Unit V:

Homecoming and
Return to Europe
Reflect on the achievements of
Rizal during his return to the
Philippines.
Describe the Filipinos’ reaction
to Rizal’s Noli.
After five (5) years of memorable sojourn (stay) in
Europe, Rizal returned to the Philippines in August
5, 1887 and practiced medicine in Calamba.
Because of the publication of the Noli Me Tangere
and the uproar it caused among the friars, Rizal was
warned by Paciano, Silvestre Ubaldo (his brother
in-law), Jose M. Cecilio (Chengoy) and some close
friends not to return home. But Dr. Jose Rizal was
determined to return to the Philippines for the
following reasons:
Reasons:
1. to operate on his mother’s ailing eye problem
2. to serve his people who had long been
oppressed by Spanish tyrant
3. to find out for himself how the NOLI and his
other writings were affecting Filipinos and
Spaniards in the country, and
4. to inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent
On August 8th, Rizal returned to Calamba. His
family welcomed him affectionately, with plentiful
tears of joy. Upon his arrival his family became
worried for his safety.
Paciano did not leave him during the first day after
arrival to protect him from any enemy assault.
His own father would not let him go out alone, least
something might happen to him
 In Calamba, Rizal established medical clinic. His first patient was his
mother, who was almost blind. He treated Dona Teodora’s eyes, but could
not perform any surgical operation because her eye cataracts were not
yet ripe.
 News of the arrival of a great doctor from Germany spread far and wide.
Patients from Manila and the provinces flocked to Calamba.
 Rizal, who came to be called “DOCTOR ULIMAN” because he came from
Germany, treated their ailments and soon be, acquired a lucrative medical
practice. His professional fees were reasonable, even “gratis” to the poor.
 Within a few months, he was able to earn an amount of Nine Hundred
Pesos as a physician. By February 1888, he earned a total of Five
Thousand Pesos as medical fees
 STORM OVER THE NOLI
A few weeks after his arrival, a storm broke over
his novel. One day Rizal received a letter from
GOVERNOR-GENERAL EMILIO TERRERO,
requesting him to come to “Malacanang”
Palace.
Somebody had whispered to the governor’s ear
that the NOLI contained subversive ideas.
 STORM OVER THE NOLI
 Rizal went to manila and appeared at “Malacanang”.
When he was informed by Governor Terrero of the
charge, Rizal denied it, explaining that he merely exposed
the truth, but he did not advocate subversive ideas.
 Please by his explanation and curious about the
controversial, the governor-general asks Rizal for a copy
of the Noli so that he could read it. Rizal had no copy
then because the only copy he brought home was given
to a friend. However, he promised to secure one for the
governor-general.
The Governor-General, who was a liberal-
minded Spaniard, knew that Rizal’s life was in
jeopardy because the friars were powerful. For
security measure, he assigned a young Spanish
lieutenant, DON JOSE TAVIEL DE ANDRADE, as
bodyguard of Rizal.
Lieutenant Andrade was a cultured and knew
painting, and could speak English, French and
Spanish
 Governor-General Tererro read the NOLI and found nothing
wrong with it. But Rizal’s enemies were powerful.
 The Archbishop of Manila, MSGR. PEDRO PAYO, a Dominican
friar sent a copy of the Noli to the Father Rector GREGORIO
ECHAVARRIA of the UST for examination by a committee of the
faculty.
 The committee, which was composed of Dominican professors,
submitted its report to the Father Rector, who immediately
transmitted it to Archbishop Payo, who in turn, lost no time in
forwarding it to the Governor-General
This report of the faculty members of the UST
stated that the Noli was “ HERETICAL ( deviating ),
IMPIOUS ( ungodly and bad ), 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”.
 The Governor-General was dissatisfied with the report of
the Dominicans, for he knew that the Dominicans were
prejudiced against Rizal.
 He sent the novel to the PERMANENT COMMISSION OF
CENSORSHIP which was composed of priest and laymen.
The report of this commission was drafted by its head,
FR. SALVADOR FONT, an Augustinian CURA of TONDO,
and submitted to the Governor-General on December 29.
 The commission found the novel to
contain SUBVERSIVE IDEAS against
the church and Spain, and
recommended “THAT THE
IMPORTATION, REPRODUCTION and
CIRCULATION of this PERNICIOUS
(malicious) book in the islands are
absolutely prohibited.”
 ATTACKERS OF NOLI ME TANGERE
1. Father Salvador Font, Parish priest of Guadalupe
2. Father Jose Rodriquez, prior of Guadalupe
3. General Jose de Salamanca
4. General Luis M. de Pando
5. Senor Fernando Vida
6. Vicente Barrantes
ATTACKERS OF NOLI ME TANGERE
ATTACKERS OF NOLI ME TANGERE
  DEFENDERS OF NOLI ME TANGERE
1. Marcelo H. Del Pilar
2. Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
3. Graciano Lopez Jaena
4. Mariano Ponce
5. Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez
6. Don Segismundo Moret
7. Dr. Miguel Morayta
8. Rev. Father Vicente Garcia, a Filipino Catholic priest-scholar
Rizal was changing vessels for Berlin; Riego on
return to Manila was to await word from Basa.
On the appointed revisit Basa handed Riego
three sacks, each containing 50 copies of “Noli
Me Tangere.” Riego was to sneak them into
Manila harbor.
 One sack he was to load on a carretela hailed in Binondo.
Then he was to tell the cochero he forgot something at
the ship and needed to run back for it -- but not to return.
 The cochero would tire of waiting and take the sack
home. Perchance he’d read the novel and give away
copies to patriotic kith and kin.
 Riego was to repeat the process in Sampaloc and Santa
Ana districts.
 July 1892 – On Rizal’s return, Spanish friars were sermonizing his
novel as heretical. In a pamphlet “Caingat Cayo” (“Beware”) Fr.
Jose Rodriguez, prior of Guadalupe, warned readers of
committing mortal sin.
 Marcelo H. del Pilar countered with “Caiigat Cayo” (“Slippery as
Eels”), distributed outside churches as it was designed to look
like the denouncement. Originally priced at five pesetas, the
novel began to sell as much as P50. Having a copy at home was a
status symbol. It was read only surreptitiously, though (Précis from
De Viana’s “Jose Rizal in Our Times”, Books Atbp. Publishing, 2014)
 PAUSE…
• Jose Ma. Basa: Hero-
smuggler of Propaganda
Movement
• NOLI ME TANGERE
Who is the wealthy merchant who smuggled La Solidaridad Noli Me
and El Fili in the Philippines?

Jose Ma. Basa: Hero-smuggler of Propaganda

Movement
Who was Jose Ma. Basa and why was he so close to Jose Rizal that there was copious
correspondence between the two men?

What role did Basa play in the country’s fight for independence from Spain that he would
be exiled to the Marianas along with other Filipino patriots?
Who is the wealthy merchant who smuggled La Solidaridad
Noli Me and El Fili in the Philippines?

Jose Ma. Basa: Hero-smuggler of Propaganda

Movement
Who was Jose Ma. Basa and why was he so close to Jose Rizal
that there was copious correspondence between the two
men?

What role did Basa play in the country’s fight for

independence from Spain that he would be exiled to the
Marianas along with other Filipino patriots?
 It was through Basa’s efforts, his great
grandson emphasized, that “La
Solidaridad” and Rizal’s two novels, “Noli
Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo”
reached the Philippines.
Basa also wrote propaganda pamphlets in
Hong Kong and opened his home to
Filipino exiles, Mario added.
NOLI ME TANGERE PUBLISHED IN BERLIN 1887
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