The Jose Rizal family was a wealthy family in Calamba,
Laguna and considered one of the largest families in those
times. The 13 member of Jose Rizal family consisted of his
father Francisco Mercado II and his mother Teodora Alonso
Realonda. Jose Rizal had nine sisters and one brother. The Jose
Rizal family’s paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a fullblooded Chinese who lived inAmoy,China and arrived in the
Philippines in the closing years of the 17th century. Domingo
Lam-co was married to a Chinese half-breed named Ines de la
Rosa. The Mercado-Rizal family had also Japanese, Spanish,
Malay and Negrito blood aside from their Chinese blood.
Jose Rizal’s father was the youngest of 13 children of Juan and
Cirila Mercado. He was born in Binan, Laguna, studied in San
Jose College of Manila and died in Manila. The mother of Jose
Rizal was a business -minded, religious and hard working
individual who was born in Santa Cruz,Manila on November
14, 1827 and died in Manila in 1913. She studied at the
Colegio de Santa Rosa and was the second child of Brijida de
Quintos and Lorenzo Alonso.
Saturnina Rizal was the eldest of the offsprings of Francisco
Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda. She married Manuel
Hidalgo who hailed from Tanauan, Batangas. The only brother
of Jose Rizal was Paciano Rizal and was the second child.
Paciano studied at the San Jose College in Manila and worked
as a farmer and later as a general of the Philippine Revolution.
The other sisters of Jose Rizal were Narcisa,Olympia, Lucia,
Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. Soledad was
the youngest child and later was married to Pantaleon Quintero.
The parents of Jose Rizal were both farmers who were granted
by the Dominicans with the lease of a hacienda together with a
rice farm. The mother of Jose Rizal, Teodora, had Spanish and
Japanese ancestors while the father of Teodora was a half
Spaniard engineer known as Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo.
The Rizal surname was obtained by Francisco Mercado as
suggested to him by a provincial governor after the Governor
General of the Philippines, Narciso Claveria, issued a decree in
1849 by which native Filipino and immigrant families were to
adopt Spanish surnames from a list of Spanish family names.
Jose Rizal also obtained the surname Rizal after dropping three
other names that made up his full name. Jose Rizal also
retained Protacio as his other family name. His family never
actually recognized his Rizal surname but Jose Rizal was
forced to use it so that he can travel freely and disassociate him
from his brother who was known to be notorious due to
Paciano’s links with native priests who were executed after
they were found to be subversives.
The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during
their time. Domingo Lam-co, the family's paternal ascendant
was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from
Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th century and
married a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa.
Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also
traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Even Negrito blood
aside from Chinese.
Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his
parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso Realonda,
and nine sisters and one brother.
The Mercado - Rizal Family
FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)
Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of
Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan, Laguna on April 18,
1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.
TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)
Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo
Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied at the Colegio de
Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous,
religious, hard-working and well-read. She was born in Santa
Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in
Manila.
OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from
childbirth.
LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)
The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.
MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan,
Laguna.
JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)
The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the
Spaniards on December 30,1896.
CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)
The eight child. Died at the age of three.
SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)
Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel
Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.
JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)
The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.
PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San
Jose College in Manila; became a farmer and later a general of
the Philippine Revolution.
TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)
The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to
die.
NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)
The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a
teacher and musician.
SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)
The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.
Paternal Ancestors
Domingo Lam-Co, the family root, arrived from Amoy, China
in 1660s and changed his name to Mercado in 1697. He
married late in life.
Francisco Mercado y Chinco, the first son of Domingo Lamco.
Juan Mercado y Monica, youngest son of Francisco Mercado y
Chinco, a captain in the Spanish army
Petrona, Potenciana and Francisco Mercado, Sr., children of
Juan Mercado. The youngest Francisco Mercado, Sr. was the
father of Jose Rizal, Francisco Mercado (Junior).
Influential Relatives
Jose’s relatives who influenced him greatly mostly consisted of
his mother’s brothers: Tio Jose, Tio Manuel, and Tio Gregorio.
Tio Jose - He is the youngest among the siblings of Teodora,
and was schooled in Calcutta, India. He was Jose Rizal’s
inspiration as he sketches and paints. Tio Jose encouraged him
to engage in sculpturing.
Tio Manuel - Known to be big and strong, he influenced Jose
to visit the outdoors, do long walks with his pet black dog,
Usman, and even go horseback riding with his horse, castaño.
Tio Gregorio - Through his Tio Gregorio, Jose learned the
value of hard work, careful observation of life, as well as
independent thinking. Through him, Jose likewise became
interested in the printed page.
CHILDHOOD DAYS IN CALAMBA
Jose Rizal, just like Filipino boys, had many beautiful
memories of childhood. • He have a happy home, filled with
parental affection, impregnated with family joys, and sanctified
by prayers. • In the midst of such peaceful, refined, God-loving
family, he spent the early years of his childhood.
Hero’s Town • Calamba was an hacienda
town which belonged to the Dominican Order. • It is a
picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with
irrigated rice fields and sugar-lands. • A few kilometers to the
south looms is the legendary Mount Makiling in somnolent
grandeur.
the town is the Laguna de Bay. • In the middle lake towers is
the storied island of Talim and beyond it towards north is the
distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the miraculous
Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
Ateneo de Manila he remembered his beloved town. •He wrote
a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
EarliEst Childhood mEmoriEs. • The first memory of Rizal, in
his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden. • Because
he was frail, sickly, and undersized child, he was given the
most tender care by his parents.
• His father built a nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in
the daytime. • Another childhood memory was the daily
Angelus prayer. • By nightfall, Rizal related, his mother
gathered all the children at the house to pray the Angelus.
• With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the happy
moonlit nights at the azotea after the rosary. • The aya related
stories to Rizal children many stories about fairies; tales of
buried treasure and trees with blooming diamonds, and other
fabulous stories.
• Sometimes, when he did not like to take his supper, the aya
would treaten him that the aswang, the nuno, the tigbalang, or a
terrible bearded Bombay would come to take him away if he
would not eat his supper. • Another memory of his infancy was
the nocturnal walk in the town, especially when there was a
moon.
• Recounting this childhood experience, Rizal wrote: “Thus my
heart fed on sombre and melancholy thoughts so that even still
a child, I already wandered on wings of fantasy in the high
regions of the unknown.
The Hero’s First Sorrow • The Rizal children were bound
together by the ties of love and companionship. • Their parents
taught them to love one another, to behave properly in front of
elders, to be truthful and religious, and to help one another.
• They affectionately called their father Tatay, and mother
Nanay. • Jose was jokingly called Ute by his brother and
sisters. The people in Calamba knew him as Pepe or Pepito. •
Of his sisters, Jose loved most little Concha (Concepcion).
• He was one year older than Concha. • He played with her, and
from her, he learned the sweetness of brotherly love. •
Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when he was 3
years old. • Jose, who was very fond of her, cried bitterly to
lose her.
Devoted Son of Church •Young Rizal was a religious boy. •A
scion of a Catholic clan, born and bred in a wholesome
atmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn spirit,
Rizal grew up a good Catholic.
•At the age of 3, he began to take part in the family prayers.
•When he was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the
family bible. •He loved to go to church to pray, to take part in
novenas, and to join the religious processions.
•It is said that he was so seriously devout that he was
laughingly called Manong Jose by the Hermanos and
Hermanas Terceras. •One of the men he esteemed and
respected in Calamba during his boyhood was the scholarly
Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest.
Father Leoncio Lopez
Pilgrimage to Antipolo•On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father
left for Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to
fulfill his mother’s vow which was made when Rizal was born.
•It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his
pilgrimage to Antipolo
• He was thrilled, as a typical boy should, by his first lake
voyage. • He did not sleep the whole night as the casco sailed
towards the Pasig River because he was awed by “ the
magnificence of the watery expanse and the silence of the
night. • After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo,
Jose and his father went to Manila.
First Education from Mother • Jose’s first teacher was his
mother. • At the age of 3, Jose learned the alphabet and prayers
from her. • Seeing Rizal had a talent for poetry, she encouraged
him to write poems. She gave her all her love and all that she
learned in college.
The Story of the Moth • Of the story told by Dona Teodora to
Jose, it was that of the young moth made the profoundest
impression on him. • The tragic fate of the young moth, which
died a martyr to its illusions, left a deep impress on Rizal’s
mind.
Rizal’s Three Uncles • There were 3 uncles, brothers of his
mother, who played a great part in the early education of Rizal.
• Uncle Gregorio was a lover of books. • He instilled into the
mind of his nephew a great love for books. • He taught him to
work hard, to think for himself, and to observe life keenly.
• Uncle Jose, who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the
youngest brother of Dona Teodora. • He encouraged his
nephew to paint, sketch, and sculpture.
• Uncle Manuel was a big, strong, and husky man. • He looked
after the physical training of his sickly and weak nephew. • He
encourage Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and
other sports, so that in later years Rizal’s frail body acquired
agility, endurance, and strength.
Artistic Talents • Since early childhood Rizal revealed his godgiven talents for the arts
. • He drew sketches and pictures on his books of his sisters, for
which reason he was scolded by his mother.
• He carved figures of animals and persons out of wood. • Even
before he learned to read, he could already sketch pictures of
birds, flowers, fruits, rivers, mountains, animals and persons. •
Jose had a soul of a genuine artist.
• Rather an introvert child, with a skinny physique and sad dark
eyes, he found great joy looking at the blooming flowers, the
ripening fruits, the dancing waves of the lake, and the milky
clouds in the sky; and the listening to the songs of the birds, the
chirpings of the cicadas, and the murmurings of the breezes.
• He loved to ride on a spirited pony ( which his father bought
for him) or take long walks in the meadows for him) or take
long walks in the meadows and lakeshore with his big black
dog named Usman.
• In his room, he kept many statuettes which he made out of
clay and wax. • At one time, his sisters teased him: “Ute, what
are you doing with so many statuettes?” He replied: “ Don’t
you know that people will erect monument and statues in my
honor for the future?”
Prodigy of the Pen• Not only was little Jose skilled in brush,
chisel, and pen-knife, but also in pen.
• He was born poet. • His mother encouraged him to write
poetry.
• At an early age when children usually begin to learn ABC, he
was already writing poems. • The first known poem that he
wrote was a Tagalog poem entitled Sa Aking Mga Kababata
(To My Fellow Children).
• Before he was eight years old, he wrote a Tagalog drama. •
This drama was stages in Calamba in connection with the town
fiesta.
Lakeshore Reveries • During the twilight hours of summertime,
Rizal, accompanied by his dog, used to meditate at the shore of
Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people.
• Young that he was, he grieved deeply over the unhappy
situation of his beloved fatherland. • The Spanish misdeeds
awakened in his boyish heart a great determination to fight
tyranny.
Influences on Hero’s Boyhood • In the lives of all men there
are influences which cause some to be great and others not. In
the case of Rizal, he had all favorable influences, which no
other child in our country enjoyed.
Hereditary Influence • According to biological science there
are inherent qualities which a person inherits from ancestors
and parents.
•From Malayan ancestors, Rizal evidently, inherited his love
for freedom, his innate desire to travel and his indomitable
courage. •From Chinese ancestors he derived his serious
nature, frugality, patience and love for children.
• From Spanish ancestors he got his elegance of bearing,
sensitivity to insult and gallantry to ladies. • From his father he
inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love for work
and the habit of independent thinking. • And from his mother
his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice and the passion
for arts and literature
EnvironmEntal influEncE • According to psychologist,
environment as well as heredity affects the nature of a person. •
It includes places, associates and events. • The beautiful scenic
of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family
stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal.
• The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious
nature. • His brother Paciano instilled in his mind the love for
freedom and justice. • From sisters he learned to be courteous
and kind to women. • The fairy tales told by his aya awakened
his interest in folklore and legends.
Father Leoncio Lopez a parish priest in Calamba fostered
Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty. • The
sorrows in his family such as death of Concha in 1865 and the
imprisonment of his mother in 187-74 contributed to strengthen
his character, enabling him to resist blows adversity in later
years.
The Spanish abuses and cruelties which he witnessed in his
boyhood such as brutal acts if the lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil and the alcalde, the unjust tortures inflicted on innocent
Filipinos and the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora in 1872 awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired
him to consecrate his life and talents to redeem his oppressed
people.
Aid of Divine Providence • Greater than heredity and
environment in the fate of man is the aid of Divine Providence.
• A person may have everything in life brains, wealth, and
power but without the aid of Divine Providence ne cannot
attain greatness in the annals of the nation. • Rizal was
providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his nation. •
God had endowed him with the versatile gifts of a genius, the
vibrant spirit of a nationalist and the valiant heart to sacrifice
for a noble cause.
RIZAL YEARS IN ATENEO
The Jesuits were considered the best educators of Spain, and
perhaps of Europe, and so, when they were permitted to return
to the Philippines, although their power to administer parishes
was restricted except in the remote regions of Mindanao, the
privilege of founding colleges, they had to apply to the City of
Manila for subsidies. That is why the college which began to
function in the year 1865, was called the Ateneo Municipal.
To enter the Ateneo a candidate was subjected to an entrance
examination on Christian doctrine, reading, writing, grammar,
and elementary arithmetic. Jose did not take his entrance
examinations Jose did not remain in Manila but returned first to
his town to celebrate the fiesta of its patron saint; it was then
that his father changed his mind and decided to send him to the
Ateneo instead.
Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, had come
under suspicion of the authorities because it was the name used
by Paciano when he was studying and working with Father
Burgos, in whose house he lived, Jose adopted the second
surname, Rizal.
Paciano who accompanied Jose, found him a house in Walled
City, but Intramuros looked gloomy to Jose, and he later found
lodging outside, in the house of a spinster situated on Calle
Carballo, district of Santa Cruz. As if chance would furnish
him data for his future campaigns, he became acquainted in
that house with various mestizos, begotten by friars.
The Jesuitical system of instruction was considered more
advanced than that of other colleges in that epoch. Its discipline
was rigid and its methods less mechanical. It introduced
physical culture as part of its program as well as the cultivation
of the arts, such as music, drawing, and painting. It also
establishes vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, and
mechanics as a religious institute, its principal purpose was to
mold the character and the will of the boys to comply more
easily with the percepts of the Church. The students heard mass
before the beginning of the class, which was opened and closed
with prayers.
In the first two terms the classes were divided into groups of
interns and externs: the first constituted the Roman Empire and
the second, the Carthaginian Empire. In each empire there were
five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and
Standard-Bearer. These dignities were won by means of
individual competitions in which it was necessary to catch
one’s adversary in error three times. The empires considered
themselves in perpetual warfare, and when an individual of one
empire was caught in error by one belonging to the enemy
empire, a point was counted in favor of the latter. At the end of
each week or two, the points in favor of each were added and
the empire, which obtained more point, was declared winner.
There was a fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis Gonzaga, to
which only those who distinguished themselves in the class for
their piety and diligence could belong. This fraternity met on
Sundays and after mass held public programs in which poems
were recited or debates were held. With all these inducements
it was only natural that should be a spirit of emulation, a
striving to surpass ones colleagues found in the Ateneo.
The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he
describes as a man of high stature; lean body, bent forward;
quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired; small,
sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin lips forming an arch with
its sides directed toward the chin." He was somewhat of a
lunatic and of an uneven humor; sometimes he was hard and
little tolerant and at other times he was gay and playful as a
child. Among Jose’s classmates were Peninsulares and sons of
Peninsulares; Francisco G. Oliva, very talented but not very
studious; Joaquin Garrido, endowed with a poor memory but
with much talent and industry; and Gonzalo Marzano, who
occupied the throne of Emperor.
From the first days Jose learned to systematize his work; he
fixed a program of what he had to do in the twenty-four hours
of the day and did not in the least deviate from it. Thus he
disciplined his will and subjected it to the commands of his
reason.
As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the class, but
he was soon promoted and kept on being promoted so that at
the end of one month he had attained to the rank of Emperor.
At the end of the term he obtained marks of excellent in all the
subjects and in the examinations. He had reason to feel proud
of his advancement; and so when he went home on vacation
that year, he ran alone to see his mother in the prison and tell
her the happy news.
He must have uttered this exclamation on learning from his
mother that they had played her a mean trick. The judge, who
was a blind partisan of the friars having been a domestic of
theirs, told her that if she confessed her culpability he would
release her at once. With the desire to see her children again,
she pleaded guilty; but the judge, instead of releasing her,
convicted her. In a few months the judge asked her forgiveness
for what he had done because according to him his conscience
hurt him, but the case had no remedy because it was already on
appeal.
pleased him immensely because with them I could repay my
father somewhat for his sacrifices.
The second year, Jose had the same professor as in the previous
year; but instead of lodging outside the City, he resided at No.
6 Calle Magallanes. At the end of the term he obtained a
medal, and upon returning to his town, he again visited his
mother in jail alone. This was three months before her release.
An incident which demonstrates Jose’s independence of
character took place at this time. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, parish
priest of the town, who was a great friend of his father, also
liked Jose as a little friend. He was cultured but at the same
time timid and tender. One day Jose’s mother showed Father
Lopez a poem of his young friend and that the latter must have
copied it from a book. Jose, who heard this, answered the priest
violently, for which his mother reprehended him. Afterward
Father Lopez came to know from the Jesuits themselves that
Jose was a pupil who excelled in poetry; and, in spite of his
age, made a trip to Manila expressly to apologize to Jose. That
gesture of Father Lopez’ won him Jose’s esteem and they
became good friends again, lending each other the books they
had.
The rejoicing that her release produced in his spirit had much
influence on the result of his studies in the third year, for he
began to win prizes in the quarterly examinations.
About that time he devoted himself to reading novels, and one
of those he enjoyed most was Dumas’ (father) The Count of
Monte Cristo. The sufferings of the hero of the twelve years.
He also asked his father to buy him a copy of The Universal
History by Cesar Cantanu, and according to himself he profited
much from its perusal.
The family, who saw in Jose great aptitude for study, decided
to place him as intern or boarding student in the college the
following year. In the corner of the dormitory facing the sea
and the pier Jose passed his two years of internship.
In the fourth year of his course he had Fr. Francisco Sanchez as
professor. Jose describes him as a model of rectitude, a
solicitude, and love for the student, and his studied
mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek, and he must have progressed
much, for at the end of the year he-obtained five medals, which
His aptitude for poetry revealed itself early, and from that time
on he did not cease to cultivate it.
In the fifth years Jose had other professors: Frs. Vilaclara and
Mineves. He studied philosophy, physics, chemistry, and
natural history, but his devotion to poetry was such that his
professor in philosophy advised him once to leave it, which
made him cry. But in his rest hours he continued cultivating the
Muses under the direction of his old professor, Father Sanchez.
Jose had then written a short story (leyenda), which was only
slightly corrected by his professor, and a dialogue, which was
enacted at the end of the course, alluding to the collegians’
farewell. However, philosophy, just and serve, inquiring into
the wherefores of things, interested him as much as poetry;
physics, drawing back the veil that divine drama of nature was
enacted, natural history seemed to him somewhat uninteresting
although he much liked the shells and sometimes imagined
seeing a goddess in each shell he was on the shelf.
Jose was considered small of stature and he tried to correct this
defect by applying himself regularly to gymnastics in the
college. He also engaged in other physical exercises, such as
fencing. After his baccalaureate, he surprised his family with
his skill in handling the sword when he gave an exhibition bout
with the best swordsman of the town.
He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In drawing and
painting he was under the guidance and direction of the Ateneo
professor, the Peninsula Don Augustin Saez, who honored him
with his affection and consideration because of his progress. In
sculpture his instructor was a Filipino, Romualdo de Jesus,
who felt proud in the last years of his life of having had such an
excellent pupil.
WOMEN OF RIZAL
There were at least 9 women linked to Jose Rizal. These Jose
Rizal women were Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela,
Leonor River, Consuelo Ortiga, Josephine Bracken, Suzanne
Jacoby, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, and Nelly Boustead.
Jose Rizal standing at 4 feet and 11 inches was only a short
man but like most women, the women in Jose Rizal’s life may
have been mesmerized by his intelligence, wit and charm.
Segunda Katigbak, a short woman who hailed from Lipa,
Batangas was considered the puppy love of Jose Rizal.
However, this puppy love of Rizal was already betrothed to her
towns mate, Manuel Luz
While Rizal was in Madrid, the pretty Consuelo Ortiga fell in
love with him and he compensated her affection with one of his
best poems. Consuelo lived in Madrid and her house was often
visited by Rizal and his friends. Rizal backed out before the
affair became a serious romance since he was seriously in love
with Leonor Rivera.
O Sei San, a daughter of a Japanese samurai, taught Rizal the
Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also taught Rizal
to learn the Japanese language.
Gertrude Beckett also fell in love with Rizal but Rizal hastily
left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude who was then seriously
falling in love with him.
Rizal’s admiration with Segunda Katigbak was followed by his
affair with Leonor Valenzuela who was a tall lass from
Pagsanjan, Laguna. Rizal used an invisible ink in writing love
notes sent to Leonor. The love notes can be read only through
the heat emitted by a lamp or candle. His last encounter with
Leonor was when he bade her goodbye before leaving for
Spain.
After learning that Leonor Rivera already was engaged, Rizal
thought of courting other girls and came to know Nellie
Boustead when he was a guest of the Boustead family at their
resort residence in Biarritz. Rizal even nearly started a fight
with Antonio Luna who was also a suitor after Antonio Luna
said malicious remarks against Nellie Boustead in a party
sponsored by Filipinos in Madrid.
Another Leonor but with a surname of Rivera also become one
of the many Jose Rizal women. Leonor Rivera became his
sweetheart or girlfriend for 11 years and stopped him from
falling for other women even when traveling. However,
Leonor’s mother disagreed with the relation of her daughter
with Rizal, who was known as a filibuster. All letters sent by
Rizal to Leonor Rivera were hidden by her mother, making
Leonor believe that Rizal has forgotten her.
Rizal met Suzanne Jacoby in Brussels and they were deeply in
love with each other.
During Rizal’s exile in Dapitan in 1895, he also met another
European lass, Josephine Bracken. Rizal was physically
attracted to her and asked Josephine to marry him but
Josephine was not ready to make a decision due to her
responsibility to her father who had an eye ailment. He still
took her as his wife even without the Church blessings.
There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely
Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,
Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly
Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. These
women might have been beguiled by his intelligence, charm
and wit.
Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuela
Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first
love was engaged to be married to a town mate- Manuel Luz.
After his admiration for a short girl in the person of Segunda,
then came Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan. Rizal
send her love notes written in invisible ink, that could only be
deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited
her on the eve of his departure to Spain and bade her a last
goodbye.
Senorita C.O. y R., which became one of his best poems. The
Ortiga's residence in Madrid was frequented by Rizal and his
compatriots. He probably fell in love with her and Consuelo
apparently asked him for romantic verses. He suddenly backed
out before the relationship turned into a serious romance,
because he wanted to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did
not want to destroy hid friendship with Eduardo de Lete who
was madly in love with Consuelo.
O Sei San
O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s daughter taught Rizal the
Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also helped
Rizal improve his knowledge of Japanese language. If Rizal
was a man without a patriotic mission, he would have married
this lovely and intelligent woman and lived a stable and happy
life with her in Japan because Spanish legation there offered
him a lucrative job.
Leonor Rivera
Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest
influence in keeping him from falling in love with other
women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor’s mother
disapproved of her daughter’s relationship with Rizal, who was
then a known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters sent to
her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already
forgotten her, sadly consented her to marry the Englishman
Henry Kipping, her mother’s choice.
Gertrude Beckett
While Rizal was in London annotating the Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, he boarded in the house of the Beckett family, within
walking distance of the British Museum. Gertrude, a blue-eyed
and buxom girl was the oldest of the three Beckett daughters.
She fell in love with Rizal. Tottie helped him in his painting
and sculpture. But Rizal suddenly left London for Paris to
avoid Gertrude, who was seriously in love with him. Before
leaving London, he was able to finish the group carving of the
Beckett sisters. He gave the group carving to Gertrude as a sign
of their brief relationship.
Consuelo Ortiga
Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga’s
daughters, fell in love with him. He dedicated to her A la
Nellie Boustead
Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of
courting other ladies. While a guest of the Boustead family at
their residence in the resort city of Biarritz, he had befriended
the two pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead. Rizal
used to fence with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna.
Antonio Luna, Juan’s brother and also a frequent visitor of the
Bousteads, courted Nellie but she was deeply infatuated with
Rizal. In a party held by Filipinos in Madrid, a drunken
Antonio Luna uttered unsavory remarks against Nellie
Boustead. This prompted Rizal to challenge Luna into a duel.
Fortunately, Luna apologized to Rizal, thus averting tragedy
for the compatriots.
Their love affair unfortunately did not end in marriage. It failed
because Rizal refused to be converted to the Protestant faith, as
Nellie demanded and Nellie’s mother did not like a physician
without enough paying clientele to be a son-in-law. The lovers,
however, parted as good friends when Rizal left Europe.
Suzanne Jacoby
In 1890, Rizal moved to Brussels because of the high cost of
living in Paris. In Brussels, he lived in the boarding house of
the two Jacoby sisters. In time, they fell deeply in love with
each other. Suzanne cried when Rizal left Brussels and wrote
him when he was in Madrid.
Josephine Bracken
In the last days of February 1895, while still in Dapitan, Rizal
met an 18-year old petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown
hair and a happy disposition. She was Josephine Bracken, the
adopted daughter of George Taufer from Hong Kong, who
came to Dapitan to seek Rizal for eye treatment. Rizal was
physically attracted to her. His loneliness and boredom must
have taken the measure of him and what could be a better
diversion that to fall in love again. But the Rizal sisters
suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars and they
considered her as a threat to Rizal’s security.
Rizal asked Josephine to marry him, but she was not yet ready
to make a decision due to her responsibility to the blind Taufer.
Since Taufer’s blindness was untreatable, he left for Hon Kong
on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s family in
Manila. Upon her return to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with
Father Antonio Obach for their marriage. However, the priest
wanted a retraction as a precondition before marrying them.
Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends and with
Josephine’s consent took her as his wife even without the
Church blessings. Josephine later give birth prematurely to a
stillborn baby, a result of some incidence, which might have
shocked or frightened her.
RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY OF RIZAL
Rizal's Religious Views Rizal's Religious Uprbringing Rizal grew up
nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family.
He was educated in the foremost Catholic schools in the period in the
elementary, secondary and college levels. ON RIZAL'S VIEW: "He
must not be held responsible for everything spoken by his character
but only for what he said in his own name." A philosophy of a
different Catholic practice intertwined with the use of TRUTH and
REASON. However, he developed a life of philosophy of a different
nature. Why the change? 1. Ideas of Modernism
2. Enlightenment Ideas
3. Principles of Deism, Rationalism and Masonry Deism: "natural
selection" - the acceptance of a certain by religious knowledge that is
inborn to every person or that can be acquired by the use of reason
with rejection of supernatural revelation. Rationalism "there are
truths that the intellect can grasp directly." Masonry Three core
principles of Brotherly love, relief and truth... With these principles,
Rizal became more hostile to the friars in the Philippines who: 1.
Misuse the name of religion for a few pesos.
2. cry religion to enrich their haciendas
3. use religion to seduce simple young women
4. use religion to free themselves from an enemy
5. Use religion to disturb the peace of a married couple and of a
family. Deistic Theology Roman Catholic Theology Rizal - Pastel's
Correspondence 1. Religious belief is reduced to God's existence and
the immortality of the soul. 2. Religious practice is reduced to mere
ethical behavior 3. The role of the church and her ministers is
reduced to mere moral guides in matters pertaining to private life. 4.
Supernatural revelation is not possible. 5. Scripture is a mere
classical writing. 6. Miracles are mere figments of the imagination 1.
Religious practice is an important dimension of man's belief in God.
2. Religious practice is not merely an ethical behavior but God's way
of guiding his people. 3. The Church and her ministers are true
instruments of God in guiding his people 4. Supernatural revelation
is true. 5. Scripture is not just like any other classical literary work
but a book written according to the inspiration of God. 6. Miracles
are truly God's work. "The judgment of conscience is the supreme
and final authority in the decision regarding moral conduct and
religious belief. God himself has equipped each one with the 'lamp'
of intelligence as personal guide.
The person may or must have recourse to the opinion and judgment
of others, to extrinsic authority; but, in the end, the decision rests on
judgment made in the light of one's own God-given conscience." 1.
Rizal's conscience is culpably erroneous, blinded as it has been by
pride and disorderly affections. On Rizal's View: "Reason alone
knows how to get up every time it falls as perforce it must in its long
pilgrimage here on earth." 2. Reason is not autonomous but must be
guided by extrinsic authority and objective norms, principally, the
doctrines of the Church. Roman Catholic View: "Pastells believed
that Rizal had advocated autonomous reason.... which is the
destruction of all knowledge and science." Rizal's View: "It is up to
my judgment afterwards.. to decide whether to follow it or not, for in
this matter one has to bear the responsibility for his own actions."
Pastells admonished Rizal to "stop his nonsense of wanting to look at
his affairs through the prism of his own judgment and self-love.."
inasmuch as "no one sits in judgement in his own case." "No one can
pass judgment on the beliefs of others using his own beliefs as a
norm." Rizal believed that religion is:
"to make men not enemies of one another but brothers and good
brothers at that." On Private Judgment Eugene Hessell - enumerated
the works of Rizal that contains religious thoughts. 1. Noli me
tangere 2. El filibusterismo 3. Rizal's annotations of Antonio de
Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas Fr. Pablo Pastells - Jesuit
priest - former subperfect of the boarders - former director of a
religious association REASON AND SELF-ESTEEM AND IT
MUST BE FOR SOME PURPOSE... "masterpiece of creation,
perfect within his limitations." "God will have his own way." " We
can never be so wise as to have no need of the knowledge of
others..." - Fr. Pastells "to be ignorant of the german people, their
character and pursuits." No German had heard of his book before it
was published. He was influenced by the cool German environment
and the free hardworking, studious, well-governed German people full of hope in their future and master of their own destinies. Rizal
denies being a protestant. Bousted family of France whose daughter
Nellie, willing to marry Rizal only if he could embrace
Protestantism.. Rizal concluded two things:
1.An idea sincerely conceived and practiced, no matter how opposite
it is to one's own convictions deserves a deep respect.
2. Religions, whatever they may be ought to make men not enemies
of one another but brothers. On the Problem of God Rizal's view on
Religion:
was based on pure intelligence and he preferred to see God in a more
practical and realistic view rather than believing for the sake of faith.
Basically, he derived his belief through Reason and Necessity, not
through Faith. Pastells "God is the unchangeable spiritual substance, infinite, and subsisting
by itself in a most simple act." The Roman Catholic View:
They argued that man can know God both by Reason and by Faith at
the same time, for faith and reason are but two paths leading to the
same truth that is God. Rizal - "How can I doubt God's existence
when I am so convinced of my own? Whoever recognizes the effect
recognizes the cause. To doubt God's existence would be to doubt
one's own self-awareness (consientia) and consequently everything."
Rizals view Roman Catholic view Rizal believed in revelation, but
for him it means “revelation of nature,” not the revelation according
to Christian theology.
Rizal denied the Roman Catholic notion of divine positive revelation
for four reasons:
Pastels depended on the teaching of Vatican I concerning divine
revelation. Revelation is defined as a body of truths and moral
doctrines tradition, which god had tradition, which god had
promulgated through the prophets and Christ, and entrusted to the
infallible teaching office of the church. On Revelation 1. It fails to
satisfy the rationalists criterion of clarity. 2. It is not universal
because language is of the scriptures is not understood by all. 3.The
bible, which is the record of the insights of men and women, is
unreliable because it contains, errors, inconsistencies, and
contradictions, and it admits of conflicting interpretations. 4.Miracles
cannot be taken as true to authenticate revelation, since they
contradict nature and are therefore impossible. Rizal rather believed
in the kind of revelation through the mediation of nature, or natural
revelation and conscience Rizal spoke of natural revelation as
something that “speaks to us and penetrates our being from the day
we are born to the day we die.” Rizal further asserted that “the best
religions are those that are simplest, most in conformity with nature,
most in harmony with the aspiration and needs of men here les the
excellence of Christ’s doctrine.”
As to the universality of divine revelation, pastels said that it is not
necessary to know all of scripture; what is need is to make a general
confession of faith in Christ in all that the church teaches. And God
would go so far as to make a miracle in order to reveal to the “homo
in silvis” the fundamental truths necessary for salvation Faith,
according to Pastells, is something that fives assent to higher order,
the truths revealed by God. Pastels argued that revelation is possible:
“God has actually revealed truths inaccessible to us by the light of
reasons: ad the reality of revelation is attested to by extrinsic motives
of credibility”. For pastels, the religion of Christ remains the
absolute religion. All other religions are false When Catholics
interpret God’s will, their interpretations are always good, some
being better that others when protestants do so, their interpretations
can neither be food or nor better, bit can only be bad some worse
than others. Fr. Pastells reputation of Rizal’s religious views might
have been mixed with some other reasons. He might have refuted
Rizal not only in behalf of religion but also in behalf of politics, the
kingdom of Spain. For Fr. Pastels also had his political assertions
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF RIZAL
THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF DR. JOSE RIZAL
"My countrymen, I have given proofs, more than anybody else
or desiring liberties for our country and I still desire them. But
I place as a premise the education of the people so that by
means of education and labor they might have a personality of
their own and make themselves worthy of liberties."
Jose Rizal What is education? Education is "the culture which
each generation purposely gives to those who are to be its
successor, in order to qualify them for at least keeping up, if
possible, for raising the level of improvement which has been
attained." According to Pestalozzi, education is the unfolding
of the natural, hidden faculties of the child. according to
Froebel, he thought that it is the perfecting, advancing, and
progressing of man from one stage of development to another.
PHILOSOPHY IMPORTANCE TO A PERSON Rizal's
philosophy of education under two headings: THE MISSION
OF EDUCATION EDUCATING THE EDUCATOR end of
the report. (o:"3 is the study of general and fundamental
problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge,
values, reason, mind, and language. people can clarify what
they believe, and they can be stimulated to think about ultimate
questions the very language we speak uses classifications
derived from philosophy every institution of society is based
on philosophic ideas THE MISSION OF EDUCATION
"Instruction" Madrid, 1882 "education elevates the country to
the highest seat of the immortal dazzling glory" "education is
the greatest benefactor of human beings" "through it, the arts
and sciences, which crown men with honor are born" "it
domesticates barbarous nations and make champions of
savages" "it is the fountain of crystalline virtue which elevates
mortal beings to the height of the gods" "through education, the
human breast is inflamed with the love of the good and the
noble which are the balsam of life" "education offers the
country immortal splendor and lustre" AIM OF EDUCATION
is the development of people's mentality education aims at the
making of every citizen a professional man education aims at
the making of every citizen a professional man but the real aim
of education is not in QUANTITY but in QUALITY lawyers
may be plenty doctors may abound in number trouble insult the
FIRST MISSION OF EDUCATION is to open the possibility
of the future to those creatures most commendable effect of
education enable the individual to see many things in a wider
perspective education aims at the development of self
consciousness of the individual as well as the consciousness
that he is part of a greater whole "The school is the foundation
of society, the school is the book in which is read the future of
the people. Show us the school of the people and we will tell
you what kind of people they are." speaking of
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT prerequisite of any social progress
EDUCATING
THE EDUCATORS failure or success the lack of financial aid
is the very great obstacle to the realization of any educational
program the lack of inducement or stimulus to make the
children study makes a second great obstacle ROLE OF
MOTIVATION IN EDUCATION b o r e d o m study for
study's sake is ideal MORE PRACTICAL THAN
IDEALISTIC mere idealism
will FAIL the home is recognized as a great social force in the
education of a people the centers of learning are of course the
greatest factor in education the home can best serve the interest
of enlightenment if the parents would help in the molding of
the mentality of the children towards social progress fanatics
without a shades of a real thinker aim producing a wellbalanced mentality progress the school includes the atmosphere
in it. A very fine building with an intolerable atmosphere is not
conducive to learning the school does not become a place of
pain and torment intellectual recreation THE EDUCATORS
moral
responsibility good teacher honorable
personality word of mouth and by examples of deeds in
conclusion under such pitiful condition of education, poor
mentality becomes the result. the education institution is not
just an intellectual recreation but a place of diversion "HE
WHO GIVES HIS GOLD AND LIFE TO THE STATE HAS
THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT IT SHOULD GIVE HIM
LIGHT IN ORDER TO GAIN BETTER HIS GOLD AND
CONSERVE BEST HIS LIFE."
The writings and various events on the life of Jose Rizal are
filled of ideas concerning education. He recognized the
importance of education in the development of a nation and its
people. Crisostomo Ibarra, the principal character of his novel
Noli Me Tangere possesses a desire to establish a suitable
school. Ibarra mentioned in the novel what he considered a
modern school. According to him the building should be
spacious and hygienic, the site should be large and provided
with playground and garden. Rizal himself dreamed of
founding a school in accordance with the demands of modern
times and circumstances.
According to Austin Craig, Rizal ambitioned to make
education accessible to all, “the teaching instinct that led him
to act as mentor to the Filipino students in Spain and made him
the inspiration of a mutual improvement club of his young
countrymen in London, suggested the foundation of a school in
Paris. Later a Pampangan youth offered him $40,000 with
which to found a Filipino college in Hong Kong, where many
young men from the Philippines had obtained an education
better than their own land could afford but not entirely adapted
to their needs. The scheme attracted Rizal and a prospectus for
such an institution which was later found among his papers not
only proves how deeply he was interested, but reveals the fact
that his idea of education were essentially like those carried out
in the present public school course of instruction in the
Philippines”.
Rizal also showed his support to the group of women in
Malolos when their petition of establishing a school was denied
by Gen. Weyler. He wrote a letter to the ladies in support to
their courageous action. Rizal preaches the need of education
and said that “ignorance is slavery”. Rizal always reminded his
sisters the value and importance of education thus when Josefa
and Trinidad visited Rizal in Hong Kong he encourage the two
to learn the English language. Perhaps Rizal’s appreciation of
education was influenced by his mother, Doña Teodora
Alonzo. His mother was considered his first teacher. At the age
of three he learned the alphabet and also taught him to
appreciate Spanish poetry.
He even recognized the importance of industrial education as
well. Rizal included this concept in the five purposes of the La
Liga Filipina which he founded, the development of
instruction, agriculture and commerce.
When Jose Rizal was deported in Dapitan on 1893, he devoted
his time in teaching young children. Rizal applied the learning
he acquired in the different school that he visited during his
travels. It was in Dapitan particularly Talisay where Rizal used
his talents and limited resources to serve his countrymen
during the four years of his exile. He practiced his profession
as a doctor, farmer, teacher, community developer, engineer
and scientist. Rizal opened a school for young boys in the
community. They were given subjects in reading, writing,
arithmetic, geography, geometry, languages, history and good
conduct. Rizal even gave practical lessons on the use of their
hands, for he believed that education should be inculcated or
integrated with the development of the community. He also
taught his students different kinds of sport activities such as
boxing, swinging on parallel bars and rings, swimming and
arnis on account of his belief that a sound body makes a sound
mind.
Rizal’s method of teaching is different compared from other
schools of his time. He saw to it that learning should be
adaptable to the needs or actual life of the people. Rizal is not
just a conventional type of teacher; his visions were not just for
himself but for the benefits of his countrymen. The effort of
our present Department of Education and other learning
institutions in curriculum development is in harmony with the
ideas and visions of Rizal. The government is also giving its
full support and prioritizes the education of Filipinos. But we
should also remember that the time and needs of the learners
during Rizal’s time is different to the learners of today. There
might be ideas or methods which are no longer needed in the
present. But still we owe him for pioneering a technique in
teaching. Our educators should also follow and be motivated
by the exemplar deeds of Rizal. If he were living today, he
would definitely continue his undertakings in molding the
minds of our youth. Just as what he had told “Ang mga
kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”.
THE MANY SIDED PERSONALITY OF RIZAL
Filipinos and foreigners alike have paid tribute that his place of
honor in history is secure. His Austrian bosom friend, Prof.
Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rector of the Imperial Atheneum of
Leitmeritz, said that “Rizal was the greatest product of the
Philippines and his coming to the world was like the
appearance of a rare comet, whose brilliance appears only
every other century.”Another German friend, Dr. Adolf B.
Meyer, Director of the Dresden Museum who admired his allaround knowledge and ability, remarked “Rizal’s manysidedness was stupendous.”
His precocity since early boyhood turned into versatility in
later years. Being curious and inquisitive, he developed a rare
facility of mastering varied subjects and occupations.
ACTOR:
He acted a character in Luna’s paintings and acted in school
dramas.
AGRICULTURIST:
He had farms in Dapitan (1892-1896) where he planted
different fruit-beating trees.
ANIMAL LOVER:
He loved animals, as a small boy.
ANTHROPOLOGIST:
He made researches on the physical and social make up of
man.
ARCHAEOLOGIST:
He studied monuments and antique currency everywhere he
went.
ASCETIC:
He always practiced self-discipline wherever he went.
BOOK LOVER:
He had a big library and bought many books abroad.
BOTANIST:
He maintained a garden in Dapitan where he planted and
experimented on plants of allkinds.
BUSINESSMAN:
He had a partner in Dapitan in the abaca business there.
CARTOGRAPHER:
He drew maps of Dapitan, the Philippines and other places he
visited.
CHESS PLAYER:
He played chess and bear several Germans and European
friends and acquaintances.
COMMENTATOR:
He always expressed and published his personal opinion.
CONCHOLOGIST:
He had a good shell collection in Dapitan.
EDUCATOR:
He taught in his special school in Dapitan.
ETHNOLOGIST:
In his travels, he compared different races and he noted the
differences.
FATHER of COMMUNITY SCHOOL:
He proposed to open a college
in Hongkong and his special school inDapitan.
FENCER:
He fenced with Europeans and Juan Luna and other friends in
Europe.
FREEMASON ABROAD:
He was a member of La Solidaridad Lodge in Spain.
HORTICULTURE AND FARMER:
He cultivated and experimented plants in Dapitan.
HISTORIAN:
His annotation of Antonio de Morga’sSucesos de las Islas
Filipinas entitled him as one.
HUMORIST:
As found in numerous humorous incidents in the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
ICHTHYOLOGIST:
He collected 38 new varieties of fish in Dapitan.
JAPANOPHILE:
His admiration of Japanese traits and his knowledge of her
language proved he was one.
JOURNALIST:
He authored and published many articles in Spanish and
English in London.
LABORATORY WORKER:
He was employed in the clinic of Dr. Weckert and Dr. Becker
in Paris.
LINGUIST:
He spoke over 20 languages.
LOVER OF TRUTH:
He chided Spanish Spanish writers for not writing the truth
about the Filipinos.
MUSICIAN:
He played the flute and composed pieces of music and
cultivated music appreciation.
MYTHOLOGIST:
He used mythology in his Noli and Fili.
NATIONALIST:
He gave full expression of the native spirit strengthened by
world civilization and loved and defended everything Filipino.
OPTHALMOLOGIST:
He graduated in an ophthalmologic college in Spain.
ORIENTALIST:
He admired the special characteristic and beauties of Oriental
countries peoples.
PHARMACOLOGIST:
He treasured and popularized the usefulness and preparation of
cures for treatment of his patients.
PHILOLOGIST:
He loved learning and literature is unequalled.
PHILOSOPHER:
He regulated his life and enjoyed calmness of the lie at all time.
PHYSICAL CULTURIST:
He maintained a good health by exercising all parts of his body
and eating proper foods.
PHYSICIANS:
He treated several patients afflicted not only with eye sickness.
POET:
He wrote over 35 poems.
POLITICIAN:
He exposed the evils of the political activities of the Spaniards
in the Philippines through his writing.
POLYGLOT:
He wrote and spoke in 20 languages.
PROOFREADER:
He worked part-time in Germany.
PROPAGANDIST:
He encouraged the recommendation of improving government
entities and discouraged abuses by publishing articles.
REFORMER:
He published his modern methods of government
administration, so changes could be made.
RESEARCHER:
Being a wide reader, he compared the old and new practices in
life.
REVOLUTIONIST:
He encouraged reforms, discouraged old, impractical usage and
desired new and useful law to benefit his countrymen. He
desired changes for the better.
RHETORICIAN:
He always practiced the art of persuasive and impressive
speaking and writing.
RURAL RECONSTRUCTION WORKER:
He practiced rural reconstruction work in Dapitan in 1894 and
succeeded.
SANITARY ENGINEER:
He constructed water system in Dapitan.
SCIENTIST:
His practice of many sciences here and abroad made him a
noted scientist.
SCULPTOR:
He's skillful sculptor.
SHARP SHOOTER:
He could hit a target of 20 m away.
SINOLOGIST:
His ancestry and ability to speak made him one.
SOCIOLOGIST:
He encouraged and introduced solutions based on his study on
Philippines social problems.
SODALIST:
He always joined fraternities, associations and brotherhood for
self-improvement.
SURVEYOR:
He engaged from a surveying class at Ateneo.
TOURIST:
He was considered due to his extensive travels.
TRAVELER:
He traveled around the world three times.
YOUTH LEADER:
He considered the youth as “The Hope of His Fatherland”.
ZOOLOGIST:
He was fond of pets. He researched later on their physiology,
classification and habits.
RIZAL’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
In the Philippines, philosophers seem to be taken as
outrageous, nasty, and annoying. Being a Filipino himself, Dr.
Jose Rizal joined the majority of the Filipinos to consider
philosophers as non-sense, dumb, and stupid - in fact,
sometimes crazy. This is evident in his use of Pilosopong
Tasyo in his notable writings.
Rizal was known as an illustrado.• In Rizal’s political view, a
conquered country like the Philippines should not be taken
advantage of but rather should be developed, civilized,
educated and trained in the science of self-government.• In his
essay “The Philippines: A Century Hence,” contains
predictions on the possible future of the Philippines within a
hundred years: 1. that the Philippines would stay a Spanish
colony provided its citizens receive not only the rights and
privileges of citizens of the Spanish crown, but also the
inherent rights of a human being; 2. that the Philippines will
inevitably rise in revolt against Spain if continuously exploited
and abused; and that the Philippines may be conquered by
other nations after Spains presence in the country is
extinguished. The restoration of Filipino representation to the
Spanish Cortes and freedom of the press2. Reorganization of
the administrative machinery3. Adoption of comprehensive
examination and the publication of its results and allowing
Filipinos to have same opportunity with the Spaniards to hold
government officeRizal’s Concept of Government and
PoliticsMax Weber defines government as“monopoly of the
legitimate use of physical power”In which is UNFAIR says
Rizal. Its emphasize is the corruption ofthe Spanish
bureaucrat.Rizal wrote: “In order to govern people he does not
know orunderstand, he ought to possess the talent of a genius
andextraordinary knowledge.”
Rizal’s Definition of Basic Political Terms1. Political Culture is a set of ideas, values and attitudes about government and
political process held by a community or nation.2. Political
Socialization – defined as the process by which people at
various stages of their lives, acquire views and orientation
about politics.3. Political Ideology – is a comprehensive and
logically ordered set of beliefs about the nature of people and
bout the institutions and role of government. Nationalism – is
the idea of oneness by a group of peoplewho possess common
traditions, a shared history, a set ofgoals, and a belief in a
specific future.5. Representative Government – is the notion
that thepeople have an inherent right to sit in a chamber
thatdetermines their future.6. Democracy – a government in
which all power is shared bycitizens is labeled a democracy.
Rizal Would Criticize Today’s Society Conclusion: We can be
free but we cannot be independent.We can be independent but
we cannot be free. Beforewe can reach that true freedom that
we’re aspiringfor, we need to have enough education to
haveindividuality. Without Rizal, there may have been a delay
inthe maturation of our libertarian struggle.
RIZAL'S POLITICAL ideas are scattered through his
published and unpublishedworks ; the two novels, the
annotations to Morga, newspaper articles, pamphlets,
letters.They occur for the most part in fragmentary form as
partial studies, occasionalreflections, obiter dicta: yet they
seem to spring from a fairly consistent body of doctrinewhich
he had worked out in his own mind, though he never found the
time to get thewhole of it on paper.Various attempts have been
made to reconstruct this body of doctrine. The mostobvious
method has been to cull from Rizal's writings all the "political"
passages and tocombine them in the manner that seems to
make the most sense to the compiler. The greatweakness of this
method is that while the resulting synthesis may be
eminentlysatisfactory to the one who constructs it, we cannot
be at all sure that it would be so toRizal himself. For the pieces
of this puzzle can be assembled sembled in a number
of different ways ; by simply changing the relationships
between them we can make Rizalout to be a radical or a
moderate, a liberal or a conservative, a reformer or a
revolutionary.Now he obviously could not have been all these
at once, and so our differentreconstructions may indeed throw
light on our own political opinions, but not necessarilyon those
of Rizal.
change in the colonialadministration on principle. But even the
Spanish Liberals, while they might pay lip-service to liberty, equality
and fraternity, did not seriously entertain the introduction of any real
reforms. As certain Liberals themselves put it, they could afford to
be Liberals inSpain; in the Philippines they could not be anything but
Spaniards.We would expect Rizal to look upon this policy as
mistaken. But he went further thanthat. He looked upon it as
impossible. How indeed, he asked, did Spain propose to stopprogress
in the Philippines? He could think of only four ways: by keeping the
Filipinos ina state of utter ignorance, by reducing them to abject
poverty, by not allowing them toincrease in numbers, or by sowing
discord among them. None of these devices couldpossibly work.The
first had been in operation for some time, and, with singular lack of
success. Inspite of an educational system designed to impart
ignorance rather than knowledge, anincreasing number of Filipinos
were finding ways and means of enlightening themselvesand their
fellow countrymen either by self-instruction or travel abroad. As for
the secondmethod, a little reflection would show that its effect was
bound to be the exact opposite of what was intended.The third
method was to limit the population of the Philippines and by slow
degrees
Finally and in the last analysis, what did Rizal understand by
nationalism? There is noquestion but that he meant by it, first and
foremost, sacrifice. The true patriot is he who isready at all times to
forego his own personal and private advantage in order to
advancethe welfare of his people. The common good of the nation is
a fine thing; it is a preciousthing: but like all fine and precious things
it has an exorbitant price. That price issacrifice, and the true patriot is
he who is willing to pay that price ; to pay it
"sin dudas,sin pesar,"
that is to say, without thinking twice about it, and without calculating
the cost.Such in brief are what I have called the base lines of Rizal's
political doctrine. Howare we to evaluate that doctrine? Rizal being
our national hero we naturally tend to acceptwhatever he wrote
almost as gospel truth. It may therefore be of help towards an
objectiveappreciation if we pointed out what seem to be deficiencies
in his historical analysis.There are some. Rizal consistently overrates
the pre-Spanish culture of thePhilippines, which was not nearly as
developed as he makes it out to be both in "ThePhilippines a Century
Hence" and in the annotations to Morga. On the other hand
hisevaluation of Spanish rule is vitiated by the assumption that the
Spanish conquestdestroyed the indigenous culture and substituted an
alien culture in its stead. This is tooversimplify matters considerably.
Cultures are not destroyed in quite so summary afashion. Spanish
rule undoubtedly modified our native culture and added to it
elementswhich were completely new – Christianity, for instance; but
it hardly destroyed it. TheFilipinos did indeed receive Spanish
culture, but they did so selectively and vitally; they
10made it their own, a culture different both from what they had
originally and what theSpaniards brought.I suppose that Rizal, if
pressed, would admit this; but he would claim (indeed, he
hasclaimed) that this transformation of our culture was a bad thing, a
forcible deflection of its normal line of development. This view
seems to me unsound. One may well ask: whatis the "normal" line of
development of any culture? Is it claimed that cultures
developnormally only in a vacuum, solely by the unfolding of its
own inner potentialities andnever by stimulation or enrichment from
without? If so, then what existing culture can besaid to have had a
normal development? What existing or even extinct culture can
becalled native in this sense? Can even our pre-Spanish culture, with
its numerousborrowings and adaptations from India and Indonesia,
be called such?No one questions the fact that the Spanish conquest of
the Philippines was violent anddestructive, as all conquests must be,
and that the subsequent colonial rule was in manyways oppressive
and repressive. But it is going beyond the evidence to argue from
this, asRizal seems to do, that the Spanish period of our history was
an almost completelynegative interlude: a state of suspended ,
animation ; a kind -of Dark Age whichcontributed nothing to the
enrichment or development of our national culture. Thecultural value
of Christianity is pretty generally admitted even by those who do
notbelieve in it, and our debt to Spain in this regard is as obvious as
it is profound.Does the Filipino or Malay amor propio deserve the
key role which Rizal gives to it inthe awakening of Filipino national
consciousness? People like myself who have only theslightest
acquaintance with social psychology would be tempted to say no.
We tend tolook for more tangible causes, usually of an economic or
political nature. Still, one canperceive, especially if one happens to
be a Filipino, that there is great value in thisinsight, even if one
cannot agree with Rizal's valuation of it. Certainly there were
othercauses equally important which I have tried to suggest
elsewhere. Not the least of themwas precisely the action of Spain
itself which Rizal tends consistently to minimize.It is curious but
undeniable that colonial rule by the Western nations sooner or
laterdevelops the nationalisms which eventually put an end to
colonial rule; and this not onlynegatively as sheer reaction but
positively, by supplying the separatist movement with itsframe of
reference and its principles. It may even be said that colonialism, at
least of theWestern type, is self-liquidating.
11But this ought not to be surprising, especially to us Filipinos, who
must realize that itwas through the mediation of Spain in part that the
ideas of human equality, civicfreedom and the rule of law, ideas
Hellenic and Christian in origin, became an integralpart of our
national culture. One does not have to read very extensively in Rizal
and hisassociates to realize that their rejection of colonialism had for
its theoretical base not anAsian but a Western world view. It was not
from the Upanishads, or the ConfucianAnalects, or the Kokutai-no
Hongi, or even the Code of Kalantiao that they derived
theirinspiration. The liberty, equality and fraternity they spoke of
were forged in the Greek city-state, the Christian gospels, the
universities of the Middle Ages, and the Declarationof the Rights of
Man and the Citizen.But these considerations are surely peripheral to
Rizal's main argument. That muststand in its essential lines as a
monument to the man's perceptiveness and breadth of vision. We
may cavil at the details, but we are bound to recognize that among
Rizal'scontemporaries no one grasped so surely the prime factors of
the problem presented by the political situation on the Philippines.
SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY OF RIZAL
PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study and pursuit of
facts which deal with the ultimate reality or causes of things as
they affect life.
The philosophy of a country like the Philippines is made up of
the intricate and composite interrelationship of the life histories
of its people; in other word, the philosophy of our nation would
be strange and undefinable if we do not delve into the past tied
up with the notable life experiences of the representative
personalities of our nation.
Being one of the prominent representatives of Filipino
personalities, Jose Rizal is a fit subject whose life philosophy
deserves to be recognized.
Having been a victim of Spanish brutality early in his life in
Calamba, Rizal had thus already formed the nucleus of an
unfavorable opinion of Castillian imperialistic administration
of his country and people.
Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines as late as
three centuries after his conquest in Spain, with agriculture,
commerce, communications and education languishing under
its most backward state. It was because of this social malady
that social evils like inferiority complex, cowardice, timidity
and false pride pervaded nationally and contributed to the
decay of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life
phylosophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills.
That body of knowledge relating to society including
the wisdom which man's experience in society has taught him
is social philosophy. The facts dealt with are principles
involved in nation building and not individual social problems.
The subject matter of this social philosophy covers the
problems of the whole race, with every problem having a
distinct solution to bolster the people’s social knowledge.
Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with;
1. Man in society;
2. Influential factors in human life;
3. Racial problems;
4. Social constant;
5. Social justice;
6. Social ideal;
7. Poverty and wealth;
8. Reforms;
9. Youth and greatness;
10. History and progress;
11. Future Philippines.
The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment,
explaining for the most part human behavior and capacities like
his will to live; his desire to possess happiness; the change of
his mentality; the role of virtuous women in the guidance of
great men; the need for elevating and inspiring mission; the
duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of
practicing gratitude; the necessity for consulting reliable
people; his need for experience; his ability to deny; the
importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s
abilities and possibilities; the ability to think, aspire and strive
to rise; and the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of these
combining to enhance the intricacies, beauty and values of
human nature. All of the above served as Rizal’s guide in his
continuous effort to make over his beloved Philippines.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC THOUGHTS
- body of principles that guides man in the solution of social
problems of his species.
- to correct the one sidedness of the specialized social studies
and to endeavor to see social life as a whole.
- it refers to the body of principles that served as his guide in
trying to make over his nation.
FIVE PRINCIPLES
1. Poverty does not stop development.
The Philippines a Century Hence
"Wealth brings with it refinement and the spirit of preservation,
while poverty inspires adventurous ideas, the desire to change
things, little attachment to life, and the like"
2. Necessity to live is a strong motive of action.
Noli Me Tangere
"A man may do anything , even break laws, do unwarranted
and unsocial things, pretend anything and even accept that his
actions are wrong- never complain about them and recognize
justice in the charge against them- but only to protest in the end
“but it is necessary to live”
3. The consequence of the above nature of society is the
creation of false ideal.
Indolence of the Filipinos
“Attending masses, believing what he is told, paying what is
demanded of him, paying and forever paying; working,
suffering in silence without desiring anything, without aspiring
to know or even to understand Spanish, without separating
from his carabao as the priests shamelessly say, without
protesting against injustice, against any arbitrary actions,
against any assault, against any insult; that is, not to have heart,
brain or spirit…..”
4. Justice cannot undo any wrong done
El Filibusterismo
"Basilio reasoned out “All the replevin of justice, all the
vengeance on earth will not revive a single hair of my mother
or renew a smile in the lips of my brother!”
5. Wealth may not be a poison but something to serve the end
of a medicine, it must not be valued more than an instrument in
social adaptation.
Noli Me Tangere
“Men ought to learn to foster justice, a necessary thing in life
so as not to enslave himself to his desires and greeds.”
The Body knowledge relating to the society including the
wisdom which man’s experience in the society.
RIZA L philosophy deaths with
1. Man in society
2. Influential factors in human life
3. Racial problem
4. Social constant
5. Social Justice
RIZAL Philosophies in Life
PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study and pursuit of
facts which deal with the ultimate reality or causes of things as
they affect life.
The philosophy of a country like the Philippines is made up of
the intricate and composite interrelationship of the life histories
of its people; in other word, the philosophy of our nation would
be strange and undefinable if we do not delve into the past tied
up with the notable life experiences of the representative
personalities of our nation.
Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines as late as
three centuries after his conquest in Spain, with agriculture,
commerce, communications and education languishing under
its most backward state. It was because of this social malady
that social evils like inferiority complex, cowardice, timidity
and false pride pervaded nationally and contributed to the
decay of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life
phylosophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills.
Educational Philosophy
Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is clearly
enunciated in his work entitled Instruction wherein he sought
improvements in the schools and in the methods of teaching.
He maintained that the backwardness of his country during the
Spanish ear was not due to the Filipinos’ indifference, apathy
or indolence as claimed by the rulers, but to the neglect of the
Spanish authorities in the islands. For Rizal, the mission of
education is to elevate the country to the highest seat of glory
and to develop the people’s mentality. Since education is the
foundation of society and a prerequisite for social progress,
Rizal claimed that only through education could the country be
saved from domination.
Rizal’s philosophy of education, therefore, centers on the
provision of proper motivation in order to bolster the great
social forces that make education a success, to create in the
youth an innate desire to cultivate his intelligence and give him
life eternal
Religious Philosophy
Rizal grew up nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family, was
educated in the foremost Catholic schools of the period in the
elementary, secondary and college levels; logically, therefore,
he should have been a propagator of strictly Catholic traditions.
However, in later life, he developed a life philosophy of a
different nature, a philosophy of a different Catholic practice
intermingled with the use of Truth and Reason.
Why the change?
It could have been the result of contemporary contact,
companionship, observation, research and the possession of an
independent spirit.Being a critical observer, a profound thinker
and a zealous reformer, Rizal did not agree with the prevailing
Christian propagation of the Faith by fire and sword. This is
shown in his Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas.
Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was
only for Catholics and that outside Christianity, salvation was
not possible even if Catholics composed only a small minority
of the world’s religious groups. Nor did he believe in the
Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in the sale of
such religious items as the cross, medals, rosaries and the like
in order to propagate the Faith and raise church funds. He also
lambasted the superstitious beliefs propagated by the priests in
the church and in the schools. All of these and a lot more are
evidences of Rizal’s religious philosophy.
Ethical Philosophy
The study of human behavior as to whether it is good or bad or
whether it is right or wrong is that science upon which Rizal’s
ethical philosophy was based. The fact that the Philippines was
under Spanish domination during Rizal’s time led him to
subordinate his philosophy to moral problems. This trend was
much more needed at that time because the Spaniards and the
Filipinos had different and sometimes conflicting morals. The
moral status of the Philippines during this period was one with
a lack of freedom, one with predominance of foreign masters,
one with an imposition of foreign religious worship, devotion,
homage and racial habits. This led to moral confusion among
the people, what with justice being stifled, limited or curtailed
and the people not enjoying any individual rights.
To bolster his ethical philosophy, Dr. Rizal had recognized not
only the forces of good and evil, but also the tendencies
towards good and evil. As a result, he made use of the practical
method of appealing to the better nature of the conquerors and
of offering useful methods of solving the moral problems of the
conquered.
To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal:
1. censured the friars for abusing the advantage of their
position as spiritual leaders and the ignorance and fanaticism of
the natives;
2. counseled the Filipinos not to resent a defect attributed to
them but to accept same as reasonable and just;
3. advised the masses that the object of marriage was the
happiness and love of the couple and not financial gain;
4. censured the priests who preached greed and wrong
morality; and
5. advised every one that love and respect for parents must be
strictly observed
Political Philosophy
In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country like the
Philippines should not be taken advantage of but rather should
be developed, civilized, educated and trained in the science of
self-government.
He bitterly assailed and criticized in publications the apparent
backwardness of the Spanish ruler’s method of governing the
country which resulted in:
1. the bondage and slavery of the conquered ;
2. the Spanish government’s requirement of forced labor and
force military service upon the n natives;
3. the abuse of power by means of exploitation;
4. the government ruling that any complaint against the
authorities was criminal; and
5. Making the people ignorant, destitute and fanatic, thus
discouraging the formation of a national sentiment.
Rizal’s guiding political philosophy proved to be the study and
application of reforms, the extension of human rights, the
training for self government and the arousing of spirit of
discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness
and self love.
Social Philosophy
That body of knowledge relating to society including the
wisdom which man's experience in society has taught him is
social philosophy. The facts dealt with are principles involved
in nation building and not individual social problems. The
subject matter of this social philosophy covers the problems of
the whole race, with every problem having a distinct solution
to bolster the people’s social knowledge.
10. history and progress;
11. future Philippines.
The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment,
explaining for the most part human behavior and capacities like
his will to live; his desire to possess happiness; the change of
his mentality; the role of virtuous women in the guidance of
great men; the need for elevating and inspiring mission; the
duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of
practicing gratitude; the necessity for consulting reliable
people; his need for experience; his ability to deny; the
importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s
abilities and possibilities; the ability to think, aspire and strive
to rise; and the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of these
combining to enhance the intricacies, beauty and values of
human nature. All of the above served as Rizal’s guide in his
continuous effort to make over his beloved Philippines.
RIZAL LIFE IN BARCELONA
Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with;
1. man in society;
2. influential factors in human life;
3. racial problems;
4. social constant;
5. social justice;
6. social ideal;
7. poverty and wealth;
8. reforms;
9. youth and greatness;
On the afternoon of May 15, Rizal left Marseilles to
proceed to Spain via train. He crossed the Pyrenees and
stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou. After the
passport inspection at Port Bou, Rizal continued his trip by rail,
finally reaching Barcelona on June 16, 1882. His first
impression of Barcelona was unfavorable. He thought of it as
an ugly, dirty and its residents are inhospitable. Later, he
changed his impression and liked the city. He found it as a
great city, with an atmosphere of freedom and liberalism. He
also found its people were open-hearted, hospitable, and
courageous. He enjoyed promenading along Las Ramblas
which was the famous street in Barcelona. Filipinos in
Barcelona were some of his classmates in Ateneo, welcomed
him. They gave him a party at café Plaza de Cataluña. After
toasts, Rizal in turn gave them the latest news and gossips in
the Philippines. In Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay
entitled “Amor Patrio” which was his first written article on
Spain’s soil. He then sent his article to Basilio Teodoro Moran,
publisher of Diariong Tagalog. Basilio was deeply impressed
by the article congratulated Rizal and asked Rizal to publish
more articles. While living in Barcelona, Rizal received bad
news about the cholera outbreak ravaging Manila and the
provinces. Many people died and more were dying daily. Sad
news was that his beloved Leonor Rivera was getting thinner
because of the absence of her loved one. Also, Paciano advised
Rizal to continue his medical course in Madrid. Heeding his
advice, Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and proceeded
to Madrid.
16 June 1882
At 12:00 noon, Rizal arrived at Barcelona and boarded in the
Fonda De España.
23 June 1882
In a letter, Rizal related to his parents his experiences during
his trip from Port Said to Barcelona. In the same Letter, he
requested them to send him a birth certificate and statement
showing that he had parents in the Philippines.
18 August 1882
P. Leoncio Lopez of Calamba issued a certified copy of Rizal’s
birth certificate.
20 August 1882
His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Diarong
Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by Basilio Teodoro. This
was the First article he wrote abroad.
Jose Rizal's Arrival in Barcelona
Rizal in Barcelona, Spain
16 June 1882
At 12:00 noon, Rizal arrived at Barcelona and boarded in the
Fonda De España.
23 June 1882
In a letter, Rizal related to his parents his experiences during
his trip from Port Said to Barcelona. In the same Letter, he
requested them to send him a birth certificate and statement
showing that he had parents in the Philippines.
18 August 1882
P. Leoncio Lopez of Calamba issued a certified copy of Rizal’s
birth certificate.
20 August 1882
His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Diarong
Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by Basilio Teodoro. This
was the First article he wrote abroad.
Rizal in Madrid, Spain
2 September 1882
Rizal matriculated at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He
took the following subjects: medical clinic, surgical clinic,
legal medicine and obstetrical clinic.
2 October 1882
He attended his regular classes which stared in all earnest.
4 October 1882
Asked to deliver a poem by the members of Circulo HispanoFilipino, there together in the effort to save the association
from disintegration, Rizal recited "Me piden versus." The
meeting was held at the house of Pablo Ortiga y Rey.
7 October 1882
He attended again of the Circulo Hisfano-Filipino held in
house of Mr. Ortiga.
2 November 1882
He wrote the article "Revista de Madrid" which was in
intended for publication in the Diarong Tagalog in Manila, but
was not published because the newspaper stops its circulation.
7 November 1882
Rizal wrote an article entitled "Las Dudas". The article was
signed Laong - Laan.
30 December 1882
In a letter, Rizal revealed to Paciano his plan of going to Paris
or Rome in June. He wanted to practice French in Paris and
Italian in Rome and to observe the customs of people in those
cities.
- In the evening, Rizal dreamed he was an actor dying in the
scene, feeling intensely the shortage of his breath, the
weakening of his strength, and darkening of his sight. He woke
up tired and breathless.
1 January 1883
Rizal felt sad in the morning. He recollected the terrible dream
he had the previous night.
15 January 1883
He attended the birthday of Pablo Ortiga with some of the
Filipinos.
16 January 1883
He attended the masquerade ball in Alhambra with some of his
countrymen.
13 February 1883
In a letter Rizal appraised his brother Paciano of his activities
in Madrid, his impressions of the city and his meeting with his
friends in gathering. In part he said: "The Tuesday of the
Carnival we had a Filipino luncheon and dinner in the house of
the Pateros, each one contributing one duro. We ate with our
hands, boiled rice, chicken adobo, fried fish and roast pig.
Rizal in Paris, France
17 June 1883
Rizal arrived at Paris. He spent the whole day walking around
and observing the beautiful cities.
18 June 1883
With Felipe Zamora and Cunanan, He visited the Leannec
Hospital to observe how Dr, Nicaise treated his patients. He
was stunned to see the advanced facilities in the
accommodation in the said hospital.
19 June 1883
He again visited Dr. Nicaise who showed the technique of
operation. Later he went to see dupytren Museum.
BARCELONA • Afternoon of May 15, 1882 – Rizal left
Merseilles by train for the last lap of his trip to Spain • Rizal
crossed the Pyreness and stopped for a day at the frontier town
of Port Bou • June 16, 1882 – Rizal finally reached his
destination – Barcelona • Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona,
the greatest city of Cataluña and Spain’s second largest city
was unfavorable
RIZAL’S EUROPEAN SOJOURN
It is very clear that rizal was going to Europe not just to
compete his medical studies there. there were hidden purposes
for his voyage to a new world. It can be inferred from Paciano's
letter to Rizal that the following were the real purposes of
rizal's voyage to Europe: to make a name for himself in the
realm of journalism; to observe and study European society; &
to prepare himself for the task of liberating the Filipinos from
spanish tyranny.
After the publication of Noli, Rizal planned to visit the
important places in Europe. Rizal received his money from
Paciano worth 1,000 pesos. He immediately paid viola the sum
of 300 pesos from his kind loan. At dawn of May 11, 1887,
Rizal and Viola left Berlin by train. Spring was in the air and
Europe is blooming with flowers. Their destination was
Dresden, “One of the best cities in Germany”
Rizal and Viola spent some time in Dresden. Their visit
coincided with the regional floral exposition. Rizal studied
different plants because he was interested in botany. They
visited Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, who was overjoyed to see them.
They also visited the Museum of Art and Rizal was deeply
impressed by the painting of “Prometheus Bound”, a Greek
mythological tragedy. While strolling at the scene of the Floral
Exposition, they met Dr. Jagor. Dr. Jagor advised them to wire
Blumentritt of their coming because the old professor was of a
nervous disposition and he might suffer a shock at their sudden
visit. Their next stopover was Teschen. Rizal and Viola sent a
wire to Blumentritt, as suggested by Dr. Jagor.
At 1:30 p.m. of May 13, 1887, the train with Rizal and Viola
on board arrived at the railroad station of Leitmeritz, Bohemia.
Professor Blumentritt waited for them in the station after he
received the wire. He was carrying a pencil sketch of Rizal
which the letter had previously sent him, so that he could
identify his Filipino friend. He warmly welcomed Rizal and
Viola. For the first time, Rizal and Blumentritt met each other.
They greeted each other in fluent German. Upon seeing the
talented Rizal, the old professor immediately took him into
heart, loving him as a son. Rizal had beautiful memories of his
visit to Leitmeritz. He enjoyed the warm hospitality and
enjoyed the cooking of the professor’s wife Rosa. Blumentritt’s
children were Dolores, Conrad, and Fritz. Blumentritt showed
the scenic sights and historical spots of Leitmeritz. One
afternoon he invited them to a beer garden where the best beer
of Bohemia was served. At the beer garden, they met the
burgomaster or the town mayor. Blumentritt introduced the two
to the burgomaster. Rizal talked in fluent German, for which
the burgomaster and his friends were amazed. On another
afternoon, Rizal and Viola were invited to a meeting o the
Tourists’ Club of Leitmeritz, of Blumentritt was secretary. The
members of the society were amazed by the fluency of Rizal in
German. Rizal painted a portrait of the kind professor and gave
it to him as a commemoration of his happy hours at the
professor’s home. Rizal also met another renowned scientist of
Europe namely, Dr. Carlos Czepelak. Rizal had a nice
conversation with the Polish scholar. Blumentritt also
introduced Rizal to Professor Robert Klutschak, an eminent
naturalist. On their last night in Leitmeritz, Rizal and Viola,
reciprocated Blumentritt’s hospitality with a banquet. On May
16, at 9:45 A.M., Rizal and Viola left Leitmeritz by train.
Blumentritt and his family were at the railroad station to see
them off, and they all shed tears in parting as the train
departed. Rizal carried with him all the beautiful memories of
his visit to Leitmeritz.
After their stay at Leitmeritz, Rizal together with Viola visited
the city of Prague. They carried recommendation letters from
Blumentritt to Dr. Willkomm, a professor of natural history in
the University of Prague. The kind-hearted professor together
with his wife and daughters welcomed them and showed them
the city’s historic spots. Rizal and Viola visited the tomb of
Copernicus, the museum of natural history, the bacteriological
laboratories, the famous cave where San Juan Nepomuceno
was imprisoned, and the bridge from which the saint was
hurled into the river. After their stay at the home of the
Willkomms, Rizal and Viola left Prague and went to Brunn.
On May 20, Rizal and Viola arrived in the beautiful Vienna.
Famous in songs and story, this city very much fascinated
Rizal because of its beautiful buildings, religions images and
charm. Rizal and Viola presented a letter of recommendation,
from Blumentritt, to Norfenfals, one of the greatest novelists in
Europe during that time. The great novelist was impressed by
Rizal’s genius. Later he spoke highly of Rizal. Also in Vienna,
Rizal received his lost diamond stickpin. It was found by a
main in Hotel Krebs and was given to Blumentritt who, in
turn, forwarded it to Rizal. The two stayed at Hotel Metropole.
They visited the city’s interesting places, such as churches,
museums, art galleries, theaters and parks.
On May 24, Rizal and Viola left Vienna on a river boat to see
the beautiful sights of the Danube Rivera. As they both travel
with boat, Rizal observed the different sights like the barges
loaded with products, the flowers and plants growing along the
river banks, the boats with families living on them, and the
quaint villages on the riversides. They also noticed that the
passengers were using paper napkins during meals.
On June 1883, Rizal left Madrid to visit Paris. He stayed at the
Hotel de Paris but then moved to a cheaper hotel. Like all
tourists, Rizal was charmingly titillated by the attractive
scenery of Paris such as the beautiful boulevards, the Opera
House, the Place de la Concorde, the Arch of Triumph, the
Bois de Boulogne, the Madelaine Church, the Cathedral of
Notre Dame, the Column of Vendome, the Invalides, and the
Versailes. Rizal closely observed the French way of life and
spending many hours at the museums. In Spain, he became
close with prominent Spanish liberal and republican Spaniards,
who were mostly Masons. Rizal was impressed by the way the
Spanish Masons openly and freely criticized the government
policies and lambasted the friars. In March 1883, he joined the
Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid. His reason for joining
was to secure Freemasonry’s aid in his fight against the friars
in the Philippines. Later he was transferred to Lodge
Solidaridad where he became a Master Mason on November
15, 1890. Still later, he was awarded the diploma as Master
Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris. After departure
for Spain, things turned from bad to worse in Calamba.
Harvests failed on account of drought and locusts. Also the
Dominican-owned hacienda increased the rentals of the lands
cultivated by the Rizal family. Due to these crises, allowances
of Rizal were many times late or sometimes never arrived,
causing too much suffering to him. And on November 20, 21
and 22, 1884, Rizal was involved in student demonstrations.
They were fighting for Dr. Miguel Morayta who proclaimed
that “the freedom of science and the teacher”. Such liberal
view was condemned by the Catholic bishops of Spain. On
June 21, 1884 Rizal completed his medical course in Spain. He
was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the
Universidad Central de Madrid. In the next academic year, he
studied and passed al subjects leading to the degree of Doctor
of Medicine. Rizal also finished his studies in Philosophy and
Letters with excellent ratings.
RIZAL’S PEACEFUL LIFE IN DAPITAN
During the early part of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal lived at the
commandant’s residence. With his prize from the Manila
Lottery and his earnings as a farmer and a merchant, he bought
a piece of land near the shore of Talisay near Dapitan. On this
land, he built three houses- all made of bamboo, wood, and
nipa. The first house which was square in shape was his home.
The second house was the living quarters of his pupils. And the
third house was the barn where he kept his chickens. The
second house had eight sides, while the third had six sides.
"I shall tell you how we lived here. I have three houses-one
square, another hexagonal, and the third octagonal. All these
houses are made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. I live in the
square house, together with my mother, my sister, Trinidad,
and my nephew. In the octagonal house live some young boys
who are my pupils. The hexagonal house is my barn where I
keep my chickens.
"From my house, I hear the murmur of a clear brook which
comes from the high rocks. I see the seashore where I keep two
boats, which are called barotos here.
"I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones,
guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats, and
other animals.
"I rise early in the morning-at five-visit my plants, feed the
chickens, awaken my people, and prepare our breakfast. At
half-past seven, we eat our breakfast, which consists of tea,
bread, cheese, sweets, and other things.
"After breakfast, I treat the poor patients who come to my
house. Then I dress and go to Dapitan in my baroto. I am busy
the whole morning, attending to my patients in town.
"At noon, I return home to Talisay for lunch. Then, from 2:00
to 4:00 p.m., I am busy as a teacher. I teach the young boys.
"I spend the rest of the afternoon in farming. My pupils help
me in watering the plants, pruning the fruits, and planting many
kinds of trees. We stop at 6:00 p.m. for the Angelus
"I spend the night reading and writing."
During his exile, Rizal practiced medicine, taught some pupils,
and engaged in farming and horticulture. He grew many fruit
trees (like coconut, mango, lanzones, makopa, santol,
mangosteen, jackfruit, guayabanos, baluno, and nanka) and
domesticated some animals (like rabbits, dogs, cats, and
chickens). The school he founded in 1893 started with only
three pupils, and had about more than 20 students at the time
his exile ended.
Rizal would rise at five in the morning to see his plants,
feed his animals, and prepare breakfast. Having taken his
morning meal, he would treat the patients who had come to his
house. Paddling his boat called ‘baroto’ (he had two of them),
he would then proceed to Dapitan town to attend to his other
patients there the whole morning.
Rizal would return to Talisay to take his lunch. Teaching
his pupils would begin at about 2 pm and would end at 4 or 5
in the afternoon. With the help of his pupils, Rizal would spend
the rest of the afternoon in farming—planting trees, watering
the plants, and pruning the fruits. Rizal then would spend the
night reading and writing.
Rizal provided significant community services in Dapitan like
improving the town’s drainage and constructing better water
system using empty bottles and bamboo joints. He also taught
the town folks about health and sanitation so as to avoid the
spread of diseases. With his Jesuit priest friend Sanchez, Rizal
made a huge relief map of Mindanao in Dapitan plaza. Also, he
bettered their forest by providing evident trails, stairs, and
some benches. He invented a wooden machine for mass
production of bricks. Using the bricks he produced, Rizal built
a water dam for the community with the help of his students.
As the town’s doctor, Rizal equally treated all patients
regardless of their economic and social status. He accepted as
‘fees’ things like poultry and crops, and at times, even gave his
services to poor folks for free. His specialization was
ophthalmology but he also offered treatments to almost all
kinds of diseases like fever, sprain, broken bones, typhoid, and
hernia.
Rizal also helped in the livelihood of the abaca farmers
in Dapitan by trading their crops in Manila. He also gave them
lessons in abaca-weaving to produce hammocks. Noticing that
the fishing method by the locals was inefficient, he taught them
better techniques like weaving and using better fishing nets.
Rizal was in Dapitan when he learned that his true love Leonor
Rivera had died. What somewhat consoled his desolate heart
was the visits of his mother and some sisters.
In August 1893, Doña Teodora, along with daughter
Trinidad, joined Rizal in Dapitan and resided with him in his
‘casa cuadrada’ (square house). The son successfully operated
on his mother’s cataract.
At distinct times, Jose’s sisters Maria and Narcisa also
visited him. Three of Jose’s nephews also went to Dapitan and
had their early education under their uncle: Maria’s son
Mauricio (Moris) and Lucia’s sons Teodosio (Osio) and
Estanislao (Tan). Jose’s nieceAngelica, Narcisa’s daughter,
also had experience living for some time with her exiled uncle
in Mindanao.
In 1895, Doña Teodora left Dapitan for Manila to be
with Don Francisco who was getting weaker. Shortly after the
mother left, Josephine Bracken came to Jose’s life. Josephine
was an orphan with Irish blood and the stepdaughter of Jose’s
patient from Hongkong. Rizal and Bracken were unable to
obtain a church wedding because Jose would not retract his
anti-Catholic views. He nonetheless took Josephine as his
common-law wife who kept him company and kept house for
him. Before the year ended in 1895, the couple had a child who
was born prematurely. The son who was named after Rizal’s
father (Francisco) died a few hours after birth. (For detailed
discussion on Rizal-Bracken relationship, look for the section
“Josephine Bracken” under “Rizal’s love life”.
Not just once did Rizal learn that his ‘enemies’ sent spies to
gather incriminating proofs that Rizal was a separatist and an
insurgent. Perhaps disturbed by his conscience, a physician
named Matias Arrieta revealed his covert mission and asked
for forgiveness after he was cured by Rizal (Bantug, p. 115).
In March 1895, a man introduced himself to Rizal as
Pablo Mercado. Claiming to be Rizal’s relative, this stranger
eagerly volunteered to bring Rizal’s letters to certain persons in
Manila. Made suspicious by the visitor’s insistence, Rizal
interrogated him and it turned out that his real name was
Florencio Nanaman of Cagayan de Misamis, paid as secret
agent by the Recollect friars. But because it was raining that
evening, the kind Rizal did not command Nanaman out of his
house but even let the spy spend the rainy night in his place.
In July the next year, a different kind of emissary was
sent to Rizal. Doctor Pio Valenzuela was sent to Dapitan by
Andres Bonifacio—the Katipunan leader who believed that
carrying out revolt had to be sanctioned first by Rizal.
Disguised as a mere companion of a blind patient seeking
treatment from Rizal, Valenzuela was able to discreetly deliver
the Katipunan’s message for Rizal. But Rizal politely refused
to approve the uprising, suggesting that peaceful means was far
better than violent ways in obtaining freedom. Rizal further
believed that a revolution would be unsuccessful without arms
and monetary support from wealthy Filipinos. He thus
recommended that if the Katipunan was to start a revolution, it
had to ask for the support of rich and educated Filipinos, like
Antonio Luna who was an expert on military strategy (Bantug,
p. 133)
In 1895, Blumentritt informed Rizal that the revolution-ridden
Cuba, another nation colonized by Spain, was raged by yellow
fever epidemic. Because there was a shortage of physicians to
attend to war victims and disease-stricken people, Rizal in
December 1895 wrote to the then Governor General Ramon
Blanco, volunteering to provide medical services in Cuba.
Receiving no reply from Blanco, Rizal lost interest in his
request.
But on July 30, 1896, Rizal received a letter from the
governor general sanctioning his petition to serve as volunteer
physician in Cuba. Rizal made immediate preparations to
leave, selling and giving as souvenirs to friends and students
his various properties.
In the late afternoon of July 31, Rizal got on the ‘España’
with Josephine, Narcisa, a niece, three nephews, and three of
his students. Many Dapitan folks, especially Rizal’s students,
came to see their beloved doctor for the last time. Cordially
bidding him goodbye, they shouted “Adios, Dr. Rizal!” and
some of his students even cried. With sorrowing heart, He
waved his hand in farewell to the generous and loving Dapitan
folks, saying, “Adios, Dapitan!”
The steamer departed for Manila at midnight of July 31,
1896. With tears in his eyes, Rizal later wrote in his diary
onboard the ship, “I have been in that district four years,
thirteen days, and a few hours.
RIZAL’S DEATH
The death of Jose Rizal came right after a kangaroo trial
convicted him on all three charges of rebellion, sedition and
conspiracy. He was guided to his cell in Fort Santiago where he
spent his last 24 hours right after the conviction. At 6:00 AM
of December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael Dominguez read Jose
Rizal’s death sentence and declared that he will be shot at 7:00
AM of the next day in Bagumbayan.
At 8:00 PM of the same day, Jose Rizal had his last supper and
informed Captain Dominguez that he had forgiven his enemies
including the military judges that condemned him to die. Rizal
heard mass at 3:00 in the morning of December 30, 1896, had
confession before taking the Holy Communion. He took his
last breakfast at 5:30 AM of December 30, 1896 and even had
the time to write two letters one for his family while the other
letter was for his brother Paciano. This was also the time when
his wife, Josephine Bracken and his sister Josefa arrived and
bade farewell to Rizal.
Rizal who was dressed in a black suit was a few meters behind
his advance guards while moving to his slaughter place and
was accompanied by Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, two Jesuit
priests and more soldiers behind him. The atmosphere was just
like any execution by musketry by which the sound of the
drums occupied the air. Rizal looked at the sky while walking
and mentioned how beautiful that day was.
Rizal was told to stand on a grassy lawn between two lam posts
in the Bagumbayan field, looking towards the Manila Bay. He
requested the firing squad commander to shoot him facing the
firing squad but was ordered to turn his back against the squad
of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish army. A backup force of
regular Spanish Army troops were on standby to shoot the
executioners should they fail to obey the orders of the
commander.
Jose Rizal’s death was carried out when the command “Fuego”
was heard and Rizal made an effort to face the firing squad but
his bullet riddled body turned to the right and his face directed
to the morning sun. Rizal exactly died at 7:03 AM and his last
words before he died were those said by Jesus Christ:
“consummatum est” which means it is finished.
Jose Rizal was secretly buried in Paco Cemetery in Manila but
no identification was placed in his grave. His sister Narcisa
tried to look in every gravesite and found freshly turned soil at
the Paco cemetery, assuming the burial site as the area where
Rizal was buried. She gave a gift to the site caretaker so as to
mark the grove with RPJ which was the initials of Rizal in
reverse.
THE LAST DAYS OF JOSÉ RIZAL: A
Timeline of His Last Arrest, Incarceration,
Execution and the Journey of His Remains
6 October 1896, 3:00 AM: On his 4th day of being held
in his cabin at the MV Isla de Panay docked at Barcelona,
Spain on his way to Cuba, Rizal was awakened to be brought
to Montjuich Prison in Barcelona, Spain.
the Philippines. Dominguez submitted the papers of the Rizal
case to Malacañan Palace.
6 October, 8:00 PM: Aboard the Colon, Rizal left Barcelona
for Manila.
15 December: Rizal issued his manifesto to certain
Filipinos calling to end the “absurd” rebellion and to fight for
liberties with education as a prerequisite. The authorities
supressed the manifesto.
3 November: Rizal was brought to Fort Santiago, where other
patriots, including his brother Paciano, were being tortured to
implicate him. Paciano refused to sign anything despite being
his body broken and his left hand crushed.
20 November: Preliminary investigation began with
Rizal appearing before Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco
Olive. The investigation lasted five days.
26 November: The records of the case were handed
over to Governor General Ramon Blanco who then appointed
Captain Rafael Dominguez as special Judge Advocate.
8 December: From a list submitted to him by the
authorities, he chose the brother of his friend, Lt. Luis Taviel
de Andrade to become his trial lawyer. He was only made to
choose among army officers and not a civilian lawyer.
11 December: In his prison cell, Rizal was read the
charges against him: “principal organizer and the living soul of
the Filipino insurrection, the founder of societies, periodicals
and books dedicated to fomenting and propagating the ideas of
rebellion.”
13 December: Ramon Blanco was replaced by Camilo
de Polavieja, a more ruthless character, as Governor General of
25 December: Rizal’s saddest Christmas, away from
family and friends.
26 December, 8:00 AM: Trial of Rizal began at the
Cuartel de España. On the same day, the court-martial secretly
and unanimously voted for a guilty verdict with the penalty of
death before a firing squad
28 December: Polavieja signs the death verdict.
29 December, 6:00 AM: Rizal was read his verdict by
Captain Rafael Dominguez: To be shot the next day at 7:00
AM at the Luneta de Bagumbayan (Rizal Park).
29 December, 7:00 AM: Rizal was transferred to the
chapel cell adorned by religious images to convince him to go
back to the Catholic fold. His first visitors were Jesuit priests
Fathers Miguel Saderra Mata and Luis Viza.
29 December, 7:15 AM: After Fr. Saderra left, Rizal
asked Fr. Viza for the Sacred Heart statuette which he carved
when he was an Ateneo student. From his pocket the statuette
appears.
29 December, 8:00 AM: Fr. Viza was relieved by Fr.
Antonio Rosell who joined Rizal for breakfast. Lt. Luis Taviel
de Andrade joins them.
Andrade, Rizal threw some eggs in the corner of a cell for the
“poor rats,” “Let them have their fiesta too.” Rizal also wrote
to his family and to his brother.
29 December, 9:00 AM: Fr. Federico Faura, who once
said that Rizal would lose his head for writing the Noli Me
Tangere, arrived. Rizal told him, “Father you are indeed a
prophet.”
30 December, 5:00 AM: Teary-eyed Josephine
Bracken and Josefa Rizal came. According to the testimony of
the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia, Josephine and Rizal
were married. Josephine was gifted by Rizal with the classic
Thomas á Kempis book Imitations of Christ in which he
inscribed, “To my dear and unhappy wife, Josephine,
December 30th, 1896, Jose Rizal.” They embraced for the last
time.
29 December, 10:00 AM: Fathers José Vilaclara and
Estanislao March visited Rizal, followed by a Spanish
journalist, Santiago Mataix of El Heraldo de Madrid, for an
interview.
29 December, 12:00-3:30 PM: Rizal’s time alone in his
cell. He had lunch, wrote letters and probably wrote his last
poem of 14 stanzas
which he wrote in his flowing
handwriting in a very small piece of paper. He hid it inside his
alcohol stove. The untitled poem was later known as Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell). In its second stanza, he
already praised the revolutionaries in the battlefield for giving
their lives “without doubt, without gloom.
30 December, 6:00 AM: Rizal wrote his father,
Francisco Mercado “My beloved Father, Pardon me for the
pain with which I repay you for sorrows and sacrifices for my
education. I did not want nor did I prefer it. Goodbye, Father,
goodbye… Jose Rizal.” To his mother, he had only these
words, “To my very dear Mother, Sra. Dña Teodora Alonso 6
o’clock in the morning, December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal.”
29 December, 3:00 PM: According to an account of the
agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia guarding Rizal’s cell, Rizal
signed what seems to be the document retracting his antiCatholic writings and his membership in masonry. This event
is a contentious issue among Rizal experts
30 December, 6:30 AM: Death march from Fort
Santiago to Bagumbayan begins. 4 soldiers with bayoneted
rifles lead the procession followed by Rizal, Taviel de
Andrade, Fathers Vilaclara and March and other soldiers.
They passed by the Intramuros plaza, then turned right to the
Postigo gate then left at Malecon, the bayside road now known
as Bonifacio Drive.
30 December, 5:30 AM: Rizal took his last meal.
According to stories told to Narcisa by Lt. Luis Taviel de
30 December, 7:00 AM: Rizal, after arriving on the
execution site at the Luneta de Bagumbayan, was checked with
his pulse by Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo. It was perfectly normal.
Rizal once wrote, “I wish to show those who deny us
patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and our
convictions.”
30 December, 7:03 AM: With the captain shouting
“Fuego!” Shouts rang out from the guns of eight indio
soldiers. Rizal, being a convicted criminal was not facing the
firing squad. As he was hit, he resists and turns himself to face
his executors. He falls down, and dies facing the sky.
But in two years, the victorious Philippine
revolutionaries will seal the fate of the Spanish Empire in the
east. Three hundred thirty three years of Spanish Colonialism
ended in 1898.