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Let us discuss those reasons one by one: SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be
WHY STUDY RIZAL: BECAUSE IT IS MANDATED BY LAW included in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities,
public or private: Provided, That in the collegiate courses, the
The teaching of Jose Rizal’s life, his works and writings are mandated original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
by Republic Act 1425, otherwise known as the Rizal Law. Senator Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts.
Jose P. Laurel, the person who sponsored the said law, said that
since Rizal was the founder of Philippine nationalism and has The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed
contributed much to the current standing of this nation, it is only to adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry out the
right that the youth as well as all the people in the country know provisions of this Section, including the writing and printing of
about and learn to imbibe the great ideals for which he died. The appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within
Rizal Law, enacted in 1956, seeks to accomplish the following goals: sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and
regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and
1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules
and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died. and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the
works in shaping the Filipino character requirement of the provision contained in the second part of the
3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course
of Rizal’s life, works, and writings. provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and
regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in
Likewise,
the Official Gazette.
“As mandatory law (R.A 1425), the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and
writings is a requirement for all non-degree courses in tertiary
universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies
education. Primarily, its rationale is to foster in the Filipino youth a
of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere
nationalistic sentiment both for their appreciation and emulation.”
and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other works and biography.
For more information: The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as other
Laws on Rizal writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved books for
required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and
There are at least two Republic Acts and two Memorandum Orders universities.
pertaining to Jose Rizal:
The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of
1. Republic Act N. 1425 or the Rizal Law the number of books, depending upon the enrollment of the school,
2. Republic Act No. 229 or the Celebration of Rizal Day’ college or university.
3. Memorandum Order No. 247 by President Fidel V. Ramos
4. CHED Memorandum No. 3, s 1995 by Commissioner Mona SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the
D. Valismo translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as
other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular
editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to Aside from those mentioned above, there are other reasons for
persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations and teaching the Rizal course in Philippine schools:
Barrio Councils throughout the country.
1. To recognize the importance of Rizal’s ideals and teachings
SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or in relation to present conditions and situations in society.
repealing section nine hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative 2. To encourage the application of such ideals in current
Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by public social and personal problems and issues.
school teachers and other person engaged in any public school. 3. To develop an appreciation and deeper understanding of
all that Rizal fought and died for.
SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby 4. To foster the development of the Filipino youth in all
authorized to be appropriated out of any fund not otherwise aspects of citizenship.
appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out the purposes of
this Act. Take note, Rizal’s legacy is very important in changing the condition
of our present society. His teachings challenge us all Filipinos to
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. make a difference for the future of our country by living the
teachings of Rizal. Likewise, it teaches us to be more responsible
Approved: June 12, 1956
and brave enough to face the challenges in our present society by
Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956. acting on the principles that Rizal had strongly spoken and lived.
At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to
Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto, seeing Rizal frail in body, the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
concerned himself with the physical development of his young
nephew and taught the latter love for the open air and developed The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa
in him a great admiration for the beauty of nature, while Uncle hut about 30 meters from the home of Jose’s aunt.
Gregorio, a scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love for
education. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil
very carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be under him before. He introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he
independent in thinking and make visual pictures of everything." departed to return to Calamba.
6 June 1868
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill the His teacher in Biñan was a severe disciplinarian. His name was
vow made by his mother to take the child to the Shrine of the Justiniano Aquino Cruz. "He was a tall man, lean and long-necked,
Virgin of Antipolo should she and her child survive the ordeal of with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward. He used to wear
delivery which nearly caused his mother’s life. a sinamay shirt woven by the deft hands of Batangas women.
From there they proceeded to Manila and visited his sister The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and succeeded in
Saturnina who was at the time studying in the La Concordia surpassing many of his older classmates. Some of these were so
College in Sta. Ana. wicked that, even without reason, they accused him before the
1869 teacher, for which, in spite of his progress, he received many
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem entitled "Sa Aking whippings and strokes from the ferule. Rare was the day when he
Mga Kabata." The poem was written in tagalog and had for its was not stretched on the bench for a whipping or punished with five
theme "Love of One’s Language." or six blows on the open palm. Jose’s reaction to all these
punishments was one of intense resentment in order to learn and
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical thus carry out his father’s will.
schooling that a son of an ilustrado family received during his time,
characterized by the four R’s- reading, writing, arithmetic, and Jose spent his leisure hours with Justiniano’s father-in-law, a master
religion. Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into painter. From him he took his first two sons, two nephews, and a
the minds of the pupils by means of the tedious memory method grandson. His way life was methodical and well regulated. He heard
aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the defects of the Spanish mass at four if there was one that early, or studied his lesson at that
system of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the hour and went to mass afterwards. Returning home, he might look
necessary instruction preparatory for college work in Manila. It may in the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat, and then he took his
be said that Rizal, who was born a physical weakling, rose to become breakfast, consisting generally of a plate of rice and two dried
an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in spite of, the sardines.
outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the
Philippines during the last decades of Spanish regime. After that he would go to class, from which he was dismissed at ten,
and then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began at ten,
The Hero’s First Teacher then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began to study. At
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable half past two he returned to class and left at five. He might play for a
woman of good character and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at short time with some cousins before returning home. He studied his
the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother," wrote lessons, drew for a while, and then prayed and if there was a moon,
Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say his friends would invite him to play in the street in company with
haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God." other boys.
As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and First School Brawling
understanding. It was she who first discovered that her son had a
talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. The afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher was having
To lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate his siesta, Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for
her son’s imagination, she related many stories. making fun of him during his conversation with the teacher in the
morning.
As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him
lessons at home. The first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking
Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a that he could easily beat the Calamba boy who was smaller and
former classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This old younger.
teacher lived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in Spanish and
Latin. Unfortunately, he did not live long. He died five months later. The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee
of their classmates. Jose, having learned the art of wrestling from his
After a Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to send their athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this feat, he
gifted son to a private school in Biñan. became popular among his classmates.
Early Schooling in Biñan After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andres
One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose, after kissing the hands of Salandanan challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. They went to
his parents and a tearful parting from his sister, left Calamba for a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the
Biñan. He was accompanied by Paciano, who acted as his second weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.
However, they sought the intercession of Manual Xerez Burgos,
In succeeding days he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He nephew of Father Burgos. As a result, he was reluctantly admitted at
was not quarrelsome by nature, but he never ran away from a fight. the Ateneo.
Aims: In 1892, Jose Rizal returned to the Philippines and proposed the
establishment of a civic organization called “La Liga Filipina” with the
1. To work for political and social reforms peacefully motto Unus instar Omnium (One like All). On July 3, 1892, the
2. To present the sad conditions in the Philippines so that following were elected as its officers: Ambrosio Salvador, president:
Spain can remedy them Agustin dela Rosa, fiscal; BonifacioArevalo, treasurer; and Deodato
3. To oppose the evil influences of reaction and outmoded Arellano, secretary, Rizal functioned as its adviser.
beliefs and practices
4. To advocate liberal ideas and progress La Liga Filipina had no intention of rising up in arms against the
5. To champion the just aspirations of the Filipinos to life, government; but the Spanish officials still felt threatened. On July 6,
democracy and happiness 1892 only three days after La Liga Filipina’s establishment, Jose Rizal
was secretly arrested. The next day, Governor General
EulogioDespujol ordered Rizal’s deportation to Dapitan, a small,
secluded town in Zamboanga. La Liga Filipina's membership was
Pen Names of the Members
active in the beginning; but later, they began to drift apart. The rich
(1) Marcelo H. Del Pilar- Plaridel members wanted to continue supporting the Propaganda
(2) Jose Rizal- LaongLaan and Dimasalang Movement; but the others seemed to have lost all hope that those
(3) Mariano Ponce- Naning, Tikbalang or Kalipulako reforms could still be granted. Andres Bonifacio was one of those
(4) Antonio Luna- Taga-ilog who believed that the only way to achieve meaningful change was
(5) Jose Ma. Panganiban- Jomapa through a bloody revolution.
(6) Dominador Gomez- Ramiro Franco
The constitution was written in Hong Kong with the help of Jose Ma.
Basa.The Constitution states:
Rizal, Del Pilar and Ponce 1. Union of the Philippine Archipelago into a compact, strong
and homogeneous body.
Magazines, poetry, and pamphleteering flourished. The president of 2. Mutual protection of the members
La Solidaridad was Rizal’s cousin, GalicanoApacible. Among the other 3. Defense against all violence and injustice
officers were Graciano Lopez-Jaena, vice-president, and Mariano 4. Encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce
Ponce, treasurer. Rizal, in London at the time, was named Honorary 5. Study and application of reforms
President. Unfortunately, Apacible could not hold the wrangling
reformists together. It took the prestige of Rizal and the political Objectives:
wisdom of delPilar to unite the Filipinos in Spain and to coordinate
1. Unification of the archipelago into a one compact,
their efforts. Jose Rizal was this movement’s most brilliant figure and
vigorous and homogenous body;
his writings had a wide impact in the Philippines. Marcelo H. Del Pilar
2. Mutual protection in every want and need;
joined the Masonic Order in Spain in 1889, one of the first Filipinos
3. Defense against all forms of violence and injustices;
initiated into the mysteries of Masonry in Europe. He co-founded
4. Encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce;
Logia Revoluccion in Barcelona and revived Logia Solidaridad 53
5. The study of application of reforms
when it floundered into stormy seas where he became its
Worshipful Master and with Jose Rizal as Orator.
Significance of the Movement Industrialization rapidly gained momentum in the second half of the
19th century as the knowledge of man gets vaster. These changes
Succeeded in influencing profound political developments fueled the industrial revolution
Politicized a great number of Filipinos
Establishment of a group that yearned for reforms, the 6. The Altered Position of the Catholic Church in the 19 th
Katipunan Century
The Catholic Church in Europe was a most powerful and
The Arrest of Jose Rizal
influential institution. The church has been identified with the
The La Liga Filipina almost died when Rizal was arrested three days monarchy and aristocracy since the medieval era
after its founding. On July 7, 1892 the order of his deportation to
Dapitan was published in the newspaper. Rizal’s attempt to carry on 7. The Philippine is drawn Within the Orbit World trade
the reform movement in the Philippines failed. The beneficial effect of economic liberalism in Europe and the
United States had finally convinced Spain to abandon mercantilism
July 7, 1892: Gen. EulogioDespujol ordered Rizal’s arrest and and reluctantly open the Philippines to world trade
imprisonment at Fort Santiago
July 15: He was put into exile in Dapitan 8. The New Breed of Native middle class
This marked the fall of the La Liga Filipina These 19th century economic and social stimuli effected a
Some members, led by ApolinarioMabini, tried to revive the league marked improvement in the standard of living of small group of
but the failed because many members, including Andres Bonifacio, indios and mestizos who were engaged in commercial agriculture
believed that it was useless to expect reforms from the corrupt and trade.
Spaniards.
9. Initial Response to 19th Century Challenges
Even before the emergence of an active educated middle
LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL class, which directly worked for reforms, Francisco “Balagtas “
Learning Task for June 22-26, 2020 Baltazar (1788-1862) had already voiced his disgust in the prevailing
social order through his literary pieces, particularly Florante at Laura
Birth of National Consciousness/ Filipino Nationalism
10. Futile Spanish Attempt to initiate
• National consciousness binds together men of diverse Sensing the prevalent social discontent, political insecurity and
castes and creeds, clans and colors, and unites them into the growing anti Spanish feelings in the islands.
one people, one family, one nation with common
aspirations and ideals Also, we might want to consider our understanding towards our
Filipino Nationalism.
The Philippine experience in the formation of national Let us specifically determine what Filipino Nationalism really means:
identity had its roots in the pre-Hispanic period.
Filipino Nationalism
Filipino Nationalism is an upsurge of patriotic sentiments and
1. Foundation of our Indigenous Culture nationalistic ideals in the Philippines of the 19th century that came
Our racial origin and the types of cultures the early migrants consequently as a result of more than two centuries of Spanish rule
brought to the Philippines, have hypothesized that: (1) our and as an immediate outcome of the Filipino Propaganda
indigenous culture began do develop on the pre-historic and pre- Movement (mostly in Europe) from 1872 to 1892. It served as the
Christian eras (2) these early cultures ranged from the crude Old backbone of the first nationalist revolution in Asia, the Philippine
Stone Age to the Metal Age with organized community life; and (3)
the early settlers came from Borneo, Indo-China, South China and Revolution of 1896.
other parts of Southeast Asia.
Causes of the Awakening of the Filipinos’ National Consciousness 1. Opening of the Philippines to world trade from 1834 to 1873
The 19th century was the birth of Filipino nationalism. This o This stimulated the economic activities in the country
important phenomenon was caused by the following: which brought prosperity to some of the Filipinos but
most of all to the Chinese and the Spaniards.
1. The opening of the Philippines to world trade o It resulted to the rise of a new social class referred to as
“Middle Class” or the “Illustrados”
Acquired material wealth
2. The influx of liberal ideas into the country
Improved their social stature and influence
Clamored for social and political equality
3. The rise of the intelligentsia with the colonial masters.
The opening of the Suez Canal facilitated the importation of books, o It was during his term as governor general that freedom
magazines and newspapers with liberal ideas from Europe and of speech was allowed among the Filipinos
America which eventually influenced the minds of Jose Rizal and o De la Torre was a well-loved leader because he was
other Filipino reformists. Political thoughts of liberal thinkers like concern with the needs of the natives
Jean Jacques Rousseau (Social Contract), John Locke (/two Treatises o He ordered the abolition of flogging as punishment for
of Government), Thomas Paine (ommon Sense) and others entered military disobedience
the country (Maguigad & Muhi 2001; 62). Moreover, the shortened o He implemented the Educational Decree of 1863 and the
route encouraged more and more Spaniards and Europeans with Moret Law which delimit the secularization of educational
liberal ideas to come to the Philippines and interact with Filipino institutions and allowed the government to take control
reformists.The opening of this canal in 1869 further stimulated the among different schools and academic institutions.
local economy which give rise—as already mentioned above--to the
creation of the middle class of mestizos and ilustrados in the Spanish Revolution of 1868
19th century.
o The period when Queen Isabella was ousted by Generals
The shortened route has also encouraged the ilustrados led by Rizal Francisco Serrano and Juan Prim
to pursue higher studies abroad and learn liberal and scientific ideas o This incident had proven that Spain was not invincible and
in the universities of Europe. Their social interaction with liberals in that even how powerful it was it cannot escape social
foreign lands has influenced their thinking on politics and unrest and political upheavals.
nationhood. o In 1873, the first Spanish Republic was established and
the Liberals installed Carlos Ma. Dela Torre as the
governor general in the Philippines.
5. Liberal Regime of Carlos Ma. Dela Torre
The first-hand experience of what it is to be liberal came from the 6. The Cavite Mutiny and the Martyrdom of GOMBURZA
role modeling of the first liberal governor general in the Philippines
—Governor General Carlos Ma. Dela Torre. Why Govenor Dela Torre THE THREE MARTYR PRIESTS
was able to rule in the Philippines has a long story. The political
instability in Spain had caused frequent changes of Spanish officials 1. JOSE BURGOS
in the Philippines which caused further confusion and increased
- born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur
social as well as political discontent in the country. But when the
liberals deposed Queen Isabela II in 1868 mutiny, a provisional -Youngest among the three
-One of the major advocates of secularization Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were escorted under heavy
guard to Luneta and were executed by garrote (strangulation
-Born on February 9, 1837 machine) before a vast crowd of Filipinos and foreigners (Ibid.).
-During that time was the curate of the Cathedral and Canonigo The execution of GOMBURZA had hastened not only the downfall of
Magistral the Spanish government but also the growth of Philippine
nationalism. The Filipino people resented the execution of the three
2. MARIANO GOMES
priests because they knew that they were innocent and were
-Born in Sta. Cruz, Manila executed because they championed Filipino rights. Among those in
the crowd who resented the execution was Paciano, the older
-First to be executed brother of Jose Rizal, who inspired the national hero to follow the
cause of the three priests. Rizal dedicated his novel Noli Me
-Founded La Verdad, which served as the mouthpiece of Tangere to GOMBURZA to show his appreciation to the latter’s
Secularization courage, dedication to Filipino rights, and sense of nationalism.
-Oldest among the martyr priest o An uprising of the arsenal and shipyard workers of Cavite
3. Jacinto Zamora as a response to the repeal of their privileges such as
exemption from paying tributes and performance of
-Born August 14, 1835 forced labor.
o This took place on January 20, 1872 and was headed by
-He already lost his mind during the proceedings Sergeant La Madrid
o This small mutiny was magnified by Spanish to make it
appear that it was a wide-scaled conspiracy and that even
GOMURBZA WERE SUSPECTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CAVITE Filipino clergy were part of it.
MUTINY….
Restoration of the Monarch and the Installation of
Izquierdo as Gov. Gen. of the Philippines ; cause of Cavite
Mutiny
Two historical events in the late 19th century that hastened the o In 1870, Spanish monarchy was restored with Amadeo de
growth of nationalism in the minds of Rizal, reformists and the
Savoy as new king.
Filipino people is the Cavite Mutiny and the martyrdom of Fathers
o This king eventually sent Rafael Izquierdo as the governor
Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora or popularly known as GOMBURZA. The
general in Manila
Cavite Mutiny is a failed uprising against the Spaniards due to
o Izquierdo was the exact opposite of De la Torre
miscommunication. On the night of January 20, 1872, a group of
o He ordered that the exemptions and privileges enjoyed by
about 200 soldiers and workers led by Lamadrid, a Filipino sergeant,
workers of the arsenals and ship yards be repealed, giving
took over by force the Cavite arsenal and fort. Before this, there was
reason for these workers to launch a mutiny that took
an agreement between Lamadrid and his men and Filipino soldiers in
place in 1872.
Manila that they would join forces to stage a revolt against the
Spaniards, with firing of rockets from the city walls of Manila on that
Significance of the martyrdom of the three priests
night as the signal of the uprising. Unfortunately, the suburbs of
1. Filipinos forgot their regional hostilities and felt the
Manila celebrated its fiesta on that very night with a display of
need of being united for a common cause
fireworks. The Cavite plotters, thinking that the fighting had been
2. The Filipinos instead of developing fear from the
started by Manila soldiers, killed their Spanish officers and took
Spaniards, developed hatred instead
control of the fort. On the following morning, government troops
3. The GOMBURZA served as inspiration to future
rushed to the Cavite arsenal and killed many mutineers including
patriots to selflessly fight the Spaniards in order to
Lamadrid. The survivors were subdued, taken prisoners and brought
put a stop on injustices and abusiveness committed
to Manila (Zaide 1999: 218-220).
by the colonizers.
This unfortunate incidence in Cavite became an opportunity, 4. Secularization Movement
however, for the Spaniards to implicate the three Filipino priests o An interest group consisted of Filipino
who had been campaigning for Filipino rights, particularly the right priests who demanded that they be allowed
of Filipino priests to become parish priests or “Filipinization” of the to handle parishes in accordance with the
parishes in the country. These three priests, especially Father Jose provisions of the Council of Trent
Burgos, the youngest and the most intelligent, championed the o It was once headed by Father Pedro Pelaez
rights of the Filipino priests and were critical of Spanish policies. The and was followed by Fr. Jose Burgos.
Spanish government then wanted them to be placed behind bars or
executed. To do this, it magnified the event and made it appear as a Below this area are the topics: Who made Rizal our foremost National Hero?
“revolt” against the government. Thus, after the mutineers were The objectives of this topic are the following: Reasons why Rizal is a National
Hero and basis and importance of having Rizal as our National Hero; Why was
imprisoned, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto
Rizal hero a Creole? The objective of this topic is: Service to the Filipino
Zamora (GOMBURZA) were arrested and charged falsely with people qualifying it as a creole”.
treason and mutiny under a military court. To implicate them, the
government bribed Francisco Zaldua, a former soldier, as the star Who Made Rizal Our Foremost National Hero, and Why?
witness. With a farcical trial, a biased court, and a weak defense BY: ESTEBAN A. DE OCAMPO
from their government-hired lawyers, the three priests were
Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, or simply Jose Rizal (1861-1896), is
convicted of a crime they did not commit. Governor Izquierdo
unquestionably the greatest hero & martyr of our nation. The day of his birth
approved their death sentence and at sunrise of February 17, 1872, & the day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all classes of our
people throughout the length & breadth of this country & even by Filipinos & the Noli of Rizal. In the Philippines the hero’s novel was attacked &
their friends abroad. His name is a byword in every Filipino home while his condemned by a faculty committee of a Manila university (UST) & by the
picture adorns the postage stamp & paper money of widest circulation. No permanent censorship commission in 1887. the committee said that it found
other Filipino hero can surpass Rizal in the number of towns, barrios, & the book "heretical, impious, & scandalous to the religious order, &
streets named after him; in the number of educational institutions, societies, unpatriotic & subversive to the public order, libelous to the govt. of Spain &
& trade names that bear his name; in the number of persons, both Filipinos & to its political policies in these islands", while the commission recommended
foreigners, who were named "Rizal" or "Rizalina" because of their parents’ that "the importation, reproduction, & circulation of this pernicious book in
admiration for the Great Malayan; & in the number of laws, Executive Orders the islands be absolutely prohibited." (5) Coming down to our time, during
& Proclamations of the Chief Executive, & bulletins, memoranda, & circulars the congressional discussions & hearings on the Rizal (Noili-Fili) in 1956, the
of both the bureaus of public & private schools. Who is the Filipino writer & proponents & opponents of the bill also engaged themselves in a bitter &
thinker whose teachings & noble thoughts have been frequently invoked & long drawn-out debate the finally resulted in the enactment of a compromise
quoted by authors & public speakers on almost all occasions? None but Rizal. measure, now known as RA 1425.
And why is this so? Because as biographer Rafael Palma (1) said, "The
doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch but for all epochs. They are as valid The attacks on Rizal’s 1st novel were not only confined in the Philippines but
today as they were yesterday. It cannot be said that because the political were also staged in the Spanish capital. There, Sen. Vida, Deputy (& ex-
ideals of Rizal have been achieved, because of the change in the institutions, general) Luis de Pando & Premier Praxedes Mateo Sagasta were among those
the wisdom of his counsels or the value of his doctrines have ceased to be who unjustly lambasted & criticized Rizal & hisNoli in the 2 chambers of the
opportune. They have not." Spanish Cortes in 1888 & 1889. (6) it is comforting to learn however, that
about 13 years later, Cong. Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered an
Unfortunately, however, there are still some Filipinos who entertain the eulogy of Rizal & even recited the martyr’s Ultimo Pensamiento on the floor
belief that Rizal is a "made-to-order" national hero, & that the maker or of the U. S. House of Representatives in order to prove the capacity of the
manufacturer in this case were the Americans, particularly Civil Governor Filipinos for self- government. He said in part: "It has been said that, if
William Howard Taft. This was done allegedly, in the following manner: American institutions had done nothing else to furnish to the world the
character of George Washington, that alone would entitle them to the
"And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hero". These were supposed respect of mankind. So Sir, I say to all those who denounces the Filipinos
to be the words addressed by Gov. Taft to Mssrs. Pardo de Tavera, Legarda & indiscriminately as barbarians & savages, w/o possibility of a civilized future,
Luzurriaga, Filipino members of the Philippine Commission, of which Taft was that this despised race proved itself entitled to their respect & to the respect
the chairman. It was further reported that "in the subsequent discussion in of mankind when it furnished to the world the character of Jose Rizal."(7) The
which the rival merits of the revolutionary heroes (M. H. del Pilar, Graciano result of this appeal was the approval of what is popularly known as the
Lopez Jaena, Gen. Antonio Luna, Emilio Jacinto, & Andres Bonifacio—O.) were Philippine Bill of 1902.
considered, the final choice—now universally acclaimed a wise one—was
Rizal. And so history was made."(2) The preceding paragraphs have shown that by the Noli alone Rizal, among his
contemporaries, had become the most prominent/ the central figure of the
This article will attempt to answer two questions: 1) Who made Rizal the Propaganda Movement.
foremost national hero & 2) Why is Rizal our greatest national hero? Before
proceeding to answer these queries, it will be better if we first know the Again, we ask the question: why did Rizal, become the greatest Filipino hero?
meaning of the term hero. According to Webster’sNew International Because in this writer’s humble opinion, no Filipino has yet been born who
Dictionary of the English Language, a hero is "a prominent or central could equal or surpass Rizal as a "person of distinguished valor/enterprise
personage taking admirable part in any remarkable action or event". Also, "a in danger, fortitude in suffering." Of these traits of our hero, let us see what
person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger". And finally, he is a a Filipino & an American biographer said:
man "honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service
to mankind". "What is most admirable in Rizal," wrote Rafael Palma, is his complete self-
denial, his complete abandonment of his personal interests to think only of
Why is Rizal a hero, nay, our foremost national hero? He is our greatest those of his country. He could have been whatever he wished to be,
hero because as a towering figure in the Propaganda Campaign, he took an considering his natural endowments; he could have earned considerable
"admirable part" in that movement w/c roughly covered the period from sums of money from his profession; he could have lived relatively rich,
1882-1896. If we were asked to pick out a single work by a Filipino writer happy, prosperous, had he not dedicated himself to public matters. But in
during this period, more than any writer writing, contributed tremendously him, the voice of the species was stronger than the voice of personal
to the formation of Filipino nationality, we shall have no hesitation tin progress or of private fortune, & he preferred to live far from his family &
choosing Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere (Berlin, 1887). It is true that Pedro Paterno to sacrifice his personal affections for an ideal he had dreamed of. He
published his novel, Ninay, in Madrid in 1885; M. H. del Pilar his La Soberania heeded not his brother, not even his parents, beings whom he respected &
Monacal in Barcelona in 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena, his Discursos y venerated so much, in order to follow the road his conscience had traced
Articulos Varios, also in Barcelona in 1891; & Antonio Luna, his Impresionesin for him.
Madrid in 1893, but none of these books had evoked such favorable &
unfavorable comments from friends & foes alike as did Rizal’s Noli. He did not have great means at his disposal to carry out his campaign, but
that did not discouraged him; he contented himself w/ what he had. He
Typical of the encomiums that the hero received for his novel were those suffered the rigors of the cold winter of Europe, he suffered hunger,
received from Antonio Ma. Regidor & Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Regidor, a privation, & misery; but when he raised his eyes to heaven & saw his ideal,
Filipino exile of 1872 in London, said that "the book was superior" & that if his hope was reborn. He complained of his countrymen, he complained of
"don Quixote has made its author immortal because he exposed to the world some of those who had promosed him help & did not help him, until at
the sufferings of Spain, your Noli Me Tangere will bring you equal times, profoundly disillusioned, he wanted to renounce his campaign
glory…" (3) Blumentritt, after reading Rizal’s Noli, wrote & congratulated its forever, giving up everything. But such moments are evanescent, he soon
author, saying among other things: "Your work, as we Germans say, has been felt comforted & resumed the task of bearing the cross of his suffering." (8)
written w/ the blood of the heart... Your work has exceeded my hopes & I
consider myself happy to have been honored by your friendship. Not only I, Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American biographer of Rizal, spoke of the hero’s
but also your country, may feel happy for having in you a patriotic & loyal courage in the following words:
son. If you continue so, you will be to your people one of those great men
who will exercise a determinative influence over the progress of their His consuming life purpose was the secret of his moral courage. Physical
spiritual life." (4) courage, it is true, was one of his inherited traits. But that high courage to die
loving his murderers, w/c he at last achieved--that cannot be inherited. It
If Rizal’s friends & admirers praised w/ justifiable pride the Noli & its author, must be forged out in the fires of suffering & temptation. As we read through
his enemies were equally loud & bitter in attacking & condemning the same. his life, we can see how the moral sinew & fiber grew year by year as he
Perhaps no other work has, up to this day, aroused as much acrimonious faced new perils & was forced to make fearful decisions. It required courage
debate not only among our people but also among reactionary foreigners as to write his 2 great novels telling nothing that no other man has ventured to
say before, standing almost alone against the powerful interests in the
country & in Spain, & knowing full well that despotism would strike back. He assembled at Malolos, Bulacan on 15 Sep 1898, Pres. Aguinaldo invoked the
had reached another loftier plateau of heroism when he wrote those letters spirits of the departed heroes of the fatherland, thus:
to Hong Kong, "To be opened after my death", & sailed to the "trap" in
Manila w/o any illusions. Then in his Dapitan exile when he was tempted to Illustrious spirits of RIZAL, Lopez Jaena, of Marcelo del Pilar! August shades of
escape, & said "No", not once but hundreds of times for 4 long years, & Burgos, Pelaez & Panganiban! Warlike geniuses of Aguinaldo! (Crispulo---O.),
when, on the way to Cuba, Pedro Roxas pleaded w/ him to step off the boat & Tirona, of Natividad & Evangelista! Arise a moment from your unknown
of Singapore upon British territory & save his life, what an inner struggle it graves! (21)
must have caused him to answer over & over again, "No, no, no!" When the
sentence of death & the fateful morning of his execution brought the final Then on 20 Dec 1898 at the revolutionary capital of Malolos, Pres. Aguinaldo
test, 30 Dec 1896, he walked w/ perfect calm to the firing line as though by issued the 1stofficial proclamation making 30 Dec of that year as "Rizal Day".
his own choice, the only heroic figure in that sordid scene." (9) The same proclamation ordered the hoisting the Filipino flags at half-mast
"from 12:00 noon on 30 Dec 1898" and the closing of "all offices of the
To the bigoted Spaniards in Spain & in the Philippines, Rizal was the most government" during the whole day of 30 Dec. actually, the impressive Rizal
intelligent, most courageous, & most dangerous enemy of the reactionaries Day program, sponsored by the Club Filipino, was held in Manila on 30 Dec
& the tyrants; therefore he should be shot publicly to serve as an example & 1898. (22a)
a warning to those of his kind. This was the reason why Rizal, after a brief
mock trial, was sentenced to death & made to face the firing squad at It should be further noted that both the La Independencia, edited by Gen.
Bagumbayan Field, now Luneta, in the early morning of 30 Dec 1896. Antonio Luna, & the El Heraldo de la Revolucion, official organ of the
revolutionary government, issued a special supplement in honor of Rizal in
And for the 3rd & the last time, we repeat the question: Why is Rizal the one of their December issues in 1898.
greatest Filipino hero that ever lived? Because "he is a man honored after
death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind". We can Two of the greatest of Filipino poets in the Spanish language paid glowing
say that even before his execution, Rizal was the already acclaimed by both tributes to the martyr of Bagumbayan in acknowledgement of the hero’s
Filipinos & foreigners as the foremost leader of his people". Writing from labors & sacrifices for his people. Fernando Ma. Guerrero wrote on 25 Sep
Barcelona to the Great Malayan on 10 Mar 1889, M. H. del Pilar said: "Rizal 1898, thus:
no tiene aun derecho a morir: su nombre constituye la mas pura e
"No has muerto, no. La Gloria es tu destino; tu corona los fuegos de la
immaculada bandera de aspirationes y Plaridel los suyos no son otra causa
aurora, y tu inviolable altar nuestra conciencia." (23)
ma que immaculada unos voluntarios que militan bajo esa
bandera."(10) Fernando Acevedo, who called Rizal his distinguido amigo, And Cecilio Apostol, on 30 Dec of the same year, wrote these lines:
compañero y paisano", wrote the letter from Zaragoza, Spain, on 25 Oct
1889: "I see in you the model Filipino; your application to study & you talents "!Duerme en paz las sombras de la nada,
have placed on a height w/c I revere & admire." (11) The Bicolano Dr. Tomas Redentor de una Patria esclavizada!
Arejola wrote Rizal in Madrid, 9 Feb 1891, saying: "Your moral influence over !No llores de la tumba en el misterio
us is indisputable." (12) And Guillermo Puatu of Bulacan wrote this tribute to Del español el triunfo momentaneo:
Rizal, saying: "Vd. a quien se le puede (llamar) con razon, cabeza tutelary de Que si Una bala destrozo tu craneo,
los Filipinos, aunque la comparacion parezca algo ridicula, porque posee la Tambien tu idea destrozo un emperio! (24)
virtud la atraer consigo enconadas voluntades, zanjar las discordias y
enemistades renorosasnreuniren fiestas a hombres que no querian verse ni The Filipinos were not alone in grieving the untimely death of their hero &
en la calle… (12a) idol, for the intellectual & scientific circles of the world felt keenly the loss of
Rizal, who was their esteemed colleague & friend. Dr. Camilo Osias &
Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the leading Filipino of his time Wenceslao E. Retaña both spoke of the universal homage accorded to Rizal
were Blumentritt, Napoleon M. Kheil, Dr. Rheinhold Rost, & Vicente immediately after his death. Dr. Osias wrote thus:
Barrantes. Prof. Blumentritt told Dr. Maximo Viola in May 1887 that "Rizal
was the greatest product of the Philippines & that his coming to the world Expressions of deep sympathy came from Blumentritt & many others such as
was like the appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only Dr. Renward Braustetter of Lucerne, a scholar on things Malay; Dr. Feodor
every other century." (13) napoleon Kheil of Prague, Austria, wrote to Rizal & Jagor, a German author of Philippine Travels; Dr. Friedrich Ratzel, an
said: "admiro en Vd. a un noble representante de la España emeinent German geographer & ethnographer; Señor Ricardo Palma, a
colonial." (13a) Dr. Rost, distinguished Malayologist & librarian of the India distinguished man of letters from Peru; Prof. M Buchner, director of the
office of London, called Rizal "una perla hombre" (14) , while don Vicente Ethnographic Museum of Munich & a noted Malayologist; Monsieur Edmont
Barrantes had to admit that Rizal was ‘the first among the Filipinos" (14) Planchut, a French Orientalist, author of various works & writer on Philippine
subjects; Dr. W. Joest, eminent German geographer & professor at the
Even before the outbreak of the revolution against Spain in 1896, many University of Berlin; Dr. H. Kern, professor of Sanskrit in the University of
instances can be cited to prove that his country here & abroad recognized Leiden & celebrated authority on Malay affairs; Dr. J. Montano, a
Rizal’s leadership. In the early part of 1899 he was unanimously elected by distinguished French linguist & anthropologist & author of a Memoria on the
the Filipinos in Barcelona & Madrid as honorary pres. of la Philippines; Dr. F. Mueller, professor of the University of Vienna & a great
Solidaridad. (17) Some months later in Paris, he organized & became chief of philologist; a noted Dutch literary woman who signed H. D. Teenk Willink,
the Indios Bravos. In Jan 1891, Rizal was again unanimously author of a touching & conscientious biography of Rizal; Herr Manfred
chosen Responsable (chief) of the Spanish-Filipino Association. (18) He was Wittich, writer of Leipzig; Dr. Betances, Cuban political leader; Dr. Boettger, a
also the founder & moving spirit in the founding ofla Liga Filipina on Manila noted German naturalist & author of works on the fauna of the Philippines;
in 3 Jul 1892. Dr. A. B. Meyer, director of the Museum of Ethnography at Dresden &
eminent Filipinologist; M. Odekerchen of Leige, director of l’Express, a
History tells us tat the revolutionary society known as Katipunan likewise
newspaper where Rizal wrote articles; Dr. Ed Seler, translator in German of
acknowledged Rizal’s leadership & greatness by making him its honorary
Rizal’s My Last Farewell; Mr. H. W. Bray, a distinguished English writer; Mr.
President & by using his family name Rizal as the password for the 3rd-degree
John Foreman, author of works on the Philippines & Rizal; Herr C. m. Heller, a
members. (19)
German naturalist; Dr. H. Stolpe, a Swedish savant who spoke & published on
A year after Rizal’s execution, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo & the other the Philippines & Rizal; Mr. Armand Lelinsky, Austrian engineer & writer; Dr.
revolutionary chiefs exiled to Hong Kong held a commemorative program J. M. Podhovsky, a notable Czech write, author of various works on the
there on 29 Dec 1897 on the occasion of the 1 stanniversary of the hero’s Philippines & Dr. Rizal. (25)
execution & martyrdom. (20)
Among the scientific necrological services held especially to honor Rizal, the
Of utmost significance in the public’s appreciation for Rizal’s patriotic labors one sponsored by the Anthropological Society of Berlin in 20 Nov 1897 at the
in behalf of his people were the tributes paid by the revolutionary initiative of Dr. Rudolph Virchow, its president, was the most important &
government to his memory. In his opening address at the congress significant. Dr. Ed Seler recited the German translation of Rizal’s "My Last
Farewell" on that occasion. (26)
The newspapers, magazines, & other periodicals throughout the civilized what the commission did was merely to confirm a sort of fait accompli, &
world – in Germany, Austria, France, Holland, London, the US, Japan, Hong that was that Jose Rizal had already been acclaimed by his countrymen & the
Kong & Macao, Singapore, Switzerland, & in Latin American countries— scientific world as the foremost hero & martyr of the land of his birth. Nay,
published accounts of Rizal’s martyrdom in order to render homage to his we can go even farther & concur w/ Prof. Blumentritt, who said in 1897:
greatness. (27)
Not only is Rizal THE MOST PROMINENT MAN OF HIS OWN PEOPLE but THE
Did the Americans, especially Gov. W. H. Taft, really choose Rizal out of GREATEST MAN THE MALAYAN RACE HAS PRODUCED. His memor ywill never
several Filipino patriots as the No. 1 hero of his people? Nothing could be perish in his fatherland, & future generations of Spaniards will yet toutter his
farther from the truth. In the preceding pages, we have shown beyond the name w/ respect & reverence. (31) (capitalization supplied)
shadow of a doubt that the Great Malayan, by his own efforts & sacrifices for
his oppressed countrymen, had projected himself as the foremost leader of Perhaps the following quotation from the late William Cameron Forbes, an
the Philippines until the moment of his immolation, & this fact was ardent admirer of Rizal & the governor-general of the Philippines during the
spontaneously acknowledged not only by his own people but also the elite of construction of the Rizal Mausoleum on the Luneta, is appropriate at this
other lands who intimately knew his patriotic labors. We have likewise shown point. He said:
that immediately after his execution, his own people had justly acclaimed
him as their foremost hero & martyr. The intellectual & scientific world, as It is eminently proper that Rizal should have become the acknowledged
we have also demonstrated, was not slow in according him signal honors as a national hero of the Philippine people. The American administration has lent
hero of humanity & as an apostle of freedom. every assistance to this recognition, setting aside the anniversary of his death
to be a day of his observance, placing his picture on the postage stamp most
Mr. Taft, as chairman of the 2nd Philippine Commission, arrived in the commonly used in the Islands, & on the currency, cooperating w/ the Filipinos
Philippines in June 1900. This commission began its legislative functions on in making the site of his school in Dapitan a national park, & encouraging the
1st September of the same year. On June 11 of the ensuing year the erection by public subscription of a monument in his honor on the Luneta in
Philippine commission approved Act no. 137, w/c organized the "politico- Manila near the place where he met his death. One of the longest & most
military district of Morong" into the "Province of Rizal". This was the important street in Manila has been named in his memory—Rizal Avenue.
1st official step taken by the Taft commission to honor our greatest hero & The Filipinos in many cities & towns have erected monuments to his name, &
martyr. It should be borne in mind that 6 days before the passage of Act no. throughout the Islands the public schools teach the young Filipinos to revere
137, the Taft commission held a meeting at the town of Pasig for the purpose his memory as the greatest of Filipino patriots. (32)
of organizing the province. In that meeting attended by the leading citizens of
both Manila & Morong, a plan was presented to combine the 2 districts into Now and then we come across some Filipinos who venture the opinion that
one, but this proposal met w/ determined & vigorous objections from the Andres Bonifacio, & not Jose Rizal, deserves to be acknowledged & canonized
leaders of Morong. as our first national hero. They maintain that Rizal never held a gun, a rifle, or
a sword in fighting for the liberty & independence of our country in the
"At this point", reads the ‘Minutes of Proceedings’ of the Taft commission, battlefield. They further assert that while the foremost national heroes of
"Dr. Tavera, of the Federal Party, who accompanied the commission, asked other countries are soldier-generals, like George Washington of US,
that he might make a suggestion w/ reference to the proposed union of Napoleon I & Joan of Arc of France, simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Jose de San
Manila & Morong provinces. It was his opinion that in case of union neither Martin of Argentina, Bernardo O’Higgins of Chile, Jimmu Tenno of Japan, etc.,
the name of Morong nor Manila ought to be retained. He then stated the our greatest hero was a pacifist & a civilian whose weapon was his quill.
custom w/c prevailed in th US & other countries of naming important However, our people in exercising their good sense, independent judgment,
localities/districts in memory of some illustrious citizen of the country. In line & unusual discernment, have not followed the examples of other nations in
w/ this he suggested that the united provinces be named ‘Rizal’ in memory & selecting & acknowledging a military leader for their greatest hero. Rafael
honor of the most illustrious Filipino & the most illustrious Tagalog the Palma has very well stated the case of Rizal versus Bonifacio in these words:
islands had ever known. The president (Taft—O.) stated that the commission,
not less than the Filipinos, felt proud to do honor to the name of Rizal, & if, It should be a source of pride & satisfaction to the Filipinos to have among
after consideration, it decided to unite the 2 provinces, it would have the their national heroes one of such excellent qualities & merits w/c may be
pleasure, if such action met the desires of the people, in giving the new equaled but not surpassed by any other man. Whereas generally the heroes
province the name of Rizal". (28) of occidental nations are warriors & generals who serve their cause w/ the
sword, distilling blood & tears, the hero of the Filipinos served his cause w/
It is obvious then that the idea of naming the district of Morong after Rizal the pen, demonstrating that the pen is as mighty as the sword to redeem a
came from Dr. Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino, & not from Judge Taft, an people from their political slavery. It is true that in our case the sword of
American. It is interesting to know that 2 countrymen of Mr. Taft—Justice Bonifacio was after all needed to shake off the yoke of a foreign power; but
George A. Malcolm & Dr. Frank C. Laubach—who both resided in the the revolution prepared by Bonifacio was only the effect, the consequence of
Philippines for many years & who were very familiar w/ the history & lives of the spiritual redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal. Hence not only in the
great Filipinos—do not subscribe to the view that Jose Rizal is an American- chronological order but also in the point of importancethe previous works of
made hero. Justice Malcolm has this to say: Rizal seems to us superior to that of Bonicacio, because although that of
Bonifacio was of immediate results, that of Rizal will have more durable &
In those early days (of the American occupation—O.), it was bruited about permanent effects.(33)
that the Americans had ‘made’ Rizal a hero to serve their purposes. That was
indeed a sinister interpretation of voluntary American action designed to pay And let us note further what other great men said about the pen being
tribute to a great man. (29) mightier & more powerful than the sword. Napoleon I himself, who was a
great conqueror & ruler, said: "There are only two powers in the world; the
Dr. Laubach’s view about the question is as follows: sword & the pen; and in the end the former is always conquered by the
latter". (34) The following statement of Sir Thomas Browne is more
The tradition that every American hears when he reaches the Philippine applicable to the role played by Rizal in our libertarian struggle: "Scholars are
Islands is that W. H. Taft, feeling that the Filipinos needed a hero, made one men of peace; they bear no arms; but their tongues are sharper than the
out of Rizal. We trust this book (Rizal: Man & Martyr—O.) will serve to show sword; their pens carry further & give a louder report than thunder. I had
how empty that statement is. it speaks well for Taft that he was sufficiently rather stand in the shock of a basilisk than in the fury of a merciless
free from racial prejudice to appreciate in some measure the stature of a pen". (35) And finally, let us quote from Bulwer: "take away the sword; states
great Filipino. It was a Spaniard who did more than any other to save Rizal can be saved w/o it; bring the pen!
for posterity—Retaña whose work (Vida Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal, Madrid,
1907), is by far the most complete & scholarly than we have(in1936—O.). like For those who may still doubt & question the fact that Rizal is greater, far
Rizal, he lost all his money in the cause of the Filipinos, & died a poor greater than Bonifacio, or any other Filipino hero, the following observation
man. (30) by Retaña will be sufficient:
Granting for the sake of argument that the Taft commission chose Rizal out Todos los paises tienen su idolo mas ninguno tiene un mayor idolo; que
of several great Filipinos as the No. 1 hero of his people, still we can say that Filipinas. Antes desaparecera de los Estados Unidos---!y ya decir!---la
memoria de Washington, que de Filipinas la memoria de RIZAL. No fue rizal, Pacto de sangre- traditionally rendered in English as the Blood
como medico, un Mariani, ni como dibujante un Gustavo Dore, ni como compact- was one of the “principal points emphasized” in the
antropologo un Virchow, ni como poeta un Goethe, ni como filipinista un historical writings of Illustrados, the well-educated early Filipino
Blumentritt, ni como historiador un Macaulay, ni como pensador un Hervas,
Nationalist. Points out, was based on the “custom among the
ni como malayologo un Kern, ni como filiosofo un Descartes, ni como
novelista un Zola, ni como literato un Menendez y Pelayon in como escultor ANCIENT Filipinos of sealing a TREATY of alliance and friendship by
un Querol, ni como geografo un Reclus, ni como tirador un Pini…Distinguiose mixing the blood taken from an incision in the arms of the two
en muchas disciplinas; pero en ninguna de ellas alcanzo ese grado supremo leaders entering into alliance” in alcoholioc drink that both leaders
que asegura la inmortalidad. Fue patriota; fue martir del amor a su pais. Pero drank. Blood oath of Sikatuna and Legazpi token friendship and
en caso de Rizal hay otros Filipinos; y ?en que consiste que rizal esta a miles allegiance” between a conquistador and a chief who was
de cudos sobre todos ellos? Sencillamente, en la finura exquisita de su “undoubtedly merely a local datu”.
espiritu, en la nobleza quijotesca de su corazon, en su psicologia toda,
romantica, soñadora, buena, adorable, psicologia que sintelizo todos los Pacto de sangre was used to signify the right of Filipinos
sentimientos y aspiraciones de un pueblo que sufria viendose victima de un to withdraw from the pact their ancestor had entered into”
regimen oprobioso…El espiritu de la Revolucion tagala se juzga por este solo
hecho; Fue, como es sabido, el brazo armado de aquel movimiento Andres MORGA’S VIEWS OF THE PRECONQUEST PAST
Bonifacio; he ahi el hombre que dio el primer grito contra tirania el que MORGA’S VIEWS OF THE PRECONQUEST PAST
acaudillo las primeras huestes el que murio en la brecha…Y a ese hombre o Schumacher empahasizes the understanding of
apenas se le recuerda; no se la eregido ningun monumento; los vates Spain’s failure to abide by the agreement”between King Sikatuna
populares no le han cantado…Mientras que a RIZAL, enemigo de le
and Legazpi” justified the position that “ Filipinos are no longer
Revolucion, que califico de salvaje y deshonrosa, le glorifica el pueblo
deificarle…?No se ve en esto un pueblo eminentamente espiritual, que tuvo bound by the pacto de sangre,and not subject to Spanish
en RIZAL un resumen viviente? Todo Filipino lleva dentro de si algo del soveriengnity.” Andres Bonifacio would do in 1896 to start the
demagogo Bonifacio. Revolution through Katipunan.
La inmortalidad de RIZAL esta asegurada de cien maneras. Pero como mas Pacto de Sangre in the Philippine History:
asegurada esta es poque los millones de Filipinos de hoy, de mañana y de
siempre beben y beberan espiritu de RIZAL; no se nutren de otra cosa. (37) Gregorio Zaide- at Limasawa(Legazpi) was well received by Bankaw,
king of the island, at bohol , he made a blood compact with two
In the preceding pages we have tried to show that Rizal was not only a great Filipino kings of the island- Sikatuna and Sigala”
hero, but the greatest among the Filipinos. As a matter of fact, the Austrian
savant Prof. Blumentritt judged him as "the most prominent man of his own -the writers of Tadhana mentioned the SANDUGO( literally unified
people" and "the greatest man the Malayan race has produced". We have blood ceremony of Legazpi with Sikatuna and Sigala, as well as that
also shown during his lifetime, Rizal was already acclaimed by both Filipinos
of KOLUMBU and Magellan, .
& foreigners as the foremost leader of his people & that this admiration for
him has increased w/ the passing of time since his dramatic death on the To the Filipino, the blood compact was an agreement between
Luneta that fateful morning of 30 December 1896. Likewise, we attempted to
EQUALS a pledge of ETERNAL fraternity and ALLIANCE.
disprove the claim made by some quarters that Rizal is an American-made
hero, & we also tried to explain why Rizal is greater than any other Filipino According to Ocampo- blood compact or Sandugo between Sikatuna
hero, including Andres Bonifacio.
and Legazpi
Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines? The answer is: no single person or 1. Stressed, can be seen not only as
groups of persons were responsible for making the Greatest Malayan the No. 1 Hero of the first bond of friendship between the Philippines and Spain, but
his people. Rizal himself, his own people, & the foreigners all together contributed to
make him the greatest hero & martyr of his people. No amount of adulation & also the first international TREATY between the Philippines and a
canonization by both Filipinos & foreigners could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did foreign country.
not possess in himself what Palma calls "excellent qualities & merits" or what Retaña 2. Contends, merging the historic
calls "la finura exquisite de su espiritu,…la nobleza quijotesca de su corazon,… su
psicologia toda, romantica, soñadora, buena, adorable, psicologia que sintetizo todos los event with the book of the same title, pacto de sangre is symbolic of
entimientos y aspiraciones de un pueblo que sufria, viendose victima de su regimen the cultural transfusion ,is largely one-side.
oprobioso…
ANCIENT BLOOD OATHS:
Please take note of this keywords class: Historiography, Blood Oath, -Legazpi forces landed Bohol in mid-March 1565, they were in
Blood brotherhood, Nationalism. dire need of provisions and their flagship needed major repairs.
-MORO- a cooperative captive, to seek out Sikatuna, who could -cosmological parallelism
found” near a river two leagues away” from where they had
anchored. -Pagkamangha ng mga Indio sa kapangyarihan ng Prayle
-Legazpi sent soldier named Santiago, together with the Moro, to -Pagkahina ng kapangyarihan ng mga babaylan.
meet Sikatuna, who then gave them a warm reception: He gave him
food and told him to make a blood compact and sealed their -Because of the pacto de sangre, which resulted in banishment from
friendship .Both drank the blood mixed with wine. paradise.the dark ages came upon the Philippines. the manifesto
concluded that the light of truth must prevail., the tagalog must
MORGA’S VIEWS OF THE PRECONQUEST PAST realize the source of their misfortune and unite, and realize that
Morga’s Succesos de las Islas Filipinas a work that appeared in late reason dictates justness of separating from Spain..
1889. The complex world of alliance building a blood brotherhood,
status competition, and social fluidities evidently had become CONCLUSION:
murky to them and it had difficult to appreciate Sikatuna’s attempt The late 19th century views on the Pacto de Sangre of Sikatuna and
to maneuver through a time that was unlike all they had known Legazpi all averred that the Spaniards came to the Philippines to
previously, a world that was turned upside down by European offer friendship only for them to betray it. The event in Bohol in
empire builders. 1565 was presented in a manner that explicitly advanced a political
agenda- from Del Pilar assimilation to Bonifacio’s revolution- in the
Sikatuna –Filipinos Legazpi- Espanya process constructing the plot of nationalist history that would seek
Malinis ang hangarin ng dalawang bansa, ang sanduguan ay dapat final realization in the revolution.
magbunga ng assimilasyon.
SHUMACHER- ayon sa mga illustrado ito ay isang kontrata sa pagitan Lesson IV: Pacto De Sangre
ng dalawang magkapantay na Bansa.
The moment of recovery begins with the rise of Nationalist The two principal narratives strands were
Consciousness, which eventually leads to the birth of the nation.
Rizal did his part envisioning the pre-Hispanic past in his annotation Marcelo del Pilar and Andres Bonifacio
of Morga AND HIS ESSAY” ON THE Indolence of the different owing to divergent political
Filipinos”.Bonifacio, built on the illustrados’ Golden Age and finally
provided an explanation for the fall. projects.
“ Ang dapat mabatid ng mga tagalog” (What the Tagalog should -This article revisits the making of a
Know) it signified “ the condition of wholeness of the Pre-Spanish founding myth of Filipino Nationhood in
past.
light of scholarship on ancient blood oaths
-Kaginhawaan bago ang pananakop
and the historical account of the encounter
-ang pagbagsak dahil sa sanduguan.
of Sikatuna and Legazpi.
The coming of Spaniards, according to manifesto, was purportedly
to offer friendship, but their actions were full of deceit: