UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Rizal Lesson 4
 The objective of the
Propaganda Movement
• (a) recognition of the Philippines as a province of
Spain; (b) equal status for both Filipinos and
Spaniards; (c) Philippine representation in the Spanish
Cortes; (d) secularization of Philippine parishes; and
(e) recognition of human rights
• Two faction of Ilustrados;
1. Intelligentsia - They were considered more organized
and directed in their plans for peaceful and this
initiative was called the propaganda movement.
2. Resorted to violence means

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 The Propaganda Movement, Katipunan, Exile
and Execution

• The propagandists could be divided into three groups: The

first included Filipinos who had been exiled to the Marianas
Islands in 1872 after being implicated in the Cavite Mutiny.
After two many years in the Marianas, they proceeded to
Madrid and Barcelona because they could no longer return
to the Philippines. The second group consisted of
illustrados in the Philippines who had been sent to Europe
for their education. The third group was composed of
Filipinos who had fled their country to avoid punishment
for a crime, or simply because they could not stand Spanish
atrocities any longer. Still, not all Filipinos living in Spain
were members of the Propaganda Movement.

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 The La Solidaridad
Newspaper in Barcelona
• The names of the identified members of the Propaganda Movement are as follows:
• José Alejandrino
• Anastacio Carpio
• Graciano López Jaena, publisher of La Solidaridad
• Marcelo H. del Pilar - the editor and co-publisher of the La Solidaridad and wrote under the name
"Plaridel"
• Eduardo de Lete
• Antonio Novicio Luna - wrote for La Solidaridad under the name "Taga-Ilog"
• Juan Novicio Luna - painter and sculptor
• Miguel Moran
• Jose Maria Panganiban - wrote for La Solidaridad under the name "Jomapa"
• Pedro Ignacio Paterno - served as prime minister of the first Philippine Republic
• Mariano Ponce - wrote for La Solidaridad under the name "Tikbalang"
• Antonio Maria Regidor
• Isabelo Jr. L. delos Reyes
• Dr. Jose Rizal - author of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, wrote for La Solidaridad under
the name "Laon Laan"

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 The Katipunan, Exile, and Execution

• After five years of Rizal’s academic conquest in Europe, he

went back to the Philippines in 1887. His intention was to
check on the growing illness of Doña Teodora, see Leonor
Valenzuela (girlfriend), and to find out the impact of his
Noli Me Tangere. These objectives were all failed in as
much the mother’s cataract was not yet mature for
operation, Leonor was no where to be found and the Noli
indeed has brough an impact but was banned to get
publish in the country. So effective the Noli was as it led to
the collection of information and grievances of the
Calamba tenants regarding rents, church tributes, and
taxes. It was due to the order of Governador General
Emilio Terrero (served: 1885-1888).
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• Consequently, into the mind of Rizal, it was not
only his life was jeopardized but his family as well.
Hence, with the advice of the governor general
and a vision that he could freely write and work
for the propaganda abroad, he left the Philippines
for the second time on February 3, 1888.

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 His second journey to Europe
• He accomplished his Annotation of De Morga’s Successos de
las Islas Pilipinas, contributed articles in La Solidaridad, and
published the El Filibusterism
• Gloomy moments, on the other hand, were when he was
broke and undernourished in Ghent during the publication of
El Fili, he challenged Antonio Luna to a Duel and another with
Wenceslao Retana in Madrid, the death of Panganiban,
Leonor Rivera marriage, Nelly Boustead parents turn down
his marriage proposal, Leadership rivalry with Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, retirement from the Propaganda Movement, and
stopped writing for La Solidaridad newspaper. With all these
sad experiences, Rizal decided to leave Europe for Hong
Kong in 1891.

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• In Hongkong, he lived a mundane life as an
Ophthalmologist. There he had a reunion with
some of his family member who were driven out
of Calamba because of the Agrarian Trouble
which led to persecution and exile of tenants. The
trouble was enflamed by the Anti-Friar petition in
the same year.

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• Back to his native land, on July 3, 1892, at the residence
of Doroteo Ongjuco (brother-in-law of MH del Pilar), in
Tondo Manila, Rizal founded the La Liga Filipina. Many
patriots were present including Andres Bonifacio.
• Three days after the Liga was founded, Rizal was
arrested as he was accused to possess Pobles Frailes
(poor friars) leaflets. They were allegedly found in his
sister Lucia’s pillowcase. The said leaflets were a satire
against the rich Dominical friars who amassed fabulous
riches contrary to their monastic vow of poverty (ibid.).
The friars had their eyes prying on Rizal as his novels
were likewise satires to the Friars of their time. Rizal
denied the accusation but to no avail. He was then
arrested and escorted to Fort Santiago where he was
detained.

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• The SABAH project
• In 1892 Rizal conceived the establishment of a Filipino
Colony in Borneo (Sabah), a “New Calamba”. The idea
was preceded by the exile of Calamba tenants. The
British authorities were willing to grant the Filipinos
with 100,000 acres of land for 999 years, free of all
charges. But such plan was not materialized.
Aims of La Liga Filipina
• To unite the whole archipelago into one compact and
homogeneous body;
• Mutual protection in every want and necessity;
• Defense against all violence and injustice;
• Encouragement of education, agriculture, and
commerce; and
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• On the following day, June 7, 1892, the Gaceta de
Manila circulated the arrest of Rizal. This caused
turmoil among Filipinos especially to members of
La Liga. An order from Governor General Despujol
was given with wobbly evidences – deportation
of Rizal to one of the islands in the south,
Dapitan. Thus, past midnight of July 14, under
heavy guard, Rizal on board of steamer Cebu
sailed to Dapitan where he spent four years of his
life in exile.

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• On the night of Rizal’s arrest a group of Filipino
patriots secretly met at the residence of Deodatu
Arellano. The meeting was organized by Andes
Bonifacio where the former, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro
Plata, Jose Dizon, and Ladislao Diwa attended. It was
reported that that meeting was the creation of the
Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK). Rizal was not aware and
has no participation in carrying out the plans of its
founding (Purino, 2014). The Katipunan served as an
anti-Spanish society with the goal of gaining
Philippine independence (See Epifanio delos Santos,
Anders Bonifacio, Moreover, Emilio Jacinto wrote
the "Kartilyang Katipunan” where the duties and
responsibilities of members were indicated.
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• The Katipunan was a secret society that aimed to
(1) fight for the independence of the Philippines
from Spain, (2) teach Filipinos right conduct,
cleanliness, and to fight against blind obedience
to religion and to overcome weakness of
character, and (3) help one’s self and to defend
the poor and the oppressed. The organization
secretly organized and recruited members for
four years until August of 1896, the outbreak of
Philippine Revolution.

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• In Dapitan, Rizal was placed under watch of
warden Captain Carnicero from July 1892 to July
1896. He live an ordinary life until, his lottery
ticket number 9736 was luckily picked. The
number was shared by Rizal, Capt. Carnicero, and
Francisco Equilior, a resident of Dipolog. Rizal’s
share amounted to 6,200 pesos. He share the
money to his father (2,000) and to Jose Maria
Basa (200) in Hong Kong. The rest were used to
invest in buying agricultural lands along the coast
of Talisay, Dapitan where he establish his school
and clinic.

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• In practicing medicine, he has successfully
operated the eyes of his mother. He also studied
the native medicinal plants of Dapitan as an
alternative medicine for poor patients in the
locality. There were also rich and foreign patients
who came for his consultation and have paid well.
One of the foreign patients was Mr. George
Tauffer, an American engineer. He was
accompanied by Josephine Bracken, being his
adapted child, who later became Rizal’s wife in
Dapitan. They have learned that Rizal was an
ophthalmic specialist from Julio Llorente, Rizal’s
friend in Hong Kong.

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• Revolution was planned in Manila in 1896 by the
Katipuneros. In order to solicit Rizal’s favor and
ask for his permission, they sent Dr. Pio
Valenzuela to Dapitan. He brought with him a
blind man, Raymundo Mata, to camouflage his
true intention. Rizal was strongly opposed to the
said plan. As for our hero, people are not yet
ready to engage into a bloody revolution,
inasmuch as there were no sufficient funds and
arms and the knowledge of the people on military
warfare is still crude and they are unskilled.
Moreover, the Katipuneros also proposed to
rescue him from Dapitan but he declined the
offer.

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• Blumentritt suggested to Rizal to volunteer his services to the
Spanish government and join the forces as physician in Cuba.
Learning that revolution broke out and there was a raging yellow
fever epidemic and physicians to the needs of the Spanish troops
was in shortage, Blumentritt recommended to Rizal a legal
opportunity to end his exile. As a result, Rizal wrote a letter to
Gov. Gen. Ramon Blanco. However, months passed by and he
received no response until he gave up the idea. However, on July
30, 1896 he received a letter from the governor general
accepting his offer to volunteer as physician. Also written in the
letter was a notice to the politico-military commander of Dapitan
to give Rizal a pass so he could return to Manila. From Manila he
was to get transferred to a steamer bound to Spain and
eventually to Cuba. Consequently, Rizal sold his lands and other
belongings on July 31 and bade farewell to the people of Dapitan.
He was accompanied by Josephine, Narcisa, Angelica (Narcisa’s
daughter), three sons of Maria and two sons of Lucia. On board
of the steamer Espaǹa he reached Manila on August 6, 1896.

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• The outbreak of the Philippine Revolution took
place while Rizal was waiting for a steamer that will
take him to Spain. It was on August 19, 1896 that the
Katipunan plotted to depose of the Spanish
government through revolution. The conspiracy was
discovered Fr. Mariano Gil, an Agustinian Friar of
Tondo. On August 26, 1896,Andress Bonifacio and
the Katipuneros raised the “Cry of Balintawak” that
agitated the discovery of their intentions. Hence, at
dawn of August 30, Bonifacio and Jacinto led the
attack of San Juan but end up with heavy losses.
Governor Blanco then proclaimed a state of war in
the eight provinces: Bulacan; Cavite; Tatangas;
Laguna; Pampanga; Nueva Ecija; and Tarlac.

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• Rizal sailed for Barcelona, Spain on Board of the steamer Isla de
Panay on September 3, 1896. He was confident that he will cure
wounded soldiers in Cuba. On the 7th of September the steamer
reached Singapore. Among the passengers, Don Pedro Roxas
and several friends in Singapore convinced Rizal to escape. Yet,
as man of his words, Rizal refused the offer. In as much as for
him, escaping is only for criminals who are evading arrest and
possible imprisonment (De Viana et al., p. 107). The steamer set
back to its course and through the Suez Canal. Sadly, while
sailing across the Mediterranean sea, Rizal heard among the
passengers that there was an impending arrest on him. In his
diary he wrote on September 20 “there are people on board
who do nothing but slander me and invent fanciful stories about
me. I am going to become a personage” (See Zaide, p. 249).
Eventually, on the 30th day of September, Capt. Alemany
received a telegraph with orders from Spanish Authorities of
Manila. Rizal was arrested and was confined in his cabin. He was
treated as a prisoner on board.

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• Rizal is back to Manila for Trial. Immediately, he was
brought to Fort Santiago. He was not permitted to
see his family and acquaintances for a few weeks.
He was tried with the accusations against him.
Further, his brother Paciano and several Filipino
patriots were violently tortured to collect evidences
against him.
• Rizal was given the privilege to choose his defense
counsel. Among the names in the list of army
officers (first and second lieutenant) was provided
to him, a name surfaced among them. He chose Don
Luis Taviel de Andrade who happened to be the
brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade; his bodyguard
way back in Calamba during his first homecoming.

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• The court-martial of Rizal was held in a military
building called Cuartelde España on December 26,
1896. Rizal sat on a bench with two soldiers. His
arms were tied behind, elbow to elbow, like a
common felon. He was dressed in a black woollen
suit with a white vest and black tie. He was calm
and dignified in appearance (Ibid., 259). He was
accused of (1) rebellion, (2) sedition, and (3)
illegal association.

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• The Council dictated the sentence to Rizal. By
virtue of its powers, on December 26, 1896, the
sentence reads: “Dr. Jose Rizal should be
condemned to death, and in case of pardon will
bear life imprisonment and subjection to vigilance
for life, and shall pay the state an indemnity of
Php. 100,000.00 which shall be passed on to his
heirs for satisfaction in accordance with the
articles…”(Purino, 103). On the 28th of December,
the submitted decision was approved by
Governor General Polavieja. The order was to
shoot Rizal at 7:00 o’clock on December 30 at
Bagumbayan.

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 Our hero’s last words

“Fuego” was heard, gut shots roared. Rizal, with

supreme effort, turned his bullet-riddled body to
the right, and fell on the ground dead – with face
upward facing the morning sun. It was 7:03 in the
morning when he died in the bloom of manhood –
aged 35 years, five months, and 11 days (Zaide,
2008). His last words were “Consummatum Est!”
– it is done! The same words that Christ uttered in
His last breath.

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Thanks!

RDE MIDYEAR IN-HOUSE REVIEW 24