PI-21-CHAPTER-4-Edited (1) PDF

CHAPTER 4 FIRST TRAVEL OF RIZAL ACROSS THE SEA LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of the chapter the students will be able to: 1. Comprehend and enumerate the relevance of Rizal’s travels to himself and to his countrymen....

CHAPTER 4 FIRST TRAVEL OF RIZAL ACROSS THE SEA LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of the chapter the students will be able to: 1. Comprehend and enumerate the relevance of Rizal’s travels to himself and to his countrymen. 2. Gain insight on Rizal’s patriotism 3. Discuss the views of Rizal’s on justice, freedom, motherland and inequality ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENGAGE! If you were given the chance to travel overseas, which country would you like to visit? EXPLORE! It is a known fact that Dr. Jose Rizal travelled overseas and made a name for himself, but not known to many was this humorous troublemaker side of him. Such as he is regarded as the father of Philippine Comics because of some funny drawings he made in Germany; or the times that people mistook him as Japanese and he played along well, fooling those he could fool just for the fun of it (Ocampo, 2011). Page 1  How about you? Do you know of the regular things that Rizal has done during his travels aside from those usually written about him as a hero? Rizal comic strip “The Cure of the Bewitched” (Dapitan, 1895) Retrieved from : https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer-1109/20160620/281505045508979 EXPLAIN! Topic 1: Rizal’s Departure to Spain. After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal left for Spain with the following objectives: (1) To finish medicine to cure his mother’s failing sight, (2) to get away from the discriminating, hostile Dominican Friars and the antiquated method of instruction in the University (3) to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and governments and laws of the European nations, and (4) to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny. This was clear in his farewell letter to his parents which was delivered shortly after his departure.....But as God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of creation, I cannot exempt myself from this duty, and small it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellow-men. I realize that all this means sacrifices, and the terrible one. I imagine the pain which I must give you, but I feel something that obliges and impels me to leave. I shall strive with fate, and I shall win or lose…God’s will be done. Rizal boarded the Spanish steamer “SS Salvadora” bound for Singapore on May 3, 1882, without his parents’ permission and blessing to travel. His departure was also kept secret from the Spanish authorities by using Jose Mercado, a cousin’s name from Biñan. He brought with him a recommendation from the kind Rector of Ateneo which could aid him during his voyage. Also, he carefully observed the people and things on board; there were 16 passengers including him. On May 9, 1882, the steamer docked at Singapore, a British Colony. Rizal landed and registered at Hotel de la Paz, and spent two days on sightseeing. From Singapore Rizal boarded another ship, Djemnah, a French steamer which left on May 11. It was larger and cleaner with more passengers and French was mostly spoken. However, Page 2 reading as a student at Ateneo. He stayed for two and a half days at Marseilles to enjoy the scenic beauty of the place. Barcelona. Rizal left Marseilles by train on June 15 for his last trip to Spain. He stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou and noticed the indifference of the Spanish immigration officers to tourists in contrast to the courtesy of the French immigration officers. Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona was unfavorable because he happened to stay on his arrival in a small dingy inn in the town’s ugliest side. In the following days, he found that Barcelona was a great city with an atmosphere of freedom and liberalism. The Filipinos in Barcelona gave him a party at their favorite café in Plaza de Cataluña and gave exchanges of information from each other’s places. Amor Patrio. Rizal’s first essay, “The Love of Country,” was written when he was 21 and newly arrived in Madrid. It was written in Spanish and published under the name of “Laong Laan” on 20 August 1882 in “Diaryong Tagalog” a Philippine newspaper in Manila as translated to Tagalog by M.H. del Pilar. It was published on 31 October 1890 in La Solidaridad, Madrid. While traveling, he recorded on his diary that his motherland was the seat of all his affection and that he loved it that no matter how beautiful Europe would be, he would still like to go back to her. El Amor Patrio led Rizal to become an enemy of the Church and State—the Spaniards were now keeping an eye on him. On the contrary, it enabled him to rise as the future political leader of the Filipinos and to father Filipino nationalism. Life in Madrid. Rizal travelled to Madrid in the fall of 1882. He enrolled on November 3, 1882 at the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in two courses- Medicine and Philosophy and Letters. Aside from his courses, he studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando; took lessons in French, German, and English under private tutors; and assiduously practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell. In his thirst for knowledge, he visited art galleries, museums, watched theater plays, read many books and studied military engineering. In his arrival to Madrid, Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano- Filipino, a society of Spaniards and Filipinos from the Philippines. Upon request of the society, he wrote a poem “Mi Piden Versos”, (They ask Me for Verses) which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception. Rizal led a Spartan life in Madrid. He knew he went to Spain to study and prepare himself for service to his fatherland. He lived frugally spending his money on food, lodging, clothing and books – never wasting a few pesetas. His only extravagance was a few pesetas for a lottery ticket. He spent his leisure time reading or writing at his boarding house. Sometimes, he went out to sip coffee with friends. On Saturday evenings, he visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived with his son and daughter. He used to be a mayor of Manila and his daughter Consuelo had a short-lived romance with Rizal in Madrid. He did not pursue her because his friend Eduardo de Lete was madly in love with her. Rizal was not a handsome man. In physique he was neither dashing nor imposing for he was a shy small man – a few inches above five feet in height. He possessed an aura of charisma due to his many-splendored talents and noble character which made him attractive to romantic young women. Page 3  Rizal’s Books. Rizal spent money on books and collected them. The love to read bursts in his heart so he collected books which included the Bible, Hebrew Grammar, Lives of the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Johnson, complete works of Voltaire (nine volumes), complete works of Horace (three volume), complete works of C. Bernard (16 Volumes) history of French Revolution, The Wandering Jew, Ancient Poetry, works of Thucydides, The Renaissance, The Byzantine by Bruyeres, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, works of Alexander Dumas, Louis XIV and His Court, and numerous books on medicine, philosophy, languages, history, geography, arts and sciences. Rizal as Mason. In Spain, Rizal became a member of the Masonic Lodge called Acacia on March 1883. He was impressed by the way the Spanish Masons openly and freely criticized the government policies and the friars which could not be done in the Philippines. He later transferred to Lodge La Solidaridad (Madrid) where he became a Master Mason on November 15, 1890. Two years later, he was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris. He joined the masonry to secure Freemasonry’s aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines. Financial Crisis in Madrid. Due to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances of Rizal were late in arrival and sometimes they never arrived, causing much suffering to him. At one time, Paciano was forced to sell his pony in order to send money to him. On June 24, 1884, he went to school with empty stomach but he needed to join a contest in a Greek language in the university and won the gold medal. He was able to eat dinner that night because he was invited to deliver a speech as a guest speaker for Luna and Hidalgo’s victory banquet at Restaurant Ingles, Madrid. Luna and Hidalgo. A banquet was sponsored by the Filipino community to celebrate the double victory of two Filipino artists in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Juan Luna “Spolarium” won the first prize and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgin Exposed to the Populace” won the second prize. The occasion was attended by prominent Spanish artists, newspapermen, men-of-letters, statesmen and Filipinos. Rizal saluted Hidalgo as the two glories of Spain and the Philippines, whose artistic achievements transcended geographical frontiers and racial origins, for genius universal – “genius knows no country, genius sprouts everywhere, genius like light, air, the patrimony of everybody, and cosmopolitan like space, like life, like god.” He also assailed with refined sarcasm the bigotry and blindness of certain unworthy Spaniards (Friars in the Philippines) who could not comprehend the universality of genius. The magnificent speech of Rizal was greeted with wild ovations, for seldom did the Spaniards hear such an oration from the lips of a brown Filipino. Student Demonstration. The city of Madrid exploded in bloody riots by the Central University students. Rizal, Valentin Ventura and many other students participated in defense of Dr. Miguel Morayta who proclaimed “the freedom of science and the teacher”. Such liberal view was condemned by the Catholic bishops who excommunicated Dr. Morayta and those Page 4 who applauded his speech. Many university professors openly supported the students. Rizal was hurt in this demonstration and he barely escaped an arrest. Studies Completed. Rizal completed his medical course in Spain on June 21, 1884. He was conferred the Degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the University Central de Madrid. In the Academic Year 1884-1885, he studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine. However, he was not awarded his Doctor’s Diploma because he was not able to present his thesis for graduation or paid the corresponding fees. He also finished his Philosophy and Letters with the highest grades (sobresaliente) and awarded the degree Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid on his birthday 24th, June 19, 1885. With his Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters, he became qualified to be a professor in any Spanish university but he did not bother for his Diploma in Medicine which was relevant for professorial rank because he knew that the friars in the Philippines will not allow him to teach because of his race and color. Rizal in Germany. After completing his studies in Madrid, Rizal continued his travels and observations of European life and customs, government and laws in Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Berlin. He served as an assistant to the famous European oculist. In Berlin, he met and befriended top German Scientists; Dr. Feodor Jagor; Dr. Adolph Meyer; Dr. Hans A. Meyer and Dr. Rudolf Virchow who recognized his abilities and merit as a scientist. In Berlin, he also published his first novel “Noli Me Tangere.” Rizal was 24 years old when he left for Paris. On his way, he sojourned for a week in Barcelona to visit his friend Maximo Viola, a rich friend from Bulacan. He befriended Señor Eusebio Corominas, the editor of La Publicidad and made a crayon sketch of Dr. Miguel Morayta, owner of La Publicidad and a statesman. Rizal moved to Paris and stayed there for about four months. He became the assistant to Dr. Loius de Weckert, a leading French ophthalmologist. Outside his working hours, Rizal relaxed by visiting his friends: Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix, and Paz) Juan Luna and Felix Ressurection Hidalgo. At the studio of Luna. Rizal spent many happy hours and helped Luna by posing as a model in several paintings. He posed as an Egyptian priest in “The Death of Cleopatra.” He also posed as Sikatuna, with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera as Legazpi in “The Blood Compact” among others. In his spare time, he learned to play the flute and became a flutist in various impromptu reunions of Filipinos in Paris. Rizal in Heidelberg. After Paris, he went to Germany where he worked at the University Eye Hospital and at the University of Heidelberg where he worked as an assistant to Dr. Otto Becker, a distinguished German Ophthalmologist. During weekends, he went around the city to observe as he planned. He noticed that the people lived harmoniously despite their differences in religion. He also wrote his poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” because of homesickness and he remembered the flowers in Calamba. Rizal also lived for three months in the mountainous village with a protestant pastor Dr. Karl Ulmer, which developed into deep friendship. Rizal became a member also of the Chess Player’s Club and popular to many German students. Page 5  Friendship with Blumentrit: Rizal wrote his first letter in German to Professor Ferdinand Blumentrit, director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz in Austria. He enclosed a book “Aritmetica” published in Spanish and Tagalog by Rufino Baltazar, a native of Sta. Cruz, Laguna because the latter was an Ethnologist and had interest in Philippine language. Upon receiving Rizal’s letter, Dr. Blumentrit replied and sent two books to Rizal. Since then, the two became good friends that lasted throughout their lives. Ferdinand Blumentritt Leipzig and Dresden. After the fifth centennial celebration in Heidelberg, Rizal left for Leipzig on August 14, 1886. He translated Schiller’s “William Tell” from German to Tagalog for Filipino students to understand how the Swiss gain their independence. He also corrected some chapters of his Noli and attended some lectures at the University of Leipzig where he found famous friends: Professor Friedrich Ratzel and Dr. Hans Virchow, both German, Historian and Anthropologist. After two and a half months, on October 29, he travelled to Dresden. Again, he met and became friends to Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, the Director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum. Berlin’s Scientific Circles. On November 1, 1886, Rizal reached Berlin by train in the evening. He was enchanted of the city because of its scientific atmosphere and the absence of racial discrimination. He purposely stayed in this place (1) to further gain knowledge on ophthalmology, (2) to further his studies on sciences and languages, (3) to observe the economic and political conditions of the German nation (4) to associate with famous scientist and scholars and (5) to publish his novel, Noli me Tangere. In this city, Rizal met Dr. Feodor Jagor through a letter of introduction that Prof. Blumentrit gave to Rizal while he was in Heidelberg, for the two were good friends. Dr. Feodor Jagor was, a German Scientist and was especial to Rizal because he was the author of “Travels in the Philippines” a book which Rizal read and admired while attending Ateneo. Through Dr. Jagor, Rizal was introduced to respectable and famous people in the circle of science in Berlin. With the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer, Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society and the Geographical Society of Berlin. These societies proved his scientific knowledge thus he was the first Asian who was granted such honors. Dr. Rudolf Virchow, a professor in “Descriptive Anatome” recognized Rizal’s genius and invited him to give a lecture before the Ethnographic Society of Berlin. In return, Rizal wrote a scholarly paper in German “Tagalische Verkunst” (Tagalog Metrical Art) which he read before the society in 1887. In addition, in one of his letters to his sister Trinidad, Rizal expressed his admiration for German women. He said, “they were serious, diligent, educated and friendly not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome like Spanish women, and not particular with beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry. If only the Filipino women could cultivate themselves and develop their intelligence through education, then they would command the respect of all men” Page 6  EXPLAIN! Topic 2: Love of Country (El Amor Patrio) Here is a beautiful subject, and because it is beautiful, it is very hackneyed. Learned man, poet, artist, laborer, merchant, or soldier, old or young, king or slave- all have pondered it and devoted to it the most valued fruits of their intelligence, or of their hearts. From the cultured European from free, and proud of his glorious history, to the African negro dragged out of his forests and sold for a paltry sum; from ancient peoples whose shadows still hover over their somber ruins – the tombs of their glories and sufferings – to the modern nations, full of activity and life, all, all have had and have an idol whom we call motherland – beautiful brilliant, sublime but implacable, haughty, and exacting. A thousand tongues have sung to her, a thousand lyres have offered her their most sonorous music; the most flavored intellects, the most inspired poets have displayed before her view, or her memory, their most resplendent fineries. She has been the universal cry of peace, of love, and of glory, because she is in the hearts and minds of all men, and like the light enclosed in limpid crystal, she goes forth in the form of the most intense splendor. And will this be an obstacle to us who wish to treat of her? And can we not dedicate to her something, we whose only sin is to have been born later? Would the XIXth century serve as an excuse for us to be ungrateful? No. the rich mine of the heart has not yet been exhausted. Her remembrance is always prolific, and no matter how little inspiration we have, positively we will find in the bottom of our soul, if not a rich treasure, a mite, poor but an enthusiastic manifestation of our sentiments. In the manner then of the ancient Hebrews who offered in the temple the first fruits of their love, we in foreign land will dedicate our first utterances to our country, enveloped in morning clouds and mist, always beautiful and poetic, and more idolized by her sons when they are absent and far away from her. And this is not surprising, because it is a very natural feeling; because there in our country are our first memories of childhood, a merry ode, known only in childhood, from whose traces spring forth the flower of innocence and happiness; because there slumbers a whole past and a future can be hoped, because in her forests and in her meadows, on every tree, on every blade, on every flower, you see engraved the memory of a being you love, as her breath in the perfumed breeze, her song in murmur of the fountains, her smile in the rainbows of the sky, or her sighs in the confused moans of the night wind. It is because you see there with the eyes of imagination, under the tranquil roof of your old home, a family who remembers you and awaits you, thinking of you and worrying about you; in short, because in her sky, in her sun, in her seas, and in her forests, you find poetry, tenderness, and love even in the cemetery there is a humble tomb awaiting you to return to you to the soil. Will there be a genie who will bind your heart to the soil of our native country, who beautifies and adorns everything, showing us all objects in a poetic and sentimental aspect and captivating our hearts. Because under whatever aspects she may appear, whether she is dressed in purple, crowned with flowers and laurels, powerful and rich; whether she is sorrowful and solitary, clad in rags, and a slave, entreating her slave sons; whether she is nymph in a pleasant Page 8 garden beside the blue waves of the sea, gracious and beautiful as the dream of the deluded youth; whether he is enveloped in a shroud of snow, sitting fatidically on the ends of the earth under a sunless and a starless sky; whatever her name, her age, or her fortune might be, we love her always, as the child loves her mother even in the midst of hunger and misery. And how strange! The poorer and more wretched she is, the more one is willing to suffer for her, the more she is adored, the more one finds pleasure in bearing up with her. It has been observed that the people of the mountains and wild valleys and those born on barren and dismal land are the very ones who remember more vividly their country, finding in the cities a terrible boredom which compels them to return to their native land. Is it because love of country is the purest, most heroic, and most sublime human sentiment? It is gratitude; it is affection for everything that reminds us of something of the first days of our life; it is the land where our ancestors are sleeping; it is the temple where we have worshipped God with the candor of babbling childhood; it is the sound of the church bell which has delighted us since a child; there are very vast fields, the blue lake, the picturesque banks of the river which we pass by in a nimble little boat; the limpid brook which laves the cheerful little house nestling among flowers like a love-nest; or the tall mountains which inspires us with pleasant sentiments? Will it be the raging storm that lashes, and knocks down with its terrible force everything it finds on its ways; the lightning which, escaping from the hands of the Almighty, annihilates everything; will it be the avalanche or cascade, matters of perpetual motion and endless menace? Is it all this that attracts, captivates, and entices us? Probably these beauties or tender remembrance fortify the bond that unites us to our native land, engendering or pleasant feeling of well- being when we are in our country, or deep melancholy when we are far away from her, the origin of cruel disease called nostalgia. Oh! Never saddened the stranger who arrives to our shores; do not awaken in him that vivid memory of his country, the comforts of his home, because then you will evoke this sickness, tenacious phantom that will abandon him until he sees again his native land or he arrives at the border of the tomb. Never pour a drop of bitterness in his heart, for in such circumstances, the source is exaggerated, compared with happiness of the lost home. We are born, then, grow up, we get old, and we die with this pious sentiment. It is perhaps the most constant if there is constancy in the hearts of men, and it seems that it does not abandon us even in our very tombs. Napoleon, seeing dimly the dark bottom of the grave, remembers his France whom he loved extremely, and in his exile he entrusts to her his remains, confident that he will find more comforting rest in her midst. Ovid, more unfortunate, and divining that not even his ashes would return to Rome, dying on the shores of the Black Sea, consoled him with the thought that if not he, at least his verses would reach the Capitol. Page 9  As children we loved games, as adolescence we forgot them; as young men we search for our ideal; disappointed, we keep over it and we go seeking for something more positive, more useful; as fathers, our children die; and time robs out our griefs as the air of the sea obliterates the shorelines as the ship moves away from it. But, on the other hand, love of country is never effaced once it penetrates the heart, because it carries with it a divine stamp which renders it eternal and imperishable. It has been said that love has always been the most powerful force behind the most sublime actions. Well then, of all loves that of country is the greatest, the most heroic and the most disinterested. Go to the homes, what sacrifices, self -denial, and tears are shed on the sacred altar of the nation! From Brutus, who condemned his two sons charged with treason to Guzman the Good who allowed his son to die in order not to fail in his duty, what dramas, what tragedies, what martyrdom have not been enacted for the welfare of the inexorable divinity who has nothing to give you in return for your children but gratitude and blessings! And notwithstanding, with the pieces of their hearts they raise glorious monuments to their motherland; with the work of their hands, with the sweat of their brow, they have sprinkled and made fruitful her sacred tree, and neither have they expected nor received any reward. See there a man sunk in his study. For him his best days are passing away, his sight weakens, his hair turns gray and gradually disappears with his illusions; his body stoops. For years he has been after a truth; he solves a problem; hunger and thirst, cold and heat sickness and misfortune have successively confronted him. He is going down his grave and avails of his agony to offer to his motherland a rosette for her crown, a truth- fountain and origin of a thousand benefits. Turn your eyes to another direction: a man tanned by the sun scratches the ungrateful soil to plant a seed. He is a farmer. He too contributes with his modest but useful work to the glory of his nation. The motherland is in danger! Soldiers and leaders as if the charm spring from the ground. The father leaves his children, the sons leave their parents and all rush to defend their common mother. They bid farewell to the quiet pleasure of the home and hide under their helmets the tears that tenderness draws. They all leave and die. Perhaps he is the father of many children, fair and pinkish like cherubs; perhaps he is a young man of smiling hopes—a son or a lover—it does not matter. He has defended the one who gave him life; he has fulfilled his duty. Peter or Leonides, whoever he might be, the Motherland will know how to remember him. Some have sacrificed for her their youth, their pleasures, others have dedicated to her the splendors of their genius; others shed their blood; all have died bequeathing their Motherland an immense fortune: Liberty and glory. And what has she done for them? She mourns them and proudly presents them to the world, to posterity and to her children to serve as an example. Page 10  But alas, if at the magic of your name, oh, Motherland, the most heroic virtous shine; if in your name superhuman sacrifices are made, on the other hand, what injustices…! From Jesus Christ who, all love, has come to the world for the welfare of humanity and dies for it in accordance with the laws of his motherland, to the most obscure victims of modern revolution, how many, alas, have not suffered and died for you, usurped by others. How many victims of rancor, of ambition, or of ignorance have not expired blessing you and wishing you all kinds of happiness! Fair and grand is the Motherland when her children, at the cry of battle, get ready to defend the ancient land of their ancestors; cruel and arrogant when she sees from her throne the terrified foreigner flee before invincible phalanx of her sons. But when her sons, divided into rival factions, destroy one another; when anger and rancor devastate fields, towns, and cities; then ashamed, she tears away her robe and hurling her scepter, she puts on mourning clothes for her dead sons. Whatever our condition might be then, let us love her always and let us wish nothing but her welfare. Thus we shall labor in conformity with the purpose of humanity dictated by God, which is the harmony and universal peace of his creatures. You who have lost the ideal of your souls, you who, with wounded hearts, have seen your illusions disappear one by one and like the trees in autumn, you find yourselves without flowers and without leaves, and desirous of loving, find no one worthy of you, there you have the Motherland: Love her. You who have lost a father, mother, brother, wife, child, in short, love, upon which you have founded your dreams, and you find in yourselves a deep and horrible void, there you have the Motherland: Love her as she deserves. Love her! Oh yes! but not as they loved her in other times by performing ferocious acts, denied and condemned by true morals and mother nature; by making a display, a fanaticism, destruction, and cruelty, no. A more promising dawn appears in the horizon—a soft and gentle light, the messenger of life and peace—the dawn, in short, of true Christianity, the prelude to happy and peaceful days. It is our duty to follow the arid but peaceful and productive path of science which leads to progress, and hence to the unity desired and asked by Jesus Christ on the night of his sorrow. Jose Rizal Barcelona, June 1982 Published for the first time in Diarong Tagalog, Manila 20 August 1882; then in La Solidaridad, Madrid, 31 October 1890, Vol. II. No.42, pp.246-248 Translated from Spanish by Dr. Encarnacion Alzona (from Rizal’s Prose- Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission) Page 11 Topic 3: The Making of his Noli Me Tangere Writing of the Noli. When Jose Rizal was still a student in the Universidad de Madrid, he conceived the idea of writing a novel that would expose the ills of Philippine society after reading Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” which was about the miserable lives of the slaves in America and “The Wandering Jew” by Eugene Sue. In a gathering of Rizal’s Filipino friends in 1884, everyone approved on his proposal of a collaborative writing of a novel depicting the life and sufferings in the Philippines. Eventually, it was only Rizal who worked on the group project. Rizal began writing on January 1884 and finished about half of it in Madrid and he wrote the last half in Germany and the few last chapters in Wilhelmsfed on April-June, 1886. Noli Me Tangere. (Touch me not/ Do not touch me) is a novel written in Spanish by Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines to expose the inequities of the Spanish Catholic priest and the ruling government. The title was taken from the Bible in John 20:17, as Mary Magdalene tried to touch Jesus after his resurrection; he said “Touch me not.” Also, the title refers to a cancer in the eyelids as noted by a French writer, D. Blumenstihl. Publication of the Noli. The winter of 1886 was Rizal’s darkest winter. He lived in poverty because he did not receive any money from Calamba, he had pawned the diamond ring his sister Saturnina gave him, his clothes were old, he did not have money to pay his rent and he only had one meal a day- with bread and water or some cheap vegetable soup. Back in Calamba, Paciano knew that he must raise the necessary funds but he was delayed. Meanwhile, Rizal starved and shivered in Berlin and said “I did not believe that the Noli Me Tangere would be ever published … brokenhearted, weakened and discouraged from hunger and deprivation. I was on the point of throwing my work into fire as a thing accursed and fit to die only.” Savior of Noli. In the midst of difficulty, Rizal received a telegram from Dr. Maximo Viola that he was arriving from Berlin. Viola was his rich Filipino friend from San Miguel Bulacan, who finished medicine in University of Barcelona. He was shocked to see the condition of Rizal, so he brought him to a hospital and loaned him some living expenses and the necessary fund to publish his book. Thus Viola and Rizal celebrated the Christmas of 1886 in Berlin with sumptuous food. On March 21, 1887, the Noli Me Tangere was published by Berliner Buchdruckei- Action-Gesselschaft which charged the lowest rate, which was P300.00 for 2,000 copies of the novel. As a sign of Rizal’s gratitude, he gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli carefully rolled around the pen that he used in writing the Noli and a complimentary copy, with the following inscription, “To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work--- Rizal.” Page 12  He also sent copies to his intimate friends: Prof. Blumentrit, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, G. Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce and Felix R. Hidalgo. He wrote, “…The government and the friars will probably attack the work, refuting my arguments: But I trust in God of Truth and in the persons who have actually seen the sufferings at close range. I hope I can answer all concepts which have been fabricated to malign us.” Rizal Travels with Viola. When Rizal received Paciano’s remittance of P1000.00, he paid Viola P300.00 and they both traveled before returning to the Philippines. In 1887, Rizal and Viola visited important places in Europe. They visited Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, and Switzerland. They both met Prof. Blumentrit in Austria after Rizal sent him a telegram with the sketch of his face as suggested by Dr. Jagor. On May 13, 1887, two great scholars Rizal and Blumentrit- met for the first time and Rizal spoke in fluent German. To commemorate his happy hours at the Blumentrit home, Rizal painted a portrait of the kind professor and gave it to him. Rizal and Viola travelled from Geneva, Switzerland to Italy. They visited Turin, Milan, Venice, Florence and reached Rome, the Eternal City” or “City of the Ceasars”. He was thrilled by the sights in the grandeur of Rome. Rizal celebrated his 26 th birthday with Viola and after a week they parted ways. Rizal decided to go back to the Philippines Viola returned to Barcelona. Topic 4: Madrid’s Igorot Exhibition. While Rizal and Viola were happy traveling in Switzerland, an Exposition of the Philippines was held in Madrid, Spain. He received sad news from friends in Madrid of the dreadful conditions of the primitive Igorots who were exhibited in this exposition, some of whom died, and whose scanty clothing (G-strings) and crude weapons were objects of mockery and laughter by the Spanish people and press. Rizal, being a champion of dignity wrote on June 6, 1887, to Blumentrit “My poor compatriots, who are now being exhibited in Madrid are mocked by Spanish newspapers, except El Liberal which says that it is not consistent with human dignity to be exhibited side by side with animals and plants. I have done everything possible to prevent the display of this degradation of men of my race, but I have not succeeded…” on June 19, 1887, Rizal wrote again that he was in favor of holding an exhibition, “but not an exhibition of odd individuals, showing our countrymen as a curiosity to entertain the idle inhabitants of Madrid. We want an industrial exposition, but not an exhibition of human beings who are compelled to live outdoors and die of nostalgia and pneumonia or typhus.” Up to this day, this event is still impactful to the northern natives of the Philippines. The Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK Europe (ECBE), as its name suggests is an organization of the Igorot people living in Europe – called for a resolution in 2013 to commemorate the 1887 Madrid exposition. The following are the contents of the article written by Cesar T. Taguba in the ICBE official website: Page 13  Whereas, Spain brought more than 50 Filipinos, of which eight to 20 were Igorots, to be displayed and exhibited in a “Human Zoo” as “savage” and “uncivilized” people to justify its colonial rule in the Philippines; Whereas, one among those exhibited died while others got sick; Whereas, Spain displayed Filipino in other international expositions in London (1851), Paris (1855,1867), Vienna (1873), Philadelphia,USA (1876) Amsterdam (1883) and Chicago (1893). Whereas, Jose P. Rizal and other eminent Filipinos denounced the display of Filipinos at the Madrid Exposition as inhuman; Whereas, there is a need to rectify historical injustice and on the other hand to highlight the current struggle of the Igorots for dignity, justice, self-determination and peace. Whereas, the authorities and people of Ghent, Belgium took concrete step to honor Timicheg, an Igorot who died during the 1913 Ghent International Exhibition, by designating a road tunnel in Ghent as “Timicheg Tunnel.” The Cordillera Community in Belgium is to be congratulated for issuing a statement on the commemoration of the “Timicheg Tunnel.” Whereas, activities to commemorate the 1904 St. Louis Exhibition and the 1909 Alaska- Yukon-Pacific Exposition were held in the USA upon the initiative of the Igorot Global Organization and BIBAK Pacific Northwest, respectively. Be it resolved, that the governments of Spain and the Philippines and Spanish and Philippine civil society and peoples organizations commemorate in an appropriate way the 1887 Madrid Exposition towards the recognition of those exhibited, honoring the person who died, rendering justice, re-think history and to bring about a satisfactory closure of the event; Be it further resolved, that a part of the commemorative activity will enable the Igorots/Cordillerans to speak for themselves on their identity, struggle and aspirations 125 years after the Madrid Exposition. This way, the past will find relevance in the present. Finally, be it resolved that ICBE takes part in the commemorative activity. Approved by the delegates to the 7th ICBE Consultation, 12 May 2013, Barcelona. According to the documentation by Laura Michelle Agnaonao-Baeyens of Cordillera Community in Belgium, during the ICBE Gala in May 11, 2013, Mr. Cesar T. Taguba then read the drafted resolution that he and his comrades have authored which is entitled: “Calling for the Commemoration of the 1887 Exposition of the Madrid Commission”. It mentioned the public display of Filipinos and Igorots in different countries in the late 19 th and early 20th century, where some Igorots brought to the Exposition died due to maltreatment, ill health, and hunger. It also mentioned Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s condemnation of the Exposition, referring to it as “inhumane”. Dr. Rizal was quoted from a letter he sent to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt regarding the Igorots who were at the 1887 Exposition in Madrid. “I would rather that they all got sick and died so they Page 14 would suffer no more. Let the Philippines forget that her sons have been treated like this — to be exhibited and ridiculed”. The resolution also mentioned the developments in Gent with the construction of the Timecheg Tunnel as an Igorot monument, which so far the province of Gent has already issued a public apology for the 1913 Igorot exposition. Also, the Timecheg Tunnel, a road tunnel being made in Gent which is named after one of the 55 Igorots who were exhibited in Gent, has been officially made a monument in 2011 to commemorate those Igorots. The resolution was made “to render justice, to rethink justice, and to acknowledge the individuals involved” in the 1187 Exposition. The resolution urged the ICBE and its member organization to take part in the commemorative activities. According to Mr. Taguba himself, ICBE is supposed to commemorate in its 2021 assembly in Madrid, which is indefinitely called off due to COVID-19 restrictions. Topic 5: Sypnosis of “Noli Me Tangere” The novel Noli Me Tangere contains 63 chapters and epilogue. It begins with a banquet on the last day of October. The reception or dinner is given in honor of Crisostomo Ibarra, a young and rich Filipino who had just returned after seven years of study in Europe. Ibarra was the only son of Don Rafael Ibarra, friend of Capitan Tiago, and a fiancé of beautiful Maria Clara, supposed daughter of Capitan Tiago. Among the guests during the reception were Padre Damaso, a fat Franciscan friar who had been the parish priest for 20 years of San Diego (Calamba), Ibarra’s native town; Padre Sybila, the young Dominican parish priest of Binondo; Señor Guevara, as elderly and kind lieutenant of the Guardia Civil among others. The reception was given by Capitan Tiago (Santiago de los Santos) at his house in Calle Analogue. Upon his arrival, Ibarra produced a favorable impression among the guests, except Padre Damaso, who has rude to him. In accordance with a German custom, he introduced himself to the ladies. Padre Damaso was in bad mood because he got a bony neck and a hard wing of the chicken tinola. He tried to discredit Ibarra’s remarks. After dinner, Ibarra left Capitan Tiago’s house to return to his hotel. On the way, the kind Lieutenant Guevara told him the sad story of his father’s death in San Diego. Don Rafael, his father, was a rich and brave man. He defended a helpless boy from the brutality of an illiterate Spanish tax collector, pushing the latter and accidentally killing him. Don Rafael was thrown in prison, where he died unhappily. He was buried in consecrated ground, but his enemies, accusing him being a heretic, had his body removed from the cemetery. On hearing about his father’s sad story, Ibarra thanked the kind Spanish lieutenant and vowed to find out the truth about his father’s death. The following morning, he visited Maria Clara, his childhood sweetheart. Maria Clara teasingly said that he had forgotten her because the girls in Germany were beautiful. Ibarra replied that he had never forgotten her. After the romantic reunion with Maria Clara, Ibarra went to San Diego to visit his father’s grave for it was All Saints Day. At the cemetery, the grave digger told Ibarra that the corpse of Don Rafael was removed by order of the parish priest to be buried in the Chinese cemetery. However, the corpse was heavy and it was a dark and rainy night so that he (the grave-digger) simply threw the corpse into the lake. Page 15  Ibarra was angered by the grave-digger’s story as he left the cemetery. On the way, he met Padre Salvi, a Franciscan parish priest of San Diego. In a flash, Ibarra pounced on the priest, demanding explanation for the desecration of his father’s mortal remains. The priest told him that he had nothing to do with it, for he was not the parish priest at the time of Don Rafael’s death. It was Padre Damaso, his predecessor, who was responsible for it. Convinced for Padre Salvi’s innocence, Ibarra went away. A most tragic story in the novel is the tale of Sisa, who was formerly a rich girl but became poor because she married a gambler, and a wastrel at that. She became crazy because she lost her two boys, Basilio and Crispin, the joy of her wretched life. These boys were sacristanes (sextons) in the church, working for a small wage to support their poor mother. Crispin the younger of the two brothers was accused by the brutal sacristan mayor (chief sexton) of stealing the money of the priest. He was tortured in the convent and died. Basilio, with his brother’s dying cries ringing in his ears, escaped. When the two boys did not return home, Sisa looked for them everywhere and, in her great sorrow, she became insane. Capitan Tiago, Maria Clara, and Aunt Isabel (Capitan Tiago’s cousin who took care of Maria Clara, after his mother’s death) arrived in San Diego. Ibarra and his friends give picnic at the lake. One of the boatmen was a strong and silent peasant youth named Elias. An incident of the picnic was the saving of Elias’ life by Ibarra. Elias bravely grappled with a crocodile which was caught in the fish corral. But the crocodile struggled furiously so that Elias could not subdue it. Ibarra jumped into the water and killed the crocodile, thereby saving Elias. The meal over, Ibarra and Capitan Basilio played chess while Maria Clara and her friends played the “Wheel of Chance”, a game based on a fortune-telling book. As the girls were enjoying their fortune-telling game, Padre Salvi came and tore to pieces the book, saying that it was a sin to play such game. Shortly thereafter, a sergeant and four soldiers of the Guardia Civil suddenly arrived, looking for Elias, who was hunted for assaulting Padre Damaso and throwing the alferez into a mud hole. Fortunately, Elias had disappeared, and the Guardia Civil went away empty-handed. During the picnic, Ibarra received a telegram from the Spanish authorities notifying him the approval of his donation of a schoolhouse for the children of San Diego. The next day Ibarra visited old Tasio to consult him on his pet project about the schoolhouse. He saw the old man’s writings were written in hieroglyphics. Tasio explained to him that he wrote in hieroglyphics because he was writing for the future generations who would understand them and say, “Not all were asleep in the night of our ancestors!” Meanwhile San Diego was merrily preparing for its annual fiesta, in honor of its patron saint San Diego de Alcala. In the morning of the fiesta there was a high mass in the church, officiated by Padre Salvi. Padre Damaso gave the long sermon, in which he expatiated on the evils of the times that were caused by certain men, who having tasted some education spread pernicious ideas among the people. After Padre Damaso’s sermon, the mass was continued by Padre Salve. Elias quietly moved to Ibarra, who was kneeling and praying by Maria Clara’s side, and warned him to be careful during the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of the schoolhouse because there was a plot to kill him. Elias suspected that the yellowish man, who built the derrick, was a paid stooge of Ibarra’s enemies. True to his suspicion, later in the day, when Ibarra, in the presence of Page 16 a big crowd, went down into the trench to cement the cornerstone, the derrick collapsed. Elias, quick as a flash, pushed him aside, thereby saving his life. The yellowish man was the one crushed to death by the shattered derrick. At the sumptuous dinner that night under a decorated kiosk, a sad incident occurred. The arrogant Padre Damaso, speaking in the presence of many guests, insulted the memory of Ibarra’s father. Ibarra jumped to his seat, knocked down the fat friar with his fist, and then seized a sharp knife. He would have killed the friar, were it not for the timely intervention of Maria Clara. When the fiesta was over, Maria Clara became ill. She was treated by the quack Spanish physician, Don Tiburcio de Espadaña, whose wife, Doña Victorina, a vain and vulgar native woman, was a frequent visitor in Capitan Tiago’s house. This woman had hallucinations of being a superior Castilan, and, although a native herself, she looked down on her own people as inferior beings. She introduced to Capitan Tiago a young Spaniard, Don Alfonso Linares de Espadaña, a cousin of Don Tiburcio de Espadaña and godson of Padre Damaso’s brother in law. Linares was penniless and jobless, fortune hunter who came to the Philippines in search of a rich Filipino heiress. Both Doña Victorina and Padre Damaso sponsored his wooing of Maria Clara, but the latter did not respond because she loved Ibarra. The story of Elias like that of Sisa, was a tale of pathos and tragedy. He related it to Ibarra. Some 60 years ago, his grandfather, who was then a young bookkeeper in a Spanish commercial firm in Manila, was wrongly accused of burning the firm’s warehouse. He was flogged in public and was left in the street, crippled and almost dead. His pregnant wife, beg for alms and became a prostitute in order to support her sick husband and their son. After giving birth to her second son and eventually the death of her husband, she fled with her two sons to the mountains. Years later the first boy became a dreaded tulisan named Balat. He terrorized the provinces. One day he was caught by the authorities. His head was cut off and was hung from a tree branch in the forest. On seeing this gory object, the poor mother (Elias’ grandmother) died. Balat’s younger brother, who was by nature kindhearted, fled and became a trusted laborer in the house of rich man in Tayabas. He fell in love with the master’s daughter. The girl’s father, enraged by the romance, investigated his past and found out the truth. The unfortunate lover (Elias’ father) was sent to jail, while the girl gave birth to twins, a boy (Elias) and a girl. Their rich grandfather took care of them, keeping secret their scandalous origin, and reared them as rich children. Elias was educated in the Jesuit College in Manila, while his sister studied in La Concordia College. They lived happily, until one day, owing to certain dispute over money matters, a distant relative exposed their shameful birth. They were disgraced. An old male servant, whom they used to abuse, was forced to testify in court and the truth came out that he was their real father. Elias and his sister left Tayabas to hide their shame in another place. But one day the sister disappeared. Elias roamed from place to place, looking for her until he heard later that a girl answering to his sister’s description was found dead on the beach of San Diego. Since then, Elias lived a vagabond life, wandering from province to province – until he met Ibarra. Elias, learning of Ibarra’s arrest, burned all the papers that might incriminate his friend and set Ibarra’s house on fire. Then he went to prison and helped Ibarra escape as both jumped into a banca loaded with sacate (grass). Ibarra stopped at the house of Capitan Tiago to say Page 17 goodbye to Maria Clara. In the tearful last scene between the two lovers, Ibarra forgave Maria Clara for giving up his letters to her to the Spanish authorities who utilized them as evidence against him. On her part, Maria Clara revealed that those letters were exchanged with a letter from her late mother, Pia Alba, which Padre Salvi gave her. From this letter, she learned that her real father was Padre Damaso. After bidding Maria Clara farewell, Ibarra returned to the banca. He and Elias paddled up the Pasig River toward Laguna de Bay. A police boat, with the Guardia Civil on board, pursued them as their banca reached the lake. Elias told Ibarra to hide under the sacate. As the police boat was overtaking the banca, Elias jumped into the water and swam swiftly toward the shore. In this way, he diverted the attention of the soldiers on his person, thereby giving Ibarra a chance to escape. The soldier fired at the swimming Elias, who was hit and sank. The water turned red because of his blood. The soldiers, thinking that they had killed the fleeing Ibarra returned to Manila. Thus Ibarra was able to escape. Elias seriously wounded, reached the shore and staggered into the forest. He met a boy, Basilio, who was weeping over his mother’s dead body. He told Basilio to make a pyre on which their bodies (his and Sisa) were to be burned to ashes. It was Christmas Eve; the moon gleamed softly in the sky. Basilio prepared the funeral pyre. As life’s breath slowly left his body, Elias looked toward the east and murmured: “I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land. You, who have it to see, welcome it! And forget not those who have fallen during the night.” The novel has an epilogue which recounts what happened to the other characters. Maria Clara, out of her loyalty to the memory of Ibarra, the man she truly loved, entered the Santa Clara nunnery. Padre Salvi left the parish of San Diego and became a chaplain of the nunnery. Padre Damaso was transferred to a remote province, but the next morning he was found dead in his bedroom. Capitan Tiago the former genial host and generous patron of the church became an opium addict and a human wreck. Doña Victorina, still henpecking poor Don Tiburcio, had taken to wearing eye-glasses because of weakening eyesight. Linares, who failed to win Maria Clara’s affection, died of dysentery and was buried in Paco cemetery. The alferez, who successfully repulsed the abortive attack on the barracks, was promoted major. He returned to Spain, leaving behind his shabby mistress, Doña Consolation. The novel ends with Maria Clara, an unhappy nun in Santa Clara nunnery – forever lost to the world. (koyndotph.hubpages 2009). Page 18  EXPLAIN! The publication of the Noli Me Tangere caused much uproar among the friars thus Rizal was forewarned by his brother Paciano, brother-in-law Silvestre Ubaldo, friend Chenggoy-Jose M. Cecilio and others not to return home. He did not heed their warnings and he was determined to go home for the following reasons: (1) to operate his mother’s eyes (2) to serve his people (3) to find himself the result of his novel and other writings, and (4) to inquire why Leonor Rivera was silent. Arrival in Manila. After five years of memorable sojourn in Europe, Rizal returned to the Philippines in August 1887. He had a delightful trip boarding from Marseilles on the same steamer Djemnah that brought him to Europe. There were 50 passengers and Rizal was the only Filipino who speaks many languages, so he acted as interpreter. After leaving Aden, the weather became rough and some of his books got wet. He transferred to another steamer, Haipong at Saigon and reached Manila on August 5, 1887. He was so happy in his return and found Manila the same as when he left it five years ago as he stayed in the city for a short time to visit his friends. Happy Homecoming. His family welcomed him affectionately, with plentiful tears of joy on August 8th. He established a medical clinic and had his mother as the first patient, who was almost blind. He treated his mother’s eyes, but not performed any surgical operation because her cataracts were not yet ripe. News of the arrival of a great doctor from Germany spread far and wide. Patients from Manila and the provinces flocked to Calamba. Rizal was called "Doctor Uliman" because he came from Germany. He treated their ailments and soon he acquired a lucrative medical practice where his professional fees were reasonable even to the poor. Within a few months, he was able to earn P900 as a physician and reached to P5000 by February 18, 1888. Also, he did not only give time to his medical practice but opened a gymnasium for the youth and taught European sports like gymnastics, fencing, and shooting to discourage them from gambling and cockfighting. During his stay, he also painted and translated the German poems of Von Wildernath to Tagalog. Gov. Gen Emilio Terrero Result of Noli. A few weeks after his arrival, Rizal received a letter from Governor General Emilio Terrero requesting him to go to Malacañang Palace. It was reported to the Governor that the Noli contained subversive ideas. Rizal went to explain himself to the governor- a liberal-minded Spaniard and he was pleased to find out that the accusers were wrong. When Rizal visited his professors at Ateneo, he asked them to give him a copy of his Noli for the governor but nobody wanted to part with it. The Jesuit, especially his professors- Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, Fr. Jose Bech, and Fr. Federico Faura- were glad to see him and believed that “everything in it was the truth but you may lose your head,” said Father Faura. To protect Rizal from his Page 22 enemies- the friars, the governor provided a bodyguard for Rizal. He assigned Don Jose Taviel de Andrade, a lieutenant who belonged to a noble family. He was cultured, knew painting, and could speak English, French, and Spanish. They both became good friends. The Archbishop of Manila, Msgr. Pedro Payo (a Dominican) sent a copy of the Noli to the Rector of Santo Tomas for examination by a committee of the faculty. The committee found that the Noli was (1) heretical, impious and scandalous in the religious order, (2) anti-patriotic and subversive of public order (3) injurious to the government of Spain and its function in the Philippines. It was then submitted to the governor-general based on the findings of the committee and the friars “that the importation, reproduction, and circulation of the book in the Philippines be absolutely prohibited.” The decision made the Noli more popular and in-demand even among the poor. Gov. General Terrero refused to be intimidated by the friars thus there were no mass imprisonments or mass execution. He also ordered an investigation on the friars’ estates in Calamba to remedy whatever iniquities were there which made the friars more furious to Rizal. Attackers and Defenders of Noli 1. Father Salvador Font- Augustinian Cura of Tondo, printed an article against the Noli and suggested that the importation, reproduction, and circulation of this pernicious book in the islands be absolutely prohibited. 2. Father Jose Rodriguez- published a series of eight pamphlets to blast the Noli and other- anti Spanish writings. In his “Caiingat Kayo” (Beware) He wrote that Rizal was ignorant and he attacked the church and Spain. He also said that those who read the Noli commits a mortal sin. 3. Gen. Jose de Salamanca- attacked the Noli on the session hall of the senate of the Spanish Cortes. *Defenders of Noli Me Tangere 1. Marcelo H. Del Pilar- published “Caiingat Kayo” (Be Slippery as an Eel) praised the Noli 2. Dr. Miguel Morayta and Prof. Blumentrit both published articles in praise of the Noli 3. Father Francisco Sanchez, Rizal’s favorite professor praised the Noli in public. 4. Rev. Vicente Garcia- a Filipino Catholic priest-scholar, a theologian of the Manila 5. Cathedral and Tagalog translator gave a brilliant and unexpected defense of the Noli which was published in Singapore. He blasted Fr. Rodrigues arguments as follows: a. Rizal cannot be an “ignorant man” because he was a graduate of Spanish universities and was a recipient of scholastic honors. Page 23  b. Rizal does not attack the Church and Spain but the bad Spanish officials and the corrupt friars. c. Father Rodriguez said that those who read the Noli commit a mortal sin; since he had read the novel, therefore he also commits a mortal sin. Farewell to Calamba. Rizal's exposure of the deplorable conditions of tenancy in Calamba infuriated further his enemies. The friars exerted pressure on Malacañang Palace to eliminate him. They asked Governor General Terrero to deport him, but the latter refused because there was no valid charge against Rizal in the court. Anonymous threats against Rizal's life were received by his parents. The alarmed parents, relatives, and friends including Lt. Taviel de Andrade advised him to go away, for his life was in danger. The kind and just Gov. Terrero also summoned him and advised him to leave for (1) his presence in Calamba was jeopardizing the safety and happiness of his friends and the people, (2) he could fight better his enemies and serve his country if he writes in a foreign land. Rizal was sad for he was not able to visit Leonor Rivera during his homecoming. Before he left, Rizal wrote a poem dedicated to the industrious folks of Lipa, “Himno al Trabaho.” Page 24