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Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Estaban A. de Ocampo
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Extract

For this International Conference of South-East Asian Historians, it is my honour to contribute a paper on “Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism,” for several reasons. First, Dr. Rizal himself was very much interested in the history of this part of the world. Second, this year 1961 has been proclaimed by the President of the Philippines as the Rizal Centenary Year, for our hero was born in 1861. Third, if Rizal were alive today, he would have been happy to receive an invitation to attend our Conference because our hero was the organizer of the International Association of Filipinists in Europe in 1889. Fourth, Dr. Rizal has been ranked by his biographers, both Filipinos and foreigners, as one of the great intellectual leaders of Asia, together with Mahatma Gandhi of India and Dr. Sun Yat-sen of China. Lastly, Dr. Rizal visited this city of Singapore no less than three times in the course of his many travels to foreign lands.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Southeast Asian History , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 1962 , pp. 44 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1962

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References

1. Dr. Jose Rizal, in a letter written from Brussels, Belgium (May 26, 1890) to his friend. Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, said: “I am now dedicating with ardour to all studies that refer to the Far East. Here I bought various books about voyages, histories, etc…I have History of Sumatra by Marsden; Voyage Around the World by Pages; Picturesque Voyage Around the World by Dumont d'Urville; Picturesque Voyage Around the World by Bougainville; Voyage to Africa and Asia (Java and Japan) by Thumberg; Malatca, Indo China, China, Malabar Kniitkoff, etc. by Thompson; besides, 16 volumes of History of Voyages Until 1760. There is much about the Philippines in this work; I also have Malaisie, the Universe by Rienzi; China by Panthier and the Gesantschappen an de Kaisaren van Japan.” (Epistolario Rizalino; Manila: Bureau of Printing, 1938; Vol. V, Part 2, p 556)Google Scholar

In a subsequent letter dated May 26, 1890, Dr. Rizal again informed Prof. Blumentritt: “Recently I acquired the following works: Java by Raffles and Voyage Around the World by Beauvoir…I also have the Complete Works of Herder… 38 volumes.” (Ibid., p. 564)

Three years before, while he was in Berlin, Dr. Rizal wrote to Prof. Blumentritt, thus: “I have the great honor of being nominated associate (or member) of the Ethnographic Society. I was present at the ordinary session of the same and also in the extraordinary Sometime ago Dr. Donitz gave an interesting conference about Japanese pre-historic tombs with decorated plates found in them. It was the best lecture I heard in the two sessions.” (Ibid., Vol. V, Part 1, p. 68)

From London Dr. Reinhold Rost, Orientalist friend of Rizal, wrote to him, saying: “I am glad you are doing a lot of philological work. Would you not send some contributions of articles to the Asiatic Society of Singapore, or to the R. Asiatic Society here, or to the Shanghai Society, or to the one at Wellington in New Zealand?…

“I enclose a few notices of books that may interest you. They are from Luzac's Monthly Oriental List, for which I supply all the notices. The forthcoming number will bring something about an English-Sulu-Malay vocabulary, just published.” (The letter of Dr. Rost was dated January 5, 1894, and was sent to Dr. Rizal in Dapitan, northern Mindanao where the hero was exiled by the Spanish authorities since July, 1892. Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 185)

Dr. Rizal planned to establish a Filipino agricultural colony in Sandakan, British North Borneo. As a matter of fact, he visited Sandakan early in 1892 after making preliminary negotiations with Mr. W. B. Pryer.

2. President Carlos P. Garcia of the Philippines issued on December 12, 1960 “Proclamation No. 724 authorizing the Philippines International Fair, Inc. to hold an International Fair in the Sunken Gardens… City of Manila, Philippines, from February 1 to March 31, 1961, in celebration of Rizal's Centenary Birthday Anniversary in 1961 which has been declared as JOSE RIZAL YEAR with the slogan “VISIT THE PHILIPPINES — SEE THE ORIENT”'.

3. “Evidently inspired by his Philippine research studies in the British Museum and impelled by the urge to attract the attention of Europe's scholars to his country's rich historical lore, Rizal conceived the idea of establishing an International Association of Filipinologists. He broached this idea to Blumentritt in a letter dated at London, January 14, 1889, with an inclosed prospectus written by him. According to this prospectus, the object of the association was “to study the Philippines from the scientific and historical point of view.' The officers were Professor F. Blumentritt, President; Mr. Edmund Planchut (French), Vice-President; Dr. Reinhold Rost (Anglo-German) and Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor (Filipino), Counsellors; and Dr. Jose Rizal (Filipino), Secretary. Among the renowned scholars invited by Rizal to become members of the association were: Dr. Henry Yule of England, Drs. A. B. Meyer and Feodor Jagor of Germany; and Dr. H. Kern of Holland; and Dr. Czepelack of Poland.” (DrZaide, Gregorio F., Rizal as Historian; Manila, 1953, pp. 5–6Google Scholar; Letter of Rizal, to ProfBlumentritt, dated at London, 01 14, 1889Google Scholar; in Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. V, Part 2, pp. 381–391).Google Scholar

4. DrCraig, Austin, “Many Nations of the World Paid Dr. Jose Rizal Tribute,” in The Tribune (Manila), 12 30, 1933, p. 14.Google Scholar

5. Dr. Jose Rizal visited Singapore during these periods: on May 9–11, 1882, while on his first trip to Europe; on July 27, 1887, while on his return trip to Manila; on November 10, 1891, while on his second return voyage to the Philippines; on September 8, 1896, while on his trip to Cuba via Barcelona; and in October, 1896, on his way back to Manila aboard the Spanish warship, S.S. Colon. (DrRizal, 's Travel Diary, 1882Google Scholar in Bulletin of the Philippine Historical Association, No. 2 (12, 1957), pp. 100–105Google Scholar; Rizal's Diary for 1887 (unpublished); Rizal's Diary for 1891 (unpublished); and Rizal's Diary for 1896 in the Bulletin of the Philippine Historical Association, No. 1 (July, 1957), p. 57.

Portions of Rizal's 1882 Travel Diary pertaining to his brief sojourn in Singapore, follow: “We see more clearly vessels, houses, vegetation, highways, chimneys — all that an active city has. The port pilot came later. We stop. A crowd of Indians, Malays, and Englishmen flocked to the boat, offering in a language they alone can understand carriages, changing gold for silver, etc., etc…At last I disembark and hire a carriage to take me to La Paz Hotel (now the Adelphi Hotel — O.).

“I'm in my room which overlooks a patio adjoining the Hotel Europa (the Supreme Court building now occupies the site). I hear English spoken everywhere…”

“Two large coal warehouses, but large ones, stand at the landing; then, wellbuilt streets; plants on the sides: Chinese-style houses; crowds of Indians of Herculean figures; Chinese; a few Europeans; and very, very few Chinese women. Shops everywhere with advertisements in English and Chinese; most lively men…We pass before the Malabar temple, the Muslim, and the Chinese. We saw the police headauarters, and returning to the hotel, I saw the Protestant church in Gothic style…”

6. Dr. Frank C. Laubach, American biographer of the Filipino hero, wrote in his book: “When one records the wide range of activities in which Rizal shone, the list is rather staggering:

”Poet — perhaps the foremost in his race.

“Painter and sculptor who won gold medals.

“Novelist — “Noli Me Tangere was the greatest novel in fifty years,' said William Dean Howetls.

“Dramatist; Historian; Sociologist; Physician, ophthalmologist, and surgeon; Educator; Economist; Ethnologist; Naturalist; Psychologist; Theologian; Sanitary engineer; Scientific farmer;

“Philologist — who spoke Spanish, Latin, French, Italian, English, German, Japanese, Dutch, Catalan, Tagalog, Visayan, Ilocano, Cebuano, Subano and Malayan. Translated Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Sanscrit, and Chinese. Could read Russian, Swedish, and Portuguese. Twenty-two languages in all.” (Rizal: Man and Martyr; Manila: Community Publishers, Inc., 1936, pp. 395–396Google Scholar;

Sr. Javier Gomez de la Serna, in his “Prologue” to Retan's Life, and Writings of Dr. Jose Rizal, wrote: “La figura humana de Rizal es digna de profundo estudio. Vivio treinta y cinco anos; a los veintisiete habia dado la vuelta al mundo; fue medico, novelista, poeta, politico, filologo, pedagogo, agricultor, tipografo, poliglota (hablaba mas de diez lenguas), escultor, pintor, naturalista, miembro de celebres Centros cientificos europeos, que dieron su nombre a especies nuevas por el descubiertas; vivio y estudio en las grandes capitales de Europa y America; el indice de sus libros y escritos varios ocupa no pocas paginas de este volumen. Dedicaron a su muerte veladas y recuerdos necrologicos varias Sociedades cientificas, y la Prensa de todo el mundo Ese fue el hombre que fusilamos.” (Retana, Wenceslao E., Vida y Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal; Madrid: Libreria General de Victoriano Suarez, 1907, p. VIII).Google Scholar

7. Quoted by DrBantug, Jose P. in his Rizal: Scholar and Scientist; Manila: Bureau of Printing, 1946, p. 5.Google Scholar

8. ProfBlumentritt, Ferdinand, “Rizal on Race Differences,”Google Scholar in DrCraig, Austin, Rizal's Political Writings; Manila: Oriental Commercial Company, 1933, p. 56.Google Scholar

9. From Berlin Dr. Rizal wrote to Blumentritt saying, among other things: “He tenido el gran honor de ser nombrado socio de la Sociedad Etnografica.” (Letter dated Jan. 26, 1887; Epistolario Rizedino, Vol. V, Part 1, p. 68)Google Scholar In another letter dated at Berlin on February 7, 1887, Rizal again informed Blumentritt: “Ya me aceptaron en la Sociedad Antropologica; en la Soc. Geografica me propusieron como socio…” (Ibid., p. 73).

10. Please see “Note No. 3”, supra.

11. From Dr. Rizal's letter to Mr. Mariano Ponce, etc. dated at Paris, April 18, 1889 in Epistolarib Rizalino, Vol. II, p. 166.Google Scholar

12. DrViola, Maximo, “My Travels with Jose Rizal,” in The Manila Times, 01 2, 1951, p. 3.Google Scholar

13. DrCraig, Austin, Rizal's Own Story of His Life, Manila: National Book Company, 1918, p. 103Google Scholar; DrRizal, Jose, “Laughter and Tears,”Google Scholar in Collas, Juan, Rizal's Unknown Writings; Manila, 1953, p. 99.Google Scholar

14. Rizal, Jose, “Speech” at the Luna-Hidalgo banquet in Madrid, 06 25, 1884Google Scholar, in DrCraig, Austin, Rizal's Political Writings, pp. 238–243.Google Scholar

15. Rizal's “Manifesto to Some Filipinos” written at his Fort Santiago prison, Manila, December 15, 1896, in DrOsias, Camilo, Jose Rizal: His Life and Times (Manila: Oscol Educational Publishers, Inc., 1938), p. 370.Google Scholar

16. Rizal's letter to his Filipino friends at Barcelona dated at London, early 1889, in Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. II, p. 98.Google Scholar

17. From Dr. Rizal's letter to Sr. Marcelo H. del Pilar dated at Brussels, May 28, 1890, in Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. III, pp. 39–40.Google Scholar

18. Palma, Rafael, The Pride of the Malay Race (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1949), p. 35.Google Scholar

19. Rizal, Jose, The Reign of Greed (Manila: Philippine Education Company, 1927), p. 60Google Scholar. This book is the English translation of his second novel, El Filibusterismo (Ghent, Belgium, 1891).Google Scholar

20. Ibid., p. 62.

21. From Rizal's letter to Rev. Vicente Garcia dated at Madrid, Jan. 7, 1891, in Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. III, pp. 136–137Google Scholar; DrCraig, Austin, Rizal's Political Writings, p. 244.Google Scholar

22. From Antonio Ma. Regidor's letter to Dr. Jose Rizal dated at London, May 3, 1887, in Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. II, p. 5).Google Scholar

23. Letter of ProfBluraentritt, Ferdinand to Rizal, written at Leitmeritz, Austria-Hungary, 03, 27, 1887Google Scholar; Ibid., Vol. I, pp. 258–259.

24. DrCraig, Austin, Rizal's Political Writings, pp. 281–305Google Scholar; Palma, Rafael, The Pride of the Malay Race, pp. 93–95.Google Scholar

25. Republic Act No. 1425, approved on June 12, 1956Google Scholar, is entitled “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”.

26. Retana, Wenceslao E., Vida y Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal, pp. 131–133.Google Scholar

27. Osias, , op. cit., p. 444.Google Scholar

28. Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. II, p. 145.Google Scholar

29. Ibid., Vol. II, p. 233.

30. Ibid., Vol. III, p. 159.

31. From Puatu, Guillermo's letter to Rizal dated at Pontevedra, Spain, 11 2, 1890Google Scholar; Ibid., Vol. III, p. 120.

32. Viola, , op. cit., 01 4, 1951, p. 3.Google Scholar

33. Kheil, Napoleon M.'s letter to Rizal dated at Prague, Austria-Hungary, 11 3, 1894Google Scholar; Epistolario Rizalino, Vol. IV, p. 217.Google Scholar

34. Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 275.

35. Ibid., Vol. II, p. 285.

36. Fernandez, Leandro H., “The Formation of Filipino Nationality,”Google Scholar in Quirino, Eliseo and Hilario, Vicente F., Thinking for Ourselves (Manila: Oriental Commercial Company, 1924), pp. 212–214.Google Scholar

37. Blumentritt, , op. cit., p. 56.Google Scholar