan Mercado (Rizal's grandfather), married Cirila
Alejandro, a Chinese-Filipino mestiza. Lllte his father, he was
t,lecLed govemadoreillo of Biiian. Capium Juan and Capi14M
Cirila had thirteen children, the youngest being Francisco Mercado, Rizal's father.
At the age of eight, Francisco Mercado lost his father and
grew up 10 manhood under the care or his mother. He st11dted
Latin and Philosophy in 1he College of San Jose in Manila.
While studying in Manila, he met and fell in love with Teodora
Alonso Realonda, a student in the College of Santa Rosa . They
were married on June 28, 1848. after which they stttled down
in Calamba, where they enpged in farming and bush,e115 and
reared a big family.
It is said that Dofla Teodora•, f~ily descended from L · , nDula, the lut native king of Tondo. Her great•grandfall,... r
(Rizal', maternal great-great-grandfather) was Eugenio Ur;ul'
(of Japanese ancestry), ..,ho married a Filipina named i-emgn..
(surname unknown). Their daughter, Regina, married Manuel
de Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer from Pangasinnn One of
the daughters of Attorney Quintos and Regina wa~B.igida, who
marriw Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, a prominent Spanlsb-Filiplno
s
-
111ZAL,
u..._ "°""' - ""'""ca
m~)of Bibo: Their children were Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal'
mo..,..r, Oreeono, Manuel, and Jose.
s
was~ 8:,U-.Rbal. lbe real surname of the Rizal family
pa~:al •
(the
w~ WU adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco
full-blooded l::;!eatR:~u1r;ther of Jose Rizal), who was a
name - Rizal
h
s. amlly acquired a second sur-
"di
(p~ovina.J gov~;r) of ;:';u:;e~h~ :a~a;;:y"'':;'ikdmThayor
Aid Dr RizaJ in his lett
'
en .
us
place):7
'
er to 8 lumentriu (without date or
satc~~:r°:'ro~:~
Riial bccau~ at home my parents, my
· • and my rcla11vcs have always preferred
0 O 1umame Mercado. Our family name WI! in fact
en::ado, lxn there were many Mercados in •he PhT
who are not related to us. II ,s said that an alcald: ippincs
"'ho "'•~ • fncnd of our family added Rizal
mayor,
My family d"d
to our name
ha
i DOl _PBY much aucntion to this, but now j
ve to use it. In this way' ,t seems that I am an illc••timate
~.r
Id
son.
r
Amb:::;c~hat Spanish ale11Jdc mayor was, " commented
diplomat "h" ch~ Ma Guerrer~, distinguished Rizalist and
•
o,ce was prophetic for Rizal in s
. h
a field where wheat cut while 5·till
pams means
•
green, sprouts aga1n."8
hero~ R.Jzal Hom~. The house o~ the Rizal family, where the
Calamb:~ dbo':'1, wsns ~ne ~f the distinguished stone houses in
unng Panish times. lt was a two- t
b . .
rectangular in shape built of d be
s orey u1ldmg,
,. d .
•
a o stones and hard-wood
d
roo,e wnh red tiles. It is described b D R
s, an
of Rlzal's presttgious bi01faphers, as louo::.:S:9 arael Palma, one
•··The bouhse wu hich and e•en •umptuous a solid and
m-1,e
can quake-proof stru
.
'
dowa Thick w
.
cture with sliding shell Winthe ~
o( lime and '10ne bounded the first floor:
root which 0 was ~ e ~nllrcly of wood except for the
Manila at th;,~:,'/cd nl1 m the style of the buildings in
and wid
. ·
t the back there wu an uotca
a
c, deep cistern to hold rain water for ho
:},lt
B bin
me lliC.
e d the house were the
It
chlc:lcens and a big ....._ f
_pou ry yard full of turlccys and
O
chia,
,.........o tropical fruit trees - ads b
b·
• mocopa, ptJ/HIJG, sontol, ttvnpoy, etc.
, a ,m "'I,
r
'
It wu a happy home where parental affection and children's
laughter reigned. By day, it hummed with the noises of children
at play and the songs of the birds in the garden. By night, 1t
echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers.
Such a wholesome home, naturally, tned a wholesome
family. And such a family was the Rizal family .
A Good ud Mlddle-0- Family. The Riz.al family belonged
to the prindpalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines. It
was one of the distinguished families in Calamba. By dint of
honest and hard work and frugal living, Rizal's parents were
able to live weU. From ihe farms, which were rented from the
Dominican Ordtr, they harvested rice, com, and sugarcane.
They raised pigs, cbicltens, and turkeys in their backyard . In
addition to farming and stoclcraising, Dofta Teodora managed
a general goods store and operated a small Dour-mill and a
home-made ham press.
As evidence of their affluence, Rizal's parents were able 10
build a large stone house which was situated near the to wn
church and to buy another one. They owned a carriage. which
was a status symbol of the ilu.strados in Spanish Philippines and
a private library {the largC$t in Calamba). which con~isted of
more than 1,000 volumes. They sent their children to the colleges
in Manila. Combining affluence and culture, hospitality and
courtesy, they participated prominently in all social and religious
affain in the community. They were gracious hosts to all visitors
and guC$tS - friars, Spanish officials, and Filipino friends - during the town fiestas and other holidays. Beneath their roof, all
guests irrespective of their color, rank, social po,,ition, anc.1
economic status, were welcome .
ff-e Ure or the Rluls. The Rizal family had a simple.
contented, and happy life. In consonance with Filipino custom ,
family ties among the Rizals were intimately clos;:. Don Francisco
and Doi\a Teodora loved their children, but they never spoiled
I.hem. They were strict parents and they trained their children
to love God, to behave well, to be obedient, and to respect
people, especially the old folks. Whenever the children, including
Jose Rizal, got into mischief, they were given a sound spanking.
Evidently, they believed in the maxim: "Spare the rod and spoil
lhc; child."
1
,_IIIZAI. UN:.WO..q _ _ , a
the Every day the Rizala (parents and children) hcud M• I
da t~urch. ~n,cutarty during Sundays and Ouistian boli~
YI • •~r prayed together daily 11 ho
the
i:: -
SUl\let and the RO&aey before ti .
Angcl111 at
family prayer,, •II the children :7sse~~~ohandsaotfrutb~t. After the
.
eu parents.
Life was not however all
lbe Rizal childre~ The •
prayer, and church tcrviccs for
lo pl
y .,ere given ample lime and treedo
.
•y by their stnct and reliJious parents The I d
.m
,n the tuoka or an the garden by themselves y.J:Yel memly
.,e,e aUowed to pl;ay w11h the children of oth~r farru~::r one•
Chapter 2
Childhood Years in Calamba
•• •••
Jose Rizal had many b<;aulifut memories of childhood in htS
native town. He grew up tn a happy home. ruled hy good parenu.
bubbhng wtlh JO)', and unctified by Ood's blet111nr• H,. Mt~I
town of Calamba. so named after a big native jar, .,a,a fiuini:cr.i
die for a hero. Its 5':Cnic beauties and 111 mdustnous, hosp111blc,
and fnendly folb imprened him during hit childhood yean and
profoundly affected his mind and character The happiest period
of Rizal's life .,,s spent m this lak.eshore town, a wort.by prelude to
his Hamlet-like tragic manhood.
Calamba, the Hero'• Town. Calamba wa an hacienda town
which belonged to the Dominican Order, .,ltida alloowned all the
lands arouad ii_ It tS a pteturesque town neatling Oft a verdant plain
covered with irrigated ricefield:. and aupr-lands. A few kilomc1era
to the south looms tbe legendary Mount Mak:iling tn 10mnoten1
grandeur, and beyond lh11 mountain II lhe province of Batansu.
East of the town tS the Laauna de Bay. an utland lake of son~ and
emerald waters beneath the canopy of uurewea In the rruddle of
the lake towers the storied i~land ofTalim, and beyond ii towards
the north is the distant Antipolo, famoiu mountain shrine o{ the
miraculous Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
Rizal loved Calamba with all his bean and soul. In 1876, when
he was 15 years old and was a 11udent m the Atcneo de Manila, he
remembered his beloved town . Accordin&Jy, be wrote a poem Un
R~cutrdo A Mt Pu~blo (In Memory of My Town). u follows: 1
When early chlldhoocl's happy days
In memory I .ee once more
•
Alona 1hc lo-.ly verdan1 <hore
9
Ai. IIIZA&.1 U~I.-Q - " " " -
Thill meets a acn1ly mum,una, sea·
Wheo I recall the whisper 10f!
'
Of Uphyrs dandn& dn my brow
WltJi coobna n,ec1nea, e•en now
New luxiout Ufe II bom ;11 me
When I behold lbe lily while
That sways to do Ille wind's command
'
While 1ea1ly &lttplng on lhe Mnd
Tbe stormy water rests awbllc •
When from lbe tlowen there ~ breathes
A bouquet ra"1shui,iy sweet,
Olldhood Ye.,, In C._,.e
CocDc beet, pile hours, I yeao,f
Coote back u the birds return,
At the buddln& of Ille ftowcn I
Alas, fareweUI Eternal vigil I keep
For thy peace , thy bli5S, and 1ranqv1l11y,
0 Geaius of JOO(I, to kind 1
Olve me~ alf1l, with charily.
To thee are my fervent vo,111,
To thee I eeue not 10 sigh
Thctc to learn, and I call to the sky
To have thy s1nccn1y
Out•poured lhc newborn dawn to meet
Al on IIS she beafns to smile.
'
With Udoe$$ I ttw!I . .. recall
Thy fa«, 1n p - . i.ftfancy
Oh mother, fnend ,iu,'10 me
Who &••c 10 bfc a wondrous ch&rm•
I Ye! recall a vtllaac plain,
·
My Joy, my family. my boon,
B«ldes lbe fruhJy cool lagoon, The 'POI for •hich my hcan buts warm ,
Ah yes! my (00111eps insccu~
In your dark forests deeply sank;
And !here by e,e,y river's bank
I found rcfrcshmeni and dclraf,t
W11hiA that CIISCIC temple prayed
Wil h chlldlloocl'a simple faith unteia,,cd
While coolin& breezes, pure, unstained
Would send my heart on rapturous flight.
I 11w lbe MaJcer ,n lhe grandeur
Of your anaenr hoary wood
Ah , never in your rcfuac ~fd
A monal by regret be smiuen·
And '"hilc upon your sty of biue
f Ple , no love nor tenderness
Could fail, for here on nal11tt's dress
\fy happiness itself wu wrincn.
R.iz.al children (including Jose) many stones 1hou1 the fame, tale~
of buried treasure and trees bloommg with diamond~. and other
fabulous stories. The Imaginary tal~ told by the ayn amu,cil 111
Rizal an enduring interest 1n legends and folklore Sometime, ,
when be did not hke 10 take his supper, the aya wou.ld threaten h,m
that the osuang, the nuno, the nxbolong, or a 1emble bearded and
Ah, tender childhOOd, lovel) io--n,
Rich fount of my felicities,
OIi tho.c harmon tous rndodics
Wllkb pul to 01&h1 all dosmaJ hours
Come back 10 my hcan once mottt'
Another memory of his in(aney was the nocturnal "'alk ,n the
town. especially when there was a moon . The aya took. him for a
walk in the mooalight by the nver, where the trees cast yotcsque
Earliest CbUdhood Memorlft. The fi!'lil memory of R11al , in
his infancy, was hia happy days in the family garden when he wa~
three years old. Because he wu a Crail. sickly. and undemied
cluld, he was given the 1enderc,1 care b)' b, parent, "" father
built a lillle mpa c,11tnKc ,n the p., ,k, ,r ' ,m ,., pl,1\ 111
1h, 1,,.
time. A kind old woman was emplo)·ed a~ an oya (nur,;e m,ud) 1c,
look. after his comfort. At time~. he was left alone 10 n,u,c llO the
buutla of nature or to play by himself In h,~ boyhood mcmrnn.
he narrated how he, 11 the age of 1hree watched from h•• r'<den
001ta1c, the culiauon, the mayo, the mono rap,a, the mamn the
pipit, and other birds and listened "w11h wonder and JO) Ill 1hctr
twllis)lt 10ngs.
Another childhood memory wau the Ja,ly Anjlciu\ pra)cr B)
nis)ltfall, Rizal related, his mother gathered .ii 1he children a1 the
hoUJC to pray the Angelus.
With nostalgic feeling, he al~ 1emembered 1hc happy moonlit
nigb1111 tbeazolra a.her the nightly Rosary The ova rela1cd 10 the
turbaned Bombay would come 10 take him away 1f he would not eat
his ,upper.
10
II
~ Y t 1 r 1 l n C.......
shadows on tbe bank. Recounting this childhood e~rience in bis
student memoirs, Rizal wrote; "Thua my heart fed on sombre and
melancholic thoughts so that even while still a child, I already wandered on wings of fantasy in the higb regions of the unknown. ~z
The Bero•, Flnt S011ow. The Rizal children were bound
rogcther by !let of love and companionship. They were well-bred
for their parents taught them to love and help one another.
'
Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (Coocepeioo).
He was a year older than Concha. He played with her and from ber
he learned the swetrr•ess of sisterly love.
unfortunately, Concha died ofsick.ness in 186~ when she wu
only three years old. Jose, who wna "cry food of her, cried bitterly
at IOS1.ng her. "Whe n I wu four years old," he said, •110111 my little
mte, ~nc~and then for tbe fint time I shed tears caused by love
and gnef. .
The death of little Concha brought him his tint sorrow.
~oted Soa ot die Claurdi. A scion of a Catholic clan bon,
and bred in a wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism. a n d ~
,cd of an mbom pioua 'f)lrlt , Rizal grew up a good Catholic.
•ae
At the
of three, be began to take part in the family
prayers. Hit mother, who wu a devout C.thohc, 1augh1 him the
Catholic prayers. When he wu five years old be was able to read
haltingly the Spanish family Bible.
'
He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part in novenas and
to jom the religious procession,, It is said that he was so se~usly
devout that he was laugbin,:Jy called Monong Jose by the Hrrmmios and Hr"'"4114S Tt1rct1r1U,
One of the men he esteemed and respected in Calamba during
h1, boyhood was the scholarly father Leoncio Lopez, the tnwn
pnt-•I He used 10 ~1 this leam«.d Filipino rnest and lisien to his
s~mulating opinion, on a•rr:nt e vents and sound phil0<0phy of
h!c.
~ le Andpolo. On June 6, 1868, Jose and bi, father
left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage 10 Antipolo, in order to fulfill
lus mother's vow which was made when Jose wu born. Dofta
Teodora oould not aca>mpany them beca111C she had '"Ven birth to
Trinidad.
..
IJ.
the
ft was
first trip of Jose across La,guna de Bay and his first
pilgrimage to Antipolo. He and his father~ in a C4JCO (bar&e)
He was thrilled, as a typical boy should, by h~ first lake voyage. ~e
did not sleep the whole night as the C4JCO ~ed towards the Pas1g
River because he was awed by "the mag111ficence of the watery
expanse and the silence of the night.~ Writing many yean l~ter of
this e,rpcrience, he said: "With what pleasure I saw theSU;Dnsc; for
the first time 1 saw how the lwninom raysshone, producing• bril•
Jiant effect on the ruffled surface of the wide lake.••
After praying al the shrine of the V!rgin of Antipolo, Jose ~nd
his father went 10 Manila It was the first time fosc saw Marnia.
They visited Saturnina, who was then a boarding student 11 La
Concordia College in Santa Ana
~ Story of the Moth. Of the stories told by Dofia Teodora
to her favorite son. JO'IC , chat of the young moth made the profoundest impression on lum. Speaking of this incident, Rizal wrote:~
One night , all the fanuly, except my mother and myself,
,.enl 10 bed early Why, I do not know, bul we two rem1111ed
siltini •looe The candles had already been put out. They had
been blown out lll their globes by means of a curved tube of
ltn. n,a1 tube seemed to me the finest and most wonderful
plaything in IM world The rrom was dimly hghted ~ya 51ngle
lighl of coconut oil. In all Filipino homes suc;h a hght burns
through the night It goes out just at day-break 10 a..-aken
people by its 1plullering.
My mother was 1eaclung me to read in a l>panish read~r
called "'The Children's Fnend" (El Amigo de los Nuio1). This
wa.• quite a rare book and an old oopy. It had lost its cover and
my sister bad cleverly made a new one. She had fastened a
sheet of thick blue paper over the back and then covcr,cd II
wilh a piece of cloth
This night my mother t:>ccamc 1mpaOcn1with hearing me
,e..d so poorly . I did not understand Spanish and so I co_uld not
read with cxpr=n. Site took the book from me Fu-st site
scolded me for draw,ng funny pictures on tta pages ,:i,en she
told me 10 listen and she began 10 read. When her $1g)tl was
good, she read very well. She could recite well. an~ she undcrSlood vcrsc-malung 100 Many times dunn& Chnstmas vacations, my mother co~e<:ted my poetical compcsitioas, and she
always made valuable cnllcisms.
13
~
l llstened to be1-, fuU of dilldish enthllliasm. I maNellcd
It the ruce-tOUnding phrases wblcb abe read from thole -
pageg. The pllruea abe read 10 easily stopped me a1 every
breath. Perhape I grew lircd or listening to sounds that had no
m~an!na for ~ · Pethapt I lacked sell-control. Anyway, I
pa,d little attenbon to tbe ·readina. I was walebina the checmd
!lame. About it, aome little moths were circlina in playful
Oi&hts. By chance, too, 1 yawned My molher soon noclcod
that I was not interested. She &topped readin1. Then lhe Mid
10
"I am going to read you a very pretty story. Now pay
me:
anention"
• On hearing the word 'story' I at once opened my eye,
wide. The w(Jf)l 'story' promised somelhmg new and wonder•
ful. I watched my mother whi~ she turned the leaves of the
book, as 1f she were looking for 10melhing. Then I settled
down to listen. I was full of curiosity and wonder. J had never
even dreamed that there were stones in the old book wbicJ, I
read without understanding. My mo1her began 10 read me the
Cable of the young moth and the old ooe. She translated it into
Tagalog a little at a time.
My attenuon increased from the first sentence. l lookecl
toward the light and fixed my gaze on the moths which were
circling around it. The story coukl nol have bq:n belier limed.
My .mother repeated the warning of the old moth. She dwelt
u~n II and directed ii to me. I heard her, bu► it is a curious
thing 1ha1 the light seemed to me each time more beautiful,
~ flame more attractive. I really envied ,the fortune or the
1n►ect1. They frolicked so ,oyously m its enchantlng splendor
that the ones which had fallen and been drowned in the oil did
not cause me any dread.
•
14
My mother kept on reading and I hstened breathlessly.
The fa!e of the two insects m1cres1ed me greatly. The flame
rolled 11, golden tongue to one side and a moth which lhis
movement had sJnged fell into the oil, fluttered for a tlme and
then became quiet That became for me a great event. A curious change came over me which I have always noticed in
myself whenever anytlung has stirred my feelings. The flame
and the moth seemed 10 go farther away and my mother's
words sounded strange and uncanny. I <lid not notice when she
ended the fable. All my attention was fixed on the face of the
insect. I watched it with my whole liOUJ, •• It had died a martyr
10 its 1Uusions.
y_,. In C,t_..
As Ille put - to bed, my mother said: "See that you do
not behave like Ibo )'Ollllt modi. Don't bedlsobedlent,or you
may set burnt u it did." I do 001 know whether I answered or
not .•. The story revealed to me things until then unknown.
Mod1s no longer were, for me, insignificant iM<:Ct1. Moths
talked; they knew how to warn. They advised just liked my
mother. The light seemed 10 me more beautiful. It bad grown
'more danllng and more attractive. I knew why lhe moths dr-
ded the Ila.me.
The tragic fate of the young moth, which "died a martyr to its
illusions ," left a deep impress on Rizal's mind. He justified such
noble death, asserting that "to sacrifice one's life for it." meaning
for an ideal, is "worthwhile." And, like that young moth, he was
fated to die u ·a martyr for• noble ideal.
Artlsd.c Taleots. Since early childhood Rizal revealed his
God-given talent for art. At the age or five, he began 10 make
sketches with his pencil and to mould in clay and wax object~ which
attracted bis fancy.
It is said that one day, when Jose was a mere boy in Calamba,
a religious banner which was always used during the fiesta was
spoile<I. Upon the request of the town mayor, he painted in oil col•
ors a new banner that delighted the town folks because 11 was better
than the original one.
Jose had the soul of a genuine artist. R.ather an mtroven 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; and listening 10 the
sonp of the birds, the chirping, of the cicadas, and the murmunngs
of the breez.es. He loved to ride on a spirited pony which his father
bought for him and take long walks in the meadows and lakeshore
with his black dog named Usman.
One interesting anecdote about RIZal was the mc1dent about
his clay and Wall images. One day when he was about six years old
bis sisters laughed at him for spending so much time making those
images rather than participating in their games. He kept 51lent as
they laughed with childish glee. But as they were departing, he told
them: "All right laugh at me now! Someday when 1die, pe1>ple will
m,lt:e monuments and images of me!"
IS
. - IIIIAL: Ul'I.-QMDWIIITINa
Ftnt Pona by R.bal. Aside from his ~tching and IClllpruring
talent, Rizal poaessed a God-given gi_ft ror literature. Since early
boyhood he had saibbled vcl'SCS on loose sheets of paper and on
the textbooks of his &ilten. Hu mother, who was a lover of literature, noticed his poetic: inclination and eocouraxed him to write
poetry.
At lhe age of eignt, Rizal wrote bis first poem iD the native
language entitled Sa Alcing Mga Kababata (To My Fellow Children), as follows: 6
TO MY FELLOW CHILDREN
Whenever people of a country truly IM1e
The lan1uage which by hcav'n they were taught to use
That country also surely libeny pursue
A& docs the bird which soars 10 freer space above.
For language Is the final judge and referee
Upon the p,:ople in the land where it bolds sway;
In truth our human race resembles in this way
The other l,ving beings born in libcny.
Wboevrr knows not how to IM1e lus rumvc tongue
Is worse than any beast or evil smelling fish.
To make out language richer ought to be outi wish
The Slime as any mother love• 10 feed her )'Qung.
Tagaloe and the utin language arc the same
Aod English and Castiban and the angels' tongue;
And Ood, who&e watchful care o'er aU 1s flung,
Hu given ua His blessing in the apeccb we claim,
Our mother tongue, like all the hi~hc51 1h11 we know
Had alphabet and letters or its very own;
But tllCM: were lost - by furious waves were overthrown
Like bancu in the stormy sea. long years ago.
This poem reveals Rizal's earlic5t nationalist sentiment. In
poetic verses, he proudly proclaimed that a people who truly
love their native language will surely ~trive for libeny like "the
bird which 50nn, to freer ~pace above" and that Tagalog is the
equal of Latin. English, Spanish, and any other language.
First Orama by Rizal. After writing the poem To My F~llow
Children, Rizal, who was then eight years old, wrote his first
dramatic work wh,c:h was a Tagalog comedy. It is said that it
Chlldlood YNn tn C.. . .
-
aged in a Calamba fwival and wu delightfully applauded
by the audience.
A gobemadorcillo from Paete, a town in l..agunJI famo111
for lanzones and woodcarvings, happened to witnea the comedy
and liked It so much that be purchased the manuscript for ~o
pesos and brought it to his home town It was 111gcd In Paete
during ita town 6es11.
lllzll u Boy Ml&f,dan, Since early manhood Rizal had been
interested in magic. With his deirterous hands, he learned various
tricks, such as making a coin appear or disappear ill his fingcr1
and making a handkerchief vanish in thin air. He entertained Ins
town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions This consisted or an
ordinary lamp casting its shadow on a while screen. He twisted
his supple fingers into fanwtic: $lulpe>, making tbcit enlarged
shadows on the 111:fcen resemble certain animals and persons.
He also gained skill in manipulating manoncttcs (puppet shows).
In later years when he attained manhood, he continued hia
keen predilection for magic. He read many books on magic and
attended the pcrformanocs of the famous magicians o( the ,rortd.
In Chapter XVIT and XVITI of his $e00nd novel, El Filibus~rismo
(Treason), be revealed his wide knowledge of magic:.
Lalleshore Reveries. During tbe twilight hours of summertime Rizal, accompanied by his pct dog, used to meditate at the
shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed
people. Years later, he related· 7
1 spent ma_ny. many hours of my chUdhood down oo
the wore ur the lake, Laguna de Bay. I was thinking or
what was beyond I wu dreamina of wha1 migh1 be over
on the other side of the waves. Almost every day, in out
1own, we saw the Guardia Civil lieutenant ca111Dg and tnjur•
ing some unarmed and inoffensive villagers. The villager'•
only fault was that v.'hilc at a dimincc he had not taken off
hi• h•1 and made his bow. The alcalde 1re111cd lhc pour
villagers in the same way whenever he v,\ited us
We saw no restrain I put upon brutality Acts of violence
and other excesses were commined daily ... I asked mysetr
ir, m the lands which lay across the lalr.c, the people lived
in this iame way. I wondered if there they tortured any
countryman with hard and cruel whl!)I merely on suspi.cioa.
16
17
,._. IUZM.sLIA.. WOIIU.,_MWI
Did llwy 1hett rctpeet the home' Or e•er yo,idcr abo, 111
«der 10 Ii~ in peace, - I d "~ ha•c to hnt--c l}ran11?
Youag though be wa,, be ,nncd deeply O\'er the unhappy
t.lluauon of bis beloved fathcrbnd . "The Sptndh m1tcleeds
■1"11ke11cd 1n his boyish hcan a great detennma11on 10 fight
tyranny. When he became I man , many ycan later, he wroce
lo his friend, Mariaon Ponce: "ln new or thne 1nJtutica and
crw:hiea, al1houg)I ye1 a child, my •~n.lllOl'I . . . a..nkrnNI
and I m.ide a vow dedicaung my.elf aomcday to avenge the
many vi<:ttms. With this ,<lea in my mmd, I 11u,hcd, and this is
seen 10 aU my "nungs Someday God ..;11 pvt me the opponuni1y
to fulfill my promise.••
,an-
OD tllc Here's loyl,ood , Qn lhc nigbl Jo..e R11 al WR\
born, other children were bom in Cal.omb.t and bunJreds of
other duldrcn were abo hom all o•cr the Ph1hppmc., Bui ""hY
ia 11 •hat ou1 ol all these children, only one t>oy - JOS F.
RIZAi - row 10 fame and grca1ne1o01
In the hve~ of all men there arc influena:5 "'hi<h ciutc
60m ' • be r-c,11 and Olh<-B nol In lhc ca~ of Rizal , he had
all th.. fa, " olc influences [e,,, (!\her children m h1\ time
enjoyed The>< 1nflucncr, ,.rrc the following. (I) hercd11arv
1nflucncc, (2) eJw1ronmcn1al mflucncc, and (J) 111d
l>Mne
Providence.
I Hc,cJ>••" lnOIKll<.c. Ae00rd1ng It} b1olog1c.il .c1cncc,
there arc anherc111 qu.1l11ies whu:h 1t pcnon lnberiu lr,,m his
anc:ctor. and par,·nts. From his Mttl■yan ancc.stor,, Ri,.11 , ev1
dcntly, mhc:nr~J I lo,e
freedom, h11 inn.tic: de\lre to ir.a,el,
and hts indo1111~ I.: wu,age Frnm 1,, C"n1nesc an.:~1on. he
demcd hi< ~noui nature r" ,.111,. r,i11encc, and lo,e lur
children hom h1• SpJmsh .mcc:,to", he got h.- deganl'I, of
be:mng, <en'111'1t) to 1n,uh, and galljnlry 10 lad,,·, fr ,m ~i,
fathu, he ,nheritcu a profound oen\C or Kif rC'$f'Cct , the 111,c
or ,.ork, and the habtt of 1ndc~n<lcn1 thinkin~ And from h11
mother, he ,nlltntcd hi> 1cl1g1ou, nature the )p1m uf self-,;;ic,
rifice, 11nd the p.i ion for arts and htenturc.
,,f
1,,.
2 En\lronmental l nflucoor· Aa:ord,ng to fl')<holog"" ·
nvuoruncnt. b ,.ell as hcrc<l1ty, affects the nature of 11 ptl'\On
~ronmcntal influence include, places, a,sociatcs, and event\
n1c beauiles of C:al.mba and the beautiful garden of th<
Raal famil lllimulatcd the mbom ■ro,11c an<I htcrary taknts ,f
......., y..,__ ,....,..... ~ r e at bb home fon,r" i ..s
Joae ,.._ '"" re.._--r·
• b' mind 1he
,cij . us n.1turc. llis brother• Pacuno, instJllcd m 11
freedom and Jl.lltlKC From his mien, he kamcd to t,e
COIIJtCOIIS and kind to women. The fairy tales 11,IJ by h ~ o,a
chariQ& his early childh->Od awakened bb interest an foll.tore and
1ov!':.:
le,endl.
His three uncles, bfotbcn .,f hi\ mothtr, exerted • r·•.<l
influence on him . T,o J()1,c Alberto , who had Mud1cd for .-ll">cn
'-'- - ~ - - j
l'-•-·tta India and had ua,cicd ,n
years ID a Bnt_,-"" 111
Earope impirNI bim tn dcYclop bis art:SIIC abilit) Tw M~nuc,,
a buaky and athktic mnn, cncourogcd h1rn to ti, ,elop hi< lra,I
body by means of phyt,1cal e,c-r~,:scs, 111dud1ni: horse 11ding.
walkin&, and ..,,~,tling. And lio Orcgorlo, a book k1'cr • mtcn•
lific,cl his vor~ reading <lf good t,oou
Fathc,r 1 ~nn.-io l ~ r the ois1 and lc:arnccl pan<.h J'f" ' · •f
Calamba. footercd RiU\I'~ love for ,rh<lla1,h1p and ,n1clle,1ual
-u • ·
lloo,csty.
The '°"o"" ,n h1\ family, &u,11 as the dc'•th 01 l'unc'i , n
1165 and the impnsonmc:nt of his mother m 11171 7-1, contn , -d
to 1tren111h~n h1> character' cn0Mm1 him ,.,
o~
adversity '" later years rhe Spam.la abuse,, anJ ,iucluc>"
__ ..,.,
h ..__ hood ,ucti a the br'u1al acts 01 ,r,e
,c.,,'. h~,1w;,
°'
M Wit...,_.. in 1$ •~J
'
bide h
~• wr• ·-•
licuttnant the, Guaid1a a,il and the a
• • t c UnJ
r 1
inflicted on innocent Filipinos , and the cxrcuuon of al ' r~
Gomez Burgo,. and 7-..amora Ill 11172, av.•alccncd h"'
0
pat~ d ~spired him 10 consecrate hts hk and tak
"I""' '
,ed,,eal bi< "Pl'fcsscd reople
d
J Aid of Divine 1'1M1dcncc. Grc11tcr th,m hcred11y an
.
h f
nl man 1$ the a,d of I hVIOl' 1'11tYhk1trc.
cnv11nn"1er,1 m t c ate
Ith a J
A
m ' have cYCl'}th1ng m hie - hraln\ , v,ca ' n
b<it ...~lhoul the ;ud of 01v,nc ProYldellCC, he ann<•I
..- ..
f I
u
Runl ,. •• prn-.,k11atl■ln grcatncs , in the 11J11tah o I ie 1111 ' 11
·
• 1h d
ttally dcsttncd to he the l'"d,· anti glory or h1~ n~unn C"" •
codowed him ..;th the ,cr~tilc gifti, of a i;cnnn, the Y1l>rnnt
. of
,,___ ,:., and the va!lant bean to .:icnf1cc I ,r a
1p111t
a naUV1....... ,
...,.!':~
,oblc c■UK.
.. . .
,.
"
Chapter 3
Early Education
in Calamba and Biiian
Ra&I had h,a tarly edua11t0n 10 C'.awnba and Billan, It 1ypicnl ~hoahna lhat a 11>n of an dustrado faauly received
durin, his lune, , han.:1enuJ by lhe four R·, - readina, wn11n1,
anthmehc, and rd,g,on. ln<trua,on wu npd and 11.rict Kno,,,.
~ was furccd 1n10 lhe m,nda of the pupds by means or the
ledn11 memory me1hoJ aided by 1he teacher·, 1rb1p. Dcapite I.be
defect. of 1hc ~nish ,yscnn of elementary cducalloO, Rizal
WlL\ able to ac4wre the ncceSSMy IIUll'UClJOD preparatory for
roUcac ..ork ,n Manila and abroad . It may be aaid that Riz.al,
who •as horn a phyucal wc,klin&, l'Ole to bttome an in1ellectu.J
pnl not because of. bur r•ther an spite of, the outmoded and
l•ad.•ard 1y.icm of 1m1ruct,on obt11run1 in the Philippines duruaa
1hc l,m dcndcs of ~r..mlh rea,me .
11
TIie Hn-o'• '1nt Tuch«. The fin1 te1thcr o l R.iul •as his
mother. ,. ho wa, a re mar~ able '"'OIDIR o f good charac1er and
fine rul1urc. On bu lap, he lc,i ned a1 the
of three the
1lphal>c1 a nd lhc pr ■ycn " \fy mother;· wrote RiuJ in h11
s1uckn1 mcmoir1, -11u1h1 nic ho• 10 reA<I and to uy Mllln&Jy
the humble praycr1 11,hich I raucd fervently to God ." 1
ace
As a 1u1or, Dona Teodora •as pdticot , 000llC1enhous, and
und(omanding It wa, 1he who fint duco,,ered that bcr M>R had
a Wcnl for poc-try. Accordingly, ahc encouraged htm 10 wmte
poem~ ro lighten th,- monotony of mernortlln& the ABCs and
to ltunul.tte her too·, 1mag,na1ion, she related m,ny stories
AA Jaee grew older, h&a parents employed pnvate tutors to
him leNOna II home , The f111t wu N~tro Cclcall.DO aod
the lellOlld Mourro Luc:u Padua. Later, an Old man named
Leon Mon~y, a former claam,t~ of Rizal's father. became Ilic
boy'a tutor. ThiJ old teacher Uvcd at the Rlul borne and
,rutructcd JOIC ,n Spenilh and Lattn U11fortunatc:ly, he did not
hve Iona. He died 6ve months later.
After Monroy's death, the hero's parenu dcadcd to ICfld
their &Jfted aon 10 a pnvate achoo! 1n 811\an ,
J - c;o. 1o 816u. One Sunday afternoon 1n Ju:ie, 1869,
tc,ae after ki11ina the hinds of hi• partnll •nd • tearful p,rting
fro~ htl 11stef1, left Cal,mb• for 811\an He •Ill ac:rompanied
by Paciano, who acted u ~" ,ccond father The two brothers
rode in a carrom,11, rcacluna their ck-\t,n,tmn after one and
one-half hour1' drive , They proceeded to their aunt'■ house,
11,here JOk -wu to lodac . It •u a1molt n1gbt whc:n tbcy amvcd,
•~d the moon was about to n11e.
That omc maht , J01e , ..,th h11 cou"? named l..c:•ndro, wmt
sialttsccin1 ,n the town Instead of enJoyma the 1iahts, Joac
beame deprcMed bccaUJe of h o m ~ In the MOOnhght ,•
he recounted , "I remembered my home town my idoltrcd
mother. and my aoltcitOUI llltCl"I Ab, how ,,..r,t I l1IC was
Calamba, my own town, m spite of the fact, that it was not u
•calthy u B,ftan ,..,
nnc Dey In lllllu School. The ne•t mornm1 (Monday
Pac11no brouaht hn younacr brother to the h. ,ol , of ltlomro
Ju,tiniano Aquino Cruz ,
,.-,,,ch
The school was ,n the hoir.-e of the teacher,
w-» a
mall mpa hut about 30 metcrj from the home of Jose's aunt
Pae1,no knew the teacher quuc well bccau1e he had been
1 pupil under tum before He 1n1roduced Jose 10 lhc lca(bcr,
after v.hich he deraned to return to Calambl
tmmed,,,ttly . Jo<c was au,,ncd his ..ear •n the clau The
1uchcr asked him
-oo you kno" Spantw?·
-.., httle , sir," replied the Calambl lad .
-Do you know Laun?"
-A bttk \'Ir ,•
21
brty fauallon If\ C.. .-nbei Arid tm1a,
The boy~ in the class esp · II p
laughed al J=•'s
,
coa y edro, Ille lc&cher's son
~
answers.
•
The teacher sharply Sto
d
•
ppe a11 noise and began the lessons
or the day
Jo.c described lus teacher 111 B ..
tall, thin, long-necked with
t,_
man as follows: ..He was
bent• forward, and he ~cd tou; nrp .n~c and a . body slightly
t~e skilled hands o( the women e:~ 8 smamay shin. woven by
the grammars by Nebrija and G~mZ.:'a;~~s. He ~new by hean
that in my judgment was exa
·
to this his severity,
~rhaps vague . that I have
andbyoul have picture,
1h11 "
•m. UI remember only
m~C:~:t•-
a
First School Brawl . In the af1e
f h·
when the teacher was having htS sie'::::°; o is fi~t day in school,
He was angry at this bull fo
• ooe met t e bully , Pedro.
conversallon \Jlilh the teacte r mhakmg f~n of him during his
r m I e mommg.
Jose challenged Pedro 10 a figh
.
1 1 Th 1
il
· e auer readily accepted
thinking that he co Id
u eu Y beat the Calamba bo
b
'
smaller and younger
Y w o was
The two boys wrestled furiousl 111
. h
the glee of their cla~~motcs. Jo~ Y ~ e classroom, much to
wrestling fmm his athletic 7:11 M • ~vmg, learned the art of
For this feat he ·bee
'
anue defeated the bigger boy
•
ame popular among his classmnrcs
·
After the class in the afternoon
·
Salandanan challenged hi
• a c1bsma1e named Andres
wen, lo .a sadcwan. or a : ,u an darm-wrestling match They
ouse an wrestled with lhe1r arms,
Jose, ha,ing the wcalc
on the sidewalk
er arm, lu,t " nd oedrly crack,;d his head
In succeeding days h • h 3 d 01 h
.
c
er frghr, wllh the hoys of
. . f
l'_S nt)l quarrcl,ome 1-.v na1ure t>u1 he never ran
a\Jlay rom " f1gh1.
·
'
B1nan lie w ,
P1dnllng L<"-'ons In Dinan Near 1h ..
of an old paim~r called Jua ·
e s.: hool "as 1he house
'n~hu, who wa, lhc tn1hcr-111-ldw o f
the school tea •h • J
c er ose, lured by his lov, fo
•
many leisure hours 31 the painter's st d"0 '
painting, spent
gave him lesson~ 111 drawin
d
~ •
d Juancho freely
I
the ams11c talent of the c:i~;b:;~~ung. He was impressed by
o/
l2
Jose and his classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved
painting, became apprentices of the old painter They 1mpmved
their art, so that in due time they ~ came ~,he favori1e painters
of tbe class".
Dally Ufe ID BUian. Jose led a methodical life ,n Biilan,
almos1 Spa nan in simplicity. Such a hfe contributed much 10
his future developmcn1. It s1rengthencd his body and 10ul.
Speaking of his daily life in Bij\an, he recorded m hr
memoirs:'
Here was my life. I heard the four o'clock Mils.\ , if
there was any, or I Jtudted my les;wn a1 1ha1 hour and I
wcnl 10 Mass afteiwards I returned home and I wcn1 10
1he orchard co look for a mabolo to est. Then I took
breakfast, which consisted generally or a dish of rice and
iwo dried ,mall fuh. and I went 10 clas.\ rrom whkh I came
out at ten o'clock. I went home at once. If there was some
$f>Ccial cfulh, Leandro and I took .ome or 11 to the hou,e
or his children (which I nc, er did at home nor would I
ever do it). and l rc1urned without saytog a word. I ale
with them and afterwards I etudlcd, I went 10 school at two
and came out at five. I prayed a short while wirh '°me nice
cousins and I returned home. I studied my lesson. I drew
a little, and artcrwatds I 1001< my 1upp¢r conshtong uf on,
or' two dishes of rice with an ayungin. We prayed and 11
lhcrc was a moon, my nieces invited me 10 play in 1hc street
1ogcther whh othcn. Thank God that I never got ,ic~ away
from my parcnu
lat Stlldenl bl Sdlool. In academic studies. Jo,.,, beat nil
Bidan boys. He ~urpasscd them all in Spant~h, l..atin. and other
subjects.
Some of his older classmates were 1ealous of his ,n1ellcctual
superiority. They wickedly squealed 10 lhe teacher whenever
Jose had a fight outside the school, and even told lies 10 d1~crcd11
him before the teacher's eyes. Consequently the teacher had to
punish Jose. Thus Rizal said that ~in spite of the repu1auon I
bad of being a good boy, the day was unusual when I wa not
laid ou1 on a bench and given five or ~ix blows."'
Ead ol Blian Sc:hoolJnc. Before the Christma& se~n in
1870, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, inform
him ,,r lhc am,JI of the steamer Tal,m which would talc him
from 1311\an to Calamba Upon readina the letter, he bad a
;,rcmon111on 1ha1 he "-0uld not return to Binan, so that he became
-.aJ I Ir pra, ·cJ in the town church, collected pebbles in the
n,cr for ,<'u,cmr,, and regretfully bade fare"'ell 10 h,, teacher
nod dJssmatcs.
lie left Binan on Saturday afternoon. December 17, 1870,
after one )car and a half
schooling in that town He was
lhnlkJ 1<1 lake P·•~•agc un 1he ,teamer fa/1m, for II wu the
,,r
ft11,1 11m,· he cwr rode oo a .icamer On board was a Frenchman
named Arturo Campo, a fncnd of bu father, who rook care of
him
Ma, l)rdom of Gom•Bur-Za. On the n1gh1 of January 20
1872, .,hour ~no hhpmo 1old1cr, ,md v.orkmcn of the Cavit~
ar.rna! uno,•r the lcadcr\htp of I .amadr1d, F1hpmo q,raeant, rose
tn \lolcnt mutJny t>c,·au~ c,f the abolition of their usual privileges.
111clt1<h11M c,cmp11on from tnbute and polo (forced labor) by the
tt•aum11,lr) C,ovcrnur Rafael Jc 17qui~rJo Unfortunately this
Ca\ltc \1uuny was ,uppre«~eJ 1v.o da), Iller by troop reinforce•
mCJ>I~ lru\11 MJnil I~ Spannh 1uthon11es. ,n order 10 hqwdatc
fatht-,, \l.111 ,nn Cw,ncz, Jose Burgos, und Jacinto Zamora,
lcadc1' ol the ,c,ulur m.1vcmcnl 10 F1hp1niic the Philippine
par ,he,, .1nJ thc11 ,upportcrs (J~ Ma Bua, Attorneys Joaquin
l'.11'10 ..., I u•cra •nJ ,\nton,o Ma , Rc111dor. etc.) magnified the
failed n ut,ny into a 'rc,olt" for Ph1hpp1ne independence.
A,-cmJlnglv Onm-Bur•Zo (Gomez, Burgos, 1111d Zamora),
de..p11 ... th, archh1,hop's pica for clcmen,-,, bc<:ausc of their
1n110<.se..,.c. ~re executed at ,unnse, February 17. 18n, by order
Oou·111,11 General Izquierdo Their m11nyrdom was dccplv
mourn~d hy 1he R11.il family and many other patriotic families
1t1 !he l'h,hppmc~
01
l'ao.1nu. C"lfa~,J h\ the execuuon of Burgos, his beloved
ii'tend t,.•n,h<.'r dnJ houi,cm~te, gull h,, ,tud1cs at the College
of S~n Jo,r and rrturned 10 Calamba. where he told the heroic
stDr)' ul lluri;o, to
younger hrother Jose, "'ho was then nearly
tie""" v,•.1f'I ,,Id
h,,
1h, mart)rJom of Oom-Bur-Za m 111n truly in1pired Rizal
to h11l11 th,· evil, uf Spani,h tyranny and redeem his oppressed
}A
people. Seventeen yean later, in hi~ le!ter written In Paris, April
18, 1889, to Mariano Ponce , he ,aid:
Without 1872 there would nol be now either a Plandcl
or Jaena. or Sanoangco. nor would there cmt brave and
acnerous F,hplno colonies ,n £uropc; Without 1872 Rizal
would be a Je•u•I now and, ln>1ead of writing Nol, Mt
Tongttt. would have wnuen the opposite At the sl&ht or
11,ote ,n1u,ticc• and cruelt,u ,.,h,lc ltdl a cluld my 1rna11na•
t,on was awakened and I iv.ore to devote myself 10 avensc
one day so many victim, and w,lh this Idea In m111d I have
Ileen s1udyina, and thia can be read 1n all my works and
wnt,np God v.lll someday ,,.e me an oppomimty to carry
out my promise "
And later, m 1891, he dedicated his second novel, El Fil/bus•
1ulsmo, 10 Gom Bur-Za.
lJIJustk:e to Huo'• Moeller. Before June of 1872, tragedy
struck the R1Lal family. Do"• Teodora was suddenly arrested
on a malicious charge 1ha1 she and her brother, Jose Alberto ,
tned 10 pooon the laner·s perfidious wife Jose Alberto. a nch
Binan ilu,trado . had 1ust re1urned from a business tnp 1n Europe.
Dunna h1~ ablence his wife abandoned their ~ome and children.
When he arrived m Biilan, he found her hv11,1a w11h another
man lnfunated by her Infidelity, he planned to divorce her.
Doll• Teodora, 10 avert family scandal, penuadcd him 10 forpve
his wife The family trouble was amicably sen led. and Jose
Alberto lived again with his wi{e. However, the evil wifo, with
the c()nnivance of the Spanl5h lieutenant of the Guardia Civil,
filed a case in court acc:u1mg her hu\b&nd and Doila Teodora
of attcmptJng to poison her
Tots lieutenant happened to have an ax 10 grind against the
Rizal family. because at one time Don Francisco (Rlz.al's father)
rcfu-.cd 10 give him fodder for his horse Taking the opportunity
to a,cnge htm~lf. he arrested Don_
• Te~ora, with the help of
Calamha's gohrrnadorcillo, Antoruo V1vcnc,o del Rosario, a
menial or the fr1ars These two ungrateful men had been frequent
&ue,1• at the Rini home
After arrntmg Ooila Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutcn•
ant forced her 10 walk from Calamba to Santa Crui; (capital of
Laguna Province), a distance of 50 kllomcten. Upon arrival In
lS
, _ IIIZAL: LIPI. WOfllCI MD Wlll'lWIGI
Santa Cru_z, she was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where
she (ang~ushed for two years and a half until the Manila Ro al
Aud1tnaa (Supreme Court} acquitted her of the alleged crime. y
Riz ~e~u~tin~ this incidence of his mother's imprisonment
a sa,d in his student memoirs: "Our mother was un·ustl '
sna,ched a"'.ay from us and by whom? By some men wb~ ha~
been our fnends and whom we treated as honored guests We
learned
· aa
uum us and at
d
dlater that our mother got sick , far ,_
a vance . age. My mother was defended by Messrs. Francisco
de Marcaida and Manuel Marzan , the most famous lawyers of
Man,la. She fin_aUy succeeded to be acquitted and vindicated in
thhc eyes of her Judges, accusers, and even her enemies but after
ow long? After two and a hair years. •7
'
. . ... .
Chapter 4
Scholastic Triumphs at
Ateneo de Manila (1872-1877)
Four months after the mortyrdom of Gorn Bur Zu and wtth
Doiia Teodora still in prison, Jose. who had not yet relehratcd
his eleventh birthday, was sent to Manila. He studied m the
Atenco Municipal, a college under the supel" ,s,on of the Span"h
Jesuits. 1llis college was a bitter rival of the Domm,can-owncd
College of San Juan de Letran . It was formerly the Elrnd,1 1•,.,
(Charity School) a school for poor boys ,n ManilJ \\ hi<.:h wa,
established by the c:1ty government m 1817. Wh,:n the k,un,.
who bad been expelled from the Philippines m 176K. rcturned
to Manila in 1859, they were given the management of the
&cut/a Pia, whose name was changed to Atmto Mu111r1plll, :ind
later became the Ateneo de Manila They were splendid
educators, so that Ateneo acquired presiigc as an c,cdh!nt
oollcgc for boys.
Rizal Enters the Ateneo. On June 10, 1872 Jose. ,1e•,,1mpJn1ed
by Paciano, went to Manila He took the entrance cum m,11i 11n,
on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading al the ColkKC ot
San Juan de Letran , and passed them. He returned I<> Cal,,mb:,
to stay a few days with his family and to attend the In" n r,c,1.,
His father, who first wished him 10 stud) at Lc1r.in ch.111µc,I
his mind and decided 10 send him 10 Atcnco ins1c.1tl
Thus. upon his return to Mantia. Jose. a~ain .,cc,,,ur,111,nt
by Paciano, matriculat~d at the Atenco MunidpJI ,\t 111,1,
Father Magin Ferrando, who was the college rcr1,1r,11 rdu,cJ
to admit him for two reasons: (J) he wa, late Im rcci,1n, 1iu11
and (2) be was sickly and undersized for his age . R11.,1I w:i, 1hcn
eleven years old. Huwevcr. upon the intcrcc~slon o l MJnuel
27
Xuez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly
admitted at 1he Ateneo.
Jo;i«' was the first ~r his family to adopt the surname "Rizal. ..
He registered under this name at the Ateneo because their family
name ~~ercado" had come under the suspicion of 1he Spanish
au1hon11es. Paciano had used "Mercado" as his surname at the
College of Son Jo'le and he was known 10 the au1honties as
Father Burgos' favorite studenr and confidant.
Ar the time Jose studied in the Ateneo, 1his collcae w~s
located i_n Intramuros, wnhin the walls of Manila. He first
~arded, in a hou~e oursidt ln1ramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25
minute~ walk from the colleae. This hoarding house was owned
by a spinster named T1tay who owed the Rizal family the amount
of P300 Jose boarded wnh her in order 10 collect pan of 1he debt.
Jesuit System of Education. The system of education given
by the Jesuits ,_n lhe Ateneo was more advanced than that of
other college~ in. 1ha1. period. It trained the character of rhe
st
ud~nt by ng1d d1sophne and religious instruction. rt promoted
physical_ culture. hum~nitics, and scientific studies. Aside from
academic co~rscs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts it
offered vo~a11onal courses in agriculture, commerce. mcch
a.n d surveying.
an cs,
i
:he _\luden'.s heard ~as\ in the morning before the beginning
.o~ the du1ly clas• Cli1,scs in every subject were opened and closed
wnh prayers
. S1u.~cn1, were divide(! intn two groups, namely· the "Roman
Empire c~n~1sung of the lmnnns (hoarders) and the "C~nhagi•
man Empire_ uimposeJ of the urnnos (non-boarders). Each
of these empm,s hod its r3nks The best ,1udenr in each ".:mpl rc•
was rhe emperor; 1he second be\l, the tribune; the third bc~l
ihe dccuno11; the fourth best, the cenrurion; and the fifth b '
the sra~~ard-bcarcr. Within the "empire", the studcnrs fou:;
~or P?S''.,1ons. Any student could challenge any officer 10 his
empire ro ~nswe~ questions on the day's lesson. His opponent
could lo~ h,s pos111on if he committed three mistakes. An
Sluden1 m,~h_t be at the end of the line, but if he studied har~
and was bnll1ant, he could depose the officers one after another
and become an emperor.
28
The two groups, "Roman Empire• and "Carthaginian
Empire," were in constant competition for supremacy in the
class. They bad their distinctive banners: red for the Romans
arid blue for the Carthaginians. At the beginning of the school
tenn, both banners were used equally in the classroom. "Upon
the first defeat . the banner of the losing party was transferred
to the left side of the room. Upon the second, it was placed in
an inferior position on the ngh1 side. Upon the third, the inclined
nag was placcd o n the left Upon the fourth, the Oag was revencd
and returned 10 the right. Upon the fifth, the reversed flag was
placed on the left. Upon the Sutth, the banner was changed with
a figure of a donkey." 1
The Atenco students in Rizal'~ time wore a uni(onn which
consi$ted of "hemp-fabric trousers" and -striped cotton coat."
The coat material was called rayad,Uo, which later became famous
for it was .idopu:d .is rhe uniform for Filipino rroops during the
days of rhc First Philippine Republic.
Rlul's First \'ur In At~MO (1871-73). On his first day of
class in the Atcneo, in June. 1872. Rixal first heard Mass at the
college chapel and prayed fervently to God for guidance and
success When the Mass was finished. he went to h,s class, where
he saw a grcar number of boys, Spaniards, meni~O\ ond Filipinos.
Rixal's first profcs~or in the Are ne<> was Fr. Jose Bech.
whom he described as a - ,an, thin man , with a body slightly
bent forward. a harried walk. an ascetic face, severe and im,pired,
smull deep-sunken ")L°', o ,harp 09'( 1hot wos nlmosr Greek,
and 1hm lip<, form mg an arc whose ends fell 1owarcl the chm. '" 1
B~mit a newcomer and knowing little Span:sh. Rizal wa~
placed al 1he bou om of rhc class. He was an exu!rno, hence he
wu~ assigned m the Carthaginians, occupying the cnu of the line.
Af1cr the first week, the frail Calamba ooy progr\l$,Cd
rapidly At the end of the month, he t,ecame -emperor' . He
was the brighrest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded
a pnle. "How pleased I was," he said, "when ·1 won my first
prize, a religious picture!") He was proud of it because it was
the first prize he ever won at the Aleneo.
T o improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa
Isabel C•)llcgc during the noon recesses, when other Ateneo
2')
-
IIIIZAL: U•I, WOIIID ANO-ITINOS
studeots w~ playtng or gossipuig. He paid three pe$OS for those
extra Spa.nish lessons, but it was money well spent.
In the 5eeond half of his tint year 111 the Ateneo Rizal did
oot try h~rd enough to retain Ins academic supremac; which he
held dunng !he fim half of lbe term This
.___
d
·
was ~use be
resente some remarb or his professor. He placed second at
the . end of the year, although all his grades were still marked
"E.Jrcellent"
SulDfflft' Vaatloe (1873). At the end of the school year ,n
March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calarnba for summer .,acation.
He ~•d n~t particularly enJOy Ins 'lllcatioo because his mother
was m P~soo :ro cbcer hi?1 up, lus sister Nencng (Saturnina)
brought barn to Ta°:awan wtth her. Thi, did not cure his melancholy W1thou1 telling his fatbcr, he wem to Santa Crux and
\'lSttcd hB mother in prison . He told her of htS brilliant grades
at the Atenco. She gladly embraced her favorite son
When the summer vacation ended, Riial returned to Manila
!or. lus second year term in the A teneo Th:; t1me he boarded
msidr ln~ramur~ a1 No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was
an old wido"' named Dona Pepay, who had a widowed daughter
and four sons.
Sttood Year in Awoeo (1873-74). Nothing unusual hap-ncd
lo Rizal dunng
r- be
. 1w. second Ierm m the Ateneo, except that
repented havrng neglected has studies the prc~ious year simply
~cause he was offen_ded by the teacher's remarks. So, to regain
has los1 etas~ leadership . he sludied harder Once m
h '-·•
"emperor'
ore e ,..,came
Some of ~1& clMSmales were ne,.,. Among them were three
bo)& from Sm.in who had been hi, cla&,matc, ,n the ""hoot ol
Maestro Jus11111ano.
Al the end of 1bc school year Rital re~c,ved cxcellcnr grade,
m all subJeCb and a gold medal W11h ~uch :.cholaslic hono~he tnumphantly returned 10 CaiJmba m Mardi, 1!!74 lor lhe
summer vacation
Prophecy of \1other's R~leasc,. Rizal 10,1 no 1,me m going
ro Sama Cruz m or~er to visit h,s m<>thcr m 1be provincial jail
He cheered up Dona Teodora's lonely heart with news of hts
30
a::holastic triumphs in Ateoeo and with funny talcs aboul his
professors and fellow s1udents The mother was very happy h>
know that her favorile child was making such splendid progress
iD c:ollege.
In tbc course of their conversation, Dona Teodora !old her
son of her dream the pt"evious rugbt. Rizal , 1ntcrprcriog the
dream, told her that she would be released fro m prison in 1hree
month's time. Dona Teodora smiled, thinking that her son's
prophecy was a mere boyish auempl to console her.
Bui Riz.al's prophecy became true. Barel) three mon1hs
paased, and suddenly Doi\a Teodora was set free By tha1 lime.
Rizal was already in Manila al1ending his classes at the Ateneo.
Doila Teodora, happily back in Calamba, "'-as even more
proud of her son Jose whom she Wi:ened to the youthful Joseph
in the Bible in his ability 10 mrerprel dreams.
T - . IJll~rat la Rtadlng. ll was dunng rhe summer
vacauon' in 1874 in Calamba when Rizal began 10 lake interest
in reading romantic novels As a nonnal teenager, he became
illtercsled m love stones and romantic tales.
The first favonte novel of Rizal was The Count of Mont~
Cristo by Alexander Dumas. This lhrilling novel made a deep
impre~sion on him His boyish imagination wu stirred -by the
sufferings of Edmond Dan1cs (the hero) in pnson, his spcetacular
cacapc from the dungeon of Chateau d'lf: his finding a buried
treuure on the rocky island of Monie Cristo, and his dramatic
revenge on his enemi~ who bad wronged him
Rizal read numerous other romantic no~-cls wirh deep
interest. The reading habit helped to ennch lus fecund mind.
As a voraciou.. reader, be read not only fiction, but al,-o
non-fiet1on. He persuaded bis father 10 buy him n cmll) wt or
Cesar Can1u's historical work enlitled Univer<al History According to Raal, this valuable work wai. of greal a1J in his studies
and enabled 1nm to w111 more pnzes 1n Atcneo
Later Rizal read Trav~u in the Phil,pp,nts by Dr. Feodor
Jagor, a German saen11s1-1raveler who visited !he Philippines in
1859-1860. What impressed him in 1h1s book were (I) Jagor's
lr.ccn obscrvauons of the defects of Spanish colonization and (2)
H
bis prophecy lhat someday Spam would lote the Pb.dippnes and
that America would come 10 1uccced her as coloniz.er
Tluri Year la A - (1174-75). In June 1874, Rtz.al returned
to lhe Atenco foT h.. 1unior year Shortly after the openin1 of
classes, Im mother amved ud joyously told him that she wu
releued from pruon, Just u he had prccbcted dunn1 his last
vis11 to her pruon ctll 1n S.lnta Cruz, Laauna He wu happy,
of CO\IJ1e, to sec his mother once more a free ...,oman
However, de1tpi1c the family happir,e+o.. Rtul d,d not make
an excellent sbowmg m his uodlo u ID the previous year. His
gr.odes rt"mained c~c.,Ucnt 1n all subJCCts. but be: won only one
medal - ,n Latin He failed to"''" the medal ID ~n,.Ji bcca.w.e
ht) spoken Spanl>h ,us not fluently sonorous He wu beaten
by • Spaniard ..,ho, naturally, could speak. SpaJU>h wttb fluency
and with "lhl acx,cn11Mt1on
Al the end or the lehool year (M arch 1875). Riz.al returned
10 Cal:amba for the summer vacation He binuclf was not impres~d by h" schol.utlc ,.ork.
was extremely happy. for he ""85 able to repay his •father
somewbat for his sacnfi~".
I.Mt Year I• Atl'IICO (1176-771- After t.bc summer vaca11on,
Ra.at returned 10 Manila in Jun< llf7(, for h•~ la,1 year m the
Atenco Hi,- -.1ud1u <1n11nucd tv IJrc ... 11 A· , m~ncr-of fa~.
he exl-elled ,n all $Uhjec1'. The most bnlhant Atenean of his
1,me, he was trul) · the pudc or the Jc-..in,
,
Rial fin"hed hi\ la,., year at 1he, Atenec> ma blue of glory
He ohc•incd the h1~hc,1 srld.: n ••' ,ut,, 'Cl\ - ph,lo,,. ,rhy •
physia., t>ioloSY, chcm1,tl'), lan,...,tge, , mmcralogi, , etc.
"""°"·
Gnd.atiaa with H"~
Rizal sraduatcd at the
head of bis dass. H,~ scholauic rr..ord!. al t.bc Ateneo from tt3n
10 187' "'ere n follow,
1871-1873
Anlhrvtic
Laun I ••• •••
'li-,,1.h I • ,
Fo.,rtJ, Year In Ateao ( 1875-76). After a refreshing and
happy ,ummer vacauun, Rizal went back to Marula fo r lus fourth
year course On June 16, 1875, t,., bcume an 1ntcmo ID the
Atcneo. One of his profcsso11 th•• time was Fr Franasco de
PoulA Sanchez a great educator and scholar He inspucd the
)Oung Riz.al to 1udy harder and 10 "'nte poetry He became an
admirer and friend of the <lender Calamha lad, wbosc God-given
gcMI, he Yw and re<X'fflaed On h1< part Rizal had the highcsl
affecuvn ,md re peel fur Father Sanchc7, whom he considered
his bel.1 profe~',(lr in the Atenc:o
Greek I •••.
In his 1udcn1 memoirs, R,ul wrote or Father Saochet m
glowins terms , ~ho,. 111g bis affection and 1ra111ud< lie descnbcd
thi< Jc.un pml= a. "model of upnghtness, camc5tness, and
love for the advancctncnt of hlS pup,ls" •
!.pan1sh 3 ••
Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studJCS with
vigor and test. tic topped all h1l> claS$m1&1cs in all WbJCCU and
won 6n mcdali at th- end of the 1o:hool term He returned 10
Calamba for hi. summer vacauon (March 1876) and proudly
offered his 6ve mcdab and eKeUcnt rauogs to has parents. He
32
111.l-1174
• 1- tcellcnt
Laun 1 ..... -·· · .•.. ..
'lpamJI 2 •
GtteL 2
. •... • ..
Un,vu~I ~oSrarhY
•••• E,ia:llcnl
Lahn ) .
• ... • •
•
GrccL l
.
Un,vc=I Hmory
Hi>1ory of Spam ai,d u,e P'dhpp,nn
Arithmetic ~ Algtbra
117~117•
Rhc1onc A Poe.tr)' ....
Fttn..-t, I . , •••••••
~,n,cuy A Tn, ■pc,,nt11,,,_octrJ •• • ••
.... Exccllelll
••
ll76-lffl
::::~ya:
Ph,lolophy I
•..........-Y 2
Ph
"
· ............. · .... E1ccllc111
ChemtStry ...... ............... . .
•.
····~·· .. , o. --~··•····· •
)'IICI • ••.•
,. ,.
Botany
Zoo..._
..
"'aJ
.. . .. .. ... .. •...................
••••••••U•••••••••••• •••n ooo••••• •
On Commencement Day March 23 1877
.
16 }'Cllrl old received f
h.'
•
• Rizal who1"as
lhe de,rcc ~f
Aa Alma ~tcr, Ateneo Mun,c p,.1 .
proud da for lus fam
JU, 'tlllh highest hono" It wa~ 4
mcnccmc~t Da w ily_. But to Rizal. like all graduates, Com•
with
.
y as a ttmc of btttct swcctnes. a ,oy mellowed
the :i:~an;;rmi~ mght before sraduauon. his 1ru., night at
morrun gthe da '("' be could not sleep Early the follow101!
cha
g.
Y0 graduation, he prayed fervently at the 11
pcl and "commetidcd my 1,J •
he
._.., ege
that when 1 should st .
c, as
S&KI, .. ,o the Virgin so
., much terror _,._ C!'._'.!1JO that world, wluch ,n~p1rcd me with
• Wuwu protect me•
Extn-Canicum Adlvlda la AleMO ·
~m•c tnurnphs, Wlb not a mer
. Rizal unsurpa,.ed in
m extra-curricular activities A • e boo~.worm He "as active
be was a campus leader out~ emperor ,ns1Jc: the. clii..-.:.roolft
later secretary, of a religious side. He was an aC1NC member
He was ac(1CJ)led
soaciy • the Manan Cungrc11a11on
o f his academic b~'-mcmbcr of th1s sodah1y oot onl) tx·cau<,e
uwancc but also because f h' d
·
Our Lady of the lmmac:ula C
. o 1s n,,11 ,n 1,,
Rizal
member ~eth
the college patrnnes\
01
0
and the Academy of Nat rat ~
Y Spanish utcra1ure
exclll$1ve societies ' th uA
ncci. TheliC ".ocadcm1c<." ,.,ere
were gifted ,n liter:ur/ dtenco , to wluch onl) Ate nun, wh<'
ship.
an seicnccs could quabry for member
Bacbclorr:7
was also a
on:=·
Sanchez
In his le,sure
hours Riul cutllvate
·
d his
. literary talent unJcr
the guidance
of Father
Vilaclara advised lum l
. Another profc...ior Fatl,<"r Jo,c
1
pay mor~ attention
~ ; ::m~ru;g with the Muse\ and
10
and natural sciences Rizal did
• u ses, such .. pluJo\Oph)
to sobdt Father ~ •
not h~ed hi\ advice He conunu,·d
.
CZ s help m unpro"ing h,s poctn
AsideHefrom
wriung. poc'"'
.1.ns
<l died
-, • he d evoted his sp~re · 11mc 10
u
pa,nung under the famous Span1>h painter•
...
Aptm Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesu~ noted
Filipino ICUlptor. Both art ro»tc" honored him ,.,th 1hc1r affec•
lion, for he was a talented pupil
Furthennore, Rual, to develop hi, weal body. engaged 1n
1)'11\NStics and fencina . He thereby contmued the ph)"o;ical tnin·
ina be began under has sporu-m,ndcd T,o Manuel.
Sclllpbiial Wcwb la,. _ _ Rizal ,mprcss.:d h,, Jesuit professors in the Atcneo with his arusu.; I.kill One eta, he carved
an image of The Vir11n Mary on a pi«c ,,f t,,,l1l<ulmi; (Ph1hl'('inc
bardwOod) with hss pocltet•knife. The Jesuit fathf'rs were amazed
at the beauty and grace of the amage,
Father Ueonan , unpressed b) Riul's $CUlptural t.tknt,
requested him 10 carve for him an ,mace of the Sacred Hean
of Jesus . Youns Rini complied, and within a {C" ,lays he
presented it to Father Ueonart .• The old J~u•t wa> lughly
pleased and prof1ACly thanked the teenage sculptor lk mtelklcd
to take the ,mace w,th him 10 Spain, hut, being an abi.cn1,m,nded
profCS50r, he forgot 10 do so The Atcnco boarding $tudcnts
placed 11 on the door of their donrutol'), and 1herc 11 remained
for many years, reminding all AtencaM of Dr R11al the great..-~
alumnus of their Alma Maier. ThlS image played a significant
part in Rinl's last hour!' at Fon Santiago
Aae,tdotes . . Rbal. Uw A u -• One ot Rizal', •·tm1cmporancs ,n the Ateneu was l'cl\X M Rcixn~ Ile related an
,naJcnt of Rizal'~ 1thooldavs 10 the Al nco ... hid, ,c:,cat~ the
hero's rei.1gnauon tl• pain n~d forgwcnc , On d!I) m:1n, ,\1eneans, including R izal, .. ere s1udy1nt, th<:1r lesson< IH the ,tu.l• ball T""o Atenea.m,. Manzano nd 1.c-,, ,ca qi..1rrc cd ~nd •1<►
ltntly hurled books at e;ich 01hcr Riul, "111 wa, husy , I 111\
d~lt ponna o,c, hl5 lesse>n> , ,.~, h,t in the lace I>) one ol th.,
thrown boolt.s He d,d not ra1<,e " CQ <>I pro1c,1 .,llhuugh h"
wounded face: "u bleeding 111» da.,,,mJlC bro •~ht him 10 th.:
infirmary where be bad 10 unJcrgo mcd1,al 11< tm<" t Im sc\l'r.11
da)·S After the incident. he cunt,nued to au.. nd h,< cbs,..-,.
(eehng ne11.hcr b,ucrlld'> nor rancor ww:uili the iu1lt) ('JII\ '
Another an~do•~· un 1(11.ol the At~nc.10 v.11, 1cl,111:d b ~
Manuel Xere, Bur go,., in "'hMC holbC Rwil ho;mlcd "1l<ntl,
before he became an antcrno 1n the Atenco 1 h1, a necdvte
3S
..,_IIIZ41. Ll'1, WOIIU _ __
•~us1ra1C1 Riul '• prcd1lec11on 10 help the helpless at the nsk of
h11 o-..n hfc One Thurtday a fternoon , being vacatfon day. the
hoy< new thc,r kites fro m Lhc azote a Yo ung Rizal then was
bu5y rcadmj,l a C.panosh book of fables at the window After a
whole he h, rd Juloo Me hu from Hodo, o ne o f the ~•llcst
l>oardc~. crying - becau'IC h" lute wa, ca ught b y the Vines
gro11,,ng on the belfry of the Manila cathed ral which was near
the ""•:ding-house. The bagger boy, were laughing , making fun
of Juhu_, m1\for1unc Rue l closed the book he was reading and
told Juho not to cry, for he wo uld try to retrieve the kite T rue
to his prom,~ he courageou$1y climbed the high cathedral towe r
anJ u,« ,fully rero,cred the lute.•
ln 1876, Rizal wrote poems oo various topics - rdigion,
education, childhood memories, and war. They were as follo<NI:
Un RtaU!rdo o Ml Pwblo (ln MemofY of My ToW11)
A 1mdcr poem ,n honor or Calambe , the hero's aaul
town
2. A/..,,.u, lntuno Entrt /11 R,t,,;.orr y Ill Bwria A,t......,i/1,,
(Intimate Alliance Between RebaJon and Good F.duc:a
lion)
3 l'or /11 Eduuo6n Rt~ Lu.ttn i. POlrla (Throup
F.ducatioo the Country Recc,,,cs LiaJ,t)
4.
£1 C."""mo y d TnUttfo.· s.u,/J• tk U.CtM y l'nJiolt
de Bollbdil (The Captiv,ty and the Tnumph: Battle of
Lucena and the lmpriAOnmenl of Boabdil). This IIW'II~
p0em dcscribc1 the defeat and capture of Boabdil, 1M1
Moorish sultan of Granada.
S.
t.,, &tr/JIM TnUttfol tl.t lo, &ya CMOUUJ.,. G,.,..,.
(The Tnumphal Entry of lbe Cathohc Monarclll iltCO
PO«"ms Wrlttea In Ateneo. h was D o/la T eodo ra who first
d1scovcr~d the poet,c., I gcniu• of he r t.On, a nd it wos also she
wbo fir..t encouraged him 10 write poems I lowever. 11 wa, Father
Sanchei "'ho inspired R12a l to ma.Ice full u'IC of his God-pven
g'.f' 1n J)C>c:try and 1mpro\Cd the latters poetical an by o pcru111
bu mind 10 the ennchm11 ,nnuence o f the "'o rld's b teratu re.
The fi r<il poem R u.al probubly wnnc dunng hts day, in the
Atenco wa\ M, Primera lru ptraci611 ( M y First Inspiration) which
wa\ dcdil-atcd 10 his mother o n her binhday It 1s said 1ha1 he
wrote 11 hcfure he "'•~ 14 ycM~ o ld . that i.s. 1n the year 1874
Befo re this year he did not wn te J'Oe tr)' becau,e there wa. gloom
,n h1, heart owing 10 h is mo ther's 1mp n <.nnme n1 U po n the
rclc~,, uf his mother 111 11!74, his poetic hcAn began 10 ~rng
w11h l'l~l,1<y :in,I joy.
In 1~7~ 111.<r11rcd h, f illher Sanchu. he ,oro1c more poem\.
" • Uc. h
Frlirtt<k um ( Frhr1ta1,c,,o)
2
Granada). This poem relates the victonous entry of Kina
Ferdinand and Queen Isabel into Granada, last Moorish
\lronghold ,n Spain
A year later. 1n 1877, he wrote more poems. It NI bit
yea• ,n the Ateneo. Among the poems written that year were;
I. £/ Htroumo tit Co/6rr ("The Hero11m of ColWBb,.) .
This poem prailCI Columbus, the dl1e0vercr of America.
l . C61on y /"411 II (Columbus and John II). This poem
rclAtea how K1n1 Johll ll of Ponupl - . t bat ad
ncbcs by 1us failure to finance the PfO!Cded wpedit>011
of Columbus 10 the New World
).
Gnu, Consialo ~" l,i M11yor DudicM (O?eai Solac,c ••
Orea! Mlsronune). This is a le&end In vene of the trtp:
Ufe of Columbus)
4
Un D,&,go A l""'''" ' lo Dapt"'4tl tk lo1 Col,p,IG (A
Farewell Dwoaue of the Studcotl). TIIIS wa tile lall
I / 1-rnl•flrqu,. lfim1111 o lo Flota dt Mogallants. (Tho
ner,murr lhmn III Magellan'•~,.,, )
3
I F:, f. rpa,io/ Flco'ICI, ti l'rim,ro tn dor Ill Vwlu, o/
..,,.,.Jo(And He Span11h Elcano, the Firs, to Circum•
is
t1•"11•1e the \\orld)
-1
f·I <'omba,r Urbwundo, Ttrror dt Jolo (The Battle:
Urhor1nndo, Terror of Jolo)
potm wrinen by Rizal in Atcnco; 11 11 a po,p,ant .,.-
of farewell 10 1us claumatcs
" M1 F1nl ~- 1 I adoa." It wu moat finin& that the fin:
poem written by Rizal u an Atenean ihou.ld be about bis bc-low:d
,,
.,._ ll1%AL1 Llfl, WOIIQ AHD WIIITINCla
mother: In ~s ~ • he felicitates his mother on her birthday,
expressing his filtal affection 1n sonorou~ verses. It runs as fol•
lows:9
MY fflll,'T INSPtltATION
Why do the scented bower,
In fragrant tray
Rival each Nhcr·, Oowcrs
This fesdv«e day?
Why •• •wcct melody bruited
In the sylvan dale,
Hannony sweet and Outed
Like the nighhnplc?
Why do the birds sing so
In the tender grn.,
Flitting from bough 10 bough
Wnh the winds 1ha1 pass?
And why docs the cry~lal spnni
Run among the Oowcrs
While lullabv icphyn sing
Like its crystal showers?
I see the dawn in the Easl
With beau1y endowed.
Why goes she 10 a fca~I
In a carmine cloud?
Swcc1 mother, they cclcbraic
Your naial day
The rose with her scc,m innate
'
The bird wi1h h1' lay
•
The murmurous spnn~ llus day
Without alloy,
Murmunng bids you always
To live in Joy.
While the cry~talline murmur, glisten
Hear you the acccni. ,1rong
'
Struck from my lyn:, li~t•n!
To my love's first song.
Schol. .lc T••-· A l · - · de Menll•. 118» 1882)
Rlzal's PoeDS on Eclucadolt. Although R izal was merely a
teenager, he had a very high regard for education. He believed
in the significant role which education plays in the progress and
10
welfare of a nation. Thus be stated in his poem:
THROUGH EDUCATION OUR MOTHERLAND
RECEIVF.S LIGHT
The vital bruth of prudent Education
Instills a virtue of enchanting power;
She lifts the motherland 10 highest station
And endless dattllng glories on ber shower.
And as the uphyr'1 gentle exhala1ion
Revives the matrix of the fragrant flower,
So education multiplies her gifts o r grace,
With prudent hand imparts 1hem 10 the human race
For her a mortal man w,11 gladl~ part
With all he has; will give his calm repose;
For her arc born all .sciences and all art~.
That brews of men with Inure I fau cnclo>C,
As from the \owering mountain's lofty heart
The purest current or the streamlet nows.
So education withou1 stint or measure gives
Security and peace to lands in which she lives
Where education reigns on lofty scat
Youth blossoms ronh with vigor and agility;
His error subjugates with solid feet,
And is exalted by conceptions or nobility,
She breaks 1he neck of vice and its deceit;
Black aimc turns pale at Her h0$dhty;
The barbarous na1ions She knows how to lame,
From savages create heroic fame.
And as the apnng doth sustenan,:e beMow
On all the plants, on bU$hes in the mead.
Its placid plenty gou 10 overOow
And endlessly with lavish love to recd
The banks by which it wanders, gliding slow.
Supplying beauteous nature's c_vtry need
So he who prudent Education 1116,lh procu(e
The towering heights of honot ~I secure.
°""
F.i.. bps the wmeraysQI ,-re,
Of perfea ""'"" llwl not cease 10 . ,.
W-a careful dodnnrs of lui farda tn.de turc,
The ~ n or nd be Will o,,erthrow.
Like feamiQI wavea that never Inna endure,
Bill perilb . . the sbore at cvc:ry blow:
Aod froffl hia good cunaple other men mall learn
Thar upward 11q11 &award rbc bc.a•c.aly paths to tum
Wi..,n the breasa or wretd\ed hlmlanlond
She bpi. the livu,1 na,nr of 100dnea bnaht.
Tbe haadl ol lielttsl t•mn,nal d<>lh bind,
And If! the&e hru.,Lt, will ,urdy pour deba)it •
Whidt tttlt be r m,u,c bcadi" to find.
~ S0<1ls Sbe aets anamr w,th love or nah1,
nu.1 p-.cs to hre ,ts A1resr como!Jttton
AA<! as tlilc m1abty rock aloft may IO'ftr
Abcwe the cznter or the
,m,, dctp
le scorn o( /llonn, or ficr« Sou'•cstcr's powrr
Or hrry of the waves 1h11 ragma sweep,
Until, their rint mad b.atttJ, s.pent. Ibey cower
Aad , I.Ired at last r.ubotde ond fall ..lttp, So he that taltcs ,.~ Education by the haod,
lrmnablc t.hall guide thc rrrgn, or motherland .
OIi aapphircs Iha.II h11 sen,ce be cna~d.
A lh<-..d ~ • to lum by b11 land be a,anud,
F« 1n thc,r bolom,, will h.. noble sons have aa.-ed
laaulUJlt ~ n bos transplanted,
And by the love of go..dneu c-cr laved
Tbc lords and eo,,cmon ... ,n ICC implanted
l'o enJlcss day• the Chnshan Eclucati...
W-oth,n tncu noble fardl el'fapturc;d nalJOn,
And b ,n early mormng "'c behold
11,c ruby ""' rour for1h re rlclldcn& rays.
And lovely dawn her scarlet and her golJ,
I lc:r bnllu,m cokin all abour her sprays.
So uolllul noble 1 uch,na doth Wlfold
To lmna rrandt. the JOY or v,nuous -.ays
She ofr.n our <kar motbc/land the l1abt
That lead. at to 1m!ll<lrtil glory'., hc1abt
.,.... lnrimatt ,41/,anrl' s ..rw,m Rl'ligion
I n annt h er poem . .,,..
of Ii
d Good Educarwn, Rizal showed the impoT1anoc
re pon
an d
To him cdocatmn ,. llh-Oul God tS nol IN\." etluca111 c ucauon
•
11
1100 Thus. he said ,n hrs poem
THE INTIMATE Al U A'ICE BETWUN
llEUC IO"' A1"'D COOO EDllC~TION
As the chmb1ng ivy o,cr lefty elm
Cree~ tortuously• togclher tbe adornment
Of 1he verd.lnt plain' cmlx-lh,h1ng
Ekh other and toecther 11'°""'"1 •
But should the kindly elm re~ IIJ ard
The •"Y "'ould impotent and lncndkss wit~.cr
So ;, Educauon to Rehg,on
By •pmtual alluncc bound
Throuah Religion , Educauon pins r<i!O"'n
Woe to the ,mp,ous mind that bhndlv -rum•ng
The "'l)'Cnl teachtnp ol Rdipon, dus
Unrolluted fountain-head lonakc,
""°
.-.. the :,pruut, gra-1ng from the pompous "'""•
Pruudl) offcn u, 11> hon.:)ed du,tcr.
While the cenerous and 10-,ne ,,rmcnt
Fcctb 11t roots, IO the Crc..,·n1111 ,. ..te,.
Of c:clc.11&1 vinu,c 11•e ne• 1trc
To EducattOII INC, shedd1na
On ,1 .. amuh and bp, bccalliC of t~cm
•
The vine smells ,wcct and pv.,. dchc,ous rru,1
Without Rcbgiun , Human Education
1, hl..c unt,> a ,cucl struck by w,ntb
Wh-.:h , sore bc,ct, IS of IIS helm depnved
By 1hr ro3 nng blo"'s and buffet> of the d1ad
1 cm~•- Boru, •ho focrcrly wield\
Hi~ power un11I he proudly sends her down
Into the d,:cp ~b)>k• of the ""gtrcJ lel
•s the hca•en·s de,. the meadow teed> and. ~trcngthens
no,.c,s all the eanh
f.mbruid.:t 1n the dayt of <pnna, SO •Ito
H R~bg,on holy nuunshcs
Educ1110n "'"h us doctnnes, she
So th.it hloom1ng
41
°"-de Work ID Ai-o. Wlulc Ru.a.I wa~ still a studrnt
Shall wallc in JOY and generoaty
at the Ateneo, his ravorite teacher. Father Sanchez, requcsi~d
Toward the Good, and everywhere bestrew
'The fnierant and luxuriant fnlirs of Virtue
him to write a drama based on the prose story of St Fu,tace
Jlbal•,. lteilpo111 ~
· During his student days Rizal
expressed his d~votron 10 his Catholk faith in melodious poetry.
One or the religious poems he wrote was a brier ode coutled
Al Nino Jaus (To the Child Jesus) It is as follows: 12
TO 111B CHU.O JES1JS
How, God-child hast Tbou come
To utth 11'1 cave forlorn?
Docs Fortune naw deride 'Thee
When Tbou art scarcely bom'
Ah, - ! ~lcst1al King,
Who mor1al Crom dost keep
WoutJ,'t rather than be Sovereign
Be Shepherd of Thy Sheep?
This poem was wriuen in 187S when he was 14 years old
Another religious poem which he wrote was entitled A La
Vugen Maria (To the Virgin Mary). This poem is undated, 50
1h_a1 we do not know exactly when II was wnuen. Probabl
Rizal wrote it after his ode to the Oiild Jesus. It runs as follows: 1
r,
TO THE VIRGIN MARY
Dear Mary, g,vin11 com/on and ,,.eet peace
To all afflicted moruth: thou 1he spring
Whence Dows a current o( relief, 10 bnng
Our IOII ren1b1y thal does not CCI.SC;
Upon thy throne, where thou dest reign on high
·
Oh, bt' with pity as I weeful grieve
And <pread thy radiant mantle 10 rece,vc
My voice ,.,hich rises swiftly to the sky
Placid Mary . thou my mother dear.
My sustenance. m, fonitu<le mu>t be,
And m 1his fearsome sea my way must ~teer
Ir dcpnvauon comes 10 buffet me,
And if jnm cle•th m agony draws near,
Ob. succor me. Crom aogwsh set me free.
the Manyr. During the summer vacattnn of 1871> "ie wr.,,c the
requcs1ed religious drama in poelic verses at his home 1n < 1.1mha
and finished it o n J une 2, 1876
Upon the ope.rung o r c!~s at 1he Atenco in Jun<' l'-71>
his last academic year at the Jesw1 college - he ,ut>m1t1ed h•
Father Sanchez the finished manU>Cnpt of the drama <0n111kd
San Eustac,o, Manir (SI. Eusuicc, 1he Manyr) The ~ood rn.st
teacher read it and relicitated the young Atcnean for w,,rl "'ell
done.
Finl Roman~ of Rizal . Shortt) allcr his J!rJd u ""
the Ateneo. Rizal, who was th.:n sixteen ~ear. oW . "'1" n, ,J
bis first romance - "lhat painful c•1•cncnu: v. l:1d1 , , , 1
nearly all adolescents~ The girl ""' S.-~undi, Kahfb,,~
,1
fourteen-year old Batangueiia from I ,pa In R11al', " " ,, , r,
"She ,,,as rather short. with e,es that wne do-1uer t "" , k,
at times and langu1J at others
d,c~k I "'"
1
and provocati,e smile that revcalcJ vcr. tx-,111 1 ful
the air ofa sylph: her enlire self diffusea a m\·,t,·nuu, di.ttm •
ru,·
One Sunday Rizal visited hi,, maternal ~ranJ111uth, 1 ,h
lived in Trozo, Manila. He was accomp.1n1cd b) lu, rnnJ
Mariano Katigbak His old grendmothc· ·" 1, .. fro,
• 11
Katigbak family of Lipa. When he reached h1> grJndmothn ,
holl5C, he saw other guests. One of whom -N~ an Jttrav :, c .:.11 l
who mystenowly caused his heart to palpuatc w11h •tr.,n~,ccstasy. She was the sister of his mend Mariann. and her n.,m,
was Scgunda.
His grandmother's guests. who were mostly C<>llcgc ,1udcnt,.
knew of his slull ,n painttng. so that they urged hun , JrJ"'
Scgunda's portrait He complied reluctantly and m.idc - p.:n,·1
sketch o f her. ttfrom time to time." he rem1m,ccd later ",he
looked at me. and I blushed . ttlS
Rual came to know Scgunda more mumatd~ ,lur ni: h1,
weekly visits to La Concordia College. "'here h" "''"' Ohmp,a
was a boarding student Olimpia v.as a close fricnJ ,,t ~,i:undJ
It .was appuent that Rizal and Segunda loved ca..:h ,,1h,·r Their,
wu mdeed •a love al fint agbt". But it was bopdcts since the
very bcpnina bccaUIC Scl'fflda WU a1rady c11pp to be married to her townmate, Manuel Luz Rizal, for all his artislJC and
intellc::ro&al prowes1. was a shy and timid lover. Scpnda bad
manilQled, by lflltnuatJon and deeds, her affcctlOll for blm, but
be timidly failed to propo1e
1be last tune they talked to each other was one Thursday
io Oooembcr. 1877 when the au.cm. vacanon wu about to
bqin. He visited Seguod.a at La Concordla College to say eoodbyc because be wu IOUII home to Calamm the followin& day.
She, on her pan, told him she wu abo aoin& home one day
later. She kept qui.et after lier brief rq,ly, wa.tina for him to
ay -thir,a which her heart was clamonna to bear.
&II Rizal failed 10 come up to her expcctatioo. He c:ould
ooly mumble: •well, good-bye . AIJyway - l'U ace you wbeo
you S- Calamm OD your way to Upa "
Tile nut day Rizal a~ed by 11cama m lus bomctaw11
Hill IIOClwr did not rccogni:u him at lint, due to her failin&
CJCliabt- He was saddened to find Olll about bis mother's a,owina
H d
. H» listen gaily welcomed bun, tcuina him about
Scpada, for they knew or bis romance throup Obmpa.
'lbat aipt be dcmoutrated hia atill in fenang to his family.
Kc bad a frieAdly feocina bout with the bell fencer tn Calambe
andbacedbam.
Tile ioUowina day (Saturday) be learned lhat the llcamcr
QIITyiDg Scgunda and her family would not anchor at Calamba
bccauac ol lhc strona winds; 11 would stop In Bil\an. He saddled
his white hone and waited at the road A cavalcade of carromatu
from Binan passed by. In ooe of -..hom ScJUDC!a amilinr
and waVU1g her bandkcrcbtef at ham. He doffed his hat and wa,
COGpe-tied to say anythlna Her carnage rolled aa and varusbed
in the distance Ii.kc •• swm lhadow• He returned home, dazed
and dcsolalc, with his fint romance "'ruiDcd by bis own sbyocu
and reserve• TIie first pit, 'llrhom he loved with ardent fervor,
waa lose to him forever Sbe returned to Upe and later married
Mallud Luz. He remsincd tn Calamba, a frustrated lover,
cbcrillbiog DO&talp: memories of a Joa lo¥e.
Three ycan later, Juul , rcco-rdulg lus fint and ~
romance, 181d: •Ended, at an early bour, my 6nt love My
· h n will alwa"" mourn the rcdd- step 11 took on lbe
vu-gin ca
,.
bu '-·"ff ft•
f)owcr-dcckcd abyss. My illusions will rclUOI , yes, t...,. ~ .
uncertatn , ready roe the fint betrayal on the path of love.
•• • • •
Madie.ii S1uc:JIN At Tht UnMf"liltV Of Sento l'o,n• ,
Chapter 5
Medical Studies at the
University of Santo Tomas
(1877-1882)
ill _Fortun.atel!, 'Rnal's tragic: fim romance, with 11s b111er dtsf~omem, dtd not adversely affec:t hu studie~ in the University
~h-l to Tomas. After finishmg the fim year of a course in
1 osophy and Letters (18"7-71!), he lntn$(erred to the medic:al
: : : Dunng tb_e yea" of his med1c:iJ _~tud1cs m this university
was adrmn1stercd by the Dom1nac:ans, rival educ:ators o (
the Jesuu~. be remauted loyal 10 Ateoeo. where he continued
IO patllopate 1n extra-curncular ac11vit1es and where he completed the voc:at1on C:OID'SC in surveying. As a Thomasian he
""on more btera:ry laurels, had other romances with pretty '·rts
an~ _fought agams1 Spanish students who insulted the b!wi;
Filipmo students.
~ • - to R icber Ech•aitioa. Aller graduattng
. MllCiler's ..,....._.,...
With the highest honors from the At-o n ,__ , had
thU
·
~--.~
~~IO
e nivers,1y of Santo Tomas for lugher studies The Bachclo
or
Arts
cou=
d
r
s
·
h
·
high
u mg pan,s limes was equivalent only to ther
.
school and Juruor college c:ourses today It merely qu1tlified
llS !!13dua1e to enter a university. Both Don Francisco a.n d
Pac:1ano wanted Jose 10 pursue lugher tcammg tn the
Bui o0 - ..- d
ho
un1vers11y.
.
na • co ora, w knew what happened 10 Gom-Bur-Z..
:gorously 0 ~
the idea and told her husband. wDon't send
m to t.fan1la agwn; be knows enough. If he gets 10 know
~re, the Spaniard~ wiU c:ut off his head. " 1 Don Franc:isco kept
~wetlaanded told Pac,ano to accompany his younger brother to
an, , spite their mother's tears.
,an~ 18821
Jose R.iza£ himself was surprised why htS mother, who was
a woman of education and c:uhure, should objcc:t to his desire
for a univcnity education. Ycars later he wrote in his Journal:
-oic1 my mother pecbaps have a foreboding of wha1 would
happen IO me? Does a mother's heart really have• second s1gh1?M
llbal F.atns die Unl•mdty. In April 1877 Riz.al v,;ho was
then nearly 16 yean old, matnculated in the University of Santo
Tomas, talnng the c:ourse on Philosophy and Leners. He enrolled
m this c:ourse for two reasons: (1) his father liked 11 :ind (2) he
was "still unoeru.in as lo what career to pur,;ue" He had wnnen
to Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo. who haJ been
good to him during his s1uden1 days ,n that college. il!>lung for
advice o n the choice of a c:areer But 1he Father Rec:tor wa\
then in Mindanao so that he was unable 10 advise Rizal, Consequently, dunng lus first-year term (1877-78) 10 1he Un1ven.il)
of San10 Tomas, Rizal studied Cosmology, Metaphy... c, Theod
icy, and History of Plulosophy.
It was d uring the following term (1878-79) 1ha1 Rizal, having
received the Atenco Rector's advic:e to study medicine. took up
the medical course, enrolhng simultaneously in the prc:para1ory
medical course and the regular lint year med1c:al course Another
reason why he chose medicine for a career was 10 he able to
cure blS mother's growmg bbndness.
FiDisha Saneytnc Coune In Ateneo (1878). Ounng h1,. first
sc:hoo! term in the University of Santo Toma, (18TI-7K), R11al
also studied in the Aleneo. He took the vocational course lcadinJ!
to the title of peri10 a~mor (expert surveyor). In 1hosc day,
it should be remembered, the c:oUcgc, fur be•)' in Ma1111.t offc:r~o
vocational c:ourses in agricullure, ccmmercc, n1cchamc~. ~nd
surveying.
Rizal. as usual, exc:elled in all subje.:ts m the ,ul'\c~,n~
cou.ne m 1he Ateneo. obtaining gold medals ,n agncultur~ .,n,1
topography At the age of 17. he P·"scd the finul cxam,11,,1101
in the surveying course. but he could not he granted ·he 1111.:
as surveyor bec:ause he was belo"' age. The 11t1c v.Js ,.-.,.ued to
him on November 25. 1881.
Although Rii:al W-.lS Lhen J Th..imai.ian. he £re4ucntly v1,1tcd
the Atenco. It was due not onl) to hi~ surv.:)ing cour,c hut
47
more because of bis loyalty to the Ateneo, where be had ao
many beautiful memories and whose Jesuit professors, unlike
th~ Dominicans, loved him and inspired him to asa:nd to grcaaer
heights of knowledge. He continued to participate actively in
the Ateoco's extra-cunicubr activities. He was president of the
Academy of ~pani5h Literature and secretary of the Academy
of Natural Sctence$ He also continued his membership in the
Marian Congregation, of •1lic:b he was the secretary.
Romances wttb ~ Glrll. Notwithstanding his academic
studies in the Univeri.ity of Santo Tomas and extra-curncvlar
acttvtties in the Ateneo, Rizal had ample tune for love. He was
a romantJc dreamer who tik.ed to sip the "nectar of love". His
Rd experience with htS first love had made him wiser in the
ways of romance.
Shortly after IOSlng Segunda Kali&bal:, he paid coun 10 a
young woman m Ca1amba. In his student memoirs, be called
her simply "Miu L ,• dc~ribing her as •fau with seductive and
2
attractive eyes" After visiting her m her house several times
he suddenly stopped hts wooing, and the romance died a naturai
death. Nobody today knows who this woman was. Rizal himself
did not give her name Hence, her 1den1tty is lost to history.
Ho,,.-ever, he gave two reasons for his chanie of bear1. namely:
(I) the sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart
and 2) h,s father did not like the famtly of "Miss L •
Several monthli later, dunng his sophomore year at the
Univer~ny of Santo Tomas he board~d in the house of Dooa
Concha Leyva in lntramur<K. The nut-door neighbors of Dona
Conch~ were Capitan Juan and Capilano Sanday Va.Jenzuela from
P.1gsan1an Laguna, "'ho had a charrrung daughter named Leonor.
Rizal . the medical ~•ud<"nt from Calamba, was a ,,.elcome visttor
in rhe Valenzuela home, "'here he was the life of the social
part,e, l:M:cliu,c of h•.- clever sleight-of-hand tricks. He courted
Leonor Valenzuela, who -~ a tall girl with a regal bearing.'·
He sent her love notes wri11en in invisible ink. This ink consisted
o~ common table salt and water. II left no trace on the paper.
Rizal. "'ho knew lus chctrustry, taught Orang (pet name o(
Leonor Valcnwela) the secret of readmg any note wriucn m
the 1nvisib!e ink by heating n over a candle or lamp so that the
48
wocds may appear. But, as witb Segunda, he stopped llbort of
proposmg marriage to Orang.
Rtzal's next romance was 'Wit adOther Leonor - ~
Rivera - hi,; cousin from Camiling In 1879, at the start of bis
11;;nior year at the uni.,ersity, be hvcd 1n
Tomasina; at
1'.o. <> Calle Santo Tomas, lntramuros. His la.ndlord-uncle.
Antomo Rnera had a prcll} d..ughter, Leonor. a student at ta
Concord, , CoUc~e. where Soledad (Rizal'~ yoongcst sister) was
then ,1u
~. Leonor, born 10 CMJl1hng. Tarlac. on A pnl 11.
1867 ... as a !rM1I, prctt} girl "tender a,, a budding Oower with
i.,ndl
tful c,c,•. Bctwc, , Jose and Leonor 'J)r&ng a beautiful
romance They became engaged. In her letters to Rizal, Leonor
signed her name a,
cunt!.,· m order 10 camouOage their
intim.,tc re .iion ,h,p f m their p;,rents and fncnd.,;
~easa
\'lctim or Sp,,.nl!;b Offlctt's Bnatallty. When Rizal was a
freshm:m "" die ,I ,;1udri,1 at the University of Sanlo Tomas. be
expenenced his fir<1 taste of Spanish brutality. One dart night
m Calarrba dunng the ,ummer vacatton 1n 1871!, be was "'.ilking
m t~ ~tn:ct lie duntv P"'r<'<'ivcd the figure of a man while
passrng him Not lmow,ng the person due to darkness, be lftd
not sal1.1e nor say a councous "Good Evemng". The vague figure
turned ou1 10 be a lieutenant of the Guardia Civil. With a snarl.
he 1umed up<m Rizal, "'hif>p('d ou: hi5 sword and brulallv '>lasbed
the lauer on the back
The wound wa.~ not !oenous, but it was painful. 'When be
recovered. Rizal repor1ed the inadent to General Pr :no de
R,vcra, the Spani<h governor general of the Philippmcs ,1 that
time But nothing came out of Im complaint, because he was
an Indio and the abu>1ve lieutenant was a Spaniard. Lai , tn
a letter to Blumcntritt dated March 21, 1887, be relat, I ~1
w~n• 1, ch, C •o• n r ,,.., I l>ut I could not obtain justia my
- In lh<' f 1lipinn \ «Hilb" U879t. Ir ,., car 1879 the I.ice,
Ar11,11ro- l 11erano (Am~11c L ,crary Lyceum) of Manila, a SOC·
1el) ot lnerary men and amsb, held a literary contest. It offered
a pnz,. for the best p,..:m h> .i n.tllvc or a mestizo Rizal, ,.-ho
... as then c1~h1ecn years old, subm1t1cd bis poem enutled A ua
Ju,·mtud F,t,p,na (To the Filipino Youth).
0
-
IIIZM,: UPI. -
-111111'111•
The _Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressco
~y Raal s poem and gave It the fim prize wlucb consisled of a
11lvcr pen, feather-shaped and dcco,-tcd with a gold ribbon.
~oung Rizal was happy to win the poetry cootcst. He was
Mcerely congratulated by the Jesuits, especially bis Conner profC5SOTS at the Ateneo, and by bis mends and reia_tives.
. :nie prize-winning poem, A LIi Juvrntud Fwpina (To the
~1.bpmo Yout~). is an inspiring poem of tlawless fonn rn exqu,s:
1te verses, Rizal beseec!:ed the Filipino youth to rise from
le!hargy. to let their geruus fly swifter than the wind and descend
With ~. and soence lo break the chains that have long bound
the spun of the people. Thu poem is as follows:5
TO THE FU..1P1NO YOUTH
Theme: "Grow, 0 ,rmul F1owtr"
Hold high Ille bn,w acrcDC ,
0 youth. "'here now you s11nd .
U!I lbe bnghl sheen
or your gr1ee be -n.
Fau hope or my (111Krtand1
Come now, thou gcniu, grand.
And bring down inspiration,
With Illy nugluy band,
Swifter than the ~mds •olauon
Raise 1hc: eager mind to hi&ftcr •sta;it,n
Come down with pleasing light
Of an and scieocc 10 lhe Ripu.
0 youth. and there unue
The chains lhu1 hca-, he,
Your spuit free to bnght.
See how 1n nanung ,one
Amid 1hc: $badows thrown,
The Speiard's holy band
A crown's resplendent band
Proffers to this Indian land
Thou. who now •oulcht nsc
On winp of rich emprise,
so
_ _ 14,n,.,u,,twn1ty()f ....,0T-ltan 11921
Seek from Olympiaa ams
Soop of .-te:51 strain,
Softer than ambrosial raui.
'Ibou, wboee •oioc diviDC
Rivals l'hilomcl's ~tna.
And wilh nned bnc
Tbroush the night :.en"1'
Freu mortality from pain.
..1ou. ,whv by lhalJ} strife
Wite5l thy mind to life;
And the memory bright
Of thy ge111U1'1 light
Mu.est immoruJ ill iU 1trcnctb
And thou 1n aa:cn• dear
Of Pboebl&S. to Apollos dear:
Or by the brush's mag,c at1
Tu.est (roni na111re·, uo,c • par!
To fix it oo the sunplc canva..<' length.
Go fonh, and then the sacred fttc
Of thy gcni11$ to the laurel may aspue;
To spread around the flame,
And in victory 1ccla1m.
Tbroue)i ,rider sphcces lhe hu111a11 aame.
Day. 0 bappy day,
Fair Fihptnas. for thy Jandl
So blca lbe Power today
lbat places in thy wa)
Tbts favor and this (onune grand.
This winning poem of Rizal is a classic lD PhihppU!C bleraturc
for two reasons: Fant, it was the flN great poem in Spanish
written by a Filipino. wh~ merit was recognized by Spanish
literary authonbcs, and secondly. it expressed for the fint lime
the nat100alistic concept that the f"tlipinos, and nol the foreigners,
were tbe "fair hope o( the Fatherland~
" " - Couadl ol tile Gods" (laG). TIIC following year (1880)
the Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary contest to
commemorate the fourth centennial of the deatb o( Ceniantes.
SI
-IIIZAI. 1.,,.__ANOW.i
I
SpaiD's glorified IIUUH)f-letters ..nd f.amous author of Don Quu•
Ok. ThB time the contest was opened to both F"iJipmos and
Spaniank
of the f<=a$1 Day of the Immaculate Coooeptioa ,'Patrooc:M_ol
the Atenco He wro1c 1t as President of the Academy o f Spanish
l.11era1ure in the Ateneo
Man) wntcrs participated in the amtest - priests, newspapermen sdacla.a and profC$S01$. Rizal. inspired by bJs poetical
lriumpt, the pn:Yious year, entered the literary joUSl, submitting
8'1 allegoric:al drama entitled £/ Conujo de los Diosa ('Ibe
Coancil ol the Gods).6
As
pteo: of IJterature
al Pasig is _mcchoae. B~t
there are passages in II wltl~h <:xpress ,n su.btJe sa11ro: the authors
The judges of the contest were all Spaniards. After a long
and aiticaJ appraisal of the entries, they awarded the first prize
to Ra..al's work because of its literary superiority over the others. 7
The Spaniih community in Manila, spear-headed by the Spanish
press. howled in great indignation against the decision because
the winning authoc was an Indio. Despite all obJections, the
prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved
the bast of Cervantes. A Spanish writer, O .N. del Puzo, woo
the M:>tOnd pnzc. For the first time in history, an Indio - a
niortN:O year old Filipino medical student at that - excelled io
a natioaal literary cootesl, defeating se-.eral Spanilh wnters of
bis lime in Marula.• lliza1 was panimlady happy, for he proved
tbc flll.lacy of the alleged Spanish $Uf>C~rity over lhe F"iliptnOS
and rcvc:alcd that the Filipino could bold his own in fair c:ompet•
itioo agai-r.l all faCC$.
1bc winning allegory of lliza1 was a literary masterpiece
1-.:d oo the Gn:elt da.ssics.. In wnting ii, Rizal, although a
student of the Uorvcrsity of Santo Tomas, was aided by the kind
Fathet- Rcaor of the Atcneo in scc:u.ring the needed reference
matcnals. 1bc allegory established a parallel among Homer,
Vugil, and C-c:rvantcs. The gods duaiss the comparative meri!S
of ~ great writers and finally decide to give the trumpet to
Homa, tl:c Jvr-e to Virgd, and the laurel to Cervantes. The
allegory gJorMXA!y closes with the naiads, nymphs. satyrs, and
other myt.llloiog;c.l characters dancing and gathcnng laureu for
O:tvantes
Odlcr l.Jm-ary WOl'b. Aside from lhe two pnz.c-winnin&
worts meutioocd above. Rizal, allhough midying medicine,
pc-lu.:ed other poems and a ™1.a, !his z.ar~t. was JUIIIO
Ill
(&side the Pasig), whjch was sugcd by the At.cncam
o,, Dea:mbcr 8 1880, on the ocasion of ,h,- .. ,..,,. .. , relebratioo
P-,
Sl
a
,,.,,.,o
na1,onahs1 ideas. for ins1•ncc, Rizal milkes Sau,n wy tbat the
Philippines "Now wrdiow com/on,
Sadly groans t11 diL pnwa of• forngn ~ ople.
,w..,/y
And
hJ
,,. tltl: impitxa c/111ch of Spauo."
Tn the same year (ll!80) he wrote a so anet e?lltJcd A.
Fwpinas for the album or the Soaety of Sculptor . In this sonnet.
he urg, ,I II 1 , no artist• II
of- the Phili pines.
The year before , in 1g79, he composed a poem entitled
Abd~I-A zis y Malwma, which was declaimed by an Atencan.
Manuel Fcmandez, on the m~t of December g, 1879 1n honor
of the Ateneo·, Patrvnt.=.
Later. in 1881. he composed a poan cn 111lcd Al M.R:r.
Pab/(1 Homen He wrote thiJJ poem as an eq,rc:..ion of affe.:t10ll
to father Pablo Ramon. the Atenco rector, ~ho had been so
kind and helpful to him.
Rb.al's VWt to Pur.11 and ~ u. In the summer month
of May . lR!ll. when he was still a medacalstuder.tat the Umversity
of Santo Tomas, Rizal went on a pilgrim~ c 10 the to~ of
Palnl famo,u ~hone ol the Bu-hen Maria ti,;: los Ooton:,. He
w~~ ~ompanicd by his si,tcr< Saturnina, Maria , and Tmt!~ad
and their female friedds They took a cu.sec (flat-bouom ..aili:.ng
Ycsscl) from Ca.lamb. 10 Palu!, Laguna, and 5taycd at the home
of Mr.1 . and Mrs. Manuel Regalado, who,c son Nicola~ was
Rizal's friend in Manila.
Rizal and his comp.. mons were fascinated b • the famolt'
1urumba, !he people uar ng m lhe streets dur:ng :x proccs.sao
in honor of the mir.m
~ Birhen Maria de It> Oolorrs A
they danc,cd, the dancer
Turvmba. Tun..
MalJlWa tavo't m4irawa
Modlc1115Mlloe AIT.. Unh9rol1V Ol$on11> T-• t18TT 18821
S11m11yow 11g IW'llmlHI
l'l,rl 111 BirlK11 Morl4
. In Pall:il Rizal was infatuated by a pn:cty girl colegiala.
Vicenta Ybardolaza, who ~lulllully played the barp at the
Regalado home From Palul. Riz:11 and hi~ party made a side
ttjp to the neighboring town of Pagi.anjan for two reawns
it
was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela, one of Rizal's girl
friends 1n Manila, and to see the world famed Pagsan,an Falls.
Years later Ri.zal mentioned the Turumbo in Chapter VI of
Noli M~ Tangtre and Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (United
States - Saturday, May 12, 1888), where he said that Niagara
Falls was the ·gi-catest cascade,, I ever saw" but ·not so beauuful
nor fine as the falls at Lo$ Banos. (sic) Pagsanjan"
Champion or F1Up1Jlo Stvc14!ots, Rizal was the champion of
the Filipino s_tudeni., m their frequent fights against the arrogant
Spanish studenu, who wen: often surpassed by the Filipinos In
dBS$ work and who insultingly called their brown classmates • JndJo, chongolk In retaliation. the Filipino students called them
•K,utilo, bangu,1" Hostility between these two grouP5 of students
often exploded in angry street rumbles.
R.iza1 participated in these ,tudent brawls Owing to his skill
in fe~~ng, ~is. prowess in ,nestling, and his indomitable courage,
be dutinguuhed himself in these student skinnlshes. In 1880 he
founded a secrcc IOCiety of Filipino 1ludents in the University
of Santo Tomas called Compaiiuismo (Comradeship). whose
memberi were called "Companions of Jehu.·· after the valiant
Hebrew general who fought the Armaeans and ruled the Km&•
dom of Israel for 28 years (843-816 B.C.). He was the chief or
this_ secret student society, with his oousin from Batangas.
Galicano _Apaable, as se~rctary. As chief, he led the Filipino
lilUdent.s into combat against the Spanish students in vanous
street fights.
In one of the fierce encounters between the Filipino students
and their pale-skinned detractors near the Escolta m Manila
Rizal.was wounded on the head His friend, brought him bleeding
and covered with dust to his boarding hou,c, acasa Tomasina•·
Leonor Rivera teodedy washed and dressed his wound.
54
Ullhappy Days at the UST. Rizal, Aleneu·s hc.,y wonder.
found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas \uff~nt
ing to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at 1h1s Dominican
institution of higher learning because (1) the Domirucan professors were hostile to him, (2) the Filipino students were meld Hy
discriminated against by the Spaniards, ,rnd (3) the method 1>f
instruction was obsolete and repressive.
In his novel.£/ Filibuster,smo, he de,;cribed ho"' the Fihpin<'
students were humiliated and m~ulled by their Uomm1can pn>fessors and how backward the method of on,tructwn "•'· c,1w
ciaUy in the teaching of the natural ,;cience~ I le rcl,11ed in
Chapter XIII. "The Class in Physics.'' that his sc,ence ,uh1-c"
was taught without laboratory experiments. The m,cru,u>pc ,111d
o ther laboratory apparatuses were kept on~1dc the ,hown"~' 111
be seen by visitors, but the students could not even tom:h them
Because of the unfriendly attitude or his profo"or' RM.ii,
the most brilliant graduate of the Atcneo. fa1kd Ill wm high
scholastic honors Ahhough his grades in 1hc first v,·.or of the
philo50phy course were all ''excellent ," lhey were nnt 11nprc,,iv~
in lhe four years of his medical course His sc:hulas110 record,
In the University of Santo Toma!> (187'.1•82) w"r~ a, fnl111w, . •u
1877-78 (Philosophy & l.cllers)
Cosmology & Metaphysics
Thcod,cy .
H15tory ol Ph,loll<lphy
187S-1!179 (Mcd,one)
PhySIC$
Chemistry
Na1ural Hisrory
Anatomy I
Diiscction I
1879 1880 (Medione) -
Ana1omy 2
Dissection 2
Physiology . . . .
Priva1e Hygiene
Public Hygiene
1-xrdlenl
l1celkn1
hcdknt
ls1 Ycor
f-,ur
f,rrlknl
Good
Cith)J
\lncl\J
Znd Year
(mod
Goud
Good
Go,'ld
Good
1811).1881 (Mediane) -
Ocnc,1'111 Pathology
The,..peuua
Surgery •
• • • . • . . . •
Fair
• • . • E1cellen1
• • • • • • • Good
1881-1882 (Mcd,anc) -
Mcd1tal Pathology
SWJ)<..oJ Pathology .
Ol>stt•flCM .
)rd Year
Chapter 6
In Sunny Spain (1882-1885)
4th Year
... . . . . .. .
Very Cloud
Very Good
Very G<IOd
Oeds on le Study Abroad. After 6n1shin& the fourth year
of 1us me, -cal course, Rt.al ckcided to study m Spam He rould
no longer ndure lbe ramr,10: bigotn J1v-nmma11on, .,nd h•>s ·
oluy in lh • lniversity of Santo Toma~. H1~ older bro1hcr readily
approved lu, going to Spam and 5,0 did his two sisters Saturnina
(Nencna) 1A11d Lucia. Unde Antonio RJvera, lhe Valenzuela
family. and ~me friends
After (onl\hmg ch,· -llh Y,·ar o
llni,eNI\ of Santo Torn,., lmc R1
ntlQ I t tt'' ti J ,1 n ,t L · ... l"
vctMt) u1ul tht tdc1al prcJudu.:c ol l lcH1 u.
1 .'H •
Filipino •tu,l<•nh decided IO compktL h· tJd,e; m r~•n A 1
that lime thL government of Spam" " • con-.utut,onal m• march•
m.Jcr a .. 1111cn consmuuon which grante<I human ny1t I lhc
pc<>pl<- p:imcularly frcc:Jom of ,pccch freedom ,r l " Jll<~.
and freedom of assembly As,dc from th,s ostensible rca<;0n, he
had another reason, which wa. more ,mponant than merely
completing h,, studu:s m Spain Th_is was his "scc_ret mi'-'IOn,"
whKh many R1ulis1 h1ogr,1phers (,ncludmg Auston Cra,1 and
Wen~lao F Retana) never mcn110n ,n their wntmgs
For the fir<I time, Ri1al d,d not !leek h1\ parcnis' pcrrm,...,on
and bleswngs to go abroad, hccause he knew that they, e~l"('cially
his mother, would disapprove 11. He did not bnng bu beloved
Leonor into hi~ confidence ell her He had enough common sense
to know that Leonor, being a woman. young and romantic at
that. could not keep a secret. Thus Rizal"s parenb, Leonor, and
the Sp.m,sh authonhes knew nothing of hi. decision to go abroad
n order to finish his mcd1c,I •l11d1cs in Spain. where •he; profei.,ors were more liberal than those of the University or Santo
Rb.al's S«Td Mlssloa. nus =1on which Rizal conceived
with the approval or hos older brother Paciano was to observe
keenly 1hc hfc and culture, language~ and customs, mdu~triC>
and .ommcr<C, and 1to•crnmcn1s and laws of the furop<:.ui
nauou, on order 10 prepare h,mse1£ ,n the mighty t~k ol hbcraung
h orrr••«~•I rcoplc from Sp.imsh 1y1a1ony Tlu, Wti cvtdenocd
m h" f..rcwdl leucr which was delivered to his parcnti ~only
after hi\ dcpanure for Spain.
As,dc from hegg,ng hos parenis· forg1vcnes.s for leaving the
Ph,hppmc, v.1thou1 their pcrm,ss,on and blessings, he •.and 1n
tlm lcncr. '
fomas.
•
Bui •• God "'' 001 made an)th,ng ui.elcss ,n 1h1s "<>rid,
a1 all hc,ngs fulfill ohh&Jl1<1n, or • wlc on rht sublome drama
ol Crco11on, I cannot crcmpt myself from lhis duty nnd
small though 11 be. I to.> have a mission IO fill, as forc~am11I,
S7
~ IIIZJU.: UPI, WOIIQ MD -OfltMle
allevi!hng the suffcri11&1 of my fellow-men. I rcaliu 1ba1
all_ this means sacrifices, and terrible ones. I imagine the
pain _which I must give you, but I feel something that obliges
•~d impels me to leave. I sltall strive with fare, and t shall
w,n or lose... God's will be done.
. This_ Rizalian secret mission was likewise disclosed by
P~ciano in his letteT to his younger brother dated Manila Ma
20, 1982, as follows: 2
Y
•
Whe? the telegram 1nform1ng us or your departure was
re~1ved 1n C!lamba , as it was natural, our p•1rcnts were
grieved. es~•ally the old man (Don Francisco _ Z.) who
became tocnurn, always staying in bed, and wccpiog at night
and the consolation offered by the family, the curate, and
strangers was or no avail . He made me go to Manila to find
out wnh whet means you were able to undertake the voyage,
On my return I assured them that your expenses were
defrayed by some fnends of yours m Manila, hoping that
th,, W<luld cal_m h,m N'?1w1thstunding. he remained always
sad . Seeing this and feanng that his taciturnity might degencr~t~ lnro _a malady, l told him evcrytlung, but to ltim alone,
bcll8m~ him to keep the secret and he promised to do oo.
~nly smcc then have I seen hiio a linle gay and return to
his u<ual Wil)'ll. This u what occurred in the family.
.....
It i~ said here that you will finish the medical cou rse
Barcelona and' not at Madrid, To me the principal purpose
o( your _departure Is nor 10 finish
COUr$C but to \ludy
other rhmgs of greater usefulness nr 1hnt 10 which you are
more mdmcd. So I thmk. that vou ought to study at Madrid ,
10
tr"
Secret Departure for Spaln. Rizal's departure for Spain was
kept ~ecrct to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and
the friars. ~ven his own parents did not know because he knew
they, especially his mother, would not allow him t,, go. Only
his older brot~er (Paciano). his uncle (Antonio Rivera father
of L;eonor Ri_vera), his sisters (Nencng and Lucia) . the Val~nzueta
family (Capuan Juan and Capi1a11a Sunday and their daughlcr
Orang). Pedro ~- Paterno, his compadre Mateo Evangelista,
the Atcnco Jcsuu Cathe~~• and some intimate friends, including
Cher,goy (Jose M, Cec1ho) . The kind Jesuit pric~ts gave him
letters of recommendation to the members of their Society in
Barcelona. He used tbe name Jose Mercado, a cousin from Birian .
S3
Before his secret departure, he wrote a farewell letter for
his beloved parents and another o ne for his ,wcc1hcart Lcnnor
Rivera - both delivered shortly after he sailed away.
On May 3, 1882, Rizal departed on hoard the '\pan"h
steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore With tears m hrs eye,
and gloom in his heart, he gazed at the receding ,kyhnc of
Manila He hastly took paper and pencil 111lll ske tched 11 a, II
vanished in view
Sina11pore. During the voyage 10 Singapore he cardull~
obseTVed !he people and things on board the ,lcamcr. Tht'r~
were sixteen passengers, including himself
"five or "~ ladies.
many children, nnd the rest gentlemen I le wa, lhc nnly Filipino,
the rest were Spaniards, Briush. and Indian Negroes .
The ship captain. Donato Lecha. from Astumb. Spain.
befriended him . Rizal described him in bis travel diary a, an
affable man, ·much more refined than hb other countrymen
and colleagues that I have met". He was, however. peeved by
some Spaniards (his fellows passengers) who ,poke ill of lhe
Philippines, "to which they go for pecuniary rca,on," '
To while away the tedious boredom of sea voyal!C, Rizal
played chess with hi~ fellow passengers who were much older
than he. He defeated them many times, for he was a good ches_,
player.
On May 8, 11182, while the ,teamer wa.s a11pmnchm,l! Smga
µore, Ri1.al saw a beautiful island Fascinated by its ,ce nic beaut} ,
he remembered "Talim Island with the Suson11- Dalaga" 4
The following day (May 9) the Sa/1-adoru docked at Singapore. Rizal landed, registered at Hotel de la Paz , and spent two
days on a sightseeing, soiree of the c,ty . which was o cnlony o f
England. He saw the famous Botanical Garden. the beautiful
Buddhist temples. the busy shopping district. and thl' Matuc of
Sir Thomas Su1nford Roffies (founder of Singapore).
From Singapore to Colombo, In Singapore Ri:rnl rran,fcrrcd
to another ship D1tmnnh, a French steamer. which ldt Singapore
for Europe on May 11. It was a larger and cleaner vessel which
carried more passengers. Among these paJ>SCngcrs were 13, 1ti~h.
French, Dutch, Spaniards, Malays, Siamese. and F,hpmos (Mr
and Mrs Salazar. Mr Vicente Pardo, and Jose Rizal) ' French
S9
wa., mostly spoken on board because it was a French vessel and
the majority of the pa=ngers were French-speaking. Rizal
'Ill<"
red to convcr;e w11h his fellow passenger,; in French, but
to h,s surpriste and embanaSMnent, he found out that his book
l'"r<'nch which he reamed al the Ateneo could not be underMood,
so that he had to speak 1n mixed Spanish-Latin supplemented
hy much gestieularions and sketching on paper. By conversing
,f.ulv wnh the French passengers, he wa, able gradually to
impro• e his knowledge or the French language.
On May 17, the Djcmnah reached Point Grllc, a seacoast
10.. n ,n southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) . Riial wa~ unimpressed
"'th" town . On his travel diary, he wrote: "Th~ general appear,1f Pomt Galle " p1cture$que but lnncl) and quiet and at
-ame lime sad "
The following. day the Djrmnah weighed anchor and resumed
the voyage towards Colombo, the capital of Ceylon. After a
few hours of saiJtng, she reached this cny on the same day.
Rizal was enamoured by Colombo bcc:rusc of its scenic beauty
and elegant buildings. He delightfully scribbled on his diary:
wColomlx> is more beau11ful, smart and elegant than Singapore.
Point Galic. and Manila . ..,,
Fim Trip Tbniugh Suu Canal. From Colombo. the Djemnah conttnued the voy3gc crn!>l>ong the Indian Ocean 10 the Cape
of Guardafui, Africa For the first lime , Riial sighted the barren
roru.1 of Afnca. which be called an ~inhospitable land but famous-.'
At the next >1opovcr - m Aden - Rizal went ashore to
sec the sights. He found the city. holler than Manila He was
amused to see the camels, for it was the first time he saw these
animal~. From Aden, the DJemnah proceeded to the city of
Sue?. the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal. Upon arnvaJ at
Sue:t. Rizal disembarked and wenc sigh15ceing. like an ordinary
tounst. What impr·essed him most was the beautiful mOQnJight
which reminded him of Calamba and his family.
It took the Djemnah five days to traverse the Suez Canal.
Ru.al was thrilled because 11 was bis first trip through this canal
which was built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat·
cngincer). It was inaugurated on November 17, 1869.
At Port Said, the Mediterranean termin~I of the Suez Canal,
Rizal landed in order to see _the_ interesung SJ&ht_s. He was
fascinated to hear the multi-raoal mbab1tants spea~mg a b8:bel
of tongues - Arabic. Egyptian, GTcek , French, Italian' Spanish,
etc.
Naples and Mandlles. From Port Said, the Djemrum proceeded on its way to Europe. On June 11, Rizal reached .1'!apl~s.
This Italian city plea$cd him because of its busineSlt a~ttvll~, ~s
lively people, and its panoramic beauty. He was fascmat~ _Y
.
the Castle of St· Telma • and other h1stonc
Mount V esuv1us,
sights of the city.
On the night of June 12, the steamer docked at th_e French
harbor of Marseilles. Rizal , after bidding farewell to bts fello_w. disembarked · He visited the famous
d If,
paSl>Cngers,
C • Cha1cau
· mpris
where Dantes. hero or The Count of Monie ri.rto, was 1
·
oned. He bad enjoyed reading this novel or Alexander Dumas
when he was a student at the Ateneo. He st~yed two and a half
days in Marseilles, enJoying every day of his S0)Oum.
8urcclona. On the afternoon of June 15, _Rizal left Mar~e•l~e.
by tra,n for the last lap of h•~ trip 10 Spain .. He eras.~ pl ~
renec~ and stopped for a day at the fronuer town o ?
~u Here he noticed the indifference accorded by . the Sparush
Immigration office" to tourists, in direct oon1ras1 with the courte~y of the French immigrntion officers.
.
.
After the passpon inspection_al Po~-B_ou, Rizal oon1mued
hi~ trip hy rail • finally reaching his dcstmat1on - Barcelona on
June 16, 1~2.
Riial's first impr~ion of Barcelona, the greatest city or
Catalun,, and Spiun's second IJrgc•I c,t y, wa\ unfavorat>lc IIL
thuJght that it wa:, ut•) w1111 <11r1y ulll inn, ,m~ 111h~"l~IIJ1'1_
rL,sidents, because be happen~d to s~ay upo:;1sst:~;~n a:11:
<lin
mn situated on an ummpress,ve narr .
. .
gy
I
"de"
and
the
staff
30d
guests
m
this
mn
were
" town's most ug YSJ
•
•
•
nd
md1ffcr.:01 tu him Later • he changed his bad ,mpi:ess,on a_
came to like the city. He round it to be really a _great city, with
an a tmosphere of freedom and liberalism, and its people were
o n-hearted, hospitable, and oourageous. He e?Joyed promped_mtr 3 lon~ l ..:t" ~•-bias
the most f.,..,,..us ,trr'"t m1'~rc~lona
,..ra
,.,
In $'-"""'V $~"" ( 1882 t885t
~ Filipinos in Barcelona, some of whom "'ere his schoolmates_ m the _A1eneo, wekomed Rizal They ga,e him a pany
at their favonte cafe in Plaza de Catalufla After 1he customary
exchange of toasts. they told their guest o{ the attractJons of
Barcelona and the custom,, of the Spanish people; 111 turnd be
gave them the latest news and g~i~ m the Phihppmc~.
. "Amo~ Patrio." In prog,css1>e Barcelona. Rizal -.rote a
~honaltst1c essay entJtled "Amor Patrio. (Love of Count!\),
hJ_s firs~ article \O.nllen on Spain's soil. He sent this amcie to ius
mend 1n Manila, Basiho _Teodoro Moran . pubhshcr of O,ariong
Tagalog, the first Manila bilingu.il ne10.,papcr (Spanish and
Tagalog).
Rizal'~ "Amor Patrio, ~ under his pen-name Laong /.aan,
appeare~ m pnnt m Du,riong Tagalog on August 20. 1882. It
was published ID two texts - Spnmsh and Tagalog. The Spanish
text was the one onginally written by Rizal in Barcelona The
Tagalog text was a Tagalog translauon made by M .H del Pilar
The ar!1clc caused qu11e a $Cn\811on among the readers rn the
Phihpp1ncs because of its nauonatisuc flavor As ID his prize-win.
rung linentud F1ltp111a. ·• Rizal m lus "Amor Patna•· urged h·s
1
compat~o~ 10 love their fatherland, the Philippines. Among
other thmg.~. he wrote :8
'"°"' disinteresled Read hJStory
Publisher Basilio Teodoro Moran. deeply impre"cd I>>
·'Amor Pamo," congratulated Rizal, and requested for more
aroclcs. l n response to his request. Rizal wrote the second aruck
for Du,riong Tagalog entitled "Los Vio)l!S" (Travel,) H,s third
artic.le. entitled "Rtvista de Madrid" (Review of Madrid), which
he wrote in Madrid on November 29, 1882, was rclurocd to him
because the Diartong Tagalog had ceased pub1tca11on £or lack
of funds
Manila Moves to Madrid . While so1oum1ng in Barcelona.
Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging
Manila and the provmces. Many people bad died anJ more wen:
dying daily. According 10 Pacinno's letter, dared Scptcmhcr 1~.
1882, the Calamba folks were having afternoon no, cnas tn San
Roque and nocturnal processions and prayers so 1ha1 (10d ma~
stop the dreadful eptderruc, which the Spanish heahh Juthm1ues
were impotent to check.
And how strancc! The poorer and more mucrablc she
Lift In Madrid. On November 3 1882. R11al cnrol~d HI
the Universidad Central de Madnd (Central Un1vcr-ity of "1ad
rid) in 1wo courses - Medicine and Ph1lowphy ,,nd Ll'tters
Aside from his heavy studies in the un1vcr~itI. he ,tuJ1ed p~m111,~
and sculp1ure in the Academy of Fme Aru or San Fernan<lo
took lessons m French. German. and Engh,h und,:r pnvate
instructors, and assiduously pracuscd (enc1nl,! J11,I )hoo111,11 m
the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell His thirst for know ~dge
of music, he visited 1he an gallcnes and museum, and read
Child, "'~ lo,c l)IAly; adolescent, we forgel it. youth.
or_ someth!ng more posili,c and more useful; parent, the
children die and time cr•dually erases our pain 1u,t as the
air -or the sea <lowly effare,, the shores as 1he boat <iepans
from them But. fo,,e of coun1ry can never be effaced. once
62
"heroic, the
Ano1her sad news from the Philippines was lhe chally kttcr
o f Chmgoy recounting the unhappiness o{ Leonor R,vcra . who
was gelling tbtnner because or the absence of a lo,cd one .
we seek our Klcal; dtsillUSK>ned, we weep and go ,0 que\l
1
II has always been wd that love is the most potent
force bclund the most ..,bhmc de"ds; ,ery "'-eU, of all lo,cs .
the love-of country is what produced the greatc:$1. the most
After _the fash10n of the ancient Hebrews who offered
'" the temple the fi,-.;1 fruit\ of tMir lovr, we ,n a foreign
land. dedicate our fim aa:ounts to our country. enshrouded
•monc the clouds and mi.o. of morn, alway, beautiful and
poeuc, bu1 c,-er more idolized in propon10n as .,.e are llb<ent
and away from it. . Under wbalcver aspect. whatever Its
n3rnc. "'.e lo•e h~r (p,,rria) al"'ays 1u,1 as the child loves its
mother tn the mids( of hunger and miM!ry
ll>. the more we suffer for her, and the more she is tdoltted
and adored; )CS, there i, real JOY ,n ,uUenng for her.
'
it bas entered the heart. because ii carncs ,n itself the d1vmc
atamp that makes 11 eternal and impenshable
In one of his fellers (dated May 26. 1882). Paaano .id,i,cd
0
his younger brother to finish the medical course 1n MaJml
Evidently. heeding hi~ advice, Riwl left Barcelona in th<' fall
o{ 1882and establtshed himself in Madnd. the capital of Spam
-IIQA&. UO(,
I n -... S,,,,• 1-.t , . ,
books on all subjects under the sun, including military engmecring, in order IQ broaden his cultural background
Rizal led a Spartan life in Madrid . He knew that he came
to Spain to study and prepare himself for ,ervice 10 his fatherland .
Accordingly, he rigidly budgeted his money and time. Ho lived
frugally. spending h~ money on food clothing. lodging and
books- ne,..er wastang a peseta for gamNin~. wine ar,:1 women
His only extravagana: was mvestmg a few pesetas for a lonery
t1ckc1 ,n every draw of the Madrid Lottery. He ,pent his leisure
lime reading a nd wntmg at his hoarding house, attending the
reunions of Filipino students at the hou!>C of the Paterno hruthers
(An tomo_ Maxinuno, and Pedro). and praetiang fencing and
shooting al the gymna~1um . At other hmc,. during the summer
t11,1lights, he sipped coffee and frall!rni,ed wnh the ,tudcnts from
Cuba, Mexico, Argenuna, etc at the Antigua Cafe de Levante
co-work.er m the Propaganda Mo1'ement, Eduardo de Lele, was
madly m to,e with Consuelo and he had no wtSb to break their
fricnd,1>1p becau!>< of a prcttv girl
"l ~~ A,k M~ •or Verx," In 11!82 \hortly artcr his
nrnval i~ Madnd. Rtzal Jomed the Circulo Hispano-Ftlipino
( I lti,p.rno-Philipp1ne Circle). a >0e1c1~ of Spaniards and Filipinos
Upon the rc4ucs1 ,JI the mcmbcl"l of lhc; soocty, he 11,rotc a
poem cr-r11lcd \f,
v.-,1rn" (The) J\,k Me For Ver.cs)
wluth he ·,noJlh d,~-1~ n.-d dunng the Ne,. Year's Eve recep11011 ul 1h, \laJnJ Fit11>1n1,, held tn 1h,· cverung or December
1 1 t.sl\.! 1-i ,h,.,ad p<>,111 I r<•u ,. Jut rhccry ufh" ar»ni11ng
r,d,.,.
h1..·,1r1
'l.1ii.
f,,llu\\, 11
Ill ► ,
\SI,; Mt: FOR \
f.R.,n,
Ye LS tmJ me now 10 ,1nlc tht· l)rC
On Saturday evenings, he visited the home of Don Pablo
Omga y Re} who h\'cd with lus i,on (Rafael) anJ daughter
(Consuelo) Don Pahlo had been cny mayor of Manila during
the administrauon or the liberal governor general Carl~ \1a
de la Torre ( 1869-I 871) and was later promoted vice-pres1denr
of the Counctl of the P!11lipp1nes in the Ministry of Colon,~
(Ultramar).
Th ll mute o1nd torn ,o r. ,nit ha, l"i•n
And i·e1 I
"ake <he Mrain.
N, r .. ,n lhc Mu,c- one I oh io~1re•
(\~JI, it ~ale, 1n accent• d1rc
A, I m) ""'' tl-..:lf IU •nng,
komaoee wi th Coosaelo Ortlga y Pttn, Rizal was not a
handsome man In ph~iquc . he "'3S neither dashing nor impos•
mg, for he was a shy small man - a few inches above five feel
1n height. But he p<>s.sesscd an aura of charisma due to h,s
many-splcndored talents and noble chnracter which made him
atrractive 10 romantic young women. No wonder the prc111cr or
Don l'a.blo'~ daughteTS (Co~elo) fell in love wuh him
\i~ ,tnJI <.?I.ft nt1lhcr foci nor Mng
"'"'"'" vou11g man in a fore•~ country. far
fl Ul11
iO~ i...a,~
I
...
•t\
n,
1
It ~d} poem n
>l ..", ,a.....
dedteated 10 her. In 'n1s poem 11tled A [,a .\eti,mt, C. O v P
\l\"3'-.'11)
H
en
> : tt,ed
0
(To M,ss C O y P.). 'he expressed hi, adnura11on (or her. H e
round wlace and JOY in her comp.1ny .
H owever. before his romance with Consuelo could blo,,som mto a serious affair, be suddenly backed out for two reasons
(I) he was still engaged to Lconoc- Rivera and (2) his friend and
"""''°'
,\n,
A
"'htn 11, ,ounJ s.t"emS, b\1t to fbna.
IC)l al 1h
°'' n low lamcnl,
\.t• ,n 'Jd ,>0la11on pent.
l'tii...rc ""·u, ;i time
ah •u, too true
But that tune long ago has pa<t Whc,n upon me 1hc Mus< h,1t
lndul~cnt ,m,1, und f11cnd,h1r'°• d ·< ,
Bui ot thal al!C no" all loo fe"'
11" 1houghi- 1h.t1 ,.,th me yet v,1II ,tay.
A, 1n,m th&· houn, •lf tc~h""C' rl.a)·
,1,·
I here hr11ter on mys1en<>u> ootcs.
A,u.J 11t uu1 rt1 aJ, thi.: mcmlll)' OQl:b
Clt mm,1 r, 1\ ,ncl fflU'-A ~ ·
A rlJnt I om that \Carel\ ~n,.. n
\ \ .b lllfll 1rom o u t its E3stcrn bed
\\her,· ,1II u1<>. nJ pcrl >me" ,bcJ
AnJ hf"~ t,ut .-, ., drc:am ,, knn..,n
llx- land tlut I can call mi own
lh me forJt..>llC'n ne'er 10 be,
W1"'rc 1hrillin, bird, 1bcor ,ung tauJht me,
6S
JOSI IIIZAL LIH, WOIIKS AND WIIUTIN(II
And ca$<"1ldts with th~,r rcdS<!less roar,
And all •:ong the sprud,n& shore
The murmun of the sounding sea.
Whlle yet tn childhood's happ) day.
I learn upon 11\ sun 10 smile,
And 10 my breast there seems the wh~c
Seething •olcanlc fire, to play,
A bard I w11s. my w,,h always
To call upon the fleeting ,.ind.
"(iu lurth. nnd spread around us Dame,
Frum ?One to ,one woth glad occlu1n1,
And earth to heascn together bind'"
But it I Jell, and now no more l ikc a tree th•t i, broken and ,crcM• n 110I gods hrinR the cchn clc11r
Of songs that 1n pa.,t times the) bore:
W~dc ...,:,s I crnss'd tu fomgn shore,
Wuh horc of change 3nd other f:110,
M) folly "-aS m.tdc clear tcx, late
hu in the pla« or i(lkrd I ,uugh;
The ~as re\'tal'd unto naught
But m.tde death's spectre on me wait,
All these fond fanc,c; that were m,nc
All lo,·c, all feeling :di cmpmc
'
Were left beneath the sunn~ ,kic,.
Which u'e, that tlowery rcg,011 sh,nc·
So pre,~ n11 more thut pica of 1hinc, •
Fat wngs of love from out a heart
llm cnldl} lk\ a thing apart:
Since now ,,.,th t<>rtur'J ,nul r h.l\tt
llnrestmg o'er 1he dcscrt \loa\lt
And lofcless gon~ ,, •II 1he ~rt
~ilal a, Lover of Books. A favorite pastime ot 1{17a1 in
M11dnd wa, read1'.1g . rn,tc.i,J or gambling ,111,J Otrtinv. w,1h "'omen.
a~ man) youn!( Ftlopmo, did in the Spani,h mctropoh,, he st~ycd
a1 home and read ,oraciou,ly until m,dmght Since early childhood, he liked tu rc:id .
Rizal econom11ctl on h,~ hvcng <'~pen-..:,, and ,._, ,h the mc,ncy
he <avcd , he pur<·ha,cd hook, fmm ., ,ccond• hand hool ~tore
owned t>y a cenam '><·110r Ro~e~ lk was able 10 build a fair-sized
pmat,· hl>rJr)' H" collection of books included The Bible,
66
Htbrtw Grammar, Livts of dtt Pres1dt'fllS of the Unittd Stau:J
from Was/ungton to Johnsc>r,, Complrtt' Works of Voltairt' (Q
volumes), Comp/tit Works of Horou (3 ,·olumes) , C.omplete
Worlcs of C. Bernard (16 volumes). Hi.s1ory of tnt' Frtnch Rtvoluli.on, T11t Wanduing lt'w, Anc~nl Poetry, Works of Thucv1Jut,•,.
71it' Byzanhnt Empirt, The Charoctrr.f hy La Bruyere, Thr
Rpwissanu, Unch Tom's Cob111 by Harriet Bcec:her Stowe,
Works of Aluandtr Dumas, Louis XIV and Jiu Courr, and
nlllllcrou, '-ooks on medicine, phtlosophy, language,, h,~10,y
gcogaph) 1rts, and <cience5
Ru.al wa~ deep!)' affected by flercher Stowe', Unrlr Tom's
Cal,111 and Eugene Sue's Tht W/llldtring hw. These two books
aroused his sympathy for the oppressed and unfonunote people
Rlzal'• Finl Visit to Parla (1813). D1mng his fir,1 1,ummcr
vacation in Madrid Riwl went to Pan~, S<l)OUrning in 1hi~ gay
capital of France from June 17 to Auitust 20, 1883. Al r,rst, he
was billeted at the Hotel de Paris on 37 Rue d<' Maubange ;
later, he moved to a cheaper hotel on I14 Rue de Renne, in
the Latin Quarter, where it was cheaper to live
Like all touruts. Rizal wu charmingly titillated h) the
attractive sights of Paris, such as the beautiful boulevards (par•
ticularly the Champs Ely1>$Cs), the Opera HoUM:. the l'luu: de
I• CollQOrde, the Arch of Triumph. the Bois de Boulogne (magnificent park). the Madelaine ChuR:h, the Cathedral of Notre
Dame, the Column of Vendome, the lnvalidcs (containmg the
tomb of Napoleon the Great), and the fabulou~ Vcrsa1ll1\~
Unlike ordinary t6uri,ts, who-.e main mtcrest in •isiting foreign
countries is to see the beautiful sights, to enjoy I hem,elve,, in
night clubs and lheatres, and to shop for wurvcnir item,, Ri.t.al
improved his mind hy observing clo,;cJy th,· Frc-nch
of life
and spending many hours at the museums, notabl} the world-famous Louvre; the botanical gardens, especially 1hc Luxembourg
the libraries and art gallerit'!,, and the hosp11uls, ,ncludont the
Lacnnec Ho6pital, where he obi.erved Or. Ni.:atsc treating hi,
patients and the Lariboisiere Hospital, wh •re he observed the
examination of different diseases of wumen
"""Y
On the lighler side of his v1Stt m l'ari~. RWII was mistaken
by the Parisinns a• a Japanese The pncei. of food. dnnks, thcalrc
tickets, laundry, hotel accommodations, and tran~portation were
"
too high ror his slender purse so that he commented in a letter
to his family: •Pari~ 1\ the co,liest capital in Europc." 11
R11.al u • Muon. In Spam Rizal CJUne m close contaet with
prominent Spanish ht>cral and republican Spaniards. who were
mostly Mason,, 111<:ludmg Miguel Morayta, statesman, proressor,
historian, and wruer; Francisco Pi y Margal, JOumalist. Statesn1Jn, and former PrcMdent ol the shon-lived First Spanish Republic; Manuel Becerra, Minister or Ultramar (C.Olonies); Emilio
Junoy, Journalist and member or the Spanish C.Ortes; and Juan
Ru11 Zonlla, parh,imcnl:man uud head or the Republican Prog, c"1ve Puny in Madrid.
Rizal was impressed hy the way the Spanish Mason~ openly
and freely cnt1ci1..:d the government poltcies and lambasted the
rr i.us, whoch could not ~ done m the Ph1fippincs. In due time,
,n March 111113, he Joined the Ma.onoc lodge ~tied Acacia in
Madrid Hos reason for hecoming a mason was to secure
Freemawnry's a,d in his fight against the fnars in the Philippines.
'iin," lhc fria~ u~cd the Catholic religion as a shield to entrench
themscl,c, m p<>w,:o ind wealth and 10 per..ecutc the Fihpino
patmm, he intended 10 utiliie Freemansonry as his shield to
combat 111cm.
Later he transferred 10 lodf.e So/1daridad (Madrid), where
he hc,·amc a Ma,rcr Muson on November 15, 1890. Still later,
on Fchruary 1.5, 1892, he was awarded the diploma as Master
M~n by le Grand Orient de Franu in Paris. 13
A~ a Mason, R12al played a lukewarm role in Freemasonry,
unlokc ~, II dcl Polar. G Lope, Jaena, .and Mariano Ponce who
,cry acti-c on ll,fa~onic affairs. His only Masonic wnting
.. a, ,1 lecrure ullcd "Sc:1mce, \lirtue and Labor," which he deli\crcd on 18!!9 at Lodge Soltdaridad, Madrid. A pertinent portion
of this lecture read~ "~ follows:••
w,-,,
n,., duly of muJem m~n. io rny way or lhinking, is 10
work for lhe redemption of humani1y. because once m•n
is dognofied lhcrc would be less unfortuna1e 8J1<I more happy
men thJI " possible on rho~ lofc. Humnnoty cannot be
redeemed so long as rhere are oppre<sed peoples, so loog
•• there arc some men who live on the rears or many, so
ii,nr ,.. there arc cmabCUlared minds and blinded eyes that
en,1HeJ orhers 10 hve hke sultans who aJone may enjoy
68
beauiy. Humaniiy cannot be redocmod wtule reason OJ n_ot
free while faith would want to impose iuelf on facts, whole
wh~ are laws, and while there arc nations who subjugate
othcn. For humanity to be able 10 111aln the lofty_ de.tiny
toward which God guide$ it, it is om I ary that Within its
fold !here should be no <lissensions nor tyranny, thar plagu~
do nor decimate ii and no gJOIIJ1S and runlci be heard 111
it$ march. It is necessary that its triumphant career ,nareh
10 the tune of the hymns of glory and liberty with a bright
face and Min:ne roretteud .
Hnaoclal Worrle!t. After R11.al', departure for Spam, things
turned from bad 10 worse in Calamba. The harvests or rice and
sugarcane failed on account of drought and locusts. On top or
this eoonom,c disru.ter, the manager or the Domm1can-0wac:d
hacienda ,ncrca!iCd the rental\ of the lands cult,vated by the
Rizal £amity. This hacienda manager, a fn!quent guest at the
R12al home, used to ask for a turkey from Don Franasco (the
hero's father), who was a good raiser of turkey~.
But there came a time when a dreadful peM killed most or
the turkeys When the manager requested for a turkey, .~on
Francisco had lo deny him because he needed the few swvtvmg
turkeys for breeding purposes. Enraged by bis failure to receive
8 turkey, the vindic11ve manager nrbotrarily increased the rentals
of the lands leased by Don Francisa> a.nd Paaano.
Due to bard times in Calamba, tbe monthly allowances of
Rizal to Madrid were late ,n amval and there were tunes when
they never arrived, cious1ng much surfcring to h)m. At ~ne time
Paciano was forced to sell his younger brothers pony to order
10 send money 10 Madrid.
A touching incident in Rizal's life in Madrid occurred on
June 24, 1884. Because he wa., broke, he WlU unable to l.ake
breakfast that day With an empty ,romach, he attended hos
class at the university, parucipated in the contest in Greek language and won the gold medal. In the cverung or the same.day
he was able to cat dinner. for he was a guest &peaker 1n a
banquet held in honor ,,, Ju
' una and Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo at Restaurant Ingles, Madrid.
Rlzal's Salate to Luna and ffk'M&"' The banquet on lbe
evening of June 25, 1884 was sponsored by the Filipino commun•
'9
IOR RIUL llr&, ,W()Rl(I AND WIIITINOS
In SuMy Sellin ( 1882 188!il
ity to celebrate the double V1ctory of the f."ilipino artm in the
National F.xPO,ition of Fine Arts in Mndrid
Luna's Spo/iarium
winnmg fttsl prize and Hidalgo's Chris1i11n Virgins Frf""~" 10
1he l'opulau SC<-ond pnze It was auendcd by prominent Spanish
artist> newspapermen, and men-of-lcuers. btatcsmen, and
Ftlipm0<-
!\pcaking m sonorous C'11~1ilian, Rizjl held h,~ ,1ud1encc
spellbuund. He saluted Luna am.I Hidalgo as the two glnric~ of
Spain and the Phihpp,nes, wht>se arti~lic achicvem<-nts trnn,
cend<Cd geogr.,phical fronuers and rncial <>ngms. for gcnim 1,
universal
"genius knl''-' no country, gcniu~ ,prou"
cverywhcre,_genius i, hke hght, air 1he patrimony of ev<•ryhnd,·
rosmopohtan like space, like hfc, like Uod." He ~lso a<,:iilcd
with rdincd ~,ncasm the b,gotJ) and blindnc" of cc11au1
unworthy Spaniards (refcrrinj! lo the bad fnar, m the Phif1prinl•,)
'-ho c,mld not comprehend 1he univcrsahty of gt•mu,
!his magnifi~ot speech of Rizal w<1, grn,·tcd wtth ,,,1,1
ovaho11s, for ~l'ldom d,J lhe Spamard, hear ,uch an ,11,,uou
from the ltps of~ brown F"ilipino '-hich wa, almoq pccll", '"
nob,hty of thought, m Spam~h rhetoric in sin,c11t1 1,I kdml'
and m sonorous eloquence, Its lull text ,, ~s follow,·"
In lpcbkrng before )uu, 1 am nor >eared b} 1h,· k.11
that you ma) hstc-n 10 me w11h lul.tv.11rmnc:-"' l -.·111111.: '"
Jlltn your cnth.uMa'im. ours, the st1mulu~ of ynurh. Jnd )ou
cannot h<lp but be indul8cnl Sympathe1'1c- eflluvia ,aturat<
the almospht:rc; fr-.atc:-rnaJ i.urrrnt, run •n ult clui:cth111, .
generous ,oul, h,cen; ,nd consequcnllv I du no, le•r rur
n1,> humhk pc-1~1tt nm dn I doubt )'OW bt:ncvulcnt.c Mt;n
of gooJw,11, you ,rck uni) goodwill, an(l from clw hdgl11
where noble sen11men1s rc~idc. you do no1 p.,rcei,c p,:u ~
lnfln. you ,,,. I~ '-ik>le and you Judge Jhc ca.c. and -.,u
extend your hand to one whn hke mi: Uc~trc, 10 Ju111 )OU
1n one ~inj!:Je thought. m uni: c;rnJ:th: u,prnirmn
Un: >!f1,rv
llf gemu\, the •plcndor 11( the ~uiherfond
HC'fe
i,. 1n fac.:t, the.: tt.t'-On \\<hy -...,c ,tfl" }!alht..·h.·<l In
the- hktory of na1ion~ thrrc arc n.tmr-. ch.it h\· 1ht·u"~ ,.. '-''
~•gnjf)· an achievement. th.at rc(all pah1011 and gn.· 11111..·,-<,
names th,u, llkr m.egu. fotniulJ tvvh· r,fcu-wnl and ,nuliriJ.t
th(M.1ghh, n·1me1, thal hcc,1m~· a r,1ct .1 !\Ymhnl nf Jl\:,1t·i· • .1
honl.l o( 1,,.e h<rwcen !he nJlmn,. The name~ nr I un,1 •nd
70
HldaJao belong co these; thctr gloncs 11lumme the rwo
ellremes of !he globe _ the East and the We,t , Spain •nd
the Philippines. In uttcrins them J hclien Tsee two lummou,
an:t,es that, stamng from both n:giOnS, are going to be
entwined thcirc above, impelled by the fc_elUlg of comm<!n
· · and from that hcl•ht
WA
ong,n,
.,.. unite two peoples with ecomal
bonds, two peoples that sea and space separa1e lfl ,am. t "
peoples in wluch the seed,, of dminion that men and the,r
despotism blindly sow do not germ1na1e, Luna •m.1 H,d,l~o
are Spanish u well as Philippine glories. They were_ lk,rn
in the Philippines but they oould have been bum 1n Sr••n.
be1:a~ genius knows no country• ~emus ,prouts
everywhere, genius is hke hghc. a_,r, thee patnmony OI every•
body, cocmopolilan like space, hkc hfc, hke God
The patnarchal era in lhe Ph,llpp,nc, is w,uun~- The
deeds of he, illustriom sons are no longer wa<lcd awa~ at
home. The orien1al chrysalis is leavmg the cocoon Ilic
morrow of a long day for those regions " announced 111
brilliant tines and rose-colored dawns, and cha! race• fallen
,DIO lethargy during the hiscoric night while the ,un rllum111c,
:iiher continents. aga,n •w•kens moved hy the clc.1n,
. pact that contact wich Weskm peoples produces, and she
::mands light , hfe , the eivlhza11on tbac o1 one ltmc they
bequeath her, thus confirming the eternal law, nf """""ll
evolution. of change. of periodicy • of progress
You know llus well and you e,rufl in it To you i, Jue
the beauty of the dia1n,,nd, !hat the l'hili p11t11c wc,ir,"' he
~-n:,wn . She produ«d the precious ston•s. C:urore gave tnem
polish. An.d all of us contemplate proudly your work; we
are the name, the breath. the ma1erlal furnt~hcd
They imbibed o~cr there the poc:11) ul nacurc
•
nature grandiose and u:m"blc ,n tl'\. c11wclr,m, in n, t.'~"lu
tions, in its dynamism; a nature. s-.eet tran<1u1l, and roclancholy in HS m1in1fcs1a11on constJnl. ,tanc, A n:uure >hac
namps its seal on all that it create, and rroducc, Its children
carry it wherever chey go Analyz.e if not 1he1r character
their works, and howescr ,hghlly yuu may kno-. ch,1111copk
you will sec it in everyching as forming 1he1r knowkd~,·, "'
the soul thac presides over everylh,n~ as the spn ni ol I he
mechanism u the sub,11,n1ial form, as !he'•''" m111<11,1l I,
.. OI J>0$8ible noc lo reOecc on what one·, -rlf kol, ,1 i•
po6Sable 10 be one thing and do something dsc The
:0~
J()R RIZAL Lll'f, WOfll(I AHO "RITIN<A
c-0ntradictic,ri1 an: only arr-,rut 1hcy ore only r>•••do•cs..
In El Spobanun,, through that c:anva, that ,s not mute, ean
be heard the tumuh of the muhllu<.le, the shouting of the
<laves, the melallrc creaking ol the urmm of 1hc corf"IC~,
the sob; of the bereaved, the mUJmur> of prayer, with such
viir:or illn<I rcolt!m • .1, one hcu,.., chc din or chundcr to 1hc
rmdst of the crnsh of the c,Jturuct, or the 1mrrcss.,c and
dreadful tremor of lhc earthquake
'Inc same nature tlwt engenders ,uch phonomen" i ntcr...,'-'nc, al\<, m thoS<.· 4;1rnlu:~ On 1hc oCI
11 . !, m lh<lalg_u·t.
r,untrnR ct1<· purC"\>l ,,·nhm~nt lhrnh.... "k:il c~pn:,"um of
md.incholy. hc:auty. and -.caknes, _ victun, of brure force.
and it ,, ht :m,c f hd.,J_1•0 w11!1 horn under lht· hnlh,un ..11.un:
of hat ,ky to rhe couiog 11 H\ M"a brt-\'/r, rn Che n11d,t
,,1 tire '-t!rcnuy 01 ,1, lake~. the poc:lr} of 11, ,allci,. and
th..: 01,lJ~·,e,c hartntN1y of n. nwunt,-un, ,mJ r:111gc,
h,r lh..at u.·.1..,on III LtuM '\ ..rt• the &lldJU"-·1. the cuntra)ts~
Ille rn,,rrt,und fijlhb, mystery and th, tern1,1, like the
rncl'hcratmn of the tlark tcmpe<h nl the 1rnp1,,. the li11h1nmp nn,t the rn.um~• c.-ruJ,tlo11!'ri. ul thc.11 \.olt.:anot:s h>r chat
rc:i,on Jl1dafi,:o 1rnll h.Jlhr , ml<1r, hJrnuin) fal111i, hmr1d11y.
lr~c the Pluhf'ptnes m her moonhght nights on her tranquil
dtff\, \\tlh h,·r hun1on, thut mvuc lo mcJllullun . \lOd where
the 11111n1tr lulls And hoth. dc~pitc: ht,·111~ ,o dhunct m
rhcm~lvc,. m appe3Iao,:e ..1 least. co1oc1de a1 ho11nm. a~
111 our h,·11ns tJo Ill '(lalc 111 nmnhl<• ,lrffcrcmc,. 111 rcOectmg
o~ lheor r•lcttc the splend1fcro11, r.t)> ,>f u11fnl,l1ny r.lnrv
w11h which they surround thc:or Nau,c Land. hoth e,prc,~
lhc SJ>rfll nf our M><wl. mor.11. and 1>uh11cal Ilk. mankonJ
sul>iectcd lo harsh tests. unredeemed mankmd; rc;l\on and
usrorillion an an OflCn struggle ,.,,h preoccura1ions. fana11
Cl!\nt
,tn\l lnJU~fH.:c\, tlccau-.c.- scrmmcnh .md orinium. cut
pas.sage through the lhi<:kc,1 wall,. lwc;iusc tn them all
hnJ,cs have pores. all arc tran,parcnt. ,ind 11 rhc) lack pen.
of lh,· f""'" doe,, nnl help them . lite J>Jl<·llc .anti hru,hc,
will nt\l only dclogh1 the c~e 1,ut will ol,o l,c eloquent 1rihute,
ff the Muther r..•«ho her child her l•n~ua11e on ""lcr
ll1;1I ,he.- m..t) un,lc"'tJnJ lo, Jt'\'S. his. necessu,c--.. or h,~
\Orrow~. Spam, a, m •thcr, h:J4.•hc, ul"', htr IJt1~u..sgc 10 1hc
Ph1bpp1,,,..., in ,p1tc nt lh!! orpP"\ltlOn of tho\e 1TT)'t1p11.: mtn
.and p1gmu.•• who <k!\11111r to in~urc lhc.: v•('~cm. do not
~cc 1ht· futur~, <1ct not wrich lhi \.V11,<.4u1.·nu~,
1uch1u,
71
wet nu.-, corrupt Ind corrupton, ..,ho tend to extinguish
Ill legitimate fcdinp, who perverting the hearts of the
people, sow in them the gcnns of discord in order _10 reap
later the fruit, the aconite, the death offuturcgcneranons.
But, I forget those miseries• Peace to those who arc
dead beca~ the dead •re <lead· they lack breath, soul,
and worms corrode them' Lei us oot evoke their dismal
memory; let us not hring their stench into the mrdst of our
rejoicings! Fortunately, brothe~ are l•rser ,n nu!"ocr
generosity and nobility are innate under the sky of !>pain,
all of you arc: a patcnl proof of that. You have rc.,pcmdcd
un11J1imously; you have helped and you would have done
more if more had been asked of you. Seated 10 >hate our
supper and to honor the tllusmous son, of the Philippine.,
you honor also Spain because you have done very well Toe
boundaries of Spain are neither the AtlanlJc nor the Cantab·
rian nor the Mediterranean
it would be 1g110minious for
the water to place a dam to her grandeur, 10 her idea Spalft IS there, there where her beneficent infiucocc IS felt,
and though her Ong might d1,appear, there would remain
her memory, eternal, impcnshable What does a ptcce of
red a· d yellow doth matter. what do noes and cannons
matter, there where no fusion of ideas, unity of principles.
harmony of opinions e,ust?
Luna and Hidalgo belong as much to you as to us; you
love them and "'• sec m them generous hopes, precious
examples The Filipino ynuth in Europe , ever en1hus1as1ic,
and others whose hearts always remain young for the dism•
1cru1cdness and enthusiasm that charactcriu their actions,
offer 10 Luna ~ n crown, • modest gift, small indeed for
our enthusiasm. but the most spontaneous and the most
voluntary of all the gifts hitherto pre,,en1cd to him.
But the gratitude of the Philippines towards her 1lluslri•
ous sons was nOC ycl $.Stiuied, and desiring lo give free rein
to the thoughts that bubble ,n the mind, to ihe sentiment$
1ha1 abound in the heart, and to the words that CiCBp<: from
the fipi;, we have all come here to this banquet to )"in our
wishes, in order to give form to the mutual embrace of two
races 1hal love unc another and bite one another, morally,
'l()Clally, and
•inlly united for a period of four ccn!uries,
so that they m"y form on the future one single nanon 10
spirit, in their duties, m their views, in their privileges.
73
I dunk then 10 the health or our art1,11 uin• and
fficblto, k&llmlatc and pu,9 pones o( rwo pec,pla' I drialt
to the health of the l)el'$0DS who h.a•e lent them a hclpmg
h111d on the dc)lorou, path or art I dnnk 10 Ille hcallh of
the f'll.rp,nt, youth. 1-'Cnd hope or my 1'•11~ I.MJ, 1h11
lhcy may 1m11atc 1u<h pr«1ous cumrlc, so that Mother
Sra,n, ll(>l1C1I011S anJ hcedtvl or 1hc ,.ctrarc or her prov1mes,
1mrlemcat 100n the rcfonns w has C<W11cmplarcd r,.,. a
Iona tia,c "The furrow,. ready and the grov.nd is n()( ,1,nle!
And I ll11nk finally for lhc h•pp,nc» or those parent, •ho,
dcpri,cd of lhe 1cndcmc11 or 1hr1r children. lro-,a 111otc
di>t..1 rcg,ons follo,o lbc• wilh .,,.,,,. <ye, •nd palptl•roni
he •m Ju0<, .co\ and •p•cc, Mcr,r,,,ng on the al1u or 1hc
common •~lfuc 1hc ,,.eel
111i<1 -, , . urc
an the 1,..t,ght of ~re. prctaOUi ODJ 1uee1, ,,.w,cr &,.er,
1h•1 •rrnu1 along 1h11
whuc ltordcn or lhc gra•c
C<-.1•••-
'"°"
Riul ln•ehtd In Studftlt Dunon.ltrallkwu, On No,cml-c.,r
20. 21, and 22, 11184, the serc:nc city of Madrid e~plodcd 1n
hlooJ> no1, h~ the \tuJcnts of the Central l/mvc~uy. k1zal and
01hct I 1hpm11 11udcn11 par11c1p.t1c,J, toac1hcr w11h Cuhan Mex,
can, Pcrmuin , and 'ipani~ students, 1n th, tu" ,,h Thn(i ,11.1.t,n1
dcmon!lrJllom were ~au.ed by tht' addrc.._, of Dr. Miguel
Mora,13, rrolc,..:" of hi"oty, 11 the opc:n,"t: ccrcmorue1 of the
academic ~c " >n No~mbc:r :n. an ,.h,~1. 11,, proda1n1cd 'the
freedom of -.·,ence and 1he 1eocher" Such a hht,raJ view wa,
C'Ulldemned I>, 1hc Caiholic "1shoJ>" of Sp&on who promplh
ucommuno~lcd Dr Moray11 and 1ho~· who .ippl4udcd ""
<pccch
Anacred hy 1hc b1go1ry of the <'11holic hi,h,,ps , the umvcr
,,ty Sludcnu rose ,n violent <kmon,,tralloo) f'hc> noted m 1hc
ctty 61rect\, ,hou11ng "Viva Moray11! Down with Bl'hOfl\! "
Practiully all 1hc ,1ud<'nt, on •~nou\ colk&cs (I.a,., Mr.d,anc,
Pht!owphy and Letters. c1c,) Jooncd lhc massive dcmon,1rat1on,,
ancludln& R,101. Valentin Ventura, and other f"tJipanos Tht"
poha; ar,J the •nn> lroopcr. tr1Cd to <upprc>1 the •ngry '1udenh ,
bu1 an ••m. Bloody fiaht5 raged ,n 1hc umYCf\llY hu,IJ/ngs ~n,1
1n the city streets. The studeni. armed v.,th clubs, <lone). and
fists. fooaht the go•crnmcnt tom:s Many um•c:rut) professor.
openly liUpponed I~ 1tudcn1 norers The Rc,·1or, who MI\O took
1he side of the 1tudcn11. was forced 10 resign and WI\ replaced
by Doctor Crc-.., "a very unpopular man. dishkc:d by e,ef}hodv ",
tbe appoin1mcn1 ol the nc"' Rr.ctur mtcn,ufacd the fu1y of
the lt\ldcnt ckmonSlrators. Mo" ,1udent dc:n100,1rn11on$ con•
vul•cd the c,ty, Recounting the tumultuou\ notan~~ to his famil)
In a letter dared November U,. 18!<4 R,,.., ...,,J'
When 1hc n,w Rcc:1nr went hi a"un,c olhcc nc•t ll;ay
INo,,cmbcr 21 , 188-1
ZI lrch" ., trc 111u,b arntlll<d "'"
-.ere ,till ICC'ln& red 1t •--a fl..~11 J .;JO( 10 return to c ~~
u IOllg H !hey did nN gm1 us sata>r•c:twn, and rcm.,, c 1hr
Rector 11,crc ,.c,c repeated >bout> of •o.,,.n ,.,th L'ccu,'
I wu there aku On th,U J.1y thtrc: •rrc nc• t.:11':uunh:n.
!IC"' fighll, •-oundcd call<' hlo ..,' unrmomn<nl. c:u II "u,
on 1h>1 .:.me .Ja, . 1hc 2bl, ,.hen., pol1<c hcu1<n•nt •nJ •
Kettl ..,,.,cc m~n •antrd 10 sr1rr \'t111ura 1and mr hu1 h<
and I oapcd T,.u FrllJ'lffOl ~fC 1alcn pn,.m,:r,
1
On the third d3\ , S1turdav 1hr .Und. IM nc,r. lk,·tor
Crcus calkd 1hc ~ IO O..'alf'Y 1hc l DI\Cl>1I\ t 111<
area.I d,s,uM ol 1hr prt,fo~on unJ 1hc rrC'.,t 1nd1£n,1t Mn af
the ,iu&nu On 1h11 .i..v, h:eauw 1hr AJent ot lh, IJ"'
•ere •lu,ng '"') much at me, and I do n.•t l""" "h'" I
had 1n d "£111\C ffl)><'lr 1hrrc 1,mc,
C'nt,·r. J 1h, • t.,...,
Mprc
woun,lcd , etc !\.IOJC' th3n Iii) gu3rt1, nu,-p,c,1
the Unl,rl'Sll) up •nd Jov,n , the) h3J 1hc11 run, an I t>urln
10 l!lc lfflurc lull 'The boulc-vard Ocl P,;HJ., ,...,. occupKJ
by the cavalry. cannons, and soldarr. On lh" 11,1\ ,.,. ,,.,,,.
not 10 ,ctum to 1hts d1ffl",1tflrcJ 1 1nl\~nlt)' , -.htt\ol U.n1t,r
,mros,t'd on n b) fon, .,,., 1 1 ,, .at. and an •h h "" :.tt
'°""
i,i.,.,,,
••1.
treated ., rcr\(1"\ ~11hou1 d1gn11, ;tntl -..c h.-•.-c ),V.~l•n ncll
they I'" U> , mpktr !.IIL'f••1u>11 ,11,J
reinstate th<- olJ Rector. rcmt. Crcvi •ho I\ a -i.11 rol\~
1o the pt,ys,aan; ,.ho wantrd to e~i,c:I ham la'1m 1h,· ,,,.,,,km\
lof McJlCinc and Surgc.-yl for lacking ,n 11,gnal) •nd ><II
rccpc,·1
n"' R«tor, 10 avnad 1hc Clllcall, 1nJ 111,ul1, ot
lhe st11<1 ·n1s, 1c:a,c- and n,1crs the Univcr,ll) 1hru • occ1<1
door In the 1ankn All lhc P•r<" ol MadraJ o1ml 1n ihc
10 go back unbl
1
\\:
t, .-rt those ii( d,c '1rnktry ar ... 111 our f.1,,1, .
th,.- l"O!'Jc aho ~•• on
our &1dc, and the •tullcn1, of 1hr prov,n,,·, arc a.tlu·ran~ ho
- A nch ~-in~ ·r ~rrrrc.J ten lho~.md d ''" t(I the ("\•
Rttt'1r 10 b..1I OUI the amrn,on,;J <tuJcnb
and all the
pro(, , u, ire 1n f.--.etr of tht ,,u'-lcnl\, , ,u muc.h M• 1h1t tht)·
take o 1 cau..: 1n 1hc1f\ I had lhf lu,k of no1 "'""'' ICR"l'Cd
P'V"'""
tcvucly aoo.,,n, the Gc»rmnw-••
c,ca I cane Mow, fk,r 111\.cn pul(')ncr. nor arre,trt.J dc,('Mt
74
7S
I• ....,nv SP-'• (1882 18861
my two rolca as student of medicine and of philosophy and
letters ... Whether it was luck or not, the cue is that there
were wounded old men, women, children, soklien, strangers; I did not even have: to run .. . No Filipino was
wounded, but Cubans and Spaniards many.
Studies Completed In Spain. Rizal oompleted his medical
course in Spain. He was conferred the degree of Ucentiate in
Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid on June 21,
1884, The next academic year {1884-85) he s tudied and passed
au subiecu leading 10 the degree o f Doctor of 'fedicine. Due
to the £act. hnwever, that he did not present the thc$is required
for graduation nor pa id the corresponding fees, he was not
awarded bis Doctor's diploma .
1812-13
Untvcrsal History I .............................
Very Good
G eneral L11cratu1 c ........ ,. , .. ,.... ,........ •
Excellent
11183-84
u n,,ersal I hSIOI')' I
" ......... ' . ....... ' ...
Very Good
Gene ral Literature
.... ... ......... , .....
Excellent
1814-85
Unl\ ersal History 2 .................... . ...... .
Excellent
G reek ..nd Latin L11~raturc ···· ·····~····
F1tttllcnl
(with pn1.c)
G reek I ....... .. ... ........... ....................
Excellent
(with priit)
His scholastic records in medicine at the Universidad Central
de Madrid were as follows: 17
Hftb Year (11181-8.3): CandMatlea o1
Medical Courre la the Unlttl'IIQ
olSantoTMedical O1nic I , .............. ,• . .............. Good
Surgical Chnic I •.••• , •, ••.•••• .•, . •..••••••••••.
Good
Obstetrical Clinic .. . . ....... ,. ,, ........ . Fair
Legal Medicine , ............... ................ . ExcelJcnt
Sixth year (1883-84)
Medical Cltnic 2 ...... ..... .................. . ., . .
Surgical Clinic 2 , ......... . , • , •.... ...•........
Good
Very Good
Uc..dato In Mcdld■• awt.nlH on J - ll , IIIM
wftla the r■liac "Fair"
Doctorm (1884-15)
History of Medical Science .. .• ..... .... . ..... .
Surgical Analysis ..... .. ... ......• ... ........ ....
Normal Histology ..... , . , . .... ... ......... ...
Farr
Good
&cellcn1
Doctor ol Medldoe (NOC a.......)
Rizal also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letten,
with higher grades. He was awarded the degree of Licentiate
in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de
Madrid on June 19, 188S (his 24th birthday), with the tatinJ
of MExc:ellent• (Sobraalimt,e), H i s ~ Ra>rds in Ibis
coune follow: II
11112.&l
Spanish Language .................... .
Excellent w/
a scholarship
Arabic Language .... ,.......................... .
Excellent w/
a i;cholar~hip
At long last. Rizal completed lus studies in Spam By obtainmg the degre e of L1ccn11at( m Philosophy ~nd Lcllcrs. he hcc_amc
qualified to be a profeSS';'r cf humanitJ~s m. any _Spanish univer•
sity And by receiving his degree of IJ..1cen11ate m ~ed1cin_e '. he
became a full-fledged phy!>ician, qualified to prac11se medicine.
He did not bother 10 secure the post-,graduatc degre~ of ~oct':>r
of Medicine because it was, together with the hcenuatc 1n
philosophy and leucrs, good only fo_r 1cachmg purposes. _Bein_g
a man o f high intelligence and foresight , he knew that with ~1s
brown color and Asian racial ancestry no tJ:iar:°~ned university
or college in the Plulippines would _aocept him 1? Its faculty_ st~ff.
Thus he said, in his leller 10 his family wnllen m Madnd,
November 26 . 1884: "My doctorate is not of very much value
1o me ... because although it is useful to a university pro~essor,
yet I believe they (D ominican friars - Z) will never appo1~1 me
as such in the College of Santo Tomas. I say the same 1hing_of
Philosophy and letters which may serve also for a professorship.
• to me.·" 19
but I doubt if the Dominican fathers w1·11 grant 11
•••••
76
77
p.,,, to 8erli" ( 1885 1881)
Chapter 7
Paris to Berlin (1885-87)
After completing his studie,, in Madrid, Rizal went to Pans
and Germany in order to spec,alt:ie in ophthalmology I le particularly chose this branch of medicine because he wanted 10
cure his mother's eye ailment. He served as assistant 10 the
famous oculists of Europe. lie also conunui.:d his travcb and
observations of European life and customs, government and laws
in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig, and Berlm. In Berhn, capital of
then unified Germany. he met and bc-fnended several top German <1eientis1~. Dr. Feodor Jagor, Dr. Adolph 8 Meyer. Or.
Hans Meyer, and Dr Rudolf Vircbow. His merits as a scientist
were recognized by the em1Mnt scien Lists of Europe.
1n Gay Par!$ 0885-86). Shonly after tenninating his studies
at the ~ntral University of Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24
years old and already a physician, went to Paris 111 order 10
acquire more knowledge in ophthalmoiogy
On lus way to Paris, he stopped at Barcelona to visit his
friend, Maximo Viola, a medical student and a member of a
ric~ f~ily of San ~iguel , Bulacan. He stayed for a week, during
which lime he befriended Senor Eusebio Corominas, editor of
the newspaper La 1>ubficidad and made a crayon sketch of Don
Miguel Morayta, owner of La Pub/1cidad and a statesman. He
gave Editor Corominas an anicle on the Carolines Question,
then a controversial issue, for publicatfon. 1
. In November 1885, Rizal was living in Paris, where he
soioumed for about four months. He worked as an assistant to
Dr Louis de Weckert (1852-1906), leading French ophthal•
?1ologist, fr_om Novembe{ 1885 10 February 1886 He rapidly
.improved his knowledge of ophthalmology, as revealed hy his
78
lane, to his parents on January I, 1886. "Wuh respe~t to the
11udy of the ailments of the eyes," he wrote , " I am do,ng well.
I know now how to perform all the operation,; I only nccc.J to
knnw what is going on inside the eye, which require~ much
•
prnct,cc". 2
Outside of hts working hours at Or. Wcckcrt \ chm,. R11,ll
,~loxed by visiting his friends, such as the family of the Pardo
dt- I averas (Tnnidad, Feluc, and Paz), Juan Luna, and Felix
Rc,urrcccion Hidalgo. Pa:t Pardo de Tavera wa, a_ preuy !!lrl.
whn wa., engaged 10 Juan Luna On the album of th•~ g,rt Ru.ii
drew a series of ~ketches on the story of "The Mon~cy anti the
I unlc"
At the studio of Luna. RtL;tl ,pent many happy hour,. I k
di,cus.~ed w11h Luna, the great ma,tcr of the hru,h. ,a11m"
problem~ on an and improved his own pamtm)( technique. I k
helped Luna by posing as model ,n several pa1n11ng, In lus1.1,
canva.~ "The Death of Cleopatra," Rttal puscJ '" an Li:vin,.,11
priest In another or Luna\ great painti~~,. " The Bto,1el Cm11
pact." he posed as Sikatuna, with fnntdad Pardu ,k T;l\vr.i
taking the role or Legazp,
Rlz.al as Muslcwn. Mu,ic pla}cd o111 1111por1.1111 p,11 t 111 ,,II
Filip,no reunion, in Barcelona Madn~. P,111, und nthcr i'l1tc,
or Europe. The Filip,nn contcmporancs of R11al ,·ould c11hcr
play an rnstrument or smg. Especially, in the home ol the Pnrdn
de Taveras and ,n the Luna studio. every i:c:un,on w," cnh,,:n,·d
with the playmg or <inging of the kundimnn, and other Phtltp['rnl'
melodies.
Rizal had no natural aptitude for music. and th1, tw adm,1 led
But he studied music becau,e nMny o! hi, -,choc:lmJt<·, ,,t the
Atenco were 1ak111g mu"c lc,.,.,n, In u lctt,•r d,ttctl '""·,11h,·1
27. J87R. he told Fnnquc I etc that he "k,1rncd the ,ollcj!1'11>.
the piano. and voice culture 1n one month .,n_<I ,, h,,11 ". 11<>"<''<'
he confessed 1ha1 he could 1101 "ng well , ·11 vou c,1ulJ hc.11 me
song," he wrote to Lele, ·•you would w"h you ~~re: 111
because my voice 1s like the hraymg of the asses .
s.,.,,,,
By sheer detennination and constant practice, Ri1..it c.tme
to play the Oute fairly well. He wa, a nu1iM 111 ,anuu, nnprmnptu
rcun,on, of Fihp111os 111 Pans. It 1s sa,d that he even wmp11,cd
some songs, particularly Aliri Mang uihi (Any Race). o pa11ot11
79
1011g which assens that any race aspires for freedom, and a sad
dania, I..a ~poruu:ion (Deportation), wluch he composed in
Dapitan during his el{ilc.
In Historic Reicklbfft. After acquiring enough experience
as an ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckeu's clinic, Rizal reluctantly
left gay Paris on February I, 1886 for Germany. He visited
Strasbourg (capi1al of Alsace Lorraine) and other Germ.to border
towns.
On February 3, 1886, he arrived in Heidelberg, a historic
city in Germany famous for 11s old un1versi1y and romantic
surroundings. For a short ttmc he lived m A hoarding house with
some German law students. These studc111, tu,,.... . t ''"" RiL<il
was a good chess player so that 1bey made him a member of
the Chess Player·, Club. He became popular among th~ German
students because he joined them in their chess games and beer•
dnnking, and watched their friendly saber duels.
And there , bcncalh its azure sky.
Where all my affections lie
There from the weary pilgnm say,
What faith is h,s ,n that land of OUT$!
Go there and tell how when the dawn,
Her ~arly hght diff1Ulng.
Your pe1a1, liN flung open wide,
I hs ,tcps beside chill Neckar drawn,
You • hm1 >1lcnt by your side,
I 'r<>• , St>rin, fl< rcnmol mu\lng
~ ,w hnw when moming',• light,
All vour lragr~nce "ealing,
Whi~pcr. 10 you •• on mirth,
l'l>ylul song, ,,f I ove', deliRhl.
He. tou. murmurs his love, leehn,
In tht: tongue ho lcMntd Jl h1nh
Alter a few days, Rizal transferred 10 a boarding house
which was near the Universuy of Heidelberg. He worked at 1be
University Eye H ospital under 1he directmn of Dr. Otto Becker,
distinguished German opbtbalmologi~t. and altended the lectures
of D octor Beclcer and Pror. Wilhelm Kuehne at lhe university.
ThJt when 1hc gun of Kccmg,1uhl', he111.ht
Pours oul it< ~olden flood.
And w11h 1l'S ,luwlv w~nnong bght
Give< hfe to , •It and gro,c anJ .-ood
He 11,reets 1h31 sun here onl) upra,si~r
.
Which 111 his nan,c land 1s at 1ts 1.cmth blazing
Dunng week-ends, Rizal visited 1he scenic spots around
Heidelberg, including the famous Heidelberg Castle, the roman•
lie Neckar River, the !heater, and the old churches He noticed
that the German Catholics and Protestants practised ecumenism,
for they lived 1ogctbcr in harmony and cordiality. One of the
town churches was used "one-hair by the Catholics and the other
half by the Protestants. tt
And tell there of that day he ,tood,
Nca, 10 • ,uin·d castle gra)
By Neckar's "bank,. or shady wood.
An<l plucl 'd )<lU from bc,ldc the way
Tell , too. 1he talc tu you ,1<lclrc,~cd,
And bow with tender care.
You, hcnd,n~ lea,c, he press'd
"'rwixt pni:c, \,r ,onh: \·olume ,,,rf
"To tbt Flowus of Heidelberg." In the spring of 18116, Rita!
was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of
the Neckar River. Among them was h1; ravonte nower - the
lirdll blue "forgcl-me-nnltt
Rc,1r then, O Oo,.ers. love·, mc,,...gc bear;
Mv love 10 all 1he IO\ 'd ones there,
l';a,e w my rnu111ry - !ru11ful l•nJ
F~11h whcrton 11, son, m,,y \lan,I
And \lrtuc for ,1, daughters' care.
The beautiful spring flowers reminded him of the blooming
flowe.rs at 1he garden of bis home in Calamba In his mood o f
homesickness, he wrote on Apnl 22, lgg(,, a fine poem "A Las
F1ore.r de Heidt/berg" (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) , as follows:•
Go 10 my native land, go, foreign flowers.
Sown by the lrllveler on his ,.,.y.
80
All thu,c hclo\'Cd ..:1caturc<i. gr~ct.
Thnt still ~rC1und home', Jhur meet
Am.I ~hen )OU come umn its shore.
nus kiss I nov, lln you b<.-:,tO\\.
f'ln•R where the winged brtcu, bl<1w.
81
.IOM IIIZAl.r u,1. WOIIU AHO """ITINDI
P#'k TO ltrlln t 188!> t881J
That borne on them it may hover o'er
AU that I love, csreem, and adore.
Flnt Ll'tttt to BlwwnlTitl. On July 31. ll!M R11al wrote hi~
fi111 lellcr in German (which he had improved alter h" stay \'.Ith
Bur lhou&h. 0 Dowers, you come unro 1ha1 land
And shll perchance your colon hold,
•
So w from this heroic strand
Whose l<)il lirt.1 bade yoor uf: unfold
Still here your fragrance w,11 cxpund
I hne heard 1ha1 you arc ,tudyin@ our language, and rhal
Your soul !hat never qu11s the canh
Whol.e hghl smiled on you l l your birth
you had 1,lrcady puM1sht'd "°°1C ""or• ,ti Jul 11 . P" mHl me 10
With Ptitor llllmer 111 Wllhdms"1d, Af1c:r writing "To rhc
Rowers of Heidelberg." Rizal spent a three-month summer
vacation at W11hclm,Cdd, a mountainous village near He,delherg.
He stayed at the vicarage of a kind Pro1c,1nn1 pastor. Dr Karl
Ullmer, who became his good friend and ndmitcr His plcusan1
personality and talents in language~ and sketching endeared him
to lhc pastor's wife who wns " got,d cook. and 1wc, children,
Etta {daughter) and Frilz (sanl.
So debj!htful wash" slay al Pa,tt>r Ullm~r', ho1111' 1h01 Rizal
felt 1hc pan~ of sadness when he ended his so1oum on Jun~ 25,
1886. He re1umed to Heidelberg, carrying wnh him beautiful
mcmonc, nf lhc Ullmc:r frocnd,-h1p and hospitality The following
day he wrote to Pastor l'lhncr expressing hh gr ,llitudc, a, follows;
"I thank you very much once more. Ym1 may also receive. when
you arc abroad, lhil same 1rea1men1 and fricnd,h,p a, I have found
among you, 1111d ,f beini: n fore1gnc1. I can do no1h1nr, for you in 11
foreign counlry. I cao be of ~ome service lo you in my homeland,
where you will alway, find a good friend. if I do not die, of course,
The JOY of l>cong undcrs1ood b)' ocher people ,, ,o grea1 thar one
cannot ea,ily forge1 it. You undcrsrood me Ion, m ,pue of my
brown &km, which to many people ,s yellow. as that were puzzling (lf ab~urd u'\
,r
• Later. on M4y 29, 1887. Roni wrote from Munich (Muchcn)
10 Fnednch (h11,), son or PaMor Ullmcr. "Tell !he good Frau Pastor, your dear Mama. 1ba1 when I reach home, I shall write 10 her
l shall never forget how good she. as well as your Papa,h'l(t been to
me when I was an unknown stranger, 11,,1hou1 friends and recommenda1ion~
I <hall never forget Wilhelm~fcld wilh its hosp,1ablc parish house ..~
82
the Ullmcrs) to Profe!i50r Ferdinand Blumc111n11 U1rcc1m ol 1he
Alcnco of Leitmentz, Au~tria. He h~d hc.ord of 1hi< Austnun
cthnologJSt and bis interest m Phihppmc language, In his let1er,
R1ul said:1
send ye
valuahlc t>ook wnnen by my ,oun1ryman ,n our
laniuage fhc .Spanish vcrnon "medroc, c bcc~u,c 1hr JUI l,uf
1\ ooly r nodc&I •vrilcr hul rhc T~alOjt part "i••od , an,J II "
preosel) the language "-r<iken in our prnv.rn:c:
With th\~ letter, Rizal ,,•nt lhc honk which ht• menuoncd
That book was cnhtledArrtmmrn (Anthmc11c) and wa, publhhcd
on 1wo languages
Spanish au1t.l I ni;.,log
h)' 1loc llnl\cr 111
of Santo Toma, Pre,, in llior The 11111hnr wa< Kuf,no R olra,,11
Hernandez. a nattvc of '-anla Crul , l ~gun~
Rizal's letter from Hc1dclbfr~ ornpr "'"d Hlumrn1tt11. "-ho
rCC1proca1ed by sending Rital a t•II 11 rwo '""11., It 111,1rl.cd
the beginning of !heir long and foc4ucnt rnmc\ponden,o. ,,lso
af 1hcir friendship thal Jasred all 1he1r live);. Rlumenlnll 1hc
Auslrian, became the be,1 friend ol Rout. the hhpmu.
Fiflh Ctntfflary olHddelbc~ Uni>ersily. Kizal wa, (orlunate
to be !.OJOurning in Heidelberg when the l.•mou, l/ novcr-111
Hc,dclherg held i\s fifth ccnrcnai,· celdna1ion 1111 ,\upu,t,, IX>i(>
II wa.~ three days beforr hi~ depdnurc and he w~s ,ad liet,tu,c
he had come to love the beauuful mv and n, hu,p1t.1hlc people
,,r
The following entry on his diary Jaldl Au)!u,t t,. 11\Kh
describe\ the cclchrnuon of the f1f1h n111cn '" 1 ►1 th, lamnu,
llniver.ity af Heidelhertr"
For iU fi(lh c~nttnary rbe J.tmou!t Ln1vln11, nf lk1tkl
hf:tg c. kht1ucd i1, Fr\lu11g 1hulj morm11g. iut\l' " ' 111c:ndeJ I
hkcd rhc poclure ~tier than lhe ur1~1nal it"II There \'.etc.
ho.. evcr , many clcg.,nt ,rnd tmllo,1nt c,,.tum,.., llugmull<,,
1hc fomou, ,1udcn1 of llc11klt>cr~. "'·" drc,.,cd ~, I mlcmk
1he V1e1oroou,. l.ieherman, "" a gentleman ol 1he sevcnlcenth
century, Grcgo,rc. wolf of Schw•hcn, clc . l.,l\l ,u~h• wJ,
S,hlorsftst When will lh<Sc J,u<1ic,cnJn)cd ,n lh" p<l"liL un<I
Hl
, - ., ...,," 11_1_,1
JOla llliAL LIFI. WOIIU AND WllfT!Na
buu11ful city come back? When 'frill the toreiprs return
there? When $hall I return ahcr I shall have left? Inquire the
fate of the molecules or water that the sun evaporates Some
fall ~~ dew un Lhc bo.soms of the Oowers; others arc convened
onto ,ce and 1now: othcB into mud or swamp or torrential cascade - they a re not lost but continue to live in nature. Wilt
my wul have the fate of water - never being lost into
nothinancM?
In l,elp:rig and Dradm. On August 9, 11186, three Clays after
th.e fifth centenary celebration of the University of Heidelberg,
Rizal left the city. He boarded a tram, visited various cities of Germany, and arnved in Leipt,g on August 14, 1886. He attended
some lectures at the University of Leipzig on history and psychology. He befnended Professor Friedrich Ratiel, a famous German
historian, and Dr. IHnn~ Meyer, German antluopolog,st.
pat scientists. He met for the firat time Dr Feodor Jagor,
rclchrated German scientist-traveler and author of Travtl.s in
,,.~ Phil1ppints, a book which Rizal read and admired during
h11 \tudent day~ in ManilA , Dr Jagor visited the Philippines in
I!; 9-60, before Rizal ,vas bom. In !his book (published in Bertin
,n 1873), he foretold the downfall of Spanish rule in the Phihp1•111<'\ and the coming of America 10 Phillppme shores. Rizal
h,1d a letter of introduction by Blumentritt for him.
Or Jagor, in turn , introduced Rizal to Or Rudolf Virchow,
1.,mous German an1hropologis1, and the tatters son, Dr Hans
\ 11~how professor of Descripnve Anatomy Rizal also met Dr.
\\ Joc,1. noted German gcogrnphcr He worked in the clinic
111 Or Kori ErncM Schwciggcr, (1830-19(15) famous German
oph1hJlmologis1.
I.n '-'!1p1ig, Rizal ll'lln~lated Schiller's William Tell from German •~to Tagal~g 'SO that Fihpm05 might know the story of that
champion of Swiss independence. Later, he also translated into
Tagalog for his nephews and nieces Hans Christian Andersen's
Fairy Tait's.
Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the
Fthnological Society, and the Geographical Society or Berlin,
upon recommendauon o[ Or Jogor and Dr. Meyer Hi\ memh,mhip m these sc1en11fic SOCteties proved that his ~cientific
knowh!dgc wa, recognized by Europe's scientists. He was the
llr\t Asian to be accorded ~uch honors.
Riz.il found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was cheapest
m Europe so that he stayed two months and a half in thij German
etty. ~• corrected ~me chapters or bis. second novel and perfo~cd his daily phy\lcal exerc1~s at the cuy gymnasium. Because
of ho\ knowledge of German. Spanish and other European languages he worked as proof-reader in a publisher's firm, thereby
e.irmng sumc money.
Dr Virchow, whn recognized R1zal's gcmu~, invited the
latter 10 give a lectore before the Ethnographic Socic:ty of Berlin.
In response to Virchow's invitation, Rizal wrote a scholarly paper
m German, entnlcd Tagalischr Vcrkwut (Tagalog Metrical An)
which he read before the socic:ty in April 1887. This paper was
published by the society in the same year, and 11 elici1ed favorable
comments from all scientific quaners.
On October 29, he le[t Le1pag for Dresden, where be met
Dr Adolph 9 . Meyer, Director of the Anthropological and
Ethnoloi1cal Mm;eum He <tayed two days in the city He heard
Mass in a Catholic church. Evidenlly, this Mass impressed him
vccy . much, for he wrote on hi~ diary: "Truly I have never in
'.'!>' hfe_ heard a Mass whcxe music had greater sublimity and
mtonat1on. "9
Rlzal's Life In lkrlln. In Berlin, Rizal was not a mere
student or a curiou~ tourist . He lived in this famous capital of
unified Germany for five reasons: (1) to gain further knowledge
of ophthalmology, (2) 10 further his studies or sciences and
langu.oge~. (3) to observe the economic had political conditions
of the German nation, (4) to associate with (amou~ German
scientists and scholars, and (5) to publish his novel, Noli Me
In the morning, of Novemt>er I, Riial left Dresden by irain
reaching Berlin tn the evening.
'
Rizal Wd"9ffled In Berlin's Sdentiric Circles. Rizal was
enchanted h~ Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the
absence of race prejudice. In this city, he came in contact with
a.
Tangere.
Rizal led a methodical and frugal life in Berlin. By day, be
worked as an assis1ant ,n the clinic of Dr. Schweiggcr, eminent
German opthalmologist. At night, he attended lecture& in the
University of Berho.
IS
'°'5E IIIZAL: LIFI, WORKI AHO IIIRITI-
At his boarding house. he kept himself in phy,ical trim by
daily exercises and practised speaking German, French. aod
Italian He wanted to master French so that he may be able 10
wnte II as wdl a, in Spanish. He took priva1c le~'IOn~ under a
prof=or of French. Madame Lucic Cerdolc in order 10 master
the id1oma11< 1ntncacie6 of the French language. Aside from
perfecting h,, academic stud1c\, he performed d•ily exercise, in
, a Berlin gymnasium to develop his hody
He ~at his le,,urc momenis louring the ooun1ry,1dcs
around Berhn, observing kcenl} 1he customs, dresses, home<
nnJ occupalwrn, of the peasants. He made sketches of 1he thing,
he saw . He alsu enjoyed pmmcnuding along Unter c/1•11 l. 1n1ll'n,
the mos1 popular boulevard o f Berlm, sipping beer 111 lhl.' {ily'<
inn,, and 1al1Jng whh the fnendly Berliners.
Rizal on Gmnan Women. One or hts important leucrs
wntlen while he was m Germany wa~ 1ha1 addres~d 10 h~ ~ISlcr,
Trinidad, dated March 11, 1886 ln thi~ letter, Ri1al expressed
his high regard and adnura1ion for German womanhood.
The: German woman, said Rizal to his sister. is senous,
diligcn1, cllucated, anll friendly. 111 She is not gossipy, frivolous.
and quarrelsome like the Spanish woman. She i, not p.irhcular
about heau1iful dresses and Cl<pensive jewelry. though ~he cou Id
dress nicely like any other woman in the world
Rfaal regre1ted that m the Philippines, 1he women are more
intercsled in how they dress than in how much 1hcy know He
praised, however. the delicacy of• feeling, 1hc fine manncrl>,
devotion, and hospitably o( the Filipino women, especially 1hosc
in lhc provinces who arc not yet sophi,11ca1ed. If only they ca.n
cultivate their intellect by cducution and by taking murc interest
in worldly affairs, remarked Ri:ial. they can command lhc respect
of all men.
Accordingly, Rizal advised bis sister, Tnnidacl; "Now that
you are s11II young you should s1nve to read, read, Jnd learn
You must no1 allow yourself to he conquered hy indolcnc<·
because It COMS SO little 10 C&>t II off " 11
G~nnan Cll!itom~. AMdc from the German women Rizal
admired 1he German custom, which he on,crvcd well It mu;.1
be noted that he was a keen obscr,;er of the cu-iom\ uf lhc:
peoples m all the countncs he v1s,1ed.
86
The Chrinmas custom of the Gcnnan, delighted him mo5t
Of this Yuletide custom, he wrote: "On Chri~~ma~ eve, ~he
people take from the bushes a pine tree, selecting one which
must not only be str&gh1, but also must have leaves that ~o not
fall In spring, T mean that dry leaves arc not leaves a! all ID th1:1
rticular case but arc a kind of small needle It ,s adorned
:th lanterns, papers, lights, dolls, candies, fruits e_tc.; and shown
prepared)
11 nigh! to the children (who had. not seen II
Around this tree ,s made the family ob!lervance
bc~~f
Another interesting German custom observed by R11al "
sclf•introducrion to strangers in a social gathenng. In Germany ,
when a man attends a social functJon and finds that there ,s
nobody 10 introduce him 10 the 0lher gue~t>, he how, h,s head
10 the guests, introduces himself and ~hakes the hand~or everyone
in the room . ACCQrding 10 the German code or e1,quette. 1t l,l;
bad manners tor a guest 10 remain aloo~, and wait for hi, host
or hostess to make the proper introduction
Rlzal's Dark.est Winter. Rizal ~pcnl winters in many temperate countries. The winter of 1886 in Rer(in wa~ h,~ dar.kest
wmter Ounng this bleak winter, he hved m poverty b«ause
no money arrived from Calamba and he wu, tl;u broke. n1c
diamond ring which his sister, Saturnina, g,.-e him was in lhc
awnshop. He could not pay his landlord He had lo _scnmp,
p ti
only one meal a day. And that datly meal cons1s1ed or
and water or some cheap vegetable soup I !is clu1hcs were
old and threadbare. He washed them' himself because he could
not afford to pay the laundry.
:c:cf
Out in far-away Calamba, Paciano 1ried desperately _10 raise
knew his younger brother was in a dire fmanc,al
d
h
~es
money. He
.
situation in Berlin. But the croP5 had fa, 1cd u~ 10 I c rav_.,
or the locusts. The sugar market collapsed. :•me wa~ of lhc
essence, but poor Paciano was delayed ID ratstng the necessary
funds.
Meanwhile, Ri:t.al starved in Berlin and sluvcred with wm1ry
Id. His health broke down due to lack of proper nounshment.
~e began 10 cough. and he feared that he w~ goi~g to be ~•ck
with tuberculosis. Never had he suffered such physical blows of
penury, so that his soul cried out in despair.
117
wom.cn. Rizal was disgusted at such fiippancy. He wru. more ,
,iqustcd to see that his companions, instead of working seriously
on the novel, wasted their time gambling or flirting with Spanish
tcllnntas.
•
Chapter 8
Noli Me Tangere Published in
Berlin (1887)
The bleak winier of 1886 was memorable in 1he lire of Riz.al
for 1wo reasons: first. II was a pamful eplSOde for he was hungry
s,_ck, and despondent in a ~lrange city and, seoond. it brou
h,m great JO)', nftcr enduring $0 much ~uflcrings. because t,s
fi~t novel Nol, Me Tangrre came off the pre1,.~ in March, 1887
Like the_ lcgendar) S~ta Claus, Dr Maximo Viola, his fnend
from Bulacan_. nmvcd m Berlin at the height ot his despondenc
and loaned him lho needed fuod, to pubhsh the novel
)'
h;
!dea of Writing a Novel on the Ptiillpploa. His reading of
Harr1~1 Beecher Stowe's Unck Tom's Cabin, which portrays the
brutabucs of American slave-owners and the pathetic conditions
of the unfortunate Negro slaves, inspired Dr. Rizal to pre ar,c
a novel that _w ould depict the miseri~ of his people undefthe
lash of Spanish tyrants. He was then a student m the Central
Umvc~11y of Madrid
In a reunion nf Fi!•pinos in the Pa1crno residence in Madrid
on Jan~ary_2, 181\4, Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about
the Ph,hppmes by a group of Filipinos. His proposal was unanimously approved _by_ those present. among whom were the Paternos (Pedro. Mwom,no, and Antonio), Grne,uno Lopez Jaena
Evansto Aguirre, Eduardo de Letc, Julio Llorentc, Melcc,~
Figueroa, and Valentin Ventura.
Unfortunately, Rizal's project did not materialize Th
compa~nots who were expected 10 collaborale on the novel ::::
1e ~nythmg. The novel was designed to cover all phase~
0
1 •ppme hie However. almost everybody wanted to write
'lf'p;7
88
Undaunteo by his fnends' in<ilffcrence, he determined to
,.,ttr lhc novel
alone.
The Writing of t!M Noll. Toward the end of 1884, Rizal
begun wri1ing 1hc novel in Madrid and finished about one-half
ol 11
When he went to Paris, io 1885, after completing his studies
111 the Central U111ve1-,,1ty of Matlrid, he continued writing the
novel, firm,hing one-half of the second hull. lie fin,~hcd the l,1s1
fourth of the novel ,n Germany. He wrote rhe las1 few chapters
of •he·No/i 111 W"belmsfeld in April-June, 11186.
In Berhn during the wmter tlays of February 1886. Rizal
made the final rev1\1ons on 1hc manu~ripl of the Vol,. Sick and
pcnrulcss, he ~aw no hope of ha,in!( u published, 60 that in a
momentary fit of desperallon, Ile almost hurled 11 ,nto the names.
Years later he told his good friend and former das•matc . Fern,1ndo Canon: ~1 did not llelicvc thal the Noli Me Tangcre would
ever be publbhcd when I wa~ in Berlin. broken-hearted,
weakened, and Ji,.;ouragcd from hunger and dcpnva11on I was
on the point of throwing my work into the fire as a thin11, accursed
and fit nnlv 10 die. Viola, Savior of the Noli. In the midst of his de-;pondency
Jnd m,~ry, Rizal received a telegram Crom Or. Mruomo Viola 1
wh<l was coming t<, Berlin Th,s friend of RIZnl was a scion of
a rich family t>f San Miguel. Bulacan. When he arrived in Berlin
,ht,r1ly before Christmas Day of 1887, he was shocked to find
R11..1I II\ tng in poverty and deplorably sickly due 10 lack of
prnp,·r n<>umhmcnt
Ll11<>n ><·cing hi~ talented friend', predicament, Viola. being
loaded wi1h ample funds. gladly agreed to finance the printing
cost of 1he Noli. He also loaned Rizal some cash money for
livini; expense, 1hu, ,t came to pass that Rizal and Viola happily
cclebrntcd the Christ ma~ of 1886 in Berlin with a sumptuous feast
After the Christmas season, Rizal put the finishing touches
on his novel To save printing expenses, he deleted certain
89
Non M4i T.,..re Publllll'ted -, Bettin t 1887)
pasaages in his manuscript, lncluding a whole chapter and Salome."
"Elia
die niral areas of the c:ountrie~ he visued to observe the customs
1111d hfe◄tyles of their simple inhabitants Favorably impressed
On February 21, 1887, the Noli was finally finished and
ready for printing. With Viola, the savior of the Noli, Rau
w~nt. to different printing shops in Berlin to survey the cost of
p~n~ng. After a fe"'. days of inquiries, they finally found a
p~ung shop - Berliner Buchdruclrrei-Action-Gesselscbaft · which charged the lowest rate, that is, 300 pesos for 2,000 copies
of the novel.
with Riial's explanation and fascinated by his mastery of the
Gcnnan language and personal chamma, the police ch,d was
uh.tied and allowed him to stay freely m Germany
. Rb:al Su~ted • Fnt,ehy Spy. Ourins the printing of the
Nol,, ~ rare m_aden~ happened to Rizal. One morning the chief
of pohce Berlin paid a sudden visit to Rlial's boarding house
and requested to see the latter's passport. Unfortunately, Rizal
~uld not produce a passport, for he had none - in those days
11 was possible to travel without a passport The police chief
then told bun to secure a passport within four days, otherwise
he would be deported 2
On March 21, 1887, the Noli Me J'a11gcr, c.ime oft the
press. Rizal immediately 1>Cnl the first copies of the printcJ novel
to his intimate friends, including 8lumcntritt. Dr. Aniomo Ma .
Regidor, G : LopeiJaena, Mariano Ponoe. and Felix R. Haddlgo.
In his letter to Blumenlntt, dated March 21, 11187. he s:11d "I
1m sending you a book It ,s my fir~, book, though I h11vc
already written much before it and received some prizes in
literary competitions. lt 1s the first impartilll and bold hool.. on
the life of the Tagalog.~. The Filipinos will find 11 the h1Mory of
the last ten years. I hope you will noti~c how d,rterent are my
descriptions from those of other writer&. The govcrnmcna and
the man1 will probably attack the work , refuting my nrgumcnl\,
but I trust in the God of Truth unJ in the pcr;ons who have
actually seen the sufferings at close range. I hope I can aru.wer
all the concepts which have bc~n fabricated to malign u~ ' '
Immediately. Riial, accompanied by Viola went 10 the
Spanjsh embassy 10 seek 1hc help of the Sp3nish ambassador.
the Count of Benomar, who promised to attend to the mauer.
But the ambassador failed to keep his proause, for it turned
out that he had no power to issue the required passport
At the e,cpiration of the four-day ultimatum, Rizal presented
.
bi~lf at the office of the German police chief, apologizing for
his fatlure to obtain a passport and p01i1ely asked the tatter why
he was
be·_de~ed when he had not committed any crime.
The pobce chief m;formed him that he had received intelligence
rcpoi:is that _be ~Rizal) had made frequent visits to the villages
and little towns in the rural areas, thereby arousing the German
government'• suspicion that he was a Frc,:ich spy, inasmuch as
be entered Germany from Paris, where he resided for some
yean and was apparent.ly a lover of France, whose language and
cvlturc be knew so much. At that lime the relations between
France and Germany were strained on account of Alsacc-Lorraine.
!O
. Riul, in fluent Gennan language, e,cplained to the police
~cf ~e was ?ot a French spy, but was a Alipino physician and
10cntJSt, particularly an ethnologist. As an ethnologist, he visited
90
Printing ot tM Noll Finished. After the inc1Jcn1 ol hi,
•hortcd deportation as a suspected French spy. Ri1al, with the
help of Viola, supervised the printing of the Nol,. Day by day.
they were Bl the printing shop proof-reading the pnn1cd page~
On March 29, 1887, Rizal, in token or hi~ apprecmuon nnd
gratitude, gave Viola the galley proof) of the Noli carefully rolled
around the pen that he used in writing ii and a comphmentary
copy, with the following insenption: ~To my dear rnend. Maxtmo
Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work Jusc Raza I "
The Tide or the Novd. The utlc Noll Me Tangue a, a Latin
phrase which means "Touch Me Not." It is not originally con•
ceivcd by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible
Rizal, writing lo Felix R Hidatdo in French on March S,
1887, said: "Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel or
Sr'nt Luke, signif> "do not touch me ... In ming 1hc Dablic.il
source, 'Rizal made a mi~take. II should be the Gospel of St
John (Chapter 20, Verses 13 10 17) According to St. John. on
the Fust Easter Sunday. St. Mary Magdalene v1s11cd the Huly
91
Sepulcher, and to her Our Lord Jesus, Just ~ n from the dead,
said:
"Touch me llOI, I am 110t ~• accndrd 10 •> F11hc-r,
bu1 10 10 my brethren, and ny unto 1htm, I ~nd untn
mt F•1hcr, and )OUr f'11hc-r; and 10m1God Ind your God •
TM Aulhor'1 Dtcllcall1,n, Rizal dedicated h~ Nol, Mt
Tan~,~ 10 1he Philippines - "To My hlhc:rland. • •fadedlc11ion
runs 15 follnws.
Rc,orded ,n the hlSl<>r) o( hum-, •11ffcrmcs b I anctt
10 m 1l1gn.in1 • ch•rntc1 11111 lhc lcMI toud\ tml.lllet II and
•"•lrm 1n ,1 lhc Wrpcsl pains Thus, bow many llmc■,
"he" ID lhe midst of modcra ~IJOCb I ..... Wished IO
call lh« bcfote me, now 10 -pt.II)' a,c 1n MCmona,
t<> con,p,arc lh« w,1h othu coun1,,..,, 111111 lh)' dou
,magc prc~n1,:d nwlf showinc • ,ociat canur li•e to 1hac
-
other•
-•'IIC
Ocsinng lhy well~re ,.~ich u ou, own , ud
ix
1>«1 1rca1men1, I "'ill do w,1h ~ •ha I tlw: ■'l<ocn11 dia
wnb 1hc,r I.IC., exp(Jllng them on lhc Skpo o( lhc lcmplc
10 th.ti every one •ho came 10 invo•c the Divw1y ""&ht
cffcr llw:m a remedy
And 10 1h11 end, I ..,g s•n•• to reproc:lutt Illy a>ndarooe
f&1tbfully,
d1>tnmm11kms. I will n11t 1 .,.n ol 1hc
w~ lh•• C<!••n lhc ,.,,, u,·nria111 la 1ru1h cvcrythin1, cvca
nmty 11.M:lf, llnc:e, M lhy i,n I 1m con,c,<IUI 1hi1 I ■ho
111flc1 frum 1hy ddc,u and weakacllCS.
,.,,hou,
,,...,.i.
ol tlle wso1J,M The novel Nol, Mt Tanitre a:>ntains
63 ch~p(e~ and •n cprl•')lue It becjn, w11h a rettpbOn Jiven
hy Capitan T1ago (Sanua•o ck 106 San10&) 11 hr~ ti.owe 1n Calk
Anloague (now Juan Luna S1rcct) on the last day of <x:tober.
TI11s rc«pt11•n or dinner was given in honor o( Cnso,uomo Ibarra ,
a young and rich Fihp1no who had JUSI rc1umed a(ter seven
ycan of 5ludy in Europe . Ibarra was 1hc only son o( Don Ra(acl
Ibarra , fncnd of Capitan Tiago, and a fiancc of beautiful Maria
Clara. sul'f)t>M:<I daughter of C1p,1an 111go,
AfflOfll 1he gu~•~ dunng lhc receptron "'ere Padre Damaso.
a fat Franascan fnar "'ho had been pamh priC$1 for 20 year,
of San Die10 (Cal■mba), lbarra·s oatJve town; Padre Sybila, a
youn1 Domlrucan pansh priest of BUIOndo; ScAor Guevara, u
'1
lldrrly and lund heu1cnant ?' the Guardia C1v1I, Don _T ,b.urc'.o
•
llspaJa!la, 1 hogu, Sl)llnl\h phyMt1an , lame, and hcnpccktd
llulband of Dona Vioonna •nd several ladirs
lharra, upon hrs arnval produced • favorahlc ,mpres<ron
among the gu~ts. except Pa.Ire Dan,a..o ,
,s_ ru~ to him
In acoordance w11h a German cu,1om, he ,nrroduccd h,m~ell 10
the ladies
,.ho.,.
l>urong the dinner 1he con,cr\~IOon <cnlrrcd '"' lharr.,·~
100,cs nnd travels at>roaJ Padre Oam,-..l wa, m hJd mO<>d
bccau'IC he: got a bony ned, and a hard ,.,ng of the chK~cn
1/nola lie tned 10 d1!.ncJ11 11,,m,1', rcm,ook,
Aller J,n,., , lham lclt Cap11an T,.,. u house t n r, i. t
h" hc•tcl On the wav, 1hc kind Locu1en.1n1 Gucv• , 1old .h,m
the ,ad c,nry nf his f.ilhcr~ Jeath on S.rn O1c1,o [),,n Ra ,.. ,.
ho lather , wa. a rich and brave m,n II~ dc~•·mk<l ,, hclpk,,
boy from the bru1alo1y of an illi1rra1c Span,,h cu collec1or
uihrng the laucr anJ a«idcntaUv lrlhng h1m .1>on RJfael "''"
fhrown m pmon. "'"~•e he d,cJ unhap1l1ly . lie \\<a~ burred on
consecrutcJ pounJ, hu1 h,. encm,o, accUStng him •' t..,·, ,
hue1ic, had hi\ hod) rcmn>ed from the cemetery.
On hcan111t about his f.11hcr'1 ud <tor). lharra 1h1nlcd Che
kind Spanish bcu1enant an,1
1<1 finJ 001 the truch ahoul
hr father\ dcalh
,.,..,~,I
The lollov.,,ng morning, he "irlcJ Mu11a Cln,.,, hn ch,ldl""':
,..,ccthean. Muia Clara 1c:o\1n11h ,kid 1fu1 he h,tJ fory,111cn her
hccausc the girls m German) ,.ere t,caulllul. Ibarra rcpl,cd th ,1
he had nc-.r forgoucn her
Aller the romanti<: rcunk>n ,.,th Mana C1ar.1, lh,ur.J • c nt
1n San l)1ego 10 ""' hrs ta1hcr\ 11ra•c II w,,, All S,11111' l),oi
At ihe crmelcrv, 1hc Jril•c.Jiggcr told lharr., 1ha1 lhc corpse
nt Don Rafael was rcmoHd b) orJc:r of 1h,· pan,.h l'"""t 1o
be buncd ,n the Chrnci,c ccmctc,y. bu1 the corpse: wn, heavy
one! 11 wa, a dark rain, n1~ht -0 11141 he (the gra~•d•ggerl <imply
threw the corp-,c mlo the lake .
..,,1
fbarTI
angered by the r,ave-drucr'\ ·ul) H : left the
cemetery On the way, he met PJdre SJhi, I rJnc1,-;an pa11!Jl
pn«t of San Diego . In a ~!Jl. lhll~ra poun~·cd on 1hc pnut ,
demanding rcdr.-s. for de\«ratin1 hrs father \ mon,11 rcma1M
,1
Padre Salvi told hrm that he had nothing to do with it, fOT he
w.a., 001 the panY! prie!t at the time of Don Rafael's death. 11
wa., Padre Dama-.o, hi, predecess.or, who wa.s responsible for
it Convinced of Padre Salvi's innocence Ibarra went away
In his town. Ibarra met several inter~ting people. such •~
he wue old man, Tasio the philosopher. whose ideas were too
advanced for his time, so 1ha1 the people , who could not understand him, called him wTasio the lunatic;•· the progr-ive &chool
teacher. who complained to Ibarra that the children were losing
interest in their studies because of the lack of a proper school
houw and the d1scourag1ng annude of the parish friar tO\llard,
both the teachmg of Spanish and of the use of modem methods
of pedagogy, the spmeless gobu11adorcillo, who catered to the
w1Shc, of the Sran~h pari,h friar; Don F1hpo I.mo, the
tenieme-mayor and leader of the hbcral faction in the town;
Don Melchor. 1he cap1am of the cuadrllleros (town police); and
the former go~rn.,dorr:,llo~ who were promment auzens - Don
Basilio and Don Valentin
A mo,1 tragic story m the novel is the tale of Sisa, who
was formerly a rich girl but became poor becalliC she manied
a (t.!mt.~,. and a wastrel at that. She became crazy because she
lo,1 her two boy,. Bullio and Crispm, the JOvs of her ,..,.etched
life . These boys 11,ere saautana (sextons) m the church working
for a small wage to support their poor mother Crispin, the
younger of the 1wo brothers, was accused by the brutal sacristan
mayor (chief $CXton) of ,tcahng the money or the priest. He
was tortured in the convent and died Brr<iho. with hi, brother'•
d)'ing cm:~ nngmg m bis ears. escaped. When the two boys did
not return home, Sisa looked for them everywhere and. in her
great sorrow. •he became msane
Capitan Tiago. Maria O,ua, and Aunt Isabel (Capitan
Tiago·s cousm who took care of Maria Clara. after her mother's
death) armed m SJn Diego. Ibarra and h,s fnencb gave a picruc
31 the lake Among those pre$Cnt 1n 1hi, picnic. were Maria
CIJ.ra and h..-r four girl fn,·nd,
" the rncrl) Sinang, the grave
Victoria, th .. he;1u11ful Ida,. and the ·hou ;htful '-icneng,~ Aunt
1,~bcl , dtJpcron ,,( Mana Clar~. Capit<Jna Tika, mother of
Sin.mi:. A11dcn.,, fo,1er ·s1ster o f Mana Oar , Atbir , ,i,.- ex •
lhcolopcal ,tudent who wa\ in lme -. ,,h Siriang; a nd :b ·, and
94
fnends One of the boatmen was a strons and silent peasant
th named Elias.
An incident of the picnic was the saving of Elias' life by
lben,. f.has bravely grappled with a crocodile whi~ was caught
In the fish corral But the crocodi.le struggled furiously so that
'"" could not subdue it. Ibarra Jumped int.o the water and
kllkd the crocodtle, thereby saving Elias.
Another incident, which preceded the above-mentio~cd
ne.ar-trag,c crocodile incident, was the rendering of a ~~Uful
10n~ hy Maria aara who had a sweet voice. Upon the UISIStent
rcquc,ts of her fnends. she played the harp and sang:
THE SONG OF MARIA Cl.ARA
-~wee, ue the hours in one's native bnd,
Where all is dear the sunbeams bl«s;
ufc-giving breezes sweep the nn,nd,
And death is softcn'd by love's caress
"Warm k&SSCS play on mOther's lips,
On her fond, tcadct breast awakening,
When round her neck the soft ann sbps,
And bnght eyes smile, all love partaking.
"Swee.t ,s death for o,x:'s native land,
Where all is dear tlK sunbeams bless.
Death is the br~ that .weep« the strand,
Without a mother, home, or love's car= "
After Maria Clara's song and the crocodile mcident, they
went a$hore. They made merry m the cool, w~d m~~d°';
Padre Sal,,, Capitan Basilio (former gobemado~llo ~d Smang s
father). the alfu~z (lieutenant of the Guardia Civil) a nd the
town officials were pr~nt. The luncheon was served, and every•
!><kly cnJOyed eating.
The meal over. Ibarra and Cap1UV1 Basilio played chess,
while Maria Clara and her friends played the "Wheel o f ~hancc."
a game based on a fortune-telling book. As_ the girls were
cnJoytng their fortune-telling g~e, Padre Salvi came and tore
10 ptcces the book, saying that 11 was a "" to play such n gam~.
Shortly thereafter, a sergeant and four soldiers of the Guardia
Civil suddenly arrived. looking for Elias, who was hunted for
(1) assaulung Padre Dama,o and (2) throwing the alferez into
9$
-
IIIZAI.: Ll,I. I I O I I I C l - ~ -
a _111udhole. Fonunately Elias bad disappeared, and the Guardia
C1~ went away empty-handed. Durins the picnic al~, Ibarra
received a telegnun from the Spanish authorities notifying him
of the ap~roval of bis donation of a schoolhouse for the children
of San Diego.
Th~ next day Ibarra visited old Tasio 10 consult him on bi~
pet pro1e_ct •~ut t~ schoolhouse., ~e saw the old mac. 's writings
were ~tteo tn hie~oglyph,es Tas10 explained 10 him that he
wrote •~ h1eroglyph1cs because he was writmg tor the furure
genera~ons w"? would unden;rand them and $ay, "No1 all were
as.lcep m the mgbt of our ancestors!~
Tasio was pessimistic about the pro1ect of lbarra to build
a schoolhouse at his own expense. However. the construction
or ~e schoolho_u<e conhnucd under the supervision of the
architect called Nor Juan
M~nwhile San Diego wa~ merrily preparing for it5 annual
fiesta, in ~oaor of ns patron saint San Diego de Alc:ala, whose
feast day 1s the 11th of November. On the eve of the fierui
hundreds of visitors arrived from the nearby towns, und ther~
were lau~hter, music, exploding homb~, feasting and moro-moro.
The m~s•c was furnished by five brass bands (including 1he famous
PagsanJan Band owned by the e.scribano Miguel Guevara) and
three orchestras.
In the. morning of the fiesta there was. a high Mass 10 the
d1urch, officiated by Padre Salvi. Padre Damaso gave the long
sermon, 10 which he expatiated on the evils of the times that
were caused by certain me11, who having tasted !lOmc education
spre.11d pernicious ideas among the people.
'
After Padre Damaso's sermon, the Mass was continued by
Padre S~v,. ~has quietly moved to Ibarra, who was lmeehng
and. praying by Maria Oara 's side, and warned him to be careful
durlllg the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of the
schoolhouse because there was a plot to kill him .
Elias suspected that the yellowish man who built the derrick
was a paid stooge of lbarra's enemies. True to his suspicion'
late_r in the day, when Ibarra, ln the presence of a big crowd'
went down into the trench to cement the cornerstone the derrick
oollapsed. Elias, quick as a flash, pushed him aside thereby
"
uvmg hi~ We. The yellowish man was the one crushed to death
hy the <battered derrick.
At the sumptuous dinner that night under a decorated kiosk,
11 i.ad inciden1 occurred. The arrogant Padre Damaso, spcwog
111 the presence of many gu~t.s, insulted the memory of Jbarra's
fathc, . lbarri, Jumped from hi, sent, knocked down the fat friar
w11 h his fiq, and then seized a sharp knife. He would have killed
the lnar. were II not for the 11mely intervention of Maria Oara.
lbar
attack on Par.Ire Daniaso produced two results: (1)
hi, 11)...1g,.11cnl to Man~ Cl:,ra wa, brolen and (2) he was
,·11c,,mmur,catcd Fortunately, th.- hheral-minded governor gen•
cral vi.,.tcd th,· town and befnended lbarra He told the young
man not to wurry lie persuaded Capitan 1iago to accept Ibarra
'" ,on•m 1.1w .,nd prumi,ed to see the Archbishop of Manila to
hft the han of excommunication
The ficsia over, Maria Clara became ill. She was treated
by the quack Spanish physician, fiburcio de Espadafia, whose
wife, a va,n and vulgar native woman, was a frequent visitor in
Cop,10,i T,ago·, house This woman had hallucinations of bein&
a superior C-11-<aillan, and. although a native herself. she looked
down on her own people as mfcnor beings. She added another
"de" to her husband's surname ,n order to be more Spanish.
Thus she wanted 10 be called "Ooctora Doria Victorina de los
Reyes de De 1".spadana." She mtroduced to Capitan fiagoa young
Spaman!, Don Alfonw Lmarcs de Espada,ia, cousin of Don
fibumo de E~padana and ~odi>OJ1 (lf Padre Damaso's brother-in•
law Lmares was a penniless and jobless, forrunc hunter who
came to the Ph1hpp1ncs in search of a rich Fihp,no heiress. Both.
Dona Victorina Jilli Par.Ire DamaS(> sponwrcd his wooing or
M,,ri.i C!,tra. hut lhc latter did not respond b.-cau,;e she loved
lbdrra
A touch of comedy in the novel was the fight between two
lud,aom ,c:norns - Dona Consolac,on, the vulgar mistress or
the Spanish alfercz, and Dona V1ctonnaJthc Oamboyantly dressed wife of a henpecked Spanish quack doctor Both insulted
each other ,n gutter language. and, not satisfied with their verbal
warfare, they squJTed off 10 come to blow, The timely arrival
of Padre Salv, stopped the fiitht, much to the rcl(rct of the curious
Olllookers
97
,...;J ... , ........ ,,
w•
The atory of Elia, lib tllat of S...,
a tale of pa~
111d ~dy. He related it to Ibarra . Some 60 yc:an ago, bis
sraodfadier. who waa lhca a )'OWII bookkeeper in I Spanisll
c:ommemal firm ill Manila, was wronaly ICCUled of bunun& the
finn'1 wardlo111e. He wu floaed 1n public and wu kh in the
lllrcct, cnpPled and almoct dead HiJ wife, who was prtan•nt.
beged for .._ aod became a prost,lutc ID order 10 suppon
htr lick husband and tht1r son Aher a,vma birth tu her Kwnd
too and the death of her hUlbend, 1he fled, with her two r.on,,
to the mountams.
Years later the lint hoy became a dreaded tuhqin named
Balat , He tcrronud the pruvuic:es. One day he was caught b)
the authoritic:. Hi1 bud wu CUI off and WH hufll from a tree
branch in the forest. On ~CUI& this aory object, the poor muthc:r
(Elias' sr•ndmother) died.
Bal1t'$ younacr brother, who was by nature k1ndhcanl'd,
llc:J and bcamc: a truucd lahorcr In the ho11$C ol a nd1 man
1n Tayabas. He fell in love with the ma<tcr's d;au&hlcr The girl\
father, eora&C'd by the rumance, invcm1a1cd h11 pa.1 and lounJ
out the truth The unfonunate lover (El1ii' father) wa~ ~ni 10
jail, "'hilc the girl gave birth 10 t11rw, a boy (ai.u) and~ girl .
Theu nc;h arandfa1her (father of their mother) look care of them,
keeping .«rel their sc:andalou1 origin. and reared them Di nch
children Ehu WU cdllQlled JR !he 1C$Ull College 1n M.1nila.
while bis <iucr 11udied 1n La Concordia College They hved
happily until Olle day, owina 10 «rt111n dispute 0\lcr money
maucrs, a di11an1 rcla11~e e•p(l5e(I their shameful birth They
wcte ~ d . An old male scnran1, whom they UKd 10 abuse,
wu (or~ to testify in CQIUl and the truth came out that he
WU dicu real father.
Elias and hiJ sister left Tayabas 10 hide their shame in
1110tbc1 place. One day the uster d1sappeucJ. Elias roamed
from place to pl"'"e, lookina for her. He heard later 1ha1 1 g,rl
ans'IVcrutg to his saster's dexnpllOn, WI$ found dud on the beach
of San Otego. Sin.;e then, Eliu lived a vagabond fife, wandering
from pr<Winoc to pr0\111cc unrtl he met 11,.rra.
lbtun•, cncmiu left no stone unturned 10 bnna about hu
ruin. They engineered an 11tack on the barrt1Cb of the Guardia
Civil, at lhc ume time wuruna lbe GI/on to alert h1S men that
ti
i ... , They dtceivcd the attackers by teling chem 1h11 the ma-.•
at, l fa,kil , · J I he
n..,,
. l h at .....
lermrnd wu Ibarra . So
....._n ...
mt
1urvt>1n& at111d.cn ,.ere caught Ibarra wa, Mn med lnr I he
ca ta$rrophc
Elin learning of th.am', arrCSI, b111ncd all lhc pap<"rs 1h11
•
. fn,·nJ an d !ICI , ..
n11~h1 mcnmmurc
h"
,,a rra· ~ huusc 011 foe
., IIlhcn
..,.
h
I
d
lb
csaipc
lie
anu
>JIIU
he ,.en! 10 pmon nnJ c pc
arra
1un,pe,I mtn • t-a11u h>3dod with ra, utt (,:r11u) lh,nra
al rhc hou.c or Cop,t,m 11&£0 10 ~y 20<1Jhvc '" M.tna
na
In the ,earful la,t scene hc1..een the two lo,;rrs, INrra f,orv,c
Mu,a Clar., "'' &l\1n11 up h1\ letter~ ,,, h er '" rh.- s,,.111,".h
authonli~ v.bo u11h1cd Ihe m iu CVIde~ r.
h"· 0
' ii
M · • Clara revealed thal thost: le11crs wl'rt: euhan~e
part,
art frum
' her late mot he1 , ,-,.
n.c. Alba. ,.h,ch I'• · t
,lu
,.
1,h I leu.:r
aa•c her . l·r<>m lhl\ ltttcr, Ahc k:trnc<I lhltt
ie:tl lather wu,
";;•x:'1
•"••m•
r
h,·,
Padre Damaso
After h1dd1ng MJnl Clara brC'1"cll . 11,arra ,..rurncil lo •he
banca He and Flia, paddled up the Pas•~ R.-c.r ,.,,.,.,ud Laguna
de Ba A poh.:c boat, ,.11h lhc Guar<ha C '"I on hoa1il . pur~ucJ
them ~, lhcu han.:a reached the la._c Ehu told ll>arra 10 hide
"'>li<:l' boar wa, mr11.1t..1nr the
..._ t,,,n(.'a,
,h,.
under I I,c zu<o Ir A •, th•• ,..
Ehu um d into the "'atcr and s,,,am ,,.1111> hJv.4rJ .
,re.
,iJs
In
w:. he d1vcncJ the a11en11on ol the ,ulJ,cr.
pcr\On , thcreb) gl\ing Ibarra 1 <hancc IO •CSClif
on ""
The soldtcr fircJ al the ,wim1111ng Hra\, •ho wa, h,1 ,ind
sank The waler turned red l>cc-ausc nf hi\ blood Th< '.lold1i:n.,
ihinkinr 1ha1 the) had killed the llceini lt>arra rcturncJ "'
M•mla lhu~ lt>arra was able 10 escape .
Eh," SC'10uslv woundc:J, rc-.t<-btd the ~ore anJ >,1agr<'r<-d
tnhl the fnr~I,
met a boy, Bar.,ho, :,'h<l Wk, ""' ptnf, :•HI
hi$ m,.,ther''I Jeail b<>dy He roW Jh.,,hn '" m,tlc n mr, on
lie
v.h1ch their bodie~ (his and Sl\1's) .-ere lo he burned lo ash~
h "'b (hri:.tma~ ce\C and lhc moon glumcd !.t)fll) in th< '- )
8!\lhU prq,ar,·d rhc • funn ..t p)rC A, hlc•s hrcath s~,,~~I
hi$ t,n,ty F. 11 3 , 1,,.,~,·d rowaril 1hr ust ant.I murmu 1< ii •,
,.,,hour seeing lhc ilav.n bn[l,htcn o,er m) na11,, land \ •~•
-..ho h.t\C ,1 lo \.4!l . ~'c1comc it - unJ fnr1tC"I fllll lho,t· w ,o
ha,·c f.tlkn dunng the mght.I"
'l:,'.
The novel h111 an epilogue which recounts what happeqcct
to the other characteri. Maria Clara, out or her loyalty to the
memory of Ibarra, the man she truly loved, entered· the Sanca
Clara nunnery Padre Salvi left the parish of San Diego and
hecamc il chaplain of the nunnery. Padre Damaso was transferred
to a remote province. but the ne.1u morning he was found deao
in his bedroom. Capilan Tiago, the fonner genial host an<I
generou.~ patron of the church, became an opium addict and a
human wreck Dona Victorina, still henpecking i,oor Don Tibur•
cio, had taken to wearing eye-glasses because of weakening
cy~1gh1. Lonaros, who failed to win Maria Clar:i's affe<.1ion,
died of dy.entery and was buried on Paco cemetery.
The alfrre:. who suecessfully repulsed the abonive anack
on the barracks, wa< promoted major He returned to Spain,
leaving behind his shabby mistress, Doiia Consolation.
The novel ends with Maria Oara. an unhappy nun in Santa
Clara nunnery
forever lost to t.'le world,
fh~ "Noll" 8 ~ on Truth. The Noli Me Tangue, unldce
many worh of fictinnal literature. was n true story of Phahppone
condmons during the last decades of Spanish rule. The places,
the characters. and the s11ua11ons really existed. "The facts I
narrate there." ~aid R11,al, "are all true and have happened; I
can prove them ."
The characters - Ibarra. Maria Clara, Elias, Tasio, Capitan
Tiago, Padre Damaso. Padre Salvi. etc. - were drawn by Rizal
from pcr,on~ who actually existed dunng his times. M:uia Clara
was Leonor Rivern although in real life she became unfaithful,
unlike the heroine of the novel. and m.arried an Englishman.
Iharra and Elia\ represented Rizal himself. Tas10 the philosopher
wa, hh elder bmther. Pnciano. Padre Salvi was identified by
R1zahs1s as Padre Antonio Picrna"ieja, the hated Augustinian
(mar in <.avue who 1>·as killed by the patriots during the Revolu,
tiun Cup,um T,ago was Capitan Hilano Sunioo of San Nicolas.
Dona Victorina was Dona Agustina Medel. The two brothers
Basiho and Crl~pm were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy.
Padre Damaso was IYJllCal of a domineering friar during the
days of Rir.al. who was arrogant, immoral, and anti-Filipino.
Mis.sing Chllplff or tlw Noli. In Ihe original manuscript of
Noli Me Tangere. there was a chapter entitled "Elias and Salome~
100
h follows Chapter XXIV
"ln the Wood,,". 'Thi~ pankular
J"l'I nn f-.hu\ and Salom~ w:ll> dclctcd hy R11al SQ _that ,1 was
I "'' ludtd on the printed novel. His rea,;on for domii so "."as
llnatdy economic By reducing the pages of the manuscnpl.
h, cost uf r,rinting wuulJ corrc\pondangly be rccluccd The
1 , 1111, ,h,1r1cr non, as follow,
." hut bv the plac1J 1:,1-c, SJl01rn: a wu1,omc gul
In .,. ru,.a
•
h I
n :t c till l '\tl
. r,\, tl·u1-.. "'-,tt on :t t,,11111'1'<1 ~uu an ~-:"'1 ll \
I
, <;h,· "-a<
1 1 1,
' ·' ,
•
.
I h,, ,,u ""h,r, She was ,,.,iung. for 1 1in, tr, am\.1-.
l~ out, Iu, " I••'e the llowach· thdt ~""" w,td not aurawng
mme
h
. •x attcn•
I 1 11 I 111,1 •t.incc but who!\-.: hl:,1u1) ,.. I cvealct 1w ..: n "''- t.:. ·•
!!
l" ·'
fully
When ,he lw.ar,I footstep,. ' h C I.II d ,1· \Ide h•r
t , '" ~
the bamboo stairway "her" l:'h,1, ,mod carrymg
of '"""'"od and a hunth or banana, wh,ch he placed
.1 " 1e.,ghng ,)ulug to the girl
,n
th\.'.
nor
w h I Ic. he h~ndcd
•
1
n
4.
·'~\111 '"
: ;:,•,•:.~jlc
. ,a. d ,md pen\lve
to
~alome nouced her to,er w."
. . She
,.,hit ncd
h the
''"'"'le ham a<k1~~ :i~lttt ihc guts at
t,~d ber
(iuard,a Civil sokhcr; disturbed. lookmg_ or
. .
w om
on a a mood that there were many beautiful girls. among h
W,I\ ';..,~n.i Oura, the ,wccthcart of a nch young mun who had
111~1 returned from Furnpe
tte t::•cHe
Afterward~. Eha~ mo..:. preparing to leave. Spcak_ing i_n ~
.an
'\Oft ,·mcc. h e sa,•d·• "Good-bye
'
· Salome. The sun
h t> setung,
h
took
t won't uppear good for ibe people to know t at mg t over .
~,c here • I le paused for a moment. then conu~ued. "But y11u :e
l>ecn Cl)1ng. Oon't deny ii with yoursm1le. You ve been crymg.
<;he wa< cryini:. for w~>n ,he would leave thi< houw where
.
Sh. explained "It as not right for me to hvc alone.
, h c grew up
c
·
.
s Ill be able
go 10 hv,: "',th my relatives in Mmdoro • oon
.
to ray the ,kh1 111) mother left me when ~he died.
to g1v.~
up thi< house an "'hich one was born and had l(rohwn up 1s
· ·
"''11
,omethong more 1hJn g,vong
up one's beang· /\ typ oon
..
,0111c, a r.~shct, and evcr)thing wall go to the lake
ru
•>11· as remained ;ilent for a moment; then ht: held her honds,
dnd '·"ked her· "llavc you heard anyone spea k 1·11 0 f you'' Have
_ d
I ,;o~ctimes worried you'/ Not that either'/ Then. you are t11e
of my friendship and want to drive me away .. •
101
She answered •No, don't taJk like that. I am not llred 0 f
)'Qur friendship. Ood knows that I am satisfied with my lot. 1
only destre hcallh that I may work. I don't envy the rich the
wealthy. but. . •
'
•But what?"
"Well then," Salome said , looking at him tenderly· -At
lent when I'm gone, live here. stay ID this house. It will make
you remember me; and I will not thmk 10 that dbtant land that
•Nothing. I don·, envy them as long as I have your
friendsl\ip. •
'"Salome," replied the youth 11,ith bitter sorrow. "You know
my cru.el past and that my misfortune rs not of my own mak·
If not for _the fataJity that at limes keeps me thinlong. ~~~
bitterness,_ 1f 11 11,ere not that I don't want my children 10 suffer
what my SISier and I suffered, you would have been my wife in
the eyes of God But for the sake of thss very love, for the sake
o~ llus future family, I have sworn to end with myself the
!11•sfortune that ~ have been inhemin& from father to son, and
11 _ts better that JI ~ be so, for neither you nor I would
W1Sh 10 hear our children lament our love, which would only
bequ~th them misery. You do well 10 go 10 the house of your
rela~•es. Forget me, forget a Jove so mad and futile. Perha
you ll meet there one "'ilo is not like me.•
ps
¥Eliast exclaimed the girl reproachfully.
"Y_ou ha~ m,sunderstood me. ln my words, there is no
~plaint apmst }~U. T•ke my advice, go home to your relative~. . Herc you have no one but me, artd the day when I
fall mto the bands of my pursuers, you wilt be leh alone for
the rest or your W-e. Improve your youth and beauty 10 gel a
~ood hu~band, such as you de&erve, for you don't know what
JI IS to hve among men .•
''( was thinking that you might go with me ·• S·•lo
d
softly
•
me ""1
¥
•·Alas." reiomed Elias sb~king bis head. "lmp<XSiblr ,md
more 'iO than ever .. I hawn t yet found whar I cam, h
seek - 11
· ·s 1mpov,1
·
bl e .,.
, ,00 oy I forfe11ed my hbcn~ ·•c ere 10
f:lias !hen namteJ wt:ar happened earht!r at the picmc rhat
morning. how he ~as saved by lbaru frorn thc')lw~of • e rocod,le
To ~how his gra111ude, he VO"'Cd to repay the- good deed doneb) Ibarra , even 10 the extent of ~acnficing his life He explained
102
. ., anywhere be would go, even 10 Mindoro, the past would
llill be ducovcred, JOQner or later.
tlk hurricane had carried my hut to the lake. When my lhuu!\hh
tura 10 these shores, the memory of you and of mv hou.sc will
appear 10 me together. Sleep where I have slept and dream
11 Wlll be as though J were beside you."
"Ob," exclaimed Eha5, waving his hand in Je,pc.ralion .
"Woman you11 make me forget "
Ahcr discogaging himself from her tend.-r embrace, he left
with a heavy bean , following the lonely path lined wiu. the
shadows of somber trees in the twilight. She follo"'eJ him .,, itl
her gaze, IJ5tcning sadly to !he fading footsteps ,n th<. g,11h, rwi:
darkness
IUzal'• Friends Pnbe the Noli. TI1e friends of Rizal h.11lcd
the novel, praising it in glowing colors As 10 be expected , R,zal's
coenues condemned it. Rizal anticipated the VJmolic alta~b of
his enemies, who were sore to be told the truth of tl1c1i ev1:
ways. As he told Blumcntritt "The government anJ th<.· fnars
will probably attack the wort. refuting my ~tatemcnts , t,ut I
trust in the God of Truth and in the persons v.ho have a~luJII)
.
•i
seen our su frennp.
Of the numerous oongratulatory lenen received hy Riza
from his friends about the Noh, that from Blumcntnu was
significanL "First of all," wrote Blumcntrill," ao.:cpt my cordial
congratulAtions for your beautiful novel about customs which
interests me enraordinarily Your wort . as "'e Gennans SI)
has been written with the blood of the heart, and so the heart
also speaks. I continue reading 11 with much interc~t and 1 ,hall
beg to ask you now and then for an cxplanatJOn when I find
words unknown to me; for mstance. the word filtbu.scuo must
have certain mearung in the Phihppmes Lh,u I du not r,!1J "'
the Spanish of the Peninsulars nor in that or the Spani,h rcnplcs
of America."
"I knew already." contkiued Blumentntt, -,hat you were a
man of extraordmary talent (I had said it to Pardo de ·1 a,cra.
103
/
~
_,"'"-----·-....·-·
and tbk could abo be seen from the maneloua short time ill
which you bave acquired my difficult and rough mother toope)·
but in lpitc of this, your wort has c.xceedod my bopes Uld
OOOlldcr myself happy to have been booon:d with )'OUI' friendship.
Not_ only I but also )'OUr people can alto be called lucky for
i
haVJng m you • IOn and a loy■J patriot. U you will mntmue
thus, _you can become ooe or tbase great men wtlo will exen a
defintt<' 1nOuenoe on tbe spuitu■I development o( your people•.•
ln London, Dr. Antocio M■ Regidor, Filip,no patnot and
lawyer who had l'>een exiled due to h11 complicity in the Cav11e
Mobily of U1'72, read aVldly the Noli and was very much imp· c11ed
by its author. On M.av 3
be felicitated Rizal , saying: •If
the Qui•ote_ ammonala.es ,ts author hc,-ause 11 CXJ)O$CS to the
world the adment. of Spain, your Nol, Me Tongue w,11 bring
you an equal glory With your modesty •od your voracious and
able appraiul. yuu have dealt a m<nt.l blow to that old uce
full of b l e ~ and decay Eve') Filipino patriot will read your
~Jr. With avity 11od upon d1scovenng m every lme a vuacioua
idea and m every 11\!0rd a fitting advice, he -..ill be irupired and
be '"" reprd your book u the muterpiecc of a Filipino Mid
the proof that thOle who thoogbt us incapable of prod\lCing
great mtcllcc:ts arc mistaken or l)ing•.~
,w,
• •• • •
Chapter 9
Rizal's Grand Tour of
Europe with Viola (1887)
After the publlc:at,on of the N<>l1, R.i:tal planned to viS1t the
mporunt
plKCS in Europe. Dr Maximo Viola ~ed to be 1111
1
traveling c:omparuoo. 1 Rizal had received Paa.ano • rcm1ttan0e
of p 1.000 wtuch wu forwarded by Juan Luna Crom Pari,: He
immediately paid Viola the sum of P300 which the 1:lller kindly
loaned so that the Nol, a>uld be printed. Having pa,d bis debt,
lUld with adequate fund. ,n Im pocket. he ""lb readv to see
Fa.rope before returning to Calaml>a . Finl , he and Viola Yisitcd
Poudam. a city near Bertin, which Fredenck the great made
famous.
TM T_. Bep. Al dawn of May 11, 1687, RJZ.al and
Viola two brown-skinned docton on a roanung spree, left Berln1
hy
It was an ,deal season for travel Sprina was in the
au· and all over Eu.rope the flowers were blooonng, the meadows
""uc tunung green, and the v,llage• ..ere hwrumng with aCbvity.
Accord.mg to Viol.1 , the luggage of Rizal included all the letten
he had rcce,ved from his (Riul's) family and fnends. Thcudestm.a.tion was D resden, ..one of the best cities i.D Germany"
tntln
,
104
o, dt~L IYzal and Viola tamed for some nme tn Dresden..
Their vu.it comaded with the rcgie>nal floral expo51t1on. Rizal ,
,..ho was interested in botany, studied the "numerous plant
varieties of extraordinary beauty and size". They vblted Dr.
A,hlpb B Meyer, •ho was o•cl)Oycd to see them !n the
Museum of An . •h.tch they Abo vuncd , Rizal was deeply unpre•
ucd by a painting or .. Prometheus Bound" and recalled seeing
d reprcscntauon of the same idea tn an art gallery in Pans.
UH
JCIN IIIZAL: UFI. WOIIQ MDWIIITINCII
Atcet•• Grn Tour of fvrope WI"" Vida t 1•1>
While stroUing a1 the scene of the Aoral Exposi11on they
~:~ D{:t Jago~. U~/earing of their plan to vistt Lctt~critz
for the ifiomer:ice, D hoslovaki~) in order to see Blurnen1ri11
. l'!t t_une,
r. Jagor advised them to wire Blurnenui11
of their con11 ng because the old professor was r
d"
··
o a nervo~
ispos1non and he might suffer a shoc:k at their sudden vistt
Tescheo (now Decin, Czechoslovakia) was their next
stopover after leaving Dresden. Rizal and Viola sent
.
•
a wire 10
Blu-c
1
11
"' n r, , as per suggestion of Dr Jagor
First Mee-ting with Blwnentriu. At 1:30 p.m. of M·iy 13
I~. !he train, with Rizal and Viola on board aroived 'at
ra~~o;dd st11ti~n
Leitm~ntz, Bohemia. Profes~~r Blume;1111
w
a receive their wire, was a1 the station. He was car ·, n
penetl sketc.h of Rizal which the la lier had prr\lou,I
him,_ so tb?t he could identify his Filipino friend, He j,trml .
'
Y
received R12al and Viola.
g'
a.
,h.
,t
' ..en~
For the first time, the two great scholars - Rizal and
Blumentrill
- who came lo kn<>w each othe r b Y corresponuence
., •
•
1
P.erson Th~y greeted each other ,n nucn1 German'
umentroll was a kind-hearted, old Austrian pmfcw:>r U
s~em_g the talented Rizal for the first time. he immediately
h,m mto heart. loving him 1,s 8 son.
:t '"
1::~
. Profc~sor Blumentrill, the genial host, helped Rizal and
V1oi:: g:t a room _at Hotel K,et,s, after wbich he hrnugh1 them
to s.. o_me and_ introduced lhem to his wife and famil The
tw~ Fthp1no tounsis spent many pleasant hours at the hi~c of
their kind host. They stayed in Leitmeritz from May 13 IO M
16, 1887.
ay
~utlM _M~ries or ~itmeria. Rizal had beautiful
~e~ncs of h,.s v1s11 to Leitmeritz. He enjoyed the warm bospttaltty of the Blumcntritt family. The professor's wife R~
was a ~ood cook, and she prepared special Austrian dishes which
RizaJ h~ed velJ'. much. His children were Dolor«:$ (called Dora
or 0 orota by Rizal), Conrad, and Fritz.
h ~lumentriu proved 10 be a great tourist guide as well a, a
~!p1ta~le host: H~ _showed the :.ccnic and historical spo1~ of
be ltmentz to hl5 visitors. One afternoon he invited them 10 ,1
er garden where the bes1 beer of Bohemia was served. At ;
106
••r table there was a lively discussion among the drinkers about
die advisability of having the railroad paSlo through a neighboring
town One of the men in the group was the burgomaster (town
mayor) of that town, Blumentntt knew the burgomastc1. w that
he •pproachcd the party and delightfully introduced his two
Hhpino friends. Rizal talked in fluent Gennan, for which reason
the burgomaster and his friends were amazed. The burgomaster
•~ked R.iial how long II took him hl learn German. And R,wl
rrphed "Eleven months, 5ir~ The burgomaster was further
1mazed. and in great admiration, he lauded lhc .. privileged
t11lent" of Rizal. Blumentritt embraced Rizal, telling lum that
lrw Germans could~peak well their own language e~ R,wl could,
On another afternoon Rmil ancl Viola were invited 10 a
meeting of lhe Tourists' Club of L.e1tmeritz. of which Blumen1ritt
was the secretary. Rizal spoke e,rtcmporancously m llucnl German to the officers and members, praising A\c>lria', 1dylhc scenes
and its ho,'J)itable, nature-loving, and noble people. The audience
wildly applauded him, for they were enchanted bv hi, eloquence
and nuency in German.
Rizal, desiring to commemorate ht> happy hour, nt 1hc
Blumentritt home, painted a ponrait of th,• kind pmfc"or and
gave it to him. Blumentritt was pleased with the gift.
It was during his vi.<it to L.eitmentz when Rizal mel another
renowned scientist of Europe, Or. Carlos C.zcpclak. Blumcn1ri11
brought him 10 Ctcpctok's home. and Rini h.td :i nic'c com·crsation with this Poli<h <cholar Blumcntrilt ·alv> introdn~ed Rizal
to Professor Robert Klutschak. an eminent na1urah~1.
On their las1 nigh1 in Lc,tmemz, Rwl Jll<l V1nla. 10 rcc1p
roc:a1e Blumcntri11', ho,p11altt)', tendered ,1 han4uc1
,1 f111<·wdl
dinner - in hi\ honor at their hotel
On May 16, al 9:4~ A . M. , Rizal .ind Viola lch I ,·11m~nt1
by train. Blumen1ritt. his wife. and children were al 1lw r;11lr.,ad
station to see them off. and they all ,hcd 1curs 111 p,1<1111~ .,, th,·
train slowly departed.
Rizal carried .111t0 h,s grave the bcautihil mc11,11r1<·, ol 111,
visit to Lcitmeritz. In a letter to Blumcntrit1. written ,n V1l'nn;i
on May 24. 188?. Rizal expressed his and Vi,,1.,·, cnnl'c rn l,>r
the illness of Dora, the profcs~or•~ h11k tlJu!(hlcJ ·\",I., ,111,1
107
JOR IIIZM.: LIFE. WOIUCI M 0 - 1 1 -
! ,"_thus wrot~ Rizal, "are very sad because our little mend Don
lS sick. We still remember her little blue eyes; we hear her mcny
laughter, and we see her liule teeth. Poor Dorita! I saw her run
arter us when the train Wb leaving! With all my bean I wish
her prompt recoveryff 2
In another leuer, wrinen in Brunn, Austria, on May 19,
1887. lhree days after leaving Leumeritz. Raal wrote to Blumentnlt "I ~all malce my good fnends of Leameritz the objects or
my thoughts and I sJ,31J say (If myself: You are not alone Rizal
in a small corner of B~bem,a I here are good, nol,le, and friend);
.cul,- who lik~ you; think of them, consider them as if they were
,.,th y_ou, a, ,r they saw you; they will rejoice over your joys,
;,.nd w,11 weep over youT suffenng . Please kiss the children
for me, express my greetings 10 your wife, and to your good
(~the~ and _the_ fnends in Lc.itmeritz. I am at bean an ulhabitant
0 Le1tmentz Just ~ you yourself are a Filopino in sentimenu.
I believe Austna will always live in my hear1·• ) [n the ,;ame
lette_r, Rizal told Blumentritt that he forgot his diamond stickpin
at his room m Hole! Krebs
. Prague. After Le1tmeritz, Rnal and Viola visited the historic
aty or Prague. They carried letters of recommendation from
Blume~tnU to Dr. Willkomm, professor of natural history in
the Uruversuy or Prague. The good proressor and bis cbanning
wire and daughte~ welcomed them and showed them the cit •
lustonc spots.
Ys
Rizal and Viola visited the tomb of Copernicus, the ramous
astronomer; the museum of natu:ral history; the bacteriological
labora1_one~. the famous cave where San Jua.n Nepomuceno, the
C.uhohc saint, wa~ 1mpnsoned: and lhe bridge from which this
samt was hurled rnto the river.
After saying good-bye to Professor Willkomm and his family
the_ two tounsts went to Brunn. According to Viola, •nothin '
of tml)()rtance happened- in this city.
g
Vienna, On May 20, Rizal and Viola amved in the beauttful
city of ".1en_
n a, ca~ital of Au.stria-Hungary. Famous in song and
sto_ry, th~ etty fascmated Rizal because of its beautiful buildings,
retig,ous unagcs, haunting waltzes, and maJestic charm. Vienna
was truly the ·Queen of the Danube",
Rizal and V'10la, armed with a letter o f recommendation
Blumcntritt, met Norfenfals, one of the greatest oovetisu
In hurope during that time. This great Austrian novelist was
fnnrably impressed by Rita), and years later he spoke highly
111 Rizal, -Whose gemus be so much admired".
In Vienna, Rizal received bis lost diamond stickpin. It was
found by a ma.id m Hotel Krebs and was given to Blumentritt,
m tum, forwarded it to Rizal in Vienna.
•ho.
Rizal and Viola stayed at Hotel Metropole. They visited
city's interesting places. such as churches, museurrtS, art
i!-•llcrics, theaters, and public parks. They met two good fncnds
of Blumentritt - Ma.sner and Nordmann, Austrian scholars.
1It,
Danllbiaa Voya~ to UntL On May 24. Ri:r.al and Viola left
V,cnna on a river boat to sec the beautiful sights of the Danube
River. As they traveled along the famous river, RizaJ observed
keenly the river sights - the barges loaded with products, the
flowers and plants growing along the riveT banks, the boats with
families living on them, and the quaint villages on the nversides.
We parucularly noticed that the passengers on the river boat
were using paper napkins during the meals, which was a novelly
to him. His fellow passenger, Viola. commented that the paper
napkins were ·more byg,eoic and econonucal than cloth napkins".
Fro• Untz to RbelafalL The river voyage ended in Llntz.
They traveled overland to Salzburg, and from there lo Munich
where they sojourned for a short time to savor the famous Munich
beer, reputed to be the best in Germany .
From Munich, they went to Nuremberg, one of the oldest
oltcs of Germany. Among the s,ghts wluch they saw m tlus aty
,.,·ere the horrible torture machines used by the Inquisition Rizal
examined ca.rduUy these torture machines. He and Viola were
impressed by the manufacture of dolls which was the biggest
industry of the aty.
After Munich, they viSlted Ulm. The cathedral of tlus aty
was '"the largest and tallest in all Germany". V'aola related that
he and Rizal climbed its many hundred stq,s. He rested twice
on the way to the tower and {ell dizzy from the strain upon
reaching the top. Rizal, on the other hand, ascended without
resting and was not tired when he reached the top.4
108
10,
-
Ill~: LIFI, - I C I MO WIIIT,.,QI
El UMrol which says that ii is not consisrcnr
en, except di ity to be exhibited side by side with animals
with plants.
human I have
Ill done everyth'mg ..,,..;ble
to preventha1hc
and
.-d" a of this degradation of men of my race, but 1 vc
ispl
1 ~ c d Now one woman died of pneumon,n. The
'
· ____., 1·n I barroe,a (rustic house made of
ll()T'OIS were ho......,
z·)· And £1 Resumen
bamboo, gi-ass, and tree branch•~ JliU make.s i:nean jokes ab<ou1 nl
Froin Ulm, they went to Stuttgart, Baden, and then Rheinfall
(Cascade of the Rhine) At Rheinfall, they saw the waterfall,
"the most beautiful waterfall of Europe" .
Cros-11n1 the Frontier to Switzerland. From Rheinfall, they
crossed the frontier to Schaffhausen, Switzerland They stayed
in this city from June 2 to 3, 1887. 1bey continued their tour
to Basel (Bale), Bern, and Lausanne.
Geoeva. After sightseeing in Lausanne, Rizal and Viola left
on a lillle boat, crossing lhe foggy Leman Lake Ill Geneva . Tim
Swiss city is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, V1Site<!
by world tourist~ every year. The people of Geneva were linguists.
speaking French, Gem1an, and Italian. Rizal conversed wi1h
them in 1hese three languages.
Aside from visiting 1he tourist spots. Rizal anrl Viola weni
boating on the lake . In lhis aquatic excursion, Rizal showed his
rowing prowess which he acquired during his boyhood days in
Calamba.
On June 19, 1837, Rizal treated Viola 10 a blow-out It was
his 26th birthday. According to a Fil.apioo custom, he celebrated
his birthday with a ~umptuous meal
Rizal and Viola spem fifteen delightful days in Geneva . On
June 23, they parted ways - Viola returned to Barcelona while
Rizal continued the. tour to Italy.
Rbal Resents EllhibltJon of lgorou !n 1887 Madrid E-xposi-
tlon. While Rizal, accompanied by Dr. Viola, was happily touring
Europe, an Exposition of the Philippines was held in Madrid ,
Spain. Upon reaching Geneva (Switzcrla nd). he received sad
news from his friends in Madrid of 1hc deplorable conditions of
the primitive Jgorots who were exhibited in this exposition, some
of whom died, and whose scanty clothing (G-strings) and crude
weapons were obJCCts of mockery and laughter by the Spanish
people and press .
Being a champion of human dignity. Rizal was outraged l>y
this degradation of his fellow countrymen 1hc lgorots of Northern
Luzon. In a leuer to his friend, Blumentriu, dated Geneva,
June 6, 1887, he said:'
'My poor compatnors (lgor<>ts - Z.) who arc now
being exhibited in Madnd an: mocked by Spanish newspap-
llO
"°
In anotner letter to Blumentritt, dated Geneva: _Junc..
11187 Rial said he was in favor of holding an exposition,
~'1;
u
, exhibition of odd individuals, showing our count,~."1cn
nat an . "t 10 entertain the idle inhabitants o f Madrid
I le:
ft\ a h~~:i:/reiterated: •we want an ind11s1rial cxpo~nion . hut
~mt
exhibition of human being,s who are co'."pclled to ,'.'.'e
outdoors and die of nostalgia and pneumonia or typhus.
a:
::::Oost
Rhal I0 Italy From Geneva Rizal went to Italy. He v,s,ted
.
v' · and Flo'r.incc . On June 27, llll\7. he
1unn,
dMR1lan,
City" and a lso s-allcd the "Chv of
reache
ome, the~•~•E,ternal
"
the Caesars"
H
as thnlled by the sights and memo ries of the H crn;il
Cty. ie::ribing to Blumemftt, the "grandeur thal wa, Ro me .
he wrote on June 27, 1887.
T am in Rome! Everytlnng I >tcp on ts the dll.$t of
heroes Here I breathe ihe same air which the Romon hcroe>
~ave b~cathcd. t salu1c e•ery sia1ue wilh ,,.vcrcnce, and "'
. of a small ,slnnd ' it ~ccm<
lh,,1
t •'"'
me a humbl c nauvc
C
I
th .
in ~ sanctuary. I have already seen the ap1to ,um
~
Ta ,an Rock, lhe Palaunum , the ~orum _Rumunu~,. th<_
Am";itheatrc etc. Everything here •< glnnou, except
f
d
cafe singers. I do nol corer lhcsc (C-J c, I
:c:s~n I louhe 10 bear their French songs or sec modc"TI
' ndustries My favorile pli,ces arc lhc Amphithcn1re and th,•
~oman F~rum; there I remain seated for ho~r<. contcmp~Jt:
in eve 1hing and rcs1onng' hfc to ihc ruin< ·, I h,'.".
g visited
ry aome ch urchc.• and museums • hke the. ( Jp11,1lanc
also
h h
Museum and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. w ,c
is also gnndJose.
29th the Feast Day of St. Peter and St. Paul ,
0 J
une for the
, first time the y at,can,
•
o f 1he
1h c "C11y
Rizal n
visited
·
d
P~" and the capital of Christendom. He was deeply ,mpresse
.
•
,he·
t•
~e the magruficen1 edifices, particularly of St. Peter's Church
p rare worts of an, the v~t St. Peter's Square, the colortui
apaldGduarhdsVaod the atmosphere of religiou, devotion that
perva e t e a11ean.
~,rery nig)tt, alter sig)ttsceing the "hole day. Rizal returned
to h1> hotel, very ured "I am tucd ~ a dog .. he ..
Blum•nt · "'- I •
,
wrote to
"~ nn, ..u1 will sleep a, a god" •
r ~fter a ,.-eek o_f wonderful SOJourn ,n Rome, he prepared
., ehum 10 the ~hiltppincs . He had already wrinen to his father
h,at e was coming borne .
10
.. .. ..
Chapter 10
First Homecoming, 1887-88
All the alluring beauties of fotetgJI countries and all the
beautiful memones or h,s soiourn in alien lands could neither
inake Rizal forget his [atherland nor turn his badt IO bis own
nationality. True that be srudicd abroad, acquired the lore and
languages of foreign nauon\, and enjoyed the friendship of many
great men or the Western world; bu1 be remained at heart a
true Filipino with an unquenchable l<m: Cor tbe Philippines and
an unshakable determinauon to dJc in the land of his birth.
Th~. after five yean of memorable a>;ourn iD Europe, he
returned 10 the Philippines in AugUSl 11181 and pracuaed medicine
tO Calamba. He Jived the quiet life of a country doc:l«. But bis
enemies, who resented his Noli, penec:utcd him, even tlueateomg
10 kill him
Oedsion to Rdurn Hmne. Because of the publication of die
Noli Me Tangue and the uproar it· caused amoog the friars,
Rizal was warned by Paciano (his brother), Silvesare Ubaldo
(bis brother-in-law), Chengoy (Jose M. Cealio), and odacr frimdc
001 10 return home. But he did not heed their warning. He was
determined to return to the PhilippmC$ for the followiQg RUDGS:
(I) to operate on hts mother's eyes; (2) IO ecrve his people who
had long been oppressed by Spanish tynnts; (3) to fiad out foT
himself how the Nol, and his other writings were affec:2ing
FilipUlOS and Spaniards in the Philippines; and (4) to inquire
why Leonor Rivera remained silent.
In a letter 10 Blumentritl, written in Geneva ()"I June 19,
1887, Rini satd: "Your advice that I live in Madrid and oootinue
to write from there is very benevolent but I cannot accept it. I
cannot endure the life in Madrid where everytbillg is a voice in
a wilderness. My parents want to me, and I WaJJt to tee
112
113
~ ""'~' Lin, - - - AIIIIO W1111-
..... ....,_.,."O (1118'"111181
~~ITI ~~-iJAUUm~ life I desire to live In my country by the side
my""" Y• nbl now I am not Eu
· d 1·
of Madrid I alw
l'k
ropunize 1ke the Filipinos
•
ays t e to return to the country ohny binh". 1
lo Rome, on June 29 1887 R'zal
iannouncing his h
. '
• 1
wrote to his father
he wrote "I sh ,7mefnung. "On the !Sth of July, at the latest":
to the
of Aa cm ark for our country, so that from the IS th
ugusr. we shall <ce each other'' 2
30th
Marsr:::::~l
3'
FTrip to Manila: Rizal left Rome by train for
On July
I ~.:.cnhch pon, which he reached without mishup.
00
•
' •
e bo11rded the steamer D'
Ii h
steamer which brought htm to E ro
fi temna . t e same
were abo 1 50
.
u pe ive years ago. There
l Chin u
passengers, includirig 4 Englishmen, 2 Germans.
ese, 2Japanesc, many Frenchmen, and t Fllipino (Rita()
1
spea: :~nwa ~;he only one among the passengers who could
=
y J1 gungcs, so that he acted as interpreter for his
-mpamons
1;1:ussteamer
~a~_ en route to the Orient via the Suez Canal
saw !Ins h1>1oruc canal for the second time lht fi i
Rizal
::t~'
.
'Jf
when he ,ailed 10 Europe from Manila in ·1882
• a , ,. played chcs~ with rcllow passengers an-d engag~d 11
Iive1y conversauon ID many I
in
others played on lhe piano an~!~:;10~~~ P'7'engers sang;
the weather became rough and some of Rizal's booerk caving Aden,
sgOlwet.
At Saigon, on July JO h
,
Haiphong hi h
. • t trans,err~"tl lo another steamer
w c was Manlla•bound On Aug t 2 h
left Saigon ror Manila.
us , t ~ .reamer
t'::!/
0
was
0 ~8:~;:is~i;:~•st;eoy;igc from Saigon 10 Manll.i
soundly the whole night. Inc calm '::°:~llwas. fuldt ...and he_slept
• umme vy the slivery
moont·1 ht
& • was 8 magniftCent sight 10 him.
Raa1Near midnight o_f Augu~t 5, the Haiphong arrived in Manila
went ashore w11h a happy he rt f h
beloved native soil. He stayed in alhe o~t e ,once more t~od his
visit h · f: •
ct Y ,or a short llme to
~ends. He found Manila the same
when he ler1
five
the
h 1,0. '!bere were lhe same old churches and buildtngs
me O es in the roads, the same boats on h p .
. ·
and lhe same hcary walls surrounding the city. t e as1g River•
ia:!rs.
11•
as
u
Happy Homecomlna, On August 8th, he returned to
C,damba. His family weloomed htm affectionately, with plentiful
tr.1rs or joy. Writing 10 Blumcntnn or his homecoming, he said·
"I had a plea.sant voyage. I found my family enjoying good
health and our happ1oess was great in seeing each other again.
l11ey shed tears of JOY and I had 10 anhwer ten thousand qucs11ons
•I the _
samii time" •
The rcjoicing-.s or R;zal\ return n,cr, hi, ram,ly hernme
worried for his safety Paciano did not leave him dunng the
hn.t days after amval to protect him from any enemy assault.
II" own father would not IN him i o nut alone. le,1 something
might happen to him .
In Calamba. Rizal established a medical dime. Hi> fmt
pa11en1 was his mother, who wa, nlmo.r bhnJ He treated her
eyes, but could nc,l perform any surgical operation hecau~e her
eye cataracts were not yet npe. News of the arrival of a great
doctor from Germany spread far and wide. Pa1ienh from Manila
and !he province~ flocked lo Calamba. Rizal, who came to be
called MOoctor Uliman·• bec.iuse he came from Germany. treated
their ailments and soon he acquired a lucrative medical practice
H,~ professional f<!es were rea,onahlc , even gratis tu rhe poor.
Within a few mo111th6. he was ahle to earn P900 as :1 phy,,cian
By February. 1888. he eameda total of P5.000as medical fellfi
Unlike many successful medical practitioners. Rizal did not
selfishly devote all his ume to enrichmg himself. He opened a
gymnasium for young folks, where he introduced European
spons. He tried to in1ere<t his townmates in gymnastics, fencing
and shoonng so as lo discourage .he <.ockfigh!S and gambling '
Rizal suffered one failure dunng his ,.IX monthi. or soiuurn
in Calamba - his failure 10 ~c Lco no1 R1vern. I-le 11 ,cd 10 l:l"
to Dagupan, hut his parent< absolutely forl>ade him to go hecau-.e
Leonor's mother did not like him for a son-in-law. With a heavv
heart, Rizal bowed 10 hts paren1's wish. He was caught w11l11n
the iron grip of the custom or his time that marriage, mu,t he
arranged by the parent:; of bo1h groom and bride .
Storm onr the Noli. Meanwhile, as Rizal wa, peacefully
living in Calamba. his enemies plolled his doom . Aside from
practismg medicine, ancnding 10 hb gymnU\oum. which he established, and taking pan in 1he town's civic affairs. he painted
la tum, lost no time in fou,uding it to the governor gc.nenl.
several buutiful landscapes and trahsbtcd the German poema
of Von Wlklcrnath mlo Tagalog.
A rew •eeks after bis arrival, a storm broke over bis novel.
One day Riul received a lcuer from Governor General Emilio
Terrero (18&5-l!ll) req~ing him to come to Malacaiim Palace.
Somebody bad whispered to the governor's ear that the Noli
c:unta,ned St.ibvcr,,h,c idc-" ,
Ri~ "'ent to Manda and appeared at Malacanang. When
he w:1\ tnfnrmrd b\ Governor <ieneral Terrero of the charge,
he denied II. explaining that he merely upO<;Cd the truth. but
he J.,d not advocate ~ubvers111e ideas. Pleased by his explanation
and runou, al>oul the ronuovcrsinl book. 1hc governor general
~ked the author fix a ropy of the Noli w 1hat he could read
1 Rizal had no copy then because the only copy he brough1
home wa given 10 11 mend. However, be prorrused 10 secure
one for the governor general
R.i 7al •"Kiled lhe Jesu,t fathers to ask for the copy be sent
~em. but they would not pan with II The Jesuits. especially
his former professors - Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, Fr.
Jose Be~"!'·. and Fr. Fc<kr100 Faura
.,.ere glad 10 see him. He
bad _a spmted d1scussion with Father Faura, whu ventured an
opm,on that ~C\'erything io II was the truth", but added: ~You
may lose your head for 11··.
Fonunatcly, RJzal rouno a copy m the hands or a fnend.
He wa~ able to jtCI 11 and gave it to Governor General Terrero
The go"e~nor general, who was a liberal-mmded Spaniard. knew
that Rizal s hfc
in jeopardy because the friars ..,ere pu"'erful.
Fm 11ecun1y mea,urc, he assigned " )0ung Spanish ltcutcnant
Don Jose Tavtel de Andrade. as hodyguard of Rizal This hcuten~
ant belonged to a noble Camily. He was cuhur~d and knew
pamtmg. aoJ oould ,pcalt English, French. and Sparush.
w..,.
Gove.rnorGcneral T~rre.ro read the Noli and found nothing
WTong _ with II But Rizal s enemi~ were powerful_ The
Archbishop o~ Manila, Msgr. Pedro Payo (a Dominican) sent a
~y of th< ,\of, to Fa1hcr Rector Gregorio Echavarria or the
Univcr..,ty of Santo Toma,, for examinauon by a commiuee of
the faculty The committee. which was composed of Dominican
prof=rs, submitted •ts ~pon to the Father Rector who
1mmed1a1ely 1rarum1tted n 10 Archt,;shop Payo. The an:hblSbop,
11,
This report of the faculty memben of the Uuiversity of Santo
Tomas stated that the Nou was "bm:tical. 1lllpOIIS. and aa,odaJ0\1$ lll the relig,ous order, and anti--patrlotic, subversive of public
order, injunous to the government o( Spain and its functioa in
the Philippine Islands in the political order".•
Governor General Terrero was dissatis6ed with the report
of the Dnmimcans, for be knew that the DomirucaDs -,,.ere
pre1udi<:ed against Rizal. He sent the novd to the Permanent
Commission of Censonhip wrucb was oompmcd of priests and
la)men. The report of this rornrnissioo was drafted by its head,
f'r Salvador Font, Augustinian cura or Toodo. and suhmmed
10 the governor general on December 29 It fom,d the novel 10
conrain subversive ideas against the Cburcb and Spam, and
recommended "that the importatJon, reproduction and circulation of this pemiaous book in the island& be abwlutely prohibited",
When the newspapers published Font's written report of
the censorship oommis.ion, Raal and Im friends became
apprcbens1v~ and uneasy The enemies of Rizal exulted in unholy
aJec: The banning of the Noli only served to make it popular.
Everybody wanted to read it. News about the great book spread
among the masses Whal the bated Spanish mutcn did not like,
the oppressed masses liked very much Despite the governmenl
prohibition and the vigilance of the cruel Guardia Civil many
Filipinos were able to get hold or copies of the Noli whn:h they
read at nighl behind closed door,
lllank, 10 Governor General Terrero , there were nu m11'4
imprisonment or ma~ execution or Filipinos. He refused to be
,numidaled by the friars who clamored for hanh measure:. agaimt
people caught reading the novel and its author.
Attackers of the Nol/. The battle over the Nol, took the
form of a virulent war of words Father Font printed his rcpon
and distributed oopies of it in order lo discredit the contro...crsial
novel. Another Augusttnian, Fr. Jose Rodriguez, Pnor of
Guadalupe, published a series of eight pamphlets under the
general heading Crustion.es de Sumo lnJetts (Questions of Supreme Interest) to blast the Noh and other anti.spanish wntinp.
'These eight pamphlets were entitled u follows.
117
.ION IIIZAL; LIFE, WOflU AIID -ITINOI
I
Porqu, no loJ It, d, t,"r (Why Should I no, Redd
Them?)
2
Guard0tndttllos Porqu,>(S.,wareofThcm Wh)•J
3.
Y-qw - d1u usll!d th lo pnte? (And Whal Can Yuu
Tell Mc of Plague?)
rorqu, triunfon los 1mpu,s' (Wln Do the fmpmu,
Triumph')
S. Cru =d qu" de '"IJS 110 hoy purtatono.' tDo You
Think There h Reau, !'.u Purg,uor) !I.
6 Hayo nolta1 u,fitm"' (I, Th~, or I, There N< lfcll• I
1 Qut It partU o 1m,d d, ,sr l1h,fo.1' (Wh•t l)o You
Thmk o f ~ Libel,>)
8. Confa10,r o cvndma, •n' (Co,,Jc"5ton or Damnat1on'!)
Copies of thes~ anu-Rual pamphlets v.riuen by Fra~ Rod
ngucz were '!Old daily in the church~ after \fa!>l>. Many Filipino,
were fon:e~ to buy chem 1,. order not ,., di~plc ....., tho frior,
but they did not bcbeve what their author ,ait.l v.nh hy<r,•ncal
fervor
A brilliant defense of the Noli came from an unexpected
Gama, a Filipino Catholic
pnc:st«holar, a theologian of the Manila Cathedral, and a
Taplog translator of the famous Imitation of Christ by Thomas
a Kempis. Father Oarc:ia, writ10g under the penname Ju,to
Desiderio Maplan,a, wrote • defense of the Noli "'hich was
published in Sin1apore as an appendix to a pamphlet dared July
18, 1888. He blasted the arpments of Fr. Rodriguez ~ follows:
IO\UCC. It was by Rev. Vicente
I Rizal caaoot be an "ignorant mlln·, u Fr Rodnguu
alleged. because he a graduate of SplllllSh un,-.n.111cs
and - a reciptenl of ,cholas, ,e honon.
2 R.iw docs no! attack lhc Clllrrdl and Spain, as F1
Rodripu claimed. bcausc what Rizal auadted in tbc .Vo/1
were tbe bad Sparush o!fiaal> and no1 Spam •nd tltc bad
and corrupl friars and not the Church.
3. Father Rodnguez said that those whn read lbc 'Vol,
00lllffll1 1 mortal sin, su1tt be (RodrigueLJ had rud the
oovel. therdon: he: aloo comn11u a mortal "n
Repc:rCll$..'JrOm of the Morm over the ,\nl, reached Spam. It
Later, when Rizal learned of rhe brilliant defense of Father
was ~eroely attacked on the sc,sion h~II of th• S.:n;itc uf lhe
Garcia of his novel, he cried because hrs grautude was over-
Spanish. Cones by various senalo~ part1C1Jlarly Cicncral fosc
de Salamanca on April I, 11:,88, General Luis M de Pando on
Apnl 1_2: and Sr. Fernando Vida on Jun-, 11 1 he Spanish
academraan of Madrid, Viccnre Barr~ntcs -.. ho fomwrl)
~~red high govemmenr pos111ons m 1hc Phrlrppinc,, llllt~rl)
cn11c,2-,d the Nut, m an artido: published ,n La fa{NUlll Jt,,,frma
(a newspaper or Madrid) m Janual') 11!9(1
whelming.• Rizal, himself defended hJS novel against Barrantes·
attack, in a letter written in Brussels , Belgmm, in February,
1880. In this letter, he exposed Barrontcs· ignorance of Philippine
attain and mental tilishonesty which is unwof1hy of an academician.' Ban-antes met in Rizal his m.ister in satire and polemics
Ddcnden of the Noli. I he mU<:h maligned ,",'o/1 had ir,
gallant defenders who fe.irlc,,.~h came our to prmc the m,- 111
of Lhe novel or 10 refute the arjlumcnrs of the unkind :illad.,•r,
Marcelo H._del Prlar, Dr An1uo10Ma Rcgrdor, Gr...:iam, fAipa
Jaena, Mana no Ponce. and .,thcr r 1hp1no n fornu..i, ,n foreign
lands, of co~~· mshed to uphold rhe 1ru1h, of th.: v111, 1.,,11..,
Sa~hcz: ~•zal s ravorite tea,her ar the Atenco, dcfcnt.lcd and
praised II tn pubhc. Don l>qo,mundo Moret. former \1m,,tcr
of the Crown, Dr Migu~I \fnrnyra. histnnJn and ,1a1c,m.,n,
and Professor Blumen1ri11. scholar and educ tor, r.:ad and fikcu
the novel.
118
During the days when the Noli was the target of a heated
controveny between the friars (and tbcrr minions) and the fnends
or Riw, all oopies or it were sold out and the pncc per copy
soared to unprecedented level Both friends and enemies of the
Noli found it extremely difficult to secure a copy. Acoordmg lo
Rizal, in a letter to Fernando Canon from Gene,... June 13,
1887, the price he set per copy was five pc$Ctas (equivalent to
one pcso), but tbc price later rose to fifty pesos per copy
Rbal ad Tfflel tie Alldrade. While the stonn over the Noli
was rasinJ in fwy, Rizal was DOI molested Ul Calamba. Tius IS
due to Governor General Terrcro's generosity in assigning a
bodypud 'to him. Between this Spanish bodyguard, Lt Jose
Tmel de Andrade, and Rizal. a beautiful friendship bloomed.
119
-
- • u ..._ _ _ _ ,,_
Together, Rizal and Andrade. both young, educated and
cultur~, made walking tours or the verdant countrysides. discussed top,cs of oom~n int-t, and enjoyed fencin&. shooting,
huntmg and paanllng. Lt. Andrade became a great admirer of
the man he was ordered 10 watch and protect. Years lateT, he
wrote or i:«zal -Rizal "'.as refined, educated and gentlemanly.
The ~obb1es 1ba1 most 101eres1ed him were hunting. fencing.
shooung paintmg, and h1lung ... I well remember our excursion
to Mount Makiling, not so much for the beautiful "cw . a,
for the rumors and pernicious cffecu that re<ull from it There
was one who believed and reponcd 10 Manila that Ru:,I and I ,
at_ the top of the_ mountain, hois1cd the German nug anJ proclaimed ns sovereignty o,er the Philippine\ I ,magmcJ 1ha1 such
nonsense emanated from the friars of Calamba. but d,d not take
the trouble to make 1nqumes about the mailer" 0
What marred Rizal's happy days m Calamba w11h Lt.
Andrade were (I) the death or his older smcr Ohmp,.. , and
(2) the groundless tales circulated by his enemie~ that he -s
-a German spy, an agent of Bismarck, a Protesuint. a Mason,
• witch , a soul beyond salvation, ctc 11
Calambe'1 Av-i- Tr~c. Governor General Terrero
in0ucneed by eertam facts in Noh Me Tangere, ordered a gov:
ernmeot investigation of the friar estates lo remedy whatever
,niquiti~ rmght have been pTesent ,n oonneclJOn with land taxes
and with tenant relation~. One or the £nar estate,, affected was
the Calamba Hacienda which the Dominican Order owned since
1883. lo complianoe with the governor general's orders, dated
~ecember 30, 1887, the Civil Governor of Laguna Province
directed the municipal authorities of Calamba to investigate the
agranan conditions of their locality.
Upon bearing of the investigation, the Calamba folks solicited RtZal'~ hdp in g;uhcnng the facts and listing their gnevanees against the hacienda management , so 1hat the central
government might institute certain agrarian reforms.
After a thorough study of the conditions in Calamba. Riul
wrote down his findings which tbc tenants and three or the
offiaals of the hacienda signed on January 8, 1888. These findin~, which were forrnaUy submitted 10 the government for
actJon, were the following:•?
120
fltfn ltocuew ••• C\887-IWI
1. The bacM-nda or the DQGllnican Order comprised
1>01 ooly the lands around C.lamba, but mo the town or
Calamba
2 1be profiu o( lbc Dol1llllican Order continually
u,crca.cd becaUJC of the arbitrary Increase of the rentals
paid by the tenants
3 1bc hacienda ()'O,'tler never conuibuted a single ccn·
uvo for the oelcbrauon or the town fiesta. for the cducauon
or the children, and for the improvement o( a&riculturc.
4 Tenant, who had spent much labor in cleann& the
lands were dispossessed o( s:ild lands (or flimsy reasons
S. I ltgh rate> o( interest were charged the tenants fo,
dcla)cd payment of rentals, and when the rentals could not
be paid, the naaenda managemtmt confiscated their
caraba<l!.. tools, and homes.
t'arcwdl to Calambll. Rlzal'b exposure or the deplor-.ible
condlltoM of tenancy ,n Calamba infuriated funher his enemies
The friars exerted pressure on Malacailan Palace t•1 eliminate
hmt. They asked Governor General Terrero to deport him. but
the lat1er refused because there was no voltd ~rge Jgainst
Rizal in court. Anonymous threats against Rizal's hfe were
received by his parents. The alarmed parents, rclauvcs and
friend,, (including Lt Tavicl de Andrade) advised tum 10 go
away, for his lire was in danger.
One day Governor General Terrero summoned Rizal and
"advised" tum to leave the Philippines for lu.s own good. He
was giving R,z.al a chance 10 escape the fury or the fnars' wrath.
Thi> time R12al had to go. He could not very well disobey
the governor general's veiled orders. But he was not runnjng
like a coward from a fight He was courageous. a £act whtch h,~
worst enenucs could not deny. A valia nt hero that he was, he
w;is not afraid of any man and neither wa> he afraid 10 die. He
was compelled 10 leave Calamba for two reasons: (I) his pre,;ence
in Calamba w :b jcoparJizmg the sa£et) Jnd happiness of his
!Jn11ly anJ tncnJ, and (!) he could fighl bc t1er Ju, enemu:s and
-..:r-c hi\ c,,u111ry·, cau-..: with j!rcater efficacy by writtng in
foreign countrie<>
A Poem for Lipa. Shortly before Ri1al left Calamba in 1888
hi> friend from Lipa requ~ted h,m 10 wntc a poem in commem-
121
ol"&Uon o f the town's ckutton to a '1111 (01y) by ~,nue of the
Bec:crra Law of 1888 GI..Jly, he wro1e a puem ded1et11cd 10 the
industnous folks of l.1pa This wa~ 1he "Htmno Al Traf>o1a'
(Hymn 10 Labor). He fin, hed u and sent 11 to Lipa before h,s
depanure from Calamba h runs lb foflo..,, 11
HYMN TO l .-\BOR
ClfORUS:
For •"'1 country 1n ..u .
F,>r our count') on puce
The F,hp1110 wtll he read) ,
Whole he h•e• and ,.hen he doe,
ME"I
As SOOD as the b>t IS IUlled 1"1lh loi.hl
Forth lo lhc fickh to pl°"' the him'
Snxz ,t ft: WOfk "h!lt '1.U(Um~ the man.
The mochcrland lam~y and the h<llnt
!lard though the ,.,,1 may pro•~ tu he,
Implacable the •un ■l>mc
For motherland, our """c:s a!ld bahts,
,,...,. be UJy '°ltb •'llr ~ ,e
WnES.
Courageously set ou1 to work
Your home \S Mfe v,,11h ■ fa11hful v,,1fc
lmplantin& in her ch,ldrcn, io.c
f'or wudom, land 111d V1r'IIXJa> bfc .
Whca mpnfaU brinp ui to our re.i .
May '""1ing fommc suard our door,
8ut i.t cruel fate should harm her man.
The wife would toil on as before
GIRLS:
Hall• Had' Q,.c pn,ae to WOfk'
The co.ntry's vtpr and her "'ulth ,
For work lift up )Our brow serene
It II your blood, your life, your hc•llh
If any )'Olllh pr01cs11 his love
His won shall prove ,f be be good
Ill
nu., man u..c .,ho Simes and l<>th
Can !ind the .,.)' to feed h" bn,oJ
BOYS:
Teada m thee the budcsl , ..b
For down thy trails we 1am our ~ct
That when our country calls 1omorr°"'
Tby purposct "'< may complete
And may our ciders say who sec u,
Seel How "'1>flhy of thctr s,rc~I
No mcensc can clllt our dod one,
ulr.r a brave ..,,, who a.pores•
.. .. .
Chapter 11
In Hong Kong and Macao,
1888
H ounded by powerful enemies, R izal was forced to leave
his country for a second time in February 1888. He was then a
full-grown man of 27 yea.rs of age, a practising physi(ian, and
a recognized man-of-letters. The fim time he went abroad in
June 1882, be was a mere lad of 21, a youthful student in search
of wisdom m the Old Wodd, a romantic idealist with bcauliful
dreams of emancipating his people from bondage by the magic
power of his pen. Tm1es had changed. Rizal at 27 was an
embittered victim of human iniquities, a disillusioned dreamer,
a frustrated reformer.
TIie Trip to Hong Kooa, On February 3, 1888, after a short
stay of six months in his bclo,ed Calamba, Rizal left Manila for
Hong Kong on board the Zafiro. He was sick and sad during
the crossing of the choppy China Sea. He did not get off his
ship when it made brief stopover at Amoy on February 7. For
three reasons: (l) he was not feeling weU, (2) it was raining
bard, and (3) he heard that the city was dirty. He arrived in
Hong Kong on February 8.
During his stay in Hong Kong, -a British colony, Rizal wrote
a letter to Blumcntritt, dated Febru~ 16, 1888, expressing h is
bitterness. This letter runs as follows:
At last l can write freely. At last I can express my
thougbis without fear of censorship from the chief! 'Ibey
forced me 10 leave my country. Half sk:lt l left the house.
Ob, dear Blumentritt, you haft oo idea of my minor
odystey. Without the aid al my fricad Lieuleoam Taviel de
Andrade, what would beoome of mel Without the sympatbi.es
of the Governor General, the directors of the civil administration and ciY11 government, I would now be In somc dungeon
All the provincials and tile archbishop went daily to
the Governor General to complain against me. The Syndic
nf the Dominicans wrote • denunciation to the alcalde chat
at night they saw me bold secret meetings with men and
women on top of a hlU. It is true I went wallang al dawn
to a hill accompanied by many men, women, a.nd child,cn,
for the purpose of enjoying the coolness of the morning.
but always esconed by the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil
who knows Tagaloa. Who ,s the coMpiratorof secret sessions
that will hold them in the open air among women .a nd
children? I allowed the accusation to reach t.he Governor
Gener-al so he could sec what kind of enemies I have
My countrymen offered me money to leave the islands.
They asked me to do so not only for my own interest but
also theirs, bccau.e I have many friends l\Jld auiuamtamees
whom they would have deported with me to Balabag or the
Marianas Islands. Thus. half skk, J bade a hasty farewell
10 my fomily. I am rt1um1ng to Europe by way of Japan
and the United StatC<. We should see each other again. I
have so much to tell you.
In Uong Kong, Riuil stayed at Victoria Hotel. He was
welcomed hy the Filipino tesidents. including Jose Maria Basa.
Balbino Mauricio. and Manuel Yriam: (son o f Francisco Yriane.
alcHlr.le mayor of L.lguna).
A Spaniard. Jose Sair12 de Varanda, who was a former
secretary of Governor General Terrero. shadowed Rizal's move•
menl in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was commissioned
by the Spanish authorities 10 spy on Rizal .
"Hong Kong," wrote Rizal to Slumentritt on February 16,
1888. "is a small. but very clean city. Many Ponuguese, Hindus,
Engli~h. Chinese, and Jews live in it. There are some Filipinos,
the majority of whom being those who had been e xiled 10 the
Mananas Islands in 1872. They are poor, gentle, and umid.
FormcrlY. tMy were rich mechanics, industriali~ts, and finan•
CIC!fS.
,.z
11S
In Hone KMt And Mac.ao • 1881,
VWt to ~ . On February 18, Rizal, accompanied by
Bua, boarded the ferry steamer Kiu-Klang for Macao. He was
tu1prued to see among the passengers a familiar figure -
Sainz
de Varanda.
Macao is a Portupc.e colony near Hong Kong. ~The city
of Macao,tt wrote Rizal, in hls diary, "is small, low, and gloomy
There are many junks, sampans, but few steamers. It looks sad
and is ·almost dead."3
In Macao, Rizal and 811$& stayed at the home of Don Juan
Francisco Lecaros, a Filipino gentleman married to a Ponuguei;e
lady. He was rich and spent his days .;ultivating plants and
Dowen, many of which came from the Philippines.
During his hi,o-day sojoW'lll in Macao. Ri7al visited the
theatre, casino, cathedral and churches, pagodas, botanical gar•
den, and bazaars. be also saw the famous Grotto of Camoens,
Ponugal's national poet. ln the evening of February 19, he
witnessed a Catholic procession. in which the devotees were
dressed in blue and purple dresses and were canying unlighted
candles.
On February 20, Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong,
again on board the ferry steamer Kiu Kiang.
Experie- ta Hoag Koag. During his two-week visit in
Hong Kong, Rizal studied Olinese life, language, drama, and
customs. He wrote down in his own diary the following experi•
ences:•
I. Noisy celebration of the O,incsc New Year which
lasted from Febfl)ary 11th (Saturday) 10 13th (Monday).
Continuo1U explcxions of firecrackers. The richer the
Chinese. the more 6reaackers he exploded. Rtul himself
fired many firecrackers at the window or his hotel.
3. The marathon lauriat party. wherein the guests
were served numcr0IU dishes. such as c!ned lrui~~. geese.
shrimps. cenlury eggs. shark fins. bir,d ne~ts, white ducks .
chicken with vinegar, 6sh heads. roasted J>IS-1, tea. etc. The
l011gest meal in the world
4. The Dominican Order was 1hc richest religious
order in Hong Kong. It engaged actively in business II
owned more than 700 houses for rent and many shares an
foreign banu h had millions of dollar,. dcpo,itcd in the
banks which earned fabulous mterests.
5. Of the Hong Kong cemetencs belonging to the
Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims, that of \he Pro1cs1>an1s
was the most beautiful because o r its wcll•groorncd pl•n•~
and dean pathways. The Cathohc cemetery was most pomp•
ous. with ,ts oma1e and expensive mausoleums and cx1ravag
antly carved scpulchcn1. The Muslim ceme1ery wa\ lhc
simplest. containing only a hnle mosque and tombstones
w1th Arabic 1nscriptioM.
Dtparturt From Hong Kong. On February 22. 1888, Rizal
left Hong Kong on board the Octanic, an American s1c11mcr
His destination was Japan . He did not like the meals on board ,
but he liked the ship because 11 was clean and efficiently managed.
His cabinmatc wa, a British Protc~tant mis."onary who hnd laved
in China for 27 years and knew the Chinese language very well.
Rizal called him ""a good man".'
Other passengers , with whom Rizal cunversed in their own
languages, were two Ponugucse. two Chinese. several Bmi,h ,
and an American woman Protestant missionary.
• • • • •
2 . Boisterous Cluncsc theatre . with noity audience
and noisier music. ln the Chinese dramatic art. Rizal
observed the following: (I) a man astride a slick means a
man ridinc on horseback, (2) ■n actor raising his leg means
he is entering a house. (3) a red dress indicates a wedding,
( 4) a girl about 10 be married coyly covers her fau with a
fan even in the presence of her fiana:. and (S) a man raiS1ng
a whip signifies he is about 10 ride a horse.
126
121
reasons: (1) he could economize bis living expenses by myin1
at the legation and (2) he bad nothing to hide from the prying
eyes of the Sparush authorities.
Chapter 12
Romantic Interlude in Japan
(1888)
Ono of the happiest interludes in the life of Rizal was his
sojourn in the land of the Cherry Blossoms for one month and
a half (February 28- April 13. 1888). He was enchanted by
the natural beauty of Japan, the charming mannen. of the
Jnpancse people, and the picturC$(1UC shrine\ Moreova, he fell
m love with a Japanese girl, whose loveliness infused joy aod
romance m lus sorrowmg bean. Her real name wa& Sclk,'1 Usui.
Rual affectionately called her O-Sei-San. fate, however, cut
short his happy days in Japan He had to sacrifice his own
happiness to carry on his work for the redemption of his oppressed
people.
Rl.zal Arrives la Yok~. Early in the morning of Tuesday,
February 28. 1888, Riz.al arrived in Yokohama He rcgistCTCd
at the Grand Hotel.
The next day he proceeded to Tokyo and took a room at
Tok)O Hotel, where he Stayed Crom March 2 to 7 He was
impressed by the city of Tokyo. He wrote to Professor Blumen·
trill: ~Tokyo is more expensive than Paris. The walls are built
1
in cyclopean manner. The streets arc large and wide. "
Rizal in Tokyo. Sbonly after R.izal's arrival tn Tokyo, be
was "•sited at his hotel by Juan Perez Caballero, secretary of
the Spani<h Legation. The latter invited him 10 live at the Spanish
LcgatK>n.
Rizal. being an intelligent man, realiz.ed that the Spanish
d1plomatic -authontJes were instructed from Manila to mooitor
his movements m Japan He aa:epted the invitation for two
128
On March 7, ruzat checlted out of Tokyo Ho tel and lived
at the Spamsh Legation He and Perez Caballero became good
fnends. In a letter to Blumentrin, be described the Spanish
diplomat as Ma young, fine, and excellent wnter" and ffan able
diplom:at who had tra,eled muchff 2
During h,s first <.lay m Tok)o, Rizal was embarrassed because
he did not know the Japan= language . He looked like .a
Japanese . but could not talk Japanese. He bad a hard time
shopping, for he could nor be understood and the Japanese
children lau!?hcd at h,m Thu\ he wrote to Blumentritt. "H ere
you ha,e your lriend, Rizal the wonder of the Japanese, who
ha!. the !ace of a fapanoe but docs not speak Japanese. On the
street~. when I go shopping. people look at me and 111-educatcd
children laugh because I speak such a strange language. In Tokyo
very fcv. person,, speak English, but an Yokohama many spealt
It Some bcl,cvc I am an Europeanized Japanese who docs not
want to be taken as such.ff)
To a,·oid further embarras-ament, Rizal decided to study the
Japanese language. Being a born linguist, be was able to speak
it within a few days. He abo~tudled the Japanese drama (kabulr.i),
arts. mu~c. and judo (Japanese art of selr-<lcfensc) He browsed
in the museums. libraries, an galleries, and shrines. He visited
Meguto, Nikko, Hakone, M1yanosh11a, and the charming vdlages
of Japan .
Rizal and tlw Tokyo Musidans. One cool afternoon in March.
1888. R12al was promcn:ading m a street of Tokyo near a park.
It was a beautiful spring afternoon. There were many people at
the park
As he approached the park, Ri.zal beard the Tokyo band
playing a classical work of Strauss. He was impressed by the
superb performances of the Western music He stopped and
listened m rapt attention. He thought ~How admirable was the
rend,uon I wonder how these Japanese people have assimilated
the modern European music to the extent of playing the buutiful
musical masterpieces of the great European composen so wcll!
8
1J9
ICIM IIIZAL · ~i,1, WOIIKI MD WIIITI -
The band stopped playll!g. The musicians descended Crom
the band~IJlnd and walked around for a rest. some began 10
converse. To R.izal's a~az~mem. they were talking in Tagalog
He approached llhem, tnqumng m Tagalog: "Paisaoo, raga sa.an
po kayo?" (Compatriot, where are you from?)
. 'JhC musicians were equally surprised anJ delighted 10 meel
~1m. They tmd him they were Filipinos and lhat the principal
instruments m the band were Japanese. but they were playing
·
only the secondary instruments.
Rlw's lmpraslon o/ Japan. RIZal was favorably impressed
~y Japan He WI\$ a keen observer, 1a~ing cop1ou~ notes on the
hfe, CU£1oms, and culture of the people. He was no silly. lighl•
headed tounst who merely enJOys attractive sights that appealed
only 10 the senses. The things which favorably impressed Riz.il
in Japan werc: 5
The beauty or the country - its nowers, moun1ain, .
streams~ and see.rue panorama~.
2. The deanllncss, ,x,hteness, and industry of the
Japanc,e people
3 The picturesque drci,s and >l'nple chorm of 1h,·
Japanese women
There were very fow thieve, in Japan so that the
housces remained open day and nigh1, and tn the hold moo,
one could safely leave money on 1he table
4
5 Bc~ars were rarely seen ,n the rity streets, unlike
,n Manda and 0 1her Cll1cs.
However, there 1s one thmg which he did nol like ,n Japan
a_nd that wa.'I the popular mode of tran'lportation by mean, (>f
nckshaws drawn by men . Hi'I o;ensitivc wul recoiled at seeing
h_wnan bem[tS working hkc horses. pulling the carts called
ncuh .. ws He felt d1'1gu~1ed at the way a human being was
employed like a horse 6
Romance wltll O-SCi-&ln. One spring aflernoon. a few days
after he had moved to lhe Spanish Lejlation in the Azabu district
of T?l..yo, Rizal saw a preuy Japanese girl walking past the
legation gate Bemg a man with an eye for feminine beauty, he
was attractc;d by her regal loveliness and charm. He craved to
meet her - but how?
130
lliz:al made il'lq111ries among 1he legation employees and
l~mcd from one of them (a Japanc'l'C gardener) that she wa'I
Seiko Usui, who lived in her parents' home and that she used
to pass by the legation during her datly afternoon walk.
The following afternoon. Riz.al and the Japanese fardencr
waited at the legation gate and watched for the girl. A~ she
approached , he took off his hat and politely introduced himsell.
as
the custom io Germany. At that time, Rizal's Japanese
was sttll very poor so that the gardener came 10 his aid and
explained to the girl that the young man was a physician from
Manila who was a guest of 1he Spanish Legation.
was
Seiko-san was mildly amused al the gallant gentleman from
the Philippines who spoke in halting Japanese. She replied m
English. for she knew that language and also French . The tw<l
then conversed in both English and French - the language
barrier was thus eliminated.
Since that first meeting. Rizal and O-~i-San. as Riial called
her, met almosl daily Together, they vis11ed lhc mlcre,ting \pots
of the city - the lmperial Art Gallery. the Imperial Library,
the 111uversities, the Shokubutsu-en (Botanical Garden). the city
parks (particularly H1biya Park) , and 1hc p1c1uresquc 5hnncs.
Both found happmc,s in each other', cxunpany. R1LUI was
then a lonely physioan of 27 year.. old, disillu,ioncd hy his
frustrated romance with Leonor Riv,::ra and embittered by
Spanish injllSlices at home. 0-Sei-San wa~· a lonely samurru's
daughter or 23 years old and had nc,cr yc1 experienced lhc
ecstasy'Of true love Affinity of intcre~I in the arts paved 1hc
way for their romance.
Rizal saw in lovely O-Sei-San the qualilic, of his ,deal
womanhood - beauty, charm , mo<lcMy, and 1ntclhgcncc No
wonder, he fell deeply in love with her O-Sci·Siln reciprocated
his affection, for it was the first time her hearl palpllatcd wnh
joys 10 sec a man of gallantry, dignity. councsy. and vcf\al1lc
talents.
O-Se,-San bel~d Rizal m muny ways. More than a
sweelheart, she was his guide. interpreter. and tutor She g11ided
him in observing the shrines and ,·,llages around Tokyo. She
improved his knowledge of Nippongo (J apancsc language) and
Ill
Japanese hiaitory And she interpreted for him the Kabuki plays
aod the quamt customs and mores of the Japanese people.
O-Sei-San 's beauty and affec11on almost tempted Rizal to
~Ilk down in Japan At the same time. he wa., offered a good
JOb at 1he Spanish Legation 1f he wen: a man of lesser heroic
mould, of le.scr will power, he would have lived permanently
,n Japan - and happily al 1hat with O-Sei-San; but then the
v.orld, in general, and the Phihrpines, in particular, would have
los1 a Rizal .
Rual oe 0-..<;d-San. Rizars great love for 0-Sei-~n is
attested hy 1hc hero's diary. On the eve of his depanure, be
wrote in ht~ diary: 8
• Jaran bas enchanted me. The beautiful scenery, the
flowers, the trees. and the mhabnanis - so peaceful, so
councUU>, and"° plca,ant 0-Sc, San, Sayonan, Sayonaca!
I have
a happy golden a,onth; I do not know if I can
hd•c another one W-.e that tn all my life. Love. money.
fnenJsl- r
pprcc:;.,tion. honor\
thc.c have not been
'l"'"'
wantrnjl
To think that I am leaving this life for the uncertain,
the un, ,,own There I "a• offered an eas) way to liw:.
he-loved ~nd .,;,teemed
To )•>u I dedicate the final chapter of these rncmom
of my )•'Uth No woman. like you. has ever loved me No
,.orn.,n hkt ,nu l>in ever ,amficed for me L&lt_e the Dower
of the ch...tl11 that fall, from the stem fre,h and •hole without
falhng leaves nr -..uhout w11hcnn!!-W1lb p0(:try sull despite
11, f 111
lhu, you l<11 'lcnbcr ha~e you lost your puri1y
nor ha,,· lhc dchc:•tc r--1111, of ynur innocence faded Sa)onara. Sa\onara•
You ,hall new:r rctum to k.now that I ha,e once more
thou11h1 ,,f )ou '111d 1ha1 your image ll\tS in my memory;
and undoubtedly. I am .Jway, thinking of you Your name
livcs in 1he sight of my bps, yow image acoompanics and
animJtc, •II my th<1uph1s When ,hall I retnm 10 pass :u,o1hcr
d1nnc .,,,cmoon hkc that m the temple or Mcguro? When
,h.all the ,weer houn. I 'PCJII with you return! When shall
I fin.I 11><-m ,,.ectcr. more t1•11Cju1I more plea,'"g? You the
color of the camell,a. its frcsltncss. its elegance.
Ill
Ah' las! desccnd.anl of a noble family, faithful 10 an
unfonunate vengeance you are lo-ely bite . evcl)tbwg
has cndcdl Sayonara, Sayonara•
With lltis tenderly tragic entry in hi~ own diary, Rizal bade
farewell to lovely O-Se,-San. 9
Sayonara, Japan. On April 13. 1888, Rizal bvarded the
Be/11.i<". an English ~teamer at Yokohama bound 101 the Unncd
State,. Ht! left Japan with a heavy heart fo, he kntw 1hat he
would never again sec this hcaunful ~Land of the Chcrr, Blossoms" and his beloved O -Sc1-!>an. 1 rul). hi, SOJoum in Japan
for 45 day~ wa~ one of the happte!t interlude, ,n h1 ltfc
0 -.St-i•San Aner Rl.zal', l)q)artun. A, cvcrythir .g or e~nh
has 10 end. the beautiful romance between Rizal and O-Sei-San
ine"1tably came to a dolorous endmg. Sacrificmg bi> per:.onal
happiness, Rizal had to carry on ht~ libertarian OUMton in Europe,
a«ordingly. he resumed his voyage. leaving behind the lovely
0-Sei-San. whom he passionately loved.
Bmlceo-hcartcd by tbe depanurc of Rizal . the firs1 man to
capture her bean, 0-Sei-San mourned for a long ttme the loss
or her lover Eventually, she became resigned to bcr fate, ehcrishing uni, death the nostalgic memori"s .,( her romance witb Rizal.'0
About 1897, a year after Rizal's exea;itioo, she married Mr.
Alfred Charlton, British teacher of chemistry of the Peers' School
in Tok.yo. Their wedlock was blessed by only one child - a
daughter named Yuriko After many years of teaching, O,arlton
was awarded by the Japanese govcmment With an imperial
decoraltoo - Order or Merit , 5th Class. He died on November
2, 1915, surv1Vcd by O-Sci-San, whose real name wa, Seiko
Uwi. and their daughter Yuriko. This daughter later manied
Yoshiharu Takiguchi, son of a Japanese senator.
Mrs. Cbarltoo {O-Se1-San), as a widow, lived in a comfort•
able home 1n Shm1uko district, Tokyo. She survived World War
II. but her home was destroyed in 1944 by the U.S bombing
of Tolcyo. She died on May l, 1947 at the age of 80. She was
buned in her husband's tomb at Zo.higawa Cemetery. A
Japanese inscription on their tomb reads as folio-·
Alfred CbartlGo, Stll Order _, Mnit, 81111
.... Sdko
133
-
IIIZAL: UR. WOIIQ MID WIIITINCIS
Voyace A - die hdflc. Despite his sorrowing heart,
Rlu1 enjoyed the pleasant trans-Pacific voyage to the United
influenced him to fortify his own crusade for human nghts in
hli own country.
States. On board the shlp, he met I sem i•F1lipino fanuly - Mr.
Reinaldo Tumer, his wife Emma Jackson (daughter of an
Englishman, their children, and their maid servant from Pangasinan. •0
On December I, 1888, afteF a last warm hanJ,ha~t and
bidding each other "goodbye," Rizal dnd Tcttho parh.:tl w,1~,
- never 10 meet again Rizal remained in I .ondon 1n comluct
historical researches on Mora at the Bnli~h Mu,eum . "11,k
Tetcho relumed to Japan.
One day one of the children, a bright young boy, asked Rizal:
woo you know. sir, a famous man in Marula named Richa17
He wrote a novel, Nofi Mc Tangen,
wYcs, h1jo, I am Rlchal," replied Rizal.
In 1889, shorll> af1cr h1;, rc1urn 10 Japan , he puhlishn l h 1~
travel diary which contained his 1mprcsN1uns of R11al ,,, lulhw,, 1
•Mr R11al -..a~ a c111zen ol Maml,1 ,n the Ph1flpr111,•,
A~ aboul 27 to 29 Young as he was. he wa, p1<1fkicn1 on
In great joy the boy rushed to h~ mother, informing her
that the famoll$ man is their fellow passcnge~. she {elicilated
Rizal, feehng proud tba1 they were travelling with a celebrity.
seven languages. "
Rizal and Tacho. Another passenger which R1Zal befriended
on board the Belgi, wa~ Tctcho Sueh1ro, a fighung Japanese
..It was 1n SIS Bdgt<' that v.o firsl met. I c1tm1: h 1 L nl!l,111,I
by way of Amcn'3 wilh him F,·tr since I lud hl·en 1111~1
coursing with h1m."
journalist, novehsl, and champion of human rights, who was
forced by the Jaoaoe&e government to leave the country, just
as Rizal was compelled 10 leave the Phllippm~ by the Spanish
authori1ics. Al the beginning of the voyage from Yokohama,
Tetcho was miserably alone, for he knew only his own Japanese
language and so he could no1 communicate with the ship officers
and the passengers Learning of his prcd1camcn1, Rual, who
knew many foreign languages, including Japane~. hcfriended
him and acted as bis m1erpre1er during ·1he1r long trip from
Yokoha111,1 to San Francisco, aero~~ the U .S. 10 New York until
they reached London, where they parted .
RJzal and Tctcho were kindred spirilS. Both were valiant
patrio1s, implacable foes of inJUStice and tyranny. Both were
men of peace us,ng their trenchant pen~ as formidable weapons
to figbf for their peoples' welfare and happiness
Riul told Tetcho the s1ory of his life', mission 10 emancipa1c
his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny and of the persecutions which he and his family suffered from the Vllldtctive Spanish
officials and bad friars, causing him 10 nee 10 foreign countnts
where be could freely carry on his libcnanan activities. During
their mt1ma1e acquaintanceship of almost eight momhs (April
13-Dccember I, 1888) Te1cho came 10 admire Rial, whose
patriotism and magnificent talents greatly fa!\Clnated him and
134
.. R,'%31 '4'"3!> an open-hearu:cJ nt.m lie wa nor h.ur ,phi •
ting. He was an accomph,hed, ttood .11 p1c1urc , k,llful on
exquisite wax work, especially."
··1 arrived al London late 1n Mav, ll!IIX I le nporJnl•
stayed •t "King Henry's Ro,d." 1hen ,novrd 10 Rrn>m 51,
of Parliament Hill Road I 1n1ended 10 stay here unul Fchruary or March, bul unfortuna1ely London had been
shrouded fl)' fog since early Oc1ober I havr • shghl •line".
and it appeared 10 be very hard for me to spend the com1n11
winter here. J decided 10 go home, and scheduled In k•,c
London on December lhe FiM<t
"On December 1hc Fin.I, I got up c•rly, 11 "'·"•fine
sunny day, after uncomfonable days of fog and ram "lbc,
sun rose as if ii congratulated my lucky departu1c lor home
J took a farewell of my people and al 9• 3(1 A, M •hc_n I
was going down the Parliament Hill Road. I met Mr R1,:al
coming up 10 my hotel. I callcd him 10 nde wrlh me on 1he
coach. Mr, Riial came from Manila. He ha.s a good command
of seven different foreign languages at lhe age of only
IWCnty-sevcn. . He wa.s a frank and daring fellow, fond
of vari~ a_rts, especially good at dcarin&,,
-
llfZAL· LIFE. WOIUCS _ __
After 1he publication of his travel diary, Tctcho resigned
his posttlOII as editor of Tokyo n~w,,papcr, Clto)'a, and entered
pollllcs. ln 1890 he was eleclcd l\• member of the lower hour.e
of the Fini Imperial D1e1 (Japane~ parllamen1), where he
CJtnicd on h1, lighl for human righl~ The following )Car (1891)
he published a poli11cal novel tilled Nankai-n<>-Dothoran (S1orm
Over The Soulh Sea) which resemble~ Rizal'• Nolt Mr Tang"re
in plol Three years later (11194) he publl\hcd another novel
entitled O-unabara (The 81~ Occ.1n) v.h1ch wn \tmtlar 10 Fl
1-"1/Jbustu~mo.
While st1U a member of 1he Imperial D,ct Tetcho died of
heart attack in Tokyo 1n l·cbruary. 11!% (i.-n mon1hs before
Rizal'~ execution) He WI\$ then 49 ycdrs old
Chapter 13
Rizal's Visit to the
United States (1888)
R11.1I lir~t saw America on Apnl 28. 1888. I hs amval in
this grc;&I counlry wa. marred by racial prc1ud"' • for he r.aw
lhe d1c,cnmma1ory treatment of the Ouncsc and the Negroes by
1he wh11e Amcncaos. I le kept no1es of what he ob~rved during
his 1rip from San Francisco to New York. where he 100k a "11p
for England From hi• notes and his lcuers to hi\ fncnlh, we
get a 11,calth of firM-hand 1mpr~~1ons of Amenca , some ofwhtch
were rJthcr unfavorable but true Rizal was a man of truth, and
he wmte v.h.at he had "-'Cn and ell'J)Cnenccd
Arrival in S..11 Fnndlc:o. 111c Mumer BelgK, with Rizal
on l>oard, docked at San Franc1scb on Saturday momin&, April
28. 11181l All p;oiSengen were not allowed to land . TilC Amencan
hcahh au1bon11c1 placed lhc slup under quaranune on the ground
that 11 came fro m the fur Ens! where u cholera epidemic was
alleged to be ra1t1ng Rizal was surprised because he knew there
was no chokra epidemic at that 11me in the Far East. He JOll-1
the other pa,wngers in protesting the un1us1iliablc action of the
health au1hon11c1 i The Amencan consul in Japan had given the
ship I clean bill of health, and the Bntish Governor of Hon.g
Kong ccrttfied to the ahsc~ of cholera cases in China 1
lie soon d1"1Covcred that lhc pbcing o f the ship under
quarantine wa, mot:r•ated by politics. The •hip WI\ carry,na 643
Chmc~e coohe, 1 At 1hat time pubhc optmon on the Pacific coast
wa, agnins1 cheap coolie labor bcCJtusc the coohc, from Chma
11;erc d1Splac1ng while lallOre!"l 1n railr,rnd construction camps.
To win 1hc votes of the wb1tcS in Cahfomia (for election was
near), 1hc administration ,mpeclcd 1he entry of Chinese coolies
136
137
-
IIIZAL.: LIi'., WOIIICI - W -
Rizal noticed that contrary to quarantine regulations 700
bales of valuable Chinese silk were landed without fumigation,
that the wp doctor went ashore without protest on the pan of
the heahh officers, and the customs employees ate several times
on board the supposedly cholera-infested ship.
dclcrts ,ritbout planls nor trees. Unpopulated. Lonely place.
Bare mountains. Saods. A big extension of whale land. like
ctwt. Far from this desert cao be seen ,omc blue mo11ntoin,
II was a fine day. It was warm, and there was stiU snow on
the top o( 10me mouni.,ns.
Afler a week of quarantine, all first-dass passengers, including Rizal, were permitted 10 land. But the Ctunesc and Japanese
passengers of the second and third-class accommodations were
forced to remain on board for a longer quarnntine period
&om place to place. We are near Ogden 1 believe with a
Rizal In San Frandsro. On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888,
the day he was penniued to go ashore. Rizal registered at the
Palace Hou:I, which was then oonsidered a first-class hotel in
the city. On I his day. he wrote on his diary:•
I lodged in Palace Hotel; $4 a day with ba1h and
everything included. Stockton St .. 312. I saw the Golden
Gate . .. On Sunday the stores ore closed . The best Street
in San Francisco is Market Street.
Rizal mentioned tn his diary the name of Leland Stanford,
who was a millionaire senator representing California In the U.S.
Senate at that time . This senator was the founder and benefactor
of Stanford University at Palo Alto, California . Also reoorded
in Rizal's diary was a street - Dupont Street - in China1own
which 1s Grant Avenue today.
Tuesday, May 8. 1lus is a beauhful morning. We sl<lj)
good aystcm of irrigation this place oould be cultivated We
are at Utah state, the 3rd J\Btc we paMCd over In approach
ing Ogden tbc fields are seen with l>orses, oxen. and trees.
Some small ho!UCS are :se<:n from a d:a!!tance From Ogden
to Denver, The clock ,s set one hour ahead or time We
are now beginning to see 0owers w,;th yellow color on the
way. The mountains al a distance are covered 11,11h ,now.
The banks of Salt Lake arc more beautiful than olhcr thing,
we saw. The mules are very big. There are mountains ,n
the middle of lhc lake like the island of T•hm ,n Laguna
de- Bay. We saw three Mormon boys at Farmrnton , There
were sheep. cows. and horses in the meadows., '11us region
is 001 thickly populated A Oock of ducks in the lake
Children greeted us at Salt Lakt Ciry In Utah, the women
serve at the table . •. We changed min at Ogden, and we
will not have any change untal Denver. In Provo I ate much
for 1St. We are passing between 1wo mount.a,n, lhroup,h a
narrow channel.
In Oakland, he boarded tine train for hi~ trip across the
continent. He took his supper al Sacramento for 75~ and slep1
in his coach.
Wednesday, May 9. We are passing through the mountains and rocks along a river; the river is poisy ond its no,se
gives life to the lifeless territory. We woke ~p at Color•<i?·
the Sth state we crossed over. At 10:30 we chmb up • oentun
height, and this is why snow is sun ll.long the way. There
are many pines. We pas;sed through runnels made of wood
10 protcet the road against snow. Icicles in these tunnels
are very bright which gave majestic effect. The porter of
the Pullman Car, an American, is a sort of thief. Colorado
has more trees than the three states we passed over. There
are many horses.
Early the following morning (May 7), he awoke and had a
good breakfast at Reno, Nevada, now glamourized .by Amencan
high-pressure propaganda as "The· Biggest Lillie City in the
World." Rizal's diary recounts his travel observation as follows: 5
Monday. May 7. I saw an Indian attired in semi-European suit, and semi-lndi.an suit, leaning against a wall. Wide
Thursday, Moy 10. We woke up in Nebraska The
country is a plain. We reached Omaha, a big ci1y - the
biggest Jlnce we left San Francisco. The Mlssoun River ,s
twice as wide u the Puig Rivctr in i1s widest part . It is
marshy .. . The train passed over the Missouri bridge for
2 and 11z 1111nutes; the train goes slowly. We are now in
fllinoi,.
Riul stayed in San Fran<:isco for two day,·- May 4 to 6,
1888. The President of the United States at t~ar° lime was Grover
aeveland.
AcroutheAmerlcanCoodne-ot. OnMay6, 1888- Sunday,
4:30 P.M. - Rfaal left San Francisco for Oakland, nine miles
across San Francisco Bay, by ferry boat
138
v.,;t To The Unhad St.,_, (1888)
Fnday, May 11. WcwokcupnearOilcago. Thcooum:ry
1s cultivated. II shows our neamcta to Chicago. We left
Chtcago al 8: 14 Friday night. What I observed in Cbica3o
is 1hat every cigar &tore bas an Indian figure, and always
<liffcrent, (2775 Washfogton Street, Boston, Mis5 C.O.
Smnh).
Saturday, May 12. A good Wagner Car-we were
proceeding 1n a fine <lay. The country is beautiful and well
P<'f)Ulaled We shall amvc at the English 1eni1ory
(Canada - Z.) in lhe afternoon, and we shall soon sec
Niagara Falls. We stop for sornc lime to sec the polnls tb4t
arc beautiful; we wenl 10 the side below the Falls, I was
between two rocks and this is the greatest cascade I ever
saw It IS DOI 50 bcauhful nor SO finc IS lhc falls ill Los
Banos (sic Pagsanjan- Z.); but much bigger,
imp06•
ing • • • The cascade bas various falls, various pans. We
left the plaec at night. There is a mysterious sound and
persistent echo.
more
Sunday, May 13 We woke up oear Albany. This is a
big city The Hudson River which runs along canies; many
hoa~• We crossed over a bridge. The landscape is beautiful;
and it IS not inferior to the best in Europe. We are going
along the banks of the Hudson. Thcy are very beautiful
although • little more solitary than 1i-e of the P11$1g .
The Hudson is wide. Beautful ships. Sliced granite rocks
were paved al0e1g I.be railroads . . . Thcre were beautiful
h1luscs between trees, Day fine. Our grand tranlicontmcmal
lrip ended on Sunday, May 13, at 11:10 A.M.
Rm! la New Yon. On Sunday morning, May 13, Rizal
reached New York, thus ending his lrip across rhe American
oontincni. He stayed three days in this city, which hec called the
"big town". He visited the =ic and historic place:s. He was
awed 11.nd inspired by the memorial to George Wash.ington. Of
chis great Amencan, he WTote to rooce: "He is a grcar man
who. I think, has no equal in this oountry" .6
Riul's Impression ol America. Rizal had good and bad
impressions of rhc Unired Stales. The good impressions were
(I) lhc mhlerinl progress of lhc oounlry as shown in the grcar
cilics, huge farm,. nourishing industries, and busy factories; (2)
1he drive and energy of the American people; (3) the natural
beauty of rhc land, (4) 1he high Mandard of living; dnd (5) the
opponuniues fN heller hre offered 10 poor imm1gran1,
One h~d 1mrrcs~mn Ri,al had of America was the lnck of
racrnl eq11ali1y. There existed racial prejudice which w;1s incon•
sistent wilh the principles of democracy and freedom of which
the American, talk so much bur do 1101 prac1tsc. Thus he wrote
to Ponce : "They do nm have true civil liberty, In some ,1a1es
1he Negro cannot marry a White woman. nor a White man a
Negress. 11,ured againsl lhc Chinese leads 10 diflicuhy for Other
Asintic, whn, like 1he Ja1>anese, are mis1.1ken for C hinese hy
the ,gnornnt , and therefore being disliked, 100".8
In 1890, 1wo years after Rizal's visit to the United Slates,
Jose Alejandro, who was 1hen studying engmeenng 1n Belgmm,
roomed with him on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne, Brussels
Aleiandro hod never heen in America, so that one day he a~kcd
Rizal: ··what 1mpress1ons do you have of America?"
"Amcnca," answered Rizal, " is the land par excellence of
freedom hu1 onJy for the whites".•
•••• •
On May 16, 1888, he left New YOfk for Liverpool on board
1he City of Rome. Acoordiog to Rizal, this steamer was "the
second largest ship in the world, the larges! being the Great
Ea stem". 7 He saw with thrilling senution the colossal Srarue of
Liberty on Bedloe Island a$ his ship steamed out of !New York
Harbor.
140
141
In London f 1888 1899)
Chapter 14
Rizal in London (1888-89)
After visiting the United States, Rizal lived 1n London from
May, 1888 to Mtrch, 1889. He chl>!'C this Engl1~h cuy to be his
oew home for three r.-asons: (1) to improve hts knowledge of
the English language, (2) to study and annotate Morga's Sucesos
de las Islas Filipinas, & rare copy of which be heard 10 be available
in the British Museum, and (3) Loodon was " safe place for
him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny In London,
he engaged in Filipimana studies, completed annotating Morga's
book, wrot~ many an1cles for Lu St>/ldoridad 1r1 defurn.c of his
people against Spanish critics, penned a famou~ letter 10 1he
young women of Malolos, carried on his voluminous correspondence with Blumcntnll and relative~, and bad a romance wuh
Genrude Beckett.
Trip AcrooiS the Atlantic. The truns•Allantic voyage of Rizal
from New York 10 Liverpool was a pleasah1 one. He won many
mends of different nationalJties on board the palatial City of
llomc because of his friendly nature and his abihty as a linguL,1.
Rizal entertained the Amerie&n and European pa\,cngcn.
with his marvelous skill with the yo-yo as an offen\1vc weapon
The yo-yo is a small wooden disc anached 10 a stnng from the
finger. It is used by Filipino children as a toy. Out Rizal manipu•
lated it as a weapon of offense, 10 1he grea1 Km111emen1 of the
foreigners. 1
On board the steamer were some American newspapermen
on their way 10 Europe. Rizal discussed w11h them 1he currcn1
social and political problems of mankind, nnd found them 10 ~
inadequate in geo-polilics. He could not enjoy their companion ship because tt,ey w:re in1eUec1ually inferior to him.
142
Rizal arrived at Liverpool . England, o n May 24. 1888. He
stayed one day in this pon city, spending the night at the Adelphi
Hotel. "Liverpoot», he wrote to his family, "is a big and beautiful
city and its celebrated port is worthy of its great fame. The
entrance is magnificen1 and the customhouse is quite good".'
Life In London. On May 25, 1888, a da) after docking, at
Liverpool, Rizal went to London. For a shon time, he siuycd
as guest al the home of Or Antonio Ma. Rcgidor. an c,ilc of
1872 and a prac1ising lawyer in London. 3 By the end of May,
he found a modest boarding place at No. 37 Chalcm Crc..ccn1.
Primrose Hill.• He wus u bourdcr of the Bcckcll fnmily ' 'The
Becketts were Mr. Becken. organist of SI. Paul's Church. Mrs.
Beckcll (his wife), 1wo sons and four daugh1ers. rile o lJc~I of
the Beckett sisters was Gertrude, cal led "Gc111c" or "To111c" by
her friends.
The 8ecket1 home wa~ 10 R11.al convcnien1ly locah:d. II w:i,
near the public parks and was wi1hin easy walking ,h,tancc I<>
the Brithh Museum where he expected 10 do much rc,c,1rd1 wo1I..
Rizal came 10 lnow Dr. Reinhold Ro,1 11,-. 111>1,111.111 111
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nnd an au1ho11ty on M,11.iy.111
languages and customs, Or. Rost was impr~•sscd hy Ri7;il's 1,:.irn,
ing and character, and he gladly recommended hun 1<1 lh.:
authorities of the British Museum I le culled Rizal ".i p.:.,rt of
a man" (una per/a de homhre) '
Rizal spent much of his time in the British Museum J)<lnng
over the pages of Morga·s Sucesos and other rare tustoncal works
on the Philippines. He frcquenll)' visited Dr Regidor and disw,
sed wi1h him problems pertaining 10 Philippine affair...
He spent Sunday~ in the house of Dr Rost, with whnm he
bad many pleasant discussions on linguistics. Mc al<;() played
cricket (popular English game) and boxed with Dr. Ro~t ·s """
News from Home, Good and Bad. Both good and bad nc-.,
from home reached Rizal in London Of 1h~ had news, w, re
the injustices committed by the Spanish authoriues on the Filipino
people and the Rizal family. Among which were ns follows.
1. Persecuuon ol Lhc hl,pmu patriots "ho signed lh<
• Anll•Fn3r Pct1hon of 18$8" whkh wa, prc,crn«l hy
Doroteo Cones. prommen1 Mason and lawyer. to Jose
141
Ceoteno. Ovi1 Go\'emor ot the Province ot Manila. on
March I, 1888 This petition - lllped by about 800 palriand was ect\l&lly written by M H . dd PIiar II wu addn:sscd
to the Queen Regent of Spa requestin& the expulsion of
the frian, including An:hbishop Pedro Payo (Dom,ow:an)'
of Manila
2. Persecution of the Calamb1 tenants, includin& R.ozal's
ramily aod n:lativcs. for their courage to petition the government for agrarian refonm
,
3. Furious 11tacb on Rizal by Senator.. Salamanca and
Vida in the Spanish Cones ud by Desen,;ailo6 (Wenocslao
E Retana) and Quioqwap (Pablo Feeed) ,n Spanish neW5pa.p en.
4. Rizal' bro1hcr•i1>-law Manuel T Hidalgo, husband
oC Saturmna. was exjled by Governor General Weyler to
Bohol without due process of law.
S. A Cricnd of Raal, Laureano Viado, 1 medic:al student
11 the Un,venaty of Santo Tocnu, was arrested and jailed
m Bilibid Pnson because 00pic$ of the Noli were found in
Ills boUiC.
One good news cheered Rizal, and !hat was Rev Vicente
Garcia ·s defense of the Noli llPfilSl the attaclcs of the frian
He heard this good news from Mariano Ponce. He was deeply
gratified by the rouragcous action of Father Garcia. a venerable
Fihpino canon of the Manila Cathedral. Later, On January 7,
1891. he wr01e to Father Garcia. expressing his pcnonal thanks.
In this famous letter, be said:M
We young Fili~ •e trying to make OYer a nation
and must not halt in our onward march, bu1 from woe 10
time tum our gaze upon our dders We shall wish to read
in their countenances approval of our actioos. We are a,u.
ious to learn of the Phtlopp,nes' put wluch we need to
understand in order to plan intelligently for the future. We
want to kno• all that our a.nccston knew. and then add
our own ~1ud1CS to 1he11-s Thus we shall progress the faster
because ..-c can go on from where they left off
Annotating Morp's Book. The greatest achievement of
Rizal in London was the annotating of Morga's booll:. Succsoa
de las Islas Fibpinas (Historical Events or the Plulippme Islands)
which was published in Mexico, 1609. He spent many days io
144
··--·--
the reading room of the British Museum pon.ng over the pqcs
of this booll: and laboriously reading the old histories of the
Philippines. such as those written by Fr Chirino, Fr. Colin, Fr.
Argensola. Fr. Plasencia, etc. Of all wnnen histoncs published
dunng the early years or the Spanish regime, that of Dr Morga
was, in his considered opinion, the best
In a letter to Blumentritt, dated September 17. 1888, Rizal
said. MMorga's work ,s an excellent book; it can be said that
Morga is ., modem schobrly explorer He dOQ not have the
superficiabty and exaggeration which an: found among Spaniards
today he writes very simply. but one has to read bei-..-cen the
line~
...
For about ten months (May 1888-March 18119), Raal was
deeply immersed in his historical stu<hcs in London During
which time his compatriots m Spain were waging the cnisadc
for Ph1lipp1ne reforms. At one Lome, Mariano Ponce, whom be
had never )Cl met and who was then tivmg 10 Barcelona, urged
him 10 edit a newspaper which would defend the Filipmo interests
from the scurnlous attacks of their Spanish dctracton. He refused
Ponce's request because he was busy. MToday." he wrote to
Ponce on October 12, 1888, Ml am dedicated day and night to
certain studies. so that I do not want to edit any newspapct'". 10
Sllort Vlsil to Paris and Spain. Early in September, 1888,
be v1s,ted Pans for a week, in order lo search for more lustorical
materials tn the Bibtiotheque Nationalc. He was c:ntenaincd in
this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Paz Pardo
de Tavera), who proudly showed7lim their liuJc son And.res
(nickname Luling) After poring over the old boob and rnanuscripl in the Bibliotheque Nalionale . he retumcd to London
On December 11. 1888. he went to Spain, visiting Madrid
and Barcelona He contacted his compatriots and surveyed the
poliucal situation with regards to the agitation for Philippine:
reforms. For the first time, he met Marcelo H . dcl Pilar and
Mariano Ponce. two litans of the Propaganda Movement He
exchanged ideas with these new friends and promtsed to cooperate in the fight for reforms
Cbrlslmu in Loodoe (18811). Ru.al returned 10 London on
December 24 and <pent Christmas and New Year's Day with
the Bccketts. He experienced a delightful Chnstmas Eve, his
l◄S
-
RIZAL Ll,.,WOIIKIAHD""'._
fint on English !IOil. That night he wrote tu Blumentn11: ··11 ,s
now Nodle-Buena (Chri,tmas Eve), it ,s the holiday I like best
to celebrate. It reminds me of the many good days not only of
my infancy, but also of history. Whether or not Christ was born
exactly on this day, I do oot know; but e~act chronology •~
immaterial to see the joy of thi~ night. A great Genius was h<1rn
who preached truth and love. He suffered on account of His
mission, but bcc:aus~ of Ht~ ,ufkrings the world had ,mpruvcd
if no1 saved. Ho.,. it shocks me to i.ee people mIsu.<c Has n.,mc
to commn many crimes· 11
To ht< friend. Blumcntrill. Rizal ~nt •< C'hn,1ma, i:•fl .,
buM of Emperor Augustus which he had made Thi, <'mpcror
wa~ lhe ruler of che Rom.in Empire when Jcsu, C'h"'1 .,.u, horn
in Bcchlchem To another friend. Dr. Carlos C'n·pclak (Poli,h
scholar). he gave as Chros1mas g,1'1 a bust of Juhn< Ca.:,~r
RiLal', landlady. Mr,. Beckett. knowing of l11, intcrc,t 111
mag,c.
h,m a, C11r1,1ma, ~ift II h,wl cn111k,I /lw I 1/,• ,111,I
Advenrurrs of Vi1/enti11,• Vn\, tltr I mtr,/oqw</ R11,1I w;i,
deltgh1cd 10 reCCI\<' lh1s hook. for h~ hJ<l J!rcat udm 1ratinn fm
this llm,,h nugiti.tn "ho W,I' l,unou, Im his ,cn1nto4u"m.
!l""'
ltlul Recomts leader or Filipin~ In £urope. Whlk- hu,y m
his his1urical ,iud,cs m I ondon. Ri,.il learned 1h01 1hc hlipino,
in Barcelona were- planning 10 csiablt<h a pa1nolic ~oci,:tv "'hich
would cooperate ,n 1hc crusade lor reforms Th!S soc1c1y called
Asoc,acion f ,, Sofidflri,illd (Soildarldatl As,uci:,tion), wa~ tnau•
gurated on Dcccmher 31, 11188. with the fnllowmg office"
Galicano Apac,hlc. president. Gr~ciano Lopez Jaena, vice-president; Manuel S,1n1<1 M,111,1. ~ecrctary, Manano Ponce, treasurer.
and Jose Ma Pangnn,han. accountan1.
By unanunous vote nf all the members, Rizal was chosen
honorary president. l ho~ was a recognuion or his leadersh ip
.1mong all Fihpi,10 pacnm, in Europe.
A, the leader of ht~ countrymen in Europe. R11nl wmcc ;1
le11er Jdtlrc,;set.1 to 1he member,; or the Asaciacion Lo Sohdaridad
on January 28. 1889. ln this lener, lte expressed hi. thanks for
the hr,nnr uf 111.iking him honorary president and gave the following a,1, 1cc 12
I In ynung auuc,Jtions the spiril of 1olcrancc ought
10 prevail when h cnn..:e,ns tnflcs 1ha1 do n01 atrec1 the
144
hl~l--
eaentiaJ put of a thing; in !be ~ . !be conaliatO'}'
1endcncy ought to dominate bcfor-e the tcodency to oppose.
No one ,hould rci;cnt def~• When any opinion i5 rcjedcd,
itJ author, m$lcad of despairing and withdntwing, should
on the contrary wait for another ocea&toa 1n wluch JUStke
may be done him. The indlvid1111I should pve way to the
welfare of the society.
2. A great deal of integnl)' and much good will. No
member should expect rewards or honors for what he does,
He wto docs lus duty in 1he eirpcctation of rewanlt, 1s
~ly disappomted, because almost no one believes ~mself
sufft<:icnlly rewarded And ,o that there may not be d1scon
tented or ill-rewarded members, ii is advisable for each one
to do lus duty Just for ,u own .akc aml Al bes! expect to
be lacer treated uniustly, because m anomalous countncs,
injustice is the prize for those who fulfill thetr duties
Thrift, thrift, thrift.
Seriousneu and equal JUSIJCC for all
Rizal I.lid TM La Solidaridad Newspaper. On February 15,
1889, Graaano Lopet Jaena founded the pa1rin1ic ncwsp~per
called La Solidaridad m Barl-elona, where he was 1hcn re~1d1ng.
This was a fortnightly periodical which served as 1he organ of
the Propaganda Movemenl. Its aims were as follows. (I) to work
peacefully for political and 50<:ial reforms; (2) 10 portray the
deplorable conditions of the Philippines so that Spain may remedy
them; (3) to oppose the evil forces of reaction and m.:d1evalism:
(4) to advocate liberal ideas and pr?~css: and (!i) I~ champion
the legitimate aspirations of the Fihpmo people 10 hfe. dcmoc•
racy. and happiness.
Two days after 1he bu"lh of f..,a Solidandad, M.li. dcl Pilar
wrote 10 Rizal in London: • At la,1 our ltulc ncw~papcr wM
born. It is democratic in its opinoon, hul very much more '" m
the organii;ation of its Slaff. One should sec how ed11or Graciano
writes, correcu proofs, directs 1he prinung, dtsmbmes the copies,
and even takes them 10 the mail. Nan,ng [Mariano Ponl'c
Z .j.
the manager gathers 1he data, edits, correct~ the prt>llf\, wri1es
the leads, pr~pares the corre~pondcncc, and al,o distributes the
oopies. I am the only idler, though the "~"~pap.:r hud me
Preoccupied during the period of it, conccp11on und. htrth,•• tor
which reason I am behind in my correspondence wit h you , tl
147
.Illa aauu.: UFI, WOIIICI AIIIOMIITIMCII
R.iza1 congratulated Lopez Jaeoa and h.is associates in foundmg La Solufun4ad As evidence of bis approval and cooperation,
he prepared an,d~ for the periodi<:al which were subsequently
published. In his letter to Lopez: Jaena, he advised him that
great care should be taken ,n publishing only lhc truth in La
SultJ,mdt1d "Be careful". he admom<hed, "not to publish euggeratk,n, or h,·, or imitate others. who avail them~lves of dishonest means and of vulgar and ignoble language to attain their
ends. Sec that the periodu::al 1s ju.M. honest, and truthful so that
its opinion ma) alwa>, he respected It is necessary that we
show our enemies that we are more worthy than they. moraUy
and humanly speaking Should we tell the truth we shaU have
won our l'ausc because reason and JUSllce are on our side. There
i~ no need for kna,·erics~ 14
rU'SI Artlck in La Solldaridad. Rizal's first anicle which
ll_Pl_)Cared in l,a So/i .ndad was entitled Los Agricultorcs
F1hpino. ( Ille F1lipano Farmers). It was published on March 25,
l~q. sn d.tys after he ldt London for Paris
In 1h1$ inittal article. be depicted the deplorable conditions
in the Philippines which cause the backwardness of the country.
He wrote:''
l'hc: hlip,llQ f..rmc:r ha,, to struggle not only agau,s1
peny tyrant< aft<! robbc" Ag1UDS1 the fil':II, defense indeed
1s penmlled: against the latter. noc alwayn
After the noods. locusts, fires. bad harvcs1s, and the
lile. the r..,,,..i,r cap11.al,S1 hu 10 deal with the constable
wh<> t•kes awn (ton) him his laborers for person.al..,....,.,.,,
= e pubhc works. rcpajr c>f roads, bridges. &Dd othcn;
"'"h th< ,,.,1 gu~rd who IUTCSts lhern for ,.,,.,... reasons,
sometime, for r1<ll catT)'IR~ with them their per.anal cedu!as
(certif,catc.) for not salu11ng property, for being suspicious
penon, •lf for no ruwn whatsoc,cr. and they manacle them
10 clean the banaeks and thus compel the capitalist to live
on better tcrm, w,n. the cluef and. If not, they take away
bis c...-ubaa&, oxen, ,n ll)<le of many proli:IU •
At t,mo 11 i, not the conSlable or the avil guard who
opposes so mduectly the mmisur of c:oloniQ An official
of the ooun m of tu pr0"1naal government, dtl5ltimed
wuh the tanner, urgently "'-fflmonl this or that laborer, if
noc two or three. The unfortunate man UDdertakes a trip
148
of IWO or thtcc day,, uneasy and dtsttmdul, apa,dl his
savmp. arri-u, presents hmuelf, waits, returns I.be oeirt
day u,d · waits. lio.ally 10 be asked w,lh a frown ud the
loot of• Judge. abstruse and unknown lhinp. He is lucky
1f he comes out free from the questioning, foo' not
infrequently after it, he is seat to jail from wbich be comes
out later aJ stupid as before ... "
•
Wl"ilblp in I .oadoo. While busy m research studies al the
British Museum, Ru.al recc.-ed news on Fray Rodriguez'
unabated a11aclt on his Noli In defense, he wrote a pamphlet
entitled La Vision de/ Fray Rodriguez (The VISioo of Fray
Rodnguez) which was published in Barcelona under bi> nom-dcplume D,mas Along. This opus i~ a ... ore dep1Cbn,: • spirited
dialogue between St. Augustine and Fr Rodriguez. St. Augustine
told Fr Rodriguez that be (St. Augustine) was commiss,oned
by God to tell him (Fr. Rodriguez) of his stupidity and mfonn
him or lus penance on earth that he (Fr. Rodrigue:i:) ,hall contmue
t:> write more stupidity so that aU men may laugh at him .
In La Vision de/ Fray Rodriguez. Rizal demonstJ atc:d !WO
thin&-': (I) his profound knowledge of religion and (2) lili biung
satire.
In London, Ru.al wrote the famous •Lener to the YOUllg
Women or Malolos· (February 22, 1889) io Tagalog .16 He penned
it, upon the request of M .H. del Pilar to praise lhc young ladies
or Maiolo$ for their courage 10 c:.stablish a school where they
could learn Spanish. despite the opposition o r Fr Felipe Garcia,
Spanish pansh priest or Malolos The main points of thts letter
were: (I) a Filtpmo mother should teach her children Love of
God. fatherland, and munltmd: (2) the Filipino mOlher should
be glad. like the Spartan mother, 10 offer her sons in the defense
of the fatherland; (3) a Filipmo woman should ltnow how to
preserve her digruty and honor; (4) a Filipmo woman should
educate herself, aside from retaining her go()d racial virtlJCs.
and (5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers and weanng
religious pictures, but rather 11 1s liVJng the real Christian way,
with good morals and good manners
Dr Rost, editor of Trubntr's Rtr:ord, a journal devoted to
Asian sn,dies, requested Rizal 10 contribute some articles. In
response to his request, the la.Iler prepared two articles - (1)
14'
In L ~ fl888 'ltl91
~Specimens ofTagal Folklore" which was published in the JOumal
m May, 1889; and (2) '1wo w1em Fables", publ~hed in June
1889."
'
The lint anicle consisted of Filipino proverb$ and puzzles,
as follows: 11
I Pronrt.ial Saylnp
Malakas ang bulong sa stga11,. Low "orck arc ,trong<r than
IOQd ,,,ords
Ang laki s.a layaw unmiwa'y hubad. A petted child is gcner
aUy naked (i.e. poor)
Hampas ng magulang ay nwtataba. Parent's pum,hment
make, one fat.
fbang hari ibang ugah. New king new !ash,on
Nagpuputol ang kapus, ang labis ay nasduru~tong What i,
shon cut~ off a piece f'Olll itself. what is long adds
anothet on (the poor gel poorer the nch rn:hcr)
Ang na~b, ng tap<,. •Y .. yaug hrnbpu>. I le "h<> finishc,
his words fiods hunself want mg
Nangangako ha bang napapako. Man promises while ,n ncctl
Ang naglalabd ng muahan, matllllk ma'y mababa" He who
walks slowly, though he may put tu, ruo1 on a thorn, will
nOI be bun very much (T,gal, mlhtly_g,, barefooted)
Ang mann•al• sa s.abi'y walani balt u sari!,. He who bcheve>
,n talcs has no own mind
Ang may ismuksok sa dtogd1ng, ay rnay utmgalain , He who
has put something bct"c~n th~ 11,all, m..y allcNard,,
look on (thesavm~ man may afteNard,, be cheerful) The w.ill of a Tagal hou,e is made of palm-leaves and
bambc>o, so that 11 <•n he u<cd a, a cupboard
Walang mah,rap &mngin na pan, non~ nagtutulogtulug;in
The fflOS1 dlffiodt 10 rouse from slcc:p 1s Che mJn who
pretends 10 be: .ulcer,.
Labis sa Yhta, kapu. ,a gawa , I oo lnait) word,, too little
work
HiJjon~ tulog ay nada<Wa ng anod The ,tecp,ng ,hnmp i, car•
ned away by the currcn1.
150
Sa blbig oabubuli ang ,sda, Inc fish " c.tught Uuou~h tile
mouth
11.l'lluies
lsang butil na palay >1k1p ~a t>uong baha}. One m:c « >rn hlb
up all the house. -The hght. The nee-com ,.,,h the
busk IS ycllowuh.
Mlllapang ako sa dalawa, duwagakosa i.sa. I •m bra,e apm\l
two, coward ag,wul one
The bamboo brid[!C When
the bridge is IMdc of ooe bamboo ""'Y II" 1fficul1 to
pass a-er; but -..hen it's made or ,,.,o or n1orc 11 ,s >Cr)
CM)
Dala ako ni>•• Jala ko ,iyu, He earn,< m-,, 1 CjIT) h,m
Tbe shoes
lsang halong malahm puno ng patal,m , A deep well llllcd wnh
steel blades. - Tbe mou1h
RollUlDC10 with Gtttrude 11«.kttt. RtLal had a romantK mtc:r•
iude with the oldest of the three Beckett sister, - Cicrtrutl,· Ciet •
tie, as she was affectionately called. was a hu~om Engli,h gnl., ,th
t)ro..n hair, blue eyes, and rosy ~ks. She fell in lo~e .,_,,h R=l
On cold winter mom,ng, she had a ,unny sm,k !or him d1.1ttc11ni
gaily like a humming bird Dunng the family
,lk- '"" v•r•
ticularly very happy because Rizal was wuh them and ,he g.avc: him
all her attenuon. And m rainy days when Rizal <tayed a1 home. ~e
helped him by mixing h,s co!ors for pamtmg or ll<<"tcJ on prcrJr•
ing the clay for sculpturing.
I'"""'
Rizal. being a man of normal <"mot,on, found c~h,laraltng)Oy
in Gertrude's company. Their fnendsh1p dnfted toward> rnman~e
Rizal affectionately caJJed her "Gcthc," tn rcc1prOCJ11on, ,he
fondly called him "Pettie "As their Oination wa~ fa,t approach,n£
the point of no return, Rizal suddenly realiwd that he could not
marry Get tie for he had a mission 10 fulfill in lik
With iron will, he suppressed the passionate }earning ol h"
heart. and <leaded to go away so that "Gc111e" ma) forg<'I him '"
Before leaving London. he finished four 'ICUIJ'lural "'nrk<
(I)
Prometheus Bound, (2) "The Triumph of Death o~er Life. (3)
"The Triumph of Science over Death," and (4) a compos11e carving of the heads of the Beckell sisters. The last-named carving he
gave as a farewell gift to the Bedtell sisters. He packed ..The
ISi
Triumph of Death our Life" anti "The Tnumph of Science over
D~ath" _and sent them to his friend, Profe$$0r Blucmentritt in
Lc11mcnlZ.
'
Adios, l,ond?n. Suddenly gn March 19, 1889, Ri:tal bade
goodbye lo the lund Beckett family (particularly Gertrude) and
left London for Paris. He wns sad as he crossed the English Channel for he chcnshc:d so many beautiful memories of Londou.
•••• •
•
1S2
Chapter 15
Rizal's Second Sojourn in
Paris and the Universal
Exposition of 1889
Paris in the spring of 1889 was bursung with gatcly and
excitement becau~e of the Universal Exposition. Thou..'ll!nds or
visitors from all comers of the world crowded every hotel, inn,
and boarding house. Everywhere in the metropolis the hotel
rates and house rents were soaring skyhigh, Rizal, fresh from
London, was caught in the whirl of gay Pari!>lan lifo Despite
the social parties and the glittering lights of !he city, he oonunued
his fruitful artistic, literary, and patriotic labors. He published
his annotated ed111on of Morga 's Siu:tsos; founded three l'ihpino
societies, the Kidlat Club, the Indio~ Bravos, and the R.D.L. M ;
;rod wrote Por Ttlefono, a satire against Fr. Salvador Font.
Diffkulty of Finding Quaners. In March 1889, it was
extremely difficult for a vjsitor to find living quarters in Pan~.
The approaching Universal Exposition of 1889 which was
scheduled to open on May 6, 1889 attracted thousands of tourists
so that all hotel accommodations were taken. To the great disgust
of Rizal, the cust of living spiralled high be<:ause the French
landlords. taking advantage of the great demand for living quar•
tel"'-. raised the rents of their rooms.
~or a short time, Rizal lived in the house of his friend
Valentin Ventura, at No. 45 Rue Maubeuge, where he polished
hlS annotated edition of ~!JrKa's book He transferred his rC$idencc several times , moving from one hotel to another , from
obe boarding house to another.
..,_ IIIZAL:
u,. WOIIICIAHDWRITINCS
Finally, be lived in a little room, together with two other
Fihplnoe - Capit.tn Justo Tnnldad former gobemadorcillo or
Santa Ana, Manila, and a refugee from Spanish tyr.anny, and
Jos. Albert, a young student from Mam la. 1
Lire ia Pvis. Although tire in Pans was gay, w,th sparkling
me~me~L and jo~us social parties, Rizal continued 10 be busy
m bis senous purswts. Hours were 100 precious for him 10 waste.
He spent them frugally and fruitfully. He used mvst of his time
in_ the reading room o( the Bibliotheque Nationalc (National
~1br_al1'.) _check.mg up his, ~tOriCJll annotations on Morga ·s book.
in his livmg quarters wnung letters to his family and rncnd,, in
the gymnasium for his daily physical exercises, and vis11ing his
friends.
In his spare hours, Rizal used to dine at the homes of his
friends, such as the Pardo de Taveras, the Venturas, the Bousteads, the Lunas, etc, He was a good friend of the three Pardo
de T~veras - Or. Trinidad H . Pardo de Taver11, physician by
vocation and philologist by avocation. Or. Felix Pardo de Tavera,
also physician by vocauon and an artist and sculptor by avocation.
and Paz Pardo de Tavera, wife of Juan lun;, These Pardo
de Ta_v eras were the children of Don Joaquin Pardo de Tavera.
an exile of 11!72 who escaped from the Mananas and lived in
France
On June 2~. 1889, 11 baby girl was born to Juan .Luna and
Paz Pardo de Tavera . She was their se1:011d child, the first was
a boy named Andres, whose pet name was Luling. H er baptismal
godfather (ninong) was Rizal, who chose her name "Maria de
la Paz, Blanca , Laureana, Hermenegilda Juana Luna y Pardo
de Tavera. "2
.
In his letter .to ?is family in Calamba, Rizal gave an interestmg accounl of h,s life in Paris. One or these letters (dated May
1.6, 1889) r eloted:3
My dady life In Paos is spent in the following manner.
one or rwo hours in the gymnuium and in fencing, ,hrce
or four hours 1n the library, the rest I use up in writing and
visiting friends ... Every other night from 8:00 10 11:00 we
meet in a cafe where we play chess. On Saturdays r am
Invited to eat at Luna's house, on Sundays at Mrs. Juhana·s.
154
'Ind on Fridays I vn,t 1he lamil) of lioU>tcad (al,11 J hhp1111,1
where sometimes I take tc11
In another letter to his family, wn11,·n on 'kp1,•mt, ,
1
I
1889, he said: "We Pihpinos ga ther four time, a '"''-'~ .11111
we sing the kundiman , we eat sotanghon. odobo. ct.:. Un Wednesdays in the house or Dono Tula on Thursd.,y~ 111 thl' h,h,..:
of tfidalgo , on Fridays m the huu,e of M.idam Bou,tc.id 1>11
Saturdays in the house of Luna. on Sundays m the ht)u,c ot
Ooi\a Juliana " 4
RJzal and Paris Expos.itlon of 1889. Like any ordinal) Fihp,no
tourist in a foreign land , Rizal was fa,cinatcLI hy the Un,-cr,:il
Eltposition of Pans which opened on Mny 6. 1AA9 The g1c.1lc,1
attraction of this el(position was the Eiffel To,.,,cr. 9114 feet high
which was built by Alexander Eiffel, cclehrntcd I rcnch cngmcor
Rizal and his friends attended the opcnmg ccrcmunic, and
saw the cutting of the ribbon by President Sad, c.,rn,,1 ,,r 1hc
Third French Republic. Paris was jammed w11h tho11,.ind, ol
tourists coming Crom all part~ of the world. Dail) 1hc I
,on
drew a vast crowd of 200.000 persons or more
'I''""
One of the features of the r.xpositinn "'"' the 1111crn:i1111nal
art competition, in which Felix R.. Hidalgo, Juan Luna, Felix
Pardo de Tavera, and Rtzal participated. Hidalgo\ p;,11111111,? was
awarded second prize, the paintings of Juan Luna nncl F. P,11 do
de Tavera each obtained the third prize, ";bile Riz.11', cnlly (,1
bust which he modelled got no prize. 5 This bust wa, 4u1tL gnod
to qualify for the exhibition, but not good enough to ,qn an
intcrnetionul prize.
Kldlat Club. On March 19. 11189. the s:imc cl;i1 when h,·
arrived in Paris from London, Rizal org,tn i1cd hi~ 1,,11,11110,
(compatriots) inlo a society called Kidlat Club. Amoni; rite
members were Antonio uml Juctn luna. Grcgnno '\iivikr,1
Fernando Canon. Laum Dimn)uga. Juh\, Llor,nk <,111II~• 1111,
Pualu , and Baldomero Roxas.
,ne Kidlat Club was purely a :,0cial s-m~ty nl ;, wrnpOrJr)'
nature. It was loundcd h> Rizal ~•mpl) 1<> hnn~ tog.,lher th~
young Filipino\ 111 the Frend, capital "" lh.11 1hcy couhi "'"Jny
their sojourn in 1hc cit> during the duration or 1hc l1111v..-r:,.1I
Exp()Sition. Thus he told Blume111ritt m a letter datcd March
ISS
-
111""1., un. WOfll(S ANO WIUTIN08
19, 1889. "Today we have fonned a KidJat Oub. Kidlat in
Tagalog means •lightning· and for the same reasons this club
will last only during the Exposition We have thought of it and
formed u in one hour. It will disappear also like ligbtning.',6
lndlos Bravos. In tberr sightseeing tour of the exposition
grounds, Rizal and the members of the Kidlat Oub were amazed
to sec the Buffalo Bull show which featured tlie Americon
Indians. These red-skinned Indians were proudlv ridtng their
sturdy ponies, elegantly dressed m their native attire and wearing
their war feathers and paints.
Riul was enchanted by the dignified and proud beanng of
the American Indians. He told htS friends; ·Why should we
resent bemg called Indios by the Spaniards? Look at those Indios
from Nonh America - they are DOI •~barned of their name.
Let us be like them Let us be proud of the name Indio and
make our Spanish enemies revise their c'lncep11on of the tenn.
We shall be Indios Bravos!'
Thu. was born a new 60Ctcty of F1hpmo patriot.~ in Paro. the Indios Bravos (Brave Indians) It replaced the ephemeral
Kidlat Oub. Its members pledged to excel in intell~~1ual and
physical prov.ess m order to Wlll the admiration of the foreigners,
pan1cularly the Spaniards They practtsed with great enthusiasm
the use of the sword and pistol. Rizal taught them judo, an
Asian an of self-defense, that he learned in Japan
R.D.L.M. Sod,,ty. Another society founded by RtZal in
Paris dunng the Universal Expmition of 1889 was the mystcriou,
Sociedad R O.L.M (R.0.L M Society) Many biographer,; of
R,zal do DOI menrioa it. In fact, us e><isteocc and role m the
crusade for reform., arc rcall} emgmattc. Of the numerous leuers
wnucn by R1lal and h,s fcllov. propagand,~h. only rwo men•
boned thi~ ,;ccrct !>Oeiety. a, follows: (I) Rizar, Leiter to Ins.Mana Basa. Pans, September 21, 1889 and {2J Rizal's Letter
10 Marcelo H. dcl PIiat. Paris, NO\ICmbcr 4, 1889.'
Accordtng to Or. Lconao l..opez-R12al, grandnephew of the
hero, the socicl) has a ~mbol o r countersign represented by a
circle divided into three parts by two semi-circles having in the
center the tntcrloclled leuers I and B meaning Indios Bravos,
and the letters R .O L.M. placed outside an upper, lower, left
and right sides of th«e circle . .aThe letters R.D .L.M arc belie\led
IS6
10 be the initials of the society's secret name Redoiaon de lo:
Me1/a,<1., ( Rnkmpuon <>f the t.-1.ilay,)
So much m)>tc1y ,utrounJcd the R D L.M. bec.iuse Rizal
ng1dh guarJcJ 11, \Ccret c.,,1cncc EV1den1ly. it was patterned
after Frecma'°nry h hJd various de!!rees of membership, "with
the members not knov.,ng each other." Onl) a few of R,zars
trusted friend, bccJmc member- of the R O.l. M namely
Grei:,>rin Agu,kra. Jose Ma. Basa Julio Llorente. Marcelo H.
del Pilar Man, no Ponce, Baldomero Roxas. and Father Jose
MJn.t Chungco (hhpino pricM)
The aim ul 1ht "'cre t ,ociet). as stated hy Rizal was "tbe
propag,Hion of all useful knowledge >Cienufic, artistic, literary,
etc - in the Philippines •· E•~dcntly. there was another a,m
that IS, the r1edcmpt1on of the Malay race It must be noted that
Ri,al WJ\ inspired by a fJmou, book cn11tled Max I lavclaar
(18(,()) written tr,, Multatuli (pseudonym of E 0 . Dekker. Dutch
Juthor). llus book c,po,,ed the m1&erable condiuons of the
oppre,scJ Malay 111hab1tants of the Netherland> Ea~t Indies
under Dutch ruk
A d1sccmm11 stud, c,f the a,·ailable Rm1liana documents
and Ri?.al's actuation, ,bow that the R.D L.M. had something
10 dtJ v.11h the \lal,t} race A, Or Lconc10 Lopez-Rizal cogently
Mated. R1t.th ,·olon11.11oon pro1cc1 in Borneo w~ •not merely
10 have .i pla,-e where F,hp,no~ could Lm: and v.ork v.;th more
ltberw a, well as lrcc thcmsch·es from the opprc~1ve conthuons
Philippine:,. . hut tor wmethmg cl-..; murc 1mpor1.in1,
m
which " 1<> hJH'. freedom of acti<>n It> attain the aim, of the
R. D I M . ,.h,ch
the Redemption of the Mala)
,rn:
mean, .
Ran.:
"
R11.il. ,,ruin)! 1<1 Blun1c111r111 ffl>nt H,>nj! k.onit on Fch1u.1r\
,, IINl, «vc.,kJ h,, in1cn111•11 "' he a leader of frcc,f11111 if
mn ,n the Ph1hpp1ne,. then in other lands ~In Borneo," he 1t1ld
l\lumcntrlll. I ,lull nvt he a planter (pl,mt.tJor) hut the kaJcr
1c,iuJ1llo) 111 th,· pl.tntcr, who arc thinking oi cn11gra1mg there
wnh me I foci n.,uercd hy the tdCJ that I can suit serve mv
countr~ with my pen. You Imo" very "ell that always. at all
11mc,. I am ready 10 serve m} fathcrlanJ not onl) ""h my ~n.
hut al-.o ,.,th my hfe whcnc,cr my fatherland would demanJ
this sacnlice But as I see that I am getting o ld . my ideals and
151
Stoond So,foulft '" ,,.... A,,d ~ UntwtNf E•pOll1JOA or 1889
J0K IIIZ:AL Ll,t, WOIIQ AHO WIIITINQf
dreams are fading; 1f it is impossible for me to give freedom 10
my country. at lcai.1 I should hke to gi•e II to these noble
compatriots in other lands ·• 0
of the Phllippmes written by the early Spanish wrtters, being
MXUrate in the narration of events, unbiased an Judgement. and
unmarred bv childish fantasies.
Moreover. the contract for his Bornean coloni1.ation included
such provisions as the right or the colonlStS 10 buy the lands.
the free w.c of the seashores. and 1be unusual long term of lease
for ?99 years, "a penod of time long enough for mony gcncrJUons
to form a nation and to consolidate iti status" and lo reahzc
Rizal's dream of redttming the Malay race
Rizal dedicated lu.s new edition of Morga to the Fiiipmo
people so that they would know of their glono\15 past. His
dedication is as follows:
Aaootated Edition of Morga Published. R1zal's outstanding
achievement in Paris was the pubhcauon in 1890 of h1~ ann01ated
edition of Morga's Suusos, v.hich he v.role ,n the: Bnu~h
M useum. It was pnnted by Gamier Frercs The Prologue wa~
w ritten by Professor Blumentritt. upon the request of Rizal
lo lus Prologue. Blumentntt commended Rizal for h1, fine
h1storital 1"Cholarsh1p H owe,cr he frankly censured Riz.tl for
two things "'hich revealed Rizal\ errors. namely (I) Rizal
comrw1s the error of many historians in appr;mmg the e, ents
of the pai.1 in the light of present !.landard, and (2) R,zal's
attacks on 1he Church were unfair and un1u,uf1cd becau'C the
abuses of 1hc fnan should not ~ construed to mean that C.11holic1,m is bad. Thw. Blumentnll said. 11
Inc !ugh e$l1mat1on of ) our notes ( Rua I , Jnno1a11nn<
Z ) doe, not rrcvent ft'K• from c.:onfc~~inp that more- th.an
once, I obscf\cd that you part1cira1c i~ the crro1 uf man,
mndcrn h1S1unans. who JuJ,c c,.:n1, of centurmg
,n
the hih1 of concept, 1h31 corr"'f'<"'d 10 comcmrurnry ,tk.. ,
Thi< <hould no1 be:. The h1s1onan should not ,rnputc tn the
1ncn of the !(1th century the "'1ck honLnn ,,r td..:o1, that mo\c
P•"·
th\.'. 1'1th l'Cn1Ur)
The ~i.:,m~-J roinl with ,, hu;h l ,un nnc m ,1l!rc.:m~nt
h.J.., to du "'"h .,.omr- of wiurfulmm...1uon, .1£;.&.Hl'-I ( t•lhuhu,m
I ?x·ln:vc that not 1n ;chg1un ,..,, m the ..... iJ...-1 method and
the ,,h,"C\ of m.-n~ pric:--1, ,11,ll:h.l \\C loolr,. fo1 th1,,.• on.gm ,.f
rrran\. evcnt.s 1.imentahlc for rd,1?1,,n. for S ..un anJ lnr the
p>ud name ut the EuropcJn r.iu:
"°'~·
1'ot\\1lh,1and1ng 1hr two blcmhhc, ul Rual,
11 ,, ;i
splendid p,cce of hi,1oriograph) . R11.1I unm,t ,ll<·d Jnd puhh,h,·d
M.1rga ', S11cesos because it was the best of 1hc ma11y h"h>rit.>,
TO l1fE FILIPINOS
lo the N"'1 Mt Tong,rr I otartcd to ske1ch the presc:nl
state of our Fatherland, lbc effect wlucb my ancmp( produced made me reab.zc, before proceeding to dc,clop before
yoor eyes other pictun,s 10 follow. the; necc,"ry of lirsl
givmg an understanding of the past m order the better 10
Judge the prestnl 111d measure the path trucn,:d dunng
the three centuries
Born and reared ID ignorance of oor past hke ..imos1
au of you: without ~ nor autbonty 10 ,peak ol ,-har
we ha,·c not sc:cn nor studied I deemed II n«~•) 10
invoke the testimony of an illustnous Spaniard who ron1ml
led the dC$1tn1es of the Plubppmes at the begmnmi of 11>
new era and pcDOnaily witnessed the la\! day, of our •R<1cn1
nationality. Ii 1s. then,fore. lhe sh.ldow of our ancestors'
ciotlizauon wluch the author now shaU call before )OU. I
transmit to you foilhfulty his words w1thou1 chungmg them
nor mutilanng them. adapung. onlv in so far as flO"<oblc ,
to mockm orthography ■ncl mlroduang grl!atcr dcamcs. 1n
the rather ddective punctuations of the ongmnl. to f..c1ht.i1c
its reading. The oflice. the na1tonality. and the virtue< of
Morga together with the date and tb!Jmonie,, o! hi,, cuntcmporarics, Sparuarck for the mO'lt part. C\lmmcnJ the: ,..,,k
to your serious consideration.
If the book succeeds in awakemng m you. 1be con,c,ou.,,.
of our past binned from mcmol'} und ,n rttul~in&
what bas been fal'lfied and calumniated then I s~I 001
ha•e labored ID •atn, and with th,s basis. sbght though 11
be. we can all devo1e ourselves to the study of the future
ne5.1
In this hmorical "'Ork , RaaJ pro, ed that the Filtptnlll> were
already civilized before the advent of Spain ihcy had clothe~
government, laws. writing. literature. religion, arts. sciences and
commerce with neighboring Asian nations. Rizal thus bla.,ted
I S9
-
llllAL, t..U•(. WOIIIC.I , . _ WIIIT1-
the historical heresies of the Spanish writers who claimed that
the early Filipinos were savages and were of low mentality.
Commc,nl on Morga'• Publlcadocl Dak. The mle page of
Rizal's annotated edition of Morga reads: MParis, Libreria de
Garmer Hermanos, 1890. ~ From thi; printed date, all biographers
of Rizal came to assert ,hat his edition of Morga was published
in 1890.
However, there is documentary evidence to show that Rizal's
ed,uon of Morga must have come off the press in 1889-not 1890.
On October 12, 18119, Blumcntriu wrote to Rizal from Le11meritz,
saying: ~1 have just received your magnificent edition of Morga.
This edition with your erudite notes will glorify your name." 12
Rizal himself, in his Lener 10 Dr. Baldomero Roxas from
Paris , December 28, 1889, staled: "Today 1 sent to Lipa four
copies of Morga . L111er I will send some mote " 13
From Barcelona, Mariano Ponce wrote 10 Rizal on
December 31. 1889, saying: •J received the book Sucesos. Many
thanks. I have read only Blumentriu's prologue. Truly excellent
Plea~e ~end me immediately nl>out ten cop1c; that 1 can send
to the Philippine~ hy the first mail lhat is going there ~u
The three letters cited above - from Blumentnn, B. Roxas.
and M . Ponce- are incontrovertible proofs that Morga's Sucesos
by R,23.1 actually came off lhe press in 1889. Otherwise, how
could lhc~ three friends of Rizal read 1he book before 1890?
Rizal as Historian. Rizal's research studies in the British
Museum (London) and m the Bibliotheque Nationate (Paris)
cnnched his historical knowledge. His splendid annotations to
Morga·, book showed his familiarity with the basic principles of
h,~toriography As he once told Isa be lo de los Reyes· ·• A
historian o ught to be rigorously imparted. . . I never assert
anything on my own authonty. I cite texts and when I do, 1
hove them before me." 1 s
Hi~ km1wlcdge of foreign languages enabled Rizal to read
historical documents and books in the languages in which they
were originally wntten. :For instance, he read P1gafct1a's famous
First Voyage Arou11d 1hr World m ltnlian; the historical works
of Marsden, Raffles. Lord Stanley, and Wallace in English; the
writings of Blumentritt. Jagor, and Virchow m German; the
ll>O
books of M. Jacquet, J. Mallat, and A. Marche in French; and
the works of T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Pedro A. Paterno, Miguel
Morayla, and Pi y Margall in Spamsh By his extensive reading
of archival sources and books in foreign countries, he acquired
wide knowledge not only of Philippine history, but also the
history of European colonization in Asia
Aside from his excellent onnotallons on Morga's book, Rizal
wrote other works which qualify him to be a real historian
Among th, m were the two historical commentaries written in
London, Mu-yr (December 6, 1888) and Tawaljs, of lhn Batuta
(Janu(uy 7 18119); Filipinas denrro de C,en Anos (The Ph,hppmes
Within a Centmy), published in La Solidandad in four is.-rues
on September 30, Ocmber 31. December 15, 1889 and February
15, 1890; Sob,,. la lndolL•nt,iJJ dt lol Filipinos (The Indolence of
the Filipinos), published in La Solidaridad in five successive
issues on July 15, July 3J, August 1, August 31, and September
1, 1890; La Poli1,ca Colonial on Fil,pinas (Colonial Policy in
the Philippines), no date; Manila r11 ti mt$ de O,rirm/,r(', 18n
(Manila in the Month of December. 1872). no dare; Hisroria
de la Fam1l1a Rizal dt Calamba (HLStory of the Rizal family of
Calamba), no d.1te and l,os PutbloJ drl Arrh,pitlalJO lnd1co
(The Peoples of the Indian Archtpelago). no date.
The Philippines Within a Cnitary. In this article Rizal
expressed his views on the Spanish colonization in the Philippines
and predicted with amazing accuracy the tragic end of Spain's
soscrcignty m Asia I le portrayed at the hcginning of h,~ an1cle
the glorious pnst of the Filipin.., people, then described their
economic stagnation and unhappiness under the harsh and bungling Spanish rule. Toward the last paragr.iphs of the article, he
peered into the future and warned Spain of what would happen
to her colonial empire in Asia if i.he would not adopt a more
liberal and enlightened policy toward the Philippines.
Significant passages in this historical essay are as foUows: '"
To recapitulate: the Philil)l'ines will remain Spanish if
they enter upon the life or law and civUimlton, u thc righl•
of thcu- inhabitants are respected, if the Olher rights due
them arc gianted, If the liberal pohcy of the government is
carried our without tncltcry or meanness, without subtcr·
futC$ or false interprctitions.
161
JOII IIIZ"1. Ll,-E, WOIIIIS AAD WIIITINCIS
Otbe""-.se, ,r an ancmpc is made 10 sec In lhc: Islands
a lode to be cxploued, a resource to sallSfy amb,11ont,
shutting 11.S cors 10 all cries of =son, lhc:n, hD"-cver ercar
may be the loyalty of the Flhp,M$, 11 will be impossible to
hinder the opcnuons of tbe =xorable laws or hostOI') ,
Colonies cstabbsbcd to subscrve the policy and commerce
of 1he .overeign country, all c,entually become 1ndependcn1
Ir tbc Ph1hpp111C$ secure their independence after herooc
and stubborn confuct, they can rest assured that nci !her
England nor Germany, nor France, and sllll less Holland
will dare 10 take up what Spain hus been unable 10 hold
Perhal>' the great Amencan Repubfic, wh°"' in1erc,1s
lie in the Pacific and who had no hand in the spol,ation of
Afnca may some day dream of foreign pt>'->C~oon This d
not imro«ible, for the ~ample ,~ contagious, cO\elousncss
and a mbirion arc among 1hc mongcsl ,,ccs . .
VCI') likel>, the Phohppuaes will defend wilh mexpress.blc ,alor th< libcrt, -.cured at the price or w much blooJ
and sacnfice With the new men that "ill spring from !heir
so,I and w11h 1hc reoollccti<>n or their past. they ...u p,,rhaJ"
•in,e I<> en1er rrccly upon thc wide road of progress. and
all will lab<>< together 10 strcng1hen their btherland
Then
1he mtne$ .,.,11 be nude to give up their gold for rellevong
diMrc« iron for v.eapons, copper, lead and <<>al J•crh•J."I
1he country will re'1'e the maritime and mercantile life for
wh,ch the islanders .re fo~d by their nature, abthty, and
uuuncts, and once more free. like 1he bird thut lca,eH it~
cage, like the Hower that unfolds 10 the air. will recover
the pruune virtues that arc gradually dy,ng out and W\11
~g•m bc...ome uddoctcd to peace - cheerful. happy, JOYOlll,
hospitable and daring.
The lndolffltt of the FUlpinos. This other essay of Rtzal is
also a prestigious work or b1Stoncal scholarship. It 1s an able
defense of the alleged indolence of the Filipinos. In lhc ~pon1
of a real scholar, Rizal made a critical study of the cause.~ v.hy
lus people dtd not wock haJ'd during the Spanish regime. His
main thesis was that the Filipinos are not by nature indolent.
Long befocc the coming of the Spaniards, he r,!intcd out,
the Filipinos were industrious and hard-v.orking· 1 They were
•1:ry active in agriculture, industnes, and commerce. The Spanish
161
s.conc1 $o1owtft In Peril And The: U..lwnal EirJ>O'lt,on Qt 1889
con quest of the country brought about a decline tn econunuc
activities because the Filipinos bad abandoned their pre-SpJn"h
industries and worked less than their ancestors Such dccl111c 1n
economic: life was due to certain causes: (I) the nati,c r~vult<
and other internal disorders which follo..,ed the es1.:.t,h~hmen1
of Spanish rule, (2) the wars whtch the Fihpmos fought for Sp.1111
against the Dutch, Ponuguese. English. and ~ther enem1e, : (;\)
the frightful raids on the coastal towns and vtllage of Cbml oa n
Philippines by the Muslim pirates of Mindan3o and Sulu: t-1)
the forced labor whtch compelled thousands of Filipino lat""""
to work in shipyards, roads, bridges, and other public wurh,
resulting in the abandonment of mduSU)', comm~rce, and ag11e ullUle; (S) lack of sumulus to worl harder bcxau.'ie 1hc pcopk
could not enjoy 1he fruirs of their labor: (6) govcmmen1 ncfk• 1
and indiffereooe to agriculture. industry. and commerce; (7) 1h,·
bad example shown by the Spaniards in d«:l>ptsing manual lul><•r.
(8) the teaching or Spanish m15.~1onanes 1h01 1t ,, ca\lcr f,,r •'
poor man to enter heaven than for a nch man, hence the hhpmn ,
prefer not to work and be poor so that they could ea.,1ly enter
heaven after they die, (9) encouragemen1 and l'"'l'•j.\alo••n ••I
gambling by the Spani<h authoriti~; and ( I~) ~y~1cm of Sp,nu,h
education c!id not promote economJC enterpn!ie anJ acuv,11 h•• .
as Rizal asserted, the education of the n..111ve v.a, ·•f1u111 h1,
birth until he sinks into blS grave
b brutalo,in1t, dcp1c,""'
and anti-human~ and "deprives him of bis. di11ni1y-
lt is true, admitted Rizal, that the Filipmos arc c.i,y I-?"'"!!
and do not work-so hard because they arc "'isc cn,,ugh to ,ul '"'
themselves to their warm, tropi.:.il climate The~ dn 1101 h.,.,·
to kill themsel,cs working hard in order tn li,c h.:<·au-.· 11;11 re
gives them abundant har,;esls by working le>., than lhu,, 111
temperate and arid countries. "The lac1.· expla1n.:d R11,1I ·,,
that m tropical countries violent v.ork " nol -• t.\'"'" 1h1111• •• 11
is death, destruction, annihilation Naiure kno," 1h" and h i.,·
a just mother has therefore made the Cdrth more lcn,k . .,nJ
more productive, 11, a compcn~uon. A!' hnur, v.url. u1~1.kr II .,1
burning sun, in the midst of pernicious ,n~ucn.:e;. ,pnnj.\•ni: ft •111
nature ,n acuvit}. is equal to a day'!> labor ma 1cmpcr,11c d,m.,1-,.
ti 1s, then, JUSI that the earth y1ellb a hundredfold'
tntunatlonal As.sodallon uf Filipinulugisls. l'al.mg Jdv,,ntJgc
of world auention which wu then focui.ed a1 the Unovc:r.,11 Fxpn,.
163
ition of 1889 in Paris, Riul proposed to e5tabbsh an -1n1ernational
Associa11on o( Fihpmologis~• and have 11s inaugural convention
in the French capital He first submitted this idea 10 Blumentnll in
a letter dated January 14, 1889. and the latter gladly supponed
tum. He wrote the prospectus of this 1n1cma11onal association.
According to his prospcctu,, the aim of the a~SOCtation is "lo study
the Ph;tippinc,; from the ,;cientific and historical point of view ~
The officers were as follC'ws: ••
Prc:•idcnt ...•.
. Dr Ferdinand Blumcntrill
(Austrian)
\ ice-President
...... Mr. Edmund Plauchut
{Fttncb)
Dr Reinhold Rosi
(Aoglo-Ocrman)
C'oun.scllor
. Dr. Antonio Ma. RegidO<
(hhp1no-Spani5h)
.. . Dr. Jose Rizal
(Filipino)
R11al scheduled the holdtng of the inaugural convention of
the lntemauonal A<-<0eiat1on of Filipinologists in Paris in August
US89 He prepared the agenda and invited renowned scholars
tn Pumpc, ,uch j \ Dr Reinhold Rost, Sar Henry Yule, Dr.
Feod<>r .lagor. 11r A B Meyer, Dr. H Kem, and Dr Czcpelalt,
to tal.e pan an the pro,::eedings. 1• Unfortunately. their inaugural
con,cnuon J1d not matcrialuc because the French government
d1.,.<1uragcd the hoh1in!! >f «mkrcnccs by pri~ate organiZ3tions
during the ocriod of the international c,position.
Proje<:t for Filipinn C'olll'ge in Hong Koog. Another magm•
ficem prOJCCI of Rizal m Pari~ which also fizzled out was his
plan to establish a modem college tn Hong Kong. He wrote 10
h1\ fnenJ. Jose t.hna Basa. about lh" mancr. According to
R11.1I. this college aims ..,o troin and educate men of good family
and financial means m accordance with the demands of modem
tin,..,,. ,nJ cucums1ancc~·· A nch Fihpano resident tn Paris, Mr.
M.1114 1u Cuna11an. from Mexico, Pampanga, promised to help
him raise P40.000 as initial capital for the college
Inc curnculum COIISISICd of Ille following subjects:
rlatunl Law - Ovil
Hygiffle.
Ma1bcmatics - Pbysial md O.Cmistry - Nahlral H',s..
tory - Geogapby - Politic:al Eooncany.
Uruversal History - Plwippinc History - Logic,
Rhetoric, and Poetics.
Ethics -
Law -
Study ol Religion -
~portmmt -
Spanish - English - Fttndl - Gennan - Otmeae
Tagalog.
Gymnastics - Equitation - Feadng - Swimnuag MIUK: - Orawmg - Dancing.
-
Unfortunately, this project of Rizal to establlsh a modem
college in Hong Kong did not materialize. However, yean later,
during bis exile in Dapitan, he actually founded a school [or
boys, in which he put into practice some of bis splendid pedagogJCal concepts .
"Por Tddoao." We have mentioned before that Rizal
defended his Nolt from the slanderous attack of Fray Jose Rodnguez by penning a satirical booklet entitled Lo V-uion dcl Fray
Rodriguez. In the fall of 1889 he wrote another satirical work
entitled Por Telt!.fono as a reply to another slanderer. Fr. Salvador
Foot, who masterminded the banning of 1us Noli
Por Teiefono was published in booltlet form in Barcelona,
1889. Rizal received the printed copies from Mariano Ponce, as
revealed by his letter 10 the latter, dated Paris, August 13, 1889.
This satirical pamphlet under the authorship of MDimas
Afang- (one or Rill.t's pen-names) tS a witty sanre ,.,bich ridteules
Father Font It describes in comical vein a telephone conversation
between Father Font who was in Madrid and the father provtncial
of the San Agusuo Convent in Manila.
lnodenully, Por Tekfono demonstrates not only Rlzal's
spark.ling wit, but also his prophetic inStght. lts operung paracraph
reads as follows,10
In lhe year 1900 the Philippines for the 6rst time was
connected 10 the Mcuopolis (Madnd-Z.) by means of Ille
tclephOIIC laid out by an Anglo-Catalan compeny c:allcd TIie
Tram-Oceanic Telepbooc Company, so wdl-known in its
bfflC for llS truly bold ideas.
16S
- . ; IIIIAI., LIFE, WOIIU AHO l'IAITINOI
By 1his open mg paragrapn, Rizal predic1ed much ahead of
his times that people cou Id carry on overseas telephonic conversations. It is amazing how he could have foreseen 1his phenomenon , which we enjoy now. History shows tha1 the first radio-telegraph signal~ received by Marconi acro,s the A1lan1ic wa, in 1901
- twelve years afler the publication of R izal's Por Tele/ono.
C_h risl_m as In Paris. December :?5, l8KCJ wa~ t1 wintry d.t)
tn.'f>ans. Rizal and Jose Alben. who were living frugally in a ,mall
room occupied by Caph.an Justo Trinidad, planned 10 have a
sumptuous Ch~stmas dinner. They i,crapcd enough money 10
celebrate Yuleude. They prepared a Christmas dinner wi1h fried
chicken , rice and vege1ables. This dinner proved 10 be Rizal's
last Christmas dinner in Paris
Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a bnef visit 10 l...\)ndon
Biographers do not know the purpose of this visit ll may be
due 10 two reasons: (1 )10 'c heck up his annotated edi1ion of
Morga's Si,cesos with lhe original copy in the 8r111,.h Museum
and (2) 10 see Gertrude 'Beckett for the last time .
By the middle of JIIJluary 1890, he wa~ back in r,iri,. lie
oomplained of a terrible headache . At that time an epidemic of
~ucnz.a was raging in Europe. Fortunately, he v.as nol stricken
with flu.
Chapter 16
In Belgian Brussels (1890)
On January 28, 1890, Rtzal left Pans for Br~cl~. capital
of Belgium. 1 Two reasons impelled Rizal to leave Paris, namely:
(1) the cosl of living in Paris was very high because of the
Universal Expos11ioo and (2) the gay social life of the cny
hampered bis literary works, especially the writing of his second
novel El Fi/ibi,stuismo. H is Criends, including M H . del Pilar
and Valentin Ventura, were of the belief 1ha1 he lcfl because
he was running away from a girl jus1 as he lcfl Ll>ndon 1 When
he told them that the reason for his leaving Paris wa, economic
because his money was dwindling, Ventura generously invited
him to live with him in Pans without paying rent. He could not
accept Ve ntura's invitation. for ho had a high scn,;e or J1gnity
and would not accept charity from any man .
Life in Brussek. R izal was accompanied by Jo•e Alben
when he moved 10 Brussels. They lived in a modesl boarding
house on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne, which wa~ run b) two
Jacchy sisters (Suzanne a nd Marie). Later Albert left the city,
and was replaced by Jose Alejandro, an enginecnng student
In Brussels, Rizal was busy writing his second novel which
was a continuation of the Noli. H e was never idle even for an
ho ur. Aside from writing its chapters, he wro1e articles for / ,u
Solidaridad and letters to his family and friends. Being a physi•
clan, be spent pan of his lime in the medical clinic. For recreation,
he had gynioasucs at the gymnasium and target practice and
fencing at the armory . Thus he wrote 10 Antonio Luna : " I go
to the clinic, I read, I write, I go to the gymnasium and to the
armory. Speaking of shooting, I am sending you a targe, containing ten bullet holes; it was seven and a half meters from me .
al twenty-five meters I can put all my shots into a twenty-cen•
timeter target."'
"'
167
- - IIIZAL LIFI. -
. . MO ,nunHca
Speaking of Raars frugality Jose Alejandro, h1S roommate
Bru!i.Scls, said: "In Brus,-ch ,.e took our meals in a house
and Rizal on one occasion sugRested that we eat pamit We
"'.ere spending so mucli a day and so we spent one day's appropna11on for 1hc purchase of the n.:cessary ingredients. It seems,
ho,.ever, that he committed an error in his calculations this ttrne
for we \pent two day's appropriation and the pansit came out
more th;m what we intended to have. ln order 10 remedy the
error "C were rompelled to have pJn,11 for lunch and supper
for two days ....
7. "O1ferenaas" (Dilference1), Sepcembcr 15, 1889.
.
in
Artidf'\ Publia!Md in I.a Solidaridad. Dunng his WJoum in
Bras.sets. Rual wrote articles for Lo Solulandad tn defense of
hi. opprei.-.cd pcopk and to point out the cvtls of Sparush rule
m the Ph1hppmc,. Amon~ these article, which appeared 1n the
patnotic periodical were:
.
I "A La Orlcnsa" (To l..t DdeMa), Ap d JO, l!l!i9
lb" •a, a reply to an an1t-Filip1no .. ritin, or a Span,sh
author Pa1nc10 de la Eocooura wluch •,us publ~bed by L,,
n,ftn.u, on Much 30, I XX'l
l "I" Vcr<i.>J Para Todos.. (The Truth For All)', "fay
31 , llils9 Rizal's defcns,: al,lm,t the <;Jl'lm•h charges that
the natt•e l<>cal uff,n:lls .,ere ignorant and dcpra,ed.
3 ··Vocente Sam,ntc, fra1ro Tagalo," June 15, 1889
In tht< ank"le. R11..1 ••JW>Sc ·. Barr.1n1e> ignorance on the:
1 aizalo,t 1bcatncaJ art
4 "l na Profanac:,on· ( A Pmfanatmn). Jut, 11 11189
A h111<r auack agam,,t the (n.ar. for den, mg C'hri>llan bunal
tn Man•no I lerll\N on Cal,1mha b•cau,c h( wa, a brother,,n
'"" ot Ril.il Hert>osa , hu<l>and of 1.u:,a, died or chnlcra
on Ma) Z.l IHI,~.
5.
Verdad~-s Nuevas (1'cw Truths). Jul} 31. 1889
8 "lncon<c<jucnc125" (lnwnsequcnccs), No-ember
JO, 1889 A defense or Antonio Luna against the atltlck of
Pablo Mir Deas ,n the Barcelona newspaper El Pu~blo
Sob,rano
'l
·uanlo y R"a," (Teal'\ and Laughter), No,embcr
m IAA'> A denunaatton or Spanish racial preJud,cc against
the bro.,-n F1hptnos
Rozal menuoned 1n tlus orucle ho" the audience. com~ d "'°'"Y of Span,arJ, and mc&UtO>, Slopped applaudmg
wh<:n he received fin• prize ,n the literary contest Ill 1880
bcc.iu><c of ht> bro.,,n color
10 • lngra111udc," (lngratttudc). J•n\W}' IS, 1890 A
reply t<> Governor Qencr•l Valeriano We)ler "'ho. while
-.siting Calamba, told the people that they "should not allow
them,dsc, Ill be de<=<:1vcd b) the vain promise, of their
unJrnttful son, "
Ntw Orthogl"aplly ol Tagalog l..anguace. In <ptle of his
European education and his knowledge of foreign languages,
Rizal loved h» own native language. He was the first to advocate
the 1'thpinwu1on of ,ts orthography. For instance, the Tagalog
letters k and w should be used instead of the Spanish c and o.
Thu.< the Hispaniud Tagalog word salacor (peasant's head-gear)
should be wnnen salalcot and the Hisparuzed Tagalog term arao
be changed into a,a..,.
A~ early as 1n September, 1886, when he was in Leipzig,
R i1al adopted the Fibpinizcd Tagalog orthography in his Tagalog
translations of Schiller's Wi/1,elm Tell and Andersen's Fairy Tales
.,nd again he u~cd 11 1n his first novel Nolt Me Tangut (Berhn,
A rcrli to V,trntr Bello.. San<11c,· lc11cr published ,n La
11187)
Patrru Madrid oe~aper , "" July 4. ls,~'I. which a,,cncd
1hat the !?fant111~ o( reform> ,n the Plulippines ,.ould rum
lhc ··~ ,cdul al'<I ma1cmal rule" of 11><, fri;u-,.
While he was sojourning in Brussels. his article entnled
"Sol.re la Nueva Ortografia de ta Lengua Tagala" (The oew
Orthography of the Tagalog Language) was publtshed 111 Lo
Solidaridad on April 15, 1890. In this article he latd down the
rules of the new Tagalog orthography and, with modesty and
sincerity, he gave the credit for the adoption of this new ortbog·
t,
Crud.tid" (Cruclh ), Augu,1 15. 188<I A bnlliaot
d~frn~ of Blumc,ntrin from the sa,mlk>us anack, or hi,
cntmte\
168
A reply 10 a hi-d aniclc entitled "Old Troths" pul>lishcd
m I.A PalTiD on August. 14, 1889, which ridiculed those
F1hp1nos .,.ho asked for refonns
'"
. . . . IIIZAJ..: Ul't. WORKS ANO WIit ~
raphy to Dr. Tnnldad H . Pardo de Tavera, author of 1he celebrated work El Sanscriw en la ungU11 Tagala (Sanskrit ,n 1hc
Tagalog Language) which was published in Paris, 1884.
The gambling Filipinos in Madnd were angry when lhc) learned
o f Rml's moralizing. They derisively called him "Papa~ (Pope)
instead of "Pepe•.
put this on record," wrote Rizal. "so that when the histO()'
o{ this ~nbography is '!aced, which is already being adopted by
lhe enlightened Tagalists, 1ha1 wba1 es Caesar·s be given 10
CaC$ar. This innovation is due solely 10 Or. Pardo de Tavera's
studies on Tagalismo. I was one of its most zealous propagan-
Bad News from R-. Leners from home which R1ul
received in Brussels worried him. The Calamba agrarian trouble
was getting worse. The nanagement of the Dominican hacienda
conJinually raised the land ren1s until such lime 1ha1 Ri1;il')
fathei- refused to pay his rent. Other 1enants. mspired hv Don
Francisco's courage, also refused to pay the unreasonable rents.
:1
disl$. "'
Rizal Critk:lus Madrid Filipinos ror Gambling. In Brussels,
Rizal received news from Juan Luna and Valentin Ventura 1ha11he
FIiipinos in Spain were des1royin& the good name of their na1,on
by g"dlllbling too much. These two compalriots in Paris urged him
to do some1h1ng about 11.
Accordingly, Rizal wr0I!! 10 M.H. de1 Pilar on May 28. 1890
to remind the Filipinos in Madrid 1ha1 they did no1 come to Europe
to gamble. but to work for their Fatherland'~ freedom . His lener
runs as follo,.,-s: 0
Lu~ in Pari, complains of lhe gambling of 1bc Filipinos
m Madrid, so does Vemura. They say that, according to
11ew. from 1be Ph1hppincs, lbc: parents arc very mucfl dis•
custed. . . I am afraid "'C ore serving 1bc friars' J<:bcme
There is nothing al home to remind 1hem that the f"tlipino
does nOI come 10 Europe to gamble and amu~ him~lf
bu! to ,i1or1< for his liberty and for 1hc dignity of his race•
It 1s nOI necessary to leave lhe Philippines 10 gamble, for
there they abeady gamble very much. If .,c ,.ho arc ~allcd
u~n 10 do somelhin&, if we in whom the poor people pl•~
lhe1r modest hopes, spend our time in lhese things precisely
when lhc years of youth should !IC employed in M>mclhing
more noble and lofty for lhc very reason 1ha1 youth is noble
and lofty, I fear much tha1 "'c are ligh110g for a useless
1Uusion and tha1, instead of being worthy of hbcrty. we arc
worthy o( slavery.
,,.
I appeal 10 1hc patriotism of all Filipinos to gi•c the
Spanish people proo( 1ha1 we are sopenor to our misfortune
and lha1 neither arc we capable of bcmg bruta!tud. nor
can our noble sentiment, be deafened wnh the com,p1ion
of customs.
The Domm1can Order filed a swl ID court to dispossess 1he
Rizal fanuly of their land,, ID Calamba. Meanwhile the 1cn3n1s
including the Rizal family, were persecu1ed Paciano and 1he
brothers-in-law· Antonio Lopez (husband o f Narcisa) and Silvestre Ubaldo (husband of Olympia) were deported w \iincJoru
Another brother-in-law. Manuel T Hidalgo (hushand o f Salur•
nina) was banished for a second time to Bohol
The sad news from home depressed Rizal. HJS bean bled
to know the sorrowful phght of lus parents, brother, and b rolhcr..in-law. From Brussels, he wrote to his shier SoledJd un June
6, 1890:7
I have caused much harm to our family, but al IC4St th<r~
remams to us (be comolation of knowing tha1 the: mouvc
is not ditgraccful nor docs u hUffllba1e anybody. On the
con1ra.ry it raae, us up and l!JYC5 us m<>!c digni1i in the
eyes of our ,-cry enemies 1hCJl1$eh,es; 10 fall with lhe bead
high and lhc brow serene Is 1101 10 fall, at "' 10 1numph
T'bc sad thin& is lo fall with the sta,n of dishonor M0<c0\cr
I may be what my enemies desire me to be, yc1 never an
accusadon are Ibey able to burl against - which male,
me blush or lower my forehead, and I hope lhat God will
be merciful eoough with me 10 prevcn1 me from comnutt,ng
one: of those faults wluch would mvolve my family
rr-t1-1 el O..tli. ln his moment of dcsp;air Rizal had
bad Areams during the nights in Brussels when he was restless
because he wu always thinking of his unhappy family 10 Calamba
Although he was not superslitious, he feared 1ha1 he "'ould not
live loog. He was not afraid to die, but he wan1ed to finish his
ICCOlld novel before be went to bis grave.
171
This morbid presentiment of early death was divulged by
him 10 M. H dcl Pilar, in a letter from Brussels dated June
11, 1890, as follows· "Sad presentiments assault me though I do
not give them entire credence. lo my childhood I bad a suangc
belief that I would not reach thiny years or age. I do n0t know
why I thought, this. There were two months during which almost
every night I bad no other dream than that my friends and
relatives were dead.
I dreamed that I descended by a path
• multitude o f persons seated. dressed ,n white, with white faces,
<ilent and rurrounded by white light . There l <aw my two brethren. one of them already dead and the other one still ahve.
Although I do not believe in these things and although my body
,s very strong and I h;ivc no illness and have no fear, I am
pTeparing myself for death and for any eventuality "Laong
Laan" (Ever Ready) is my true name. For this reason , I want
to finii.h at all costs the second volume of the Noli and if II is
possible I do not want to leave unfinished what nobody else
could contmue. . Do 001 believe that I arr. depressed or sad;
every t"'o day, I go 10 the gymn~1um and pracuse fencing and
,h<'>Oting but who can tell any m1sfonune that may come7"8
o~
Prq,aration to Co Home. In the face or the sufferings which
afflicted his family, R,wl planned 10 go home. He could not
stay in Brussels writing a book while his parents. relatives, and
friends m the distant Philippmes were persecuted.
Upon heanng that Graciano Lo~z Jaena was planning 10
go to Cuba, he v.rotc to Ponce on July 9, 1890. opposing
Graciano's plan or acuon. He said that Graciano should not go
10 Cuba 10 die or )Cllow fever, mstcad be -ought 10 go to the
Pl11hpp1nc, 10 allo" himself 10 be killed m dcfen~ of his ,deals"
Adding Rizal said "We have only once to die, and if we do
not die well, w--e lose an opponunity which will not again be
pr~nted to us ...v
In another teller 10 Ponce, dated July 18, 1890, he expressed
his determination 10 go home, as follows, 10
I want to go back to the Philippines, and allhough I
know 11 would be danng and imprudent, what docs that
nuucr• The F,!Jpinos arc all very prudent, and that ,s v.-hy
our country is eoing the way ,he is A• it seems to me that
we arc not mahllg any progress by following prudence, I
171
am going to look for . - i - padlwayl 'The only thing that
can det ain me is a doubc wbcthcr my parcnta agree. I am
afraid to disturb their last years. In case they should objccl
to my hocncoomiog, I "'ould wort for a bvebhood in some
other part of the world.
All his friends, including Blumcnlrill, Jose ~ - Basa, and
Ponce. were horrified by Riz.al's plan to return to the Philippines.
They warned him of the danger that awaited him at home.
Decision to Co lo Madrid . Rizal ignored the dire warning
of h,~ fncnd,.. No threat of danger could change bis plan.
Something, ho\loevcr, happened that suddenly made him
change his mind It was a letter from Paciano whjch related that
they lost the case against the Dominicans in Manila, but they
appealed it 10 the Supreme Court IJI Spain, hence a lawyer was
needed to handle it in Madrid Accordingly, Rizal wrote to M H .
del Pilar on June 20, 1890 retaining the latter's services as lawyer.
He further ulformed Del Pilar that he was gorng to Madrid, m
order 10 supervise the handling of the case.
In another leuer 10 Ponce, written at Brussels, July 29,
1890. Rizal announced that he was leaving Brussels at the beginning of the following month and would arrive in Madrid about
the 3rd or 4th (August) 11
"To M y Muse" (1890). It was against a background of mental
anguish m Brussels, during those sad days when he was woTried
by family disasters, that he wTote lus pathetic poem, "A Mi... "
(To my Muse). Thts poem lacks the exquisiteness of .. To the
nov.ers of lleidelhertC and,~ le~ poh,hed than '"To the Filipino
Youth,- but it is passionate in feeling It runs as follows· 12
TO MY MUSE
!molted no longer is the Muse
The lyre is out of date:
The poc1$ 11 no longer use,
And youth ti$ inspiration now imbues
With other form and st-ate.
If today our fancies aught
Of •erse would 511II require .
Helicon"s hill remains unsought;
And without hec,d we but tnqwrc.
Why the coffee, 1s not brouaJ,t.
173
In lbe place of thought sincere
That ou·r hearts may reel,
We most seize a pen of seeel.
And. with venc and line severe
Aing abroad a Jest and jeer.
Muse, that in the past inspired me,
And with song,s of love but fired me;
Go lllou now 10 full repose,
For tocloy in sordid prose
l must cam the gold that hired me.
Now must I ponder deep,
Meditate , and struggle on;
E'en sometimes I mull weep;
For be who love would keep
Great pain has undergone
Like other women - Segunda Katigbak. Orang Valenwda.
Leonor Rivera, O-Sei-San, Gcttic Becke tt , Consuelo Ortit(II )
Perez and 1be Nellie Bous tead - Su1annc fell in love w11h Rllal
S he cried wheti he left toward the end of July, 1890 for Madrid.
slopping for a [ew days in Pari~.
One by one they nave passed o n.
All 1 love and moved among;
Dead or murncd - from me gone,
For all I place my hcan upon
By fate adverse arc stung.
0-o thou, too, 0 Muse, depan.
Other regions fairer find;
For my land but offers an
For the laurel, chains (hat bind,
For • temple p.risons blind.
But before thou luvest me, speak:
Tell me with thy voice sublime,
Thou couldst ever from me seek
A song of sorrow for the wcalt,
Delia.nee 10 the tyrant's crime.
Romance with Petite Jacoby. Two dungs brought some mea•
, urc of cheer to the despondent Rizal, IS he was preparing for
hi.s trip lo Madrid. First WIS the summertime festival of Belgium,
174
with colorful costumes.
fantastic floats, and many days of mcrnmcn1. Second wa, hi,
romance with Petite Jacoby, the pretty niece or his landladic~
Rizal was so charming and dignified a gcntl~man that Petit.:
Susanne was attracted to him. He was lonely ma strange country
and Leonor Rivera was so far away. Naturally, being a normal
Y0\1118 man, he found certain bli\.~ in the company of a prctt,
Belgian girl. He might have Oincd w11h Petite Susanne. but he
could not stoop low to a deceptive amorous relations hip.
Aed are the days of case,
The days o( Love's delight ;
Wllen flowers .iill would please
' And give to ~uffenng souls surcease
From pain and sorrow's bbghL
•
which was celebrated in carnival style -
Although Rizal was m faraway Madrid . Su1,111nc c,,uld not
forget him. <;he wrote to him in French "
Where arc y1111 now? Do you th,nk <>I m< <>n,c in ;,
while? I am reminded or our tender con,c"ations. reading
your lettter, although 111s oold and ,nd1lfcrcn1 I lcrc III ynu1
leucr I have ,omcthing which mnk,s up for )'our Jt>,.:ncc
How pleased I would be 10 follow you. 10 tra\'el wnh 1ou
who arc always in my thought,
You wisn me oll ~inch of luck, but forger 1hJ1 m th,•
absence of a beloved one u tender heart c,mnot feel happ)'
A thou~and thing) -;crvc 10 distract your mmd , my
friend; but in my ca,e, I am sad. lonely. alwa)'S olone ..,,th
my thoughts
nothing, absolutely nothing 1clkvc, rny ,or
row. Are you coming back? That's whal I want and de,,irc
most ardently - you cannot ;-efusc me
I d.o not despair and I hm11 myself 10 rnurmunng agmn,t
time which run) ~o fost when 11 carries u\ toward" ,cr~•r:lt1on.
but goes so slowly when it's bnngmi us to11e1her
I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps I mitthl never
sec you again.
''It"'"
Goodbye! You know wlth one word you can m•kc me
very happy. Aren't you going lo write 10 mc 1
•••••
I
17S
• t .......,,,_Malrld(1W,.-U
Chapter 17
Misfortunes in Madrid
(1890-91)
Early in August. 1890, Rizal amved in Madnd. He tned
all legal means to seek juMicc for his family and the Calamba
tenants, but to no avail. Disappointment after disappointment
piled on h,m, unlll the cross he boTe seemed msuperable to
carry. He almost fought two duels - one wnh Antomo Luna
and the other with Wenccslao E Retana On top of his misfortunes, Leonor Rivera married a British engineer The infidelity
of tbc girl, witb whom he was engaged for eleven years, broke
bis heart. With resilient strength of character. he surv,-cd I.be
bitter pangs of love's disillusionment and continued his mission
to redeem his oppressed people.
Fallun to Gtt Jastke for Family. Upon ,1mvaJ in Madrid,
Rini immediately sought the help or the Filipino colony, the
Asociacion Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal Spnmsh newspapers
(LA Jusrie1a, El Globo, La Republica, El Resumm, etc .) in
securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants, including
his family I Together with M II . del Pilar (who acted as his
lawyer) and Dr. Oominador Gomez (secretary or the Asociacion
Hispano-Fllipma), he called on the Minister of Colonies (Senor
Fab,e) in order to protest the injustices commiucd by Governor
General Valeriano Weyler and che Dominicans against the
Calamba folks.
Nothing came ouc of Rizal's interview with Minister Fabie.
As El Resumm, a Madrid newspaper which sympathized with
the Filipino cause, saJd: WTo rover the cars, open the rurse,
a.n d fold the arms - this is the Spanish oolonial policy~
11,
More terrible news reached Rizal in Madrid as be was waging
a futile fight for justice. From his brother-in-law, S i l ~
Ubaldo, he received a oopy of the e,ectment order by the Dominicans again!ll Francisco Rizal and other Calamba tenants. 3 From
his StStcr, Saturnina, be learned of the deportation of Paciano
(Rizal), Antoomo (Lopez), Silvestre (Ubaldo), Teong (Mateo
EleJorde}, and Dandoy (Dr. Rizal's relative) to Mindoro, these
unfortunate deportees were arrested LO Calamba and were shipped out ot Manila on SeptembeT 6, 1890. He further learned
from Saturmna's letter that their pa.rents had been rorobly
ejected from their home and were then bvmg in the house o f
NaTasa (Antonino's wife)•
ln his despcra11on. Rizal sought the aid of the liberal Spanish
statesmen, who were former members of the Mimstry. indwhng
Becerra and Maura Again, he was dwippointcd, for these
statesmen merely gave him honeyed words of $)'fflpathy, and
notbmg else.
Blumentnll in Lc1tmcritz hearing of his friend's plight, urged
him to !>Cc Queen Regent M.t.na Cristina' (then ruler or Spain
dunng the minority of Alfonr.o XIII}. But how oould he see
Her ma1es1y? He had neither powerful friends to bring bi1D' to
the quct:n ·• pr~nce nor gold 10 grease the palms of influential
courtic~.
Rital'&Eu.logy to Panganiban. Barely bad Rizal settled down
in Madrid. when he experienced another disappointment. This
was the doleful news that his friend Jose Ma. Panganiban. his
talented co-worker in the Propaganda Movement , died in Barcelona on Augusc 19, 189(), after a hngenng illness. He deeply
mourned the passing or th,~ 81col hero
Wuh a sorrowing heart, Rizal took up his pen and wrote
a great eulogy 10 Panganiban as follows·"
Panganiban . l~t ua:llcnt comp..,.ion of labor and
d,fGculty. that amiable friend and countryman beloved, bas
1u,1 descnbell 10 the tomb a.i the early age of 27 years. We
JU\! caught his last ,.hispcr. uw him expire m OW' arm.,, as
11 were. and it v.cms as if we are listening 10 his phrases
satura1cd ,.,th energetic patnOIISm, 1nspued by the purest
love or his native land ,
177
J0R llllAL . LIFE, WOIIICJ AHO WIIITINCI
His was a despcralion to di< far. very far from the
native soil. separated from hts family. rn>in h" decpc,t
affections. and in the flower of his you1h. in hi, rosiesl
lllu.tons and hopes, wiw,n a rosy future was in stghl . . .
Thal is why "" IMI words were or loving re.mcmtm,nce
or his idolized Fntherland, were II heanfch farewell to 1hc
Pluhppmes. And ,r we still take into account cenain event~
or hi\ hfc con,ccratcd to a most vehement love or hi;, nauve
land. ,. c un,lc Naad lhc sorrow hi, hcan mu,1 have fell to
;.cc buried with him legitimate hopes. ardent desires, and
ju;c a,1,ira1tons
Augu\l 19 ( lll'!CJJ, wa, d day of mourning 10 numcrou,
Fihpin<>< in Furopc. And wh11t a lat.ti m 1nr1dencc <ln tho
same month and day or the ye:,r 1us1 pa$>Cd we had 10
dcplo1c 1hc death ,,r :innthcr l.1c11J und c'tlunlr)m.,n,
Feliciano (Jonnie, Til'nbang
A sad fate! Pan1'an,ban. endowed wilh uncommon
talent. wilh pr.-llegcd 1n1elhgcnec, anJ with 1ndcfo11gable
indu:ilry, \\.1:-. onr of 1ht ~crcd, lcgjumat~ hore, of h,~
11nlonuna1c countr. lna1 head has been buncd m the llu,1.
thJt v1goroc, mtelhgencc ha, been prematurely ended.
Fihprn ..,, how unfortun:ur thou .o.rt'
Aborttd Duel With Antonio Luna. Towartl, 1he entl of
Augu~t. 1890, R1zol attended a wc1ul rcunmn ol the hli111no,
,n Madrid As was customary in 1hcsc w,cekly reunion, of 1hc
paLSano;, "-lRC was served. After drinking so many gl;1'>.scs. the
guests became more loquacious and lhc conv~rsauon~ Ouwcd
freely One of 1hem. Antonio Luna hecamc drunk
the choice of weapons. Logically , he would have to choose th~
sword; in which case, Rizal'~ life would be in jeopard)
The Filipinos wer~ shocked by the u1c1den1 They 1r1cJ 10
pacify Ri:wl and Luna, pointing out to both thut ~uch :i duel
would damage their ca11se in Spain.
Fortunately, Luna, .. hen he became sober. reahzed that he
had made a fool of himself dunng his drunkeD state. I k
apologized for hi, bad remarks about the girl. Rizal 1mmcd1jld)
accepted hi< apology , and the two became good friends again •
Rhal Challenges Retaru, lo Duel. Rizal wa,. by natur~ .
neither hot-tempered nor pugnaciom. But when the honor of
his people, family. women, or friends was besnmched, he never
hesitated 10 fight even if be were risking bis own hfe. On another
occaMon. he challenged another man 10 a duel - Wcnceslao E .
Re1ana, his bitter enemy of the pen
Retana, a talen1ed Spani<h !iCholar, was then a press agent
of the friars in Spain. He used 10 attack the Fihpinos. including
Rizal, in various newspapers 1n Madnd and 0 1her c1tic~ ,n Spain
One day he imprudently wrote an (lrticlc m I.a f:poco, an
anti-Filipino newspaper in Madrid. asserting that the family and
friends of Rizal had not paid their rents so that they were e1ec1ed
from their lands in Calamba by the Dominicans.
Such an insult stirred Rizal 10 action. l01mediately. he sent
hi~ seconds to Retana with his challenge to a duel . Ocily Retana'\
blood or his apology could vindicate the good name or Rtzal's
family and friends.
Al that uine, Luna wa\ bitter because of h" fru~tratctl
romance with Nelhe Boustead Deep in his heart , he was hlaming
Rizal for his failure 10 \l>m her, although Rizal had previously
explained to him that he h1d nothing 10 do ah<)u1 11. In u fi1 or
jealousy, which his alcohol-befogged mind could nol control,
Luna uttered cer1ain unsavory remark~ about Nellie .
Because he believed that d1scrc1ion 1s the belier parl of
valor, and, more 5010 save his own skin, Retana at once pubh,hcd
a retraction and an apoiogy in the new,;papcrs. His seconds had
warned him that be had no chance what50evcr against Rizal on
a field o f honor, for Rizal was his superior in both pistol and
sword. 9
Rizal heard ham. His b.igh sense of chivalry co11ld not tolerate
apy slur against the honor of any woman Angered by the
slanderous remarks, hechnllenged Luna, his fnend, IC>O duel 7
The incident silenced Retana ·s pen agains1 Rizal. I-le
developed a great admiration for the latter. and yea rs afterward
he wrote the first book-leng1h biography of the grcate~I l'ihp,no
hero, wtiose talents he came to recognitt and whose martyrdom
he glorified. 10
Rizal was a better pistol shot than tuna But the latter was
his superior as a swordsman. Luna, as the challenged party . had
178
179
fnfiddlry, of 1..-- Rhera. In the autumn of 1890 Rizal
was (eeting bitter at so many disappointments be encountered
in Madrid . One night be and some rnends auended a play at
Teatro Apolo, and there he lost his gold watch chain with a
locket contaunng the picture of Leonor Rivera. his beloved
w,ectheart .
The los, ot the locket proved 10 be a bad omen . Early 1n
Decemlxr. 1890, Wllh the cold win~ or winter sweeping acr~
the shivering city, Rizal received 3 leuer Crom Leonor, announ..:1ng her commg mamage to an Englishman (the choice of her
mo1her) .,nd •~king h1, forgiveness This letter was a great blo...,
to h,m He ... as stunned. his eyes dimmed wnh tear&, and ltis
heart brol.e.11
Several agonizing weeks passed before he could confide to
h1~ hc~t fncnd. Blumenmu. In his reply to R1z.al dated February
15, 1891 , Slumcntrin «>nooled him. 53ying: -Your la•I letter
filled us "'uh sadness; after all the nusfortuncs that have befallen
you , no,. your bclo~ed ha!. abandoned )OU. M} wife cannot
undc.-tan.l how a wom;,n whom 3 Riul has honured w11h his
love would be able to abandon him; she is disgusted wi1h this
girl. I m)>elf feel 11 deeply, but only on your acx:ount, ro~ I
know how you1 heart 1, pained, hu1 you arc one of th~ heroes
who conquer pain from a wound inflicted by a woman. because
they_follO\\' higher ends. You ha"e a courageo115 heart, and you
arc ,n lo e ,.,th 3 nobler woman. the Motherland Fihpina> 1s
hke one: ,r tho>e enchanted pnnce"scs ,n 1hc Germi,n IC!Jends.
who i, a captive of a hornd dragon. unul she ,s freed by a
valiant kmght ". 1 '
Thee.: month• later, Blumcntnn sent another comforting
lcucr \J)Utg . I am grie,ed with all my heart that }OU have lost
the girl to .,. horn you were engaged, bu1 1f she was able 10
renounce a Rizal , she did not possess the nobility or your spirit.
She 1s hke a child who cast away a dianiond to seize a pebble
. In other word,, she is not the woman for RIZal". 13
Riul-Dd Pilar Rlvalry. Toward the closing days of 1890
there arose an unfonunate nvalty between Rizal and M. H. del
Pilar for ,upremacy Rizal, the most talented Filipino or his
time, was until then the undisputed leader of lhe Filipinos in
.
,
Europe. On the other hand, 0.:1 Pilar, the fearless lawyer-1ournah<1, was gaining pr~tigc 111 'l.fadrid for h,s vigorou, cd1tonals
in Lo Solidoridad, which he came to own He had purchased
this fortnight!) penodical from Pablo Rianzarcs, 11s first proprietor, and had replaced Graci;in,, Loper Jaena .;s ih c,.htor
As leader Rizal tried to imbue hi< eompainot< w•th h,~
own idealism for he helievcd that to gain pre,ti~e for the Propaganda Movement and to "''" the respect of the Spamsh people
the} must ~"'~ high standarJ, of morality. d1g011y, and spirit
of sacrifice. Unfortunalcly. hi, 1dc.1hsm wa, 001 shared b} cen~in
fnvolous countrymen, who loved wine . women , and cards Consequently. Rnars leadership ded,ned. Some of h~ former adrrurers, who ,upponcd his k~dcr-.h1p 1urned agam<t him because
thev resented h1, interference in their private live, rl,ey l•ecame
supporters of Del Pilar.
The cd11onal policy of L.a So/idandad under Del Pilar's
management enhanced the cle.svage between Rllal and Del Pilar.
.ttiul and h1s close friend\ obicctcd to 1he periodical', cditonal
pohcy which was occasionally contrary 10 Riz.al's pohtical views
To avert the break-up hetwccn Rizal and M.H del Pilar,
the F1hpin~ m Madrid, numbering about runety. met on January
1, 1891, New Year's Day. to patrh up their diffcrcn,-c, and to
intell'lify the campaign for refonn It wa5 decided in thi~ meeting
that a leader called Responsable, be chosen to direc1 the affairs
of the FLlipmo community and 10 detcnnine the ednonal policy
oC Lo Sohdarrdod Del Pilar opposed the proposition that the
periodical be placed under the control of the Responsable on
the ground that II w~ a private cnterpnsc, however, he was
w,lhng to pubh,h aniclcs that would exprc~ the aspira11011~ and
demands or the Filipino people
Owing to Del Pilar·s opposition. the proposition to place
L.a Solutandad under the control of the Responsable was aban•
doned. The meeting proceeded to the business of elecung the
Responsable. h was agreed that the Rcsponsable should be
elected by a tv.'0-lhirds vote of the Filipmo community
. R b.al Abdlcaus His Ludership. The elechon 1001: place
dunng the first week or February, 1891 The Filipinos were
d1vtded 1010 two hostile camps - the Rizalistas and the Ptlanstas.
181
JOA lltlAL, Ltoe. WOIIO AHD WlltTtNOI
Passion ran high, mfiam ing animosity and disunity in lhc ranks
of the compatriou. From the very beginning, on lhe first day
of the vohng, Ri:ial was winning, but he could not obtain the
required two-thirds vote 10 be proclaimed Responsable On the
second day of balloting, the result was again indecisive - Rizal
won but the votes cast for him did not rct,ch the required
two-thirds.
The situation was becoming explosive and criucal On the
third day, Mariano Ponce appealed to his countrymen with
stirring eloquence 10 vote for Rizal. Some Pilans1as, ev,denily,
),ceded his pica. For the voting that day resulted in R1ial's
victory. Having obtained the necessary two-thirds vote, he
became the R&Jponsoblt.
Chapter 18
Biarritz Vacation and
Romance with Nelly Boustead
(1891)
But Rizal graciously dechnctl the coveted position. I-le was
a man of honor and dignity, with a high >ensc of deltcadein,
which many politicians in all countnes and in all ages. seldom
possess, so that he did not relish bemg a leader of a divided
people. Ile knew that some or his compa tnots who ,upponed
Del Pilar despised or disliked him. So he preferred 10 abdicate
his ieadership rather tham be the cause of disun11y and hiuemess
among his countrymen.
Adl05, Madrid. R12:el wrote a bnef note thanking his com•
patriots for electing him as Rcsponsable. Sadly, he packed up
his bags. paid his bills, and boarded a train leaving for Biarritz.
As h1.s train pulled out of the railway station. he gazed
through its. window al the city of Madrid, where he was happy
during his first sojourn (1882-85) but unhappy on ht\ second
visit (1890-91) II was the last time he sow Madrid H i< agonizing
heart bade goodbye 10 t'he metropolis, of which he had wnucn
years ago: 14
Madnd Is one of the gayest t111cs of the 1110rld which
combines the ,piril of Furopc and the East. which has
adopted the orderhness, the convenience, the boo ton of
c,v1hzcd Europe without d1\da,ning, w11hout rcpclltng. the
brilliant col<iu. the ardent pa&\ion,. the pnmi11vc custom~
of the African tribes, or the chivalrous Arabs whose traces
arc still rccogn,zable everywhere, in the look, ftchng.<, and
prejudices of the people, and even in their laW11
182
To seek. solace for his disappointments in Madrid. Rizal
took a vaca1ion in the resort city of Biarrill on the lahuluus
French Riviera. He was a guest of the rich Rou~u::,d fom, lv ,ti
its winter residence - Villa Eliada. He had befriended Mr
Eduardo Boustead1 nnd hts wife and tw<> <!harnung Jau~hlers
(Adelina and Nelhe) in Paris in 1!!119-90. He u,t'd 10 fen~< "llh
the Boustead siste~ at the studio of Juan Luna and 10 allend
parties at the Boustead Pansian home. 11 wn, in Biarn11 where
be had a ~rious romance with Nclltc and finished the la,1 d1ap1er
of his sccund novel, El Filibusttri,mo.
• With the Boustuds in Biarritz. When Ri.lal arriwd in Riarrilt
at the beginning of February, 1891, he was warmly welcomed
by the Bousteads, parucularly Mr. Bou,1ead who had 1aken a
great liking for him because of his remarkable talent, A, ,,
family guest. he was treated with friendline,s and ho,p11ah1y by
Mrs. Boustead, Adelina , Nellie, and Aunt Isabel (Mrs. Boustead's sister).
The one-month vaca1 ion in Biarritz worked wondcn. for
Rizal. The scenic beaches filled with touri$lS from all pare< of
the world, the refreshing breeus of the Atlantic ocean. and I he
festive atmosphere of lbe cuy cheered his despondent spml and
made him forget the bitter mcmones of Madnd . His ,orrow,ng
bean began to sing once more with joy and his health improved
wi1h remarkable swiftness. Writing from Biarrill to Mariano
183
I
-
IIIZAL: LIPI. - U MO MIITIOIQI
Pooc:e oo Fcbniary I I. 1891. be said: " I have put on much
weight ancc I a.rrived here; my cheeks arc no longer sluunken
u before for the relUlOn that I go to bed early and I have no
cares " 2
Ro,nantt wleh Ndlic llouttcad. BtarnlZ, Wlth llS romantic
gardens, delightful villas, and panoramic beauties. is an ideal
scttmg for romance. On an emouonal re bounce, Rizal havmg
lost his beloved t.eonor. came 10 entertam con,,derable Mtlect,on
for Nelhc, the prettier and younger daughter of his h<>SI. He
found her to be a real Fihpina, highly intelhgent. vivacious in
temperament, and morally upright He wrote to lu~ mtimate
friends, ucc:pt Professor Blumentnll, of h1~ love for Nclhc, also
called Nelly and !us rntent,on to proJ>05C mamagc to her
As early as on February 4 , 1891, M. H dcl Pilar teased him
about changing the "o" m Nol, to an "e", which means Noh to
Nelly l Five days later. Toma1 Arciola t<>ld Rizal·"
In your !tiler you talk rcrca1edly of Bouucad who can
be a madamt M a madtmOJ1<'1le Several
here since
last year I have bt,,n told about thl> young WOlllan who.
1,...,,
accord,na 10 your teller 1• ahu • F~1pino. !'hey 1old me
that she 1s highly c:ommendahle for her thorough cduc:ati"'1,
bee very bcllubful moral and physical qual111cs, and in adda!IOO. for hcinc • Flilp,n<> On lhl> oc:casioo llnd all the lll'IIC
you arc there expoocd to th<- warmth of the 1rc1tmcnl and
11tent1onJ of that f11111ly, may I we the hbcny £or malung
the foll,,.,ing rcflcetlOftt Through you your11elf, I Ir.now th11
you arc now free from your engagement m the Philippines
On lhe other hand , while oond1llons there arc nOI altered,
your pcrmanena: in our country ,s not ad-.ublc, and even
d it were so. they '"""Id never leave you ,n peace 11 your
home. ConscqllCtltly, by m•rry1ng there, I rear thu instead
of happineu. you would only hnd b111erne-s and trouble.
And whit i,, U~ remedy'.? .. Sec i( Made mouclle
Boustead suits you, ooun her, and marry her, and we arc
here to applaud such a guod act
Antoruo Luna, who had pre"1ously loved and lost Nelly,
encouraged R17.al to woo and marry her From Madrid. he wrote
to Rizal, sayin1r~
W1lh respect to Nelly, frankly, I think there is n04hin1
bcllOCCn us more lh¥ll one of !hose friendships et1Li,ened
114
by bc1n1 fdlow countrymen It scema to me that 1h<:rc 15
no1h1na more. My "ord of honor I had been her fiancc: ,
we wrote to cad! 01hcr I Like her because I knew how
wonhy \he was. bul c,rcumstancc:, be )Ulld our control made
all that happineu one chernhcd ev1pora1e She is l()Od;
she is naturally endowed "'"h quat,110 admirable m a )oung
"'"""n and I believe 1h11 \he .,,,II bnna h.lppnc~ n<>1 nnly
10 )OU bul 10 any Olher man "'ho " worth) of her
I
congratulate you .as one congratulate, a l11cnd Congrau11la-
uon,1
W11h 1hc encouragement of h1, clo,c friend~. R1,al courted
Nelly ...,h<l, in turn, rec1proca1cd h" alfe,11on. Unfonunatc:ly,
the,r romance bcnealh the l,,vely 81arntl moon did no1 have a
happy fairy I.lie finale Ri,al's mam:ig,· prt•po~I failed for two
reasons ( I) he rctu,cd IO give: up h" Catholic faith and be
converted to l'rotestanmm, a, Nelly demanded, and (2) Nelly's
mot her did not ltke Rt2.1I .s a son m· law
Nl'II~ ttnu,tead b<:mg a good Pmtc\lant wanted R11al 10
esp<>u"· Protcstanti= hefore their mam.1,e Riull . be•nr a man
of firm convict1on, refu~d Although he became a Ma~n. he
rema111ed loyul t" the Cs1hohc rchgicm, the raith or hi~ clan.
Ycal\ l111c:r, when hewn, hving in exile in Dapitan, he rcfu1ed
Father f'ahlo Pastclb' accusation 1ha1 he was a Protc\lant as
folJo,., .. As to bcmg a ProteMant .. , If Your Revercn~c only
knc .. whJl I had IOSI for Olli .iccep11ng Pro1c,tan11sm, )OU would
not say ,uch a thing I lad I not alwny, ,~.._pectcd lh< religious
idea. had I held religion as a matter of convenience <>r an art
getting along in thii hfc, inMcad or being a poor exile, I would
now bc a n~h man . free and covered with honon ,.,,
,,r
Nell) ·s mother, hkc the mother
I cnnor Rivera. had no
wish to entrust her daughter's happmc~s lo a man who was poor
m matcnal thongs, a phys1c1an without a pa)1ng clicntelc, a wnter
who cumcd nothing from hi~ pen, and o rcfmmcr who was
pcrsec111cd by the fria" and government official, in Im own
cuuniry
,It hough they could not get ma med, Rizal aod Nclhc parted
as good friend~. When ,he learned thal R11al was leav,ng Furope,
she <;ent him a farewell lcucr, ~ying: MN ow that you arc leaving
I wish you a happy trip and may you tnumph in your undenakmgs. and above all. may the Lord loo!( down on you with favor
135
-
IIIZAL: LI,.._ W O I I Q A N O -
8 .-rih tnwludlll Attd R°"'91'1101 Wich ...IIV louttHd 1190
and guide your way giving you much blessin~. and may you
learn to enjo/1 My remembrance will accompany you as also
he became financially independent, he CJCpccted w mal.c a more
vigorous campaign for his country's redemption
my prayen.~
From Brussels , on May I, 1891 he notified the Propaµ11d.1
authorities in Manila to cancel lus monthly allowance and dc,·01.:
the money to some better cause, such as the educa11~n of ,1
young Filipino Student in Europe His notification ,,..a, rnm.tinc,1
in a letter addressed to Mr A L. Lorena {pseudonym OeoJato
Arellano), as follows u
Through Ille kindness of J.A., I ~1,-cd your kiter ul
13 February wilh a draft or PIOO lhAI lhC PropagJndu "
sending me for the months or January and Fcbruar- and l
thank you for such anenllOn.
In Otder to avoid tnercasu,g 11S attcn11on• I behe,e m,
rctu-cmcnt 1s necessary. I will «labh<h. myself and cam ""
living. My chosen place IS either in the Ph1hppines. llonr
Kong, or Japan. beca~ l:wope seem> 10 me a pl•cc ,,
cnle and I am hereby notifying rh.. Prnpa~anda or rm
intention so that n may make ns dCCISion
With the PSO that 11 send me monthly II could <I •
something bc11er, which 11 to lkfra) the cost of 1he cdu,Jlt<>n
of another younc man who b nol ,n rhe same ,itu.tll<'n .,,
I am. Though such an amount LS su.ffiacnt 10 live oo rn an,
pw:e in Europe. 11 1S not enough for one "ho '"''""' to
11CCOmpli$h somethins and lo carry oul 1be plans 1hat he
may cherish.
Consequently. I have asked Fnend Basa to furnr<h me
wuh the funds for tn) return. so thar l c•n ,rart unnn!("
small fortune. If at last. after the end of a re... vears, I
become finaoaally mdcpendcnt, I shall he able 10 undenalu,
a more ,.,go1ous and cffecme campaign than th.It I h:wc
been doing until now
El Flllbastr I o f'lnllhed ID Blarritz. Frustrated ,n romarn.,e
Rizal found consolation Ul writing. Evidently. while wooing
Nelhe and enjoying so ·many magnificent moonlight nights" w,th
he_r, he kept working on his second novel which he began tn
write in Calamba in 1887
On March 29, 1891, the eve or his departure from Biarritz
to Paris, he finished the manuscript of El Filibusterismo. Wriung
to Blumentritt on that date, he said:•
I have 6mshcd my book! Oh, no. I have 001 wnnen
in ii my idea of revenge apmst my encm,e. bur only "'ha1
is for the good of those who are suffenng, for the nghts of
lhe Tagal0g race, though brown and may nor have good
features•
Surely. l v.1II lave tomorrow for Paris, and from 1tw-rn
I don't know •here I am going.
To Paris and Back to Brus.wls. As he had written 10 Blumeotrin, Rizal bade farewell to the hosJ>lta.ble and friendly Bow,teads
(parents and daughters) on March :JO, L891 and proceeded to
Paris by train. He stayed at the home of hrs friend, Valentin
Ventura, on 4 Rue de Chateaudum.
From Paris, he wrote to Ins friend, Jose Ma. Basa. ,n Hong
Kong, on April 4, expressing his desire to go 10 that British
colony and practise ophthalmology in order 10 earn his living. •0
Moreover, in this letter. he requested Basa to advance him the
amount for a first dass steamer ticket from Europe to Hong Kong.
By the middle of April, 1891, Rizal was back in Brussels.
where he was happily received by Marie and Suzanne Jacoby
(his landladies) and, above all, by Petite Su.:anne (1he Belgian
girl wbo loved him) .
~ 6-wn Ille l',-opa1and• MotttnenL Since abdica1•
ing his leadership in Madrid in January, 1891, owing to the
intrigues of his jealous compatriots, Rizal reured from the Propapnda Movement. or reform crusade. He desired to publish his
SC<X>Od novel, to practise his i:nedical profCKion, and later, when
186
,,r
.Rizal Stopped Writin& for I.A Solidaridad . Simultaneous wnh
his retirement from the Propaganda Movement. Rita! ceased
writing articles for La Solidaridad. Many of his fr,ends in Spa,n
urged him to continue writing for the patriotic pet"iodical. becau~
his nticles always anracted considerable anenuon m European
countries.
M .H . dd Pilar himself realized the need for Raal's collaboration in both the Propaganda Movement and in the l .A Solid4ridad newspaper because the enthusiasm for the reform
187
-
IIIZAL:'t.lfl. WOIIICI ,,_ Mirr.a
crusade in Spain was declining. On Auguat 7, 1891, be wrote
to Rizal begging forgiveness for any resentment and rcquesling
him (Rizal) to resume writing for the La Solidaridad. Min short,n
he ~aid in his letter, "if you have any resentment, I beg you to
put it aside; if you consider me at fault, and this fault is pardon•
able, forgive me ... We would much like lhal you resume
writing for it; not only would we stn:ngthen IA Solidaridad but
we would defeat the friar iotrigJJc in the Philippines. nil
In his reply to Del Pilar's letter, Ru:a1 wrote denying any
resentment and explaining why he stopped writing for La Solidaridad as follows:•>
I am extremely surprised at your letter, telling me abou1
resentments, disagrccmcnis, and recoodliauons, etc. I
believe it is us,:lc,s to talk about what does not exist, and
it bas existed, it ought 10 have evapo~ted in the past. I
think like you do, that there being oothing, one ought not
to waste time 1allting about it
,r
tr I stopped writing for 1,,, So/idari,.lwl, ii was because
although it is not so cheerful, at least it is more profound and
more perfect ... ln case I do not receive money, wiU you ask
them to send me money for the printing of my book? If not, I
wiU be leaving this place and be with you. " 1'
Two weeks later, on June 13, Rizal informed Basa: "I am
now negotiaung with a printing firm and as I do not know if it
will be printed here (Belgium) or in Spain, I cannot send it to
you a.~ yet. In case it is not published here, I will $Cnd it to you
by the nex1 mail. Only three chapters are left to be corrected.
II is longer than 1he Noli, first part. 11 will be finished before
the 16th of this month . If by chance anything happens to me,
I leave its publica1ion 10 Antonio Luna , including its correc1,on ... If my Noli (sic. Fil, - 2.) is not published , I shall board
a urain on lhe following day when I receive your letter with the
passage-money; but if my book is publi~hed I shall have to wait
until ii comes o(f the. press." 15
•
♦
•
•
•
or several reasons: 1st, J need time to work on my book;
2nd, I wanted other Filipinos 10 wort also; 3rd, 1 considered
it very important to the party 1ba1 there be unity in the
work; and you arc already at lhe top and I also have my
own ideas, it is better 10 leave you alone to dir'ecl the policy
such a.~ you understaod it and I do not meddle in ii. This
has two advantages: II leaves both of us free, and it increases
your prc,11gc. which 1s very ncccssaJ'y, in111much as men or
prcsuge are needed in our counlry. This does not mean 10
sav that I n4'ed nol work and follow the course of your
"'ork I am like an army corps who, 11 a needed momcnl,
you v.111 sec &rrivc to descend upon lhe nanks or the enemy
hcforc you . Only l ~k God 10 give me the means 10 do
11 . I f1~l11 for 1he nation, lhc Phihppin0$.
Revising the Fili for Publication. In Brussels Rizal worked
day after day revising 1hc finished manuscript of El Filibustuismo
and readied it for printing. Apparently, the revision was mostly
completed on May 30, 1891. On this date, be wrote Jose Ma.
Basa: "My book. is now ready to go to press; the fim twenty
cbaplers are already corrected and can be printed and I am
recopying the rest. If I receive any money you will surely have
it in July. I am writlllg II with more ardor than the Noli and
188
,.,
El Filibu1HHl1mo Publllhed In Gh•f'lt ( 189 U
Chapter 19
El Filibusterismo
Published in Ghent (1891)
Days flew swiftly for RiLal in Bru~ls hke flying arrow~.
Day in and day out. he was husy revising and poli\hing the
11lJlnuscript of El Fllibusterismo so that II could be ready for the
press. He had begun writing 11 in October, 1887, while practising
medicine in Calamba I The following year (1888). in London ,
he made some changes in the plot and corrected some chapters
already wrillcn. 2He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid,
and finished the manubcript in Biurnt, on March 29. H!<Jl. 3 It
took. him, therefore, three years 10 wnle h,s second novel
Privations In Ghent. On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brus&cls for
Ghent, a famous universi1y city in Belgium. His reasons for
moving lo Gben1 were ( I) the cost of pnnling in Ghent was
cheaper lhan in Brussels ond (2) 10 csca~ from the enticing
attraction of Petite Suzanne. fn Ghent, be mel two compatriots,
Jose AleJandro (from Pampanga) and Edilberto Evangelisu
(from Manila), both studying en&tnccnng in the world•famed
University of Ghent .
Owing 10 his limited funds, Riul lived in a cheJp boarding
house, with Jose Alejandro as room-mate. Theirs wa.~ a very
frugal life, subsisting on the barest necessities. To economize
further, they prepared their own daily breal<fa~t in their room.
Years later Alejandro, who became a general during the
Filipino-American War of 1899-1902 and an engineer, recounted
in his memoirs their hard life m Ghent. as follows:•
In Gben1 we hved in a room paying so much for our
lodging and brcnkfasl Rizal asked me ·•11ow much would
the room cos1 us without the breakfast?"'
J,o
I talked to the landlady and she 1otd me that ~he w,,old
reduce the rent so much if wi1hou1 brcakfa.-1 . Rit.d made
his calculations and concluded 1ha1 if we made our own
breakfast we could save something,. He bought tea. sugar.
alcohol and a box of biscu11i. Upon arriving •1 the huu,c
be opened the biscui1s and counted and divided them equally
between U5. He !old me 1ha1 we owned so many biscuit,
each and that , by div,ding the number of biscuit< by 30
days, we would have so many biscuits for each breakfast.
The first day, because of my personal pride. I contentLd
myself with my ration And so with the folluw,ng day, Bui
on the third day, I told him that my ration was not cnou11,I\
for me. lben he answered ... You may borrow from your
ration for tomorrow". Thru frequent borrnw111g I ate 111> ult
my shares in IS days, while he rigorously limucd himself
to his daily ra11on.
The Prlntlng or El t"Wbusterismo. Shortly after lus arrival
in Ghent, Rizal searched for a printing shop that could g,vc him
the lowest quo1ation for the publication of hi\ novel At lasl .
he did find a publisher - F. MEYER-VAN LOO PRESS. No.
66 Viaandcrcn Street - who wa~ willing 10 pnnt his hook on
instalment basis. He pawned his jewels in ~>nlcr tel pJy the down
payment and the early partial paymen1s durin!( the printing of
I.be novel.
Meanwhile, as the printing was going on. 1{1zal hccamc
desperate because his funds were running ,low and the money
he expected from his friends did not arrive. He hud received
some money from Basa and P2()0 from Rodriguez Aria, for 1hc
copies of Morga·s S11ett.ws sold in Ma11ilt1 Bui 1hc,c fund, were
also used up, and much more were needed to pay the printer
Writing 10 Basa from Ghent on July 1891. Rizal \aid •·1
have already pawned all my jewels, I live in a small room, I
eat m the cheapest restaurant ,n order to econom1Lc a11d be able
to publish my boolc; SQOn I will huvc io slop ils publication ,r
no money comes . . . ." 5
On Augus1 6 , the prin1ing had to be s uspended. a~ Ri1,al
feared, because he could no longer give the necessary fund~ 10
the printer. On this date. he wrote 10 Bai.a ih llong Kong: .. As
you will see in the enclosed clipping. 1hc printing or the s.:cond
part (sequel to the Noli - 2 .) is advanced, and I am now on
191
.-111ZAL: LIFa, WOIIICS-WRm NQlt
page.112. Because no money is forthcoming and 1 owe everybody
and I am broke, I will have to smpend tbe publication and leave
the work half-finished". 6
Vffltura, Savior of !Ju! Fill. Rizal's Calvary in connectio•
with the printing of the Noli was repeated in the Fm's prin11ng.
His funds ran out in Ghent, a similar calamity tbat he experienced
in Berlin in the winter of 1836. Once more he felt the dolorous
grip or despair. In a moment of bitter disillusionment, he almost
hurled the manuscript of the Fili t'ltO the flames, just os he
almost did the Noli in Berlin.
"1 do not know: Rizal told Basa in woeful mood, "if the
money which l expect does not arrive by tbe next mail, I will
give up the book and all, and 1 will embark to live and work
for m)'llelf . . . Al times I £eel like burning my manuscript. But
then I think or you, and I know that there are many good men
lik.: you. good men who truly love their country" 7
When everything seemed lost, help came £rom an unexpected
IOW'CC. Valentin Ventura m Paris learned of Rizal's predicament
and immediately sent him the necessary funds With his financial
aid, the printing of the Fili was resumed,
Tbe fill Comes Off th e Press. At last, on September 18,
1891, El Filibusterismo came off the press. Rizal, now a very
happy man, immediately sent on tills date two pnnted o/es
to Hong Kong - one for Bosa and the other for Sixto Lopez.
To his friend in Paris, Valentin Ventura, who generously
loaned him the funds needed to finish the printing o[ !he novel,
Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed pnnted copy. He sent other complimentary copies to
Blumentritt, Mariano Ponce, G Lopez Jaena, T.H. Pardo de
Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna. and other friends.
fllipino patriots in foreign lands and in the Philippines
praised the novel to the skies. The members of the. Filipino
colony of Ba recIon a published a tribute in la Publ1cidad, a
Barcelona newspaper, eulogizing the novel's original style which
~is comparable only to the sublime Alexander Dumas" and may
weO be offered as "a model a nd a precious jc«el in the now
decadent literature of Spain". 9
191
El F1hDuU•rlwno Publlttwd In Ghent 111911
The libcrnl Madrid ne~papcr. t:I Nufvo Regimen, senalizcd
the novel in its issues of Octohcr, 1891.
Practrcally all copie~ of the t1,..,t edition (Ghent edition) of
£/ F,l,busremmo were placed m wooden boxes and shipped 10
Hong Kong, hut almoM aU the boxc~ were confiscated and the
OO<>h "-CCC lost So it C,UIIC lo pa\., that the hook immediately
hecarne rare , and the few avail,tole Ghent copic~ were sold at
,cry high pnces, reaching as high as UK) pesetas per copy.
Oedlcatul lo <lom-Bur-Za. [·v1de111ly, Rrtal in all the year~
uf hi, ,1u,ltc,, truvcl, . and laho" 10 lorct!(n lands. had not
ft11)!,1llcn the m;ir1yrdnm 1•f hllhc" (n,mc,, llurg•"· ,md ZJlll•
oru which Pac1,1no rcla1cd to h1111 wh~n he "·'' a mere IJd m
C'alamha He deJ,catcd t:I Fil,/msrer,smo 10 them. His dedtt-alion
read, "' follow,.
To th,• mc:mury of 1ht: pric"r~. Don M,,riunu liumc1
(XS }C;lr< old), Dnn Jose 8ur11os (30 yea" old), and Don
J~c,n10 Lumoru (JS )Cars old). E•ecutcd in Ba,:umbayan
Field 11n 1h,• 2K1h nl lchruary , IK72
The Church. hy rcfu<mg to dep,radc )OU, ha< placl"<l ,n
doubt lhc crime that has been impured In you; the Govern•
mcnl h~ ,urmundlng your trials wtth mys1uy and shallows,
Clluw, the t>cliet 1ha1 !here was 'l<lme error, cmnm111cd ,n
ra1al momen1,; and all lhe Ph1lipp1nes. by worsh,ppmg your
memory ~n,l eulhng y11u mariyrs, ,n no sense recognizes
)our culp:ihihry In <O far. lhcreforc , a< your c<>mplicny ,n
the Cavuc mutiny ,snot dearly proved, as you mav or may
nul have l'>oen p.atriois, •ml a, you may 01 may not ha,c
cherished sentiment< for 1us11cc and for hhcrty, I have the
right 10 deuic.He my work to )'OU as victJms of the evil which
I undc, rnkc ro combat. And "'hilt we wait cxpccrantly upon
Spain some day to m.11>rc your good name and cea~ 10 be
nnM•·erable for yuur death, let thc,;c pages serve as a lardy
"'rc•th nf d11cd lcu"c' over your unknown tomo:., and let
11 he understood Iha! every nne who without clear proofs
artacks 1our memory stains his hands m your bl0<>d'
Never in the annal~ of mankind has a hero wriucn such a
sublime ,ind touching 1nbu1c to other heroes a) Rizal.
To straighten h1)IOncal record,, however. we must rectify
Rizal'\ hi,1oncal maccuracie) in hi~ dcd1ca1ory note . First of all,
the martyrdom of Gomez, Burgos. and Zamora occurred on
l9J
-IIIZA&.,
Ll,._ _ _ W _
February 17, 1872- not on tbc 28th. Secondly, Father Gomez
was 73 years old - not 85, Father Burgos was 35 years old - not
30, and Father Zamora was 37 ynrs old - not 35.
The WARNING is found on the other sick of the dedication.
It is as follows:
The author's corrections are seen throughout the manuscript
Only a few pages have not been revised by Rizal.
'Ibey arc going to wute their hmc "'ho .,ould atuck
this book by holding oo to triOes, or who from other moll\"fi,
would try to disc(>ver in 11 more or less known phy>1ogn()mics.
True 10 his purpose or exposing the disease. of the patient,
and, ill order not to divert himself nor dt>en the reader.
wbllst he narrates only real facts •h1ch happened recently
and arc absolmcly authcnuc 1n subnanee, he ha.s d1Sfiiured
his characters so that they may 001 tum to he the typ,cal
p,ctures some readers found in his first book. Man passe,;
htS vices remain, and to 1CCCntuate or ,how their effecu,
•.he pea or the writer aspires
Two features m the manu.script do not appear in the prin:cd
book, namely; the FOREWORD and the WARNING These
were not put into print, evidently, 10 save printing cost.
'-'rip(ion oa Tide Pqe. The title page of Fl Fi/1bt<ttUl!Jmn
contains an inscription written by Fcrdnand Blumentnn. Thi~
TIie Manmcripl ud th« Book. The original manlHCript of
El FrlibUStl'rismo in Rizal's own handwriting is now preserved
in the Filipiana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries,
Manila. It had been acquired by the Plulippinc Government
from Valentin Ventura for PI0,000. It consists of 279 pages of
long sheets of paper.
The FOREWORD appears just before the dedicatory page
in the manuscnpt II runs as follows: 10
We have w often been fnghtened by the phantom of
filibustensm that from only a nu,:se's narrallOn 11 has become
a ~twe and real being who,e name alone (in dcpov,ng
us of our \Crtnity) maku us commit the peatcSt myths in
order not to meet the !eared reality. Instead of Oeeing. we
shall look at ,u face, and ,.,th determined, 1! inexpcn, hand
we wll raise the ve,I 10 uncover before tbe multitude the
mechanism of its skeleton
lf. upon see,ng it, our country and its eovemment
reOect, we shall consider ourselves happy no matter whether
they ceR11ure us for the audacity, no nutter whether we pay
for it like the young student of Sais who wished to pcncratc
the secret of the priestly tmposurc. (On the other hand, if
1n tht face of reality, instead of being soothed, one', rear
is inaeased and the trcp,dation of another is aggravated,
then they wtll have tO be ~ft in the bands of lime which
educates the living, in the hands of fatahty which weaves
the destinies of peoples and their governments with the faults
and errors that they are commimng ••cry day.)
E11ropc, 1891
n.Alllllor
194
inscription, which 1s not found 10 many pubb,hcd English translations. is as follo-..-s: 11
It can easily be ,upJJO""d that a relic I (f1 h!,u,tem) hJ,
secretly bewitched tbe league of friar-zealots ancl retrogrades
so that, unwnungly !0Uowu1g his 1n<t1cmen1,. the} should
favor and foment that pobcy which pur.un on~ "'le cn,f;
10 spread ideas of rebellion throughout rhe lcng1h and
breadth of the land, and 10 convtn« every ~ bp,no 1ba1
there as no salvahon cxccpt through sep.uat,on f1mn the
Mother Country.
Fttdlnand Blummtntt
Synopsis of FJ Filibusterismo. Tins novd is a ~qucl to the
Noh. It has lmle humor. lci.s ,dcab,-m, and le!.!. romance than
the Nolt Mr Tangu,. It" more rcvnlutionary. more tragic than
the first novel.
The hero of E,/ Filibusterismo is a nch Jc...,dcr named Simoun
He was Cri50Stomo Ibarra of the /1.oli, who, with l:.l1a,. help,
e$C8ped from the pursuing soldiers at Laguna de Bay. dug up
his buried treasure, and Oed to Cuba where he hecamc rich and
befriended many Sparush of!"icials. After many years. he returns
10 the Philippines, where he freel~ moved around. He " a
po,.erful figure not only because he 1s a nch Jeweler, but also
because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general
e ,n•---..- ,,_ '"
Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain. However, deep in
his heart, he is secretly cherishing a terrible revenge against the
Spanish authorities. His two magn,licen t obsessions arc (I) to
rescue Maria Clara From the nunnery or Santa Oara and (2) to
foment a revolution against the hated Spanish masters.
The story of El Filibustl!ri.snw begins on board the clumsy,
roundish shaped steamer Tabo, so appropriately named. This
6teamcr ,s ~ailing up,trcam the PaMg from Manila to Laguna de
Bay A mo11g the pal>SCngers are Simoun, the rich jeweler; Doiia
Victorina . the ridiculously pro-Spanish native woman who is
go,ng to Laguna in search of her henpecked husband. Tiburcio
de Cspadai111, who ha\ deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her beautiful
niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibanez), a Spanish journalist who
writes silly articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, Vice-Rector
or the University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish
prie•t of the town ofTiani; Don Custodio, a pro-Spanish Filipino
holding a high position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin
Franc,-n friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a
kind friar who was a friend of the fihpino students; Padre:
Aorentino. a re tired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest; lsagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita;
and Ba~ilio. son of S,sa and promising medical student, whose
medical educahon i\ financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.
Simo\ln. a man of wea!th and mystery. is a very close friend
and confidante of the Spanish governor general. Because of his
great influence in Ma\acaiiang, he was called the ·Brown Cardinar· o r the ·· mack Emin~nce" . By using htS wealth and his
poli11cal influence, he encourages corruption in 1he government,
promote~ lhc o ppression uC the masses, and hastens the moral
degradation of the country so that the people may bcoome
despcrnh: and light Ile smugglci, nrms into the country with
the help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga, who wants very
much 10 be Chinese consul of Manila. His first attempt to begin
the armed upr1~111g did n<>t materialize because at the last hour
he hear-, the ~ad news that Marin Clara died in the nunnery. Jn
his agonizing moment of bereavement, he di(! not give the signal
for the outbreak of hostilities.
After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss
of Maria Oara. Simoun perfccu his plan to overthrow the
196
()lwnt 08811
government. On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita Gomez
and Juanito Pelaez, he &ivcs as wedding gift to them a beauuful
lamp. Only he and his confidential a.o;s()QalJ:, Basilio (Sisa 's ,;on
who joined his revolutionary cause), know that when the wick
of his lamp burns lower the nitroglycerine, bidden in 11s secret
compartment, will explode, destroy,ng the house where the
wedding feast is going to be held and killing all ·he p,uests,
includmg the governor general, the friars, and the government
orlicial~. Simulu111co1L,ly. all the government buildings in Manila
will be hlown by Simoun·~ followers.
As the wedding fca~t begins, the pocl lsagnni, who ha<
been rejected by Paulita bcc.<use of bis liberal ideas. is standing
outside the house, watching sorrowfully the merriment inside.
Ba~ilio. hi, rncnd. warns him to go away because the lighted
lamp will soon explode.
Upon hearing the horrible secret or the lamp, lsagani reali1.es
that his beloved Pauhta was in grave dangec_ To save her life,
he rushe~ ,nto the house. seizes the lighted lamp. and hurl> 11
into the nver, where rt explodes
The revollut,onary plot was th~ diSCQYcred. Simoun WI$
cornered by the soldiers. but he escaped. Mortally wounded.
and carrying his treasure chest, he sought refuge ,n the home
of Padre Florentino by the sea.
The Spanish authorities. however, learns of his presence in
the house or Padre Aorentino Lieutenant Perez or the Guardia
Civil inforn,s the priest by letter that be would come at eight
o'dock 1ha1 111ght to arrc.~I Simnun
Simoun cJudcd arrest by talung po,son. A5 he ,,. dying. he
confc.ses to Padre Florentino, revealing htS true idcn1i1:y h,,
dasiardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his sinister
aim to destroy his friends and enemies.
The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. fl
is already night when Padre Florentino, wiping the sweat from
his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to meditate He consoles
the dying man, saying: "God will forgive you, Senor Simouo.
He ,knows that we arc faUible . He bas seen that you have
suffered. and in ordaining lhat the chastisement for· your faults
should come as death From the very ones you have instigated
,,,.
.1011 RIZAL: LIPI, WORU AHO WRITINOI
to crime, we can see lfu infinite mercy. He has frustrated your
plans one by one, the be!t conceived, first by the death of Maria
Oara, then l>y a lack of preparation, then in some mysterious
way. Let us bow to His will and render htm thanks!"
Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and
at peace with God, Padre Florentino murmurs:
"Where are the youth who will cons~rotc their golden
hours, their illusions, and th<:ir cnthusiBlm to 1hc wclfore
of their native land? Where arc the youth who ,.;u ~ncrously
pour out their blood to wash away so much shame. so much
crime. so much abomination? Pure and spotlc" muM the
victim be that the sacrii;ce may be acceptable! Where are
you, youth, who will embody 1n )Ourselves the vigor or hfc
that has left our vein,, the punty of idc,is that has been
contaminated in our brams, the fire of enthu~1asm that hu
been quenched in our h"JlrtSI We await you, O youth! Come,
for we await you!"
Padre Florentino falls upon his knee~ and prays for the
dead jeweler. H e takes the treasure chest and throws 11 into the
sea. As the waves cioi,e over the ~inking ch~t. ht lnvol.es:
"May nature guard you 1n her deep abyss,,~ among the
pearls and coruls of her ctcmut scus When for !.Omc ht1I)
and sublime purposes man may need you. God will m I Ii<
wisdom draw you from the bosom of the waves Meanwhile.
there you wlll not work woe, you will not d"tort jw.ticc,
you will not foment avarice!"
There are other characters in El Filrb11s1crismo There is
Cabcsang Tales, who is dispossessed of his land in Tiani by the
friars like that of Rizal's father. In desperation, he becomes a
bandit chieftain named Matanglawin. I-Ii, daughter Juli,
sweetheart of Basilio (Sisa's son), kill~ heri;clf rather than he
dishonored by Padre Camorra. There is Macaraig, a rich stu~en t
and leader of. the Filipino students in their movement to have
an academy where they oould learn Spanish. There is the bigoted
Dominican friar-professor, Padre Millon, who teaches ph~ics
in the University of Santo Tomas without scientific expcnments.
Ooc of his ,tudents, Placido Penitente from Batangas, becomes
discontented with the poor method of instruction in the university. And there is Senor Pasta, the old Filipino lawyer, who
,,.
refuses to help the Filipino students in chcu I" 1,1wn cu th~
government for educational reforms
Other characters in £/ Filil>ustemmo Jrc T.indam· 'id,>
grandfather of Juli and Cabesang Tales· tac her , Mr Am~nc.111
impressario who owned the side,how at chc fcrt:t (f,ur ) 111 (J111.q,11
exhibiting an Egyptian mummy: Sandoval. .i Span"h ,1ud,·nt
who supports the cause of the Filipino studcnc, 1,, propaµ.,t<:
the teaong of Sparush: Pe~n. om.· of the Fihpmo students who
agitates for the ccachmg of Spanish. C'at,cs,ma And,ing. th<.
mother o f Placido Penitente: Pepay; the prcttv dar1t·c:r ;ind mi,tress of Don Custodio; Padre Fernandez. a g,w><t Dl>mm1<:.in
friar and friend of lsagani. Don Timoccu , the [.ichcr ,11 Ju;i1111n
Pelaez: Tano. lhe son of Cahe~ang Talc, :ind hmthcr nl iuli .
and Ch1chay, che ~ilvcr~m11h who made the hri<l.il ,·.11 nnµ, f,,1
Paultca Gomez.
As m the Noli the characters tn Ii./ F1/1bw,temmo were drawn
by_Rizal from real life. For in,can~ , r,,drc Florcntmn w," l'ath<"r
Leonl'io Lopez, Rizal's friend and prie~t of C'nlamha: 1'a~.,ni
the poet was Vicente !lustre. Batanguerio friend of R11al 111
Madrid and P.auli1a Gomcl. the girl who ln~ctl h,,g.1111 but
married Juanito Pelaez, was Leonor Rivera
''Noll" ana, "FIii" Compared. The two nnvch of Rit.11 v:1rv
in many respects, although they are writlen by lhe ,.imc author
and arc supposed to be deahng with the same ,tory and have
the same characters. The Nolt is a rom11ntic novel , 11 " a "work
of the heart" - a "book of feeling"; it has freshness . color,
humor, lightness, and wit.
On lhe other band, lhe Fili is a political novel; 11 1s a "work
of the head~ - a " book of the thought", it contain; biucrncss.
hatred, pain, violence. and sorrow.
The original intention of Rizal was co make the F,/1 longer
than the Noli. As printed, however, it is shorter than the Nol,
It onntains 38 chapters as against the No/i's 6-1. Rizal had to cut
the Fi/1 drastically owing to lack of funds.
The friends of Rizal and our Rizahsts mday differ ,n opinion
as to which is the superior novel - the Nolt or the Ftlr. Rizal
himself considered the Noli as supenor 10 the Fi/r as a novel.
thereby agreeing with M.H. del Pilar who had the ~amc opinion. 12
199
JOSI: RIZAL: LIFE._._, -IINCA
Retana, R.iul's fml Spanish biographer, also believes that the
Noli is superior to the Fili.•>
However. others - includin& Blumentritt, Graciano Lop~
Jaena. and Or. Rafael Palma'• - are of the opinion that the
Fil, is superior to the Noli. Lopez Jacna, in a letter 10 Rita.I
dated October 2, 1891, said: "El Filibusterismo is a novel superior
10 your Noli Me Torige-re, as much for its exquisite delicate.
literary style, ns easy and correct dialogue, its clear ph(aseology.
vigorous and elegant. as for its profound ideas and sublime
thoughts" 15 However he was not satisfied fully with the Fili as
a poliucal novel because its -end is not a wonhy climax to a
worlc w beautiful-. Accordingly. he advised Rizal to write
another novel which would give a definne SQJution to the
country's problem so that "the coming of the beautiful day of
our redemption" may be hastened.
The issue or which is the supenor novel - the Nol, or the
Fili
L\ purely academic. Both arc good novels from the point
of view of history Boah depict wiah rcalbtic colors the actual
conditions of the Philippines and the Filipinos during the decadent
days or Span~h rule, both arc mstrumenlal in awakening the
spinl of Filipino naaionalism; and boah are responsible 1n paving
the ground for the Philippine Revolution thaa brought about the
downfall of Spain. Neither the Noli nor lhe Fili is superior to
one anoaher. As Mariano Ponce apaly told Rini, after reading
the Fili: "It is, indeed, ocellcnt, I ,-an say nothing of your boolc,
but lhis: It is really marvelous like all the brilliant productions
of your pen. It i, a true twin or 11.e Nolt' .'h
Rlzal's Ualiaisbed Tbird Novel. Even before Lopez Jaena
suggcsac<.l 1he wming of another novel, Rizal had already in
mind to pen a third novel. On September 22, 1891. four days
after the Fili Qme off rhe press, he WTote to Blumentriu: "I
am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the modem
~cn,c of lhc word, but tbl!. iimc polilics will not find much space
in it, but ethics will play the principal role. I shall deal mainly
with ahe habits and customs of the Filipinos. and only two
Spaniards, lhe friar curate and the lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil will be ahere . I wi!.h to be there. I wish to be humorous,
satirical and winy. to weep and to laugh, to laugh amidst tears,
that is. to cry bitterly".''
200
Oo October 18, 1891. Rial boarded the steamer M~lbournr
in Marseille, bound for H ong Kong. During the voyage he bc&an
wririn~ the ahird novel in Tagalog which he intended for Tagalog
readers. In Hong Kong he continued it , but for some rcru.on or
another he d,d not finish 11.
The unfinished third novel htt> no 1i1lc. It consists ol 4-1
p,1~cs 01 cm ,c 21 cm ) in Rital\ h~ntlwriaing ,till in mknuscripl
form. 11 b pre!><:rved in the Nalinnal L1hran Manila .
Tht stor} of this un11mshed no,c! begins v.ith the ,;.,Jemn
bun al of Prince 1 agul,ma, son of Sultan Zaidt of I ~m:11< un
Malap:10 -na 13..st<>. ,l bi!( rocl,. on 1hc hank of ahc ras111 River.
Suhan Za,dc. w11h h1> royal famih antl rcwin~r,. " ·'' 1aken
pnsoner by the Spanmrd; during the war, on 1hc Moluc~:,, dlld
broughl 10 Manila TI1c old ,ultJn, h" ch,lthcn . and 1..11u.. cr,
were ,,romiscd good areatment. hut lhc Spaniard, forgol 1hctr
promi...: and lei ahem die one by one in m1Sel)
The hero of the novel was Kamandagan. a dc><.'cndant of
LaJ..an Dul,t, IJsl king of Tondo. I le plotted to regain the loi.t
frcctlurn ol h" faahcrs. One day he ,.wed hi~ ,..,o hcauaiful
granddaughters. Mahgaya and Sinagtala. from the lustful
Spaniard; - 1hc cum and the encomcndcro or Bay. Laguna.
It 1s said that Rizal was fortunate not 10 have fim,hed this
novel. hccau,c It would have caused greater sc,tndal an<.l more
Spani,h vcnitc-ance on him. '"
Ri,al'~ Ocher Unfinished No•els. Rizal had other unfinished
novels One of them is entialed Makamisa, a novel in Tagalog.
It " wr,11cn in a hght sarcasuc style and is inoompletc for only
two (·h,1p1crs are fini>hed The manuscnpt con~ist, of 20 page~.
J4 1 cm. x 22 cm
Ano1hcr novel which R1wl started 10 wriac was cn1i1led
l>u1mm1 . It •~ unlin,shed. wruten in Imme Spanish. He wrote 11
dur111g h" exile in Dapitan to depict 1he to""n life and customs
l he m.1nu,cnp1 consists of K pages , 23 cm . x 16 cm.
'\ n<,vcl in Spanish abnul 1he life in Pili, a town in Laguna,
" al>o unllmshed The manuscript consists of 147 pages. 8" x
6 ;;• , w11hnu11111c Among the characters are tht! folluwing: Padre
Ag.iaon, a Span,&h friar; Capitan Paochong end Cap,tana Barang;
Cecilia, their pretty daughter; Jsagani. lover of Cecilia; Capitan
l81
JOIE AIZAL LIFE, WOAKI AHO WAITINGS
Crispin. political nval of Panchong; and Dr. LnpcL ~ rrec
thinker
Another unfinished novel of Ri-rol, also "t1hou1 11tk ,,
about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who ha, rcturncJ
from Europe. The manuscript consists of 34 pages. 8 1/~· ~ 1>11,"
Among the characters are Cnstobal. who ha, ,tud,cd rm 12
year~ in Europe: Amelia. his swecthean; Capirnn R;1mnn 1hc
father of Cristobal; a Dominican friar: a Franci~an fnar. :ind
• Span,~h lieutenant of the Guardia Cavil.
The heginnings of another novel arc contained III two
notebooks - the first notebook conia,n, 3 I wrincn p:igc, , Vi,5
cm . x 22 cm. and the second 1'.! wrincn pages. 2'.! cm , 17 .cm
Through the mouth of rhe celesual characters. th.c author
deM,ribc~ the deplorable condition~ t)f the Ph1lipp111c, I h"
unfini,hetl novel is wriuen -in Spanish. and the ,tyk " irun,c
..
•
♦
•
♦
Chapter 20
Ophthalmic Surgeon in
Hong Kong (1891-92)
After the publication of El Filibusterismn, Ri1ol lef1 Fumpc
for Hong Kong, where he lived from Novemher. lt\91 to June,
1892. His reasons forleaving Europe were ( I) hfo wus urihcaratile
in Europe because of his political difference, w11h M II dcl
Pilar and other Filipinos in Spain' and (2) to he near his idolized
Philippines and family. Before sailing ror Hong Kong. he notified
Del Pilar that ho was retiring from the political arena m Spam
in order to preserve unity among tht' compatnots and thlll despite
their paniog of ways, he had the highest regard for him '
Farnrdl to Europe. On October 3, 1891. 1wo v.ccks after
the publication or the Fili, Rizal left Ghent for Pans, where he
atayed a few days to say goodbye tq the l..unn~ . the Pardo de
Taveras, the Venturas, and other friends·. He proceeded hy train
to Marseilles and on October 18 he boarded the steamer Md•
boum~ bound for Hong Kong. He brought with him a lcllcr of
reoommendalion by Juan Luna for Manuel Camus. a comp:.triot
living in Singapore. and 600 copies of the Fili.
The trip was delightful, ~heavenly", in Rizal's own opinion.
Writing to Blumentritt on October 22, 1891, he Sllid: "Smee we
left Marseilles, we have had . . . magnificent weather. The sea
is calm, placid like glass, the sky blue. the air fresh and invigorating. Truly it is a heavenly trip".'
Ibere were over 80 first-class passengers - mostly Europeans, including two Spaniards who were go,og 10 Amoy. Ri2al
wu the only Asian among lhem. As usual, he amazed his
fellow-passen gers because of his knowledge of many languages
101
l03
°""---••llo"t1C.... 11•t-1mt
and his still in sketching. He befriended many missionaries -
llalia.o Franciscans, French Jesuits, and a bishop, Msgr. Velen•
tcri - all going to Olina. With one of them, Father Fuchs, a
Tyrolcse, be enjoyed playing chess. Speaking of this priest, be
wrote: to Blwnentritt: "He is a fine fellow, n Father Damaso
without pride and malice".•
Rial_. the Cofffflan ladles. An incident happened 10 Rizal
on board the Melbourne during the trip to Hong Kong. One
evening at dinner time the passengers were having their meal
in lhc dining room . Rizal , being the only Asian. was eating
alone al one table. Near him was a bigger table occupied by
some German ladies who were gaily eating and gossiping abaut
lhc lone Asian male who was quietly taking his meal. Rizal,
who was 0uent in German , understood what the 1allta1ive German ladies were saying about him, bu1 he simply kept silent,
letting the ladies enjoy their gossip.
Suddenly the fast running steamer encountered a heavy
sqw,11 and the door of the dining room was blown open. Nobody
among the passengers who were busy eating stood up to close
the door. A lady said to her companions in German: "If this
man in front of us were a gentleman he would close the door".
Upon hearing her remark, Rizal, without saying a word,
rose and clOl<Cd the door, after which he resumed his seat. He
then conversed with the German ladies in perfect German Of
course, the German ladies were very much embarrassed, and
thereafter they treated Rizal with admtration and respect. despite
his brown skin, for he ' was a cultured gentleman.
Anivfd in Hone Kong. Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on
November 20, 1891 . He was welcomed by the Filipino resident~.
especially his old friend , Jose Ma. Basa. He established his
res,dcna: at No. S D ' Aguilar Street, No. 2 Rcdnaxola Terrace,
where he also opened his medical clinic.
On Dcccmhcr I, 1891. he wrote his parents asking their
permission to return home. On the same dale, his brother-in-law,
Manuel T . Hidalgo-, sen.I him a letter, relating the sad news of
the "deponation of twenty-five persons from Calamba, including
father, Neoeng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano, and the rest ofus". Hidalgo
also Slated in his letter that he wa.~ prq,aring a letter to the
204
Queen Regent of-Spain explaining tbe Calamba situation in order
to secure justice. "If the Queen will not listen~, he said, Mwe
will write to Queen Victoria of England appealing for protection
in the name of lrumanity . . ." 5
Hidalgo's letter clearly revealed the despair and sorrow. of
the Rizal family. Dr. Rizal in Hong Kong, w dose to Manila,
wa.~ desperately sad, fof'he could not succor his persecuted family
and relatives.
Famn,- Reullioo In Hoag Kong. Before Christmas of I 891,
be was gladdened by the arrival of his father, brother, and
Silvestre Ubaldo (his brother-in-law) in Hong Kong. Not long
afterwards his mother and sisters Lucia, Josefa, and Trinidad
also arrived. His mother was then 65 years old and was almost
blind. She had suffered so much from Spanish brutality and
injustice. The year bcrorc ( 1890) she was arrested on the ni,my
charge that she was not using her surname " Realonda" and,
~pite her advanced age and blindness, she was forced by a
cruel Spanish officer of Lbe Guardia Civil to walk from Calamba
to Santa Cruz ( capital of Laguna). Fonunatrly, the Spanish
governor of Laguna, who happened to be a gallant cavalier,
pitied her and kindly set her free. 6
The Chnstmas of 1891 in Hong l\.ong was one of the happiest
Yuteude celebrations in Rizal's lire. For he had a happy family
reunion.
On January 31, 1892, he wrote to Blumentrin, recounting
their pleasant life in Hong Kong, as follows: ~Here we are all
loving together, my parents. sisters, and brother, in peace and
far from the persecutions they suffered in the Philippones. They
are very much pleased with the English government" .1
Ophll'lahnic Surgeon ia Hong Kong. To earn a living for
himself and for his family, Rizal practised medicine. A Portuguese
physician , Dr. Lorenzo P. Marques, who became his friend_ ~nd
admirer, helped him to build up a wide clientele. In recogmt1?n
of Rizal's skill as an ophthalmic surj!eon, he turned over to him
many of his eye cases.
In due time, Dr. Rizal became a ,uccessful ano well-known
medical practitioner in the British oolony. He had many patients,
including British,, Cbioese, Portuguese, and Americans. He suc:ies
c:eafully operated oo bis mother's left eye so that she was able
to read and write again. Miele from being an eye specialist , he
was a general practitioner. Writing to Blumenlritt on January
31, 1892, he said: "Here I practise as a doctor and I have . . .
here many sidt or influenza because there is an epidemic .
Through the newspapers I am infonncd 1ha1 this sickness is also
causing ravages in !Europe. I hope you and your esteemed family
will be spared. ln our house, my mother, my brother-in-law,
and one of my sisten. arc s.ick . Thank God, 1hey are out or
danger~.•
On March 7, 1892, he went to Sandaka<1 on board the ship
Menon to negotiate with \he British aulhorites for the establish·
mcnt of a Filipino colony. He looked over the land up the
Beng,kok.a River in Maradu Bay which was offered by the British
North Borneo Company. His mission wa.s successful . The Brimh
authorities or Borneo were willing 10 give the Filipino colonists
100,000 acres of land, a beautiful harbor, and a good government
for 999 years, free of all charges. n By April 20. he was back
in Hong Koog.
Some friends of Rizal who were in Europe gave him moral
and substantial aid in his medical practice in Hong Kong. From
Biarriti, Mr. Boustead, Nellie's father, wrote to him on March
21, 1892, praising him for practising his medical profession. Or,
Ariston Bautista IAn, from Paris, sent him a congratulatory letter
and a book on Diagnostic Pathology by Or . H. Virchow and
another medical book entitled Tra11t D1agnosriqu" by Mes,
nichock. 9 Don Anlonio Vergel de Oios, also from Paris, offered
him his services for lhe purchase of medical books and instruments which he might need in his profcSSion . 10
Jacna, Blumentritt, Or. Bautista Lin, etc - e nthu5iu,tically
endorsed his Borneo coloniiation project. Lopei Jae na expres,,.:d
his desire to join the colony. Writing 10 Rizal o n May 26. 1892,
he i.aid : ··1 have a great desire of joining you . Reserve for me
there (Borneo) a piece of land where I can plant suga rcane. l
shall go there..• to dedicate myself to the cultivation of sugarcane and the making of sugar. Send me fur1her details ... .,
Rizal possessed the qualities of a great ophthalmic surgeon.
Had he devoted his lifetime to the practice of medicine he: would
have become one of Asia's eminent ophthalmologists. In the
words of Dr. Geminiano de Ocampo, distinguished Filipino
ophthalmologist: 11
He (Rizal) had all the qualities that would make an
ideal opththalmic surgeon - a keen and analytical intellect,
lightneSJ of touch and artimy of a painter, 000rQge and
imperturbability, a· broad and deep knowledge of medicine
and ophthalmology, and last but not least, he had been
properly and adequately trained by master ophthalmic •ur
aeons.
~ "ok-1:atloie Project. ln the face or the bleak outlook
of the Calamba foiks under Governor Valeriano We11er's terroristic regime, Rini conceived the establishment of a Filipino
ooloay in North Borneo (Sabah). He planned to move the
landless Filipino familiea to that rich British-owned island and
carve out of its vil'!lin wildness a ~New Calamba- .12
Rizal's friends 1n Europe - Juan and Antonio LuAa, Lopez
One of Rizal's brothers-in-law, Hidalgo, the brave Batanguello, objected 10 the ooloni:talion project. "This idea about
Borneo,- he told Rizal , "is no good. Why should we leave the
Philippines, this beautiful country of ours? And besides what
will people say? Why have we made all 1hese sacrifices? Why
should we go 10 a foreign land without first exhau11ing all means
for the welfare of the country which nurtured us from our
cradles? Tell me that!" 15
New trends of events in the PbiliPi>U1eS gave R12.al a new
hope for realizing his Borneo project . The infamous Weyler,
whom the Cubans odiously called "The Butcher," was relieved
of his gubernatorial office. A new governor generaJ Eulogio
Despujol, the Count of Caspe, announced to lhe Filipino people
a fine program of government .
In the belief that Governor Despujol was sincere in his
beautiful promises of a better government, Rizal sent him a
letter of felicitation and offering his cooperation. 16 The governor
general, violating the simple rule of Spanish courtesy. did not
even acknowledge receipt of his letter.
After vainly waiting for three months for a reply to his fin!
letter (dated December 23, 1891) Rizal wrote a seoond letter
2(17
0111,Mmlc ■•- In HOftf K°"' 118111 18f21
dated Mardi 21, 1892 ano ga,e it to II ship captain to be sure
it would reach Governor Despujol's hand. In this seoond letter,
he requested the governor general to;ermit the landlC$S Filipinos
to establish themselves in Borneo. 1
Once more Despujol did not give Rizal the ~courtesy of a
reply" lnstca~. he notified the Spanish con,ul general in Hong
Ko_ng to tell Rizal that he could not approve the Filipino immigration to Borneo, alleging that ''the Philippines lacked laborers"
und ··u ""' not •l·ry pa1rt('>11c to go off and cul11vatl' torc,gn soil"
Writings in Hoog Kuna. N<>twith~tanding the pressure of
his medical practice and h,s Borneo coloni1at10n project. Rizal
ct>ntinucd his writing,.
He wrote ~ Ang Mga Karapatar, Nang Tao," which is a
Tagalog translatic,n of "The Rights of Man" proclaimed hy the
French Revoluhon in 1789. About the same time (1891), IJe
wrote "A la Nadon Espanola'' (To the Spanish Nation). which
is on appeal to Spam to right the wrongs done to the Calamba
tenants. Another proclamation, entitled
Mga Kababayo11'"
(To my Countrymen), was wrillen 1n December, 1891 explaining
the Calamba agru, an situation.
··so
Rizal contributed articles to the Bnush daily news-paper,
The Ho11g Ko11g TC'legroph, whose cduor, Mr. Frazier Smith,
was his friend: ~opies of this newspaper entered the Philippines
so that the F1hpmo people were able Lo read Rt.:al's articles.
The vigilant Spanish censors soon dtscoverc<.1 the spread of
R1zal's tdeds and immediately banned the Hong Kong ncwsp~pcr
On March 2, I 892, Rii:al wrote "U11a Vi.lira a l/J V.ctona
Gaol" (A Visit to Victoria Gaol), an account of his visit 10 the
colonial prison of Hong Kong. In this article be contrasted the
cruel Spanish prison system with the modem and more humane
British prison system.
To elucidate his pet Borneo colonization project. he wrote
an article in French entitled "Colonisation du British Nonh
Born~o, par de Familles dtt lies Philippints'" (Colonizauon of
British North Borneo by Families from the Philippine Islands).
He elaborated on the same idea in another article in Spanish,
0
"Proy«to de Coloniwcion del British North Borneo por Los
208
Filipinos" (Project of the Coloniutlon of British North Borneo
by the Filipin~).
Jn June. 1892, he wrote " l...o Mano Rojo" (The Red H~nd)
which was printed in sheet form in Hong Kong. II dc·nounccs
the frequent outbreaks of intentional fires m Manila.
The most important writing made by Rizal dunng his Hong
Kong sojourn was the Con,mut11>n of the Liga Fihpina. wh!ch
was printed in Hung Kong, 1892. To deceive the ~pant~h
~uthoritie~. the printed copies carried the false 1nformattC1n !hat
che printing was done by the LONDON PRINTIN~ ~RESS,
No 25, Khulug Street, London The idea ~f ~stabl1>hm11 the
Liga Filipino (Philippine League), an assoc1a1ton_ of patnouc
Filipinos for civic purposes. was originally_concc,v~d by Jose
Ma. Basa. but ,1 wa~ Rizal wrho wrote 11s c:on~t,11.mo_n ~nd
realized iu cstahlishment Copies of the printed _Liga con1t11~11on
were 'lent by Rizal to "Domingo Franco, his fnend ,n Manila.
Otcl5ion to Return to Manila. In May, 1892. Rizal made
up tus mind to return to Manila. This dcc,s100 was spurred by
the following: (I) to conrer with Governor I?espujol . rcgu~d~ng
hil Borneo coloniiauon project; (2) to estabhsh the L1ga Fihpma
in Manila; and (3) to prove that Eduardo de i:,e1c was wrong
in attacking him in Madrid that he (Rizal), being comfortable
and safo in Hoog Kong, had abandoned the country 's ~use.
Lete's attack. which was printed in l...o Solidaridad on A~nl 15,
1892, portrayed Rizal as cowardly, egoistic, opponunu11c :-- a
patriot in words o nly. Rizal vehemently protested to Del Pilar,
the editor of La Sclidaridad, saying: "I am more convinced _1ha1
,Letc: , in writmg the arucle, was too hasty, and you pc_rm11ted
yourself 10 Ile carried 11wny Fnend or enemy. 1t the a~_,cle ha\
harmed me, it would harm more the intcre,;ts or the Ph1hppincs.
Who knows, however. if after all it was for th.! best; 11 _has
shaken me awake, and after a long silence I enter t~c field
anew .• J am going to activate the Propaganda again and
ror1ify the Liga". 1"
To Ponce, Riz.al confided on May 23, 1892: "I am very
sorry that Del Pilar allowed the article to be pubhsh~ because
it will lead many to believe that there is really a schtS.m. among
us, I believe thlt we can well have little. misundcn,ta_n~hng and
pcnonal differences amonc ourselves, without exhibiting them
109
°"".........._ In Hona 1(0•1 ll8lll 18112l
-IIIIAL Lll'l,WOflKIANDWIIITINCII
in public. . . As for myself..• . I always welcome cri1icisms
because lhey improve lhosc who wish lo be improved'', 19
Latt Rona Kon1 uutn. Relauves and friends of Rizal
opposed his decision to return home because ii was like bearding
lhe lions in their den. His sis1er Trinidad 1earfu.lly warned him
10 desist, •ror here 1hey will kill you•. 20
Nol even the fear of dea1h could de1er Rizal from his
decision. ?n June I 9, 1892, he spen1 his 31st binhday in Hong
Kong. Ev1den1ly, he had a premonilion of his death for the
following day, June 20 he wrote 1wo letters which h~ sealed
inscribed on each envelop "10 be opened after my dea1h:,, and
gave them to. his friend Dr, Marques for safekeeping. In the
pages of history there is scarcely a parallel for 1hese two sealed
leuers, which were vinually Rizal's polil1cal testaments.
The first leucr, addressed TO MY PARENTS. BRETHREN , AND FRIENDS. is as follows. 21
. The affcct~on 1h11 I have ever professc,d for you wggc~,s
lh1$ step, and hme alone can tell whether or 001 it is 5ensible.
The outcome judges things according to the consequences;
but whether ._t he result be favorable or unfa-orablc, 11 may
alway, be said lhat duty urged me, so if I die in doing ii
it will not mancr.
'
I realize how much suffering I have caused you yet I
do nol rcare1 whal I have done. Ra1her .• if I had '10 begin
over again I should do just the same, for what I have done
ha1 been only in pursw1 of my duty. Oladly do J go 10
expo5C myself to peril, nol as an expiation ol misdeeds for
in this matter I believe myself guiltless of any, but to complete my work and so 1ha1 I , myself, may offer the examples
of which I have alway, preached.
A man ouaJit 10 die for duty and his principle,. t 1,olJ
f,ast to every Idea which I have advanced as to the condition
and future of our couintry, and shall willingly die for it,
and even more willingly sacrifice all to secure justice: and
peace for you.
With pleasure, then, I risk life to save so many innocent
J!Cl'i0n1 - 50 many nlca:s !1lld nephews, 10 many children
of friends, and children loo of o t.h cD who arc nol even
friends - who arc suffering on my account. What am I?
t~o
A bachelor, prlCllcally wilhou1 a family and 1uffiocnlly
undueived u to life . I have had many disaPl"'intmenu and
the Mure before me is gloomy, and will be gloomy if light
docl 001 illumlnale II w11h the dawn of a btller day for my
native land . On the Olher hand, there are many persons.
filled with hope and ambi11on, who perhaps might be happier
if 1 were dead, and 1hcn 1 hope my enem1cR would be
5Alisfied and stop persecutin& so many enllrely innocenl
people. To a certain exlent their haired is justifiable as 10
myself, and my parents and relatives
Should file go agalnsl me, you w,U all underatand lh~l
I shall die happy In the lhoutht that my death will end all
your troubles. Return 10 our country and ma:, you be happy
In It.
Till the hut moment of my life I ,h.1ll be thinking of
you and wistun& you all good fonune and happiness.
The second letter, addressed TO THE FlLIPINOS. is as
follows:Z2
The step which 1 am taking, or 1a1hcr am Jhou1 If\
tal<c, is undoub1cdly risky, and 11 as unnecc<qry 10 '•) 1ha1
I have considered it for some lime. I understand 1ha1 almc~
every one is opposed , 10 It. hut I knu., al,o 1h31 hardly
anybody el$C undcrs1ond1 what i1 In my hear& l cannol lave
on seeing so many suffer UDJU..l perscamon on m) accounr.
I cannot bear 1he s1gh1 or my ,us1crs and lheir numernu~
families 1rea1ed like crimlnall l prefer dealt> and cheerfully
shall relinquish life 10 free 50 many innocent persons from
1uch unius1 per1ecution.
I appreciate the fact lb.II al prc..:n1 1hr future nf nur
counlry sravita1es in some dearcc around me, that at my
death many will feel tnumpbant, and thus, many arc now
wishing for my fall. Bui whal of it? I hold dulic, of c1>1\l\C1c11<c
above all else . I have obligatioM to the families who suffer.
to my aged parents whMc sight stnkes me 10 the bean. I
know lhll I alone, only with my dea1h, can make them
happy, returning them 10 their nali,·c land to a peaceful hCe
al home. I am all my pa<ffll$ have. but our country hJ,
many more sons wh1• can take my place and even do my
work better.
Besides I wish to show those who deny us lhe boon of
patriodsm that we know how 10 dle for duly and principles.
211
-lllZAL : LJ.._ _ _ _1111
•
What matten death, tf one dies for what one IO\'U for
natNe land and bcina- held dcu?
•
If I lhou&tit that I ' wue the only l"CIOUfCe lor the
comu111111t~n of a policy of progreu in I.be Philippines and
wen: I convmced that my countrymen were goi1lg to malte
u~ of my services, perha1J6 I should bc:aitale about taltina
this step: but then: uc others who can take my place, who
can do my serv,cc1 that arc not utilized, and t am reduced
to inactivity.
Always have I loved our unhappy land, and I am sure
that J shall ~ntinuc loving it till my lasl moment, ia case
men prove uniust to me. My cueer, my life. my happiness
- all 1 have sacririced for love of it, Whatever my fate I
s~all die blessing it and longing for I.be dawn of i!S redemp-
11on
On June 21, 1892, Raal penned another leucr in Hong
K:ong for Governor 0cspujol, incidcnt&lly bis third letter to that
disoouncous Spanish chief executive. In this letter. he informed
the governor general of his coming to Manila and placed himself
under the protection of the Spanish govemmcnt. b
On the same date (June 21st), R.tzaJ and his sister Lucia
widow of Herbosa , left Hong Kong for Mani". They carried~
spcaal passpon or •safe-<X>flduct~ issued by the Spanish consulgeneral an Hong Kong.
Rizal Falb Into Spulsh Tnp. hnmcdjaiely after Ri.i::al'a
departure from Hong Kong , the Spanish consul-general , who
issued the govcm_mcnt guarantee of safety, sent a cablegram to
Go,crnor DespuJol that the ~ictim •ii, 1n the trap~. 2• On the
sumc day (June 21. 1892) a scc,et case was filed in Manil.a
against Rizal and his followers •fo,- anti-religious and anti-patriotic agitat10n... 2_,
The dcce1tful Despujol ordered his secretary, Luis de la
Tone, to find out if Rizal was n3turalized as a German citizen,
a~ wab Nmored, so that he might take proper actM>n against
one "who had the protection of a strong nation•. 26
Meanwhile , Rizal and bis sister were pc-fully crossi:n& the
Ouna Sea. They were fully unaware of the Spanish d u plicity.
~
Chapter 21
Second Homecoming And
The Liga Filipina
Rizal's bold return to Manila in JW\e, 1892 was his second
homecoming his first holl)CCOmmg from abroad being in August,
1887. It marked his re-entry into the bazardoias campaign for
reforms. He firmly beheved that the fight for Filipino liberties•
bad assumed a new phase; it must be fought in the Philippines
not tn Spam. '"The battlefield is in the Philippines,• be told
countrymen in Europe, "There is where we should meet ,
There we will help one another, there 1oaether we will suffer
or triumph perhaps•. 1 Two month& later , on December 31,
1891, he reiterated this belief in a letter to , Blumentrltt, Ml
believe that /.A Solularidod is no longer our battlefield; now it
2
is a new stNgale... the fi&ht is no longer in Madrid•. ln going
home to lead anew the reform movement, be was like the biblical
Daniel bearding the Spanish lion In its own den
Arrival In Manila with Sllttt, At noon of June 26, 1892,
Rizal and his widowed ,ister Lucia (wife of the late Mariano
Herbosa) arrived in Manila. A meticulous diarist, he descnbed
his second homecoaung u follows:>
I arrh,ed at Manila on 26 June (1891), Sunday, at 12:00
noon. I was met by many canbinecrs headed by a major.
There were in addition one captain and one sergeant of the
Veteran Ovil Ouard. I came down onlh my luuaae and
they 1n1pected me al the cuatomhowe. Flom there I went
to Hotel de Oriente where I occupied room No. 22, facing
the churcb of Binondo·.
In the afternoon, at 4:00 o'dock, be went to Malacallan
Palace to seek audience with UM Spanilb peroor aeoeral,
213
, - . lll~AL, UPI, WOIIU AND "~ITUIDa
Gener.I EuJogio Despujol, Conde de Caspc.' He was told to
;:mereturned
back at that rug~t at 7 00 o'clock Promplly at 7:00 p.m.
to ~alacanan and was able to confer w11h Go,erno;
:n~~. '::!;;rJol, who •~reed to pardon his father but not the
IS
Yand told him 10 return 00 WednC$day (June 29).,
. Aft~ ~ brief mtcrv1ew with the governor genera he:
~ted h15 a,steu in the city- fi~st Narasa (Sua, wife of Antonio
Lopez) and later Nenc:ng (Saturnina, wife of Manuel T. Hidalgo).
Vllltlq Frlfflds In Ceatral L
foUowm da (
.
IQOII, At 6:00 P.M of the
• .8 y .June 27), R.iz.al boarded a train in Tutuban Sta1ion
and VISlted h11 fnends ,n Malol~ (Bulacan). San Fern~ndo
(Pampanga), Tarlac (Tarlac), a.nd Bacolor (Pampangu) ~ He wa,
welcome~ and lavtSbly entenamed at the homes of his friend\
~ /nend,, were good patnou, who were his supporters '"
re orm crusa~, and he. took the <>pportunu> to ~1cc1 them
pe:rso~ally • nd discussed the problem~ affcctin1 their people.
S ~•1 returned b} tram 10 Manila on the next day June 28
o c1oclt ,n the afternoon . Whether he k
•
•
was shadowed b
.
ne.., 11 or not. he
at
y go,ernment spies who watched carefull> his
every movement . The ~Omei he had v1SJu:d were raided by the
Guar~a C1v1I which sc12ed some copies of the Nolt and F:t
d
some • sub•e"1ve pamphlets
, , an
. ,s v1;i1
.
10 his
. ter Rizal
friendOther
· Clntuvlew, "'Ith OnP'1Joi • Af
5
entt:al Luzon. he had other interviews with Go,enor
G
_enera cspu1ol. These interviews were vividly recorded
h
diary, as follows: 7
' " ,~
!'b
On Wednesday (June Z9 - Z) at 7.30 I -..w th,
ExcellellC)'. I dtd not sucaed lo have the penalty of ex,le
hlled,
bul he
me h"""
lo my $ISie~. As
.
·r· Wllh ••gard
•~
atoded
was lhc
fcaS1
of
St
Peacr
and
S1
Paul
o ur in1cr.1cw
,._
e
at ,,.,15.1 was to come agam the following <by at 7 ,30
&•••
TM foUowmgday, Thursday (lune .JO). we talked aboui
the q,-uon of Borneo. The ,eneral wa. opposed 10 11
very much opposed He lold me 10 come ~ck Sunday
.
,
'
On Sunday (July 3 - Z .) I returned. We talked aboua
suodry !lungs and I thanked htm fo, having hllcd the exile
or my mien. I told him that my father and brother would
amve oo lhe 6nt boat. He asked me if I would like lo ao
abroad to Hona Kong. I told 1nm yes He told me to re1um
on Wednuday.
"'the
FDIPPldtna
Up li'Ulplna. On the evening of Sunday ,July
3, 1892, following his morning interview with Go,ernor General
Despujol, Rizal attended a mcctin& of the patriots at the home
of the Chinese-Filipino mestizo, Dorotea Ongjuneo, on Ylaya
Street, Tondo, Manila. Among those present were Pedro Serrano
Laktaw (Pand.ay Plra), a Mason and school teacher, Domingo
Franeo (Ftllpc uol), Muon and tobacco shopkeeper; Jose A .
Ram05 (Socorro), ensnver, printer, owner of Bazar Gran Bretaila. and fint Wonbipful Master of Nilod, fint Filiptno masonie
lodge; Amb~io Salvador, gobcmadorcillo of Quiapo and
Mason; Bonifacio Arevalo (Hartm), dentist and Mason; Deodato
AreUa.n o, brother-in-law of M.H . del Pilar and ovtlian employee
in the army; AmbrOSI0 F)ores (Mu.ro ), retired heutcnan1 of
infantry; Agustin de la Rosa. bookkeeper and Mason: Moises
Salvador (Araw), contractor and -Mason: Luis Villareal. tailor
and Mason; Faustino Villarruel (flaw) pharmacist and Mason,
Mariano Crisostomo, landlord; Numeriano Adriano (/pi(), notary
public and Mason; Estaruslao Legaspi, artisan and Mason: Teodoro Plata, court clerk and Mason; Andres Bonifacio, warehouse
employee; Apolinario Mablru (Kotabay). lawyer and Ma~n: and
J1&&11 Zulucta, playwriJbt, poet, and &0"ernmcnl employee
Rizal explained the objectives of the Liga Filipma, a civic
leacuc of Filipinos, which he desired to establish and its role ,n
the socio-economic life of the people. He presented the Comtitution of the Lip which he bad written in Hong Kong and discussed
its provisions. The patriots were favorably impressed and glad!)
approved the e!tablisbrnc:nt of the Llga.
The officen of the new league were elc!Ctcd, as folio,.,,:
Ambrosio Salvador. president: Deodato Arellano. <ecretary;
Bonifacio Arevalo, treasurer: and A gust.i n de la Rosa, liscal
Colllldtation ol the Lip f'Uipma. The aims of the Lag:i
F"tlipina, u embodied in its Constitution, were the following:•
1. To unite the whole udupelago 1010 one compoct anJ
homogenous body.
t. Mulllal protection in every want and necessity .
3. Defense against all Yioleooe and injus1ice.
..,..IIIZA&.rl.lN, _ _ _ ,
•
4, £nco11r1aement ot odialioa, aa,lculture, and com.
merce.
S. Study and application of ttfonn,.
The motto of the Up Filipina was: UHi IMlar Onuuum
(One Like All).
The governing body oC the league was the Supreme Council
which had Jurisdiction over the whole country. It was composed
of a pr~s•dcnt, a secretary, a treaaurer, and a fiscal. There was
a Provincial Council in every province and a Popular Council
In every town.
All F'tlipinos w,ho have at heart the welfare of their fatherland
are quallllcd for membership. Every member pays an entrance
fee of two pesos and a monthly due of 10 centavos.
The duties or the Lip men_ibers arc aa follows: ( t) obey
the orders of the Supreme Council; (2) lo help in recruiting new
rn_embers; (~~ lo keep in strictest secrecy the decisions of the
L11a aulhonttea; (4) 10 have a aymbolic name which he cannot
change until he becomes prcaident or hla council· (S) to report
to the flacal anything that he may hear. ~hich affects the Uga;
(6) to behave w~IJ u befita a good Filipino; and (7) 10 help
fellow membcn ,n aU waya.
RluJ. AnwlN ~ J.... la Port Sutlaeo, On Wednesday,
· !uly ~• Rizal .went to Malacaftan Palace to resume his aeries of
mtemcws wnh the governor general. During this interview
Governor ~encral Dcapujol auddenly showed ~Im some printed
lea~eu which were allegedly found in Lucia'a pillow caae,. These
lncrun,natory leaflets were, entltle:4 Pobrrs Frailu (Poor Friars)9
under the authorship of Fr. Jadnto and printed by the Jmprenta
de lot An_ii~os del. Pail, Manila. They were a satire against the
ri~ Dom1m':8° f~.ra who &mUICd f1bulo111 riches contrary ·,o
their monasuc vow or poverty.
Ri~.I vigorously denied having tho11C leaflets in either his
or ~uc,a. s bagage, whlcb had been thorou1hl~ 1e1n:hcd upon
the,r amval rrom Hong Kon1 by the custom authorhica who
found. nothin~. Despite bis denial ~d lnslatent demand for
lnvcat1ga1ion 1n acoordance with the due proceas of law, be was
placed under arrest and C100rted 10 Fort Santlaao by Ramon
Dcspujol, nephew IDd aide of Governor General Ocspujol. Jn
216
-
,..,,_,..,. AnJ The Llfo flllpl.,. 111921
Fort Santiago, he was kept incomunicado, as he rel~ted In his
diary:,o
'They wlgncd me a fairty fumu,hed room with a bed,
a dozen chairs, one table, a wash basin, and a mirror. The
room bad three windows; one without grill which opens on
a patio, another with gnlls which looks out on the city walls
and the beach and another which wu 1hc door clOKd wnh
a padlock. Two artillery men as sentinels guarded ii. They
had orders 10 fire on anyone whu might signal from the
beach. I could no1 write nCK' lflCHk with any one except 1he
orr.ccr on duty.
The following day. July 7, Lhe Gactta dt Ma,ii/a published
the Mory of Ri2al's arrest which produced indignant commotion
among the Filipino people, particularly the memhers of the newly
organized Liga Filipina.
Arbllrary Deportation to Oapltan. The same issue of the
CJaceta (July 7, 1892) contained Governor General DcspuJol's
decree deporting Riul to "one of the islands in the South". The
gubernatorial decree gave the rcar,ons for Rizal's deportauon,
as follows:
I. Rizal had published books and articles abroad which
,h-,wed disloyalty to Spain and which were "frankly anti•
Calhollc" and "imprudently anti-friar"
2. A few hours after hi, arrival in Manila "there wa1
found in one of the packages •. . a bundle of handbills
entitled Pobres Fraile, in which the patient and humble
generosity of Filip,001 Is satlrued, and which at(usation Is
published against the customs of the relig;ous orders",
3 His novel El Fllibustui.rmo was dedicated 10 the
memory of three "trallora· (Burgos. Oomc1., and :Z..mora),
and on the title page he wrote that in view of lhe vices and
errors of the Spanish administratioQ, "the only salvation for
the Philippines wu 11epara1ion from the mother country".
4. "The end which he pursues In his effort, and writinas
is 10 tear from the loyal Filipino brctit1 the treuures of our
holy Catholic faith".
Shortly after midnight of July 14 (that is 12:30 a.m. of July
lS, 189'2), Rizal was brought under heavy guard 10 the steamer
Ctb11 11 which was salling for Dapilan. This steamer under Captain
217
Delgras departed at 1:00 A.M., July- lS, sailing south, paaing
Mindoro and Pa.nay, and reaching Dapitan on Sunday the 17th
of July, at 7:00 'in the evening.
'
Captain Delgcas went ashore and handed Rizal over 10
Captain Ri~rdo Carnic:cro, Spanish commandant of Capitan.
Tha~ same ~•ght, July 17, 1892, Rizal began his exile In lonely
D~pllan which would last until July 31, 1896, a period of four
yean.
Chapter 22
Exile in Dapitan, 1892-96
• • •• •
Rizal li"ed In exile in rar-awa, Oapitan.
1
.i remo1c town in
Mindanao which wu undc1 1hc m1s,1011t11} i1111..J,c11<>11 ol "
Jesuits, from ·1892 to 1896. This four-year 1n1,•rrcgnum 111 his
life was tediously unexciting, bu1 wa, abundanll) fru11ful .. ,1h
varied achievements. He pracmcd medkanc, pur,ucd ,c,cnufo:
studies, continued his artistic and li1erur) works. widened h,,
knowledge of languages, established a school for boy~. promoted
community development projects, invcn1ed a wooden machuw
for making bricks, and engaged an farmmg ond ,,,mmt:1cc.
Despite his multifarious activities, he kept nn cxtcn,l'C cnrrn
pondenc:c with his family, relauv~. fellov. reformist,. and eminent scientists and scholars of Europe, including 131umcn111tt,
Reinhold RO$!, A. B . Meyer, W , Joe~! of Bcrhn c; Knu11lc nf
Stuttgart, and N. M. Keihl of Prague
Beslnnbl& ol Eidk In Dapltan. The ~teamer Crh11 which
brought Rizal to Dapitan carried a letter h.im Fa1hcr l'.ihlu
Pastells, Superior or the Jesuit Society in the Philippines. to
Father Antonio Obach, Je~uit pari~h priest of Dapitan. In this
letter , Father Superior Pastells informed Father Obach 1ha1 Rizal
2
could live at the parish convent on the following condiuon~:
I . "That Rizal publicly retract his errors conce rning
religion, and malce 51a1ements that were clearly pro-Spur11>h
and against rcvolul,on.
2. "That he perform the church riles and make • general
confession of his past life.
3. "That bcncefonh he conduc1 himself ,n an
exemplary manner as a Spanish 1ub,ect and a man of rellg•
ion,_.
ll8
Rizal did not ag,ec with these conditions. Consequently, be
lived in the house of the commandent, Captain Carnkero. The
relations between Camiccro (the warden) and Rizal (the pri••
oner) were warm and friendly.
Camicero was channed by R.izal's fine qualities and penonallty. They ate together at the &ame table and had many friendly
convenations. Camicero came 10 know that Rizal was not a
common felon, much lea a filibustero. He gave good repon,
on his prisoner to Governor Oespujol. He gave him complete
freedom 10 go anywhere, reponing only once a week at bis
office and permitted Rizal, who was a good equestrian, to ride
his chestnut horse.
Rizal, on his part, admired the kind, generous Spanish
captain. As evidence of hi~ esteem, he wrote a poem, A Don
Ricardo Carnluro, on August 26, 1892, on the occasion of the
captain's birchday. 3
Wins In Manila Lottery. On September 21 , 1892, the sleepy
cown of Dapuan burst in hectic excicemen1 , The mail boat Butuan
was approaching the: town, with colored pennants flying in the
sea brenes. Captain Carniccro, thinking that H high Spanish
official was coming, hastily dressed in gala uniform, ordered the
town folks 10 gather tit the shore, and himself rushed there,
bringing a brass band.
The mail bo81, Butuan, brought no Spanish officials buc the
happy tidings that che Lottery Ticket No. 9736 jointly owned
by Captain Carmcero, Dr. Rizal, and Francisco Equilior (Spanish
resident of Dipolog, a neighbcring tov.n of Dapltan) \\!On the
second prize of 'P20,000 in che government-owned Manila Loi•
tery .
Rizal's share of che winning lottery ticket was P6,200. Upon
receiving this sum, he gave P2,000 to his facher and P200 to his
friend Ba•a in Hong Kong, and the rest he invested well by
purchasina agricultural lands along the coast or Talisay, about
one kilometer away from Dapitan. •
Rizal's winning in the Manila Lottery reveals an aspect of
hi, lighter side. He never drank hard liquor and never smoked,
but he was a lottery addict. Ourin1 his first sojourn in Madrid
from 1882 10 1885 he always inve51ed at least chree pesetas every
220
month in lottery tickets.' "This was his only vice," commented
Wenceliao E. Retana, his 61$1 Spanish biographer and former
enemy. 6
R.baJ.·Puedls Debate oa Rcllpon. During his exile in Dapitan
Rizal had a long and scholarly debate with Father Pastells on
religion. It started when Father P~tells sent him _a book b_y
Saroa with advice chat the latter (Rizal) should des,st from his
majad~ras (foolishness) in viewing religion from the prism or
individual judgment and self-esteem.
This interesting religious debate may be read in four letters
written by Riz.al, as follows: {I) September 1, 1892; {2) November
11, 1892; (~) January 9, 1893; and (4) April 4, 1893; and in
Father Pastells' replies dated: (I) October 12, 1892, (2) December
8, 1892. (3) February 2, 1893, and (4) April.(noexactdate), 1893.1
Jn all his letters to Father Pastells, Rizal revealed his antiCatholic ideas which be bad acquiced m Europe and embmerment
at his persecution by the bad friars. It i~ ~nderstand~blc why
be was bitter against the frian who comm111ed cena1~ abuses
under the clOllk of religion. As he wrote 10 Blumentmt from
Paris on January 20, 1890: "I wane to hit the frian, bot only
friars who utilized religion not only as a shi~ld, but also as.•
weapon, castle. fortress, armor, etc.; I was forced to attack their
false and supertilious religion in order 10 fight the enemy who
hid himself behind it".~
According to Rizal. individual Judgment is a gi(t from God
and everybody should use ii like a lantern to show the way and
that self-esteem if moderated by Judgment. saves man from
unwonhy acts. He also argued 1ha1 the pursuit of lruth may lie
in diffcrcnl path~. and thub "religio,is may vary , but they all
lead lo the lighl ".
Father Pa,tclls 1ried his bes1 to win back Ri,al lo the fold
of Catholicism. Divine Fa.ith, he told Rizal, supersedes everytlnng, including reason, sell-esteem, and mdivid~l j~dgmen!.
No matter how wise a man is, he argued, his m1elhgence IS
limited hence he needs the guidance of God He refuted Rizal's
attacks 00 Catholic dogmas as misconceptions of rationalism and
naturalism, errors of misguided souls.
1
111
IOla IIIZAI.: LI,., WOIIU Nl/0 WIIITl#Ot
This interea.hng debate between two briUiant polemJcislJ
ended inconclusively. Rizal could not be convinced by Pastell1'
arguments so that he lived in Dapitan beyonti the pale of his
Mother Church.
In spite of their religious differences, Rizal and PasteUs
remained good friends. Father Pastells gave Rizal a copy of the
lmitaci6n.de CrislO (lmitation of Christ). a famous Catholic book
by Fa°!erThomu a Kempis. And Rizal, in grateful reciprocation,
gave his Jesuit opponent in debate a bust of St. Paul which he
had made
Although Rizal did not ,ubscribe to Pastells' religioll$
lnterpretarlon of Catholic dogmas, he continued to be a Catholic.
He continued 10 hear Mass at the Catholic church of Dapltan
and celebrate Christmas9 and other religious fiestas in the
Catholic way. His Catholicism, however, was the Catholicism
that Inquires and enllithrens, the .. Cathohcism of Renan and
Teilhard de Chardin" lb
Rlul ClullJmrtt • Fttnchmu to • Duet While Rizal was
stlO debating with Father Pastells by means of exchange of letters,
he became invol\/ed in a quarrel with a French acquaintance in
Dapltan, Mr. Juan Lardet, a busin=man. This man purchased
many logs from the lands of Rizal. It so happened that some
of the logs were or poor quality.
Larder, in a leller written ro Antonio Miranda, a Oapilan
merchant and fnend of Rizal, expressed his· disgust with the
business deal and stated that "if he (Rizal - z.) were a truthful
man, he "1ould have told me that the lumber not included in
the account were bad";
Miranda indiscreetly forwarded L.ardet's letter to Rizal. One
of the hero's weaJmesscs, it should be noted was h1s sensi11vuy.
When he read Lardet's letter, he flared up in anger, regarding
the Fre_nc:hman's unsavory comment as an affront to !tis integrity
Immediately, he confronted Lardet and challenged him to a duel.
When the oommandant heard of the incident, Carmcero
told the Frenchman to apologize rather than accept the challenge.
"~y mend, you have not a Chinaman•, chance in a fighr with
Rizal on a field of honor. Rizal is an expen in martial arts,
partlcularly in fencing and pistol ahooting".
222
hllo In 0ap1,-, 11112-11181
Heeding the oommandant's advice, Lardet wro1e 10 Rizal
in French, dated Dapilan, March 30, 1893, 11 apologizing for the
insulting comment. Rizal, as a gentleman and weU-versed in
pundonor (Hispanic chivalric code) accepted the apology, and
good relations between hlm and the Frenchman were restored
It is interesting ro recau that twice befo~ his. sensitivity
e&U5Cd him to challenge people 10 a duel - Antonio Luna in
1890 and W. E . Retana in the same year.
Rbal and Father Sanchez. Father Pastells, aside Crom his
penonal effons 10 persuade Rizal to discard his "erron of
religion", instructed two Jesuiu in Mindanao - Father Obach,
cura of Dapitan, and father Jose Vilaclara, cura of Dipolog - 10
try their best 10 bring back Rizal within tile Catholic fold.
Furthermore, he ausigned Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez,
Rizal's favorite teacher at the Ate.neo de Manila, to Dapitan.
Father Sanchez, since Rizal's days at the Ateneo , had spent
three years in Europe and returned to Manila in 1881 to resume
teaching at the Ateneo and to head its museum. He was the
only Spanish priest to defend Rizal', Noli Mf Tangere in public 12
Immediately, upon his arrival in Dapitan, Father Sanchc1
lost no time in meeting b.is former' favonte student. Of all the
Jesuits, he was the most beloved and esteemed by Rizal Almost
daily they carried theological arguments in a friendly manner
But all effom of Sanchez were in vain. F,or once. Rizal could
not be convinced by his former beloved teacher.
Despite his failure to persuade Rizal to discard his unorthodox views on the Catholic religion, Father Sanchez enjoyed
the latter's company. He assi~led Rizal in beautifying the town
plaza. On his binhday. Rizal gave him a precious birthday
gift - a manuscnpt entitled &tudios sobre la /e,igua 1agnla
(Studies on the Tagalog Language), - a Tagalog grammar which
Rizal wrote and which he dedicated to his beloved former teacher.
Idyllic Life In Dapitan. In Oapitan , Rizal had aa e~emplary
life, idyllic in serenity. Since August , 1893, members of his ramily
took turns in visiting hlm in order to assuage his loneliness in
the isolated ourpost of Spanish power in the Moroland . Among
them were h·is mother; sisters Trinidad, Maria, Narcisa ; and
nephews Teodosio, Estanislao, Mauricio, and Prudencio. He
2?J
-
IIIZAL: LI,_, WOIIICI -WIIITl-
built his house by the sca&hore of Talisay, surrounded by fruit
ttus. He had also another house for h is school boys and 1
hospital for his patien ts.
Describing his life in Dapitan, RiuJ wrote to B lumentritt on
D~mber 19, 1893:u
I shall tell you how we live here. I have three house.: one
square, anothe~ hcxaaon,t. and a third octagon,!, all of bamboo,':'~• and nipa. In theaquare hOUIC we live, my mother,
sister frlnidad, a nephew and I; in the octagonal live my boya
or some Sood young11ers whoRJ I tea~h arithmetic, Spanish
and English; and in the hexagonal five my chickens. From my
house I hear the murmur of a crystal, clear brook which comes
from the high rocb; I sec t~e seashore, the 1e1 where I have
small boats, two canoes or barotos, as they say here. I have
many fru,1 1rc1=,, mangoes, laniones, guayabanos, baluno,
nanka, etc. I have rabhics, dogs, cats, etc. I rise early- ,u
live - visit my planlS, feed the chicltens, awaken my people
and put them ,m movemcn1. At half-put seven we brcaklast
with tea, pastries, cheese, aweatmeats. etc Later I treat my
poor patients who come to my land; I drcs., go to the town in
my baro10. treat the people there, and return at 12, when my
luncheon awaits me. Then I teach the boys until 4 P.M. and
lkvotc the afternoon to agricuhurc. I spend the nig)lt readina
and ,rudylng
Rhal's Encounttt wlth the friar's Spy. During the early dayg
of November 1893 Rizal was living peacefully and happily at his
house in Talisay , a kilometer away from Dapitan. H is mother, si11ters Narcisa and Trinidad, and ~ome nephews were then Jiving with
~im. Hi~ bliMful life was then suddenly jolted by a strange incident
mvolvmg a ~PY of the friars. This spy with the assumed name of
''Pablo Mercado" and posing as a relative, secretly visited Rizal at
his house on the night of November 3, 1893. H e introduced himself
as a fnend and relative, showing a photo of Rizal and a pair of buttons with the mitials · P .M." (Pablo Mercado) as evidence or his
kinship with the Rizal family.
In the course of their conversation the strange visitor offered
his services as a confidential c:ourier of RaaJ's letters and writings
for the patriots in Manila . Rizal, being a• man of prudence aod
keen perception became suspicious. Irked by the impostor's lies
he wanted to throw him out of the house, but ltlindful o f h~
214
duty as a host and conStdering the late hour of the night and
the heavy rainfall. he hospitably in~1ted the unwanted visitor 10
stay at his house for the night And early the ne~I day, he ~nl
him away.
After the departure of bis bogus relative, Rizal aucnded to
his daily chore,, forgctung the mddent of the previous mghr
tater he learned that th,· rai;cal wa~ still m D.ip11an, telling
people that he was a beloved relative of Or. Riul. Losing his
cool. he went to the comundanc,a and denounced the impostor
10 C,1pt111n Juan S1tgc~ ("'ho ~ucccedcd C1pldm Cam,,cro on
May 4, IK'll as commandant or Oapit.in Without much ado,
Snges ordered the arrest of "Pablo Mercado" and instructed
Ana~tac10 Adnat,c(). to mvebttg.ttc him ,mmcdiatcly.
The truth came out durin11 this inve,1iga1ion The real name
of "Pablo Mercado~ was Florencio Namanan He was a native
of Cagayan de Misamis. single and about 30 year~ old. I le was
hired by the Recollect friar, to a sccrc1 mi~"on 1n Dap11an
tc,
introduce himself 10 Riial as a friend ,1Dd relative, to spy on
Rizal's acuv11tcs. and to filch certain letters and wnun~ of ruzal
which mJght incriminate lum ID the revoluuon,1ry movcmcnL.
Strangely, Command~nt S11gc, \nddcnly qu11shed the invc,tigation and released the spy He promptly forwarded the transcnpu
of the investigatton together w11h lus official report lo GovcrnQr
General Blanco who. ID turn, kept these document> as highly
c:onfidential Rimi, who was surpri!,ed at th~ turn of e\rnts,
requested for a copy of the proceedmgs of the im·cstigati<'n, but
Sitge, denied Ins request. As now declassified ,ind prcM"rvcd 111
the B1hhotcca Nac1onal m Madrid, thc,e docun,cnt, .:ontuin
certain mysterious deletions
These available documents on the failed m1ss1on or the
rnars'spy have been quoted by three Rizalist biographers Retana (1907), Palma (1949), and Jose Baron fernantlel (1982).
Bui none of these bioiraphers quoted the text or another doru•
ment which 1s more reliable and valuable in clarifying the whole
mcidcnt. It 1s Rizal's Leiter to his broth,:r-in-law, Manuel T .
Hidalgo, wntten in Dapitan, December 20, 11193, u~ tollows, 11
My Dear Brothcr-,n-Law Mancng.
I was unable lo write you by the pre•10U5 m,11 for lack
of time, for the boat left unexpectedly.
2H
- 1 IIIZAL un,WOIIKIMIDWlllflNOS
Wott. regard to Pablo Mercado, I tell )OU 1ha1 he came
here prescnling hims.elf u a couneo\1$ rnend in order to
gel from me my lene-rs, wrilinp, etc.; bul I found him oul
soon . and ,r I did nol throw hom ou1 of 1he hou,1c: brusquely.
ii w1» becau\C I •l~ys want 10 be nocc and polilc lo
everyone. Nevenhcless, as it was raining. I let h,m sleep
here, sendlllg him awAy very early the next day I ""s going
lo let him olonc in aon1cmp1 but lhe rascal wcn1 arounJ
5a)ing secrelly that he was my cousin or brother•m•law, I
rcp<,ncd hom 10 tile Commandant who had hom arres1cd.
h wu rescaled ,n his dcdarauon that he w~ ~ent ~y
lhc Recnllcci. who ga,e hom P72 and promo~d him more
,r he su=cdcd in wrestling from me my lencr. for cenaln
persons on Manila The rascal told me lhat h• wa~ J cou,rn
of one Mr I ot<>niua , son of Lu,, Ch1qu110, J<tordin~ to
him and bro1her-1n-law of Marciano Ramirez. He wanlcd
me to wn1e 10 thc..e gcnllcmcn I fo hrought along be"des
a picture of mine, ,ay,ng 1hat II was ~wen to hom by one
Mr. lc~pi of Tondo or San Nicolas. I don't remember
c•uctly . 11 'ICCffl> 1tu1 he belong, to • gcod l•mily or C"ugayan
de Misamo\ Be carcr111 of him, he i• a 1all ho) , 011u·wha1
th1cuct, <lightly squint-eyed. dark, slender , broad shoulders,
anJ of impudcnl mnnnc,~ He smokes much, 'I"'' more,
and ha, lhm lips
Merry Chns1mas ~nd Happy New Year.
(Signed) Jo"' RilJI
Based- upon all these available llocumcnlary sources, lhc
incident of the 11Ccre1 mi'ISit;1n of "Pablo Mercado" in Dapitan
was no t an "As.sa.ssinalion Auempt on Rizal •· It was merely an
espionage plot concocted by the lriars .
At Physician In Oapllan. RitaJ pracu~ed medicine in l)ap11an
He had mauy patienl5, but mo)I or them were poor so that he
even gave them free medicine. To his frie nd m Hong Kong, Dr.
Marquei, he wrote: "Here the r,ople are so poor that I have
even 10 g,v.., medicine gratis." 1 He had, however, some nch
patients who paid him handsomely for his surgical skill.
11,
bllo I• OapitMI !189:MtlN)
In August 1893 his mothCT and sister (Maria) arrived in
::>apitan and lived wilh bun for one year and a h.alf. He operated
on h1s mother's right eye. The operation WM successful, but
Dona Teodora, i8J1oring her son's instructions, removed the
bandages from her eyes, thereby causing the wound to be
infected. ThllS Riz.al told Hidalgo, hi, brother-in-law "Now I
unde11tan<l very well why a ph~1cian should not treat the members of his family. "'" Fortunately, the infection was arrested so
that Dona T eodora's sight, thanks to her son's ophthalmic pro•
wess, was fully restored.
Rizal', fame •~ a physician panicularly as an eye spcciahst,
spread far and wide. He had many patients who came from
different pans of the Philippine,, - from Luzon, Bohol, Cebu,
,Panay, Negros, and Mindanao - and even from Hong Kong.
A rich Filipino patient, Don Ignacio Tumarong. was able to sec
again because of Rizal's ophthalmic skill; and highly gratified
by the resto.r ation of his sight, he paid P3,000. Another nch
patient, an Englishman, paid PSOO Don Florenc10 Az.acarraga,
a rich hacendero of Aklan, was al'iO cured of eye ailment, and
paid Rizal a cargo of sugar. 17
As a physician, Rizal became interested in local medicine
and in the use of medicinal plants. He studied the medicinal
plan15 of the Philippines and their curative values. To poor
patients, who could not afford to buy imported medicine, he
prescribed the local medicinal plants.
Water Syatem for Dapltan. RJzal held the 1111c of expert
surveyor (pcrito agrimensor), which he obtained from the
Ateneo. He supplemented his training as a surveyor by his
reading of engineering books, so that he came to know about
engineering. In Dapit.an, he applied his knowledge of engineering
by cons1ructing a system of waterworks in order to fumibh clean
water to the townspeople.
·
Modem engineers marvelled how Rizal could have built
such a system of waterworks, for be had inadequate tools and
meager materials, and his finances were very limiled Without
any aid from the government, he succeeded in giving a good
water system to Dapitan.
An American engineer, Mr. H.F. Cameron, praised Rizal's
eogiocering feat in lhe following words: 1•
227
Exile I" OIPurt I 188?-1886)
JOCl! IIIZAL: LlfE, WOftKI AND WIIITllfGS
Another famous and well-known water supply is that
Q( Dap1tan, MmJanau, desl8Jled and constructed by Dr.
R1tol dunng h" hal'mhment m that munidpality by the
Spanish authonucs
This iupply romes from a little
mountain stream ..aus. the ri,er from Dap11an and follows
the rontour of th< country for 1hc whole dis1ance. When
one ,-onMd•~ th.al Doctor Rizal bad no explosives with
which I<> blaM the hard rod$ and no rcsourcc.s save bis owr
1n~cnu1ty one cannot help hu1 honor ., man, who against
advern: condmons. had 1he courage and tenacity tocons1ruct
I he uqucduc1 which hild for 11& bottom the nutted tiles from
the hou~,: roor~. and was covered with concrete made from
hm" burned [rom the sea coral The leng1h of this aqueduct
is \e\cral k1h,,m'-=u:rs anti at w1m.b in and out among the
r,><;h and i• c.trncd :,cross l(ulhes III baml>oo P•P"'I upheld
by rocks vr bnck piers 10 the distribution reservoir
Community Projects for Oapitan. When Ri.z.al arrived m
Dap11an , h~ ,!.:tided to improve 11, 10 the bcl.1 of hil> Cod-given
talenl, and to uwaken the civic con-.ciou\11c" of i1s people lie
wrote to Fr Pastclb- · I want to do all that I can for this town " 19
Aside tron, constructing the town's fim water sy~tem, he
sp.:nt many months drarnmg the marshes in order to itet nd of
maf;ir,a th.11 mfe,1cd Oap11un A, a Eurnpc11n-trn1ncd phy)1cian.
he knew 1ha1 malaria i~ sprc~d hy 1hc mo'(fuitos which lhrivc
in swamp, place;
·1he P.'i(KI "h1ch an l:'.ng!i,h pauent pa.id him was used hy
lum tu C<Ju1p tlu: 11,1111 with 11' lighting >)stem. !'his lighting
~) ,1,•111 n>nsbt,•d of .-o,·onut otl l,,mf" pl.iced in th,· dark ,1n:ets
01 D;1p11an Lk,·tnc lrghlln!!, wa, unknown then in the Ph,hppmcs.
11 "'" m>t unul IK'14 when Mdntla -..,w the ftN clcctnc hght,.
Anoll1c1 ""nmuntt} p1u1c,1 ol R,ul wa, the beauu(ication
t>f D,1p1lan \\ ,th lhc hl'I p ,>I hi, t.11 mer Jc,u,t tca<hcr and friend.
f-'athn <;,mch~z. he rcmt><lclil-,11hc Iown pla,a in order to enhance
,1, hc.iutv. H, 10!..,ngl} remarked that he would make it nicely
,,, th~• 11 could "mal thc l>cst III Fumpc" In lronl of the church.
R11.il and raihcr San,·he1 m.,dc d huge relief map of M111donao
out t>f canh stones and grass. 1111s map still adorns the town
plaza of O opuan
Rhal a.-. ·reacher. S.ince boyhood Rizal knew the value of
good cducat,on. Dunng his travels abroad he observed the
2Ul
educational system of modern nations. He himself planned to
estabhsh· a modem college in Hong Kong for Filipino boys so
that he could train them in modern pc!dagogical concepts, which
were then unknown ID the Philippines.
His exile to Dapilan gave him the opportumty to put into
praclice his educational ideas. In 1893 he establi6hed a school
which existed until the end of his exile in July, 1896. It began
with three pupils and ID the cour.,c of tune the enrolment
increased to 16 and laler to 21 In hi& leuer to Rlumcntritl on
March 13. Rizal said that he had 16 pupils in his school and
that these pupib did 001 pay any tuition '" lostcad ol charg1Dg
them tu111on !ecs, he made them work on his garden, fields , and
construction proJects in the community
Rizal taught his boys reading. writing languages (Spanish
and English). geography, bisto,y, mathem~t•cs (arithmetic and
geometry), industrial work, nature study, morals. and gymnas•
tics. 21 He tra1Ded them how 10 collect $pecimens of plants and
ammals, to love work, and to "behave like men'' tz
Formal classes were conducted between 2:00 p.m and 4:00
p_m_ Rizal, lite 1encher. sat on n hammock, while the pupils !>JI
on u long bamboo bench. On one day the lessons were C<>nductcd
in Spani<h1 on the next day, in English. As in the Ateneo. the
best pupil was called «emperor" and he sat at the head ol the
bench, 1he poorest pupil occupied the end or the bench
During the recess the pupils built fires in the garden 10
drive away the in5ce1s, pruned the fruit rces, Jnd manured the
soil.
Outside the class hours, Rizal encouraged them to play
games in order to sltengthen their bodies. They had gymnastics,
boxing, wrc,lling, ,1onc-throw1Dg, ,w,mmmg, urms (nauve fencing), and bo.ating.
''Hymn 10 Talisay." Rizal conducted his school at his home
in Talisay, near Oapitan. where he had bis farm and hospital.
His favorite rendezvous with bis boys was under n 1ahsay tree,
after which the place was named. In honor of Tnlisay, he wrote
a poem entitled "Himno A Talisay" for his pupils to SIDg: 23
HYMN TO TALISA Y
At Dapitao, the sandy shore
.1011 IIIULI Ll,W, WOAD A#0 "1111'1NCJI
And rocks aloft oo mountain crest
Form thy throne, O rcruse bielt,
That we from c:hildbood days have known.
In your wales that Dowen adorn
And YOllf fruitlful leafy lhade,
Our thinking powers are being made,
And soul with body being grown.
We are youth n01 Iona on eanh
But our souls arc free from MMTow;
Calm, airong men we'll be tomonow,
Who ~n auard our homilies' nglns.
Lads arc we whom naught can frighten,
Whether th wider, waves, or rain
Swift of ann, aercne of mien
ln peril, shall we waec our fights.
With our pmes we Chum the aand,
Throu&h the caves and crags we roam,
On the rocks we make our home,
Everywhere our arms can reach,
Neither dark nor night obscure
Cause us fear, nor ficru torment
That even Sat.an can invent
Life or <lath? We must face each!
"Talisayans\ people call U$!
Mighty souls in bodies small
O'er 0apuan', district all
No Talisay like this towcn
None can match our reservoir
Our diving pool 1bc sea profound!
No rowin1 boat the world around
For a moment can pass ours.
We study scicncet exact;
The hiltory of our motherland;
Three languages or four command,
Bring faith and reason in accord.
Our hands can manage at one time
The sail and working spade and pen,
The mason's maul - for virile men
Companions - and the gun and sword.
230
Live, live, 0 leafy green Tahsay•
Our voice• sing 1by pral.c in chorm
Oear star, and precious 1rcawre for u,.
Our cllildhood's wisdom and IIS balm.
In fight• 1ha1 wait for escry man,
1n sorrow and adversity,
Thy memory a chann wtll be,
Ahd ,n the tomb, thy name, thy calm
CHORUS
Hail, 0 Talisay!
Finn and untiring
Ever aspuing,
Stately thy pit.
Things, everywhere
In sea, land and air
Shalt thou dominate
Contributions to Science. Rizal found Mindanao a rich viriin
fickl for collecting specimens. With his baroto (sailboat) and
accompanied by bis pupils, be explored the jWJglc, and OOJs~.
seeking specimens of insects, birds, snakes, lizards, fm~. shells,
and plants. He sent these specimens to the museum of Europe,
especially the Dresden Museum. In paymen1 for these valuable
specimens, the European scientists sent him sc1en1ilic booh and
surgical instruments.
During his four.year eirile in Dapitan, Rizal bu1l1 up a rich
collection of concology which consisted of 346 shells representing
203 species. 2'
He diSQOvcred some rare ~pcc,mcns which' were named 111
his honor by the scien•i~ts. Amo11g these were Dru<:o r,u,/i (,1
flying dragon), Apoflnia rizali (a small beetle), and Rharophorus
rizali (a rare frog).
Rizal also conducted anthropological, cthnographical.
archaeological, geological and geographical studies n, revealed
by his voluminous correspondence with hi< i;cicn11~t friends ,n
Europe. There was no limit to his <eientific versanht v
U ngulstlc Studies. A born linguist, Ra.al oonunucd h,s
studies of languages. In Dapitan he learned the B,sayan. ~ub
anum, and Malay languages He wrote a Tagalog grammar, mPde
131
a comparative scudy or the 8isayao and Malayan languages, and
studied tile 8isayan (Cebuan) and Subanum languages.
On April 5, 1896, hi~ 18sl year o( exile in Dapitan, he wrolc
to Blumcnlrill: "I know already Bisayan and I speak ii quite
well; 11 is necessary, however, 10 know other dialects or the
Philipp111c-s". 26 By this time, Rizal could rank with the world'5
great linguists. He knew 22 languages, as follows: Tagalog,
llokano. Bisayan, Subanun. Spanish, Lalin, Greek. English,
l'rcnch German. Arabic, Malay, Hebrew, San~krit, Dutch,
Coulan, Italian, Chinese Japanese, Portuguc~e. Swedish, aftd
Russi.in
Artistic Works in Dapitan. Rizal continued his artistic pur,mb in Dapitan. He contributed his painting sktll to the Sisters
of Charity who were preparing lite sanctuary or the Holy Virgin
their private chapel. For the ~ke of economy, the head of
the image was "procured from abroad" .U The vestments concealing all the rest or the figure excep1 the feet, which rested upon
a globe encircled hy a 5nake m whose mouth is an apple, were
made by lhe sisters. Rizal modeled the right fool o{ the image,
the apple, and the serpent's head. He also designed the cxquishe
cunain, which w~ painted in oil by an ar11s1 Sister under his
direction.
in
Rizal made sketches of pe™>ns and thing5 thal attracted
him in Dapitan. He drew, for instance. lhe three rare species
of anlllllll hfc - the dragon, the frog, and the beetle - which
he had disc:overed He had sketches of 1hc numerous fishes he
caught in Dapitan wa1ers
One day m 1894 some of his pupils secretly went co Dapitan
girl called "The Dapitan Girl." a woodcarving of Jose phinc
Bracken (his wife), and a bust of SI Paul wluch he gave to
Father Pascells.
Rizal as Farmer. In Dapitan Rizal devoted much of his
time to agriculture. He bought 16 hectares of land in Talisay .
where he built hi~ home, school. and ho~p11al , 11nd plan1cd cncuo,
coffee, sugarcane, coconuLs and fruit trees. "My land" he wrole
10 his sis1er Trinidad. "is half an hour from 1he sea It 1s very
poetic and very p1t1Uresque. If you and our parent> ~-omc I will
build a big hou~c we can all hve m"/H Liter he .1c,1u11ctl more
lands until h1~ 101al holdin~ reached 70 hectares, containing
6,000 hemp plants. 1,000 coconut trees, and numcrot.K fruit trees.
,ugMcanc. com. coffee and cacao
On tu~ fairm~, Ru.al introduced modern me1hotb of jgncul
1ure "hich he had ob,;crvcd in Europe and America H,., pupil~
helped him in 1he daily farm labor. He encouraged 1he Dap1tan
farmer.. to diM:ard their primitive system of 1ulagc and adopt
1hc modern ngriculturol methods. He impo11~tl agricultural
madiincry from the Uni1ed States.
Riz:il llrcamed ol c~iabli~hing an agricultural col<mv in 1hc
sit10 of Ponot near Sindagan Bay. where 1here was plenty of
water and good porl fac1l11ic& He believed thac thi, place would
be illcal ·10 raise cacao, coffee, C()(;Onutb, and callle He invited
his rcla1ives and friends. especially those in Calamba. to come
to his proJCcted agricuhural colony. "We will establish a new
Kalamba," he wrntc 10 Hidalgo, his hrothcr-in-lnw. 39 Unfortu•
n:itd)' 1hi< colony did not materialize, like his previous Borneo
colon,w11on. 'because be could not get the suppon of the govern•
111 .i boat from Tal1say; a puppy of Syria (Rizal's dog) tried 10
lllC:tlt .)U
follow and was devoured by a crocod,lc. Rizal reprimanded
them. telling lhem lha1 had they not disobeyed his advice not
10 go 10 town without his permission the puppy would not have
tlied and the mother-dog would have been spared the sorrow
of losing an of{spnng. To stress the moral ot 1hc incident, he
modeled a statuette representing the mother-dog killing the
<:rooodile, by way of avenging her lost puppy. and called 11 ·The
Mother's Revenge".
Raul as 0u~in~ssman. Aside from fanning, Rizal engaged
in hu<ines.s. In partnership with Ramon Carreon, a Dap,tan
mcrchan1. he made prvfitable business ventures m fishing, copra.
,111d hemp indus1rics . He invilcd his rcla11ves, particularly Saturmna and llidalgo to come 10 M,rd,mno, for there "is vast and
ample field for husiness" in the island 31 He panicularly told
Satui nma 1ha1 ,n Dapilan ,he could profitably engage in the
1ex1ilc. jcwrlry, and hemp business. 32
Other sculptural works DI Ru.al in Dap11ao were- a bus1 of
Father Gucmco (one of his. Alcnco ptofcs.<ars). a statue of a
In o lener 10 I hdalgo, da1cd January 19. 1!193, he exprcs.sed
hi, plan 10 improve 1hc fishing industry of Dapitan. He said
Ul
llJ
JOSE RIZAL L!Ft, WORKS AHO W~ll'INC,
tlat the town has a good beach hke Calamba and there is
ahundant fhh in the i.ea, however, the fi,hing folks, using primitive methods of fishing, were able only to catch small fishes.
Accordingly, he instmcted Hidalgo to help him buy a big net
for trawl fishing (puku1an) and to send him two good Calamba
fishermen who could teach the Dapitan folks bclter methods of
fishing.
The most profitable business venture of Riiat in Dapitan
wa~ in the hemp tl'ldustry. At one ume, he shii;ped 150 bales
of hemp 10 a foreign firm i11 Manila al huge profit for himself
and his business partner. He purchased hemp in Dapitan at P7
and 4 reales per p1c.ul and sold it m Manila at PIO and 4 reales.
giving him a profit of P3 per picul. 11 In his letter to Blumentrin
on July 31, 1894, he said: "To kill time and to help also the
people of this town, I have become & merchant. I buy abac.a
and ship II to Mani la Luck was with me this month. I made a
profit of P2(l0 in one Mroke ... 34
On May 14, 1893. Rizal formed .i businc'ili partnership with
Ramon Carreon (Dapnan businessman) in lime manufacturing."
Their llmeburner had a monthly capacity of more than 400 bags
of hmc.
To hrc:,k the Chinese monopoly on business in Oap1tan,
Rizal organized on January 1. 1895 the COQp,:ra11ve As'IOciation
of Dap,tan Farmers. According to it~ constitution, which he had
drafted. its 11urpowi. were "to 1mpro,e the fam1 product~. obtain
belier outlet\ for them. collect fund, for !heir purchaws, and
help 1he producer; and workers by establishing a store wherein
they can buy prime commod111es at moderate prices"."'
Rual 's Inventive Ablllly. One liulc-known fact about Rizal
wa, tlrnt he wu< Hlso Jn inventor. It should b.: remembered that
in 1l!87, while practising medicine in C.alnmba, he invented a
cigarette lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentrill. He called
H "mlp11kur1 ",
unique c,garcue lighter wH~ made of wood.
"It, mechanism",
,aid
R1i .1l. "1s based on the prmc1plc of com•
.. ,,
pressed air . ·
nu,
During his exile in Dapuan. he invited a machine for
making bric~,. fht> machine could manufacture abou1 6,000 bricks
daily. Thus Riz.il wmte to Bh1mcn1ri11 on November 20, 1895. "I
have made a wooden machine for making bricks, and I believe it
134
Ewlle In Oaplt#\ f1892 1rH,1
could make more or less 6,000 bricks a day... When l wa_~ m Be l
gium, I saw the mak.ing of bricks out-of-doors wuhout~ ~11t1,. ,,ml
during my visit to Baden I saw also a mount of bricks on 1hc
vound. I suppose in Bohemia they make bnch by means of a d11ferent method; if this is so, please inform me ho" the hnck, .11~
baited such that not much heat is wasted". 38
"M)' Retreat." In February, 1895. Dona Teodora. with her
ey<:$ight fully restored, returned to Manila. During her long siav
in, Dapitan, she saw how busy her talented son wa, and rcgrcncd
that he had neglected the Muses. She requeMed him 10 wntc
poetry again.
In response to her request, Rizal WTOte a beautiful poem
about his serene life· as an exile in Dapitan and sent it to her
on October 22, t895 .39 ihispocm was "Mi Retm,'' (My Rctrc.11).
which is acx:laimed by literary critics as one of the bc~I c,cr
penned by Rizal. It is as follows:"°
MY RETREAT
By the spreading beach where the sands arc soft 11nu lme
At the foot of the mou1b in it, man1lc of green
I have built my hut in the pleasant gtOYt's confine.
From the forest seeking peace and a calmllC'I~ divine.
Real for 1hc weary brain and silence 10 my•orww•, ~ccn
Its roof of the frail palm-leaf and its Ooor the cane.
I~ beams and poslsof the unhcwn wood.
Little there is of value m this hut so plain,
And bet1er by far in the lap of the mount to have lain
By the.Ong and the murmur of the high
..,n·~ ""''"
A purling brook from the woodland glade
Drops down o'er the stones and around II sweeps.
Whence a fresh stream i, drnwn by the rou~h c•n<', 01<1,
Thal in 1hc Still night its murmur has made.
And in the day's heat a crystal fount:un lc•p,.
·Vhcn 1he sky 1, serene how gently II now,.
And its zither unseen ceaselessly plays:
Bue when the ,rains fall u torrent ii goes
Boiling and foaming through the rock) clnw.
Roarini uncheck'd to the $Ca's wide ways.
.,ca lll2AL: UPI, WOIIKI -
WIIITINOf
The bowl of the dog end the song or the bird,
And only the kalao's hoarse call resound;
Nor is the voice or vain man 10 be heard;
My m,nd 10 harllS! or my steps to bcgird,
The woodlands alone and the sea wrap me round
The sea, ah. the sea! for me it i, all,
And 11 massi,·ely sweeps from the world's apart;
Its smile tn the 11u1m to my soul i; a cull ,
And when 1n the evening my faith seems to p:,11,
It breathes with its sadness on echo 10 mv heart.
ijy nil(ht an arcanum; when translucent it glows.
All ,p:onglcd over woth its molhon, or hght,.
And the brt,vit sky a hove resplendent sho" s;
Whole the wa,e, with their ~1ghs tell of their woes I ule, that :ire lmt a\ they roll to the height,.
nwy tell of the ,.o,ld when the first dawn broke,
And the ;unhgltt over their surface played
When 1hou,amb or he1ngs from nothingness "oke,
To pcork the depths ,111! th, hc,ghl\ to tloak,
Wherever 11; hte-ioving kis, v.a, laid
Bui ,.hen ,n 1hc Dll(ht the wild ,.,O(J\ •wake,
Anu !he .. ,ivc, 111 their lo') ~gon to leap.
Throutth thl! uu su,h tht cric~ that 11\) 1111ntl ,hJke,
Vo,ce, thal rr..y ,onp and moan, thal rartake
01 lamc,m Imm ohc soub ,Lnl uown on the deep.
'lncn from thc.r ht:,ght~ lhc mounrJlns groJn.
And 1hc Hee, , l11vcl' 1remuluu, from grc~11 unh.> l~..t~t.
The groves rustle plaontovc and lh<' hrrd, utter n111;1n
For they '-'Y th,1t the f.ho,1 t1I the loll that tore gone
Ate rathnJ them do'ftn 10 Cht•1r dtJlh\ merry 1c,1,t
In h.>rh11 .1mt ,·oufu,ion wl11'ipcr.; the nighL
Whole t>IUl' uml j(rccn 0~mes Oil o,cr the deer,
Uut LJlm n:,go, \.\JLh the morning's light,
•
An4 l ,,'km tlh: hold fishcttn;1n \'.'om~, ,nco saght.
An,I lu, t>.,rk rushes on and the waves sink to ,tcep
S., """"'J glide the days on my lcmclv Hhodc;
llri,cn forth from •he worlJ v.hcrc once I was l,.nuwn,
I m U'C l,.tr the fate upon me hcs-mwrd,
A frn~r:ont foll!Otlcn that the moss w,U corrode
Io h,dc lr'.lm manltmd the world on me shown
1 live in thought or lhe lov'd ones left.
And or their names 10 my mind are borne;
Some have forsaken me and IOfflC by death arc reft;
But now 'tis all one. 11S through the past I drift,
That past which from one never be tom.
Foe it is tbe fnend that is with me always,
That ever in sorrow keeps 1he failh in my soul;
While through the still night it watches and prays,
As here in my exile tn my one but it stays
To strengthen my faith when doubts o"er me roll.
That faith I keep and I hope to sec shine
The day when 1he lde11 prevails over migb1;
When after the fray and death's show decline.
Some other voice sounds. far hopper than mi_ne,
To raise the glad of lhe triumph of righl.
J see 1he sky glow, refulgent and clear,
A$ when 11 rorced on me my first dear illusion:
I feel the same wmd kiss my forehead sore,
And the 6re as the same that is bummg here
To shr up youth's blood ,n boiling confusion.
I breathe here the winds lhat perehanu have pa.s'd
O'er the fields and the rivers of my own natal ~bore;
And mayhap they will bnng on the rctummg blast
The sigh> that lov'd being upon them has cast Messages 1wce1 from lhc love I firSI bore.
To sec the same ntoon, all s,lver'd as of yore
I feel the aad though1s within me anse;
The fond reoollectoon• or lhc troth we swore.
Of the field and the bt,wcr and 1he "'idc seashore,
The blushes of joy. wtth the salenre and sighs.
A buuerfly seeking the Oowers and 1he light,
Of other lands dreaming of vaster extent;
Scarce a youth, from home and love I look Oighl,
To wander unheeding. free from doubt of affright So in foreign lands were my brightest days Sj)Cnt.
And when hk • lapguishlng bird I was ram
To the home of my fathers and my love 10 relum ,
Of a sudden the 6eccc lempcst roar'd amain;
So l aaw my win~ shattered and no home remain,
My trust IQld to 01hcrs and wrcckJ round me burn.
237
-
IIIZAL:
u,•. WOIIQ AMO WIIITINCI&
Hurl'd OUI inlO exile from lhe land I adore,
My future all dark and no refuge to seek;
My roseate drums hover, round me once more,
Sole treasures of all 1ha1 lite ro me b<m:;
The faiths of youth 1ha1 with sincerity apeak.
But not as of old, full of life and o( grace,
Do you hold oul hopes or undying reward;
Sadder I find you; on your lov'd face.
Though ,till unccre, the pale Unes trace
The marks of the faith it it yours 10 guard
You orrci: now, dream,. my gloom 10 appease,
And the years of my youth again 10 disclose;
So I thank you, 0 storm, and heaven•bom breeze.
That you knew or the hour my wild fhght to ease,
To ca.11 me back to the soil whence J rose .
By the spreading beach where the sands arc soft and fine.
Al the foot or the mount tn its manlle .or green;
I have found • horne in the pleasant uovc's confine,
In lhe shady woods, that peace and calmness divine,
Resi for the weary t,ra1n and silence to my s0rrow keen.
Rizal and Josephloe Bracken. In the silent hours or the night
after the day's hard work, Rizal WIIS often sad. He missed Im
family and relative~. 'his good friend~ in foreign land\, the
exhilarating hfe in the cities of Europe. and his happy days in
Calamba. The death of Leonora Rivera on,August 28, 1893 left
a po:gnant void in his hean. He needed somebody to cheer him
up in bis lonely exile.
In God's own time, this ~somebody" came to Dapitan. like
a sunbeam to dispel his melancholy mood. She was Josephine
Bracken, an Irish girl of sweet eighteen. "slender, a chestnut
blond, with blue eyes, dressed wilh e legant simplitity, with an
atmosphere of light gayety". She was born in Hong Kong on
October 3, 1876 of lnsh parent~ - James Bracken, a corporal
in the British garrison. and Elizabeth Jane MacBride .01 lier
mother died in childbirth. and she was adopted by Mr George
Taufer. who later became blind.
No ophthalmic specialist in Hong Kong could cure Mr.
Taufer's blindness so that he, accompanied by hil. adopted daugh•
ter J~phine went to Manila to seek the services o' the famous
238
Ede 1n O~han (1892 1896)
ophthalmic surg~on, Dr. Rizal. They heard tn the cuy that Dr.
R-izal was 1n Oap1tan, where they proceeded - accompanied
by a Filipin~ companion, Manuela Orlac, They presented 10
Rizal a card of introduction by Julio Uorcnte, his friend and
schoolmate. ' 2
Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each other al fir,t
sight . A~er a whirlwind romance of one month, they agreed 10
marry. But Father Obach, the priest of Dapitan , refused to
marry then wilhout the permission of the Bishop of Cchu
When Mr . Tauter heard or their proiccted marriage. he
flared up in violent rage. Unable to endure 1he thought or l0<,ing
Josephine, be tried to commit $Uicide by cutting off his throat
with a razor. Rizal, however, grabbed his wristi. and prevented
him from killing himself. To avoid n tragedy, Josephine wcnl
with Taufer to Manila by the first available steamer The blind
man went away uncured because his ailment was venereal in
nature, hence incurable.
Mr. T aufer 1e1umed alone 10 Hong Kong. Jo~ephinc srnycd
in Manila with Rizal's family Later ~he returned to Dapitan
Since no priest would marry them, Rizal and Jo,ephme held
hands togetheff and married 1hem,clves before the eye, uf God
They lived as mun and wife•' Of course, Father Ohach wa,
scan<ialized, and many unsavory mies were c,rculalcd h, go,,ip,
in Dap11an.
Rizal andl Josephine lived happily 111' D~p11an In ,c,cral
lct~ers 10 hi, fanuly, Ri.zdl praiscd Ju,cplunc and re, caktl h"
new happines~ He .-a~ no lunger loncl} D.1p11an h.td hc,unie
for i1im a heaven or bliss
At one time. Rizal wrote ii j>llCm for Ju,cph1nc. "h1ch run,
as follow,;""'
Jo~phint, Josephi11e
Who w I hcse shore, have come
Looking fu r a nc:.t ••, homtt,
l 1ki: u w.andtrm~ ,wJllow~
If your fate ,s 1akint1- you
To JapaJJ, Chinn or Shangh,11.
Don·c for,-cr on thl·,c ,h11r~·,
A heart for you bcaL, h•l)h
219
EJule frtOap,c., ( l a , . -
In the early part of 1896 Rizal was extremely happy because
Josephine was expecung a baby. Unfortunately, be played a
prank on her, frightening her so that she prematurely gave birth
to an eight-month baby boy. who lrved only for three hours
Ttru. lost son of Ra.al was named ~F,anasco" in honor of Don
Franc1!>Co (the hero's father) and was buried in Oapitan •s
Rizal and the Katipunao. While Rizal was mourrung the
loss of h1, -.on, ominous cloud, of revolu11on gradually darkened
the Philippme skies. Andres Bonifacio, the "Great Plebeian."
w~ W\\ing the seeds of an armed uprisiog. The secret revolulK>naf) :.ocict), c-d.lled Ka11punan, which he founded on July 7,
1892. \\ as gaininr more and mor~ adherents .
In a secret meeting of the Katipunan at a liule river called
Birukang Manok, near the town of Pasig, on May 2, 1896, Or.
rio Valenzuela \\3S named emlll1S3.f)' 10 Oap1tan, in order to
inform Rizal of the plan of the Kat1punan to launch a rC'olution
for freedom's sake
On June JS. Dr Valenzuela left Manila on board the steamer
V(!nUS. To camouOage his real mission, be brought wub him a
hhnd man named Raymundo Mata and o gwdc, ostensibly going
to Oapitan lo solicit Ri1.al's upcn medical adVM:C
Or. Valenzuela arrived m Oapitan in the evening of June
21. 1896. Rizal, ever a hospitable host, welcomed him. After
supper, the two had a heart-to-bean talk in 1he garden. Valen•
rnela 1old him of the Katipunan plan and of the nccc~ty of his
suppon. 46
phys1ciaru. to minister 10 the needs of the Spanish troops and
the Cuban people It was Blumentntt who told him of the
dcrlorablc health <1tua11on in war•ndden Cuba and advi.sed him
to volunteer a, army ph}"'1Cian there
Acunl! upon Blumentritt's advice. R12al wrote to Govemoc
(;cncral R:tmon Blanru, Dc;,puior~ succes,,or. on December 17.
I >N~ ofk, ,ng h" ,crv,,...,,, a, m1htaf) d,'l<:tnr in Cuh:i . Monlh\
P•"' ·d on, he: re, ·1ved no reply from Malac:uinn!!. He ,ia,·e up
h<>p. 1hu1 I! , hum,rnitanan otter would ever receive go,emment
,1pprmJI
\\'hen he lca,t c.,pcc:1cd 11. a ktter lrom Governor Blancu
<l:tt.:d luh I; lb'lft arn,cJ 111 Dapll:tn , nn1ifymg him of the
,,,,~r1ancc ,,r his offer Th,s lener. which reached him on July
JOlh. ahu ,lated thal the poli1,co-m1htary commander ol Dap11an
--.uuld govc him a p11,;, -.o thal he could come 10 MJmla, "here
h, -.-nuld lsc: giHn ,1 safe-conduct to Spam, ~and there the
M1mqcr 01 War "111 aS!-1gn you to the Army of Operations in
(.uh,1, Jc1 ..1lcd to the Medical Co~"."
"The Song of the, Tra•t'ltr". Great wa~ R,uri. JOY ,n rcce1v•
111g lh<" gladsome new, from Mah;can.anr, Al las1, he v.as free'
once more. he was going to travel - to Eurcpc and then to
Cuba It "'a,, wub thllo Joyous thought of resuming his travels
that h< "rote h1\ heart warming poem LI Canto de/ V1ajuo
(The '>ong of the Traveler) which runs in full·""
THE SONG OF Tl 1.E TRA \ F.U:R
Rizal objected io Bonifacio 's audacious project to plunge
the counlJ) m bloody revolution. He was of the sincere belief
that 11 wa\ premature, for l\\O reasons: (1) the people are not
read) for a revolulion. and (2) arms and fund, must first be
collected before rai5ing the cry of revolution. He also disapproved
of the other plan of the Kallpunan to rescue him beeau~ he
had gwen his word of honor 10 1hc Span1\h aulhnrili~ and he
did not want 10 break 11
l.oke "' a leaf 1hat 1s fallen and v.,1hered.
lo,,-cJ h} lh( lcmpc,t !rum pole unlo J><>IC.
Thu, roam, the J>tlitnm abroad ., 1thou1 purpose,
Volunteers as Military Doctor in Cuba. Months before the
Kat1punan contacted him. Rizal had offered his services as mil it•
Qf) doctor in ruha, wh,ch wa,, tt,cn in lhc 1hroc1 of a rcvolu11on
and a raging yellow fever epidemic There was a shonagc of
fvcr ,mrcllcJ by the 10,i"hlc (><>"er.
Destined 10 roam from the East 10 the West.
2AO
R\.-.am~ 'Aiathout lm·c without country or soul
Fulh1" '"ft nn"iom,I) trcachcrnu'.'i. fo-rtune:
rouunc: "htch e'en ti h~ gra~p~ at Jt flees.
\ .nn though 1hc hope, l~I hos )Cain1ng " ~eek,ng
, et d<-.es the politnm cmb..rk on the sea,
Oh he rcmcm~r'\ th~ fo\.'.t-'\ ot IO\cd on~.
Dream, of th< day v.hcn he, 100 wa, ot resl
241
-
IIIZALt Ll,a. WOIIQ AND WIIITINCII
Chance may assign bim tomb on the deaen,
Orant blm a final asylum or peace;
Soon by the w«ld an<I his country fo,aott.c n,
God rest Im soul when his wanderings cease!
Often the sorrowing pilg,;im Is envied,
Circling the globe like a sea-gull above;
Lillle, ah, little they know what a void
Saddens Im soul by the absence or love.
Chapter 23
Last Trip Abroad, (1896)
Home may the pilgnm return in the future,
Badt to his loved ones his roo~tcps he bends;
Nauaht will he find out snow and the rums,
Miles or love and the tomb of his friends.
No longer an exile, Rizal had a pleasant trip from Dapitan
to Manila, with delightful stopovers in Oumaguete. Cebu, lloilo,
Capiz, and Romblon. lie missed the regular bteamer Isla d<'
Luzon, which sailed to Spain the day before he arrived m Manila
Bay. While waiting for the next ship for Spain, he was kept as
a "guest" on board the Spanish cruiser Casulla. Meanwhile. on
August 26, 1896, Andres Bonifacio and the Ka1ipunan raised
the cry of revolution in the hills or Balintawak, a few miles
north of Manda. Rizal, worried about the raging hostilities. lcfl
for Spain on the ,teamer /$la dt' Panay on September 3. IKW,
It was his last trip abroad.
Pilgrim , begone! .Nor return more hereafter,
S1r&111er thou a.rt in the land of thy birth;
Otbcn may sing of their love while rejoicina,
Thou once ap.in must roam o'er the earth.
Pilgrim, begoncl Nor return more hereafter,
Dry are the te:an that a while ror 1hce ran;
Pilgrim, begone! And forget thine affliCl>On,
Loud laughs the world at the sormws or man.
Adl6s, Dapltaa. On July 31, 1896, Rizal's four-year exile in
Dapitan came to an end. At midnight of that date, he embarked
on board the steamer Espana. He was nccompanied by
Josephine, Narcisa, Anf;lica (Narcisa's daughter), his three
nephews, and six pupils. Almost all O apitan folks, young and
old, were at the !>bore to bid him goodbye. Many wept as the
steamer sailed away - especially the other pupils who were too
poor to accompany their beloved teacher to Manila. As farewell
m usic, the town brass band strangely played the dolorous Funeral
March of Chopin. A~ its melancholy melody floated in the nir,
Rizal must have felt it deeply, for with his prC$Cntimcnt of death ,
it seemed an obsequy or a requiem.
ruzaJ
A5 the steamer pushed out into the sea,
gazed for
the Inst time on ,Oapilan with his hands waving in farewell salute
to its kind and hospitable folks and with a crying heart filled
with tears or nost.algic memories. W hen he could no longer see
the dim shoreline, he sadly went to bis cabin and wrote in his
diary: "f have been in that district four years. thirteen days, and
a few hours". 30
141
From Dapltan to Manila. Leaving Oapitan at m1dnigh1. July
31, 1896, the E.spa,ia, w11h Rizal and party on hol>ard. -..1iled
north ward. At dawn the next day (Saturday. Augu,1 1). 11
anchored at Oumaguctc, capital of • Negro, 011cn1al
"O umaguete," wrote Rizal in his travel diary. "spread, out on
the beach. There are big house~, some with galvanized iron
roofing, Oumnnding arc the house or a l.td} , wltt1N: 11,1mc I
have forgotten, which is occupied by the government und anolhcr
one just begun with many ipil posts". 1
In Durnaguete. Rizal visited a friend and former classmate.
Herrero Regidor, who was the judge or the province . He also
v1s11cd other friend,, ,ncluding the Pcriquc1 und Rufinn fa1111hc,
In the afternoon he operated on a Spanish captain of the Ciuard1a
Civil.
The Espana left O umaguete abou1 I :00 p .m . and reached
Cebu the following morning. Rizal wa$ ra,cinatcd by the cnrn,ncc
to Cebu which he considered "beautiful" Al the home of Atti,r•
ney Mateos he met an old couple whom he had known in Madrid .
24 )
-
111:EAL: Llfl WOIIICS M n • m -
•rn Cebu•, he wrote in his· diary, •1 did two operations of
stn1bo1omy, one opera11on on tbecars, and another of tu-nor" 2
take him to Spam, portentOU$ evenb occurred, pre.aging the
downfall or Spanish power in As,a.
ln the morning of Monday August 3, Rizal left Cebu going
to lloilo. "The voyage was fine," he wrote, •At the right we
saw Mactan, an island famous for what happened to Magellan.
rhc whtllt afternoon was magnificent... We saw many islands
alons our way
The next day, in the morning, we entered
3
lloilo'
On the fateful evening of August 19. 1896, the IC01tpu,1an
plot to overthrow Spanish rule by means of revolution was
discovered by Fray Mariano Gil, Augus11man cura of rondo.
Thi\ startling ,nc• , ·• 1 struck terror into the hearts of lhc Spanish
officiab and re• 1 .nts . producing a h~steria of vindicltvc re1~11
a1ion against lh< Fil,pmo patnols
Rizal landed at lloilo. went ~hopping in the city. and visited
Molu. Of the Molo church, he commented: ..The church is pretty
oul'°dc and lhc interior is not bad, considering that it had been
painted h> a lad. The pa1ntin&5 arc mostly copies of biblical
>Ccnc, by Gustave Dore" •
The tumul, pmduced hy lhe disco, ery of the Kat,punan
plol was aggravated hy the Cr) ol Hail>lt.iwat..' "luch was raised
by Rdn1fac1n and his ,·,1lrnnt Ka111 1ncro, C1n Augu<t 2(,, 1!\'It,.
At sunn~e of A ugu\t 30, the revolu11onis1~ led hy nomfa,·10 and
Jacmto attacked San Juan. near the city of Manila, bm lhey
were repulsed wi1h hcav1 I
In lhc ahcmoon. after the
Banle of San Ju,m , Go,emnr General B1anco prochumed a ,1ate
of war m the firsl c111ht province, for ming m arm, agam,t Spam
M.. mla (.ts a province) , l}J!Jc.,n, Cav1te, Batanga.s, L.Jguna,
Pampani:a Nucv" Eci1a anti Turl.1('
From 110110, Rizal's slup sailed to Capiz. After a brief
stopover, 11 proceeded towards Manila via Romblon.
Rilil Ml'-~ Ship Going to Spain. The: Espana arrived in
Mamla Ra)· early in the morning of Thursday, August 6, 11196
Unfonunately. Riul was not able to catch the mail ship Isla de
Lu.toll for Spam because it bnd dcpaned the prcvJOu.s day at
'i:(JO p.m 'He wus greall)I d1sappo111tcd, bul he took this unlucky
metdcnce with ah,ding resignation
Writing to Blumcntrin later. Rizal mentioned this cpi1'0de,
"Unfortunately" . he said. "I did not catch the mall ship for
Spain, and [earing lhat my .,ay m Manila for a month might
bring me lrouhle~ I mode known 10 the governor general, while
rema1n1ng on board the ~h,p (Espana - Z.), of my wish to be
•~olakd from ever)body. except my family" 6
Near midnight of lh.: ~':lme day, August 6, Rizal was transferred 10 the Spamsh crui,cr Castilla, by order o[ Governor
General Ramon Blanco I le was given good aocommodation by
the gallant captain, Enrique Santalo, who told him that he was
nnl a pmoncr, but a guc~t detained on board "'in order 10 avoid
diff'icult1cs from friend~ and enemies''
,c.
R11.ll lc,1rncd ol lht.: cruplton o[ the rc•nlullon and lhc rng,n~
battles around Manila through the newspapers he rend on the
Cas11/la lie was worried for two reasons: (I) lhe v,olcnl revnlu1,on which he ~mccrcly bclic•cd 10 he premature ,,nd would
only cau,e much ,ufrenng and terrible In<;< of human hvcs and
property, had ,1aned and (2) 11 would arouse Spamsh vengeance
agamsl all 1-ihpmo p,unuts.
Oepature for Spain. On Augu,t 30, 111%, the day when the
<late or war wa~ procla,m,·d in the eight provmcc, R11al rcc,·1vcd
from Governor General Rlanco two lcuers or mtroduct,on for
the M,mster ol War and lhe M1ms1cr of Coloauei., with a covenng
lcucr which ah,ol,cd hm1 lrom all blame for the raging rcvolu
1ion u, follow, 7
Mr 1,,.,c R:11111
M, Ocar Sir:
R11.1l ,tayed on the cruiser for 000111 a month, from August
6 to September 2, 1896, pending the availability of a Spain-bound
End°""d arc two lc11crs for the Mmistcrs of War and
Colome, which I think will be well received
steamer
I ha,e- no <loub1 1hn1 you will iust,fy me before the
Guvcmmcnt h) your future hchJvior 001 only for you, word
of honor bul because the prcsenl happerung must bavc
Outbteak ot the Pb.lllpplM Re,oludoo. While Rizal was
pultenlly waiting on the cruiser Ca.ml/a for the next steamer to
244
14S
JOSE IIIZAL: LIFI, WORKS AHO WIIITINGS
shown you ,palpably lhat cenain actions which arc the product of looh,h ,dca, yield no other re,uh but hair..-d. destruc•
tion, tears, and blood,
May you be very happy Is the wish of your aucnhve
Strvllnl who kisses your hnnd,
Ramon Bl3nto
The two letters of introduction were identical, The one
addressed to General Marcelo de Azcarraga. Minister of War.
was written as follows:
Mos1 Excellent Marcelo de Azcarraga
My c<,t,c:cmcd Gcl)eral and dc,tlngui,hed Friend,
I recommend to you with genuine inlcresi Dr Jo-..,
RJZal who i, departing lor the Pcnin,ula at the d1s~I <>I
the G~vcmment, ever ~esirous of rendtnng his services as
ph)'$1Cran to the Arm~ ,n Cubu
Hi, condu~1 dunng the four Y""" th.ii h..- ..,3, '" ex,lc
in Dapitan has been exemplary •nd he ,s. ,n my opinion,
the more worthy of pardon anJ bene>olencc as he is ,n no
woy m_volvcd ci1her in the crlnunal utkmp1 th.u "-1.' urc
lamenr1ng these days or tn any conspuacy or ,ecn:.l "-Oeic,,
thm th"Y hnvc been plo111ng.
With this ()bJCCt I ha,c the pleasure 10 remJin.
Your mO\t .ith.'Chonatc tr1c1,d
and colle,11:ue "h11 ~1-sc,
your hand
Ramon Blanco
• On ~ep1emb<:r 2, 189h, the d.iy hcftlrc h" JcpJrturc ""
Spam, Rizal, on hoard the Grrn/la. ,vrute to h" nt1>1h,-r ,1,
follows:•
'-'iy Dc,irest Mother.
,\\ I promised, I nm .1Jd1,·~,ms ~l'U ;t kv. lloc, h•.'lort·
lca\ing. h> let you knnv. all\llH 1h1.· ,.-111lJ1tmn ol 111\' h1.!,tlth
. I ;1m \liClt. lhank \lt.',f,I. I oun uni) ,,,nu.:1m:J ,1, 10 \\h,u
will harrcn or shall have h.tf'J'<'n«I 10 you in these <l•Y' ot
uplteo1\'i.tl .ind d1'(}rdcr. Lnd will th,d IH) tlld f,nher mJ~
nCll have ,iny lnd1sp(l\1tion
2,46
I shaill write to you lrum the pl,t<c, -.hc1c lh< t, ◄ ,,,t
$lops; I expect to be, in Madrid or at lca<t in R"rwlon,1 .,1
the end of this month.
Do not worry about anything: we arc all tn the har,J,
of Divine Providence Not ,•II those who !\to io Cuh., clw
and in the end one has to die· at lea,1 die dorn11, <0mcth in
good,
Take- good care of yourself and take care of m, ,,IJ
fothcr so that we shall sec each other Ol(ain M11n, r,·tt:,rd,
for my brother ,sislc"· ntrhe..,, and niece-~. aunts. etc , etc
I leave oontcnted, confident that a, long a,, you ,,re Jh,c
the family will rcmn,n united Jnd the old mhm,,cy w,11 r-·1r11
1n it. You two are 1he bond that unites •II of us
With nothing more, my very dear mother, I ""' ' " "'
hand and that of my father wi1h all the atkcuon and I""
1hat my 'hc•rt i5 capahlc of giving: give me your hi,·"'"~'
or which I am in much need.
A fond embrace for everyone of my ""e,-,;; rHJ) the,
love one another jusl us I luve ull of 1hem
V.our ,011
Jn,..,
At 6:00 p.m., September 2. R.in1I wu, tran,£crn·d tn the
steamer Isla de Parray wluch was sailing for Barcelona. Sp,un
The next mornrng. September 3, this steamer left MJn1l,1 Bay
At lasi. R1zal's last trip to Sp.iin begun. Amons h" fellow
passengers on board were Don Pedro Roxai; (rich M.,nila c«•ole
industrialist and his friend) an<l his son named Pen4um
Rizal in Singaport,. 'Ote Isla df Panlly arrived at Smg.ipu«
in the evening of Scptcmhcr 7. 1 he follo"'"!t murnin)! R11al
and other pas-.engcr~ went a,hore for sightsecin~ and ,hopprnr
for souvenirs. In his uavcl diary, Rizal wrote: " I ha,·c nhscn,~J
some changes: There are more Chmese merchant, and kss
Indian . . I bought a Chinese g,)"'n
. Singapvrc h.,,. d1:,11gc<I
much since I saw it for the fiN time in llll!2. ""
Don Pedro, with his son. disembarked at Singapore 1lc
advised Rizal 10 stay behind too and take advantage of 1he
protection of the British law. Rual did not heed hi, Jdv1ce.
Several Filipino residents of Singapore, headed by Don Manuel
Camus, boarded the steamer. u111iog him 10 slay rn Singapore
247
-
IIIZAL: U.._, WOIIQ AIIDWllmNOa
LatT,.Abt... f1. .I
to save bis life. He also ignored their appeal because he had
given his word of honor to Governor General Blanco and he
did not ltke 10 break it.
6n September 28, a day after the steamer bad left Port
Said (Mediterranean terminus o( the Suez Canal), a passenger
told Rizal the bad news that -he would be arrested by order of
Victim fl Spenhh Dupldty. By refusing to break his word
of honor in Singapore, Rizal scaled his own doom . For wuhout
his knowledge, Governor General Blanco was secretly conspiring
with the Ministers of War and the Colonies (ultramar) for his
destru<:tion.
Governor General Blanco and would be sent to pnson in Ceuta
(Spanish Morocco) , opposite Gibraltar
Great hero and genius that he was, Rizal proved to be as
gullible as Sultan Zaide, another vichm of Sparush intrigue. to
For all his wonderful talents, Rizal was after all a mortal man
who committed mis'lakes. And orie of his greatest mistakes was
10 believe that Governor General Blanco was a man of honor
and a friend because he allowed him to go as a free man to
Spain to become a physician-surgeon of the Spanish army in
Cuba, where a bloody revolution was raging, and gave him two
nice letters of iotroductJon addressed to the Spanish Mini,ters
of War and the Colonies.
Shocked by the alarming news, Rizal belatedly realized that
he was duped by the unscrupulous Spanish officials, particularly
the sly Governor General Blanco. With an agonizing heart, he
immediately wrote a lener 10 his best friend, Blumentnu, unbut•
dening h,s disgust and bitterness, as follows: 12
S.S. htu de Panay, Mediterranean
September 28. 1896
My very dear Friend,
A passenger on board has ju.st 10ld me a news that I
can hardly believe and should 11 be true, would bring 10 an
end the prestige of Philippine au1hori1ies.
I cannoi believe for ii would be the areatest injustice
and 1hc mos1 abominable infamy, unworthy not of a mili1aryoffi(1al but of the last bandit. I have offered to serve as a
The truth of the matter, as now substantiated by the declassified documents in the Ministries of War and the Colonies, was
that Blanco was his implacable foe, who regarded him as a
"dangerous Filipino" who was rc.~ponsible for the raging Phi hp,
pine Revolution , and therefore plotted his doom. 11
physkian. ri~king life in the hazards of war and abandoning
all my business. I am innocent and oow m reward they arc
sending me io pnson!'
I cannnl t>eloeve 111 This is infamous, bul if ii tum, 0111
to be true , as everybody assures me. I am oommunicating
10 you these news so that you may appraise my shuation.
Rizal was unaware that since his depsrture from Manila
Bay on his way to Spain, Blanco and the Ministers of War and
the Colonies were e-xchanging coded telegrams and confidential
messages for his arrest upon reaching Barcelona and that he
was a deportee and was being secretly kept under surveillance.
11.izal Arresced Befort R~achlna Barttlona. The Isla d~
Ponoy, with Rizal on board, left Singapore at 1:00 p.m., Sep,
tcmbcr 8. Unaware of the Spanish duphcity, particularly of
Governor General Bianco's infernal deceit, he happily continued
the voyage towards Barcelona.
On September 25, be saw the steamer Illa ~ Luzon, leaving
the Suez Canal, crammed with Spanish troops. Two days later
(Sunday, September 27) he heard from the passengeTS that a
telegram arrived from Manila reporting the execution of Fran•
cisco Rous, Genato, and Osorio.
Yours.
(Signed) Jose Rizal
There was norh.ing official yet about his impending arrest;
was sull merely shipboard gossip. On September 29, Rizal
wrote in his travel diary: MThere arc people on board who do
nothing but slander me and invent fanciful stories about me.
I'm going to become a legendary personage."
11
fhe following day (September 30), at 4:00 p.m., he was
officially notified by Captain Alemany that he should stay in his
cabin until further o rders from Manila He graciously complied
wtth the captain's directive.
l49
JOaalUIAL Lll'I.-KI IWOWJI~
Arrival In Barcelou as a Pruoett. About 6.25 p.m , Sc~
t~mbcr 30, the ~1c.11ncr anchored at Mah.. Be,ng conf111cJ tu
bis cabin, Rizal was not able to v,~11 the famou\ island foruc:,~
of !be Ch.nstian crusaders. • I saw through a 11n, ,.;ndow," he
""roce 1n ho~ diary. "the bcaoltiul \lew of th.: pon fM.tlta - / " I •
wi1h its monumental and magn,ficcn1 castle in three level, .•• 11lurruncd by the lingering afternoon hgh1s " 11
On October 3. at 10:00 o"clod. 10 the morning. the Ir/a d~
PDNJy amved in B.ircelona . ..,,th Raal a pnY)ftCr on lx,ard.
The tnp frum \1.mtla 10 Baro:lona l.oted c:x,1ctly 30 <Loy, . He
was kept under heavy guard 1n hi, cabin for three da)"i , His
1ailor was no longer the slup capiiun hut the Military Coruman.Jer
of Barcelnna, "'ho happened 10 be General Eulog,o O~pu1ol.
the -ame one who ordered his ham,hmenl 10 Oap1tan 1n July,
1892. It Wa\ one •f those comc:idences in the lives of ~n 1ha1
make ·h,story ~,ranger than fiction." 14
On hos ..econd day an Barcelona, Raal. although belJ ancomumcado in hh cal>tn, nouccd the c:il y cclebrauon of I hi.!' fc.;,1 of
St Francu, of A«,111 He recorded it on h~ diary :15 foll,,..-,. " At
6:00 ,n the morning many cannon shots av,akened 115 Ir ~cems
tha1 they nre in honor of the feaM of St. FrJncis of
At
12:00 o'clock I counted as many a, JI cannon ,hnt~ anJ ,1 I>()()
there ,wre agam » man) At night there "'11S a concert 111 the
dining room "'b1ch can be hurd from my cabin •
A~,,.,
At 3:00 a.m. on October 6, Raal was nwakeneJ hy the
guard, and c~concd to the gnm and infamou~ pn,on fortress
named Moniuich He ~nt the whole morning 1n a cell .\l>out
:?:00 in the afternoon, be was , .. i..en ou1 or pnson h) th< iuMd\
and brought to the hc..Jquaner< of General DcspuJol In the
onlcn,icw. "hich la,tcd " quaner of un hour , 1he brusque i;cncr.,l
told Rizal that he would be shipped back to Manila on hoard
the 1rampon srup Colon which -.a~ leavinr. that evcmni ,
After tbc interview, Ril.al ..,a, taken ;ihoard the <olvn,
which was ·full of M>ld1ers and office~ anJ their fam11Jc, - •• At
8:00 p.m ., October 6, the ship left Barcelona, with R11;1l on
board.
• • • ••
250
Chapter 24
Last Homecoming and Trial
Rizal's homecoming in 1896, the la~t ,n hi~ hfc. "'·" h"
saddc5t return 10 his beloved native land lie !..new he '"·" facing
the supreme test, which rruj!.hl tnean the !>J,nfic:e of hh loft:. hul
be WD unafmd As a maucr of fact. h<: wclromcJ 11 Gl.11.il}
he d~rcd 10 meet his enem,c, and 10 otkr htm'<!lf a, • ,.1,nltcial
victim 10 their sadistic lust and unholy deMtzn~ for he knc,. that
bis blood would waler the see& of Filipino freedom Ilk. tnal
lhat wa. held ,honly after hos ti.,mccom1n11"' , .,,
•I ho,,h>ry·,
mockeries of j~tice His enemies ho'A led h~e m.,.: Jog., for h"
blood. and they got 11, without benefit of genuine 1u,11c<.
A Mart)T'S Last Homecoming. Olly h) day \111<:c lcavinj?
Ban:clooa on 1 uesday. Octob.,r 6. 11!96, Ro·;il ,, '""-'cn11ou,ly
recorded the e,cnll ,n h" doa') He '""' g1,cn ;o • " " ' ,llhon on
the second cla<S and although ,1nctly guudcd he"' , 11ur1,-ously
treated by the army offtcers. ··The o(lo~cr-on dut}, · IK wrote
ID h" diary, •seems amiable. refined, and !"lhtc, ,,,.,,,,1, 1 "''h
the ,criousncs~ of his duty ·· 1
On Octohcr 8 a friend!) officer tolJ R11al th" th<· M•drid
newspapers .,.·ere full of Mories about the hlood) rc,nlu1o-0n in
the Ph,hppin~ and were blaming him for 11 Rcalmng the ,,d,crsc
and unjust puhhc optnion, he thanked Ciod for 1:'""l\ illm the
chance 10 return in order 10 confront h" .Jandcr.·r, and to
,,ndicate his name. He "rote m hos doJT) on the ... me dare
(October 8)?
I bche•e th.,it what Ood IS doona 10 mt I\ • hk,,,n~ .
allowina me to So l>acl< 10 the Phibi,,,nn in onlc:r IU he,
able to dcstro)' such accu>altOnS. Scuu .... eolh<r tho Jo
inc ju~lou and ttcopm< my ,nnocrnu •nJ then I .. ,II t.:
tthabilnated or they sentence me to de.th and there!>,
1S1
Lat ttoc .ow.n~'IAnd Tril l . . , ~ Mt1•11r¥ Coui,
before the eye> of soctc:1y, I atone for my 111ppooed cnmc.
Society will forgive me and later, withou1 any d001ht , ju~tice
will be done me aad I will be one more man)'T. At any
r3tc, 1m1ead of dying ebrlM<I or in 1hc marugua (Jungle m
Cuba) I'll die in my own country I bclic\'e 1ha1 what i,
happening " the bc$t that can happen 10 me . Alwa~ let •
C.1Kl's ,.,II be donc• I feel more calm w11h regard 10 my
furure . . I fccl 1hat pcace has deu:cndcd upon me. tha:nk
God! O.Ou an my hopc and my consolauon• Let your Will
he dont; I •m ready to obey ti. Either I will be a,ntlemned
or abso(ved I'm happy and ready
Confiscation ot Riul's Diary, II was known 10 the Spam$h
a_utbonues on board the Colon that Rizal was keeping track of
the daily event, ,n h,s d,ary. Ibey ,.ere. of course, cunous as
to what were recorded m his diary 1'., ti only their curiOStty. but
also lhe,r suspicion was arou.sed, for they feared 1hat the diarist
might be v.nhng !.Omethmg sed111ous or ueasonable.
On October 11 before reaching Pon Said, Ru.ars diary was
laken awa~ nnd ..,as cr1l1t,-ally scruunizc:d by the au1hont1es.
Nolhing dJngemu, v.a, found in ii\ contents, The cabin was
searched thoroughly, but nothmg incnmmatmg was found . On
November 2, the diary was returned to tum Owing to the
interruption. Rizal was not ahle 10 record the cvc:nh from Mon
day October 12 to Sunday. November I Speaking of thi, incident, he wrote in hts dtary. 3
Monday , 2 No,cmbcr - Today, they rcrurrted to me
tht> notebook -..hkh lhcy took a,.ay c>n the l11h or lbt
month before reaching Port Said For thi\ reason my diary
was interrupted. They seardled me and mspccted throug)lly
my luuagc lltey tool u"'•) ~II mt papc,- und afterward
the)' put me behind bars and rhcy dtd nor take mte out un•il
"'c reached the Red ~ - That was what they dtd 10 me m
16 hours hcforc our jmval, Also r..oce they put me m four
or six hours before and they rake me our when we arc
;1lrcady in the high Steas. Ho..,evcr. al Singapore they put
me in 16 hours before ,,ur amval Abo twice 1hey put
handcuffs on m<:
Umu«c:ssrul lte..~ue in Singapott. News of R1zal's prcd,ca•
ment reac~ his friends in Europe and Singapore. From London,
Dr. Antoruo Ma. Regsdor and Sixto Lopez dispatched frantic
152
telegrams to an English lawyer m Sulgapo~ named Hugh Fort
to rescue R,z.at from the Spanish steamer when 11 reached Singapore b)' means of a wnt or habea.5 corpus
When the Colon amved in Singapore. Atty Fort instituted
proceedings at the Singapore Court for the removal of Rizal
from the steamer The crux of Mr Fon's legal contention wa,,
that Ri1al was ~,!legally detained" on the Spanish 5teamer.
Unfortunatel~ Clucf Ju<tice Lome! Cox denied the wnt on
the ground that the Colon ,.-as carrying Spanish uoops to the
Philippines. Hence II is a warship of a foreign power. which
under 1ntcma11onal law was beyond the Jurisdiction of the Sin•
gaporc uuthori11c, •
Rizal wa, unaware of the attempt made by his friend~ to
rescue him in Singapore bccau.<e he was then kept behtnd bar.
in the ,hip
Arrhal in Manila. On November 3. the Colon reached
Manil,1, "'here II wa~ greeted .. 11h wild rcjoiciow, by 1hc Spanu1rds
and friar\ because it l>rought more reinforcements and military
supplies. While the Spamsh community was exulting wilh JOY,
Rizal wa, quiet!) trnn~ferred under heavy guard from the ~hip
10 Fort Santiago
Meanwhile . the Spanish authonttes fished for evidence
against Rizal. Many Fihp1no pamots. including Deodato Arellano. Dr. Pio Valenzuela. Mo1se.sSal11ador. Jose D,zon, Domingo
F,anrn. Tcmotco Pac,. and Pedro Serrano Llktaw, were hru1ally
tortured tu implicate Riuil Rizal'~ own brother. Paciano, wa~
arres'led and cruelly tortured. He suffered all pains inflicted by
Spain·, drabohca tonur<ers. but he never l>igned any damaging
s1a1cmcnt ,ncnmmatmg his }0Wlgcr brother Although his body
was ,hanered on the tonure rack and his left hand crushed by
1he -;crev.. hts valiant ~an sp1ri1 remamcd unbroken
Pr-diainary ln•estlptloe. On November 20. the prehmtn&f)
in,c,ttgauon began . Rll.:ll, the accused, appeared before th<:
Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco Olive He was sul>1ec1ed tr
a gruelling five-day investigation . He was informed of the chargei
against h,m He answered the qucs1ion~ asked by the Judge
Advocate. but he was not permitted to confront those whc
testified against him.
l53
LIit HOfflNlffllne And Trlel ly s.,_,llh Mi11...-y Covn
Two kinds of evidence were presented-against Rizal, namely
documentary and testimonial. TI,e documentary eviden~ consisted of fifteen exhibits, as follows:s
I,
9. An anonymous and unda1ed lctlcr 10 the E'dnor
of the Hongkong Telegraph, ccnsunng 1hc ban1shm<nl of
Rizal to Oapitan.
2. A letter of Rizal to Ins family, da1ed Madrid,
JO. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal , da1ed1Manila,
September 3, 1892, saying that the Filipino people 1-0ok up
to him (Rizal) as their savior.
A letter uf Anlon,io Luna 10 Morianu Ponce, dated
Madrid, October 16, 1888, showing Rizal'$ oonnection wilh
the Filipino reform campaign in Spain.
August 20, 1890, stating that the deportation, arc good for
lhcy will cocouraac tile people 10 hate tyranny.
3. A letter from Marcelo H. dcl Pilar 10 Deodato
'."ellano, dated Madrid, January 7. 1889. 1mphca1rng Rizal
1n the Prol)llganda• camp11gn in Spain.
4, A poem entitled Kund1man. allegedly wriucn by
Rizal in Manila on September 12, 1891,6 Thi< po,,m is as
follows:1
KUNDIMAN
lo the Orient beautiful
'Where the sun is oorn.
lo a land of beau1y
Full of enchantments
But bound In chains.
Where the despot reign,,
The land dearest lo me.
,\lh! lhal is my country,
Sbe is a slave oppressed
G:roanmg in the tyrao1's grips:
Lucky shaU he be
Who can give her libeny!
JI A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Ri:ul, dalcd Man1lu ,
17, 1893, mforming an unidentified corresponden1 of 1he
arrest and barushment of Doroteo Cones and Ambrosio
Salvador,
12. A letter of Marcelo H del Pilar to Don J1m1n A .
Tenluz (Juan Zulucta). dated Madrid, June 1, 1!193 rcoom
mending the establishmenl o( a special organl:i.alion . ind~pcndcntof Masonry, to help the.cu...., of 1hc Filipin<J l'<'"P'<
13. Trans;:npt of a speech of P1ngk1Jn (Emoloo
Jacinto) , in a reunion of the Katipunan on July 23. IK<!3.
in wluch the following cry was ultered "Long Live th~
Philippines! Long live Liberty! tong live Doctor R11UI'
Ullityl"
14. Transcript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Tunann
Santiago) m the same Kalipunan reumon, where ,n 1hc
katipuneros shouted: "Long live lhc cmmcnt Doc1or R11.1II
Death lo the oppressor nation !"
'
A poem by Laong Laan (Rizal). enmlt:d A Talisay
in which the author makes the Oap11an \Choolb<1vs , 1ng that
lhey know how to fight 'for iheir righh
·
IS.
6. A ,Mas<mlc documeol, dated Manila, l·ebruary 9,
1892, ho110nng Rizal for h1~ patrio1ir service~
The 1estimonial evidence consi\lcd of 1hc oral tc,tirnoni,·,
or Martin Constantino, Aguedo del Rosario , Jose Reye,. Moi,c,
Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Dcoda10 Arellano.
Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano l..aktaw, Dr Pio Vak·111ucl a
Antonio Salawr. Francisco Quison. and Timoteo Paez
7, A letlcr signed Dimosalang ( Ri,ar, p,emlonym)
lo Tenluz (Juan Zulueta's pseudonym), dated llongkong,
May 24, llln, s1aling tltat he was prepanng a •~fe refuge
for Filipinos who may be pen.ccu1cd by 1hc Spanhh
authorities.
On November 26, after the preliminary invcs1iga1ion. Col•
onel Olive transmitted the records or !he case to Governor
General RJimon Blanco, and the letter appoin1cd Cap1ain Rafael
Dominguu as special Judge Advocate 10 inslitulc 1he corrc~pond•
ing action against Rizal.
S A letter of Carlos Ohvcr 10 an un1dcnttf1ed r,cNm
dated Barcel ona, September l8, 1891, descnbmg Rizal a<
the man to free the Philtppine; from Spanish opprcs,1<,n
ZS4
8. A letter or D,masalang to an unid,ntlficd oomm11tee, dated Hongkong, June I, 1892, sohciting 1hc a,d of 1hc
committee in the "patriotic work".
2SS
.IOllltllfZAL:1.J'I.WOflUANDWi f W
Immediately, Dominguez made a brief resume of the charges
and retumed the papers to Governor General Blanco who,
thereupon , transmitted them to the Judge Advocate General,
Doo Nicolas de la Pena, for an opinion.
After studying the papers, Pena submitted the following
recommendations: (1) the accused be immediately brought 10
trial; (2) he should be kept in prison; (3) an order of attachment
be i$Sued against his property to the amount or one million pesos
as indemnity; and (4) he should be defended in court by an
army officer, not by a civilian lawyer.
RJzat Chooses His Defender. The only right given 10 Rizal
by the Spanish authontie~ was to choose his defense counsel.
And even this wa~ highly restricted. For he had 10 choose only
from a list submitted to him.
On December 8, Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception,
a list of 100 first and second lieutenants in the Spanish Army
was presented 10 Rizal Ile looked over the hst. One name
struck his fancy. II was Don Luis Taviel de Andrade, 1st Lieuten•
ant of the Artillery, The name was familiar to him so that he
chose: the lieu1enan1 10 be his defender in court.
LI. Lui~ Taviel de Andrade proved 10 be tbe brother of Lt.
Jose Tavicl de Andrade, Riml's "bodyguard'' in Calamba in
1887. Upon being notified by the authorities that he was chosen
to defend the accused, he gladly accepted the task. He had
previously heard from his older brother (Jose Taviel de Andrade)
about Or. Ri1.al of Calamba.
Reading of Information of Charges to the Accused. On
December II, the information of charges was formally read to
Rizal in hi, prison cell. with his counsel present. He was accused
of being ··the principal organizer and the living soul of the Filipino
insurrection, the founder of societies. periodicals and books
dedicated to fomenting and propagating ideas of rebellion. "8 As
the accw.cd, Rizal raised no objcct,on on the iurisdicuon or the
coun, hu1 pleaded 001 gu,hy to 1hc crime of rebellion . He
admitted that he wrote the Constitution of the Liga Filipina
which was merely a civic association. He waived the nght to
amend or make further s1a1cmcn1s already made, except that
he had taken no pan in politics since his exile 10 Dapitan.
256
Dominguez. forwarded the papers of the Rizal case to
Malacatian Palace on Occtmber 13, the same day wbcn General
Camilo G de Polavicja, with the help of the powerful Dominican
friars, became Governor General of the Ph1hppines, succeeding
General Blanco. The withdrawal of Blanco from the gubernatorial office s.:alcd Rizal', fate, for he wa, more humane in character
than the ruthless Polavieja and, moreover, he firmly believed
that Rizal was not a traitor 10 Spain. Had he remained longer
1n oCficc, Ri,a.1 would not have been executed. But this was one
nf those inlnguin~ "irs" in hi\tory, of which man has no control
becau:.e the dcsl iny of men and natmns 1s in accordance with
God's divine plan.
Rlul's Manll'esto to His l'eople. On December 15, Rizal
wrote a mahi~festo 10 his people appealing to them to stop the
accessary shedding of hlood and to achieve their lihcnic~ hy
means of education and industry.
Tlus mamfes10, "'Ti11en 10 his pnson cell at Fon Santiago,
run, ,11, follow,;.''
My Countrymen:
On my rclurn from Spam, I learned tha1 my n•mc hod,
l>cen u,cd as • war cry among some who were 10 •rm<. The
news patnlully surprised me, but believing 11 was all o,cr,
I kept silent <we, wha1 I coll!ldcrcd 1rrcmcd1ablc Now I
hc:ir rumor~ that the d1s1urh11nces conlrnuc. and lc!tt •my
persoru, should still go on u~ing my name in bad or good
1,111h, IQ remedy chi, ohu...: und 10 undcecivc 1hc unwary,
I haflCn w addn•~ )"U these 11nc, so that the truth may
t>e known
I-mm the beginning, when I had news of what was
hc111g 1>lan11cd, I <>pf'O'Cd 11, fought II, um.I dtrm>n>lrolcd
ih ah~>luir impo<sibilily . This h 1hc lrulh aml wilnl.'<sC<
cu my words are ,1111 living. I was conv,nced lhill 1he idea
"'•' h1ihl1 al»ur,t anti wh,11 wa, worse, "'ould bnng great
,uffcrint1 1 did more . When later, ,n spite of my coun«:I\,
ch~ m,>vcmcn1 broke ou1. I sponraneou,ly offered no, only
my &ervu:cs. but my hfc •.-1n<l even in) o.tmc ._., thJt they
ni,,h1 u,c them in the manner the, ,aw fi1 10 ,uprr.,~s 1hc
rchclhon. for, COO\mccd of the evils tbat would befall lhem,
1 rnn"Jcrcd mysell for1unate ,f, ul 11ny ,,mif,w, I l't!uhl
prevent such u«:lcss misfortunes This~ equally of record
157
.10141 l'IIZAw LIFI, WOl'IIICt AHO WIIITtNot
My country men: I ha,e g,,en proof~. more than anybody else. or des1rin~ libertie~ for <mr counlrv and I •till
desire them. But I platt as II premise the edu~tion of 1he
people so that by mean, of tduc:,tion and or lnbQr lltcy
m,,ht have o personaluy of their own and mnke themselves
worthy of libert i0$. ln my wnlings I have ttrommended
redemption. I hove Ul§O ..,rincn (and my word$ have been
repeated) tnat reforms. to be fnoitful, have to come frorn
above. Lhat tha&e thal come from below arc irregular and
un, table Imbued with lhc.c ideal,. I 1:11nnot hu1 condemn
and I do condemn 1hi, absurd. savage upri,ing planned
behind my back.. which dishonors us, the Filipinos. and
discredits lhl>'C who may ad,ocutc our c■usc I •bhM its
criminal methods and disclaim all panic,pa1,on therein. pity•
ong from the bonom of my heart the unwary who have
allowed thtm'4!lvcs 10 be deceived Re1urn thc11 10 your
homes. and may God forgi~e those who have acted in had
fa,1h
Fommatcly for Rizal. Judge Advocate General Nicolas de
la. Pena recommended to Governor General Polav1c1a 1ha1 the
manifesto be suppressed. The latter heeded the recommendation
~ that Rizal 's manifesto was not issued to the people. f'hus
~al was •saved _from the shame of his manifc,10', being mismterpreted and dombeyed by 1he Filipino:, in arm~ ""'
Ri:i:al's Saddtsl Cbrimna.s. December 25 , 1896 was C'hrisl•
mas. On that day all Christendom Joyously celebrated the bonhday of Chnst who wa~ born to redeem mankind and 10 hnng
peace and brotherhood to ull men on enrrh
What a dark .ind cheerle" C'hri\tma~ for R11.all He, who
w_as accustomed _10 ~pend this merry season in the company of
his beloved lam1ly or dear friends. found himsell alone and
depressed m a dreary prison cell
Truly , the Christma, of 11!%, his 1,m on eJrth, wu, 1hc
saddest in Riial's life He wa, in despair for, he had nn 11iu,1ons
about his fate. Brooding over bis hopeles~ case he wrore a ldter
to Lt. Tav,cl d~ Andrade, as follow~, 11
'
2$8
La1 HOMeeOtnlne And Trilli 8v S{,l_M'lllh M1111My COurt
you this morning to tcH you ot an 1mponam mancr, liul
undoubtedly the prcssuic or your 11,ork did not permit )""
to oome as expected by the Jn,-es1iga1ing Judge If you h•vc
time, I should like 10 speak to you before I app:ar belo,c
the court , I ,hall l>c gratdui 1f you cumc 1h" nfte1111x111 .
this evenin11. or romorrow
Wishing you ~Merry Chnstmas," I rc11era1e Alway~
your attentive and affectionarc 1>ervant nod client,
Jose Rizal
The Trial of Rizal. The trial of Rizal was an eloquent proof
of Spanish inJus11ce and misrule. More than a farce. 1t was
patently a mistrial Rual. a c1vihan, was tried b~ a military c,,un
composed of alien mihlary officers. His c11o;e wa\ prejudged: he
was considered guilty before the actual trial. The military coun
met not to give him iusuce, but to accuse and condt:mn him. It
tcccpted all charge$ and tc~timonics against 1nm. and ignored!
all arguments and proofs in his lavor Moreover , Rizal wa, not
given the right (which any accused " entitled 10 have m a reaL
tc:>un of ju~ticc) to face the wi1nc~, ugain~t him in open court
At 8:<XI a m .. December 26, 18%. the coutt -rnartiul o1 R11.al
started in the miliiary building called Cu,mel de F.,paoia Seated!
behind a long table on an elevated dais were the ,c,cn members
of the mihtury coun, dressed in their rcspccuve ,11my uniform,.
as follows, Lt. Col. Jose Togorc~ Arjona· (prcM1lcn1), C.1pt
R icardo Munoz Arias, Capt. Manuel Rcgue~a. Capt. Sunuago
Izquier<;lo Osorio. Capt. Braulio ~oddgucz Nunez, Capt. Manuel
Diaz E.-;cribano, and Capt. Fermin Pere, Rodnguc1
Abo present at the counroQm were Dr Ri,al (the accused),
Lt . T.ivicl de AndrJdc (his defense coun~cl), Cnpt Rafael
Dominguez (Judge Advocate). Lt. Enrique de Ak<x;cr(Pro,ccuting Allorney), nnd the spectators Among the ,pcc 1,11ors were
Josephine Bracken. wmc ncw,papormcn , and nwny Spamards.
Fon Santiago. Oertml,cr 25. 1K96
M) Ver) D,~unguo,hcd Oe!e11der:
Rita! sat on " bench between tw11 ,old1t.'t, I II' arm, were
tied l>chind. elhow to elbow, like n common felon H,: was
dressed in a black W')()lcn suit with a white ,c,t anti bh1ck ue.
He .,a, calm and d1gn1llcd m appc.1rancc.
1 he ln-c,ogotong Judge ha• onlorrned n1e that tomorrow
my case will be beard before the court. I was waiting for
The trial wa\ opened h) Judge Al.lvucatc 011ming11c1 wtio
explained the case again\! Rita! . After him. Pro<,ccutinj! A llorney
2s,
Alcocer arose and delivered a long speech summarizing the
charges again,t Ri:z.al and urged the court to give the verdict of
death to the accused. The Spani•h spectators applauded noisily
Alcocer's petition for the sentence of deaih.
After the pr~cuting attorney finished his spirited harangue .
DefenSt; Counsel Tav1el de Andrade took the floor and read his
eloquent defense of Rizal. I le ended his defense with a noble,
but ftnile, admonition to the members of the military: "The
Judges cannot be \llndictive; the judges can only be just".
lnodcntally, bis admonition fell on deaf ears. The Spanish
army officer, who were trying Rual were both vindicttve and
unjust.
When Lt. Tav1el de Andnide took his ~cat, the court asked
Rizal whether he had anything lo say. Rizal then read a supplemeni 10 lus defense which he wrote in his prison cell. In his
supptcmc:niary dcfcMe, he further proved his innocence by twelve
pornts:
I He could not be (I.Uilty or retx-lhon. for he advised
Dr. P,o Val..-nzuel3 m Dap11an not 10 rue in revolu1ion.
2. He did not correspond with the radical, revoluuonury deml"nh
3. The rcH)luhnn1'tS used h,~ name without his know-
ledge. rr he were gullry he ooukl have escaped to Singapore
4. Ir he had a hand 10 the revolution, he could have
escaped in • Morn v,ntn and would no1 have built a home,
a hospital. and bouRhl land, in Dapitan
~ If he were the chief or the revolution, why was he
nm cun,ulled t,y the rcvuh1uoru$l>?
6. It 11,a, true he wrote the by-laws or the Liga Fihpma,
hut chl\ i~ onl\ a civic as\OC:iatum - not a re,•oluhc:mary
~oetcty
7 I he L1,ga F,lipma dtd not h,e long, for alter the
fit,t mr:t-t1n1P he w;:11,, hnn1\hcd to Oap1tan Hnd II died our.
~ If th<- l.11ta wa, r~orian,,cd nmc mon1h, later, he
did 001 know •bout 11 .
lJ Ilic L1ga did not serve the purpose or the
u.·\·uh,11onish, uthcl""-1~ thL')' would n.ot have .supplao.tt:d u
with the K•t1p1man
260
10. If 11 were true that there ...,,e some btUer com.inents
in Rizal's letten, it was because they ,.ere ,.ritten in 18'l0
when his family was being persewted, being dtSpOSSessed
of houses, warehomes, lands, etc. and lus brother &nd all
his brothcn5-in•law were deported
11 His life in Dapita.n had been uemplary •• the
politi<»•military commanden and missionary priests could
attest.
12. ft was not true that the revoluuon wa• msp,rcd by
his one speech at the hou~ of Ooroteo On&1unco, ~s al~eged
by witn~ whom he would hke _10 confront. H" fn~nd1
knew his opposition to anned rebelhon. Why did the Kaupunan send an cml!i!Bf)' 10 Oap11an who WI!\ unknown to h,m?
Because thOse who knew him were uware that he would
never sancuon any violent movement.
The military court, prejudiced as II was, remained indifferent
to Rizal's pleading. The president, Lt, Col Togores Arjona,
con,idcrctl the trial over and ordered the hall cleared. After a
\hort dclibcrntton, the military court unanunously voted for the
scntell(;e of death . 12
On the same day (December 26th). the court decision wa~
submitted 10 Governor General Polavie1a . Im mediately,
Polavieja sought thc ·opmion of Judge Advocate Gencrnl Nicolas
de la Pena o n the court decision The latter affirmed the death
verdict.
Polavitja SiRns Rizal's F.xeculion. On December 28th,
Polavicja approved the deosion of the court-martial and ordered
Riuil 10 be shot at 7:00 o'clock in the morning of December 30
at Bagumbayan Field (Luneta). H,s decree on th,~ matter runs
as follows: 13
Manila, Dcc:cmher 211, IR96'
Conformably to the foregoing opi,uon I •PP',,.." the
sentence dictated by the Court Martial ,n the ('f<:<cnl ca~.
by virtue of which the death p<:nalty 1s imposed on the
accused Jose RiLal Mercado, which sb~II be excculed by
shootin& h,m at 7:00 o'clock in the morning nf the 3-0th of
this month in the field of Bagumbayan
2'1
For complilnce and the rest that may correspond, let
tlus be returned to lbc Jude• Advocate, C.pll.in Don Rafael
Domlnsuez.
C....G,4ePola~
F~r signing the fall!) document ordering the execution of
Dr. Rizal, Governor General Polavicja won the eternal odium
of the '".'llipino people. He and other Spanish officials who were
re,ponsable for the death or Rizal will evermore remain u
obnoxious villains in Philippine history.
. .
.. . .
Chapter 25
Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
After the court-martial, Ri;i:al returned 10 lus cell in Fort
Santiago to prepare his rendezvous with destiny . During his last
24 bout$ on eairth - from 6:00 A.M. December 29 w 6:00 A \1 .•
December 30, 1896 - he was busy meeting vi,i1or., including
Jesuit priests, Josephine Bracken and members of his fam,I). a
Spanish newspaper correspodnent (Santiago Muta,x), some
friends, and secretly finishing his farewell poem A\ a Chnsunn
and a hero-martyr, he was serenely resigned to die for his beloved
country, which he called "Pearl of the Onent Sea" tn h,~ Inst
poem and MPearl of the Orleni" ,n an article cntnlcd ''Unfortu•
natc Philippines" published in Tl,r Honskons Ttlr,:raph on
September 24. 1892.
Last Houn ol Rizal. At 6:00 A.M , December 29. 11196.
Captain Rafael Dominguez, who was designated by Governor
General Camilo Polavieja 10 lake charge of all arrangement< for
the execution of the condemned prisoner, read the dca1h <entence
to Rizal - 10 be shot at 1he back by a finng squad at 7:00 A.M.
In Bagumbayan (Luneta)
At 7:00 A.M., an hour after the reading of lhc death
sentence, Rizal was moved 10 the pri<0n chapel, where he <pent
his last moments His first visitors were Father Miguel Saderra
Mata (Rector of Atenco Mumcipal). and Father Lu,~ Viza. Je,uu
teacher.
At 7:15 A.M., Rector Saderra left Rizal, ma 1ovo;1I mood,
reminded Fr. Vi~a of the statuette of 1he Sacred Heart of Jesus
which he bad carved with his pen knife as an Atenco student.
Fr. Yiu, anticipating such rcmini~ccnce, go1 1hc ,1atuc11c lrom
his pocket and gave it 10 Rizal The hero happil> received it
and placed it on bis writing table.
2'2
16)
At 8:00 A M .. Fr Anton,o Roscll arrived to relieve Father
VtU. Rizal invited rum to join him at breakfast, which he did.
After breakfast, Ll Luis Taviel de Andrade (Rizal's defense
counsel) came, and Rizal thanked him for his g;allant services
At 9:00 A.M., Fr. Federico Faura arrived Rizal remmded
hi~. that he 1.;11d that (Riul) would someday lose bis bead for
wntmg the Nvli "Father," Rizal rer,ar1'ed, "You are indeed a
prophet". 1
Al 10:00 A.M. Fathers Jose Vilac:Jara (Rizal's teacher ar
the Alenco} a_nd V~te Balaguer (Jesuit m1ss1onary in Dapitan
who had befriended RWll during the laucr's elllle) visited the
hero. After them ca.me the Spanish joumalist, Santiago "1ataix,
who interviewed R12al for h.is riewspaper £( Herafdo tk Madrid
From 12:00 A.M. (noon) Lo 3:30 P.M., Rizal was left alone
m his cell. He took h" lunch, after which he was bu~y wn11ng.
It was probably during this tirrie when he finished his fare,.,.eU
poem and hid it inside his alcohol cooltinR stove (nor lamp as
M>mr ~t0grapbcrs erroneously MSert) "'luch was given to him
~ a _g~ft l>y P<1~ ~ardo de Tavera (wife of Juan Luna) during
his V\Stt to Pans in 1890. At rhe same time he wrote hi~ last
letter to Professor Blwnentritt (!us best friend) in German as
'
follow,, 1
Prof. F~mand Blumcn1ri11:
My dear Brother:
Wbtn you rca:.ve thu letter. I shall be ckod. To,norrow
at seven I "1all be !\hot: bur I am innoa:nl of 1hr cnmc of
rebellion
I am going to cite wnh a tranquil con5Ciencc
Go.>dbve, my best, my dcatcsr fncnd, and never 1hm.k
111 ()f Ilk
•
Fort Sanha~. December 29, 18'16.
(Signed) Jose Rl2aJ
Regards 10 the entire family, 10 Sra. Rosa. Lolc"g,
Conradito and Fcdtrico
I am lcavin, a book f0< you a, a 1:151 remembrance of
m,ne.
264
At J:30 P.M .. Father Balaguer returned to Fort Santiago
,1nd d,,;c~ed v. 1th R,tal about hi\ rctrac11on o[ the a nu-Catholic
,dca, m hi, "'ri1,ngs and membe~h•p in Mai.onry
\1 4 (Kl P \I.. Ri.c.11\ mulher arrived Ri1al knelt do"'n
hcfore her and k1~sed her hand,,, heggmg her to forgive hun.
Hoth mot her and ,on "'ere c r1 mg a, the guards scparJIC them
Shmll, ahcNard, Tnn,Jad c111ncJ the cell to fetch her mother
A, 1 ·) were lc.iv,ng R1,al f.3VC to Tnmdad the alcohol coo1'ing
,1mc. "'hasp.:npc to her ,n l::nf.h,h; "There something inside:"
I r1111d.1J untlcr•,1011J \he knc"' I np.h,h l><!causc R11.al rnught
her th" 1.,n~u.1,:c Thi, ·,nmcthnt!?- wa.s Rizal's farewell pclCm.'
So II came 111 r;,,-, that ,he wa, at>k to ,muggle the hero•~ last
nnJ !?rca1c,1 poem
a pnc<!le,, gem or Phihpp,nc literature.
1,
.\he, th,· dq>artun: ol Donal codora and Trinu.bd, f'a1ha~
V,l.,d.11.1 and r ,tani,I.,, M.nch entered the cell. followed by
rath<r Roscll
,\1 1,:1~1 r M Rizal rccei,·ed a nc" visitor, Don Silvmo
l..11ix1 I u11,,n. the Dean ol Ilk Mamla Cathedral Fathers
Ii.al. 11c ,11,J \l.1rth tell. lcuvmg '. 1laclara with Rual and Don
1,il\lRII
\1 s IX P.M , R11,1l had his IJ,t ,upper He informed Captain
Oonunj!ua "'hu
,..,th ham that be forgave his enem,es,
111du,l1ng th, II' ,hrary Judge, "ho Ulntlcmncd him to death
".1"
\1 .,,,11 I' ,1 . R1LJI wa, v~tcd hy Oon Ga,par Cc~tano,
1h,• fl-...,1 Ill th, Rm.ii \ud1cnC1a o[ Manil.1 A~ a graciou5 h<Xt,
Rt1.1I 11ftn"ll ham rhc t>e,t chair in the cell After a pleasant
l'UII\U\Jll'10
1hc fN'..tl left .. uh a good tmprcss,on of Ru..
ml\· h~l."Ol't. .,nJ nohk 1..:har;t1.:1cr
r,
\1 111 tal ,., th,· n tht of December ~91h. the draft of the
r,·11 11,,n ,,:n• h th• an tl•Filipino Archhi~hop Bernardino
'l,>1.1kll.1 ( 1:-,••1 ll/tlt) ...,a, ,ut>m111cd h) Father Balaguer 10 Raal
1,,1 ,1\!ttah11t..· 1,,11 th-: ht:ro rcjcc1c<l 11 hccau~c 11 wac; too long
,tti.l 1,~ .lad ""I hl..c 11 . \\"conling 111 F:t1hcr R,1l.1gucr's 1e,1imc.\ny.
he ,h""'''' R,1,11 a ,b,,ncr retraction .,..h,ch was prepared by
hllh"r ""' 1'1. Sur,:n,>r of 1hc Jc,u,1 Society an the Phihpp,n~.
v.h1d1 "'·" ...·,qHitM, 10 Ri111I Aller mat.mg some c hange\ in
11. R11al th..:n ,.,111c hi, rctr:wtion m which ht abJurcd Masonry
arHI h,, rclt.:1nu, ,Jca, v.h,ch were ant1-Catholic.• This rerracuon
26S
of Rizal is now a controversial document, for the Rizalist scholan,
who ue c11her Masons or anti-Catholic. chum u to be a forgery,
while the Catholic Rizalists believe it to be genuine. Thi\ debate
between two hostile groups of Rizalists is futile and irrelevant.
Futile in the sense that no amount of evidence can convince the
Masonic Rizalists that Rizal retracted and the Catholic Rizalibls
that R,izal did not retract. As a famous saying goes; ~For those
who believe - no justification is necessary; for the skeptics.
whose criterion for belie£ 1s not m their mind~ but in theuwills - no justification is posStblc". It is likewise irrelevant
because it does not mauer at all to the greatness of Rizal
Whether he retr.acted or not, the fact remains that he was the
greatest Filipino hero. This al'IO applies to the other controversy
as to whether Riul married Josephine Bracken before his ~xecution or not. Why argue on this issue. Whether or not Rizal
married Joscphi,ne in Fort Santiago, Rizal remains just the
same - a hero-martyr.
At 3:00 o'clock in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal
heard Mass, confessed lus sms, and took Holy Communion.
At 5:30 A.M . • he took his laSt breakfast on earth. After
this, he wrote two letters, the first addressed to his family and
the second to his. older brother Paciano. The lcuer 10 his sisters
follows: 5
To My Family,
I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause you, bu1
some day I shall have 10 die and ii is bcner lhal I die now
in the plenitude of my conscience.
Dear Parents, bro1her. and Sisters, Give thank, to God
that I may pct$erve my 11anqulll1y before my death. I die
rcsiJned, hoping 1ba1 with my death you will be left ,n
peace, Ah! It is bcuer to die than 10 live suffering. Console
yourselves.
I enjoin you to forgive one another the blllc meannC$SCS
of life and try to live united in peace and good harmony.
Treat your old parenl$ as you would like 10 be treated by
)'-OUr children la1er. Love them very much in my memory.
Bury me in the gro11nd. Place•• atone and I crou over
it. My name, the date of my birth, and of my death. Notbmg
more. Ir later you wish to surround my grave with a fen"·
you can do so No 1nn1versar1,- I prefer PO/Jn~ /!1mJ.,1< •·
Have pity on poor Josephine.
Rizal's last lenc, 10 Paciano 1\ us follows. 1
My clear Brother
It has been lour year$ and • half that' we ha,c not ,ccn
each other nor have we communica1ed with each n1her I
do not think it i,, due to lad.. ol affection on m) pan nor
on yours. bu1 bccuw.:, kno..ing each 01hcr so \\CII, we du
not need 10 11111, to understand each other.
Now I am ahout 10 die. and it is to you lhat I dcd,catc
my last lines, to tell you how sad I am to leave you alone
,n life, burdened with the weight of the family nr.d mu ••Id
parents.
I am ~hmktng now bow hard you have worked Ill f.1\C
me a career; I believe I have tned not to wa,tc my um~
Brother of mine: if the fru,1 ha.\ been b1t1<1 . II " not my
fault, but the lault of circumstances I know thut i·ou haw
wffered much on my acxoun1. and I om M><T)'
I assure you, brothel')' thnl I die mn<xcnl ilf tlu~ rnnw
of rebellion H my former wri1ings haw mn1rihutccl . I do
not deny it absolu1cly: bul lhcn. I though1 I ha,e cxpiaml
for lhc past whh my dcponauon
Tell our Cather I remember Mm. uml how! I rcmuml'CJ
my whole childhood. of hi, affection and hi, love A~'k him
10 forgive me for 1hc pain thal I have unwilltngl) caused him
Your brother,
(Signed) Jose Ku.ul
At 5:30 A .M .. Josephine Bracken. ac,'Ompanicd by 3 ~,~1cr
of Rizal (Josefa), arrived Jo,cphmc, w11h 1enr~ 111 her C)'C!.,
bade him farewell Riwl cmhraced her for the las1 ttmc , Jnd
befoTe she left. Rizal gave her a last g,ft - a rel1g1ou, hoo k .
Imitation of Christ by l'uther 1111:,mas a Kempis. which he :tUIO!(
mphro:l.
To my dear unhlippy wil'c. Jt,scphme
December '10th, 18%
Jose Rizal
267
At 6:00 A.M., as the soldiers were getting ready for the
death march to Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote his last leuer 10 tus
beloved parents, as follows: 8
My beloved F~lher,
Pardon me for lhc potin with wh.ich I repay you
for sorrows and sacrifices for my cduc:11tion.
I did not want nor did I prefer ii.
Goodbye, Father, goodbye . .. _
Jose Rizal
To my very dear Mother.
Sra. Ona Teodora Alonso
6 o'clock in the morning, December 30, 1896.
Jos.: Rizal
Doth March to Bagumbayan. About 6:30 A .M . , a lrumpet
sounded al F'ort Santiago, a ~ignal 10 begin the death march to
Bagumbayan, the designated place for the ueculion . The
advance guard of four soldiers wnh bayoneted nfles moved . A
few meter., behind, Rizal walked calmly, with his defense counsel
(Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade) on one side and two Je~uit pnests
(Fathers March and Vilaclara) on the other. More well-armed
soldier., marched behind lum
R,zal was dressed elegan:ly in a black suit, black derby hat,
black shoes , while shirt , and black tie Hi~ arms were tied behind
h'om elbow to cJbow. but the rape was quite loose to give his
arms freedom of movement.
To the muffled sounds of the drums, the cavalcade somno•
lently marched slowly. There was o handful of spectators lining
the street from Fort Santiago to the Plaza del Palacio 1n front
of the Manila Cathedral. Everybody seemed to be out at Bagumbayan, where a va~t crowd gathered to see how a martyr dies.
Gomg through lhe narrow Postigo Gate, one of the gates
of the city wall, the cavalcade reached the Malccon (now
Bonifacio Drive), which was deserted. Rizal looked at the sky,
and said Jo one of the priests: "How beautiful it is today , Father.
What morning could be more serene! How clear is Corregidor
and the mountains or Cavue! On momin~ like this, I used to
take a walk with my sweetheart".
WI
While passing in l'Jont of the Atenco, be saw the college.
towcn a)>ove the walls. He asked: ~1s that the Atcneo, Father?"
~Yes", replied tho priest.
They reached Bagumbayan Field. The spectators crowde~
huge
square formed by soldiers. The cavalcade entered this
3
square. Rizal walked serenely to the place, where be was told
to stand. .II was a grassy lawn by the shore of Manila Bay.
between two lamp posts.
Martyrdom or a Hcr<1. Rizal, knowing that his rendezvous
with destiny was imminent, bade farewell to Fathers March and
Vilaclara and to his gallant defender, Lt. Luis Taviel d~ Al)drad~.
Although his arms were tied, he fi_rmly clasped th~1r hands_ in
parting. One of the priests blessed_him and offe~ed h1?' a crucifix
to kiss. Rizal reverently bowed his head and kissed 11. Then be
requested the commande~ of the firing squ~d , that he be shot
facing the firing squad, His rcqucM was denied. for the captain
had implicit o rders to shom him in the back.
Reluctantly , Rizal turned his back to the firing squad an_d
faced the sea. A Spanish military physician , Dr Felipe RUJ2.
Castillo asked his permiss10n 10 feel his pulse, which request
was gra~1ously granted. Dr, CastillQ was amazed to find it normal,
showing that Rizal was not afraid to die.
The death ruffles of the drums filled the air Above the
drum-beats, the sharp command "Fite" was heard, and the guns
of the finng squad barked . Riuil , with supreme effort, turned
his bullet-riddled body to the right, and fell on the ground deod
- with face upward facing 1he morning sun. It was exactly 7:03
in the morning when he died in the bloom or manhood - aged
35 years , five months, and 11 days.
Rizal died as he described in his farewell poem , 1hird stanza ·
" I dit 1,.,, whtn I su tht dawn brtak,
Through 1h, gloom of night. to Mrold IM day;
And if color is lacking my blood tlu,u shalt tak,,
Pour'd out aJ nud for thy dtur 1ak,,
To dyt with its crimsonotht waking ray".
It is also interesting to note that fourteen years before his
execution, Rizal predicted that he would die on December 30th.
l69
-
111241.: llPl, IIIOfllCt _WII. , . _
He was then a medical student in Madrid, Spain. The entry in
his diary reads a:s follows:
APPENDIX A
January J, 188), •0
. Two nights ago, that is 30 December, I had a frightful
n,ptmarc whten I almoot died, I dreamed that, im11ating an
~or dying on stage, I feh vividly that my breath was failin11
and I was rapidly loong my wcngth. Then my viSJon bec,ime
dim and dense darkneS5 enveloped me
1hey ore the pangs
of death.
Aftermath cl ■ Hero-Martyr's Oath, A! the time when the
bullets of Spain's firing squad killed Dr. Rizal, the Spaniards _residems, friars (jesuits not included), corrupt official, (includ:
mg Governor Polavicja) exulted with sadistic joy, for Rizal,
~onnid~ble champion of Filipino freedom, was gone. In fact,
1mmed11tely after lhe hero's execution the Spanish spectators
shouted "Viva Espana!" "Muerte a los Traidores", ("Long Live
~n! •D~th ,10 the Traitors!") and the Spanish Military Band,
J()iJUng the Jubilance over Rizal's death. played the gay Mard,a
de Cadiz.
Poor bigoted Spaniards of no vision! They were fully unaware
of hiflory's inexorable tides. For the execution of Rizal presaged
the foundation of an independent nation. True that the Spanish
bullets which killed Riul destroyed hi, brain but the hbcrtanan
ideas spawned by his brain destroyed tho Spanish rule in the
Philippines. As Cecilio Apostol, greatest Filipino epic poet in
Spanish, aptly rhapsodized:"
.. Rest in peace tn lhc Madows of obUv1un,
Redeemer or a country in bondage!
In the mysiery of the grave, do 001 cry
llccd no1 1hc momcniary tnumph of the Spamard
Because i'f a bullet destroyed your <-ranoum,
Likewi~ your idea destroyed an empire!"
By h,s writings, wh,ch awakened Filipino natiunalism and
paved the way [or the Phihppmc Rcvoluunn. he proved 1ha1
"the pen is mightier tha n the s word", A$ a many•splcndo1ctl
g~nius,, writer, scientist, a~d political martyr, he richly deserve,
history s salute as the national hero of the Philippine,.
• • • • •
270
WHO MADE JOSE RIZAL OUR
FOREMOST NATIONAL HERO,
AND WHY?
By Esteban A. M Ocampo•
Or. Jose Riial Mercado y Alonso. or s,mply'Jose Rizal ( 11!611896), is unquestionably the greatest hero and martyr of o ur
notion. The day of his birth and the day of h,s cxccuuon arc
fiuingly commemorated by all classes of our people throu,Ahou1
the length and breadth of this country and even by 1'1h~inos
and their friends abroad. His name is a byword 1n every Filipino
home while his picture adorns the postage s tamp and paper
money of widest c,rculation No other Filipino hero can •~•pa,;,
Riz.al in the number of monuments erected m ht< honor; m the
number of towns, barrios, and streets named after him: m the
number of educational institutions , i.ocictier,, and trade. ~a~1c,
that bear his name: m the number or pcr,on~. holh F1l1rmos
and foreigners, who were named " Rizal" or "Rizalina" because
of their parents' admira1ion for the Great Malayan ; and ,n th~
number of laws, Eiecutivc Orders and Proclamnt1011, of the
Chief Exe.cutive. and bullenn~. memoranda. and circulars ~fhoth
the bureaus of public and pnsnte ,chool~. Who 1s the F1hpmo
writer and thinker whose leaching~ .and nohle thourht, have
been frequently invoked and quol<'d by author; and pubhc ,p,:ak•
crs on almost all occasions'? None hut R12al And "'hy " 1h1>
so? Because , dS biographer Rafael Palma said, "The doctnn~•,
or Ri1.al are nol for one epoch bu1 for all epochs. They arc a,
vahd today as they were y~lcrdity It ca nno t be si,id th,11 hccau,c
1he political ideals of Rizal have: been a_chicved, hccau,c of 1h<:
change o f inst11utions. 1hc wisdom or his counsels or thc ..v;1luc
o f h1> t.loctrincs have cca,cd to be <>pportunc. The) how not .
•l(nlght Commanoe,, Kn1gh11 ot RIHf, 1no P,-11ldtnt, Phlllpp,ne ._.,110,,cal
Aslocialion
1. Tho Pride of tho Maloy " - 1949, p, 366
271
Unfonunately, however, there arc still some Filipinos who
cntenain the behef tha t our Rizal is a "made-to-order• national
hero, and that the maker or manufacturer in this cai.e were the
Americans, pan,cularly Civil Governor William Hol'lard Taft.
This was done alleged Iy in the following manner:
"And now, gentlemen, you mu;\ have a natiONtl hero".
These were supposed 10 be the word, addl'C$.Wd by Governor
Taft 10 Messrs. Pardo de Tavera. Legarda, and l..uiurriaga ,
Filopmo member• or the Ph1hpp,nc Commio\lon, of which
Tart was the Chairman. It was further reported that ''m the
subsequent discussion in which the rival mems of the
rcvolutional'y hcroc~ (Muccio 11. dcl Pilar, Graciano Lopt:1
Jaena, Jose Riral, General Antonio Luna. f.milio Jacinto,
and Andres Bom(acto - 0.) were considered, the final
chou;e - now universally acclaimed a wise one - was
Rir.al And so hi\tOT)' was made "2 •
This ,1nicle will aucmpt to answer two questions: (I) Who
made Rizal the foremost national hero of the Phihpptnes? and
(2) Why is Rizal our great~, national hero? Before proceeding
to answer these queries, it will be bener if we first know the
mcan111g of lhe term hero. According 10 Webster's New lnltrnati<mal l)irti<lnary of the English language, a hero is "a prominent
or central personage taking an admirable part in any remarkable
"" ion or event.. A ho, Ma person of distinguished valor or
enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffcnng. • And finally, he
is "a man honored after death by public wo~hip. because of
c:xccprional i,erv1ce to mankind.•
Why ,s Ru.al II hero, nay, our forcmo;t oational hero? He
is our greatest he ro becau,;e, as a towering figure in the Propaganda Ca111pa1gn, he took an "admirable part" in that movement
which roughly covered the pct iod from 1882 to 1896. H wc were
asked to pick out a single 11oork by a Filipino writer during this
era which. more than any other writing, contributed tremendously
10 the formation of F11ip1no n111io11ali1y, we sh;1II have no hesitation in choosin~ Ri1.11I'~ Nnli Me Tangerc (Berlin. 1887) It is
true that Pedro A. P~temo published his novel, Ninay, in Madrid
in 18115; Marcelo 11 <.lei P1la1 . h1~ La Sob/rarzia Monaca/ in
Barcelona in 1889; Graciano Lopez Jaena. his Discurso.r y
Articulos Vanos, a lso in Barcelona in 1891; and Antonio Luna,
his lmpres,ones in Madrid in I S9'.l, but none of these books had
2. Phlf1pp1nes free Presa. Dec. 28, 1946.
272
evoked such favor11ble and unfavorable comments from friends
and foes alike as did Ri1al's Noli
Typical of 1he encomiums that the hero receive~ for his
novel were those he received from Antonio Mana Rcg,dor and
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Rcg,dor , a Filipino exile of 1872
in London, said that "the book was superior· and tbat "if Don
Quijote has made its author immortal because he exposed to
the world the sufferings of Spain, your Noli Mc Tangu" will
hring you equal glory . ."l Blumentritt, afte! reading R.izal's
Noli, wrote and congratulated its author, saying arn~ng ot~er
things: ··Your work, a, we Germans s«y. has been written With
the blood of the hean . . . Your work has exceeded my hopes
and I consider myself happy to have been honored with your
friendship. Not only I, but also your country, may feel happy
for having in you a patriotic and loyal son. If you contmue 5?,
you will be to your people one of tho.e great men who w,_U
exercise a determinative influence over the progress of their
spiritual life ....
If Rizal's friends and admirers praised with jus1tfiable p~de
the Nol, and its author, his enemies were equally loud and bnler
in attacking and etindcmning lhe 5pme. Perhaps _no other work
or writing of another Filipino author has. up to this day, aroused
as much acrimonius debate not only among 011r people but alJO
among the reactionary foreigners as the Nuli,"of Rizal. In 1be
Philippines the hero's novel was attacked and coi>demned tly, a
F aculty Committee of a Manila university and ~y the P~rmanc~t
Censorship Commission in 1887. The Comrmttcc said tha~ 11
found the book "heretical, impi<: is, and scandalous to the rchg1•
ous order, and unpatriotic and subversive to_ public ord~r, ~ibelous
to the Government of Spain and to us polillcal polices 1~ these
Islands" while ihe Commission recommended "that the 1mpo_rtat1on, ;cproducuon, and circulation of this pernicious boo_k 1n
the Islands be absolutely prohibited. " 5 Coming ~wn to our lt~e,
during the Coogress,onal discussions and hearings on the Rizal
(or Noll-F'ill) bill ,n 1956, the proponents and opponents of the
bill also engaged themselves in a bitter and long-drawn-out
3 Eplotolono RIHllno, Ton,o hglffldo.
4. laicl.. Torno Primero.
5. Auotin Craig. IUul"• , _ - . . _ Pl'• :1111.305,
273
debate Chai finally resulced in the enactment of a compromise
measure, now known as Republic Act No. 1425.
c'Ountry. He could have been whGtcvc, he wished h> be .
considering his natural endowments; he could ha,·,e eamed
conSJdera.ble sums of money from h1s profession; he euuld
have lived relatively rich, happy, p,ospcrnu,, hJu he not
dedicated himself to pubhc mailers. Bui in horn the voice
ol the species was stronger than the voice of personal progren or of private fonune, and he preferred 10 llw fllo from
his' family.and to sacnficc his personal affections for an ideal
he had dreamed of. He heeded not his brother, no1 even
his puents, bein&.$ whom he re.,p<;ctcd and vcncrntcd so
much, io orde, to follow the road hi, coilK1encc had traced
The nttacks on Rizal's first novel were not only confined
in the Phttippmes but were also staged Ill lhe Spanish capicaL
There, Senator Fef'llando Vida, Deputy (and cx-Gcn,:ral) Luis
M . de Pando, and Premier Praxedes Mateo Sagasla were among
chose who unjustly Jambasced and criticized Rizal and his Noll
in the two chambers of the Spanish Cortes in 1888 and I8ll9.6
II is comforting to learn, however, that about thirteen years
tater. Congressman Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered
an eulogy of Rizal and even reciced the marcyr's Ultimo Pensamltnto on the floor of the United S1a1cs HOU5<" of Representatives in order to prove the capacity of the Filipinos for self-government. He said in part: "It has been said chat, if American
institutJons haJ Jone nothing else lhan furnish to the world the
character of George Washington: that olonc would entitle them
IO lhe respect of mankind. So, Sir, I say to all those who denounce
the Filipinos mdiscrim,nately as barbarians and savages, without
poa;sibility of a civilized future, that this despised race proved
itself enlilled to their rc<pect and to the respect of mankind
when 11 furmshed to the world the character of Jose Rizal. "7
TIie rcsuh of this appeal of Rcprc:.-entaci,e Cooper was the
approval or what is popularly known ru; the Phihppsne Bill nf 1902.
for tum.
"He did no.I have great me•n• at hi• disposal to Cafl)
out bis campaign. but that did not diKouragc h11n, he
contented himself with what he had. He suffered the ngors
of the oold winter of Europe, II!,' ,uffeocc.l hunger, priv•llon,
and misery; but when he rai,scd hi, eye, 10 heovcn and •l•"
bis ideal, his hope was re.born. He complained of his countrymen, he complained of <ome or thmc whu bud pu•nuscd
him help and did nOI help him, until al time\. pr.1foun<II)
disillusioned. he wanted to renounq! hos camflllogn forever
giving up evcrythmg But ,uch moments were c,·ancs<:c11l ,
he soon foll comfoned and resumed the u"k of hearing I he
cross or his suffering.""
Dr. Frank C. Laubach. an American biographer of Rizal,
spoke of the hero's courage in the following -.urJs:
The preceding paragraphs have ~ho"n that hy the Noli alone
Rizal, among his contemporaries, had become the most promin.e nt '.Ir the central figure of the Propaganda Movement.
Again, we ask the questton: Why diJ Rizal become the
greatest Filipino hero'/ Bccau,e ,n this writer', humhlc upinion,
no Filipino has yet been born who could equal or wrp;1,, Rizal
as ~a person of dil.tinguishcd valor or entcrpriM: in danger, or
fortitude in suffering." or the,e trail$ of our hero. let u, sec
what a Fihpino and an American biographer said:
"What is most oumoruhlc in Ri1•I." wrote Rafael P:olrnJ ,
"is his complete self-denial. hi< complete uh:ondonment of
hos pc~onal intcrc;ts ,n order to th1nL ,,nly t1f 1h11,c of his
His consuming life purpo;e was she secret of Im mooal
c~ur~ge. Physicnl courage. ii 11: true . wa\ one or hi1' rnhcrth!tl
•
traits. Bui that h.gh couraie to doc lovin, bs murdc;crs,
which he at last achoevcd, - tlta, canno1 be on he roted. II
must be forged out in the fires of ,ufrerin11 und 1conp1,11111n
As we read through his life , we can see how 1hc morJI
s,new and fiber grew year by year n, he fntc<l n.-w rcrols
and wa.s forced to muke fearful dc:1:1,im1, Ir required couru,t~
to wntc his t'A'O great novels. telhng n~Hhmg_ 1ha1 rio oth..:r
man had ventured 10 say before, ,1and1ng almu,1 ~lone
against the- moM powerful mlcrcsts in hi,) 1;.-ounll>,' :ind rn
Spain, and knowing full well that dcspo1ism would strike
back. He had reached nnother lolticr plateau llf heroism
6, Aetana. VWa ,y -
1 0,101, Jooo llllel. Hlo u,., and llmH. p. "4
274
'
. i 0.. JoM Rlnl. pp 131-133.
8
Palm1. Tho Plido of tho Moley - • p 381 •2&2.
27S
wtoen be: ... rou thole ldtcn ta Hmglong. 1"0 be opeaed
Wr my clnth," and Ailed tnlo 1M -1r1p" tn Man,la w11bou1
aoy tlhwon.. Theo ,n hi5 Dapnan 0011:1h:, when he was 1cmr4cd
to cK:apc:, •nd saiJ • p,,u•, not ona: t,ut hundr~ or umes
lo, fOllr k"'I )Un., and""'"· on th, "'"' ,., (;ut,• l'Nko
Rous ph:wcd with hun to ~tep <>1r 1he ~I o( S,naaporc
upon Bnt,.., tcm1ory and •~ve h.. hfc wh•t ,rmcr $lruggh:
II D"lust Juve auicJ bun 10 3ffi'ACJ' o .. c.r .rnJ
aga,n ,
· i-o, no. no!" WI= 1hc ,cn1cntt of dcalh and the ratdul
mor111ng of h1> tucul,on t>roughJ the ftnal tesl. Dccemt>rr
JO. 18%, be "'11lked •1th rrrlc,.:t ,:alm 10 th.: finni hnc u
though by ha ov.n ~ . lhc oaiy heroic ftprc ,n 1hat
o.,~,
14""lfdld M'\"n(t"'
Tn llw "•~led Sp,uuard,. 1n Spoon and ,n lbc Ph1lippuies,
Razal ~ s th.."~ 1ntdh~nt, mo,1 roungcou, 11nd mo\! Jangcr•
Olll> c11cm} ol 1he rcact1ooanc\ and 1hc 1yran1>; therefore he
.tlou ,J < I-it, :"u"1,dv 1n ordc:r ID )Crve as an cumplc and a
wamu,' to lh, ,· of "" ~ind llu, "·" 1hc rc:a50n why Rual,
alter a hnel m, .ck In ,I ,.a, <cntenn-d to d, a1h and m.id<· to
face the tmng 1ouJ JI Bagumba~110 field. nv-,• lhc l.uncta, ,n
the early mom i; ,,I lh:,crnhcr Jo, 18'1<1.
And lnr 1hc 1hml
.,m.t la\l 11me, v.c n.-J)('at 1he 11uouon.
Wh, IS R11..al the ~a lot Filrpino hero tha1 .,,er l1ve,1 / B<-cause
he is ·11 man honored alter dea1h b) puhhc v. on.hip, because
.,f cx,ep1111n;al s.:",cc 10 manlmJ·. \\ c can sa, th.n e,cn before
h,s cu·c1111on R11.1I "a, alrcad) ~,d.urncJ b, kl.,, h Fit1p1no." ind
h•rc,gnc" a, th~ forcmo<t ka,lcr ol h" people Wnting from
B.ir«lon.i 111 the Great 1'1.ll ". n o., March Ill. ll!X9. Mar,·clo
•~ <kl hi.tr 1J " RILaln,,i, ".,un Jcrecl1<.1dmonr ,u nombrc
con,111u,e la rna, pur,1 c mm ...·ulaJJ l>andc,,. Jc a,p,nmonc, y
f'lanJd ) It" ,u,o, ""
,r, c,...,. m.is quc unoi, ,oluotano,;
quc m,lu,in l>:110 ci.a handcrJ
h:rnando A.:ncdo, -.ho called
R11al his 'dl\ltngu1do 111nigo rnmpJncro ) p•1>ano., . wrote the:
latter from I ua,:nza. ~p.iin. nn October 2.'i, I 9· "I i.cc in ,nu
the rnoJd I 1h1•mo. ,our 3pplicat,un 10 stud> ""d your talent~
hJ,.- placed on ., h,·1ph1 ,.h,~h I re-ere nnJ admtre."' 11 Tbc
'°"
Bicolano Dr T<>mM Art,JOla wrote Rizal ill Madrid. F ~
9 1891, sa)mg: · Your moral mflucncc over w. IS tnddplltal>lc.
And Guillermo Pu.,tu or Buban wro1c 1his tn"-ne to Rizal.
say,n& Vd a qui.;n se i. rucJc (llamar) ~n razoa. abcza
lutelar de Ins fihp,nos. aunque la comparaaoo paruca algo
ndocula. porquc p.--ce la vutud de atracr con.Mg<> cnconad»
voluntad. , ,anJ~r t..> d1~vrd1as y cnc.-mistadn rn,ccros:n, ~~r
en fic,ta, .1 homhrcs que no qucnan ver.;c DI en la calk- •
Aw ,n, the forc.-1incr, who rcrog:n,,cd Ri.u.l as ID< lcadiut
f,hpmo ,f •11, um.: v.crc Hlumentrolt, ~apoleon M Khril. Dt
Reinhold RMt oed V1cc111c Baruntcs.
IJlumcntnll 1olJ
Dr M"'" o Viol tn May , IN<7 that • Rual ,..,n the grcatol
product ,f r.he Ph, ppme, and th•I lus .:,.wn,n,: to the •orld wa:.
like the .. ppcaranct uf" rnrc comcl, whose ,~re bnlliancc appan
onh c•< n otht r ccntur) •I) "lapokon M Kh<-,1 of f'r.,t,,e,
Au~iria "rnh.' tn Rizal and ,;aid "aJmiro en V<I a un noble
repre,entJOlC de I• Espan.1 colo111al ,.,,. Or Ro-;t, dasnniu1<,hcd
Mal ,_,,k'17•I anJ 1,hran,1n ul the lnJ,.. ()fhc:c 1n I oodon . C2lled
Ru,,I -una pert., de hnmbrc•,,. ,..hilc Oon Vicente B_
arra,!'~f
hatl 1n ,1<ln111 1h,11 R11al wa~ ·1he first amonj! the Filipm<>'> •
r,ur.
1:,cn h<forc: 1hc outl>re ..l uf 1hc R.e--o!utKln a!,1•~• Spam
m l!Nt,. 11 ,any 111 ,ianu,- <,on he: c,t.,.t to rro,c 1ha1 h~ rounirym,eo
her<· uml .,l•roaJ r,•,ogmt<·J Rv,11'• lc:1<lc~1p In the earl, part
of l'-'N ,., ""•" unan,m.-.u,t~ elected I>) the fwp,no m Ba[,dona
and M .. JnJ as horwra.f\ pre<idcnt of the La St1bJ,,ri'Jad
11 "T- " T - . p tr.9
13 ._._.._1fft0 V.ol• My Tr..,._.,.._ JtNa ......._
13a
(plot--·
,._ _ _ y _ c...,a.
9 ~ lloael. M.n Many,, pp 001 003
10 E,,i,1-.0 ~ . Tomo 5-,ndo.
11 ..... , . . .
176
s a
d1.p
m
s.:.M-
moroih, IJlcf. ,n l',m, . he• orgam,cd :and lx-.:;1mt• chod .,r 1hc
Ina,,, lJ, .. ,o< In J.inu.11"), 1'<91 . R12al ..,., agilltl ""''n,m~~~
chu~n Re,p,.,m,1/>/, (Clnd) oftlo, ~p3n,sh•hhp1110 \,--,,oat1on.
lie ..,_,, ah,n ihc fnunJcr anJ "'"""g ,pmt 1n 1hc founding of
the f .:,, f-1/1ponu 1n M,omla nn July '• IK'n
15. -
-
17 l .. ,bech. . . •
,._ -
T-, C - --
- pp
• p 132
,11 , .
ffl
ffJStory tells us that the revolutionary society known as the
Katipunan likewise acknowledged Rtz.al's leadership and great"~ by making him its Honorary President and by US1ng bis
family name RiZ,(J/ as the password for 1he third-degree mcmbers.19
A year after Ri.zal's e~ecution, General Emilio Aguinaldo
and the ·01hcr revoluuonary chiefs exiled 10 H ongkong held a
commemorative program 1here on December 29, 1897 on the
occasion ol the first anniversary of the hero's execution and
manyrdom. 211
Of utmost sigruficanee in the public's appreciauon for Rizal's
patriotic labors in behalf of ha• people were the 1r1bu1e, paid
by the Revolutionary Government to his memory In his opening
address at the Congress assembled at Malolos. Bulacan. on
September IS, 18911, President Agwnaldo 10,okcd the spmts of
the depar1cd heroes of the fatherfand, thus
llloslrious spints of l'l.17AI. l..opcz Jae"" . of Marcelo
del Pilar! August shades of Burgos. Pelain, and P.onganib.on!
Warhkc geniuses o( Agu,nalclo (Cri'l)uln- O ), and Tirona.
of Natividad and Evangeli<aa 1 A""e H momena from y11ur
unlmov.,i gr.,vcs!2J
Then on December 20. 1898 at the revolutionary cap11al at
Malolos. President Aguinaldo •~ucd the fir,1 official proclamation making December 30 of that )Car o, ~Rimi Day" The
same proclamation ordered the hoisting o , the Filipino nag, al
half•m~t -rrom 12:00 noon on December 29 to 12:00 noon on
Decembe r 30, 1898- and the ck>'img of "all ofhcc, of 1hc govern
ment" during the whole day of Dcccmtoer :l(} ' l Actually an
1mpress1,;e Rizal Day program. spnsorcd by 1hc Cluh Fihpmo.
was held in Manila on December JO. 1898. ??,
h <hould further be noted 1hJt bo1h the La l ndependenria.
edited by Gen Antonio Luna. and the El iferaldo d~ la Re•olu19 G,egono F Zeide. The KadpUNn. p 9
°' Rini D• •·
l'I..,..,..,. llnolutlcn. p. 2S2
doll, official orpn of the Revolutionary Government. issued a
spceial supplement in honor of RtZal in one of their December
issues in I 898.
Two of the greatest Fihp1no poets 10 thr Spano,h I. nguJ!(<'
paid glowing tn'hutcs to the Mar1rr of Bogumhayan 111 acl..now ledgment or the hero's labo~ and sacnfice<; for h1, ~oplc.
Fernando Mo. Guerrero MOie ,,n Septc:niber :?5. l!i<IS, lhu,
·N<, has mucrto, no. La gl<>n• cs tu de<t•oo.
tu cor011a. lo-; fuegos de la ao,.,ra ,
y tu inv,olablc al1ar nuesua ro""icnc,a - 3
And Cecilio Apostol, on December 30 of I.be same }ear. wrote
these hnes:
•tDuerme en pu en lu '!Offlbras d• la nada,
Rcdcnlor de una Patria ~viz.ada!
!No !lores de la tumba en el mnteno
Del c<pailol el triunlo rnomcn11n<io
Que si una bala dcstroz6 tu cnlnco.
Tambien tu ,dea destrozo un empeno! '"
The Filipm<X •ere not alone in gnevmg the unt1mcl~ death
of their hero and idol. for the ontcllcctual and sc1en11foc c,rctcs
of the world fell keenly the 10"< of Ri1,al, who wns their c<acc:mcd
colleague and fncnd Dr. Camilo Osias and Wcnceslao c Retana
both spoke of the universal homage ac:rorded to R1wl
1mmcd1atcly after his death. Dr Osias wrote thu<,
ExpreU1ons of deep stmpathy came from 1jlumcn1n11
and many otben; such as Dr Renward Brausteucr of
Lucerne, a schoLu on lhrng.,, \hlky; Dr. Feodor J.,g,,,r , a
German author of Philippm~ frav,/,. Or Fncdnth R.t11d,
an eminent German geographer and e~pherc Senor
Ricardo Palma. a J,s11ngul>hed man of kllc" frnm Peru.
Profe550r M Buchner Director of lh< Fth1111gr 1ph1~
Museum of Munich and a noted Mab~·olo~"1· "1on."cur
Edmont Pbncbut, a French Onentab>t auuu,r ,,1 , ....,.,..,
worts and wriler on Ptuhppinc •ubtcct>, Or W Joc,.1.
emment Ge.rman geographer and Professor al the Un,v~Nry
20. L. R. s.r,ano. The &ol.,...,n
21. Gt_,o F Z.Jde, The
22
~ Flllplu, p
2
221 L R S•rreno. Fi,_ Rtt.84 0.y P,09,1mi ,,, Mar,•I•
278
n ,._,,.,
~
.._ p. 449.
2'. . . ... ~4.50.
279
°!
Rerun. !)r. H K<:m, Professor of Sansktn 1n lbe Univer"'1Y of Lridcn and a:lcl>ra1cd •ulhorny on Malay affairs
Or. J Montmo. a dmongu1\loed French linguist
an1hropol<>gt,,I and author of a Mnnona on lbc Phibpp!Ms;
Dr F Muellc:r. Profes.or of the Un1ves11y of Vienna and
a great plulologis1; a DOied Du1ch literary woman ..,ho signed
H D Tccnl W111ink. author of a touching and oonscic:ntious
hiofraphy of Raal: Hen Manfred W1111ch, writer of uipi,g
Dr Bctancn. Cuban pol11ical leader; Dr Boettger. a noted
German ""turah,1 •nd author of works on 1he fauna of lbc
PlnhPfllne>. Or A B Meyer, Dircc1or of the Museum of
Elhnograph) of O~o and emment Filrptnologist M
Odc,k~rcben of_ Uigc,, Oirccll)r of L Eipres<. a ncwspapc;
,hc1-~m Or Rual ":Tote an,clc,. Or Ed S.,lcr. translator
rn Germ.to of Rizal s M• La.st Fare,.elJ· Mr H w B
• dtSllnjtu"hcd Engll>h "'nlcr; Mr Joh~ Foreman au;:;;
of work,
lhc Ph_ilrppnc,. llen- C M lielier. a Oemun
naturalrst: Or. H. Stolpe. a Swedish savant "ho spoke and
puhb\hed C?" the Ph,hpp,ncs and Ri2.i1. Mr. Armand Lehu,.
ant. A...anu cngnccr aad v.ntcr: Dr J M Podh k
nou.blc C2Cdl writ«. author of -.orl,;s on lbc .,.._?,"'
a
and Or RQ:al n
ml 1ppmc:s
and
°"
r•
A'™?ng 1hc scientrfic nccrological services held especially 10
~ : : Rita!. •he ooc spon~red by the Anthropological Society
~
rtin on Ncr,ember 20, 1897 at lhe initiative of Or. Rudolph
rdlow, iu President, was the most imponant and significant.
Dr F..d Seier recited the German translation of Rizal's ''M las
Farev.-eu- on that occasion 2f>
Y
t
out 1be newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals lhrough1.M ovd.iud world - in Germany Austna France H II d
I ondon th
cd
o an ,
·. e nrt
rates, Japan, Hongkong Macao Sm •
pore. ,tzcrl:"'d· and in Latin Amencan countries_ p~b!Js~..
accounts of RiuJ'
·
, ,.;u
s martyrdom tn
order to render homage to his
greatness. 17
u·
s
•
•
,
s...
Did !be ~
. especially Governor William H . Taft
really~ Ri2aJ out o(severaJ Filipino patriou u the Numbe;
:zs.o...._.._,._7
:!6."-'a,,._.._P439
77
180
--PP.«--C:19
One Hero of his people? N.o tlung could be fanber (rom 1M
tnllh. In the preceding pages, we have shown beyond the shado"'
of a doubt that the Grca·t Malayan , by his own effom anti
sacrifices for his oppressed countrymen, had proJccted himself
as the foremost leader or the Philippines until 1hc moment or
his immol;uion, and this fad was spontaneously acknowledged
not only by his own people but also by the elite or 01her lands
who intimately knew bis patriotic labors We ha,e hkc-.= shown
that immediately after hi, execution, his own people had JUSII}
acclaimed him a• their foTemost hero and man yr The mlcllcctual
and scientific world. as we have also demonstrated. was nor slow
in according him Mgoal honors as a hero of humaruty and as an
Apostole or Freedom
Mr Tafl. as Chairman of the Sccondl'h1lippinc Comm1s.,ion
arriYed in the Philippines in June, 1900. This Comm1'\Slon began
1L~ legisla11ve funcuons on September Isl of the same year. On
June 11 of 1hc cn~umg year the Pbihppme Commiwon .ipproved
Aci No 137. which organi1ed kt he politico-military district of
Moroni:" into the "Province of Rizal". This was the FJR!)'I
Ot-FICIAL STEP taken by 1hc Taft Commi:»1on to honor nur
grc,nc,,1 hero and ~nyr. It should be borne m mind that SI'\
DAYS before the pas.sage of Act No. 137. the Taft Comm1ss1on
held a meeting at the town of Pasig ror the purpo;e of organ1211.g
1he pro~tncc. In that meeting aucndcd by the leading c11izcn,
of both Manila and Morong. a plan was presented to combiO('
he two districts onto one, but this proposal met wtth determined
and vigorous ob1ec1JOn from the leaders of M orong.
- At this po,nt,• reads the 'Minutes or Proceed mi:-· of
1hc Taft Cornm1SS><111. "Dr. Tavera, or the fede,al Party .
who ;occompanO<'d the CommL<1.,ion, a,l.cJ 1hu1 he mo~hl
make a suigesti<,,i with reference 10 the proposed union of
Man,la and Morong prOlllnces. h wu hts optnion 1h.11 111
c:isc ur union nei1hcr the name of Moroo1t nor Mon,IJ O\l!(hl
10 be retained. He then staled the custom which pre, ailed
on the, United States and Olher countn e. of naming rmpor1an1
locahhcs or dutncts ,n memory of some 1llus1nous c111zcn
of lbe country ln line w,lh this he SU!ll(CSted that 1hc united
pro,111C:O be named 'Rizal', 1n memory llDtl m honor of rhe
mou Uluur,ou.., F,J,rmo and th, mosr "lrntr1nus ro~ol,'K tht
/,la11dJ had ever 'tnown The President (Wilham H Tall
- 0.) s1a1cd !hat tbe Commission. not less 1han 1he
Filipinos, left proud 10 do honor to lhe name of RIZIII, and
if, aflfer considennion, ii decided to unite the province.,, it
would have pleasure. ,r such ac1ion mer 1he de.,irt$ ol the
people, in giv,ng 1he new province the n:1me of Rizal",~
(Ilalio supplied)
It is obvious then that the idea of naming rhe d1stnc1 of
Morong afier Rizal came rrom Dr. Pardo de Tavera. a Filipino,
and not from Judge Tarr, an American. his interesting to know
that two countrymen or Mr. Ta(r - Justice George A. Malcolm
and Dr. Frank C. Laubach- who both resided in the Philippines
for many years and who were very familiar with the history and
lives of great Filipinos - do not subscribe to the view tha1 J~e
Rizal is an American-made hero. Jusice Malcolm had this to say:
J'n ihosc nrly days (of the Amcncan occupation 0.). 11 was bruited abou1 that the Americans had 'made·
Rizal a hero to serve their purposes. That was indeed a
sinister in1erpretation or voluntary American action designed
lo pay lribute to a grear man.,.
Dr. Laubach's view about lhe question is as follows:
The u,adiuon 1ha1 every American hears when he
reaches the Philippne Islands is th al William Howard Taft,
feeling 1ha1 the Filipinos needed a hero, rnade one out of
Rizal. We trust thal tills book (Rizal: Man a/Id Marryr 0.) will se~e to show how empty that statement is. II
speak:s well for Taft lbat he was sufficiertlly free from racial
prejudice 10 apprcc.iate in some measu~e 1be stature of a
great Filipino. II was a Spaniard who did more than any
other 10 save Rizal for posten1y - Retana, whose work
(Vida y Escritos dtl Dr. lost Rluil, Madrid, 1907 - 0 .) is
by far the most oomplele and scholarly thdl we have {in
1936 - 0 .). Like Rizal, he lost all his money m the cause
or the Filipinos, and died a poor man. ""
Granting for the sake of argumen1 Iba.I L~e Tart Commission
chose Rizal out or several great Filipinos as 1hc Numhcr One
hero of bis people, stiU we can say lhat wha1 the Commission
did was merely to confirm a 60rt of a r.it accompli, ond that
was thal Jose Rizal had already been acclaimed by his c,)untrymen
and the scientific world as the foremost hero and manyr 1>f the
land of bis binh. Nay, we can go even farther and concur with
Prof. Blumentl'itt, who said in 1897:
. Not ooly Is Rizal ntE MOST PROMINENT MAN
OF HIS OWN PEOPLE but 11-{E GREATEST MAN THE
MALAYAN RACE HAS PROOIJCEO. His memory will
never peris.h in his fatherland, and future generation, of
Spaniards will )!el learn 10 utter his name with respect and
reverence.> 1 ( CapitoJi%alJOn supplkd)
Perhaps the following quotation from the late William Cameron Forbes, an ardent admirer of Rizal and the Governor-General
of the Phllipp1ncs during the construction or the Riuil Mauo;Qleum
on the Luncta, is appropriate al Ibis point. He said:
It is eminently proper Iha! Rizal should have become
the acknowledged national hero or the Philippine people
Th, A,mirican administration has lent ,v,ry anistanc, to rni•
recognition, setting aside 1he anniversary of hls death to Ix,
a day n( o~rvancc, placing bis piclurc on the p<>stagc stamp
most commonly used in the Islands, and on lhc currency.
coopera1ing wi1h the Filipinos in malt.mg 1he she ol his school
in OapilBn o national park, find cnt0uraging the erecu,m
by public subscription of a monument in his honor on 1he
Luneta in Manila near the place where he met his death.
One of the longes1 and most ,mponunt ~trects in Mun,l:t
has been named in hi, memory - Rizal Avenue. The
Filipinos in many cities and towns have erected monuments
10 his name, and 1hroughou1 the Island, the public M:hc>ols
teach the young Filipinos to revere his memory a, rite Rrenttsl
of Fil,pmo patnots.-" (Italics suppll,d)
Now and then we come across some Fihpmos who venture
the opinion that Andres Bonifacio, and not Jose Rizal. deserve,
to be acknowledged and canonized as our first na1tonal hero .
They maintain that Rizal never held a guo, a rifle, or a sword
28, RePoft of tho Phillppln. Comml..,on. p. 202.
29. Mlleolm, -
C-... c..-tot. p. 78,
30. Lluboch, ..,_ ell., p. 3113.
282
31, Crolg, op. ctt .. p 66.
32. 8ta1r 1nd Aob9f1.won. The ,t"41plne lel• nch. Vol 1. p. 55.
181
1n fighting for the liberty and indcpendeooe of our country m
the baulefield. They further IISSCrt that while the foremost
national heroes of other countrie:s are soldier-generals, like
George Washington of the United States of America, Napoleon
I and Joan of Arc of France, Simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Jose
de Snn Martin of Argentina, Bernardo O'Higgins of Chile,
Jimmu 'fenno of J apan, etc., ou r greatest hero was a pacifist
and a ci\ltlian whose Wellpon was his quill. Howe\ler, our people
in cxcrctSing their good sense, mdcpendent judgment, and
urru,ual discernment , have not followed the examples of other
nations 1n selecting and acknowledging a military leader for their
greatest hero. Rafael Palma has very well stated U>c case of
R1wl versus Bonifnc10 in these words:
h should be o source of pride and 5atisfaetion 10 the
Filipinos to have among their national heroes one of su.-h
excellent qualiues and merits which may be eqwled but
nol \\lrpa~scd by any other man Whereas gcocrolly the
heroes of occidental nations arc warriors and generals who
serve their cause with lhc sword, disulling blood and tears.
lhc hero nf the Fihpmos served his cause with the pen.
demonstrating that the pen ,s as mighty as the sword lo
redeem • people from 1beir pohucat slavery. It is true that
,n our case 1hc sword of Bonifoc:,o was after all needed to
shake off 1hc yoke of a foreign power; but the revolution
prepared by BoruJacio was only 1he clfea, the, consequence
of 1hc spiritual rcdemp1ion wrought by the pen or Rizal
Hence, nol only in chronological order but also in point of
1mpor1•ncc 1hc prcv,ous work of Rizal seems to us superior
tn 1h11 of 13onifacio, bccau.:;e although that of Bomfacio wa,
or 1mmediak results. that of Ri:ul will have more dwable
and permanent eftcctS."
And lei us note further what other great men said about
the pen being mightier and more powerful than the sword.
Napoleon I himself, who was a great conqueror and ruler, said;
"There are only two powers in the world, lhe sword and lhe
pen; and in the end the former is always conquered by the
34
laucr". The following Slatemcnt o f Sir Thomas Browne is more
applicable to the role played by Rizal in our libertarian struggle:
3J Polm1 . ..,, "'-• p
367
3' Tvron Ed4Janb, n....N.w Dlcdaw7 flf ~ p, 451.
"Scholars are men of peace; they bear no arms; but their tongues
are <harper than the sword; their pens carry further and give a
louder report than thunder. I had rather stand in the shock of
a hasili<l 1ha 11 ,n the fury of a merciless penw.'l And finally, lei
u~ quote from Rulwer · "Take away the sword; states can be
saved without rt; bring the pen!"36
For those who may still doubt and question the fact that
Rizal b greater. far greater than Bonitacio, or nny Other Filipino
hcru. 1hc follnwtnl( ohscrva11on mndc hy Retana will be ,ufficient:
I ,ldn, lo, p.tf\C, llc ncn ,u 1Jolo ma, nin8uno 111.:nc un
mitw1· ,d,>lll; 4ue F,lip,nru; Antes dc,aparererli de lo~
I .,1t1Jo~ l.,"rudos
la mcmon:1 Jc
1)· ya l.'S dear!
w,"11111i,1m1 ,111c clc rilirinJ\ I., mcmorm de Rl7.I\I,, Nn
tuc 1(1/ l\l.. como medico. un \1ariani. oi romo dibujante
un (iu,tu\.O Dore . n1 ctimtt poc1,1 un Gnctht: m como
1mIrupcilo~w un Vm:how . ru como etnografn un f{;111cl ni
como fili~mi,t<11 un BlumcnInu. m como bistoriador un
MJ1,:;ml.,y , ni como pt:n'-ldor on 1 l~rv•"• 01 c:onu.> nu11Jy0lug.o
"'' Kern. m 1.·nmn fih\,ofo un Ot,Ci:trtc~. ni comn no"·ch,t.,
1111 /.ola. m como bteratn un Menendez y Pelayo. m cumo
l'....:ulhtr lm Ouc,ol . '" corno gc6~n1to un Rcclu), nI como
11r.1dor 11n 1'101
Oi~1,ngu16~ en mm:hu~ di~iplinaso pero
en nin2un..1 Jc cll:.L" •.dc3n.l6 (.St grado supremo quc a!\Cgura
lu 11un~1tt11l1Jad I ut 1>atriotn, tut ,wir11r d,I umur d \ti pair.
r,•ro ,·n d ,.,,., ,le Rl7.AL hav otro< filipinos; y ;.en 4ue
l'OJl'l'-h.' quc RIZAL cst:i <i mile~ de cuJer.a sobre todos euos·.>
""·n..·111.tml"nll.'~ l'.H
t., f111u1;,.t cxqu1,11u de :,u C1'pirttu ..:n la
1Hthh:1.1 qmjtlh.•.,.fa
de.· ,o coraz6n, en ~u ~lffilngia lo<hl;
H•rn.inlK..,. !-Ol1..1dora. buen.i. adorable. ~,cologia quc sinh.'lt1d t•hlt" h" ~i.·nt im1c1111,s y n,,,arac,one-s dt un pueblo
qu"· ,utn., vierH.hN.~ \.1ctima lk un rerimcn l'>p·rob1oso. , .
t.l ":,perttu t.ll! la Rcvotucmn rag.aid se 1uzga por cstc solo
h,:du• ( tic. ~omo 4.·, ,ab,<lo. t i hra10 armada de aquc.l
Ohl\ i mit.-1110 Andre, Bomfac10 . hC ahi el hombre quc diO
t.·I pnmt'1 ~nto eontra la uraniu. cl 4uc ucuud,116 la~ pnrneras
h,11·,tl·,. i.: l c.1u1.: murin cn lu hrcc.:ha,
Y :.i c~ homhrc
.,pcna"
~C' le recuerd..1~ no ~c le h.1 cre.g,<lo mng.Un
monumcnilo~ I~ vatcs popuJares no le hJ.l1 canrndo~ - M1cnU,I' qui• d Rl7A1 cn~m1~tl Uc l .i R1.:\'0luc1(m QUe crihflc<~
35 ll>id., pp 456-457.
36. Loe <•t
de #1/vo~ y tlaJoonro#. le glorifica el pueblo hasta
deific:arlc . .. iNo ae \'C ca csto un pueblo cmlnentcmentc
espintuAI, quc tuvo l"JI RIZAL un rcsumcn vtYleJ!te? Todo
filipino lleva denuo de sl todo lo mis quc pucdc de RIZAL,
raro cs, en cambto. cl que Deva dcntro de sf algo dcl
dcmagogo Bonifacio.
La IDIDOrtalidad de RIZAL est& asegurada de oen
maneras Pero como mu ""'gun,da cst6 cs porquc lo&
milloocs de filipinos de boy, de manana y de si=lpre bebc:n
y bebcrin csplri.tu de RIZAL; DO sc nutren de ot111 cosa."
APPENDIX B
MEMOIRS OF A STUDENT
IN MANILA
In the preceding pages we have tried to show that Rl2.al
by
P. Jacinto•
wu not only a great hero but the grcate,;t among the Filipi.nos.
As a matter of fact, the Austrian savant Prof. Blomentritt judged
him as "the most prominent man of his own people" and "the
g.reatest man the Malayan race has produoed~. We have also
shown that even during his lifetime, Rizal was already ac,cl:umed
by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost leader of his
people and that this admiratK>n for him has increased witfi the
passing or time sinoe his dramatic de~th on the Luncta that
fateful morning of December 30, 1896 Likewise. we auempted
to disprove the claim made by some quaners that Rizal is an
American-made hero, and we also tried to explain why Rizal 1s
greater than any other Filipino hero, including Andres Bonifacio.
Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines? The
answer is: no smgle·persoo or groups of pcfS!>ns were responsible
for making the Greatest Malayan the Number One Hero of his
people. Rizal himself, his own people . and the forcigncn all
together contributed to mali:e him the grcatc~t he ro and marlyr
of bis people. No amount of adulation and canonization by both
Filipinos and foreigners could convcn Rizal into a great hero if
he did not possess m h1mi,clf v.hat Palma calls "excelle nt qualities
and merits" or what Retana spoke of "la finura cxqui1>ita de su
csp1mu. . . la nobleza qwjotesca de su coraz6n, . . . su
psicologfa todn, rom4nuca . <0iiadora, buena. adorable,
psicologfa quc sjntetiz6 todos los sentimie ntos y aspiracioncs de
un pueblo que sufria. viendose victima de su rel(irncr
oprobioso. . . ."
~ - - - .., dt.. pp. 450-461.
286
CHAYl'Ell I
MY BIRffl-EARLY YEARS
I was bom in Calamba on 19 June. ,1861, between eleven
and midnight. a few days before full moon. It was a Wednesday
and my commg out in tlus vale or tears would ba,e cost my
mother her life had she not vowed to the Virgm of Antipolo to
take me to her sanctuary by way of pilgrimage. 2
All I remember of my early days is I didn't know how I
found myself in a town with some scanty notions or the morning
$Un, of my parents, etc.
The educabon that I received since my earliest infancy was
perhaps what has shaped my habits, like a jar that retains the
odor of the body that it first held . I still remember the fiISt
melancholy nights that I spent on the terrace lazotea - ZI of
our house as if they happened only yeMcday - night!> run of
-Tiiia ,st~ studen1 mtiff'IOits or ,e,nin isc::enoes of Jos. Ri::at He wrot• i1 from
1871 ao 1881, trom the ao• of 17 to 20 English lratl.illllOn t,y , ._. JOI& A1.a t
N•tiOAII Centennial CommiPM>n .
' P Jacinto wn 1he first pen-name. used by RtUl 1n t,,s wnt.mgs. HtS OIi.he,
pen -~
we,,• Laong laan end D,mu A.ling
1Tha V1rg•n of Ant-Polo h es t>ct1:n ~ ral-1 bv F, pln <n-. Sp.ania rd-.. oMd
Ctunne Stnce $oiincsh cok>nial days. Th• "110flth o f M oy ,s the tJnie o f p ll9m n a9e
10 he, thone She •• .tlto calltd OUt l .OV of POK• Ind GOC'>d V"Y~ , lhe o~oor
sain1 of uavetM&.. One legend savs: her image s~ved •rorn "Sh epwreQ ihe crew o•
• stt,p thM bore Nlf' from A.t.to,uJco to Ma" 11 tnll"lV Vfl't rt 190
the saddest poem lhat made impression on my nund, the stronger
the more tempcstuous my prC$Cnt ~1tuation is . I had a nurse
(ayo - Z.) who loved me very much and who, m order to make
me take supper (which I bad on the terrace on moonlit nights),
frightened me with the sudden appari11on of some formidable
=ng, of a frightful nuno, or parc~-nobis, as me used to call
an imagnary being similar 10 the Bu of the Europeans. They
used to take me for a ,troll to the most gloomy places and at
night near the 0owing ri,cr in the shade of some tree. in the
brightness of the chaste Diana • Thus was my heart nourished
with somber and melanchol,e thoughts. whtch even when I was
a child already wandered on the 1,1,,ngs of fantasy 1n the lofty
regions of the unk.nov,-n
I had nine sisters and one brother My father. a model of
fathers, had given us an education commensurate with our small
fortune. and through 1hnf1 he was able to build a stone house.
hu)' another, and to erect a liule nipa house in the middle of
our orchard under the shade of banana trees and others. There
the tasty a~ (all,) displays 11~ delicate fruits and bends tts branches
to save me the cf£on of reaching for them, the sweet santol,
the fragrant and honeyed tampoy. the reddish macupa, here
contend for supremacy; farther way are the plum tree, the casuy.
harsh and piquant. the beautiful wmarind, cqyally gratifying 10
the eyes and delightful to the palate, here the papaya tree spread,
its broad leaves and attracts the birds 1,1,ith its enormous fruits.
yonder arc the nangca. the coffee tree, the orange tree. 11,h1ch
perfumes the air with the aroma of its Oower~. on thi> ,ide are
the iba, the balunbing. the pomegranate ,.;,h its thick foliage
and bcauuful 001,1,ers that enchant tbc senses; here and there
arc found elegant Jnd ma1esuc palm trees loaded with enormou,
nul\, rocl,.ing II\ proud crown and beautiful frond.., the mi,tr=s
of the forests. Ah! It would be endless 1f I were 10 enumerate
all our trees and en1cnarn myself Wl naming them! At the close
of the da} numcrou\ birds came from all pans. and I, Mill a
ch,ld of three years at the most, entcrtarned myself b) looking
at them 11,11h unbelievable joy. The yellow cultauan, the maya
of different vanct,c,. the culae, the marta capra. the mamn, all
the <pecic<o of pipit, 311ined in a plea'\.ant con<--en and intoned m
varied chorus a hymn of fare,.·ell 10 the sun that "as disappeanng
behind the tall mountains of my town. Then the cloud,. through
a whim of nature. formed a thousand figures that soon dispened.
as such beautiful days passed away also, leaving behind them
only the flimsiest remembral'K:CS. Alas! Even now when 1 look
out the wmdow of our house to the beautiful panorama al
twilight, my past 1mprCSSJ<>ns a>me back. to my mind with painful
eagerness'
A hcn.ards comes night, it extends 1ts mantle, sometimes
gloomy though starred, when the chaste Delia~ does not scow
the sky ,n pwswt of her brother Apollo. But if she appears in
the clouds. a vague bnghtnes> 1s delmeatcd. Afterwards. as the
cloud\ break up. <0 10 speak, little by little she is seen beautiful,
~ad, and hu,;hed, rising like an immense globe. as if an omnipotent
and 1n•1S1ble hand 1s pulling her through the spaCC1>. Then my
mother would ma.kc us recite the rosary all together. Afterward
we would go to the terrace or to some window from which the
moon can be seen and my nurse would tell us stones, sometimes
mournful. sometimes gay, in which the dead, gold plants that
bloomed diamonds were in confused mixtures, all of them born
of an entirely oriental 1magioation. Somcumes she would tell us
that men lived m the moon and the !>pCCk.s that v,c observed on
it were nothing else but a woman who was oontinuously spmning.
When I was four year~ old I lost my httlc \1Ster (Concha)
and then for the first time I shed tears caused by love and grief,
for unul then I had shed them only because of my stubbornness
that my loHng and prudent mother so well knew bow to correct.
Ah' Without her what would have become of my education and
what would have been m) fate? Uh, yes! After God the motner
is cverylhtng to man. She taught me how to read, she taught
me how to ~lammer the humble prayers that I addressed fervently
10 God. and now that I'm a young man. ah, where is that
simplicity. that innocence of my early days?
In my 011,n town I learned how to write, and my father.
who looked after my educatJoo, paid an old man (who had been
his classmate) to give me the fi~t lesson$ in Latin and he stayed
at our house . After some five months he died. having almost
foretold his c\eath when he was still m good health. I remember
that I came to Manila With my father after the buth of the third
>A name of Oien.a.. goddNa of tfw moon end of hunting
28'
I
g1rJ (Trinidad) who followed me, and ii was on 6 June 1868.
We boarded a casco.. a very heavy craft. I had never yet gone
through the lake or La Laguna consciously and the first time I
did, I spem the whole night near the cJJtig, admiring Lhe grandeur
of lhe liquid element, the ,quie1ness of the night, while at the
same rime a superstitious fear IQOk hold of me when I saw a
water snake twint itself on the bamboo canes of the outriggers.
With "What joy I saw the sunrise; for the fusl time I saw how
the luminous rays shone, producing a brilliant effect on the
ruffled swfacc of the wide lake. With what joy I spoke to my
father for I bad not uttered a single word during the night.
Afterward we went to Antipolo. I'm going to stop to relate the
sweetest emotion~ that I felt at every step on the banks of the
Pasig (that a few years later would be the witness of my griefs).
in Cainta, Taytay, AnIipolo, Manila, Santa Ana. where we
visited my eldest sister (Saturnina) who was at chat time a
boarding student at La Corcordia.' I returned to my town and
I stayed in it until 1870, the first year that marked my separation
from my family.
This is what l remember of those times that figure in the
forefront of my life like the dawn of the day. Alas, when shall
the night come to shelter me so that I may rest in deep slumber?
Ood knows it! In the mean1ime, now that I'm in the ~pring ol
life, separated from the beings whom I love and mo51 in the
world, now that sad, I write these pages... let us leave Providence to act, and let us give time to time, awaiting from the
will of God the future, good or bad, so that with this I u:ay
succeed to expiate my sins.
8 Dulumbayan, 6 Sta. Cruz, Manila, 11 September 1878
~Casco i.s • PhllipPJne river craft. made of wooo. used for passengers and
lr••ah1, Tho cahg ,. the vetMl'a CHJtrfgge,s medo of bamboo canH.
'A welHknown bo,rding ,choot fo, girts, t.a Concordi1 Co41oo• wes 1dmlnf1•
tared by 1he1 Sister, of Charity. tt wn founded In 1869 by Mafg•rha Roxu de
Ayea., • weetthy Rhprno wom,n. who gaw her coun1ty homt telllkl La Concordi1
~n Sc.. Ana. Meoill to the sc:hoo• and hence h:s popular desiunadon. hs official
name 11 ColeigiO de fa lm!".eullde Concepc.lon
'Thlt ok:;t 1lrNt WM absorbed by the now av-,,ut namttd for him -Rial
A.venue. ht name na, IAen dropped.
290
CHAPTER D
M\' LIFE AWA\' FROM MY PARENTS
MY SUFFERINGS
It is true that the memory of past days is like a gentle balm
that pours over the hean a melancholy sweetoess. so much
sweeter and sadder the more depre!o.sed the one remembering
ii is. Turnin11 my eyes, my memory, and my imagination towards
the days past, that I don't wish 10 remember for being very
painful, the first that I discover 1s 8iiian, a town more or lcs,
an hour and a half distant from mine. This 1s my father·~ birth·
place and to which he sent me to continue the >tudy of the
rudiments of Latin that I had begun. One Sunday. m:,, hiother
took me to that town after I had bade my fomily. 1ha1 i,. tny
parents and brothen. [sisters - Z.] goodbye, 1>ith tcH~ in my
eyes. I was nine years old and already I tried 10 hide my tears.
Oh, education. oh, shame, that obliges u, to hide our sc111111u:nts
and to appear diflerentl How much beauty, how rtl.lll) tender
and pathetic scenes the world would witnes, without you'
We arrived at Biiian at nightfall and we wr.m to the hnus.of an aunt where I was to stay. 1 he moo~ w.is bcgnning 10
peep, and m the compony of Leandro. her grandson, l w;ill..cd
through the town that seemed to me lurgc und rich hu1 u11I)
and gloomy . My brother left me afterwards. n,11 wi1huu1 havonp
first iniroduced me lo the 1eacher "ho ""' going tu lcm:lt nw
It seemed to me that he had aho hccn hi, lie w," 1.,11, 1ldn.
long-gecked, with sharp nose and body ,Jighll) bent for... ,11t1
and he used to wear a si11omay Shirt, woven by the ,l1lh.:u hand,
of the wom-en of Batangas. He knew by heart 1hc gr.,mma1, b~
Nebrija and Gainia . Add 10 this h,, scvertl) 1ha1 m my ;udj,\ntc111
was exaggerated and you have a picture, perhap, vague. 1ha1 I
have made of him, bu! 1 remember only tin;,,
When I entered his class for the firsl time. tha1 L,. on hi;
Imm
house which was of nipa and low . abou1 1hirty mc1,,r,
my aunt's (for one had only 10 pass through a portion nf 1he
""'">
291
strc~l and a tittle comer cooled by an apple tree,') be spoke to
me m these words:
" Do you know
'
Spanish?"
"A little sir," J replied.
··oo you know Latin?"
"A little, sir," I anSWCRd again.
_For these replies the teacher's son Pedro, the naughtiest
boy m the class. began to sneer at me. He was a few years older
th~ I and was taller than I . We fought, but J don ·1 know by
~hat acc1dcn1 I defeated him, throwing him down some benches
m the classroom I released him quite mortified. He wanted 3
retu:'1 match. hut as the teacher had already awakened I was
afr:ud to e!<pose myself to punishment and I refused. After this
I .1cqu1rcd a fame nmong. my cla~smates, perhaps because of my
,mallness so that after cla~s. a boy invited me to n fight. He was
called Andres Salandanan. He offered me one arm 10 1wisl and
I lost. and almost dashed my head against the sidewalk ofa "'-ouse.
l don·t want to amuse myself by narrating the whacks that
I ,uffcn:d nor describe what I felt when I recei,.ed the first
hcalln~ (>n the hand Some en, icd me and othc~ pitied me.
:>°lllt:l1mc~ they a~uscd me wrongly, sometimes rightly, and
,1lwa}, lite accusauon COM me half a dozen, or three lashe$. J
used 10 -..111 m the gangs, for oo one defeated me. I succeeded
to pas, o,er many, excellin~ them, and despite the reputation
I had (good
rare _was the day when I was 001 whipped or
SI\ en C1vc or six beaungs on _the hand. When I went in the
company of my classmate~. I got Crom them more sneers,
nickname~. and they called me Calambtiio, 8 but when only one
went MIit me, he behaved so well that I forgot bis insults. Some
were ~ond and treated my very well, like Marcos Rizal, son of
a cousm of mine, and _others. Some of them, much later, became
":1> cl~o;smatc~ 1n Mamla. and we round ourselves in very changed
SltUllllOll~.
oor)
Uc~ide the house uf my teacher, who was Justiniano Aquino
Cru7. ,tood that of his father•in-law, one Juancho, an old painter
who amused me with Ills paintings. I already had such an incli•
notion for this art that a classmate of mine, called Jose Guevara,
and I were the "Ca~hionahle paimers" of the cla.~.
I low my aunt treated me can he easily deduced from the
following facts:
We were many in the house: My aunt, two cousins, two
meces, Arcadia and t-1orentina , and a nephew, Leandro. son of
a c,,u~in My aunt was an old woman who must be se:venly or
year< old. She used 10 read the Bible 1n Tagalog, lying down
on the floor. Marg:1ri1a (ltay), my cous111, was single, very much
JdJ1c:1cd to confe~,ing nntl doing penance. I !er hrother Gabriel
wa," widower. Arc.idia wa~ a mmooy, of an inflexible character
and 1rntablc, though she had a simple and Crank nature. The
Nher. Flori:nuna, was o little girl of vulgar quahues. As to
l.citndro. hr wos a capricious. pampered little hoy, a flaucrer
when 11 ~u,tcd him. of an ingenious talent, a rascal in the full
m"aning of the term. One day when we went 10 the river, which
w,1, only ,1 fc" step, (mm our house, inasmuch us we pas\Cd
h,•,idc the orchard. while w,: were bathing on the stone landing.
tor I did not ,.l:irc go down as 11 was too deep for my height.
the little boy pushed me so hard that had not one of my feet
hcsn ~.iu.ght, wnhout doub1 I would have hcen drowned for the
(urrent was already pulling me. This cost t.1m some lashes with
., slipper• and a good reprimand by my aunt.
'°
Somcumes we played m the ,trcet at night for we were not
ull<1w<'<I 10 do so inside: the house ArcaJia who was two or
1hrcc )car, older than I, tt1ught me game~. 1reating me like a
hmthcr: only she callcJ me --uncle Jose .. , In the moonlight I
,cmcmh~rcd my homcw"n and I thought, with tear, in my eyes,
of my beloved father my icloli1ed m<>thcr. and my ,;o1ic1tous
<i>1ers. Ah. how sweet to n,,: wa~ Calamba. in spite of the fact
that it was 1101 as wealthy as Bui.in! I wuld feel sad and when.
k,M c~pc.:c1cd. I stopped lo reflect.
lier~ w;i. m) life . I heard the four o'clock Mas~ . ,r there
was an~. or I studied m> lesson at that hour and I went to Mass
afterwards. I returned home and I went to the orchard to look
'nu. ao-ca,-, apple tree tl locally named m1,nani1H for it bears WltV tJny
,1)1>1 ..
--rt.as is• n.CiYe tmncutine) of C.lamb&.
291
•1n Spenr11t,, (h1MC•1M. 111.,.ny, IHMI tdmln,,leted Yw"tlh • 1l1pper With •
leathtsr sole, a common way ot pvn11hlng chi.ldren 11'\ Filipino home-s.
193
10
'
fot a' mabo/0 to eat. Then
I took breakfast, which consi5ted
.
generally of a dish of rice and two dried small fish, and I went
to class from which I came out at ten o'dock. I went home at
once. If there was some special dish, Leandro and l look some
of it 10 the house of her children (which I never did at home
nor would r ever do it), and I returned without saying a word.
I ate with them and afterwards I studied. I went to school at
two ahd came out at five. I played a short while with some nice
cousins and I returned home. I studied my lesson, I drew a
little, and afterwards I took my supper consisting of one or two
dishes of nee with an ayungm. 11 We prayed and when there was
a moon, my nieces invited me 10 play in the s1ree1 together wi1h
others. Thank G(?<I that I never got sick away from my parents.
From l,ime to lime T went to Calamba, my hometown Ah,
how Iorig the way home seemed to me and how short th c way
back was! When I sigh ted Crom afa.r the roof of our house, I
don't know whal secret joy filled m} heart. Moreo~er I used to
leave Biiian early in the morning before sunrise and I reached
my hometown when ,ts rays already were sliming obliquely over
the broad rne3dows. And I used to return 10 Biotin in the
nfternoon with the sad spectach.: of lhc disappearance of th,; sun
king. How I looked for pre1exts to, stay longer ,n my town; one
more day seemed to me a day in heaven, and how I cried though silently and secrc1ly - when I would sec the calcsa i:
that was going 10 take me. Then everything seemed to me sad
I picked a flower, a stone 1hat auructcd ·,my anen11on. fearful
thal I might not 6C<.l 1bem again upon my return. It w11s a new
kind of melancholy, a ·sad pain, but gentle and cairn thal I felt
dunng my early years.
Many things that are of no importance to the reader happened 10 me until one day I reuived a leuer from my sister
Saturnina advising me of the arnval of the., steamer Ta/i,n that
'°Mabolo or mebuto (Diospyros disooto,. Wild., is • Ir~ that bears fruit.5 ot
the Mmt nemie. When rllM,, i1 i. J,1gr•r11, flHhy, twNt. and utis.fvlno
was to take me on a certain day. h seemed that I had a presentiment that 1 would never come h.ick so tha1 I 1o1.en1 very often
:.nd ~udly to the chapel of the Virgin of Peace I w_cnt tn th,
river and gathered litle stone, 10 keep a, a ,ouvcnir I rn;cd,
paper fishes and I readied everything for my <lcpanurc I lld,k
my friends and my te~c::hcr farewell w11h a 1Jlca,ant a111I pl<lfounct
sadness. for even ~ufferings, "'hen they have hccn lrc,111cn1 ,ind
continuous. hecomc M> dear to 1he hean. so to speak th.it ,inc
feels pain upon leaving them, I left Binan then on 17 Oeccm!,cr
1870 (lie. 1871 - Z.~ I wa, nine years old ut on< u'dock on
1he afternoon of Saturda)
For the fir.;t time- I sow a steamer It <.ecmcd to me ,w1
beautiful and admirable when I heard the con,ersJtion of 111)
cow;,n, who took me, with 1hc boatma11 on ,1, ma,tncr of runmng
It was the only one they were wailing for Two <111lrn, put Rl)
thiny,s ;n the cabin and I went to see II I thOU!!hl I \\;t, )!(IIOA
alone. without a companion. but a Frenchman calkd Arluro
Camps, my father's friend, was in char~e of Jcrnmpa111•inA m,·
The trip seemed to me very lon11. accordioi: to mv hd1<·f, "1th
regard to a steamer. At sea, I remember I ,pilled th,· chucul,ctc
Finally we arnvcd at Calamb.i Oh, my JOY on ,crn,i: lhc beach'
I wanlcd to jump at once intn a he1m·a. h111 11 ~.-n ;,\111 ,,11 lonl
me 1n his anm and put me in 1he captain\ ho.,1 ·\hcr"'anl,
the Frenchman came and four sailor, rowed u, to the beach It
wa, impossible to dcsenb.: nw hnppinc" when I'''" th, Wr\.t111
with lhc carriage wailinp for u,. I JUIIIJ'(ld and here I
,1~.11n
,n my house wuh the love of ml' Cam1h· Ewr\'thmg w:i, lor m e
JOy. day~ of happines,i, I fou11J J httk tu:use \\llh hw 1.1hh1iwcll den>rated and painted for the pre-( hn,1111." "-1:i"<'' \h
b rother; (brother and s;s1ers - 7 I u,d nn1 ,top 1alk1ni: 111 m,·
m
I!"'
Tlus is the end of my n:mcmhr.111c.: ,.f 1h;i1 '-"' .md
time during "hit·h I tasted strun)!c f11o<l f,,, 1hc 11"1 Inn.Alas, 11 ,cem, thllt I wa, burn ,k,11tK·d to p:0111ful rn ! ,·qu.<11\
biller scenes! I have withheld 1101hin~ irnpnr1.i111 r-.11 "1 11;,1,,.,1
how dmerc111 from that one!
11
Ayungln 11 O,e n1m1 of • 1m1II C•bovt 12 c.n1imet•r• long) fruh w.110,.
lntxs,enSMt fish CTherlPC)n plutnbeus knerJ.
"A horN-Clrawn vehicle. llghl and airy.
294
Salcedo S1rec1. No 22
Monday, 28 October 187k
,
atAPTEa m
FROM JANU.ARY, 1871 TO J UNE, 1872•
I don'! know how to describe to you my pasc days. I would
not have been able to furnish you with anything notable had
net something OCCtJrred that was truly unpleasant and sad that
I could not forget it. Have you ever felt your honor outraged
your name tarnished, by persons who owed you many ravors?
My pen refu$es and would have refused forever to put on paper
some remembrances that I should like to forget if my purpose
were not to make a succinct narration of my joys and misfortunes.
I will tell you that a few days after my arrival at my town
it was decided to make ~e stay there and send me to Manil~
later. The day came when I had desired to study under a tcacbcc
~£ t~e town. O f ~ • I
nolhcng more than the multiphcab<>n tabl~. Dunng this llme an uncle of mine (Mr. Jose
Alberto) amved from Europe. During his absence bis wife failed
lamentably ,n her duties as mother and wife. He found his house
empty and his children abandoned two or thre'c days before t,y
the culprit. Frantic the poor man set out to look for the where•
a~u~ of his wife until at last ·he found her. 'He thought of
di_voraog h~r but at my mother's pleading, he agreed to live
with her aga1~. He passed tbrough Calamba on his way to Biilan,
where he resided. A few days later the infamous woman in
connivance_ with a lieutenant of the civil guard, who was a fri~nd
of our fam1lr, accused _her husband of being a poisoner and my
mother as h,s !ccompb~ for which my mother was imprisoned
by Mr. Antonio V,venao del Rosario, a fanatical mayor,n a
!~
•tn hla lettw to Blumentrirt. written It Gene'lf.a. Jun• 10. 1M7._ Aii•I n Jd ah.at
servant of the friar. I don't want to tell you our resentment and
profound sorrow. Since then, though still a child , I have distrusted
friendship and doubted meo. We were nine brothers [brother
and sisters - Z . J and our mother was unjustly snatched away
from us and by whom·/ By some men who hl\d been our friends
and whom we had treated as· sacred guests. We learned later
that our mother got sick, far from us and al an advanced age.
Oh, God, I admire and respect your most sacred will! The mayor,
at the beginning, deluded by the accusations, and cautioned
against everything 1h01 is noble, treated my mother rudely, not
to say brutally, and later made her confess what they wanted
her 10 confess, promising to release her and 10 let her see her
children ,f she would say what they wanted her to say. What
mother could resist , what mother would not sacrifice her life
for her children? My mother, like all mothers, deceived and
frightened (because they. told her thal if she did not say what
they wanted her to say, they would declare her guilty) submiUed
to the will of her enemies and weakened. The question became
complicated until, oh, Providence! the mayor himself asked my
mQther for pardon, but when? When the case was already in
the Supreme Court, 14 he asked for forgiveness because he suffered remorse and be was horrified by bis vileness. My mother
was defended by Messrs. Francisco de Marcaida and Manuel
Marian , the most famous lawyers of Manila She finally succeeded to be acquitted and vindicated in the eyes o( her judges
accu.ers, and even her enemies, but after how long? After two
and a half years.
In the meantime they discussed my career and they decided
that I should go 10 Manila with my brother Paciano 10 take the
entrance examinations and study the secondary course ar the
Atenco Municipal. ,s I therefore went down 10 Manila on June
' 10, 1872 and took an examination on the Otristian Doctrine,
arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan de Letran.
They gave me a grade of w Approved" and with this I returned
to my hometown happy, having for the fir.I time experienced
what examinations were.
he •yYlld 1ft 81":'n for ·• W'Mr and• hett.• rn,• Rb-•l•B&umentritt CorrNpondenc:e,
Par1 I, P• 100. RIQI bov•n his 01..- In 81ilen In Ju,,., 1870 and , . . _ homo
to c.t.n,1>o ln Docembe< 1871-realty one YN• and o half.)
""" ~~nlalt, • • - ....,. o,cordMd llle eomblned flinctto1111
296
of,_, ■xocut,w
1-rhla wa1 c.elled tM R•al Aud1end a de Manila.
'--0.11 wN the fatnOW achoOI cof'Ktucted by \hti J..\Jil fa1hert, rtnown•d for
11,oir tduutlonal won<.
297
A lew days later the town feul was celebrated , after which
I went down to 'vlanila. but with sad feelinp that I would agllll
brcome unh4ppy.
22 Salcedo Street
I November 1872.
CHAPTER rv
1172-1875
Today I'm gomg to relate to you my studies. As I bad
expected, I was introduced at lhc Ateneo Murudpal to the Rev.
Father Min,,ter (admirustrator - Z .) who at that tune Father Magin Ferrando At first he did not want to admit me
either because I had come after the period or admission was
over or becau5C of my rather weak constitutJOn and shon stature:
I was then eleven years old But later, at the request or Mr.
Manuel Jerez (Manuel Xcres Burios - z. J, nephew of tbc
ill-fated Father Burgos 16 and now Licentiate m Medicine, the
diCfic;ultics were removed and I was ddmitted. I dressed like the
rcst. that is. I put on a coat with a ready-made nccitlie. With
what fervor I entered the Cl'lapel or the Jesuit Fathers to hear
Mass, what most fervent prayers I addressed to God, for in my
sadness I didn't know whom else to invoke. After Mass, I went
to cla5s where I saw a great number of children. Sparuards,
17
tnelllZOS,
and Fihpmos, and a J~1 who w~ the professor.
He was called Father Jose Bech He was a toll man, thin. with
a body slightly bent forward, with hasty pace, an 11~c1ic. r,cvere
and inspired physiognomy. sunken. small eyes, sharp Grecian
nose , fine lo~ fonmng an arch whose ends turned 1owar<b ht>
beard. 1be Father was 10roewhat lunatic so that one should not
be aurpriscd to find him sometimes disgusted himself, playing
like a child Among my classmate, I should ment10n 10 you
IOmC who were quite interesting and perhaps "'ould be mentioned
by me frequently . One boy or young man or my own prov,nce
called Florcncilo Gavino Oliva had an c, ccllcnt m,nd hul w&s
of ordinary ~tudiousncss One Joaquin Garrido. a Span"h mestiz.o, with poor memory but bnghr and ~tud1ou\. Rc~mbhng
him very much was one Moises Sanhago, mn1hemn11cmn and
penman. One Gonzalo Marzano who then occupied the canopied
throne or Roman Emperor. You should know that m the Jesuit
oollegcs. 1n order t0 sumulate studcn~. they put up 1"'0 empires.
one Roman and the other Carthagm,an 01 Greek, con,1.1nll) HI
war, and in which the highest po,itions were wnn through challenges. the winner being the one who made three m1~ta1<c, less
than hi$ nval They put me at 1hc 1a,1 end I -.ca"cl~ ~new
Spanish but I already understood 1t
t,fter rc1rcot'" I left and I found my hrorher w,1111111: for
me to take me home. whtch ,..as at>out twenty-to,c mmu1e, from
the college ror I dtdn 1 111:in1 to ~,ay In 1he \\aUetl cit~ \\h1cb
1CCmed tu me very gloomy. I found a companion c,1llcJ Pa\tor
Millcna. a boy of my own age. The house w;I\ sn,a ll . located
11 Caraballo St reel. A nvcr ran alon11-.ade two corner.. The htlUSC
~,stcd or I\ Jimng ro<>m, a d1Jw1ng r()Olll d ,lccpona r()Om.
and kitchen A oowcr co,ercd the <mall <pn,,· Jxrwc-,n rhc &ate
and the stam,. My landlady was a bachelor woman called r11ay,
who owed u~ over P300. I fer mother lived •1th us. n good old
woman . un utmost h,umless ,nsanc and wmc youn11 Spanish
mc..tizos, the fruit< of frail lo,e affairs. I sh•II not tell )OU how
much I ~uffcred, nor ~hall I tell you my d1Splca,u1es ancJ Joys.
I will only tell you wha1 happened to me on the cln\\ during
that year At the end of one week, I was prom01cd and I \l,l}Cd
at noon at the Colegto de Sta Isabel.~ paymg there three re~"-
1•r.1h1r Joao A Burgot l1!8l1 1812) tnd rwo other Allplno clergyrr,en Ja,clnto
Z-Oro 11836-11721 and Marla.., Game, (1799-11172) - • a••rote<I on tho 17111
or lebru1rv 1871 o~ &.g..;mNy•n ,,_.d M.111 •• tauety charged of eornpt11,.1cy tn
the mu-tony It the Ch te Arsenl ,n 18n
m-61,ation and tix_.,ci:S4il
''Mest110 1n tM PhtliPPJne• 11 apph&d to F,a.o,nos of mix~ J)lrentage; hence,
Sp,n1ah: mHhlO I tht ofi1ettln-g o f I Sptnl1,d and a Flhplnn, t Chin... mwtlto;
of• Ch,nese.i:,.ftFihp,no: Amer Clnmntt,:o, of 1nAmenqnend frhoino. etc
»rh• wu • tt,go bo11dlno te:hool fo, gl,11 1n front ot 11\1 A10~. App1r1ntlv
k th«, odmin<ld boys N clay bootde,s
1•A C.thohc ~
•Ice oonslaona of certlin numbo, of days devoted 10 r1Ugtoua
°'
t ~ ti ~ W alled Crty of Mani&.
Mt,1muro& ~ • man-y dlur-:hes and
corwent.t • nd o,ovetnMWlt bulld1nga ~r• fouNI
I lived with Pastm A month later I was already emperor. Ah,
hn" h.tpp~ I "'"' when for the fir~, 11111.: I gm a religious print
for n prt7c' In the first 4u.1rccr I won n [irsr pri,c wrth thc grade
,,f cx.:dlt'n1. t>ut ilflcrward, l "~' disgu,1ed on .iccoun1 of some
\\ ,ird, u11.:rcd by my prok,sur. and I did not want to study hard
·"" 111,,,.. '" 1h.it 111 1hc
emf 11f 1hc year. 10 my mrsfonune, I
,1t>1:1rnnl ,,1111 ,ICC('J<rr 1 '" .. 11 my \Uhjecls, grad.: nf excellent
v.nh,1111 !!•'llln_g Jny fir<t pn1.e. I spent my vaca1ion in m)
h11111ch•\\ It and I ,, ...companu:d my c ider s1,ler Ncn'!ng to Tanauan
h>r 1h, 1<•wn ku~1 This hJrpcncd , in 1!173 But my h.ippmes,
" "' nc,c, ,·omplct,· for my mother was 1101 yc1 wilh u\ l wcni
lo ""' her then all)R(' Wllht)UI ltlhng mv fa1hcr about it. This
"·" 11hc, the -.h,,ol 1crm un<l I 1ultl her that I received,,. auu.
W11h "hat ddi,-llt l <urpn,.-d hcr1 Aul af1crw.irds we en>hraced
ca, h ot her weeping . fl was almost more than a year that we had
1101 ,c.,n t.',ll'h 01 her Even now I rcmcmocr .,1th sud plea<urc
1h, 111111,• "·,·nc 1ha1 01..-urrcd hctwc.-n u,, Ah. how cruel men
.ire h>\\ard, th,,ir lellow mcn 1 I V1&1ted her agarn
Wh,-n v;ocation was over. I had 10 return to Manila 10 enroll
for lhc ,ccond vcar course and to look for a land.fut.Iv mside the
I w:i, lircd living outside 1hc city. I found one
wullcd cit),
on M;tl(<1llane< Street, numhcr 6. where lived an nld lady called
Do1ia PcpJy, widow. with her d,1ugh 1er. also a widow ,called
D111111 1'11cJ111Jcion """ lour ,on, Jusc. RJfoel, lgnoc;,, and
R~mnn ""'h,nf! CKtrnordin,1ry h;,ppencd to me 1h1~ year, for
Ill) prnf,·,,wr was 1hc :,;ome as the one last year. I only had other
dJ,,m.11c, nr o:r1hc1, I cnC<>unicrcd agam three "'ho "'ere mv
d,"'"'•llcs on Hui,111. They were called Ju,unmn" Soo-iunn. Angil
and San11a110 CarnJlo At lhc cnJ of the year I won a medal
and I 1cturncd to my homcto.,n. I 1·1,i1ed my mother again
alnuc .uul 1hcrc, hk,· arw1lwr Jo,cph. I predicted. ,111crprctmg
:1 tfrc,un nf ht•rs, 1hat \\1thm 1hrcc mnnth, she would be releosed,
a prc,h.-1,un 1hat was rcuhzcd b:, i1CC1den1.
ro;
But thi$ lime I. hcgan 10 devote m>>self 111 my leisure hours
111 the roa,l1ng of novels. though years helore I had already read
f.l Ultm11, \h,·m·l'rrOJ~. ~1 but l d1d11·1 read rt w,th ardor. Imagine
11
sustained dialogues and delighting in its beauties and following
step by step its hero in his revenge. Under the pre1ex1 lh at I
had 10 study universal his1ory, I importuned my father to buy
me Cesare Cantu's work. 2• and God alone knows the benefit I
got from its perusal, for despite my average studiousness and
my lillle practice in the Castilian tongue, in 1he following year
I was able to win prizes in the quarterly examinations and I
would have won the medal were it not for some mistakes 111
Spani,h. 1ha1 unfortunately I spoke badly, which enabled the
young man M. G .. a European, to have an advantage over me
m this regard. Thus, in order to study the third yea.r course, I
had to return 10 Manila and round Doila Pepay w1lhou1 a room
for boarders. I had 10 stay at the hosue of 0. P. M . together
with a nch follow townsman called QwnterO. I was discontented
because they were smct woth me but I kept regular hours which
was good for me. l prayed and played with the landlord's children.
My mother was not delayed in coming out free. acquiued, and
vindicated, and as soon as she was out she came 10 embrace
me. I wept .. ..
Arter two months and a half, I ler1 that house and retumcd
10 the recently vacated room in the house of my landlady, Dona
Pepay , and returned also 10 the same life as before. As a result
of what happened 10 me in my studies, as l have already narrated,
I received only the first pnzc in Latin. that i,, a medal. not like
last year, so that l returned to my hometown discontented,
though I knew that many would have danced with joy for less.
My family resolved to put me in the college as a boarder. Indeed
it was time for I was giving very little a11cntion to my studies.
I was already approaching thirteen years and 1 had not yet made
any bnllillnt showing 10 my classmates. Until here limed my
happiest days, though short; hut what docs it maucr if they
were short?
Calamba, 7 April 1879.
Second ()tire.
"~~nish vera,on of Le 0.rn,e, dn Abenc. 1gN I novel by V,scoun1 Frencols
Rene de Chateaubriand (1768-1M8)
300
ll boy of twelve yeal:li reading the Count of Monl«risto, 23 enjoying
uA !10¥.. of Ne1tander Dumes, father t1802-1S70)
"'centu•, boot wu entitled un;wrs.t HistOf'Y.
301
~ V
TWO YEARS IN COLLEGE
Soon t(l become eighteen years old and dtSitlusioned, scarcely
have I &ieprcd on li£e\ threshold, I direct my glance toward
that happy period of my life. like a traveler who. feeling for
the first tame the breath of the tempest, already engulfed, turns
his glance townrd the •hore that reminds ham or has peaceful
hours Ah, I weep for you, pl~cid hours that disappeared from
the scene of my life more rapidly and fugaciously than lightning
that ,hanc, on the dark mad of the traveler. So sad i• my ~uuauon
thni I dnuh1 if I lrnd ever been happ) al ul! for I douh1 1f 1hose
day, had ever existed.
DurinJ! val.'a111,n my sisters made clothes for me and durinf.
th at 11111c .tl,u my si•ter Narcisa married . . I cannot ponray
here whal I felt 011 seeing the •cp~auon of tt ,istc , ,.,hom I
and no1w11lmtuxling it had to be thu\.
loved "' mul'h .
I enh:rcd · college tlt<: n on 16 June 1il75. My cla,\mates
received me well. l'he brother wardrobe-keeper assigned to me
an Jlr,,-.· h11.',11"d III aim corner nf the dormitory loo~ing ,,u1 to
the s,·., "'"' the eml?an~mcnt lo wnsi~lcd of' a space of ~hout
1wo MJuarc vara,.!' an iron bcd,tcat.l on whil'h they placed my
llcddang, " ,11>.<II oabk w11h J ha"n , whath a >Crv:101 filled with
w;ilcr . ., dwir and a dot hes rri.·k. I lorgol to ,uy that in the
li11k 1,1hlc I hJd a drawer wi,th soJp. comb. brushes for the hair
and t11r th~ teeth. powder, Cle. My In tic monc} that amounted
1,, ><•me e1gl11 pe~u,. I kt>pl u11Jcr my pillow. We didn't go II>
the alcove but twice a day regularly. once ,ti siesta to wash and
aga,11 jl rught 11, slec1). On holu.lay-.. in the afternoons. we dressed
and we " cn1 ,>u t 1or a s1r,,11. I he rc,1 ul the 11mc we ,pent in
th~ ,1mt) hall . :tt recess, in the cl.is-..:,. m the dining room. and
in 1hc chape l
In spi1e of my 1hineen yeti<\ to fourteen. I was still very
small . a nd '" 11 i~ ~nown 1ha1 new Students. especially the small
n,A vara ts. 3 mea...uro of •~th, tbO\lt 32 inchu.
30?
ones are received by the big ones wuh jokes, so 11 was on my
first day, my pranks having attracted their attention. In a chorus
they teased me and when they calmed down I told them in ~
tranquil voice: "Gentlemen, thanks " Since lhen lhey re~pccte<l
me and they didn'1 tca.c me. malicious!)' Excep1ang It kw ..,II
my companion$ were good, sample, pious, just, and 11m1ahlc.
There was no one among us who would want to con1rol 1hc rest
by force, for power as achieved through sk.111. I had the luck to
win ,f not the love at least the esteem of all of them. The n.unc,
of some of my classmates shall never Ile erased from m,· me mm¥:
among them that of one Jovellanos. of one Lete (Ennque) and
of others whose enumeracion would be very pleasant for me hu e
I foresee will be vexing 10 the reader
Our Profe.sor was a model of upnghtnc~s. carnc.\lnc". nnd
love of the advanccmcnl of hi\ pupils: and"° much w.is h" ,cal
that J, who scarcely spoke very ordinary Spanish. at lhl' e nd of
a short ume, succeeded already to wme 11 moderately well. H,s
name was Franci~co de Paula Sanchez. With his nid I ,1ud1cd
mathematics, rhetoric. and Greek with some advantage Often
I got sick with fever despite the gymnastic exercises that we
bad, in which I wa, very much behind, though not ,o ,n t.lruw,ng
under a teacher worthy of his name and under whose guidance
l stall continue to study . l'm proud IO tell you. reader. 1ha1 I
spent th!!, year better than 1tnybotly cl...: io 11 ,tudenl , ·'.' ,, •~an.
and as a Christian Ten mon1hs pus-.cd that I haven I wnllcn
anything in my diary hecause I don't wa~t 10 relate 10 you
inspired occurrences, and thank God I won five medals with Jll
immense pleasure for with them I could somewhat rcp.iy Ill\
father for his sacrifices. What sentiment~ of jl,ratitudc dad no:
then spring from ,my heart and wi1h what sad delight I keep
them still! After hav,ng bidden farcwcll 10 my ~upcnors. tcJd1cr,.
and companac,ns. I ldo . Who has nor fell the vnguc rmcl:m,·h11I)
that seizes the heart upon ~eparatong from one's co,npamon,·/
Who. at the age of founccn yeaf$. if he has cnioycdl the lu, or
of the Muse~. docs not shed tears on the transiuon from ch,ldhooll
to young manhood?
- My arrival at my hometown in the company of u father who
idolized me mitigated somewhat my sorrow. and I spent my
vacation in the best way possible.
303
I returned 10 college after three mooths and I began to
Sludy again, !hough the subject tbar I rook was different. I was
in the fifth year, already I was a philosopher I bad other
profcsson, called Fathers Vilaclara and Minoves, the first one
of whom liked me very much and to whom I was somewhat
ungratdul. Although I was srudying philosophy, physicg, chcm1s.
try, and natural history and in spite of rhc fact that Father
Viladara had told me to give up the society of the Muses and
give them a laSI goodbye (which made me cry), in my leisure
hours. I continued speaking and cultivating the beautiful language
of Olympus under the direction of Father Sanchez. So sweet is
their society that after having tasted 11, I cannot conceive how
a young heart can abandon it. What matters, I said to myself,
the poverty rhat is the eternal companion of the Muses? 1s there
anything s1>.ecter than poetry and sadder than the prosaic
positivism of mcralhc hcam? Thu~ I dreamed then!
I studied the fifth year course with the same success as the
previous one, though under other circumstances. Upngbt, severe
philosophy , inquiring into the why of things aurncted also my
attention as did poetry, beautiful as she alone can be. playing
with rhe charms of nature and leaving traces that breathe sublimity and tenderness. Phy~ics, lifting up rhe veil that covers many
things. showed me a wide Slage where lhe divine drama of nature
was performed. The movement, sound, warmth, light, eleclricity,
a thousand varied phenomena, the most beautiful colors and
delicate beauties entertained me during my free hours. Polari1111ion plunged me into a world of mysteries from which 1 have
not yet emerged. Ah, how beautiful is science when the one
teaching 11 knows how 10 embellish Ii! Natural history seemed
to me somewhat antipathetic. Why. I asked myself, if the perusal
of history and the descriiption of the birds and nowers, of animals
and of c~tdls capuvate me so much, why do I loathe seeing
lhem reduced to a harsh order and wild anunals mixed with
tame ones? Shells pleased me very much for their beauty and
~cause I knew that they inhabited the beaches of which my
innocent 1magmatlon dreamed and rreading on them J 1magiru:d
the most beautiful waters of the seas and lakes lapping my feet.
Sometimes I seemed to see a goddess with a shell that I saw in
the shelf.
At last the encl of the term and the same thing happened to me. I carried away another five medals due to the
indulgence with which my superiors rreated me a~d _to my no
little luck in winning them. The day before the d1stnbu11on of
prizes, a feeling. tormented me, the saddest and most melancholy
that I had ever felt. On thinking that I had 10 leave that asylum
of peace in which was somewhat opened my mind and my heart
began 10 have bitter sentiments, I fe~ into a profou.nd ~adness.
The last night on going to my dorrmtory and cons1denng that
night would be the la~t I would spend in my peaceful. ~lcove,
because. according to what they said. the world was wa,110~ for
me, I had a cruel presentiment which unfortun~tely was realized.
The moon shone mournfully, 1llum111a1ing the lighthouse and the
sea, presenting a silenl and grand spectacle which seemed to
cell me chat the ne>el day another life awaired me . I was unable
10 sleep until one o'clock in the rooming. It dawned and 1
dressed. I prayed fervently in the chapel and commended my
life to the Virgin so that when I should srep into that world
which inspired me with so much terror, she would protect me.
The pm.es wert distributed, they gave me the degree of Bachelor
of Aru, and I believe that any young man who was fifteen yean
old, loved by his companions and profcsson, with five medals
and the degree of Bachelor of Arts, the dream of the student
of the secondary course, should be very much contented.26But,
alas it did nol tum our that way! I was sad, cold, and pensive.
~ or tbree tears rolled down my cheeks, rears offered as in
farewell 10 the 1ime pas1, 10 my gocd luck that would never
oome back, to my peace chat soared to heaven leaving me alone
on eanh. Imagine it and you will feel it, if you have a heart.
Now it remains for me 10 evaluate the two years that I
consider the happiest of my life, if happiness consists in living
without vexauous cares. In what way have I advanced, that is,
t+w E. R..1na, Rtal't Sp,anit;h biographet. wn\ff ,n hlt V1da V ncritoe del
Or. Jose Rini (Madrid. 1907, p. JOI:
"'R,,11 ., ''"' 11g• of 9a1rce-ty
Yfl,._ o, ,,,,.~ when M '-"
rile Arenoo with rhfl degtff of Bachelor of Arts in hi• pocte(. wn srvdlou1,.
vety ,rudlr,u•,• n,ll«tlve. modctSt. of gre•r tr1orltl hMOl'Y, •ltd t>HICMI
having p•sad with tho grllde of excellent ;n ttll the wb,oct'$ and won through
compet,tion almost •II rl'Mt p(Ufl-, Md mown
of Nitto • Po'l't- Mtd
drl•lflMr. ,,, trurh. rtt. ,.,,,. cannot N N;,d of •H men.·
,,1tt,.,.
.,Qfl,
305
what bad I learned during the first year of my residence in
college? What did I get from what I had learned?
OIAPIDVI
•. ente~ed college still a child with very little: .knowledge _of
Spamsh, w11h a moderately developed mind, nnd .ilmost wi1hou1
refined sentiments. By force of study, of analyzing myself. or
aspiring higher, of a thousand corrections, I was lntle by ltttle
transformed thanks 10 the beneficent influence of n zealous
professor. M:,r morality at rhac time makes me now sigh on
tem~mbenng that state of sweetest tranquility of my spirit. By
cult1va11ng poetry and rhetonc, my sentiments were funher elevated and Virgil, Horace, Cicero. and other authors showed me
another road through which I could walk 10 attain one of my
aspirauons. I don 'i know if my present state makes me see the
~auty of the past and the sadness or the present, but the Lruth
IS that when I was a college student, I never wanted 10 leave
college and that now I would give anything 10 get over this
cemble age of youth . Had I been percbance like the brook that
while following its delightful ,way amid~, willow~ and dense
flowers smiles and frolics and upon being converted into a torrent
angrily and turbulently flings itself until II is burred in the sea?
My second year in college resembled the fim with the difference
tha_t patriotic sentiments as an exquisite sensibility had been
greatl~ dcvelo~d Lil me. It passed like the first among pnnc1ples
of logic, phys.1cs, and poetical compo~nions. I had advanced
somewhat in the cultivation of the Muses liQ much that I hod
composed a legend which suffered very slight correction by my
professor and a d1a1ogue which was staged for chc first time at
the end of the school term, alluding 10 the Mudcnh' farewell.
APllD. TO D£Ct:MllDt lffl
.. Good~ye th~n beaut_iful, unforge1table penod of my h[c, brier
tw1hght which ,will not shme again! If my eyes no longer shed rcal'li
upon recalling you. my heart mell!. and seem.; to be oppressed! I
ha~c your memory here in my heart. in my mind, in my whole
being. Farewell fortunate hours of my 10\I childhuod, Oy lo rhc
bosom of pure Innocence wtiich created you to sweeten che
moments of tender hearts.
Manila, I , December H,79.
Wake up, bean, kindle again your eJrtinguished fire so that
in iU wvmth you may remember that time which 1 dare not
judge. Go, thinking. mind, and go again through t ~ placa,
recall those momenu in which you drank together with the nectar
the bitter gall of love and disappointment.
After the vacation period of that memorable year, I looked
for a house in lntramuros77 and I found one on SOiana Strcei,
whose landlord was a priest. My mother said that I had enough
with what I knew and 1 should not return to Manila anymore.
Had my mother a presentiment of what was going to happen
to me? Has the heart of mothers, in fact , double vision?
I enrolled in metaphysics, becau&e. besides my doubt about
the career that I would follow, my father wanted me to study
it, but so little was my inclination for it that I didn't even buy
the textbook used by the otber studenu. I round myself in Manila
a if atupeficd. A fellow collegian of mine, who had le:ft college
three months before and lived at tha1 time on the same street
u I , was the only friend I had then. My house companions were
from Batangas, recently arrived at Manila . My fnend M . r•. went
to our house every Sunday and other days td afterwards together
- would. go to Trozo to the house or a grandmother of mme,
friend of his father. For me the days [Passed happily and silently
until one Sunday when we went to Trozo , we encounte r,l!d there
a .girl29 of about fourteen years frcs'b, pleasant. winsome wbo
received my companion with much Camilianty, from which I
ded11ced that she might be his sister who I already had heard
was going to marry a relative whose name I didn't remember
In fact we round there a tall man, dressed nicely, who seemed
to be her fiance. 30 She was short, with expressive eye&, ardent
"Tha city of M111ll•.
.....,....., ICaflGb<lt of llpa, 81tong-
-S.,nda l<Migbell•
...._,.. wr of Lipa.,- -.
XI'/
at tunes, and droopiog at OCher times, pinkish, a smile so bc:t1ildting and provocative that revealed some very beautiful teeth;
with an air or a S)iph, l don't know what alluring somethin&
was all over her being. She was oot the most beautiful womaa
I bad seen but I had never seen one more bewitching and alluriJII.
They told me to sketch her, bur l excused myself because really
I dido ·1 know Finally they compelled me and I drew a grotesque
picture. I played chess and whether due to the lady with h~
6ancc or I was distracted scelllg her or I was nattered or I didn't
know. the fac1 was I lost I Now and then she looked al me and
I blushed A1 last they talked about novels and other thinp
about literature and then I took part in the conversauon with
advantage. That day pas.scd until the young woman K, entered
college after ta.king leave or all the 01hcrs who were there. l
returned home and l didn't think seriously agam of that day. A
second Sunday came and I saw her followed always by her fiancc
and other girls.
It happened that I changed my residence and a sister of mine
enlered the Colegio de la Concordia in which the young woman K ,
was a boarder. I went to all on her and she appeared in the reception hall accompanied by the young woman who bad become her
intima1e friend As I had nothing 10 say 10 her nor had I had the
honor of being uuroduccd to her, besides my bashfulness as a collegian. I dido'1 address her cxccp1 a ceremonious and silent bow to
'Nhich <he responded with admirable grace and delicacy. When I
returned in the company or my aunts, we found them strolling. My
sister followed us in a carriage and we went to the college where
shortly afterwards the young woman appeared. No incident occurred 10 ~ worth mentioning.
One Thursday, my friend M . who ..,as 1he brother of Miss
K , came to invite me to go together to La Coooordia to visit
our respc::tive sisters. l accepted the invitation gladly and we
went. We found lus sister in the hall. She greeted us and she
asked me 1r I would like her to ca.II my sister Olimpia I thanked
her and she went away nimbly but always with grace that I have
never seen tn any other woman Shortly afterwards the two
appeared and we formed a s;oiall circle Since then we talked
and animation reigned in our gathering. Her brother left us and
went to speak with a girl to whom be was later married.
308
I don't remember bow our conversation began, but I do
remember that she asked me what no..ers I Liked best. I told
her 1hat I liked all. but that I prcfened the white and the black
ones. She told me that she liked the white and the pink ones
and she became pensive; but later she added:
·Yes, I also like the black ones."
I kept quiet
"Ha~e you a ~wcetbcart?" Sbc asked me after a moment
of silence.
"No" I rephcd, "I ne,er thougJit of h3v1ng one b<!caU!.e I
know well 1ha1 no one would pay attention to me espc:cially
the beautiful ones"
"Why. is it possible? Yo deceive yourself! Do you want
me, to get you one?"
"Thanks, Miss," I told her. "but I don't want 10 bother
you " 1 remembered at that moment thm she woult.l marry her
uncle the following December , and then I a~ked her:
"Do you go hack 10 your town in December?"
"No" she answered me dryly
"They say tha1 in your town a very big reast will be celebrated
in which you will take an important part and it is possible that
it wtlJ not be held without your aueodance ."
"No." she replied and she smiled " My parents wan1 me 10
go borne bur I should not Ii.kc to do so, for I wish to stay tn
college for five year.. more."
Lillie l>y httlc I was imb1b1ng the ~weete~t pooon of love
as the conversation continued He r glances were 1errihle for
their sweetness and expressiveness Her voice was so· sonorous
that a cenain rascmat1on accompamed all her movements From
ltmc 10 lime a languid ray penetra1ed my brart and I felt some
thing tha1 until then, was unknown 10 me And. why did the
years pass so rapidly that I didn't have time to enJ0y them?
Finally when the clock sLruck seven, we took our leave of our
respective sisters and then she- said:
"Have you any order to give
mer
)09
wMb., ( - r had the CIIIIOlll of ordering womco," I replied.
wr expect them to commll!d me"
We went down the wide staircase of the college and went
home. I don't remember how I tpCnl the w&ht then. The time
that passed afterward was so painful that the beautiful and sweet
were ~rased from my mlDd leaving only black shadows mixed
wit.h the tints of tediousness.
My friend and I returned the following Sunday and "'c found
only my sister because his had gone 0111 that day w11h her father
It was a stonny ni&ht. My sister had asked me if I had requestC'd
her friend to make nowers and as I replied 1ha1 I didn't, she
told me that she bad asked for material from the ~is1ers fnuns Z.). I bad made a pencil ponrait of Miss K. that I copied from
a photograph that she bad given me last Thursday. After a while,
her father and ~he appeared l greeted him for we knew each
other. They brought with them a cone of almonds which they
offered us while she greeted us with her at1ract1vc smile Her
brother took a handful but I didn 1. She diSJppearcd, returning
afterwards with two wh11e ro.e, one or wh,~h ~he offered to
her brother and·the other to me which she hcr~lf placed m my
hat band. I offered her the por1ra1t I had made, which pleased
her Our conversauon became animated and afterwards we rook
011r leave, the ,ame as last Thul'>da:,, She ~111I that the white
rose that she gave· me was from my sister. And though. I knew
it was not, I pretended to bchevc it. I went home and kept the
rose , symbol or her artificial love My aunt\ and I wenl there
again on Thursday following thal Sunday They came out ns
usual, each one carrying a wh11e ro-;e; my sister ga\e me hers
and she gave hen. tu her brother We formed a c1rde 11nd my
seat was next to her, My ~hlCr had to commun1c-Jlc I don':
know what feminine ,;ecret to my aunts and therefore ,h.: lcf1
us alone. I took advantage of the OCUISion 10 a~k her who lllJtk
those r05CS and to tell her thJI I cunsuler my "Mer 1n.:.ipahlc
of havin& made them for she didn't k.oow }Cl hew, 10 make 1hcm
so well and moreover I wanted tu kno,i, the name of my creditor
She confessed 10 me the I ruth blu~hing. I thanked her, promising
her that I would keep it while I hvc and I added·
wDo you know 1ha1 11 is very painful for me to lo.c you
after having known y0111~
310
w8ut I'm aomg to get marned! she replied and two tears
appeared in her eyes. having d,vmcd the very murkcu 111tcniion
of my remark
After thu, my aunu. relurncd and we continued our,, ,~a
sauon The ~uhiect turned to 1nne, It " uuc 1hat Junnr 1hc:
convemition our eyes met, ,md the mo,t intcn<e glanrr, lull of
a loving melanchohcal expre,'1on came to enslave m1 "'"I
forc,er
Our vm,., L-unllnucd I •l»ta1ncd, ur rather I tori 111,: Ill}
hear1 10 love her knowing tha1 ,he wa, cngai,1cd. Ou1 I "1"! h•
m~elf. Perhap'I <he did love me perha~ her love fnr her t,.,m;e
wu notlung more than a g1rh,h lo,e a, he; hc:an had not )ti
opened to rc<e11c 1ruc 101, \torcov" l"m nci1t,•·r •1d n,,
handsome nor gallant nor 11tract1ve, and if <he 1'>1cd me her
love would be true. for 11 wa, not ba-..:d on vain aml ,haky
foundation. Bui c-cn then, I decided Ill keq, 4u1cl unlll I .:,1uld
ICC 1rca1er pr,,af, of <)mp•lh) hc1wccn u, I "'oul<I n<ilhcr
sub1ect m)self to her yoke nor declare mr,clf 10 her
Once when I went Jlonc Ill thl· nilkgc, I carrinl lcuer..
and order; for her and con,cquently I roulc.l ,encl for hn to
come out to the reception room. bu1 I c.hlln't tk> ,., 1. ,1c.,d I
waited for her lmlc "~1er m "'hom I dchwrc,I thew 10 h,: "llcn
to her My M~tcr came out 1elhng me 1hM i... ..,,1, "'" ~- d on
account of what I had done. I said nothmp,', Aher ;1 ,111111 while,
her bro1her arrived and ll<!nt lor her She came out Vl'r. w11ou,
and formal I llowcd tu her .,nJ ,he •c3rcd> resp, ·od, I ,.,,h
&liSht inclination of the head ,. 11h,>u1 ,mihn,t, and w,01 1<1 .1nu1h,·,
group. I "'enl back to my seal then and l>c!!an 10 ,p.:.,k ""~
her hrother. Af1cr a while ,he came h.ttk 1,1 "'here "'c .... ,,.,.,
gay, loquac1ou.,. and willy. ,he: enlertainctl u, ,lch~h1full, wilh
her pleasant con-ersation When ni1?hl c.unc. 1he mon11 re,._._. up
maJCSUCally and we had to take our lca,c Iler hrn1her ,ind I
were going 10 lca,e together uni.I "hen "'c were .1lrr.11h .......,tnJ
in 1he carriage, my ~1stcr called me and 1uld me: ··K rcquc.·,I\
you not to come except ,n the company of her bn11her ,o 1ha1
YOII can vmt her " I received 3 plc,1,mg J") hut a 111.111110,can
exterior hid 1t from all, 1,a,d y~ and leh Since then cHr)•hmg
changed for me.
311
In the meanrimc chaucrina and lyjng rumor was already
apreadiJic our imaginlrj love, IIUI In embryo, u ocnain.
Everywhere I beard only talk about our relations and truth to
tell we loved cac:b other without having declared it clearly except
that we 'understood each other through our glancc5.
fn the meanwhile, lime was passing away, I In going there
every Thursday and Sunday and she in receiving us always
enchanting and attrac:tive, always a conqueror of my heart that
still, refused to surrender. It happened onoc that my . aunts,
another young WOtUan and a sister of mine had to malce flowers
for I didn't k:now wlu,t saints and for this purpose went to the
college in the morning and I had to fetch them in the afternoon;
I went there already twice. Once I gave in 10 my friend, and
another till)e 'I didn't go, aaying I was ill. The following day I
found them on the i.oding of the staircase - she, my two sisters,
an aum of mine, and an,otber young woman. She was simply
but very elepolly dressed, with her hair loose, and with a smile
on her lips. Ob always J saw her thus even in my dreams! She
received me cheerfully, accompanying us with my sisters until
the carriage. My sister coUegian talked with my aunts and she
with me.
"Have you been sick?• she asked me in h~r sweet voice.
"Ycs," I answered her, "but now I'm very well thanks to
you . . . . "
"Ohl" she replied, "last night I was praying for you, fearful
that something bad migl'lt happen to you."
"Thanks," I replied. " But being so, I would like to get $ick
always inasmuch as in this way I have the happiness of being
remembered by you; moreover death might do me much good."
"Why?" she replied. "Do you wish 10 die? Well, I'm sony. ~
And we kept quiet. C don't remember now what came out
of our lips then, but we must have talked a great deal, inasmuch
as night overtook us. Alas! Our conversation, was so s weet,
though we bad not yet declared ourselves, that more and more
fastened the yoke already being laid on me.
Ah! Once happy memories, now heart-rending! Oh, vanish
from my memory, for inatead of bringing me happiness, yuu
inflame my despair and my skepticism.
312
I was then reOecting on my situation. New anxieties, new
cares, new ideas, new Kn ti ments seized me. When least ~xpcctcd
J spent the nighl alm05t sleepless, steeped in my reflections. My
rebellious bean·, which perchance forebode what was going to
happen later, refused 10 express 11self yet at!d consequently to
bend its nccli:, perhaps fearful of e ntrusting its happir_iess to such
fragile hands. Alas, why have I not followed th~ impulses of
my presentiments and followed another route,_ fascinated by the
melodious-voice of this siren , much more temble and powerful
than those of antiquity?
The eighth of December came. feast o f the college in which
she was a boall'der. It was a Saturday, with an enviable s~n.
Some students and I went 10 tho college. It was decorated with
pennants, lanterns, flowers etc, We we nt up and L~ere l fou~d
my ( unintelligible word) ... beautiful as ever but wtth a ccnam
severe and rcsc,rvcd air that I could not explain, I asked for my
sister and ,he came and ~he tried 10 call her, hut she only
approached our group carrying some pictures which she left with
my sister. I took one of them without telling her, for she did
not converse with us that morning, Twelve o'clock struck and
we were going co depart and I approached her and said: :• ~iss,
pardon me for having taken your picture without your perm1ss1on.
Will you not be offended 1f I keep it?"
"No " she said with a smile and made me forget her scriousne~• Ari'e rwnrds ~he called u friend of her1, thus cutting off o ur
conversation.
We took our leave. When we reached home. I kept the
picwrc a nd pretended not to be in bad humor.
One day nny grandmother took me to the college m the
morning ~nd sent for her and my sister. I still seem to sec her
coming ou1 pak and pantin.g a~d lumi~g a glance t~ me that
filled me with joy, though 1t did not dispel my secret sorrow.
Then l learned that her mother., having given binh to a boy lo
whom they ga\/e the name Jose, had ordered her to go home
that same month . A painful presentiment oppressed my heart
bu: I concealed it under a cloak of indifference. My grandmother
and the mo ther [nun - Z .] went away leaving us four there.
thnt is, her . my two sister,;, and me. My grandmoth~r ?nd the
mother came b:ack a while and we went down for I d1dn t lcoow
313
whaL While we were going down the stairs, she remained behind.
I asked her then if it would not displease her to be of my
hometown and she replied blushina that it would not.
of the same age as K.,,of my town, who was also going home
to Calamba for a few days with her father after h:uving ~pent
almost five years in the college.
She stopped beside the carnage and I, 100. ond we remained
thus looking at each other for our companions had gone away
to see I knew not what.
We ltnew cadl other very well, but the cducacion th,11 1hc
sisters ol her college gave her made her excessively umid ,inc.I
bashful, so much so that I refrained from using 1he Jea,1 .1111b1gu•
ous word. l had to resign myself to .peak with her hack lier
father was with us. To entertain her during the trip I a,kl'd
about her college, her fnends. and her hopes or illusions She
answered me m monosyllables and I nvtcd tha1 she hJJ f<lrgollcn
half of Tagalog if not all of it.
The time to take our leave came and we. my grandmother,
my sister, and I, got into the carriage. My grandmother handed
to me the letter in which her father ordered he.- to go home . I
read and reread it and in the meantime I thought of what would
become of us afterward should she beconw my panncr. Oh;
dreams!
At last Thursday came and I went 10 the college 10 v1Sit
them and say f arc well as I had to go home the following day.
We spoke very few words but ,;ad and affectionate. She told me
that she was going home on the following Saturday, that i~ one
day after my projected depanure. I answered her then that once
I had decided to go home on Friday it would be very ugly lor
me to retract, but at any rote we would sec each other 1n my
hometown. She kept quiet . but she became pensive and raised
her eyes to the s.ky. Even now ii seems to me that I see her
leaning against 1hc door, in an attuude so though1ru1 that had
made me think so muc_h.
I took leave of her as at ,1thcr times, and the moon which
at that time was at its apogee. illuminated the one who was m
modify so much my ideas. standing on the landing of the staircase.
always poetic for my imagination ,
That was the first n1gh1 1ha1 I felt an unguish and 1nqu1e1ud1.:
resembling love, if not jealoioy. perhaps because I saw,1ha1 I
was separating from her, perhaps because a million obstacles
would stand between us, so that my budding love wa, increasing
and seemed to be gaining vigor In the fight. Since then I knew
that I loved her truly and in my own way, that 1s. ver) diffcrcnl
from other loves that I have hc-ard mentioned.
As I had promised , I did go. home the following day and J
found on the steamer a young college wom,rn of Sta, Catnhna, 11
:,, A boarding achool to, glrt1 In Manila. Coleg.io de S 1• CeIahna tJnde, , very
&trict order of nuns..
314
At last we arrived at our town · I, a little querulou\ Jhouc
the bad treatmeni that I received from my fellow to wnswoman
despite the fact that, continually besieged by the thoughc of my
beloved, I could not think or joking other women
When I reached home, my mother , who had already lost
much of her sight, didn'i recognize me unril after havrng oh<crved
me a long time. That saddened me at the begmntn!! when I
didn't know yet the cause. My sister. received me JO}ful!} .ind
I could read their pleasure in their face,. They .iskc,I me al~>ul
K. and they leased me. Of all of ttiem my father was the most
contented and the one who talked least.
Consider my situation and my iUusions! My family wu, very
much a.stonished when they learned that I knew how t<l handle
arms, for that very night I proved myself to tic the hcs1 swordsman
in my town.
The following day, at the time when the Meamcr ought to
arrive and therefore the family of my friend or my h;;lovcd af1cr
having waited for her a few minutes. we learned from my fo1her .
who had gone to meet her, that the steamer. on accounc of the
wind, did not touch Calamba, but instead the pa,~engcrs d1'cm
barked at Binan. Consegue0tly, her father, wi1h all his companions, relatives of the fiance and others who formed the e...corr.
waned outside the town and from there to go m upii I hac.l a
white horse saddled and I mounted it and wcnl nut uf th.: town
because I expected to see her for 1he las1 time. I wem in the
direct.ion 9f BiJ\an and I passed precisely the point where all
those awaiting her were encamped. I goaded my horse as ii I
didn't notice them. Then I heard one crying out I<> me:
ustop. stop."
I looked back and I sal\' no one who talked to me and I
tried to go ahe.ad and then the same call was rcpe.ated. I looked
around. I encountered her father who asked me smiling how
long ago had l arrived.
"Yesterday," I replied, bowing.
"Well, they arc arriving today," he replied.
"Yes," I answered "It seems 1ha1 my friend told me something about that."
Bui I knew very well 1ha1 was lhc day of her arrival.
I didn'l conlinuc on my' way. I took another road towards
L(~ Barios. hul I though! il would be better iC I wenl to our
lands as they would pass there 10 go 10 their town.
I did as I had thought and I rushed 1he horse until I reached
our mill . I got down lhe horse and I amused myself looking at
the water that ran through the canal. comparing its velocity to
my days
At this moment. only one coach arrived and I saw getting
down the student of Sta. Ca1alma, an aunl of hers. an uncle,
and a young man. ~ludcnt of the Atcnco. who lmd 1u,1 arrived
that day from Manila . They were going to lhci r lan<h called
Presa. I accompanied them O'l foot leaving my horse lied to a
stake.
When we had arnvcd a1 1hcir mill, I took leave 10 rc1urn
10 the wwn. hut really to wail again on the road on case 1hey
had nol passed by ye1. I arrived there and I inquired if there
had passed lhere cavalcades or carromatas. 0 No one could tell
me.
Sadly I Sat down hy lhc hank of lhc brook thal run lhc old
mill 1ha1 we had in il. thinking of many lhing, at lhe same lime
and not being able to fix my mind on anything. I saw the swift
curren1s carrying away branches thal 1hey lore from lhe bushes
and my thou~ht. wandering m other region, andl having 01her
"Light two wl\Mled cov-•red veh.c,.. u1ue1.ty hof'M,o(kewn. •nd MO,e tpedow
than 8 Cllt:$it.
316
subjects, pajd no attent,ion to them. Suddeoly J perceived a noise,
I nised my head and I saw caluos and hones enveloped in a
cloud of dust. My heart be.at violently and I must have become
pale. I 100k a shon stroll returning 10 where J had the hone
lied. There I waited.
The first vchicl-c carried K's father and another gentleman.
He invited me to go 10 his town. I tlhanked him . How I would
have liked to go! The vehicle that came behind was occupied
by K., her s.i ster, and other girls from La Concordia. She bowed
to me smiling and waving her handkerchief, I just lifted up my
hal and said nothing.' Alas! Such has always happened to me in
the: most painful moments of my life. My tongue, profuse talker,
becomes dumb when my heart is bursting with foeling.s. The
vehicle passed like a swift shadow, leaving no other tr.ace but a
bbmble void in lhe world of my affections. I mounted the horse
while lhc third vehicle was approaching where my friend was
riding. ll halted and he invited me to go to his hometown. I
was going 10 follow them for I was riding a preuy good horse.
Bul in the critical momenls of my life, I have always acted
againsl my will , obeying different purposes and migh1y doubts.
I goaded my horse and look another road without having chosen
it, exclaiming: TIils. is ended thus. Ah, how much truth, how
much meaning. these words lhen had! My you1hful and trusting
love ended! The first hour, of my firsl love ended. My virgin
heart will forever weep the risky step mt took in lhe abyss covered
wi1h nowcrs. My tlluston will re1urn, indeed, but indifferent,
incomprehensible, preparing me for tho firsl deception on lhe
road of grief.
I returned 10 the 1own inebriate and confused . Melancholy,
swec1 in its 1or1ure,,, seiied me. I knew thal she was 1h1; woman
who salisfied fully the aspirations or my heart 1ha1 told me I
had lost her.
I spent the two nights that followed this day. in visitmg,
1ogcthcr wi1h L, a young woman who lived toward the casl in
,, little house al lhe nght She was a bachelor girl older than
we were. Sbe was fair with seductive and anractive eyes. She,
or we, ialked abou1 love but my hean and my thougbl followed
K. 1hrough lhe nigh1 10 her 1own. If 1he most filthy corpse had
told me lhat she too was ttiinking of me. r would have kissed
11 ou1 or gratitude.
317
I spent the last days of December in that monotonous
melancholy so much more implacable as I could not find any
other objeC110 distraC1 my thoughts. My father, who had learned
about our visits, prohibited us from continuing them. perhaps
because the name of the oriental maid did not figure in his
calculations. I did not visit her agrun.
Manila, 16 November 1881. S . L. departed.
CHAPTER VD
FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER 18711
The short vacalion ended w11hou1 any important happening,
On the 6th or January I took leave or my paren1~ and re1urm·d
to Manila , my second hometown.
The old house on Magallanes Street received again I he gucs1
who since childhood had taken shelter in tis shadow. An indefinable malai.s e and sadness like remorse took hold or my h<•:trt
I spent the night in vague, most melancholy reflection, II
dawned. I sat down on my chaise lounge and I almost cncd on
remembering my family and my old friends My room-niolc
found me praying.
The days of January , February, and March ra~scd alm(>st
withoul any incident. I was waiting only for some news from
her. During these months I had the di:.cu~1on of Mc1aphy>1c,,,
that is I maintained most intncatc, vyingly cnmplicated question,
in Latin. I came out very middling for I had 001 prerarcd as I
should. I took the eumination in Melaphysics in March and I
obtained the grade of excellent . 1 hnd the same success in the
examinations in topography. winning two medals in this and 111
agriculture. My mother had given me for expenses that month
something like Pl.5 .00 I bought a lmlc tortoise-shell box and
presented it 10 my professor or drawing.33 And not having any
thing more to do. I went home to spend the long vacation.
CHAPTER VIII
MY FlRSf REMINISCENCE
Nben I had not yet seen other rivers except the nver of
my 1owo, crystalline: and gay ,n its winding course. shaded ~y
murmuring bamboo groves; when my world was only c1rct1mscnbed by the bluish mountains of my province and the
white surface of the lake that I discerned from after through
some ruins, sparkling like a mirror ond filled wi1h grnccful ~a~ls,
I like stories very much and I believed with all my heart everylhmg
the books contained, convinced that what was printed must
perforce be the t~lh . And why not , since my ~arent~. who
punished me for the smallest lie, emphatically cnJotncd me to
a11end 10 my books , to read them diligently and understand them.
My first remembrance concerning leucrs goes back '? my
earliest age. I must be very small yet because when they polished
the floor of our house with banana leaves , 1 would \till fall
dipping on the shiny surface as did the lillle s killed ~lcater. on
ice II was still difficult for me to climb up a chair, I went down
th~ stairs step by step, holding on to every baluster, and in o ur
house as in the whole town, petroleum w,1~ unknown, nor had
I seen until that lime any qurnque, 34 nor had any carriage ever
passed thmugh the streets of my town that I believed io he the
swnmum 1~ of joy and animation.
One night, when everybody at home .was ulrtad)' .isk~p.
when all the lights in the globe~~ had already been rut out by
blowing them off by means of a curved 1in tube wluch -.ccmcd
10 me the most exquisite and wonderful toy in the world , I dvo't
lc:now why my mother and I h3d remained watching bc,u.k tlw
only light that in all Philippine houses burned a ll ni!(hl . lon.i:
and that went out precisely a, dawn waking the people w11h 11,
cheerful hissing.
»rhis word 11 ct.riv.ct from lht n.a.me of 1h, fir,1 m a\•r or tt\lll l1m1-J Ov•r'Qv1•t
• F,r .nehfnan Ouinque refera to oetroleum lamp.
-,.hi u1most.
-o,oo., 'wtre 1pp11enc11 made of cry1tal "'which wo,v Ph•etd 1h• vos•t.1li
com:aining otl for bgh1109, Thr, ue hung from the ceilil')Q ~th iron chain$
318
My mother lhen was still youqg. After a bath her .hair which
abe let down 10 dry, dragged half a handbreath o n the Ooor,
by which reason she knotted its end. She taught me to read in
Amigo de los Ni/io$, a very rare book, an old editfon, which
had lost ,ts cover and which a very industrious sister of mine
had covered again by pasung on its back u thick blue paper,
the remnant of the wrapper of a bolt of cloth. My mother
undoubtedly annoyed at hearing me read pitifully, for, as J didn't
understand Spanish, I oould not give meaning to the phrases,
took away the book from me . After scolding me for the drawings
I had made on its pages, with leg.~ and arms extended like a
cross, she began to read asking me to follow her example. My
mother , when she could still see, read very well, recited, and
knew how to make VCl'$CS. How many times during C hristmas
vacation afterwards, she corrected my poems, making very apt
ubservallons. I listened to her full or childish admiration. Marvelling al 1he ease with which she made them and at the «onorous
phrases 1ha1 she could get from some pages that cost me so
much effort 10 read and that I deciphered hahingly. Perhaps my
ears soon got tired of hearing sounds that 10 me meant nothing
perhaps due to my natural distraction I gave title attention to
tbe reading and watched more closely the cheerful name around
which some small moths fluttered with playful and uneven flight,
perhaps I yawned, be it what ii might, the case was that my
mother, realizing 1he litte interest thlu I showed. stopped her
reading and said to me:
"I'm gomg to read to you a very prelly story , be attentive".
Upon hearing tile word story l opened my eyes expecting
a new and wonderful o ne. I looked at my mother who leafed
1hrough the hook as if looking for it, and l got ready. to listen
wilh impatience nnd wonder I didn't suspect 1hal in thal old
book 1ha1 I read without understanding, there could be stories
and pretty stones.. My mother began to read to me the fable of
the young and the old moths, translating it lo me piece by piece
into Tagalog. At the firsl verses my attention redoubled in such
a way that I looked towards the light and fixed my allenhon on
the moths that flullcred around it . The s1ory could not have
been more opportune. My mother emphasized and commented
a great deal on the warnings of lhe old moth and directed them
320
to me as if to tell me that those applied to me. I listened to
her and what a rare phenomenon the ligh1 becmed to me more
beautiful each llmc, the flame brighter, and I even envied instinctively the fate of tho';e insects thal played so cheerfully in its
magical exhalauon. Those that had su<.-cumbed were drowned
,n the 0 11 ; they d1dn'1 frighten me My mother con1111ucd her
reading, I listened anxiously. and the fate of the two insects
interested me intensely . The light agitated its golden longue on
o ne side, a singed moth in one of these movements fell 1n10 the
011, clapped tlb wings for-,omc time nnd died That assumed for
me the proportion, of a !(real event and as a strange phenomenon
that I have always observed tn me when SQmethmg cxettes me.
It i.ccmcd to me that the flame and the molhs were moving far
;;way , very far and that my molher·, voice acquired a ~trange,
sepulchral timbre.
My mother finished the fable. I was not hstenmg, all my
attention, all my mind and all my thoughts were coneentrated
on 1hc fate of that rnolh, young, dead , full of illusions
MYou see?" my molhcr said to me taking me to bed " Don't
imitate the young moth and don't be disobedient: you'll get
burned like it. "
l don't know if I replied , promised somi:thing, or cned.
Tbc only thing I remember is that it took me o long 11me bcfott
r could sleep. That s1ory had revealed to me thing.< unknown
to me until then. To me moths ceased to be insignificant insects;
moths talked and knew how 10 warn and advise as well as my
molher did. The light seemed lo he more beautiful. dazzling,
attractive. I understand why molhs Outtered around lights.
Advices and warmngs resounded feebly m my ears. Wha~ preoc•
cup,ed me mo,1 wns 1hc death of the unprudent, but at the
bo11om of my heart, l didn't hlame ii . My mother's solicitude
didn't have all the success that she hoped it would
No; many years have e lapsed; the child has become a man;
has plowed [sailed - Z.I the mos1 famous foreign nver~ ~nd
m editated beside their copiou, ,1 ,com~. The s teamship has taken
him across the seas and all the oceans; he has climbed the region
of perpc1ual snow on moun1a1ns very much lugher than the
Makiling of lus provmcc From exp<:rience he ha, received bitter
lessons. oh, infinitely more bitter than the ;,wect lesson that his
321
mother gave him, and nevertheless I.be man preserves 1he heart
of n cltil~ and h_e believes that ligh1 is 1he most beauuful thing
there 1s m crcauon end thnt II is worthy for a man 10 sacnfice
his life to it.
APPENDIX C
TO THE YOUNG WOMEN
OF MALOLOS *
(London, februal) 21, 1889)
When I wrote Noll Me Tongere, I a.led 11,r-,elt whether
bravery was a common thing in the young woui..·n ol our 1>cnpk.
I brought back to my rccollccrlon and rcvicw,·d 1t11"c I h,1d
lcnown since my infancy, but there were only few who seem lo
come up to my ideal. There was, ti ts true, an abundance of
girls with agreeable manner~. bt!auuful way~. and n1<>tks1
demeanor. bul there was in nil 11n admixture of ,er>llutk and
deference lo the words or whims of their ~o-.:alled ~spiritual
fathers" (as tf the ,spirit or soul had any father other than God),
due 10 cxceslivc kindnc.,s. mod~~I}. or p<·rhap, 1~no ran,c They
aeemed faded plants sown and reared in darkne<ss, h.ivmA Onwers
without perfume and fruits without sap.
•This 1•mous lene, was written by Rial in T3gatog, while he wa, ,et;,O,ng
1n London~ upon the r&qu611 of M H dal ~ta, The story behind lhh, h!Htt; II
1h1a: On o«emtNtr 12, 1888, • grouo of Twentv young womfW' t)l Matolc» pt"1 1 1io,n,ed
Governor•Gtner•I Weyler for pemuu1on 10 open a "'nlQbt :.cnool'" \o 1ha1 they
might stucty Spanl1h \lndlr T.odoro S•n<tlko Tht Spen15h p.Jrl\lt pn-,t, f, Fol,~
Garcia. ot>,tcted so that the goYeroo,-gener,I turned down the s,etit 011 Howev.t,
1h1 vou11g women, in defi•nce of 1h• hl1,•1 wt;)lh. bru"Jl•ly cor-tin1,nd lhflli1 M,)it111on
of th.e school - a thmg unheard of in the Phllippu)es in those 11mes ThPV flN(ty
...,Ccood',Jd in oblt,lnlr,g governmflnt appro"JII 10 the;, projtct on cond11,on 1hat
$er\ori1a Gu•da1upG Reyes. should be their ntacher file n1;1d.ent caust?cd c1 greet
stir In ct\e Phllipplnu and In f1t·IW8Y Spa,n 0.1 P,1a,• ._.. ,twy 1,1 8.ir'-t:f•1no1 on
February 17, t889, requH18d A.,tat to l>llld I lenet' tn Tigo:(Xf tn uw brilvf' women
ol Malolos Accordlngly, A1zat, although busy ,n London anr a ta:1 rtg Morgas boo",
penned 1h11 famou1 tet1er•n~1en1 11 10 o., P1&,ronFul.m.1,11vn, UUN1m 11 ,, ,n • ,1
to M1lolos F'oi- full text of lhts letter 1n o,igln11 Tag.alog and ,n E~ltsti and Span1ih
u1ot111loM ... A ,..,,,,, to tho Yo~ma Wom•n ot M•Jole>s by JO~- R,.u1. <td•IOd
by Teodoro M. Kalaw and pu~l1hod b 1 the Nat~nal Llbtary, M.in t ,c;112
322
313
However, when the newa of what happened at Malcma
readied
I saw my error, and great was my rejoicing. After
all, "'ho is to blame me? I did not know Malolm nor ns yoag
"'umcn, except one called Em,ha (Enulia Tionpon, whoa! Rizal
met 1n 18871, and her I knew by name only
us,
Now that you have re~pondcd to our first appeal in the
interest of the welfare of the people, now that you ba--e set 811
example t o ~ •h<>. hke yvu, long 10 have thctr eyes ~ocd
and l,e delivered from 5CrVi1ude. new hopes are awakened ID
us and we no,. e,en dare 10 face advel"Slty, because we have
you for our allic~ and arc confident of VICtory. No longer does
t~c F-.lipin.i ~tand •1th her head bov.ed nor docs she spend her
tnnc oo her knees, becau,,c she IS quidtcncd by hope in the
fotun:· no longer ..m the mother contnbute to kccpu,g herdaughter ,n darkn," ,1nd bnng her up an oontcmpt and moral
anmh,l.,tinn Ami no longer v.ill thc: 'ICiena: of all acicoccs coma.
in bhnJ ,ubmLSSion to any un1u<1 order, o r in extreme complacency , nor ... .n a u>wleuu.s wn1lc hc. decmcd tJic Oftly "'capoa
aprmt insult or bumble tccars the indfal>le renacca for all
lribula1,on• You know that the w,11 of God 1) different from
that of the pne~t: that rehgiou,ness docs not cons,st of lone
pe~ spcnt on your knec-s, nor ,,, endle-. pr;oyen, big roslll'W»,
and gnm) $0lf'Ulancs, hut in a spotless a>ndue1, firm ,ntentiaa
and upnjtlll Jndpncnt You al'iO kuow that prudenc,e does 11CJ1
COJW>I tn blindly obcymg any wh,m of the hllle tin god, bot ID
obeying unly that which ,s reasonable and JU<t. becaU5C bl.iod
obt-dicncc is itself the: cau.c and origin of ti-e whuns, IOd
th,_ i:u,lt) of II a,~ rca..1 10 be bbmed. The official or fria
can n•• longer a~rt that they alone arc rc:.pomiblc for thar
unJ'"' •rd<·"· ht·,au-e God 1a~c: each ind1V1du"I reason and a
will of hi, or her own to distinguish the just from the unjust;
all ,., I· •rn ,.,,1hout >haddcs and free, and nobody ha.. a ngbt
,to 5.,l>,ug.,1~ lbc ••II and the sp,nl ur aoother. And, "'by should
\Ou subnlll to anotber ,our thoughts. seeing that tbou&J,t is
noble and free?
It is oo•,.·arJ,c, .,nd crroncow. to believe that sauitlmc:s:s
,cn...r and th.tt prudence and tbc habot ol
thinkin& arc prc.sumptuo~ l,uinrancc has e~c r been ipol'IJl0C,
a~d never prudence and honor God, the pnmal source ot al
wisdom, d ics not demand that man, created ,n his unq,c aad
comm" 111 bh ,d o1
324
likeness, allow himself to be deceived Md boodwia.t.ed, btll wants
• to use and let shine the h&J,t of tulOII with wbic:b He has $0
mcrafully endowed us. He may be compared 10 the Cather who
gnc each of ha ~ns a tor,,1 10 bpt !heir way m lbc darkncM
bidding thern keep II\ light bnght and talr.e care o( 11 , and oot
pl.II 11 out and trust to the hght of the others, bet 10 help and
advice each other to find 1he nght path , They would be lllidmen
"'ere they lb lollow the hght _.r another, only to u,roc to a fall,
aml the father c,ould unbra,J lhcm .iud '<3) to them • Did I not
c,ve each of you hl5 own tnrdi,~. hut he could not say so 11 the
fall were due to the hght of the torch o( tum wti., foll, ;a,. the
hght might ho,c hcen dim .nJ 1hc road ~Cl)' b:ad
The de~cl\-cr is food ot u.ing Ille say1nit that •11 as presump
tuous to rel) ,.,, one's nwn •ud,:rncnl • bur ,n rnv or,,n,,.,n, 11 is
more l)R'>Umptu,iu, for a p<'f""'ln to put h,, 1udgn..-n1 at,,-, ,e tha1
of the othe r, and try to make II prevail over their,;. It ~ more
prc~umptuou, for a man to ~-001,11tu1,· huw.ctr 1n1<> an idol and
pretend to he 1n Cllmmuni< ''"'" of thou!\ht with God, ..nd it i•
more than pr~umptuous and even bla<phemous for a rcrson II>
attnbute e~er" mo\c:mcnt ol his h~ to Ood, to rcprc,;cnt c\cry
whom or h1\ a, the v.,11 111 <,od, and In brand his own enemy
ti an cnem~ of God Of cou=. •e <houlJ not cnn<ult our own
Judgment alorl<:, but hear the oprn,on of othcrs domg what may
seem rno,t rca<onablc tu u~ fhe wild man from the tull•. af
dad ,n a pn.,,1·, robe. remains a h1llm1n and can only deceive
the weak and 1gnoran1, Anti , to make my argument more conclu,rvc. 1ust buy a pncst's robe a:. the 1-'raoc,,un, wear 11 and
put 11 on "ca,,.hao, .and ,'flu will he lu,ly tf the c.traban Joe,
'"'' hccon,c lazy on account of the robe But I v.,11 leave th,..
subJect 10 6pcak or something el,e,
Youth is a nower-bcd that ,s 10 bear nch frurt and must
accumulate "'"altb for ,ts de..ccndanb , Wh.t oft.<pnng will be
that of a ,.oman who.e k1n40C5' or character o eaprCSKd by
mumbled prayers; ..110 knn'II/$ oothin,: by heart but aw,u,
novtnus. and the alleged mm,des; whos.: amusement coas1s1> ,n
playing pangwngut or in the frequent confess.on of tbc same
,ill$? What ,ons will <he have but acolytes, priest's scoanl5, or
cod.fighters? h 1s the mother" who a.re responsible for the present
5Crvuude of our compatnou. o ~ 10 the ll'\limitcd truwulness
31S
of tbc:ir lovina bearU, to their udaat desire to elevate dieir
SODS. Maturity is the fruit of infancy and the infant is formed on
the lap of ib mother. The mother wllo can only teach her c:hild
how t.o kneel and kiss hands must not expect 10ns with blood
other than that of vile Ila~. A tree that grows in the mud is
unsubstantial and good only for firewood'. If her son should have
a bold mind, his boldness will be deceitful and will be like the
bat that cannot show itself until the ringing of vespers. They
say that prudence is sanctity. But, what sanctity have they shown
us? To pray and kneel a Jot, kiss the hand of the pnests, throw
money away on chun:bes, and believe all lhc friar secs 61 to
tell us; _gossip, callous rubbing of noses....
now ref\ise to stir a fool unless paid In advance? And. a, if they
were starving, they sell scapularics , rosaries, bits. and other
things which are nothing but schemes for making money/Jnd a
detriment 10 the soul; because even tf all the rags on car1h ":ere
converted into scapularies and all the trees m the fore~L 1010
rosaries, and if the skins of all the beasts were made mto hdh,
and if all the priests cf the eanh mumbled prayers o•cr all th1>
and sprinkled oceans of holy water over it this would not pu11fy
a rogue or condone sm where there ,s no repenten,c. r hw..
also, through cup1d1ty and love of mon~y. they will. f.>r •• price.
revoke the numerous prohibitions such as those agam,1 catm~
meat, marrying dose relatives, etc. You can do almo,t an)thmg
if you 1>111 grease· thell' palms. Why that" Can God be hri~d
and bought off, and blinded by money. nothing more nor lcs,
than a friar? the brigand who has obtained a bull nf compromise
can live calmly on the proceeds of his robbery, becau.~e he W'II
be forgiven. God, then, will Sil at a table where theft prov1Jcs
the viands? Has the Omnipotent become a pauper that He must
assume the role of the exase man or gendarme" If that is the
God whom the friar adores, then I turn my back upon thJt Gou
As.·~ the mites and gifts to God, is there anything in ihe
world that does not belong to God? What would you say of a
servant malung his master a present of a cloth borro-..ed Crom
that very master' Who IS so vain. so insane that he will give
alms 10 God and believe that the miserable thing he has given
will serve 10 clothe the Creator of all things? Blessed be they
who ~uecor_ 1he1r fdlow men, aid the poor and feed the hungry;
b1it cursed be they who tum a dead ear 10 supplications of the
poor, who only give 10 him who has plenty and spend their
money lnv,shly on silver altar hangJngs for the thanksgJviDJ!, or
in serenades and fireworks. The money ground out of the poor
is bequeathed to the master so that he can provide for diaim
to subjugate, and hire thugs and exccul.looers. Oh. what blindness, what lack of understanding!
Let us be reasonable and open our eres, especially )OU
women , because you are the ftrsl 10 innuence the con-.c1ou,ne~,
of man Remember that a good mother does not rc~mblc the
mother chat the friar has created; she must bring up her child
to be the image of the true God, not of a bla$=kma1bng_ •• gra,ping
God but of a God who is the father or us all, whn " 1u,1; who
doe$• not suck the life-blood of 1he poor like a vampire. nor
scoffs at the agony of the sorely beset. nor male~ a_ cr<l<>kcd
path of the path of Justice. Awaken and _prepare the w,11 of <>ur
children toward:. all that is honorable, 1udi:ed by proper stan•
dards, to all that is sincere and firm of purpose. clear Judgment .
clear procedure. honesty ,n act and deed , love fllr the frllo"'rn.,n
and respect for God; this 15 what you mu,t 1c,,c_h your d11ldrcn
And. seeing that life is full of thorns and thistles. y11u mu,1
fortify their minds against any stroke of advetb,t) and acrn,111111
them 10 danger. The people e3n not expect hnnor n, ,r prn'I"'""
so long as they will educate their children m a v.rong wa). so
long as tbe woman who guides the child in his ,teps " ,l3v,~h
and ignorant. No good water comes from a turbid, h-ttcr ,pnn~.
no savory fruit comes from acrid seed
, I
Sainllmcss consists in the first place in obeying the dictates
of reason, happen what may. "II is acts and not word~ that I
want of you,~ sa.id Christ. "Not everyone that saycth unto me,
Lord , Lord shall enter into the kingdom or heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is m Hea,en. ·• Sainll,nc,,
dOC$ not consist in abjectness, nor is the succ=r nf Chri,1 to
be recognized by the fact that be gives his hand to be kissed.
Christ did not give the kiss of peace to the Phansecs and ~ver
gave lus hand to be ki$$ed . lie did not cater to the nch and
vain; He did not mention scapularics, nor did He make rosaries,
or solicit offerings for the sacrifice of the Mass or exact payments
for His prayeB. Saint John did not demand a fee on the River
Jonian, nor did Christ teach for gain. Why , then. do the £rian
j:24
r
1be dutica dlat • ha to pcdolm in order to deliver
the people from. iii6:1 WI are of no little importance, but be
they as they may, they wiD not be beyond the strength and
S!IID!DI of the Filipino people. The power and good judgment
of the woman of the Pbilippines are well known, and it is became
of dus that sbe bas been hoodwinked, and tied, and rendered
pmillanimnus; and DOW her eosla\lers res1 al ease, because so
long as Ibey can keep lhe Ftlipina mother a slave, so long will
they be able 10 mate sines of her children. The cause of the
backwardness of Asia lies in the fact that there the women are
ignorant, are slaves; while Europe and Amenca are powerful
because tbere the women an: free and well «:9uca1ed and endowed
with lucid intellect and a strong will.
We lcoow that you lack instructive books; we know that
ootlung is added to your inlellect, day by day, save 1ha1 wbic:b
is in1endcd to dim its natural bnghtness; all this we know, hence
our destre to bring you the light lhat illuminates your equals
here III Europe. U that which I tell you does 001 provoke your
anger, and if yoo will pay a little attention to it then, however
dense the mist may be lhat befogs our people. I will make the
UDIIOSl efforts to have it dissipated by the bnght rays of tbe
•sun, wbicb will give light, though they may be dimmed. We
aball DOI feel a.oy fatigue if you help us: God, too, will help to
scatter the rrust, bec:awe He is the God of truth: He will restore
to its pristine coodition the fame of the Filipina in whom we
DOW mia only a aitcrion of her own, because good qualities
she has enough and to spare. 'Ibis is our dream; 1his is the
desire we cbeNh in our hearts; to restore the booor of woman,
who is half of our bean, our companion in the joys and tribulations o f life. If she is a maiden. the young man should l15vc her
not only because of her beauty and her amiable character, but
also on account of her fortitude of rrund and loftiness of purpose,
which quiclccn and elevate the feeble and ttmid and ward off
all vain though~ Let the maiden be the pride of her country
and command ,cspect, because it is a commoo practice on the
part of Spaniards &rid frian here who have returned from the
Wands to speak of the Filipina u complaisant and ignorant, as
if all should be thrown into the same class because of the nussteps
of• few, and as if women of weak cbancter did not CXISt in
other land,. lu to purity what could the Filipina not bold up
to otben!
3lS
Nevertheless, 1he retummg Sparuanls and frian, talkati\lc
and fond (>f go-;sip. can hardly find lime enough 10 brag and
ba"'I. amidst guffaws and insulting remarks. that a certain woman
was thus; that she behaved thus at the c:onvent and conducted
her.cit thus wtth the Spaniard~ who on the occasion wa, her
gue,t. and other things that set your teeth on edge when you
think of them wluch. in the majority of cases, were faulLs due
10 cand,H. cxce~s"c kmdnc~. mcckne~,. or pcrha~ ignorance
and were all the "ork of the defamer himself There is a Spaniard
now m htgh office who has sat at our table and enjoyed our
ho,.p1W.hly tn lus wandenngs through the Philippines and who,
upon hi, return lo Spain, ru,hcd forthw11h ,nw print dnd related
that on one occa,;ion in Pampanga he demanded h0<;pitali1y and
ate. and slept at a house and the lady of the house conducted
her.elf 111 ,uch and ,uch a maMct wtth hun. the. ,~ how he
rep;,1d 1he ludy for her supreme hosp111Jlt1y' Similar 1n<inua1inns
arc made by the fnars 10 the chance v,si1or from Spain concerning
their very obcd1en1 conjesanda.t. hand-ki'"scrs. etc .. a..--compan,ed
by ~mile~ and very s1gn1ficant winking, of 1he eye. In a book
published by D Sinibaldo de Mas and m othet fnar sketches
sins are related of which ,.omen accw.ed themselves JD the
confc,"onul and of which the fn;ir.. made no ,c:crcl u, talking
to their Span"h vi:,11ors -.casoninl( them. al the hest, with idiotic
and shamele~, tale~ not wonhy of credence. I cannot repeat
here 1hc shamcles., siorie,, that a friar told Mas and 10 which
Ma, Attributed no value whatever. Evc~timc -..c hc:tr or read
an,,hm!! of this kind, we a,k each otl:er: Are the Spanish women
,tll cut Jftcr the pallcrn or the Holy V1rgtn Mary and the hltptnas
.,II rcpr<1h;t1c,' I t>chcvc that if we ,1re to balance accounh in
thi, c.lclica1c 4uc,11(ln, perha(",
Bui I mu~l drop the ,uhjcc1
b<!causc I am ne11her a confessor nor a Spanish 1ra,eler and
hJ,c no hu,mcS\ t,\ take awa~ anybody·~ good name I ,hall let
1h1 I(" und speak of the du1tcs of woman 1ns1cad
A people that respect woman , like the Rhpmo people, must
know Lhe truth or the situation in order 10 be· able to do what
,, '"peeled of 11. II see= an established fact that when a young
,tJJcnt folb in lo,c, he throws everything 10 Lhc dogs - knowledJ:c. honor . .ind money. as if a girl could not do anything but
sow misfortune. The bravest youth becomes a coward when he
married. and Lhe born coward becomes shameless, as tf be had
329
been waiting 10 gel married In order to show his oowardice The
son, ,n order to hide his pusillanimny, remembers bis mother,
swallow, bis wrath, wffcn his cars 10 be boxed, obeys the 11101t
foolish order, and becomes an accomplice 10 his own dishonor.
It ,hould be remembered that where nobody 0ees there is no
punuer; when there IS no liule fish, there can not be a big one
Why docs the girl not require of her lo'Cr a noble and hono,ed
name, a manly hcan offering protecuon 10 her v.eaknc,,. and
a high sptnl incapable of being sali~fied with engendering slave,!
Lei her discard all fear, lel her behave nobly ,Hid not deliver
her youth to the weak and faint-hearted When ,he is mamed,
she must atd her husband, insprre h1rn with courage. share has
perils, refrain from causing him worry and sweeten his moments
of affliction, always remembering 1hat there ,s no grief 1h11 a
brave heart can not bear and there is no bitterer inheritance
than that of infamy and ,ta,ery Open your duldrcn's eyes so
that they may Jeldously auard their honor, love theu fellowmen
and their native land, and do their duty. Always impress upon
them they m~t prefer dying with honor to livtng 10 dishonor
The )lwOmen or Sparta should <ef'e you as ao cumple 1n this;
I shaU give some of their charac:tenstics.
When a mother handed the shield 10 her son as he wu
marching to batllc, she Yid nothing to him but th1S: MRetum
with at. or on 1t,M which mean, come back vic:tonous or dead,
because ii was customary whh the routed w¥fior to throw away
his shield, while the dead warrior wa~ carried home on has shield.
A mother received word that her son had been killed in bat1le
and the army routed. She d,d 001 !MAY a word , but expr=<!
her thankfulneu 1ha1 her i.on had been saved from disgrace.
However, when her ~on returned olive, the morhcr put on
moumang. One of lhe mothers who went out 10 meet ,he wamors
returning from baule w.u 101d by one that her three sons had
fallen. I do nor asl( you 1h,11. said the mother, but whether we
have been victorious or not. We have hcen victorious - answered
the warrior. If that is ~o. then let us thank God, and she went
lo the 1emple
Once upon a ume a king of theirs, who had been defeated
hid in the temple , bccau~ he feared ,he popular wra1h . Th~
Spartans resolved 10 shut him up there and star-e him 10 death
330
When they were blocking the dool", the mother wa~ the first to
brin& stones. 1bcsc things were In accordance w11h lhe tu~1orn
there, and all Greece admired the Sparun woman or dll ,.,omen
_ a woman said jestingly - only you Spartan~ have power over
the men . Quite natural - they replied - of all wo men only
we pve birth to men. Man, the Spanan women said. w,1< not
born ti) life for himself alone but for his nata-c land So 1c,ng
as this way of thinking prevailed and the~ hJJ th.1 land of
women in Sparta, no enemy was abh: 10 put hb foot upon h~r
u, nor was there a woman an Sparta who cvt•r ~uv. a hoM1le
50
anny
1 do not expect to he believed <imply he, ;1u-.e 11 " I v.ho
am saying this, tlierc arc many people who do a>ot l1Stcn LO
reason, but will listen only to tho,e who wcJr 1hc ,aw.ad. or
have gray hair or no 1ec1h, but whale 11 " In"· 1ha1 th, a~ed
5hould be venerated, because of their tra,a11' and c,1-... 11cncc,
yet 1he life I have lived. coni.ccr-.11cr.l to the h.1ppanc" "I rhc
people, adds r.ome ycan, though not man~ of 11\) ,age I do 1101
pretend 10 hc looked upon as an id<1l ,,r fct"h .,nd to 1-..: 1'hc,cd
and listened to w11h the e,es closed. th - he·«I howed .,nd the
arms crossed over the breast; whal l .a~I. ,it all " to "tln1 ,..,
what I tell him think 11 over and sh,fl al rardulh t••• 11,•h rh,
sieve of rea,on
Fint of oil Toal the t)ranny or <,0me r- J\<'''1t>k onh thrnueh
cowardice and negligence on the part of 01hu,
s~cond What makes one contempuble " lack ot d1~111ty
and ab1ctt rear of ham who hold, one in co ,1c111pl
Third Ignorance "&erv11udc, b«a11>e •" ,1 man lhrnk, ,o
he is: a man who doc~ not think for him~tlf .111<1 allo-..,·11 h1111 If
1o be guided by the thought of another i, til.c the bcJ,1 led h}
a halter
Fourth J le who kwes has independence mu,t l1r,1 ,11d has
fellowman, hccau~ he who refuse, protection t'1 nthcr, will find
hl ..1self without it; the isolated nb of the hun p,,trn , C.t\aly
broken, but not -SO the broom made of the n~ of the p3 lm
bound toge1her.
Fifth. If the Fitlp,nn will not change her ,:nntlc_of hcang, let
her rear no more children, let here merely ervc h1r1h to them
}31
Sbe must cease to be the mistress of the h ome, otherwise sbe
will uncoruciou.sly betray hll$band, child, native land, and all.
Si.xrh. All men arc born equal, naked, without bond,. God
did not create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with
intelligence to have him hoodwinked, or adorn him with reason
to have him deceived bl' others. It is not fatuou.s to refuse to
wor;hip one"s equal, to cultivate one's intellect, and to make
use of reason in all things. Fatuous is he who makes a god of
him, who makes l>rute, of others. and wbo su ives to submit to
his whims 1111 that is reasonable and just.
Seventh Consider well what krnd of religion they are teach•
ing you. See whether it is the will of God or according to the
teachrng• of Christ that the poor be succored and those wh<1
suffer alleviated Cunsider what they are prcach,ng to you. the
object of 1hc ~rrnon wliat is behind the masses, 110,.en/JS,
rosanes, scapularies. images, miracles, candles, belts, etc., etc.;
which they daily keep before your minds; cars and eye~; Jostling,
,hm11ing, .im.l coax mg; ,nve.iiga1c whence they came Hild whither
they 110 and then compare that religion with the pure religion
of Christ and see whether the pretended obsen•ance of the life
of ChrlM dt>c, uot remind you of 1hc rut milch cow or 1hc fotlcncd
' pig, which is cncoural!Cd to ~row fat 1101 1hrough love of the
animal. bu1 for grossly mercenary mo1ives.
Let us, therefore, relfec,: let us coos,dcr our situation and
sec how we smnd. May the~c poorly wnllen line, aid you ,n
your good purpoSc and help you 10 pursue 1hc plun you have
initiated "May your profi.l be )!Teater than 1he capital invested:"
and I ,hall gladly accept the usual reward of all who dare 1ell
your people the 1ru1h. M:.) your desm: 10 educate yo<m,elf be
crowned with <uccc<s; may you in 1hc garden of learning g:11hcr
not biller. but choice fruit. looking well before you ca1 because
on the surface of 1hc glohc :,II is dccc11 , and the enemy sows
weeds in your ~edhng plot.
All this is the ardent desire of your compatnol.
APPENDIX D
THE INDOLENCE OF THE
FILIPINOS*
Doctor Sancianco, in his Progreso de Filipina.r, has taken
up this question, agitated, as he calls it, and relying upon facts
and reports furnished by 1he very same Spanish au1hori11cs thut
ruled the Philippin~ ha; demonstralcd that such indolence docs
not exist, and that all said aboul It does not deserve a reply or
even passing choice.
Nevertheless as discussion of it has been continued, not
only by government employees who make it responsible for their
own shortcomings. not only by the friars who regard it as necessary in order that they may contioue to represent themselves as
ind1spcn~ablc, bul also by serious and di;intercstcd pcri.uns: and
as evidence of greater or less weight may be adduced in opposition
to that which Dr. Sanciano cites, it seems expedient to us to
study this question thoroughly, without supercilousncss or sensitiveness, without prejudice, wi1hou1 pessimism. And as we can
only serve our country by telling the truth, however, bitter it
be. jus; as flagrant and skillful negation cannot refute a real and
pos11ive fact, in spite of 1he brilliance of the arguments; as mere
affinnarion is nut sufficient 10 create something possible, let us
calmly examine the facts, us.ing on our part all the impartiality
of which a man is capabl~ who " convinced that tkcrc is no
redemption except upon solid bases of virtue.
The word indolence has heen greatly misused in the sense
of little love for work and lack of energy. while ridicule has
JOSE RIZAL
332
•Engh•h 1r•nlP11lon by Otrbyahl1• Tht anclo by A1,~I. o,iglnally wrinen In
Spani.sh. was pubhshed in U Sollt»rldad in fi've installments. from July 15 to
S.p<omber IS. 1890
333
concealed the misuse. Th.is much-discussed question has me1 with
the same fate as certain panaceas and specifics of the quacks
who by ascribing 10 them imp05sible virtues have discredited
them . In the Middle Ages, and even in some Catholic countries
now, the devil is blamed fqr everything that superstitious folk
cannot undcrs1and or the perversity of mankind is loath to
confess. In the Philippines one's and another's foults, the
shortcomings o{ one, the misdeeds of another, are attributed to
indolence. And just as in the Middle Ages he who sought the
c,cplanation or phcnomens outside of mfcmal influence, we~
persecuted, so in the Philippines worse happens 10 him who
seeks the origin of the trouble outside of accepted beliefs
The consequence of this misuse is that there are some who
arc in1crested in staling II as a dogma and others in comba1ing
it a~ a ridiculou, supers1i1ion, ir not a punishable delusion . Yet
it is not 10 be inCcrred from 1he misuse of a 1hing that it does
101 CXJSI.
We think that there must be something behind all 1h,s
ou1cry, for it i, incredible that so m1tny ,ho11ld err, amopg who111
we ha,·c said there are a lot of serious and disinicrcstcd pcrwns.
Some act m bad, faith, through levity, through want of sound
judgment, through limitation in reasoning p<,>wcr, ignorance of
the past, or other cause . Some repeal wha1 1hcy have heard,
v;-it~ou1 examinallon or renec11on; others speak through pessimism or are impelled by that human chara.c1cns11c wh,ch paints
as pcrCcc1 ever y1hing tha1 belong~ 10 o neself and defective whatever belongs to another. But it cannot be denied that there arc
some who worship truth, or if not truth itself at least 1hc
semblance thereof whicll is 1ru1h in the mind or the crowd.
Examining "'ell, then, all scene, and all 1hc men that we
have known from childhood; ond the lire of our country, we
believe that indolence does exis1 there. The Filipinos , who can
measure up with the most achvc peoples. m the world . w1tl
duubtlc,, not rcpudialc hi, admi"inn, Cor· it is 1ruc 1hc rc one
works and struggles ngaons1 lhe climale, ag:1ins1 n:Hur<: and
agamst men. Bui we musr nor rnke the exception for the general
rule, and should ra1her seek the good of our cuuntry by slating
whal we b<:lieve to be true We muSI confess 1ha1 indolence
does actually and positively exi51 there, only that, mstead of
314
holding it 10 be the cause of the backwardness and the trouble,
we regard II as the effect of the trouble and the backwardnc:5s,
by fostenng the development or a /111ntnrable predi.vpMitwn.
Those who have as yet treated of indolence. with the exception of Dr. Snncionco, have been content 10 deny or affirm it.
We know of no one who has studied its causes Nevertheless,
those who adm·1t ,ts existence and exaggera1e it more or less
have not therefore failed to advise remedies taken from here
and there, from Java, from India , from other English or Dutch
colonies, like the quack who saw a fever cured with a dozen
sardines and afterwards always prescribed these fish a1 every
rise in temperature th&t he discovered in his patient
We shall proceed otherwise. Before proposing a remedy we
shall examine the causes, and even though strictly speaking a
p rcdisposi'fion is not a cause, let us, however, study at its true
value this predisposition due to nature .
The predisposition exists? Why shouldn't it?
A bot climate requires of the individual quiet and rest, JUSI
as cold ,ocitcs 10 labor and action. For th~ reason the Spaniard
~ more indolent than the Frenchman ; the Frenchman more so
than the German. The Europeans themselves who reproach the
residents of the colonies so much (and I am not now speaking
of the Spaniards but or the Germans and English themselves),
how do they live in tTOpical countries? Surrounded by a numerous
train of servants, never-going afoot but riding in a carriage,
needing servants no1 only to take off their shoes for them bu1
even lo them! And yet they live and eat better, 1hcy work for
themselves 10 get rich, with 1he hope of a furure, free and
respected, while 1he poor colonist, tl)e mdolent co/om.st, ,s badly
nourished, has 1110 hope, toils for others, an,J works under force
and compul•ion! Pe rhaps 1he reply 10 this will be that while
men are not made 10 s1,md the ~c, crity of the climate. A ,nistake'
A m.,n cun live in Ml) d1ma1c. if he will only odapt him~cll 10
it~ re4uircmcnb .ind condi1inn, What kills lhe Fur<lpcan in hM
coun1rics is the- abuse nf liquors. the anempt to live according
to the Oalurc ol hi, own oountry under another \ky and another
sun We 1nhuh1 uJ 111S ul h,u countnc, ioH? well ,n no rthern Europe
whene, er -.. ~ take the p ret'auno ns <if the people th,·• , do . Furo-
J'
pc.ins can also stand the torrid zone:, if ooly they would get rid
of thar prejudices.
•
fbe fact is that Ul troplCal countries violent work is not a
good thmg as 11 is in cold countries, there it is death, destruction,
annihilation . Nature knowi. this and like a just mother has therefore made the earth more fertile , more productive, as a compensation. An hour's wo rk under that burrung sun . in the midst of
pernicious inOuences spnngmg from nature in activity. is equal
10 a day's work in a temperate climate , it is, then , just that tbc
earth yields a hundred fold! Moreover, do we not see the active
European , who feels lbe Cre5h blood of spnng boil in h,s veins,
do we not see him abandon his laboT$ , during the few days of
his variable summer, close bis office - where the wo rk is not
violent and amounts for many to talking and gesticulaung ID the
shade beside a lunchstand , - flee to watering plnccs , sn in the
cafes o r stroll about. What wonder then that the inhabitant of
tropical countries, worn o ut and with lus blood thinned by the
continuous and excessive heat is reduced 10 inacuon" Who is
the indolent one in the Manila offices? rs it the poor clerk who
comes in at eight in the rooming and leaves at one in the
afternoon with only lus parasol, who copies and writes and works
for himself and for his chief, or is it the chief, who comes in a
carriage at ten o'clock , leaves before rwe.lve, reads his newspaper
while smoking and with lus feet cocked up on a chair or a table,
or g=pmg about all bis friends? Which is indolent, the native
coadjutor, poorly paid and badly treated, who has to visit all
the indigent sick living in the country, or the ·friar curate who
gets fabulously rich, goes about m a carriage, cats and drinks
we.II, and does not put himself to any trouble .,.,1hout oopecting
an excessive fee?
Witho ut speaking further of the Europeans in what violent
labor does the Ounaman engage m tropical countries, the industrious C'hinuman , who flees from his own country driven by
hunger and whose whole ambitiod'i$ to amass a small fortune?
With the exception or some porters, an occupation that the
nabves also follow, be nearly always engages in the trade, m
commerce , so rarely docs he take up agriculture that we do not
know of a single case. The Chinaman who in other colonies
cultivates the sot! docs so only for a certain number of yean
and then retires.
136
We find, then, the t.cndency to indolence very na1ural, and
nave to admit and blc~ il , for -..c unn >t alter natural laws, and
without ,t the race v.ould have disappeared Man i, not a brute ,
be is not a mach,ne , hos ohiect is nol merely to produce. in spite
o( the, pre1cn>1ons of w mc Chn~t,an "'hues who would make
or 1hc rnl<>rl.J Chri,11.in a k,od of moti,c powi:r somewhat more
inldl• -•enl and ks, ~-o<t•v than st<!Jm Man'• ohject " nol to
s:11,sh the pa,<10n~ ot ar.,lhcr man. h1> ohjecl isto !'.eek happ1n=
r.,r I · .,-., t , 'ld his ~ind t>~ Ir·" cllonl,\ aluni; the rOJd of progress
;,nd p,:rtccl11•n
1 , ,., ·• , nnl th•• ondolcncc c~i,1, mon- or k,-, latently
hul 1t.,1 ,1 ,, t, "'"'"d and ma!!Qif1cd . Among men . a, well a,,
amone. n41t1m,, there t''.\l~t not only . 41pt1!udt:'!!. but at--.,, tcndent.,o
g•K>d -,nd C\11 T,, lo,,lcr lhc f:<K>d one, .in,I 01d them, a, ".'ell
a• wrrect the ~, ii and rc1>r~•, 1hem , would he the dut, of socicry
and gmcrnment. if ks,, noble lhoughb did 001 occup) the1r
a11cnt1<•n 1hc c,il " II ,at the 1nd<,lcncc on the Ph1hppir><, " a
IThlgmfic:J inJokncc d'l ind<1knce of 1he ,n~b,111 type, i~ we
moy be rermmed the expre"-<ion. an evtl that increase., m dtrect
prop,.1nion 1,, the pcnoJ, nt ume. and e/J~ct vt misgovernment
and or bad,"'.irdnc,,, a, we ,:uJ. and n,11 a causr thc,--of. Others
will hold the contraf\ opinion e~pcoall, 1hosc who have a hand
in 1b.: misgovernment. but we do n01 care. v.e have made an
as,crtmn and are go•nl! 10 prv,c 11
-UWhen in consequence of a IOT'l? chronic illnc~ the condio nn
of the patol'nt "exammed. 1he que-;tion ma~ arise "bcther the
wcat..erung ul the hbcn and the debility
1hc organ., arc the
cause of 1hc mal.,d) ·, conunuml! or the cff<:~t of tlw l»1J treatment
that proto n~ ,ts action The allcndinl! phy,ioan aurihtltes the
enl m: ta,lu rc of h,s , Juli lo the poor rons111uuon of the pat1en1,
to 1hc cl11na1c. 10 the surroundi ng,. and so on On the other
h,ind. the patu:nt annhule< 1he aggravaunn of lhe evil 10 1he
w stem of treatment follo v.ed Onl} the common crowd, the
1~qu1>1II\ Cpopulace, \hake~ 11~ head and canO(>l rt'a<:h a JcC1\ion
ur
Somc1h1ng hke t his happens ,n the cai,c of the Ph,hppmcs
Instead of physician . read government. 1ha1 is. friar,. employees,
etc In.stead of patient , Philippines; mstead or malady. indolence.
131
And JUSI a, happens in similar cases when the patient gets
~rse, everybody
his head, each one dodges the responsibility to place 11 upon somebody else, and instead o f seeking
the causes LO order 10 combat the evil in them, devotes himself
at best to attacking the symptoms; here a blood-lcning. a tax;
there a plaster, forced labor, further on a sedative, a trining
rcfQffl'I. Every ne1" amval proposes a new remedy: one, seasons
of prayer, the relics of a saint, the viaticum, the friars; another
sho,..-er-bath: still a.nothcr, with pretensions 10 modern idcaJ., a
transfusion of blood. ~It's nothjng, only the patient has eight
m11hoo indolent red corpuscles; some few white corpuscles m
the form of an agricultural coloaywtll get uso\11 of the trouble.
•=
So, on all sides there are groans, gnawing of lips, clenchmg
of tuts. many hollow words, great ignorance, a deal of talk a
Jot of fear. The patient is near his finish!
Yes, transfusion of blood, transfusion of blood' New life,
new vitality! Ycs, new whue corpuscles that you are going 10
inject into its veins, the new whlle corpuscles that v,ere a c-,mccr
in another organism will withstand all the depravity of 1he ~y,1cm,
will have more stamina than aU the degeneration, all the trouble
in the principal organs Be 1bankful if they do no1 become
coagulations and produce gangrene, be thankful 1f they do not
reproduce the cancer!
While the patient breathes, we must not lo<e hope. and
however late we may be, a judicious exammation is never superfluous; at least the cause of death may be kno,..n . We arc not
trying to put all the blame on the physician, und s11II le~, u n
the patient, for we have already spoken of a predispositJon m
the absence of which the race 11,ould disappear. sacrificed to
n=ive labor in ll tropical country,
Indolence in the Philippines 1s a chronic mal ..lly, bu1 not .i
heredit.ary one. The Filipinos have not alway~ bc:cn what they
are, witnesses whereto are all the historians of the first years
after the d1SCOvery of the Islands.
Before the arrival of the Europellns, the Mabyan Filip~
carried Qn an active trade , not only omong thert\$Clvcs but also
with all the neighboring countries. A Chinese manuscript of the
13th century, translated by Dr. Hrrtb (Globus, September, 1889),
338
which we will take up at another brne, speaks of China\ relauon,
with the islands, relations purely commeroal, which mcn1,on 1<
made o f the activity and honesty of the lradcr; of Luzon. who
took the Chinese products and dismbuted them throughout all
the islands, for the merchandise that the Chinamen dod nol
remember 10 have given them. The products "'hich they in
exchange exported from the islands were cmdc v.ax couon .
pearls; tortoise shell. betel-nuts, diy goods, etc.
The first thing noticed by P1gafeua who came 11,11h Magcllan
in 1521. on amving a1 the firs1 island of the Ph1hpr111c, \.,mJr
was the courtesy and kindness of the inhahi1an1s and their com
meroe. "To bonor our capitan," he says. "they conduct<!tl him
to their boats where they had thctr merchandise. wl11ch '°""'1cd
of cloves. cinnamon. pepper, nutmeg,. mace. gold anti 111h,·r
things; and they made us understand by gestures thJt ,u.:h amdc,
were 10 be found m the island, to which "'" 11,crc !!'''"!!
Further on he speaks of the ,cM,cb anti u1<0n"b ,11 ,ohd
gold th~I he found in Butuan where 1hc people w,,rl.l·ll 111 m:n,·,
He describe.< the silk dresses, the dagger. "uh l"nl! i:,,ld tult,
and scabbards of carved wood. 1he gold S<:t< o! 1cc1h . .:ic Am,•ng
cereals and frwts he mcnuon, rice, m1lkt. or:0111!,·' temun,,
panicum, etc.
That the islands maintamcd relations w,th nci,:hl'<•nnJ! r,,untries and even with distant ones ,s pro,..:n h) 1h, ,h,p, r11,m
Siam. laden with goltl and ,laves. th,11 M~g,;lldn tounJ 111 C..:bu
These ships paid certain duties to the king nf 1hc "land, In the
same year, 1521 , the survivors of Magellan\ expcd111on met the
son of 1he Rajah of Luron, who. ~ ~•p1:oin-gcncrul o f the ~uhJn
of Borneo and admiral of his 0eet. h"tl cnnqucrcJ r,,r h,m lhc
great city of Lave (Saraw-Jk ?) Migh1 th" captam. who ,. JS
greatly feared by all his foes, h:tve been 1he Rajah MJt,,nJ.i
whom the Spaniard, afterward, encoun1crcJ in TonjJ,1 ,n I ~711'
In 1539 the warriors of Luzon u:x,, part III the tormitl:,hlc
contests of Sumatra, anti under the order, of Anit• S11y Timo1.
Rajah of Batta. conquered and o~-erthre11, the temhk AILadm
Sultan of Atclun, renowned m the hiMOfll.tl annals uf 1hc I ,,1
East (Marsden, liutory of Sumarr,1. C't•Jptcr XX )
At 1ha1 time, that sea where 0oal th, >'land, like ,t wt uf
emeralds on a paten of bright glass, that sea was everywhere
339
travencd by Juno. pa,aus, barongay1, vinUII, vessels swift as
shuttles so large that they could maintain a hundred rowen oo
a side (Marga); that sea bore everywhere commerce. indusuy.
agncuhure. by the force of the oars moved to the 'IOUnd of
warlike wngs of the gcncalog,cs and achievements of the Phllippinc di,iniue~ (Colin ChJpter XV.)
Wealth nt>ounded in the islands . Pigafetta tells us of the
abundance of foodstuffs in Paragua and of its inhabitanrs who
nearly all tilled their own fields. Al this ISl~d the surviv~rs of
\,lffgdlan', expc,di11un were well received and provisioned. A
htlle later •hc,c same survivors c:apturcd a ve'l....:I, plundered
and sacked 1l and took pmoner m it the chief of the !$land of
f'aragud wuh h" '°n and brother
.
In this same vessel they captured bronw lombards. and Ibis
•~ the first menticln of artillery of the riltpino, for these tombards
were u:,cfuJ to the chief of Paragua agams• the ~.wages o f the
1ntcrmr
l hey let him ransom h1m~clf within i.even days. demanding
of 11cc 20 pig,, 20 goili:.. and 450
ch,dcns. nus " the firs• act of piracy recorded in Philippine
history l'he chief of Paragua paid every•hing. and moreover.
s~luntrmly added cocon t11$. banana,, and sugar-cane jars filled
Wllh Jl"lm v.1m· When Cue,ar wa> •akcn pmoncr by the corsairs
and rcqwred to pny t"cnty-fivc talents ransom, he replied ~1•11
g.avc yuu fifty. hut la•cr I'll have you crucified!" The chief of
Paragua was more generous he forgot, His conduct. while ii
may reseal weaknc~~. also demon~tratcs •hat the islands were
abundantly pro-.s1oncd This chief was named Tuan Mahamud·
h,s hmthcr, Gu.intd, and his son, Tuan Mahamud : (Manfu
Mend,•,. Pur\cr of the hir \',, toria: A•chivo de lndins.)
4{)0 nwa.,urc~ (c·uvaner:')
. I\ vel) c~tr,turdinary •h1ng. and one that ~hov.-s the facility
wuh whi<h •he nau,es learned Spanish, is that fifty years before
lhc armal ot th" Sparuards m Luzon, in that very year 1521,
when they hr,, cumc to the tsland\, there were already natives
of LU1on who understood Castilian In the 1rca1ies of peace 1ha1
the survivors of Magellan·s expedition made with the chief of
Paragua. when the ,crvant-mterprctcr died they communicated
with one another through a Moro who had been captured in
lhe l!>land of the Kfog of Luzoo and who understood some
MO
Spanish. (~•.nin Mendez, op cir.) Where did lhas extemporaneOLS mtrrp,~ter learn Castilinn7 In the Moluccas'/ In Malacca ,
with the Ponu~u~~e? Spaniard~ dtd not rc~ch l.u10n un1il 1571 .
L.:11,..tpi·, ~xpedition met in Butuan variou~ trader, of Luzon
with their lx>:!!s laden wuh ,ron. cloths, porcelain, etc (Gaspar
Jc S.in A~'"''~) plenty of provi«,ons, act1v1ty. trade movement
in all the: •nuthc 1n islands
The\ ,irr··c,I at the Island of ( d>u, ~ah(>undmg m provi~•ons.
with mine, '" I washing~ of gold. and peopled with na11ve,," as
Morga s:•\' · very populous, and at a port frequented by many
ships that c,1111< from the island" und kingdom, near lndtd ... 115
1nlin ,,.~, .,,d even though the)' were peaceful I> rcct'ivcJ di •·ord
,onn Jn,,.__ I he cily w~ tak.:n by lorce and hurned. l h.: first
d•·•••••~•"• ''" lo,><.I ,upphc, .111J naturall)' fotmne tiroke ou• m
tha1 ""'" of ·• humlrcd •hnu,:md people. a, the h1'torian\ soy
and amon~ the nwmbcrs of the cxpediuon. but 1hc nc1111.hboring
i,lan<h 411,cktv 1chcved the need. thanks to •he abundance they
cnJoycd
All rhc hJStnrics of tho'>c lm,t ycar~. 1n ,hurt, uoound m
long .,ccnunr, ahout the industn· and &f,!ricuhurt of the natives;
mine, gutd-"a,hmg,. looms. farms . barter. nasal construction,
rai,,1nl! ,;I l'lOuhry ,md ,tuck. "caving of si!k and cotton, d,~tillcries.
mJn\Jlaclurc, e>f arm<, renrl fi~hcrics, the civc1 indu,try the
ht>rn ,ind hid~ mdustry. etc.. arc thmgs encoun•ered at every
step. ancJ con>1dcnng •he time and the cond111ons m the ,sland~.
prow th111 there"'•" hfc. there was acuvn\. Ihere was mo ...cment
\nd 11 thh. "h1ch "dcdu,h«ln, do,•, not convintl' .mv mmds
imt->uc,I ,11th unfai r pre1udices perhaps, of <Ome avail may be
lhc 1c,1 111l11 11 , of the oil-quoted Or. l',forga. who wa, Ltculcnant( '"'"""' o l \ 1,mtla le1r ,c",n }car, nnd .the, rcndc11ng great
,l·n ,_.,. in th, A1,·hi p..-ta~o ""s .1pp<1m•cd cnmm,11 JUd)Cc of th•·
Autl,cnn,1 nt Mcxic,, anu Counsellor or the lnqu1si11on. I hs
•,·,11111,,n~. Yoe "')· "high ly crcthhlc, not only occause all h"
c,mtcmpur,inc, haw spoken of him in h:rms that border on
vcncr.11i1,n hut a lw h.:c,m,c hi, work. from which "c •akc the~
i:11,1111•11,. 1s \\Ill ten ,11th great circurnspecuon and care. a, well
"'i1h rdcrc ,,n· tu the ,1u1hm111c, tn the Ph1ltppinc, •" to •he
1·rm1, th n cummilkd. The nauvc< ·· ,ay., Morga 111 C'h.1rtcr
VII. <pealing of the occupauons of the C11ine<;e_ .. are very far
341
from exercising those trade and have forgotten much about
fanning, raising poultry, stock and cotlon, and weaving cloth.
As they used to do in their Paganisrp and for a long time after
the country was conquered."
The whole Chapter VIII of his work deals with this moribund
activity, this much forgotten industry, and yet in spite of .that,
how long is bis eighth cbaptcrl
And not o nly Morga, not also Cbin no, Colin. Argensola,
Gaspar de San Agustin and others agree in this matter. but
modem travelllers, after two hundred and fifty years, examining
the decadcnoe and misery, assert the same thiing. Dr. Han,
Meyer, when he sew the unsubdued tri\•e~ cullivating hcautilul
fields and working energetically, asked if thex wo11ld not brcomc
indolent when they 10 tum sh ould accept Cbn~tianity and a
paternal government.
Accordingly. the rilipino~ in ,pnc nf the climate , in ,pitc
of the-ir few needs (they were le,~ then than n<,w) . were not the
indolent crea,ures of our time, and. ~ we sha II sec later on.
their ethics nnd their m,Mlc of lifo 1,crc not what 1~ now t1>111pl.1 ccn1ly 011ribu1cd to them.
How then, nnd in whal "ny, w:" that :,ctivc and cntc rpri,injl
infidel na1ive of ancient times con,·ened into the lazy a nJ ,ndolcnt
Chrbuan, as our contemporary wrilers ¥1Y''
We have alrcad}' spoken of the more or less latent prcd1s•
position which ex,sts in tne Ph1hpp1nes 1owarJ andokncc .•,nd
which mu>t exiM every"here, in the whole "llrlc.l. in a ll men .
becau:.e we all hale work more or less. as it ma~ be more or
less hard. more or lc.s unproductive. The tlolce far 111en11• of the
Italian. the ruscorNr la lmrrigfl of the Spaninn.l. the ,,,prcme
aspiration of the bourgeois 10 lisc on his incorne in peace and
tranquility, auest thi5.
What causes operated to awake tha,, terrible pred1sposnion
from its lethargy? llow is it thi.lt the Filipino people. w fond ui
its customs as lo border on rou1ine, h:1s given up ib ;rncient
habits of work, of trade , or na·,•iga1ion. etc .. even to 1he extent
of completely forge11111g 11s past~
-m-•
A fatal combination'o{ circumstances , some independent or
the will in spite of men's effons, others in offspnng of stupidity
and ignoranoe. others the inevitable corollaries of false p ronciples,
and still others the result of more or less base pa"inn, . ha<
induced the decline of labor. an evil which instead of t>c,ng
remedies by prudence. mature reflection and recognition of the
mistakes made , through a deplorable policy, through rcgrcunhlc
blindness and ob~inacy, ha~ gone from bad to worse until 1t
has reached the condition in which we now o;ec 11.
Fin;! came the wars, the internal disord.:rs which the ne"'
cllange of affairs naturally brought with 11. It was ncce~ary 10
sub1ec1 the people either by cajolery or force ; there were fights.
tllere was slaughter; those who had submiued peacefully ,;eemed
to repent of it; insurrections were suspected, and some O'.-.urrcc.l.
naturally there were executions, and many capable laborc rs
penshcd . Add to this condition of di:,ordcr the tnVil~ion of
Li-Mahong; add continual wars into wbich the inhabitant, of
the Philippines were plunged to mamtam the honor of Spain,
to cx:tcnd the sway of her nag in Borneo, in the Mnlucc,,, .ind
in lndo-0,ina; to repel the Dutch foe; costly wars. fru11lc,s
expeditions, in which each lime thousands and thou,and, of
native archers and rowers were recorded to have embarked. hut
whether they returned to their homes was never ,rn1cd. t.ikc
the tribute that on,ce upon a time Gr•ece sent 10 the Mmotau,
of Crete, the Philippine youth embarked for the c xped111on .
saying goodbye 10 their couniry forever· on their hnrw,n "'~r,
the stormy sea, tlhe intenninable wars. the raih c-.:pc<lition,
Wherefore, Gaspar de San Agustin say,;: "A lthou\!h ant'ocn tl)
there were in this town of DumangUJ. many people. in tht' rnur-.
of the time they htivt very greatly 1Jim/11ished hera1111 1/ir m1111·r•
are tht best sailors and most skillful rowers on the v.holc cua~1 .
a.nd so the governors in the port of I loilo tak~ mm/ 11/ tltr p,•t1rl,·
from this town for the ship, that they send ahrv.,J
When
t!he Spaniards reached this i~land (Panay) ii i~ sa,d that thc,e
were on it more than fifty thousand families; hut these d1mm1shcd
greatly . . and at present they may amounl to romc f(ourtccn
thou&and tributanes." From fif1y thousand families t-o fourteen
thousand tributaries in little over half a century!
343
We would De\'a get lbroagh. bad we lo quote all the
evidence or the authors regarding the fnghtful duninution of the
mhabitants of the Philippine,, in the first years after the discovery
la the time of their first bishop, that is, ten years after Legazpi.
Pluhp II !>aid that they had been reduced to less than two-thirds.
Add 10 these fatal expeditions that wasted all the moral
and ma1cnal energies of the country, the frightful mroa~ of the
terrihle pirates from the south. iMtipted and encour•gcd by
the govemmet1I, first in ordCT 10 get a oompl~int and afterwards
disarm the a,,lands subJected 10 11, inroads that reached the very
~bores or Manila. e,cn Ma.late it,;clf, and dunng which were
seen .to set out for captivity and slavery. in the baleful glow or
burning \llllages, strings of wretches who had been unable to
dc:fcnd them,;clves, leaving bcb10d them the asbe,, of their homes
and the corpses of their parents and children Morga. who
recounts the first piratical invasion. says: "The boldness of these
people of MmJanao did grca1 damage 10 the Visayan Island, as
much hy what they did in them M by the fear and fright which
the native acquired, becam;e the latter were in the power of the
Spaniards who held them subJect and tributary and unarmed,
111 such m,mnrr I/wt t~y did not protttct them from their tltt!tnW
or lea1•r t~ TMans w11h which tQ defl'nd them~rlvl's, AS THEY
DID WHEN THERE WERE NO SPANIARDS IN THE
COUNTRY " These piratical attacks contmually reduced the
number of lhc inhab,t.onts of the: Philippine,. Mnce 1he independent Malays were espeetally notorious for their atrocities end
murders, sometime, because they bebe,cd that 10 preserve their
indcpcndcnL't: n was necessary to weaken the Spaniard b)' reducing the number of his wbJcct.~. sometimes because a greater
hatred and a deeper resenlmem msp,red them a,tamst the CllrisFihp,no v.ho. bc,ng of their own race, ser.ed the stranger
m order to depnve them of their precious hbert y Thc!.e exped1t1<>ns lasted about lhree centuries, being repeated five and ten
times a )CM, and each expedi1ion cost the island over eight
huodrcd prhoncr...
!'.an
"With the invasions of lhe p1Catcs from Sulu and Mindanao."
sa.s Padre Gaspar de San Agustin, (the •~land of Bant,yan,
near Cebu) "has been greatly reduced, because they ca'lil> captuced the people thece, since the latter had no place to fonify
344
themselves and were far from hclp from Cebu. The hostile Sulus
did great damage-in this island m 1608, leaving 11 almost drropulatcd .. ( Paj!e lSQ . )
J'he,c muj!h a11a,l, . cnm,n~ frnm without produced ri
counter eftect in the in1enor, which. ,·arnittj! out meJic;1I C"nm•
pam.on, " a, lt~c 3 purge o r dJel m an ,nJh ,dual "'ho h,b ,u,1
""' J great Je4l ol hlu,>J In urd.:r HI mJkc hc.iJ\\ay ag111n,1
,o n·am cat.,m,t,e,. to ,ccurc th,,r ""•·n·1snr> ,,nJ t,1ke the
offen,l\c in thcStt d1sa<1rou, cont.:,,,. ,o ,-..,late 1hc warhkt: ,ulu<
from 1he1r ne,~hhor<. ,n 1he ,outh 10 <,tr, t, ,, the nee.ls ot the
empue o t the l,,d,es (fur one i,f the •<·""'" "hv 1he Phihpp,ncs
\\oerc kept. a, contemporan do.:um, nt, pr,we wa,; their ,trategical p<>stllon lx-tv.ccn l'-c" Spam .,r,d th~ Indies). Ill wre,1 fr,•m
the Du1d1 th\."n gro"mg colnmt:, ul 1hc tofu(...... " .•nd gc' ud
o( ,um, tn1uhlc,omc Ol"tj!hhor,. t,, tnatrltJan in ,hor, 1he: tr 1.k
of China w11h ,ew Spain. II was. neces...an to con,1ruc1 nev. .,nd
large ~h,p~ v.h1..:h. a" Yit.: hj\t.:: ~en LO~ll~ .,., th :
· l~ ...
countr~ for their e,1u1pmc111 and the rnwcr, they required ,.,re
not kss <o hecau.Stt or 1he manner in which the} were con~trucred.
Padre l·ernando de los Rio< Coronel. who fC'ugh1 ,n 1heStt \\oars
and l,ucr 1urnc:J pne,1. -.peak,n, ol tht'~c Jo.inf, .h,r , ,, 11 • "
the\ "'ere so l.1r1tc. 1h, hmlicr nccd,·tl v." cares · t~ f,,. ,d
,n the fnrc,1, (of th,· Ph1hpp1nc,''). and thu~ II "'"' nccc""
"
.,.,d,, 11 "'"h grc.tl d,rfi<uh) in lhc mo,t remote of them. where,
one< found. in order to haul and cu1WC) it 10 1hc ,h,p~ard the
1nwn.r 11[//,(' <11rra111ulin, cnuntry· had 10 be depnpula1ed af narfres.
who ,,., ii 0111 "it/1 1mmttns,• labor. damai:e, and coJI to them.
The nattve< turn"hcd the m,L'>t\ for n galleon. occording hl the
a<semon of the Franciscan~. and I heard the governor of the
prmince where they were cul. which is Laguna de Bay, say that
10 hJul them ..:,en league, o~er ,ef) broken mountam, 6.1100
ntl/11 ,., 1<wr rni;agu/ thru monthJ. w11/io11t furmshmg th~m (t>()d,
khich 11,c wrt'tched nam·r Jwd to !.t'<'k for himself'"
\nJ Gaspar de San Agustin says: "ln these times (ln'lO) .
a.color ha, not the people 1hat 11 had in the past hecauStt of
the upn,,n[! in that pro-.ncc ,-hen Don Sabiniuno Manrique de
Lara wa, Governor of 1hc,c island, tlntl becau,c of the continual
lahor of cutting 1imher for hi, Majesty's shipyard\ which hinder.;
them from cullivatmg lhe very fenile plam they have.
34S
lf th11 is not sufficient to explain the depopulation of the
islands and the abandonment of industry, agriculture and commerce, then add Mth11 'llatives who were executed, those who
left their wives and children and fled in disgust to the mountain.\,
those who were sold into slavery to pay the taxes levied upon
them," as Fernando de los Rios Coronel says; add to all this
what Philip JI said in reprimanding Bi~hop Salazar about "natives
sold by some enco=nderos to others. those flogged 10 death,
the women who arc crushed to death by their heavy burdens,
those who sleep in the fields and bear and nurse their children
and die bitten by poisonous vermin, the many who are executed
and left to die of hunger and those who eat poisonous herbs
. and the mQthcrs who kill their children in bearing them,"
and you will understand how in less than thirty years the population of the Philippines was reduced one-third. We arc not
saying this: it was said by Gaspar de San Agustin, the preeminently anti-Filipino Augustinian . and he confirms it throughout
the rest of his work by speaking every moment of the state of
neglect in which lay the fams and field once so flourishing and
so well culuvated, the town 1!1jnoed IIIPt had formerly been
inhabited by many leading families!
How is it strange, then , that discouragement may have been
infused into the spirit of the inhabitants of the Phihppincs. when
in the midst of so many calamities they did not know whether
they would sec sprout the seed they were planting, whether their
field was going 10 be their grave or thcircrop would go 10 feed
their executioner? What is there strange in it, when we see the
pius bul impotent friars of that time trying 10 free their poor
parishionc~s from the tyranny of the encomenderos by advising
them to stop work in the mines, to abandon their commerce,
10 break up their looms, pointing out 10 them heaven for their
whole hope , preparing them for death as their only consolation?
Man works for an object. Remove the object and you reduce
him to inaction. The most active man in the wortd will fold his
anns from the instant h.e understands that it is madness to bestir
himself, that this work will be the cause of his trouble, that for
him it will be the cause of vexations at home ;ind of the pirate's
greed abroad. It seems that these thoughts have never entered
the minds of those who cry out against the indolence of the
Filipinos.
346
Even were the Filipino not a man like the rest, even were
we to suppose that zeal in him for work was as essen ti al as the
movement of a wheel caught in the gearing of other. in motion.
even were we 10 deny him foresight and the judgment that the
past and present Corm, there would still be left us another rca,on
to explain the attack of the evil. The abandonment of the fields
by their cultivators, whom the wars and piratical attacks dragged
from their homes was sufficient to reduce to nothing the hard
labor of so many generati.o ns, In the Philippine,, a ban don for a
year the land most beautifully tended and you will ,cc how you
will have to begin all over again: the rain will wipe out the
furrows, the Ooods· will drown the seeds. plants nnd bu,hcs will
grow up evcryw~ere, and on seeing so much uscle~s labor the
hand will drop the hoe, the laborer will de~ert hi~ ptc,w. lsn·1
there left the fine life of the pirate!!
Thus is understood that sad discouragement wh1d1 we 1111<1
in the friar writers of the 17th century . ,pcak,nii <>I .. n,c "'"
fertile plains submerged. of pro,ince, and town, dcpnp11l,11cd.
of leading families exterminated These pages rc,cmhk ., ,Jd
and monotonOlilS scene m the nigh1 after a lively dJy. 01 ( ,tl),J) Jll,
Padre Agu~tin speaks with mournful brevity. ''A great de.ii of
cotton. of wlucl\ they made good cloth 1ha1 the Ch ,nc,c and
Japanese evef) year bought and carntd awa) .'" In the hi,tnn~n·s
time, the mdu~lf)' and rhe trade hqd come to nn cntl.
II seems tha, ·here arc causes more' thun suffic,cnt HI hrccd
indolence even in the midst of a beehive Thu, i, explained why
after thirty-two years of the system, the circumspect and prudent
Morga ~aid that the natives havt forgorten much """"' J<111111t1~.
raising pt>ulcry. scock und muon and ..-ea,·ing ,·/r,11,, '" rl,n 1,wd
10 do in their pagam}m and for a long time af1er 1he countrv
had been conquered!"
Still they :struggled a long time against mdolcnce. ye;,; hut
their enemies were so numerous that ut last they g.ivc up'
-
JV -
Wc recognize the causes that awoke the prcdi~po~ition imd
provoked the .evil. now let us see what fo~tcr and ~ust,.,n ,t. In
this connection government and governed have to how our head~
and say: uwe deserve our fate.~
347
We have already tnaly said that when a house becomes
dh1urbed and disordered, we should not a0C11se the youngest
ch,ld or 1be scrvanlS, but the head of ii, especially ,r his authority
in unlimited. He who does not aa freely is not responsible for
his actions; and the Fthpino people, not being master or its
liberty, ~ no1 rcspon5ibl<! for either its mi,fortunes or its woes.
We ,;ay 1his, il ~ lrue, but. as will be seen later on, V.'C al"O
have a l.,rge part in the continuation of such a disorder.
Tht' following other causes contributed 10 foster the evil
and aggravate 11; the constantly lessening encouragement that
labor hu, met wilh in the Philippines. Feanng to have the
Fihpmos deal frequently v.,1h other individuals of their own race,
·" , , ·re free and 10dependen1. as the Bomeafil. the Siamese,
1.._ C.unhod,~11,. and lhc Jupanc,c. people who in their cu,torns'
and fu:ling differ greatly from lhe Chine~e. 1he government ac1cd
uw,ard 1hcse others wi1h great mis1rus1 and great severily. as
Morga l<:!>llfic, in the last pages of lus v.ork, unlil lhc) finally
ceased to wmc lo 1hc country. In fact 11 <cem, thar once an
uprising planned hv the Bomeans was suspected· we ,;ay s,,upecred, for !here was not even an aucmpt. although there were
manv exc:cu1,on, And ·" 1hc,c: nahons were the very one, that
consumed Ph1hpp1ne pmduc1,, when •II communication v.ith
t~m had been cut off. consumption of thc.c products also
cease!d The only two ~nunu .c:1> w,lh which the Philippine continued to have relations were China and Mexico. ,,, l\c"' Spain,
and from this 1rade only China and a few private individuals in
Manila go1 any benefit. In fact. the Celestial Empire sent her
junks laden wilh merchandise, that merchandise which shut down
the factories of Seville and ruined the Spanish indw;try, and
re1umed laden in exchange with the silver 1bat was every year
sent from Mexico :'llothing from the Pbilippin~ at that time
wenl 10 China, no, even gold, for in those yea~ the Chinese
1raders would acccpl no payment but silver coin. To MeXJCo
"cnl a tittle more: some cloth and dry goods which the enco=drros took b) force or bought from the native,. al a paltry price,
wax, amber, gold, cive1. etc; but nothing more, and not even
in great quantity, as is stated by Admiral Don Jeronimo de
Bcnuclos y Carrillo, when be begged lhe Kmg that "the lflhab110II.IS of the Manilas be permitted ( 1) to load as many ships as
they could w,rh native produ.as, such as wax, gold, per{umL$,
.k3
ivory. cotton clorhs. whu-h tltq would have w buy from the
Mlivtt of 1hr counrry. .• Thus fril!ndshtp of thc.se people$ would
M gaint'd, thry -..ould furnuh /\cw Spam wtth the,r m£rchandue
and lhe m()itty that i.r brought 1(1 Wamla would not lra,·I' this
place."
'°
The coa~twr;e lrade.
active in other times, had to die
ou1. thanls to lhe p1ra11caJ auach of 1he Malays of the ~u1b:
and Ira.Jc in the 1ntc1Lor ot lhe ,~land~ almo:.1 cnurely d1Mppearco, ,,win~ 10 re,trictHJn, pa,-spon, and other ndm1mstra1"e
rc:quiremrnh
Of no h•tlc 1mpor1ance wcr<: 1hc hindrance and obl,1.ick,
lh:11 lrom th.: hqunnmg were 1hro"n in the farmer's wAy by 1he
rule, who v.crc influenced by ch1ltli,,h fear .ind ~w c,cryv.here
\ll(nS of c11n,p1rn i,:s jnd 11pn\1r1g,. Tiw n,,ll\C, v.cre not JU,,.... cd
to. go 10 lhetr laho~. that 15. their farm~ . ...-11/tout pum1.\\ion of
the go,anor or r,/ hu a11enu and ojf,cen, and en•11 of the pnesu
a< M, rg. '·"'· f"ho,c v.ho know 1hc admm1Slra11ve ,lad,ne!»
ano confu,wn in" coun1ry "'here the officials "urk SC,trcely 1wo
hours a dJy. lht>-.e v.ho ~o"' lhe eost of go,ng 10 and reluming
from 1hc ,,tp,\.il 10 1hc hulc t)ranL, v.1II v.ell undcrsland h.ow
11o;1h ·h,,crudc arr;,n ,·m, nt 11 i~ po,,,hk to ha,e th,· mo,t abl.urd
~~"'" lture , I ru.: 11 ,, that for -.ome umc lh" ahsurdi1~ "-hich
v.oulo be lud,crnus hao II not been so Serious. has d,~appc:ared;
bu, CH 11 1I the "'ord, "'"" gone our ol u-.c other lacb and ulhcr
prmi,,un h.,,e replaced 1hem Th,· Mun, p1ra1c h;i, d,,..,pp,:,m:d
hu1 1he1c r<·marn, the outla"' who intc~b lhe ncld, and waylays
rt-· fa·111c1 h.1 h,,IJ him 101 ran,om Nov. then. the go,ernmcnt.
"'hich h," " ('omlanl t.:ar of the p,.·ople. ,kn,e., 10 lhc farmc"
ncn 1hc u,c ol J shot~un nr ,f it ,Inc~ allo" n docs -.() ,er)
grud!!lJl!(I~ unJ v.uhJra\\, 11 al ,lca,,urc. v.hcnce II rc,uh, wuh
Ilk: I ,hor, r. "'ho. 1h:inb 10 h,. 111,·.ui- of ocknse. planl\ h1>
,r,,p, ,,m 111, ·,1, hi, mcaRer fo tune: m !he fum,,.., lhal he h,I\
" lahon, u,I, np,:ncd. 1ha1 when h,, cr<>p malurel. u occurs lo
lh, g,,,crn111 nl ,,_h,ch t, 1mp,11cn1 10 ,upprc" hnganJal!e. 10
J,·pr,,,: h1111 ,1 ~i, weapon, and lh,•n , "nhnul defense and
v.11hout securnv he " r,•tlu,cd to 1n,1c11nn CJ.Rd ah,mdons hi~
field. hi, w<
Jnd tah"' to gamhhng a,, lhe hc,t means or
~c,1mng J h,cl1hooJ I he i;r<'cn clu1h " und..:r the prolecuon
of lhc go,emmcnt, n "safer' A mournful cnun,elor i~ fcJr. for
•k:
it oot only cause. r = hr• but abo iD caatiug aside the weapons,
strengthens tbe very pen«:utorl
·
The sordid return the native gets from his work has the
effect or discourqing him . We know from history that the
encomenduos, after reducing many to slavery and forcing them
to work for their benefit, made othea give up their merchandise
for a trifle or nothing at all, or cheated them with the measures.
Speakmg of lpion, in Pa.nay, Padre Gaspar de San Agustin
. but provoked
by the annoyances they suffered from some governors they have
ceased to get 11 out, prefcmng to live in pove11y than to suffer
such hardships." (Page 378) Fur1hcr on, speaking or o rher 1owns,
he says: ~Goaded by ill treatment or the encomenderos who in
admirustering JUSllCe have treated the natives as their slaves and
not as their children, and have only looked after their own
interests a1 the expense of rhe wretched for1uncs and lives of
their charges... (Page 422) Further on: Min Leyte, they tned
to lull an encomenduo or the town of Dagami on account of
the great hardships he made them suffer by exacting tribute of
wax from them with a steelyard wluch he had made twice as
long as others.... "
says: MIi was in ancient times very rich in gold
This state of aff31rs lasted a long nme and still lasts, in spite
of the fact that the breed of e11comenderos has become cuinct.
A term passes away but the evil and the passions engendered
do not pass away so long as reforms are' devoted solely to
changing the names.
The war., wnh the Dutch, the inroad, and piratical auacts
of the people of Sulu and Mindanao di&appcared; the people
have been transformed; new towns have grown up while othen
have become impoverished; but the fraud~ subsisted as much as
or worse than they did in those early years. We will not cite
our own experiences for aside from the fact that we do not
know which to select, critical persons may reproach us with
partiality; neither will we cite those of other F'wpinos who write
in the newspapers , but we shall confine ourselves to translating
the V.'Otds of a modem French traveler who was m the Philippines
for a long time.
"The good curate,W be says, with reference 10 the rosy
picture a fnar bad given Jum of the Philippines, "had not told
350
me about the governor, the focUilOSl official of the district. who
was too much i.ken up with the ideal of gerung rich to have
time to tyrannize over his docile subjecu; the governor. charged
with ruling the country and collecung the vanous taxes m the
government's name, de.·oted lumstlf almost wholly 10 trade; .,,
his hands tht high and noble functions he performs nrc nothing
more rhan instrwnent of gain. He monopoliu1 all the busirreis
and inswul of developing on lus part the lovt of -..·ork. instead
of stimulating IM too Miura/ 111doltnu of the mmves. ht wtth
abust of his fX)1+~rs thinks only of destroyi11g all·compt11t1u11 that
171/Jy 1r0uble him or antmpts 10 parric1pa1e in his profits. It mauers
lilllt /0 him that the OOUJ'llry u unpovenshed, without cultmmon.
w/thow comnl.l!rce, withoul industry. JUSt so the goeemor n quickly
enric/ted."
Yet the traveler bas been unfair in picking out rhe R<>I ""'"'
espeaally. Why only the governor?
We do not cite passages from other auJbors: becaus.: "'e
have not their works at hand and do not wish tu 4 uutc from
memory
The great difficulty that every entcrpns.: encounrcrcd with
the admimstration contnlruted not a little to kill orr all commercial
and industrial movement. All the Filipinos. as well ~ all th()<,C
who have tried to engage rn bu.sines,. in the Philippine,. lnow
how many documents, what comings. how mam ,r~mped papc~.
how much patience is needed to secure from the government a
pemut for an enterprise . One must count upon the good will
of this one, on the influence of that one, on a g()()d bribe 10
another in order that the application be not p,gcon-holcd. a
present to the one further on so that be may pa,;:, 11 on 10 hi,,
chief. one must pray to God to give h,m good humor ,1nd rune
to see and examine it ; to another, talcn1 10 r«ogniu 11, c,pc
diency; to one funher on sufficient stupidity not to scent l>chmd
the enterprise an insurrcctionary purpo,c and that the~ may not
all spend the time taking haths. hunting or plaving ca rd, w11h
the re,erend friars to their convenrs or country hou,..;:, /\nd
above all, great patience, great knowledge of bow to get alnng.
plenty of money, a great deal of poh11cs. many salutations, grc~•
influence, plenty o r presents and complete resignation' How i,
it strange that the Philippines remain poor in spite or the fertile
351
IOil, when history tdla 118 that the countries now the most
flourishing date their development from the day of their liberty
and civil rights? The most oommercial and mos1 industrious
oountnes have been lbe freest counuies. France, England and
the United States prove this. Hongkong, which IS not wor:th the
most msignificant of the Philippines, has more commeci.al movemenl than all the islllods together, because it is free and is well
governed
The trade with Oiioa, which was the whole occupation of
1he colonizers of the Pbilipptnes, was not only prejudicial to
Spain but also the life of her colonies; ,n fact, when the officials
and priva1e persons in Mmila found an easy methoc:I' of gelling
rich they neglected everytbtng. They paid no auenuon either to
culuvat,ng the so,l or to fostering industry. and wherefore? Ch,na
furnished 1hc trade. and the.) had only to take advantage of it
and pick up the gold lhat dropped out on its way from Mexioo
toward the mtenor of China, the gulf whence it oe,er returned.
The pern1c1011., eumple of the dorrunators in surrounding themselves wi1h servants and despising manual or corporal labor as
a thing unbecummg the nobility and chivalrous pride of !lie
heroes of «.1 m.1ny centuries; those lordly airs, "'hicb the natives
have 1ran.ta1ed into Illa /co c:asllla, and the de$ire of the dominated
to be the equal of 1he dom.inators , if not essentially; at least in
1heir manner~; all this bad naturally 10 produce avers10n to
act1v11y and fear or hatred of work
Moreover "Why work?" ai.kcd many natives The curale
says 1ha1 the nch man will not go 10 heaven. The rich man oo
eanh is liable 10 all kinds of trouble, to be appointed a caba,,
de b(lrungay, 10 be deported ,f an upriStng occurs, 10 be forced
banker of 1he military chief of 1hc town , who to reward him for
favors reccJYed se,zes his laborers arid hlS stock in order to force
llim 10 beg mercy and thus easily pays up. Why be nch? So that
all the officen of Justice may have a lynx eye on your actions,
so that at the lea.<t slip enemies may be raised up against you,
you may be indicted. a whole complicated and labyriolhine story
may be concocted again~! you. for which you CJlJ\ only get away,
not by the thread of Ariadmc bul by Dane·~ shower of gold,
and still give thanks that you are no1 kept m reserve for $0mc
needy oocas,on. The nauvc, whom they pretend 10 regard as
an imbecile, ,s not so much so that he does not understand that
3Sl
it is ridiculolq to wortt himself to <!~th to become wone off.
A proverb of his says rite pig is cooud in its own l4rd, and •
among lus bad qualibe$ be b~ the good one of applyillg to
himself all the critiCl$11lS and censures he prefers to live miserable
and indolent rather than play the part of the wretched beast of
burden.
Add to this the introduction of glambliog. We do not mean
to say that before 1he coming of the Spaniardl the natives did
not gamble the pa~ion for g;,'Tlbling is inn.ale in adventuresome
and excitable races, and such is the Malay. Pigafetta tells us of
cockfights and of bets m the Island of Paragua. Coc.k.,fighting
mus1 .ilw have e1dsted ,n Luzon and m all the island,. for in
the terminology of the game are two Taj!alog words: sabong
and rari (ooclo.pn and gaff). Bui there IS not the leasl doubt that
the foslering of th~ game ~ due to the government, as well as
the perfecting of it. Although Pi(!afetta tells us of 11, he mentions
it only m Paragua, and not in Cebu nor in any other island oC
the south, "'bere be stayed a long 1,me Morga doc~ not ,pc:a1t
of it, in spite of his having ,pcnl \even year. in Manila, and yet
he does describe the londs of fowl. the jungle hens and oocb.
Neither ,does Morga speak of gambllng. "'hen he talks about
VHlCS and other defects. more or less concealed, more or less •
insignificant MoTC-Over excepting the two Tagalog words sabong
and tan, the others are or Spanish origm .s so/tad.a (selling tbc
oocks to fight, then the fight ii.Self), pu.sta (apues1a, bet), logro
(winning), pogo (payment). elc. We 5ay the $3mC about gambling;
the word sugal Gugar, ra gambk), likL Jcumpi:sal (oonfesar. to
conf= to a priest), mdicales 1ha1 ~amhUng was unknown 10 the
Philippines before the Spaniards, The word lart1 (Tagalog, :o
play) is 001 the equivalent of the word .rugal The world word
(baraJa, playing-<:ard) proves that the introduction or playing
cards was not due 10 the Cbmese, who have a kind of playingcard~ al'iO, because in th;1t c;,,se 1hey would have taken the
Chinese name. ls not lhis enough? The word taya (tallar, to
bet), paris-pans (Spanish, parts, paus of ca.rds), po/Ilana
(napolita11a a wmning sequence of cards) sapote (10 stack the
cards), kapott (to slam), monte, and so on. all prove the foreig,'l
ongio of lhis temble plant. which only produ~ vice and which
bas round m 1he charac1er of the nauve a 61 soil, culuvated
ciroumsl ances.
.bl
Along with gambling, which breeds di,like for steady and
dlfficult toil by its promise of sudden wealth and its appeal to
the cmot1011>. with the lottene~. with the prndtgaht) and bospt·
1ahty of the Filipinos. went also, to swell 1h1, train of 011,fnrtunc,,,
the rehgiou, functions. the great number of fiestas. the long
masses for the women 10 .spend 1he1r n)orn1ng, ;ind the
novcnancs to ,p,;n<i 1he1r aflcmoons. and the 111gh1, lur the
proce."<c<ions and rosaries Rem~mber, that l3ck 1,t capital and
absence of means paralyze all movement. and mu will see how
the nauvc Wi1$ perforc.: 10 be indolcn1 for 1f a·ny money nught
remain to him from the triJh, imposts and exaction,. he "ould
have IO give i1 10 the curate for bulls. scapulane,. candles,
oovcoancs, etc. And tf tlus d~ not suffice 10 form ao 10d.Jlent
character, if the chmate and nature arc not enough in thcm-,.;l\cs
to daze him and dcJ)Tive him of all energy. recall then that the
doctrine of llli religion teach him to 1rnga1e hi, fields in 1he dry
season, not b) mean, of canals bu1 with mas,e, and prayers: 10
preserve his Mock durin, an epidemic "'Ith holy .,.,,1er,
exorcisms and l>enedict1ons that cost five dollars an animal
to drive away the locusts by a proce,Mon with 1he ,mag~
of St Aug~une, CIC. h i, "'ell, undoubtedlv. II) IIU~I
grea11\ in God; hut ii i~ better to do wh~t o~c can not
trouble 1hc Creator every moment. even wh.:n these
appeal, rcdoum.t to the bend,1 of Hi, mm,-1c" We havt:
noticed that the countries wluch believe mm, in nm ,de,
are the laziest, just as spoil.ed children arc the mo,1 111mannered. Whelhcr 1he~ bd1e,c ,n m,raclc, m palhJtc
th~ir la11ncs- or they arc la1\ hccau-.c the) hdicH 111
miracles. we cannot say hut the fad 1, 1hc Fihpmo,
,..:re much les., lazy before the "'ord 1111rac/e "'·" introduced into their language
The facihtv with which individual lil:>crty " curt,ulcd 1h.11
contmual ala"ln of aH from the knowledge that they are hahle
to a <ccrct report. a go,ernmcntJI uk111,e, and to the accu....11011
of rebel or !,Uspect. an 3CCU5~llon whoch, 10 be efkcttvc, does
001 need proof or the production of the accuser. With 1he lack
of confidence on the future. that uncertamty ol reaping the reward
of lahor. llb m a Cit} btncken woth plague, cveryhod} yields to
fate, ~huts himself in his house or goes about amusing himself
)$4
m th< attempt to spend the few days that remain to hun m the
least disagreeable way possible
The apathy of the government itself 10,.ard everything ,n
oommcn:e and agriculture contributes not a hnlc to f"'tcr mdo•
lence. There is no encouragement at all for the manufacturer
or [or the farmer, the government fumi,hc~ no aid either "'hen
a poor crop comes, when che locu,t~ sweep over the field,. or
when cyclone destroys in its passa~e the wealth of tbe soil. nor
does ii take any trouble to seek a market for the produ.:15 of
11S colonies. Why should 11 do so "hen che,c , ,me products 3rc
burdened with taxc, and imJ)(l't• and ha,e no free entn m10
the pom of the mocher country· nor " their consumpuon there
encouraged? While we ""'" all the: v.alls of Lon.Jon co,c1cJ "',1h
advertisements of tbe product& of its cok>mes, "'hile the f:nj!h,h
make heroic efforts to subsutute Ceylon for Clnnese tea, toey.,nning with che sacnfice of their wte and their Momach. in ~p.Jn,
with the excep1ton of tobacco. nothinj! from 1he Ph1hr1'"" ts
known: neither it, sugar, coffee. hemp. line dnth,. nor ,is llocano
blankets The name of Manila 1\ kno1.>n onh lrom 1h,osc d,,ths
of Chma or lndo-China "'hk'• at on~ 1u11.: ·cn,hcd Sp.un by
way of Manila, heavy ~•I~ ,bawls. fan1.i,1ic~II\ hu1 ,1,ar,dy
embroidertd. which no one has thought of 1m1ta1tnt? m !\.lamla
S1nce they are so easil> made. but the gmernmcm ha, ,,thcr
cares, and the Filipinos do not !,,now th31 ,uch obJcct .,re mnr,•
highl) e,;teemed in the Peninsula than their deli..-ak pdia
embroideries and their very fine 1usI fabric,: Til!15 disappeared
our trade in indigo, thanks 10 the trickery of the Chin,...,c "h,ch
the government could not guard agai.,,1. •,ccupied n, ,1 w , "' th
other cboughts; thus die now the other industrie,, the fine manufacturers of the Visaya. arc: graduall} disappc.iring from trade
and even from u;.e: the people. continu,111} ~c11m11
cannot afford the costly cloths and have to be con1ented with
calico or the imi1a110ns of the Germans. who produce 1m11a1ion,
even of the work of our silvcrYruths.
I'""""
The fact that the best plantauons, the bo1 tract> ol land m
some provinces. those that from their ens} access are more
profitable than others, are m the hands or the religious corpora•
uons, whose desideratum is ignorance and cond1uon of semi-star•
vation 0£ the native, so that chey may, continue to govern him
and make themselves necessary to his wretched existence. is one
JS~
Of the reasons ,.,hy many !owns do n I
•
.
e fforts of rhcir mhab,iants W will beo progress m sp,re of the
·
e
met with th
b. ·
a~umcnt on the o!hcr ,ide, that the
w~1~hi:~:i
bclon
an are companuvely richer than those which do no1
in ro g ~o !he~ They surely a re! just as their brethren in Europe
un ,ng I cir convent~. knew how 10 sc,lect the ~ valle,:
~~e~t upland, for the cul!1va11on (l{ !he
or the product,~~
so al,;o the Ph1hpp10e monl..~ have known ho"' to select
the
make ~f
l~e beau11ful plain,. !he "'Cll-water,:d fi..:ld~ to
d . . .,d I 1cm n~, plantallom, l°<•r ~ome time !he lnar. h~v
ecenero,manv
were
. hv. mak1no0 them hel,c, C I hat ,r. the-.: p Jlllat,on,,e
:; :::e
be';
to"'"•
""c
'~"'TIS,
:~~ole: •~,~~~::~,~::~~1~~e:c:;~~:~~~ ~~~•~t''~
!he
and
that rn some province~ "'here thc1 hav.
.
ey orget
reason to get
s'
r
.
c not been able to, ,ome
like Hauan a:::;sr:.'on o the b~t tracts of land, their plantations.
.
,tng, arc mfcnor 10 Taal 8alaya . d 1
~cgion, cultivated cnurcly by the native~ "'. th
n an .,pa.
interference whatsoc1e1
, out
monl..,sb
"''J
_Add to this lad or matcri.,I inducement the abscn . r
m<><al ,tunulu, ;•nd you .... 111 ~ce hov. h
ho 1
.
ct ~
that cnuntr .
e "
' not mdolen t 1n
f
Y nu,r nccJ, be ,l ma<.lman or di least a fool Wllat
u~ure ;ow:111, him who Ji,tongu"hc• h1m,cl1. hom "h,, : rud .
w o n-.c abmc the crowd·> At the COM of studv anJ sacrific~c,
young no;in llc,omcs a gr.-at chemist and aft ·r . I0
a
Ira·
h
•
' a ni; ~,>uf'<! 01
. rnihcnr,1"' t'run nc11hcr the !!0vernmcnt nor an)boJv h.1s ,;,ven
h •m I
I d h. I
·
· "
A
.east
· help he
. con cu
L'S ' ' oni: ,ta> 111 the l n,ver,,it,
compc1111-., examination " hdJ to fill a cert·•·n
r
Th,
vounu m 11l
I
?OS• 1011.
e
•
,.
•
" ' " ' t '" throu"h lnov.1~ '"c nJ ..,..
f
he h
.
. "
'"" ·•
,.~,-c,aancc anJ
a 1cr
.1, v..on u. It ,., ahofo.. hcd ht~r~1u,c:
we,,; Jo ,·
to i:11e the re· "'n I
h
no c.1rc
.a: . • lUI " er. a mumc1pal l.1hor.1u,r\ j, rlo,4.·J
1
order to ah,,l,,h the I' ,,111011 of <.11reuor "'ho lt<'t hi,, pl
}' <.·om,x·11tl\c.· c.·,~1n1111;1t1nn. wh•k Hhc:r
·r,, h . ahc e
pre, ·
... l: · • ,u~ .,1!\ t t'
lh ;,.~i"~r. arc rrescn,·d. II i, h<--,.1usc 11><.• lwl icf ni,I\ tha1
J
,...
" ' " ' m1t1rL th, p,·opk murc th
. 11 h •
I ,,, ~tcJ fuoJ, In th.
•
.on ,I I '
•
.
l: ,.1n1c.: 'A,1} Jflothei nmng n1Jn won a
pro1e tn a loteran
,·om~·tn1<•n
., .t, 1nn~ ·'" hi, ori••m wa,
,-~
' JOu
.
UrIk 11ov.n I11,. "ort.. wa, d~.
d
h
e
' xu"e ' 1 <" rn:,\~papers praised
it and
u \o\ .s" rt.t,Jh.kJ "·" .1 ttM..,h.:rptl·~l." but 1hc "-'.~•l··d •·11,· ·I
open ·J th
·
~ ~ •
'op,,-, were
<
c "'inner [lr<l\cd lo t,, 3 n.,11,,• wholt ,mon th
•
g e
losers •here ur.- Peninsulars· then all the
'
newspapt.>" h;,stcned
156
u..1
t
,,;h6·
10 extol the losers! Not one word from u,, to11ernmen1, ocx
from anybody. to encourage the native who with so much affection has cultivated the language and letters of the mothe r country!
Finally passing over m,m) other more or les\ in,,gnifieant
rea<ons. the enume ration of which would be intenmnable. let
us close this drean list with the principal and most ternblc of
all the educauon or the native
From h,, birth unt.tl. he sinks tnto h1, grave, the traon,ng of
the nati,c ,, hru 1ah11ng. depre,sivc and an11-human (the "ord
Minhuman .. i, nt)I <ufliciently e~planator, whether or not the
Acadcm) adm11, it. let II go). Jlterc is no doubt that the go,em•
ment. Mime pncst< hkce the Jc:,u,i. and ,omc Domtn1can< hlte
P.idrc !Jcna,tde<, h;\se dune a great d~al hy foundtng colleges,
schools of pnmar, m~ruction. and 1hc hkc. But this ,s 001
enou!?h. their effect> t> ne111ralucd In<) ..mount to five or ten
years ()cars of hunJ«<.l and hit) day, at most) durin!,! which
the voulh <'<>mes in contact ..,,th hooks selected b\ th05C ,cry
pne,ts .. hu l>oldly prodaom that ,t ,sen! for the nat1H·s lo I-now
Ca,ulian. th.11 the n.11ivc <hould not b.: scpar.11,d from h"
C'Jrah,111 th.II he ,hould not ,alue ttn) f.,rthcr a<p1r:11inn<.•nd
so on: live tn ten venrs durin!! "'h1ch the m;11ori1~ of the <tudents
haH' grasped nothm!? more than th;it no om, undcrst,1nd, "'hat
the bunh ,J)'. not even the profec<,or~ themsclv<", pcrh,1p,. and
the-..: f,v.:, 10 ten vear, have to offset the da,I) preachment wluch
lov.crs the J1j!ni 1v of m.tn "'hu:h b) degree, brutall} Jcpnve~
him of tht.: ''- nt 1m.:n, of ~c:1r.~,t4..'Cm. th.ti ccernal. ,whht,rn,
con,t.ont l.1t>.>r 1t1 "-"• the n.1111, , nee!... to male, him ,1cccp1
the ,n~,·
pbc-l! hH'> ,,n .o !,:,cl v.11h the bca,1 - a ,abor aulcd
1r
b} '-'HllC pt.·1,nn,. \\ll'h r•r \\ll~lllUt th~ at:,,1ht) 10 ~fltt:: . \\h1t.:h
11 J1,1,.''\ 1101 picHht1 ~ , ,, ..,,u11" 1nchvuh1;1I, th.: dt.:'1J\:,t ~£led IO
-
other, it h." 1h,· ,lr('<"lle eftect. hkc the breakin~ 01 ., cord ihat
L\ ,trctchcu 100 t1[!hth
Illus 11,h1l~ 1he, attempt to make ot the
n.,11,c .1 ~ind ,>I Jn1mal. \Cl in cxchani:c they Jen and <>( horn
,II\ me •"· th,n<. /\nd "~ :,..,, "'"' ••J.'-' .u,:1..._m, IJ(.·t..:au'4.: he mu,, he..·
"god" h,, Jo..,, n,>t hc,ome inJ.,kn t in that d omate. surrounded
h~ thl.' l"lflUm,aan,·c, mcltltOO\.'.'d l)cptl\C a man. then. c.,r h,,
c.h!,!nl l\ ...mJ \(Ill n,,, 1111, c.k•, ~ 1..· •'1m1 nt h1, morJ\ ,tn.:n~th hut
n.,u . 11,l't mJkt.· u~h:~, C\\'n t,~r ,hose who w1"ih to make uc;;e ~r
ham I \l'!"\ \.'fl'.Huh.. :,.,~ " .. 1, 1tu~ 1·" t 11 ...,r g. m.10·') 1:-,
357
his self,c:sieem. Take it away from him and be is a corpse, and
be who seeks IM:livity in a corpse wiU encounter only worms.
Thus is Cltplained how the natives of lhc present time are
no loogeT lhc same as lhosc of the time of the discovery, neither
morally nor physically.
The ancient wnters, lile Cbmno. Morga, and Colin, take
pleasure m describing them a wnl•ftarund, with good apt,tudts
for any thing they take up, ku" and susuptiblt and of rtsolutt
will, very clean and neat in their persons und clolhing and of
good mitn and ~"ring ( Morga). Others delight in m1nu1e accounb
of their inlclligcnce and pleasant manners. of their aplltudc for
music. tbe drama. dancing and smging. of the facility \l.ith which
they learned. 001 only Spanish but also Latin. which they acquired
aim= by thcm,dve, (Cohn). Others uf their exqu,...1c poh1cnL...,_
m their dealintts and m their ,ocial fife. others. like the r,,.,.t
Augustinians. "hose account~ Ga5par de San Alt\L~tm copies,
found them more gallant and hcner mannered than the mhabuanis of tl,c Molu,·ca, "All I,. t off tl11•1r huvhantfrv. ·· add, Morga,
"their farmr, fisheries and enrtrpnses. for thev travel from island
to 1sl.uid by ,;ea and from province 10 province b} land."
In exchange. the wn1ers of the pr~n, 11me, "'11hou1 being
more gallant than I lcnnan Cot1c2 and Salcedo, nor more prudent
than Legazpi, nor more manly than Morga. nor more studiou)
!ban Colin and Gaspa de San Agustin. our oontemporary wnter;
v.,e ~.-y find that the nauvc ,, u creature sometl11ng '""'" than a
monkey b111 much ltsl thon u man, an a111hro11md tl111l-..med,
stupid, timid, diny, cnng,ng. i/1-dQthtd. 111dole111, lazy, brainless,
immorul, etc. tic.
1 o v.,ha1 •~ thl!> rctrogre"u\n Jue" h II the delectable ci, ihuion, the religiun of !>;1Jvauon of the friars, called of Jc,u\ Chmt
by euphemism. that has produced this mirade that has atrophied
hil, brain, paralyzed his bean and made of the man llus son of
vicious :1nimal that the writ<'rs depict?
Ala~• The whole m1>fonunc of 1hc prc,cnl Frhp,nt>s con,i.sh
in thar they have become only half-way l>rutc~. The F,hp,no i,
convmced that Lo get happmess 11 ,s necessary for !Jim 10 lay
aside his d1g1111y as a rational creature, 10 aucnd maM, 10 bche•e
whal is told him, 10 pay what is demanded of him, 10 pay and
forever 10 pay; to work, suffer, and be silent , without aspiring
358
any thing, without aspiring 10 lmov. or even 10 under;tand
Spanish, without separating btrnself from has carabao, as the
priests shamelessly uy. without prote,,tmg ag.i,n" •'"} 1n1u,11cc.
agall\.~t any arb,trnl") acuon. :igam.,1 an a~sauh ..,ga111~1 •~'.' m,ult .
that is, not to have heart. hram or ~pmt; a ('rcaturc w11h drm,
and 3 purse of gold .. the~c·~ the ,deal nau,c! untor~un.,'.ch:
.____
the brutalizatton ,, 001 yet complete a ,J he,,,.,_. rh,
or .,.,.,..use
f h·
1
nature o f man 1l> 1"nherent 1n hro; l'>cm,- in 'l'IIC o 1< wm 111011
the native protests; he still has asp1rauon~. he thinks .mJ ' 111" ' '
10 nse, and there's the trouble'
In the preu:ding chapter ,,.e ;,ct forth the t:'Ju~, 1ha1 puxccd
from the government m fo,1enng and mamt.11111011 tht· ,·,·1 W<
thn...: 1h.11 cm.male
·
are d .,scussmg.
,No·"
" ,t falls to us 10 anal•Le
,
from the people. Peoples and gmemmcnh ar.: u11rd,1tc I 11d
complementary 3 \lup,d gmcrnment -..ould he on .,11.,11.,h
among righteous people, ju~• as a corrupt people cann•>t "'"'
under )USI rulers and wise la\l.S. L1l.e people. hke gu,.:1111ncn1
we will say 1n par.-phra,;c of a popula1 adage
We c;in reduce all these cau,c, to two d~""' to ,tc:fcct,
of trninmg and lacl, of national ~ntimcnt
or the influence of climate we ,poke a1 _1he hc~1nmnc. so
we will now treat of the effects arising fro,m 11
The very limrted traming m the home. the 1vranmcal Jnd
stcnle educa11on or the rare cen1er, of lcarn,n~ th.11 l>hntl ,ul><>1
dination of 1he youth to one of greater a11c. ,nn,,.,n, c tht· 01111 •1
so that a man ma) not aspire to e xcel tho-.c ,,. ho rrcu:,kJ lu,
but mw.t merely be content 10 go along with a m. «h h ·h,n
them . Stagnatron torcibl) rc,ull\ from th,, .•mJ • he 1,,. ,1, 11 <
himself merely to copying di,est~ h1imclf ,>f other qu.1l111c,, 1,
. own narure . he naturall) becomes -.tenh.:; hence tlccadu ,, ,
to h1s
Indolence ,s a corollary denved from the 1..d. ,,f st1111ul11, ,,,,
of viiahty.
That modest) infu,;ed into 1he con,11:t10n, .,f c,cr\""' "'
to speak more clearly. that msinu~ted infenont~. ,1 ' " " , '.' l,u~,
and constant depreciation of the mind ,o that II ma> n,11 lx · .11-..:J
10 the rcg,ons of light, deadens 1he enel'g,cs. paraly1n .,11 lcnden
JS9
aes toward adv~ncement. and of the least struggle a man vci,
11
up without ~ghtmg. lf by one of those rare incidents, some wild
spinl, that ,s, wmc aclJvc one. excels, tnStead of lus example
~•mula~mg, 11 only cause, others 10 pcnist in their moetion.
Th~rc s one who v.,11 work for us; 1e1·s sleep on'" say his
rc:latHes and fnends. frue 11 ,, lhat the spirit of nvalry 1s sometime, .,wakened, only that lhcn it awakens wilh bad humor m
the guise of cnv>. and imacad of being a lever for helping 11
1s an obstacle that produce,; discouragement
•
Nurtured by the example of anchorit~ of a contemplative
and laL) .hfe, thi: natl\e~ ,pend theirs ,n giving their gold to the
Oiurch .•n .the hope of miracl~ and other "'<.>nderful thin~.
lnc,r
1s hypnouud from childhood the\ learned to act
mcch~mcally, wnhout kno,.,lcdgc of tbe obJcct. th,m~, lo tbe
excrc1"1C 1mpo-.:d upon them from the tenderest )Cars cf pra)mg
for whole hours m an unknown tongue. of ,cneratinF th,nll)
that ~hey do not understand. of accepting belief, that arc 001
explained to them, to having absurd1t1~-.. impo.cd upon them.
while the prot,:,;t, of rea-;o11 are rcprc,St."d J, it any wonder that
w,th the, ~,c,ous dr. uage of intelligence and wtJJ the native. of
old lo~Kal and consNcnt
JS the analy,,s of his past and of
his langua1tc <;!"mo11s11ate~
should now be a ma~ of dismal
contradicoons. That continual struutc between reason and duty,
~tween ht> organism and his ncv. idcab, that civil war which
d"rurl>< the peace of hib con-ciencc all his life. ha,, the result
of paralv7mg all his energies. and aided by the M:verit> of the
chmate. make, of that eternal vacillation. of the doubts in his
brain, the ong,n or tu, mdolcn_l 1hsposi1Jon
,.,,II
. "You cao·1 know more than this or 1ha1 old man• "Don't
a<;ptrc 10 l>c gr.-atcr than the curate'" "You belong to an inferior
race'" ·you ha,-en·1 any energy'" This is ,.hat the> tell the child
and the). repeat 11 so often. it ha, perforce to become engraved
m _the mind and thence mould and pervade all tu.~ acuon. The
child or youth who tnes to he anything c:lsc 1~ olamcd with
"anfty and_ presumptlOD; the curate ridicules him with cruel
~rca~m h" rela11ves look upon lum with fear. ,1rangers regard
hlm with great compa<tjon No forward movement - Get back
in lhe ranks and keep m line!
.
~1th his spirit thus moulded the oaove falls into the most
pem,ciou, of all rou1tnes: roulllie not phumed but imposed and
.360
forced Note that the native him"'lf i, not n,11.i,;ilh ,nclmcd 10
routine, but his mind is disposed to accept all truth, JUSt ~ lus
house 1s open to all siranger... The g,lod and the beautiful attract
him. seduce aoo captivate him although hkc the Japanese he
often exchanges the good for the eVII, 1f it appears to h,m
garnished and gilded. What he laclr.J. is in the first place liberty
10 allow expansion to his adventuresome ~p1rit, and good examples, beautiful prospecis for the future ft is neccssan that hi~
spirit. although it may be dismayed and cowed by lhe elements
and the fearful marufcstauon of their nught y force.,. store up
energ)', seek high purposes, in order to struggle agam~t obstacles
in the midst of unfavorable natural conditions. In order that he
may progress it is necessary that a revolutionary spirit, so to
speak, should boil in his veins, since progress ncccssonly requmis
change; it implies the overthrow or the past, there defied, by
the present; lhc Victory of new ideas over the ancient and
accepted one. It will not be sufficient to speak to h1J. Caney, 10
talk rucely to him, nor that the light illuminate him like the ignis
fatuus that leads travelers astray at night: all the Oancring promises of the wrest hopes will not suffice, so Jong as htS spmt •~
not free, his intelligence not rc«pccted.
The reasons that ongmate ,n the la.ck or national scnument
are still more lamcotable and more transcendental.
Convinced by the msinuation of his inferiority. his spirit
harassed by his education, if that brutalization of which we spoke
above can be called educauon, IJl that exch8Jlge of usages and
sen11ments among different natioru., the Filipino, to whom remain
only his ~usceptibility and bis poetical imagination, allows himself
to be guided by his Caney and h~ self-love. II is sufficient that
the foreigner praises 10 him imported merchandise and run down
the native product for him 10 hasten to make the change, without
reflecting that evef)'lhing has its weak side and the most sensi~le
custom 1s ridiculous in the eyes of those who do not follow 11.
The) have dazzled h,m with 11~1. with strings of colored glass
beads, ..,;th noisy ranles, shining mirrors and other trinkets, and
he has given in rerum bis gold, his conscience. and even his
ltbcrty. He changed his religion for lhe external practices of
another cult; tbe convictions and usages derived from his climate
and needs, for other con\.ictions lhat developed under another
sky and another mspiration. HIS sptrit, well-disposed toward
361
~ o g that looks good to him , was then trusformcd, at the
pleasure of the nation that forced upon him its God and its law,
and as the trader with whom he dealt did oot bring a cargo of
useful implements of ,roo, hoes to till the fields, but stamped
papers, aucifixc,, bulls and prayer-boob, as he did not have
for ideal and prototype the tanned and vigorous laborer. but
the aristocratic lord carried in a lllXurious liner, the result was
that the imitative people became bookish, devout, prayerful, it
acquired ideas of luxury and ostentation. without thereby improving the means of its subsislCJ!CC to a corresponding degree.
The lack of national sentiment brings another evil, moreover
which is the absence .o( all oppos1110n to measures prejudicial
to the people and the absence of any imtiative in whatever may
redound to its good. A man in the Philippines is only an indi•
vidual, be is not a member of a nation. He is forbidden and
denied the right of association, and is, therefore, weak and
sluggish. The Philippines is an organism whose cells seem to
have no arterial system to irrigate II or nervous system to oommunicate its 1mpressaons; these cells must, nevertheless, yield
their product, get it where they can; if I.hey perish, let them
perish. In the view of some this is expedient so that a colony
may be a colony; pcrltaps they are right, but not to the effect
lhAt a oolony may Oourisb
lbe result of tlus is tba, if a prejudicial measure ~ ordered,
no one prole5U, an goes well appattntly until later the evils are
felt. Another blood-letting, and as the organism bas neither
nerves nor voice the physiaan proceeds in the belief that the
treatment is not injuring it. lt needs a reform, but as it must
not speak, it keeps silent aod remains with the need The patient
wants to eat, it wants to breathe the fresh air, but as such desires
may offend the susceptibility of the physician who thinks that
he has already provided everytfting necessary, it suffers and pmcs
away from fear of receiving a scolding, of getting another plaster
and a new blood-letung, and so on indcfimtely.
1
In addition to. this, love of peace and the honor many have
of accepting the few administrative posttions which fall to the
Filipinos on account of the trouble and annoyance these cause
them places at the head of the people the most stupid and
inc:apabl~ men, those who submit to everything, those who can
362
endure all the capnccs and euct1on, of the curate and of lht
official\ Will this mefficiency 1n the lo"<"f <ph<"rc\ of po,,er !nd
ignorance and mdifferencc 111 1hc upper. with 1he t~q uent
changes and the eternal apprcn1ici,.h1p,. "11h i;r..-1• fe31 md
many adrmmstnth·e obsl8cles, w11h a voicek" peopk 1h.,1 ~ •ve
neither initiative nor cohesion, with employees who nc~rh :,II
strive to amass a fortune and return home, with mhab1lan1> >'ht>
live in great bard.hip from the instant thel be8,n to hrc,,thc
create pl'Olpcrity, agricullW'e and industry, found enterprise, and
companies, things that still hardly prosper in Cree and wellorganized oommunlties?
Yes, all attempt, is useless tha1 does not spnng from a
profound study of the evil that afflicts us. To combat thh indolence, some have proposed increasing the native's needs and
raising the taxes. What has happened? Criminals have multiplied.
penury has been aggravated. Why? Because the native 1lready
ha enough needs with bis funct1om of 1he Church, v.11h his
fiestas, with the public offices forced on him. the dona11ons and
bribes that be bad 10 make so that he may drag out his wretched
existence The cord is already too taut .
We have heard many complaints. and every day we read
in the papers about the efforts the government 1< makmp; to
rescue the country from tlS condition of indolence. Weiglung it>
plans, its illusions and its difficulties, we are reminded of the
gardener who spent his days tending and 14.itering the handful
of canb, be trimmed the plant frequently. he pulled al 11 to
lengthen i1 and hasten its growth, he grafted on its ccd.m, anJ
oaks, until one day the little tree died, leaving lhc man cunv,nccd
that it belonged to a degenerate species attnbutmg the failure
of his expenment to everything except the lack or so,I and his
own ineffable fqlly.
Without cducahon and liberty, which are the !oOil and 1hc
sun of man, no reform is possible, no measure can give the
result desired. This does not mean that we should ask first for
•be native the inSlruCllOD of a sage and all imaginable liberties,
in order then to put a hoe in his hand or place him in a workshop,
such a pretension would be an absurdity and vain folly. What
we wish is that obstacle be not put in his way, not to increase
many bis climate and the situation of the islands already
the
363
~ t e tor him that instruction be not begrudged him for fear
that wheo he becomes intelligent he may separate from the
colonizing nation or ask for lbc rights of wlucb he makes himself
worthy. Smee some day or other he will become enlightened,
whether the government wishes it or not, let his enlightenment
be as a gift received and not as conquered plunder. We desire
that lbc policy be at once frank and consistent, that IS Jugbly
civ1hzang, without sordid reservations, without distrust without
fear or jealousy, "'ishing the good for the sal.c of the good,
civtlizanon w11bou1 ulterior thoughts of gramudc, or else boldly
cxplo1bng tyranrucal and 5Clfi$h, without hypocn.sy or deception.
with a whole system well-planned and studied out for dominating
by compelling obedience. for commanding 10 get rich. to be
happy If the former, the government may act with the security
that some day or other 11 will reap the harvest and will find
people its own in hean and interest; there is nothing like a favor
for securing the friendship or enmity of man, according to
whether II be conferred with good ,.,;11 or hurled 11110 his face
and bestowed upon him in spite or himself If the log.cal ~nd
regulated system of exploitation be chosen, stifling with the 1mgle
of gold and the sheen ol opulence the sentiments of independence
in the eolonics, paying w11h 11S .,.ealth for its lack of hbcny, M
the English do in India, who moreover leave the government
to nahve rulee>. then bwid roads, lay out highways. foster the
freedom of trade , let the govemmcn1 heed material interests
more than 1he intc=ts of four orde~ of fnars; let it -.end out
intelligent employees to foster industrv; JUSt judges. all well paid
so that they be not venal pilferers. and lay aside all religious
pretext. TlllS policy has the advantage in that while it may not
lull the instincts of libertV wholl> to <lccp yet the day "'hen the
mother country loses her colonies she will at least have the gold
ama,scd Jnd not the regret of h:1'1ng reared ungr.iteful children.
APPENDIX E
THE PHILIPPINES
A CENTURY HENCE*
-
1-
f'ol'o.,.1ng our urual custom of faan5 squarely the most
dirricuh and dehcate quest,ons relaung to the Phihppines, without
weighing the consequences that our frankness may bring upon
us. we shall in the present arncle treat of I heir future.
In order 10 read the destu1y of a people, it IS necessary to
open the book of Its past, and this, for the Philippines may be
reduced in general terms to "hat folloW5·
Scarcely had they been attached 10 the Spani•h crown than
th~ had su..tamed with their blood and the effons of their sons
the' war. and amb1t1oos, and conque,t of the Sparush people.
,ind in thc..c <truggl~. m that ternhle cri,1\ when a people
chang~ ,1, form of go,emment. its laws. usages,·customs, religion
~nd bchd,. th.: Ph1hppmes was dcpopulate<J, impo,erished and
retarded
caught in 1he1r meumorph0<.1s w11hou1 confidence
in their pa~,. wi1hou1 faith in their present and w11h no fond
hope of the years 10 come. The former rulen who had merely
cn<kavorcd 10 secure the fear and sub1J1&Sion of their ,ubJects,
hahnuatcd by them 10 scrvnudc fell hkc leaves from a dead
tree and 1~ people. "ho had no love for them nor knew what
hocny was. easily changed masters. perhaps bopmg 10 gain
"'m<·thmg hy the mno,aunn.
fhcn bc,gan a nc" era for the Filrpinos. They gradually lost
their ancient tradition,. their rccollect1ons. - they forgot their
,H1tln)!\. 1hc1r sonJ!!-. their p<>elC)' their laws in order to learn
t,~ heart mhcr doctrines. which they dtd 001 understand. other
• Engh1h l/.n .... t1on by Chart•• £ o.,t,v,t, ,. Thil famous NNV ot Rael
'<1 ·1=,t,p,n41s dentro de cion. af'IOS.· -.,,qs f1t:sl publtsh&d '" U SolJdandMJ.
M..-1r ...1, Stpfember 30, ·act-f.abruary 1. 1890
~,
ethics. other tutel, diffa-cot from thOR inspired m their race
by their climate and their way of thinking. Theo there was a
falling-off, they were lowered in their own eyes, they bcoome
ashamed of what was distinctively their own. in order to admire
and praise that was foreign and incomprehensible; their spirit
was broken and they acquiesced.
Thus.yean aod c:enturies rolled on. Religious shows, ntes
that c:au~t the eye, soap, lighr.s, images arnyed wtth gold,
worship m a strange language, legends, mincles and sennons
hypnotized the allcady naturally superstitious spirits of the coun~
try but did not succeed in de,,troying it altogether, in spite of
the whole system afterwards developed and operated with
unyielding tenaaty.
When the ethical abasement of the inhabitants had reached
this stage, when they had become disheartened and disgusted
with themselves, an effon was made to add the final stroke for
reducing so many dormant wtlls and intellects 10 nothingness,
ID order to make of the individual a sort of toiler. a brute, a
beast of burden and to develop a race wilbout mmd or bean.
Then the end sought was re,·ealed. it was taken for granted,
•~d the race was insulted, an effort wa< made to deny 11 every
vmue, every human characteristic, and there were even writers
and priest,; who_ pushed the movement sull further by uying to
deny to the nabves of the country not qnly capacity for virtue
but also even the tendency to vice.
Then this which they had thought would be death was sure
salvation. Some dying persons are restored to health by , heroic
remedy.
So great endurance reached its climax with the msuhs and
the lethargic spirit woke up to life. His sensitiveness the •chief
trait or the native, was touched. and while he had the f~rbearance
to suffer and die under a foreign Oag, he had it not when they
whom he served repaid his sacrifice5 with insults and Jests. Then
he began to study himself and to realize his misfortune . Those
who had not expec. • .:<I this result. like all despotic masters.
regarded as a wrong every complamt, every protest. and punished
it 11,,:lt death, endeavoring thus to suae every cry of sonow with
blood, and Ibey ma<k mistake after mistake
3'6
The spirit of the people was not threby cowed, and even
though it had been awakened in only a few beans, 11s Oamc
nevertheless was surely and consumingly propagated, thanks to
abuses and the stupid endeavors of certain classes to suOe noble
and generous sentiments. Thus when a Dame catches a garment,
fear and confusion propagate it more and more. and each shake,
each blow, is a blast from the bellows 10 fan it into life.
Undoubtedly during all this time there were not lacking
generous and noble spirrts among the dominant race that tned
to struggle for the nghts of humaruty and JUst1cc. or sordid and
cowardly ones among lhe dominated that aided the dcba'lt:mcnt
of their own country. But both were exceptions and we are
speaking in general terms.
Such is an outline of their past. We know their present.
Now, what wtll their future be'
Will the Phillpptne lslan~ conunue to t>e a Spanish colony,
and if so. what kind of colony• Will they become a province of
Spain. with or without autonomy? And to reach this stage. what
kmd of sacrifices will have 10 be made?
Will th.ey be separated from the mother country to bve
independently, to fall into the hands of other nations. or to ally
themselves with neighboring powers?
It is impossible to reply 10 these questions for 10 all of
them both yes and no may be answered, according to the 11me
desired to be covered When there 1~ in nature no hllcd comh11on.
how much less must there be in 1he life of a people. being
endowed with mobility and movement: So. 11 ,s that 1n orde, to
deal with those quesllons . ,t 1s nccessaf} 10 presume an unhmucd
period of time, and ,n accordance there,.,llh try to fore-·a\l future
events.
-11-
What will become of the Phihppines "ithin a ccntun ·• Will
they conunue 10 be a Sparusb colony•
Had this quest10n been asked thrc:.: c:cntunc, j);O "hen jl
Legazp1's death the Malayan Fihp1n"" l>cgjn 10 I•~ i:radu,,11)
und«-eived and. finding the yoke hea,)', med m , am to ,hake
11>7
ii off withoul any doubl whatsoever lhe reply would have been
easy. To a sptrit enthusiastic over the liberty of the country, to
1hose unconquerable Kagaya,nes who nourWled wilhtn themselves the spiril of Magal11s, to the desocndan1s of the heroic
Gat Puhntang and Ga1 Salakab of the Province of Batangas,
independence was assured, it was merely a quesuon of getting
together and making • determ,nahon But for him \'tho, disillusioned by sad experience, saw ever.'Where di<;cord and disorder,
apathy and brutalization in the lower classes, discourngement
and disunion an the upper, only one answer presented itself, and
it was: extend his hands to the chains, t>ow hi, neck beneath
the yoke and accept the future with the resignation of an invalid
v. ho watches the leaves fall and foresees a long winter a1DJd
who~ snows he discerns the outlines of his grave. At the time
discord jus1i6ed pessimism - but three centuries passed. the
neck had become accustomed to the yoke, and each new generation, begotten ,n chains, was constantly belier adapted 10 the
new order of things
Now then, are the Philippines in the same conduion they
were three centuries ago?
For the liberal Spaniards the ethical condition of the people
remams the same. that is, the nauve Filipinos have not advanced;
for the fnars and their followers the people have been redeemed
from savagery, that is, they have progre1.scd; for many Filipinos
ethics, spirit and customs have decayed. as decay all the good
qualiues of a people that falls into slavery that ~. they have
retrograded.
Laying aside th~ oontjderation, so as not to get away from
our subject let us draw the brief parallel between the political
situauon 1hen and the s,111.111011 at present, 10. order to see if
-..hat wa, not possible at that time can be so now. or vice versa
Let us pas~ over the loyalty the Fihp,no,, may fee l for Spain;
let us suppose for a moment, along with Spanish writers, that
tbere exist only m<>11ves for hatred and jealousy between the
two rucc,. let us adn111 the assertions flaunted b) many that
three centuries of domination have not awakened in the sensitive
bean of the native a single spark of affection or gratitude; and
we may see whether or not the Sparush cause has gained ground
in the Islands
368
Formerly thr Spanish lluthority was upheld among the
natives by ■ handful of wldien , three to five hundred ■t mosl,
many of whom were engaged in trade and were scattered about
IIOI only m the Islands but also among Ille neighboring na1tons.
~pied in long wan agamst the Mohammedans ,n the south,
against the British and Dutch, and ceaselessly hara«;ed hy
Japanese, Chinese, or some tribes in the interior. Then commurucauon with Mexico and Spain was sto"'. rare and ds((kult frequent and violent the dt~turbances among the ruling powc~ tn
the Islands, the treasury nearly always empty. and the ltte of
the colorust~ dependent upon one frail ship that handled the
Chinese trade Tltcn the seas ,n tbosc regions were 1nfc~tcd with
pirates, all enemies of the Spanish name, which w,s ~fM<led
by an impoverished fleet, generally manned by rude adventurers.
when not by foreigner~ and em:m1b, which was chcclced and
an expedition of Gomez Perez O■smarinas. which v.as ch«ked
and frustrated by the mutiny of the Chinese rowers, who killed
him and thwarted au his plans and schemes. Yet in spne of so
many adverse cm:umstances the Sparush authority has beco
upheld for more than three centuries and, though it bas bem
curtailed, still continues 10 rule the destinies of the Philippine
group.
On the other band, the present :i.ituatioo seems to be gilded
and rosy- as we might say, a betutiful morning compared to
the vexed and stormy night of the past The material forces at
the disposal of the Spanish sovereign have now been trebled;
the 0eet rela11vely improved: t here 1s more organ1zauoo in both
civil and military affairs; communication with the sovereign
oounuy is swtfter and surer. she has no enemies abroad; her
possession is assured and the country dominated seems 10 ba~e
less 11>iri1, lcss aspiration for independence, a world 1hat is to
it almost inoompreheosible Everything then at first glance pre•
sages another three centuries, at least, of peaceful domination
and tranquil suzerainty
But above the material considerauons are arising others,
invisible, of 10 e1hical nature, far more powerful md 1ransc:enclental.
Orientals and the Malays, m panic:ular, are a sensitive
people· delicacy of :ienument is predom!nant with them. Even.
.,.,
now, in apite of contact witb the Occidental oatiom who have
ideas different from bis, we see the Malayan Fili~ sacrifice
cvcrytbing- liberty, case, welfare, name for the sake of an
aspiration or a conceit sometimes scientific, or of some other
natu~c but ~t the least word which wounds his selI-lo\le he forgets
all his sacrifices, the labor expended, to ueasure in his memory
and never forget the slight be thinks he has received.
So lbe .Philipp! nc peopl~ !',ave remained faithful durin&
three oentunes, givtng up their liberty and their independence,
~e~ dazzled by the hope of the Paradise promiJed, sometimes CIJOlcd by the friend$hip offered them by a noble and
gener~ people like the Spanish, sometunes also compelled by
supenonty of arms df which they were ignorant and which tunid
inv~ with a myuerious character, or sometimes becaUJe
the t~vading foreigner 100k advantage of internecine feuds to
ltcp mas the peacemaker in chsoord and lhus after to tlominate
botb perties and SUbJect them 10 hi~ authority
spiri!5
Spanish domination once established, was firmly ma1n1a1ned,
~ks to the attachment of the people. to their mutual dissenAODS, and to the fact that the sensiove self-lo\le of th~ native
bad not yet been wounded. Then the people saw their own
coun_trymen _in the hlgher ranks of the army. their general officers
fightmg besi~ the heroes of Spain and shanna their laurels,
be~dged netthcr chµae1er, reputauon nor consideration, then
fidelity and attachment 10 Spain, IO\IC of 'the fatherland made
of ~e n_ative tncomnidvo and even acncral, as dunne the
~nglisb tnV3SlOD ; then there had not yet been invent.:d the
tnsult_ing and ridi_culous epithets with 111bicll recently the: most
laborious and pamful ac luevements of the nati\'e le.ide" hJ,c
been SIJ.gmatiz.ed; not then hEI it become the fashion to insult
and _slande~ rn stereotyped phrase, in newspapers and boo~
published with governmental and superior ecclesiastical approv.il,
the people that paJd. fought and poured out its blood for the
Spanish name, nor was it considered either noble or witty to
~ffend a w~le race, which was frobidden to reply or de[cnd
itself, and tf there were religious hypochondriacs who m the
le1SUte o~ their cloisters dared ro write against it, as did the
August,ruan Gaspar de San Agustin and the Jesuit Velarde their
·'lathsome aborti ,ns never saw the light. ar.d still less wer~ they
tb urtws rewarded with miten and raiaed io high offices. True
it la that neither ~ the natives of that time such as we are
now: three centuries of bnitalization and obsatranusm bne
neceuarily had some influence upon us, the most beautiful work
of divinity in the bands of certain artisans may finally be converted
into a caricature.
The priests of that epoch, wishing to establish their domination over the people, got in touch with it and made common
e&IIIC with it apinst tlie oppre111ivc encomcndero,. Na1urally,
the people IA'!" in them lcamin& and some presuge and placed
lta confideaco in them, followed their advice, and listened 10
them even in the darkest hours. Jf Ibey wrote. they did so 10
defense of the rights of the native and made his cry reach even
to the distant steps of the Throne. And not a few pricstS, both
~•rand regular, undertook dangerous journeys, as rcprc<en,
tatives of the country, and this, along with the striC1 and public
relidencia then rcqwred of the goverrung powers, from the
capcain-general to the most insigruficant offioal, rather consoled
and pacified the wounded <pirits, Alilfying, even though 11 were
only in form, all the malcontents
All this has passed away. The derisive laughter penetrates
like mortal poison into the bean of the native who pays and
tufters and it becomes more offe,.sive the more 1mmu1111y it
enjoys. A common sore the general affront offered to a whole
race, bas wiped away the old feuds among· di{femt province~
The people no longer h'as confidence in its former protectors.
now its exploiters and executioners The masks have fallen II
bas been that the love and piety of the pa~, ha,·e come to resemble
the de\lotion of a nurse, who, unable to live elsewhere. des,res
the eternal infancy, eternal wcaknc!», for the cluld in order to
&O on drawing her wages and existing at ,ts exper.<e, 11 ha.~ seen
not only that she does not nourish it t0 make it grow but that
she poisons it to stunt its growth and at the slightest protest she
flies into• rage! The ancient show of JUSllce, 1hc bo' re"dencu
has disappeared; confusion of ideas begins to pre,ail, u.e re, rd
lhown for a governor-general, lie La Torre ,.bea>mes a cnme
in the government of his sw:ce"or. sufficient 10 caul>C the ciuzcn
to !Ole his libe.11y and his home; if he obeys the .-.rde of one
offic:ial, as in the recent matt.e r of admitting corpses nto the
311
cburcb. it is ellOlllb to have the obedient subjects later harassed
and persecuted in every p<mible way; obligations and tua
increase without thereby increasmg rights, privileges and liberties
or assunng the few m eiristence; a regi.lt\e of continual terror
and ~ncenainty disturbs the minds, a regime worse 1han a period
of disorder for the fears that the imagination conjures up are
g~oerallr greater than Lhe reality; the country is poor; the finao~ crws through which it 1s passing is acute, and every one
potn1s out with the finger the persons who are causin1 the
trouble. yet no one dares lay hands upon them!
True it is lhat the Penal Code has come like a drop of balm
to such bittemerss. But of what use are all the codes in the
~rid, if by means of confidential reports, if for trifling reasons,
1f through anonymous traitors any honest 'Citizen may be exiled
or barushed without a hearing, without a trial? Of what use is
that Penal Code, of what use is life, if there JS no secumy in
the home, no faith in justice and confidence in tranquility of
cooscieoce? Of what use is all that array of terms, all that
collee1Joo of articles. when the cowardly accusation of a traitor
has more 1nfluence in the timorous ears of the supreme autocrat
than all the cnes for justice?
If this SUie of affairs should continue, what will become of
the Ph1bppincs withtn a century?
The batteries are graudally becoming charged and if the
prudence of the government does not provide an o::tlet for the
currents that are a.:.cumulaung, some! day the spark will be
generated. This is not 1he place to speak of what outcome such
a deplorable conflict might hitve, for it depends upon chance,
upon the weapon~ and ui,on ,1 thousand circumMdOCCS which
man cannot foresee. But even thou~ all the advantages should
be oo the government's Slde and therefore the probabilitv of
succc~, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. and no government o~ght
to desire such
_If thixe w~o guide the destinies of the Ptulipplncs remain
obsunate. and instead of introducing reforms try 10 make the
cond111on of the country retrograde; 10 push their severity and
repression 10 c•trcmC) agairist the classes that suffer and thmk
they are going to force the laner to venture and put into play
'le wretchedness of an unquiet life , filled with _privation and
bittemen1, apinst the hopo of ICQlrina IOGldhin& indefinite.
Wut would be lost in the strop? Almost oothing: the life of
the nwnerous discontented classes has no such great auraaion
that it ahould be preferred to a glorious death. It may indeed
be a -suicidal attempt - but then, what? Would not a bloody
c;hasm yawn between victors and vanquished and might not the
latter with time and experience become equal in strength, lioce
they are superior in nwnben to their dominaton? Who disputes
this? All the petty iosuuctiom that have oci:nned in the Philippines were the work of a few fanatics or discontented toldien,
who had to deceive and humbu& the people or avail themselves
of their powers over their subordinates to pin their ends. So
they all failed. No insurrection had a popular cba!Kler or wu
bued on a need of the whole race or fought for human rights
or justice, 10 it left no ineffaceable impressions, but rather when
they saw that they bad been duped the people bound up their
wounds and applauded the overthrow of the <listurbers of their
peace! But what if the movement sprinp from the people themselves and based its causes upon their woes?
So then, if the prudence and wise reforms of our ministers
do not find capable and determined interpreters among the
colonial governors and faithful perpetrators among those whom
the frequent political changes send to fill such a delicate post;
if met with the eternal ii is ou1 oforder, preferred by the elements,
who see their livelihood in the backwardness of their subiects,
if JUSt c:laims are to go uobeeded, as being of a subversive
tendenc:y; if the country is denied representation in the Cortes
and an authoriz.ed voice to cry out agamst all kinds of abuses,
which escape through the complexity of the laws, if ,n lhort,
the S)-Stem, prolific in result$ of alienating the goodwill of the
natives, is to continue, pricking his apathetic mind with insults
and charges of ingra_utude, we c:an assen that 10 a few yean the
present state or affain will have been modified completely - and
ioevita_bly There now exists a factor which was formerly lack·
ing - the spirit of the nation has been aroused and a common
misfortune, a common debucmeol has united all the inhabitants
or the Islands. A nwnerous enlightened class now exists within
and without the Islands, a class created and continually
augmented by the 1tupidtty of certalo s<>verniog powers, whlc:h
forces the Inhabitants to leave the count!)', to secure education
373
abroad, and It It main•alned tbanb to the piovocalioo and the
system of eapiooaae in vosve nm d-, whose numbeT "'
cumulatively incrualna, i5 in constant communication with the
rest of the Islands, and if today it constitutes only the brain or
the COWltty Ill a few yean it will form the whole nervous system
and manifest 111 exbtc:nce an all its acts.
No:w, atatecraft bu vuiout means a11ts d"pol&I for chedtina
a people on the road to progress; the brutaliz.atioa of the masaa
thruuah a caste addicted to the aovemment, llristoc:ratJc, u in
the Dutch colonies, or lheocretlc as in the Philippines; the
impoverishment of the country: the padual eiitenninatiOfl of the
, inhab1tanu, and f01tenng of feuds amona the ra,ccs
Brutal12atlon of the Malayan Filipinos has been
dcmon,trated 10 be ampoaible. In "P'te of the darlr. horde or
&ian 1n whc»c hands resu the 1iutruct1on of youth, wluch mil•
crably wastes yean and yean in the colleges, issuina therefrom
tired, v.eary and das&ustcd with boolu 1n spate of the ccnsoohip
which tnC\ to dOK every •VC'IIUC to J'l'OIJ'C" an spate of all the
pupds, coofessionab, boo;ks, and missals that inculcate hatred
toward not only all $Clen11fic knowledae but e,en toward 1he
Spanish lanauaae 1t.aclf. in ,pue of 1h11 "'hole elabonte S)'ltem
pcrkcted and tenaciously operated by 1hose who w"h 10 keep
the bland$ in holy ianorancc; there cxis1 wntcn. freclhinkcn,
historian'I, philosophers, chcmhots, phy.1cians, art~ts. and 1urut1
Enlightenment i1 sprcadina and the penecution 11 ,uffcn quickens
it. No, the divine name of 1hou1h1 ls inu11nguish1ble in the
Filipino people and somehow or other it will lhanc forth and
compel rccolJUtiOn . It is impo1S1blc 10 bru11h1e the ,nhabnants
of the Ph11ippinC$!
May poverty arrest their dc•clopment'>
Perhapa, but it ia a very danger011s means Experience ha1
everywhere shown us and especially 1n 1he Philippines, 1hat the
cluau which arc bellcr off have always been addJCtcd 10 peace
and order. becauac they hve compara11"ely better and may be
the lo11uun civil disturbances Wealth brinp wilh it refinement ,
the •Pim of OOllSCrvation. wlule l)O"erty inspires advcnturou,
ideu, the desire to chan&e tlunp and hu httle care for life
Mad!ia¥Clli humclf held thi1 mean, of 111bjecting I people to
be perilous. oblervln& that lou of welfare stin up more obdurate
J74
enemies than lou of life Moreover, whee there are •calth and
abandanoe, thct'c is leas discon1ent, less oompl~int and 1hc aov•
cmmcnt, itself wealthier, has more means for sus1a,nang it.elf
On the other hand, there occun in a poor country wb~1 happen,
in a house-where bread is wan11n1 And further. of "'ha1 u~ to
the mother country would a poor and lean colony be?
Ncill\Ct is 11 poss1ble paduaDy to cxtenninate the 1nhab11ant1. The Philippine racet, hke all tbc Mala)'ll , do not SUCC1,mb
before the foreigner, like the Ausiraliana , the Polynrsians and
the Indians of the Nn< World ln ipltC of the numc rous "11"
the f"lhpinol have bad to c:any on, 1n q,ite of the ep,demia
that have periodically vi11tcd them, their number bu trebled ai
bu that of the Malays of Java and the Moluc<a• The Filipin• •
embraces avibution and lives and thrive$ in every clime, in
contact with every people. Rum, tha1 po1SOn which exterm,na1cd
the natives of the Pacific islands, has no power in the Phihppincs,
but rather. COlllparilon of their present a>n<lllion w11h 1h11
descnbed by the early lristonaos, makes II appear 1ha1 the
f"tliptn01 have arown 10berer. The pcny -rs with the inhabitants
of the 1011th conswnc only tbc 10ld1tn, people who I,\ 1hc11
fidelity to the Sparush naa, far from being a menace , •re surely
one of its aolldest aupports .
Tllcrc remains the f01terin1 of intemccine feud, among the
provinces.
This wu formerly poss1blc , when commun1ca11on from ane
i.itand to another wu rare and diffkult ,.h,n there "'ere no
steamers or telegraph hnes, ..,hen the reg1mcnh ..,ere formed
according to the variou.s provinces, "'hen some pro"1nc... .,.ere
cajoled by aw,rda of privilescs and honon nnd 01hcn were
protected from the str0ngest. But now that lhe pri"1le,ic• have
diaappcared, 'that through a sp1rit of distrust the regimcn1s have
been rcorpnlud, that lhe inhabitants move from one 1$1and to
another, oommunication and eiichantt or imprcuions !'a1urall~
inc.reuc, and as all ace themselves threatened by lhc ,ame peril
and wounded 1n the 11me fcebn_gs, they clasp handi and make
common cause It is true that the un,on as 1101 )Ct ,o holly per •
tecud, but to thii end the measures of good aovcmmcnt. 1hc
vcudons to which the townspeople are sub1cc1ed. the frequent
dlallp of officials, the acuaty of centers or lcarmn, forces
37'
•
tlle JOUdi ot all the Wendi to come toptber and bepn to pt
ac:queinted. lbe jomneyl IO Europe contribute not e little to
ti&fltcn die bonds, for ebroad the iohebitants of ma.t widely
separeted provinces are impressed by their patriotic feelinp,
from seilora evco to the wealthiest merchants, end et the sight
of modem liberty and the memory of the misfom.u,es of their
oounuy, Ibey embreoe end call one another brothen.
been ordered up to the present time, they have produced scanty
resu.lts, for the government as well as for the country Even
those that promised only a happy issue have at times caused
injury, for the simple reason that they have been based upoo
unstable grounds.
1s 10 nsk that 11 may tum against its nurse and nee, t.earin&
We said and once more we repeat, and aU will ever assert,
that reforms which have a palllanve character are nol only
ineffectual but even prejudicial when the government ,s con•
fronted with evils that must be cured radically. And were we
not convinced of the honesty and rectitude of some go~ernon,
~e would be tempted 10 say that all the partial reforms arc only
plasters and salves of a physician, ""ho, not kno,.ing ho"' to
cure the cancer, and not daring to root 11 out, Irie~ m this way
to alleviate the patient's suffenngs or to temporue "'ith the
cowardice of the timid and ignorant
The ~ilippines, then, will remain under Spanish domina•
All the reforms of our liberal ministers -were, have been,
are. and will be good - when earned out.
In lill>rt. then , the edvancemem end ethiceJ prop-ea of the
Pbilippinea are inevitable, are decreed by fete.
The Islands cannot remein in the condition they are without
requjring from the aovereign country more liberty. Mllllltu nuuondis. For new men, e new social order.
.
To wish tha_t the allqed child remam in its 1Waddling clothe&
away the old rags that bind it.
.
non, but wtth more law and greater liberty, or lh.ey will declare
thesmelves independent after steepin& thenuelws and the mother
COlllllry ia blood.
As no one should desire or hope for such an unfortunate
~p(ure, which would be an evil for all and only -t he final argument
1n the m05t despenate predicament, let us
by what forms of
peacdu1 evolution the Islands may remain subjected to the
~panw, autho~ty '. with the very least detriment to the rights,
interest, and dignity of both parties.
see
-m-
u the Philippines must remain under the coqtrol of Spain
they will neceaarily have 10 be transformed in a political SCll$C'
for the coune of their history and lhe needs of their iohabitan~
so reqwred. Thu we demonstrated in the precedln1 anicle.
We also said that this transformation will be violent end
fetal if it proceeds from the ranks of the people but peaceful
and fruitful if u emaoatea from the upper cleMCt'
. Som~ g~vemon have reallzed this truth, and impelled by
lb.ear P,biotism, have been tryin1 to introduce needed reforms
• ill order to foreatall events. But notwitbatandin1 all that have
37'
When we tlunk of them , we are renunded of lh.e dieting of
Sancho Panza In bi1 Barataria Island. He took lus sca1 at a
aumptuous and well-appointed table "covered with fruit and
many varieties of food differently prepared," but between the
wretch's mouth and each dish the physician Pedro RCZK> inter•
po1Cd lus wand, saying, "Take It away'" The dish removed,
Sancho was a1 hungry u ever. Truth is that the despotic Pedro
Reno gave reasons, which seem to have been wnnen by Cer•
vantes especially for the colonial administretions. "You must
not cat, Mr. Oovemor, except accorchng to the usage and custom
of other islands, where there are governors." Sometlung was
found to be wrong with each dish: one wu too hot, another
too moist, and so on, just like our Pedro Rezio on both sides
of the sea. Great &ood did his cook's skill do Sancho!
In the case of our country, the reforms take the place of
the dishes, the Philippines are Sancho, while the pan of the
quack physician is played by many persons interested in not
having the dishes touched, perhaps that they may themselves
get the benefit of them.
The result is that the Ion& suffenng San<:ho, or the Philippines, misses his liberty, rejects all government and ends up by
rebellin1 ageinst his quack physician
317
ln like manner, so long u the Philippines have no liber1y
of the press, have no voice in the Cortes to make known to the
government and to the nation whether or not their decrees have
been duly obeyed , whether or not these benefit the country, all
the able efforu of the colonial ministers will meet the fate of
the dishes in Barataria Island.
The minister, then, who wants his reforms to be reforms,
must begin by dedaring the press in the Philippines free and by
instituhng Filipino delegates
The free pre:ss in the Phillppinea, because their complaints
rarely ever reach the Peninsula, very rarely, and if they do they
are so secret , so my11erlous that no neW1paJ)<\r dares to publish
them, or if 1t docs reproduce them. It docs so tardily and badly.
A government that rulu a country from a grtat d4ranct is
the one that bas the most need for a free press more so even
than the government of the home country, ,r it wishes to rule
rightly and filly. The government that goverru in o Cl)Untry may
even dispense with the pre,s (if ii can). because it is on the
ground, because it has eyes and ears, and because •ii directly
observes what it rules and administers. But the government that
gov,r,u from afa, absolutely rcquues that the truth ond 1he faC!IS
reach its knowledge by every possible channel so that it may
weigh and estlma,e them bcuer, and this need increases when
a country like the Philippines is concerned, where the inhabitants
speak and complain In a language unknbw/1 10 the au1hori11es.
To govern in any other way may also be called governing, but
it is 10 govern badly, It a.mounts 10 pronouncing judgment after
hearing only one of lhc parties; ii 15 stcrring a ship whhoui
reckoning its conditions, the state of the sea, lhe reefs and 5hoals.
the direction of the wands and currents. 11 is managing a house
by endeavoring merely 10 give it poh~h and a fine appearance
without watching the money ches1, wi1hout looking after the
servants and the members of the family.
But routine is a declivity down which many governments
slide, and rouhnc says that freedom of the press is dangerous .
Let us sec what History says; uprismgb and revolution, have
always occurred in countries tyrannl1ed over, m countries where
human thought and the human hean have been forced to remain
silent.
371
If the .great Napoleoll had not tyranniied over the pre.,
pcthaps it would have warned him of the pcnl mto wh,ch he
wu burled and have made him understand 1hat the people were
weary and the earth wan1ed peace. Perhaps his genius, ins1eau
of being dia&ipated in foreign aggrandizement would have become
intensive in laborina to strengthen his position and 1hw, have
IIIIUfCd it. Spain henclf records in her history more revolutions
when tlie press was gagged. What colonies have become indepcndcnl while they had a free prep and enjoyed liberty? I) 11
preferable to aovem blindly or to govern with ample knnwledgc 1
Someone will answer !hat In colonies with u free presi. 1h,
prestige of the nalers, that prop of false government$. will he
greatly imperiled. We answer that the prestige of the nauon "
preferable to that of a few indiv1duals. A nation acquire~ rci.pcc1.
not by abetting and concealing abuses, but by rebuking nnu
punishing them, Moreover, to this prestige is applical>Je what
Napoleon said about great men and their valets Who endure
and know all the false pretensions and rcuy persecutions of
tboee sham gods, do not need a free press in ·order 10 recognize
them; they have long ago lost !heir prestige. The free pres~ 1s
needed by the government, the government which bllll dreams
of the prestige which ii build$ upon mined ground .
We say t~e same about the Filipino rcpre!lentauvcb.
What risks docs the government sec in them? One of three
things, either that they will prove unruly, become poh11cal trimmen, or act properly.
Supposing that we should yield 10 lhe most absurd pe~simibm
and adm.it the inault, great for the Philippines but sli 11 greater
for Spain, that all the representatives would be scpara1is1s and
that in all their contentions they would advocate scparM1s1 idea•;
doea not a patriotic Spanish majority exist there. is there not
present there the vigilance of the aovcrning poweM 10 combat
and oppose such intentions? And would not th1~ be better than
the clltcontent that fermenll and expands 1n 1hc )CCrecy or the
home, in the huts and in the field? Certainly the Spam~h people
doea not,'!)ale Its blood where patriotism is concerned hut would
not a struggle of principles in parliament be preferable 10 the
exchange ofshot in swampy lands, three thou&and league, from
· h"IUc in Impenetrable forests, under a burning •un or amid
379
bell.des
torrential nina? Tbete pacific ~ of ideal,
beiDi
a thermometer for the government, have the advantage of being
cheap and glorious, because tile SpaniJh parliament especially,
abounds in oratorical paladins invincible in debate. Moreover,
it is said that the Filipinos are indolent and peaceful - then
what need the government fear? Hasn't it any infi11C11ce in the
elections? Frankly speaking, 11 is a great compliment to the
separatists 10 fear them in the midst of the Cor1es of the nation.
If they become ·what they should be, worthy, honest and
faithful to their tru.n, they will undoubtedly annoy an ignorant
or tncapable mani11er with their. questions but they need him to
govern and will need IOtne morr honorable figures among the
representatives of the nation
Now tben, if the real objection to the Filipino delegates, is
that they smeU like lgorots, which so distur.bcd in open Senate
the doughty General Salamanca, then Don Sinibaldo de Mas,
who saw the Igorots in pc1$0n and wanted to live with them,
can affirm that they will smell at worst like powder, and Sei\or
Salamanca undoubtedly has no fear of that odor. And if this
were ·all, the Filipinos, who there in their own courttry are
accustomed to bathe every day, when they become representatives may give up such a dirty custom, at least ~uring the legislative session so as not to offend the delicate nostrilJ of Salamanca
with the odor of the bath.
It is usele55 to answer certain objections of some fine writen
regarding the rather brown skins and faces with somewhat wide
nostrils. Questlons or taste ,re _peculiar to each race. China, for
example, which has four hundred million inhabitants and a very
ancient civilization, considers all Europeans ugly and calls them
"fankwai", or red devils. Its taste has a hundred million more
adherents than the Europeans. Moreover, if this is the question,
we would have to admit 1he inferiority of the Latins, especially
the Spaniards, to the Saxons, who ~re much whiter.
And so long as it is not asser1ed that the Spanish parliament
as an assemblage of Adonises. Antoniuscs, preuy boys, and other
like paragons, so long as the purpose of resorting thither is to
legislate and not to philosophize or to wonder through imaginary
spheres, we malntain that the government ought not to pause
at 1hese obligations. Law has no skin nor reason nostrib.
380
So we see no serious reuon why the Philippines may not
have representatives. By their institution many malcontents
would be silenced, and instead of blaming its troubles upon the
government , as now happens, the country would bear them
belier, for it oould at least complain and with its sons among
its legislators, would in a way become' responsible for their
actions.
We are no1 sure that we serve the true interests of our
country by asking for representatives. We know that the lack
of enlightenment, the indolence, the egotism, or our fellow
countrymen, and the boldness. the tunning and the powerful
methods of those who wish their obscurantism, may convert
reform into a harmful instrument Bui we wash to be loyal to
the government and we are pointing out to it the road that
appears best to us so that its effort may not come to grief, so
that discontent may di,appcar. If after so just, as well as necessary, a measure has been introduced, the Filipino people are so
stupid and weak that they arc treacherous 10 their own interests,
then let the responsibility faU upon them, let them suffer all
consequcn«:S Every country gets the fate It deserves and the
govenncnt ~n say that it has done its duty.
These are the two fundamental reforms which properly
iotcYprcted and .applied, will dissipate all clouds, assure affection
toward Spain, and make all succcccling reforms fruitful These
are the reforms sint quibus nora.
It is puerile to fear that independence may come through
them. The free press will keep the government m touch w11h
public opinion, and the representatives, if they are, a, they ought
10 he. the hest rrom among the sons of the Philippines, will be
their hosiages. With no cause for discontent, how then auempt
10 ,11r up 1he masses or the people?
Lil.cw~ 1nadmiss1ble is the obligauon uffered by some
regarding Lhc imperfect culture of the majority of the mhnb11ants.
Aside from the fact that 11 is not so imperfect as as averred.
there as no plausible reason wby lhe ignorant and 1he defecnve
(whc1he1 lhrouih their Ol!.n or ,mother's fault) should be dented
representation m lt>ok after them and i.ce that 1hey arc not
abused f hey are the very ones who mos1 need it. No one ceases
to be a man. no one [orfcu, Im nglm 10 civilu:auon merely by
381
bei.ag more or lea UJICllltun!d, md Ii.nee the F'"tllpiao ii reprcled
.. a fit citizen when be It uted to pay t.ues o r shed hb. blood
to defend the fatherland why must lhill filness be denied him
when the question arisea of granting him some right? M.oreover ,
how is he to be held reapomible for his ignorance, when It is
acknowledged by all, friend, and enemies that his zeal for lcamlng
is so 11ea~ that even before the coming of the Spaniards every
one could read and write, and that we now see the humblest
families make enormous aacrifices to the einenl of working as
aervants in order to learn Spanish? How can the country be
expected to become enlightened under present conditions when
we aee all 11\e decrees luued by the governmcn1 in favor of
education meet with, Pedro Rezio, who prcven1 execution
'1¥hereof because they have in their hands what they call educe•
lion? Uthe Filipino, then, is sufficiently intell1gent to pay taxes,
he must also be able to choose and retain 1he one who looks
after him and his in1ereat:s, with the product whereof he serves
the government of bis nalion. To re85Qn otherwise is to rc85Qn
stupidly
When the laws and the acts of officials are kept under
surveillance, the word iu11tice may cease 10 be a colonial jest.
The thing that makes the English most respected in lheir posses•
lions is their strict and speedy justice so that the inhal:>itants
repose entire confidence in the judges, Justice is the fore!1'°5t
virtue of the civilized ·races. It subdues \he: barbarous nations,
while injustice arouses the weakest.
Offices and trusts should be awarded by competi1ion, publishing the work and the judgment thereon , so tha1 there may
be stimulus and that 'disoontent may not be bred. Then, if the
native does not shake off his indolenu he can not complain
when he secs all the offices filled by Castilas.
We presume that it will not be the Spaniard who fears to
enter in this contest, for thu$ will he be able to prove his
superiority by the superiority of intelli&ence Although this is
not the custom in the sove~ign country, it should be practised
in the col.onie&, for the reason that genuine prestige should be
sought by me~ns or moral qualities, because the colonizers ought
to· be, or at least to seem, uprigbt, honest and intelligent, just
as a man stimulates virtues when he deals with stranger. The
382
offices and trusu so earned will do away with arbitrary dismmal
and develop employees and officials capable and cogniiant of
their duties. The offices held by natives, instead of endangering
the Spanish domination , will merely i.erve 10 assure 11, for what
interest would Chey have in convening the sure and stable mto
the uncertain and problematical? The na1ive 1s, moreover. very
fond of peace and prefers a humble present to a brilliant fu1ure.
Let the various Filipinos still holding office speak in this matter,
they are. the most unJhaken conservatives
We could add other minor reforms touching commerce,
agriculture, security of the individual and of property. education,
and so on, but these are potnts with which we shall deal in other
uticles, For the present we 'are satisfied with the outlines and
no one can say that we ask too much.
There will not be lacking critics to accuse us of Utopianism.
but what is Utopia? Utopia was a country imagined by Thomas
Moore, wherein e~iated umversal suffrage, religious tolcra11on.
almost oomplete abolition of the death penalty and 50 o n When
the book was pu'blished these things were looked upon as dreams,
impoesibilitics, that is Utopianism Yet c1vihzation ha,\ left the
country of Utopia far behind . the human will and conscience
have worked greater miTacles, have abolished slavery and lhe
death penalty for adullcry - thmgs impossible for even Utopia
ilfelfl
The French colonies have their reprcscn1a11ves The 4uc,1u111
has also been raised in the English parliament of 111ving rcprc,cnlation to the Crown colonies, lor the others already enioy ,om~
autonomy , The press there i~ also fn:c . Only Spain. which 111
the sixteenth century was the model nation m civili1,11ion, lag,
far behind. Cuba and Puerto Ru:o , whose inhah1i..nts do no1
number a thtrd of those of the Philippines. and v.ho ha,·c not
made such sacrifices for Spain, have numerou, rqirc...:1u,,tl\n
The Philippines in the early days had their,;. Y.ho rnnfom:d with
the King and Pope on the needs of 1he country Thci had th~m
,n Spain's crillc:al moments, when she groaned under the
Napoleonic yoke, and they did not take advantage ,if the
sovereign country's misfortunes like other colonies hut tightened
1nore firmly the bonds that united them 10 the nation. giving
proof; of their loyalty and they continued until many yea" later.
l~.l
Whal crime law tbe Wends commilt'ed that they ere deprived
ol their npts?
To rec:epitulete: the PhiUppines will remain Spanish if they
enter upon the life of law and civilization, if the ri&hts of their
Inhabitants ere respected, if the other ripts due them ere
granted, if the bberal policy of the government is carried out
without trickerv or meanness, without 1ubterfugc1 or flltc
interprctadoas.
Otherwise, if an attempt is mede to ace in the Islands e
lode to be exploited, a resource to satisfy ambitions, thus to
relieve 1~ aovereip country of tuee, ltillina the IOOIC that lays
the golden egs, end shuttina its eers 10 ell cries of reaeon5 then,
however, great maY, be the loyalty of the Filipino.I, it will be
Impossible to hloder the operations of the inexorable laws of
lu•tory Colonies cstal>lilbed to 1ubserve the policy end the
commerce of the sovcrcip country, ell eventually become independent eeid Bachelet, and before Dachelet, ell the Phoenician,
Carthaainien, Greek, Roman, En&llih, Portu,uese, end Spanish
colomes hed Aid 11.
00K indeed ere the bondl that unite us to Spain. l'No
peoples do not bve fo.- three centuries in oontinual contact,
1harin& 1he same lot, &hecldlng their blood on the 11me fielcll,
holdina the same bclicb, worshippina the same God, intcrdwla•
ina the ,oame idul, but that ties ere formed between them
stronger then tbote enpdered by affection. Machiavelli, the
great reader of the human heart 1ald: /a ntUUrO •111 """'"1nl,
t CMi obligarsr p< II batqiciJ w
1 - co- pn qwlU cM
mi ricn,()llo (it is human nature 10 be bound as much by benefits
conferred as by those received). All this, and more, Is true but
11 is puirc ..-ntimentelity, end in the arena of politica Item nc0CU1ty
and interests prevail. Howsoever much the Filipinos o - Spain,
they can not be required to forego their redemption, to have
their liberal and enlightened sons wander about in e:lile from
their native land, the rudcat asptrations stifled in its atm05phcre,
the peaceful inhab.taots living in constaol alarm, with the fortune
of the two peoples dependent upon the whim of one man. Spain
can not claim, oot even in the name of God himself, that a.
millioos of people should be brutalized, exploited and opp, e ned,
denied light Md the ngbts inherent to a human being end then
,.m
314
heap upon them allgbta and imults. There ii no claim of gntitude
,hat can exC\IIC, then: ii not eooup power in the world to j~itify
the offenses a11inst the liberty of the individual, agam51 the
sancthy of tbe home , agetnst the laws, a1ains1 peace and honor,
offcnlCI that are ooaurutted then: daily There Ii no dlVlnity
,hat can proclaim the perificc of our dearest arfectiont, the
,)l.:nficc of the family, the sacrileges and WTOnp that are com•
,mued by perscns who have tbe name of God oo their lips No
>nc: can require an lfflpoGibdity of the F,bptoo people. The
~oble Spanish people, 10 jealous of IIS rights and liberties, cannot
hid the Filipinos to renounce theirs. A people that pri~ itself
un the &1orie1 of its past cannot ult another, trained by 11 , to
accept abjectiOfl end d111honor 11s own name!
We, who today arc stnia&Jing by the legal and peacdul
means of debate so understand it, and with our 117e fixed upon
our ideals, ,hall not cease to plead our cause, without going
beyond the pale of the law, but if violence first silences us or
we have the mufortune to fall (which II poGJblc for we arc
mortal) then we do not ltoow what course will be 1aken by the
numc{OYS tendencies that will 1'\1111 in to occupy the places I.hat
we leave vacant.
If what we desire II no, real12ed
In contemplating ,uch an unfortunate eventuality, we n1us1
'°
not tum away an horror, and
instead of dosing our eyes ,..c
will face what the future may bring. For this purpose. after
throwing the handful of dust due 10 Cerberus, let u~ franlth
descend into the abys.~ and ~nd its terrible mysteries
-IVHistory d~ not record 10 its annals any lasting don11nat1011
exercised by one ~ople over anotMr, of differtnl race., ol
diverse asage$ and cll$lorns. or opp0111e and diver,ent t<1eals
One of the two had 10 yield and succumb. Either the
fore11ner was driven out, as happened in the case of Carthagi •
nian,, the Moors and the f~och In Sp1U1, or ct... ,hcse
autodlthons had 10 11ve way at1d peruh, as wa the case With
the inhabitants or the New World .
:sas
One of the longest dominations was tbat of the Moors in
Spain, which lasted seven centuries. But, even though the conquerors lived in w: country conquered, even though the Peninsula was broken up into small states, which gradually emerged
like little islands in the mi<lst of the great Saracen inundation
and in spite of the chivalrous spirit, the gallantry and the religious
toleration of the califs, they were finally driven out after bloody
and stubborn conflicts, which formed the Spanish nation and
created the Spain of the firteenth and sixteenth cenuries
The existence of a foreign body within another endowed
with strength and activity is contrary to all natural and ethical
laws Science teaches us that it is either assimilated, destroys
the organism, is eliminated or becomes encysted
Encystment of a conquering people is possible, for it signifies
complete isolation, absolute inertia, debility in the conquering
element. Encystment thus means the tomb of the foreign invader.
Now applying these considerations 10 the Phibpp,nes, we
must .oonclude, as a deduction from all we have said. that if
their population be not assimilated to the Spanish nation , if the
dominaiors do not enter into the sp,rii oC their inhabit.ints, iC
equitable laws and free and liberal reforms do not make each
forget 1ha1 they belong to different races. or if both peoples be
1101 amalgamated to consrnute one mass, socially and politically,
homogeneous, that is, not harrassed by opposing tendencies anti
antagonistic ideas and intcrcstS some da~ the Phihppiner- will
fatally and infallibly declare themselves independent. To this
law of destiny can be opposed neither Spanish patrionsm, nor
lhe love of all Filipinos for Spain, nor the doubtful future of
dismemberment and intestine strife in the Islands themselves.
Necesity is the most powerful divinity the world knows , a nd
necessity is the resultant of physical forces ~t m operation by
ethical forces.
We have said and ~tatistics prove that it is impossible lo
,:Jllenninate the Filipino people. And e ven were II possible whal
interest would Spain have m the dcs1ruct1on of the ,nhabi1ant,
of a country she can not populate or cultivate, whose dimal<:
is to a certain extent disastrous to her? Whal good would 1he
Philippines be without the Filipinos? Quite otherwise, under her
colonial system and the transitory character of the Spamardi.
who JO to the colonies, a colony is 110 much the more useful
and productive to her as it possesses inhabitants and wealth .
Moreover, in order to destroy the six million Malays, even
supposing them lo be in their infancy and that hey have never
learned to fight and defend themselves, Spain would have 10
sacrifice at least a fourth of her population. This we commend
to the notice of the partisans of colonial exploitation.
But obthing of this kind can happen . The menace 1s that
when the education and liberty necessary 10 human eJustence
are denied by Spain to the Filipinos, then they will seek cnhghtl'n
ment abroad, behind the mother country's back or lhcy will
secure by book or by crook some advantages m !heir countl\·
with the result that 1he_opposition of purhlind and parc11t p ,t,1,cians will not only be futile but even prejudicial hcc.. u"" 11 will
convert motive$ for love and gratitude into resentment and
hatred.
Harred and resentment o n one side. nustru,t and anger uu
the other, will finally result in a "iolcnl terrible collr~11m. ,-,,pt·•
cially when there e~ist elemen1s intercs1cd m hav,n!! d1s1urbancc~.
so that they may get something in the exc,t<!ment. demon,lratcs
their mighty power, fos1er lam~n1ation, Jnd rccrrm,n.111urh or
employ violent measures. Jt is to be e,pected th~1 the: J!Ovcrnmen1
will triumph and be generally (as ,s tb1.. cuslom) severe 111 pu11"hment, either io teach a stem lesson in order to vaurH 11, · rrn!llh
or even ro revenge uppqn 1hc vanqu'<hecl th<.' ,rdl, 1,f cx,·,1cmcn1
and terror that the danger caused it. An unavoid~hlc ~~mromllant
of th0$C catastrophies is the accumulation ot acts ol m1u,ucc
committed against the innocent and peaceful mhabitnnt~ Pm•t~
reprisals, dem1nc1ation, despicable accu~ahon~. rcwntmcnl~.
covetousness, the opportune moment for calumnv. the ha~te and
hurried procedure of the court martial, the: pretext of 1hc ,ntcgrnv
of the fatherland and the safety of the Mate "'hich cloak~ and
justifies everything, even for scrupulous minds, which unfortu•
aately are still rare and above all the panic•Slncken 11mid11y.
the cowardice that battens upon the conquered - Jll these 1h,ng,
augment the severe measures and lhe number of 1he victims
The result is that a chasm of blood is then opened between lhe
rwo peoples that the wounded and the sfOktcd, instead of
becoming fewer, are increased, for to 1he famihcs and friends
of the guilty, who alway~ think the punishment excessive and
337
tbe jlldge unjust, must be added the families and friends of tbe
innocent, who see no advantage in living and working submilsively and peacefully. No~e. too, lhat if seven measures are
dangerous jn a nation made up of a homogeneous population,
the peril is increased a hundred-fold wben the aovemment is
formed a race different from the governed. In the Conner an
in1usttce may still be qc:ribed to one man alone, to a governor
actuated by personal malice, and with the deach of the tyrant
the Vletiorn is reconciled to the government of bis nation. But
in a country dominated by a foreign race, even the jmtcst act
of severity is construed as. injustice and opprCS5ion, because it
is ordered by a foreigner, who is unsympathetic or is an enemy
of the country, and the offense hurts not only the victim but
his entire race, because it is not usually regarded as pcnonal
and so the resentment naturally spreads 10 the whole governing
race and does not die out with the offender.
Hence the great prudcm:e and fine tact that should be
excrased by colonizing countries, and the fact that government
regards rhe colonies in genera.I and our colonial office in particular, as training schools, contributes notably to the fulfillment of
the great law that the colonies sooner or later declare ibemselves
independent.
Such 1s the descent down which the peoples arc precipitated.
In proportion as they are bathed in blood and drenched in tears
and gall, the colony. if it has any vitality, learns bow to struggle
and perfect itself in fighting while the mother country whose
colonial life depend$ upon peace and the subnussion of the
subJects. is constantly weakened and even though she makes
he roic effo~. as her numb« is le~ and she has only a ficnuous
C'1~tcncc, she finally peri~hcs. She is hke the rich voluptuary
accu~omeJ to be waited upon by a crowd of servants toiling
and planting (or him and who on the day his slaves refuse him
obedtence, as he doc, not hve by his own efforts, must cite.
Rcpri.sah, wrongs and suspieioru on one part and on the
other the sentiment o f patriotism and liberty, which is aroused
in these incessant conflicts, insurrections and uprisings, operate
to generalize the movement and one of the two peoples must
succumb. The struggle will be brief, for it will amount to a
slavery much more cruel than death for the people and to a
ditbooorable loa of pcatige lor the dominator. One of the
peoples must succumb.
Spain, from the number of her inhabitants, from the coodition of her army and navy, from the distance she is situated
from the Islands, from her scanty knowledge of them, and from
struggling against a people whol!e love and goodwill she bas
alienated, will necessarily have to give way, if she does not wish
10 nsk not only her other possess,ons and her future to Afnca,
but at.a her very independence m Europe. All this is at the cost
of bloodshed. and crime, after mortal conflicu, murden , con.flagrarions, military execuuons, famine and misery.
The Sparuard is gallant and patriotic, and sacnliccs everything m favorable moments, for hu country's good. He bas the
intrep,dity of his bull. The Filipino loves bis country no ICS5 and
although he is quieter, more pcaa:ful and with diffiailty stirred
up, when he 1s once aroused he does not hesitate and for him
the struggle means death to one or the other combatant. He
has all the meekness and all the tenacity and ferocity of bis
carabao. Climate aff~ bipeds in the same way that it does
quadrupeds
The tcmblc lessons ano the hard teaching., that these confl,ctJ. will have afforded the F"tlipinos will operate 10 improve
and ~trcngthc,n their ethical nature. 1be Spam pf the fifteenth
century v..us not the Spain of the c,ght With their biller experience instead of mrestine conflicts or some islands against others,
a, 1s generally feared, they will extend mutual support, like
,h11>1H<'cked person, when they reach an "land after a fearful
n1ih1 of storm 'for may it be said that we shall partake of the
f.nc ,,r the small American republics. They achieved their indepcntlcncc cJsily and thetr tnhabitants arc anunated by a different
,pint from v..ha1 the Fihp1nos arc. Besides the dnngcr of fallmg
again into other hands, English or German, for example, will
foru the Fihp1nos 10 be sensible and prudent. Absence of any
great preponderance of one race over the others will free their
imagination from aU mad ambitions of domination, and as the
tendency of countries lhat have been tyrannized over, when they
once •hak~ off the yoke, il. to adopt the freest government, like
a boy leaving school, hkc the beat of the pendulum, by a law of
reaction the lslaods will probably declare themselves a federal
republic.
If the P1tilippines aecure their independence after heroic
and stubborn conflicts, they can r<:$1 assured !hat neither England
nor Germany, nor France, and stilJ less Holland wi)I dare IO
take up wbal Spain has been unable 10 hold Within a few years
Africa will completely absorb the attention of the Europeans,
and there JS no sensible nation which, in order 10 secure a group
of poo_r and hostile wands, will ncglcc, 1he immense 1eni1ory
offered by tho Dark Continenl, untouched, undeveloped and
almo,,. undefended. England has enough colonies in the Orient
and I not going to sacrifice her Indian Empire for the poor
l'h1ltpr1nc lslandlo - if she bad entertained such an intention
she would not have restored Manila in 1763, but would have
lcpl some point IA the Philippines whence she might gradually
c pand Moreover, what need has John Bull the tr.ider to exhaus1
himself over the Philippines, when he is already lord of 1he
Oncn1, when be bas tltcre Singapore, Hongkong and Shanghai?
II " probable that England wtll look favorably upon the indcpen•
dence of the Philippines. for it will open 1hc1r ports to her and
afford grea1er freedom to her commerce. Furthermore. there
exis1 in the United Kingdom le.ndenacs and opinions to the
cffeC1 that ~he already has too many colonic~. that they arc
harmful, tbal lhey greatly weaken the sovereign coun1ry.
For the ~ame reasons Germany will not care to run any
risk , and because a scattering of her forces and a war in distant
countries will endanger her existence on the con1inent. Thus we
see her attitude, as much in the Pacific as in Africa. is confined
to conquering easy territory 1hat belongs to nobody. Germany
• avoids any foreign complications.
France has enough to do and sec more of a future in
Tongking and China. besides the fact that the French spiri1 does
no1 shine in z.cal for colon1u1ion. France lov~ glory, bur the
glory and laurels thar grow on rhe battlefields of Europe. The
echo from battlefields in thc: Fear East hardly sa1isfies her craving
for renown, for i1 reaches her qwte faintly. She has abo other
obhgallons, both internally and on lhc conrmem
Holland is sensible and will be con1ent to keep the Moluccas
and Java. Sumatra offen her a greater future than the Ph1hpp1ncs
whose seas and coasts have a smister omen for Dutch expeditions
390
Holland proceeds with 11cat caution in Sumatra and Borneo
from fear of losing everything.
Olina will consider herself fortunate 1f she succeed~ m
keeping herself intact and i.s nor dismembered or part111oned
among the European powers that are colomzmg the conuncnt
of Asia.
The 5a111c is true with Japan On 1he north side she has
Russia, who envies and watches her. on the south England. with
whom she is 1n accord even to her official language. Sh<• " ·
moreover, under such diplomatic pressure from Europe thar she
can no1 think of ourside affairs until she is freed from 11. ,.h,ch
will not be an easy matter. True ll 1s lhal she has an exec~~ of
popula1ion, but Koren atrracts her more than rhc Philippines
and is also easier to seize.
Perhaps the great American Republic. whose intcresrs he
io the Pacific and who has no hand in the spohauon uf Afnc.i
may some day dream of fore,gn posse,sion This is not impo"il>k
for the example is contagiou\, covctousne<~ and ambition arc
among the srrongest vices, and Harrison manifested ,;omcth1ng
of thd sort 1n the Samoan quesuon Bui the Panama CMal 1s
nor opened nor 1he tcrri1ory of rhe Stare, c<>ng,..,tcd w,th mh11t>11ants, and in case she should openly ancmpt 11 the f.-uropcan
powers would 001 allow her 10 proceed. tor rhey know ,c" well
that the appcrite is ~harpcncd b) the fir..t b11cs N<>rth J\mcr,c,,
would be quite a troublesome rival. ir she should .,n,c (?<:I into
the business. Furthermore. this is contrary to her 1rad1t1<>ns.
Very likely the Pbilippmes will defend v.1th mcl(prc"il>lc
valor the liberty secured ar the pnce of i.o much hlood ,,nJ
sacrifice. With the new men thal will ,pring from 1he1r soil and
with the recollee1ion of their past, they will perhap, ~tn.,.e 10
enter freely upon the wtde road of progres.. and ,di v.111 labor
toge1her 10 srrengthcn 1hcir fatherland, both mtermllly .md c~1cr
nally, with the same enthusiasm, with which a yourh fall, :t)(a1n
to tilling the land of his ances1ors so long wasted arul abandoned
through rhc ncglcc1 of those who have withheld II Imm h,"'
Then 1hc mines will be made to give up their gold for rchcvmr
distr=, iron for weapons, copper. lead. and coal Perhaps the
country will rev,ve 1he manllme and mcrcanttlc hfe for which
the islanders are fitted by thetr nature, abilny and 1n,1mct,, and
191
ooce aore free, like die bird tbat lea- its ca,c, lib die ftoweilhat unfoldl to the air, will n:,c:o,n:r the p, mue .lrtuQ that an
gradually dyina oat aad Will aca,n become lldcbcted to peace cheerful, happy, joyOQS, bolpitable and daring .
11lcsc and many other th1np may come to p.. within
something like • huodrcd ycan, but the IIIOII locicaJ p;ujpJOitication, the prophecy hued on the best probabtli'-, may en
through remote and imipi6can1 calllCS: An octupus that aeiz.ed
Mark Anthoay's ship alttted the faoe of the world ; a aoa on
Calvary and a just taa11 nailed lbcreon changed the ctrua of
half the hum&D l'IICle, and yet bcf~ <llrill, lilow many just men
wroa.gly pcruhed and bow many cronn were raued on that hill!
lbc dealb of the JIISI sandilied bis wort and made Ills tevhJna
unanswcnbk. A wnkcn road at the bank ol Waterloo buried
all the gloncs of rwo brilliaot decadea, the whole Napoleonic
world, and freed &rope. Upoa wbat chPN'C ICC'WCD~ will the
destiny of the Philippieee depeod?
110e11Nd ,,. ot beloa uaitor., DMd) becauae - loft om OCMllry
beca- - tel ti.ec the tr\lUI and bate all tiDdl al iaj fr.
Wbat dost thoo - h 111 to tell Ol&f ~chcd country wbea it
ub about the result of our • ~ ? Mast - say to i1 tba1,
since for it we have lost cverythina- youlh, fu!Ure, bopc:, peace,
family; since in its service we have exhausted all the raovces
of hope all the dssill11$iOM of desire, 11 also tatcs the rcudue
which ~ can nol use, the blood &om 0111 veiM aod the ltrdlgt.b
left in our arms? Spalll, mlllt we aome day tel Filii " • that
thou hast no car for her .,,ics and that ii lbc wiahca to be aavcd ,
lhe must rcdccal llenctrr'
-ti-
Nc¥Cl1klca, • ia DOt wdl to U.. ID IC . ht•. for there ii
an ~ aad ~ b l e lope ia die
WC'd· p of hi 1 :;. NI Mefy, peel\ lei U wdl a eo,u ?JI I
arc aabj ec:b to it,
'Therelo«, - rq,eat and - will :q,eat, wllle dlen-.
ii time, and that ii better to tccp pace will! die dairc ol a
pcopc than top way~ 1km; die b
bcpls .,..,.,..7
and lcne, the latter coata:rpt ad ana,cr Siacc it ii nec:eauy
to pao1 m million
their nctaca• ., that dley -Y be
in fact Spanianll, let Ille aove.
rt snot dieK nchta freely
and lf)Ol'l•oeo-llly . without dan.aa;ac 1W1Vatiom, widlollt
inil&WIC millnal . We lball oew:r UR of repeating lb.is while a
ny or hope II left •• for •e prder tlw 1t'lpfeeuo~ wt •o the
Deed of some day .., . , to the eodier -try: •Spun, have apco• OW' youth io servin& thy interests in the ioteretU of
OUI COl&Rtry; ba•e lootc:d to u-. - have expended the
whole lialit of o.r intdlecta, all the fen« aod cnthusialm of
0111 beans ID worlti.Qg for the aood of what thine, to dnw
froco them a glMOC ol ltwc, e hllcral potic:y end tbat would
8MWC Ill the peace of our nauve land and thy IWllY over loyal
but ullfonunate nlenda' <;pain, thou but tTmaioed -leaf, aod,
wrapped a.p ID thy pride, ~ punued thy fataJ coune and
F"...,_,.
,,,
APPENDIX F
LAST FAREWELL
Let the moon beam o,,er me soft and serene,
Let the dawn abed over me its racbant Oubes,
Let the wind with the sad lament over me keen;
ADd if on my Cl'O$$ a bird should be seen
Let it trill there its hymn o( peace of my 3$hts.
FarewcU, dear Fatherland, dime of the ,un caress'd,
Pearl of the Orient seas. our Eden lose•
Gladly now I go to g,ve thee tlu$ faded life's best.
And were II bnghtcr. fresher, or more blest.
Still would I give it thee nor count the C05t
Let the sun draw the vapor., up to the sky.
And heavenward in purity bur my tardy protest,
Let some kind soul o'er my untimely fate sigh.
Atld in the Still evening a pta)cr be hftcd on high
From thee, 0 my country, that in God I may res1
On the field of baltle, "mid the frcnry of liaht,
Others have gi,·en lhc,r lives. wnhout doubt or heed;
The place mauer. n,,c - cnxes.s or laurel or hly ,.,h,tc,
Scaffold or open pr.un, combat or mal1)rdom'< plight,
'Tis ever the same, to serve our home and country's need.
Pray for all those that hapless have died,
For all who line suffered the unmeasur'd pain;
For our mothcn that bttlerly their woes ha•e rncd,
For widows and orphans, for captives by torture tned;
Atld then for thyself that redempuon thou ma)st ga,n
I d,e j0>1 when I see the dawn brealt,
Through the 1lnom of night. to herald chc day:
And if color is l.ckmg my blood chou shah take.
Pour'd ouc at Med for thy dear ,ake
To dyc wtth Its crimson the wakmg ray
Atld when the darl rught wraps the grave,ard around.
With only lhe dead in their "'"' to see,
Break not my repocse or the mysterv profound
And perchance thou mayst hear a sad hymn resound.
'Th I, 0 my country, raising a wng unto thee.
My dream,, when lifc fi,-.1 opened to me,
My dreams, when che hopes of youth beat high
Were 10 see th) lov'd face, 0 gem of the Oncn, sea
From gloom and grid, from care nnd sorro" free,
No blu,h on th} brow, no cear in thine eye
When even my grave is remembered no more,
Unmark'd by never a cross or a stone;
Let the plow sweep through it, the spade turn u o'er
That my ashc5 may carpet thy earthy 0oor
Before intq nodtingoess at last they are blown
Dream of my life, my bvmg and bummg des1rc.
All hail' enc, 1hc soul that is now "' 1&ic·n11h1,
AU hail' And s•ect 11 •s for Chee 10 cxp,re
To die for chy sake. 1h~1 chou mayst aspire.
And sleep ,n lh) bosom c1ern1t) ·, IMtt n1gh1
1bcn will obbY10n bring to me no care;
As over thy vales and plains I sweep,
Throbbing and cleansed in thy space end 1ir.
With 001or and Ught, with song and lament I fare.
Ever repeallng th~ faith that I keep
If o,·cr my ,1rn,c some d:ay thou ~ct:,, grov.·
My Fatherland ador'd that gdness 10 my som,v. lcnil>.
Beloved rilipioas. hear now my laSI good-bye'
I give thee all; parents and kindred and fnends;
For I So where no slave before the opprcs.sor hend,,
Where faith can never kill. and God reigns e'er on high'
In the grassy sod. a bumble 0ower.
Draw ii 10 thy hps and l,s., my ..,,ul <0.
While I may feel on mv bro" m che col<I to.,.,h t-.:11,,.
'ihc touch of th, cendcmcss , thy breath's ..,arm I""'"'
t.,.
•Eng1•sh 1ran,.t,1,on b'f Ctt.r• E. 0.rbyttlire This••
m<>"il oopv1,,
and Wsdefy reeogniHd or the 21 lrnown Engt,,h trantJllfOn.s of Ruat's Ultimo
Ad;o, h should bt.: nor.ct thlC the orig ,._. farPWell poe,r. w,s w 1t10u1 •
t,1'4 Ind was uns,g.ned It Wll'.IJ$ Falhe-t Mar~nc- Dacanay. f1l1p no pnes1 oatr,ot
wtlo 9,,ve tho t 11, Utt/mo Ad,as 1.111 r1,~1ll1 .-nd 1.1no.., 1uch 1 He the
ooem .,,..,;n publ :shed ,~ ,he first time ,,, U Jndependencv CGen Anton,o
uin, • ,,..,;,ptp •t) on ~ ,Ollmbef 2!>, 1198
Fuewcll 10 you all. from my soul tom away.
Friends of my childhood in the home dt>po<>esscd!
Give thanks that I rest from the v,e~momc ,lav'
Farewell to Lhcc, too. sweet fncnd. that hghtc~ed mv " J \ ,
Beloved creatures all, (are,..cll1 l11 death then: " ""t'