I.

Summary of Chapter 20 (The Meeting in the Town Hall)

Before the meeting at city hall begins, the two factions of influential authorities separate
into groups. The older men represent the town’s conservatives while the younger men represent
San Diego’s liberal component these two sides are notorious for never seeing eye to eye.  Don Filipo,
the deputy mayor, complains to his friends about the mayor, who’s older and more conservative.
The meeting they’re about to have been in regards to San Diego’s large fiesta, which traditionally
celebrates the religious holidays of November with expensive fireworks and musicians and other
extravagancies. The liberals resent these lavish customs, which are encouraged by the church and
drain economic resources from the rest of the town. Don Filipo tells his comrades that  Tasio advised
him to propose the conservatives’ idea that the town should spend large amounts of money on the
fiesta because he’s confident the old men will disagree with whatever he says.

The mayor begins the meeting. As he pauses to cough, Captain Basilio one of the
conservatives and an old rival of Don Rafael’s rises and delivers a long-winded introduction that
opens the floor to discussions regarding the fiesta. Don Filipo then takes the floor and says that the
town’s youth wish to spend the majority of San Diego’s budget on theater performances, fireworks,
and other ridiculous celebratory luxuries. As planned, the old men reject this idea, and the entire
room erupts in argument until a quiet young liberal of a low station requests permission to speak.
Hoping to undermine Don Filipo’s authority, the old men give the man the floor, which he uses to
propose the liberal party’s actual idea, a much more reasonable festival. Still trying to insult Don
Filipo’s honor, the conservatives accept the young man’s suggestion.

Although Don Filipo successfully tricked the conservative old men into approving a

reasonable budget for the fiesta, the mayor speaks up and says that the proposal won’t go through
because the priest wants something else. “Is the priest paying for the festival, or are we? Has he
donated even a quarter?” shouts Tasio. Ignoring this, the mayor informs his listeners that the priest
has ordered a number of expensive religious services and performances and that the issue is not up
for debate. The mayor says that he was going to tell them this at the beginning, but  Captain Basilio’s
long interruption rendered this impossible. The young men say that they won’t pay for such a fiesta,
but the mayor reminds them that their contributions have already been collected.

At the end of the meeting, Ibarra approaches the schoolmaster and asks him if he has
anything he wants to send to the provincial capital, since Ibarra is going there. “You have some
business there?” asks the schoolmaster. “We have some business there!” Ibarra says without
explanation. Meanwhile, Tasio and Don Filipo make their way home together. On their way, Tasio
bemoans the fact that the mayor Don Filipo’s boss is a slave to the priest.

II. Give the historical implication of the chapter as applied to the present situation

III. Recommend a cultural approach


A. Provide Recommendation to a possible problem observed in the particular chapter

B. Possible solution


 Don Filippo

The deputy mayor of San Diego. Don Filippo is described as “almost

liberal” and represents the informal party of the younger, more open-
minded generation.
 PILOSOPO TASYO

Don Anastacio, commonly known as Filósofo Tacio (Philosopher Tasyo)

is one of the most important characters in Noli. He is referred to as a
philosopher/sage (hence, Pilosopo Tasyo) because his ideas were
accurate with the minds of the townspeople.
JUAN CRISOSTOMO IBARRA
https://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2011/04/noli-me-tangere-summary-and-analysis-
of_8575.html?m=1