SECOND HOMECOMING AND THE LIGA FILIPINA

-Rizal’s bold return to Manila in June, 1892 was his second homecoming
-Rizal firmly believed that the fight for Filipino liberties had assumed a new phase: it must be fought in the Philippines not in Spain. “The battlefield is in the Philippines,” he told countrymen in Europe, “There is where we should meet… There we will help one another, there together we will suffer or triumph perhaps.”

ARRIVAL IN MANILA WITH SISTER
· June 26, 1892- Sunday at 12:00 noon, Rizal and his widowed sister Lucia (wife of late Mariano Herbosa)
arrived in Manila
· In the afternoon, at 4:00 o’clock, he went to Malacañang Palace to seek audience with the Spanish
governor general, General Eulogio Despujol, Conde de Caspe
· June 27, 1892- at 6:00pm, Rizal boarded a train in Tutuban Station and visited his friends in Malolos
(Bulacan), San Fernando (Pampanga), Tarlac (Tarlac), and Bacolor (Pampanga)
· Rizal returned by train to Manila on the next day, June 28, at 5 o’clock in the afternoon

FOUNDLING OF THE LIGA FILIPINA
· July 3, 1892- on the evening of Sunday, following his morning interview with Governor General Despujol,
Rizal attended a meeting with patriots at the home of the Chinese-Filipino mestizo, Doroteo Ongjunco, on
Ylaya Street, Tondo, Manila
· Rizal explained the objectives of the Liga Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos, which he desired to establish
and its role in the socio-economic life of the people.
· The officers of the new league were elected, as follows: Ambrosio Salvador (President); Deodato Arellano
(Secretary); Bonifacio Arevalo (Treasurer); and Agustin de la Rosa (Fiscal)
· Unus Instar Omnium (One Like All)- the motto of the Liga Filipina
The governing body of the league was the Supreme Council which had jurisdiction over the whole country. It was composed of a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a fiscal. There was a Provincial Council in every province and a Popular Council in every town
· The duties of the Liga members are as follows (1) obey the orders of the Supreme Council (2) to help in
recruiting new members (3) to keep in strictest secrecy the decisions of the Liga authorities (4) to have symbolic name which he cannot change until he becomes president of his council (5) to report to the fiscal anything that he may hear which affect the Liga (6) to behave well as befits a good Filipino (7) to help fellow members in all ways

RIZAL ARRESTED AND JAILED IN FORT SANTIAGO
· July 6, 1892- Wednesday, Rizal went to Malacañang Palace to resume his series of interviews with
governor general
· Pobres Frailles (Poor Friars)- incriminatory leaflets which allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow cases; it is
under the authorship of Fr. Jacinto and printed by the Imprenta de los Amigos del Pais, Manila
· Rizal was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon Despujol, nephew and aide of
Governor General Despujol
· July 7, 1892- the Gaceta de Manila published the story of Rizal’s arrest which produced indignant
commotion among the Filipino people, particlarly the members of the newly organized Liga Filipina
· The same issue of the Gaceta (july 7, 1892) contained Governor General Despujol’s decree deporting
Rizal to “one of the islands in the South”
· July 14, 1892, shortly after midnight (that is 12:30 am of July 15, 1892) – Rizal was brought under heavy guard to the steamer Cebu which was sailing for Dapitan. This steamer under Captain Delgras departed at 1:00 AM, July 15, sailing south, passing Mindoro and Panay and reaching Dapitan on Sunday, the 17 th of July at 7:00 in the evening
· Captain Ricardo Carnicero- Spanish commandant of Dapitan whom Captain Delgras handed Rizal
· July 17, 1892- July 31, 2896- Rizal began his exile in lonely Dapitan, a period of four years

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DECISION TO RETURN TO MANILA

· May, 1892- Rizal made up his mind to return to Manila.
· This decision was spurred by the following: (1) to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his Borneo
colonization project (2) to establish the La Liga Filipina in Manila (3) to prove that Eduardo de Lete was
wrong in attacking him in Madrid that he (Rizal), being comfortable and safe in Hong Kong, had abandoned the country’s cause
· Lete’s attack, which was printed in La Solidaridad on April 15, 1892, portrayed Rizal as cowardly, egoistic, opportunistic—a patriot in words only
· June 20, 1892- Rizal wrote two letters which he sealed, inscribed on each envelope “to be opened after my death” and gave them to his friend Dr. Marques for safekeeping
· The first letter, addressed TO MY PARENTS, BRETHREN, AND FRIENDS. The second letter, addressed TO THE FILIPINOS
· June 21, 1892- Rizal penned another letter in Hong Kong for Governor Despujol, incidentally his third
letter to that discourteous Spanish chief executive
· Immediately after Rizal’s departure from Hong Kong, the Spanish consul general who issued the government guarantee of safety, sent a cablegram to Governor Despujol that the victim “is in the trap”. On the same day (June 21, 1892), a secret case was filed in Manila against Rizal and his followers “for anti-religious and anti-patriotic agitation”
· Luis de la Torre- secretary of Despujol, ordered to find out if Rizal was naturalized as a German citizen

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WRITINGS IN HONG KONG

· “Ang Mga Karapatan Nang Tao- which is a Tagalog translation of “The Rights of Man” proclaimed by
the French Revolution in 1789
· “A la Nacion Española” (To the Spanish Nation)- Rizal wrote in 1891, which is an appeal to Spain to
right the wrongs done to the Calamba tenants
· “Sa Mga Kababayan” (To my Countrymen)- another proclamation written in December, 1891
explaining the Calamba agrarian situation
· The Hong Kong Telegraph- a British daily newspaper whose editor is Mr. Frazier Smith, a friend of
Rizal
-Rizal contributed articles to this newspaper
· “Una Visita a la Victoria Gaol” (A Visit to Victoria Gaol)- Rizal wrote on March 2, 1892, an account of
his visit to the colonial prison of Hong Kong
-in this article, Rizal contrasted the cruel Spanish prison system with the modern and more humane British prison system
· “Colonisation du British North Borneo, par de Familles de Iles Philippines” (Colonization of British North Borneo by Families from the Philippine Islands)- an article in French which Rizal elaborated on the same idea in aonther article in Spanish, “Proyecto de Colonizacion del British North Borneo por los Filipinos” (Project of the Colonization of British North Borneo by the Filipinos)
· “La Mano Roja” (The Red Hand)- Rizal wrote in June, 1892, which was printed in sheet form in Hong
Kong
-it denounces the frequent outbreaks of intentional fires in Manila
· Constitution of La Liga Filipina- the most important writing made by Rizal during his Hong Kong sojourn, which was printed in Hong Kong, 1892
-to deceive the Spanish authorities, the printed copies carried the false information that the printing was done by the LONDON PRINTING PRESS
· Domingo Franco-a friend of Rizal in Manila whom the copies of the printed Liga constitution were sent

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BORNEO COLONIZATION PROJECT

· Rizal planned to move the landless Filipino families Filipino families to North Borneo (Sabah), rich British owned island and carve out of its virgin wildness a “New Calamba”
· March 7, 1892- Rizal went to Sandakan on board the ship Menon to negotiate with the British authorities
for the establishment of a Filipino colony
· Rizal looked over the land up the Bengkoka River in Maradu Bay which was offered by the British North
Borneo Company
· April 20, 1892- Rizal was back in Hong Kong
· Hidalgo- Rizal’s brother-in-law, objected to the colonization project
· Governor Valeriano Weyler- Cubans odiously called “The Butcher”
· Governor Eulogio Despujol- the Count of Caspe, a new governor general after Weyler
· December 23, 1891- first letter of Rizal to Governor Despujol
· March 21, 1892- Rizal’s second letter and gave it to a ship captain to be sure it would reach Governor
Despujol’s hand
-in this second letter, he requested the governor general to permit the landless Filipinos to establish themselves in Borneo
· Despujol could not approve the Filipino immigration to Borneo, alleging that “the Philippines lacked
laborers” and “it was not very patriotic to go off and cultivate foreign soil.”

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OPHTHALMIC SURGEON IN HONG KONG (1891-1892)

-Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong, where he lived from November, 1891 to June, 1892. His reasons for leaving Europe were (1) life was unbearable in Europe because of his political differences with M.H. del Pilar and other Filipinos in Spain (2) to be near his idolized Philippines and family
· October 3, 1891-two weeks after the publication of Fili, Rizal left Ghent for Paris, where he stayed a few days to say goodbye to the Lunas, the Pardo de Taveras, the Venturas and other friends; Rizal
proceeded by train to Marseilles
· October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne bound for Hong Kong
· Father Fuchs- a Tyrolese, Rizal enjoyed playing chess. Rizal describe him to Blumentritt as “He is a fine fellow, A Father Damaso without pride and malice”
· November 20, 1891-Rizal arrived in Hong Kong
· Rizal established his residence at No. 5 D’ Aguilar Street No. 2 Rednaxola Terrace, where he also
opened his medical clinic
· December 1, 1891- Rizal wrote his parents asking their permission to return home.
-On the same date, his brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, sent him a letter relating the sad news of the
“deportation of twenty-five persons from Calamba, including father, Neneng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano and the rest of us.”
· The Christmas of 1891 in Hong Kong was one of the happiest Yuletide celebrations in Rizal’s life: For he had a happy family reunion
· January 31, 1892- Rizal wrote to Blumentritt, recounting pleasant life in Hong Kong
· To earn a living for himself and for his family, Rizal practiced medicine
· Dr. Lorenzo P. Marques- a Portuguese physician, who became Rizal’s friend and admirer, who helped him to build up a wide clientele. In recognition of Rizal’s skill as an ophthalmic surgeon, he turned over to him many of his eye cases
· Rizal successfully operated on his mother’s left eye so that she was able to read and write again.

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COMPARISON BETWEEN NOLI ME TANGERE and EL FILIBUSTERISMO

· The original intention of Rizal was to make the Fili longer than the Noli
· The friends of Rizal and our Rizalistas today differ in opinion as to which is the superior novel—the Noli or the Fili. Rizal himself considered the Noli as superior to the Fili as a novel, thereby agreeing with M.H. del Pilar who had the same opinion
· September 22, 1891-four days after the Fili came off the press, Rizal wrote to Blumentritt: “I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the modern sense of the word, but this time politics will not find much space in it, but ethics will play the principal role.”
· October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for Hong Kong
-during the voyage, Rizal began writing the third novel in Tagalog, which he intended for Tagalog readers
· The unfinished novel has no title. It consists of 44 pages (33cm x 21 cm) in Rizal’s handwriting, still in manuscript form, it is preserved in the National Library, Manila
-The story of this unfinished novel begins with the solemn burial of Prince Tagulima. The hero of the novel was Kamandagan, a descendant of Lakan-Dula, last king of Tondo
-It is said that Rizal was fortunate not to have finsihed this novel, because it would have caused greater scandal and more Spanish vengeance on him
· Makamisa- other unfinished novel of Rizal in Tagalog written in a light sarcastic style and is incomplete for only two chapters are finished. The manuscript consists of 20 pages, 34.2cm x 22cm
· Dapitan-another novel which Rizal started to write but it is unfinished, written in ironic Spanish. He wrote it during his exile in Dapitan to depict the town life and customs. The manuscript consists of 8 pages, 23cm x 16cm
· A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna, is also unfinished. The manuscript consists of 147 pages, 8” x 6.5”, without title
· Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title is about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who has returned from Europe. The manuscript consist of 34 pages, 8 ½” x 6 ¼”
· The beginnings of another novel are contained in two notebooks—the first notebook contains 31 written pages, 35.5 cm x 22 cm and second 12 written pages, 22cm x 17cm. this unfinished novel is written in Spanish and style is ironic

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EL FILIBUSTERISMO PUBLISHED IN GHENT (1891)

-Rizal was busy revising and polishing the manuscript of El Filibusterismo so that it could be ready for the press
-Rizal had begun writing it in October, 1887, while practicing medicine in Calamba, the following year (1888), in London; he made some changes in the plot and corrected some chapters already written. He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid, and finished the manuscript in Biarritz on March 29, 1891. It took him, therefore, three years to write his second novel
· July 5, 1891- Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in Belgium
· Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were (1) the cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels (2) to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga) and Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila), both studying engineering in the world-famed University of Ghent
· F. Meyer-Van Loo Press (No. 66 Viaanderen Street)-a printing shop that give Rizal the lowest quotation for the publication of his novel, who was willing to print his book on installment basis
· August 6, 1891-the printing of his book had to be suspended because Rizal could no longer give the
necessary funds to the printer
· Valentin Ventura- the savior of the Fili
-When Ventura learned of Rizal’s predicament and immediately sent him the necessary funds
· September 18, 1891- El Filibusterismo came off the press
-Rizal immediately sent on this date two printed copies to Hong Kong—one for Basa and other for Sixto Lopez
· Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed printed copy to Valentin Ventura
· La Publicidad- a Barcelona newspaper, wherein it published a tribute eulogizing the novel’s original style which “is comparable only to the sublime Alexander Dumas” and may well be offered as
“a model and a precious jewel in the now decadent literature of Spain”
· El Nuevo Regimen- the liberal Madrid newspaper that serialized the novel in its issues of October, 1891
· Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to Gom-Bur-Za (Don Mariano Gomez, 73 years old; Don Jose Burgos, 35 years old; Jacinto Zamora, 37 years old)
· The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting in now preserved in the Filipiana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila. It consists of 270 pages of long sheets of paper
· Two features in the manuscript do not appear in the printed book, namely: the FOREWORD and the
WARNING. These were not put into print to save printing cost
· The title page of El Filibusterismo contains an inscription written by Ferdinand Blumentritt
· El Filibusterismo is a sequel to the Noli. It has little humor, less idealism and less romance than the Noli Me Tangere. It is more revolutionary, more tragic than the first novel
· The characters in El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal from real life. Padre Florentino was Father
Leoncio Lopez, Rizal’s friend and priest of Calamba; Isagani, the poet was Vicente Ilustre, Batangueño
friend of Rizal in Madrid and Paulita Gomez, the girl who loved Isagani but married Juanito Pelaez, was
Leonor Rivera

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BIARRITZ VACATION

-To seek solace for his disappointments in Madrid, Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz on the fabulous French Riviera. He was a guest of the rich Boustead family at its winter residence—Villa Eliada
· February, 1891- Rizal arrived in Biarritz
· Frustrated in romance, Rizal found consolation in writing. Evidently, while wooing Nellie and enjoying so “many magnificent moonlight nights” with her, he kept working on his second novel which he began to write in Calamba 1887
· March 29, 1891- the eve of his departure from Biarritz to Paris, he finished the manuscript of El
Filibusterismo
· March 30, 1891-Rizal bade farewell to the hospitable and friendly Bousteads and proceeded to Paris by train
· April 4, 1891-Rizal wrote to his friend, Jose Ma. Basa, in Hong Kong from Paris, expressing his desire to go to that British colony and practice ophthalmology in order to earn his living
· Middle of April, 1891- Rizal was back in Brussels
· Since abdicating his leadership in Madrid in January, 1891, owing to the intrigues of his jealous
compatriots, Rizal retired from the Propaganda Movement or reform crusade
· May 1, 1891-Rizal notified the Propaganda authorities in Manila to cancel his monthly allowance and
devote the money to some better cause
· Rizal’s notification was contained in a letter addressed to Mr. A.L. Lorena (pseudonym of Deodato
Arellano)
· May 30, 1891-revision of the finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo was mostly completed
· June 13, 1891-Rizal informed Basa that he was negotiating with a printing firm

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MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-91)

-Early in August, 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid
-Upon arrival in Madrid, Rizal immediately sought help of the Filipino colony, The Asociacion Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal Spanish newspaper in securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants
· El Resumen- a Madrid newspaper which sympathized with the Filipino cause, said: “To cover the ear,
open the purse, and fold the arms—this is the Spanish colonial policy
· La Epoca- an anti-Filipino newspaper in Madrid
1. Jose Ma. Panganiban, his talented co-worker in the Propaganda Movement, died in Barcelona on August 19, 1890, after a lingering illness
2. Aborted Duel with Antonio Luna—Luna was bitter because of his frustrated romance with Nellie
Boustead. Deep in his heart, he was blaming Rizal for his failure to win her, although Rizal had previously explained to him that he had nothing to do about it. Luna uttered certain unsavory remarks about Nellie, Rizal heard him and angered by the slanderous remarks, he challenged Luna, his friend, to a duel. Fortunately, Luna realized that he had made a fool of himself during his drunken state, he apologized for his bad remarks about the girl and Rizal accepted his apology and they became good friends again
3. Rizal challenges Retana to Due l—Wenceslao E. Retana, his bitter enemy of the pen, a talented Spanish scholar, was then a press agent of the friars in Spain. He used to attack the Filipinos in various newspapers in Madrid and other cities in Spain. Retana wrote an article in La Epoca, asserting that the family and friends of Rizal had not paid their rents so they were ejected from their lands in Calamba by the Dominicans. Such as insult stirred Rizal to action, immediately he sent his seconds to Retana with his challenge to a duel
4. Infidelity of Leonor Rivera —Rizal received a letter from Leonor, announcing her coming marriage to an Englishman (the choice of her mother) and asking his forgivefess
5. Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry —toward the closing days of 1890 phere arose an unfortunate rivalry between Rizal and M.H. del Pilar for supremacy. Because of this, the Filipinos were divided ibto two hostile camps—the Rizalistas and the Pilaristas. The sitqation was becoming explosive and critical. Despite of winning the votes, Rizal graciously declined the coveted position
· Rizal wrote a brief note thanking his compatriots for electing him as Responsible. It was the last
time he saw Madrid

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IN BELGIAN BRUSSELS (1890)

-January 28, 1890- Rizal left Paris for Brussels, capital of Belgium
-Two reasons impelled Rizal to leave Paris, namely (1) the cost of living in Paris was very high because of the Universal Exposition (2) the gay social life of the city hampered his literary works, especially the writing of his second novel, El Filibusterismo

LIFE IN BRUSSELS
· Rizal was accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels. They lived in a modest boarding
house on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne, which was run by two Jacoby sisters (Suzanne and Marie). Later Albert, left the city and was replaced by Jose Alejandro, an engineering student
· Rizal was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography
· Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua Tagala (The New Orthography of the Tagalog Language)-
was published in La Solidaridad on April 15, 1890
-in this article, he laid down the rules of the new Tagalog orthography and with modesty and sincerity, he gave credit for the adoption of this new orthography to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, author of the celebrated work El Sanscrito en la Lengua Tagala (Sanskrit in the tagalog Language) which was published in Paris, 1884
** “I put this on record,” wrote Rizal, “so that when the history of this orthography is traced, which is already being adopted by the enlightened Tagalists, that what is Caesar’s be given to Caesar. This innovation is due solely to Dr. Pardo de Tavera’s studies on Tagalismo. I was one of its zealous propagandists.”**
· Letters from home which Rizal received in Brussels worried him. (1) the Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse (2) the Dominican Order filed a suit in court to dispossess the Rizal family of their lands in Calamba
· In his moment of despair, Rizal had bad dreams during the nights in Brussels when he was restless
because he was always thinking of his unhappy family in Calamba
· Rizal feared that he would not live long. He was not afraid to die, but he wanted to finish his second novel before he went to his grave.
· In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his family, Rizal planned to go home. He could not stay in
Brussels writing a book while his parents, relatives, and friends in the distant Philippines were persecuted
· July 29, 1890- another letter to Ponce written at Brussels by Rizal, he announced that he was leaving
Brussels at the beginning of the following month and would arrive in Madrid about the 3rd or 4th (August)
· “To my Muse’” (A Mi…)- 1890, Rizal wrote this pathetic poem, it was against a background of mental anguish in Brussels, during those sad days when he was worried by family disasters

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ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA PUBLISHED

· Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos, which he wrote in the British Museum. It was printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by Professor Blumentritt upon the request of Rizal
· Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino people so that they would know of their glorious past
· The title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga reads: “Paris, Liberia de Garnier Hermanos, 1890”
· The Philippines Within a Century-article written by Rizal which he expressed his views on the Spanish
colonization in the Philippines and predicted with amazing accuracy the tragic end of Spain’s sovereignty in Asia
· The Indolence of the Filipinos- other essay of Rizal is also a prestigious work of historical scholarship. It is an able defense of the alleged indolence of the Filipinos
-Rizal made a critical study of the causes why his people did not work hard during the Spanish regime. His main thesis was that the Filipinos are not by nature indolent
· International Association of Filipinologists-association proposed by Rizal to establish taking advantage of world attention which was then focused at the Universal Exposition in 1889 in Paris and
have its inaugural convention in the French capital
· Project for Filipino College in Hong Kong- another magnificent project of Rizal in Paris which also
fizzled out was his plan to establish a modern college in Hong Kong
· Por Telefono-another satirical work as a reply to another slanderer, Fr. Salvador Font, who
masterminded the banning of his Noli, in the fall of 1889
-it was published in booklet form in Barcelona, 1889, this satirical pamphlet under the authorship of “Dimas Alang” is a witty satire which ridicules Father Font
· Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a brief visit to London. It may be due to two reasons: (1) to check up his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos with the original copy in the British Museum (2) to see Gertrude Beckett for the last time

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RIZAL’S SECOND SOJOURN IN PARIS AND THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION IN 1889

-In March, 1889, it was extremely difficult for a visitor to find living quarters in Paris
· Valentin Ventura- a friend of Rizal where he lived—No. 45 Rue Maubeuge, where he polished his
annotated edition of Morga’s book
· Rizal used most of his time in the reading room of the Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library) checking up his historical annotations on Morga’s book
· Rizal was a good friend of the three Pardo de Taveras—Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, a physician by vocation and philologist by avocation, Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera, also physician by vocation and an artist and sculptor by avocation, and Paz Pardo de Tavera, wife of Juan Luna
· June 24, 1889- a baby girl was born to Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera, she was their second child
· Her baptismal godfather was Rizal, who chose her name “Maria de la Paz, Blanca, Laureana,
Hermenegilda Juana Luna y Pardo de Tavera”
· May 6, 1889- opening of Universal Exposition of Paris
· The greatest attraction of this exposition was the Eiffel Tower, 984 feet high, which was built by Alexander Eiffel, celebrated French engineer

KIDLAT CLUB
· March 19, 1889-the same day when he arrived in Paris from London, Rizal organized his paisanos
(compatriots) into a society called Kidlat Club
· Kidlat Club-purely a social society of a temporary nature
-founded by Rizal simply to bring together young Filipinos in the French capital so that they could enjoy their sojourn in the city during the duration of the Universal Exposition

INDIOS BRAVOS
· Rizal was enchanted by the dignified and proud bearing of the American Indians in a Buffalo Bull show
· Indios Bravos (Brave Indians)- replaced the ephemeral Kidlat Club
-its members pledged to excel in intellectual and physical prowess in order to win the admiration of the foreigners
-practised with great enthusiasm the use of the sword and pistol and Rizal taught them judo, an Asian art of selfdefense, that he learned in Japan

R.D.L.M SOCIETY
· Sociedad R.D.L.M. (R.D.L.M Society)- a mysterious society founded by Rizal in Paris during the
Universal Exposition of 1889
-its existence and role in the crusade reforms are really enigmatic
-Of numerous letters written by Rizal and his fellow propagandists, only two mentioned this secret society, as follows (1) Rizal’s Letter to Jose Maria Basa, Paris, September 21, 1889 (2) Rizal’s Letter to Marcelo H. del Pilar, Paris, November 4, 1889
· According to Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, grandnephew of the hero, the society has a symbol or countersign represented by a circle divided into three parts by two semi-circles having in the center the intwerlocked letters I and B meaning Indios Bravos and the letter R.D.L.M. placed outside an upper, lower, left and right sides of the circle
· The letters R.D.L.M. are believed to be the initials of the society’s secret name Redencion de los Malayos (Redemption of the Malays)—Redemption of the Malay Race
· It was patterned after Freemasonry. It had various degrees of membership, “with the members not
knowing each other.”
· The aim of the secret society, as stated by Rizal, was “the propagation of all useful knowledge—scientific, artistic, and literary, etc.—in the Philippines. Evidently, there was another aim that is, the redemption of the Malay race
· It must be noted that Rizal was inspired by a famous book entitled Max Havelaar (1860) written by
Multatuli (pseudonym of E.D. Dekker, Dutch author)

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WRITINGS IN LONDON

· While busy in research studies at the British Museum, Rizal received news on Fray Rodriguez’ unabated attack on his Noli
· La Vision del Fray Rodriguez (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez)-pamphlet wrote by Rizal which
published in Barcelona under his nom-de-plume Dimas Alang in order to defense his novel
-In La Vision del Fray Rodriguez, Rizal demonstrated two things: (1) his profound knowledge of religion (2) his biting satire
· Letter to the Young Women of Malolos- a famous letter wrote by Rizal on February 22, 1889 in
Tagalog
-this letter is to praise the young ladies of Malolos for their courage to establish a school where they could learn Spanish, despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia, a Spanish parish priest of Malolos
· The main points of this letter were: (1) a Filipino mother should teach her children love of God, fatherland, and mankind (2) the Filipino mother should be glad, like the Spartan mother, to offer her sons in the defense of the fatherland (3) a Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity and honor (4) a Filipino woman should educate herself, aside from retaining her good racial virtues (5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers and wearing religious pictures, but rather it is living the real Christian way, with good morals and good manners
· Dr Reinhold Rost, editor of Trubner’s Record, a journal devoted to Asian studies, request Rizal to
contribute some articles. In response to his request, the latter prepared two articles—(1) Specimens of
Tagal Folklore, which published in the journal in May, 1889 (2) Two Eastern Fables, published in June,
1889
· March 19, 1889- Rizal bade goodbye to the kind Beckett Family and left London for Paris

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RIZAL AND THE LA SOLIDARIDAD NEWSPAPER

· February 15, 1889- Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the patriotic newspaper called La Solidaridad in
Barcelona
· La Solidadridad-fortnightly periodical which served as the organ of the Propaganda Movement
· Its aims were as follows: (1) to work peacefully for political and social reforms (2) to portray the
deplorable conditions of the Philippines so that Spain may remedy them (3) to oppose the evil forces of
reaction and medievalism (4) to advocate liberal ideas and progress (5) to champion the legitimate
aspirations of the Filipino people to life, democracy and happiness
· Los Agricultores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)- Rizal’s first article which appeared in La
Solidaridad which is published on March 25, 1889, six days after he left London for Paris

ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN LA SOLIDARIDAD
-Rizal wrote articles for La Solidaridad in defense of his oppressed people and to point out the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines
1. “A La Defensa” (To La Defensa), April 30, 1889- this was a reply to an anti-Filipino writing of a Spanish author Patricio de la Escosura which was published by La Defensa on March 30, 1889
2. “La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth For All), May 31, 1889- Rizal’s defense against the Spanish charges that the native local officials were ignorant and depraved
3. “Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro Tagalo”, June 15, 1889- in this article, Rizal exposes Barrabtes’ ignorance on the Tagalog theatrical art
4.“Una Profanacion” (A Profanation), July 31, 1889- a bitter attack against the friars for denying Christian burial to Mariano Herbosa in Calamba because he was a brother-in-law of Rizal. Herbosa, husband of lucia died of cholera on May 23, 1889
5. “Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths), July 31, 1889- a reply to Vicente Belloc Sanchez’ letter published in La Patria, Madrid newspaper, on July 4, 1889, which asserted that the granting of reforms in the Philippines would ruin the “peaceful and maternal rule” of the friars
6. “Crueldad” (Cruelty), August 15, 1889- a brilliant defense of Blumentritt from the scutrillous attack of his enemies
7. “Diferencias’ (Differences), September 15, 1889- a reply to a biased article entitled “Old Truths” published in La Patria on August 14, 1889, which ridiculed those Filipinos who asked for reforms
8.“Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences), November 30, 1889- a defense of Antonio Luna against the attack of Pablo Mir Deas in the Barcelona newspaper El Puieblo Soberano
9. “Llanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughter), November 30, 1889- a denunciation of Spanish racial prejudice against brown Filipinos
10. “Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude), January 15, 1890- a reply to Governor General Valeriano Weyler who,
while visiting Calamba, told the people that they “should not allow themselves to be deceived by the vain promises of their ungrateful sons.”
· Simultaneous with Rizal retirement from the Propaganda Movement, Rizal ceased writing articles for La Solidaridad
· August 7, 1891- M.H. del Pilar wrote to Rizal begging forgiveness for any resentment and requesting
Rizal to resume writing for the La Solidaridad
· Rizal stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of several reasons: (1) Rizal need to work on hisbook (2) He wanted other Filipinos to work also (3) Rizal considered it very important to the party that there be unity in the work (4) Marcelo H. del Pilar is already at the top and Rizal also have his own ideas, it is better to leave del Pilar alone to direct the policy

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RIZAL’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES (1888)

· April 28, 1888- the steamer Belgic, with Rizal on board, docked at San Francisco on Saturday morning
· May 4, 1888- Friday afternoon, the day Rizal was permitted to go ashore
· Palace Hotel- Rizal registered here which was then considered a first-class hotel in the city
· Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days—May 4 to 6, 1888
· May 6, 1888-Sunday, 4:30PM, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland
· May 13, 1888-Sunday morning, Rizal reached New York, thus ending his trip across the American
continent
· Rizal stayed three days in this city, which he called the “big town.”
· May 16, 1888- Rizal left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome. According to Rizal, this
steamer was “the second largest ship in the world, the largest being the Great Eastern”
· Rizal had good and bad impressions of the United States. The good impressions were (1) the material
progress of the country as shown in the great cities, huge farms, flourishing industries and busy factories (2) the drive and energy of the American people (3) the natural beauty of the land (4) the high standard of living (5) the opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants
· One bad impression Rizal had of America was the lack of racial equality: “America is the land par
excellence of freedom but only for the whites”

RIZAL IN LONDON (1888-1889)
-After visiting the United States, Rizal lived in London from May, 1888 to March, 1889 for three reasons: (1) to improve his knowledge of the English language (2) to study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, a rare copy of which he heard to be available in the British Museum (3) London was a safe place for him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny

TRIP ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
· The trans-Atlantic voyage of Rizal from New York to Liverpool was a pleasant one.
· Rizal entertained the American and European passengers with his marvelous skills with the yo-yo as an offensive weapon.
· Yoyo-is a small wooden disc attached to a string from the finger.
· May 24, 1888-Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England
· Adelphi Hotel-Rizal spend the night here while staying for one day in this port city
· According to Rizal, “Liverpool is a big and beautiful city and its celebrated port is worthy of its
great fame. The entrance is magnificent and the customhouse is quite good.”

LIFE IN LONDON
· May 25, 1888- a day after docking at Liverpool, Rizal went to London
· Rizal stayed as guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, an exile of 1872 and a practicing lawyer in London. By the end of May, Rizal found a modest boarding place at No. 37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill
· Dr. Reinhold Rozt- librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authority on Malayan languages and customs
-He was impressed by Rizal’s learning and character and he gladly recommended him to the authorities of the British Museum. He called Rizal “a pearl of a man” (una perla de hombre)
· Both good and bad news from home reached Rizal in London. Of the bad news, were the injustices
committed by the Spanish authorities on the Filipino people and the Rizal Family
· The greatest achievement of Rizal in London was the annotating of Morga’s book, Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas (Historical Events of the Philippine Islands), which was published in Mexico, 1609.
· September 1888- Rizal visited Paris for a week in order to search for more historical materials in the
Bibliotheque Nationale
· Rizal was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Pas Pardo de Tavera),
who proudly showed him their little son Andres (nickname Luling)
· December 11, 1888-Rizal went to Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona
· Rizal met, for the first time, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, two titans of the Propaganda
Movement 19
· December 24, 1888-Rizal returned to London and spent Christmas and New Year’s Day with the
Becketts
· Rizal sent as Christmas gift to Blumentritt a bust of Emperador Augustus and a bust of Julius Caesar to another friend, Dr. Carlos Czepelak (Polish scholar)
· The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist-a Christmas gift from Rizal’s landlady,
Mrs Beckett

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ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN (1888)

-One of the happiest interludes in the life of Rizal was his sojourn in the Land of the Cherry Blossoms for one month and a half (February 28-April 13, 1888)
· February 28, 1888- early in the morning of Tuesday, Rizal arrived in Yokohama. He registered at the
Grand Hotel
· Tokyo Hotel- Rizal stayed here from March 2 to March 7
· Rizal wrote to Professor Blumentritt: “Tokyo is more expensive then Paris. The walls are built in
cyclopean manner. The streets are large and wide.”
· Juan Perez Caballero-secretary of the Spanish Legation, who visited Rizal at his hotel who latter invited him to live at the Spanish Legation
· Rizal accepted the invitation for two reasons: (1) he could economize his living expenses by staying at
the legation (2) he had nothing to hide from the prying eyes of the Spanish authorities
· March 7, 1888- Rizal checked out of Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish Legation
· Rizal was favorably impressed by Japan. The things which favorably impressed Rizal in Japan were: (1) the beauty of the country—its flowers, mountains, streams and scenic panoramas, (2) the cleanliness, politeness, and industry of the Japanese people (3)the picturesque dress and simple charm of the Japanese women (4) there were very few thieves in Japan so that the houses remained open day and night, and in hotel room one could safely leave money on the table (5) beggars were rarely seen in the city, streets, unlike in Manila and other cities
·Rickshaws-popular mode of transportation drawn by men that Rizal did not like in Japan
· April 13, 1888-Rizal left Japan and boarded the Belgic, an English steamer, at Yokohama, bound for the United States
· Tetcho Suehiro- a fighting Japanese journalist, novelist and champion of human rights, who was forced by the Japanese government to leave the country
-passenger which Rizal befriended on board the Belgic
· April 13 to December 1, 1888- eight months of intimate acquaintanceship of Rizal and Tetcho
· December 1, 1888- after a last warm handshake and bidding each other “goodbye”, Rizal and Tetcho
parted ways—never to meet again

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IN HONGKONG AND MACAO (1888)

-Hounded by powerful enemies, Rizal was forced to leave his country for a second time in February 1888. He was then a full-grown man of 27 years of age, a practicing physician, and a recognized man-of-letters

THE TRIP TO HONGKONG
· February 3, 1888-Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong on board the Zafiro
· February 7, 1888- Zafiro made a brief stopover at Amoy
· Rizal did not get off his ship at Amoy for three reasons: (1) he was not feeling well (2) it was raining hard (3) he heard that the city was dirty
· February 8, 1888- Rizal arrived in Hong Kong
· Victoria Hotel- Rizal stayed while in Hong Kong. He was welcomed by Filipino residents, including Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio, and Manuel Yriarte (son of Francisco Yriarte (son of Francisco Yriarte, alcalde mayor of Laguna)
· Jose Sainz de Varanda- a Spaniard, who was a former secretary of Governor General Terrero,
shadowed Rizal’s movement in Hong Kong
-it is believed that he was commissioned by the Spanish authorities to spy on Rizal
· “Hong Kong”, wrote Rizal to Blumentritt on February 16, 1888, “is a small, but very clean city.”

VISIT TO MACAO
-Macao is a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong.
-According to Rizal, the city of Macao is small, low, and gloomy. There are many junks, sampans, but few steamers. It looks sad and is almost dead.
· February 18, 1888- Rizal, accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer, Kiu-Kiang for Macao
· Don Juan Francisco Lecaros- A filipino gentleman married to a Portuguese lady
-Rizal and Basa stayed at his home while in Macao
· February 18, 1888- Rizal witnessed a Catholic possession, in which the devotees were dressed in blue
and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted candles
· February 20, 1888- Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong, again on board the ferry steamer Kiu Kiang

DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG
· February 22, 1888- Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic, an American steamer, his destination was Japan
· Rizal’s cabin mate was a British Protestant missionary who called Rizal “a good man”

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STORM OVER THE NOLI ME TANGERE

· Governor General Emilio Terrero (1885-1888)-requesting Rizal to come to Malacańang Palace
· Don Jose Taviel de Andrade-a young Spanish lieutenant assigned by Governor General Terrero to
posed as bodyguard of Rizal
· Msgr. Pedro Payo (a Dominican)- sent a copy of Noli to Father Rector Gregorio Echavarria of the
University of Sto. Tomas for examination by a committee of the faculty
· The report of the faculty members of University of Santo Tomas stated 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”
· Permanent Commission of Censorship-a committee composed of priest and laymen
· Fr. Salvador Font- Augustinian cura of Tondo, head of the committee
-found the novel to contain subversive ideas against the Church and Spain, and recommended “that the
importation, reproduction, and circulation of this pernicious book in the islands be absolutely prohibited.”
· Fr. Jose Rodriguez- Augustinian priest, published a series of eight pamphlets under the general heading Cuestiones de Sumo Interes (Questions of Supreme Interest) to blast the Noli and other anti-Spanish writings
· Vicente Barrantes- Spanish academician of Madrid, who formerly criticized the Noli in an article
published in La Espańa Moderna (a newspaper of Madrid) in January, 1890
· What marred Rizal’s happy days in Calamba with Lt. Andrade were (1) the death of his older sister,
Olimpia, and (2) the groundless tales circulated by his enemies that he was “a German spy, an agent of
Bismarck, a Protestant, a Mason, a witch, a soul beyond salvation, etc.”
· Rev. Vicente Garcia-a Filipino Catholic priest-scholar, a theologian of the Manila Cathedral and a
Tagalog translator of the famous Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis
-writing under the penname Justo Desiderio Magalang, wrote a defense of the Noli which was published in Singapore as an appendix to a pamphlet dated July 18, 1888, he blasted the arguments of Fr. Rodriguez
· Rizal, himself defended his novel against Barrantes’ attack, in a letter written in Brussels, Belgium in
February 1880.

FAREWELL TO CALAMBA
· The friars asked Governor General Terrero to deport him, but latter refused because there was no valid charge against Rizal in court.
· Rizal was compelled to leave Calamba for two reasons: (1) his presence in Calamba was jeopardizing
the safety and happiness of his family and friends (2) he could fight better his enemies and serve his
country’s cause with greater efficacy by writing in foreign countries
· Shortly before Rizal left Calamba in 1888, his friend from Lipa requested him to write a poem in
commemoration of the town’s elevation to a villa (city) by virtue of the Becerra Law of 1888
· Himno Al Trabajo (Hymn to Labor)- a poem written by Rizal dedicated to the industrious folks of Lipa

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FIRST HOMECOMING (1887-1888)

-Because of the publication of the Noli Me Tangere and the uproar it caused among the friars, Rizal was warned by Paciano (his brother), Silvestre Ubaldo (his brother-in-law), Chengoy (Jose M. Cecilio) and other friends not to return home.
-Rizal was determined to return to the Philippines for the following reasons: (1) to operate on his mother’s eyes (2) to serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants (3) to find out for himself how Noli and his other writings were affecting Filipinos and Spaniards in the Philippines and (4) to inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent
· July 29, 1887- Rizal wrote to his father, announcing his homecoming, “on the 15th of July, I shall
embark for our country, so that from the 15th to the 30th of August, we shall see each other”

DELIGHTFUL TRIP TO MANILA
-Rizal left Rome by train for Marseilles, a French port, which he reached without mishap.
· July 3, 1887-Rizal boarded the steamer Djemnah, the same streamer which brought him to Europe 5
years ago
· July 30, 1887-at Saigon, Rizal transferred to another steamer, Haiphong, which was Manila-bounded
· August 2, 1887- the steamer left Saigon for Manila

ARRIVAL IN MANILA
· August 3, 1887- the moon was full and Rizal slept soundly the whole night. The calm sea, illuminated by the silvery moonlight, was a magnificent sight to him
· Near midnight of August 5, 1887 , the Haiphong arrived in Manila

HAPPY HOMECOMING
· August 8, 1887- Rizal returned to Calamba
· In Calamba, Rizal established a medical clinic. His first patient was his mother, who was almost blind.
· Rizal, who came to be called “Doctor Uliman” because he came from Germany, treated their ailments
and soon he acquired a lucrative medical practice
· Rizal opened a gymnasium for young folks, where he introduced European sports
· Rizal suffered one failure during his six months of sojourn in Calamba—his failure to see Leonor Rivera

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RIZAL IN ITALY

· June 27, 1887- Rizal reached Rome, the “Eternal City” and also called the “City of the Caesars”
· Rizal was thrilled by the sights and memories of the Eternal City. Describing to Blumentritt, the “grandeur that was Rome”, he wrote on June 27, 1887
· June 29, 1887- the Feast Day of St. Peter and St. Paul, Rizal visited for the first time the Vatican, the
“City of the Popes” and the capital of Christendom
· Every night, after sightseeing the whole day, Rizal returned to his hotel, very tired. “I am tired as a dog,” he wrote to Blumentritt, “but I will sleep as a God”
· After a week of wonderful sojourn in Rome, Rizal prepared to return to the Philippines. He had already written to his father that he was coming home

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RIZAL’S GRAND TOUR OF EUROPE WITH VIOLA (1887)

· May 11, 1887- Rizal and Viola left Berlin by train
· Dresden- one of the best cities in Germany
· Prometheus Bound-painting wherein Rizal was deeply impressed
· Teschen (now Decin, Czechoslovakia)- next stopover after leaving Dresedn

LEITMERITZ
· At 1:30pm of May 13, 1887- the train, with Rizal and Viola on board, arrived at the railroad station of
Leitmeritz, Bohemia
-for the first time, the two great scholars—Rizal and Blumentritt—met in person
· Professor Blumentritt- a kind-hearted, old Austrian professor
· May 13 to May 16, 1887- Rizal and Viola stayed in Leitmeritz
· Burgomaster- town mayor
· Tourist’s Club of Leitmeritz-which Blumentritt was the secretary; Rizal spoke extemporaneously in
fluent Germany to the officers and members
· Dr. Carlos Czepelak- renowned scientist of Europe
· Professor Robert Klutschak- an eminent naturalist
· May 16, 1887 at 9:45 AM- Rizal and Viola left Leitmeritz by train

PRAGUE
· Dr. Willkomm- professor of natural history in the University of Prague
· According to Viola, “nothing of importance happened” in this city

VIENNA
· May 20, 1887- Rizal and Viola arrived in the beautiful city of Vienna, capital of Austria-Hungary
· Vienna was truly the “Queen of Danube” because of its beautiful buildings, religious images, haunting
waltzes and majestic charm
· Norfentals- one of the greatest Austrian novelists was favorably impressed by Rizal, and years later he
spoke highly of Rizal, “whose genius he so much admired.”
· Hotel Metropole- where Rizal and Viola stayed
· In Vienna, Rizal received his lost diamond stickpin

DANUBIAN VOYAGE TO LINTZ
· May 24, 1887- Rizal and Viola left Vienna on a river boat to see the beautiful sights of the Danube River
· Rizal particularly noticed that the passengers on the river boat were using paper napkins during the
meals, which was a novelty to him. Viola, commented that the paper napkins were “more hygienic and
economical than cloth napkins”

FROM LINTZ TO RHEINFALL
· Munich- where Rizal and Viola sojourned for a short time to savor the famous Munich beer, reputed to be the best in Germany
· Nuremberg- one of the oldest cities of Germany
· The Cathedral of Ulm- the largest and tallest cathedral in all Germany
· From Ulm, they went to Stuttgart, Baden and then Rheinfall (Cascade of the Rhine). At Rheinfall, they
saw the waterfall, “the most beautiful waterfall of Europe”

CROSSING THE FRONTIER TO SWITZERLAND
· June 2 to 3, 1887- stayed at Schaffhausen, Switzerland

GENEVA
· This Swiss city is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, visited by world tourists every year
· June 19, 1887- Rizal treated Viola to a blow-out. It was his 26 th birthday
· Rizal and Viola spent fifteen delightful days in Geneva
· June 23, 1887- Viola and Rizal parted ways—Viola returned to Barcelona while Rizal continued the tour to Italy
· Exposition of the Philippines in Madrid, Spain- Rizal was outraged by this degradation of his fellow
countrymen the Igorots of Northern Luzon

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NOLI ME TANGERE PUBLISHED IN BERLIN (1887)

-The bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin was Rizal’s darkest winter because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke. The diamond ring which his sister, Saturnina, gave him was in the pawnshop. It was memorable in the life of Rizal for two reasons (1) it was a painful episode for he was hungry, sick and despondent in a strange city (2) it brought him great joy after enduring s

o much sufferings, because his first novel, Noli Me Tangere came off the press in March, 1887

· Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin- inspired Dr. Rizal to prepare a novel that would depict the

miseries of his people under the lash of Spanish tyrants

· January 2, 1884- in a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in Madrid, Rizal proposed the writings of a novel about the Philippines by a group of Filipinos

· Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and finished about one-half of it

· When Rizal went to Paris, in 1885, after completing his studies in the Central University of Madrid, he continued writing the novel, finishing one half of the second half

· Rizal finished the last fourth of the novel in Germany. He wrote the last few chapters of the Noli in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June, 1886

· In Berlin during the winter days of February, 1886, Rizal made the final revisions on the manuscript of the Noli

· Maximo Viola- Rizal’s friend from Bulacan, arrived in Berlin at the height of Rizal despondency and

loaned him the needed funds to publish the novel; savior of Noli

· After the Christmas season , Rizal put the finishing touches on his novel. To save printing expenses, he deleted certain passages in his manuscript, including a whole chapter—“Elias and Salome”

· February 21, 1887- the Noli was finally finished and ready for printing

· Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft- a printing shop which charged the lowest rate, that is,

300 pesos for 2,00 copies of the novel

· March 21, 1887- the Noli Me Tangere came off the press

· March 29, 1887- Rizal, in token of his appreciation and gratitude, gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli carefully rolled around the pen that he used in writing it and a complimentary copy, with the following inscription: “To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work—Jose Rizal”

· The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin phrase which means “Touch Me Not”. It is not originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible

· Rizal, writing to Felix Hidalgo in French on March 5, 1887, said: “Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, signify “do not touch me” but Rizal made a mistake, it should be

the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20 Verses 13 to 17)

· Rizal dedicated his Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines—“To My Fatherland”

· The cover of Noli Me Tangere was designed by Rizal. It is a ketch of explicit symbols. A woman’s head atop a Maria Clara bodice represents the nation and the women, victims of the

social cancer. One of the causes of the cancer is symbolized in the friar’s feet, outsized in relation to the woman’s head. The other aggravating causes of oppression and discrimination are

shown in the guard’s helmet and the iron chains, the teacher’s whip and the alferez’s scourge. A slight cluster of bamboo stands at the backdrop; these are the people, forever in the background of their own country’s history. There are a cross, a maze, flowers and thorny plants, a flame; these are

indicative of the religious policy, the misdirected ardor, the people strangled as a result of these all

· The novel Noli Me Tangere contains 63 chapters and an epilogue

· Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor- Filipino patriot and lawyer who had been exiled due to his complicity in the

Cavite Mutiny of 1872, read avidly the Noli and was very much impressed by its author

CHARACTERS OF NOLI

· The Noli Me Tangere was a true story of the Philippine conditions during the last decades of Spanish rule

· Maria Clara-was Leonor Rivera, although in real life she became unfaithful and married an Englishman

· Ibarra and Elias- represented Rizal himself

· Tasio-the philosopher was Rizal’s elder brother Paciano

· Padre Salvi-was identified by Rizalists as Padre Antonio Piernavieja, the hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was killed by the patriots during the Revolution

· Capitan Tiago-was Captain Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas

· Doña Victorina- was Doña Agustina Medel

· Basilio and Crispin- were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy

· Padre Damaso- typical of a domineering friar during the days of Rizal, who was arrogant, immoral and anti-Filipino

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PARIS TO BERLIN (1885-1887)

-Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in ophthalmology—Rizal chose this branch of medicine because he wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment

IN GAY PARIS (1885-1886)
· Maximo Viola- a medical student and a member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan, Rizal’s friend
· Señor Eusebio Corominas- editor of the newspaper La Publicidad and made a crayon sketch of Don
Miguel Morayta, owner of La Publicidad and a stasman
· Rizal gave Editor Corominas an article on the Carolines Question, then a controversial issue, for
publication
· November 1885 , Rizal was living in Paris where he sojourned for about four months
· Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852-1906)- leading French ophthalmologist wherein Rizal worked as an
assistant from November 1885 to February 1886
· Paz Pardo de Tavera- was a pretty girl, who was engaged to Juan Luna
· At the studio of Luna, Rizal spent many happy hours. Rizal helped Luna by posing as model in several
paintings
· In Luna’s canvas “The Death of Cleopatra,“ Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest. In another of Luna’s
great paintings, “The Blood Compact,” he posed as Sikatuna, with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera taking the
role of Legazpi
· November 27, 1878- Rizal told Enrique Lete that he “learned the solfeggio, the piano, the voice
culture in one month and a half”
· By sheer determination and constant practice, Rizal came to play the flute fairly well. He was a flutist in various impromptu reunions of Filipinos in Paris
· Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race)-a patriotic song written by Rizal which asserts that any race aspires for
freedom
· La Deportacion (Deportation)- a sad danza which Rizal composed in Dapitan during his exile

IN HISTORIC HEIDELBERG
· February 1, 1886- Rizal reluctantly left gay Paris fro Germany
· February 3, 1886- Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its old university and romantic surroundings
· Chess Player’s Club- a club wherein the students made Rizal as a member because of being a good
chess player
· Dr. Otto Becker- distinguished German ophthalmologist where Rizal worked—University Eye Hospital
· April 22, 1886- Rizal wrote a fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg)
· In the spring of 1886, Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of the Neckar River. Among them was his favorite flower—the light blue “forget-me-not”
· Wilhelmsfeld- a mountainous village near Heidelberg where Rizal spent a three-month summer vacation
· Dr. Karl Ullmer- a kind Protestant pastor where Rizal stayed, who became his good friend and admirer
· June 25, 1886- Rizal ended his sojourn at Pastor Ullmer’s home
· May 29, 1887- Rizal wrote from Munich (Muchen) to Friedrich (Fritz), son of Pastor Ullmer
· July 31, 1886- Rizal wrote his first letter in German (which he had improved after his stay with the
Ullmers) to Professor Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria
· Aritmetica (Arithmetic)-Rizal sent this book he mentioned and was published in two languages—
Spanish and Tagalog—by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. the author was Rufino Baltazar
Hernandez, a native of Santa Cruz, Laguna
· August 6, 1886- the famous University of Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration

IN LEIPZIG AND DRESDEN
· August 9, 1886- Rizal left Heidelberg
· August 14, 1886- boarded by a train. Rizal arrived in Leipzig
· Professor Friedrich Ratzel- a famous German historian, Rizal befriend with him
· Dr. Hans Meyer- German anthropologist, a friend of Rizal
· In Leipzig, Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell from German into Tagalog so that Filipino might know the story of that champion of Swiss independence
· Rizal also translated into Tagalog for his nephews and niece Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales
· Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was cheapest in Europe so that he stayed two months and a half
· Because of his knowledge of German, Spanish, and other European languages, Rizal worked as proofreader in a publisher’s firm
· October 29, 1886- Rizal left Leipzig for Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, Director of the
Anthropological and Ethnological Museum
· Rizal heard Mass in a Catholic church; evidently, this Mass impressed him very much, for he wrote on his diary: “Truly I have never in my life heard a Mass whose music had greater sublimity and
intonation.”
· Morning of November 1, 1886- Rizal left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the evening

BERLIN
· Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of race prejudice
· Rizal met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor, celebrated German scientist-traveler and author of Travels in the Philippines, a book which Rizal read and admired during his student days in Manila
· Dr. Rudolf Virchow- introduced to Rizal by Dr. Jagor; famous German anthropologist
· Dr. Hans Virchow- son of Dr. Rudolf Virchow, professor of Descriptive Anatomy
· Dr. W. Joest- noted German geographer
· Dr. Ernest Schweigger (1830-1905)- famous German ophthalmologist where Rizal worked
· Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin, upon the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer
· Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art)- Rizal wrote this scholarly paper in German which he read before the society in April 1887
-this paper was published by the society in the same year, and elicited favorable comments from all scientific quarters
· Rizal lived in Berlin, famous capital of unified Germany for five reasons: (1) to gain further knowledge of ophthalmology (2) to further his studies of sciences and languages (3) to observe the economic and
political conditions of the German nation (4) to associate with famous German scientists and scholars (5) to publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere
· Madame Lucie Cerdole-Rizal’s professor of French in order to master the idiomatic intricacies of the
French language
· Unter den Linden- the most popular boulevard of Berlin wherein Rizal enjoyed promenading, sipping
beer in the city’s inns and talking with the friendly Berliners
· March 11, 1886- one of Rizal’s important letters written while he was in Germany that addressed to his sister, Trinidad
-in this letter, Rizal expressed his high regard and admiration for German womanhood
-The German woman, said Rizal to his sister, is serious, diligent, educated, and friendly. She is not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome
· Aside from the German women, Rizal admired the German customs which he observed well

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FIRST VISIT TO PARIS (1883)

-During his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris, gay capital of France
-The prices of food, drinks, theatre, tickets, laundry, hotel accommodations, and transportation were too high for Rizal’s slender purse so that he commented in a letter to his family: “Paris is the costliest capital in Europe.”
· June 17 to August 20, 1883- Rizal sojourn in Paris
· Hotel de Paris- located on 37 Rue de Maubange wherein Rizal billeted but later, he moved to a cheaper
hotel on 124 Rue de Rennes in the Latin Quarter
· Laennec Hospital- where Rizal observed Dr. Nicaise treating his patients
· Lariboisiere Hospital- where Rizal observed the examination of different diseases of women
· Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish Mason openly and freely c riticized the government policies and lambasted the friars, which could not be done in Philippines
· March 1883- Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid
· Rizal’s reason for becoming a mason was to secure Freemansory’s aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines
· Lodge Solidaridad (Madrid) – Rizal transferred where he became a Master Mason on November 15,
1890
· February 15, 1892- Rizal was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in
Paris
· Science, Virtue and Labor- Rizal’s only Masonic writing; a lecture which he delivered in 1889 at Lodge Solidaridad, Madrid
· After Rizal’s departure for Spain, things turned from bad to worse in Calamba: (1) harvests of rice and sugarcane failed on account of drought and locusts (2) the manager of the Dominican-owned hacienda increased the rentals of the lands (3) a dreadful pest killed most of the turkeys. Due to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances of Rizal in Madrid were late in arrival and there were times when they never arrived
· June 24, 1884- a touching incident in Rizal’s life in Madrid wherein he was broke and was unable to take breakfast
-Rizal attended his class at the university, participated in the contest in Greek language and won the gold medal
· Evening of June 25, 1884- a banquet was sponsored by the Filipino community to celebrate the double victory of the Filipino artist in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid—Luna’s Spoliarium winning the first prize and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace (Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho), second prize
· November 20, 21, and 22, 1884- the serene city of Madrid exploded in bloody riots by the students of the Central University
· These student demonstrations were caused by the address of Dr. Miguel Morayta, professor of history, at the opening ceremonies of the academic year on November 20, in which he proclaimed “the freedom of science and the teacher”
· The Rector, who also took the side of the students, was forced to resign and was replaced by Doctor
Creus, “a very unpopular man, disliked by everybody”
· November 26, 1884- Rizal wrote the recounting tumultuous riots to his family
· June 21, 1884- Rizal completed his medical course in Spain; he was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid
· The next academic year (1884-1885), Rizal studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of
Doctor of Medicine but he did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paid the corresponding
fees, he was not awarded his Doctor’s diploma
· June 19, 1885- on his 24th birthday, Rizal was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid with the rating of “Excellent”: (Sobresaliente)
· November 26, 1884- a letter to Rizal’s family written in Madrid wherein he said “My doctorate is not of very much value to me… because although it is useful to a university professor, yet, I believe they
(Dominican friars—Z) will never appoint me as such in the College of Santo Tomas. I say the same thing of philosophy and letters which may serve also for a professorship, but I doubt if the Dominican fathers will grant it to me.”

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LIFE IN MADRID

· November 3, 1882- Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in two courses—Medicine and Philosophy and Letters
· Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando- Rizal studied painting and sculpture
· Rizal’s only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in every draw of the Madrid
Lottery
· Rizal spent his leisure time reading and writing at his boarding house, attending the reunions of Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers (Antonio, Maximo and Pedro) and practicing fencing and shooting at the gymnasium
· Antigua Café de Levante-during the summer twilights, this is where Rizal sipped coffee and fraternized with the students from Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, etc
· On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived with his son (Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo)
· Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle)- a society of Spaniards and Filipinos which Rizal
joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882
· Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me For Verses)- upon the request of the members of this society, Rizal’s wrote this poem which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of December 31, 1882
-in this sad poem, Rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart
· Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books from a
second-hand book store owned by a certain Señor Roses
· Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew- these two books
aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people

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IN SUNNY SPAIN (1882-1885)

-After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal decided to complete his studies in Spain
-Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizal has his “secret mission”—was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny
-This Rizalian secret mission was likewise disclosed by Paciano in his letter to his younger brother dated Manila, May 20, 1892
-Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars
· Jose Mercado- Rizal used this name; a cousin from Biñan
· May 3, 1882- Rizal departed on board the Spanish streamer Salvadora bound for Singapore
SINGAPORE
· Donato Lecha- the ship captain from Asturias, Spain befriended Rizal
-Rizal described him as an affable man, “much more refined than his other countrymen and colleagues that I have met.”
· Rizal played chess with his fellow passengers who were much older than he
· May 8, 1882- while the steamer was approaching Singapore, Rizal saw a beautiful island, fascinated by its scenic beauty, he remembered “Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga”
· May 9, 1882- the Salvadora docked at Singapore
· Hotel de la Paz- Rizal registered here and spent two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of England
FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO
· In Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a French steamer, which left Singapore for
Europe on May 11, 1882
· May 17, 1882- Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
· Rizal wrote on his travel diary: “The general appearance of Point Galle is picturesque but lonely and
quiet and at the same time sad”
· Colombo- capital of Ceylon
-Rizal was enamoured by Colombo because of its scenic beauty and elegant buildings
-“Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila”
· For the first time, Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa, which he called an “inhospitable land but
famous”
· Aden- city hotter than Manila
-Rizal was amused to see the camels, for the first time
· City of Suez- the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal
-Rizal was impressed in the beautiful moonlight which reminded him of Calamba and his family
· Suez Canal- canal which built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat-engineer) which was
inaugurated on November 17, 1869
· Port Said- the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal
NAPLES AND MARSEILLES
· June 11, 1882- Rizal reached Naples
-Rizal was pleased on this Italian city because of its business activity, its lively people, and its panoramic beauty
· Night of June 12, 1882- the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles
· Rizal visited the famous Chateau d’If, where Dantes, hero of the Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned
· Rizal stayed two and a half days in Marseilles
BARCELONA
· Afternoon of May 15, 1882- Rizal left Marseilles by train for the last lap of his trip to Spain
· Rizal crossed the Pyrenees and stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou
· June 16, 1882- Rizal finally reached his destination—Barcelona
· Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the greatest city of Cataluña and Spain’s second largest city, was unfavorable
· Las Ramblas- the most famous street in Barcelona
· Amor Patrio (Love of Country)- nationalistic essay, Rizal’s first article written on Spain’s soil
-under his pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882 -it was published in two texts—Spanish and Tagalog—the Spanish text was the one originally written by Rizal in Barcelona, the tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by M.H. del Pilar
· Basilio Teodoro Moran- a friend of Rizal in Manila and the publisher of Diariong Tagalog where Rizal
sent this article
· Diariong Tagalog- the first Manila bilingual newspaper (Spanish and Tagalog)
· Los Viajes (Travels)- Rizal’s second article for Diariong Tagalog
· Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid)- Rizal’s third article written in Madrid on November 29, 1882 but returned to him because the Diariong Tagalog had ceased publication for lack of funds
· Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging Manila and the provinces according to
Paciano’s letter, dated September 15, 1882
· Another sad news from the Philippines was the chatty letter of Chengoy recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera
· In one of his letters (dated May 26, 1882), Paciano advised his younger brother to finish the medical
course in Madrid
· Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid, the capital of Spain

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MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882)

-After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), Rizal transferred to the medical course
-“Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off his head.”- Doña Teodora, vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue higher learning in the university
· April 1877- Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and Letters because (1) his father like it (2) he was “still uncertain as to what career to pursue”
· Father Pablo Ramon-Rector of Ateneo, who had been good to him during his student days in that college, asking for advice on the choice of a career but unfortunately he was in Mindanao
· It was during the following term (1878-1879) that Rizal, having received the Ateneo Rector’s advice to study medicine
· During Rizal’s first school term in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-1878), Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor)
· Rizal excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in agriculture and topography
· November 25, 1881- the title was issued to Rizal for passing the final examination in the surveying course
· Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila- a society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest in the year 1879
· A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth)- Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted this poem
-is an inspiring poem of flawless form. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break the chains that have long bound the spirit of the people
-this winning poem of Rizal is a classic in Philippine literature for two reasons: (1) it was the great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary authorities (2) it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”
· The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem and gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon
· El Consejo de los Dioses (The Councils of the Gods)- an allegorical drama written by Rizal which he entered in the literary contest of Artistic-Literary Lyceum in 1880 to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes
-was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek classics
· The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust of Cervantes
· D.N. del Puzo- a Spanish writer, who won the second prize
· Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)- a zarzuela which was staged by the Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Feats Day of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo
- Rizal wrote it as President of the Academy of Spanish Literature in Ateneo
· A Filipinas- a sonnet written by Rizal for the album of the Society of Sculptors; in this sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines
· Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma- Rizal composed a poem in 1879 which was declaimed by an Atenean, Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December 8, 1879, in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness
· Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon- Rizal composed a poem in 1881, as an expression of affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo rector, who had been so kind and helpful to him
· Vicenta Ybardolaza- a pretty girl colegiala who skillfully played the harp at the Regalado home, whom Rizal was infatuated in Pakil
· Rizal mentioned Turumba (wherein the people dancing in the streets during the procession in honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores) in Chapter VI of Noli Me Tangere and Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (united States—Saturday, May 12, 1888), where he said that Niagara Falls was the “greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so beautiful nor fine as the falls at Los Baños, Pagsanjan”
· Compañerismo (Comradeship)- Rizal founded a secret society of Filipino students in University of Santo Tomas in 1880
· Companions of Jehu- members of the society whose after the valiant Hebrew general
· Galicano Apacible-Rizal’s cousin from Batangas who is the secretary of the society

UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST
-Rizal found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning because (1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him (2) the Filipino students
were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards (3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive
-In Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences. He related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”

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SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA (1872-1877)

· Ateneo Municipal- a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits
· Escuela Pia (Charity School)- formerly name of Ateneo, a school for poor boys in Manila which was established by the city government in 1817
· Escuela Pia----> Ateneo Municipal---> Ateneo de Manila
· June 10, 1872- Rizal accompanied by Paciano went to Manila
· Father Magin Ferrando- was the college registrar, refused to admit Rizal in Ateneo for two reasons: (1)he was late for registration (2) he was sickly and undersized for his age
· Manuel Xerez Burgos-because of his intercession, nephew of Father Burgos, Rizal was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo
· Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He registered under this name at Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under the suspicion of the Spanish authorities
· Rizal was first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street. This was owned by a spinster named Titay who owed the Rizal family the amount of 300 pesos

JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
-it trained the character of the student by rigid discipline and religious instructions
-Students were divided into two groups:
· Roman Empire- consisting of internos (boarders); red banner
· Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders); blue banner
· Emperor- the best student in each “empire”
· Tribune- the second best
· Decurion- the third best
· Centurion-the fourth best
· Stand-bearer- the fifth best
· The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat” The coat material was called rayadillo

FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873)
· Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo whom he described as a “tall thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin
· A Religious picture- Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil in the whole class
· To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon recesses. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons
· At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation
· When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year term in Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was an old widow named Doña Pepay

SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-1874)
-At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal
· The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas- the first favorite novel of Rizal which made a deep impression on him
· Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded his father to buy him this set of historical work that was a great aid in his studies
· Dr. Feodor Jagor- a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines in 1859-1860 who wrote Travels in the Philippines
-Rizal was impressed in this book because of (1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization (2)his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed her as colonizer

THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875)
-Rizal grades remained excellent in all subjects but he won only one medal—in Latin
-At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for the summer vacation. He himself was not impressed by his scholastic work.

FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO
· June 16, 1875- Rizal became an interno in the Ateneo
· Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great educator and scholar, one of Rizal’s professors who inspired him to study harder and to write poetry
-Rizal described this Jesuiot professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his pupils”
· Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the school term.

LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-1877)
-Rizal’s studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”
· March 23, 1877- Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors
· Marian Congregation- a religious society wherein Rizal was an active member and later became the secretary
· Rizal cultivated his literary talent under the guidance of Father Sanchez
· Father Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop communing with the Muse and pay more attention to more practical studies
· Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor
· Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocket knife
· Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred Heart of Jesus

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