Module 7

Rizal in Propaganda Movement and Free Masonry

“Ignorance is servitude, because as a man thinks, so he is; a man who does not think for himself
and allows himself to be guided by the thought of another is like the beast led by a halter.”
– Jose Rizal

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 Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda movement;
2. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other Propagandists; and,
3. Analyze Rizal’s growth as Propagandist and disavowal of Assimilation.

Vocabulary

Cortes – the legislative of lawmaking body of the Spanish government

creole – a Spaniard born in the Philippines

mestizo – and individual born of mixed ancestry; may refer to a Spanish mestizo or a Chinese
mestizo or a Chinese mestizo

propaganda – information used to promote or publicize a particular cause or point of view

Restoration – refers to the Spanish Restoration; a period in Spanish history spanning the years
1874 – 1931 that saw the restoration of the monarchy under Alfonso XII together with the
establishment of a bicameral legislature

Introduction

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, economic conditions in the Philippines had
improved in such a way that it was possible for many creole and mestizo families to send their
sons to school not only in Manila, but also in Europe. The young Filipino students’ sojourn to the
Peninsula would awaken in their mind’s ideas about progress and love for their motherland.

Nineteenth century Spain was also going through several processes of change. Politically
speaking, the Restoration put back into place the monarchy of Alfonso XII and established a
constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature. The Constitution of 1876 ensured that
political stability relied on the rotation of the Liberal and Conservative parties in the government.
The parliamentary system of two parties, however, was weakened by managed elections and
numerous turnovers of government employees.

The young Filipino students also observed a difference in the position of the Church in
Spain. While the Constitution of 1876 declared Catholicism as the religion of the state, private
practice of other religions was tolerated. More significantly, the Church had little influence on
political matters.

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 The environment where the Filipinos immerse themselves, therefore, was one where ideas
of progress could be expressed and exchanged freely. Political and religious institutions could be
questioned and attacked without fear of reprisal. It was an environment that allowed these you
Filipino students to think, question, and imagine what a nation is.

The Propaganda Movement

The earliest attempt to unite Filipinos studying in Spain was the Circulo Hispano-Filipino,
and organization under the leadership of a creole, Jun Atayde. It had the support of Spaniards who
were sympathetic towards the Filipinos. The Circulo published a bi-weekly newspaper titled
Revista del Circulo Hispano-Filipino in 1882, but the newspaper and the organization itself were
short-lived and lasted only until 1883. The Propaganda Movement composed of the Filipino elite
called “illustrados”, exiled liberals and students attending Europe’s universities gravitated the
movement

Despite the demise of the Revista del Circulo Hispano-Filipino, the Filipinos in Spain
continued to write and engage in journalism. In 1883, a periodical called Los Dos Mundos came out
with the intention of demanding the overseas Hispanic colonies equality rights and equal
opportunities for progress. Although it could not be determined whether the newspaper was a
Filipino project, Filipinos such as Graciano Lopez Jaena and Pedro Govantes y Azcarraga were
involved as staff members. Other Filipinos including Rizal and Eduardo de Lete also contributed
articles concerned with socio-political and economic reforms in the Philippines.

During the time Rizal’s first novel, Noli me Tangere, came out in 1887, another newspaper
titled España en Filipinas began its publication through the support of Filipinos, creoles, and
mestizos in Madrid. The newspaper was short-lived as well because of glaring differences and
internal feuding among its staff. With the end of the newspaper emerged a stronger Filipino
community united in its purpose to continue working for Filipino rights, By January 1889, the
Filipino community in Barcelona began preparations for the publication of a new periodical. Among
the early supporters who helped with finances were Mariano Ponce and Pablo Rianzares. On the
other hand, Graciano Lopez Jaena offered his services as editor. Marcelo H. del Pilar, having
arrived from Manila at this time, also joined the efforts.

The newspaper, La Solidaridad, released its first issue on February 15, 1889. In its first
article, the staff defined its program as, “to combat all reaction, to impede all retrogression, to
applaud and accept every liberal idea, to defend all progress.” Among the reforms the newspaper
sought were: Philippine representation in the Cortes, freedom of the press, and the end of the
practice of exiling residents without due process. The periodical placed particular emphasis on
affairs dealing with the Philippines because of all Spain’s overseas provinces, it was the only one
that lacked parliamentary representation.

La Solidaridad often ran articles dealing with Spanish politics, attacks on friars, and

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reforms for the Philippines. It served as the principal organ of the Propaganda Movement to
express the goal of achieving assimilation with Spain. Sections were also assigned to
accommodate and print letters from foreign correspondents, all speaking of situations on the
ground. Aside from the political and economic content, the periodical gave space for the
publication of literary works as well.

Support for the newspaper gradually increased and its roster of writers grew. Among
those who eventually contributed articles were Jose Rizal, Dominador Gomez, Jose Maria
Panganiban, Antanio Luna, and renowned Filipinist scholar Ferdinan Blumentritt. Other Filipinos
who contributed articles did so using assumed names.

The editorship for the newspaper was first offered to Rizal. However, he refused because
during that time he was annotating Antonio Morga’s Sucessos de las Islas Filipinas in London. After
Rizal refusal, Graciano Lopez Jaena was offered the editorship.

On April 25, 1889, the La Solidaridad published the letter entitled “The aspirations of the
Filipinos” which was written by the Asociacion Hispano-Filipina de Madrid (English: Hispanic
Filipino Association of Madrid). It pursued desires for:

1. Representation in the Cortes

2. Abolition of censure
3. An expressed and definite prohibition of the existing residents by purely administrative
order, and without a writ if execution from the courts of justice.

In time, del Pilar gradually took on the active role of running the paper. Lopez Jaena,
although editor in name, spent most of his days in cafes and was known to be incapable of
sustained work. By the time del Pilar decided to move to Madrid, the paper went with him. The first
issue printed in Madrid came out on November 15, 1889. A month later, the periodical announced
its change of editorship with del Pilar now taking the helm.

Under his editorship, the aims of the newspaper expanded. His articles caught the
attention of Spanish leaders and ministers. Using propaganda, it pursued desires for:

1. That the Philippines be a province of Spain

2. Representation of Filipino priests instead of Spanish friars – Augustinians, Dominicxans,
and Franciscans – in parishes and remote sitios
3. Freedom of assembly and speech
4. Equal rights before the law (for both Filipino and Spanish plaintiffs)

By 1890, two of the most prominent members of the Filipino community in Spain began to
increasingly show differences in stance with regard to Philippine affairs. Rizal always held the
opinion that serve the country better, one had to bring the issues closer to home. One had to speak

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to the Filipinos, rather than the Spaniards, Del Pilar, on the other hand, was a skillful politician
who felt that efforts at persuading the Spanish leaders and officials needed to be continued and
that this was the best way to achieve the reforms Filipinos were seeking.
Things came to a head when at a New Year’s Eve banquet in 1891, the Filipinos in Madrid
proposed that they elect a leader to unite their community. Rizal agreed with the proposal while
del Pilar expressed initial misgivings. Nevertheless, the voting took place resulting in three
inconclusive ballots on the first day and two more inconclusive ballots the next day. Rizal did
eventually win the position as Filipino leader but only through the manipulation of Mariano Ponce.
In the end, Rizal felt his triumph was shallow and left Madrid a few weeks later. From this point
onwards, Rizal stopped from contributing articles to La Solidaridad and focused instead on the
writing of his novels.

The periodical continued to publish only until 1895. Because of lack of funds and internal
feuding, the newspaper released its final issue on November 15, 1895. In its final issue, its editor,
del Pilar, had written, “We are persuaded that no sacrifices are too little to win the rights and the
liberty of a nation that is oppressed by slavery.”

The Propagandists
1. Dr. Jose Rizal – “Laong Laan” and “Dimasalang” as pennames in La Solidaridad
2. Graciano Lopez Jaena – “Diego Laura” - first editor and publisher of La Solidaridad
3. Marcelo H, del Pilar – “Plaridel” - as pennames in La Solidaridad;
2nd editor and co-publisher
4. Jose Maria Panganiban – “Jomapa” - penname in La Solidaridad
5. Mariano Ponce – “Tigbalang,” “Kalipulako,” and “Naning” as pennames in La Solidaridad
6. Antonio Luna – “Taga-Ilog” - penname in La Solidaridad
7. Dominador Gomez – “Ramiro Franco” - penname in La Solidaridad
8. Juan Luna – painter and sculptor
9. Pedro Paterno – serve later as the prime minister of the First Philippine Republic
10. Pedro Serrano Laktaw – a boyhood companion and schoolmate of M.H, del Pilar
11. Felix R. Hidalgo – painter
12. Isabelo de los Reyes – “Don Belong” – politician, writer, and labor activist
13. Jose Alejandrino – helped Jose Rizal in correcting errors in the El Filibusterismo
14. Eduardo de Lete – a Philippine-born Spaniard
15. Dr. Antonia Maria Regidor – Doctor of Medicine and lawyer
16. Anastacio Carpio – Filipino freemason and lawyer
17. Miguel Morgan

Friends of the Movement

1. Ferdinand Blumentritt – Australian etnologist

2. Miguel Sagrario Morayta – Spanish historian, university professor and statesman

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Rizal as a Freemason
One of the least known facets of the life of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was his being a
member of a worldwide fraternity called Freemasonry. According to Filipino historian Reynold
Fajardo, in his book “Dimasalang: The Masonic Life of Dr. Jose Rizal,” Rizal was not only a mason,
he was the only one among the leaders of the revolutionary movement during the Spanish era
who “deserved to be called an international Mason since he was a member of various Masonic
lodges in Spain, Germany, France and possibly, England.”

The first documented exposure of Rizal to Masonry was in 1882, Fajardo said. Rizal was made a
Master Mason on November 15, 1890 at Logia Solidaridad 53 in Madrid, Spain. He affiliated with a
lodge under the jurisdiction of Grand Orient of France on October 14, 1891, and was made honorary
Worshipful Master of Nilad Lodge No. 144 in 1892. There he delivered a lecture entitled “La
Masoneria”.

A many-faceted and multi-talented genius, his God given talents for freedom and for the
welfare of his people through peaceful reforms was an obsession that has guided him all his life.
A dedicated nationalist, physician, poet, novelist, historian, painter, sculptor, linguist, educator,
anthropologist, ethnologist, sportsman, traveler and a prophet, his talents appear inexhaustible.
His famous novels, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” exposed the abuses of the Spanish
authorities and inspired the 1896 Revolution. His martyrdom fanned the patriotic spirit of Filipinos
and solidified their craving for nationhood. Considered the pride of the Malay race and the greatest
of the Filipino heroes ever born, he ranks equal to most of the great men of all races and of all
times.

Rizal was made a Master Mason on November 15, 1890 at Logia Solidaridad 53 in Madrid,
Spain. He affiliated with a lodge under the jurisdiction of Grand Orient of France on October 14,
1891, and was made honorary Worshipful Master of Nilad Lodge No. 144 in 1892. There he delivered
a lecture entitled “La Masoneria”.

Jose Rizal died a Freemason. He never retracted his beliefs therefor he gained the enmity
of the Church who placed heavy pressure for his death sentence. It was recorded in his
conversations in Dapitan with Fr. Pastells and Fr. Sanchez that they offered him safety and longer
life if he retracts his Masonic beliefs and returns to the catholic fold. Rizal never did. He stood by
his beliefs to the death. He died with a normal pulse, and he accepted his death as a very natural
thing. His teacher Piy Margal is also a Freemason, as well as the key people of the revolution:
Andres Bonifacio, Juan Luna, Apolinario Mabini.

Rizal supports spirituality but not religion. He wrote that religion divides people, spirituality
unites them. He lived by Masonic teachings and this was what got him to be the Church's enemy
no. 1. He was buried with no Christian blessing or fanfare: he was buried in an unmarked dirt heap
in Paco cemetery where his sisters (also Masons) and mother fought hard to be given the right to
bury him properly.

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 Key Masonic teachings our national hero lived by:
1) freedom to search knowledge and share it in anyway you want
2) separation of Church and State
3) no to oppression of the individual's drive to excellence
4) freedom and tolerance of one's race and religion (no to religious and racial
discrimination)
5) no to being hoodwinked to the truth by the religious/friars (science can offer a lot
of explanations to the so called "miracles" propagated by the friars)
6) Religion, specifically in his time, suppresses the individual from discovering the
world out there. He wrote with passion that he despises the friars because they use
religion to show that it is the only way to truth and salvation.

Activity: Aims of La Solidaridad

Direction: Read the following excerpt from the article, “Our Aims,” written by the staff of La
Solidaridad on February 15, 1889. Answer the questions that follow.

Our Aims
Modest, very modest indeed are our aspirations. Our program aside from being harmless
is very simple; to fight all reaction, to hinder all steps backward, to applaud and to accept all
liberal ideas, and to defend progress; in brief, to be a propagandist above all of ideals of
democracy so that these might reign over all nations here and beyond the seas.
The aims of La Solidaridad are defined: to gather, to collect liberal ideas which are daily
exposed in the camp of politics, in the fields of science, arts, letters, commerce, agriculture, and
industry.
We shall also discuss all problems which deal with the general interest of the nation,
seeking solutions that are purely national and democratic…
We shall pay special attention to the Philippines because those inlands need the most help
having been deprived of representation in the Cortes. We shall thus fulfill our patriotic duty in the
defense of democracy in those islands.
The nation of eight million souls should not and must not be the exclusive patrimony of
theocracy and conservatism…
Indifference to our Archipelago will not be so good for Spain’s integrity in the Philippines.
The country is attuned to progress. The heart of the nation longs for legitimate hopes a better life
and we do not believe in any political theory which would discuss such pleas with the classic “We
shall see.”
We believe therefore that by offering study the problems mentioned above and those relating to
them, we shall be, in our humble way, of service to the nation and her institutions.

1. What are the aims of the newspaper, La Solidaridad?

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 2. What are the ill effects of “theocracy” and “conservatism”?
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3. What does the article tell you about nineteenth century Philippines?
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4. What is a propagandist?
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5. Based on the article, what are the propagandists’ view of progress?

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References
Galicia, R., Solmerano, E.T., and Palencia, M. (2018). The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. Sampaloc:
Fastbooks Educational Supply, Inc.

Obias, R., Mallari, A., and Estella, R. (2018). The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.

The staff. 1889 (1996). Our Aims. La Solidaridad, vol.1:1889, trans. Guadalupe Fores-Ganzon, 3,5.
Pasig City: Fundacion Santiago.

Schumacher, J. (1997). The New Filipino newspaper in Barcelona, 1880-1895. The propaganda
movement:1880-1895; The Creators of a Filipino Consciousness, the makers of the
revolution, 128-146. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Unversity Press.

Schumacher, J. (1997). Del Pilar as Delegate in Barcelona. The propaganda movement:1880-1895;

The Creators of a Filipino Consciousness, the makers of the revolution,147-70. Quezon City:
Ateneo de Manila Unversity Press.

Thomas, M. (2016). Orientalists, propagandists, and illustrados: Filipino scholarship and the end of
Spanish colonialism. Pasig City: Anvil Publishing, Inc.