EL FILIBUSTERISMO:The making of a revolution

EL FILIBUSTERISMOby: Dr. Jose Rizal

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EL FILIBUSTERISMO

◈ It is the second novel written by Jose Rizal

as the sequel of Noli Me Tangere

◈ Written in Spanish

◈ “The reigh of Greed” in English

◈ It is consists of 38 chapters

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Rizal dedicated El Fili to

GomBurZa – the

Filipino priests Mariano

Gómez, José Burgos,

and Jacinto Zamora who

were executed unjustly

in 1872.

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From wikipedia.org

THE TITLE

◈ The ‘Filibusterismo’ in the novel’s title is

derived from the simpler term ‘filibustero’.

Rizal defined the word (‘filibustero’) to his

friend Ferdinand Blumentritt who

encountered but did not fully comprehend

the word in the ‘Noli’. Rizal thus explained

in a letter:5

“The word filibustero is little known in

the Philippines …I heard it for the first

time in 1872 when the tragic

executions [of the Gomburza] took

place. I still remember the panic that

this word created.. 6

“Our father forbade us to utter it, as

well as the words Cavite, Burgos (one

of the executed priests), etc. The

Manila newspapers and the Spaniards

apply this word to one whom they

want to make a revolutionary suspect. 7

“The Filipinos belonging to the

educated class fear the reach of the

word. It … means a dangerous patriot

who will soon be hanged or well, a

presumptuous man

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THE TITLE

◈ The foreword of the Fili was nonetheless

addressed “To The Filipino People and Their

Government”. The original manuscript also

includes a “warning” and an “inscription” on

the title page written by the author’s friend,

Ferdinand Blumentritt.

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HISTORY OF THE NOVEL

◈ Rizal took 3 years to write his second novel

◈ Rizal began writing El Filibusterismo in

October 1887 while he was in Calamba

◈ In London (1888), he revised the plot and

some chapters. Rizal continued to work on

his manuscript in Paris10

HISTORY OF THE NOVEL

◈ He apologized to Marcelo H. del Pilar for his

decreasing contributions to La Solidaridad,

but he felt compelled to finish his book. The

importance of finishing El Fili was reflected

in one of his letters, where he said

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“It seems to me that this second part is

more important than the first, and if I

do not finish it here, it will never be

finished.

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HISTORY OF THE NOVEL

◈ He later moved to Brussels

◈ In Biarritz, Paris en route to

Brussels on March 29, 1891, Rizal

finished writing the draft for El

Filibusterismo.13

A marker on the house

where Jose Rizal spent his

days in Brussels. The sign

reads: “National hero of the

Philippines lived in this

house when he wrote his

novel ‘El Filibusterismo’ in

1890-1891”

14From ffemagazine.com

HISTORY OF THE NOVEL

◈ September 18, 1891 – the novel was

published in Ghent, partially funded

by Valentin Ventura

◈ Rizal immediately send two printed

copies Hong Kong (Basa & Sixto

Lopez 15

HISTORY OF THE NOVEL◈ Rizal donated the original manuscript and

an autographed printed copy to Valentin

Ventura

◈ Sent complimentary copies to

Blumentritt, Ponce, Jaena, Juan Luna,

Tavera, Antonio Luna and others16

HISTORY OF THE NOVEL◈ Original manuscript of El Fili in Rizal’s

on handwriting is now preserved in the

Filipina Division of the Bureau of Public

libraries in Manila

◈ Acquired by the Philippine government

from Venture for 10,000 pesos17

THE LEGACY

◈ The book were smuggled into the

Philippines

◈ Andres Bonifacio was one of those directly

inspired by Rizal’s book – it gave him the

idea of forming Katipunan

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THE LEGACY

◈ Rizal never intended for El Fili to be a call

to revolution

◈ Yet the publication of El Fili also meant

Rizal signed his death warrant. While not

directly involved with the revolution, Rizal

was still taken and executed in 1896 because

of the power of his books. 19

OBJECTIVES OF RIZAL FOR WRITING THE NOVEL◈ To defend Filipino people from foreign

accusations of foolishness and lack of

knowledge

◈ To show the Filipino people lived during

the Spanish era and the cries and woes of

his countrymen against abusive officials20

OBJECTIVES OF RIZAL FOR WRITING THE NOVEL◈ To expose the cruelties, graft and

corruption of the false government and

honestly shows the wrong doings of the

Filipinos that led to further failures

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IMPORTANCE OF THE NOVEL ◈ Historically significant

◈ A social sketch of the country then

◈ True setting and condition of the Filipino

society in the era

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IMPORTANCE OF THE NOVEL ◈ Source of sociological and

anthropological studies

◈ Mimic the various elements and types of

individuals in the society

◈ Instrument in forming the Filipino’s

sense of national identity23

NOLI ME TANGERE VS. EL FILIBUSTERISMO◈ Fili presents a gloomier depiction of the

country under the Spanish regime. More

radical and revolutionary, less idealism

and romance

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“It is a pity because it seems to me that

this second part (the Fili) is more

important than the First (the Noli)

Rizal to Basa

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“I appreciate what you say about my work and I

value your opinion highly that considered my

Filibusterismo inferior to the Noli. I, too

frankly, without irony or words with a double

meaning, share your opinion. For me,

The Filibusterismo as a novel is inferior to

Noli… Rizal to del Pilar26

STRUGGLES OF THE NOVEL ◈ The copies of the novel was destroyed by

customs in Manila upon shipment to the

Philippines

◈ The rare surviving copies were secretly

purchased

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“According to one friend of the family,

had to be read in the smallest, most

private room in the house- the toilet

Ocampo, p.108

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STOLEN NOVELS◈ The original manuscript of the Noli and

Fili (along with the poem ‘Mi Ultimo

Adios’) were stolen from the National

library on the evening of December 8,

1961

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FACTS ABOUT THE NOVEL ◈ Rizal was arrested, exiled to Dapitan, and

ultimately executed in 1896 based

principally on his writing

◈ In 1956, the Philippine congress passed

the Rizal Law (Republic Act 1425)

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FACTS ABOUT THE NOVEL ◈ Translated into various languages such as

Filipino, English, German, French,

Chinese, etc.

◈ In 2007, an English version of the novel

was released to major Australian book

stores31

ReferencesFFE RKM Staff. (2013). El Filibusterismo: The making of a

revolution. Pilipinas kong mahal. Retrieved from:

http://ffemagazine.com

Mañebog, J DG. (2013). The El Filibusterismo. Retrieved

from: https://ourhappyschool.com

Tinaya, W M. (2014). El Filibusterismo (Ang paghahari ng

kasakiman). Retrieved from:

https://www.slideshare.net32