GE 9 Rizal's Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad PDF

Chapter IV: Rizal’s Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad  SPAIN SECRET MISSION PHILIPPINES to observe keenly the life and culture, languages...

Chapter IV: Rizal’s Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad  SPAIN SECRET MISSION PHILIPPINES to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and the government laws of the European nations to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny After finishing his 4th year of medical course in the UST, Rizal decided to complete his studies in Spain  PHILIPPINES SPAIN SALVADORA JOSE MERCADO His main reason for leaving the Philippines was to transfer to the Universidad Central De Madrid in Spain to finish his medicine course  SINGAPORE he remembered “Talim Island with BOTANICAL GARDEN the Susong Dalaga” FAMOUS BUDDHIST STATUE OF THE HOTEL DE LA PAZ FOUNDER spent two-day  BARKOMG DJEMNAH SINGAPORE EUROPE Most people in the vessel were British, French, Dutch, Spaniards, Malays, Siamese, and Filipinos. French was mostly spoken on board.  Inhospitable but famous BARKONG DJEMNAH Cape of Guardafui, Africa. Aden hotter than Manila SUEZ CANAL (five days) BARKNG DJEMNAH He disembarked for sightseeing and was then fascinated to hear the multiracial inhabitants speaking a babel of tongues –Arabic, Egyptians, Greek, Italian and Spanish.  The steamer proceeded to Europe and reached Naple City, Italy. Rizal was captivated by Mount Vesuvius, the Castle of St. Telmo, and the historic sights of the city. The city was busy because of its business activities, lively people, and panoramic beauty. The steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles. Rizal disembarked to visit the famous Chateau d‘if where Dantes, the hero in the book The Count of Monte Cristo was jailed. He stayed at Marseilles for two and a half days  The steamer left Mersailles for its last trip, Spain. The steamer reached Pyrenees and stopped for a day at Port Bou. In this place, Rizal saw the indifference accorded to tourists in comparison to the courtesy accorded by the French immigration officers.  From Port Bou, Rizal continued his trip for the last lap by train and finally reached his destination, Barcelona, Spain. Rizal stayed in Hotel de España then boarded a house in San Severo Street. Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the greatest city of Cataluña and Spain’s second-largest city, was unfavorable. He visited Ronda de la Universidad of Barcelona – ugly, dirty little inns, inhospitable people – because he happened to stay upon his arrival in a stingy inn. Later, he changed his mind and came to like the city. A great city with an atmosphere of freedom, liberalism and openhearted, ho  Rizal was welcomed by the Filipinos in Barcelona, some of them were his classmates in Ateneo. They gave him a party at their favorite café – Plaza de Cataluña. They exchanged toast and they introduced to him the attractions and customs of the people in Barcelona. Rizal, in turn, gave news and gossips in the Philippines. While in Barcelona, Rizal received two bad news: (1) the cholera outbreak that ravaged Manila and the provinces; and (2) the chatty letter of Chengoy recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was getting thinner due to the absence of a loved one.  “Amor Patrio (Love of Country) was Rizal’s first article written on Spain’s soil, under his pen-name Laong Laan. It appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882. The nationalistic essay was published in two texts—Spanish and Tagalog. The Spanish text was originally written by Rizal in Barcelona and the other one was a Tagalog translation made by M.H. del Pilar. DIARYONG TAGALOG is the first Manila bilingual newspaper (written in Spanish and Tagalog) whose publisher, Basilio Teodoro Moran, is a friend of Rizal in Manila. Rizal’s second article for Diariong Tagalog was “Los Viajes (Travel)” “Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid)” as his third article whom he had written in Madrid on November 29, 1882, but was later returned to him by the publishing company which had ceased publication due to lack of funds. Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid, he took Paciano’s advice to finish his schooling in the capital of Spain  On November 3, 1882, Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in two courses — Medicine and Philosophy and Letters. At the same time, he studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, took lessons in different languages–French, German, and English–under private tutors. He also took time for sports and rigidly practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell. Moreover, he followed his desire to learn more about music and other subjects. During vacant times, he visited galleries and museums and read books of different subjects including military engineering.  Rizal lived frugally, budgeting his money wisely. Although he used to buy a ticket in every draw of the Madrid Lottery, he never wasted his money for other types of gambling, wine, and women. 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. He also reached out and fraternized with other students at the Antigua Café de Levante.  Shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882, he joined Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of Spaniards and Filipinos. “Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me for Verses)” was written by Rizal upon the request of the members of this society which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception held in the evening of December 31, 1882. In that sad poem, Rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart.  Instead of gallivanting as the other Filipinos were inclined to do, he spent his extra money on books and was able to build a library of his own. Among all his collections, he gave special attention to Hariet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and Eugene Sue’s “Wandering Jew” which were stories of oppressed and suffering people. These two books aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people  During his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris. Being mistaken for a Japanese, prices of food, drinks, theatre, tickets, laundry, hotel accommodations, and transportation were jacked-up and were too high for Rizal’s slender purse. As a result, in a letter he wrote to his family, he described Paris as the “costliest capital in Europe.” Rizal stayed for a period of more than 60 days in Paris. He initially stayed in Hotel de Paris located on 37 Rue de Maubange but later moved to a cheaper hotel on 124 Rue de Rennes in the Latin Quarter.  Like any other tourist, he was impressed by the beautiful Paris, but what interested him the most in the city was the presence of liberal reforms. The Spanish Masons criticized the government policies and lambasted the friars, which evidently could not be done in the Philippines. In March 1883, he joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid with the thought that the Freemasonry would aid him in his fight against the friars in the Philippines.  He became a Master Mason on November 15, 1890 and three months later, he was awarded the diploma of Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris. However, he did not play an active role as a Mason, unlike the other Filipino patriots such as M.H. del Pilar, G. Lopez Jaena and Mariano Ponce. He wrote only one lecture for the association entitled “Science, Virtue, and Labor”.  Rizal had financial problems after his two years stay in Spain for things had been bad in the Philippines. There were droughts and locusts which destroyed the farm and the harvests of rice and sugar cane failed. Conflict also arose between his father and the hacienda manager causing the raise of the rentals of the land as Don Francisco refused to give his only enduring turkey as it was the only turkey left for breeding. Consequently, Rizal’s monthly allowances were late and there even times that they did not arrive at all, so that there were meals that he missed during the day  Evening of June 25, 1884, a banquet was sponsored by the Filipino community to celebrate the double victory of the Filipino artists 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) the second prize. This was also one occasion where the dinner he had there was the only meal that he had eaten that day.  Rizal also participated in the student demonstrations, on November 20, 21, and 22, 1884, at 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”. His speech angered the university students that induced several demonstrations that ended in a bloody riot where many civilians were hurt. Rizal wrote to his family and told them of his escape with a friend, Ventura, from police arrest.  Despite all the problems he encountered, Rizal was able to complete his studies and on June 21, 1884, he received the degree of Licentiate in Medicine and continued working for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He failed to get the degree as he wasn’t able to present a thesis and failed to pay the corresponding fees. Nevertheless, he showed excellent grades in Legal Medicine and Normal Histology and was rated “very good” in Surgical Clinic. Aside from these, he also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters, likewise with excellent ratings.  Finishing the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters entitled him to teach Humanities in any Spanish University. The degree of Licentiate in Medicine qualified him to become a full-fledged physician, licensed to practice medicine. At last, he had completed his studies. However, he found no use to obtain a Doctorate in Medicine, which would be useful for a university professor, because he was sure that he would not be appointed in the College of Santo Tomas, anyway  After completing his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid, he left for Paris and Germany to specialize in ophthalmology; having in his mind his mother’s eye ailment and serving as an assistant to a famous European oculist. Later, he traveled to various places in Europe continuing his “secret mission.”  On his way to Paris, he stopped at Barcelona to meet old acquaintances, especially, Maximo Viola, his friend hailed from Bulacan who helped him in the publication of the Noli, and likewise had the pleasure of meeting Señor Eusebio Corominas- editor of the newspaper La Solidaridad. In his four months stay in Paris, he worked from November 1885 to February 1886 as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a leading French ophthalmologist.  During his off-hours, he socialized by visiting friends such as Pardo de Taveras, the artists Juan Luna (Pardo de Taveras fiancé), and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, and oftentimes stayed with Luna in his studio. At the studio of Luna, Rizal spent many happy hours helping Luna by posing as a model in several paintings. In Luna’s canvas “The Death of Cleopatra’”, Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest. In another great painting “The Blood Compact'', he posed as Sikatuna, with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera taking the role of Legazpi  Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany, on February 3, 1886. The land was famous for its old university and romantic surroundings. While in Heidelberg, he worked at the University Eye Hospital as an assistant to Dr. Otto Becker, a distinguished German ophthalmologist.  It was here in Heidelberg where he wrote his fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg), inspired by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of the Neckar River, which reminded him of the flowers at home in Calamba. Among them was his favorite flower —the light blue “forget-me-not”. He also spent a three- month summer vacation at Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village near Heidelberg and stayed with a protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer, who became his good friend.  On July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote his first letter in German (which he had improved after his stay with the Ullmers) to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria, who was to become his best friend and who had the interest in Philippine Languages. He then sent Arithmetica (Arithmetic), a book written by Rufino Hernandez, published in two languages— Spanish and Tagalog—by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. On August 6, 1886, Rizal left for Leipzig on the eve of the 5th anniversary celebration of the University of Heidelberg.  Aboard a train, Rizal arrived in Leipzig on August 14, 1886. There he met the famous German anthropologist, Dr. Hans Beyer and Professor Friedrich Ratzel, a German historian. He did a lot of writing during his stay in this place, he went translating Schiller’s William Tell from German into Tagalog so Filipino might know the story of the Swiss independence. Rizal also translated into Tagalog Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales for his nephews and nieces. Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was the cheapest, so he stayed here for two months and a half working as a proofreader in a publisher’s firm because of his knowledge in German, Spanish, and other European languages. Morning of November 1, 1886, Rizal left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the evening.  Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of racial prejudice. Here he met for the first time Dr. Feodor Jagor, a celebrated German scientist- traveler and author of the book Travels in the Philippines, a book which Rizal read and admired during his student days in Manila. Through Dr. Jagor, he met a few acquaintances including Dr. Ernest Schweigger, a famous German ophthalmologist, where he worked for a considerable period of time.  Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin, upon the recommendation of his German friends. Rizal wrote a scholarly paper in German entitled Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art) 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:  to gain further knowledge of ophthalmology; to further his studies of sciences and languages; to observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation to associate with famous German scientists and scholars; and to publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere.  Rizal’s stay in Berlin was one of the most difficult in his life: he had no money; he was flat broke, and his health was failing. It was also one of the most memorable for it was during this time that his first novel, the Noli Me Tangere, was published and came off press. After the printing of the novel, Rizal received financial help from home. With the money in his pocket after paying Php 300 to Dr. Maximo Viola which he owed for loaning him the needed funds to publish the novel, he decided to see Europe once more before going home to the Philippines.  On May 11, 1887, Rizal and Viola left Berlin by train. His first destination was Dresden–“one of the best cities in Germany”, followed by Decin in Czechoslovakia, Vienna in Austria, and other places. In Dresden, he visited Dr. Adolph B. Meyer and met Dr. Jagor and told the latter of his plans to visit Blumentritt in Leitmeritz (now Litemerice). Rizal would be seeing Blumentritt for the first time so he was prevailed upon by Dr. Jagor informing Blumentritt of his coming  At 1:30 pm of May 13, 1887, Rizal and Viola arrived at the railroad station of Leitmeritz, and for the first time, the two great scholars—Rizal and Blumentritt—met in person, since the professor was there at the station to meet them. While in Leitmeritz, Blumentritt brought them to various places, historical spots, and to a conference at the Tourist Club where Blumentritt was the secretary; Rizal in response spoke extemporaneously in fluent Germany while he delivered a speech to the officers and members.  Rizal and Viola stayed there for four days and left Leitmeritz by train on May 16, 1887, at 9:45 AM. He then proceeded to Prague where nothing of importance happened. After Prague, the continued their journey to Vienna, the capital of Austria – Hungary at that time – and saw the “beautiful blue Danube”, churches, museums, art galleries, theaters, and public parks. From here, he and Dr. Viola proceeded to Lintz and then to Rheinfall, to other beautiful cities in Germany such as Munich and Nuremberg. They crossed the frontier and proceeded to Switzerland, visiting Bern, Lussane, and Geneva  His happy tour of Europe was marred by news from his friends in Madrid that in an Exposition of the Philippines held in Spain in the year 1887, there were Igorots exhibited, and because of the deplorable conditions that they were in, some had died. With scanty clothing on, they were ridiculed, laughed at, and were the objects of mockery not only by the people but also by the press. This angered Rizal very much, with which he could not do anything about, but his indignation was revealed in the letter he wrote to Blumentritt dated June 6, 1887.  He ended his tour in Italy and visited the Vatican, called the “City of the Popes” and the capital of Christendom, where he was deeply impressed by the majestic and magnificent buildings and its religious atmosphere. After his long journey of five years in Europe and in a foreign land, he prepared for his trip back home to the Philippines.  The publication of the Noli Me Tangere caused an uproar among the friars, and for that reason, Paciano (his brother), Silvestre Ubaldo (his brother-in-law), Chengoy and other friends warned Rizal not to return home but he was so determined to return to the Philippines for the following reasons: (1) to operate on his mother’s eyes; (2) to assuage his loneliness for his parents and brothers and sisters; (3) to serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants; (4) to find out for himself how Noli and his other writings were affecting Filipinos and Spaniards in the Philippines; and (5) to determine the source of Leonor Rivera’s silence.  Rizal boarded the steamer Djemnah when he left Europe but was later transferred to another steamer, Haiphong. On 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. At near midnight on August 5, 1887, the Haiphong arrived in Manila. It was on August 8, 1887, that he finally returned to Calamba. In there, he 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 acquired a lucrative medical practice. Rizal opened a gymnasium for young folks, where he introduced European sports. However, Rizal suffered one failure during his six months of sojourn in Calamba—he failed to see Leonor Rivera  But he saw the answer to the effects brought about by his novel on the Spanish government. A few weeks after his arrival, Rizal was invited to Malacañang to answer questions regarding the “subversive ideas” in his novel, an instigation coming from his enemies. He denied the charges and his only defense was that he was only telling the truth. The Governor-General requested a copy, and Rizal had procured one after a long and difficult search.  Governo-General Emilio Terrero (1885-1888) read the novel and found no subversive ideas in it. 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.”  Governor-General Terrero was not satisfied with the assessment and for further verification sent the novel to the committee head of Permanent Commission of Censorship, Fr. Salvador Font, who 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, an 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 criticized the Noli in an article published in La Espańa Moderna (a newspaper of Madrid) in January, 1890.  The action of the government, however, made the book more popular, and all copies were sold, reaching a price of Php 50 per copy. But this made Rizal and his friends apprehensive and uneasy, although there were no massive arrests. The novel was not only controversial but popular, it reached Spain and was the subject of debate in the Senate of the Spanish Cortes.  On the other hand, the Noli was gallantly defended by Filipino reformists including Marcelo H. del Pilar, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Graciano Lopez-Jaena, Mariano Ponce; and other Spaniards such as Fr. Sanchez, his favorite teacher at Ateneo; Don Segismundo Moret; Dr. Miguel Morayta; and Professor Blumentritt. The best defense of Noli came from Rev. Vicente Garcia, a Filipino Catholic priest, a 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. In there, he blasted the arguments of Fr. Rodriguez. Rizal, himself defended his novel against Barrantes’ attack, in a letter written in Brussels, Belgium.  In spite of the storm brewing over the novel, Rizal was not arrested and for his safety, the Governor-General assigned him a bodyguard, Lt. Jose Taviel Andrade, who will later play an important part of his life during his trial for treason. What marred Rizal’s happy days in Calamba with Lt. Andrade were (1) the death of his older sister, Olympia; 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.”  The friars asked Governor General Terrero to deport him, but the 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; and (2) he could fight his enemies better 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. In response, he wrote, “Himno Al Trabajo” (Hymn to Labor), a poem dedicated to the industrious folks of Lipa. QUIZ TIME Questions and discussions are now open.