Filipinos are naturally inclined to music. In the pre-Spanish times, our ancestors loved to sing and play instruments during worship and festivities. Many of the ethnic groups today still have such practices. In the Philippine mainstream music, during the 1990’s, musicians categorized as “alternative” such as Yano, Radioactive Sago Project and Francis Magalona used sharp lyrics to call attention to the social problems in our country.  More than a century ago, Spanish authorities accused our national hero of igniting a revolution by means of writing a seditious poem which was later transformed into a song.

In a letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt dated March13, 1895, Rizal wrote that he was teaching 16 pupils in Talisay, a place near Dapitan. He did not charge his pupils tuition, but instead asked them to help him construct a water-depository for the dry season. The subjects Rizal taught them were Spanish, French, German, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Arithmetic, Science, Environment, Values and Geometry.  Formal classes were held from 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. After class, Rizal allowed his pupils the pupils to engage in sports to boost their strength, such as gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, boxing, boating and arnis. Rizal and his students often held class under a Talisay tree. In honor of this tree, he made this poem, which was later adapted to a melody, making it a song;

The poem seemed to be free from any trace of revolutionary ideas. However, on December 2, 1896, at the time of the trial of Dr. Jose Rizal, copies of documents ascribed to Rizal were transmitted by Colonel Francisco Olive to the investigating officer Rafael Dominguez. The documents written in Tagalog, were confiscated by the Spanish authorities of the Veteran Civil Guard from Mr. Fresell’s warehouse, claiming that the papers were owned by Andres Bonifacio. Two of the subversive letters they found were entitled “To Talisay” (Verse), by Laonglaan (Rizal) and Kundiman (Verse) by J.P.R. (Jose P. Rizal).  The documents were translated in English as follows;

To Talisay (Verse), by Laonglaan (Rizal). We are children, we are the latest born. But our hearts beat high, and tomorrow we shall be full-grown men who will know how to defend their hearths and homes. We are children, yes we are children but nothing daunts us, neither wave nor storm nor thunder. With strong right arm and unclouded brow we shall know how to fight in the hour of danger. Our hands shall take up in turn those instruments of sovereign Reason, the sword, the pen, the spade.

Kundiman (Verse). In the fair Eastern Region where the sun rises, a beautiful enchanted land lies prostrate under the heel of tyrants. Alas, she is my country, the country I love. She languishes, a slave laden with chains; happy the man who can set her free – Manila , 12, 9, 91 – J.P.R. (Jose Rizal)

The Spanish prosecutors claimed that the lyrics of Rizal’s Hymn to Talisay and Kundiman contained seditious ideas, encouraging the Filipinos to revolt.  Jose Rizal denied that the confiscated papers with verses of Kundiman came from him, but he accepted the validity of To Talisay.   An interesting question that remains unanswered is if there was a possibility that a copy of the Hymn to Talisay reached the hands of Andres Bonifacio, despite the fact that it was exclusively taught by Jose Rizal to his students in Talisay. Could it be possible that Rizal gave Dr. Pio Valenzuela a copy of the song during Dr. Valenzuela’s visit to Dapitan? Or it was a mere accident that Bonifacio and Rizal both used the words “sword, pen and spade” in their poems and letters, to which the Spanish authorities attached rebellious meanings, and used them as evidences to incriminate Jose Rizal.