Chapter 10 - First Homecoming (Rizal's Life, Works and Writings

SSC01: Rizal’s Life, Works & Writings – Chapter 10 First Homecoming, 1887-88

Introduction to Chapter 10 • Rizal stayed for 5 years in Europe • He remained at the heart a true Filipino • Returned to PH in August 1887 • Practised medicine in Calamba • Noli was resented by his enemies

Decision to return home • Rizal was warned not to return to PH after publication of Noli • Rizal’s reasons for returning: – Operate on his mother’s eyes – Serve his people – oppressed by the Spaniards – To find out how Noli affected the Filipinos & Spaniards in PH – Inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent

• Blumentritt to Rizal - live in Madrid & continue to write from there

Delightful Trip to Manila • Marseilles – a French port that Rizal rode from Rome • Djemnah – Haiphong – Played chess – Rizal as an interpreter – Djemnah = Orient via Suez Canal –Aden = Saigon – Haiphong – Manila

• Rizal found Manila the same as he left it

Happy Homecoming • Rizal: welcomed affectionately; also worried about his safety – Paciano did not leave him on his first day of arrival – Don Francisco did not let him go out alone

• He established a medical clinic in Calamba – First patient - Dona Teodora (his mother) – Operated eyes; could not perform surgery because her eye cataracts were not ripe

– called “Doctor Uliman” – he came from Germany – P900 – P5000 medical fees

Happy Homecoming (cont.) • Rizal opened a gymnasium & introduced European sports – Fencing and shooting – discourage cockfights & gambling

• Rizal’s one failure (6 months – Calamba) – unable to see Leonor Rivera – Tried to go to Dagupan

– Leonor’s parents forbade him to go – son-in-law – Custom – Marriage arranged by parents of both bride & groom

Storm over Noli • His enemies plotted his doom • Translated German poems of Von Wildernath to Tagalog

• Governor General Emilio Terrero – requested Rizal to the Malacanan Palace – Noli – subversive ideas – Rizal denied the charges against him – exposed the truth; did not advocate subversive ideas

Storm over Noli (cont.) • Asked the Jesuits for the copy he sent – no • Fathers: Francisco de Paula Sanches, Jose Bech & Federico Faura – glad to see him – Noli – speaks the truth; you may lose your head for it

• Governor General Terrero – liberal-minded spaniard – Assigned Spanish Lieutenant Don Jose Taviel de Andrade as bodyguard of Rizal – Cultured and knew painting – Could speak English, French & Spanish

Storm over Noli (cont.) • Governor General Terrero found nothing wrong with Noli • Msgr. Pedro Payo (Dominican Archbishop of Manila) – sent a copy of Noli to Father Rector Gregorio Echavarria (UST) for examination by the faculty – Noli – heretic, impious & scandalous in the religious order; anti-patriotic, subversive of public order, injurious to the government of Spain & its functions in the PH islands in the political order – Governor General Terrero – dissatisfied w/ the report – Dominicans were prejudiced against Rizal

Storm over Noli (cont.) • Permanent Commission of Censorship – composed of priests and laymen – Fr. Salvador Font (Agustinian cura of Tondo) – head of the Commission – Noli – subversive ideas against the church & spain – Importation, reproduction and circulation of the “pernicious” book in the islands be prohibited – Banning of Noli only made it popular

• No one was arrested or executed thanks to Governor General Terrero – Refused to be intimidated by the friars

Attackers of the Noli • Father Jose Rodriguez (Prior of Guadalupe) – published a series of eight pamphlets (Cuestiones de Sumo Interes – Questions of Extreme interest) – To blast Noli & other anti-spanish writings

– Sold daily in churches after mass – Filipinos were forced to buy

• Storm over Noli reached SpainGeneral Jose Salamanca, General Luis M. de Pando & Sr. Fernando Vida – Vicente Barrantes (Spanish academician of Madrid) – criticized Noli – La Espana Moderna (Spanish newspaper of Madrid)

Defenders of the Noli • Marcelo H. del Pilar, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce & other Filipino reformists – upholded the truths of Noli • Fr. Sanchez (Rizal’s favorite teacher at the Ateneo) – defended and praised the Noli to the public • Don Segismundo Moret (former Ministry of the Crown), Dr. Miguel Morayta (historian & statesman) & Professor Blumentritt (scholar & educator) – read and liked the novel

Defenders of the Noli (cont.) • Rev. Vicente Garcia – Justo Desiderio Magalang – wrote a defense of the Noli w/c was published in Singapore as an appendix to a pamphlet – Rizal as a graduate of Spanish universities; recipient of scholastic honors – Attacked the Spanish officials; not Spain – Mortal Sin?

• Rizal defended Noli against Barrantes’ ignorance of PH affairs and mental dishonesty – unworthy of an academician – Rizal as his master in satire and polemics • Fernando Canon (Geneva) – Noli – from five pesetas (one peso) to fifty pesos per copy

Rizal and Taviel de Andrade • Friendship between Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade & Rizal • Enjoyed fencing, shooting, hunting and painting • Lt. Andrade of Rizal – “….refined, educated and gentlemanly… Mt. Maliking – rumors – Hoisting of German flag on top of the mountain & proclaimed sovereignty over PH –

Friars of Calamba

• What marred Rizal’s happy days in Calamba w/ Lt. Andrade – Death of Olimpia – Tales that he was a German spy, agent of Bismarck, a protestant, a mason, a witch, a soul beyond salvation, etc.

Calamba’s Agrarian Trouble • Governor General Terrero – influenced by facts from Noli, ordered the investigation of the friar estates (land taxes w/ tenant relations) • Rizal’s findings of the Friar Estate w/ the tenants’ signatures w/ three officials of the Calamba Hacienda – Haciendas – towns – Increase of rentals – increased profits of the Dominican Friars – No contributions from the hacienda owner –

Fiesta

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Education of children

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Improvement of agriculture

– Tenants (cleaning) – dispossessed of lands for flimsy reasons – High rates of interests – delayed payments ----confiscation of carabaos, tools and homes

Farewell to Calamba • Friars exerted pressure on the Malacanan Palace to eliminate Rizal –

Asked Governor General Terrero to deport Rizal; no valid charges in court

• Anonymous death threats received by Rizal’s parents ---advised Rizal to go away (parents, relatives & friends incl. Lt. Taviel) • Governor General Terrero – summoned Rizal and “advised” him to leave PH for his own good. Rizal was given a chance to escape

• Reasons for compelled decision to leave –

His presence jeopardizes the safety and happiness of his family & friends

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He could fight better his enemies & serve his country’s cause w/greater efficacy by wrtiting in foreign countries

A Poem for Lipa • Poem as commemoration - Calamba’s elevation from a town to a villa (city) – Becarra Law of 1888 – Himno Al Trabajo (Hymn to Labor)