rizal

• Despite the numerous works written by Rizal, he consistently emphasized the importance of education in his works
• While historians are torn between Rizal's stance on revolution and reform, historians do agree that the education of the Filipino people was his top priority from the moment he participated in the Propaganda movement in Spain, his short stay in Dapitan, until his last days in Fort Santiago
• Educating the Filipinos is a common theme in most of Rizal's political writings
• Crisostomo Ibarra


  Main character in Noli Me Tangere who wanted to build a school for his countrymen
• Simoun


  Crisostomo Ibarra's new identity in El Filibusterismo who had a more pro-active view on education, stating that simple education was not enough
• Simoun was unmasked by Basilio


  They had a debate regarding the youth's role in easing the sufferings of the country
• Basilio's view


  Being a physician who cured physical illnesses was already enough
• Simoun's view


  The importance of curing not only the physical illnesses but also the social illnesses experienced by the country
• Rizal, through Simoun, wanted students and professionals who are active in their chosen fields to be also involved in conversations regarding the status of the nation and in trying to address these societal issues
• Rizal basically wanted an educated and active citizenry
• When Rizal returned in 1892 to establish the La Liga Filipina, one of the objectives of the organization was to encourage instruction (teaching), agriculture, and commerce
• Rizal viewed education as a primary tool for the empowerment of women in a male-dominated colonial society
• When Rizal was in Dapitan, he dedicated his time to the community for the education of the children by building a school in the area and acting as their teacher
• Rizal continuously emphasized to his sisters the value of educating oneself by reading and grabbing every opportunity to learn
• As an uncle, Rizal also tried to inculcate these values to his nephews and nieces by translating Hans Christian Andersen's tales from German to cultivate their interest in reading
• Education as revolution


  Rizal used the fire to symbolize education - it was illuminating but the path towards it was dangerous and may eventually result to death
• Most Filipinos demanding for reforms in the 1860's and 1870's were educated elites as well as native secular priests such as Padre Jose Burgos
• The repressive colonial regime tagged students as destabilizers and there was a massive crackdown among intellectuals as well as their families especially after the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
• Tagging intellectuals as destabilizers continued through the 1880's and 1890's especially during the height of the propaganda movement in Europe
• Rizal eventually became the main target of the colonial regime and was executed on December 31, 1896
• In his Memorias, Rizal emphasized that though the road to enlightenment was harsh, every step of the way was worth everything
• In El Filibusterismo, Rizal continued the symbolism of education as fire


  Simoun's planned revolution was supposed to be ignited by an explosion of a custom-built lamp bomb, the inventor of which was a former teacher
• It was Isagani, a youth, who prevented the explosion and Simoun eventually failed in the end
• Padre Florentino's statement


  A revolution must be made for a greater cause
• Rizal viewed education as something revolutionary, not in a subversive and violent sense, but in freeing the mind from the darkness and bonds of ignorance
• A free mind however must be aware of the different issues of his or her society and must be actively engaged in trying to change society for the better
• Reflect on your current circumstance. Compare your technological advantage over Rizal in his time. Identify how he was able to look for knowledge. How did he manage to go about living a full life without a smart phone or the Internet? Will such full life be possible today without those advances? How will you to use them to your advantage? If you have an advocacy, what would it be? Will it change the world? If you encounter difficulty, how will you remind yourself to keep on going? Or will you give up, despite knowing that Rizal did not?
• The Role of Women in Nation-building
• Lesson Outcomes


  • Discuss the role of women in nation building according to Rizal
  • Assess the status of women in the present society
  • Formulate a project that shows the importance of gender inclusivity in society
• The Letter to the Women of Malolos is a central document when talking about Rizal and his views regarding the role of women in nation building. It was written in 1889 at the request of Marcelo H. Del Pilar to encourage the women in Malolos in their attempt to establish a night school.
• Gender Inclusivity Project


  1. Create your own social media project to promote gender rights

  2. Interview women and LGBTQ rights advocates or ordinary women and LGBTQ members

  3. Observe proper ethical measures in conducting interviews

  4. Explore women's rights, Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC), gender discrimination, and other gender-related issues

  5. Post the project online and monitor the feedbacks
• The women of Malolos who belonged to Chinese-Mestizo clans in Bulacan namely the Tiongsons, Tantocos, Reyeses, and Santoses, were actively involved in the quest for educational reform. They wanted to study Spanish under Teodoro Sandico and they personally gave their letter of request to then Governor General Valeriano Weyler on December 12, 1888.
• Learning Spanish meant that the women might now participate in social discourse since it was the language used in politics. Spanish friars during that time prohibited this attempt to learn to maintain control over women.
• Native priests in the Philippines, however, had always been supportive of the move to educate their fellow Filipinos, especially with the establishment of the Royal Decree of 1863 that aimed to educate all Filipinos, men and women, in Spanish.
• The propaganda movement commended the women's brave attempt to educate themselves. Propagandists like Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar wrote articles about them in La Solidaridad.
• Marcelo H. del Pilar was the one who requested Rizal to write a letter to the women of Malolos. Rizal obliged and on February 22, 1889, he sent del Pilar a letter written in Tagalog
• Major points raised by Rizal in the letter to the women of Malolos


  • Commended the bravery of the young women in their quest to educate themselves
  • Pointed out the role of women in raising children and inculcating them with love for country and learning
  • Stated the importance of high standards in finding a partner
• Rizal also emphasized the importance of women in some of his other letters, such as praising his mother and encouraging his sisters to pursue their education
• Rizal's respect for women was cultivated through a strong woman figure, Donya Teodora, who guided his childhood and through strong bonds with his sisters
• Despite growing up in a patriarchal or male-centric society that dictated women as passive individuals limited to stay at home, Rizal knew that women must play a more crucial role in building the nation and to him, it had to start with their proper education