Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
GEC 9: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
First Semester S.Y. 2021-2022
LEARNING MATERIALS
LESSON 4: THE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
a. Discuss about Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education;
b. Describe people and events that influenced Rizal’s early life;
c. Explain Rizal’s growth as a propagandist; and
d. Identify the factors that led to Rizal’s execution.
DISCUSSION:
Rizal’s Birth (José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda)
 Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in the town of Calamba, province of Laguna.
 He was baptized at Catholic Church of Calamba on June 22, 1861, by a priest, Rev.
Rufino Collantes.
 Fr. Collantes politely told the members of the family to “take good care of this
child, for someday he will become a great man”.
Rizal’s parents
 Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)
 Father of José Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offspring of Juan and
Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818;
 He studied Latin and Philosophy at the San José College in Manila. After
his parent’s death he moved to Calamba and became a tenant-farmer of
the Dominican-owned hacienda. He was a hardy and independent man, a
hardworking man of few words.
 He died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80. Rizal called his
father affectionately “a model of fathers”.
 Teodora Alonzo (1826-1911)
 Dr. Rizal’s mother was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 as the second
child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She went to school at
the College of Santa Rosa. She was a remarkable woman, she possessed
refined culture, literary talent, business ability and the fortitude of Spartan
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women. Rizal wrote about his loving mother “My mother is a woman of more
than ordinary culture; she is a mathematician and has read many books.” She
died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85, in her house in San
Fernando Street, Binondo. Shortly before her death, the Philippine
government offered her a life pension. She courteously rejected it saying,
“My Family has never been patriotic for money. If the government has
plenty of funds and does not know what to do with them, better reduce
taxes.” Such remark truly befitted her as a worthy mother of a national here!
Rizal’s children
1. Saturnina Mercado (1850-1913)
 Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Her nickname was Neneng. She
had five children by her husband Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan,
Batangas.
2. Paciano Mercado (1851-1930)
 Only brother and confidant of José Rizal and the second child. He became
as a second father to Jose Rizal. Studied at San José College in Manila. Just
like his father, Paciano became a farmer. It was his idea to send Jose to
continue his studies in Spain. After his younger brother´ excecution, he
joined the Philippine revolution and became a combat General. After the
Revolution, he retired to his farm in Los Boños where he lived as a
gentleman farmer and died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79. he
had two children by his mistress (Severina Decena).
3. Narcisa Mercado (1852-1939)
 The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and
musician.
4. Olympia Mercado (1855-1887)
 The fourth child. Ypia was her pet name. Married Silvestre Ubaldo, a
telegraph operator from Manila; she died in 1887 from child birth.
5. Lucia Mercado (1857-1919)
 The fifth child. Married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba. He was the nephew
of Father Casanas. Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied a
Christian burial because Dr. Rizal was his brother-in-law.
6. Maria Mercado (1859-1945)
 The sixth child. Her nickname was Biang. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of
Biñan, Laguna.
7. Jose Rizal (1861-1896)
 The second son and the seventh child. The greatest Filipino hero and a
tremendous genius. His nickbname was Pepe. During his excile in Dapitan
he lived together with Josephine Bracken, an Irisch girl from Hong-Kong.
They had a son with her but their baby son died a few hours after birth.
Rizal named him Francisco after his father and buried him in Dapitan. José
was executed by the Spaniards on December 30, 1896.
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8. Concepcion Mercado (1862-1865)
 The eighth among the Rizal children, died at the age of three due to an
illness. Her pet name was Concha. As an older brother, Jose, who was four
at that time (in 1865), grieved so bitterly. He recalled having cried so hard
for the first time due to love and sorrow for their loss. According to him,
“Till then I had shed tears only for my own faults which my loving,
prudent mother well knew how to correct.”
9. Josefa Mercado (1865-1945)
 Josefa Rizal or Panggoy had epilepsy. She was the ninth child of the family.
She died in 1945 at the age of 80. Due to her illness she never got married
and died as spinster.
10. Trinidad Mercado (1868-1951)
 The tenth child. She was the longest living family member. They gave her
the pet name Trining. Like her sister Josefa, she never got married and
also died an old maid at the age of 83.
11. Soledad Mercado (1870-1929)
 She was the youngest child of the Rizal-Mercado clan. Choleng was het pet
name. She later got married to Pantaleon Quintero, a native from
Calamba, Laguna.
Hometown of Rizal
 Calamba is a picturesque nestling on a verdant plain covered with irrigated rice
fields and sugar land. A perfect place to nurture a growing child that holds
promise that eventually became the “cradle of a genius”.
Childhood and Early Education
 Her first teacher was her mother, at the age of three he learned the alphabet
 At the age of 9 Rizal left Calamba with his brother to study in Biṅan.
 He was best in school because he excelled in all subject especially Latin and
Spanish. He also had painting lessons under Maestro Cruz’ father-in-law,
Juancho, an old painter.
 At the age of 8, Rizal revealed his God -given talents in literary by writing poems.
 He wrote a poem entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” as an appeal to his countrymen to
love their national language.
 After receiving a letter from his sister, Saturnina, Rizal returned to Calamba on
December 17, 1870 after one and a half year schooling in Binan.
Student of Manila
 Rizal was sent by his father to Ateneo Municipal for a six-year program, Bachiller
en Artes.
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 He followed the advice of his brother, Paciano, to use the name Jose Rizal instead
of Jose Mercado. He feared that Rizal might run into trouble if it was known
openly that they were brothers since Paciano was known to have links to Jose
Burgos, one of the leaders of the secularization movement and one of three
priests executed.
 Rizal studied at Ateneo from 1872-1877. He consistently showed excellence in
his academic performance. He graduated with a degree Bachiller en Antes, with
the highest honors.
 Rizal was sent by Don Francisco to the University of Santo Tomas. He attended
the course Philosophy and Letters.
 In his second year at UST, Rizal shifted his course to Medicine. He felt the need to
take up this course after learning about his mother’s failing eyesight.
 In 1882, Rizal and Paciano made a secret pact. Rizal would go to Europe to
complete his medical studies there and prepare himself for the great task of
liberating the country from Spanish tyranny.
Rizal in Europe
 Rizal was 20 years old when he left Philippines for Spain.
 Rizal reached Barcelona on June 16, 1882. He arrived during the summer
vacation so he was able to meet up with former classmates in Ateneo.
 After the summer vacation, Rizal decided to move to Madrid where he enrolled
in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters at Universidad Central de Madrid
(presently the Universidad Complutense de Madrid) on November 3, 1882.
 In January of 1883, Rizal wrote to his family and informed them that: “I am now
studying Italian and have made a bet that I shall be able to speak it in two
months.”
 Rizal was awarded with the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine for passing
the medical examinations in June 1884.
 He continued enrolling in courses that would have led to a Doctorate in Medicine
but the degree was not given to him because he failed to pay the fee required to
defend his thesis.
 Rizal was already feeling the effect of the difficult economic situation in Calamba.
 Rizal also took examinations in Greek, Latin and world history. He also obtained
the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters)
from the Universidad Central de Madrid on June 19, 1885.
 Rizal made time for meeting fellow Filipinos in Madrid. Known as ilustrados,
these Filipinos formed the Circulo Hispano-Filipino which held informal
programs with activities like poetry-reading and debates.
 Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippine society. The group
approved the project but this plan did not materialize. His fellow Filipinos who
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agree to help him did not write anything so he drafted the novel alone. It was in
Madrid that he was able to write the first half of his novel, Noli Me Tangere.
Rizal specialized in ophthalmology and trained under the leading
ophthalmologists in Europe like Dr. Louis de Weckert of Paris.
In Germany, he also worked with expert ophthalmologists Dr. Javier Galezowsky
and Dr. Otto Becker in Heidelberg in 1886 and Dr. R. Schulzer and Dr. Schwiegger
in 1887.
During his stay in Germany, Rizal befriended different scholars. Through his
friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal was also able to meet Feodor Jagor and Hans
Virchow, anthropologists who were doing studies on Philippine culture.
It was also in Berlin where he finished Noli Me Tangere which was published on
March 21, 1887 with financial help from his friend Maximo Viola.
After five years in Europe, Rizal went home to Calamba on August 8, 1887. He
opened medical clinic and curing the sick.
His vacation was cut short because he was targeted by the friars who were
portrayed negatively in his novel Noli Me Tangere. He left the country for the
second time on February 16, 1888.
Rizal Second Trip to Europe
 Rizal became more active in Propaganda Movement with fellow ilustrados like
Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, and
Trinidad Pardo de Tavera.
 The Propaganda Movement campaigned for reforms such as: (1) for the
Philippines to be made a province of Spain so that native Filipinos would have
equal rights accorded to Spaniards; (2) representation of the Philippines in the
Spanish Cortes; (3) secularization of parishes.
 Rizal became preoccupied with writing articles and essays which were published
in the Propaganda Movement’s newspaper, La Solidaridad.
 By July 1891, while is Brussels, Rizal completed his second novel, El
Filibusterismo, which was published on September 18, 1891 through the help of
his friend, Valentin Ventura. Compared with his Noli, Rizal’s El Fili was more
radical with its narrative portrayed of a society on the verge of a revolution.
 In 1892, Rizal decided to return to the Philippines thinking that the real struggle
was in his homeland. In spite of warnings and his family’s disapproval, Rizal
arrived in Philippines on June 26, 1892.
 Rizal visited his friends in Central Luzon and encouraged them to join the La Liga
Filipina, a socio-civic organization that Rizal established on July 3, 1892.
Unfortunately, just a few days after the Liga’s formation, Rizal was arrested and
brought to Fort Santiago on July 6, 1892. He was charged with bringing with him
from Hong Kong leaflets entitled Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars), a satire against the
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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
rich Dominican friars and their accumulation of wealth which was against their
vow of poverty. In spite of his protests and denial of having those materials, Rizal
was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao.
Exile in Dapitan
 Rizal arrived in Dapitan on board the steamer Cebu on July 17, 1892. Dapitan
(now city within Zamboanga del Norte) was a remote town in Mindanao which
served as a politico-military outpost of the Spaniards in the Philippines. It was
headed by Captain Ricardo Carnicero, who became a friend of Rizal during his
exile.
 The quiet place of Dapitan became Rizal’s home from 1892 to 1896.
 He practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, and continued his artistic
pursuits in sculpture, painting, sketching, and writing poetry. He established a
school for boys and promoted community development projects. He also found
time to study the Malayan language and other Philippine languages.
 On September 21, 1892, Rizal won the second prize in a pottery together with
Ricardo Carnicero and another Spaniard.
 In his letter to Bluementritt, Rizal described his daily activities in Dapitan.
 Having heard of Rizal’s fame as an ophthalmologist, George Taufer who was
suffering from an eye ailment traveled from Hong Kong to Dapitan. He was
accompanied by his adopted daughter, Josephine Bracken, who eventually fell in
love with Rizal. They lived as husband and wife in Rizal’s octagonal house after
being denied the sacrament of marriage by Father Obach, the parish priest of
Dapitan, due to Rizal’s refusal to retract his statements against the Church and to
accept other conditions.
 On the eve of June 21, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela visited Rizal in Dapitan and
informed him about the founding of Katipunan and the planned revolution. Rizal
objected to it, citing the importance of a well-planned movement with sufficient
arms.
 Rizal had been sending letters to the Governor-General Ramon Blanco. He asked
for a review of his case. He said that if his request would not be granted, he
would volunteer to serve as a surgeon under the Spanish army fighting in the
Cuban revolution.
 On July 30, 1896, Rizal’s request to go to Cuba was approved. The next day, he
left for Manila on board the steamer Espana. On September 3, 1896, he boarded
the steamer Isla de Panay which would bring him to Barcelona. Upon arriving at
the fort, however, Governor-General Despujol told him that there was an order to
ship him back to Manila.
 On November 3, 1896, Rizal arrived in Manila and was immediately brought to
Fort Santiago.
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Trial and Execution
 The preliminary investigation of Rizal’s case began on November 20, 1896. He
was accused of being the main organizer of the revolution by having proliferated
the ideas of rebellion and of founding illegal organizations.
 Rizal pleaded not guilty and even wrote a manifesto appealing to the
revolutionaries to discontinue the uprising.
 Rizal’s lawyer, Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, tries his best to save Rizal.
 On December 26, 1896, the trial ended and the sentence was read. Jose Rizal was
found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad.
 On December 28, 1896, Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja signed the court
decision. He later decreed that Rizal be executed by firing squad at 7:00 am of
December 30.
 Rizal composed his longest poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, which was about his farewell
to the Filipino people.
 When his mother and sisters visited him on December 29, 1896, Rizal gave away
his remaining possessions. He handed his gas lamp to his sister Trinidad and
murmured softly in English; “There is something inside.” Eventually, Trining and
her sister Maria would extract from the lamp the copy of Rizal’s last poem.
 At 6:30 in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, in balck suit with his arms
tied behind his back, walked to Bagumbayan.
 The orders were given and shots were fired. Consummatum est! (It is finished!)
Rizal died offering his life for his country and its freedom.
EVALUATION: (See the separate file for Learning Activity)
REFERENCES:
Torres, Jose Victor. BATIS: Sources in Philippine History. C&E Publishing Inc. (2018)
Asuncion, Nestor M. et. al. Readings in Philippine History. C&E Publishing Inc. (2019)
Prepared by:
John Rey R. Buan
Instructor
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