2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

UNIT 3: Advent of a National Hero

1.0 Learning Outcome
1. Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education.
2. Evaluate the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early
life.
3. Explain the principles of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda
Movement.
4. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with another Propagandist.
5. Analyze Rizal’s growth as a propagandist disavowal of assimilation.
.

1.1 Introduction

DR. JOSE RIZAL, the greatest hero of the Philippines, was a "many-splendored”
genius. He was richly dowered by God with superb intellectual, moral, and physical
qualities. Truly, he ranks with the world's geniuses. He was an anthropologist,
botanist, businessman, cartographer, dramatist, economist, educator, engineer,
essayist, entomologist, ethnologist, farmer, folklorist, geographer, grammarian,
historian, horticulturist, humorist, lexicographer, linguist, musician, novelist, painter,
physician, poet, philologist, philosopher, polemist, psychologist, satirist, sculptor,
sportsman, sociologist, surveyor, traveler, and zoologist. More than all these, he was a
patriot, hero, and martyr. Unlike many geniuses, he consecrated his God-given talents,
and even sacrificed his own life, for the redemption and welfare of his people. Verily,
a man of his heroism and versatility appears but once in the history of any nation.

1.2 Topic/Discussion (with assessment /Activities)

1.2.1 THE BIRTH OF A HERO

Activity
Read and understand the story told by Theodora to the young Jose Rizal and
answer the questions below.
The Story of the Moth

Once there was moth who was fond of the light. It would always go to bright places
that attracted him.

One night, it was with its mom. They came across a candle light. The moth, attracted
to the flame of the candle approached it. Amazed, he circled the light round and
round.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Its mother upon seeing him circling the candle light warned him. “Don’t go playing
near the candle light. You might get burned with its flame.”

But the moth did not listen. It was happy seeing the bright of the flame. It wanted to
touch the flame so it kept going nearer and nearer to it.

Then the moth got burned. It was suddenly hit by the flame. It vanished. Totally
disappeared.

1. What do you think is the lesson Theodora, the mother of Jose Rizal, is trying to
teach the young genius?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Having the knowledge you have right now about our national hero, do you think
Rizal applied this lesson in the entirety of his life? Briefly explain.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

1.2.2 THE BIRTH OF A HERO

 Near midnight of Wednesday, June 19, 1861, when the Philippines was in deep
slumber, a frail baby-boy was born to the Rizal family in Calamba, Laguna. It
was a moonlit night, being "a few days before the full of the moon. The delivery
was exceedingly difficult, and the mother almost died.
 The baby boy was baptized by Rev. Rufino Collantes in the Catholic church of
Calamba on June 22, 1861, three days after his birth. His godfather was Rev.
Pedro Casañas. He was named "Jose" by his pious mother, 'in honor of St.
Joseph. It was customary for Catholic parents to name their children after the
saints.
 The full name of the baby boy, was:
 JOSE PROTASIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA.

1.2.3 PARENTS

Father: Francisco Mercado Rizal - The hero's father, Francisco (1818-1898), was
born in Biñan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818 and died in Manila on January
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

5, 1898, at the age of 80. He was an educated farm. er having studied

Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila.

Mother: Teodora Alonzo Realonda - The hero's mother, Teodora (1826-1911),

was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 and died in Manila on August
16, 1911, at the age of 85. A graduate of Santa Rosa College, she was a
talented woman with high culture, business ability, and literary gift.

1.2.4 THE RIZAL CHILDREN

1. Saturnina (1850-1913). She was the oldest of the Rizal children. She married
Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tank- wan, Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930). He was the older brother of Dr. Rizal. After his younger
brother's execution, he joined the Revolution and became a general. After the
Revolution he retired to his farm in Los Baños and led the life of a gentleman
farmer. He died an old bachelor, though he had a common-law wife.
3. Narcisa (1852-1939). She married Antonino Lopez, & school teacher of Morong,
Rizal.
4. Olympia (1855-1887). She married silvestre Ubal- do, & telegraph operator from
Manila,
5. Lucia (1857-1919). She married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba.
6. Maria (1859-1945). She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
7. JOSE (1861-1896). The "lucky seven” in a family of eleven children. He married
Josephine Bracken, a pretty Irish from Hongkong.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865). She died at the age of three.
9. Josefa (1865-1945). She did not marry; she died an old maid.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951). She died an old maid, like Josefa.
11. Soledad (1870-1929). She was the youngest of the Rizal children. She married
Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

1.2.5 ANCESTRY OF RIZAL

Jose Rizal, like a typical Filipino, was of mixed ancestry. In his veins flowed the
bloods of both East and West-Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese,
and Spanish.

Rizal's paternal great-great-grandfather was a China- man named Domingo

Lam-co, a native of Chinchew, "Chi- na's City of Spring." His father, Francisco,
was a great- grandson of Lam-co. Both his father's father and grand- father had
been Capitanes (town mayors) of Biñan.

1.2.6 THE NAME "RIZAL"

 The original name of the Rizal family was "Mercado."
 It was a surname adopted in 1731 English, it means "market".
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

 In the year 1849, as mentioned above, Governor Claveria issued a decree

directing all Filipino families to choose new surnames from a list of Spanish
family names.
 The purpose of this gubernatorial decree was to Hispanize the Filipino
surnames which were difficult for the Spanish authorities to pronounce, much
less to remember.
 Jose's father, Francisco, scanned the list of Spanish surnames sent to Calamba,
such as "Cruz", "Santos," "Ramos", "Rivera", etc.
 He chose his own surname Rizal, which was not in the list recommended by the
Spanish authorities. He considered this new family name as more fitting for his
farming clan than Mercado which signifies "market".
 The term “Rizal" came from the Spanish word RICIAL which means "green
field" or "new pasture."

1.2.7 THE RIZAL FAMILY.

 The Rizal family was one of the richest
families in Calamba during the times
prior to its persecution by the friars.
 They were the first to build a large stone
house in Calamba, the first to own a
carruaje (horse-drawn carriage), the
first to have a home library (estimated Figure 2 – Rizal’s House
to consist of more than 1,000 volumes),
and the first to educate their children in the colleges of Manila.
 The Rizal family raised rice, corn, and sugar on large tracts of land rented from
the Dominican estate of Calamba.
 Teodora, the hero's mother, owned a store in town which sold many articles of
trade needed by the people.

Assessment:
Identification: After reading the first part of our module, answer the
following questions. Place your answer on the space provided.

1. In honor of what saint did Theodora Alonso Realonda named his 7th
child? ______________________
2. After the decree mandating every family to change their Filipino
surname to Spanish, the father of Jose Rizal did not like the proposed
surnames and settled with “RIZAL”. What is the meaning of that
surname? ______________________
3. How old was Jose Rizal when he was baptized by Rev. Rufino
Collantes?
_________________________
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

4. Who was the governor who issued the decree directing all Filipino
families to choose new surnames from a list of Spanish family names?
_________________________
5. Who was the older brother of Jose Rizal who joined the revolution and
became a general? ________________________

1.2.8 FIRST SORROW

 Jose was jokingly called Uté by his brother and sisters. The people in Calamba
knew him as Pepe or Pepito. Jose was closest to his older brother Paciano.
 Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (Concepcion). He was one year
older than Concha.
 Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only three years old.
Jose, who was very fond of her, cried bitterly to lose her. "When I was four years
old," he said, "I lost my little sister Concha, and then for the first time I wept tears
of love and grief...' The death of little Concha brought him his first sorrow.

1.2.9 DEVOTED SON OF CHURCH

 Young Rizal was a religious boy. A scion of Catholic clan, born and bred in a
wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn pious spirit,
he grew up as a good Catholic.
 At the age of three, he began to take part in the family, prayers. His mother, who
was a devout Catholic, taught him the Catholic prayer. When he was five years
old, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family Bible.
 He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part in novenas, and to join the religious
processions. He was so seriously devout that he was laughingly called Manong
Jose by Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras.”
 Evidence of his fervent Catholic spirit is seen in the poems which he wrote during
his boyhood, such as Al Niño Jesus (1876), La Alianza Intima Entre La Religión y
La Buena Educación (1876), and A La Virgen Maria, (no date).
 When he was studying in Biñan, Laguna (1870-71), he often heard Mass in the
parish church at 4:00 A.M. He started his life as a student in the Ateneo in June,
1872 with a prayer, continued it with daily prayers and ended it a prayer.
 One of the men he esteemed and respected in Calamba during his boyhood was
the scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest. He used to visit this learned
Filipino priest and listened to his stimulating opinions on current events and
sound philosophy of life.

1.2.10 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO

 On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on pilgrimage to Antipolo,
in order to fulfill his mother's vow which was made when Jose was born.
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 It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his first pilgrimage to
Antipolo. He and his father rode in a casco (barge). He was thrilled, as a typical
boy should, by his first lake voyage. He did not sleep the whole night as the casco
sailed towards the Pasig River because he was awed by "the magnificence of the
watery expanse and the silence of the night.”
 After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to
Manila. It was the first time Jose visited Manila. They went to Santa Ana and
visited Saturnina, who was then a student in La Concordia College.

1.2.11 FIRST EDUCATION FROM MOTHER

 Jose's first teacher was his mother. A woman of

good character and fine education, Doña Teodora
was a splendid teacher. At the age of three, Jose
learned the alphabet and the prayers from her. She
was patient and loving, but strict as a tutor. Seeing
that her boy had a talent for poetry, she
encouraged him to write poems. At one time Jose,
at the age of five, refused to wear a sinamay camisa
because it was coarse and was scratchy to the skin.
She spanked him for disobedience.
 At another time while the parents were having
their regular siesta, Jose and Josefa played in the
garden. Jose ignited a fuse attached to a bottle of Figure 3 – Teodora Alonso,
powder. Soon a loud explosion rent the quiet the mother of Jose Rizal.
afternoon, followed by a scream of pain. Doña
Teodora who was suddenly awakened by the commotion in the garden, saw the
crying Josefa with a burnt face. She gave Jose another spanking.
 Notwithstanding the whippings administered by Doña Teodora, Jose loved his
mother and was appreciative of many things he learned from her.

1.2.12 RIZAL'S THREE UNCLES

There were three uncles, brothers of his mother, who played a great part in the early
education of Rizal. They were Gregorio, Jose, and Manuel Alberto Alonso

 Uncle Gregorio was a lover of books. He instilled into the mind of his precocious
nephew (Jose) a great love for books.
 Uncle Jose, who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the youngest brother
of Doña Teodora. He encouraged his nephew to paint, sketch, and sculpture.
 Uncle Manuel was a big, strong, and husky man. He looked after the physical
training of his sickly and weak nephew. He encouraged young Rizal to learn
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports, so that in later years Rizal's frail
body acquired agility, endurance, and strength.

1.2.13 INFLUENCES ON HERO'S BOYHOOD

 Hereditary Influence: According to biological science, there are inherent traits or
qualities which a person inherits from his ancestors and parents. From his
Malayan ancestors, Rizal, evidently, inherited his passionate love for freedom
and his serenity of life’s outlook. From his Chinese ancestors he derived his
serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children. From his Spanish
ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insults, and gallantry to
ladies.
 Environmental Influence: According to psychologist, environment, as well as
heredity, a affects the nature of a person. Environmental influence includes
places, associates, and events. The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful
garden of the Rizal family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of
Jose Rizal. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious nature. His
brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the value of brotherly love. From his sisters,
he learned to be courteous and kind to women. The fairy tales told by his Aya
during his early childhood awakened his interest in folklore and legends.

1.2.14 JOSE GOES TO BIÑAN

 One Sunday afternoon in June, left Calamba for
Binan. 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.
 That same night Jose, with his cousin named
Leandro, went sightseeing in the town. Instead of
enjoying the sights, Jose became depressed because
of homesickness.
Figure 4 – Paciano Rizal Mercado,
the brother of Jose Rizal.
1.2.15 FIRST DAY IN BIÑAN SCHOOL
 The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of
Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
 Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him before.
He introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to returm to Calamba.
Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class.
 Jose described his teacher in Biñan as follows: was a tall, thin, long-necked man,
with a sharp nose and a He body bent slightly forward. He usually wore a sinamay
a shirt woven by the skillful hands of the Batangueñas, knew by heart the
grammars of Nebrija and Gainza.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.16 FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL

 In the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher was having his siesta,
Jose me 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 could
easily beat the Calamba accepted, 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 arts of wrestling from his athletic Uncle
Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.
 In succeeding days, he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not
quarrelsome by nature, but he never run away from a fight. In these school fights,
he won some and lost others.

1.2.17 BEST STUDENT IN SCHOOL

 In school studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin,
and other subjects.
 Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. They
wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school, and
even told lies to discredit him before the teacher's eyes. Consequently, the teacher
had to punish Jose.

1.2.18 END OF BIÑAN SCHOOLING

 Time came when Jose learned all that Maestro Justiniano could teach him.
Accordingly, the teacher informed his parents that he should be sent to college in
Manila.
 In December, 1871, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him
of the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan to Calamba.
 He left Biñan on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1871. He was thrilled to take
passage on the steamer Talim, for it was the first time he ever rode on a steamer.
 Upon arrival in Calamba, Jose was welcomed home by his parents, brother, and
sisters. The Christmas of 1871 was a joyous and memorable one for him. He was
home, and he regaled his brother and sisters with numerous tales of his fights,
escapades, and school triumphs in Biñan.

1.2.19 INJUSTICE TO HERO'S MOTHER

 After the happy Christmas holiday in 1871, Don Francisco thought of sending Jose
to Manila to study.
 Before June came, tragedy struck the Rizal family. Doña Teodora was arrested on
malicious charge that she aided her brother, Jose Alberto, in trying to poison
Alberto's wife. Jose Alberto, a rich Biñan landowner, had encouraged the artistic
development of his talented nephew, Jose Rizal. He had gone to Europe on a
business trip. During his absence his wife abandoned their home and children.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

When he returned to Biñan, he found her living with another man. Enraged by her
infidelity, he planned to divorce her. Doña Teodora, to avert family scandal,
persuaded him to forgive his erring wife. The family trouble was amicably settled,
and Jose Alberto lived again with his wife. However, the unfaithful wife connived
with the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil to fabricate evidence that her husband
attempted to poison her, with Doña Teodora as an accomplice.
 This lieutenant had an ax to grind against the Rizal family because at one time
Rizal's father refused to give him fodder for his horse. Taking the opportunity to
avenge himself against Dou Francisco, he arrested Doña Teodora. He was so brutal
in placing her under arrest, forgetting that many times he had been a guest in the
Rizal home.
 The judge, who had been a guest many times at the Rizal home, was vengeful. Like
the lieutenant, he nursed a grudge against the Rizal family because he imagined
that he was not accorded greater respect than the Filipino guests in the Rizal home.
He ordered that Doña Teodora be sent to the provincial jail in Santa Cruz, capital
of Laguna. The lieutenant forced the hero's mother to walk on foot from Calamba
to Santa Cruz, a distance of more than 50 kilometers. She languished in jail, for her
case dragged on until it reached the Supreme Court (Royal Audiencia).

1.2.20 THE MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA

 The Rizal family had not yet recovered from the painful
shock of the mother's imprisonment when another
calamity occurred. January 20, 1872, the Cavite Mutiny
flared up, followed by the execution of Fathers Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora on February 17th.
 Jose's older brother, Paciano, then a student in the College
of San Jose, was boarding with Father Burgos, his beloved
professor and friend. He was a trusted assistant of Burgos
in the fight for the Filipinization of the parishes.
 After the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora, Paciano quit college.
He returned to Calamba and related the story of Burgos' martyrdom to his younger
brother, Jose.
 Jose Rizal was nearly eleven years old when the tragic martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za
took place. Despite his tender age, he was deeply affected. It was another Spanish
injustice, like that done to his own mother.

Assessment
Modified True or False: Write T if the statement is true, if not, underline
the word or phrase that makes the statement incorrect.
____________1. Jose Rizal was jokingly called Uté by his brothers and sisters.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

____________2. Uncle Gregorio was the youngest brother of Doña Teodora. He was the one
who encouraged Jose Rizal to paint, sketch, and sculpture.

____________3. Saturnina was a trusted assistant of Burgos in the fight for the Filipinization
of the parishes.

____________4. Doña Teodora was patient and loving, but strict tutor of Jose Rizal. Seeing that
her boy had a talent for poetry, she encouraged him to write poems.

____________5. Jose Rizal learned the arts of wrestling from his athletic Uncle Jose, which
helped him defeat the bigger boys in Biñan.

1.2.2 RIZAL ENTERS THE ATENEO

Activity:
1. Define the terms “Creative”, “Productive”, and “Progress”. How are they
related to each other? Explain your answer fully.

Creative: ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Productive: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Progress: ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Relationship of this terms to each other: ___________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Was Dr. Jose Rizal a creative or productive person? Justify your answer
with examples.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

 On June 10, 1872, Jose,

accompanied by Paciano, went to
Manila. He took the entrance
examinations on Christian
doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at
the College of San Juan de Letran,
and passed them all. His father,
who first wished him to study at
Letran, changed his mind and
decided to send him to the
Figure 6 – Ateneo De Manila in 1860s
Ateneo instead.
 Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal.” He registered under this
name at the Ateneo because their first family name "Mercado" had come under
suspicion of the Spanish authorities. Paciano had used "Mercado" as his surname at
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

the College of San Jose and he was known to the authorities as Father Burgos' favorite
student and helper.
 At the time Jose studied in the Ateneo, this college was located in Intramuros, within
the walls of Manila.

1.2.3 JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

 The system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was advanced from
that of other colleges in that period. It trained the character of the student by
rigid discipline and religious instruction. It promoted physical culture, fine arts
and scientific studies.
 The students heard Mass in the morning before the beginning of the daily class.
Class in every subject was opened and closed with prayers. Students were
divided into two groups, namely:
o the Roman Empire consisting of the internos (boarders).
o the Carthaginian Empire composed of the externos (non- boarders.
 The two groups, "Roman Empire" and "Carthaginian Empire,” were in perpetual
warfare for supremacy in the class. They had their distinctive banners, red for the
Romans and blue for the Carthaginians.

1.2.4 RIZAL'S FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-73)

 On his first day of class in the Ateneo, in June, 1872, Rizal first heard Mass at the
college chapel and prayed fervently to God for guidance and success. When the
Mass was finished, he went to his class, where he saw "a great number of boys,
Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos."
 Rizal's first professor in the Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he described as "tall,
thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a hurried walk, an ascetic face, severe
and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and
thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin."
 Being a newcomer and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of
the class. He was an externo, hence he was assigned to the Carthaginians,
occupying the end of the line.
 After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly. At the end of the
month, he became “emperor." He was the brightest in the whole class, and he was
award- ed a prize. "How pleased I was,” he said, "when I won my first prize, a
religious picture!" That prize was a religious picture. He was proud of it because
it was the first prize he ever won in the Ateneo.
 To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during
the noon recesses, when other Ateneo students were playing or gossiping. He paid
three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons, but it was money well spent.

1.2.5 SUMMER VACATION (1873)

 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

 At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer
vacation. He did not particularly enjoy his vacation because his mother was in
prison. To cheer him up, his sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to Tanawan
with her. This did not cure his melancholy. Without telling his father, he went to
Santa Cruz and visited his mother in prison. He told her of his brilliant grades in
the Ateneo and tearfully embraced each other.
 The summer vacation ended; Rizal returned to Manila for his second-year term in
the Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His
landlady was an old widow named Doña Pepay, who had a widowed daughter
and four sons.

1.2.6 SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-74)

 Nothing unusual happened to Rizal during his second term in the Ateneo, except
that he repented having neglected his studies the previous year simply because he
was offended by the teacher's remarks, and so, to regain his lost class leadership,
he studied harder. Once more, he became "emperor.”
 Some of his classmates were new. Among them were three boys from Biñan, who
had been his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.
 At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a
gold medal. With such scholastic honors he triumphantly returned to Calamba in
March, 1874 for summer vacation.

1.2.7 PROPHECY OF MOTHER'S RELEASE

 Rizal lost no time in going to Santa Cruz in order to visit his mother in the
provincial jail. He gladdened Doña Teodora's lonely heart with his scholastic
triumphs in Ateneo and with funny tales about his professors and fellow students.
The mother was very happy to see her favorite child making such splendid
progress in college.
 In the course of their conversation, Doña Teodora told her son of her dream the
previous night. Rizal, interpreting such dream, said to her that she would be
released from prison in three months' time. Doña Teodora smiled, thinking that
her son's prophecy was a mere boyish at- tempt to console her.
 But Rizal's prophecy became true. Barely three months passed, and suddenly Doña
Teodora was set free. By that time, Rizal was already in Manila attending his
classes in the Ateneo.

1.2.8 TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING

 It was during the summer vacation in 1874 in Calamba when Rizal began to take
interest in reading romantic novels. As a normal teenager, he became interested in
love stories and romantic tales.
 The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander
Dumas. This thrilling novel made a deep impression on him. His boyish
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in prison,
his spectacular escape from the dungeon of Chateau d'If, his finding of the buried
treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and his dramatic revenge on his
enemies who wronged him.
 Rizal read numerous other romantic novels with deep interest. The reading habit
helped to enrich his fecund mind.
 Later Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, German scientist-
traveler who had visited the Philippines. What impressed him in this book were
(1) Jagor's keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization and (2) his
prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would
come to succeed her as colonizer.

1.2.9 THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-75)

 In June, 1874, Rizal returned to the Ateneo for his junior year. Shortly after the
opening of classes, his mother arrived and joyously told him that she was released
from prison, just as he predicted during his last visit to her prison cell in Santa
Cruz, Laguna. He was happy, of course, to see his mother once more a free woman.
 However, despite the family happiness, Rizal did not make an excellent showing
in his studies as in the previous year. His grades remained excellent in all subjects,
but he won only one medal — in Latin. He failed to win the medal in Spanish
because his spoken Spanish was not fluently. He was beaten by a Spaniard who,
naturally, could speak Spanish with fluency and with right accentuation.
 At the end of the school year (March, 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for summer
vacation. He, himself, was not impressed by his scholastic work. He said: “I
returned dissatisfied to my home town."

1.2.10 FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO (1875-76)

 After a refreshing and happy summer vacation, Rizal went back to Manila for his
fourth-year course. On June 14, 1875, he became an internee in the Ateneo. One of
his professors this time was Fr. Francisco Sanchez, a great educator and scholar.
He inspired young Rizal to study harder and write poetry.
 Years later Rizal wrote of Father Sanchez in glowing terms, showing his affection
and gratitude. He described this Jesuit professor as "a model of rectitude,
solicitude, and devotion to his pupils' progress.”
 Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest. He
topped ail his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the
school term.

1.2.11 LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-77)

 After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila in June, 1876 for his last
year in Ateneo. His studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of
the Jesuits."
 Rizal finished his last year in the Ateneo in a blaze of glory. He obtained the
highest grades in all subjects - philosophy, physics, biology, chemistry,
languages, mineralogy, etc.

1.2.12 GRADUATION WITH HIGHEST HONORS

Rizal graduated at the head of his class. His scholastic records at the Ateneo from 1872
to 1877 are as follows:

Arithmetic - - - Excellent
Latin 1 - - - Excellent
Spanish 1 - - - Excellent
Greek 1 - - - Excellent
1873-1874
Latin 2 - - - Excellent
Spanish 2 - - - Excellent
Greek 2 - - - Excellent
Universal Geography - - - Excellent
1874-1876
Latin 3 - - - Excellent
Spanish 3 - - - Excellent
Greek 3 - - - Excellent
Universal History - - - Excellent
History of Spain and the Philippines - - - Excellent
Arithmetic & Algebra - - - Excellent
1875-1876
Rhetoric & Poetry - - - Excellent
French 1 - - - Excellent
Geometry & Trigonometry - - - Excellent
1876-1877
Philosophy 1 - - - Excellent
Mineralogy & Chemistry - - - Excellent
Philosophy 2 - - - Excellent
Physics - - - Excellent
Botany & Zoology - - - Excellent

 On Commencement Day, March 23, 1877, Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from
his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest
honors.

1.2.13 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT ATENEO

 Rizal, unsurpassed in academic triumphs, was not a mere bookworm. He was active
in extra-curricular activities. An "emperor" inside the classroom, he was a campus
leader outside. He was an active member, later secretary, of a religious society, the
Marian Congregation. He was accepted as member of this sodality not only because
of his academic brilliance but also because of his devotion to Our Lady. Only
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Ateneans who distinguished themselves in class for their piety and good
scholarship could be members of this society. Rizal was also a member of the
Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
 In his leisure hours, Rizal cultivated his literary talents under the guidance of Father
Sanchez. Another professor, Father Jose Vilaclara, advised him to stop communing
with the Muses and pay more attention to more practical studies, such as
philosophy and natural sciences.
 Aside from writing poetry, he devoted his spare time in fine arts. He studied
painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under
Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor.
 Furthermore, Rizal, to develop his weak body, engaged in gymnastics and fencing.
He thereby continued the physical training he began under his sports-minded
Uncle Manuel.

1.2.14 SCULPTURAL WORKS IN ATENEO

 Rizal impressed his Jesuit professors in the Ateneo with
his artistic skill. One day he carved an image of Our
Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine
hardwood) with his pocket-knife. The Jesuit Fathers
were amazed at the beauty and grace of the image.
 Father Lleonart, impressed by Rizal's sculptural talent.
requested him to carve for him an image of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. Young Rizal complied, and within a few
days he presented it to Father Lleonart. The old Jesuit
was highly pleased and profusely thanked the teenage
sculptor. He intended to take the image with him to
Spain, but, being an absent-mined professor, he
forgot to do so. The Ateneo boarding students placed it on the door of their
dormitory, and there it remained for nearly 20 years, reminding all Ateneans of
Dr. Rizal, the greatest alumnus of their Alma Mater. This image played a
significant part in Rizal's last hours at Fort Santiago.

RIZAL'S GREAT LOVES

 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1. Segunda Katigbak- First love never dies they say—unless

your first love is already engaged to be married when you
meet. Then you have to let it go really fast. Such was the
case of Jose Rizal and Segunda Katigbak, a Batangueña,
whom Rizal met when he was only a 16-year-old boy.They
met when the young hero visited his grandmother with his
friend, Mariano Katigbak, Segunda's brother. The
Katigbaks were close to Rizal's grandmother, and
coincidentally, Segunda was at the grandma's house when
Rizal and Mariano arrived. It was attraction at first sight.
Segunda was also a close friend of Rizal's sister, Olympia,
whom he visited every week at the La Concordia College.
The two became very close. However, Segunda was already
engaged to be married to a man who lived in her town, and
Rizal had to stop pursuing her.

2. Leonor Valenzuela (1878) Leonor "Orang" Valenzuela, Rizal's second object of

affection, is literally the girl-next-door. They met when Rizal was a sophomore medical
student at the University of Santo Tomas, during which time he also lived at Doña
Concha Leyva's boarding house in Intramuros, Manila. Orang, who was then 14 years
old, was his neighbour. During the courtship, Rizal
was said to have sent Leonor private and secret
love letters, which he wrote using invisible ink
made with water and salt—he was adept in
chemistry, too. To read the letters, Orang had to
heat the letter over a candle or a lamp. Rizal also
frequented the Valenzuelas' home, which was a
hang out place of the students in the area. There
are, however, documents that may serve as proof
that Rizal's efforts were not effective. Some
accounts say he was courting Leonor Valenzuela
and his second Cousin Leonor Rivera at the same
time—thus the need for invisible letters. (Still, we need to appreciate the effort that
went with it.) Rivera apparently knew of this and gave way to Rivera's attraction for
Rizal. When Rizal left for Spain in 1882, it was said that he did say goodbye to Orang
but kept in touch with the help of Rizal's close friend, Jose "Chenggoy" Cecilio.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

3. Leonor Rivera, Age 15, 1890 Jose Rizal was never the preferred choice of Leonor
Rivera's mother, who confiscated all the correspondences
between Leonor and Rizal till itfrittered down to zero.
Rizal was 18 going on 21 and was devoted to Leonor. But
he was just then opening his eyes to Europe's
Enlightenment, where the women were pleasing, and the
men were gallant. Rizal really was in love with Leonor
Rivera. He even invented a coded alphabet so that they
could write sweet nothings to each other. But soon,
Leonor faded in memory. Why? Because in Europe, Rizal
conveniently romanced other girls and forgot he was
engaged to her. Eventually the Leonor Rivera-Rizal
engagement did not survive the long-distance romance.
In the end, it turned into an idealized one (reflected as Maria Clara in Rizal's novel,
Noli me Tangere), a painful love match doomed to fail from the very start. Yes, count
this one as real love. As an engaged couple, they showed real affection for each other
while it lasted.

4. Consuelo Ortiga Y Reyes, (1884) In Madrid, Rizal courted Consuelo Ortiga, age 18,
the daughter of Señor Pablo Ortiga y Rey, who was once mayor of Manila and who
owned the apartment where the Circulo
Hispano Filipino met regularly. Rizal, age
23, was then acquiring and developing his
charming ways with women. He treated
them with special consideration and with
gallant courteousness. All the young
Filipino expatriates courted Consuelo, and
she in turn encouraged everyone including
José Rizal, Eduardo Lete, the Paterno
brothers (Pedro, Antonino, Maximiano),
Julio Llorente, Evangelista, Evaristo
Esguerra, Fernando Canon and others.
Rizal gave Consuelo gifts: sinamay cloth,
embroidered piña handkerchiefs, chinelas
(slippers) all ordered through his sisters in Calamba (see his letters). Consuelo
accepted all the swains' regalos but played Eduardo Lete against Rizal. She finally
rejected Rizal's attention in favor of Eduardo's, a Filipino Spanish mestizo from Leyte
who, a year later, dumped her. Two-timing Consuelo didn't really catch Rizal's true
fancy except that he impulsively joined the crowd.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

5. Seiko Usui (1888) Rizal had fallen in love not only

with the view of Japan but more to its women,
particularly with the 23year old Seiko Usui. Rizal
affectionately called her OSei-San. Rizal was
attracted by her regal loveliness and charm. Rizal
saw in her the qualities of his ideal womanhood—
beauty, charm, modesty and Intelligence. Rizal
was almost tempted to settle in Japan with O Sei
San. Although, she was very dear to him, his love
for his country and fellow Filipinos was greater.
Sacrificing his personal happiness, Rizal had to
carry on his libertarian mission in Europe, leaving behind the lovely O-Sei-San. "O Sei
San, sayonara, sayonara! .... No woman like you has ever loved me. ...Likethe flower
of the chodji that falls from the stem whole and fresh without stripping leaves or
withering... you have not lost your purity nor have the delicate petals of your
innocence faded--sayonara, sayonara." Rizal.

6. Gertrude Beckett, Age 19, (1886) In May 1888 Rizal visited London for a short time,
boarding the house of the Beckett family: Mr. & Mrs. Beckett, their two sons, and their
four daughters. The eldest daughter was named Gertrude. She was a buxom young
lady with blue eyes and brown hair. She fell in love
with Rizal and gave him all of her attention during the
family picnics and gatherings. When Rizal stayed
indoors during rainy days painting and sculpting, she
helped him mix his colors and prepare his clay. Rizal
enjoyed her company. Eventually their flirtatious
friendship drifted towards a blossoming romance. He
affectionately called her "Gettie," and in return she
called him "Pettie."Rizal withdrew before his
relationship with Gettie could become more serious,
realizing that he had a greater mission to fulfill and that to accomplish it he could not
yield to the option of marrying her. He suppressed the yearnings of his heart and
decided to leave so that the lady may forget him. Before he did, however, he finished
a few sculptural works, one of which was a carving of the heads of the Beckett sisters.

7. Suzanne Jacoby (1890) On January 28, 1890, Rizal left for Brussels, Belgium. He stayed
for a considerable time, paying for room and board. His landladies had a pretty niece
named Petite Suzanne Jacoby. She was taken by Rizal's charm and gallantry and
provided him good company. Rizal could have flirted with the lady, considering that
his beloved Leonor was far away, and he was a lonely man in a strange and foreign
land, but he realized he could not deceive her. Suzanne fell in love with Rizal and wept
when he left for Madrid in July 1890. She wrote to him in French: "Where are you now?
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Do you think of me occasionally? I am reminded of our tender conversations, reading

your letter, although it is cold and indifferent.
Here in your letter, I have something which
makes up for your absence. How pleased I
would be to follow you, to travel with you who
are always in my thoughts. You wish me all
kinds of luck but forget that in the absence of a
beloved one a tender heart cannot feel happy. A
thousand things serve to distract your mind, my
friend; but in my case, I am sad, lonely, always
alone with my thoughts -- nothing, absolutely
nothing relieves my sorrow. Are you coming
back? That's what I want and desire most
ardently -- you cannot refuse me. I do not despair, and I limit myself to murmuring
against time which runs so fast when it carries us toward a separation but goes so
slowly when it's bringing us together again. I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps
I might never see you again. Goodbye! You know with one word you can make me
very happy. Aren't you going to write to me?"

8. Nellie Boustead (1891) In 1891, Rizal took a vacation in Biarritz to find reprieve from
his troubles in Madrid. He was a guest of the Boustead family in their winter residence,
Villa Eliada. Mr. and Mrs. Boustead had two beautiful daughters, Adelina, and Nellie.
After having lamented his frustrated romance with Leonor Rivera on account of the
lady's engagement to another man, Rizal came to develop considerable affection for
Nellie, the prettier and younger daughter of Mr. Eduardo Boustead. He found her to
be intelligent, morally upright, and full of life.
Rizal wrote to his closest friends about his
intention to marry her. Rizal's friends were
delighted to hear that he had found a suitable
girl whom he at last wished to settle down
with. Even Antonio Luna, who had previously
loved Nellie, encouraged Rizal to court her and
ask for her hand in marriage. With all the
encouragement from the friends he held dear,
Rizal wooed Nellie (also called Nelly) who, in
turn, returned his affections. Rizal's marriage
proposal failed for two reasons: first, Nellie demanded that he give up his Catholic
faith and convert to Protestantism, which was her religion. Rizal did not like this idea.
Second, Nelly's mother did not approve of Rizal, as she had no desire to entrust her
daughter to a man who was wanting in wealth and persecuted in his own country.
Despite the circumstances, Rizal and Nellie parted as good friends.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

9. Josephine Bracken was the woman who stayed with Rizal until his execution in 1896.
She was also, allegedly, the woman whom Rizal married. However, accounts of their
marriage have been much-debated over the years.
Josephine was the adopted daughter of one George Taufer, whom she lived with in
Hong Kong for years before she needed to seek help from an ophthalmologist due to
George's blindness. They then sought the help of
Jose Rizal, who was already exiled in Dapitan,
Zamboanga del Norte at the time. Rizal and
Josephine fell in love and in a month made the
announcement that they wanted to get married.
But just like the other Rizal great loves, this one
was once again complicated. No priest would
marry the two, for reasons that are still unclear -
but perhaps it was because of Rizal's status in
politics. Without a legal paper, Rizal and
Josephine lived together, and had a son, who died
a few hours after birth. Rizal named his son after
his father, Francisco.

Assessment:
Multiple choice: Read the following questions carefully and choose the letter
that best describes the answer. Incircle your answer.
1. Manuel Alberto Alonso was the brother of Teodora, the mother of Jose Rizal. What
was the training he gave to the young Jose Rizal?
A. Reading/Great love for books and literature
B. Paint, sketch, and sculpture.
C. Physical training
D. None of the above
2. Who was the first teacher of Jose Rizal?
A. Saturnina Hedalgo C. Teodora Alonso Realonda
B. Segunda Katigbak D. Paciano Rizal Mercado
3. He instilled into the mind of his precocious nephew, Jose Rizal, a great love for
books.
A. Uncle Jose C. Uncle Gregorio
B. Uncle Manuel D. Fr. Burgos
4. Father Lleonart was impressed by Rizal's sculptural talent. He requested him to
carve for him of an image if what?
A. Virgin Mary C. Sacred Heart of Jesus
B. Crucifixion of Christ D. San Antonio de Padua
5. Gom-Bur-Za was executed by garrote in 17 February 1872 in Bagumbayan, by
Spanish colonial authorities. What was the Fr. Burgos, Fr. Gomez, and Fr. Zamora
fighting for which triggered a mutiny?
A. Higher salary given to the priests.
B. Government position of the Filipino clergy.
C. Filipinization of the parishes in the Philippines.
D. Freedom and independence.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

6. What was the charge or complaint against Teodora Realonda that caused a sudden
arrest of her by the sadistic Spanish Lieutenant and eventually forced her to walk
from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance of 50 kms?
A. Failure to pay tax to the Spanish Government.
B. Aided her brother in trying to poison his wife.
C. Planning a mutiny against the Governor General.
D. Maltreatment of her children for their failure terms of academe.
7. The following poems was written by Rizal in 1876 in Ateneo, except for?
A. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha
B. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prisión de Boabdil
C. La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Católicos en
D. La Tragedia de San Eustaquio
8. In March 23, 1877, Jose Rizal, who was 16 years old graduated in Ateneo
Municipal with highest honor on what course or degree?
A. Bachelor of Education C. Bachelor of Arts
B. Bachelor of Philosophy D. BS in Industrial Technology
9. Who was the first love of Jose Rizal which at that time, was already engaged with
Manuel Luz in Lipa?
A. Josephine Bracken C. Leonor Rivera
B. Leonor Valenzuela D. Segunda Katigbak
10. Describe the behavior of Jose Rizal in handling his first romance?
A. Aggressive and assuring C. Cautious but determined
B. Confident but determined D. Timid and shy

FOUNDING OF THE LIGA FILIPINA

 On July 3, 1892, Rizal attended a meeting
with patriots at the home of the Chinese-
Filipino mestizo, Doroteo Ongjunco, on
Ylaya Street, Tondo, Manila. Rizal
explained the objectives of the Liga
Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos, which
he desired to establish and its role in the
socio-economic life of the people.
The officers of the new league were elected, as follows:

 Ambrosio Salvador (President);

 Deodato Arellano (Secretary);
 Bonifacio Arevalo (Treasurer); and
 Agustin de la Rosa (Fiscal).

"Unus Instar Omnium (One Like All) is the motto of the Liga Filipina"
 The governing body of the league was the Supreme Council which had jurisdiction over the
whole country. It was composed of a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a fiscal. There was a
Provincial Council in every province and a Popular Council in every town.
The duties of the Liga members are as follows:
1. obey the orders of the Supreme Council
2. to help in recruiting new members
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

3. to keep in strictest secrecy the decisions of the Liga authorities

4. to have symbolic name which he cannot change until he becomes president of
his council
5. to report to the fiscal anything that he may hear which affect the Liga
6. to behave well as befits a good Filipino
7. to help fellow members in all ways.

EXILE IN DAPITAN
 Rizal arrived in Dapitan on board the
steamer Cebu on July 17, 1892. Dapitan
(Now a city in Zamboanga del Norte)
was a remote town in Mindanao which
serves 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 quite place of Dapitan became
Rizal's home from 1892-1896. Here 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.
 On September 21, 1892, Rizal won the second prize in lottery together with Ricardo Carnicero
and another Spaniard. His share amounted 6, 200 pesos. A portion of Rizal's winnings was
used in purchasing land approximately one kilometer way from Dapitan in a place known as
Talisay. He built his house on the seashore of Talisay as well as a school and hospital within the
area.
 Relative to Rizal's project to improve
and beautify Dapitan,he made a big relief
map of Mindanao in the plaza and used it to
teach geography. With this map, which still
exists today, he discussed to the town people
the position of Dapitan in relation to other
places of Mindanao.
 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 fall in love with Rizal. They lived as husband and wife in Rizal's octagon 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.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

 Meanwhile, Rizal had been sending letters to Governor General Ramon Blanco. Twice he sent
letters, one in 1894 and another in 1895. He asked or 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. And 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 hip him back to Manila. On November 3,
1896, Rizal arrived in Manila and was immediately brought to Fort Santiago.

TRIAL OF JOSE RIZAL

 Andres Binifacio and his dauntless Katipuneros, on August 26, 1896, raised the cry of
rebellion in the hills of Balintawak (popularly known as "Cry of Balintawak"), a few miles in
north of Manila. In August 30, they assaulted San Juan, near the city of Manila, but they were
repelled with massive losses. In the aftermath of the Battle of San Juan, Governor General
Blanco declared a state of war in the eight provinces for their insurgency against Spain-Manila
(as a provice), Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, Nueva Vizcaya, and Tarlac. Jose
feared that the turbulent insurrection would only beget much suffering and horrifying
decimation of human lives and property. He was also frighten of the likelihood of Spanish
reprisal against all Filipino patriots.
 Amidst the chaos created by the uprising,
Jose received from Governor General
Blanco two letters which exculpated him
from the raging insurrection. In his last trip
abroad, Jose troubled by the violent attempt
of the Katipuneros to end the rule of the
Spanish government, left for Spain on
September 3, 1896. He, however, was
transferred to another steamer which he
thought would take him from Spain to Cuba
to carry out his humanitarian offer which is to serve as military physician. Unexpectedly, he
was apprehended and unlawfully detained as a prisoner in a Spanish steamer before reaching
Barcelona. He was informed that he would be shipped back to Manila on board the transport
ship Colon. Upon arriving in Manila, on November 3, 1896, the heavily guarded Jose was
transferred from the Colon to Fort Santiago.
 A Severe five-day preliminary investigation began on November 20, 1896. Jose appeared
before the Judge Advocate, Colonel Francisco Olive who detailed the charges against him. Two
types of evidence, documentary and testimonial, were presented against Jose Rizal. Palma
(1949) in his translated work, Pride of Malay Race, made available the documentary evidence
which consisted of fifteen exhibits, as follows:
1. A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce, dated Madrid, October 16, 1888, showing
Rizal's connection with the Filipino reform campaign in Spain.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

2. A letter of Rizal to his family, dated Madrid, August 20, 1890, stating that the
deportations are good for they will encourage the people to hate tyranny.
3. A letter from Marcelo H. Del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated Madrid, January 7, I 889,
implicating Rizal in the Propaganda campaign in Spain.
4. A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal in Manila on September 1891.

This poem is as follows:

KUNDIMAN
In the Orient
beautiful Where
the sun is born
In a land of beauty
Full of
enchantments
But bound in chains.
Where the despot
reigns, The land
clearest to me. Ah!
That is my country,
She is slave
Oppressed
Groaning in the tyrant's grips;
Lucky shall he be
Who can give her liberty!

5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person, dated Barcelona, September 18,

1891, describe Rizal as the man to free the Philippines from Spanish oppression.
6. A Masonic document, dated Manila, February, 9, 1892, honoring Rizal for his patriotic
services.
7. A letter signed Dimasalang (Rizal's pseudonym) to Ter:.luz (Juan Zulueta's
pseudonym), dated Hong Kong, May 24, 1892, stating that he was preparing a safe
refuge for Filipinos who may be persecuted by the Spanish authorities.
8. A letter to Dimasalang to an unidentified committee, dated Hong Kong, June 1, 1892,
soliciting the aid of the committee in the, "patriotic work."
9. An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, censuring
the banishment of Rizal to Dapitan.
10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 3, 1892, saying that the
Filipino people look up to him (Rizal) as their savior.
11. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila 17, 1893, informing an unidentified
correspondent of the arrest and banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrasio Salvador.
12. A letter of Marcelo Del Pilar to Don Juan A Tenluz (Juan Zulueta), dated Madrid, June
l, 1893 recommending to establishment of a special organization, independent of
Masonry, to help the cause of the Filipino people.
13. Transcript of a speech of Pingkian (Emilio Jacinto), in a reunion of the Katipunan
on July 23, 1893, in which the following cry was uttered "Long Live the Philippines!
Long Live Liberty! Long Live Doctor Rizal! Unity!"
14. Transcript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the same Katipunan
reunion, where in the katipuneros shouted: "Long live the eminent Doctor Rizal! Death
to the oppressor nation!''
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

15. A poem by Laong Laan (Rizal), entitled A Talisay, in which the author makes the
Dapitan schoolboys sing that they know how to fight for their rights.

The oral testimonies of the following persons:

 Martin Constantino. Aguedo de! Rosario, Jose Reyes, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon,
Domingo Franco, Deodato Arellano. Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Dr.
Pio Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quison, and Timoteo Paez were forwarded
as testimonial evidence against Jose.

After studying the papers, Pena submitted the following recommendations:

1. The accused be immediately brought to trial;
2. He should be kept in prison;
3. An order of attachment be issued against his property to the amount of one million
pesos as indemnity; and
4. He should be defended in the court by an army officer, not by a civilian lawyer
(Zaide and Zaide, 2014).

During the time Jose was in prison cell at Fort Santiago, he penned a manifesto
seriously asking the Filipino people to cease the needless act tumultuous war. He encouraged
them to attain freedom through education and habit of working hard and steadily. Palma (1964)
promulgated this manifesto as follows:

My Countrymen:
On my return from Spain, I learned that my name had been used as a war cry among some who
were in arms. The news painfully surprised me, but believing it was all over, I kept silent over
what r considered irremediable. Now I hear rumours that the disturbances continue, and lest
any person should still go on using my name in bad or good faith, to remedy this abuse and to
undeceive the unwary, I hasten to address you these lines so that the truth may be known.
From the beginning, when I had news of what was being planned, I opposed it, fought it, and
demonstrated its absolute impossibility. This is the truth, and witnesses to my word are still
living. I was convinced that the idea was highly absurd and, what was worse, would bring great
suffering. I did more. When later, in spite of my counsels, the movement broke out, I
spontai1eo11sly offered not only my services, but my life, and even my name so that they might
use them in the manner they saw fit to suppress the rebellion, for, convinced of the evils that
would befall them, I considered myself fortunate if, at any sacrifice, I could prevent such useless
misfortunes. This is equally of record.
My countrymen: I have given proofs, more than anybody else, of desiring liberties for our
country and I still desire them. But I place as a premise the education of the people so that by
means of education and of labor they might have a personality of their own and make
themselves worthy of liberties. In my writings I have recommended redemption. I have also
written (and my words have been updated) that reforms, to be fruitful, have to come from above,
that those that come from below are irregular and unstable. Imbued with these ideals, I cannot
but condemn and I do condemn this absurd, savage uprising
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Planned behind my back, which dishonors us, the Filipinos, and discredits those who may
advocate our cause. I abhor its criminal methods and disclaim all participation therein, pitying
from the bottom of my heart the unwary who have allowed themselves to be deceived. Return
then to your homes, and may God forgive those who have acted in bad faith.

The trial of Rizal was an eloquent proof of Spanish injustice and misrule. More than a farce, it
was patently a mistrial. Rizal, a civilian, was tried by a military court composed of alien military
officers. His case was prejudged; he was considered guilty before the actual trial. The military court
met not to give him justice, but to accuse and condemn him. lt accepted all charges and testimonies
against him, and ignored all arguments and proofs in his favor. Moreover, Rizal was not given the night
(which any accused is entitled to have in a real court of justice) to face the witnesses against him in
open court.
The trial of Jose commenced in the Cuartel de Espana, a military building, on December 26,
1896, at eight o'clock in the morning. Present in the trial were seven members of the military court: Lt.
Col. Jose Togores Arjona (President), Capt. Ricardo Munoz Arias, Capt. Manuel Reguerra, Capt.
Santiago Izquierdo Osorio, Capt. Braulio Rodriguez Nunez, Capt. Manuel Diaz Escribano, and Capt.
Fermin Perez Rodriguez. Also in the military court were Lt. Don LuisTaviel de Andrade (Jose's defense
counsel) Capt. Rafael Dominguez (Judge Advocate) Lt. Enrique de Alconcer (Prosecuting Attorney)
and observers which included Josephine Bracken, a sister of Jose, newspapermen, and other Spaniards.

Judge Advocate Capt. Rafael Dominguez began the trial and explained the case levelled against
Jose. Jose was charged of three crimes:
 Rebellion,
 Sedition, and
 Illegal association.
Lt. Enrique de Alconcer, prosecuting lawyer, advanced a gingerly harangue, detailing
accusations against Jose. He mercilessly made an effort topersuade the members of the military court
to punish the accused with death sentence. Lt. Don Luis Taviel de Andrade, defense counsel of Jose
tried hard to come up with a convincing defense. He brought an end to his defense by reminding the
judges to be fair and avoid vindictiveness in their judgment. After Lt. Don Luis Taviel de Andrade's
defense, the court queried Jose if there is anything he wanted to say. Jose confidently read a supplement
to his defense. De Viana, Augusto V. et al (2011) put forward Jose's supplementary defense as follows:
1. He could not be guilty of rebellion, for he advised Dr. Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan not to
rise in revolution.
2. He did not correspond with the radical, revolutionary elements.
3. The revolutionists used his name without his knowledge. If he were guilty, he could have
escaped in Singapore.
4. If he had a hand in the revolution, he could have escaped in a Moro vinta and would not
have built a home, a hospital, and bought lands in Dapitan.
If he were the chief of the revolution. Why has not he consulted by the revolutionists?
1. It was true he wrote the by-laws of the Liga Filipina, on this a civic association- not an
evolutionary society.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

2. The Liga Filipina did not live long, for after the first meeting he was banished to Dapitan
and it died out.
3. If the Liga was reorganized nine months later, he did not know about it.
4. The Liga did not serve the purpose of the revolutionists, otherwise they would not have
supplanted it with the Katipunan.
5. If it were true that there were some bitter comments in Rizal's letters, it was because they
were written in 1890 when his family was being persecuted, being dispossessed of houses,
warehouses, lands, etc. and his brother and all his brother-in-law were deported.
6. His life in Dapitan had been exemplary as the politico-military commanders and
missionary priests could arrest.
The biased military court was apathetic to Jose's appeal. After a brief deliberation, the
members of the military court agreed to convict Jose and sentenced him to death. On December
26, 1896, the unjust military court decision was given to Governor General Camilo G. de
Polavieja who asked the judgment of judge advocate General Nicolas de la Pena who confirmed
the death verdict. On December 28, 1896, Governor General Camilo G. de Polavieja signed the
court-martial's decision to execute Jose Rizal. Medina (1998) presented this decree as follows:
Manila, December 28, 1896
Conformably to the foregoing opm10n. I approve the sentence dictated by the Court
Martial in the present case, by virtue of which the death penalty is imposed on the
accused Jose Rizal Mercado, which shall be executed by shooting him at 7:00 o'clock
in the morning of the 30th of this month in the field of Bagumbayan. For compliance
and the rest may correspond, let this be returned to the Judge Advocate, Captain Don
Rafael Dominguez, and Camilo G. de Polavieja.

DEATH OF JOSE RIZAL

 After learning the unjust decision of the court martial, Jose spent the next twenty fours of his
remaining life seeing and speaking to his friends, family and Josephine Bracken whom he tied
the knot with canonically on December 30, 1896 officiated by Fr. Balaguer. After the reading
of the death penalty, Jose opted to spent quiet moments in the prison chapel. He turned into
writing when he was left alone in his cell. He penned a letter to his brother Paciano, another
one to his best friend Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, and another letter addressed to his father and
mother. It was also assumed that he signed a docunent abjuring Masonry (which some scholars
doubted).
 It is commonly believed that on December 29, 1896, Jose composed his last poem, Mi Ultimo
Adios (My Last Farewell). He was able to thrust it inside an alcoh0I cooking stove which he
gave to his sister Trinidad to whom, he divulged 'There is something in it.' Jose's last poem,
composed without a title and unsigned was translated in English by Charles E. Derbyshire,
which runs below:

My Last Farewell
Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress' d Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life's best, And were it brighter, fresher or more blest
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

On the field of battle, mid the frenzy of light, Others have given their lives, without
doubt or heed; The place matters not - cypress or laurel or lily white, Scaffold or
open plain, combat or martyrdom's plight,
'Tis ever the same to serve our home and country's need.
I die just when I see the down break, Through the gloom of right, to herald the day; And if
color is lacking my blood thou shalt take, Pour'd out at need for thy dear sake,
To dye with its crimson the walking ray. My dreams, when life first opened to me. My dreams,
when the hopes of youth beat high, Were to see thy lov'd face, O gem of the orient sea From
gloom and grief, from care and sorrow free; No blush on thy brow, no tear in thine eye.
Dream of my life, my living and burning desire, All hail! cries the soul that is now to take
flight; All hail! And sweet it is for thee to expire, To die for thy sake, that thou mayst aspire,
And sleep in thy bosom eternity's long night.
If over my grave someday thou seest grow, In the grassy sod, a humble flower, Draw it to thy
lips and kiss my soul so, While I may feel on my brow in the cold tomb below The touch of thy
tenderness, thy breath's warm power.
Let the moon beam over me soft and serene, Let the dawn shed over me its radiant flashes Let
the wind with the sad lament over me keen; And if on my cross a bird should be seen, Let it
trill its hymn of peace of my ashes.
Let the sun draw the vapors up to the sky, And heavenward in purity bear my tardy protest;
Let some kind soul o'er my untimely fate sigh, And in the still evening a prayer be lifted on
high, From thee O my country, that in God I may rest.
Pray for all those that hapless have died. For all who have suffered the unmeasur'd pain; For
our mothers that bitterly their woes have cried, For widow and orphans, for captives by
torture tried; And then for thyself that redemption thou mayst gain.
And when the dark night wraps the graveyard around, With only the dead in their vigil to see;
Break not my repose or the mystery profound, And perchance thou mayst bear a sad hymn
resound, 'Tis I, O my country, raising a song unto thee.
When even my grave is remembered no more, Unmark' d by never a cross or a stone; Let the
plow sweep through it, the spade‚' tum it o'er That my ashes may carpet thy earthly floor,
Before into nothingness at last they are blown.
Then, will oblivion bring to me no care; As over thy vales and plains I sweep: Throbbing and
cleansed in thy space and air, With color and light, with song and lament I fare, Ever
repeating and faith that I keep.
My Fatherland ador'd that my sadness to my sorrow lends, Beloved Filipinas, hear now my
last good-bye! I give thee all; parents and kindred and friends; For I go where no slave
before the oppressor bends, Where faith can never kill, and God reigns e'er on high!
Farewell to you all, from my soul torn away, Friends of my childhood in the home
dispossessed!
Give thanks that I rest from the wearisome day! Farewell to thee; too, sweet friend that
lightened my way; Beloved creatures all, farewell! In death there is rest!

On December 30, 1896, approximately

at six thirty in the morning. Jose's walk towards
his death commenced signaled by a trumpet
sound at Fort Santiago. The death march was
delineated by Zaide and Zaide (2014) as
follows:
 The advance guard of four
soldiers with bayoneted rifles
moved. A few meters behind,
Rizal walked calmly, with his
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

defense counsel (Lt Luis Taviel de Andrade) on one side and two Jesuit priests (Fathers
March and Vilaclara) on the other. More well-armed soldiers marched behind him.
 Rizal was dressed elegantly in a black suit, black derby hat, black shoes, white shirt
and a black tie. His arms were tied behind from elbow to elbow, but the rope was quite
loose to give his arms freedom of movement.
 To the muffled sounds of the drums, the cavalcade somnolently marched slowly. There
was a handful of spectators lining the street from Fort Santiago to the Plaza de! Palacio
in front of the Manila Cathedral. Everybody seemed to be out at Bagumbayan where a
vast crowd gathered to see how a martyr dies.
 As Jose calmly made his way to Bagumbayan, he remarked about the beauty and
serenity of the morning, uttered a few observations about Corregidor, the mountains or
Cavite and the Ateneo College. Upon reaching the place of execution, Jose noticed the
very large number of prying persons and soldiers waiting for them. After final blessings
were bestowed on him he said his adieu to Fr. March, Fr. Villaclara and Lt. Taviel de
Andrade. Jose's request that he be shot facing the firing squad was denied because there
was an order to shoot him in the back. The normal pulse of Jose, felt by Dr. Felipe Ruiz
Castillo, a Spanish military doctor, proved that he did not fear death. Above the beating
of the drums that filled the air was the cold- blooded command "Fuego" (Fire) which
ended Jose's life. He fell to the ground three minutes past seven o'clock in the morning
and was declared dead.
 Expectedly, the passing away of Jose Rizal's was greeted with joy by his enemies. On
the contrary, those who love, respected and supported him were broken-hearted and
painfully inflamed. For them, he died a hero and martyr to Philippine freedom.

1.3 References
Gregorio, Zaide F. Et al., Jose Rizal Life, Works, anf Writings of a
Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero, All Nations Publishing
Co., Inc., Quezon City, 2012.
Images:
https://www.joserizal.com/childhood-jose-rizal/
https://ph.asiatatler.com/society/a-closer-look-on-the-more-human-
side-of-national-hero-dr-jose-rizal
https://medium.com/@elainefilipino/the-tree-and-its-fruit-teodora-
alonso-realonda
https://ourhappyschool.com/history/paciano-rizal-pinoy-heros-big-
brother
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomburza
http://lahat1900s.blogspot.com/2015/08/old-ateneo-de-manila-
campus-ateneo-de.html
https://thesplendorofthechurch.com/2018/05/03/jose-rizal-his-
prayerful-mom-and-the-sacred-heart/
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.4 Acknowledgement

The images, tables, figures, and information contained in this

module were taken from the references cited above.

DISCLAIMER:
This module is not for commercial, and this is only for educational
purposes. Some technical terminologies and phrases were not changed, but the
author of this module ensures that all the in-text citations are in the reference
section. Even the photos or figures are with in-text citations to abide by the
intellectual property.