Historical Context 

     In the midst of the three-centuries-long Spanish colonization in the Philippines lived Jose Rizal, a shining star in the campaign about fighting Spanish oppression. Rizal became a nationalist, writer, doctor, and artist; he has played his multifaceted roles well. His literary works, in particular, his novels, "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo", acted as the catalyst for the Filipino nationalist movement.

Jose Rizal's writings brought to the fore the abuses and injustices committed by the Spanish regime upon the Filipino people, their plight in the hands of their rulers. His novels sought reforms, education, and the enrichment of the lives of Filipinos. He saw the need to help in founding a civic organization, the La Liga Filipina, which would deal with many issues the Philippines was facing then, and seek unity for the Filipinos.

Rizal's ideas and actions not only spread the notion of a national identity and pride among Filipinos, increasing their desire to be independent from Spanish colonial rule, but also ultimately sowed the seeds for the Philippine Revolution against Spain, when in 1896, he was executed by the Spanish Authorities.

Not all of that is Rizal, after all, for he is well acclaimed today as a national hero among the Filipinos—a man who symbolized courage, intellect, and patriotism, to say only a few. He has a share in spreading awareness among Filipinos, therefore, about their nationalist movement, something that without any exaggeration left an everlasting impact on the history of the Philippines.

La Liga Filipina was established with the aim of creating a new organization that would attempt to actively involve the public in the reform movement. It sprang from La Solidaridad and the Propaganda movement.  "Unus instar omnium," meaning "one like the others," is the motto of La Liga Filipina. Ambrosio Salvador served as the president, Agustin dela Rosa handled finances, Bonifacio Arellano handled the Treasury, and Deodato Arellano handled the secretary position. 

The League was a self-help and mutual support organization that offered cooperatives, loans, legal assistance, and scholarship funding. Rizal was arrested and exiled to Dapitan as a result of it becoming a danger to the Spanish rulers. Domingo Franco and Andrés Bonifacio rebuilt the group in spite of its inactivity, endorsing reforms and stating their support for La Solidaridad. Following confusion in the leadership, the League's Supreme Council dissolved the society. The League membership divided into two factions: radicals led by Bonifacio founded the secret society known as the Katipunan, while conservatives formed the Cuerpo de Compromisarios and continued to support La Solidaridad.