The Life and Works of Jose Rizal (PDF)

## The Life and Works of Jose Rizal ### **Promote the Rights of Filipinos** The Propaganda Movement was formed to promote the rights of Filipinos who were long deprived of these rights by the colonizers. The movement also encouraged both men and women to rise up and carry the fight to defend thems...

## The Life and Works of Jose Rizal ### **Promote the Rights of Filipinos** The Propaganda Movement was formed to promote the rights of Filipinos who were long deprived of these rights by the colonizers. The movement also encouraged both men and women to rise up and carry the fight to defend themselves against countless abuses. The movement brought unity to many Filipinos. ### **Reformists** The movement eventually lead to Filipino reformists. They were seeking to overthrow the Spanish regime. Some of the key figures in this movement include: - Andres Bonifacio - Emilio Aguinaldo - Apolinario Mabini - Emilio Jacinto ### **Marcelo H. del Pilar as Delegate in Barcelona of the Propaganda Movement** Marcelo H. del Pilar, was an official delegate to Spain of the Comite de Propaganda de Manila. He proposed a two stage plan for the committee: - **Stage 1:** Peaceful, legal campaign conducted to win the hearts of Spain and secure a seat for the Philippines in the Cortes. This stage involved publications, propaganda, and other public efforts. - **Stage 2:** To awaken the consciousness of Filipinos in the Philippines and encourage them to join the movement. This strategy, which supported the consciousness of Filipinos in the Philippines and encouraged them to support the movement, later paved the way for the revolt. ### **Key Elements of the Propaganda Movement** - **La Solidaridad:** This effective propaganda influenced numerous Spanish politicians and native Filipinos. It was an effective tool for challenging the prominent influence of friars in the Philippines. - **Del Pilar:** He worked hard to keep the eyes of the masses focused on the movement and ensure the success of *La Solidaridad*. - **Masonic Lodge:** On April 2, 1889, the Masonic Lodge, "Revolucion", petitioned Miguel Morayta, grand master of the Gran Oriente Espanol, for affiliation. ### **Student Activities in Spain** In the 1880s, education in Europe was poor with poor quality. Improvements were slowly taking place in the 1880s but the pace of progress was slow. Students struggled to learn and the majority of universities lacked funding. The Church held a lot of power and influence, preventing students from acquiring greater knowledge and thwarting revolutions. A renewal of university life began in Spain at the end of the 1880s. Filipino students were eager to learn more and were encouraged by the opportunity to interact with their Spanish counterparts. They were increasingly becoming exposed to the shortcomings of Spanish laws and policies in the Philippines and were challenging them. ### **Achievements of Luna and Hidalgo** In 1884, Filipino artists Juan Luna Y Novicio and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo both won prizes at the Exposicion de Bellas Artes in Madrid. - **Luna's** _Spolarium_ received a gold medal of the first class. - **Hidalgo's** _Vigenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho_ received a gold medal of the second class. Their work was recognized by the Spanish government and was widely reported in Spanish media. This event helped to raise the profile of Filipino artists and their contributions to the Filipino movement. ### **The Propaganda Movement** The extreme abuses perpetrated by the Spanish government lead to the rise of revolts by Filipinos seeking independence from the Spanish regime. The public execution of GOMBURZA (Gozales, Burgos, and Zamora) marked the beginning of the propaganda movement. This movement, led by Marcelo H. del Pilar, sought to implement reforms in politics, social and economic areas of Filipino life. **Marcelo H. del Pilar** was a lawyer, mason, and pamphleteer. His efforts to uplift his countrymen through preaching and self-dignity were condemned by the Spanish government forcing him to flee to Spain. He eventually became editor of *La Solidaridad*. **Graciano Lopez Jaena** was another prominent leader of the movement. He mocked the corrupt practices of friars in the Philippines. **Jose Rizal** was a Filipino reformist who joined the movement in Spain. He was accompanied by Felix Ressurrection Hidalgo, Eduardo de Lete, Mariano Ponce, Jose Alejandrino, Edilberto Evanglista, Galicano Apacible, Antonio and Juan Luna, and other prominent individuals. **Goals of the Propaganda Movement** * Fairness among Filipinos before the law. * The assimilation of the Philippines as a regular province of Spain. * The restoration of Philippine representation in the Cortes. * Filipinization of the Philippine Churches. * The granting of individual liberties such as freedom of speech, of the press, and of association. ### **_La Solidaridad_** _La Solidaridad_ was established in 1888 by Galicano Apacible and Graciano Lopez Jaena. Jose Rizal was the honorary president. The publication was sustained by the efforts of former Spanish minister Dr. Miguel Morayta, and a professor and Austrian ethnologist, Ferdinand Blumentritt. **Aims of _La Solidaridad_** * To work peacefully for political and social reforms. * To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines and for Spain to remedy them. * To oppose the evil forces of reaction and medievalism. * To advocate liberal ideas and progress. * To champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life, democracy, and happiness **_Noli Me Tangere_ and _El Filibusterismo_** These novels were written by Jose Rizal to awaken Filipino nationalism and awareness of the ills of the Spanish regime. He exposed the tyranny of friars in the Philippines, which lead to their condemnation of these works. ### **Failure of the Propaganda Movement** There were numerous reasons that the Propaganda Movement failed to achieve its goals. * **Internal Conflict:** Spain was facing its own internal problems and did not pay attention to the requests of the reformists. * **Lack of Resources:** The Philippine newspaper owned by friars, _La Politica de España en Filipinas_, blocked the reformists from publishing their requests to the Spanish government. * **Disunity:** Disunity among the reformists hindered their progress in the Philippines. * **Limited Funding:** The movement lacked sufficient funds to continue their efforts throughout Europe. ### **Success of the Propaganda Movement** Despite their failures, the movement did achieve some early successes: * **Voice of the Voicless:** The movement served as a voice for the Filipino people suffering under Spanish rule. * **Expression of Emotion:** The propagandists used their skills and talents to express the extreme emotions experienced by abused Filipinos. ### **_La Solidaridad_** _La Solidaridad_ was the official newspaper of the Propaganda Movement. It was founded by Filipino expatriates in Barcelona. **_La Solidaridad_ Goals** * To work peacefully for political and social reforms. * To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines and for Spain to remedy them. * To oppose the evil forces of reaction and medievalism. * To advocate liberal ideas and progress. * To champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life, democracy, and happiness. ### **The Cavite Mutiny and the Gomburza Execution** The Cavite Mutiny was an uprising by Filipino troops that was quickly quelled by the Spanish government. The event lead to the execution of the three priests Gozales, Burgos, and Zamora, known as the GOMBURZA. The death of GOMBURZA marked a turning point in Filipino nationalism. It served as a catalyst for a movement that was to lead to Philippine independence. Jose Rizal, reflecting on this event, considered this moment pivotal in the development of his own nationalism. ### **Rizal's Social Origin** **Rizal’s Chinese Ancestry** Rizal's family originally came from Chinchew, a Chinese city in the Philippines. His family was well-to-do with many lawyers and priests, making them influential in the country. They were originally non-Catholics but converted to Catholicism. The importance of names was important in Chinese culture. Francisco Mercado's name was chosen to distance him from his Chinese ancestry and help him avoid any negative stereotypes. **Liberating Heredity Influence** Francisco Mercado lived near enough to hear of the “cajas abiertas” (exiles), and their ways. He did not live in a Jesuit parish but in the neighboring hacienda of St. John the Baptist of Calamba. Francisco Mercado had two children: Juan and Clemente. Juan was a well-known, well-respected, and popular citizen of Biñan and was known as a generous and liberal man. He married Cirila Alejandra a descendant of the Chinese family of Siong-co. **The Family of Teodora Alonzo** Teodora Alonzo, was Rizal’s mother. Her maternal family was of Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog ancestry. Her father, Lorenzo Alberto, was of Chinese descent. Her mother, Maria Florentina, was from Baliwag, Bulacan, and her father was Captain Mariano Alejandro of Biñan. Her grandfather, Captain Gregorio Alonzo, was a well-respected individual who was educated, wealthy, and served as a surveyor. ### **Early Period of Spanish Colonization** The Spanish began to implement their own system of landownership in the Philippines. They transitioned from cattle ranching to a more sophisticated sugar culture. The Spanish government began granting land to Spanish landowners. This effort benefited Filipinos since many were employed on the haciendas owned by the Spanish. **Exempted Labor** This policy was enforced to populate and make the estates more productive. However, the exemption of Filipinos from paying taxes had negative consequences for Filipinos. The burden of forced labor on the Filipino people increased, leading to peasant uprisings. **The 1745 Revolt** This revolt was fueled by the abuses of the Spaniards and the negative conditions in the haciendas. The main issue was land usurpation by the haciendas and their restriction of common use of land for pasturage and forage. **The Cavite Mutiny** This event was a direct result of the abuses perpetrated by the Spanish government. Their policies were characterized by tyranny, terrorism, and espionage. The death of the three priests, Gozales, Burgos, and Zamora (GOMBURZA) marked a pivotal moment in the development of Filipino nationalism. **The Philippine Revolution** The Filipinos’ experiences under Spanish rule led to the Philippine Revolution. This movement helped to bring an end to Spanish rule and contributed to the eventual independence of the Philippines.