PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao

1
1 Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch http://www.joserizal.ph
BY TEOFILO H. MONTEMAYOR
JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and pride of the Malayan race,
was born on June 19, 1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the seventh ch
ild in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9 girls). Both his parents were educa
ted and belonged to distinguished families. His father, Francisco Mercado Rizal,
an industrious farmer whom Rizal called "a model of fathers," came from Biñan,
Laguna; while his mother, Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, a highly cultured and accomp
lished woman whom Rizal called "loving and prudent mother," was born in Meisic,
Sta. Cruz, Manila. At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his mother; at
5, while learning to read and write, he already showed inclinations to be an art
ist. He astounded his family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches a
nd by his moldings of clay. At the age 8, he wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga
Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of one’s language. In 1877, at
the age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with an average of "exce
llent" from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the same year, he enrolled in Phi
losophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while at the same time too
k courses leading to the degree of surveyor and expert assessor at the Ateneo. H
e finished the latter course on March 21, 1877 and passed the Surveyor’s examina
tion on May 21, 1878; but because of his age, 17, he was not granted license to
practice the profession until December 30, 1881. In 1878, he enrolled in medicin
e at the University of Santo Tomas but had to stop in his studies when he felt t
hat the Filipino students were being discriminated upon by their Dominican tutor
s. On May 3, 1882, he sailed for Spain where he continued his studies at the Uni
versidad Central de Madrid. On June 21, 1884, at the age of 23, he was conferred
the degree of Licentiate in Medicine and on June 19,1885, at the age of 24, he
finished his course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "excellent." Havin
g traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22 languages. Th
ese include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, It
alian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog
, and other native dialects. A versatile genius, he was an architect, artists, b
usinessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, his
torian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, natu
ralist, novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist
, sculptor, sociologist, and theologian. He was an expert swordsman and a good s
hot. In the hope of securing political and social reforms for his country and at
the same time educate his countrymen, Rizal, the greatest apostle of Filipino n
ationalism, published, while in Europe, several works with highly nationalistic
and revolutionary tendencies. In March 1887, his daring book, NOLI ME TANGERE, a
satirical novel exposing the arrogance and despotism of the Spanish clergy, was
published in Berlin; in 1890 he reprinted in Paris, Morga’s SUCCESSOS DE LAS IS
LAS FILIPINAS with his annotations to prove that the Filipinos had a civilizatio
n worthy to be proud of even long before the Spaniards set foot on Philippine so
il; on September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO, his second novel and a sequel to t
he NOLI and more revolutionary and tragic than the latter, was printed in Ghent.
Because of his fearless exposures of the injustices committed by the civil and
clerical officials, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in power. This led him
self, his relatives and countrymen into trouble with the Spanish officials of th
e country. As a consequence, he and those who had contacts with him, were shadow
ed; the authorities were not only finding faults but even fabricating charges to
pin him down. Thus, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago from July 6, 1892 to Jul
y 15, 1892 on a charge that anti-friar pamphlets were found in the luggage of hi
s sister Lucia who arrive with him from Hong Kong. While a political exile in Da
pitan, he engaged in agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and operat
ed a hospital; he conducted classes- taught his pupils the English and Spanish l
anguages, the arts. The sciences, vocational courses including agriculture, surv
eying, sculpturing, and painting, as well as the art of self defense; he did som
e researches and collected specimens; he entered into correspondence with renown
ed men of letters and sciences abroad; and with the help of his pupils, he const
ructed water dam and a relief map of Mindanao - both considered remarkable engin
eering feats. His sincerity and friendliness won for him the trust and confidenc
e of even those assigned to guard him; his good manners and warm personality wer
e found irresistible by women of all races with whom he had personal contacts; h
is intelligence and humility gained for him the respect and admiration of promin
ent men of other nations; while his undaunted courage and determination to uplif
t the welfare of his people were feared by his enemies. When the Philippine Revo
lution started on August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in pressing him down
. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked him with the revolt and these w
ere never allowed to be confronted
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
2
by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986, to the date of his execution, he was again
committed to Fort Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an untitled poem, now k
nown as "Ultimo Adios" which is considered a masterpiece and a living document e
xpressing not only the hero’s great love of country but also that of all Filipin
os. After a mock trial, he was convicted of rebellion, sedition and of forming i
llegal association. In the cold morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, a man whose
35 years of life had been packed with varied activities which proved that the F
ilipino has capacity to equal if not excel even those who treat him as a slave,
was shot at Bagumbayan Field.
2 The Mercado - Rizal Family
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 t
he Philippines from Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th century and mar
ried a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa. Researchers revealed t
hat the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Eve
n Negrito blood aside from Chinese. Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family cons
isting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nin
e sisters and one brother. FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898) Father of Jose Rizal wh
o was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan, L
aguna 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 Lo
renzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. S
he 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 Ma
nila. SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913) Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Mar
ried Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930) Only
brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Mani
la; became a farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution. NARCISA RI
ZAL (1852-1939) The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teach
er and musician. OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887) The fourth child. Married Silvestre U
baldo; died in 1887 from childbirth. LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919) The fifth child. Ma
rried 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 se
venth child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896. CONCEPCION RI
ZAL (1862-1865) The eight child. Died at the age of three. JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-19
45) The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster. TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951) T
he tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die.
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
3
SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929) The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.
3 In Calamba, Laguna 19 June 1861
JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Qu
intos, was born in Calamba, Laguna. 22 June 1861 He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERC
ADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes with R
ev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor. 28 September 1862 The parochial church of Cala
mba and the canonical books, including the book in which Rizal’s baptismal recor
ds were entered, were burned. 1864 Barely three years old, Rizal learned the alp
habet from his mother. 1865 When he was four years old, his sister Conception, t
he eight child in the Rizal family, died at the age of three. It was on this occ
asion that Rizal remembered having shed real tears for the first time. 1865 – 18
67 During this time his mother taught him how to read and write. His father hire
d a classmate by the name of Leon Monroy who, for five months until his (Monroy)
death, taught Rizal the rudiments of Latin. At about this time two of his mothe
r’s cousin frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto, seeing Rizal frail in body,
concerned himself with the physical development of his young nephew and taught
the latter love for the open air and developed in him a great admiration for the
beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar, instilled into the mind of t
he boy love for education. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task v
ery carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be independent in thinking
and make visual pictures of everything." 6 June 1868 With his father, Rizal mad
e a pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his mother to take the chi
ld to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she and her child survive the
ordeal of delivery which nearly caused his mother’s life. From there they procee
ded to Manila and visited his sister Saturnina who was at the time studying in t
he La Concordia College in Sta. Ana. 1869 At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his f
irst poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was written in tagalog and ha
d for its theme "Love of One’s Language." In Biñan, Laguna 1870 His brother Paci
ano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna. He was placed under the tutelage of Justinia
no Aquino Cruz, studying Latin and Spanish. In this town he also learned the art
of painting under the tutorship of an old painter by the name of Juancho Carrer
a. 17 December 1870 Having finished his studies in Biñan, Rizal returned to Cala
mba on board the motorboat Talim. His parents planned to transfer him to Manila
where he could continue his studies. Early Education in Calamba and Biñan Rizal
had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical schooling that a
son of an ilustrado family received during his time, characterized by the four R
’s- reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Instruction was rigid and strict
. Knowledge was forced into the minds of the pupils by means of the tedious memo
ry method aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the defects of the Spanish system
of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction pr
eparatory for college work in Manila. It may be said that Rizal, who was born a
physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
4
giant not because of, but rather in spite of, the outmoded and backward system o
f instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last decades of Spanish re
gime.
4 The Hero’s First Teacher
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good ch
aracter and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabe
t and the prayers. "My mother," wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me h
ow to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to G
od." As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It wa
s she who first discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, sh
e encouraged him to write poems. To lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s
and to stimulate her son’s imagination, she related many stories. As Jose grew
older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The firs
t was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man n
amed 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 Lati
n. Unfortunately, he did not lived long. He died five months later. After a Monr
oy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to send their gifted son to a private sch
ool in Biñan. Jose Goes to Biñan One Sunday afternoon in June , 1869, Jose, afte
r kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful parting from his sister, left C
alamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by Paciano , who acted as his second father
. The two brothers rode in a carromata, reaching their destination after one and
one-half hours’ drive. They proceeded to their aunt’s house, where Jose was to
lodge. It was almost night when they arrived, and the moon was about to rise. Th
at same night, Jose, with his cousin named Leandro, went sightseeing in the town
. Instead of enjoying the sights, Jose became depressed because of homesickness.
"In the moonlight," he recounted, "I remembered my home town, my idolized mothe
r, and my solicitous sisters. Ah, how sweet to me was Calamba, my own town, in s
pite of the fact that was not as wealthy as Biñan." First Day in Biñan School Th
e next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of Mae
stro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The school was in the house of the teacher, which w
as a small nipa hut about 30 meters from the home of Jose’s aunt. Paciano knew t
he teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him before. He introduce
d Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to return to Calamba. Immediately
, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. The teacher asked him: "Do you know S
panish?" "A little, sir," replied the Calamba lad. "Do you know Latin?" "A littl
e, sir." The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the teacher’s son laughed at J
ose’s answers. The teacher sharply stopped all noises and begun the lessons of t
he day. Jose described his teacher in Biñan as follows: "He was tall, thin, long
-necked, with sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear a
sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled hands of the women of Batangas. He knew by
the heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza. Add to this severity that in my ju
dgement was exaggerated and you have a picture, perhaps vague, that I have made
of him, but I remember only this."
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
5
First School BrawlIn the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher
was having his siesta, Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for
making fun of him during his conversation with the teacher in the morning. Jose
challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that he coul
d easily beat the Calamba boy who was smaller and younger. The two boys wrestled
furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their classmates. Jose, having
learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger b
oy. For this feat, he became popular among his classmates. After the class in th
e afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged him to an arm-wrestl
ing match. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose
, having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk. In su
cceeding days he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not quarrelsome
by nature, but he never ran away from a fight. Best Student in School In academ
ic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, a
nd other subjects. Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual
superiority. They wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight ou
tside the school, and even told lies to discredit him before the teacher’s eyes.
Consequently the teacher had to punish Jose.
5 Early Schooling in Biñan
Jose had a very vivid imagination and a very keen sense of observation. At the a
ge of seven he traveled with his father for the first time to Manila and thence
to Antipolo to fulfill the promise of a pilgrimage made by his mother at the tim
e of his birth. They embarked in a casco, a very ponderous vessel commonly used
in the Philippines. It was the first trip on the lake that Jose could recollect.
As darkness fell he spent the hours by the katig, admiring the grandeur of the
water and the stillness of the night, although he was seized with a superstitiou
s fear when he saw a water snake entwine itself around the bamboo beams of the k
atig. With what joy did he see the sun at the daybreak as its luminous rays shon
e upon the glistening surface of the wide lake, producing a brilliant effect! Wi
th what joy did he talk to his father, for he had not uttered a word during the
night! When they proceeded to Antipolo, he experienced the sweetest emotions upo
n seeing the gay banks of the Pasig and the towns of Cainta and Taytay. In Antip
olo he prayed, kneeling before the image of the Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage,
of whom he would later sing in elegant verses. Then he saw Manila, the great me
tropolis , with its Chinese sores and European bazaars. And visited his elder si
ster, Saturnina, in Santa Ana, who was a boarding student in the Concordia Colle
ge. When he was nine years old, his father sent him to Biñan to continue studyin
g Latin, because his first teacher had died. His brother Paciano took him to Biñ
an one Sunday, and Jose bade his parents and sisters good-bye with tears in his
eyes. Oh, how it saddened him to leave for the first time and live far from his
home and his family! But he felt ashamed to cry and had to conceal his tears and
sentiments. "O Shame," he explained, "how many beautiful and pathetic scenes th
e world would witness without thee!" They arrived at Biñan in the evening. His b
rother took him to the house of his aunt where he was to stay, and left him afte
r introducing him to the teacher. At night, in company with his aunt’s grandson
named Leandro, Jose took a walk around the town in the light of the moon. To him
the town looked extensive and rich but sad and ugly. His teacher in Biñan was a
severe disciplinarian. His name was Justiniano Aquino Cruz. "He was a tall man,
lean and long-necked, with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward. He us
ed to wear a sinamay shirt woven by the deft hands of Batangas women. He knew by
memory the grammars of Nebrija and Gainza. To this add a severity which, in my
judgement I have made of him, which is all I remember."
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
6
The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and succeeded in surpassing many of
his older classmates. Some of these were so wicked that, even without reason, t
hey accused him before the teacher, for which, in spite of his progress, he rece
ived many whippings and strokes from the ferule. Rare was the day when he was no
t stretched on the bench for a whipping or punished with five or six blows on th
e open palm. Jose’s reaction to all these punishments was one of intense resentm
ent in order to learn and thus carry out his father’s will. Jose spent his leisu
re hours with Justiniano’s father-in-law, a master painter. From him he took his
first two sons, two nephews, and a grandson. His way life was methodical and we
ll regulated. He heard mass at four if there was one that early, or studied his
lesson at that hour and went to mass afterwards. Returning home, he might look i
n the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat, then he took his breakfast, consisting
generally of a plate of rice and two dried sardines. After that he would go to
class, from which he was dismissed at ten, then home again. He ate with his aunt
and then began at ten, then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began to
study. At half past two he returned to class and left at five. He might play for
a short time with some cousins before returning home. He studied his lessons, d
rew for a while, and then prayed and if there was a moon, his friends would invi
te him to play in the street in company with other boys. Whenever he remembered
his town, he thought with tears in his eyes of his beloved father, his idolized
mother, and his solicitous sisters. Ah, how sweet was his town even though not s
o opulent as Biñan! He grew sad and thoughtful. While he was studying in Biñan,
he returned to his hometown now and then. How long the road seemed to him in goi
ng and how short in coming! When from afar he descried the roof of his house, se
cret joy filled his breast. How he looked for pretexts to remain longer at home!
A day more seemed to him a day spent in heaven, and how he wept, though silentl
y and secretly, when he saw the calesa that was flower that him Biñan! Then ever
ything looked sad; a flower that he touched, a stone that attracted his attentio
n he gathered, fearful that he might not see it again upon his return. It was a
sad but delicate and quite pain that possessed him.
6 Life and Studies at 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 po
wer to administer parishes was restricted except in the remote regions of Mindan
ao, 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 h
im to the Ateneo instead. Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, had co
me under suspicion of the authorities because it was the name used by Paciano wh
en 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 ho
use in Walled City, but Intramuros looked gloomy to Jose, and he later found lod
ging 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 be
came acquainted in that house with various mestizos, begotten by friars. The Jes
uitical system of instruction was considered more advanced than that of other co
lleges 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 vocation
al 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 t
wo 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 em
pire there were five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Sta
ndard-Bearer. These dignities were won by means of individual competitions in
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
7
which it was necessary to catch one’s adversary in error three times. The empire
s considered themselves in perpetual warfare, and when an individual of one empi
re 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 po
ems were recited or debates were held. With all these inducements it was only na
tural that should be a spirit of emulation, a striving to surpass ones colleague
s found in the Ateneo. The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he d
escribes as a man of high stature; lean body, bent forward; quick gait; ascetic
physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin l
ips 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 twentyfour hours of the day and did not in the least deviate fr
om it. Thus he disciplined his will and subjected it to the commands of his reas
on. As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the class, but he was so
on promoted and kept on being promoted so that at the end of one month he had at
tained to the rank of Emperor. At the end of the term he obtained marks of excel
lent 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 t
o 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 tr
ick. 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 jud
ge, 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 h
im, but the case had no remedy because it was already on appeal. The second year
, Jose had the same professor as in the previous year; but instead of lodging ou
tside 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. The rejoicing that her re
lease 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 th
e twelve years. He also asked his father to buy him a copy of The Universal Hist
ory 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 t
he 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. Jo
se 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 pleased him imme
nsely because with them I could repay my father somewhat for his sacrifices. His
aptitude for poetry revealed itself early, and from that time on he did not cea
se to cultivate it. An incident which demonstrates Jose’s independence of charac
ter took place at this time. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, parish priest of the town, who w
as a great friend of his father, also liked Jose as a little friend. He was cult
ured 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
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
8
which his mother reprehended him. Afterward Father Lopez came to know from the J
esuits 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. 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 ad
vised him once to leave it, which made him cry. But in his rest hours he continu
ed cultivating the Muses under the direction of his old professor, Father Sanche
z. Jose had then written a short story (leyenda), which was only slightly correc
ted 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, inq
uiring 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 somet
imes imagined seeing a goddess in each shell he was on the shelf. Jose was consi
dered small of stature and he tried to correct this defect by applying himself r
egularly to gymnastics in the college. He also engaged in other physical exercis
es, such as fencing. After his baccalaureate, he surprised his family with his s
kill in handling the sword when he gave an exhibition bout with the best swordsm
an of the town. He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In drawing and p
ainting he was under the guidance and direction of the Ateneo professor, the Pen
insula Don Augustin Saez, who honored him with his affection and consideration b
ecause 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 excell
ent pupil.
7 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 co
untry like the Philippines is made up of the intricate and composite interrelati
onship 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 u
p with the notable life experiences of the representative personalities of our n
ation. Being one of the prominent representatives of Filipino personalities, Jos
e 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 imperialisti
c administration of his country and people. Pitiful social conditions existed in
the Philippines as late as three centuries after his conquest in Spain, with ag
riculture, commerce, communications and education languishing under its most bac
kward state. It was because of this social malady that social evils like inferio
rity complex, cowardice, timidity and false pride pervaded nationally and contri
buted to the decay of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life phylo
sophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills. Educational Philosoph
y Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is clearly enunciated in his wo
rk 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 i
slands. For Rizal, the mission of education is to elevate the country to the hig
hest 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 tha
t only through education could the country be saved from domination. Rizal’s phi
losophy of education, therefore, centers on the provision of proper motivation i
n order to bolster the great social forces that make education a success, to cre
ate in the youth an innate desire to cultivate his intelligence and give him lif
e eternal.
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
9
Religious Philosophy Rizal grew up nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family, w
as educated in the foremost Catholic schools of the period in the elementary, se
condary and college levels; logically, therefore, he should have been a propagat
or 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 bee
n the result of contemporary contact, companionship, observation, research and t
he possession of an independent spirit.Being a critical observer, a profound thi
nker and a zealous reformer, Rizal did not agree with the prevailing Christian p
ropagation of the Faith by fire and sword. This is shown in his Annotation of Mo
rga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogm
a 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, rosa
ries and the like in order to propagate the Faith and raise church funds. He als
o lambasted the superstitious beliefs propagated by the priests in the church an
d in the schools. All of these and a lot more are evidences of Rizal’s religious
philosophy. Political Philosophy In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country
like the Philippines should not be taken advantage of but rather should be deve
loped, civilized, educated and trained in the science of self-government. He bit
terly assailed and criticized in publications the apparent backwardness of the S
panish 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 force
d 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 a
uthorities was criminal; and 5. Making the people ignorant, destitute and fanati
c, thus discouraging the formation of a national sentiment. Rizal’s guiding poli
tical philosophy proved to be the study and application of reforms, the extensio
n of human rights, the training for self government and the arousing of spirit o
f discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness and self love
. 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 phil
osophy was based. The fact that the Philippines was under Spanish domination dur
ing Rizal’s time led him to subordinate his philosophy to moral problems. This t
rend was much more needed at that time because the Spaniards and the Filipinos h
ad different and sometimes conflicting morals. The moral status of the Philippin
es during this period was one with a lack of freedom, one with predominance of f
oreign masters, one with an imposition of foreign religious worship, devotion, h
omage 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 ind
ividual 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 nat
ure of the conquerors and of offering useful methods of solving the moral proble
ms of the conquered. To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal:
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
10
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 Filipi
nos not to resent a defect attributed to them but to accept same as reasonable a
nd 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 pa
rents must be strictly observed. Social Philosophy That body of knowledge relati
ng 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 di
stinct solution to bolster the people’s social knowledge. Rizal’s social philoso
phy dealt with; 1. man in society; 2. influential factors in human life; 3. raci
al 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. fu
ture Philippines. The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment, expl
aining for the most part human behavior and capacities like his will to live; hi
s 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 missio
n; the duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of practicing gratitu
de; the necessity for consulting reliable people; his need for experience; his a
bility to deny; the importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s abi
lities and possibilities; the ability to think, aspire and strive to rise; and t
he 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.
8 The Many-Sided Personality
Filipinos and foreigners alike have paid tribute to Jose Rizal claiming that his
place of honor in history is secure. It was his Austrian bosom friend, Professo
r Ferdinand Blumentritt, rector of the Imperial Atheneum of Leitmeritz, who said
"Rizal was the greatest product of the Philippines and his coming to the world
was like the appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only ever
y other century." Another German friend, Dr. Adolf B. Meyer, director of the Dre
sden Museum who admired his all around knowledge and ability, remarked "Rizal’s
many-sidedness was stupendous." Our own Dr. Camilo Osias pointed to him as the "
versatile genius." His precocity since early boyhood turned into versatility in
later years. Being curious and inquisitive, he developed a rare facility of mast
ering varied subjects and occupations. Actor Rizal acted as a character in one o
f Juan Luna’s paintings and acted in school dramas. Agriculturist Rizal had farm
s in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte (1892-1896) where he planted lanzones, coconut
s and other
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
11
fruit-bearing trees. Ambassador Of Good Will His friendliness, goodwill and cult
ural associations with friends entitled him as one. Animal Lover As a small boy,
Rizal loved animals including birds, fish, insects, and other specimens of anim
al life. Fowls, rabbits, dogs, horses, and cats constituted his favorites. As mu
ch as possible, he did not wish fowls to be killed even for food, and showed dis
pleasure in being asked to eat the cooked animal. The family garden in Calamba a
bounded with insects galore and birds native to the Calamba environs. He wrote a
bout and sketched animals of the places he had toured. Anthropologist He made re
searches on the physical and social make up of man. Archeologist Rizal studied m
onuments and antique currency everywhere he went. He drew most of the monuments
he saw. Ascetic Rizal always practiced self-discipline wherever he went. Book lo
ver He had a big library and brought many books abroad. Botanist Rizal maintaine
d a garden in Dapitan where he planted and experimented on plants of all kinds B
usinessman He had a partner in Dapitan in the Abaca business there (1892-1896).
Cartographer He drew maps of Dapitan, The Philippines and other places he visite
d. Chess Player He played chess and bear several Germans and European friends an
d acquaintances. Citizen of the world His extensive travels and multitude of fri
ends in Europe, Middle East and Asia made him one. Commentator Rizal always expr
esses and published his personal opinion. Conchologist He had a good shell colle
ction in Dapitan. An American conchologist praised him. Educator Rizal taught in
his special school in Dapitan. Ethnologist In his travels, Rizal was able to co
mpare different races and he noted the differences. Father of community school H
e proposed college in Hong Kong and his special school in Dapitan made him a fat
her of community schools. Fencer He fenced with Europeans and Juan Luna and othe
r friends in Europe. Freemason abroad He was member of La Solidaridad Lodge in S
pain. Horticulture and farmer
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
12
He experimented on and cultivated plants in Dapitan. Historian His annotation of
Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas entitled him as one. Humorist
There are many 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 o
ne. Journalist He authored the published many articles in Spanish and English an
d London. Laboratory worker He was employed in the clinic of Dr. L. Wecker in Pa
ris. Linguist He spoke over 20 foreign languages. Lover of truth He chided Spani
sh writers for not writing the truth about the Filipinos. He was always truthful
since boyhood. Musicians He played the flute and composed pieces of music and c
ultivated music appreciation. Mythologist Rizal used mythology in his Noli and F
ili. Nationalist He gave full expression of the native spirit strengthened by wo
rld civilization and loved and defended everything Filipino. Newspaperman He wro
te and published articles in many publications and was one of the organizers of
the La Solidaridad. Ophthalmologist He graduated in an ophthalmologic college in
Spain. Orientalist Rizal admired the special characteristic and beauties of Ori
ental countries peoples. Pharmacologist Rizal treasured and popularized the usef
ulness and preparation of cures for treatment of his patients. Philologist Rizal
loved of learning and literature is unequalled. Philosopher Rizal not only love
d wisdom but also regulated his life and enjoyed calmness of the life at all tim
e Physical culturist Rizal maintained a good health by exercising all parts of h
is body and eating proper foods Physicians He treated several patients afflicted
not only with eye diseases. Plant lover
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
13
As a child, Rizal spend most of his time in the family garden which was planted
with fruit trees, Shrubs and decorative trees. His diaries contained detailed de
scription and sketches of plants, flowers and fruits he saw in the places he vis
ited. He wrote poems on flower he like very much as his poems To the Flowers of
Heidelberg. Poet Rizal wrote over 35 poems including his famous Ultimo Adios. Po
litician Although Rizal did not engage in Politics, he exposed the evils of the
political activities of the Spaniards in the Philippines through his writing. Po
lyglot Rizal spoke and wrote in 20 languages. Proofreader In Germany, He worked
as a part-time proofreader of his livelihood. Propagandist As a reformer, Rizal
encourages the recommendation of improving the government entities and discourag
e abuses publishing articles. Public relation man He worked for better cooperati
on of rulers and subjects in his country. Reformer He published the modern metho
ds of government administration, so changes could be made. Researcher Being a wi
de reader, he compared the old and new practices in life. Revolutionist Rizal en
couraged reforms, discouraged old, impractical usage, and desired new and useful
laws to benefit his countrymen. He desired changes for the better. Rhetorician
Rizal has always practiced the art of persuasive and impressive speaking and wri
ting. Rural reconstruction worker He practiced rural reconstruction work in Dapi
tan in 1894 and succeeded. Sanitary engineer His construction of a water system
in Dapitan exemplified this practice by Rizal. Scientist Rizal’s practice of man
y sciences here and abroad made him noted scientist. Sculptor His works of his f
ather and of Father Guerrico, S. J. typified his sculptural ability. Sharp shoot
er He could hit a target 20 meters away. Sinologist Rizal’s ancestry and his abi
lity to speak Chinese made him one. Sociologist In Rizal’s study of Philippines
social problems, he always encouraged and introduced solutions. Sodalist
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
14
He always joined fraternities, associations and brotherhood, for self-improvemen
t. Sportsman He engaged from a surveying class at the Ateneo after passing his A
. B. there. Tourist He was considered the foremost tourist due to his extensive
travels. Traveler He traveled around the world three times. Tuberculosis expert
For having cured himself of this disease, he became and was recognized as an exp
ert. Youth leader He considered the youth as "the hope of his Fatherland." Zoolo
gist He was fond of pets. He researched later on their physiology, classificatio
n and habits.
9 Rizal s First Trip Abroad 3 May 1882
Rizal left Philippines for the first time Spain. He boarded the Salvadora using
a passport of Jose Mercado, which was procured for him by his uncle Antonio Rive
ra, father of Leonor Rivera. He was accompanied to the quay where the Salvadora
was moored by his uncle Antonio, Vicente Gella, and Mateo Evangelista. 4 May 188
2 He got seasick on board the boat. 5 May1882 He conversed with the passengers o
f the ship; he was still feeling sea-sick. 6 May 1882 He played chess with the p
assengers on board. 8 May 1882 He saw mountains and Islands. 9 May 1882 Rizal ar
rived at Singapore. 10 May 1882 He went around the town of Singapore and maid so
me observations. 11 May 1882 In Singapore, at 2 p.m., Rizal boarded the boat Dje
mnah to continue his trip to Spain. He found the boat clean and well kept. 12 Ma
y 1882 He had a conversation with the passengers of the boat. 13 May 1882 Rizal
was seasick again. 14 May 1882 On his way to Marseilles, Rizal had a terrible dr
eam. He dreamed he was traveling with Neneng (Saturnina) and their path was bloc
ked by snakes. May 15 1882 Rizal had another disheartening dream. He dreamed he
returned to Calamba and after meeting his parents who
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
15
did not talk to him because of not having consulted them about his first trip ab
road, he returned traveling abroad with one hundred pesos he again borrowed. He
was so sad and broken hearted. Soon he woke up and found himself inside his cabi
n. 17 May 1882 Rizal arrived at Punta de Gales. 18 May 1882 At 7:30 a.m., he lef
t Punta de Gales for Colombo. In the afternoon, Rizal arrived at Colombo and in
the evening the trip was resumed. 26 May 1882 Rizal was nearing the African coas
t 27 May 1882 He landed at Aden at about 8:30 a.m. He made observation at the ti
me. 2 June 1882 He arrived at the Suez Canal en route to Marseilles. 3 June 1882
He was quarantined on board the Djemnah in the Suez Canal. 6 June 1882 It was t
he fourth day at Suez Canal and was still quarantined on board of the boat. 7 Ju
ne 1882 Rizal arrived at Port Said. In a letter to his parents, He described his
trip en route to Aden along the Suez Canal. 11 June 1882 Rizal disembarked and,
accompanied by a guide, went around the City of Naples for one hour. This was t
he first European ground he set foot on. 12 June 1882 At ten o’clock in the even
ing, the boat anchored at Marseilles. He sleptn board. 13 June 1882 Early on the
morning he landed at Marseilles and boarded at the Noalles Hotel. Later he arou
nd for observation. 14 June 1882 His second in Marseilles. 15 June 1882 He left
Marseilles for Barcelona in an express train.
10 Rizal, the Romantic
There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leono
r Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nell
y Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. These women might have been be
guiled by his intelligence, charm and wit. Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuel
a Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first love was engaged
to be married to a town mateManuel Luz. After his admiration for a short girl i
n 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 deciphe
red over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his depa
rture to Spain and bade her a last goodbye. Leonor Rivera Leonor Rivera, his swe
etheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from falling i
n love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor’s mother disapp
roved of her daughter’s relationship
PI 100 Life and works of Rizal Department of Social Sciences, UP Mindanao
16
with Rizal, who was then a known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters se
nt to her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already forgotten her, sad
ly consented her to marry the Englishman Henry Kipping, her mother’s choice. Con
suelo Ortiga Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga’s daughters
, fell in love with him. He dedicated to her A la Senorita C.O. y R., which beca
me one of his best poems. The Ortiga s residence in Madrid was frequented by Riz
al and his compatriots. He probably fell in love with her and Consuelo apparentl
y 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 River
a and he did not want to destroy hid friendship with Eduardo de Lete who was mad
ly in love with Consuelo. O Sei San O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s daughter tau
ght Rizal the Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also helped Rizal im
prove 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 st
able and happy life with her in Japan because Spanish legation there offered him
a lucrative job. Gertrude Beckett While Rizal was in London annotating the Suce
sos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded in the house of the Beckett family, withi
n walking distance of the British Museum. Gertrude, a blue-eyed and buxom girl w
as the oldest of the three Beckett daughters. She fell in love with Rizal. Totti
e helped him in his painting and sculpture. But Rizal suddenly left London for P
aris to avoid Gertrude, who was seriously in love with him. Before leaving Londo
n, he was able to finish the group carving of the Beckett sisters. He gave the g
roup carving to Gertrude as a sign of their brief relationship. Nellie Boustead
Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courting other ladie
s. 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 Boust
ead. Rizal used to fence with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna. Antonio Lu
na, 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 Ri
zal, 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 physicia
n without enough paying clientele to be a son-in-law. The lovers, however, parte
d 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 wa
s 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 o
f George Taufer from Hong Kong, who came to Dapitan to seek Rizal for eye treatm
ent. 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 l
ove again. But the Rizal sisters suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars a
nd 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 responsibili
ty to the blind Taufer. Since Taufer’s blindness was untreatable, he left for Ho
n Kong on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s family in Manila. Upon her r
eturn to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father Antonio Obach for their mar
riage. 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 cons
ent 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.