Jose Rizal wrote many essays and articles that promoted Philippine nationalism and exposed the abuses of Spanish colonial rule. Some of his most notable writings included "The Love of Country" published in 1882 which called for love of country among Filipinos wherever they were, and a series of articles published in La Solidaridad from 1889-1890 which depicted the hardships of farmers under Spain and refuted claims that Filipinos were inherently indolent. Rizal's writings awakened patriotism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule.

1. Jose Rizal’sEssaysandArticles
THE NATIONALHERODr. Jose Rizal composedseveral brilliantwritingsinhislifetime.These writings
awakenedthe Filipinopatriotismandpavedthe wayforPhilippine Revolution.Moreover,hiswritings
were livingproofs that“The penismightierthanthe sword.”The followingare some of histimeless
articles:
Referthese toyoursiblings/children/youngerfriends:
ArticlesinDiariongTagalog
“El AmorPatrio” (The Love of Country)
Thiswas the firstarticle Rizal wrote inthe Spanishsoil.Writteninthe summerof 1882, itwas published
inDiariongTagalogin August.He usedthe penname “Laong Laan” (everprepared)asa byline forthis
article andhe sentitto Marcelo H. Del PilarforTagalog translation.
Writtenduringthe Spanishcolonizationandreignoverthe Philippineislands,the article aimedto
establishnationalismandpatriotismamongthe natives.Rizal extendedhiscall forthe love of countryto
hisfellowcompatriotsinSpain,forhe believedthatnationalismshouldbe exercisedanywhereaperson
is.
“RevistaDe Madrid” (Review of Madrid)
Thisarticle writtenbyRizal onNovember29,1882 wasunfortunatelyreturnedtohimbecause Diariong
Tagaloghad ceasedpublicationsforlackof funds.
ArticlesinLa Solidaridad
“Los AgricultoresFilipinos”(The FilipinoFarmers)
ThisessaydatedMarch 25, 1889 wasthe firstarticle of Rizal publishedinLaSolidaridad.Inthiswriting,
he depictedthe deplorable conditionsof the Filipinofarmersinthe Philippines,hence the backwardness
of the country.

2. “A La Defensssa”(ToLa Defensa)
Thiswas inresponse tothe anti-FilipinowritingbyPatriciode laEscosura publishedbyLaDefensaon
March 30, 1889 issue.WrittenonApril 30,1889, Rizal’sarticle refutedthe viewsof Escosura,callingthe
readers’attentiontothe insidiousinfluencesof the friarstothe country.
“Los Viajes”(Travels)
Publishedinthe La SolidaridadonMay15, 1889, thisarticle tackledthe rewardsgainedbythe people
whoare well-traveledtomanyplacesinthe world.
“La VerdadParaTodos” (The Truth forAll)
Thiswas Rizal’scountertothe Spanishchargesthat the nativeswere ignorantanddepraved.OnMay
31, 1889, itwas publishedinthe La Solidaridad.
"Vicente Barrantes’TeatroTagalo”
The firstinstallmentof Rizal’s“VicenteBarrantes”waspublishedinthe LaSolidaridadonJune 15, 1889.
In thisarticle,Rizal exposedBarrantes’lackof knowledge onthe Tagalogtheatrical art.
“DefensaDel Noli”
The manuscriptsof the “Defensadel Noli”waswrittenonJune 18, 1889. Rizal sentthe article to
Marcelo H. Del Pilar,wantingittobe publishedbythe endof that monthinthe La Solidaridad.
“Verdades Nuevas”(NewFacts/NewTruths)
In thisarticle datedJuly31, 1889, Rizal repliedtothe letterof VicenteBellocSanchezwhichwas
publishedonJuly4,1889 in‘La Patria’,a newspaperinMadrid.Rizal addressedSanchez’sallegationthat
provisionof reformstothe Philippineswoulddevastatethe diplomaticrule of the Catholicfriars.
“Una Profanacion”(A Desecration/A Profanation)

3. PublishedonJuly31, 1889, thisarticle mockinglyattackedthe friarsforrefusingtogive Christianburial
to Mariano Herbosa,Rizal’sbrotherinlaw,whodiedof cholerainMay 23, 1889. Beingthe husbandof
Lucia Rizal (Jose’ssister),Herbosawasdeniedof burial inthe Catholiccemeterybythe priests.
“Crueldad”(Cruelty),
DatedAugust15, 1889, thiswasRizal’swittydefense of Blumentrittfromthe libelousattacksof his
enemies.
“Diferencias”(Differences)
PublishedonSeptember15,1889, thisarticle counteredthe biasedarticle entitled“OldTruths”which
was printedinLa Patriaon August14, 1889. “OldTruths” ridiculedthose Filipinoswhoaskedfor
reforms.
“Inconsequencias”(Inconsequences)
The SpanishPabloMir DeasattackedAntonioLunain the Barcelonanewspaper“El PuebloSoberano”.
As Rizal’sdefense of Luna,he wrote thisarticle whichwaspublishedonNovember30, 1889.
“LlantoY Risas”(Tearsand Laughter)
DatedNovember30,1889, this article wasa condemnationof the racial prejudiceof the Spanishagainst
the brownrace. Rizal rememberedthathe earnedfirstprize inaliterarycontestin1880. He narrated
nonethelesshowthe Spaniardandmestizospectatorsstoppedtheirapplauseuponnoticingthatthe
winnerhada brownskincomplexion.
“FilipinasDentroDe CienAnos”(The PhilippineswithinOne HundredYears)
Thiswas serializedinLaSolidaridadonSeptember30,October31, December15, 1889 and February15,
1890. Inthe articles, Rizal estimatedthe future of the Philippinesinthe spanof a hundredyearsand
foretoldthe catastrophicendof Spanishrule inAsia.He ‘prophesied’Filipinos’revolutionagainstSpain,
winningtheirindependence,butlaterthe Americanswouldcome as the new colonizer
The essayalsotalkedaboutthe gloriouspastof the Philippines,recountedthe deteriorationof the
economy,andexposedthe causesof natives’sufferingsunderthe cruel Spanishrule.Inthe essay,he

4. cautionedthe Spainasregardsthe imminentdownfall of itsdomination.He awakenedthe mindsand
the heartsof the Filipinosconcerningthe oppressionof the Spaniardsandencouragedthemtofightfor
theirright.
Part of the essaysreads,“Historydoesnotrecordin itsannalsany lastingdominationbyone people
overanother,of differentraces,of diverseusagesandcustoms,of opposite anddivergentideas.One of
the two hadto yieldandsuccumb.”The Philippineshadregaineditslong-awaiteddemocracyandliberty
some yearsafterRizal’sdeath.Thiswasthe realizationof whatthe heroenvisionedinthisessay.
“Ingratitudes”(Ingratitude)
DatedJanuary 15, 1890, thisarticle wasthe hero’sreplytoGovernorGeneral Weylerwhotoldthe
people inCalambathatthey“shouldnotallow themselvestobe deceivedbythe vainpromisesof their
ungrateful sons.”The statementwasmade asa reactionto Rizal’sprojectof relocatingthe oppressed
and landlessCalambatenantstoNorthBorneo.
“Sobre La NuevaOrtografiaDe La LenguaTagala” (OnThe New Orthographyof The TagalogLanguage)
Rizal expressedhere hisadvocacyof a new spellinginTagalog.Inthisarticle datedApril 15,1890, he laid
downthe rulesof the newTagalogorthographyand,withmodestyandsincerity,gave the creditforthe
adoptionof thisneworthographytoDr. TrinidadH. Pardo de Tavera,author of the celebratedwork“El
Sanscritoenla LenguaTagala” (Sanskritinthe TagalogLanguage) publishedinParis,1884.
“I put thison record,”wrote Rizal,“sothat whenthe historyof thisorthographyistraced,whichis
alreadybeingadoptedbythe enlightenedTagalists,thatwhatisCaesar’sbe giventoCaesar.This
innovationisdue solelytoDr.Pardo de Tavera’sstudiesonTagalismo.Iwasone of itsmost zealous
propagandists.”
“Sobre La IndolenciaDe LosFilipinas”(The Indolence of the Filipinos)
Thislogical essayisa proof of the national hero’shistorical scholarship.The essayrationallycountered
the accusationsby SpaniardsthatFilipinoswere indolent(lazy) duringthe Spanishreign.Itwas
publishedinLaSolidaridadinfiveconsecutiveissuesonJuly(15and 31), August(1 and 31) and
September 1,1890.
Rizal arguedthat Filipinosare innatelyhardworkingpriortothe rule of the Spaniards.What broughtthe
decrease inthe productive activitiesof the nativeswasactuallythe Spanishcolonization.Rizal explained

5. the allegedFilipinoindolence bypointingtothese factors:1) the GalleonTrade destroyedthe previous
linksof the PhilippineswithothercountriesinAsiaandthe Middle East,therebyeradicatingsmall local
businessesandhandicraftindustries;2) the Spanishforcedlaborcompelledthe Filipinostoworkin
shipyards,roads,andotherpublicworks,thusabandoningtheiragricultural farmsandindustries;3)
manyFilipinosbecamelandlessandwanderersbecause Spaindidnotdefendthemagainstpiratesand
foreigninvaders;4) the systemof educationofferedbythe colonizerswasimpractical asitwasmainly
aboutrepetitive prayersandhadnothingto dowithagricultural andindustrial technology;5) the
Spaniardswere abad example asnegligentofficialswouldcome inlate andleave earlyintheiroffices
and Spanishwomenwere alwaysfollowedbyservants;6) gamblinglikecockfightswasestablished,
promoted,andexplicitlypracticedbySpanishgovernmentofficialsandfriarsthemselvesespecially
duringfeastdays;7) the crookedsystemof religiondiscouragedthe nativestoworkhard byteaching
that itis easierfora poor manto enterheaven;and8) the veryhightaxeswere discouragingasbigpart
of natives’earningswouldonlygotothe officialsandfriars.
Moreover,Rizal explainedthatFilipinoswerejustwise intheirlevel of workundertopical climate.He
explained,“violentworkisnota good thingintropical countriesasitis wouldbe parallel todeath,
destruction,annihilation.Rizal concludedthatnatives’supposedindolence wasanend-productof the
Spanishcolonization.
OtherRizal’sarticleswhich were alsoprintedinLaSolidaridadwere “A LaPatria” (November15, 1889),
“SinNobre”(WithoutName) (February28,1890), and“Cosas de Filipinas”(Thingsaboutthe Philippines)
(April 30, 1890).
Historical CommentariesWritteninLondon
“Ma-yi”
Thishistorical commentarywaswrittenbyRizal inLondononDecember6,1888.
“Acerca de Tawalisi de IbnBatuta”
Thishistorical commentaryisbelievedtoformpartof ‘Notes’(writtenincollaborationwithA.B.Meyer
and F. Blumentritt)onaChinese code inthe Middle Ages,translatedfromthe GermanbyDr. Hirth.
WrittenonJanuary 7, 1889, the article wasabout the “Tawalisi”whichreferstothe northernpartof
Luzonor to anyof the adjoiningislands.

6. It was alsoinLondonwhere Rizal pennedthe following historical commentaries:“LaPolitical Colonial On
Filipinas”(Colonial PolicyInThe Philippines),“ManilaEnEl Mes De Diciembre”(December,1872),
“HistoriaDe La FamiliaRizal De Calamba”(HistoryOf The Rizal FamilyOf Calamba),and“LosPueblosDel
ArchipelagoIndico(The People’sOf The IndianArchipelago)
OtherWritingsinLondon
“La VisionDel FrayRodriguez”(The Visionof FrayRodriguez)
Jose Rizal,uponreceiptof the newsconcerningFrayRodriguez’bitterattackonhisnovel Noli Me
Tangere,wrote thisdefenseunderhispseudonym“DimasAlang.”PublishedinBarcelona,itisasatire
depictingaspiriteddialogue betweenthe CatholicsaintAugustine andRodriguez.Augustine,inthe
fiction,toldRodriguezthathe (Augustine) wascommissioned byGodto tell him(Rodriguez) of his
stupidityandhispenance onearththat he (Rodriguez) shallcontinuetowrite more stupiditysothatall
menmay laughat him.In thispamphlet,Rizal demonstratedhisprofoundknowledge inreligionandhis
bitingsatire.
“To The YoungWomenof Malolos”
OriginallywritteninTagalog,thisfamousessaydirectlyaddressedtothe womenof Malolos,Bulacan
was writtenbyRizal as a response to MarceloH. Del Pilar’srequest.
Rizal wasgreatlyimpressedbythe braveryof the 20 youngwomenof Maloloswhoplannedtoestablish
a school where theycouldlearnSpanishdespite the oppositionof Felipe Garcia,Spanishparishpriestof
Malolos.The letterexpressedRizal’syearningthatwomenbe grantedthe same chancesgivento menin
termsof education.Inthe oldendays,youngwomenwerenoteducatedbecause of the principle that
theywill soonbe wivesandtheirprimarycareerwouldbe totake care of the home andchildren.Rizal
howeveradvocatedwomen’srighttoeducation.
Beloware some of the pointsmentionedbyRizal inhislettertothe youngwomenof Malolos:1)
The priestsinthe country that time didnotembodythe true spiritof Christianity;2) Private judgment
shouldbe used;3) Mothersshouldbe an epitome of anideal womanwhoteachesherchildrentolove
God, country,andfellowmen;4) Mothersshouldrearchildreninthe service of the state andset
standardsof behaviorformenaroundher;5) Filipinowomenmustbe noble,decent,anddignifiedand
they shouldbe submissive,tender,andlovingtotheirrespective husband;and6) Young womenmust
edifythemselves,livethe real Christianwaywithgoodmoralsandmanners,andshouldbe intelligentin
theirchoice of a lifetime partner.

7. WritingsinHong Kong
“Ang Mga Karapatan Ng Tao” (The RightsOf Man)
Thiswas Rizal’sTagalogtranslationof “The Rightsof Man” whichwasproclaimedbythe French
Revolutionin1789
“A La NacionEspanola”(ToThe SpanishNation)
Writtenin1891, thiswasRizal’sappeal to Spainto rectifythe wrongswhichthe Spanishgovernment
and clergyhaddone to the Calambatenants.
“Sa Mga Kababayan”(To My Countrymen)
ThiswritingwritteninDecember1891 explainedthe Calambaagrariansituation.
“Una VisitaA La VictoriaGaol”(A VisitTo VictoriaGaol),March 2, 1892
On March 2, 1892,Rizal wrote thisaccount of hisvisittothe colonial prisonof HongKong.He contrasted
inthe article the harshSpanishprisonsystemwiththe modernandmore humane Britishprisonsystem.
“ColonisationDuBritishNorthBorneo,ParDe FamillesDe IlesPhilippines”(ColonizationOf BritishNorth
BorneoBy FamiliesFromThe PhilippineIslands)
Thiswas Rizal’selucidationof hispetNorthBorneocolonizationproject.
“ProyectoDe ColonizationDel BritishNorthBorneoPorLosFilipinos”(ProjectOf The ColonizationOf
BritishNorthBorneoBy The Filipinos)
In thiswriting,Rizal furtherdiscussedthe ideashe presentedin“Colonizationof BritishNorthBorneoby
Familiesfromthe Philippine Islands.”
“La Mano Roja” (The RedHand)

8. Thiswas a writingprintedinsheetform.WritteninHongKong,the article denouncedthe frequent
outbreaksof firesinManila.
“Constitutionof The La LigaFilipina”
Thiswas deemedthe mostimportantwritingRizal hadmade duringhisHongKongstay. Thoughit was
Jose Ma. Basa who conceivedthe establishmentof LigaFilipina(Philippine League),hisfriendand
namesake Jose Rizal wasthe one whowrote itsconstitution andfoundedit.
ArticlesforTrubner’sRecord
Due to the requestof Rizal’sfriendDr.ReinholdRost,the editorof Trubner’sRecord(ajournal devoted
to AsianStudies),Rizalsubmittedtwoarticles:
Specimensof Tagal Folklore
PublishedinMay1889, the article containedFilipinoproverbsandpuzzles.
Two EasternFables(June 1889)
It was a comparative studyof the Japanese andPhilippine folklore.Inthisessay,Jose Rizalcomparedthe
Filipinofable,“The Tortoise andthe Monkey”tothe Japanese fable “SaruKani Kassen”(Battle of the
Monkeyand the Crab).
Citingmanysimilaritiesinformandcontent,Rizal surmisedthatthese twofablesmayhave hadthe
same roots inMalay folklore.Thisscholarlyworkreceivedseriousattentionfromotherethnologists,and
became a topicat an ethnological conference.
Amongotherthings,Rizal noticedthatbothversionsof the fable tackledaboutmoralityasbothinvolve
the eternal battle betweenthe weakandthe powerful.The Filipinoversionhoweverhadmore
philosophyandplainnessof formwhereasthe Japanesecounterparthadmore civilizationand
diplomacy.
OtherWritings
“PensamientosDe UnFilipino”(Reflectionsof A Filipino)

9. Jose Rizal wrote thisinMadrid,Spainfrom 1883-1885. It spoke of a liberal minded andanti-friarFilipino
whobearspenaltiessuchasan exile.
“Por Telefono”
Thiswas a wittysatire authoredby“DimasAlang”(one of the hero’spennames) ridiculingthe Catholic
monkFont,one of the priestswhomastermindedthe banningof the “Noli”. Publishedinbookletformin
Barcelona,Spain,itnarratedina funnywaythe telephoneconversationbetweenFontandthe
provincial friarof the San AgustinConventinManila.
ThispamphletshowednotonlyRizal’sclevernessbutalsohisfuturisticvision.Amazingly,Rizal had
envisagedthatoverseastelephonicconversationscouldbe carriedon—somethingwhichwasnotyet
done duringthattime (Fall of 1889). It was onlyin1901, twelve yearsafterRizal wrote the “Por
Telefono,”whenthe firstradio-telegraphsignalswerereceivedbyMarconi acrossthe Atlantic.
“La Instruccion”(The TownSchoolsInThe Philippines)
Usinghis penname “LaongLaan”,Rizal assessedinthisessaythe elementaryeducationalsysteminthe
Philippinesduringhistime.Havingobservedthe educational systemsinEurope,Rizal foundthe Spanish-
administerededucationinhiscountrypoorand futile.The herothusproposedreformsandsuggeteda
more significantandengagingsystem.
Rizal forinstance pointedoutthatthere wasa probleminthe mandatedmediumof instruction—the
colonizers’language(Spanish) whichwasnotperfectlyunderstoodbythe natives.Rizal thusfavored
Philippine languagesforworkbooksandinstructions.
The visionary(if notprophetic) thinkingof Rizal mighthave beenworking(again) whenhe wrote the
essay.Interestingly,hiscall foreducational reforms,especiallyhisstandonthe use of the local
languagesforinstruction,ispartof the battle cry and featuresof today’sKto 12 program inthe
Philippines.(© 2013 by JensenDG.Mañebog)
JensenDG.Mañebog,the contributor,isa bookauthor and professoriallecturerinthe graduate school
of a state universityinMetroManila.Hisunique textbooksande-booksonRizal (available online)
comprehensivelytackle,amongothers,the respectivelifeof Rizal’sparents,siblings,co-heroes,and
girlfriends.(e-mail:jensenismo@gmail.com)