COLEGIO DE LA PURISIMA CONCEPCION

The School of the Archdiocese of Capiz

Roxas City

College of Arts and Sciences and Education

INSTRUCTIONAL LEARNING KIT/MODULE

In
MC
Rizal’s Life, Works and Writings

WEEK 8

Name of the Topic; Rizal’s First Homecoming (18

Intentions:
At the end of the module, the students will be able to:
1. give the reasons why Rizal was determined to return to the Philippines
2. describe the findings of the investigation about the friar estates in Calamba
3. give a summary of Rizal’s first homecoming to the Philippines

Introduction:
After knowing Rizal’s adventure in other countries in order for him to realize his dream
for his country and fellowmen, the realization of the printing the novel “Noli” and enhancement of his
skills in ophthalmology and visiting other places to observe foreign culture, government, laws and
policies that might help him to free his fellowmen from the bandage of the colonizer. Now, it time for
him to go home to for some mission. In this module, we will learn how Rizal spent his first homecoming
to his homeland.

Inputs:
Arrival in Manila

The magnificent beauties and happy memories of foreign land did not lesson Rizal’s love for his
country. After five years of being a far from his family and fatherland. Rizal returned to the Philippines
in August 1887, and practiced medicine in his hometown. He lived the quiet life of rural doctor in
Calamba.
Before he left for the Philippines, he was warned by Paciano and some of his friends to take
extra care because copies of his novel Noli Me Tangere had been circulating and being read in the
country. However, Rizal did not heed this warning for he was determined to return to the Philippines
for the following reasons:
1. to operate in his mother’s eyes;
2. to serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants;
3. to find out how his Noli had affected the Filipinos;
4. to find out why Leonor Rivera has remained silent;
5. to relieve his loneliness for his parent, brother and sisters.

His arrival in Manila was pleasant. He went ashore with happy heart seeing his Fatherland,
although he found out that it had remained the same since he left five year ago. Shortly after arrival in
Manila, he returned to Calamba where his family welcomed him affectionately, with tears of joy in their
eyes. However, their happiness was marred by worries about his safety. The family kept his arrival on
secret. Soon, he opened a medical clinic where the first patient was his mother. He treated her eyes
but could not have them operated on because her cataract were not yet ripe. Good opportunity came
along his way upon the arrival of a famous doctor from Germany who helped him in treating the
ailment of his mother and patients. This opportunity gave him the chance to specialized and gain more
knowledge in medicine.
Unlike other doctor, Rizal did not enrich himself in his profession, instead he opened a
gymnasium for young people and introduced European sports of fencing, shooting, and gymnastics.
However, he failed to see Leonor Rivera during his six-month stay in Calamba.

Rizal and Governor General Terrero

After several weeks of happy and peaceful living in Calamba, he came to know the effect of his
novel on the Spanish government. Rizal was invited to Malacanang by Governor General Emilio Terrero
who heard that the Noli contained subversive ideas. The Governor General was pleased of his
explanation and asked a copy of the book. After reading the novel, the Governor General found nothing
wrong in the book, but Rizal’s enemies were so powerful that the Archbishop of Manila , Msgr. Pedro
Payo, a Dominican Priest, sent a copy of the Noli to Father Gregorio Echevarria fo the University of Santo
Tomas for examination of a committee of faculty. The committee which was composed of Dominican
professors, reported that the Noli was “”heretical, impious, and scandalous in the religious order, and
anti-patriotic, subversive of public order, injurious to the government of Spain and its function in the
Philippine Islands in the political order.” This report was forwarded to the Governor General who was
dissatisfied of the result for he knew that the Dominicans were prejudiced against Rizal. He referred the
novel for further verification for the Permanent commission of Censorship which was composed of
priest and laymen. It came out with the same findings saying that the novel contained subversive ideas
against the church and Spain. It was recommended in the report the “the importation, reproduction
and circulation of the book in the islands be absolutely prohibited.
As a result, the enemies of Rizal rejoiced. On the other, banning of the book only made it to
become more popular that everybody wanted to read it. News about the popularity of the book has
reached the Spanish government and had caused the friars to clamor for harsh measures against people
caught reading the novel. Despite the strict prohibition and vigilance of the Guardia Civil many Filipinos
were able to get copies of the Noli and read at night behind closed doors.

Defense of Rizal’s Novel

The novel was fiercely attacked by Rizal’s enemies. In fact, it was a subject of debate in the
senate of the Spanish Cortes. On the other hand, it was defended by Marcelo H. dl Pilar, Dr. Antonio
Ma. Regidor, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce and other Filipino reformists; and some Spaniards
who where Rrizal’s professors at Ateneo; Don Seggismundo Moret, Dr. Miguel Morayyta and Professor
Blumentrit, scholar and friend of Rizal.
The best defense of the Noli came from Rev. Vicente Garcia, a Filipino Catholic scholar and
translator of many books. His defense was published in Singapore as an appendix to a pamphlet on July
18, 1888 are as follows:
1. Rizal cannot be an “ignorant man” as Fr. Rodriguez alleged, because he was a graduate of
Spanish Universities and was a recipient of scholastic honors;

2. Rizal does not attack the Church and Spain, as Father Rodriguez claimed, because what Rizal
attached in the Noli were the bad Spanish officials and not Spain, and the bad corrupt friars and not the
church.
 3. Father Rodriguez said that those who read the Noli commit a mortal sin; since he ( Rodriguez
had read the novel), Therefore he also commits a mortal sin

In spite of the raging argument over the novel, Rizal was not arrested because of the generosity
of Governor General Terrero who assigned him a bodyguard, Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade. Later Rizal and
Ll. Andrade became good friends for being young and cultured, booth had a common interest, hunting,
fencing, shooting, and painting.
Although Rizal was quite peaceful for a while, Rizal’s happy days was marred by the death of his
older sister Olimpia, and the baseless rumor circulated by his enemies that he was “ a German spy, an
agent of Bismarck, a Protestant, Mason, a Witch, a soul beyond salvation.”
Because Governor Terrero was influence by some facts in Noli Me Tangere, he ordered the
investigation of the tenant’s relation in connection with the friar estates. Among those affected as the
Dominican-owned leased to Rizal family, and after the investigation on the tenants who listed all their
grievances against the hacienda management, the central government instituted agrarian reforms. The
findings reported to the government for action were the following:
1. The hacienda of the Dominican Order comprised not only the land around Calamba, but also
the town of Calamba;

2. The profits of the Dominican Order continually increased because of arbitrary increased of
the rentals paid by the tenants;

3. The hacienda owner never contributed a single centavo for the celebration of the town fiesta,
for the education of the children , and for the improvement of agriculture;

4. Tenants who had spent much labor in clearing the lands were dispossessed of said lands for
flimsy reason;

5. High rates of interests were charged the tenants for delayed payment of rentals, and when
the tenants could not be paid, the hacienda management confiscated their carabaos, tools and homes.

Because of the report infuriated the enemies more , the friars pressured Malacanang Palace to
eliminate Rizal. They asked the Governor General to deport although the Governor General refused for
no valid reason, he advised Rizal to leave the country for safety reason. His parents, relatives and
friends including it. Taviel d Andrade advised him also to leave the country for his life was in great
danger.
Shortly before he left Calamba in 1888, a friend from Lipa requested him to write a poem. He
gladly wrote a poem entitled” Hymn to Labor” which he dedicated to the industrious people to Lipa.

Involvement/Intervention

Answer the following question:

1. Why Rizal was determined to return to the Philippines?

2. Filipino friends who refuted the allegations about the novel.
3. What were the findings of the investigation about the friar estates in Calamba?
4. Why Rizal was advised to leave the country by his parents and friends.
Worksheet (Answer right after the discussion)

Identification

_________________1. The Spanish bod guard who later became good friends.

_________________2. The Archbishop of Manila who sent the copy of the Noli Me Tangere to the
Father Rector of the University of Santo Tomas.
_________________3. The attacker of Rizal who published pamphlets to blast the Noli.
_________________4. A friend of Rizal who defended him against his enemies, particularly Fr.
Rodriguez.
_________________5. The Governor-General who was fair and just to Rizal.

Prepared by:

REGINA JOCELYN A. ALBA, Ph. D.

Teacher

Approved:

IVY G. GORRICETA, Ph. D.

Dean, CASE