Reference

Pangilinan, M.(2016). Dr. Jose P. Rizal Life, Works, and Writings, Revised Edition, Published in
Mindshapers Co.Inc. Manila, Philippines

Retrieved from:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-history/article/abs/d
r-jose-rizal-father-of-filipino-nationalism/51CD24BCE06E35FB04F82F274C08777B

Estaban A. de Ocampo, (2009) Dr. Jose P. Rizal Father of Nationalism, Published online by
Cambridge University Press
Retrieved from: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republic-act-no-1425/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8423992/Dr-Jose-Rizal-Childhood
https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/collection/jose-rizal/attachment/rizal-family-tree/

https://bshmjoserizal.weebly.com/our-hero-jose-rizal/chapter-eight-jose-p-rizals-exile-in-d
apitan-1892-1896
https://macarayanblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/noli-me-tangere-and-el-filibusterismo-
summary-and-reflection/
Retrieved from: https://bshmjoserizal.weebly.com/jose-rizals-videos.html

https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/collection/jose-rizal/attachment/rizal-family-tree

https://www.thoughtco.com/jose-rizal-hero-of-the-philippines-195677

de Ocampo, Estaban A. "Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism." Journal of Southeast
Asian History.

Rizal, José. "One Hundred Letters of José Rizal." Philippine National Historical Society. Valenzuela,
Maria Theresa. "Constructing National Heroes: Postcolonial Philippine and Cuban Biographies of
José Rizal and José Martí." Biography
 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

REPUBLIC ACT NO 1425 – RIZAL LAW

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON THE LIFE, WORKS AND
WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND
EL FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a
re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;

WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot,
Jose Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that
have shaped the national character;

WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which
the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in school,
should be suffused;

WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and subject to
regulation by the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,

SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools,
colleges and universities, public or private: Provided, That in the collegiate courses, the
original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their
English translation shall be used as basic texts.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith
measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing
and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty
(60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those
of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall
promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of
religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision
contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the
course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take
effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their
libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other works and biography.
The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their
translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of
approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and
universities.

The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books,
depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.

SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog
and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions;
and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them,
through the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country.

SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section

nine hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of
religious doctrines by public school teachers and other person engaged in any public
school.

SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be

appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry
out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

APPENDIX B

The 19th Century

By the late 18th century, political and economic changes in Europe were finally beginning to affect
Spain and, thus, the Philippines. Important as a stimulus to trade was the gradual elimination of the
monopoly enjoyed by the galleon to Acapulco. The last galleon arrived in Manila in 1815, and by the
mid-1830s Manila was open to foreign merchants almost without restriction. The demand for Philippine
sugar and abaca (hemp) grew apace, and the volume of exports to Europe expanded even further after the
completion of the S uez Canal in 1869.
The growth of commercial agriculture resulted in the appearance of a new class. Alongside the landholdings
of the church and the rice estates of the pre-Spanish nobility there arose haciendas of coffee, hemp, and
sugar, often the property of enterprising Chinese-Filipino mestizos. Some of the families that gained
prominence in the 19th century have continued to play an important role in Philippine economics and
politics.

Not until 1863 was there public education in the Philippines, and even then the church controlled the
curriculum. Less than one-fifth of those who went to school could read and write Spanish, and far fewer
could speak it properly. The limited higher education in the colony was entirely under clerical direction,
but by the 1880s many sons of the wealthy were sent to Europe to study. There, nationalism
and a passion for reform blossomed in the liberal atmosphere. Out of this talented group of overseas Filipino
students arose what came to be known as the Propaganda Movement. Magazines, poetry, and
pamphleteering flourished. José Rizal, this movement’s most brilliant figure, produced two
political novels—Noli me tangere (1887; Touch Me Not) and El filibusterismo (1891; The Reign of
Greed)—which had a wide impact in the Philippines. In 1892 Rizal returned home and formed the
Liga Filipina, a modest reform-minded society, loyal to Spain, that breathed no word of
independence. But Rizal was quickly arrested by the overly fearful Spanish, exiled to a remote island in
the south, and finally executed in 1896. Meanwhile, within the Philippines there had developed a firm
commitment to independence among a somewhat less privileged class.

Shocked by the arrest of Rizal in 1892, these activists quickly formed the Katipunan under the leadership of
Andres Bonifacio, a self-educated warehouseman. The Katipunan was dedicated to the expulsion of the
Spanish from the islands, and preparations were made for armed revolt. Filipino rebels had been numerous
in the history of Spanish rule, but now for the first time they were inspired by nationalist ambitions and
possessed the education needed to make success a real possibility.

The Philippine Revolution

In August 1896, Spanish friars uncovered evidence of the Katipunan’s plans, and its leaders were forced into
premature action. Revolts broke out in several provinces around Manila. After months of fighting, severe
Spanish retaliation forced the revolutionary armies to retreat to the hills. In December 1897 a truce was
concluded with the Spanish. E milio Aguinaldo, a municipal mayor and commander of the rebel forces, was
paid a large sum and was allowed to go to Hong Kong with other leaders; the Spanish promised reforms as
well. But reforms were slow in coming, and small bands of rebels, distrustful of Spanish promises, kept their
arms; clashes grew more frequent.

Done? Learning Tasks Estimated Duration Target Date of

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Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo.
Brown Brothers
Meanwhile, war had broken out between Spain and the United States (the Spanish-American War). After
the U.S. naval victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in May 1898, Aguinaldo and his entourage returned to the
Philippines with the help of Adm. George Dewey. Confident of U.S. support, Aguinaldo reorganized his forces
and soon liberated several towns south of Manila. Independence was declared on June 12 (now celebrated
as Independence Day). In September a constitutional congress met in Malolos, north of Manila, which
drew up a fundamental law derived from European and Latin American precedents. A government was
formed on the basis of that constitution in January 1899, with Aguinaldo as president of the new country,
popularly known as the “Malolos Republic.”

Meanwhile, U.S. troops had landed in Manila and, with important Filipino help, forced the capitulation in
August 1898 of the Spanish commander there. The Americans, however, would not let Filipino forces enter
the city. It was soon apparent to Aguinaldo and his advisers that earlier expressions of sympathy for Filipino
independence by Dewey and U.S. consular officials in Hong Kong had little significance. They felt betrayed.

U.S. soldiers in a trench near Manila, Phil., during the Spanish-American War, 1898.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

U.S. commissioners to the peace negotiations in Paris had been instructed to demand from Spain the cession
of the Philippines to the United States; such cession was confirmed with the signing of the Treaty of
Paris on December 10, 1898. Ratification followed in the U.S. Senate in February 1899, but with only one vote
more than the required two-thirds. Arguments of “manifest destiny” could not overwhelm a determined
anti-imperialist minority.

By the time the treaty was ratified, hostilities had already broken out between U.S. and Filipino forces. Since
Filipino leaders did not recognize U.S. sovereignty over the islands and U.S. commanders gave no weight to
Filipino claims of independence, the conflict was inevitable. It took two years of counterinsurgency warfare
and some wise conciliatory moves in the political arena to break the back of the nationalist resistance.
Aguinaldo was captured in March 1901 and shortly thereafter appealed to his countrymen to accept U.S.
rule.
 Philippine-American War: Manila
Portion of the ruins of Manila, Philippines, after shelling by U.S. forces in 1899.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The Filipino revolutionary movement had two goals, national and social. The first goal, independence,
though realized briefly, was frustrated by the American decision to continue administering the islands. The
goal of fundamental social change, manifest in the nationalization of friar lands by the Malolos Republic,
was ultimately frustrated by the power and resilience of entrenched institutions. Share tenants who had
rallied to Aguinaldo’s cause, partly for economic reasons, merely exchanged one landlord for another. In any
case, the proclamation of a republic in 1898 had marked the Filipinos as the first Asian people to try to
throw off European colonial rule.

A district of Manila, Phil., set afire during an insurrection, 1899.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The Period of U.S. influence

The juxtaposition of U.S. democracy and imperial rule over a subject people was sufficiently jarring to most
Americans that, from the beginning, the training of Filipinos for self-government and ultimate
independence—the Malolos Republic was conveniently ignored—was an essential rationalization for
U.S. hegemony in the islands. Policy differences between the two main political parties in the United States
focused on the speed with which self-government should be extended and the date on which independence
should be granted.
In 1899 Pres. William McKinley sent to the Philippines a five-person fact-finding commission headed by
Cornell University president Jacob G. Schurman. Schurman reported back that Filipinos wanted ultimate
independence, but this had no immediate impact on policy. McKinley sent out the Second Philippine
Commission in 1900, under William Howard Taft; by July 1901 it had established civil government.

In 1907 the Philippine Commission, which had been acting as both legislature and governor-general’s
cabinet, became the upper house of a bicameral body. The new 80-member Philippine Assembly was
directly elected by a somewhat restricted electorate from single-member districts, making it the first
elective legislative body in Southeast Asia. When Gov.- Gen. Francis B. Harrison appointed a Filipino
majority to the commission in 1913, the American voice in the legislative process was further reduced.

Harrison was the only governor-general appointed by a Democratic president in the first 35 years of
U.S. rule. He had been sent by Woodrow Wilson with specific instructions to prepare the Philippines for
ultimate independence, a goal that Wilson enthusiastically supported. During Harrison’s term, a
Democratic-controlled Congress in Washington, D.C., hastened to fulfill long-standing campaign promises to
the same end. The Jones Act, passed in 1916, would have fixed a definite date for the granting of
independence if the Senate had had its way, but the House prevented such a move. In its final form the act
merely stated that it was the “purpose of the people of the United States” to recognize Philippine
independence “as soon as a stable government can be established therein.” Its greater importance was as a
milestone in the development of Philippine autonomy. Under Jones Act provisions, the commission was
abolished and was replaced by a 24-member Senate, almost wholly elected. The electorate was expanded to
include all literate males.

Some substantial restrictions on Philippine autonomy remained, however. Defense and foreign affairs
remained exclusive U.S. prerogatives. American direction of Philippine domestic affairs was exercised
primarily through the governor-general and the e xecutive branch of insular government. There was little
more than one decade of thoroughly U.S. administration in the islands, however—too short a time in which
to establish lasting patterns. Whereas Americans formed 51 percent of the civil service in 1903, they were
only 29 percent in 1913 and 6 percent in 1923. By 1916 Filipino dominance in both the legislative and judicial
branches of government also served to restrict the U.S. executive and administrative roles.

By 1925 the only American left in the governor-general’s cabinet was the secretary of public instruction,
who was also the lieutenant governor-general. This is one indication of the high priority given to education
in U.S. policy. In the initial years of U.S. rule, hundreds of schoolteachers came from the United States. But
Filipino teachers were trained so rapidly that by 1927 they constituted nearly all of the 26,200 teachers in
public schools. The school population expanded fivefold in a generation; education consumed half of
governmental expenditures at all levels, and educational opportunity in the Philippines was greater than in
any other colony in Asia.

As a consequence of this p edagogical explosion, literacy doubled to nearly half in the 1930s, and educated
Filipinos acquired a common language and a linguistic key to Western civilization. By 1939 some one-fourth
of the population could speak English, a larger proportion than for any of the native dialects. Perhaps
more important was the new avenue of upward social mobility that education offered. Educational policy
was the only successful U.S. effort to establish a sociocultural basis for political democracy.

American attempts to create equality of economic opportunity were more modest and less successful. In a
predominantly agricultural country the pattern of land ownership is crucial. The trend toward greater
concentration of ownership, which began in the 19th century, continued during the American period,
despite some legal barriers. Vast American-owned plantations were forestalled, but legal
restrictions had little effect on those politically well-connected Filipinos who were intent on amassing
fortunes. The percentage of farmers under share tenancy doubled between 1900 and 1935, and the
frustration of the tenants erupted in three small rebellions in central Luzon during the 1920s and ’30s.

Nor was U.S. trade policy conducive to the diffusion of economic power. From 1909 the Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Act allowed free entry of Philippine products into the U.S. market, at the same time U.S. products, mostly
manufactured, were exempted from tariff in the Philippines. The free flow of U.S. imports was a powerful
deterrent to Philippine industrial growth. Export agriculture, especially sugar, prospered in the protected
U.S. market. Owners of mills and large plantations profited most, thus reinforcing the political dominance
of the landed elite.

American preparation of the Philippines for democratic self-government suffered from an

inherent contradiction, perhaps not recognized at the time. Transferring governmental responsibility to
those capable of undertaking it was not consistent with building a social and economic base for political
democracy. Self-government meant, of necessity, assumption of power by those Filipinos who were already
in positions of leadership in society. But those men came for the most part from the landed elite;
preservation of their political and economic position was incompatible with equalizing opportunity. Even
the expansion of an educated middle class did not necessarily result in a transformation of the pattern of
power. Most middle-class aspirants for political leadership adjusted to the values and the practices of the
existing power elite.

Filipino leaders quickly and skillfully utilized the opportunities for self-government that the Americans
opened to them. The Filipino political genius was best reflected in an extralegal institution—the
political party. The first party, the Federal Party, was U.S.-backed and stressed cooperation with the
overlords, even to the point of statehood for the Philippines. But when openly nationalist appeals were
allowed in the 1907 election, the Nacionalista Party, advocating independence, won overwhelmingly. The
Federalists survived with a new name, Progressives, and a new platform, ultimate independence after social
reform. But neither the Progressives nor their successors in the 1920s, the Democrats, ever gained more than
one-third of the seats in the legislature. The Nacionalista Party under the leadership of Manuel Quezon and
S ergio Osmeña dominated Philippine politics from 1907 until independence.

More significant than the competition between the Nacionalistas and their opposition was the continuing rivalry
between Quezon and Osmeña. In fact, understanding this personality conflict provides more insight into the realities of
prewar Philippine politics than any examination of policy or ideology.

In 1933 the U.S. Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, which set a date for Philippine independence. The act was
a fulfillment of the vague pledge in the Jones Act; it was also responsive to the demands of a series of “independence
missions” sent to Washington by the Philippine legislature. But this unprecedented transfer of sovereignty was
decided upon in the dark days of the Great Depression of the 1930s—and with the help of some incongruous allies. The
Depression had caused American farm interests to look desperately for relief, and those who suffered real or imaginary
hurt from the competition of Philippine products sought to exclude those products. They had already failed in a direct
attempt to amend the tariff on Philippine imports but found that the respectable cloak of the advocacy of
independence increased the effectiveness of their efforts. Tied to independence was the end of free entry into
American markets of Philippine sugar, coconut oil, rope, and other less important items. That those economic interests
were able to accomplish what they did is partly explainable by the fact that their political clout was great compared
with that of the small group of American traders and investors in the Philippines.

The Philippine legislature rejected the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, apparently as a result of the Osmeña-Quezon feud,
much to the displeasure of American officialdom. But, when Quezon came to Washington the following year to work for
a new bill, the same alliance of forces in the U.S. Congress obliged by producing the almost identical
Tydings-McDuffie Act. Endorsed by Quezon and accepted with alacrity by the Manila legislature, it provided for a
10-year commonwealth during which the U.S. would retain jurisdiction over defense and foreign affairs. Filipinos were
to draft their own constitution, subject to the approval of the U.S. president.
A constitutional convention was quickly elected and a constitution (which bore a strong resemblance to its
U.S. model) framed and approved by p lebiscite and by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. The last
governor-general, Frank Murphy, became the first high commissioner, with more of a diplomatic than a
governing role. The commonwealth was inaugurated on November 15, 1935. The Nacionalista Party patched
up its internal quarrels and nominated Quezon for president and Osmeña for vice president. They were
elected overwhelmingly.

APPENDIX C

Rizal’s Family and Childhood Days

Earliest Childhood Memories:

▪ Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of his childhood in his native town Calamba. It’s
scenic beauties and it’s industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks profoundly affected his
mind and character. The happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lakeshore town.
▪ The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was in the family garden when he was 3yrs. old. Because he
was a frail, sickly and undersized, he was given the tenderest care by his parents. His father built a Nipa
cottage for him to play in the daytime.
Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall, his mother gathered all the children at the house
to pray the Angelus.

He also remembered the aya (nurse maid) related to the Rizal children amy stories about the fairies; tales of buried
treasure and trees blooming with diamonds, and other fabulous stories. Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (
Concepcion), who was a year younger than him. He played with her and from her he learned the sweetness of sisterly
love. Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only 3yrs. old. Jose cried bitterly at losing her. The
death of Concha brought him his first sorrow.
Rizal grew up a good catholic. At age of 3, he would take part in the family prayers. When he was 5yrs. old, he was able
to read the Spanish family bible. He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part in novenas, and to join religious
processions. One of the men he esteemed and respected in Calamba was the scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town
priest. He used to visit him and listen to his stimulating opinions on current events and sound philosophy of life.

On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow,
which was made when Jose was born. After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to
Manila to visit Saturnina, who was a boarding student in La Concordia College in Santa Ana. Of the stories told by Dona
Teodora, Jose remembered the Story of the Moth. The tragic fate of the young moth, which “died a martyr to it’s
illusions”, left a deep impress on Rizal’s mind. He justified such noble death, asserting that “to sacrifice one’s life for it”,
meaning for an ideal, is “worthwile”. And, like that young moth, he was fated to die as a martyr for a noble ideal.

At age of 5, he began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in his clay and wax objects. Jose had the soul of a
genuine artist. He also loved to ride the pony that his father gave him and take long walks in the meadows and
lakeshore with his black dog named Usman. Aside from his sketching and sculpturing talent, Rizal possessed a
God-given gift for literature. At age of 8, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language entitled Sa Aking Mga
Kababata (To My Fellow Children).

After writing his first poem, Rizal who was then 8yrs. old, wrote his first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy.
Rizal was also interested in magic. He learned various tricks, such as making a coin disappear and making a
handkerchief vanish in thin air. He read many books on magic and attended performances of the famous magicians
in the world.

The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the
family’s paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from Amoy,
China in the closing years of the 17th century and married a Chinese half-breed by the name of
Ines de la Rosa. Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had traces of Japanese,
Spanish, Malay and Even Negrito blood aside from
Chinese. Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II
and Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother.

FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)

Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offspring of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in
Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)

Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She
studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous, religious,
hard-working and
well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila.

SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.

PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)

Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a
farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.

NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)

The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.

OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth.

LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)

The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)
The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896.

CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)

The eight child. Died at the age of three.

JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.

TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)

The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die.

SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)

The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.

APPENDIX D

JOSE P. RIZAL'S EXILE IN DAPITAN (1892-1896)

Jose Rizal's arrival in Manila on June 26, 1892 had become very sensational among the Filipinos.
His popularity feared the Spaniards, and as such, paid careful attention to his every move – all
houses where he had been were searched and the Filipinos seen in his company were suspected.
As he had planned, on July 3, 1892 he founded the La Liga Filipina in the house of Doroteo
Ongjunco in Tondo, Manila. (For a more comprehensive discussion on the La Liga Filipina, click
here).

Four days after the civic organization's foundation, Jose Rizal was arrested by the Spanish
authorities on four grounds:
1. for publishing anti-Catholic and anti-friar books and articles;
2. for having in possession a bundle of handbills, the Pobres Frailes, in which advocacies
were in violation of the Spanish orders;
3. for dedicating his novel, El Filibusterismo to the three “traitors” (Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora) and for emphasizing on the novel's title page that “the only salvation for the Philippines
was separation from the mother country (referring to Spain)”; and
4. for simply criticizing the religion and aiming for its exclusion from the Filipino culture.

Arrival in Dapitan
Aboard the steamer Cebu and under heavy guard, Rizal left Manila, sailing to Mindoro and Panay,
until he reached Dapitan at seven o'clock in the evening of June 17. From that day until July 31,
1896, Dapitan became the bear witness to one of the most fruitful periods in Rizal's life. His stay in
the province was more than “he” living in exile – it was the period when Rizal had been more
focused on serving the people and the society through his civic works, medical practices, land
development and promotion of education.

Challenging the Religion

In Dapitan, Rizal had a scholarly debate with Father Pablo Pastells regarding religion. This
exchange of heated arguments revealed the anti-Christian Rizal – his bitterness on the abuses
performed by friars, doing such under the name of the sacred religion. Father Pastells tried his best
to win Rizal back to the faith but fortunately or unfortunately, in vain. These series of debates ended
inconclusively in which neither of them convinced the other of his judgments/arguments.

Careers and Contributions

Rizal had maximized his stay in Dapitan by devoting much of his time in improving his artistic and
literary
skills; doing agricultural and civic projects; engaging in business activities, and writing letters to his
friends in Europe, particularly to Ferdinand Blumentritt and Reinhold Rost. His careers and
achievements in different fields were as follows:

As a physician, Rizal provided free medicine to his patients, most of them were underprivileged.
However, he also had wealthy patients who paid him well enough for his excellent surgical skill.
Among them were Don Ignacio Tumarong who gave Rizal 3000 pesos for restoring his sight, an
Englishman who gave him 500 pesos, and Aklanon haciendero, DonFrancisco Azcarraga, who
paid him a cargo of sugar. His skill was put into test in August 1893 when his mother, Doña
Teodora Alonzo, was placed under opthalmic surgery for the third time. The operation was a
success, however, Alonzo, ignored her son's instructions and removed the bandages in her eyes
which led to irritation and infection.
As an engineer, Rizal applied his knowledge through the waterworks system he constructed in
Dapitan.
Going back to his academic life, Rizal obtained the title of expert surveyor (perito agrimensor) from
the Ateneo Municipal. From his practical knowledge as agrimensor, he widened his knowledge
by reading engineering-related books. As a result, despite the inadequacy of tools at hand, he
successfully provided a good water system in the province.
As an educator, Rizal established a school in Dapitan which was attended by 16 young boys from
prominent families. Instead of charging them for the matriculation, he made the students do
community projects for him like maintaining his garden and field. He taught them reading, writing
in English and Spanish, geography, history, mathematics, industrial work, nature study, morals and
gymnastics. He encouraged his students to engage in sports activities to strengthen their bodies
as well. There was no formal room, like the typical classroom nowadays. Classes were conducted
from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. with the teacher sitting on a hammock while the students sat on a long
bamboo bench.

As an agriculturist, Rizal devoted time in planting important crops and fruit-bearing trees in his
16-hectare land (later, reaching as large as 70 hectares). He planted cacao, coffee,sugarcane, and
coconuts, among many others. He even invested part of his earnings from being a medical
practitioner and his 6000-peso winnings from a lottery on lands. From the United States, he
imported agricultural machinery and introduced to the native farmers of Dapitan the modern
agricultural methods. Rizal also visualized having an agricultural colony in Sitio Ponot, within the
Sindañgan Bay. He believed that the area was suitable for
cattle-raising and for cash-crops as the area had abundant water. Unfortunately, this plan
did not materialize.

As a businessman, the adventurous Rizal, with his partner, Ramon Carreon, tried his luck in the
fishing, hemp and copra industries. In a letter to his brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, he pointed
out the potential of the fishing industry in the province (as the area was abundant with fish and
good beach). He also requested that two good Calamba fishermen be sent to Dapitan to teach the
fisher folks of the new fishing methods, using a big net called pukutan. But the industry in which
Rizal became more successful was in hemp, shipping the said product to a foreign firm in Manila.

As an inventor, little was known of Rizal. In 1887, during his medical practice in Calamba, he
invented a special type of lighter called sulpukan which he sent to Blumentritt as a gift. According
to Rizal, the wooden lighter's mechanism was based on the principle of compressed air. Another of
his inventions was the wooden brick-maker who could manufacture about 6,000 bricks a day.

As an artist, he had contributed his talent in the Sisters of Charity who were preparing for the
arrival of the image of the Holy Virgin. Rizal was actually the person who modeled the image's right
foot and other details. He also conceptualized its curtain, which was oil-painted by a Sister under
his instruction. He also made sketches of anything which attracted him in Dapitan. Among his
collections were the three rare fauna species that he discovered (dragon/lizard, frog and beetle)
and the fishes he caught. He also sculptured the statuette called “The Mother's Revenge” which
represented his dog, Syria, avenging her puppy to a crocodile which killed it.
As a linguist, Rizal was interested in the languages used in Dapitan, thus, studied and made
comparisons of the Bisayan and Malayan languages existing in the region. In fact, Rizal had
knowledge in 22 languages: Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisayan, Subanun, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English,
French, German, Arabic, Malayan, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Dutch, Catalan, Italian, Chinese, Japanes,
Portuguese, Swedish and Russian.

As a scientist, Rizal shared his interest with nature to his students. With his boys, they explored
the jungles and searched for specimens which he sent to museums in Europe, particularly in the
Dressed Museum. In return, scientific books and surgical instruments were delivered to him from
the European scientists. He also did a bulk of other research and studies in the fields of
ethnography, archaeology, geology, anthropology and geography. However, Rizal's most
significant contribution in the scientific world was his discovery of three species:

Draco rizali – flying dragon

Apogonia rizali – small beetle
Rhacophorus rizali – rare frog

Rizal also partakes in civic works in Dapitan. Upon arriving in the province, he noticed its poor
condition. He drained the marshes of Dapitan to get rid of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. He also
provided a lighting system
– coconut oil lamps posted in dark streets – in the province out of what he earned from being a
physician. He beautified Dapitan by remodelling the town plaza, with the aid of his Jesuit teacher,
Fr. Francisco Sanchez, and created a relief map of Mindanao (footnote: using stones, soil and
grass) right in front of the church.

Romantic affair with Josephine Bracken

Rizal had always been missing his family and their happy moments together in Calamba and
his despair doubled upon the announcement of Leonor Rivera's death. Not soon, to his
surprise, an Irish girl enlightened his rather gloomy heart. This girl was the 18-year old
Josephine Bracken who, to Wenceslao Retana's words, was “slender, a chestnut blond, with
blue eyes, dressed with elegant simplicity, with an atmosphere of light (gaiety).”

From Hongkong, she arrived in Dapitan in February, 1895 with his blind foster father, George
Taufer, and a Filipina named Manuela Orlac. Rizal's fame as an opthalmic surgeon reached
overseas, and one of Rizal's friends, Julio Llorente referred the group to Rizal. Rizal and Bracken
instantly fell in love with each and in just one month, they agreed to marry which appalled and
disturbed Taufer. However, the parish priest of Dapitan, Father Pedro Obach, refused to do so
unless they were permitted by the Bishop of Cebu.

On the other hand, Taufer returned to Hongkong uncured. Because no priest was willing to marry
the two, the couple exchanged their vows before God in their own way, which scandalized Fr.
Obach. In 1896, their love bear its fruit – Josephine was pregnant. Unfortunately, Bracken gave
birth to a one-month premature baby boy who lived only for three hours. The child was buried in
Dapitan, bearing the name Francisco, after Rizal's father.

Katipunan seek Rizal’s Advice

Prior to the outbreak of the revolution, the Katipunan leader, Andres Bonifacio, sought the advice
of Jose Rizal. In a secret meeting on May 2, 1896 at Bitukang Manok river in Pasig, the group
agreed to send Dr. Pio Valenzuela as a representative to Dapitan who will inform Rizal of their plan
to launch a revolution against the Spaniards. On board the steamer Venus, Valenzuala left Manila
on June 15, 1892 and in 6 days, arrived at Dapitan with a blind companion, Raymundo Mata. At
night, Rizal and Valenzuela had a talk in the former garden. There, Valenzuela told him of
Katipunan's plan. Regarding this, Rizal outspokenly objected Bonifacio's “premature” idea for two
reasons:
1. the Filipinos were still unready for such bloody revolution; and
2. the Katipunan lacked machinery – before plotting a revolution, there must be sufficient arms and
funds
collected.

Valenzuela also told Rizal of their plan to rescue him in Dapitan. Again, the exiled hero disagreed
because he had no plan of breaking his word of honor to the Spanish authorities.
As a Volunteer in Cuba
During the peak of the Cuban revolution, Rizal offered his services as a military doctor to
compromise with the shortage of physicians in the said country. It was his friend Ferdinand
Blumentritt who informed him of the situation in Cuba and suggested that he volunteer himself as
army doctor. On December 17, 1895, Rizal sent a letter to Governor General Ramon Blanco
rendering his service for Cuba. But for months Rizal awaited in vain for the governor's reply, and lost
hope that his request would be granted. It was only on July 30, 1896 when Rizal received a letter
from Governor Blanco, dated July 2, 1896, accepting his offer. The letter also stated that Rizal will be
given a pass so that he can go to Manila, then to Spain where its Minister of War will assign him to
the Army of Operations in Cuba.

Farewell in Dapitan
At midnight of July 31, 1896, Jose Rizal left Dapitan on board the steamer España, together with
Narcisa, Josephine, Angelica (Narcisa's daughter), three nephews and six of his students. Many
were saddened as the adopted son of Dapitan left.

In Cebu, on their way to Manila, Rizal successfully performed an opthalmic operation to a

merchant who paid him fifty silver pesos. After almost a week, on August 6, 1896, España arrived
in Manila. Rizal was supposedly to board the Isla de Luzon for Spain, but unfortunately, left ahead
of time. Instead, he was transferred to the Spanish cruiser Castilla to stay and wait for the next
mail boat that would sail for Spain next month. He was prohibited from leaving the vicinity but was
allowed to accept visitors so long as they were his immediate family. Of course, all these delays
were part of the drama – Rizal has now fallen to the critical/deadly Spanish trap.
Rizal lived in exile in far-away Dapitan, a remote town in Mindanao which was under the missionary
jurisdiction of the Jesuits, from 1892 to 1896. This four-year interregnum in his life was tediously
unexciting, but was abundantly fruitful with varied achievements (Zaide, 2008).

"Wherever I go I would always be in the hands of God who has in His hands the
destinies of man." -Jose Rizal

This monumental work of art is a tribute to all Dapitanons and to those who, in heart and in mind,
silently share the same vision of Dr. Jose Rizal for the greater glory of Dapitan. This serves as a
reminder to all - that
Dapitan was once blessed with the distinct privilege and opportunity to shelter the greatest Filipino
martyr who lived here on exile for four years, thirteen days and a few hours...sharing his noble life,
works, and teachings. The realization of this historical landmark was made possible through the
sustainable development efforts and initiatives of former Cong. Romeo "Nonong" G. Jalosjos, and
the City Government of Dapitan concretized by the artistic touch and technical expertise of the
following personalities: Antonio Tuviera (concept and production), Nilo Ajo. Ferraren (architect),
Manuel Tolentino (sculptor), and Ronel Roces (installation and bronnzing). This monument was
unveiled during the 4th Handuraw Celebration on December 28, 2009. –Inscription

APPENDIX E

NOLI ME TANGERE: SUMMARY

The young and idealistic Juan Crisostomo Ibarra returns home after seven years in Europe. The wealthy
meztizo, like his father Don Rafael endeavors for reform primarily in the area of education in order to
eliminate poverty and improve the lives of his countrymen. Upon learning about his father’s demise and the
denial of a Catholic burial for his father Ibarra was provoked to hit Padre Damaso which eventually led to
his excommunication. The excommunication was later rescinded upon the intervention of the Governor
General.

Padre Salvi, Ibarra’s mortal enemy, accused Ibarra of insurrection. Ibarra’s letter to his beloved Maria Clara
was used against him. Later in the story, Maria Clara will tell Ibarra that she did not conspire to indict him.
She was compelled to give Ibarra’s letter in exchange for the letters of her mother before she was born.
Maria Clara found out that the letters of her mother were addressed to Padre Damaso about their unborn
child which means that she is the biological daughter of the priest and not of her father, Capitan Tiago.

Meanwhile, Ibarra was able to escape the prison with Elias, who also experienced injustice with the
authorities. Ibarra was able to speak with Maria Clara about the letters and thereafter forgave her. Ibarra
and Elias flee to the lake and are chased by the Guardia Civil. One was shot and the other survived. Upon
hearing the news, Maria Clara believed that Ibarra was dead; she entered the nunnery instead of marrying
Alfonso Linares. The fatally wounded Elias found the child Basilio and his dead mother Sisa. The latter was
driven to insanity when she learned that her children were implicated for theft by the sacristan mayor. Elias
instructed Basilio to dig for his and Sisa’s graves and there is a buried treasure which he can use for his
education.

Noli Me Tangere brilliantly described Philippine society with its memorable characters. The melancholic
fate of Maria Clara and the insanity of Sisa characterized the country’s pitiful state, which was once
beautiful, turned miserable. Reading Noli Me Tangere will open one’s mind about oppression and tyranny.

APPENDIX F

EL FILIBUSTERISMO: SUMMARY

This novel is a sequel to Noli. It has a little humor, less idealism, and less romance than the Noli Me Tangere.
It is more revolutionary and more tragic than the first novel.
The hero of El Filibusterismo is a rich jeweler named Simoun. He was Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli, who,
with Elias’ help, escaped from the pursuing soldiers at Laguna de Bay, dug up his buried treasure, and fled
to Cuba where he became rich and befriended many Spanish officials. After many years he returned to the
Philippines, where he freely moved around. He is a powerful figure not only because he is a rich jeweler but
also because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general.

Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain. However deep in his heart, he is secretly cherishing a terrible
revenge against the Spanish authorities. His two magnificent obsessions are to rescue Maria Clara from the
nunnery of Santa Clara and to foment a revolution against the hated Spanish masters.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board the clumsy, roundish shaped steamer Tabo, so appropriately
named. This steamer is sailing upstream the Pasig from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the passengers are
Simoun, the rich jeweler; Doña Victorina, the ridiculously pro-Spanish native woman who is going to
Laguna in search of her henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez,
her beautiful niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly articles about the
Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the
town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-spanish Filipino holding a position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin
Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend of the Filipino
students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre
Florentino and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical
education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.

Simoun, a man of wealth and mystery, is a very close friend and confidante of the Spanish governor general.
Because of his great influence in Malacañang, he was called the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black Eminence”.
By using his wealth and political influence, he encourages corruption in the government, promotes the
oppression of the masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the country so that the people may become
desperate and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with the help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga,
who wants very much to be Chinese consul of Manila. His first attempt to begin the armed uprising did not
materialize because at the last hour he hears the sad news that Maria Clara died in the nunnery. In his
agonizing moment of bereavement, he did not give the signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun perfects his plan to
overthrow the government. On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives a
wedding gift to them a beautiful lamp. Only he and his confidential associates, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined
his revolutionary cause), know that when the wick of his lamp burns lower the nitroglycerine, hidden in its
secret compartment, will explode, destroying the house where the wedding feast is going to be held killing
all the guests, including the governor general, the friars, and the government officials. Simultaneously, all
the government buildings in Manila will be blown by Simoun’s followers.

As the wedding feast begins, the poet Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita because of his liberal ideas,
is standing outside the house, watching sorrowfully the merriment inside. Basilio, his friend, warns him to
go away because the lightened lamp will soon explode. Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani
realizes that his beloved Paulita was in grave danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the
lightened lamp, and hurls it into the river, where it explodes. The revolutionary plot was thus discovered.
Simoun was cornered by the soldiers, but he escaped. Mortally wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he
sought refuge in the home of Padre Florentino by the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learned of his presence in the house of Padre Florentino. Lieutenant Perez
of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he would come at eight o’clock that night to
arrest Simoun. Simoun eluded arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he confesses to Padre Florentino,
revealing his true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his sinister aim to
destroy his friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is already night when Padre Florentino, wiping
the sweat from his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to meditate. He consoles the dying man saying: “God will
forgive you Señor Simoun. He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have suffered, and in
ordaining that the chastisement for your faults should come as death from the very ones you have
instigated to crime, we can see His infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans one by one, the best
conceived, first by the death of Maria Clara, then by a lack of preparation, then in some mysterious way. Let
us bow to His will and render Him thanks!”

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God. Padre Florentino falls upon
his knees and prays for the dead jeweler. He takes the treasure chest and throws it into the sea; as the waves
close over the sinking chest.

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) is not merely an attack on the Spanish colonial regime. It is a charter
nationalism. It calls on the Filipino to recover his self-confidence, to appreciate his own worth, to return to
the heritage of his ancestors, to assert himself as the equal of the Spaniard. It is a romantic novel, book of
feeling, work of the heart, and contains freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit despite that it depicts the
sufferings of the Filipino people under the Spanish rule.

El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) was written in dedication of the three martyred priests namely
Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora popularly known as GOMBURZA, whose tragic execution
left unforgettable imprint in his mind. It is a political novel, book of the thought, work of the head and
comprise bitterness, hatred, pain, sorrow and violence. Like Noli Me Tangere, El Fili aims at enlightening
the society, and at bringing the Filipinos closer to the truth. In this novel, the society is urged to open its
eyes to reality and rebel against the Spanish government for its oppression and abuse.

APPENDIX G

J osé Rizal: Philippine National Hero and Ophthalmologist

José Rizal (1861-1896) is one of the most revered figures in Philippine history. He was a multifaceted
intellectual and a political activist, best known for his political writings that inspired the Philippine
revolution and ultimately led to his execution by the Spanish colonizers. Rizal was also a physician who
trained in ophthalmology under 2 prominent European ophthalmologists, Louis de Wecker and Otto Becker.

Early life
Born 40 miles south of Manila at Calamba, into a prominent Filipino family, José was the seventh of 11
children. Taught first by his cultured mother, and later by private tutors, the young Rizal grew up in an
intellectually stimulating atmosphere. His brother and sisters were all well-educated and his family's
private library, of more than 1000 volumes, was quite possibly the largest in the Philippines at that time.
Rizal was an extremely gifted student, especially in the humanities. He won literary competitions from a
young age. He had an extraordinary capacity for language; ultimately, he spoke 22 languages and dialects.
His professor of Greek in Spain said that he never encountered a student who excelled Rizal. Additionally, he
studied drawing, painting, and sculpture, throughout his life; he even exhibited a bust at the Salon de Paris
in 1889.1

Education
Rizal received his secondary education at the Ateneo Municipal of Manila, where he was a star pupil. On
graduation from the Ateneo, he won first prizes in 5 academic subjects, and his bachelor of arts degree was
conferred from Santo Tomas University (the only institution in the Philippines authorized to grant
academic degrees).2 From 1879 to 1882, he studied medicine, agriculture, surveying, and philosophy and
letters at Santo Tomas University in Manila. Dissatisfied with his education there, due in part to the
prejudices of faculty against native students, he continued his studies in Spain. In 1884, Rizal completed
licentiates in medicine and in philosophy and letters at the Central University of Madrid. (The licentiate is
an undergraduate degree similar to the American bachelor's degree but with a more vocational focus.
Further medical education was not required to call oneself a physician or to practice medicine at that time.
However, one could obtain a doctoral degree, similar to a contemporary American doctoral degree, after
passing examinations and writing an approved thesis.)

Rizal kept meticulous notes of his clinical experiences in Madrid. His clinical and surgical notes contain
details of lectures and case histories. The case reports include the patients' history, physical findings,
diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment, including prescriptions, diet, course, and even autopsy
findings. Rizal recorded opinions of professors on the cases as well as his own observations. Some comments
show his awareness of inadequacies in the system with an ironic sense of humor: "The San Carlos clinic
which prints a seal of infection to every wound."3(p49)

Although Rizal completed a thesis for his doctorate in medicine, he did not technically receive this degree,
since he did not appear to read his thesis aloud as required by the Central University of Madrid. At the time
Rizal completed the thesis, he was already studying ophthalmology in Germany. Reading his thesis in
Madrid would have required an additional trip to Spain, which Rizal could not afford. Instead, he mailed his
thesis to the university and hoped for its acceptance in this manner.

Training in ophthalmology
Rizal was inspired to study ophthalmology by his mother's failing eyesight and his desire to help her. In the
late 19th century, ophthalmology was already a separate specialty, but there were no organized residency
programs. Most postgraduate training was obtained in preceptorships under the tutelage of well-known
professors. Rizal first studied the eye under the famous French ophthalmologist, Louis de Wecker
(1832-1906). Although he held no academic position, de Wecker was a prolific author and an active teacher.
He introduced ophthalmoscopy into France and advanced ocular surgery. He modified cataract and
strabismus surgery, devised a new method of enucleation, advocated sclerotomy for the treatment of
glaucoma, and was the first to use the term filtration.4 The de Wecker iris scissors are still in use. Rizal
served as assistant at de Wecker's clinic from November 1885 to February 1886. He sent frequent letters to
his family describing what he was learning in Paris, such as this excerpt from 1886:

From 50 to 100 patients go daily to the clinic of Wecker; there are days when they perform as many as 10
major operations. Many cross-eyes are set right In the past days a young woman tall, very
tall, taller than myself by at least one palm, very elegant, beautiful, with a bad white eye that could not
see, went there also. Wecker had to blacken her eye which was not hard to do, for it only needed time. As
it is a luxurious operation, she could not complain of pain and she smiled. It is true that the eye is
rendered insensitive so the patients get up and say that they have felt absolutely nothing: there are those
who do not notice the operation and they only know it when they begin to see.1(p257-258)

Rizal was highly impressed by de Wecker's surgical skills and felt his surgical training was progressing well.
Living in Paris was too expensive, however, forcing him to look elsewhere for additional training. As he
explained in the following part of the same letter, he decided to continue his studies of the eye in Germany,
where the cost of living was more reasonable. He was undaunted by the task of learning another new
language:
 With respect to the study of the ailment of the eyes, I am doing well: I now know how to perform all the
operations; I only need to know what is going on inside the eye, which requires much practice. In
Germany, I am told that this is taught well, but one has to be registered and pay a sum of 10$ a month If I
see that, in effect, the cost of living is cheap, I will have myself registered, and if it is
not I will see to it that two or three months will suffice for me. In six months, I hope to speak German,
study a profession, continue my specialty; in five, living among Filipinos, I have learned
French.1(p257-258)

In February 1886, Rizal moved to Heidelberg. There he found university students at a pub and inquired
about good professors in ophthalmology. He was directed to the Augenklinik (Eye Clinic) of Otto Becker.
Becker (1828-1890) was professor of ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg from 1868 to 1890 and
helped make this department one of the best in Germany. He wrote a text on the anatomy of the normal and
diseased lens and collected more than 1800 pathologic specimens.4 Rizal spent the next 6 months working
as assistant to Becker.

I practise in the hospital and I examine the patients who come every day: the professor corrects our
mistakes in diagnosis; I help in curing and although I do not see as many operations as I do in Paris, here
I learn more about the practical side [I plan] during the spring of ‘87 to return again to Paris
and observe the operations of Dr de Wecker who, as a surgeon, seems to me very superior to all the
others I have seen until the present. From there I can return to the Philippines and open a decent eye
clinic.1(p256)

On his way back to de Wecker's clinic in Paris in 1887, Rizal took time to travel through Europe to learn from
and visit with some additional prominent ophthalmologists and scientists. Among the ophthalmologists he
visited, probably the most well-recognized today is Ernst Fuchs, whom he visited and worked with for a
short time in Vienna. In Berlin Rizal met Rudolph Virchow, the"father of pathology," who invited him to
become a member of the Berlin Anthropological Society. That Virchow, an eminent European scientist,
would offer the young Rizal such an honor is a tribute to the magnetism of Rizal's personality and intellect,
as thus far in his career he had made no significant contribution to science.

Practice of ophthalmology

Rizal practiced ophthalmology, mainly in Calamba (August 1887-February 1888), Hong Kong
(November 1891-June 1892), and while in exile in the town of Dapitan (July 1892-July 1896). His
specialized skills brought him fame, and patients often traveled long distances to seek his care. In
Calamba in 1887, Rizal finally began to fulfill his lifelong dream of caring for his mother's
eyesight. He may have operated on his mother there, possibly performing an iridectomy as a
preliminary to cataract extraction. In Hong Kong in 1892, he successfully removed the cataract
from his mother's left eye. Several months later, he sent her glasses with instructions to cover the
right lens until he could operate on that eye. Two years later, at Dapitan, he extracted the right
cataract. He was dismayed by her postoperative course, however, as she disobeyed his instructions
and removed the bandages prematurely. He learned a lesson on the difficulty of taking care of
family members:

I have operated on Mother with much success and she could see with much clearness
immediately after. The post-operative course went well for three days, but encouraged by this,
she did not follow my instructions and she got up and lay down alone, removed and put back
the eyepad, always telling me that nothing was going to happen until her eyes became so
inflamed(she suspected that during the night she received a blow The
operative wound gaped, the iris prolapsed and now there is violent inflammation. Nothing
 can quiet her and she reads and goes to bright lights and rubs her eyes Now I can
understand why it is prohibited for one to treat members of his family.3(p65)

Experiences like this one may have formed the basis for the modern standard that surgeons
should not operate on their immediate family. It has been said, however, that Rizal really only had
2 patients: his mother and his country. His dedication to both was clearly remarkable.

Political Activism
During his studies in Europe, Rizal was also working on his first novel, Noli Me Tangere. Through the
medium of fiction, he portrayed a vivid and realistic picture of the social conditions in the Philippines.
According to his own explanation:

Noli me tangere, a phrase taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, means "touch me not." The book contains
things that nobody in our country has spoken of until the present. They are so delicate that they cannot
be touched by anyone. I have attempted to do what nobody had wished to do. I have replied to the
calumnies that for so many centuries have been heaped upon us and our country. I have unmasked the
hypocrisy that under the cloak of religion has impoverished and brutalized us. . .
. I have lifted the curtain in order to show what is behind the deceitful and dazzling promises of our
government.(p7-8)

At the end of the 19th century, Spain was struggling to retain control of her colonies. The Philippines had
been under Spanish rule since the early 16th century. Spanish colonization had both economic and religious
motivations. At the head of the state was the governor general, appointed by the Spanish king, who was also
the civil head of the church. The archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church held the title of lieutenant
governor and was frequently a significant rival to the governor general for political power. Friars had
marched with soldiers to achieve conversion of Filipinos during the conquest of the islands and worked very
closely with the rural population. Thus, the friars held political control at the local level of government. The
friar curate in each parish could effectively also serve as the local tax collector, inspector of schools, census
taker, and chair of the boards of charity, health, and public works.5 Higher education in the Philippines was
run entirely by the clergy. Through censorship of all forms of expression and Spanish control of commerce
that limited contact with foreigners, the Philippines were maintained in an intellectual atmosphere much
like that of medieval Spain.

The Spanish perpetuated their stranglehold of power by preventing Filipinos from becoming parish priests
who could replace the friar curates. A principal proponent of appointing Filipino clergy to higher posts,
Father Jose Burgos, was a friend and teacher of Rizal's older brother, Paciano. In 1872, Burgos and 2 other
priests were accused of complicity in a mutiny at a military arsenal south of Manila. Although it is unlikely
that the priests were actually connected to the mutiny, their reformist activities made them suspicious
individuals in the eyes of the Spanish friars. The military tribunal found all 3 guilty and publicly executed
them.

Under Spanish rule, the Filipinos were treated as inferiors and were subject to numerous inequities, with
little recourse. Once, as a young man, Rizal did not recognize a lieutenant of the civil guard in the dark of
night and was beaten for failing to salute him. The outraged Rizal journeyed to Manila to report the
incident and obtain redress, but the governor general would not receive him. Even more bewildering was
Rizal's mother's experience with the Spanish justice system. When faced with a preposterous charge of an
angry cousin, she received no assistance from Spanish officials, whom the Rizals had entertained in their
home and had considered friends. On the contrary, she was humiliated by being forced to walk 20 miles to
prison, where she spent 2½ before being acquitted. These events and Rizal's observations from his youth
undoubtedly made a profound impact on the formation of his political thought and inspired his
descriptions in Noli Me Tangere.
Noli Me Tangere was printed with borrowed money in Berlin in 1886. Holding to his policy of truth and
directness, Rizal sent copies of the book directly to the governor general and the archbishop. When the book
reached the Philippines, an uproar ensued. A committee of 3 Dominican professors from the Universidad de
Santo Tomas denounced the book as heretical and subversive. The Comision Permanente de Censura
(Permanent Censorship Commission) agreed, adding that the book attacked the integrity of Spain, its
government, and its state religion. The commission prohibited its sale and circulation and jailed those found
in possession of the book. While Noli Me Tangere earned Rizal infamy and disdain from the Spanish friars
and officials, it earned him great popularity among his countrymen. Filipinos paid high prices for the few
copies available in the Philippines and secretly discussed its ideas.

Despite concerns for his safety, Rizal returned to his hometown in 1887 and practiced ophthalmology and
general medicine for nearly a year. His fame as an ophthalmic surgeon complemented his growing political
fame. Filipinos knew him as a miracle worker who could give sight to the blind. In Calamba, Rizal was
harassed and received death threats from his enemies. In 1888, he yielded to pressure from family and
friends to leave the Philippines again. He traveled through Hong Kong, Japan, America, and Europe, focusing
his work on scholarly research and political writing. During this time, he wrote articles for La Solidaridad, a
Filipino reformist newspaper based in Madrid. Rizal became known as the leader of the Filipino students
and activists in Europe who formed the Propaganda Movement. In the freer political atmosphere of Europe,
these reformists could express their ideas in newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets, all of which were sent
in letters to the Philippines.

Concurrently, Rizal was writing another controversial novel, El Filibusterismo, which was published in 1891.
The title is derived from the Spanish term filibustero (filibuster), meaning a freebooter or pirate. In Rizal's
time, however, filibuster was a terror-inspiring word, which the Spanish applied to any Philippine
proponent of reform or opponent of the friars' wishes. Rizal said the word connoted "a dangerous patriot
who will soon be hanged."2(p11-12) The filibustero that Rizal knew about from a young age was Father Jose
Burgos, the Filipino priest and teacher of his brother who was executed for advocating Filipinos for higher
clerical posts. Rizal clearly knew how much trouble he was provoking, but patriotism had become his first
priority. Like Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo dealt with Filipino society and its need for change. Also like
the Noli, it was avidly read and secretly discussed in the Philippines, increasing Rizal's fame and popularity
among his compatriots, but fueling distaste from the Spaniards. As a result, Rizal's family and sympathizers
were banished from the Philippines.

Distressed by how his politics had made life difficult for his family in the Philippines, the homesick Rizal
longed to abandon his Hong Kong–based ophthalmology practice and return to his country. Despite
opposition from his family and the progressive patriots in the Propaganda Movement, who feared for Rizal's
life, Rizal returned to the Philippines in June 1892. Before setting sail for his homeland, Rizal drafted 2
letters, which he requested to be published after his death. The first was to his parents, explaining his
actions. In the second, he addressed his compatriots, acknowledging his dangerous position, and reiterating
his unwavering beliefs:

The step that I have taken, or about to take, is undoubtedly very perilous, and I need not say that I have
pondered it a great deal. I realize that everyone is opposed to it; but I also realize that hardly anybody
knows what is going on in my heart I prefer to face death cheerfully and gladly give my
life to free so many innocent persons from such unjust persecutions I wish to show those who
deny us patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and our convictions. What matters death if one
dies for what one loves, for native land and adored beings?2(p15)

During his brief stay in the Philippines, Rizal formed the Liga Filipina, a society whose purpose he later
defended in his trial before the Council of War as "not to incite the people to rebellion, but rather to
encourage commerce, industry, union and the like."2(p22) Despite the league's professed loyalty to Spain
and only mild efforts toward reform, the distrustful Spaniards soon arrested Rizal. He was exiled to the
remote town of Dapitan in the Philippine island of Mindanao.
Throughout his 4-year exile in Dapitan, Rizal kept very busy employing all his talents. He practiced
ophthalmology and general medicine at no charge to the townspeople, while charging foreigners according
to their means. He bought land and farmed it. He opened a school and taught the pupils himself. He worked
to beautify and modernize the town, and continued his academic writing. When Rizal was granted
permission to serve as medical officer in Cuba in 1896, the townspeople were sad to see him leave. However,
when Rizal arrived at Manila to embark for Cuba, he was detained and held prisoner. Rebellions had broken
out in the Philippines and were being associated with Rizal. He was considered a dangerous revolutionary
and was charged and indicted for founding "illicit associations" and inciting the people to rebellion. Rizal
was allowed to choose a defender only from a list of Spanish military officers in his trial before the Spanish
Council of War. The Council, thirsty for revenge of the disorder caused by the uprisings, sentenced him to
death and quickly executed him.

Conclusions
Contrary to the intentions of the Spanish, Rizal's death only strengthened the movement toward revolution.
Outraged by the death of their hero, Filipinos rallied to the cause of independence, starting the rebellion
that would eventually end Spanish control of the Philippines. A true martyr, Rizal spoke out for injustice
when others were complacent. His ideas helped formulate a national identity for the Philippines, which was
a new concept in Asia, then under colonial rule. He defended his beliefs to his death. His country suffered a
tremendous loss with the death of this intellectual giant, who would likely have played an important part in
establishing independence and recognition for the Philippines. The world lost an exemplary citizen, a
multitalented man with a brilliant mind. He accomplished so much in his brief 35 years, one can only
imagine what contributions he would have made to the world and to the field of ophthalmology if he had
lived a full life span. To his patients he gave sight, and to his country he gave vision.

Rizal has become a symbol of the Philippine struggle for independence, and he is known there as the
national hero. December 30, the date of Rizal's execution in 1896, is celebrated as a national holiday in the
Philippines. The Jose Rizal College was dedicated to his honor in Manila in 1919. There are commemorative
monuments to Rizal in Manila near the site of his execution in Luneta Park, in his hometown and most
Filipino towns, in Heidelberg, and Chicago. His portrait appears on the Filipino 2-peso bill. The region
around Manila, including his hometown of Calamba, was designated a province and named Rizal. His novels
are required reading for Filipino high school students. Jose Rizal can perhaps be best summarized using his
own words from the poem he wrote from his cell the night before execution. One of the last stanzas of
"Ultimo Adios" (Final Farewell) shows his selfless devotion to his country, his loyalty to his family, his deep
spirituality despite criticism of the church, and his artistic grace.

Land of my idolatry, my misery of miseries, Beloved

Philippines, hear this last farewell.
I give you now my all, my parents, all I have loved.
I go to where there are no slaves, no hangmen, no oppressors,
Where faith does not slay, where he who reigns is God.

APPENDIX H

Fast Facts: José Rizal

José Rizal (June 19, 1861–December 30, 1896) was a man of intellectual power and artistic talent
whom Filipinos honor as their national hero. He excelled at anything that he put his mind to:
medicine, poetry, sketching, architecture, sociology, and more. Despite little evidence, he was
martyred by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of conspiracy, sedition, and rebellion when
he was only 35.
 ● Known For: National hero of the Philippines for his key role inspiring the Philippine
Revolution against colonial Spain
● Also Known As: José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
● Born: June 19, 1861, at Calamba, Laguna
● Parents: Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos
● Died: December 30, 1896, in Manila, the Philippines
● Education: Ateneo Municipal de Manila; studied medicine at the University of Santo
Tomas in Manila; medicine and philosophy at the Universidad Central de Madrid;
ophthalmology at the University of Paris and the University of Heidelberg
● Published Works: Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo
● Spouse: Josephine Bracken (married two hours before his death)
● Notable Quote: "On this battlefield man has no better weapon than his intelligence, no
other force but his heart."
Early Life
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19, 1861, at Calamba,
Laguna, the seventh child of Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos. The
family were wealthy farmers who rented land from the Dominican religious order.
Descendants of a Chinese immigrant named Domingo Lam-co, they changed their name to Mercado
("market") under the pressure of anti-Chinese feeling among the Spanish colonizers. From an early
age, Rizal showed a precocious intellect. He learned the alphabet from his mother at the age of 3
and could read and write at age 5.
Education
Rizal attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, graduating at age 16 with the highest honors. He
took a post-graduate course there in land surveying.
Rizal completed his surveyor's training in 1877 and passed the licensing exam in May 1878, but he
could not receive a license to practice because he was only 17. He was granted a license in 1881
when he reached the age of majority.
In 1878, the young man enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas as a medical student. He later
quit the school, alleging discrimination against Filipino students by the Dominican professors.
Madrid
In May 1882, Rizal got on a ship to Spain without informing his parents. He enrolled at the
Universidad Central de Madrid after arriving. In June 1884, he received his medical degree at the
age of 23; the following year, he graduated from the Philosophy and Letters department. Inspired by
his mother's advancing blindness, Rizal next went to the University of Paris and then to the
University of Heidelberg for further study in ophthalmology. At Heidelberg, he studied under the
famed professor Otto Becker (1828–1890). Rizal finished his second doctorate at Heidelberg in 1887.
Life in Europe

Rizal lived in Europe for 10 years and picked up a number of languages. He could converse in more
than 10 different tongues. While in Europe, the young Filipino impressed everyone he met with his
charm, intelligence, and mastery of a range of different fields of study. Rizal excelled at martial arts,
fencing, sculpture, painting, teaching, anthropology, and journalism, among other areas.

During his European sojourn, he also began to write novels. Rizal finished his first book, "Noli Me
Tangere" (Latin for "Touch Me Not"), while living in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany, with the Rev. Karl
Ullmer.
Novels and Other Writing
Rizal wrote "Noli Me Tangere" in Spanish; it was published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany. The
novel is a scathing indictment of the Catholic Church and Spanish colonial rule in the
Philippines, and its publication cemented Rizal's position on the Spanish colonial government's
list of troublemakers. When Rizal returned home for a visit, he received a summons from the
governor-general and had to defend himself against charges of disseminating subversive ideas.

Although the Spanish governor accepted Rizal's explanations, the Catholic Church was less willing
to forgive. In 1891, Rizal published a sequel, titled "El Filibusterismo." When published in English, it
was titled "The Reign of Greed."

Program of Reforms

In his novels and newspaper editorials, Rizal called for a number of reforms of the Spanish colonial
system in the Philippines. He advocated freedom of speech and assembly, equal rights before the
law for Filipinos, and Filipino priests in place of the often-corrupt Spanish churchmen. In addition,
Rizal called for the Philippines to become a province of Spain, with representation in the Spanish
legislature, the Cortes Generales.

Rizal never called for independence for the Philippines. Nonetheless, the colonial government
considered him a dangerous radical and declared him an enemy of the state.

Exile and Courtship

In 1892, Rizal returned to the Philippines. He was almost immediately accused of being involved in
the brewing rebellion and was exiled to Dapitan City, on the island of Mindanao. Rizal would stay
there for four years, teaching school and encouraging agricultural reforms.

During that period, the people of the Philippines grew more eager to revolt against the Spanish
colonial presence. Inspired in part by Rizal's progressive organization La Liga, rebel leaders such
as Andres Bonifacio (1863–1897) began to press for military action against the Spanish regime.

In Dapitan, Rizal met and fell in love with Josephine Bracken, who brought her stepfather to him
for a cataract operation. The couple applied for a marriage license but were denied by the Church,
which had excommunicated Rizal.
Trial and Execution
The Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896. Rizal denounced the violence and received
permission to travel to Cuba to tend to victims of yellow fever in exchange for his freedom.
Bonifacio and two associates sneaked aboard the ship to Cuba before it left the Philippines and
tried to convince Rizal to escape with them, but Rizal refused.
He was arrested by the Spanish on the way, taken to Barcelona, and then extradited to Manila for
trial. Rizal was tried by court-martial and charged with conspiracy, sedition, and rebellion.
Despite a lack of evidence of his complicity in the Revolution, Rizal was convicted on all counts
and given a death sentence.
He was allowed to marry Bracken two hours before his execution by firing squad in Manila on
December 30, 1896. Rizal was just 35 years old.
Legacy

José Rizal is remembered today throughout the Philippines for his brilliance, courage, peaceful
resistance to tyranny, and compassion. Filipino schoolchildren study his final literary
work, a poem called "M i Ultimo Adios" ("My Last Goodbye"), and his two
famous novels.

Spurred by Rizal's martyrdom, the Philippine Revolution continued until 1898. With assistance
from the United States, the Philippine archipelago defeated the Spanish army. The Philippines
declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, becoming the first democratic republic in
Asia.

APPENDIX I
EIE(SPREAD Reading-1) What the Philippines Tells us About Democracy

J.A. Abad

It’s more fun in the Philippines – observers of Philippine democracy could very well apply
our tourism slogan to our political landscape. Hard-won after centuries of colonization,
years of occupation and decades of dictatorship, Philippine-style democracy is colourful,
occasionally chaotic – and arguably inspiring.

Take elections, for example, the cornerstone of democratic institutions. Voters see their
power to choose their leaders as their strongest check on the behaviour of the
government, their one chance to exact accountability.

Analysts and commentators have branded political campaigns in the Philippines as “highly
entertaining”. The mix of old political clans, showbiz personalities and the ubiquitous song
and dance that pepper the campaign trail provide plenty of amusement. But be not
deceived; the power to choose is a right and responsibility that Filipinos hold dear.

Indeed, ballots are almost sacred in the Philippines. Voters have risked their personal
safety to exercise the right. In many cases, the public has seen it as their one weapon
against those who abuse their position.

Beyond balloting, democracy is a “government by discussion” (to quote the Indian

economist Amartya Sen), characterized by public dialogue and interaction. The vibrancy
of democracy in the Philippines hinges largely on the quality of this dialogue and
interaction. A government that engages its citizens, is inclusive in its decision-making and,
most importantly, enjoys the trust of its electorate, can almost certainly count on public
support when making tough decisions. The reverse has also been seen, as in the case of
a leadership facing a “crisis of legitimacy” that was seen to make decisions out of political
expediency rather than the public good; in this case the people’s mandate, won squarely
in an electoral contest, has proven itself to be a potent force for positive change.

The authors of a working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research argue that
democracy is good for economic growth for various reasons, including the ability of
democracies to implement economic reforms. They present evidence from a panel of
countries between 1960
and 2010 showing that the “robust and sizable effect of democracy on economic growth
… suggests that a country that switches from non-democracy to democracy achieves
about 20% higher GDP per capita in the long run (or roughly in the next 30 years)”.

We can see this in the case of the Philippines, which has enjoyed 60 straight quarters of
economic growth since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Average GDP growth from 2010 to
2013 was recorded at 6.3%, significantly higher than the 4.5% average GDP growth
registered from 2001 to 2009. That this relatively higher rate of growth has happened
alongside a series of economic reforms backed up by a strong electoral mandate should
not be taken as pure coincidence. Closing loopholes in tax collection, an overhaul in
customs administration, and passing key legislation on excise taxes – these would not
have taken place in an environment which was not supportive of – or indeed, craving for –
reform.

Outside of economic reforms, this strong mandate has also enabled the passage of social
sector reforms – among them legislation allowing women access to vital information and
facilities pertaining to their reproductive health, and a measure extending the education
cycle to meet the global standard. These measures had passionate advocates on both
sides, and a less committed leadership could have wavered at any point.

Improved government via more efficient tax collection and customs administration, access
to vital information and services and a better standard of education: how could one argue
that this is not what voters want when they take to the polls?

Of course, this is not always what voters get, even when they faithfully exercise their right
to choose. Roadblocks in the process remain, resulting in an occasional disconnect
between what voters want, and what they are eventually given. Recent reforms – such as
those automating the process and synchronizing elections in different parts of the country
– have sought to lessen fraud, intimidation of voters and the exercise of patronage. These
instances, however, are far from being wiped out completely. While incidents of poll
violence were significantly lower in the most recent mid-term elections, putting an end to
vote-buying and the general exercise of political patronage continues to be a challenge.

More significantly, while the Philippines have embraced the democratic traditions of
participation and the freedom of choice and expression, the longer-term challenge
remains to deepen the quality of its democracy. Building political parties on ideology and
merit rather than personality, strengthening accountability mechanisms within government,
creating alternative sources of reliable information, and enabling the electorate to make
informed choices – there is clearly much more work that needs to be done, despite the
progress that has been made.

The next step, however, has to be taken by the electorate itself. We have seen how a
strong mandate for change has made change happen – now we just need to sustain it by
demanding continuity.

Democracy may be more fun in the Philippines, but this is not a country that takes or
makes its choices lightly. Stay tuned.
Abad, J.A. (2014 May 22). What the Philippines tells us about democracy. World Economic
Forum.
Retrieved from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/05/philippines-democracy-east-asia-2014/

APPENDIX- J

EIE(SPREAD Reading-2) “The Government We Want:” Invigorating Citizen

Participation for Good Governance Reforms in the Philippines
T. Fung

For global observers of democratic governance and the rule of law, recent developments
in the Philippines have been discouraging. Headlines on the current administration’s
apprehension of political prisoners, authorization of extrajudicial killings, and subordination
of the rule of law underscore the diminishing accountability of the government to its public.
In this troubling context, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has
undertaken its Innovations for Good Governance Project, also known as INNOVATE-GOV.
In partnership with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia, Philippines Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, the National Competitiveness Council, De La Salle University Jesse M.
Robredo Institute of Governance, and Makati Business Club, INNOVATE-GOV was
organized with the purpose of assessing the quality of governance at the local and
national levels, and to identify best practices for engaging private and public sector
stakeholders in undertaking good governance advocacy.
The initiative began with two Regional Dialogues in Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro
to congregate voices from civil society organizations, private sector representatives, youth
leaders, media, and public officials to share their success stories in setting up institutions
to demand accountability and transparency from the government. These stakeholders
reconvened on October 9, 2018 at INNOVATE-GOV’s Good Governance National Summit
in Manila, where the project’s six grant recipients were recognized for their innovative
efforts to engage their local communities and to educate and promote democratic values
in the Philippines. Each grant recipient engages a different demographic and sector of the
Philippine population, including women and youth leaders and sub-national governance
councils, in order to empower local voices demanding good governance.

Below, the Institute for Leadership, Empowerment, and Democracy Inc. (iLEAD), a think
tank consultancy and resource center in the Philippines that focuses on strategic policy
work to strengthen democratic institutions and a grant recipient of INNOVATE-GOV,
explains their work with their network of youth organizations and advocates together with
the development of their youth-led governance agenda. To view iLEAD’s The Government
We Want vlog series, visit www.ilead.ph.

The Search for the Youth Agenda on Governance

Contributor: The Institute for Leadership, Empowerment, and Democracy Inc.
(iLEAD)
With increasing challenges in democratic spaces and values around the world, can the
youth still claim its space in nation building? This has been the question that guides us as
we launched discussions with different young individuals in recent months for our project,
The Government We Want.
This initiative springboards from the premise that with innovative platforms and
voice-giving conversations encouraging healthy and pluralistic discourse, the Filipino
youth can reinvigorate their generation’s democratic project towards influencing the quality
of politics and governance in the Philippines. With INNOVATE-GOV as an anchor
program, this project also finds value in multi-stakeholder participation and meaningful
partnerships. It aims to break down the barriers of political colors and demographics as
different youth groups sit down to talk about and define the kind of governance they want
for the country.
For this project, we have gathered 40 youth groups and leaders, as well as a magnitude of
stories on what the youth envision for our nation and the sectors or industries that they
represent. Spanning from LGBT rights, to climate action and local governance, the issues
that these groups put forward highlight youth participation as a fundamental force in
Philippine society. These insights will be put together as a comprehensive agenda to
inspire further collaborations across this youth network and inspire cross-sector support.
But more than a network-building and agenda-setting initiative, the project has also
become a platform to surface the different realities that confront the youth of today, and
months into it, we have collected a few:
● Youth is a powerful sector. In the Philippines, a country that has gone through
multiple societal transformations, the youth sector remains a powerful force. They
constitute 29% of the Philippine population and almost half of total registered
voters in the country. Whether out in the streets or within their own circles, Filipino
youth continues to forward their agenda on various socio-political matters. They
can potentially shift narratives and innovate on solutions in pursuit of development
and democracy.
● Youth adapts and re-invents. While frequently tagged as inexperienced or too
idealistic, the youth continuously proves to be a relevant segment of society. The
youth continues to innovate, re-create and explore creative means to reinterpret
politics and governance in manners that they are comfortable with. As much as
they seem to veer away from traditional political processes, like enlisting in political
parties or attending government-sanctioned assemblies, we see them thrive in
online spaces and intimate forms of activism. They talk to their colleagues,
integrate social consciousness in their online posts, and engage in conversations
that are issue-based rather than politically polarizing.
● Youth banks not on age but on ‘why.’ The youth in the development sector
primarily anchor on their purpose more than their age in making their advocacy
work. They go back to their ‘why,’ and it is their personal experiences and
viewpoints that fuel them to act and constantly innovate on solutions. They
recognize the need for allies and support and attach significance to collaborations
and multi-stakeholder partnerships in sustaining their work. In our discussions with
the network, we witnessed how different organizations, of different tracks and
sectors, can effectively build on the capacities, ideas, and resources of each other
and collaborate on ways to further their visions.

Fung, T. (2018 October 15). “The Government We Want:” Invigorating Citizen Participation
for Good Governance Reforms in the Philippines. Center for International Private
Enterprise. Retrieved from
https://www.cipe.org/blog/2018/10/15/the-government-we-want-invigorating-citizen-particip
atio n-for-good-governance-reforms-in-the-philippines/