BRUSSELS AND MADRID

Jose Rizal in Brussels & Madrid

• Rizal left Paris for Brussels, Belgium on January 28, 1890.
• He moved to economize expenses and finish El Filibusterismo.
• Rizal described Brussels in a letter to Blumentritt, praising its beauty.
• Rizal was busy writing El Filibusterismo and contributing to La Solidaridad.
• Rizal managed his finances meticulously due to a lack of funds from the Philippines.
• He carved two statues, Triumph of Science Over Death and Triumph of Death Over Life, sending them to Ferdinand Blumentritt.
• He also wrote a poem, A Mi Musa (To My Muse).

Jose Rizal in Brussels - Financial Difficulties

• Rizal suffered financial hardship in Brussels.
• He wrote to Mariano Ponce expressing his desire to return to the Philippines.
• He lacked financial support from the Philippines.
• His compatriots worried about his safety in the Philippines.
• Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce urged Rizal to move to Madrid.
• Rizal received instructions from his brother Paciano to go to Madrid.

Jose Rizal's Contributions in Brussels

• Rizal responded to Barrantes' criticisms of Noli Me Tangere in La Solidaridad (February 15, 1890).
• He argued Barrantes didn't read the whole novel and that the novel was written for the Filipinos.
• In La Solidaridad (February 28, 1890), he expressed bitterness over the unfair treatment of the Calamba tenants by the Spanish government, and questioned the impotence of the Catholic corporations.

The Philippines at the Spanish Congress

• Rizal drafted a proposal for a land estate in Borneo for Filipino farmers.
• Rizal criticized El Porvenir de Vesayas for highlighting criminal acts by the government and Civil Guards.
• He accused the board of censors created by the Spanish government.
• The proposal was dated April 30, 1890.

The Eastern Fables

• Rizal compared and contrasted fables from the Philippines and Japan.
• This work was published in Trubner's Record in July 1889.
• Saru Kani Gassen the "Battle of the Monkey and Crab" is one of the topics.

Una Esperanza (A Hope)

• Dated July 15, 1890.
• Rizal expressed hope after the Spanish minister's party.
• It concerns the conservative party's support for the friar-controlled situation in the Philippines.

On Rizal's Indolence of Filipinos

• Published in La Solidaridad (July 15-September 1, 1890).
• Rizal analyzed the Spanish rule's impact on the Filipinos.
• He used works by historical figures such as Chirino, Colin, & Chao Ju-Kua.

Rizal's Two Reasons for Filipinos Losing their Will

• Filipinos defended the Catholic faith and Spanish government.
• Rizal mentioned the Filipino battles against Portugal and the Dutch, attacks by Chinese Limahong and Muslim raiders, and sporadic insurrections and executions of Filipinos.
• This led to a decimation of the population

Rizal's Blame on Spanish Encomienderos

• Rizal blamed Spanish Encomienderos for abuses.
• The friars, inclined to defend their Filipino parishioners, were subject to the blatant tyranny of Spanish land-owners and the abuses
• Priests encouraged Filipinos to avoid work due to statements about the rich man being unqualified for heaven.

Rizal's Temper Tested (Two Incidents)

• Rizal attended a Filipino reunion in Madrid, where Antonio Luna insulted him.
• Their compatriots intervened and they apologized.
• A second incident involved Wenceslao E. Retana, a Spanish scholar hired by the Catholic Corporations to address La Solidaridad.
• Retana wrote of Rizal's love for his family.

Sorrowful Events while Rizal was in Madrid

• Feliciano Gonzales Timbang and Jose Maria Panganiban died in Madrid.
• Rizal wrote eulogies for them.
• Rizal was informed about the Calamba Hacienda case decision (April 1890).
• The decision favored the Dominican Catholic Corporation, against tenants, principales, farmers, and Rizal's family.

Rizal Received the Information He Feared

• Rizal received a letter from his sister, Saturnina, about the sad events affecting their family in Calamba.
• Saturnina informed Rizal of the arrest and banishment of his brothers-in-law to Mindoro.
• His father, Don Francisco, was affected and also in their old house.
• Rizal wrote to Blumentritt expressing his loss of hope in Spain.

Sorrowful Events while Rizal was in Madrid - Letter to Blumentritt

• This letter is a description of the dreadful events that Rizal's family witnessed in Calamba.
• Sickness, poverty, displacement, and lack of hospitality to victims were some of the issues.
• Rizal lost hope in Spain and no longer wrote for La Solidaridad .

Rizal Attempted to Ask for "Help"

• Rizal attempted to contact Spanish politicians to help his family in the Philippines.
• He tried to enlist Don Manuel Becerra, but failed.
• He also sought Her Majesty Queen Regent Maria Cristina but was unsuccessful due to lack of influential relationships.

Rizal's Leave For Hong Kong

• Rizal's stay in Spain ended with his travels to Hong Kong (1891).
• He departed from Europe (Spanish territories).
• He left a message to his European compatriots.

Rizal's Thoughts to his Compatriots

• Rizal cautioned his compatriots that hoping for help of those in Europe might be problematic.
• More practical approaches to address issues in the Philippines are needed.
• Rizal advocates for radical action to bring change in the Philippines.

Jose Rizal's Contributions in La Solidaridad while in Madrid

• In La Solidaridad, Rizal published Cobordo Venganza (Cowardly Revenge) (August 31, 1890).
• It expressed Rizal's bitterness towards the Spanish government in the Philippines and the treatment of his brother-in-laws and brother, Paciano
• The article referred to the arbitrary banishment of people by the Spanish authorities through provocation from the Dominican friars in Calamba.

How the Philippines is Governed

• In La Solidaridad (December 15, 1890), Rizal argued against the mismanagement of the Spanish government in the Philippines.
• Rizal outlined that the officials were the cause of the problems.
• He blamed the friars and how they gained from their corporations and the workings of the Catholic Church.

F. PI. Y Margall: el Luchar Tiempo Nuestro

• F. PI. Y Margall critiqued issues in La Solidaridad(November 15, 1890), covering topics like poverty, soul, and religion.
• Rizal authored a review of the book "The Struggle of Our Time".

Jose Rizal Masonic Speech in Madrid

• Rizal provided a lecture to the Solidaridad Lodge No. 53 in Madrid in 1889.
• It covered the fundamental foundations of Masonry (Science, Virtue, and Labor).

Rizal Published the El Filibusterismo in Ghent

• Rizal published El Filibusterismo in Ghent, Belgium in early July 1891.
• Choosing to work there due to cheaper printing costs.
• His friends Alejandrino and Evangelista attended the University of Ghent together with him.
• Rizal suffered financial struggles during the process.
• His compatriots offered assistance.

Through the Letters of Rizal to Jose Maria Basa in July 1891

• Rizal's financial strains are evident in letters to Jose Maria Basa.
• He pawned his belongings to print El Filibusterismo.
• He expressed disappointment in Filipinos' lack of support, despite promises of funding.
• He felt let down by his countrymen.

Valentin Ventura

• Valentine Ventura assisted Rizal by providing funding for the printing of El Filibusterismo.

Jose Rizal Finished El Filibusterismo in Brussels

• Rizal finished the manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Brussel.
• Rizal wrote to Jose Basa regarding the novel's completion and the process
• He indicated some parts of his work were ready for printing.

Reaction of Rizal's Compatriots to El Filibusterismo

• Graciano Lopez Jaena and Mariano Ponce praised the quality of El Filibusterismo.
• They considered the novel as a worthy continuation to Noli Me Tangere.

Jose Rizal Proceed to Hong Kong

• Rizal's journey to Hong Kong.
• He departed from Europe to finalize his plan.
• He left a farewell message to his European compatriots.

Rizal's Messages to his Compatriots

• Rizal provided advice to Filipino compatriots regarding practical applications in improving the Philippines.
• He cautioned them against relying on European support.
• He highlighted that the struggle must be undertaken in the Philippines to achieve significant change.

Characters in El Filibusterismo

• Simoun - Ibarra, who plotted to overthrow the government to attain his goals.
• Maria Clara - She was not involved in Simoun's plans; she died in the nunnery, 13 years after the novel began.
• Basilio - The novel shows Basilio's dedication towards being a doctor.