Final Examination

Rizal and the Filipino Nationalist Thoughts: Final Examination

A Final Exam Presented to

Mr. Rogelio Braga
Mapua Institute of Technology

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Course
Rizal and the Filipino Nationalist Thoughts
(RZL10)

By
Calvin Paulo A. Mondejar

June 2015

Final Examination
1. Discuss the roles (just two) of the Catholic Church in Rizals development as an intellectual and a
nationalist.
The roles of the Catholic Church in Rizals development as an intellectual and a nationalist are to defend the
Catholic Church itself from the subversive ideas of Rizal in the novel, Noli Me Tangere and to attack the author of
the said novel, which is Rizal, by criticizing the Noli with harsh words and by ways that can affect Rizals life, his
family and friends.
The Catholic Church had to defend itself from the subversive ideas of Rizal in the novel, Noli Me Tangere for
the institutions image to the masses would be destroyed if they didnt defend themselves. Noli Me Tangere showed
subversive ideas against the Catholic friars because Rizal, an Anti-Christ Ilustrado, wrote in the said novel the true
story on how the Spanish colonial government run the Philippines, referring to the backward teachings of the Catholic
institutions, the oppression the Filipinos received from the Friars, the discrimination in race, in government positions
and religious positions, and the slow progression for the Filipinos during the 333 years of Spanish rule.
One of the ways for the Catholic Church to regain public trust was to attack Rizal. At the time when the Noli was
published, Rizal was already a marked man and Spanish friars were already monitoring his movements. Attackers of
the Noli like Father Font and Fr. Jose Rodriguez (Augustinian Friars), General Jose de Salamanca, General Luis M.
de Pando, and Senior Fernando Vida (various Senators of the Spanish Cortes), and Vicente Barrantes (formerly held
a position in the Philippines), criticized vigorously the Noli as a bad novel due to its anti-Spanish ideas that could
awake the masses from the wrongdoings of the colonial government to invoke a Nationalist movement (Zaide, 1992).
2. Was Rizal a tourist or an explorer? Defend your answer based on the historical facts of Rizals
travels in Europe.
Based on what I read on the historical facts of Rizals travels in Europe, I can say that Rizals role in his travels in
Europe was to be an explorer. In his travels in Europe, he didnt seem to be a tourist that travels to a place for
pleasure, he was instead an explorer who wanted to look at a place in a careful way to learn more about the place.
In his travel in Spain, he continued his studies and completed his Medical course. He experienced in Spain the
academic freedom which his country didnt have. In his travel to Paris, he didnt just go there to see the Eiffel tower,
he explored Paris to study ophthalmology and he worked in some clinics. In Berlin, Germany, he explored the place
to study ophthalmology more likewise he wanted to learn more foreign languages and he even visited Dresden,
Germany with Maximo Viola. He also observed in Berlin the economic and political conditions, and he also published
his novel, Noli Me Tangere in Germany (Zaide, 1992). He continued his exploration when he went to Leimeritz,
Bohemia to meet his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt and family. And from Leimeritz, he and Viola travelled to Prague,
Czech Republic to carry Blumentritts recommendation letters and they explored the whole place by visiting museum,
cave, and other significant places. And from Prague they went to Vienna, Austria to send Blumentritts
2

Final Examination
recommendation letters likewise they explored Vienna by visiting museums, churches, theaters, and other significant
places (Zaide, 1992). And from Vienna, Austria, Rizal and Viola travelled to Lintz, and from Lintz they went to
Rheinfall, and from Rheinfall Rizal and Viola went to Geneva, Switzerland to visit tourist spots and in Geneva, Viola
and Rizal parted ways. In his last stop of exploration before coming back home to the Philippines, he continued his
journey when he went to Italy to explore the beauty of Rome, where he visited the Vatican (Zaide, 1992).
We can see here that Rizals role in his travels in Europe was not to be a tourist, for a tourist is a person who will
just be in a foreign place for pleasure. Rizal is very different from a tourist, for he travelled many places in Europe
where he learned the cultures, the languages, and the advanced technologies of these places.
3. Discuss the roles of the Ilustrados in the formation of Filipino nationalism.
The roles of the Ilustrados in the formation of Filipino nationalism were to be the heirs of the Nationalist
movement of the Filipino clergy, to form a Propaganda movement and spread their Propaganda writings, and to fight
for their equality with Spain for a reform in the colonial government.
The Ilustrados were considered as the heirs of the Filipino clergy because the goal of the Filipino clergy led by
Father Jose Burgos was to have an equal treatment with the Spanish friars, was similar to the goal of the Ilustrados
led by Rizal which was to have an equality between the Spanish and Filipino people. The conflict between the Filipino
and Spanish clergy that led to the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA was the seedling of Filipino Nationalism, and this
seedling grew and became a flower, which was the creation of Propaganda movement formed by the Filipino
Ilustrados (Schumacher, 1992).
The Ilustrados formed a Propaganda movement composed of middle class Filipinos in Europe led by Dr. Jose
Rizal. The objective of the movement was to have an equal treatment with the Spaniards by proposing a number of
representatives from the Philippines to the Spanish Cortes in Spain and proposing to the Spanish Cortes to consider
the Philippines as the province of Spain. In order to do that, they launched La Solidaridad newspaper to put there the
writings of Rizal, Del Pilar, and Lopez Jaena and spread the newspaper to the Spanish officials to recognize the
Filipinos that they can do what Spaniards can. When Lopez Jaena stepped down and Rizal left Madrid, Del Pilar
continued the Propaganda movement towards the fulfillment of the movements goal. Nevertheless, their movement
did not succeed for their proposal wasnt even pushed through voting, but the movement was already recognized by
the masses in the Philippines, especially Andres Bonifacio (Schumacher, 1992).
The peak of Propaganda movements achievement was when Rizal published Noli in 1887 and El Fili 4 years
later that sparked the masses to National awakening because of the novels anti-Spanish ideas. Rizals novels made
the Filipino masses to fight and pushed Revolution, which Rizal repudiated it for Revolution is not the solution for the
Filipinos to be free and Reform should come from above and not from the masses (Constantino, 1969).

Final Examination
4. Choose a street, road, or place in Manila that was named after Rizals European friend or colleagues
and discuss the role of this person in Rizals life.
The street, road, or place in Manila I choose that was named after Rizals European friend or colleagues is the
Del Pilar street, which was named after Marcelo H. Del Pilar, a colleague of Rizal in the Propaganda movement and
an editor of La Solidaridad newspaper. The role of Marcelo H. Del Pilar in Rizals life was to be Rizals friend, rival,
defendant, and lawyer.
Rizal and Del Pilar became friends when they were in Europe after Rizal asked Mariano Ponce who was the pen
name Plaridel in the letters sent to him by Ponce for these letters were impressive for Rizal. After he found out the
identity of Plaridel, that was the time Del Pilar and Rizal friendship started. Del Pilar defended Rizal from the harsh
words of Rizals critics, the Spanish friars and politicians, due to Rizals Anti-Spanish novel Noli Me Tangere. After
that Rizal chose Del Pilar to be his lawyer, showing the trust and respect for both heroes (Manebog, 2013).
There were times that their relationship led into a rivalry when Del Pilars ideas in La Solidaridad were contrary to
Rizals ideas. There was also a time when an election happened for Filipino Ilustrados and the candidates were Del
Pilar and Rizal vying for the position to lead the Propaganda movement for Reform of the Philippines. Rizal won the
election but he preferred not to accept the position for he had to finish his books. Rizal left Madrid and La Solidaridad,
leaving Del Pilar to run the Propaganda movement. Their relationship did not meant to be sour for they did not want
that to happen. And at the end, their respect was still there and they continued to fight for freedom of their country
(Manebog, 2013).
5. What are the roles (give three) of heroes in nation-building?
The roles of heroes in nation-building are to awake the people from the slow progression and oppression, to
urge the people to unite for their combat against the oppressors, and to encourage them to work hard for the
betterment of citizenry.
The first role of heroes in nation-building is to awake the people from the slow progression and oppression. This
role is one of the objectives of heroes needed for a nationalist movement, a major development of the country.
Heroes like Rizal did this role when he published Noli Me Tangere in 1887 and El Filibusterismo in 1891 that caused
the National awakening of the Filipinos, and that awakening led to a Philippine Revolution which Rizal repudiated.
The second role of heroes in nation-building is to urge the people to unite for their combat against the
oppressors. This role is not only for Nationalism or any Nationalist movement, but unity is also for the development of
the community through economic and political development, showing that development is up for the people if they
want to unite. Rizal at that time united the masses to fight against Spanish oppression after he published the Noli and
El Fili and after Rizal was killed in Luneta Park which led to the Philippine Revolution led by Andres Bonifacio and his
katipuneros.
4

Final Examination
The last role of heroes in nation-building is to encourage them to work hard for the betterment of citizenry. This
role is significant to achieve freedom because without the encouragement of the hero, no developments would be
made likewise freedom will not be served. Rizal didnt encourage the masses to work hard to oust the colonial
government through Revolution for he repudiated Revolution, instead he just united the masses because of his
novels to be informed that Filipinos, colonials in their own country, can have an equal treatment with the colonizers.
Through Rizals efforts of National unity, Bonifacio encouraged the masses to work hard for the attainment of
countrys independence from Spain.
References:
Zaide, G.F. & Zaide, S.M. (1992). Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist, and
National Hero. Quezon City, MM: All Nations Publishing Company, Inc., 1992.
Schumacher, J.N. (1991). The Making of a Nation: Essays on Nineteenth-Century Nationalism. Quezon City,
MM: Ateneo University Press, 1991.
Constantino, R. (1969). Veneration without understanding. Dissent and Counter-Consciousness. Quezon
City, MM: Malaya Books Inc., 1970.
Manebog, J.D.G. (2013). The Love-and-Hate Relationship of Jose Rizal and Marcelo Del Pilar. Retrieved
from http://ourhappyschool.com/history/love-and-hate-relationship-jose-rizal-and-marcelo-del-pilar.