lsabelo de los

Reyes and the

Philippine
Contemporaries
of La
Solidaridad
La Solidaridad

Recognized as the central text of the Propaganda movement

advocating for political projects and supporting the works of filipinos
derived from the comite de propaganda
financially supported by del pilar’s work in the peninsula
less attention has been paid to la solidaridad’s contemporaris
these newspapers are often published in both castilian and tagalog
articles argues that some newspaper were more politically contentious than
generally recognized and should be considered as part of a wider propaganda
project
the article focuses in which de los reyes played an important role, examining the
history of the periodical press and his participation in the propaganda
movement
Introduction to Isabelo De Los Reyes
Born in 1864 in Vigan, Isabelo de los Reyes
was a prominent figure in Philippine
literature. His diverse contributions span
journalism, folklore, and legal advocacy,
making him a key figure in shaping Filipino
intellectual discourse.

Moved to Manila in 1880

Studied at San Juan de Letran
Primarily focused on journalism
Worked as a journalist, writer, editor,
printer, publisher, and merchant
Isabelo De Los Reyes
Exploring Ilocano Folklore

Malabon Folklore Zambales Folklore Ilocos Folklore

De Los Reyes's De Los Reyes's De Los Reyes's
articles on Malabon research on exploration of Ilocos
folklore shed light Zambales folklore folklore showcased
on the rich cultural revealed fascinating the rich storytelling
heritage of the tales and beliefs of traditions of the
region. He explored the indigenous Ilocano people. His
traditional stories, people. His articles articles documented
myths, and legends highlighted the the myths, legends,
that have been unique customs, and folk beliefs that
passed down rituals, and have shaped the
through supernatural beings cultural identity of
generations. that are part of the the region.
region's folklore.
Books and Recognition
Books
By 1888, De Los Reyes had
authored three books
originating from his
newspaper writings.
"Filipinas: Articulos Varios
de Isabelo de los Reyes y
Florentino sobre Etnografia
Las Islas Visayas en la
Epoca de la Conquista
Ilocanadas
Folklore Recognition Inspired by his studies
His folklore writings had and works:
garnered recognition at
the Madrid Exposition. Pio Mondragon
Mariono Ponce
Newspaper Contributions Pedro Serrano Laktaw
De Los Reyes contributed
to various Castilian- They explore folklore from
language newspapers in Tayabas, Bulacan,
Manila and Iloilo. Pampanga
Pseudonyms
He used pseudonyms such
as 'Platanos' in Diario de
Manila and 'Deloserre' in
El Comercio
Expansion into Bilingual Newspaper

Revista Popular de Filipinas La Lectura Popular

De Los Reyes contributed De Los Reyes initiated two
to Revista Popular de other bilingual newspapers
Filipinas, a bilingual in 1890 and merged two
newspaper that emerged newspapers to form La
between 1888 and 1890. Lectura Popular in 1890-
1891.
Revista Catolica de Filipinas
De Los Reyes both wrote
for and edited Revista
Catolica de Filipinas,
another bilingual
newspaper.
Establishing El Ilocano

While El Ilocano is sometimes regarded

In 1889, De Los Reyes initiated another as the first Filipino newspaper in a
bilingual newspaper, El Ilocano, local vernacular, it was not the initial
published in both Castilian and Ilocano. bilingual newspaper nor entirely in a
vernacular language.
Contributions to La Ilustracion Filipina
Toning
De Los Reyes used the
pseudonym 'Toning' for
some of his articles in La
Ilustracion Filipina. These
articles covered a wide
range of topics, including
politics, culture, and social
issues.
Angel Benito Jose Simon
Another pseudonym used
De Los Reyes also wrote
by De Los Reyes was 'Angel
under the pseudonym 'Jose
Benito'. Under this name,
Simon'. Articles signed with
he wrote articles that
this name often discussed
focused on literary
historical events,
criticism, poetry, and the
biographies, and current
arts.
affairs.
El Municipio Filipino
In 1894, Isabelo de los
Reyes established El
Municipio Filipino, a
newspaper focused on
making legal codes more
understandable and
accessible to the public. It
was published in both
Castilian and bilingual
Castilian-Tagalog editions.
The newspaper aimed to The newspaper's goal was
"popularize knowledge of to simplify legal
our laws, to explain them, information and make it
to discuss them, and understandable to a wide
make them accessible to range of readers, reflecting
every mind, even the most de los Reyes' dedication to
ordinary." educating and enlightening
the public on legal issues.
Isabelo De Los Reyes’s Works

Castilian Language Bilingual Newspapers

Eco de Panay La Revista Popular
La Espania Oriental La Revista Catolica de Filipinas
La Oceania Espanola
La Ilustracion Filipina Secular Knowledge
El Municipio Filipino
La Espania Oriental
La Lectura Popular
El Ilocano
El Municipio Filipino
Poblete ran La Revista Popular worked with De
Los Reyes aslo on Revista Catolica De Filipinas
He is credited as the Tagalog translator of much of
the content of La Lectura Popular.
He is the first translator of José Rizal's novel Noli
Me Tangere into the Tagalog language.
He would, with de Los Reyes, cofound the
Aglipayan Iglesia Flipina Independiente
He also worked of De Los Reyes’ El Resumen, which
Retana describes tantalizingly as “first genuinely
popular periodical, of a nationalist tendency”.

Pascual Poblete
Hicaro
 La Solidaridad and Folk-lore Filipino were published in La Lectura Popular
under the pseudonym of “Calipulaco”, one of the many pseudonyms that
mariano ponce used in La solidaridad.
Antonio Luna wrote at least one serialized article in La Ilustracion Filipina
La Solidaridad has long been recognized as the heart of the
“Propaganda Movement”.
The project of propaganda aimed in large part at potential allies in the
peninsula. a broader project of propaganda was walso being undertaken
by some writing from the philippines and for a filipino audience.

Manila newspapers that de los reyes produced during the same period:
La Ilustracion Filipina
Ilocano-Castilian bilingual El Ilocano
Tagalog-Castilian bilinguals La Espana Oriental and La Lectura Popular
La Ilustracion Filipina
Overlooked first by Retana and then by subsequent scholars.
he mistakenly names “Angelo Benito” as a significant contributor, rather
than identifying this as one of De Los Reyes’s pseudonyms’
many of these pseudonyms appear during the period when his writing
heavily dominated La Ilustracion Filipina
Neither the extent of de los Reyes's contributions nor the interest that the
periodical press of Manila holds, has been fully acknowledged in
secondary literature about Philippine newspapers of this period.
Why Delos Reyes was behind much of the content of this
newspaper?
His articles are usually anonymous or attributed only to initials or one of
his pseudonyms which are:“Toning”,” Angel Benityo”,” Jose Simon”,”
Kasalo”’” Platanos”, and “Deloserre”
Why Delos Reyes was behind much of the content of this
newspaper?
De Los Reyes use these pseudonyms to hide from the authorities
his pseudonyms misled as seasoned a Manila newspaperman as
Retana on at least one occasion
another reason is that the pseudonyms were not only about hiding
from authorities because they were articles that had already
published.
Retana failed to recogmze all of de loss Reyes's
pseudonyms
He wrote that de los reyes could never be a
journalist, he lacks judgement, he lacks mental
power, understanding of many things escape him,
and he does not know how to write in castilian
Retana attacked de los Reyes in the pages of
Manila newspapers.
Retana is bias against de los reyes
Retana's bibliographical works remain the most
comprehensive and detailed accounting available

Wenceslao E. Retana
Issues of the newspapers to which de los Reyes might have
contributed:
not available for consultation
available in only a few libraries and archives
never been microfilmed
difficulty in circulation
preservation made more tenuous
none are translated and reprinted
More interesting reason why propaganda has been overlooked
La Solidaridad itself, as part of its propaganda against the influence of
the friars in the Philippines and the lack of liberties there, emphasized
the restrictions of the press in the Philippines; to acknowledge any
propaganda work in the press of Manila would have been to soften
their complaints against the injustices of the then-current colonial rule.
For the writers of La Solidaridad, it was important to link Retana's
attacks on de los Reyes to the problem of censorship in the Philippines
De los Reyes, and other writers of La Solidaridad, proclaimed loudly how
oppressive censorshp in the Philippines was. this proclamation was itself a
part of the propaganda, not in the sense that it was untrue, but in the sense
that it was politically important to publicize and emphasize.
The newspaper warned that these ills ferment the desperation of the
Filipino people, and a desperate people without a platform from which to
speak, without a press that reflects its complaints, can not offer a pleasing
future to Spanish interests.
the contributions that de los Reyes made to an emerging Philippine and
Fllipino nationalism, contributions made largely in the pages of Manila
newspapers, have been underestimated inadvertently in part because of his
physical location in the Philippines, rather than in Spain, during these years.
 Content of de 10s
Reyes's Newspapers
De 10s Reyes wrote several articles for La Solidandad,
a newspaper for the Philippines, starting in 1889.
His first article appeared in La Solidaridad, a periodical
in Mada.
In June 1889, he published "Diputados a Cortes por
Fibpinas" in La Eqada Oriental, a response to a
newspaper article proposing a new representational
chamber in Spain.
In 1890, de 10s Reyes contributed articles to La
Solidaridad under the pen name "Kasalo," arguing that
Spanish law did not enforce the same criminal legal
codes for clergy members in the Philippines. Isabelo De los Reyes
 These political concerns were echoed in some of his newspapers in Manila during the
same time. Most of the political articles in these newspapers have no author listed or
give only a pseudonym, making it difficult to determine how many are likely his work.
Some of these articles echo de 10s Reyes's writings for La Solidaridad and the
newspaper's agenda, taking up some of the same issues and can be considered in the
same frame.

La Lectura Popuhr published articles on "The New Code" and "Popular Schools,"
discussing the legal status of "Spaniard" and the importance of secular and
vocational education for those below the elite stratum of Philippine society.
The author argued that strength, power, patriotism, civilization, customs, and virtue
are all born of and related to knowledge, and that public instruction affects the
vitality of the State.
The article advocates for secular education for youth, focusing on agriculture and
related industries. It includes subjects like geography, math, geometry, and Castilian
grammar.

The author aims to make men fit for material labor, as it produces wealth and
happiness.

He believes that promoting secular education will help preserve the native land and
promote a modern, secular world for those in the Philippines who cannot access it
through Castilian.

The article is aimed at a local audience, promoting love for the native land and
Spanish rights.
La Solidaridad de 10s Reyes promoted a secular administration for the Philippines
and aimed to educate the public about political rights

He faced censorship for controversial articles and publishing bilingual papers in local
languages. However, most of the Tagalog-only content was devoid of politics.

In 1891, de 10s Reyes published the first piece by Jose Rizal in La Solidarida, "Me Piden
Versos," which was published in both Castilian and Tagalog.

The newspaper also featured a notice from Madrid announcing the elections for the
Asociacion Hispano-Filipina of Madrid.
The paper, La Lectura Poptkar, was a political propaganda of La Solidatidad, promoting
secular admiration of peninsular law in the Philippines. It also instructed readers on
hygiene, education, agriculture, and practical knowledge.

De 10s Reyes's work in the Philippines sometimes accommodated itself to a Catholic social
world, working on religious-themed newspapers like Revista Popular and Revista Catdlica.
L11 Ilustran'dn Filipina was written in Castilian and aimed at a more educated audience,
reporting on political and technological developments, ethnographic and historical
articles, and celebrating the achievements of the Luna brothers.
Thank
you!!
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