Final Term Lecture Notes in Life and Works of Rizal

CLARENCE D. VERCELES, JD, PhD

Faculty, Social Science Department
Pangasinan State University
Bayambang, Pangasinan

Lesson 6 Annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

 Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of his

annotated editions of Morga’s Sucesos which he wrote in the British Museum. It
was printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by Professor Blumentritt
upon the request of Rizal.

 The title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga reads: “Paris, Liberia de
Garnier Hermanos, 1890”.

 Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino people so that they
would know of their glorious past.

 Major relevance of learning history such as Rizal’s annotations of Morga’s

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas - history should not only informative but also
transformative.

 Description of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas as Rizal’s choice of subject

for rewriting Philippine history- one piece of work so rare and written by an
illustrious Spaniard whose loyalty to Spain was beyond question, a layman, not a
friar, which can provide Rizal the needed material; Morga himself witnessed the
events he described, and wrote them more objectively without exaggerations
although in quite a number of instances he erred interpreting them; and There is
a need to correct the what had been mistaken about some patterns of the Filipino
culture which Morga obviously interpreted according to his Spanish prejudices.

 Excerpt from Rizal’s introduction in his annotations to Antonio De Morga’s

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas – state the importance of the past as a tool to
understand the present and eventually confront the future.

 Antonio Pigafetta – the chronicler and writer of the “First Voyage Around the
World”

 Inspiration and justification of Rizal in rewriting Philippine history - Rizal delved

into history after seeing how some foreign authors wrote about the Philippines;
Rizal formed the personal desire to make Philippines known according to a
proper perspective and historiography; and Rizal saw how the Philippines was
belittled and he himself experienced how Filipinos were wrongly derided.

 Salient passage of Rizal’s annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

 Before the colonizers came, there were life and activities in the Islands as
evidenced by the people’s active trade with their Asian neighbors
especially the Chinese and Japanese; far from being weak and gullible as
popularized by the Spaniards, Filipino young women are known already of
high virtue when they resisted, even preferred dying when sexually
violated by the soldiers and the encomienderos; and that the Filipinos
were illiterate were deflated by Rizal’s assertion that they had a well-
developed system of writing and widespread literacy.
  In view of the lack of rapid communications, if the government of all
islands resided in only one hand and will of a king or lord, whom for
everything people had to go to and consult the life in the towns would be
greatly paralyzed; the procedure of discussing and deciding on
controversies and differences is very simple and crude but it was more
speedy, and the judges were persons of the locality, forming a jury,
elected by both parties who knew the case, the customs, and usages
better than the gowned judge who comes from outside to make his
fortune; intermarriage among different castes proves that the relations of
these classes among themselves are not only far from resembling those of
the masters of the West and their servants but they were even more
cordial than those of the patricians and the Roman people; and
inheritance and consent from bride’s parents continued the union between
the parents and the children, a wiser practice than what is followed in
many parts of Europe where cases of children neglecting their parents
once they have taken possessions of their patrimony.

 Assertion of Rizal about the culture of Filipinos - the culture of Filipinos was
much more refined in many ways than claimed by Spaniards.

 Antonio Morga’s perspective on pre-colonial Philippines - Throughout Philippine

islands, there were neither kings nor lords to rule them in the same manner as in
kingdoms and provinces; Filipinos prefer meat, fish, saltfish, which begin to
decompose and smell; and Filipino men and women are covetous and money
loving, so that when there is a price, they easily yield and when the husband
catches his wife committing infidelity, he is appeased and satisfied without
difficult.

 overall impact of Spanish colonization to the Filipinos based on Rizal’s

annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas - Filipinos did not advance,
but retarded in their cultural development brought by Spanish racist policies.

 bagoong (fish paste) - according to Morga’s prejudice it is a “salt fish which

begin to decompose and smell”.

Lesson 7 Noli Me Tangere

 Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and finished
about one-half of it.

 When Rizal went to Paris, in 1885, after completing his studies in the Central
University of Madrid, he continued writing the novel, finishing one half of the
second half.

 Rizal finished the last fourth of the novel in Germany. He wrote the last few
chapters of the Noli in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June, 1886.

 In Berlin during the winter days of February, 1886, Rizal made the final revisions
on the manuscript of the Noli.

 Maximo Viola - Rizal’s friend from Bulacan, arrived in Berlin at the height of Rizal
despondency and loaned him the needed funds to publish the novel; savior of
Noli.

 Radicalism vs. Incrementalism – conflicting ideologies as manifested in this

scene in Noli Me Tangere.
 Rizal met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor in Berlin, Germany; a celebrated
German scientist-traveler and author of Travels in the Philippines, a book which
Rizal read and admired during his student days in Manila.

 How Filipinos cure the social cancer as pointed by Rizal in Noli Me Tangere – by
showing the ills of the society and to be the change.

 The Noli Me Tangere was a true story of the Philippine conditions during the last
decades of Spanish rule.

 Characters in Noli Me Tangere

 Maria Clara - was Leonor Rivera, although in real life she became
unfaithful and married an Englishman; personifies some ideal Filipinas,
loving and loyal to their respective spouses
 Ibarra and Elias - represented Rizal himself.
 Tasio - the philosopher was Rizal’s elder brother Paciano.
 Padre Salvi - was identified by Rizalists as Padre Antonio Piernavieja, the
hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was killed by the patriots during the
Revolution.
 Capitan Tiago - was Captain Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas; represents rich
Filipinos who opted to be allies of Spanish officials and friars just to
preserve their wealth and political positions.
 Doña Victorina - was Doña Agustina Medel.
 Basilio and Crispin - were the children of Sisa.
 Padre Damaso – a typical of a domineering friar during the days of Rizal,
who was arrogant, immoral and anti-Filipino.
 Sisa and her children- experienced brutal and soulless performance of
duties of authorities.

 content of dialogue between Crisostomo Ibarra and the schoolmaster in Chapter

19 of Noli Me Tangere - lack of good facilities and rote learning; and lowly
regarded, underpaid, and without freedom of action.

 schoolmaster’s attitude as depicted in Chapter 19 of Noli Me Tangere- represent

endeavors of educational reforms despite structural problems in educational
system.

 Content of the scene in Chapter 20 of Noli Me Tangere - power

 Emilio Terrero - Governor-general who summoned Rizal to the Malacañan

Palace because of Noli.

 Don Jose Taviel de Andrade - a young Spanish lieutenant assigned by Governor

General Terrero to posed as bodyguard of Rizal.

 Msgr. Pedro Payo (a Dominican) - sent a copy of Noli to Father Rector Gregorio
Echavarria of the University of Sto. Tomas for examination by a committee of the
faculty.

 The report of the faculty members of University of Santo Tomas stated that the
Noli was “heretical, impious, and scandalous in the religious order and anti-
patriotic, subversive of public order injurious to the government of Spain and its
function in the Philippine Islands in the political order”.
  Elias and Salome - After the Christmas season, Rizal put the finishing touches on
his novel. To save printing expenses, he deleted certain passages in his
manuscript, including a whole chapter— “Elias and Salome”.

 February 21, 1887 - the Noli was finally finished and ready for printing.

 Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft - a printing shop which charged the

lowest rate, that is, 300 pesos for 2, 000 copies of the novel.

 March 21, 1887- the Noli Me Tangere came off the press.

 Interpretation of the passage from Noli Me Tangere: “We mortals are like
tortoises: we are valued and classified according to our shells; for this and for
other qualities as well, the mortals are the same as tortoises.” - means houses
remain indices of people’s status.

Lesson 8 El Filibusterismo

 Rizal was busy revising and polishing the manuscript of El Filibusterismo so that
it could be ready for the press - Rizal had begun writing it in October, 1887, while
practicing medicine in Calamba, the following year (1888), in London; he made
some changes in the plot and corrected some chapters already written. He wrote
more chapters in Paris and Madrid, and finished the manuscript in Biarritz on
March 29, 1891. It took him, therefore, three (3) years to write his second novel.

 July 5, 1891 - Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in Belgium.

 Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were:

(1) the cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels; and
(2) to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne.

 Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga) and
Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila), both studying engineering in the world-
famed University of Ghent.

 F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66 Viaanderen Street) - a printing shop that give
Rizal the lowest quotation for the publication of his novel, who was willing to print
his book on installment basis.

 August 6, 1891 - the printing of his book had to be suspended because Rizal
could no longer give the necessary funds to the printer.

 Valentin Ventura - the savior of the Fili; when Ventura learned of Rizal’s
predicament and immediately sent him the necessary funds.

 September 18, 1891 - El Filibusterismo came off the press. Rizal immediately
sent on this date two printed copies to Hong Kong—one for Basa and other for
Sixto Lopez.

 Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed printed copy
to Valentin Ventura.

 Ferdinand Blumentritt – best friend of Rizal and he wrote the “warning” and
“inscription” on the title page of El Filibusterismo; according to him, Rizal was the
greatest product of the Philippines and that is coming to the world was like the
 appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only every other
century.

 COMPARISON BETWEEN NOLI and FILI

 Noli is a romantic novel, a “work of the heart”—a book of feeling”, it has

freshness, color, humor, lightness, and wit, and it contains 64 chapters.
 While, Fili is a political novel, a “work of the head”—a book of the thought, it
contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, and sorrow, and it contains 38
chapters.
 The original intention of Rizal was to make the Fili longer than the Noli.
 The friends of Rizal and our Rizalistas today differ in opinion as to which is the
superior novel—the Noli or the Fili. Rizal himself considered the Noli as superior
to the Fili as a novel, thereby agreeing with M.H. del Pilar who had the same
opinion.

Lesson 9 The Philippines: A Century Hence

 The Philippines Within a Century - article written by Rizal which he expressed his
views on the Spanish colonization in the Philippines and predicted with amazing
accuracy the tragic end of Spain’s sovereignty in Asia.

 reason why Rizal wrote the Philippines: A Century Hence - to foretell the
catastrophic end of Spanish rule in Asia.

 the article proved and discussed the glorious past of the Philippines.

Other Selected Writings of Rizal

I. Letter to the Women of Malolos

 Letter to the Young Women of Malolos - a famous letter wrote by Rizal on

February 22, 1889 in Tagalog; this letter is to praise the young ladies of Malolos
for their courage to establish a school where they could learn Spanish, despite
the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia, a Spanish parish priest of Malolos.

 The main points of this letter were:

(1) a Filipino mother should teach her children love of God, fatherland, and
mankind;
(2) the Filipino mother should be glad, like the Spartan mother, to offer her sons
in the defense of the fatherland;
(3) a Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity and honor;
(4) a Filipino woman should educate herself, aside from retaining her good racial
virtues; and
(5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers and wearing religious pictures, but
rather it is living the real Christian way, with good morals and good manners.

 Rizal was impressed with the bravery of 20 women of Malolos

 epitome of an ideal woman according to Rizal – one who teaches her children to
love God, country and fellowmen.

II. The Indolence of the Filipinos

  The Indolence of the Filipinos - other essay of Rizal is also a prestigious work of
historical scholarship. It is an able defense of the alleged indolence of the
Filipinos-Rizal made a critical study of the causes why his people did not work
hard during the Spanish regime. His main thesis was that the Filipinos are not by
nature indolent.

 essay of Rizal that countered the Spaniards’ accusations that locals were lazy
during the Spanish reign.

 proves his historical scholarship.

 factors to the alleged Filipino indolence according to Rizal - the Galleon Trade
destroyed the previous links of the Philippines with the other countries in Asia
and the Middle East; gambling like cockfights was established, promoted and
explicitly practiced by Spanish government; and the crooked system of religion
discouraged the natives from working hard.

Lesson 10 Jose Rizal and Philippine Nationalism – Bayani and Kabayanihan

 What is a Hero? According to the dictionary:

 hero is a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities and
regarded as an ideal or model;
 the central figure in an event, period or movement, honored for
outstanding qualities;
 he/she is someone who knows great courage in an important event;
 According to Dr. Esteban de Ocampo, a known Filipino historian, as stated
in his book about Rizal that: “a hero means a prominent or central
personage taking an admirable part in any remarkable action or event, a
person distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering
and a man honored after death by public worship because of exceptional
service to mankind.”
 Concept of hero – a person with courage and ability; a person who does
something good for a greater good; and a person who takes risk.
 Characteristics of true about heroes - a person of extraordinary courage
and ability; a person who did something noble; and endowed with great
strength or ability.

 Rizal as Greatest National Hero

 Rizal is our greatest hero because, as a towering figure in the

Propaganda Campaign, he took an “admirable part” in that
movement which roughly covered the period from 1882-1896.
 Rizal’s writings contributed tremendously to the formation of Filipino
nationality.
 Rizal becomes the greatest Filipino hero because no Filipino has
yet been born who could equal or surpass Rizal as “a person of
distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering.”
 Rizal is the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived because he is “a
man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional
service to mankind”.

 Andres Bonifacio – Supremo of Katipunan – a secret revolutionary society; a

hero given an implicit recognition as a Philippine national hero aside from Rizal;
deserves to be acknowledged as Philippine’s first national hero.
  Zeus Salazar - Filipino historian and Pantayong Pananaw proponent who offered
another sense of the term “bayani” and believes that “mga bayani” are different
from heroes.

 Esteban A. de Ocampo - well known defender of Jose Rizal’s being the

Philippine’s foremost hero.

 perseverance – showed by Rizal through o his mental and moral strength in

meeting and enduring pain.

 Being honest and have a strong moral principle - virtues of Rizal showing
integrity.

 conditions that could not be touched by anyone due to their sensitive character -
corruption in the government; racial discrimination; and religion as money-making
scheme.

 Moral courage- virtue of Rizal that shows working for the betterment of his
country.

 Rizal show his prudence – in accomplishing things.

 Rizal’s virtues – sincerity; purity and idealism; and prudence.

 Laws Honoring/Commemorating Filipino Historical Figures (Jose Rizal)

 Decree of December 20, 1898, issued by General Emilio Aguinaldo,

declared December 30 of every year a day of national mourning in honor
of Dr. Jose Rizal and other victims of the Philippine Revolution.

 Act No. 137, was the first official step taken by the Taft Commission to
honor our greatest hero and martyr.

 December 20, 1898 - official proclamation making December 30 of that year as

“Rizal Day”.

Lesson 11 Jose Rizal and Philippine Nationalism - National Symbol

 strong presence of the Americans in the Philippines – the cause of shrinking

sense of Filipino identity and nationalism.

 National Center for Culture and the Arts – the commission that declares the
official national symbols of the country which represents the traditions and ideals,
and conveys the principles of Philippine sovereignty and national solidarity.