Rizals Contribution to the Reform Movement Laying the Groundwork
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Two youn young g Doct Doctor orss of Law Law, Pedr Pedro o Pate Patern rno o and and Gerg Gergor orio io Sanc Sancia iano no,, both both Chin Chines esee Mestizos endowed with nationalist sentiments were in Sain during with !lull years" following the tragedies of #$%&' These These two intel intellect lectual ualss were soon soon (oined (oined by Graci Graciano ano Loez Loez )aena, )aena, )ose )ose *izal, *izal, Pedro Pedro de Ga+antes and duardo de ete' Dr' Dr' Pter Pterno no ublis ublishe hed d his his firs firstt lite litera rary ry wor. which which has a coll collec ecti tion on of +ers +erses es entitl entitled ed Samaguitas /#$$01' Dr' Dr' Gregor Gregorio io Sancia Sanciano no wrote wrote on a more more serio serious us theme2 theme2 econom economic ic reform reformss to imro imro+e +e olitical administration this boo. l Progreso de 3iliinas 3iliinas /#$$#1 Sanc Sancia iano no defe defend nded ed the the 4ndi 4ndios os from from San Sanis ish h writ writer erss whos whosee lite litera rary ry e5ag e5agge gera rati tion onss ortrayed indolence as a national and racial trait of the nati+es' 6e cited cited the toba tobacco cco monoo monooly ly and analy analysed sed its its brutali brutalizin zing g conse7u conse7uence ences' s' The wor.s wor.s of of Patern Paterno o and Sancia Sancianco nco clearl clearly y summed summed u the the ideas ideas that that were were recur recur in the olitical and intellectual acti+ities' UNIFING F!RC"# $URING %&" UN!RG'NI("$ "'R#
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8o formal formal organi organizat zation ion to coordin coordinate ate and direct direct their their acti+i acti+itie tiess character characterize ized d the early stages of Proaganda mo+ement in Sain' The most most syma symathe thetic tic to to the cause cause of the the 3iliin 3iliinos os during during the the early early years years was Los Los Dos Mundos where Graciano Loez )aena and Pedro de Ga+antes were staff members' Circ Circul ulo o 6is 6isano ano 3ili 3ilii ino no led by )uan )uan 9tay 9tayde, de, a Sani Saniar ard d born born in the Phili Phili in ines es'' 4t ublished a short-li+ed newsaer, the *e+ista del Circulo 6isano-3iliino' :hen *izal arri+ed in Madrid, he saw that the Circulo had become more of a social grou and he tried in +ain to strengthen its urose' #$$; The The +ictory +ictory of Luna Luna and *esur *esurrec reccio cion n 6idalgo 6idalgo o+er o+er all their their Sani Sanish sh comet cometito itors rs at the 5osicion de
R")I)'L R")I)'L !F 'C%I)I%I"# 'C%I)I%I"# IN %&" *&ILI**IN"#
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The local local strat strategy egy in organ organizi izing ng the Proag Proaganda anda wor. wor. was erf erform ormed ed by Marcel Marcelo o 6' del Pilar' - 6is 6is dul dulos os and essa essays ys which which sati satiri rize zed d local local condi conditi tion onss were were widely widely circul circulate ated d in the Tagalog Tagalog ro+inces' - Del Pilar Pilar secre secretly tly organ organize ized d the comite comite /)unta /)unta11 de Proagan Proagand' d' The small small but but acti+e acti+e grou grou used Manila and Malolos as centers of their oeration' - Del Del Pila Pilarr was susec susecte ted d of being being the maste masterm rmin ind d of secre secrett meetin meetings gs held held in +ario +arious us towns2 of being the author of rebellious and slanderous essays2 of ha+ing oularized the 8oli Me Tangere Tangere and being against the church and go+ernment' C!N#!LI$'%I!N !F *R!*'G'N$' 'C%I)I%I"#+ %&" FIN'L *U#& F!R R"F!RM#
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3iliino 8ationalists formally organized *izal, the most scholarly of the grou wielded his en as he researched among the 3iliiniana collection of the
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The roagandists= financial difficulties forced *izal to comment that the ma(ority tal.ed the great deal but were reluctant to hel finance the mo+ement' The symathizers among moneyed grou were indeed Dominador and Pablo *ianzares
RI('L '%%"M*%# %! C'RR !N %&" *R!*'G'N$' IN %&" *&ILI**IN"#
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*izal organized La Liga 3iliina on )uly >, #$?&' 6is ob(ecti+es according to its constitution were2 the unification of the whole archielago into one comact, +igorous and homogeneous body@ mutual rotection in e+ery want and necessity@ defense against all +iolence and in(ustice encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce@ and the study and alication of reforms' The league was di+ided into three councils2 Sureme, Pro+incial and Poular Council' 4ts constitution defined the duties and rights of its members and officers' 6owe+er, La Liga was short-li+ed because of his e5ile La Liga Daitan in #$?&' *izal=s last deserate attemt to carry on Proaganda Mo+ement in the Philiines had failed' La Solidaridad folded u for lac. of funds on 8o+' #A, #$?A' Loez )aena died of fuberoulos two months later@ Del Pilar died of the same disease, oor and hungry on ; )uly #$?Band *izal was e5ecuted at the end of the same year' RI('L# -RI%ING 'N$ %he Resolute *ro.agandist
New $ire/tions %owards '//om.lishing &is Mission0
*izal roosed a boo. to the 3iliino members of the Cir/ulo &is.ano1Fili.ino ' The boo.s would deal on +arious asects of Philiine life' 9 man of ideals obsessed with freedom and liberty for the 3iliino eole, 6e felt comassion for the helless +ictims of tyranny' sing foremost talent he started writing one of his masterieces, 8oli Me Tangere 6is desire for more mature contacts and his search for enlightenment to comlete his boo.' 6e finish her first half 8oli in Madrid' 6e continued writing in Paris where the immortal declaration the rights of man had been assed a century before' 6e finished his boo. in Germany were free from Church and State control' *izal lanned to +isit other uroean countries to study the eole=s way of life and adot ideas and rograms that would benefit his countrymen' 6e studied 3rench and mastered the language so well so that he could ha+e translated 8oli Me Tangere into 3rench' 6e studied 6ebrew to enable him to interret the bible in its original te5t and better reared and better reared to defend any contro+ersial religious issue that 8oli Me Tangere' *izal became a member of the Geograhical and thnological Society of
corrected the #$A& ma of Mindanao which he brought him to uroe' 6e researched in Psychology while he was in Leizig' 6e concentrated his studies on the comarison of race characteristics as influenced by go+ernment, history and language' #i21Month #o3ourn in the *hili..ines0
6e arri+ed in Maniala on A 9ugust #$$%' 6e oened a medical clinic, successfully oerated on his mother=s eyes and established a gymnasium' 9s the contro+ersy in his 8o+el 8oli *izal got in+ol+ed in the Ealamba agrarian contro+ersy' The bold e5ose *izal and security for the *izal 3amily became a roblem and *izal was ad+ised to lea+e the country' 6e secretly dearted on > 3ebruary #$$$' Rizal ,e/ome 'n '/tive *ro.agandist0
*izal showed that the ast of the Philiines re+ealed that e+en before coming of the Saniards the 3iliinos already had a de+eloed culture' :hile he was annotating Sucesos he was also writing l 3ilibusterismo' 6e wrote !The Philiines within a Century" and !The 4ndolence of the 3iliino Peole" to answer criticisms against 3iliinos and their culture' 9t the same time he admitted their faults as in his !Letter to the :oman od Malolos", and emhasized the imerati+e need to enlighten his eole' 6e finally comleted the 3ili manuscrit in )uly #$?# while he was in )uly #$?&' Rizal Is 'rrested and $e.orted to $a.itan0
Fn Bth )uly *izal was summoned to Malacanang Palace' 6e was confronted with the charge of ha+ing brought with him from 6ong.ong leaflets entitled Pobres 3railes /!Poor 3riars"1' 4n site of his rotestations of innocence=s, he was arrested and brought to the *oyal 3ortress of Santiago for detention' Fn #; )uly he was notified and deorted for ha+ing a written and smuggled into the country leaflets' 6e was summarily accussed of dedicating his second no+el, l
3ilibusterismo, to the memory of three riests who had been ro+en traitors to the nation but whom e5tolled as martyrs' 6e was also accused of ad+ocating searation from Sain as the only means of sal+ation for the Philiines' Thus was *izal accused, (udged condemned without trial' 9fter an eight-day confinement in 3ort Santiago he was surretitious escorted under hea+y guard to steamshi Cebu for deortation to Daitan in Mindanao' %&" N'%I!N'LI#% IN "4IL" *ra/ti/al Nationalism In $a.itan
:hile in Daitan, *izal demonstration how much a citizen could to hel community' 6e arri+ed on the night of #%th )uly #$?&' Soon he was racticing his rofessional as a doctor, farmer, teacher, businessman, community de+eloment, leader, engineer, and scientist' 6e also found time to study the Malayan Language and se+eral Philiine dialects' 6e continued his artistic ursuits in sculture, ainting, s.etching, and writing oetry' 6e rendered free medical ser+ices to the oor' Many of his atients in Talisay and Daitan were too oor to ay and times he ro+ided them with medicine and drugs' 6e constructed small houses which he called casitas de salud where his atients and families stayed during treatment eriod' 6e alied some of his modern educational ideas to grou of #B selected boys whom accommodated near his own' 9lying his .nowledge as a land sur+eyor /erito agrimensor1, he lanned new street layouts and constructed them through the cooerati+e labor of the eole' :ith the limited .nowledge of engineering, he concei+ed the idea of ro+iding the town with a water system which was comleted in #$?A through the hel of his uils and the townseole' 6e li.ewise set about ro+iding the town with a lighting system which consisted of coconut oil lams laced in dar. streets' 6e in+ented a wooden machine for ma.ing bric.s' 6e also introduced a hem striing machine imro+e the abaca industry thus increasing the outut of the abaca lanters' 6e romoted the establishment of a Daitan farmers cooerati+e association' These wor. e5eriences in Daitan enhanced *izal=s concet of ractical nationalism' Rizals Rea/tion to the 5ati.unan
Fn the e+e of &# )une #$?B, Dr' Pio alenzuela +isited *izal in Daitan to inform about the founding of the Eatiunan on %th )uly #$?& which aimed at the searation of the Philiines from Sain by means of re+olution' *izal considered the re+olutions (ust and atriotic but when alenzuela informed him that the re+olution might brea. out rematurely e+en without sufficient arms, *izal +igorously ob(ected, stating that this would be +e ritable suicide' nd of *izal=s 5ile' 4nsite of the liberties e5tended to him by the Sanish go+ernment within the confines of Daitan' *izal was not content because he was not a free man' Twice he wrote Go+ernor General *amon , #$?B, *izal left for , #$?B the ss !Colon" reached Manila and *izal was brought directly to 3ort Santiago under hea+y guard'
T6 T*49LS 98D CT4F8 Fn the early morning of &? th December #$?B, *izal was formally notified of the court=s +erdict2 D9T6' 6e was to be shot at the sunrise for the ne5t day' The +erdict had been reached an unrecedented one day trial held the day after Christmas by a military court comosed of si5 officers and recided o+er by Colonel )ose Tagores 9r(ona' *izal was condemned for !founding illegal associations and of romoting and inducing rebellion, the first being the necessary means to the second"' *izal was defended by Lieutenant Luis Ta+iel de 9ndrade, brother of his body gurad in Ealamba in #$$%-#$$$' Preliminary 4n+estigation !Proofs" of *izal guilt=s has been gathered by Catain 3rancisco de Fli+e and the reliminary in+estigation was conducted by secial (udge, Colonel *afael Dominguez' 6e was 7uestioned on se+eral items, among them his articiation in +arious olitical acti+ities, his association with certain eole and his .nowledge of certain circumstances' The in+estigators had to trum u e+idence from *izal=s corresondence' La Liga 3iliina which the Saniards alleged to be the cause of re+olution, from his oems !To Talisay and Eundiman" and from the seeches of Eatiuneros that ended with2 !Long Li+e the PhiliinesH Long Li+e LibertyH Long Li+e *izalH" They 7uestioned him on his membershi in Masonic lodges, on his aointment as a honorary resident of the Eatiunan, on the use of his icture to adorn the secret session room from the Eatiuneros, and on the testimonies of arehended Eatiuneros' Deserate for more roofs of *izal guilt, Catain Fli+e had Paciano tortured unconsciousness' T6 T*49L The inconclusi+e as the e+idences were, )udge Dominguez recommended a seedy trial which the Go+ernor and (udge ad+ocate General 8icolas de la Pena aro+ed' 9t the trial, 9lcober attemted to show that *izals writings were described to incite anti-friar and anti-Sanish feelings@ that he lanned to wor. through the Masonic lodges so the friars might be e5elled from the 6ong.ong' 9lcober e5osed *izal as the soul of the rebellion 6e as.ed that the risoner be absolutely and ermanently deri+ed of ci+il rights and sub(ected to olice sur+eillance for life and comelled to ay an indemnity of P &0,000 3or the defense- referring to wor.s, Ta+iel de 9ndrade argued that the rosecutors imression on *izal=s writings was a misconcetion and that *izal only as.ed for the nights of his eole' 8either lie be condemned for organizing the Liga because it aim was to unite the eole for the romotion of commerce, industry and agriculture and arts' 9lcocer arose and deli+ered a long seech summarizing the charges against *izal and urged to gi+e the +erdict of death to the accused' The Sanish sectators alauded noisily 9lcocer=s etition for the sentence of death' The military court re(udiced as it was, remained indifferent to *izal=s Pleading' The resident, Lt' Col' Togores 9r(ona, considered the trial o+er and ordered the hall cleared' 9fter the short deliberation, the military court unanimously +oted for the sentence of death' *olavie3a #igns Rizal6s "2e/ution0 Fn December &$th Pola+ie(a aro+ed the decision and orderd *izal to be shot at %200 o=cloc. in the morning December >0, at
3or the signing the fatal document ordering the e5ecution of *izal, Go+ernor General Pola+ie(a won an internal Fdium of the 3iliino Peole' 6e and other Sanish officials who were resonsible for the death of *iza@ will e+ermore remain as obno5ious +illain in Philiine history'
*izal and the de+eloment of national consciousness 9 te5tboo. for the course on *izal life, wor.s and writings
