Rizal traveled from Paris to Brussels in January 1890 for two reasons - the high cost of living in Paris due to an exposition and the social life distracting from his work. In Brussels, he continued writing and contributed articles to La Solidaridad defending Filipinos against abuses under Spanish rule. He also advocated for reforms to the Tagalog orthography and criticized Filipinos in Madrid for gambling. However, news from home of his family facing persecution led him to initially plan to return, before deciding instead to go to Madrid to handle their legal case.

1. January 28, Paris  Brussels (Capital of Belgium )
1890
2 Reasons
•The cost of living in Paris was very high because of the Universal Exposition
•Gay social life of the city hampered his literary works

2. -In Brussels, Rizal was busy writing his
second novel which was a continuation of
the Noli. He also wrote articles for La
Solidaridad and letters to his family and
friends. Being a physician, he spent part of
his time in the medical clinic. For recreation
he had gymnastics, target practice and
fencing.

3. During his sojourn in Brussels, Rizal wrote articles for
La Solidaridad in defense of his oppressed people and
to point out the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
Articles Published in La Solidaridad
“A La Defensa” (To La Defensa)
“La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth For
All)
“Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro Tagalo,”
“Una Profanacion” (A Profanation)
“Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths)
“Crueldad” (Cruelty)
“Diferencias” (Differences)
“Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences)
“Llanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughter)
“Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude)

4. New Orthography of Tagalog Laungage
-Rizal was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography.
The tagalong letter k and w should be
used instead of the Spanish c and o.
Salacot = Salakot
Arao = Araw
As early as in September, 1886, Rizal adopted the Filipinized Tagalog orthography
in his tagalong translations of Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell and Andersen’s Fairy Tales.
( The new Orthography of the Tagalog Language was published in La Solidaridad
on April 15, 1890. )

5. Rizal Criticizes Madrid
Filipino for Gambling
-Rizal received news from Juan Luna and
Valentin Ventura that the Filipinos in Spain
were destroying the good name of their
nation by gambling to much.
-
-Rizal wrote to M.H. Del Pilar on May 28,
1890 to remind the Filipinos in Madrid that
they did not come to Europe to gamble, but
to work.
The gambling Filipinos in Madrid got angry.
They called Rizal “Papa” (Pope) instead of
Pepe.

6. Bad News from Home
The management of the Dominican
hacienda continually raised the land
rents until such time that Rizal’s father
refused to pay his rent. The Dominican
Order filed a suit in court to dispossess
the Rizal family of their lands in
Calamba. Paciano and the brothers-in-
law Antonio Lopez (husband of
Narcisa) and Silvestre Ubaldo (husband
of Olympia) weredeported to Mindoro.
Another brother-in-law, Manuel T.
Hidalgo (husband of Saturnina) ws
banished for a 2nd time to Bohol. The
sad news depressed Rizal.
-Rizal wrote a letter to Soledad on June
6, 1890

7. Preparation to Go Home
Rizal planned to go home. He could not
stay in Brussels writing a book while his
parents, relatives, and friends were
persecuted. All his friends, including
Blumentritt, Jose Ma. Basa, and Ponce,
were horrified by Rizal’s plan to return
to the Philippines. They warned him of
the danger that awaited him at home.

8. Decision to Go to Madrid
-Suddenly a letter from Pacaino
changed Rizal’s mind to go back home.
The letter says that they lost thethe case
against the Dominicans in Manila. Rizal
then wrote to M.H. Del Pilar on June 28,
1890 retaining the latter’s services as a
laywer, he further informed Del Pilar
that he was going to Madrid, in order to
supervise the handling of the case.