THE SPEECH THAT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the

OF REACTIONARY SPANIARDS IN THE Spain authorities and the friar.

PHILIPPINES
Jose Mercado – Rizal used this name; a cousin from Biñan.
Rizal’s famous after dinner speech was delivered on the
evening of June 25, 1884 at Restaurant Ingles Madrid. The May 3, 1882 – Rizal departed on board the Spanish
occasion was banquet in honor of Juan Luna and Felix streamer, Salvadora bound for Singapore.
Hidalgo for their victories in the International Art Competition
SINGAPORE
of 1884.
Donato Lecha – the ship captain from Asturias, Spain. Rizal
Spoliarium , Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace
described him as an affable man, “much more refined than his
COMPLETION OF STUDIES IN SPAIN countrymen and collegues that I have met.”

Rizal and his brother Paciano had a secret agreement that May 8, 1882 – while the streamer was approaching Singapore,
Rizal should go to Spain to pursue his medical course. Rizal Rizal said it was a beautiful island, fascinated by its scenic
took Medical Course and Philosophy in Letters. Rizal beauty, he remember “talim island with the susong dalaga”
completed his medical studies in Madrid and attained the title
FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO
of Licentiate of Medicine.
May 9, 1882 – the Salvadora docked at Singapore
RIZAL RETURN HOME
Hotel de la Paz – Rizal registered here and spent two days on
To operate his mother’s eye. To serve his people who
a sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of
had long been oppressed by Spanish Tyrants. To find out for
England.
him how Noli and his other writings were affecting Filipinos
& Spaniards in the Philippines. To inquire why Leonor Rivera May 11, 1882 – in Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship
was silent. Djemnah, a French streamer, which left Singapore to Europe.

RIZAL’S MEDICAL PRACTICE IN CALAMBA May 17, 1882 – Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast
town in southern Ceylon. Rizal wrote on his travel diary :
Rizal established a medical clinic and his first patient
“The general appearance of Point Galle is picturestic but
was his mother who almost blind. Rizal, who came to be
lonely and quiet and at the same time sad.”
called “Doctor Uliman” because he came from Germany.
Rizal opened a gymnasium for young folks. Rizal suffered one Colombo – capital of Ceylon “ Colombo is more beautiful,
failure during his six months of sojourn in Calamba- his smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila.”
failure to see Leonor Rivera.
Aden – city hotter than Manila
THE CALAMBA LAND PROBLEM
City of Suez – the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal
The ownership of the Calamba Hacienda passed on to
the Dominican after the Jesuits. The tenants suffered since Suez Canal – canal which built by Ferdinand de Lesseps
many years due to the unjustified taxes. Rizal helped other which was inaugurated on November 17, 1869.
farmers in seeking changes in the Dominican Friars.
Port Said – the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal.
Rizal in Europe
(1882 – 1885) NAPLES AND MARSEILLES

SPAIN (1882 -1885) June 11, 1882 – Rizal reached Naples. Rizal was pleased on
this Italian City beacause of its business activity, its lively
Rizal “SECRET MISSION” - was to observe keenly the life people and its panoramic beauty.
and the culture, language and customs, industries, commerce
and government and laws of the European nations in order to Night of June 12, 1882 – the streamer docked at the French
prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed harbor of Marseilles. Rizal visited the famous Chateau d’if,
people from Spanish tyranny. where Dantes, hero of the Count of Monte Cristo was
imprisoned.. Rizal stayed two and a half days in Marseilles.
May 20, 1882 - Rizal’s secret mission was likewise disclosed
by Paciano in his letter to his younger brother. Rizal’s BARCELONA
Afternoon of June 15, 1882 – Rizal left Marseilles by train Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish mason openly
for the last lap of his trip to Spain. and freely criticized the government policies and lambasted
the friars, which could not be done in Philippines.
June 16 , 1882 – Rizal finally reached his destination –
Barcelona.. Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the greatest March 1883 – Rizal joined the Masonic lodge Acacia in
city of Cataluña and Spain’s second largest city was Madrid.
unfavorable.
Lodge Solidaridad (Madrid) – Rizal transferred where he
Las Ramblas – the most famous street in Barcelona. became a Master Mason on November 15, 1890.

Amor Patrio – nationalistic essay, Rizal’s first article written February 15, 1892 – Rizal was awarded the diploma as
on Spain’s soil. Under his pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris.
print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882.
June 24, 1884 – a touching incident in Rizal’s life in Madrid
Bassilio Teodoro Moran – a piublisher of Diariong Tagalog wherein he was broke and was unable to take breakfast.

Diariong Tagalog – the first Manila bilingual newspaper Evening of June 25, 1884 – a banquet was sponsored by the
(Spanish and Tagalog) Filipino community to celebrate the double victory of the
Filipino artist in the National Exposed of the Fine Arts in
Los Viajes – Rizal’s second article for Diariong Tagalog. Madrid.
Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 established himself in
Madrid, the capital of Spain. Juan Luna’s Spoliarium

LIFE IN MADRID Felix Ressureccion Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins Exposed

to the Populace ( Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al
November 1, 1882 – Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central Populacho )
de Madrid. Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando . Rizal’s
only extravagance was a Lottery. June 21, 1884 – completed his medical courses in Spain. He
was conferred the degree of licentiate in medicine by the
Rizal’s Leisure time : Universidad Central de Madrid.

Antigua Café de Levante – this is where Rizal sipped coffee . (1884 – 1885) – Rizal studied and passed all subjects leading
On Saturday evenings, Rizal would visit the home of Don to the degree of Doctor of Medicine but he was not awarded
Pabalo Ortig y Rey who now lived in Madrid with his son his Doctor’s diploma.
(Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo).
June 19, 1885 – on his 24th birthday, Rizal was awarded the
Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle) – a degree of licentiate in Philosophy and Letters, by the
society of Spaniards and Filipinos which Rizal joined shortly Universidad Central de Madrid with rating of “Excellent”:
after his arrival in Madrid in 1882. (Sobresaliente).

Ma Piden Versos (They As Me For Verses) – upon the Indios Bravos

request of the members of the society, Rizal wrote this poem
which he personally declaimed during New Year’s Eve How was the group formed with the name Los Indios Bravos?
reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of
December 31, 1882. THE PHILIPPINES CENTURY HENCE

Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s “The Philippines a Century Hence” is an essay written by
The Wandering Jew – these two books aroused Rizal’s Philippine national hero Jose Rizal to forecast the future of the
sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people. country within a hundred years. Rizal felt that it was time to
remind Spain that the circumstances that ushered in the French
FIRST VISIT TO PARIS (1883) Capital of France “Paris is Revolution could have a telling effect for her in the
the costliest capital in Europe” –Rizal. June 17 to August 20, Philippines.
1883 – Rizal sojourn in Paris.
Causes of the miseries suffered by the Filipino people:
RIZAL AS A MASON
Spain’s implementation of her military policies –
because of such laws, the Philippine population decreased
dramatically. Poverty became more rampant than ever, and
farmlands were left to wither. The family as a unit of society 6. Gambling was established and widely propagated
was neglected, and overall, every aspect of the life of the during those times.
Filipino was retarded.
7. There was a crooked system of religion.
Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino
indigenous culture – when Spain came with the sword and the POR TELEFONO
cross, it began the gradual destruction of the native Philippine
Rizal wrote Por Telefono in the fall of 1889 in
culture. Because of this, the Filipinos started losing confidence
Barcelona as reply to another slanderer, Fr. Salvador Font who
in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of their
was the mastermind of banning Noli.
present lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the
preservation of their race. This was under the authorship of “Dimas Alang”
Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers – Describes in comical vein a telephone conversation
one of the most powerful forces that influenced a culture of between Fr. Font who was in Madrid and father provincial of
silence among the natives were the Spanish friars. Because of St. Agustin Convent in Manila.
the use of force, the Filipinos learned to submit themselves to
the will of the foreigners. In the year 1900, Philippines was connected to
Metropolis by means of telephone laid out by Anglo-Catalan
One question Rizal raises in this essay is whether or not
company called Trans-Oceanic Telephone Company.
Spain can indeed prevent the progress of the Philippines:
Rizal predicted much ahead of time that people could
Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had
carry on overseas telephonic conversations.
failed. National consciousness had still awakened, and great
Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble.
RIZAL'S LIFE IN BRUSSELS
Keeping he people impoverished also came to no
 February 2, 1890 – Rizal arrived Brussels from Paris.
avail. On the contrary, living a life of eternal destitution had
allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their  February 12, 1890 – In a letter advised Mariano
way of life. They began to explore other horizons through Ponce Barcelona to collect the article he was
which they could move towards progress. publishing because they would be useful later in a
book form.
Exterminating the people as an alternative to
hindering progress did not work either. The Filipino race was  February 15, 1890 – His letter “Excelmo, Senor Don
able to survive amidst wars and famine, and became even Vicen Barrantes” (To his Excellency Sr.Don Vicente
more numerous after such catastrophes. To wipe out the Barrantes) was published in the La Solidaridad.
nation altogether would require the sacrifice of thousands of
Spanish soldiers, and this is something Spain would not allow.  March 31, 1890 – His editorial article “Filipinas en
el Congreso” (Filipinos in the Assembly) was
SOBRE LA INDOLENCIA DE LOS FILIPINOS published in the La Solidaridad.
Indolence of the Filipinos
 April 15, 1890 – Rizal’s letter to his countrymen
1. The establishment of the Galleon Trade cut off all “Sobre La Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua Tagalog”
previous associations of the Philippines with other was published in the La Solidaridad.
countries in Asia and the Middle East.
 April 30, 1890 – His editorial article “Cosas de
2. Spain also extinguished the natives’ love of work Filipinas” (Things in the Philippines) was published
because of the implementation of forced labor. in the La Solidaridad.
3. Spain did not protect the people against foreign  May 26, 1890 – His article “Mas Sobre el asunto de
invaders and pirates. Negros” (More Concerning the Affairs in Negros)
was published in the La Solidaridad.
4. there was a crooked system of education, if it was to
be considered an education.  May 28, 1890 – In a letter, he complained to Marcelo
H. Del Pilar about the Filipinos indulging in
5. the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise
gambling in Madrid. He said that Juan Luna and
manual labor.
Valentin Ventura in Paris were complaining about it,  On the third day, since Mariano Ponce appealed to
as it became known already in the Philippines. some Pilaristas to surrender their will to what the
majority unwanted, the election resulted in Rizal’s
 June 11, 1890 – He informed M.H. Del Pilar that he becoming the ‘legal’ Responsable.
was not separating from the La Solidaridad but was
only resting and giving others opportunity to use their PUBLICATION OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO IN GHENT
pen.
Rizal had begun writing in October 1887, while practicing
 June 28, 1890 – Persecution against Rizal’s family in medicine in Calamba, the following year(1888) in London, he
Calamba were intensified. made some changes in the plot and corrected some chapters
already written.
 July 3, 1890 – Rizal informed the former (Antonio
Luna) that he was working and studying, going to the July 5, 1891 – Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, which a famous
clinic, reading and writing, and going to the university city in Belgium.
gymnasium and the “Sala de Armas” for practice.
Reason for moving to Ghent:
 July 15, 1890 – His essay “Sobre la Indolencia de los
Filipinos” (On the Indolence of the Filipinos).  The cost of printing in Ghent is cheaper than
in Brussels
Also his editorial article “Una Esperanza” (A Hope) was
published in the La Solidaridad.  To escape from the enticing attraction of
Petite Suzanne
RIZAL-DEL PILAR RIVALRY
Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent:
 Del Pilar had become the owner of La Solidaridad
and had taken the place of Graciano Lopez Jaena as  Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga)
its editor.
 Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila)
 Del Pilar management and editorial policy were
occasionally dissimilar to Rizal’s political visions.
F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66 Viaanderen Street)
 Ideally to fix differences and solidify the unity
– a printing shop that give Rizal the lowest quotation for the
among them, about 90 Filipinos in Madrid met on the
publication of his novel, who was willing to print his book on
New Years Day of 1891. It was agreed upon in the
installment basis.
gathering that leader called ‘Responsable’, be elected
to administer the campaigns for reform of the August 6, 1891 – the printing of his book had to be
Filipinos. suspended because Rizal could no longer give the necessary
funds to the printer.

o Valentin Ventura – the savior of the El Filibusterismo

 The voting happened during the first week of
February that year. It was decided that the September 18, 1891 – El Fili came off the press. Rizal
‘Responsable’ must be elected by a 2/3 of votes of immediately sent on this date 2 printed copies to Hongkong –
the participants. one for Basa and other for Sixto Lopez.
 The supposedly healthy election for a leader La Publicidad – a Barcelona newspaper, wherein it
produced divisive unpleasant split among the published a tribute eulogizing the novel’s original style which
Filipinos, the Rizalistas and the Pilaristas, as both is “comparable only to the sublime Alexander Dumas” and
camps zealously campaigned for their respective may well be offered as “a model and a precious jewel in the
choice. now decadent literature of Spain”.
 Rizal won the election but his votes fell short of the El Nuevo Regimen – the liberal Madrid newspaper that
requred 2/3 votes to be declared ‘Responsable’ serialized the novel in its issues on October 1891.
 He won again on the second day, but then again the Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to GomBurZa.
votes counted for him did not reach the needed
fraction.  Don Mariano Gomez, 73 years old
 Don Jose Burgos, 35 years old up a wide clientele.
In his recognition skills as an Opthalmic Surgeon, he
 Jacinto Zamora, 37 years old successfully operating some patient with eye cases.
Finally. Rizal successfully operated his mother’s eye and she
The original manuscript of El Fili in Rizal’s own
able to read and write again.
handwriting is now preserved in the Filipiniana Division of the
Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila. WHAT IS SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS?

It consists of 270 pages of long sheets of paper. IT IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT WORKS ON THE
EARLY HISTORY OF THE SPANISH COLONIZATION
2 features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed
OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLISHED IN MEXICO IN 1609
book, namely:
BY ANTONIO DE MORGA
 FOREWORD
ANTONIO DE MORGA
 WARNING
SPANISH CONQUISTADOR, GOV”T OFFICIAL AND
 The title page of El Fili contains an HISTORICAL ANTROPOLOGIST: AUTHOR OF
inscription written by Ferdinand SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
Blumentritt.
WHAT LEADS JOSE RIZAL TO SUCESOS DE LAS
 El Filibusterismo is a sequel of Noli. It has ISLAS FILIPINAS
little humor, less idealism, and less romance
 RIZAL WAS AN EARNEST SEEKER OF TRUTH
than the Noli Me Tangere. It is more
AND THIS MARKED HIM AS A HISTORIAN
revolutionary, more tragic than the first
novel.  HE HAD A BURNING DESIRE TO KNOW
EXACTLY OF THE PHILIPPINES WHEN THE
The characters in El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal
SPANIARDS CAME ASHORE TO THE ISLAND
from real life:
 HE BELIVED THE CONQUEST OF THE
 Padre Florentino – was the father Leoncio
SPANIARDS CONTRIBUTED IN PART OF
Lopez.
DECLINE OF THE PHILIPPINES RICH
 Rizal Friend and Priest of Calamba: TRADITION AND CULTURE

Isagani – the poet was Vicente Ilustre, Batangueno RIZAL ANNOTATION OF MORGA SUCESOS
friend of Rizal in Madrid.
 RIZAL COMMITS THE ERROR OF MANY
Paulita Gomez – the girl who loved Isagani but HISTORIAN IN APPRAISING THE EVENTS OF
married Juanito Palaez, was Leonor Rivera. THE PAST IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT
STANDARDS
Rizal’s Opthalmic Surgeon in Hongkong. Rizal left
Europe for Hongkong, where he lived from Nov. 1891 to June  RIZAL’S ATTACKS ON THE CHURCH WERE
1892.. His reason for leaving Europe were: Life was UNFAIR UNJUSTIFIED BECAUSE THE ABUSES
unbearable in Europe because of his political differences with OF THE FRIARS SHOULD NOT BE CONTRUED
M.H. Del Pilar and other Filipinos in Spain.. To be near his TO MEAN THE CATHOLICISM IS BAD
idolized Philippines and Family.
3 MAIN PROPOSITION IN RIZAL’S NEW EDITION
October 18, 1891 – Rizal arrived in Hongkong and established OF MORGAS SUCESOS
his residence at No. 5D’ Aguilar Street No.2 Rednaxola
 THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES HAD A
Terrace
CULTURE ON THEIR OWN, BEFORE THE
December 1, 1891 – Rizal wrote his parents asking their
COMING OF THE SPANIARDS
permission to return home.
January 31, 1892 – Rizal wrote to Blumentritt, recounting  FILIPINO WERE DECIMATED, DEMORALIZED,
pleasant life in Hongkong. EXPLOITED AND RUINED BY THE SPANISH
He start again to practiced medicine. COLONIZATION
Dr. Lorenzo P. Marques – a Portuguese Physician, who
became Rizal’s friend and admirer, who helped him to build
 THE PRESENT STATE OF THE PHILIPPINES Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt (Austrian ethnologist)
WAS NOT NECESSARILY SUPERIOR TO ITS Dr. Miguel Morayta Sagrario (Spanish historian, university
PAST professor and statesman)

RIZAL ANNOTATION HISTORY

 IN HIS HISTORY ESSAY, WHICH INCLUDE  La Solidaridad was established to express the goal of
THE NARRATION OF THE PHILIPPINE the Propaganda Movement towards achieving
COLONIAL HISTORY, PUNCTUATED AS IT assimilation with Spain.[3] The first issue of La
WAS WITH INCENDENCES OF AGONY, Solidaridad came out on February 15, 1889. A
TENSION, TRAGEDIES AND PROLONGED fortnightly and a bi-weekly newspaper, La
PERIODS OF SUFFERING THAT MANY OF Solidaridad serves as the principal organ of the
PEOPLE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO HE Reform Movement in Spain.[2]
CORRECTLY OBSERVED THAT AS A COLONY
OF SPAIN  Comite de Propaganda in the Philippines funded the
publication of the La Solidaridad. The editorship for
 THE “SUCESOS” AS ANNOTATED BY RIZAL, the newspaper was first offered to Rizal. However, he
APPEARED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE refused because during that time he was
PHILIPPINES SIEXTY EIGHT YEARS LATER annotating Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas
WHEN A PUBLISHER IN MANILA, PUBLISHED Filipinas in London. After Rizal, Graciano López
THE NEW WORK IN 1958 Jaena was offered for the editorship of La
Solidaridad and he accepted.[2]
“LA SOLIDARIDAD”
 On April 25, 1889, La Solidaridad published the
 La Solidaridad (The Solidarity) was an organization letter entitled "The aspirations of the Filipinos" which
created in Spain on December 13, 1888. Composed was written by the Asociación Hispano-Filipina de
of Filipino liberals exiled in 1872 and students Madrid (English: Hispanic Filipino Association of
attending Europe's universities, the organization Madrid). It pursued desires for:
aimed to increase Spanish awareness of the needs of
its colony, the Philippines, and to propagate a closer  On December 15, 1889, Marcelo H. del Pilar
relationship between the Philippines and Spain replaced Graciano López Jaena as the editor of La
Solidaridad] Under his editorship, the aims of the
 Headed by José Rizal's cousin, Galicano Apacible, it newspaper expanded. His articles caught the attention
also issued a newspaper of the same name which was of Spanish leaders and ministers. Using propaganda,
published in Barcelona, Spain on February 15, 1889. it pursued desires for:
It was edited by Graciano López Jaena and later on
by Marcelo H. del Pilar The social, cultural, and  That the Philippines be a province of Spain
economic conditions of the colonial Philippines was
published in La Solidaridad. Speeches of the Spanish  Representation Filipino priests instead of Spanish
liberals about the Philippines was also featured in the friars — Augustinians, Dominicans,
newspaper and Franciscans — in parishes and remote sitios

MEMBER OF LA SOLIDARIDAD  Freedom of assembly and speech

Dr. José Rizal (Laong Laan and Dimasalang), Marcelo H. del  Equal rights before the law (for both Filipino and
Pilar (Plaridel), Graciano Lopez Jaena (Diego Laura), Antonio Spanish plaintiffs)
Luna (Taga-Ilog), Mariano Ponce (Tignalang, Kalipulako,
 After years of publication from 1889 to 1895,
Naning), Jose Maria Panganiban (Jomapa), Dominador
funding of the La Solidaridad became scarce. Comite
Gomez (Ramiro Franco)
de Propaganda's contribution to the newspaper
Staff of La Solidaridad Other members stopped and del Pilar funded the newspaper almost
on his own. Penniless in Spain, del Pilar stopped the
Pedro Abril, Antonio Maria, Isabelo de los, Eduardo de José, publication of La Solidaridad on November 15, 1895,
Juan Miguel Moran, Felix Hidalgo, Pedro Serrano with 7 volumes and 160 issues. In del Pilar's farewell
editorial, he said :
International members
TRIVIA  Be a noble wife

 LAONG LAAN STATION (ALSO CALLED  Rear her children in the service of the state – here
DATPITAN) IS A STATION ON THE SOUTH Rizal gives reference to the women of Sparta who
MAIN LINE (SOUTHRAIL) OF THE embody this quality
PHILIPPINES NATION RAILWAY. IT IS
LOCATED ALONG FOUR STREET  Set standards of behavior for men around her.

 THE STATION IS THE THIRD STATION FROM RIZAL’S ADVICE TO UNMARRIED MEN AND
TUTUBAN WOMEN

To The Young Women of Malolos  Jose Rizal points out to unmarried women that they
should not be easily taken by appearances and looks,
 “To the Women of Malolos” was originally written in because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they
Tagalog. Rizal penned this writing when he was in should take heed of men’s firmness of character and
London, in response to the request of Marcelo H. del lofty ideas. Rizal further adds that there are three
Pilar. things that a young woman must look for a man she
intends to be her husband
 The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars –
not all of the priests in the country that time ANALYSIS ¨
embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church.
Most of them were corrupted by worldly desires and “ To the Women of Malolos” centers around five salient
used worldly methods to effect change and force points (Zaide &Zaide, 1999): 1. Filipino mothers should teach
discipline among the people. their children love of God, country and fellowmen. 2. Filipino
mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers, to
RIZAL’S MESSAGE TO FILIPINO WOMEN offer their sons in defense of their country. 3. Filipino women
should know how to protect their dignity and honor. 4.
 Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting Filipino women should educate themselves aside from
spirit that the young women of Malolos had shown. retaining their good racial values. 5. Faith is not merely
In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the
over the battle they had fought. In this portion of real Christian way with good morals and manners.
Rizal’s letter, it is obvious that his ultimate desire
was for women to be offered the same opportunities The University Student in Madrid
as those received by men in terms of education.
During those days young girls were not sent to school Rizal’s studies in the university of madrid
because of the universal notion that they would soon
• Among the documents preserved in the Central
only be taken as wives and stay at home with the
Library of the University of Madrid are the academic
children. Rizal, however, emphasizes on freedom of
records of Jose Rizal for 1882- 1885, the years in
thought and the right to education, which must be
which he was enrolled in the faculty of philosophy
granted to both boys and girls alike.
and letters of that University.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF FILIPINO MOTHERS
• Rizal’s file includes the following documents:
TO THEIR CHILDREN
- A transcript of record
 Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this
portion of his letter to the young women of Malolos. - An application form of the University of Madrid
The central idea here, however, is that whatever a
mother shows to her children is what the children will - Stubs of the matriculation fee receipts for the two
become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand courses
of the friars in submission, then her children will
grow up to be sycophants and mindless fools who do • From these documents it appears that during his
nothing but do as they are told, even if the very three years as a student in the faculty of Philosophy
nature of the task would violate their rights as and letters of the University of Madrid.
individuals.
• At the Puerta del Sol, which is the very heart of
QUALITIES MOTHERS HAVE TO POSSESS Madrid, there is a coffee shop, the Antiguo Café de
levanter, which in the late nineteenth century used to • The first documented exposure of Rizal to Masonry
be a rendezvous of young intellectuals. was in 1882, Fajardo said

• Those of them who later become famous in the • In accordance with Masonic practices then observed
history of their respective countries are remembered in Spain, Rizal selected a symbolic name by which he
in the carved images which line the walls of the was to be known – Hechose “Dimasalang” Fajardo
modernized room. It may be worth finding out which said.
of Rizal’s Spanish and foreign contemporaries in the
university of Madrid later became conspicuous in the • In 1889, he also joined the all- Filipino Solidaridad
political and social development of their respective Lodge No. 53 in Madrid founded by Marcelo del
homelands, whether they know each other and Rizal, Pilar, Julio Llorente, Antonio Luna, Teodoro Sandico
and whether or any significant exchange of ideas. and others.

MEETING WITH FUTURE REFORMISTS

THE CIRCULO Hispano-Filipino

• Rizal joined Ciculo Hispano-Filipino. The group was

basically a social conglomeration and it held informal
programs which included poetry reading and debates.

• He wrote for them a poem conveying the sentiments

of a poet constrained to provide something that
would please his listeners. This poem entitled Me
Piden Versos (They asked Me for Verses) It was
published October 7, 1882.

• In later years conservative elements in the Circulo

distance themselves from the group which eventually
faded away.

ENTRY INTO THE FREEMASONRY

JOSE RIZAL: A FREEMASON

• One of the least known facets of the life of national

hero Dr. Jose Rizal, whose 111th death anniversary is
being commemorated today, was his being a member
of a worldwide fraternity called Freemasonry.

• According to Filipino historian Reynold Fajardo, In

his book “Dimasalang: The Masonic Life of Dr. Jose
Rizal”, Rizal was not only a mason, he was the only
one among the leaders of the revolutionary
movement during the Spanish era who “deserved to
be called an international Mason since he was a
member of various Masonic lodges in Spain,
Germany, France and possibly, England.”

• According to Fajardo, at the time Rizal was studying

in Biñan and Manila, Masonry was relatively
unknown in the Philippines. Masonic lodges were
very few and most of their members were Spaniards.

• Rizal’s elder brother, Paciano, also has several links

with Spaniards Masons in the Philippines during the
latter’s student days in Manila.