WEEK 7-8: RIZAL IN EUROPE

Introduction
Jose P. Rizal was a traveller. In fact, he was considered as the “Most Travelled Filipino Hero”. He travelled almost
20 countries and about 40 island cities. He became a reformist not only because of his isolation in the Philippines, but
also because of his journeys abroad. In this lesson, we are going to study Rizal’s experiences in Europe. It is here in
Europe where he has political ideals that have given way to nationalism. This will bring us to a deeper understanding of
how nationalism kindled his spirit.
RIZAL IN EUROPE
The First Voyage to Spain: Views and Impressions
Rizal had a secret trip. The parents of Rizal, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities did not know much about his decision to
move abroad. Just his older brother Paciano, Uncle Antonio Rivera (father of Leonor Rivera), Sisters Neneng and Lucia,
the Valenzuela family and their daughter Orang, Pedro A. Paterno, his companion Mateo Evangelista, the Jesuit priest of
Ateneo, and some intimate friends knew of his silent departure. Before Rizal’s secret departure, he penned a letter of
good-bye to his parents and his sweetheart, Leonor Rivera, which had been handed over to them after he had sailed
abroad.
Rizal left the Philippines to Spain on 3 May 1882. He was 20 years old at the time. The first leg of his journey to Spain on
the Salvadora ship proved to be a young man's learning experience. On his travel documents, he used Jose Mercado as
his name. His key reason for leaving the Philippines was to move to the Universidad Central de Madrid, Spain, and to
finish his degree in medicine. This reflects Rizal's determination to attain achievements and flourishing his academic
standing. From our previous module, we can note that the passion of learning originated from his mother. So Rizal
brought this value until he grew up. 16 passengers, including Rizal, were on board the steamer. He was the only Filipino,
the others were Spanish, British and Indian Negroes.
Keenly, an observer, made drawings of the things he saw — the coast of Manila Bay, the coast of Palawan and Borneo,
and his fellow passengers. Most of his fellow travelers were foreign nationals and Spanish workers on their way back to
Spain. Almost all of them, he said, talked ill of the Philippines, where they had gone for monetary purposes. He observed
the people and places and compared them to those in the Philippines.
Singapore was Rizal's first stop on his trip to Europe, and he had to change ships. He remained there for two days and,
on May 9, 1882, stayed at the Hotel de Paz. While in Singapore, Jose had the chance to visit the British Colony and was
fascinated by its development and beautiful sites, including the botanical garden, temples and art galleries. He even saw
the founder of Singapore – Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. The people of Singapore seemed to have the trust of their British
administrators, unlike the Filipinos who feared their rulers.
In May 11, Rizal boarded the Djemnah, a vessel operated by Messageries Maritimes, a French company. Comparing it to
the Salvadora one, Rizal said it was bigger and cleaner. Its interior was carpeted and even the bathrooms were excellent.
French was mostly spoken on board because it was a French vessel. Jose attempted to speak French to his fellow
travelers, and he found that French he learned from Ateneo could not be understood. He was in contact with a smattering
of Latin and Spanish and with hand movements to be understood. He tried to improve his communication by reading a
French newspaper.
From Singapore, Djemnah made brief stops at Point de Galle (Punta De Gallo) and Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
where he went onshore for sightseeing. He said that Galle was a sleepy port. The Djemnah then continued its crossing of
the Indian Ocean and landed in present-day Yemen at the port of Aden. There Rizal saw merchants selling lion and
leopard skins. He found the city hotter than Manila. He saw camels for the first time. He drank refreshments, cooled with
ice split by a nail, which was placed by the sellers using bare hands. He had a view of the Arabian Peninsula to his right
and the African continent to his left as he approached the Suez Canal. He said that Africa was an inhospitable but popular
country. The sun was shining over the Arabian Desert, and he could feel the heat rising from its sandy sands.
On June 2, 1882, the Djemnah went through the Suez Canal and Rizal landed at Port Said (Mediterranean terminal of
Suez Canal) in Egypt to see the sights of this part of the region. Port Said, he commented, was a multicultural city. People
spoke numerous languages, such as Arabic, Greek, Egyptian, Italian and Spanish. He toured a number of churches,
mosques and temples. He said the city was a blend of the vibrant traditions of the East and the West.
On June 11, 1882, the Djemnah stopped by Naples in Italy, which Rizal admired for the city's panoramic beauty of the bay
and the liveliness of the inhabitants. Rizal was fascinated by Mount Vesuvius, the castle of St. Telno, and the historic
sights of the city. The next day, Rizal got off at Marseilles, which was the end of the Djemnah. He bade farewell to his
fellow passengers and visited this French town and saw for himself the Château d'If, the site of his favorite book, The
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. After spending three days in Marseilles, Rizal boarded a train to Spain on
June 15. His documents were reviewed by immigration officers at the Spanish border in Portbou, in the Spanish province
of Catalonia. He noted the indifference of the Spanish immigration officers to their courteous French counterparts.
On June 16, 1882, Rizal landed in Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region and the second largest
city in Spain. Comparing it with the other European cities he saw so far, it was dim, filthy and ugly. There were tiny inns,
and the inhabitants were not very hospitable. He stayed in a dingy inn on the most unattractive side of the area. The
guests were indifferent to him, too. Since Rizal arrived during the summer vacation for students, he traveled to other areas
of the city and noticed that Barcelona, like other parts of Spain, embraced freedom and liberalism, unlike the Philippines.
At this point, he changed his unfavorable opinion of the city and concluded that Barcelona was really a great city and that
its people were open-hearted, hospitable and brave. He enjoyed strolling along Las Ramblas Lane, the popular lane in
Barcelona.
Rizal remained in Barcelona over the summer holidays. He met former classmates from the Ateneo who brought him a
party at their favorite café in Plaza de Cataluña. They shared toast and told Rizal about the attractions and customs of the
citizens of Barcelona. In contrast, Rizal brought the Philippines news and gossips. Rizal got two bad news while in
Barcelona. The first bad news was about the cholera epidemic that destroyed Manila and the provinces. The second bad
news was Chenggoy's chatty letter recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was becoming thinner due to the
loss of a loved one.
He found time to compose a nationalist essay named Amor Patrio (Love of Country) with the pen name Laon-Laan. The
essay was published in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882. Encouraged by the positive reception of his post, Francisco
Calvo, the editor of the Diario asked Rizal for more posts. He has dutifully submitted two papers entitled Los Viajes and
Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid). The last story never saw print since the publication went out of business.
The University Student in Madrid
At the close of the summer break, Rizal moved to Madrid and, on 3 November 1882, enrolled in two courses of Medicine
and Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He has studied painting and sculpture and French,
German and English at the Academy of San Carlos. He also took lessons from a private coach who instructed him
shooting and fencing in the Sanz and Carbonell Halls. His appetite for information was insatiable, considering the fact that
Paciano had given him 700 pesos and allowed himself to spend 35 pesos a month on food, clothes and books. Both his
expenses were seen down to the last peseta in his diary.
Rizal lived frugally, budgeting his income carefully. Since it was cold in Spain, Rizal took baths less frequently than not.
Baths were also a drain on the wallet, costing 35 centavos each. Rizal once boasted that his last bath was a month ago.
Perhaps his only addiction was a gamble in which he invested 3 pesetas (equivalent to 1.02 peso) on a draw. Another
thing he enjoyed was attending in plays at the Madrid Theaters.
He never lost time, either, and spent time visiting libraries, attending lectures, religious events and operas. Rizal spent his
leisure time by reading books, such as on military engineering to broaden his cultural background. Also, his pastime was
spent entertaining friends at the residence of Paterno or sipping coffee at the Puerta del Sol. There was no time or money
for women and wine.
Like the University of Santo Tomas, the Universidad Central de Madrid housed a combination of citizens of different
beliefs. There was a combination of socialists, progressives, republicans, monarchists, and radicals. Rizal was drawn to
the liberals, especially to Dr. Miguel Morayta, who was a champion of the freedom and self-determination of all peoples.
While liberal students, including those from South America and the Spanish colonies, hailed Dr. Morayta as their
champion, he was seen as a maverick by his colleagues. The university authorities considered him a supporter of the
anarchists and expelled him. Morayta 's followers fought with their critics on campus and in the streets of Madrid.
Romantic Episode with Consuelo Ortiga
It has become a tradition for Rizal to frequent the house of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, a Spanish liberal who lived in the
Philippines during the tenure of Governor General Carlos Ma. De la Torre. He came to his house every Saturday where
he came to know about Don Ortiga's two lovely daughters, Consuelo and Pilar. Rizal was drawn to Consuelo and gave
flowers to her. Rizal wrote her love poem A la Senorita C.O. Y R-The initials of Consuelo. However, Rizal did not allow the
romance to thrive because he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera. His friend Eduardo de Lete was in love with Consuelo,
too. He left Madrid for Paris in the summer of 1883 to ignore Consuelo. Later she married de Lete, who later became
Rizal’s secret enemy.
Consuelo writes on Jan. 18, 1883: “Rizal talked with me for a long time, almost the whole night. He told me that I was very
talented, that I was very diplomatic, and that he was going to see if he could extract some truth from me within two weeks;
that I was mysterious and that I had a veil over my ideas …”
Meeting with Future Reformists: The Circulo Hispano-Filipino
Rizal’s encounter with fellow Filipinos and liberal Spaniards opened the way for him to join the Circulo Hispano-Filipino.
The collective was generally a social conglomeration and organized casual programs that involved poetry reading and
debates. Discovering that Rizal was a poet, his members asked him to write a poem. He wrote a poem for them that
expressed the sentiments of a poet who was forced to have something that would satisfy his listeners. This poem was
entitled Me Piden Versos (You Ask Me for Verses).
Inevitably, politics became part of the group 's discussion of the need for reform in the Philippines, and Rizal became an
active discussant. In later years, conservative elements in the Circulo distanced themselves from the group that eventually
faded away.
Entry into the Freemasonry
Many of the liberal and republican citizens whom Rizal met and made friends in Madrid were masons. Freemasonry is
banned by the Church because its views are contradictory to its teachings. Members of the Masonic societies are
considered sinners and are obliged to leave until they can receive any of the sacraments. When they die, they are refused
Christian burial and buried in non-Catholic cemeteries.
Rizal was impressed by the mason's vision on life and took the opinion that understanding should be obtained by the light
of rationality and the universal brotherhood of man. The masons criticized the Church for what they thought was the
propagation of moral superstition and obscurantism, or the covering of the truth behind the veil of religion.
Government policies that promoted despotism have also been targeted. Rizal joined the Freemasonry in 1883 through the
Acacia Lodge, which was based in Madrid. His Masonic name was Dimasalang (unstoppable / untouchable). He entered
the masonry because he opposed the activities of the many friars in the Philippines. He believed in the ideals that
fraternity was fighting for, and also because he wanted the support of fellow masons who were influential in Spanish
society. Since joining the Freemasonry, he avoided going to church regularly and started to doubt matters of faith, God
and religion choosing to accept them only by the light of reason. Nevertheless, his faith in the presence of God remained
deeply rooted in his deepest convictions as seen in his writings and letters.
Rizal moved up the ranks of the Freemasonry and became master mason at the Lodge Solidaridad on November 15,
1890. Two years later, while living in Paris, Rizal became master mason of Le Grand Orient of France on 15 February
1892.
The Avid Book Collector
While in Spain, Rizal was introduced to further readings that broadened his academic scope. He wasted no money in
purchasing books from second-hand bookstores. He was able to acquire quite a library in time. Among his books was The
Holy Bible; The Lives of the Presidents of the United States from (George) Washington to (Andrew) Johnson; The
Complete Works of Voltaire consisting of nine volumes; The Complete Works of C. Bernard (16 volumes); Complete
Works of Horace (3 volumes); Ancient Poetry; Works of Thuycidides; The Byzantine Empire; The Renaissance; Hebrew
Grammar, The Characters of La Bruyere; History of the French Revolution; Eugene Sue's The Wandering Jew; Harriet
Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin; The Works of Alexander Dumas; Louis XIV and His Court; and numerous books on
medicine, politics, politics,
The books that most affected him were Beecher Stowe 's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Sue's The Wandering Jew, close to El
Filibusterismo, and the novels by the Spanish writer Benito Perez Caldos, one of which was Desnerada, which inspired
his two later novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The novel Noli Me Tangere was also influenced by Benito
Pérez Caldós' novel Doña Perfecta, written in 1876, eleven years before the publication of Noli Me Tangere. Doña
Perfecta reveals the immense influence the church has wielded. It also shows the disparities between the conventional,
rural outlook and the new, urban outlook of Madrid, the capital of Spain.
During Rizal’s time in Spain, his family went through a financial crisis in Calamba. In 1883, the world price of sugar had
fallen and the sugar had not been sold. The rent of land had risen that year. The concern was that the manager of the
Dominican estate made it more difficult for the Rizal family. According to Rizal's account, the manager normally fell by
asking his father for a free fat turkey. The pest destroyed most of the turkeys that year, and those remaining are kept for
breeding. That year, there was no turkey to give away. The manager was dismayed at his boss, and for this reason he
declined to give any thought, demanding that the family of Rizal should pay the increased fee. As a result of the economic
problems, Rizal’s allowance was cut and Paciano had to sell his pony to pay for his brother's allowance.
The Speech that Attracted the Attention of Reactionary Spaniards in the Philippines
On June 25, 1884, Rizal joined a Greek university competition. With empty stomach, he participated in the contest. In
spite of the challenges, he won gold medal. On the evening of the same day, he gave an eloquent speech at a banquet in
honor of the Filipino painters Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, who received top prizes at the National
Exhibition of Fine Arts. Juan Luna won the first prize for his Spoliarium, which portrayed the bodies of deceased Roman
gladiators being carried out of the bowels of the Coliseum, while Hidalgo won the second prize for his Virgenes Cristianas
Exposiciones al Populacho (Christian Virgins Unveiled to the Populace).
Rizal’s speech was his first address to a general audience. Rizal extemporarily said that Luna and Hidalgo were the pride
of the Filipino people, and he proved that genius is not the monopoly of any race. The two painters, the titans of their craft,
are the creations of the Philippines and Spain, and their works unite both cultures. Near the end of his speech, Rizal
scored with refined sarcasm the ill-wishers of the Filipinos who were emerging as an intellectual force. In the end, Rizal
shared the hope that someday Spain will give the changes required by the Filipinos. At the end of his address, he gave a
toast to Luna and Hidalgo, for which there was a thunderous applause.
Rizal’s speech was mentioned in the newspaper El Liberal, and news of the case reached the Philippines. Some of the
elements in the Philippines were not satisfied, and Rizal was said to have made enemies with his speech. It was said that
Rizal can never return to the Philippines. Dona Teodora was fraught with fear, and she had been unable to eat for days.
She fell ill, and Paciano wrote to Rizal about the impact of his homage to the two Filipino painters. He warned him to be
more vigilant of his actions. He warned him to stop writing papers that could offend the friars and other reactionary
Spaniards, and that he should not fail in his Christian duties, and eventually ordered her son to stop undertaking studies
that could lead to his destruction.
Rizal had heeded these warnings, but he pursued his life as if he had been attracted to destiny.
Completion of Studies in Spain
Rizal completed his medical studies and was awarded the title of
Licenciado in Medicina, which would allow him to practice medicine. His
academic records at the Universidad Central de Madrid are as follows:
Fifth year (1882-1883)
Continuation of Medical Course in the University of Santo Tomas
Medical Clinic 1 Bueno (Good)
Surgical Clinic 1 Bueno (Good)
Obstetrical Clinic Aprobado (Fair)
Legal Medicine Sobresaliente (Excellent)
Sixth year (1883-1884)
Medical Clinic Bueno (Good)
Surgical Clinic Notable (Very Good)
The degree of Licentiate in Medicine was conferred on June 21, 1884 with the rating of "Aprobado" or "Fair." Rizal was
actually granted lower grades in Spain than at the University of Santo Tomas.
Rizal continued to research subjects that would have led to a doctorate of medicine. He passed all the subjects leading to
the Degree of Medicine. His grades were:
Seventh year (1884-1885)
History of the Medical Science Aprobado (Fair)
Surgical Analysis applied to the Medical Bueno (Good)
Science Sobresaliente (Excellent)
Advanced Normal and Pathological
Histology
He, however, was not conferred the degree of Doctor of Medicine for failure to present a thesis required for graduation
and pay for the corresponding fee.
Nevertheless, by obtaining a degree of Licentiate in Medicine, he became a full-fledged physician and qualified to practice
medicine. He was not interested in taking the post-degree of Doctor of Medicine because such a degree is good only for
teaching purposes, and he knew that no friar-owned university in the Philippines would accept him for teaching position
because of his brown color. In reality, the name "Dr. Rizal" is a misnomer as he has never been given the title of Doctor.
The inability to pay the related fees also represented Rizal's financial troubles at the time. It was with the aid of his friend
Maximo Viola who borrowed him money that Rizal was able to acquire his medical degree and practice.
Rizal was also able to complete his education in Philosophy and Letters, where he received a higher degree. On his 24th
birthday, June 19, 1885, Rizal graduated from the Universidad Central de Madrid with a Bachelor's degree in
Philosophy and Letters (Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras). His grades were as follows:
1882-1883
Universal History Saliente
General Literature Sobresaliente
1883-1884
Universal History 2 Sobresaliente
Greek and Latin Literature Sobresaliente (with prizes)
Greek 1 Sobresaliente (with prizes)
1884-1885
Spanish Language Sobresaliente (with scholarship)
Arabic Language Sobresaliente (with scholarship)
Rizal Outside School
Rizal had a stopover in Barcelona on his way to Paris in October 1885. He saw his friend Maximo Viola, a wealthy family
member from San Miguel, Bulacan. He lived with Maximo Viola for a week at the Vergara No.1 lodge on the Room 2 of
3rd floor.He also befriended Eusebio Corominas, publisher of the newspaper La Publisidad.
His other degree qualified him to work as a professor of humanities at any university in Spain. Nevertheless, he chose to
develop his medical qualifications by specializing in ophthalmology by working as assistant to Dr. Louis de Wecker, a
leading French ophthalmologist in Paris from October 1885 to March 1886, and later in Germany as assistant to
numerous professional ophthalmologists such as the Polish Dr. Javier Galezowsky and the German Otto Becker in
Heidelberg in 1886 and another German eye doctor named Dr. R. Schulzer and a Dr. Schiwiegger in 1887. Outside his
working hours, he relaxed by visiting his friends. He also went to Luna’s studio. He helped by posing as a model in several
paintings. Rizal posed as Egyptian priest in Luna’s canvass “The death of Cleopatra” and Sikatuna in Luna’s great
painting “The Blood Compact”
In the course of his additional research, he broadened his experience by studying several new things. After finishing his
work with Dr. Weckert in Paris, he moved to Heidelberg , Germany, on 8 February 1886. He worked there as an assistant
at De Galezowsky 's clinic. He stayed in a boarding house with some German law students to save rent. He soon became
acquainted with them, made friends with them, and played chess. He quickly got acquainted with them, befriended them
and was playing chess. He took time to attend lectures at the University of Heidelberg, which commemorated its fifth
centenary during his visit.
Rizal was enamored by his peaceful surroundings and made drawings of what he saw and also published the poem A las
Flores de Heidelberg, inspired by the flowering flowers of the university town along the Neckar River. He also took note of
how the Germans lived and what was the secret of their success since being united as a nation in 1871.
Later, he went to the house of Karl Ulmer, a Protestant minister with whom he became close friends. Since he was a
mason at the time, Rizal said that Catholicism was better than Protestantism.
He took advantage of the fact that his stay in Germany was the hub of scientific science. He went to Leipzig, Dresden,
and Berlin, which are renowned for their universities dating back to the Middle Ages. On August 14, 1886, he was able to
visit Fredrich Ratzel, a German historian in Leipzig. There he translated Scheller’s William Tell to Tagalog.
On October 29, 1886, he arrived in Dresden, Germany, and met with Dr. Adolf B. Meyer, director of the Museum of
Anthropology and Ethnology. He heard the mass here in the morning. He remained in the city for two days.
On November 1, 1886, Rizal left Dresden by train and reached Berlin in the evening. Rizal met for the first time Dr. Feodor
Jagor, famous German scientist-traveller and author of Travels in the Philippines.
With the aid of Blumentritt, Feodor Jagor and Hans Virchow were introduced to Rizal, both anthropologists and students
of the Philippine culture. Rizal had to learn the German language in dealing with these reputable characters. His linguistic
skills fascinated his new friends. He managed to write a scholarly paper called Tagalische Verkunst or Tagalog Metrical
Art.
Rizal has always been busy working as a doctor's assistant by day and taking classes at the University of Berlin at night.
He was taking classes in French. It was in Berlin that he finished his novel Noli Me Tangere and found the proper printing
house, the Berliner-Bruckrucrei-Action Gesselchaft, to get it published. Meanwhile, Rizal was working on a very small
budget. His allowance from the Philippines did not arrive due to a locust attack in Calamba. His book was almost
unpublished, but for Dr. Maximo Viola, who visited him in Berlin. Viola paid for the expenses of printing the novel and even
looked at Rizal 's health because he was spitting up blood. Physical inspection revealed that Rizal's way of life was more
than frugal. Later, Rizal and Viola decided to a grand tour of Europe. They visited Blumentritt in his hometown of
Leitmeritz from 13 to 17 May 1887, followed by Brunn and Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic, then Vienna, Lintz
and Salzburg, Austria. They returned to Germany, where they visited Munich and Ulm before heading to Switzerland,
where they visited Basel, Bern, Lasusanne and Geneva. After visiting Geneva, Viola returned to Spain while Rizal crossed
the border to visit Milan, Venice and Rome. After a week in Rome, Rizal left for Marseille, France then boarded a steamer
bound for the Philippines.
WEEK 9: NOLI ME TANGERE
THE MAKING OF NOLI ME TANGERE
“I die without seeing dawn's light shining on my country... You, who will see it, welcome it for me...don't forget those who
fell during the night-time.” -Noli Me Tangere (Jose P. Rizal)
Introduction
Noli Me Tangere is one of the Philippine literature's most popular books, describing the conditions of the
Philippines during the Spanish colonization. Noli Me Tángere is considered to be one of the most significant written works
of the national hero at the height of his scholarly efforts in Europe. It was not only because it was published by the
National Hero, Jose Rizal, but also because it revealed the socio-historical status of the Filipinos under the Spanish rule.
In this book, Rizal gathered his intellectual experiences as he tapped his experience of different fields and woven a story
that tried to reflect, if not reveal, the complexities of colonial life in the Philippines in the nineteenth century. Jose Rizal 's
novel opened the eyes of the revolutionists to see the stereotypes and wrongdoings of the Spaniards. This lesson will
explore the context of the publication of the Noli.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF WRITING THE NOVEL
As a tourist in Europe, Rizal joined in the Illustrado Movement to use propaganda to advocate for improvements in
the Philippines. Using their intellectual prowess, the illustrados published numerous written outputs from news pieces,
feature posts, and commentaries. They also created artistic works from ironic pieces to world-class paintings. In this
artistic and literary set, Rizal 's outstanding mastery of words was evident in one of his most celebrated novels, his first
book, Noli Me Tangere. The bleak winter of 1886 was an extraordinary one in Rizal's life for two reasons: first, it was a
harrowing episode because he was starved, sick, and destitute in a foreign country; and second, it brought him enormous
pleasure after suffering too much, because his first book, Noli Me Tangere, came out of the press in March 1887. Like the
legendary Santa Claus, Dr. Maximo Viola, a friend of his from Bulacan, came to Berlin at the height of his despondency
and offered him the money he needed to write the novel.
Idea of Writing a Novel on the Philippines
Dr. Rizal was influenced by his reading of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which describes the brutalities of
American slave-owners and the pathetic lives of the poor Negro slaves, to plan a novel that would show the miseries of
his people under the lash of Spanish tyrants. He was an undergraduate at Madrid's Central University. The biographers of
Rizal also state that the Spoliarium of Juan Luna, which represented the sufferings of mankind in the face of inequality,
was also an influence in the writing of his first book.
On January 2, 1884, at a Filipino gathering at the Paterno residence in Madrid, Rizal recommended the writing of a novel
by a group of Filipinos about the Philippines. The Paternos (Pedro, Maximino, and Antonio), Graciano Lopez Jaena,
Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente, Melecio Figueroa, and Valentin Ventura were among those present who
unanimously accepted his plan. Rizal 's project, sadly, did not materialize. Nothing was written by those compatriots who
were supposed to collaborate on the book. The book was planned to cover all stages of life in the Philippines. Nearly
everybody decided to write about women, though. At such flippancy, Rizal was disgusted. He was more disgusted to see
that his companions spent their time gambling or flirting with Spanish señoritas, instead of focusing seriously on the book.
Undaunted by the indifference of his friends, he decided to write the novel alone.
As a surmise, the novel has four purposes (Jesus, 2017):
1. To picture the past and realities of Philippines;
2. To reply to insults heaped on the Filipinos and their country;
3. To unmask the hypocrisy that have impoverished and brutalized the Filipino people; and
4. To stir the patriotism of the Filipinos.
The Title of the Novel
The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin phrase which means "Touch Me Not” or in Filipino, Huwag Mo Akong Salingin. It is not
originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible. Rizal, writing to Felix R. Hidaldo in French on March
5, 1887, said: "Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke, signify "do not touch me.” In citing the
Biblical source, Rizal made a mistake. It should be the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20, Verses 13 to 17). According to St.
John, on the First Easter Sunday. St. Mary Magdalene visited the Holy Sepulcher, and to her Our Lord Jesus, just arisen
from the dead, said:
"Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father,
and your Father, and to my God and your God."
The choice of title according to Rizal was because he intended to write about themes that were taboo in the
Philippines for centuries; things that people dared not touch.
According to his biographers, Rizal intended to write his first novel in French, which at the time was known to be
the language of intellectuals in Europe. He, however, turned to Spanish because in the Philippines he intended to reach
out to his countrymen.
The Author's Dedication
Rizal dedicated his Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines - "A Mi Patria" (To My Fatherland). His dedication runs as follows:
Recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer so malignant a character that the least touch irritates it and
awakens in it the sharpest pains. Thus how many times when in the midst of modern civilizations I have wished to call
thee before me now to accompany me in memories now to compare thee with other countries hath thy dear image
presented itself showing a social cancer like to that other!
Desiring thy welfare which is our own and seeking the best treatment I will do with thee what the ancients did with their
sick exposing them on the steps of the temple so that every one who came to invoke the Divinity might offer them a
remedy
And to this end I will strive to reproduce thy condition faithfully without discriminations; I will raise a part of the veil that
covers the evil sacrificing to truth everything even vanity itself since as thy son I am conscious that I also suffer from thy
defects and weaknesses.
The Writing of the Noli Me Tangere
Rizal started writing the novel in Madrid at the end of 1884 and completed about one-half of it. He started to compose the
novel as he went to Paris in 1885, after ending his studies at the Central University of Madrid, finishing half of the second
half. In Germany, he completed the last fourth of the book. In April-June, 1886, he published the last few chapters of Noli
at Wilhelmsfeld. Over the winter days of February 1886 in Berlin, the final revisions to the Noli manuscript were carried out
by Rizal. Sick and penniless, he had no chance of making it released, so he nearly threw it into the flames in a momentary
fit of desperation. Years later he told his good friend and former classmate, Fernando Canon: "I did not believe that the
Noli Me Tangere would ever be published when I was in Berlin, broken-hearted, weakened, and discouraged from hunger
and deprivation. I was on the point of throwing my work into the fire as a thing accursed and fit only to die."
Viola, Savior of the Noli
In the centre of his suffering and his despondency. From Dr. Maximo Viola, who was going to Berlin, Rizal got a telegram.
This friend of Rizal's was a scion of the affluent San Miguel Bulacan family. This means that he was rich. He was
saddened to see Rizal living in poverty and deplorably sickly due to lack of adequate nourishment when he arrived in
Berlin shortly before Christmas Day of 1887. Viola, being filled with sufficient money, gladly decided to cover the printing
expense of the Noli after seeing the plight of his talented friend. He loaned Rizal some cash for living expenses as well.
Thus, it happened that Rizal and Viola were able to celebrate Christmas in Berlin in 1886 with a sumptuous feast. Rizal
put the final touches to his novel after the Christmas season. He omitted some passages in his manuscript to save
printing costs, including a whole chapter—"Elias and Salome.
The Noli was fully completed and ready for printing on February 21, 1887. Rizal went to numerous printing shops in Berlin
with Viola, the savior of the Noli, to survey the printing prices. They eventually found a Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-
Gesselschaft printing shop after a few days of enquiries, which paid the lowest cost, that is, 300 pesos for 2,000 copies of
the book. It must be noted that in Berlin, Germany, Noli Me Tangere was published.
Rizal Suspected as Frenchy Spy
An unusual incident occurred in Rizal during the printing of Noli. One morning, the Berlin police chief paid a
surprise visit to Rizal's boarding house and demanded to see the passport of the latter. Unfortunately, Rizal was unable to
produce a passport, for he had none - it was possible to fly without a passport in those days. The police chief then
instructed him, within four days, to obtain a visa, or he would be deported. Rizal, followed by Viola, then went to the
Spanish embassy to request the assistance of the Spanish ambassador, the Count of Benomar, who had agreed to deal
with the matter. The ambassador, however, refused to keep his word, and it turned out he had no authority to grant the
appropriate passport.
Rizal introduced himself at the office of the German police chief at the expiration of the four-day ultimatum,
apologizing for his inability to acquire a visa, and respectfully asked the latter why he should be deported when he had not
committed any crime. The police chief told him that he had received intelligence reports that he (Rizal) had made
repeated visits to rural villages and cities, raising the suspicion of the German government that he was a French spy,
because he had entered Germany from Paris, where he had been staying for many years, and was clearly a lover of
France, whose language and culture he knew so well. On account of Alsace-Lorraine, relations between France and
Germany were strained at the time.
Rizal explained to the police chief, in fluent German, that he was not a French spy, but a Filipino physician and
scientist, especially an ethnologist. He toured the rural regions of the countries he toured as an ethnologist to study the
customs and life-styles of their everyday inhabitants. The police chief was delighted and allowed him to remain openly in
Germany, favourably impressed with Rizal 's description and intrigued by his mastery of the German language and
personal charisma.
Printing of the Noli Finished
Rizal oversaw the printing of the Noli, with the aid of Viola, after the incident of his aborted deportation as a
suspected French spy. They were at the printing shop proof-reading the printed pages day by day. On March 21, 1887,
the Noli Me Tangere came off the press. Rizal immediately sent the first copies of the printed novel to his intimate friends,
including Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, G. Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Felix R. Hidalgo. In his letter to
Blumentritt, dated March 21, 1887. he said: "I am sending you a book. It is my first book, though I have already written
much before it and received some prizes in literary competitions. It is the first impartial and bold book on the life of the
Tagalogs. The Filipinos will find it the history of the last ten years. I hope you will notice how different are my descriptions
from those of other writers. The government and the friars will probably attack the work, refuting my arguments: but I trust
in the God of Truth and in the persons, who have actually seen the sufferings at close range. I hope I can answer all the
concepts which have been fabricated to malign us.”
On March 29, 1887, Rizal, in token of his appreciation and gratitude, gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli
carefully rolled around the pen that he used in writing it and a complimentary copy, with the following inscription: "To my
dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work - Jose Rizal."
Symbolisms of Noli Cover Page
Each element of the cover page has its own meaning or symbolism. Just one look at the cover, it already tells us
every bit of what's in the novel. Rizal also purposely designed the title to be placed diagonally so that it can divide an
upper and lower triangle. (Bernus & Hermoso, n.d.)
 Symbol Meaning / Symbolism
 believed to be Maria Clara or as the "Inang Bayan" to Upper Triangle –
Silhouette of a Filipina
whom Rizal dictates the novel represents Rizal’s
Bay Leaves/ Laurel Leaves  represents Honor and Fidelity Past Life
 represents the Catholic faith as it rises above Inang
Cross Bayan and Filipinos (shows dominance). It also
symbolizes sufferings and death.
 refers to the Olympic torch
Burning torch  pertains to the awakening of Filipino consciousness
 it also sheds light to the text of the manuscript
 it symbolizes a new beginning
Sunflower  it is compared to the happiness of which appears to be
always bowing down
Year 1887  publication of Noli Lower Triangle –
 it represents Filipino resiliency represents Rizal’s
Bamboo Stalk  despite the sufferings, Filipinos can still stand tall and current situations
firm
 it symbolizes slavery and imprisonment (Chain)
Chain and Whip  it represents the abuses and cruelties done by the
Spaniards and friars as depicted in the novel (Whip)
 It represents the helmet of Guardia civil. Symbolizes the
Helmet
arrogance of those in authority
 it symbolizes the Legend of the Wolf
Hairy Legs  the wolf shape shifts just like how friars hide their true
nature and character
Reactions to the Noli
The Noli produced reactions from readers, Filipinos and strangers alike in the immediate months and years after its
publication in 1887. Answers varied from praise to outright mockery. One sector that espoused utmost disdain for the
novel was the Spanish clergy as well as some Spanish colonial officials. It is thus understandable that in 1887, when Fray
Salvador Font, chair of the censorship board, banned the reading and possession of Rizal 's book, Spanish friars
vehemently prohibited the dissemination of the book. The book was assessed and judged as pernicious by several other
friars. In order to stop committing capital sins, they told devout Catholics not to read the book. Not only did disapproval of
the novel from Spanish officials and scholars persist in the Philippines, it was also voiced in Spain. Vicente Barrantes,
who wrote several pieces in Spanish newspapers ridiculing Rizal's inconsistencies, was a staunch opponent of the book.
Barrantes described Rizal as man of contradiction whose criticisms of friars and the Spanish regime were actually an
insult to the Filipino themselves.
The book was also attacked by Fr. Jose Rodriguez. As he was intimidated, he issued a pamphlet titled “Caingat Cayo”,
which warned the Filipinos against reading the Noli. In 1889, Rizal published his answer to Fr. Rodriguez in the pamphlet
La Vision de Fr. Rodriguez, a brilliant satire in which exposed the ignorance of the friar (Agoncillo, 1990)
His novel also found passionate defenders among his peers, just as Rizal's detractors came from diverse fields. His book
was lauded by many of his peers in the Propaganda movement. Marcelo H. del Pilar, who also wrote essays in response
to the Noli critics, is one example. Support for the novel was also shared by Rizal 's friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, also an
academic. Blumentritt noted that Rizal’s work “has been written with the blood of the heart, and so the heart also speaks.”
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Filipino patriot and lawyer, also read the novel. He felicitated Rizal saying “Every Filipino patriot
will read your book with amity and upon discovering in every line a veracious idea and in every word a fitting advice, he
will be inspired and he will regard you book as the masterpiece of a Filipino and the proof that those who thought us
incapable of producing great intellects are mistaken or lying.” (Zaide & Zaide, 1994)
As the Noli in the Philippines of the nineteenth century stirred outrage in social circles, it is surprising to learn that the
novel continued to be a topic of discussion and discussion well past its time. In the immediate years after its publication,
the Noli was translated into several languages. One of the earliest translations of the novel was done in French. Many
scholars posit that there were early attempts to translate the novel into German (by Blumentritt) and even Tagalog (by
Rizal's brother, Paciano) but these plans never came to fruition. At the turn of the twentieth century, during the American
colonial period, several other translations and editions of the novel came out. Arguably the most circulated versions were
the English translations of Charles Derbyshire. By the 1930s, Rizal's Noli and several Spanish editions, translations into
English, French, Japanese, and also into several languages in the Philippines including Tagalog, Cebuano, Waray, Iloko,
and Bikol.
Distribution of the novel to the Philippines
In the middle of the tight censorship imposed by the Spaniards, the story of how Noli Me Tangere was spread in the
Philippines can be traced to the efforts of Jose Basa, the hero-smuggler of the Propaganda movement. He was able to
organize Hong Kong-Manila trips for Filipinos through his contacts and flourishing business, which became the route for
subversive and anti-friar pamphlets to enter Filipinos' hands. Noli Me Tangere was one of them. The Filipino travelers who
worked as couriers were allegedly told to disembark the ships without the books commonly concealed in the ship's coal
bin. They would then hire a carretela and the books, usually placed inside buri sacks, would be loaded to the carretela.
Afterwards, they would pretend to forget something in the ship. They would ask a permission from a crew member to walk
back to the ship leaving the buri sacks in the carretela. After sometime, the cochero would inspect the buri sacks and find
the books. He would either dispose or leave them and another arranged carretela would pick up the sacks for people to
freely get copies, thus disseminating them to Filipinos.
Impact of Noli Me Tangere
Noli Me Tangere is considered romantic, but because of its nature, it is more socio-historical. Today, much of the issues
addressed in Noli can still be found. The novel quickly gained attention, but only a small number of copies reached the
Philippines, for it was forbidden to be read by the Spanish authorities, in particular the friars whom Rizal mocked in the
novel. Anyone who was found reading it was harshly disciplined. Naturally, the ban made more Filipinos much more
interested about the book. This is called Streisand effect. Originally, Noli was written in Spanish, so the chance of Spanish
officials reading it first was very high, which is what Rizal chose to do. Copies of books have been redirected to churches,
many have been burned, many anti-Noli authors have been brought into the picture. At the time, Catholic figures in the
Philippines viewed the book as heretical, although it was considered rebellious and against the government by the
Spanish colonial authorities. From his book, they found their immorality, their bogus culture, and their vices were faithfully
mirrored in the novel. As Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, an Insular, said:
“The prestige which the friars had enjoyed, and which was based only on the ignorance of the masses, crumbled away
when the private lives of the member of the religious orders in the provinces were described in the pages of Rizal’s book
and the immorality and the viciousness of the friars were exposed to the public view”
After publication, Noli me Tangere was considered to be one of the instruments that initiated Filipino nationalism leading
to the 1896 Philippine Revolution. The novel did not only awaken sleeping Filipino awareness, but also established the
grounds for aspiring to independence. Underground copies were distributed, so Rizal decided to increase the price, the
demand was so high.
The impact also included the expulsion of Rizal's clan in Calamba, Laguna. Extradition cases were filed against him. This
led to his decision to write the sequel of Noli Me Tangere, the El Filibusterismo. Unlike El Fili, Noli Me Tangere was more
delicate and did not invoke rebellion. as El Fili does. So, to ensure revolutionary ideas and patriotic reaction, Rizal
redefined his careful concepts in Noli to aggression in El Fili.
WEEK 10: PLOT, CHARACTERS AND THEMES OF NOLI ME TANGERE
Introduction
Upon knowing important details of the novel Noli Me Tangere, this chapter presents the novel’s plot, themes, and
characters. The plot will provide a story of hope and struggle against the backdrop of an elaborate setting filled with
equally complex characters. Through the novel’s characters, varied point of views were gleaned from colonial life in their
different journey and through novel’s themes, help you to better understand the whole message of the novel that even up
to present are worthy for discussion.
PLOT OF THE NOVEL NOLI ME TANGERE
The story of the Noli Me Tangere followed the life of Juan Crisostomo Ibarra after he returned to the Philippines from
studying in Europe. The novel opened with Capitan Tiago preparing a homecoming gathering for the young ilustrado.
Throughout the pages of the novel, the characters could be seen navigating the complex realities of colonial Philippines.
Ibarra was shown to be rekindling links with his betrothed Maria Clara. But not everything was fine and dandy for Ibarra.
Upon his return, he learned about the ills that plagued his town as well as the abuses of the friars to which his late father
fell victim to. Ibarra found an antagonist in Padre Damaso, the former curate of San Diego who ordered that the corpse of
his father be exhumed and reburied in the Chinese cemetery.
Despite these personal travails, Ibarra persevered to fulfill the plan of building a school in San Diego, staying true to his
belief that education was crucial for his nation's progress. Ibarra almost got killed had it not for Elias, a boatman, who
saved him. Elias also previously cautioned Ibarra about his actions that could anger the friars. After the incident, Ibarra
organized a luncheon.
Here, another confrontation occurred between Ibarra and Damaso who attended the luncheon uninvited. In a fit of Ibarra
took a knife against Damaso's neck and threatened to slit his throat as he told everyone of the abuses committed by
Damaso and the desecration he did to Ibarra's father. Maria Clara calmed Ibarra and prevented him from killing the friar.
Damaso, in an act of revenge, persuaded Capitan Tiago, the father of Maria Clara, to not allow his daughter to marry
Ibarra.
After some time, a revolt was blamed on Ibarra, which caused his incarceration. With the help of Elias, he escaped and
went to see Maria Clara who was soon marrying the man her father chose for her. In a heartbreaking confrontation, Ibarra
and Maria Clara exchanged accusations and in the revealed that Damaso was the true father of Maria Clara
As turmoil and confusion engulfed the town, Maria Clara thought Ibarra had been killed. This caused her endless grief.
She asked to be confined to a nunnery lest she take her own life. It was later revealed that Ibarra was not dead and that
Elias was the one fatally shot. In the latter passages, the dying Elias was waiting for Ibarra but instead, met and talked to
the young Basilio. He instructed the orphaned boy (his mother Sisa, who became insane looking for her young sons, had
died) to find the treasure of Ibarra buried in the cemetery and use it to get an education. He reminded Basilio to never lose
hope and if one day, freedom and progress would come to his country, to not forget those who labored in the night.
Within this general contour of the narrative, Rizal wove a complex story and subplots. Reading through the novel, different
characters and their corresponding stories unfolded as told through the voice of an unseen narrator. Truly, the Noli
reflected the lives of people living in the complicated world of colonial Philippines.
CHARACTERS OF THE NOVEL
JUAN CRISÓSTOMO IBARRA Y MAGSALIN (IBARRA)
Ibarra, a rich young mestizo who has just returned to the Philippines after studying in Europe for seven years, is
sophisticated, highly regarded, and highly idealistic. Due to his extremely liberal education and contacts, the priests of
San Diego all treat him with considerable wariness. His father, Don Rafael, who was similarly idealistic, was branded a
subversive and a heretic by the oppressive priesthood and imprisoned, finally leading to his death. Ibarra hopes to
establish a school in San Diego to carry out the dreams and aspirations of his father, but as a result of a plot led by the
scheming Father Salví, he becomes embroiled in disputes with the church and is forced to leave San Diego. Ibarra usually
wishes to work inside institutions to change the Philippines, rather than abolish them, in comparison to his more radical
friend Elías, but he changes to the values of Elías as the novel progresses.
MARIA CLARA
She is believed to be the daughter of Captain Tiago, a lady of high social status, and the goddaughter of Father
Dámaso. Actually, she is Father Dámaso's biological daughter, the result of a scandalous arrangement between the old
priest and the wife of Captain Tiago. María Clara grew up alongside Ibarra and decided to marry him, but the marriage
was disapproved of by Father Dámaso. Her guardians set her up to be married to Linares, a rich young man of Spanish
descent, after Ibarra is excommunicated from the church, and she tries to go along with the arrangement to avoid
upsetting her father, the weak-willed Captain Tiago. She is coerced into surrendering the letters Ibarra gave her as proof
of his guilt as Ibarra is put on trial for sedition. Ultimately, she refuses to marry Linares and enters a convent when she
learns about Ibarra's sudden death.
FATHER DAMASAO
Father Dámaso is an aged, power-hungry and shamelessly corrupt Spanish priest who, for nearly two decades,
has lived among the native Filipinos. The years have done little to endear him or build much sympathy for his "flock,"
despite having spent all that time with them. He is deeply racist, as well as petty and vindictive, and he thinks little about
using his immense influence to ruin the lives of others who have slighted him, regardless of how minor the crime is. He
masterminded the assassination of Don Rafael Ibarra, then taunted the younger Ibarra brazenly. Ibarra threatens him
after he openly insults Ibarra 's father and he excommunicates Ibarra from the church. He is also María Clara's godfather
(and, technically, the biological father), granting him control over her relationship with Ibarra.
ELIAS
Elías, an enigmatic character, is a man on the run from the law who, amid his firm religious beliefs, resents both
the Spanish colonial government and the Catholic Church. When Ibarra bravely saves him from a crocodile, he crosses
paths with the more temperate Ibarra. Elías discovers a scheme against Ibarra 's life and deals closely with him in the
second half of the book. He and Ibarra had some lengthy debates on the ethics of politics and government, with a more
revolutionary approach held by Elias.
FATHER SALVI
A younger, more cunning Spanish priest who takes over the role of Father Damaso as San Diego's Friar Curate.
He is more dangerous than his predecessor in many ways, as he is a more skilled strategist who uses his religious
position for political influence and personal vendettas. He frequently fights with the town's ensign for power . His most
significant role in the novel comes through his plot to ruin Ibarra, who is engaged to María Clara, who he is in love with.
CAPTAIN TIAGO (DON SANTIAGO DE LOS SANTOS)
Capitan Tiago is a rarity to the fact that he is a rich Filipino native. Despite really showing little regard for religion,
he retains strong relations with high-ranking Catholic Church officials, and shamelessly shares in the racial insults of
others towards his own people. His primary interest is to marry a wealthy man from a prominent family with his daughter,
María Clara. This is one of the key reasons that when he is branded a subversive, he is able to toss aside his loyalties to
Ibarra. As a possible new fit for his daughter, his desire for favorable social pairings makes him easy to agree with
Linares.
DOÑA CONSOLACION
Doña Consolación, the combative wife of The Ensign, is an elderly Filipino woman who is ashamed of her
ethnicity and who pretends to be unable to understand Tagalog, her own native tongue. She also argues with her
husband and takes much of her husband's decisions for him. She is proud, despite being portrayed as very ugly, and she
demands respect from everyone.
DON RAFAEL IBARRA
The father of Crisóstomo Ibarra is mentioned in the novel posthumously. Critic of the corrupt practices of the
Spanish friars, he receives the wrath of hateful Father Dámaso, who accuses him of sedition and heresy. He dies in
custody before his name can be cleared. His remains are buried in the Catholic cemetery in the town of San Diego, but
Father Dámaso employs a gravedigger to did up his body to be buried in the Chinese cemetery because of his status as a
heretic.
DOÑA VICTORINA
Doña Victorina, a brave and determined social climber from the Philippines, is the wife of Tiburcio de Espadaña, a
fake doctor. Well past her prime, she depends on garish make-up to take on the youthful façade. She eagerly seeks to
marry her nephew to María Clara, perhaps as a way to further advance her social standing.
CRISPIN
A young boy training to be a church keeper, Crispín and his brother Basilio are constantly working to give help
money to their demoralized mother, Sisa. Crispín is accused of taking money from the church suitcases by the head
sexton and is kept a virtual hostage until the debt is settled. The night that he and his brother visited their mother, the
head of the sexton held them until the curfew, essentially preventing the brothers from moving. The head sexton beat him
and he was never seen again afterwards, potentially dying at the hands of the ruthless head sexton, even though another
church official believed he had escaped.
BASILIO
Crispín's older brother is Basilio. Like his younger brother, he works like a sexton. Basilio takes a desperate run to
their home the night that Crispín is taken away and manages to find his younger brother the next day, but his search
efforts are fruitless. The next day, the Civil Guard arrives to look for him and his brother. Fearing his life, he escapes to
the forest where he goes into hiding, staying with a kind family until Christmas Eve. When he eventually locates Sisa, he
discovers that she has gone insane because of her grief and is thus unable to recognise him as her mother. He follows
her to the trees, where she momentarily regains her wits, and then dies of shock.
SISA
She goes insane at the loss of her sons, the long-suffering mother of sextons-in-training, Crispin and Basilio. Poor
and married to a brutal intoxicated man, she is only allied with her sons. She wanders through the city, her clothing
tattered and her hair disheveled, and calls for her sons. She is unable to remember him until she finally encounters
Basilio.
LT. GUEVARRA
The lieutenant of the Civil Guard is also a morally upright man of Spanish extraction who keeps both Crisóstomo
Ibarra and the late Don Rafael in high regard. He is one of the few who support the Ibarras publicly and he is outspoken
about his disapproval of the control of Father Dámaso. He tells Crisóstomo Ibarra of his father's fate and of the role of
Father Damaso in his passing.
LINARES
Dr. de Espadaña’s nephew, a respectable young Spanish man. Like his uncle, he has forged credentials and
hopes to climb through the social ranks.
FATHER SALVI
A priest serving in the Binondo district in the city of Manila, Father Sibyla serves as a foil to the otherwise largely
corrupt Father Dámaso and the perverse Father Salví as he is rational and calm. Father Sibyla is an adept and shrewd
orator who takes obvious delight in antagonizing the pompous Father Dámaso at Ibarra’s return party.
Understanding the Themes of the Filipino Novel "Noli Me Tangere"
Freedom from Spain
Noli Me Tangere portrays the hardships that Filiipinos experienced during the Spanish Regime. Rizal tried to
expose all of these in this novel and the ways Filipinos tried to gain independence from Spain. This novel is a great novel
of how Filipinos were being maltreated.
Social Climbers
Just like in present times, social climbers also existed in 1900s in the Philippines. Rizal included this mentality in
the persona of Doña Victorina and Capitan Tiago. These characters as seen in the novel, tried to blend themselves with
higher classes and educated ones. Doña Victorina, shows her eagerness to become Spanish looking person. It is evident
as she likes to cover her face with too much makeup, dressing like a Spanish woman, and speaking the foreign language
despite being Filipino.
Abusive Power
Filipinos suffering from civil guards, friars and government officials were excessive that hinders Filipinos to live
freely day by day. These were exposed by Rizal in the novel. One concrete example was the death of his father, Don
Rafael that made Ibarra continuously seek for justice.
Family Devotion
One best trait of a Filipino is being family oriented. Rizal tried to highlight this in the characters of Crisostomo
Ibarra, Maria Clara and Sisa. With the death of Don Rafael, Ibarra traces all means to achieve justice for his father. Maria
Clara being so kind and obedient daughter to Capitan Tiago. Sisa, on the other hand, definitely shows her devotion to her
family by doing everything to serve her family. Considering her children (Basilio and Crispin) as her treasures, she
endures the trials she goes through just to keep them secured.
Purity and Faithfulness
Purity and Faithfulness is one of the highlights of the novel. Maria Clara, despite being engaged to a Spaniard,
she remained faithful to Ibarra to show her true love to the main character. She preferred to become a nun and hence dies
afterward when Padre Salvi rapes her.
Patriotism
Patriotism could be one of the obvious themes of the novel. Aside from Ibarra which obviously portrayed a man
with patriotism, Elias created a revolt against the Spaniards, findings all means to lead a revolution against the friars, civil
guards and government officials. Believing that God will bring forth justice over Filipinos depicts patriotism by all means.
These two characters badly want to be free from the oppressors.
WEEK 11: RIZAL’S ANNOTATIONS OF MORGA’S PRE-CONQUEST PAST
INTRODUCTION
During the Spanish colonial period, Philippine history was primarily written by the Spaniards. Early Spanish took
note of the native’s appearance and way of life. However, many of these early histories depicted the Filipinos in negative
terms and often contained biases against the colonized people.
In this lesson you will learn about Jose Rizal’s annotation of Antonio Morga’s work, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which
was an attempt to redress the biased view for the Filipinos and can be used even today to derive insights useful for
investigating pre-Hispanic history. Although Rizal’s annotations have been largely disregarded his work has credited as
the first Philippine history to be written form the viewpoint of a Filipino.
Antonio Morga was a Spanish administrator who served in the Philippine in the late sixteenth century. He was
born in Seville in 1559 and began working for the government in 1580. He served as the Lieutenant-Governor-second
most powerful position in the colony in the Philippines in 1953 and then as judge of the Audiencia in 1598. By 1915, he
moved to Mexico where he served as the president of the Audiencia. He was later investigated for the corruption and was
found guilty. Before being sent to the gallows, however, he died in 1636.
Morga’s work, Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas, was published in 16709 in Mexico and consisted eight chapters. The first
seven chapters dealt with the terms of the governors-general who had served in the Philippines from the time Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi in 1565 to Pedro de Acuna in 1606. The last chapter, titled “An account of the Philippine Islands,”,
provided ample descriptions of early Filipinos upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century.
Other information about Sucesos de Las Filipinas
 Las Islas Filipinas means “The Philippine Island” in English and was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain
 Sucesos means the work of an honest observer, a versatile bureaucrat, who knew the workings of the
administration from the inside.
 The book describes the events inside and outside of the country from 1493 to 1603, including the history of the
Philippines.
 It discuss the political, social and economic aspects of a colonizer and the colonized country.
 The content of the book is based on documentary research, observation and personal experience of Morga.
While at the British Museum in the late 1889, Rizal found a copy of the first edition of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas and began copying the text by hand. He annotated the work along the way with the intention of creating
critical work on the history of the Philippines. Despite hopes of getting the work published through the help of Antonio
Regidor, Rizal ended up with no publisher when his annotations were done. By September 1889, Rizal decided to publish
the annotations himself in the Garnier Hermanos, a printing press based in Paris.
Rizal’s Choice of Annotating Morga’s Work
The first reason, according to a Historian Ambeth Ocampo, was the fact that Morga’s work in its original Spanish edition
was rare. In fact, the original Spanish text had never been reprinted in full until Rizal published his annotations in 1889.
Second, unlike other early Spanish Chronicles written by ecclesiastics, Morga was a civil administrator and therefore
provided a secular view of historical events during the early Spanish colonial period. This second reason relates to Rizal’s
belief that a secular account was more credible than those written by religious missionaries, which is the third reason for
his choice. Fourth, it was more sympathetic towards the natives in contrast to the biased accounts written by the friars.
Finally, Morga’s work was a fitting choice because he was an eyewitness ton historical events that occurred in the
Philippines during the period of early Spanish colonization.
Rizal’s Purpose of Annotating Morga’s Work
There are several reasons why Rizal’s intent in annotating Morga’s work. First is to awaken the consciousness of the
Filipinos regarding their glorious ways of the past. Second, to correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to
Spanish Conquest and third, to prove that the Filipinos are civilized/advanced even before the coming of the Spaniards.
With the publication of his annotations to Sucesos, Rizal presented an outline of linear conception of history. While Noli
Me Tangere dealt with the nineteenth century of Rizal’s present and El Filibusterismo and the essay titled “The Philippines
a Century Hence” covered the future, the annotations of Sucessos tackled the past. More than an attempt to write the
country’s history, however, Rizal’s annotation of Morga’s Sucesos must also be seen within the context of the Propaganda
Movement. At a time when Filipino propagandists were clamoring for reforms in Spain, presenting a critical narrative of
the country’s history might be considered as an endeavor to create a sense of national consciousness or identity that was
anchored on a glorious past. Whereas early Spanish chronicles for being barbarians, Rizal’s copious notes of Sucesos
revealed early Filipino culture as rich and flourishing. Thus, Rizal’s annotations may be considered an effort to assert
Filipino identity within an oppressive colonial framework.
According to Rizal’s Annotations Filipinos have:
 EARLY GOVERNMENT – our forefathers in the Pre-colonial Philippines have already possessed a working
judicial and legislative system.
 HIGH LITERACY RATE – the Spanish missionaries have exploited the baybayin for their own ends, learning and
using it to translate their goals.
 EARLY ARTILLERY – our ancestors are very proficient in the art of war. Aside from wielding swords and spears
they also know
 SMOOTH FOREIGN RELATION – the pre-colonial Filipinos had already established trading and diplomatic
relations with other countries.
 SELF-SUFFICIENT – in terms of food, our forefather did not suffer from any lack thereof. Blessed with such
resource-rich country, they had enough for themselves and their families.
 ADVANCE CIVILIZATION – our ancestors possessed a complex working society and a culture replete with works
of art and literature.
Some of Rizal’s actual annotations from Morga:
Morga Rizal’s Annotation
Their regular daily food is rice…together with boiled fish of This is another preoccupation of the Spaniards who, like any
which is an abundance, and pork or venison, likewise meat of other nation, in matter of food, loathe that to which they are
wild buffalo or carabao. They prefer meat and fish, saltfish not accustomed or is unknown to them. The English, for
which begin to decompose and smell. example, is horrified on seeing a Spaniard eating snails; to
the Spaniard beefsteak is repugnant and he can’t understand
how raw beefsteak can be eaten; the Chinese who eat tahuri
and shark cannot stand Roquefort cheese, etc. The fish that
Morga mentions does not taste better when it is beginning to
rot; all on the contrary: it is bagoong and all those who have
eaten it and tasted it know that it is not or ought not to be
rotten.
In the rivers and the streams there are very large and small Perhaps for the same reason, other nations have great
scorpions and a great hnumber of very fierce and cruel esteem for lion and bear, putting them on their shields and
crocodiles which frequently get the natives from their bancas giving them honorable epithets. The mysterious life of
on which they ride… However much the people may trap, crocodiles, the enormous size that it sometimes reaches, its
catch and kill them, these reptiles hardly seem to diminish in fatidical aspect, without counting anymore its voraciousness,
number. For this reason, the natives build on the border of must have influenced greatly the imagination of the Malayan
their rivers and streams in their settlements where they Filipinos.
bathe, traps and fences with thick enclosures and bars of
bamboo and timber within which they do their bathing and
washing, secure from these monsters which they fear and
respect to the degree of veneration, as if they were somehow
superior to them.

SUMMARY
Rizal’s annotations of Sucesos de las islas Filipinas may be considered an attempt to write Philippine history from the
point of view of a Filipino. With the publication of this work, Rizal provided a linear view of history with Noli Me Tangere
showing a view of the present, El Filibusterismo and “The Philippines a Century Hence” illustrating a view of the future,
and the annotations clarifying a view of the past.
In addition, Rizal’s annotations should also be understood within the context of propaganda work that Filipinos in Spain
were engaged in. The annotations explored the possibilities of creating a Filipino identity anchored clearly on a pre-
Spanish past.
WEEK 12: THE PHILIPPINES: A CENTURY HENCE
INTRODUCTION
It is indeed important for us to know some literary works of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Through his literary
masterpieces, he voiced strong opposition to the abuse of Spaniards and conveyed messages that he hoped would
inspire his fellow countrymen. He used his intelligence to put into light the real situation of Philippines and enlightened the
minds of Filipinos.
For some, they do not consider Rizal as hero because he did not fight like other brave heroes using other
weapons and sacrificing their lives in bloody battles. Instead, he fought with the principle “the pen is mightier than the
sword” in which he believed that not everything should be dealt with violence. With this, he created provoking and
powerful masterpieces which helped fight against the colonizers in the past. The country’s national hero is always
remembered and looked upon with high regard for his contribution towards the Philippine independence. For this lesson,
we will be discussing The Philippines: A Century Hence. In this essay, he underscores the need to establish a new kind of
political relationship between Spain and the Philippines if the former does not wish a total break-up with the latter. Read
the summary and analysis of one of his best works and uncover the underlying meaning behind.
The Philippines; A Century Hence
The Philippines a Century Hence is an essay written by Philippine national hero 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 was published in La Solidaridad that starts by
analyzing the various causes of the miseries suffered by the Filipino people:
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.
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.
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.
Some questions then arise as to what had awakened the hearts and opened the minds of the Filipino people with regards
to their plight. Eventually, the natives realized that such oppression in their society by foreign colonizers must no longer be
tolerated. Another question in this essay is whether or not Spain can indeed prevent the progress of the Philippines. And
the answers are: First, Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness had still
awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble. Second, keeping the 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. Lastly,
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. Spain,
therefore, had no means to stop the progress of the country. What she needs to do is to change her colonial policies so
that they are in keeping with the needs of the Philippine society and to the rising nationalism of the people.
What Rizal had envisioned in his essay came true. In 1898, the Americans wrestled with Spain to win the Philippines, and
eventually took over the country. Theirs was a reign of democracy and liberty. Five decades after Rizal’s death, the
Philippines gained her long-awaited independence. This was in fulfillment of what he had written in his essay: “History
does not record in its annals any lasting domination by one people over another, of different races, of diverse usages and
customs, of opposite and divergent ideas. One of the two had to yield and succumb.”
RIZAL’S FELITIOUS VISION OF OUR FUTURE AS A NATION
In his most prescient essay, The Philippines A Century Hence, written in 1889 and in his December 15, 1896,
memorandum for use by his counsel, Rizal made the following predictions: One, “the Philippines will one day declare
herself independent”; two, “the great American Republic with interests in the Pacific…may one day think of acquiring
possessions beyond the seas”; three, “the Philippines will defend with indescribable ardor the liberty she bought at the
cost of so much blood and sacrifice”; four, “Japan will swallow us”; five, “[once liberated] the Philippines will, perhaps,
establish a federal republic”; and six, “[the Philippines] will, perhaps, enter openly the wide road of progress and will work
jointly to strengthen the Mother Country at home, as well as abroad…”
SUMMARY
PART I I. Effects of the Spanish Colonization
 Poverty became rampant.
 Population decreased and the aspects of the life of the Filipino were retarded.
 The Filipinos lost their indigenous traditions and culture.
 The Filipino spirit was broken.
II. What will be the future be?
 Will the Philippine Islands continue to be 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
kind of sacrifices will have to be made?
 Will they be separated from the mother country to live independently, to fall into the hands of other
nations, or to ally themselves with neighboring powers?
PART II I. What will become of the Philippines w/in a century? Will they continue to be a Spanish colony?
 For those who have a strong spirit over the liberty of the country, independence was assured.
 but for those who are discouraged and disillusioned by sad experience shall be a PRISON of the
colony FOREVER.
II. Now then, are the Philippines in the same condition they were three centuries ago?
 For the liberal Spaniards: the ethical condition of the people remains the same
 For the friars and their followers: they have progressed
 For many Filipino ethics: they have retrograded
A. Spaniards were able to take hold of the Philippines for three centuries because Filipinos
remained faithful, giving up their liberty and their independence, in exchange of all the
promises given to them.
B. Filipinos sees the Spaniards as protectors but soon realizes that they are its exploiters and
executioners.
C. Enlightenment is spreading and the persecution it suffers quickens it.
III. If this state of affairs should continue, what will become of the Philippines within a century?
 People start to awaken and if the government doesn’t change its acts, a revolution will occur.
 What do the people like?
A. A Filipino representative in the Cortes and an authorized voice to cry out against all kinds of
abuses.
B. To practice their human rights.
Possible outcomes:
 The Philippines will remain under Spanish domination, but with more law and greater
liberty.
 They will declare themselves independent.
PART III I. The importance of free press was emphasized in this part.
II. Free press is needed in order to voice out their complaints and suggestions towards the
reformation of the country.
III. It will also keep the government in touch with public opinion.
IV. The injustice reasons of the Spanish government were also tackled on why they wouldn’t risk
putting a Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes.
PART IV I. Spanish colonization was explained scientifically.
 “The existence of a foreign body w/in 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.”
 “The terrible lessons and hard teachings that these conflicts will have afforded the Filipinos will
operate to improve and strengthen their ethical nature.”
 If the Philippines may be able to secure their independence after heroic and stubborn conflicts,
they can be rest assured that no Western countries will dare to take up what Spain was unable to
hold.
 Africa will be taking the attention of European countries, and with the American Republic whose
interest lies in the Pacific and would like to have a foreign possession may most likely be the next
conquerors of the “Pearl of the Orient Sea”.

SUMMARY
The Philippines; A Century Hence contain the prediction of Jose Rizal about the Philippines 100 years before its
publication. He published the essay on September 30, 1889 under the La Solidaridad.
Main Points of the Essay
1. Using the past to understand the present thus predicting the future.
2. Filipinos have lost confidence in their past, lost faith in the present, and lost their hopes in the future.
1. 3. The Filipinos will still be under Spain if they will implement the freedom of press and the Filipinos has
representation in the Spanish Cortes