First Homecoming

(1887-1888)

Rizal’s plans of coming back home

• As early as 1884, Rizal wanted to go back to the Philippines for the following reasons:

• – Financial difficulties in Calamba

• – Desire to prove that there is no reason to fear going home.

• – His belief that the Spanish regime will not punish the innocent.

Decision to return home

• After five years of his memorable sojourn in Europe, Rizal returned to the Philippines.

• However, Rizal was warned by the following not to return to the Philippines because his Noli Me
Tangere angered the friars:

Paciano Mercado – Rizal’s adviser and only brother.

Silvestre Ubaldo – Rizal’s brother in law; husband of Olimpia.

Jose Ma. Cecilio (Chenggoy) – one of Rizal’s closest friends.

• Rizal was determined to come back to the

Philippines for the following reasons:

– To operate his mother’s eyes

– To serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants.

– To find out for himself how the Noli Me Tangere and his other writings were affecting Filipinos
and Spaniards.

– To inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent.

Rizal arrives in Manila

• Rizal left Rome by train to Marseilles, a French port and boarded Djemnah, the same steamer that
brought him to Europe five years ago.
• There were 50 passengers: 4 Englishmen, 2 Germans, 3 Chinese, 2 Japanese, 40 Frenchmen, and 1
Filipino (Rizal)

• In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam – he transferred to another steamer, Haiphong, that brought him to
Manila.

Happy Homecoming

• When Rizal arrived in Calamba, rumors spread that he was a:

– German spy

– An agent of Otto Von Bismarck – the liberator of Germany.

– A Protestant

– A Mason

– A soul halfway to damnation

In Calamba

• Rizal established a medical clinic.

• Doña Teodora – was Rizal’s first patient

Doctor Uliman – Rizal was called this name because he came from Germany.

• Gymnasium – was opened by Rizal for the young people.

• He introduced European sports fencing and shooting to discourage them from cockfighting and
gambling.

Sad Moments in Calamba

Leonor Rivera – Rizal tried to visit her in Tarlac but his parents forbade him to go because

Leonor’s mother did not like him for a son-in-law.

Olimpia Mercado-Ubaldo – died because of child birth.

Storm over Noli Me Tangere

– Somebody had whispered to his ear that the Noli contains subversive ideas.

– Rizal explained to him that he merely exposed the truth, but did not advocate subversive ideas.

– He was pleased by Rizal’s explanation and curious about the book, he asked for a copy of the novel.

Rizal revisited the Jesuits

• Rizal visited the Jesuit fathers to ask for their feedback on the novel.

• He was gladly welcomed by the following friars:

– Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez

– Fr. Jose Bech

– Fr. Federico Faura – told Rizal that everything in the novel was the truth and warned him that he may
lose his head because of it.

Jose Taviel de Andrade

• A young Spanish lieutenant who came from a noble family

• He was cultured and knew painting

• He could speak French, English and Spanish.

Attackers of the Noli

• Archbishop Pedro Payo

– a Dominican

– Archbishop of Manila

– Sent a copy of the Noli to Fr. Gregorio Echavarria, Rector of the University of Santo Tomas to examine
the novel.

• Governor-General Terrero – was not satisfied with the report of the Dominicans so he sent the novel to
the Permanent Commission of Censorship which was composed of priests and lawyers.

• Fr. Salvador Font – Augustinian friar curate of Tondo was the head of the commission.
– The group found that the novel contain subversive ideas against the Church and Spain and
recommended that the importation, reproduction and circulation of the pernicious book in the islands
be absolutely prohibited.

• The newspaper published Font’s written report

• The banning of the Noli Me Tangere served to make it popular

• The masses supported the book.

• Fr. Jose Rodriguez – Augustinian Prior of Guadalupe

– Published a series of eight pamphlets under the heading Questions of Supreme Interest to blast the
Noli and other anti-Spanish writings.

– Copies of anti-Rizal pamphlets were sold after Mass.

– Many Filipinos were forced to buy them in order not to displease the friars.

• The novel was fiercely attacked in the session hall of the Senate of the Spanish Cortes.

• Senators:

– General Jose de Salamanca

– General Luis de Pando

– Sr. Fernando Vida

• Vicente Barantes – Spanish academician of

Madrid who formerly occupied high government position in the Philippines bitterly criticized the novel in
an article published in the Madrid newspaper, La España Moderna.

RIZAL’S FIRST TRIP ABROAD

n 3 May 1882

Rizal left Philippines for the first time Spain. He boarded the Salvadora using a passport of Jose Mercado,
which was procured for him by his uncle Antonio Rivera, father of Leonor Rivera. He was accompanied to
the quay where the Salvadora was moored by his uncle Antonio, Vicente Gella, and Mateo Evangelista.

n 15 June 1882

He left Marseilles for Barcelona in an express train.

Rizal in Barcelona, Spain

His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Diarong Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by Basilio
Teodoro. This was the First article he wrote abroad.

Rizal in Madrid, Spain

n 2 September 1882

Rizal matriculated at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He took the following subjects: medical clinic,
surgical clinic, legal medicine and obstetrical clinic.

n 4 October 1882

Asked to deliver a poem by the members of Circulo Hispano-Filipino, there together in the effort to save
the association from disintegration, Rizal recited "Me piden versus." The meeting was held at the house
of Pablo Ortiga y Rey.

n 2 November 1882

He wrote the article "Revista de Madrid" which was in intended for publication in the Diarong Tagalog in
Manila, but was not published because the newspaper stops its circulation.

n 7 November 1882

Rizal wrote an article entitled "Las Dudas". The article was signed Laong - Laan.

Rizal in Paris, France

n 18 June 1883

With Felipe Zamora and Cunanan, He visited the Leannec Hospital to observe how Dr, Nicaise treated his
patients. He was stunned to see the advanced facilities in the accommodation in the said hospital.

n 19 June 1883

He again visited Dr. Nicaise who showed the technique of operation. Later he went to see dupytren
Museum.

n 20 June 1883

Rizal visited the Lariboisiere Hospital where Felix Pardo de Tavera was an extern. Here he observe the
examination of the different diseases of women.
Rizal Back in Madrid

n 28 September 1883

He enrolled at the central Universidad de Madrid for the second course in medicine.

n October 1883

He came to know of the imprisonment, by order of Sr. Vicente Barrantes, of the 14 rich innocent persons
in Manila. The Prisoners who knew nothing is the cause of their detention and who became sick later,
were kept in a humid prison cell. Rizal was indignant of his inhuman act.

n 2 January 1884

Rizal proposed to the member of the Circulo assembled in the house of the Pateros, the publication of a
book by association. This idea became the embryo of this first novel Noli Me Tangere .

n 21 June 1884

He finished the degree of Licentiate in Medicine with the grade of aprobado from the Central
Universidad de Madrid.

n 25 June 1884

Rizal won first prize in Greek contest, after which he delivered a speech in honor of the two Filipino
painters, Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. The occasion commemorated the triumph of the
two, especially Luna who won the first prize for his Spoliarium during the National Exposition of Fine Arts
held in Madrid that year.

n 1 July 1884

Rizal explained the term "Filibusterismo" in the newspaper of Madrid El Progreso, calling the attention of
the Spanish authorities over the case of future of the Filipinos. He asked for freedom of the press and
the right of representation of the Spanish Cortes.

n 20 November 1884

Rizal witnessed the tumultuous scene in the Central Universidad de Madrid where the students and
professors staged a strike against excommunication imposed by the bishop on the lecture proclaiming
the freedom of science and of the teacher.

Rizal in Heidelberg, Germany

n 22 April 1886
While in Heidelberg experiencing the feeling of nostalgia for his parents and his country, Rizal wrote the
poem "A Las Flores de Heidelberg.“

Rizal in Manila

n 5 August 1887

At 9:00 o’clock in the evening, Rizal arrived at Manila after five years of study and patriotic labors in
Europe.

n 18 August 1887

In a letter, Archbishop P. Payo instructed Fr. Gregorio Echevarria, Rector of the University of Sto. Thomas,
that an information about the novel Noli Me Tangere be issued by a Commission composed of University
professors Fr. Matias Gomez, Fr. Norberto del Prado and Fr. Evaristo Fernandez Arias.

n 30 August 1887

He left Calamba for Manila to see Governor-General on the issue of the Noli Me Tangere which caused
torment among the friars in the Philippines. Governor-General Terrero asked him for a copy and Rizal,
after a few days looking for copy, handed him a worn out one.

– On the same date, the Calustro Universitario formed by the Rector of Santo Thomas upon the order of
the Archbishop of Manila, issued an order prohibiting the possession and reading of the Noli Me
Tangere.

n September 1887

Rizal decided not to leave his family within this year. His sister Olimpia died of hemorrhage while giving
birth. His father did not permit him to go out alone and eat in the house of his relatives.

n 19 October 1887

Rizal made a pencil drawing of a sailboat sailing on Lagunade Bay, which he saw with Jose Taviel de
Andrade, Lieutenant of the Civil Guards assigned by the Governor-General Terrero to protect him, during
an excursion to Los Baños. This drawing was sent to Blumentritt.

n 29 Decmber 1887

The Permanent Board Of Censure headed by Fr. Salvador Font issued a judgment absolutely prohibiting
the circulation of the Noli Me Tangere in the Philppines. Upon the recommendation of the Governor-
General, Father Font said: "…Aside of attacking so directly, as you have seen your Excellency, the Religion
of the state, institutions and respectable persons for their official character, the book is replete of foreign
teachings and doctrines; and the general synthesis of the same is to inspire among the loyal and
submissive sons of Spain in these distant islands, profound,and furious hate to the mother country…"

n 3 February 1888
Rizal, after staying in the Philippines for almost six months, left Manila for Hongkong, bringing with him
P5,000 which he earned from his medical practice.

Rizal in Hong Kong

n 19 February 1888

With Jose Maria Basa, Jose Sainz de Veranda and some Portuguese, Rizal left Hongkong for Macao on
board the Kui Kiang. In Macao, they lived in the house of Juan Lecaroz. Rizal went around for
observation, especially the botanical garden.

n 22 February 1888

After staying in Hong Kong for almost two weeks, he left for Japan on board the Oceanic.

Rizal in Japan

Rizal in America

Rizal Bound for England

Rizal in London

Rizal in Paris

Rizal Back in Spain

Rizal Back in Madrid

n 23 August 1890

He reported to Juan Luna what transpired between him and Antonio Luna. They had a quarrel and they
also had a duel.

Rizal Biarritz, France

n 29 March 1891

He finished writing his book El Filibusterismo. He planned, however, of revising some chapters.

Rizal in Brussels, Belgium

n 1 May 1891
In a letter sent to Basa, Rizal reiterated [again] his desire to be in Hong Kong, reminding the former of the
amount he was borrowing for his fare.

n He also informed Deodato Arellano of his plan to move from Europe to either Hongkong, Philippines
or Japan, and to renounce the receiving of pension from the Propaganda.“

n 30 May 1891

Rizal set ready for printing 20 chapters of the manuscript of the El Filibusterismo. He was waiting for an
amount to defray the publication expense.

Rizal in Ghent, Belgium

n 9 July 1891

He was financially hard up. He did not receive for three months up to this date any pension from home.
He was living in the most difficult situation, renting a small room and eating the modest food in order to
economize and able to publish the Fili. He had already pawned all his jewels.

n September 1890

El Fili was publish in Ghent using the donations from Rizal’s friends.

Rizal in the Philippines

n 26 June 1892

Rizal arrived in the Philippines from Hongkong on board the boat Don Juan. After having been inspected
by the custom men, he boarded in the Oriente Hotel where he occupied room No. 22, facing the
Binondo church. His sister, Lucia, accompanied him in his return to the Philippines. In the evening, he
attended the reunion held in the house of Don Ong-junco, a Chinese mestizo, who was living in the
district of Tondo. Here he met many Filipinos who were later arrested and executed as a consequence of
the discovery of the Katipunan.

n 3 July 1892

Rizal had again an interview with Governor-General Despujol. He thanked Governor-General Despujol for
lifting the order of exile for his sisters. The Governor told him to come back the following Wednesday.

In the evening, he attended a meeting at a house on Calle Ylaya to discuss the proposed Liga Filipina.

Exiled to Dapitan
n 6 July 1892

Rizal held the last interview with the Governor-General. The governor-general confronted him for anti-
friar bills supposedly found in the baggages of his sister Lucia. He was ordered imprisoned in Fort
Santiago (from July 6-15).

n 15 July 1892

At 1:00 on the morning, Rizal was shipped on board the boat S. S. Cebu to Dapitan. He was given good
cabin, but well guarded.

In Daptian

n He engaged in agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and operated a hospital; he conducted
classes- taught the pupils English and Spanish languages and the arts

From Dapitan to Fort Santiago

n When the Philippine Revolution started on August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in pressing him
down. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked him with the revolt and these were never allowed
to be confronted by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986, to the date of his execution, he was again
committed to Fort Santiago.

BRAIN TWISTER QUESTIONS

1. Rizal’s adviser and only brother.

2. One of Rizal’s closest friends.

3. When did Rizal finished writing his book El Filibusterismo?

4. What poem did Rizal wrote when he is in Heildelberg?

5. In 19 June 1883 who showed the technique of operation?