SOSC6 (Rizal Life’s Works and Writings)

Preliminary Examination
Second Semester A. Y. 2009-2010

I. ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO

1. What is Rizal Law? Its purposes?

Rizal Law or the republic act no. 1425 is an act to Include in the Curricula of All Public
and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities courses on the Life Works and Writings of JOSE
RIZAL, particularly his novels NOLI ME TANGERE and EL FILIBUSTERISMO, Authorizing
the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes.
Its purpose is to re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our
heroes lived and died. Whereas, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero
and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works
that have shaped the national character. The life, works and writings of Jose Rizal particularly
his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive
years in school, should be suffused.

2. Why is Rizal singled out among our many national heroes for study and emulation?
No single person or groups of persons were responsible for making the greatest Malayan
the Number One Hero of his people. Rizal himself, his own people, and foreigners all together
contributed to make him the greatest hero and martyr of his people. No amount of adulation
canonization by both Filipinos and foreigners could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did not
possess in himself.

3. Is the Rizal Law necessary?

Through the implementation of this law, our fellowmen would be able to see how much
we are blinded by foreigners, especially the Americans, and how much colonial mentality has
taken over the lives of the people. Still, another is that through studying the works of Rizal,
Filipinos would have a sense of accomplishment and they would feel very proud of their country
and their heritage, which would lead to nationalism and unification of the country.

4. Give a brief account of Jose Rizal’s lineage. Name the brother and sisters of Rizal.
Rizal was the seventh child of their eleven children namely: Saturnina (1850–1913),
Paciano (1851–1930), Narcisa (1852–1939), Olympia (1855–1887), Lucia (1857–1919), María
(1859–1945), José Protacio (1861–1896), Concepcion (1862–1865), Josefa (1865–1945),
Trinidad (1868–1951) and Soledad (1870–1929).
 5. Why was he named Jose and surnamed Rizal?
His name was changed into Jose Rizal for him to be able to travel freely and disassociate
him from his brother, who had gained notoriety with his earlier links with native priests who
were sentenced to death as subversives.

II. CHILDHOOD YEARS

6. How did the story of the moth affect Rizal’s life?

From the moment his mother told him the story about the moth He thought the story had
revealed to him things unknown to him until then. For him moths ceased to be insignificant
insects; moths talked and knew how to warn and advice as well as his mother did. The light
seemed to be more beautiful, dazzling, and attractive. He understands why moths fluttered
around lights. Advices and warnings resounded feely in his ears. What preoccupied him most
was the death of the imprudent, but at the bottom of his heart, he didn’t blame it. His mother’s
solicitude didn’t have all the success that he hoped it would. Many years have elapsed; Rizal has
become a man; has sailed the most famous foreign rivers and mediated besides their copious
streams. Like the moth Rizal has received bitter lessons in life, infinitely more than the sweet
lesson that his mother gave him, and nevertheless the man preserves the heart of a child and he
believes that light is the most beautiful thing there is in creation and that it is worthy for a man to
sacrifice his life for it.

7. Who were Rizal’s earliest teachers?

Since the mother of Jose Rizal was an illustrado, she valued and understood the
importance of education. She patiently taught Jose Rizal the ABC’s and stimulated her son’s
imagination by telling many stories. She even encouraged Jose Rizal to write poems and made
the necessary corrections if needed.
As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The
first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named
Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This old teacher
lived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not lived
long. He died five months later.
In June 1869, Jose was sent to Binan accompanied by Paciano who acted as his second
father. He was brought to the school of Maestro Justiano Aquino Cruz.

8. What was Rizal’s earliest attempt at writing?

Jose Rizal at the age of eight he wrote the poems SA AKING MGA KABATA and OUR
MOTHER TONGUE. At the age of nine he then wrote another poem MI PRIMERA
INSPIRACION and MOTHER’S BIRTHDAY. He also wrote a charming description of his
childhood home. A few years later Rizal recalled those joyous days of his childhood in Calamba,
he revealed his heart in the poem UN RECUERDO A MI PUEBLO and IN MEMORY OF MY
VILLAGE.
III. STUDIES IN MANILA AND HIS SHCOLASTIC TRIUMPHS

9. Why was the Ateneo chosen for his education in Manila?

Rizal was a fast learner, and had excelled under Maestro Justiniano. It was the Maestro
who suggested to Jose's parents that he be sent to Manila to pursue higher education. On June 10,
1872, four months after the execution of Gomburza, accompanied by Paciano, Jose went to
Manila and took an entrance examination at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. But his father
wanted a Jesuit college instead, and so Rizal tried at the Ateneo Municipal.

10. Describe the scholastic records at Ateneo. Cite some of his literary triumphs as a
youth.
Rizal was an excellent student and had garnered high scholastic records in all subjects.
On March 23, 1877, the 15-year old Rizal received his Bachelor of Arts diploma (equivalent to
present-day high school diploma), and was among the nine sobresaliente or outstanding students
of their class.

11. Mention some of Rizal’s dark hours during his boyhood and youth.
During his boyhood and youth Rizal had his dark hours. He was envied and others pitied
him. Sometimes they accused him wrongly, sometimes rightly, and always the accusation cost
him half a dozen or three lashes. He used to win in the gangs, for no one defeated him. He
succeeded to pass over many, excelling them, and despite the reputation he had (good boy) rare
was the day when he was not whipped or given five or six beatings on the hand. When he went
in the company of my classmates, he got from them more sneers, nicknames, and they called
him Calambeño, (08) but when only one went with him, he behaved so well that he forgot his
insults. Some were good and treated him very well, like Marcos Rizal, son of a cousin of mine,
and others. Some of them, much later, became by classmates in Manila, and we found
themselves in very changed situations.

12. What course did Rizal take at the University of Santo Thomas?
The course he took at University of Santo Thomas was Philosophy and Letters (1877-
780) but after a year of the course he then transferred to a medical course. He was led to that
profession, first of all, by the cataracts that caused his mothers' blindness, and second, by the
desperate need of his country. Terrible scourges of cholera, smallpox, and plague, added to the
unending ravages of malaria, dysentery, beriberi, and tuberculosis, made Rizal's heart bleed. But
at the same time the instincts of his nature called for art and natural sciences.

13. Why did Rizal decide to go to Europe?

Without his parents' knowledge and consent, but secretly supported by his
brother Paciano, he traveled alone to Europe: Madrid in May 1882 and studied medicine at
the Universidad Central de Madrid where he earned the degree, Licentiate in Medicine.
IV. STUDIES ABROAD

14. When and where did Rizal enroll in Spain for his studies in medicine, philosophy
and letters?
He went to Madrid in May 1882 and studied medicine at the Universidad Central de
Madrid where he earned the degree, Licentiate in Medicine.

15. Give Jose Alejandrino’s observations on Rizal as a student.

"He was too Puritanical, too much of a rigid disciplinarian for our day. We all admired
his severe self-discipline. Nobody else I ever knew lived such a life as his. I lived with him and I
know that his inner life was even better than the world realized." his friend General José
Alejandro, who lived with Rizal in Brussels and Ghent.

16. How did Rizal prepare himself for the mission of ameliorating the conditions of his
homeland?
He prepared himself by studying abroad and having meetings with different bunch of
people against the Spaniards and through writing books and poems against the Spaniards.

17. What early steps did Rizal take to carry out his self- imposed mission?
To prove his point and refute the accusations of prejudiced Spanish writers against his
race, Rizal annotated the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, written by the Spaniard Antonio
Morga. The book was an unbiased presentation of 16th century Filipino culture. Rizal through
his annotation showed that Filipinos had developed culture even before the coming of the
Spaniards.
While annotating Morga’s book, he began writing the sequel to the Noli, the El
Filibusterismo. He completed the Fili in July 1891 while he was in Brussels, Belgium. As in the
printing of the Noli, Rizal could not publish the sequel for the lack of finances. Fortunately,
Valentin Ventura gave him financial assistance and the Fili came out of the printing press on
September 1891.
V. RIZAL IN HONGKONG

18. How did Rizal spent his time in Hongkong?

The reason why Rizal ventured to Hongkong were leave behind his rivalry with del Pilar;to
facilitate a Propaganda Movement in Hongkong; andto be proximate to his family in the
Philippines.
Hong Kong was clearly the right place to go, at least for the time being, not only because
it was near the Philippines, but also because his dear friend Basa was there. Then in Hong Kong,
as Jaena wrote, "You will find a group of enthusiastic young men not yet contaminated by these
miserable passions that divide us in Europe. Stir up their zeal, direct their ideals into the right
road, and you, with our exquisite tastes, will do much good for the Philippines. . I have written to
them and they will receive you in Hong Kong as their master and guide.”
When Rizal reached Hong Kong he opened his office as an oculist. Dr. Lorenzo Marques,
a prominent Portuguese physician, admired his skill as a surgeon, and had great affection for him
as a man. All of Dr. Lorenzo's eye cases were turned over to the distinguished Filipino, and he
soon had a thriving practice. He could have become a successful and renowned practitioner if
only this nightmare of his country and his relatives had ceased to torment his nights. But nearly
every mail contained news like the following from his brother-in-law Manuel Hidalgo.

19. What was the “New Calamba” project?

Another marked event during Rizal's stay in Hongkong was his plan to move the landless
Filipinos to Borneo and transform the said wilderness into a “New Calamba” through the so
called Borneo Colonization Project. In April 1892, he visited Borneo and negotiated with the
British authorities who are willing to provide 100,000 acres of land for the Filipinos. Many
Filipino patriots found this project amusing, thus, promoted the said project.

20. Why did the project fail to materialize?

There were a number who objected it, one of which was Rizal's brother-in-law, Hidalgo.
Twice did Rizal wrote a letter addressed to Governor General Eulogio Despujol informing his
Borneo colonization project, with whom he received no response. Instead, Despujol commanded
the Spanish consul-general in Hongkong to notify Rizal that such project was very unpatriotic,
and by immigrating Filipinos to Borneo, the Philippines will surely be lacking of laborers.
Despite the many oppositions from friends and relatives, he decided to return to Manila on the
following reasons: to discuss with Governor General Despujol his Borneo colonization project;
to form the La Liga Filipina in the Philippines; and to prove that Eduardo de Lete's allegations
on him and his family in Calamba were wrong.
Before his departure, he wrote three more letters – the first addressed to his parents and
friends; the second one, to the Filipinos; and the last to Governor General Eulogio Despujol.
Instead of having the protection he desired, Rizal and his sister, Lucia, fell into the Spanish trap –
a case was secretly filed against Rizal, and Despujol ordered his secretary, Luis de la Torre, to
verify whether the patriot had naturalized himself as German citizen or not. And so the siblings
sailed across the China Sea without prior knowledge of what awaits them in the Philippines.
VI. THE RETURN

21. Why did Rizal finally returned to the Philippines in June of 1892?
Despite the many oppositions from friends and relatives, he decided to return to Manila
on the following reasons:
♥ to discuss with Governor General Despujol his Borneo colonization project;
♥ to form the La Liga Filipina in the Philippines; and
♥ to prove that Eduardo de Lete's allegations on him and his family in Calamba were
wrong.

22. Were his relatives and friends in favored of Rizal’s return to the Philippines?
Before his departure, he wrote three more letters – the first addressed to his parents and
friends; the second one, to the Filipinos; and the last to Governor General Eulogio Despujol.
Instead of having the protection he desired, Rizal and his sister, Lucia, fell into the Spanish trap –
a case was secretly filed against Rizal, and Despujol ordered his secretary, Luis de la Torre, to
verify whether the patriot had naturalized himself as German citizen or not. And so the siblings
sailed across the China Sea without prior knowledge of what awaits them in the Philippines.

23. Was Rizal aware of coming dangers when he returns to the Philippines?
Yes he was aware of coming danger that’s the reason why he wrote to Governor
General Eulogio Despujol. Instead of having the protection he desired.

24. What was La Liga Filipina?

La Liga Filipina was a progressive organization created by Dr.José Rizal in
the Philippines in a house at Ilaya Street, Tondo, Manila in 1892.
Its aims were:
♥ To unite the whole archipelago into one vigorous and homogenous organization;
♥ Mutual protection in every want and necessity;
♥ Defense against all violence and injustice;
♥ Encouragement of instruction, agriculture, and commerce; and
♥ Study and application of reforms.
Rizal conceived the idea of establishing a civic association composed of Filipinos. He
wrote its constitution with the help of José María Basa, who was with him in Hong Kong.
Among its members were Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini, among
others.
VII. RIZAL IN DAPITAN

25. State the reason for Rizal’s deportation to Dapitan?

Rizal was implicated in the activities of the nascent rebellion and in July 1892, was
deported to Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga, a peninsula of Mindanao.

26. What was the immediate effect of the order of deportation?

Rizal was deported to Dapitan immediately in the province of Zamboanga, a peninsula
of Mindanao. There he built a school; a hospital and a water supply system, and taught and
engaged in

27. How long did Rizal stay in Dapitan? How did he occupy his time?
He stayed at Dapitan from July 1892 to July 31, 1896.

28. Why did Pio Valenzuela visit Rizal in May of 1896?

Prior to the outbreak of the revolution, the Katipunan leader, Andres Bonifacio, seek the
advice of Jose Rizal. In a secret meeting on May 2, 1896 at Bitukang Manok river in Pasig, the
group agreed to send Dr. Pio Valenzuela as a representative to Dapitan who will inform Rizal of
their plan to launch a revolution against the Spaniards.

29. Compare Rizal’s trial with that of Gomez, Burgoz and Zamora?
For me Rizal’s trial passed a court trial. He was given a lawyer to stand for him and he
was also given time to speak for himself at the trial while GOMBURZA’s trial didn’t pass any
court trial. They were judged without given a chance to defend their selves.
VIII. COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE THREE FILM’S DEPICTION OF OUR
NATIONAL HERO

Jose rizal Bayaning 3rd world Rizal sa dapitan

1. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya Mike de Leon Tikoy Aguiluz
2. Actor who Cesar Montano Joel Torre Albert Martinez
portrayed Rizal
3. How was Rizal Cesar Montano Joel Torre is a very
portrayed in portrayed Jose Rizal good actor. In this
general? really well at the movie. movie he did his best
He acted as if he was and he portrayed Jose
really Rizal because he Rizal well enough.
studied even his
handwriting his moves
and even different
language.
4. Serious For me I didn’t see any
historical errors serious historical errors
that you observed but some slight errors
only like the way Rizal,
and all of the ilustrados
and mestizos spoke
Spanish with an
Andalusian accent. For
Filipinos who don't
know, the Andulusian
accent is how Spanish
people in Spain speak it,
they pronounce the "c"
and "z"s like a "th", so
"corazon" is pronounced
"cora-TH-on", and not
"corason" like Filipinos
and Latin Americans
would pronounce it.
5. Strength(s) of One of the strengths of
the film Jose Rizal is the
incorporation of the
characters of Noli Me
Tangere and El
Filibusterismo in the life
of Rizal and of the
Filipinos in general.
This only shows that the
two books are
reflections of the lives
of the Filipinos during
the Spanish regime.
6. Weakness(es) I don’t find any
of the film weakness about the film
though other critics says
some details are lacking.
7. Your insight/ This is the reaction I felt I realize that it is the
reaction after watching this only movie that gives
movie documenting the you 2 sides of the life of
life of Jose Rizal. I Rizal and gives you all
couldn't help but feel a the "facts" that can help
sense of pride when you make you own
watching certain parts. opinion about our
I'd recommend anybody National Hero.
to see this movie, but I
think filipinos should
see it too, as the movie
is a perfect blend of the
Philippine national
hero's life and his two
books, Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibustrismo,
and will leave you
feeling this sense of
pride in your country.