Group 3:

BUAN, ANDREA JILLIAN

CARREON, MIGUEL ANTONIO
GUEVARA, MARIAN GAYLE ANGELA
LUBANG, MA PATRICIA ANGELIKA
NARCISO, NATALIE JOY
RABAJA, KRISTINE BEATRIZ

PI 100 Report Outline

Noli Me Tangere (Chapter 32, 50, and 51)

I. OVERARCHING THEMES
A. Many of the social ills presented in these chapters continue to be persisting problems in
Philippine society today.
a. The Sermon: Church-State relations & lingering colonial mentality
b. The Voice of the Persecuted: government abuse & the contrasting perspectives on
how to deal with it
c. The Family of Elias: flawed justice system & lack of unity on its resolution

II. SUMMARY & DISCUSSION

A. Chapter 32: The Sermon
The chapter started with Padre Damaso and his sermon, which he gave in Spanish and behind closed
doors, making it even hotter inside and harder for the audience to focus on his words. The entirety of
the sermon condemned sinners and preached the importance of practicing religion, respecting the
church, and revering the priests—all subtly attacking Crisostomo Ibarra, who was secretly seated in
one corner. Those who could not understand Spanish could only guess what Damaso was trying to
say, and “concluded that he was scolding the ​Alferez for not going after the bandits”. Others were not
even paying attention anymore. When it was finally time for the second part of the sermon, which was
in Tagalog, Padre Damaso simply improvised because his knowledge of the language was very
minimal. He was unbothered by his errors because he believed that the Filipinos from the provinces
were ignorant and would not understand his message anyway. When a student suddenly said, “This is
all Greek to me,” and left in the middle of the sermon, Padre Damaso became furious and continued to
condemn the youth’s lack of respect. He also insulted sinners, “half-breeds”, “pseudo philosophers”,
and many other people, all while still underhandedly insulting Ibarra (though no one but Ibarra
understood). After the sermon ended, Elias secretly approached Ibarra to tell him to stay near the
priest during the ceremony of the blessing because his life was at stake.

Interpretation & relevance today

I. Damaso’s condemnation of sinners
A. Hypocrisy and social media
1. “Social justice warriors” are quick to call out people who make mistakes (or
people who Damaso would consider “sinners”), but fail to realize they
themselves are harming others
2. People do their own versions of sermons on social media that are
posts/articles/tweets condemning and generalizing others
B. Lack of separation of church and state
1. Some priests today still use their homilies to condemn the youth and certain
practices and phenomena such as same-sex marriage, abortion, mental health,
etc. in a way that is harmful or offensive rather than helpful

II. Damaso’s bias towards Spanish and discrimination against Filipino

A. Discrimination: social classes, ethnocentrism, and colorism
1. English is often associated with people belonging to higher social classes
while Filipino is is often associated with the “poor”
2. Filipinos (and people of color in general) are still often discriminated against
in other countries
3. Certain cultures or practices are often misunderstood and seen by Americans
as gross, unnecessary, etc.
4. Mestizos/mestizas are the conventional beauty standard while darker skinned
Filipinos (such as indigenous tribes) are discriminated
B. Colonialism
1. Filipinos tend to give foreigners special treatment over other fellow Filipinos
in their own country
2. Many people would rather support both foreigners and foreign-made products
over local goods
III. Chapter 50: The Voice of the Persecuted
a. Setting
i. Elias’ boat on the lake shore
ii. Lake
 iii. Sunset
b. Characters
i. Elias
ii. Ibarra
c. Plot
- Elias requested an appointment with Ibarra who agreed to meet on the lake
shore in Elias’s boat. Elias shared his grievances and his desire for reform
which Ibarra rebut by saying that the current government and how it is being
run are necessary evils. Elias also points out Ibarra who has been privileged
and fortunate throughout his life. Ibarra admits that because he learned the
history through books, he may have missed what was never written--those
that remain “behind in the shadow” that writers failed to write about. Ibarra
agrees to further listen to Elias’s story which may change his thoughts and his
views.
d. Themes
i. Love for the country
ii. Abuse
1. Government
2. Religion
iii. Education
iv. Revolution (Armed conflict) vs Assimilation (peaceful reform)
B. Elias
a. Chieftain of the bandits: Radical reforms in the armed forces, clergy, and in the
administration of justice
i. More respect for human dignity
ii. More guarantees for the individuals’ safety
iii. Less power and less privileges to the armed forces
b. A bad doctor seeks only to correct the symptoms without inquiring about the source
of the sickness
c. Civil Guard: repress crime through terror and force
d. The people’s peace has been broken, happiness wrenched, most cherished affections
wounded; they can only expect protection & justice from themselves
e. These Religious Orders have taken the best towns, fields, and the people buy religious
objects with their savings. We have been introduced to a foreign industry.
 f. The country obeys because they are deceived. The government does not know how to
inspire and respect.
g. No matter how imperfect, our religion now is preferable to what we previously had.
C. Ibarra
a. Armed forces, clergy, and the administrators of justice are a necessary evil. It is a
violent remedy to heal a sickness.
b. The country is an organism which suffers a chronic malaise and to heal it the
government has to resort to harsh and violent means.
c. Civil Guard: Protects the town; without them the towns are exposed to danger.
d. Almost all of those who ask for reforms are criminals or on the verge of criminalism.
e. The Filipinos owe the Religious Orders because they gave them faith and rescued
them from error.
f. The welfare of the country lies with the union of the Philippines and Spain
i. To keep the Philippines it is necessary that the friars continue as they do

D. Chapter 51: The Family of Elias

Here, Elias tells Ibarra his family’s tragic life story. He begins with his grandparents: Elias’
grandfather was falsely accused of arson and was punished severely, while his grandmother had to
resort to prostitution to support their son, as well as another that followed (Elias’ father). When the
older one grew up, filled with misery, he became a notorious bandit named Balat. He was eventually
caught and killed gruesomely. The younger brother, who was good and kind, made a new life for
himself in a town where no one knew his unfortunate past. He fell in love with a woman from a
wealthy family, and had twins with her. However, when his past was uncovered he was imprisoned.
The twins had prosperous lives in the care of their mother, knowing nothing about their father’s
history. When they found out, they thought it was slander but eventually the father stepped out and
revealed the truth. The twins, Elias and his sister, lost what they had and lived in seclusion. His father
and sister eventually died, leaving Elias all alone. His father was not a criminal, but was ostracized for
his poor status and family history. Elias uses this story to contextualize his stand on justice, where he
emphasizes the need for justice to “reward virtue and to reeducate criminals,” as well as forward a
necessary struggle for freedom. Though empathetic, Ibarra does not agree with Elias in his pursuit for
reforms given that it goes against the government and is too idealistic. He sticks to his
slow-but-steady plan of using education as a tool to forward progression and bring justice in the
manner he knows how.
Interpretation & relevance today
I. Misfortune of Elias’ Family
A. Reflective of how the presently defective justice system and brutal governance
continue to condemn and punish the innocent
1. Tokhang Victims = Balat, Grandfather
2. Activists = Elias, falsely vilified
B. Wrong accusations can lead crime to exist where it didn’t before
1. Transformation of older son to Balat the Bandit
C. Importance of reputation and family history in determining how you are treated by
society
1. Elias’ father was not a criminal, only orphaned and poor–yet imprisoned for
his past and kept away from his children
2. Elias and twin: defamation cost them everything despite their proper
upbringing

II. Ideal tools for Progress: Ibarra vs Elias

A. Reflect the lack of unity arising from the different means of vying for national
progress
1. Revolutionary Reforms vs Education
2. Immediate resistance vs gradual enlightenment
B. Rizal reflected in Ibarra’s sentiments