Rizal's second trip to Europe

A mi musa (To my Muse)

A poem by Jose Rizal, written in 1890 while he was in exile in Brussels, Belgium. The poem,
originally titled "A Mi Musa," was published in the Filipino reformist newspaper La Solidaridad
under Rizal's pen name, Laong Laan.

This poem about the conflict between artistic expression and the urgent need for political action.
The poem is a reflection on Rizal's changing priorities as he dedicates himself to fighting for the
freedom of his people, the Filipinos.

The poem is a poignant reflection on Rizal's changing priorities and the challenges he faced as
a Filipino nationalist fighting for his country's freedom. It begins with the speaker, Rizal,
addressing his muse, a symbol of inspiration and artistic expression. He acknowledges that his
muse is no longer relevant in his current circumstances. He is now burdened with the
responsibility of fighting for his people's rights and must prioritize practical matters over artistic
pursuits.

The poem highlights the speaker's shift from a focus on artistic pursuits to a dedication to
political activism. He states that he must "earn the gold that hired me," implying that he has to
work for a living and cannot afford to indulge in artistic endeavors. He also acknowledges that
he must "ponder deep, meditate, and struggle on," reflecting his commitment to the cause of
Filipino independence.

The speaker ultimately decides to abandon his muse, recognizing that his homeland offers only
"chains that bind" and "prisons blind" for artists. He acknowledges that his art is no longer a
priority and that he must focus on the more pressing issue of his people's freedom.

In the final lines, the speaker asks his muse to "speak" and tell him if she can "seek a song of
sorrow for the weak, defiance to the tyrant's crime." This suggests that the speaker is now
seeking inspiration for his political activism, rather than for his art.

"To My Muse" is a powerful testament to Rizal's commitment to his homeland and his
willingness to sacrifice personal desires for the greater good. It reflects the complex realities of
Rizal's life and the sacrifices he made in the fight for Filipino independence.

The Indolence of the Filipino

An essay that addressed accusations of laziness among Filipinos published in La

Solidaridad in Madrid in 1980. Rizal aimed to advocate for Filipino education and raise
awareness about the corrupt and flawed Spanish colonization system. He wanted to emphasize
that Filipinos have rights and should be treated fairly.

‘Indolence’, avoidance of doing an activity or exertion, inclination to laziness, idle or

little love for work; Filipinos were told to be excellent in being like this. Rizal, as well
acknowledges that indolence occurs among Filipinos, but that there could be a lot of roots to
this behavior. He stated in his essay that while indolence does exist among Filipinos, there are a
variety of causes behind it.
 Climate: Rizal noted that climate and social unrest significantly impacted work habits. He
explained that Filipinos living in a hot climate cannot be compared to Europeans in cooler
regions. An hour of labor in the Philippines, under intense heat, is equivalent to a day’s work
in temperate countries.

 Galleon trade: The establishment of the Galleon Trade severed previous trade connections
between the Philippines and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries, restricting commerce
solely to Mexico and Spain. Consequently, the vibrant small businesses and crafts of the
pre-Spanish period slowly diminished.

 Forced labor: The Spanish government imposed forced labor on Filipinos, making them
work on public projects without proper compensation. This exploitation diminished their
motivation and passion for work.

 Lack of protection: Spain failed to protect the Filipino people from foreign invaders and
pirates. Without arms for defense, many natives were killed, their homes burned, and their
lands destroyed. This situation forced Filipinos into a nomadic lifestyle, causing them to lose
interest in cultivating their land or rebuilding shuttered industries, and simply became
submissive to the mercy of God.

 Educational system: The education system was flawed, focusing on repetitive prayers and
lessons that did not equip students to contribute to the nation’s progress. This system failed
to equip Filipinos with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a modern economy.

 Spanish rulers’ disdain for manual labor: Spanish rulers set a poor example by despising
manual labor. Officials would report for work at noon and leave early, often neglecting their
duties. Women were frequently attended by servants who did tasks they could have done
themselves.

 Gambling: Gambling became widespread, with cockfights occurring almost daily.

Government officials and friars were often the first to engage in bets and gambles during
feast days. This behavior encouraged idleness and discouraged productive work,
contributing to ongoing poverty.

 Religious system: The friars persuaded the native Filipinos that a poor man had an easier
time entering paradise, therefore they chose not to work and stay poor so that they might
easily enter heaven.

 Excessive tax: High taxes took a significant portion of Filipinos' earnings, benefitting the
government and church. This exploitation resulted in a lack of motivation to work.

Rizal wanted to convey that Filipino laziness was not the root cause of the Philippines'
slow progress. Instead, it was the result of abuse, discrimination, government inaction, rampant
corruption, and misguided church doctrines during the Spanish era. He emphasized that
Filipinos were hardworking and engaged in agriculture and trade before the Spaniards arrived.

The Philippines: A century hence

An essay written by Jose Rizal to forecast the future of the country within a hundred
years. Rizal felt that it was time to remind Spain that the circumstances that ushered in the
French Revolution could have a telling effect for her in the Philippines.
 This essay presents a radical prophesy of Rizal of how the Philippines would be through
the century. Rizal presented a clear idea of how our Motherland will end up centuries later
proposing that our country will end up in either of the three ways:

1. That the Philippines will remain to be a colony Spain but will be in good terms with it's captors

2. That the Philippines will try to cut the ties of our Motherland from it's captors through violent
means

3. And lastly that we will be colonized by another country

This essay, published in La Solidaridad in Madrid between September 30, 1889 and February 1,
1890 starts by analyzing the various causes of the miseries suffered by the Filipino people:

a. Spain's implementation of her military policies because of such laws, the Philippine
population decreased dramatically. Poverty became more rampant than ever, and farmlands
were left to wither. The family as a unit of society was neglected, and overall, every aspect of
the life of the Filipino was retarded.

b. Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture when Spain came with the
sword and the cross, it began the gradual destruction of the native Philippine culture. Because
of this, the Filipinos started losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of
their present lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race.

c. Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers one of the most powerful forces that
influenced a culture of silence among the natives were the Spanish friars. Because of the use of
force, the Filipinos learned to submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.

Eventually, the natives realized that such oppression in their society by foreign colonizers must
no longer be tolerated.

Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness had still
awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble.

Keeping he people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary, living a life of eternal
destitution had allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their way of life. They
began to explore other horizons through which they could move towards progress.

Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not work either. The Filipino
race was able to survive amidst wars and famine, and became even more numerous after such
catastrophes. To wipe out the nation altogether would require the sacrifice of thousands of
Spanish soldiers, and this is something Spain would not allow.

Key points in the essay or several issues that concern our country:

1. Abuse of human rights

2. Lack of freedom of speech

3. Lack of representation in the Spanish Cortes

To the Young Women of Malolos

Originally written in Tagalog, Rizal penned this writing when he was in London in February 22,
1889, in response to the request of Marcelo H. Del Pilar.

Key points contained in this letter are as follows:

1. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars – not all of the priests in the country
that time embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were
corrupted by worldly desires and used worldly methods to effect change and force
discipline among the people.
2. The defense of private judgment.
3. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess – as evidenced by this portion of his letter,
Rizal is greatly concerned of the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they grow
up in.
4. Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children.
5. Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband – Filipino women are known to be
submissive, tender, and loving. Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino
women ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.
6. Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner.

Rizal’s Message to Filipino Women:

Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit that the young women of Malolos
had shown. In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction over the battle they had fought.
In this portion of Rizal’s letter, it is obvious that his ultimate desire was for women to be offered
the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. During those days
young girls were not sent to school because of the universal notion that they would soon only be
taken as wives and stay at home with the children. Rizal, however, emphasizes on freedom of
thought and the right to education, which must be granted to both boys and girls alike.

The Responsibilities of Filipino Mothers to their children:

Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young
women of Malolos. The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her
children is what the children will become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand of the
friars in submission, then her children will grow up to be sycophants and mindless fools who do
nothing but do as they are told, even if the very nature of the task would violate their rights as
individuals.

Rizal enumerates the qualities Filipino mothers have to possess:

1. Be a noble wife.
2. Rear her children in the service of the state – here Rizal gives reference to the women of
Sparta who embody this quality.
3. Set standards of behavior for men around her.
Rizal’s advice to Unmarried Men and Women:

Jose Rizal points out to unmarried women that they should not be easily taken by appearances
and looks, because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they should take heed of men’s
firmness of character and lofty ideas. Rizal further adds that there are three things that a young
woman must look for a man she intends to be her husband:

1. Noble and honored name.

2. A manly heart.
3. A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves.

According to Zaide & Zaide(1999) To the Women of Malolos centers around five salient points;

1. Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God, country and fellowmen.
2. Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers, to offer their sons in
defense of their country.
3. Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and honor.
4. Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining their good racial values.
5. Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the real
Christian way with good morals and manners.

El Filibusterismo

The second novel of Jose Rizal was full of revenge and anger. This novel encouraged the
people who experienced abuse to revenge and seek for justice using violent means. This novel
was written in the memory of GomBurza, the three priests who experienced injustice and
executed in 1872. If Noli Me Tangere described the society during the Spanish colonization in
the Philippines, El Filibusterismo encouraged the people to rise and unite to assert reform even
with violent means.

Noli Me Tangere El Filibusterismo

 Published in Berlin, Germany  The Subversive

 March 21, 1887  Published in Ghent, Belgium

 Published through the help of Maximo  September 18, 1891

Viola
 Saved by Valentin Ventura
 Influenced by the novel entitled "Uncle
Tom's Cabin."  Dedicated to the GomBurza

 A novel exposing the real situation in  Sequel to the Noli

the Philippines.
 Darker and more tragic than its
 Touch Me Not predecessor

 Huwag mo akong Salingin.  Shorter than Noli (Noli chapters: Fili-

38 chapters) 64
  Came from the Bible
 A Political Novel
 Sometimes used to describe an eye
cancer.  A story of revenge and revolution.

 Refers to the existing SOCIAL  Metaphor of Philippine Society (Bapor

CANCER (Apathy and ignorance) Tabo and Pasig River)

 Culture of the Philippines  Simoun's plot of revenge and

revolution.
 An idealist introducing reforms.
 Failure of the Revolution planned by
 A tragic love story. Simoun.

 Colonial Discrimination

 Church Power

El Filibusterismo

Characters of the Novel

1. Simoun- The continuation of the character of Crisostomo from being idealistic, the cruel
society made him pessimistic. Using his wealth, he encouraged the people who experienced
abuse to join him in his rebellion against the church and the society.

2. Basilio- He was the son of Sisa and was adopted by Kapitan Tiago. A medicine student and
the boyfriend of Juli.

3. Isagani- He was the nephew of a good priest named Padre Florentino. He was idealistic and
a student leader. He was the friend of Basilio and the boyfriend of Maria Paulita Gomez.

4. G. Pasta- He was a former idealistic Filipino but because of the corruption in the government
he became self-centered.

5. Juli- She was the less fortunate daughter of Cabesang Tales and the girlfriend of Basilio.
When her father was abducted by the rebels, she offered her service to Hermana Penchang to
get the money for the ransom. And when Basilio was imprisoned, she offered her body to a
priest for the release of Basilio. Because of the different misfortunes that she experienced; she
committed suicide.

6. Cabesang Tales- A farmer who rented a piece of land from the corporation of the friars.
When the friars wanted to increase the tax for the land he refused and then he was abducted
and later he joined the plan of Simoun. But instead of attaining justice, he faced his death.

7. Placido Pinetente- He was a student from the province. A scholar and a victim of a self-
centered professor. He walked out from school and, joined the plan of Simoun.

8. Don Custodio- A Spaniard who was placed in the high position in the government even if he
was not educated and did not have enough skills.
9. Maria Paulita Gomez- She was the girlfriend of Isagani but in the end she married another
man just to follow the request of her aunt, Doña Victorina.

10. Padre Florentino- The relative of Isagani and a good Filipino priest.

Plot

El Filibusterismo is the sequel of Noli Me Tangere, Simoun Ibarra or Crisostomo Ibarra in the
last novel sought for revenge against the people who did wrong to his family. He planned the
revolution to overthrow the existing government and the friars through encouraging other people
who also experienced misfortune because of them.

In the first scene in the Bapor Tabo, the order of the people aboard represented the social
stratification in the society where the native Filipinos were in the lowest part of the ship and the
peninsulares, government official and the friars were on top.

Simoun encouraged the people who experienced injustice in the hand of the friars and Spanish
authorities like Placido Penitente who experienced discrimination from his teacher - Padre
Milton. One day in his class in Physics Placido was asked to answer a question which was
intended for Juanito Pelaez Padre Milton was a kind of teacher who would get mad if someone
could answer his question and he only accepted answers coming from the book. However, as
an intelligent student, Placido could expand well his answer and because of that he had an
argument with Padre Milton. Because he could answer the question, Padre Milton felt insulted,
so he marked Placido as absent and failed for that day. And then Placido answered back that
how could he receive a failing grade for that day if he was absent. Then Placido walked out from
the university and decided to join Simoun.

Kabesang Tales was a farmer who lost his land because of the friars. He refused to pay taxes
and filed a case against the friars. He was kidnapped by the rebels because they thought that
he had a lot of money because he could afford to sue the friars. His daughter Juli decided to
work as house worker in the house of Hermana Penchang to earn money for the ransom of his
father. However, Kabesang Tales chose to live with the rebels and fought against the
government. His idea of revenge was encouraged by Simoun and the later gave financial
support for the rebels.

Isagani was the leader of the Filipino students who wanted to build an academy of Spanish
language so that the Filipino students could have the opportunity to know the language. He was
an idealist who was suspicious of Simoun. He was the boyfriend of Maria Paulita Gomez, but
Paulita married Juanito Pelaez since he was a Spaniard and came from a wealthy family.

Basilio, the son of Sisa, was a medical student and was the adopted son of Kapitan Tiago. He
was the boyfriend of Juli and because he was part of the organization who fought for the
foundation of the Academy of Spanish Language, he was later imprisoned. And because he
could not pay for his freedom, Juli offered herself to Padre Camorra so that Basilio could be
free. Juli could not bear the result of her agreement with Padre Camorra, so she committed
suicide.
The plan of Simoun would be executed during the wedding of Maria Paulita Gomez and Juanito
Pelaez because the wedding would be attended by the friars and the highest officials in the
government. Simoun would give the oil lamp that would explode when the lid of the light pulled.
The explosion would be the cue for the rebels to attack. But his plan did not materialize because
on the slay of the wedding Basilio warned Isagani about the explosion. And so Isagani went to
the venue and threw the oil lamp to the river. The explosion did not happen, and the rebels
thought that they were deceived by Simoun. The Spanish authorities arrested those who were
included in the plan and the secret of Simoun Crisostomo Ibarra was revealed.

Simoun was able to escape and reached the place of Padre Florentino. He confessed to the
priest and before he committed suicide by drinking poison, he entrusted his box of jewelry to the
priest. Padre Florentino threw the box of jewelry to the sea where it came from.

Experiences of Rizal during his second travel to Europe

Hongkong and Macau (1888)

Rizal left the Philippines half-sick and disillusion. He boarded the Zafiro, a vessel to travel from
the Philippines to Hongkong. The vessel arrived in Amoy (Xiamen), China but Rizal did not land
because of his frail health, the city's rainy weather and the report that the city was dirty. While in
Hongkong he met Jose Ma. Basa and Balbino Maurico and Manuel Yriarte who were former
exiles from the Philippines because of the events in 1972. Sainza de Veranda, a former
Secretary of Governor General Terrero that spied Rizal while was in Hong Kong.

On February 18, Rizal and Basa went to Macau, rode on a vessel called Kiu-Kiang. The two
chose to stay at the home of Don Juan Francisco Lecaros. Rizal also visited neighboring Macau
where he stayed from February 18 to 20. February 22, 1888, Rizal left Hongkong on board the
Oceanic.

Reasons of his trip to Hongkong:

1. To see a Chinese New Year
2. To watch Chinese Theatre
3. To be with the marathon lauriat part
4. To observe Dominicans in Hongkong
5. To go to Hongkong cemeteries

Japan, Yokohama (Feb. 28, 1888)

Rizal stayed at the Grand Hotel (Hotel Grande). The next day he went to Tokyo and stayed
there from March 2 to 7. Then, he met Juan Perez Caballero, the secretary of Spanish Legation,
he decided to live in a Spanish legation in Tokyo with Caballero.
He knew that the Spanish diplomatic authorities were monitoring his movements in Japan. Rizal
was embarrassed during his first walk in Tokyo because he did not know the Japanese
language. Moreover, Rizal was impressed by the beauty of Japan’s culture; The beauty of the
country, the cleanliness, politeness and industry of the Japanese, the picturesque dress and
simple charm of the Japanese women. The beautiful scenery of the flowers, tress and the
inhabitants. He also experiences to hear a Tokyo band that plays European Music. He met his
new lover O-Sei-San (Seiko Usui), a daughter of former Samurai who worked at the Spanish
consulate. The lady taught him different Japanese words but later on, Rizal left her to fulfill his
required travel in Spain in April 1888.
United States of America
Rizal boarded the English vessel, Belgic on April 18, 1888. Rizal reached San Francisco on April
28, 1888. Dubbed America as "A motherland for the poor who wish to work".
He described America as a great country, but it has many defects too. They do not have real
civil liberty. When he was asked by Jose Alejandro about his impression of the country, he
stated: America is the land par excellence of freedom but only for the whites.
They experienced discrimination in America upon arrival for they weren't allowed to disembark.
Chinese passengers were even quarantined much longer on board.
Rizal arrived in New York on May 13, 1888. He called New York the Big Town.

London
He travels to London on May 25, 1888 and stayed as a guest of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor.
He lived in London for 3 reasons:
1. To improve his knowledge on English
2. To study Dr. Antonio de Morga's book Succesos de las Islas Filipinas, which is found in the
British Museum.
3. London was safe from the Spaniards.
He worked in the British Museum Library, studied, copied, and published Morga's book.
By May, he moved to a boarding house owned by the Beckett family. Because he was an
excellent linguist, he became good friends with Dr. Reinhold Rost, a Sanskrit scholar, the
greatest scholar of that century. He even spent time with him. Rost was impressed with his
manners and called him "Una Perla de Hombre" or Pearl of a Man.
He wrote a pamphlet against Fray Rodriguez, "La vision del Fray Rodrigues" .

Rizal received both bad and good news

Bad news:
Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the “Anti-Friar Petition of 1888”.
Persecution of Calamba tenants including his family who petitioned for Agrarian reform.
Furious attacks in Rizal by Senator Salamanca and Vida in the Spanish Cortes
Rizal’s brother-in-law, Manuel Hidalgo was exiled by Gov. Gen Waylet
Laureano Viado, his friend, was arrested and jailed because a copy of Noli was found in his
house.

Good news:
On the other hand, the good news Rizal received was Rev. Vicente Garcia defense against the
attacks of the friars.
One of the greatest achievements of Rizal in London was the annotation of Morga’s Book,
Succesos De Las Islas Filipinas, which was published in Mexico.

Paris, France
September 1888, rizal visited paris for a week. He was fascinated by the Universal Exposition,
especially the Eiffel Tower on May 6, 1889. He organized the Kidlat Club, with Filipinos who
wanted to join the expo. He finalized his copy of Morga's book which showed evidence that the
Filipinos were already civilized before the Spaniards came.
He left Paris because it was too expensive and too noisy. Rizal moved to Brussels, Belgiums
Capital. He lived in a modest boarding house which was run by two Jacoby sisters.

Letters from Calamba

 Calamba Agrarian Trouble
 Increasing rents of the hacienda lands by the Dominicans.
 An order from the Dominicans to disposses the Rizal family's lands from them.
 Persecution of tenants
 Paciano, Antonio Lopez, Silvestre Ubaldo were deported to Mindoro.
 Manuel Hidalgo was banished to Bohol again.
 Rizal planned to go home because he could not stay in Brussels, writing a book while his
parents, relatives and friends in the Philippines were persecuted. However, something
happened that suddenly made him change his mind of going home because he heard from
Paciano that they lost the Agrarian case. Rizal planned to raise the case in Madrid. He
plans to defend it in Spain.
 He arrived in Madrid on August 1890. But bad news piled as he arrived in the country.
 There was a rivalry between del pilar and Rizal for supremacy.
 The Filipinos in Madrid chose to elect one of them to become a leader called “Responsable”
who would direct the affair of the Filipino community and to determine the editorial policy of
La Solidaridad.
 Rizal won but he declined the position because he did not like to become the leader of a
divided people.
 As he was preparing for his trip to Madrid, he had a romance with Suzanne Jacoby.

Madrid, Spain
 He went again in Spain and visited Madrid and Barcelona.
 He went to visit his compatriots Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Marciano Ponce.

Biarritz, France
Rizal wanted to take a rest from the problems he was carrying then he received a letter from
Antonio Luna;
“Dear Rizal, Nelly and I are only friends. Please don’t mind whatever past Nelly and I had, she
deserves someone better and that is you. Best wishes Antonio Luna”
Sadly, there love affair unfortunately did not end in marriage. It failed because Rizal refused to
be converted to the Protestant faith, as Nellie demanded and Nellie’s mother did not like
physician without enough paying clientele to be son-in-law.

 He stayed in Biarritz for 1 month. He finished El Filibusterismo here. He retired from the
Propaganda movement and he wanted to focus on publishing El Fili and his medical
profession.
 He was deciding to settle either in the Philippines, Hongkong or Japan because Europe
seemed a banishment to him due to the conflict in La Solidaridad.

Reunion in Hongkong
 After completing the printing of El Filibusterismo Rizal finally decided to leave Europe and
take up residence in Hong Kong.
 October 18, 1891 Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles and arrived in Hong
Kong on November 20, 1891.
 Rizal’s family moved with him in Hongkong
 He wrote to Blumentritt “Here we are all living together, my parents, my sisters and brother,
in peace and far from the persecutions they suffered in the Philippines”.
 While in Hong Kong he wrote a letter to Queen Regent Maria Cristina, explaining to her
situation in Calamba.
 Borneo Colonization Project
 Began when Rizal met William Pryer one of his travels.
 William Pryer: the manager of the British North Borneo Company.
 Rizal got inspired by this inquired about the possibility of setting up a Filipino colony in
North Borneo.
 Rizal drafted an agreement that Pryer gladly signed
 Rizal named the “Nueva Calamba” which stands for New Calamba. The settlement was a
5,000-acrce land to be located in Bengkoka river, in Maradu Bay.
 Rizal penned 2 letters to be opened after his death.
 The first letter was for the people close to him while the second letter was addressed to the
Filipinos in general.
 Excerpts from both letters were recorded in the Epistolario Rizalino
 After the letters were done. Rizal sent the letter to Despujol.
 Rizal and his sister Lucia left Hongkong on June 1892.