REVIEWER

1. LIFE & WORKS OF RIZAL
WEEK 6: RIZAL’S SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPS AND MEDICAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
1. Rizal enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy and
Letters; majored in Philosophy (1877-1878).
2. But later, he pursued medicine specializing in
ophthalmology because his mother was going
blind.
3. He won first prize in a contest for his piece, “A La
Juventud Filipino”.
4. “A La Juventud Filipino” was written by Rizal to
inspire the youth. The poem affirms Rizal’s belief that
the Filipino youth, with their talents and skills, are
capable of doing great things for the country’s
development and advancement.
5. He also won a grand prize for his poem “El Consejo
de los Dioses” which praised Spain’s national poet
Miguel de Cervantes.
DECISION TO STUDY IN SPAIN
1. Reasons
a. To widen his knowledge
b. To avail of more conducive conditions in
Europe
c. To learn about a cure on the worsening eye
condition of his mother
2. First Trip to Europe (To study medicine and observe)
a. Rizal left for Spain in May 1882
b. Only his brother, Paciano, and uncle, Antonio
Rivera, knew about his decision. He did not tell his
parents anymore because he had known that they
would not approve of his plans.
c. He used the name Jose Mercado on his passport
for his travels. This is to avoid detection by the
Spanish authorities and friars.
LIFE IN EUROPE
1. When he first arrived in Spain, Rizal noticed the
indifference of the Spanish people.
2. He enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid on
November 1882.
3. He also took courses at the Academy of San Carlos,
studying painting, sculpture, and languages
(French, German, and English)
4. The important people he met were:
a. Dr. Miguel Morayta – an advocate of freedom
b. Don Pablo Ortega y Rey – Spanish liberal who
used to live in the Philippines
5. He joined Circulo Hispano Filipino, a social
organization where members talk on the reforms
needed in the Philippines.
6. Rizal joined freemasonry and used the name
“Dimasalang.”
7. He was also an avid book collector while he was in
Spain.
8. On June 25, 1884, Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo won first and second place respectively for their
paintings in the illustrious Exposicion de Bellas Artes
(Madrid Art Exposition).
9. Juan Luna won for his work Spoliarium, a Latin word
which pertains to the lower level of the Roman
Colosseum structure where defeated and lifeless
gladiators are cast off.
10. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo came second for his
work Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho
(Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace). His work
shows five semi-bare female servants ridiculed
by a bunch of Roman men.
11. Rizal gave a speech in a public audience, saying that the
two were the pride of Filipinos, that genius is not a
monopoly of any race.
12. This was published in the newspaper El Liberal and
reached the Philippines. Some people were not happy
about this because of the following reasons:
a. Rizal believed that Luna and Hidalgo are not a
monopoly of race and are products of both
Philippines and Spain.
b. He also added that he hopes that someday, Spain
would grant reforms needed by Filipinos.
13. On June 21, 1884, Rizal completed his Licenciado
en Medicina.
14. He also finished his studies in Philosophy and
Letters.
15. He started writing Noli Me Tangere, partly inspired
by the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Life Among the
Lowly) by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
16. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an explicit depiction of
slavery experienced in America. It was published in
book form in 1852.
17. Rizal continued writing even after he had left Spain.
18. He continued writing Noli Me Tangere while he was
in France and Germany.
19. It was in Berlin where the final revisions were
done.
20. His friend, Maximo Viola, lent him Php 5,300.00 so
that the first 2,000 copies would be printed.
21. The first recipients of the novel were Dr.
Ferdinand Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo.

2. WEEK 7: RIZAL’S RETURN TO CALAMBA
BEFORE COMING HOME
1. He wanted to prove that there was no reason to be
afraid.
2. He learned about the financial problems in
Calamba.
3. He was warned not to come home by Paciano,
Silvestre Ubaldo, and his friend Jose M. Cecilio
also nicknamed Chengoy.
REASONS FOR COMING HOME
1. To operate on his mother’s eyes
a. Established a clinic and his first patient was his
mother. He worked as a town physician and he
was called Dr. Uliman.
b. Was also summoned to Malacañang due to the
controversy of Noli Me Tangere.
c. Was closely watched after by Lt. Jose Taviel de
Andrade.
d. After a review of the novel, Gov. General Terrero
requested Rizal to leave the country for his safety.
2. To serve his people who had long been
oppressed
a. Opened a gymnasium for the young people
b. Introduced European sports such as fencing
and shooting
c. Helped draft an informative report on the
agrarian situation in Calamba
CALAMBA AGRARIAN SITUATION
a. Tenants were losing money to the Dominican
administrators.
b. Dominicans were increasing the rent of the
tenants every year.
c. Dominicans did not contribute to the town
fiesta.
d. Tenants who worked clearing lands were
dispossessed of such lands.
e. High rates of interest for late rental payments and
confiscation of carabaos and tools if not paid
DOMINICANS’ POINT OF VIEW
a. Tenants were losing money because of
gambling.
b. The lands were actually titled in the name of the
Order.
c. Many of the lands were rent free for years.
d. The Dominicans increased rent as the costs
increased as well. Besides, the increase charges
were very low.
e. The Dominicans also gave generous grace
periods for late payments.
f. The money collected were not used to enrich
the Order, but 1) to maintain churches and
institutions like the University of Santo
Tomas and The College of Letran, and 2) to
support seminary and missionary works
g. The Dominicans contributed to the town
fiesta and similar activities.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER RIZAL LEFT CALAMBA?
a. Tenants refused to pay the rents.
b. Tenants won the case in Calamba but lost at
the provincial court, higher tribunal in
Manila, and Supreme Court in Madrid.
c. Still refused to obey so families were evicted and
around 50 houses were destroyed. This also
included Rizal’s family.
d. Paciano and Ubaldo were deported to
Mindoro.
e. Manuel Hidalgo was banished to Bohol.
f. The eviction may have been connected to the
controversy of the Noli Me Tangere.
g. Rizal was marked as a troublemaker and
rabble-rouser as well as a spy for the
Germans.
3. To inquire as to why Leonor Rivera has become
silent
 Thought to be the inspiration for the character
of Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere
 Rizal’s farewell poem to Rivera started their
correspondence.
 She was sometimes referred to as Rizal’s
betrothed.
 Inspired Rizal while he was studying in Europe
 Mother did not favor Rizal so the two used
codenames in their letters.
 A year of silence from Rivera made Rizal
uneasy.
 Rizal’s father forbade Rizal from seeing
Rivera.
 The reason for Leonor’s silence was that her
mother conspired with an Englishman who
had fallen in love with Leonor.
4. To find out the effect of Noli Me Tangere
a. Rizal’s family was receiving threats.
b. Governor General Emilio Terrero summoned
Rizal to Malacañang.
c. Someone said that the novel contained
subversive ideas.
d. The friars were angered.
e. Terrero assigned Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade to
protect Rizal.
f. Dominican professors from UST stated that
the novel was:
 Heretical and impious
 Scandalous
 Anti-patriotic
 Subversive of public order

3.  Injurious to the Spanish government
g. An Agustinian friar also said that the novel had
subversive ideas.
h. Anti-Rizal pamphlets were sold after mass.
i. Reproduction and distribution of the novel
were prohibited.
j. The novel was fiercely attacked in the Senate
of the Spanish Cortes.
DEFENDERS OF THE NOVEL
1. Propagandists like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez-
Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Antonio Ma. Regidor
2. Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez
3. Don Segismundo Moret – former Minister of the Crown
4. Prof. Miguel Morayta
5. Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt
6. Rev. Fr. Vicente Garcia (Filipino Catholic priest)
REASONS FOR LEAVING THE PHILIPPINES AGAIN
1. His presence in Calamba was putting his family
and friends in danger.
2. He could fight better and protect his country with
greater efficiency by writing in other countries.
WEEK 8: RIZAL’S SECOND TRIP
HONGKONG
 He met reformist Jose Ma. Basa and other Filipinos
who were exiled in 1872 due to their alleged
participation in the Cavite mutiny.
 CulturEd Philippines has spoken about Basa’s pivotal
role in financing and covertly bringing editions of La
Solidaridad and copies of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo into the country.
 While in Hong Kong, Rizal also studied the Chinese
culture.
 During his two-week stay, he also visited Macau,
which was a colony of Portugal at that time.
JAPAN
 Rizal stayed in Yokohama and Tokyo.
 He also studied the Japanese culture. He especially
made an effort to learn and understand the Japanese
language.
 On his way to the U.S., Rizal met Tetcho Suehiro, a
prominent political figure in Japan.
 Saniel writes that our national hero and Suehiro
share several commonalities: both belong to
affluent families; both belong to the intelligentsia; and
both have written novels expressing the objectionable
situation their countries were enduring.
 Some of the novels Suehiro wrote were Memoirs of
my Travels (where he recounted his encounter and
fellowship with Rizal) and Storm Over the Southern
Sea (which is said to be similar to Noli Me Tangere).
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 Purino describes Rizal’s experience in the U.S. as
one that is tainted with racial prejudice. Rizal’s
steamer was moored for one week when passengers
were not allowed to disembark and step on U.S. soil.
They were placed on quarantine for the reason that
their ship came from the Far East where a cholera
epidemic existed.
 These were Rizal’s comments about America:
 The US was a progressive and prosperous
country.
 Lacks racial equality because of the prejudice
against the blacks
 It was a land of fairness and justice BUT only
for the whites.
ENGLAND
 Rizal went straight to London where he was met by
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, a lawyer who was exiled
there.
 He was introduced to Dr. Reinholt Rose, the
librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
England.
 Rizal’s objectives for choosing to live in London:
 To do research on Philippine History
 To annotate Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas
 Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas was a first-hand
chronicle of the early Spanish ventures into Asia,
particularly the Philippines. It was also the first book
about early Spanish colonization in Philippines that was
written in the perspective, personal experience,
observation and documentation of a layman (Cummins,
1969).
 GOVPH (2019) cites the following: Rizal was
granted permission to study and work on the
British Library where he pored over Morga’s book. He
wrote expansive comments on several snippets in
Morga’s work, especially those containing Morga’s
misjudgments about the Philippines and the Filipinos.
 The Kahimyang Project provides Dr. Jose Rizal’s
preface for his annotation of Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas:
“To the Filipinos: In Noli Me Tangere I started to
sketch the present state of our native land. But the
effect which my effort produced made me realize
that, before attempting to unroll before your eyes the

4. other pictures which were to follow, it was necessary
first to post you on the past. So only can you fairly
judge the present and estimate how much progress
has been made during the three centuries (of Spanish
rule).
Like almost all of you, I was born and brought up in
ignorance of our country's past and so, without
knowledge or authority to speak of what I neither
saw nor have studied, I deem it necessary to quote
the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who in the
beginning of the new era controlled the destinies of
the Philippines and had personal knowledge of our
ancient nationality in its last days.
It is then the shade of our ancestor's civilization which
the author will call before you... If the work serves to
awaken in you a consciousness of our past, and to
blot from your memory or to rectify what has been
falsified or is calumny, then I shall not have labored in
vain. With this preparation, slight though it be, we
can all pass to the study of the future.”
PARIS
 Rizal continued his research on the Philippines.
 It was in Paris where he eventually published his
annotated version of Morga’s book.
 During his one-month stay in France, he studied
the French language.
 He founded the Kidlat Club and the Indios Bravos.
 He published Por Telefono, his response to a
Spanish friar who attacked Noli Me Tangere.
BRUSSELS
 He continued to write his second novel, El
Filibusterismo.
 Wrote articles for the La Solidaridad
 The publication of the novel was financed by
Valentin Ventura.
 It was in Brussels when Rizal received reports of the
deportation of his family as a result of their loss in
the agrarian case.