Jose Rizal

Birthday: June 19, 1861

Nationality: Filipino
Famous: Writers Revolutionaries
Also Known As: Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died At Age: 35
Born In: Calamba, Laguna
Spouse/Ex-: Josephine Bracken
Father: Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado De Alejandro
Mother: Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda De Quintos
Siblings: Concepción, José Protasio, Josefa, Lucia, Maria, Narcisa, Paciano Rizal, Saturina,
Soledad, Trinidad
Children: Francísco Rizal Y Bracken
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Died On: December 30, 1896
Place Of Death: Bagumbayan, Manila[
Cause Of Death: Execution
Founder/Co-Founder: La Liga Filipina

Hailed as the greatest national hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal was a man of strong convictions
who sacrificed his life for the nationalist cause. During his time Philippines was under Spanish
colonial rule and Rizal advocated for peaceful reforms in his home country. Rizal was not just a
nationalist, he was a multifaceted personality who was a qualified doctor, writer, and an artist who
could draw, paint, sculpt and carve. He was a prolific writer and poet who through his eloquent
writings inspired the nationalists for peaceful reforms as well as armed conflicts where the need
arose. Born into a family which valued education, he was encouraged to study well and gain
knowledge about a variety of subjects. Even as a youngster he was known to harbor thoughts of
political freedom and individual rights which were considered radical by the authorities who frowned
upon him. A well-traveled man, he became involved in the Propaganda Movement where he joined
other Filipinos who wanted reforms. He also wrote about the dark aspects of Spanish rule in a book
which was banned in Philippines. Even though he was a supporter of peaceful reforms, he was
exiled from his home country, and later on convicted of sedition and sentenced to death. The
execution of this young nationalist fuelled the Filipinos’ desire for independence further.
Childhood & Early Life
 He was born as Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, one of the 11 children of
Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Morales Alonso y Quintos. He
later adopted a shorter version of his name, Jose Rizal. His family was very prosperous.
 He enrolled at Ateneo de Municipal de Manila and graduated with a degree in Land
Surveying and Assessment in 1877. He had a deep interest in arts and thus he went to the
Faculty of Arts and Letters for a degree in Philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas.
 His mother was becoming blind during this time and the young man decided to specialize in
ophthalmology in order to help her. He enrolled at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at
University of Santo Tomas in 1878 for this purpose.
 He went to Spain to continue his studies and enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid
from where he earned his degree in medicine in 1884. He completed another degree in
Philosophy and Letters from the same institute the next year.
 He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and went to France to further his knowledge of
ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg. He completed his eye specialization in 1887
under the tutelage of the famous professor Otto Becker.

Later Life
 In 1887, while studying medicine in the Universidad Central de Madrid, he wrote the novel
‘Noli Me Tangere’. He harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in Philippines and wrote of
the injustices and brutalities suffered by the native people. His novel was banned by the
government due to its scathing contents.
 He had been exposed to the problematic life under the Spanish government and was aware
of the difficulties experienced by the Filipinos. He became the leader of the reform movement
of Filipino students in Spain and wrote several articles and essays in the Spanish newspaper
‘La Solidaridad’.
 He believed that Philippines was struggling with the twin problems of corrupt friars and bad
government. Ideas of progressive ideals, peaceful reforms, individual rights and rights for the
Filipino people formed the foundation of his writings.
 The main focus of the reforms he advocated were freedom of assembly and speech,
representation in the legislature, equal rights before the law for both Filipinos and Spanish,
and that the Philippines be a province of Spain. However, the colonial authorities did not
favor these reforms.
 In 1891, his second novel ‘El Filibusterismo’ was published as a sequel to his first novel. The
novel dealt with dark and violent themes that were considerably different from the theme of
its predecessor. The novel profoundly impacted the Philippine society’s views about national
identity and was banned in some parts of the country for its portrayal of the Spanish
government’s corruption.
 He returned to Philippines in 1892 as he felt he needed to be in the country to effectively
bring about reforms. He formed a civic movement called La Liga Filipina which campaigned
for social reforms through peaceful and legal means.
 By the early 1890s the government had branded Rizal an enemy of the State in spite of the
fact that he advocated peaceful reforms; the authorities were angry with his novels and
writings which had exposed the corruption of the Spanish Colonial government. He was
exiled to Dapitan in July 1892.
 In Dapitan he continued his reform work by building a school for young boys, a hospital and
a water supply system. He also taught farming and worked on agricultural projects using
abaca, a plant used for making rope.
 In 1895, Cuba was engulfed by an epidemic of yellow fever and Rizal volunteered to serve
as an army doctor. His request was accepted by the Governor-General Ramon Blanco.
  By August 1896, a secret society Katipunan started a violent revolution. Even though Rizal
was in no way associated with the revolution, he was arrested enroute to Cuba.
 He was sent back to Manila where he was tried for rebellion, sedition and conspiracy and
convicted of all these charges.

Major Works
 Jose Rizal was a national hero of the Philippines who exposed the corruptions and
wrongdoings of the Spanish colonial government through his writings. He was an advocate
of peaceful reforms and founded the progressive organization ‘La Liga Filipina’ which was
considered a threat by the Spanish authorities and ultimately led to his arrest.

Personal Life & Legacy

 He had been involved with numerous women including Gertrude Beckett, Nelly Boustead,
Seiko Usui and Leonor Rivera.
 He had a civil marriage with an Irish woman from Hong Kong named Josephine Bracken.
The couple had one son, born prematurely, who died soon after birth.
 He was a polymath with the exceptional ability to master several subjects and skills. He was
a doctor, writer, poet, artist, farmer, educator, and historian. He also had considerable
knowledge in the fields of economics, anthropology, dramatics and sociology. He could
speak 22 languages.
 He was arrested in October 1896 and convicted on charges of sedition, conspiracy and
rebellion. He was sentenced to death. His execution was carried out on December 30, 1896
by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army.

Trivia
 Nearly every town and city in Philippines has a street named after this great national hero.