Summary and Study Guide

Overview
El Filibusterismo was written by the unofficial national hero of the
Philippines, José Rizal, and first published in 1891 in Ghent, Belgium. It is
Rizal’s second novel and the sequel to his first novel, Noli Me Tángere. The
novel’s alternate title is The Reign of Greed. Rizal wrote both novels in
Spanish because at the time of writing, the Philippine islands were Spanish
colonies. His two novels were a part of the Filipino Propaganda Movement,
which sought greater autonomy from Spain, if not independence. El
Filibusterismo addresses topics of great importance to the movement,
namely clerical abuses, racism against the Philippine people, and the need
for political reform. The novels resulted in Rizal’s exile to Hong Kong, and
later, his execution by firing squad in 1896 at the age of 35. His two novels
are required reading for all Philippine high school students, having been
translated to English, Filipino, and other Philippine languages.