MODULE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

CHAPTER 5: RIZAL’S HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFE ABROAD

Objectives:
a.) Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda
movement.
b.) Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other propagandists.
c.) Analyze Rizal’s growth as a propagandist and disapproval of
assimilation.

Rizal’s Higher Education at UST

Rizal’s higher education started in college, after completing his Bachelor of Arts (a high
school diploma equivalent). His higher education was spent most in UST.

⚫ Both Paciano and Don Francisco wanted Rizal to enter a university but Dona Teodora
opposed the idea because the Spanish might “cut-off his head”.
⚫ The Bachelor of Arts course during the Spanish time is only equivalent to high school
diploma or junior college today.
⚫ In April, when Rizal was nearly 16 years old, he enrolled at UST. He took up
Philosophy and Letters because his father liked it and was uncertain as to what
course he would pursue.
⚫ At first, he was attracted to a priesthood (he would have been a Jesuit priest). The
Jesuit fathers wanted him to take up farming but Rizal’s choice was between
Literature and Law and Medicine. Having a talent for self-expressions and a keen
sense of justice he would have been a brilliant lawyer.

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⚫ Having received Father Pablo Ramon’s (Rector of Ateneo) advice to study medicine,
he took up medical course enrolling simultaneously in pre-medical course and regular
medical course.
⚫ While at UST, he also studied at Ateneo taking up vocational course leading to the
title perito agrimensor (expert surveyor). He excelled in all subjects in surveying
course and obtained gold medals in Agriculture and Topography.
⚫ He passed the final examination in the surveying course and granted the title as
surveyor in November 25, 1881
⚫ While at Ateneo pursuing the surveying course, he became active in extracuricullar
activities. He was elected President of the Academy of Spanish Literature and
Secretary of the Academy of Spanish Literature. He was also a Secretary of the
Marian Congregation.
⚫ While at UST, he fell in love with three woman. During his first year, he fell in love
with a woman simply called “Miss L”, a waoman a fair, seductive and attractive eye.
The romance died like a natural death because of two reasons: (1) the sweet memory
of Segunda Katigbak (the first sweetheart of Rizal) was still fresh in his memory and
(2) Rizal’s father did not like the family of “Miss L”. The identity of “Miss L” is lost in
history.
⚫ During his sophomore year, he courted Leonor Valenzuela (Orang), a tall girl with
regal bearing. He sent her love notes in invisible ink (combination of table salt and
water). Nevertheless, he though Orang to heat it over a candle or lamp so that the
words may appear. But as with Segunda Katigbak, he stopped visiting the woman
“Miss L”.
⚫ During his junior year, Rizal had a romance with Leonor Rivera, of Camiling Tarlac.
Leonor was a frail, pretty girl and studied of La Concordia College. Both Rizal and
Leonor were engaged. Rizal used a sign name “Taimis” to camouflage their
relationship from their parents.
⚫ Rizal studied at UST from 1878 to 1882. his grades in the Medicine subjects consisted
of 2 Excellent, 3 Very Good, 8 Good and 2 Fair. His grade in UST college of medicine
was not as impressive as what he got in Ateneo Philosophy and Letters due to hostility
of the Dominican professors to him.
⚫ During his college days at UST and Ateneo, Rizal was involved in brawls and Spanish
brutality. During the summer vacation in 1878, while walking on a dimly street not
knowledge the figure close to him, he did not greet and say “good evening”. The
vague figure (turned out to be a lieutenant of the Guardia Civil) struck Rizal’s back
with his sword. The wound though not serious, lasted for two weeks. He reported the
incident to Pardo de Tavera, Spanish Governor General, but nothing came out of his
complaint.

In another student brawls near Escolta in Manila, Rizal was wounded on the head.
His Filipino friends brought him bleeding and covered with dust to his boarding house,
“Casa Tomasina”. Leonor Rivera, one of his sweethearts washed and dressed his
wounds.

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⚫ Unlike in Ateneo, Rizal was unhappy at UST because the Dominican university
professors were hostile to him; the Filipinos who were called indios were
discrimination by the Spaniards, and the method of instruction was obsolete and
repressive.
⚫ After completing the fourth-year term in medicine, Rizal decided to study in Spain
because he could no longer endure the discrimination and oppression at UST and
because in Spain, the professors were more liberal than those in UST.

Rizal’s Travel, Life and Education Abroad

Dr. Jose Rizal was considered as the “Most Travelled Filipino Hero”. He travelled to
almost 20 countries and about 40 island cities
The following events took place during Rizal’s travels and life abroad are arranged
in their chronological order.

Rizal’s First Trip Abroad

⚫ Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities knew nothing of his decisions to
go abroad. Only his older brother Paciano, uncle Antonio Rivera (father of Leonor
Rivera), sister Neneng and Lucia, the Valenzuela family and their daughter Orang,
Pedro A. Paterno, his compadre Mateo Evangeline, the Ateneo Jesuit priest and
some intimate friends knew of his secret departure.

Before Rizal’s secret departure, he wrote a farewell letter to his parents and his
sweetheart Leonor Rivera which was delivered to them - after he sailed away

⚫ May 3, 1882 - on board the Spanish steamer, Salvador Rizal departed for Spain
using Jose Mercado, on his travel documents. His main reason in leaving the
Philippines was to transfer at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Spain and to finish
his medicine course. On board the streamer were 16 passengers including Rizal. He
was the only Filipino, the rest were Spaniards, British, and Indian Negroes.
⚫ May 8, 1882 - on his way to Spain, he had a two-day stopover in Singapore and
English colony. He reached the island considered by him as “Talim Island with the
Susong Dalaga” on May 8, 1882. The following day, May 9, Rizal registered at Hotel
de la Paz and spent two-day sightseeing sorties of the city. He saw the Botanical
garden, the famous Buddhist Temple and the founder of Singapore, Sir Thomas
Stanford Raffles.
⚫ May 11, 1882 - He was on board the steamer Djemnah, a French steamer, much
larger and cleaner than Salvadora. On board the vessel were British, French, Dutch,
Spaniards, Malays, Siamese, and Filipinos like Mr. and Mrs. Salazar, Vicente Pardo,

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and Rizal himself. French was mostly spoken on board because it was a French
vessel.
⚫ May 17, 1882 - he arrived at point Galle (Punta De Gallo), a seacoast town in southern
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The town is picturesque, lovely, quiet, and sad at the same
time according to Rizal.
⚫ May 18, 1882 - he had a stopover at Colombo, the capital of Ceylon. According to
Rizal, Colombo is more beautiful, smart, elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and
Manila.
⚫ May 28, 1882 - from Colombo, Ceylon, the Djemnah continued voyage and crossed
the Indian Ocean until it reached Cape of Guardian, Africa. Rizal called Africa as
famous but inhospitable land.

Then he reached Aden. Here he went ashore for sightseeing. He found the city hotter
than Manila. He saw camels for the first time.

⚫ June 2, 1882 - from Aden, he proceeded to Suez Canal. It took 5 days to travel the
Suez Canal. Upon arrival, Rizal disembarked and went sightseeing. It was his first
trip in this canal. He was impressed of the moonlight which reminded him of Calamba.
Then, he proceeded to the Red Sea Terminal before reaching Past Said
(Mediterranean terminal of Suez Canal), Rizal went ashore for sightseeing. He was
fascinated to hear multiracial inhabitants speaking a babel of tongues - Arabic,
Egyptians, Greeks, French, Italian, Spanish.
⚫ June 11, 1882 - from Port Said, the steamer proceeded to Europe and reached
Napless City, Italy, Rizal was fascinated by Mount Vesuvius, the Castle of St. Telno,
and the historic sights of the city. The city is busy because of its business activity,
lively people and panoramic beauty.
⚫ June 12, 1882 - the steamer left Marseilles by train on its last trip to Spain. The
steamer reached Pyrenees and stopped for a day at Port Bou. In this place, Rizal saw
the indifference accorded to tourists in comparison to the courtesy accorded by the
French immigration officers.
⚫ June 16, 1882 - from Port Bou, Rizal continued his trip for the last lap by train from
Spain and finally reached his destination - Barcelona, Spain. Rizal stayed in Hotel de
Espana and is Sitges Street with Tomas Cabangis and boarded a house in San Pablo
Hospital in the city of Barcelona. At first, Rizal had a bad impression of Barcelona -
ugly, dirty little inns, inhospitable people - because he happened to stay upon his
arrival in a stingy hotel. Later, he changed his mind and came to like the city - as a
great city with and atmosphere of freedom and liberalism and the people were open-
hearted, hospitable, and courageous, he enjoyed promenading along Las Rambles,
the famous Barcelona Street.

Life in Barcelona. Rizal was welcomed by the Filipinos in Barcelona, some of whom
were his classmates in Ateneo. They gave him a party at their favorite cafe - Plaza de
Catalina. They exchanged toast and they told Rizal of the attractions and customs of the
people in Barcelona. Rizal, in turn, gave news and gossips in the Philippines. While in
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Barcelona, Rizal received two bad news. The first bad news was about the cholera
outbreak that ravaged Manila and the provinces. The second bad news was the chatty
letter of Chenggoy recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was getting thinner
due to absence of a loved one.
⚫ November 3, 1882 - on the advice of Paciano to Rizal, to finish medical course in
Madrid, Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and went to Madrid, the capital of Spain.
On November 3, 1882, he enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central
University of Madrid) in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters. In Madrid, he lodged
at Visitacion Street, No. 3, 3rd floor (Room 4). In 1883. In October 1884, he transferred
to Pizzaro Street, No. 13 and later on at Ventura de la Vega Street.

He also studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando,
took tutoring lessons in French and English and practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall
of Arms of Sanz Carbonell.
⚫ Life in Madrid - Rizal lived frugally, rigidly budgeting his money wisely. Although he
used to buy tickets in every draw of the Madrid Lottery, he never wasted his money
for gambling, wine and women. Rizal spent his leisure time by reading books such as
on military engineering to broaden his cultural background. As a lover books, he
purchased books from a second-hand bookstore owned by a certain Roses. In fact,
he was able to build a fair-sized private library in his boarding house. In the
gymnasium, he practiced shooting and fencing. At other times, he visited his Filipino
friends at the house of Paterno brothers. He also fraternized with other students at
the Antigua Cafe d Levantes. On Saturday evenings, he visited the home of Don
Pablo Ortega y Rey (father of Consuelo), who has been the city mayor of Manila
during the administration of Governor Carlos de la Torre (1869-1871). During one of
his visits to the Ortega’s house, he became attracted by Consuelo’s beauty and
charm.

During his stay in Barcelona and Madrid, hard times occurred in Calamba, harvest of
rice and sugarcane failed due to drought and locusts. The Dominican-owned hacienda
increased the rentals of the lands leased and cultivated by the Rizal family - the rental
increase was a consequence of the failure of Don Francisco to give turkeys to the
hacienda manager.

Likewise, to send money to Rizal in Madrid, Paciano was forced to sell Rizal’s pony.
⚫ June 21, 1884 - Rizal was conferred the Licentiate in Medicine with a rating of “Fair”
by the Universidad Central de Madrid after completing 5th year (1882-83) and 6th year
term (1883-84).

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In the next academic year (1884-85), he passed all the subjects leading to the degree
of Doctor of Medicine. 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 a
teaching position because of his brown color.

⚫ June 24, 1884 - Rizal was broke. With empty stomach, he attended his classes at
the University, participated in the contest in Greek language and won the gold medal.
On the evening of June 24 however, he was able to take his dinner because he was
a guest speaker in a banquet held in honor of San Juan and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo
at Restaurant Ingles in Madrid.
⚫ Novenmber 20, 1884 - students demonstration started to explode at the Universidad
Central de Madrid due to the expulsion of Dr. Miguel Morayta, professor of history in
the University. The Catholic Bishops of Spain excommunicated Dr. Morayta because
of his liberal view in which he proclaimed the “freedom of science and teacher” during
the opening ceremonies of the academic year in November 20. Angered by the
bigotry of the Catholic bishops.

Rizal together with other students armed with clubs, stones, fists fought the
government forces during the demonstration. Many University professors, including the
University Rector who took the side of the students, were forced to resign. During the
demonstration, the students protesters should “Viva Morayta! Down with Bishops”

⚫ June 19, 1885 - on his 24th birthday anniversary, Rizal was awarded the degree of
Licenciate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid with a
rating of “Excellent”. By obtaining this degree, he became qualified to be a professor
of humanities in any Spanish University.
⚫ June 25, 1885 - Rizal was invited to speak in a banquet to celebrate the double victory
of two Filipino artists, Juan Luna’s “Spoliarium” winning first prize and Felix Hidalgo’s
“Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace” winning second prize, in the National
Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. He saluted Luna and Hidalgo for their artistic
achievements.
⚫ October, 1885 - Rizal had a stopover in Barcelona on his way to Paris. He visited his
friend Maximo Viola, member of a rich family from San Miguel, Bulacan. He stayed
for a week with Maximo Viola at a lodge in Vergara NO. 1, 3 rd floor Room 2. He also
befriended Eusebio Corominas, editor of the newspaper La Publisidad.

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⚫ November, 1885 - Rizal went to Paris and lived there for four months where he
worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Wecket, a leading French ophthalmologist. He
rapidly improved his knowledge in ophthalmology. Outside of 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”
⚫ February 3, 1886 - after four months of stay in Paris, he left Paris for Heidelberg,
Germany. He lived for a short time, with German law students in a boarding house
but later on transferred to a boarding house near the University of Heidelberg. Since
Rizal was a good chess player, he was made a member of the Chess Player’s Club.
He became a popular friend to the German so that German students joined him in
drinking, saber duel, and chess games.

Rizal worked at the University Eye Hospital under Dr. Otto Becker, a distinguished
German ophthalmologist and attended lectures of Dr. Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne
at the University. During weekends, he had sightseeing at the scenic spots at Heidelberg
Castle, romantic Neckar River, old churches, etc.
He also spent a 3-months summer vacation at Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village
near Heidelberg. Here, he became a good friend of Dr. Karl Ullmer, a Protestant pastor.
⚫ June 25, 1886 - Rizal left Wilhelmsfeld. He returned to Heidelberg carrying with him
beautiful memories of the Ullmer friendship and hospitality.
⚫ July 3, 1886 - Rizal wrote his first letter in German to Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, an
Austrian ethnologist interested in Philippines languages, who was at that time the
Director of Ateneo of Lemeritz, Austria. He also sent Blumentritt the book “Aritmetica”
written in two languages, Spanish and Tagalog authored by Rufino Baltazar
Hernandez of Santa Cruz and to reciprocate him, Blumentritt also sent Rizal a gift of
two books. This marked the beginning of long and frequent correspondence between
Rizal and Blumentritt. Their friendship lasted all their lives. Blumentritt, an Austrian
became the best friend of Rizal.
⚫ August 6, 1886 - Heidelberg held it’s 5th century celebration. The celebration was
held in three years days. Rizal was sad to leave Heidelberg because he had come to
love the beautiful city and its hospitable people.
⚫ August 9, 1886 - Rizal left Heidelberg and boarded a train, visited other cities of
Germany and arrived at Leipzig.
⚫ August 14, 1886 - he arrived at Leipzig. He attended some lectures at the University
of Leipzig in history and psychology. Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a famous German
historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, German anthropologist became Rizal’s friends.

Rizal translated Scheller’s William Tell and Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales into
Tagalog. He also corrected some chapters at the city’s gymnasium. Rizal found Leipzig
as the cheapest in Europe and so he stayed for two and a half months.

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⚫ October 29, 1886 - he arrived at Dresden, Germany and met Dr. Adolf B. Meyer,
Director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum. Here, he heard mass in
the morning. He stayed two days in the city.
⚫ 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. Dr. Jagor visited the Philippines in 1859 when
Rizal was still a boy, Rizal met the following famous personalities; Dr. Rudolf Virchow,
famous German anthropologists, Dr. Hans Virchow, professors of Descriptive
Anatomy and son of Dr. Rudolf Virchow; Dr. W. Joest, a German geographer, and Dr.
Karl Ernest Schweigger, famous German ophthalmologist. For a while, Rizal worked
in the clinic of Dr. Schweigger. Upon the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Meyer, he
became member of the Anthropological Society, Ethnological Society and
Geographical Society of Berlin.

Life in Berlin. Rizal became impressed in Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere
and absence of racial race. He lived in Berlin in a frugal life. He worked as an assistant in
Dr. Schweigger’s clinic. At night, he attend lectures in the University of Berlin. He took
private lesson under French Professor Madame Lucie Cerdale. He performed daily
exercises in a Berlin gymnasium. He observed keenly the customs, dresses, homes, and
occupations of the peasants. He made sketches of the things he saw. He promenaded
along Unter den linden, the most popular boulevard of Berlin.

After several months, Rizal received Paciano’s remittance of P1,000 which was
forwarded by Juan Luna from Paris. Rizal paid Viola the sum of P300 for the loan granted
to Rizal for printing Noli Me Tangre
⚫ May 11, 1887 - Rizal and Viola left Berlin for Dresden. They visited Dr. Adolph b.
Meyer. In the museum of arts, Rizal was deeply impressed by a painting of
“Prometheus Bound”. While strolling at the scene of the Floral Exposition, they met
Dr. Jagor. He suggested that they must send a wire to Blumentritt.
⚫ May 13, 1887 - Rizal and Viola on bored a train reached Leitmenritz, Bohemia.
Professors Blumentritt received their wire and met Wizal and Viola warmly. Rizal and
Viola were also invited to a meeting at the Tourist Club at Leitmeritz of which
Blumentritt was the secretary.
⚫ May 17, 1887 - Rizal and Viola left Leitmeritz by train on their way to city of Prague.
They carried recommendation letters of Professor Blumentritt to Dr. Willhomm.
⚫ May 20, 1887 - Rizal and Viola arrived in the city of Vienna. They met Mr. Norfenfoe,
one of the greatest novelists in Europe, they also met Masner and Nordmenn,
Austrian scholars.
⚫ June 2-3, 1887 - Rizal received the sad news from his friends in Amdrid of the
deplorable conditions of the Igorots of Northern Luzon who were exhibited in the 1887
Madrid Exposition, some of whom died. Their scanty clothing and crude weapons
were objects of laughter and mockery by the Spaniards.
⚫ June 19, 1887 - It was Rizal’s 26th birthday, he treated Viola.

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After five years in Europe, Rizal decided to return home in the Philippines.
⚫ June 27, 1887 -Rizal reached Rome, the “Eternal City”. He wrote to Blumentritt that
Rome is a sanctuary of heroes.
⚫ June 29, 1887 - Rizal visited for the first the Vatican, the “The city of Popes”. After a
week of travel in Rome, Rizal was prepared to return in Philippines.

Paciano, Silvestre Ubaldo, Chengoy and others friends warned him not to return home
because of the publication of his “NOLI ME TANGRE” which caused uproar and anger
among the friars in the Philippines. But Rizal determined to return for some reasons.

⚫ July 3, 1887 - Rizal left Rome by train of Marseilles, a French port and boarded the
Djemnah a Manila-bound steamer.
⚫ July 30, 1887 - in Salgon, he transferred to another streamer Haiphong which bound
to Manila.
⚫ August 5, 1887 - the steamer Haiphong arrived in Manila. He found Manila the same
as when he left it five years ago. He stayed for a short time to visit his friends.
⚫ August 8, 1887 - Rizal returned home to Calamba. He was met affectionately and
with plentiful tears of joy. However, his family became worried for his safety.

Rizal’s Brief Stay in Calamba after Returning Home from His First Trip Abroad
Upon his return abroad, Rizal established a medical clinic in Calamba. His first
patient was his mother who was almost blind. This was the primary reason he took
medicine and decided to finish it abroad. Rizal treated his mother’s eye but cannot yet
perform surgical operation because her contract was not yet ripe. Soon Rizal acquired a
lucrative medical practice earning P900 a month and after a year, he earned a total of
P5,000. His professionals fees were reasonable. Those who were poor were treated free
of change.
To his controversial book “NOLI” the Dominican friars got more furious because of
Rizal’s exposure of the deplorable conditions of tenancy in Calamba which infuriated
further his enemies. This alarmed his parents, relatives, and friends and even the
Philippines for his own good.

Rizal’s Second Trip Abroad

⚫ Haunted by enemies and threatened by friars, Rizal was forced to leave Philippines
for the second time. It was February 1888 then. Rizal at 27 was an embittered victim
of human iniquities, a disillusioned dreamer, and a frustrated reformer. This was the
start of Rizal’s second travel.
⚫ On February 3, 1888, after six months of stay in Calamba, Rizal left Manila for Hong
Kong on board the Zafiro. He was sad and sick during the crossing of the choppy

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China Sea. He did not get off the ship when it made a stopover at Amoy, because he
was sick, it was raining and the city was dirty. He arrived in Hong Kong on February
8.
⚫ In Hong Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria Hotel. He was welcomed by the Filipino
community in Hong Kong. During this time, a Spaniard, Jose Varanda, was
shadowing Rizal’s movements in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was ordered to
spy on Rizal.
⚫ On February 18, Rizal accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang
for Macao. He was surprised to see a familiar figure among the passengers—Sainz
de Varanda.
⚫ Rizal described Macao as a small, low and gloomy. There are many junks, sampans,
but few steamers, it looks sad and is almost dead-like.
⚫ The two stayed in at the home of Don Juan Francisco Lecaros who was married to a
Portuguese lady.
⚫ During his two day stay in Macao, he visited the theater, casino, cathedral and
churches, pagodas and botanical gardens and the bazaars. He also saw the famous
Grotto of Camoens.
⚫ In the evening of February 19, he witnessed a Catholic procession wherein the
devotees were dressed in blue and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted
candles.
⚫ On February 20, Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong on board the ferry steamer
Kiu-Kiang.
⚫ A Landmark in Honor of Rizal’s Visit in Hong KongRizal stayed in Hong Kong for two
weeks. There he studied the Chinese way of life, language, drama and customs.
⚫ Rizal noticed some experiences and wrote them in his diary. Some of them include
the noisy celebration of the Chinese New Year which lasted from February 11th to
13th. There were continuous explosion of firecrackers and he himself fired many at
the window of his hotel. He also observed the boisterous Chinese theater, the
marathon Lauriat party, which was the longest meal in the world; the Dominican Order
was the richest religious order in Hong Kong, and the cemeteries.
⚫ On February 22, 1888, Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic, an American
steamer and his destination was Japan. Rizal did not like the meals on board but liked
the ship because it was clean and efficiently managed.
⚫ Among the happiest moments of Rizal in his life was his sojourn in the Land of the
Cherry Blossoms. He stayed in Japan for one month and a half from February 28 to
April 13, 1888. He was charmed by the natural beauty of Japan, the manners of the
Japanese people and the picturesque of shrines. He also fell in love with a Japanese
girl, who loveliness infused joy and romance in his sorrowing heart.
⚫ Morning of Tuesday, February 28, 1888, Rizal arrived at Yokohama and stayed in the
Grand Hotel. The following day, he moved to Tokyo and took a room at the Tokyo
Hotel where he stayed from March 2 to 7. He was impressed by the city of Tokyo.
⚫ After his arrival in Tokyo, Rizal was visited by Juan Perez caballero, secretary of
Spanish Legation. The latter invited him to live at the Spanish Legation. Rizal knew
that this was the Spanish government’s way of monitoring Rizal but he accepted
anyways.

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⚫ On March 7, he moved out of Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish Legation. He and
Perez Caballero became good friends and described him as a young, fine and an
excellent writer.
⚫ During his first day in Tokyo, Rizal could talk the Japanese language. He had a hard
time for shopping for he could not be understood and children laughed at him. With
his situation, Rizal decided to study the Japanese language. He was able to speak
within a few days.
⚫ At Japan he studied the Japanese drama, arts, music, and judo. He also visited
museums, libraries, art galleries, and shrines. He visited Meguro, Nikko, Hakone,
Miyanoshita, and the charming villages of Japan.
⚫ During one time, Rizal went to the park and heard the Tokyo band playing a classical
work of Strauss. He was impressed by the great performances of the Western music.
He thought to himself how admirable their renditions are and wondered how they
have assimilated the modern European music to the extent of playing the beautiful
masterpieces of the European composers so well. The band stopped playing and to
his surprised they were speaking Tagalog. He approached them and conversed with
them. The musicians were delighted and also surprised to meet him.
⚫ Rizal was greatly impressed by Japan. Among of which are the natural beauty of the
country, the cleanliness and politeness of the people, the picturesque dress and
simple charm of the Japanese women, there were few thieves in Japan, and beggars
were rarely seen in the city streets. However, he disliked the rickshaws drawn by
men.
⚫ Rizal met a pretty Japanese girl. Her name was Seiko Usui. Rizal fell in love with
Seiko. He affectionately called her O-Sei-San. Both found happiness in each other’s
company. Affinity of interest in the arts paved the way for their romance. Rizal saw in
lovely O-Sei-San the qualities of his ideal womanhood—beauty, charm, modesty, and
intelligence.
⚫ O-Sei-San’s beauty and affection almost tempted Rizal to settle down in Japan. At
the same time, he was offered a good job by the Spanish Legation. But then, his love
for the fatherland and his mission to free his oppressed people made him think again.
⚫ Rizal’s great love for Seiko Usui and Japan will be memories that he will always
cherish, but it was his time to go.
⚫ On April 13, 1888, Rizal boarded the Belgic, an English steamer, at Yokohama, bound
for the United States. He left Japan with a heavy heart for he knew that he will never
see this beautiful land again, so as his beloved O-Sei-San. His sThe steamer Belgic
docked at the San Francisco on Saturday morning, April 28, 1888. All passengers
were not allowed to land. The American health authorities placed the ship under
quarantine on the ground it came from the Far east where a cholera epidemic was
alleged to be raging. Rizal was surprised because he knew there was no Cholera
epidemic at that time. He joined other passengers protesting the unjustifiable action
of the health authorities. Later, the American consul in Japan had given the ship a
clean bill of health.
⚫ He soon discovered that the quarantine was motivated by politics because the ship
was carrying 653 Chinese coolies.

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⚫ On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888, he was permitted to go ashore and then he

registered for a room at the Palace Hotel. Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days
from May 4 to 6.
⚫ On May 6, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland, nine miles across San Francisco Bay
by ferry boat. On May 7, he awoke and had a good breakfast at Reno, Nevada.
⚫ On May 8, Rizal was in the state of Utah. From Ogden, they went to Denver.
⚫ On May 9, they were passing through the mountains and rocks along the river. They
woke up at Colorado, which he described as a state with a lot of trees.
⚫ On May 10, they arrived at Nebraska then to Omaha, which was a big city. They
passed the Missouri River and arrived at Illinois.
⚫ On May 11, they arrived at Chicago. He observed that every store in Chicago are
selling cigars and has Indian figures.
⚫ May 12 they arrived at Wagner Car which he described as beautiful and well
populated. They arrived at the English territory in the afternoon, and saw the Niagara
Falls. They had a stopover to see some sights and went to the side below the Niagara
Falls.
⚫ On May 13, they arrived at Albany which was a big city. The Hudson River runs along
and carries many boats. The sights here were beautiful although more solitary than
those of Pasig.
⚫ The grand transcontinental trip ended on Sunday, May 13, at 11:00 A.M.
⚫ On Sunday morning, May 13, Rizal arrived at New York, which marks the end of his
trip to America. He stayed three days in this city and visited some scenic and historic
places. He was awed and inspired by the memorial of George Washington.
⚫ On May 16, 1888 he left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome. He was
onboard in a steamer which was “the second largest ship in the world”—the Great
Eastern. He saw the colossal Statue of Liberty on Bedloe Island as the ship steamed
out of New York.ojourn in Japan for 45 days was one of the happiest interludes of his
life.
⚫ On May 25, 1888, Rizal went to London. For a short time, he stayed at the home of
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor– a lawyer in London. By the end of May he was a boarder
of the Beckett family. His home was located near public parks and within easy walking
distance to the British Museum. He spent most of his time in the British Museum
studying the book of Morga’s Sucesos and other rare historical books about the
Philippines.
⚫ Gertrude Beckette, Rizal's Love Interulde in LondonHe spent his Sundays at the
house of Dr. Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authority on
Malayan languages and customs. Dr. Rost was greatly impressed by Rizal’s
knowledge and character and gladly recommended him to the authorities of the British
Museum. He called Rizal “a pearl of a man”.
⚫ For ten months, Rizal was deeply immersed in his historical studies in London. During
that time, his compatriots in Spain were waging the crusade for Philippine reforms.
⚫ Visiting Paris & SpainIn September of 1888, he visited Paris for a week for him to
search for more historical materials in the Bibliotheque Nationale. He was entertained
by Juan Luna and his wife. After reading over the old books, he returned to London.
⚫ On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain visiting Madrid and Barcelona. He
contacted his compatriots and surveyed the political situation. For the first time, he

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met Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, the two titans of Propaganda
Movement. He exchanged ideas with these new friends and promised to cooperate
in the fight for reforms.
⚫ Rizal returned to London on December 24 and spent Christmas and New Year’s Day
with the Becketts. Rizal liked Christmas Eves because it reminded him of many good
days of his infancy and also Christ was born. Rizal received from Mrs. Beckett a book
entitled The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist.
⚫ During his stay at London, he became the honorary president of a patriotic society
cooperating for reforms called Asociacion La Dolidaridad. It was inaugurated on
December 31, 1888. Rizal also wrote his first article in La Solidaridad, a patriotic
newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena, entitled Los Agricultores Filipinos
which was published on March 25, 1889.
⚫ Rizal wrote several works while in London. These writings includes: La Vision del
Fray Rodriguez, Letter to the Young Women of Malolos, and he also contributed some
articles to Dr. Rost’s journal entitled Specimens of Tagal Folklore and Two Eastern
Fables. Rizal also fell in-love with one of the three Beckett sisters—Gertrude.
⚫ On March 19, 1889, Rizal bade goodbye to the Beckett family and left London for
Paris. He was sad as he crossed the English Channel for he cherished many beautiful
memories in London.
⚫ Rizal went to Paris on the spring of 1889. The city was full of excitement because of
the Universal Exposition and it was hard to look for an inn to stay. The landlords are
taking advantage of the great demand for living quarters, raised the rents of their
rooms. For a short time, Rizal lived in the house of his friend, Valentin Ventura. There
he also published his annotated edition of Morga’s book. He transferred from one
hotel to another. Finally, he lived in a little room together with two other Filipinos—
Capitan Justo Trinidad and Jose Albert.
⚫ On June 24, 1889, Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera had a baby girl. They made
Rizal as her baptismal godfather and named her Maria de la Paz.
⚫ Rizal was fascinated by the Universal Exposition of Paris. It opened on May 5, 1889.
The greatest attraction of the exposition was the Eiffel Tower, which was built by
Alexander Eiffel. Rizal also participated in an art competition but got no prize.
⚫ During one time, Rizal together with the Kidlat Club was amazed by the proud
American Indians. He told his friends “they are not ashamed of their name. Let us be
like them…”
⚫ Another society founded by Rizal in Paris was the R.D.L.M. Society. The aim of the
secret society is the propagation of all useful knowledge in the Philippines. Another
aim is the redemption of the Malay race.
⚫ During his stay in Europe, he was deeply immense by his historical studies about the
Philippines. Rizal wants to learn more about the history of his Fatherland.
⚫ Another work of Rizal was The Indolence of the Filipinos. He also became a member
of “International Association of Filipinologists” with Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt as the
President. In the fall of 1889, he wrote another satirical work entitled Por Telefono; it
is a reply to Fr. Salvador Font, who masterminded the banning of his Noli.
⚫ December 25, 1889, Rizal celebrated his Christmas in Paris. Rizal and Jose Albert
planned to have a sumptuous Christmas dinner. They scraped enough money to

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celebrate Yuletide. They prepared a Christmas dinner with friend chicken, rice and
vegetables.
⚫ Shortly after the New Year, Rizal made a short visit to London. His purpose may be
because he wants to see Gertrude Beckette for the last time, and check up his
annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos.
⚫ By the mid of January 1890, he was back in Paris, during that time influenza was
epidemic throughout Paris. He complained of a terrible headache but he was not
stricken with flu.
⚫ On January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Rizal was
accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels. They lived in a boarding
house on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne which was run by two Jaceby sisters.
⚫ In Brussels Rizal was busy writing his second novel “El Filibusterismo”. Aside from
writing its chapters, he wrote articles for La Solidaridad. He also spent some of his
time in a medical clinic, and had gymnastics at the gymnasium. Rizal stayed with Jose
Alejandro at the boarding house when Jose Albert left the city.
⚫ Rizal loved his own native language. He was the first to advocate the Filipinization of
its orthography. As an example the Tagalog letters k and w should be used instead
of the Spanish c and o.
⚫ Rizal received news that the Filipinos in Spain were destroying the good image of
their nation y gambling too much. He wrote a letter to the Filipinos in Spain and the
gambling Filipino and the gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they learned
of Rizal’s moralizing.
⚫ Rizal also received letters from home that worries him. The Calamba agrarian trouble
was getting worse. The management of the Dominican hacienda continually raised
the land rents.
⚫ In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his family, Rizal planned to go home. He
could not stay in Brussels writing a book while his family was being persecuted.
⚫ Rizal ignored the warning of his friends and did not change his plans.
⚫ But there are some things that cheered Rizal’s life. One was the summertime festival
of Belgium. Second was his romance with Petite Jacoby, the pretty niece of his
landladies.
⚫ Rizal’s life in Madrid could be described as full of misfortunes. In August 1890, Rizal
arrived in Madrid. He tried all legal means to seek justice for his family and the
Calamba tenants, but to no avail. Also, Leonor Rivera married a British engineer.
⚫ Rizal sought the help of the Filipino colony to protest the injustices of the Dominicans
against the Calamba folks. More terrible news reached Rizal in Madrid, his brother-
in-law; Silvestre received a copy of eviction order by the Dominicans. He also learned
of the deportation of Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong and Dandoy to Mindoro. He
further learned from Saturnina’s letter that their parents had been forcibly ejected from
their home.
⚫ Adding to his misfortunes was the death of Jose Panganiban—his co-worker in the
Propaganda Movement.
⚫ Rizal almost had a duel with Antonio Luna when Luna was saying unsavory remarks
about Nellie. Rizal heard him and challenged him into a duel. But later on, they
realized that their duel would damage their cause in Spain.

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⚫ Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz on the fabulous French Riviera. He
was the guest of the Boustead family. It was in Biarritz where he had finished the last
chapter of his second novel, El Filibusterismo.
⚫ Rizal was in-love with Nellie Boustead, a daughter of the Boustead family. With the
encouragement of his close friends, Rizal courted Nelly, who in turn, reciprocated his
affection. Rizal had plans of marrying Nellie, but failed. Nelly wanted Rizal to espouse
Protestantism before their marriage. Rizal, being a man of firm conviction, refused.
Another problem was Nelly’s mothers, who do not wish to entrust Nelly to a man who
was poor in material things.
⚫ On March 30, 1891, Rizal proceeded to Paris by train. Rizal retired from the
Propaganda Movement and retired also from La Solidaridad.
⚫ In Brussels Rizal worked day after day revising the finished manuscript of El
Filibusterismo and readied it for printing.
⚫ On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent a famous university city in Belgium. He
stayed at Ghent because the cost of printing is cheaper. Rizal had limited funds and
lived in a cheap boarding house.
⚫ After his arrival, Rizal searched for the printing shop that could give him the lowest
quotation for the publication of his novel. He found out that F. Meyer-Van Loo Press
was willing to print his book on installment basis. He pawned all his jewels to pay the
down payment and early partial payments. He had received money from Basa and
200 pesos from Arias for the copies of Morga’s Sucesos which were sold in Manila.
⚫ Ventura learned of Rizal’s predicament and immediately sent him the necessary
funds. With his financial aid, the printing of Fili was resumed. The El Filibusterismo
was dedicated to the martyrdom of the Gom-Bur-Za.
⚫ After the publication of El Filibusterismo, Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong. He lived
there from November, 1891 to June 1892.
⚫ On October 18, 1891, Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for
Hong Kong. During the voyage he began writing his third novel in Tagalog. Makamisa,
Dapitan, and another untitled novel were some of the unfinished novels of Rizal.
⚫ Rizal described his trip as “heavenly”. In the ship were over 80 passengers—mostly
Europeans, and two Spaniards who were going to Amoy. Rizal was the only Asian
among them, and amazed his fellow passengers with his knowledge of many
languages.
⚫ Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on November 20, 1891. He was welcomed by Jose Basa
and lived at Number 5 D’ Aguilar Street where he also opened his medical clinic.
⚫ Before the Christmas of 1891, he was gladdened by the arrival of his father, brother
and Silvestre Ubaldo in Hong Kong. Not long afterwards, his mother and sisters Lucia,
Josefa and Trinidad also arrived. This Christmas was one of the happiest moments
in Rizal’s life for he had a happy family reunion.
⚫ Rizal also practiced his ophthalmology in Hong Kong. There he became a well-known
medical.
⚫ In May, 1892, Rizal made up his mind to return to Manila. He gave two letters, which
were sealed and inscribed on it “to be opened after my death”, to his friend Dr.
Marques for safekeeping.
⚫ At noon of June 26, 1892, Rizal and his sister Lucia arrived in Manila. He stayed in
Hotel de Oriente which was facing the church of Binondo.

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⚫ On June 27, Rizal boarded a train in Tutuban Station and visited his friends. And on
Wednesday July 6, Rizal went to Malacañan Palace to resume his series of
interviews. The governor general then presented to him some printed leaflets (Pobres
Frailes) which were allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow cases. Rizal denied having those
leaflets because they were thoroughly searched upon their arrival from Hong Kong
and was found clean. Despite his denial and insistent demand for investigation he
was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago.
⚫ July 15, 1892, Rizal was brought to the steamer Cebu which was sailing for Dapitan.
On the 17th of July, Rizal was handed over to Captain Ricardo Carnicero, the
commandant of Dapitan. His exile in Dapitan lasted until July 31, 1896, a period of
four years.

THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT

The Propaganda Movement was a period of time when native Filipinos were calling
for reforms, lasting approximately from 1880 to 1898 with the most activity between 1880
and 1895.
Dr. Domingo Abella, the learned Director of the National Archives, has made the
suggestion that the so-called Propaganda Movement was misnamed. It should have been
called the Counterpropaganda Movement because its essential task was to counteract
the campaign of misinformation that certain Spanish groups were disseminating in Spain
and later in Rome. It was a campaign of information, as well as a bid for sympathy.
Prominent members included José Rizal, author of Noli Me Tangere and El
filibusterismo, Graciano López Jaena, publisher of La Solidaridad, the movement's
principal organ, Mariano Ponce, the organization's secretary and Marcelo H. del Pilar.
Specifically, the Propagandists aims were the following:
⚫ Representation in the Philippines in the Cortes Generales, the Spanish parliament
⚫ Secularization of the clergy
⚫ Legalization of Spanish and Filipino equality
⚫ Provision of Spanish citizenship to Filipinos
⚫ Recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain[6]
⚫ Abolition of polo y servicios (labor service) and the bandala (forced sale of local
products to the government)
⚫ Guarantee of basic freedoms
⚫ Equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service

(Source: Teodoro Agoncillo, History of the Filipino People, Quezon City, Garotech
Publishing, 1990)

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RIZAL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PROPAGANDISTS

Rizal’s Relationship with Antonio Luna

In 1889, a Spanish writer, Pablo Mir Deas, attacked Antonio Luna in the Barcelona
newspaper “El Pueblo Soberano”. As Rizal’s defense of his friend Luna, he wrote the
article “Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences) which was published on November 30, 1889.
A year after however, Rizal challenged Antonio to a duel. In a party held by Filipinos in
Madrid, the intoxicated Antonio Luna made negative comments against Nellie
Boustead—the woman he was courting but was said to have been infatuated with Rizal.
Jose Rizal, who at the time was not in a good mood for bearing various problems, was
prompted to challenge Luna into a duel. But since Luna apologized to Rizal, the duel was
nonetheless aborted and their friendship was restored. When Rizal later decided to
formally court Nelly, Antonio gentlemanly conceded to Rizal and even congratulated him
through a letter.
Antonio returned to the Philippines in 1894. By winning in the competition for chief
chemist of the Manila Municipal Laboratory, he attained the prestigious position. He and
his older brother Juan also opened a fencing club in Manila, the ‘Sala de Armas’.
In 1896, Andres Bonifacio sent Pio Valenzuela to Dapitan to get Rizal’s approval of
the Katipunan’s planned revolution. Rizal however politely refused to approve the
uprising, believing that a revolution would be unsuccessful without arms and monetary
support from wealthy Filipinos. He thus recommended that if the Katipunan were to start
a revolution, it had to ask for the support of rich and educated Filipinos, specifically
Antonio Luna who was also an expert in military tactics (Bantug & Ventura, 1997, p. 133).

Rizal’s Relationship with Graciano Lopez Jaena

Rizal once reproved Graciano for not finishing his medical studies. Jaena figuratively
explained, “On the shoulders of slaves should not rest a doctor’s cape.” Rizal however
retorted, “The shoulders do not honor the doctor's cape, but the doctor's cape honors the
shoulders.” (“Graciano Lopez Jaena,” n.d.).

In Spain, Jaena became known as a great orator in socio-political clubs and thus
became a member of the Progressive Republican Party. Deputized by the party to go on
speaking engagements, Jaena became popular for his fiery and eloquent speeches
espousing liberal ideas.

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Rizal’s Relationship with Mariano Ponce

Ponce was the one who introduced Del Pilar to Rizal. Jose Rizal one day received a
letter from Ponce with enclosed articles written by a certain ‘Plaridel.’ Impressed by the
articles, Rizal wrote to Ponce, “I am very grateful to you for this … Who is Plaridel?” (“The
Love-and-Hate Relationship,” 2013) Upon knowing Plaridel’s identity through Ponce,
Rizal had then befriended Del Pilar (Plaridel) through correspondence. However, it was
only in December 1888 when Rizal first met Ponce and Del Pilar when he (Rizal) visited
his compatriots in Madrid and Barcelona.
Ponce willingly helped Rizal in the distribution of the Noli Me Tangere. In his letter
dated August 18, 1888, Rizal asked Ponce, “Please send me two or three copies of the
Noli… for I am going to begin the continuation. Try to send to Manila as many copies as
you can. They sell well there…you will get one-half of the sale there.” Ponce’s August 25,
1888 reply read, “I continue sending copies of the Noli to the Philippines through every
possible means. By so doing, I am only filling the orders that I receive. (“Rizal and Other
Reformers [1888],” n.d.)
Ponce must have been so proud to become Rizal’s friend, especially that the author
of Noli had become so popular among Filipinos after the novel’s publication. In his August
25, 1888 letter, he said to Rizal, “Many friends ask me to send you their greetings. My
family, who also sends your greetings, wished to have a picture of you, and so I wish to
request you to comply with this desire when you have your picture taken” (“Rizal and
Other Reformers [1888],” n.d.).
During the election for ‘Responsable’ among Filipinos in Madrid in February 1891,
Rizal got the majority of the votes but the count fell short of the required two-thirds vote
to be declared the winner. Rizal won again on the second day, but his votes did not reach
again the needed fraction. On the third day, the very sensible Mariano Ponce appealed
to some Pilaristas to surrender their will to what the majority wanted. Ponce’s influence
and wise move resulted in Rizal’s becoming the ‘legal’ Responsible, though he (Rizal)
eventually decided to politely abdicate his leadership and leave Madrid.

Rizal’s Relationship with Jose Alejandrino

In Europe, Alejandrino joined the Propaganda Movement and served as an editorial
staff of La Solidaridad. In the Pilaristas-Rizalistas rivalry, Alejandrino supported Rizal
(“Filipino Martyr,” 2013).
Being Rizal’s roommate in Belgium, Alejandrino was the one who canvassed printing
press for El Fili. He delivered proofs and revisions to the publisher F. Meyer van Loo in
Ghent. For his assistance, Rizal gave him the El Fili’s corrected proofs and the pen used
in doing the corrections. Unluckily, these historical souvenirs were either lost or destroyed
during the revolution (Ocampo, 2012, p. 111). Having helped Rizal in correcting errors in

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the El Fili, Alejandrino might have been the first person to read the novel aside from the
author.

Rizal’s Relationship with Edilberto Evangelista

Edilberto Evangelista was eight-month younger than Jose Rizal. Evangelista came
from a poor family in Sta. Cruz, Manila and he had to work hard to have an education
Reaching Madrid in 1890, he befriended and collaborated with Filipino expatriates in
Europe like Jose Rizal. Perhaps sensing his potential, Rizal counseled him to take
engineering in Belgium. Upon Rizal’s advice, Evangelista thus matriculated at the
University of Ghent, one of the world’s leading engineering schools then. Rizal’s
suggestion proved fruitful as Evangelista finished civil engineering and architecture with
highest honors. Some European companies offered him rewarding positions but he
turned them down for wanting to serve his country instead (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013).
During the 1896 Philippine revolution, the Spanish authorities suspected and arrested
many Filipinos for supposed involvement in the uprising. Evangelista, who had in his
possession Jose Rizal’s ‘Noli Me Tangere’ and ‘El Filibusterismo,’was one of those
arrested and imprisoned.

RIZAL’S DISAPPROVAL OF ASSIMILATION

Two myths have been perpetuated in the history of the of the late 19th century
Philippine National Movement. The first myth is that Rizal was a bourgeoisie reformist
who 1) opposed the 1896 Revolution, and 2) advocated the assimilation of the Philippines
to Spain. According to this myth, Rizal’s primary goal was the Hispanization of the Filipino,
and not the creation of an independent Filipino nation. The second myth pits Rizal and
his La Liga Filipina against Bonifacio and his Katipunan. This myth asserts that 1)
Bonifacio was a poor and unlettered laborer, and 2) that the katipunan was an
organization of the “poor and ignorant” masses. These two myth, which constitute a
distortion of the past, have prevented the post-colonial generation of Filipinos from
celebrate the centennial of the Bonifacio-led Revolution and Rizal’s martyrdom, these
myths should be exposed and relegated to the dustbin of history. It is easy enough to
expose these myths by checking the historiographic evidence. With regard to the first
myth, a good way to begin is by critical examination of Rizal’s correspondence, cat 1887-
1892. it should be emphasized that as early as 1887, Rizal had expressed the view that
independence through peaceful struggle is noting but a dream and that seeking
assimilation to Spain was a mistake, in two letters to his friend and mentor, the German
scholar Ferdinand Blumentritt

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Jose Rizal Brindis Speech - The speech was Rizal’s toast to the triumph of Juan
Luna’s Spolarium and Felix Hidalgo’s Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al populacho in
their work of arts whose works illuminates two ends of the globe: East and West (Spain
and the Philippines). It’s about the acknowledgement and thanking them for the pride and
glory they gave to the Filipinos. But most of all, he gives praise to those youth’s actions
that can make a difference and contribute to the glory of the Philippines.
He wanted to make the people realize that glory doesn’t based to a country alone.
What he wanted to prove is that geniuses bloom and sprout all over the world with its own
uniqueness, talents, and intelligence. No one needs to have same culture and the
greatness of a country, but the real talent comes to their works. What he takes jab are
elites who does everything just to stop the education system among Filipinos because
they are afraid that they might learn to defend.
In the speech he made, there are values and lessons he teaches us that can be
applied in a real world up until now such as mentioning geniuses can be born and made
anytime and anywhere. No one has the right to judge or put down a person because
anyone can be great. He also said that Spain and Philippines are equal, no greater nor
slaves. Dr. Jose Rizal is great because he discussed bravely what the Spaniards are
afraid of: EDUCATION of the Filipinos but what he focused more is to inspire Filipinos
and prove how worthy a nation can be.

To know more about this Chapter, please click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay5DmNnJDiU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWGsXw-SJbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA3KTxQOlNE

Dr. Mariano M. Ariola The Life and Works of Rizal. Unlimited Books Library Service & Publishing
Inc.: 2018

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