Today in the past

Today, November 29, 1882, Dr. Jose Rizal writes to Revista de Madrid.

In progressive Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay entitled Amor Patrio (Love of Country), his first article written on Spain's soil.

He sent this article to his friend in Manila, Basilio Teodoro, who was a member of the editorial staff of the Diariong Tagalog, the first Manila daily to have a Tagalog section.

Rizal's Amor Patrio, under his pen name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882. It was published in two texts - Spanish and Tagalog.

The Spanish text was the one originally written by Rizal in Barcelona. The Tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by M.H. del Pilar.

The article caused quite a sensation among the readers because of the Filipinistic flavor.

As in his prize-winning Juventud Filipina, Rizal in his Amor Patrio urged his compatriots to love their fatherland, the Philippines.

The editor of Diariong Tagalog, Francisco Calvo, congratulated Rizal for the article and requested him for some more articles.

In response to his request, Rizal wrote the second article for Diariong Tagalog entitled Los Viages (Travels).

His third article entitled Revista of Madrid (Review of Madrid), which he wrote in Madrid on November 29, 1882, was returned to him because the Diarong Tagalog had ceased publication.