History noted that Jose Rizal manifested an intellectual’s way of fighting.
The common notion of
Jose at present, and the painted picture of him through time, is that he was one among many enablers that
planted nationalism in the hearts of the Filipinos through his literary works and even his life story.
Throughout the review of the events and facts that transpired and happened in his lifetime, it can be
digested that the story of Jose paved way in developing not just a single nationalistic character but also in
highlighting how social institutions should work for the society in such a way that justice and other
virtues must be given importance to.
As learners experience Jose in various biographical articles and literature, they are educated not
just on the upshots that came about in his years, but also on the causes that gave essense to Jose as a
‘hero’ to consequent generations.
For Jose, educating will set the people free from oppression and subjugating conditions; thus at
present, to understand our history, it is important to understand the vital information about Jose and his
courage to live his life for his country.
Family and Early Childhood (1861-1871)
Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna.
Birthed seventh out of the eleven siblings of the Mercados, Rizal was born to be the second 1 son of
Francisco Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Alonzo y Quinto. Rizal’s parents were both
progressive citizens. Don Francisco was educated in Latin and Philosophy, and finished his studies at the
College of San Jose in Manila. His mother, Dona Teodora also finished her tertiary education in Sta. Risa
College. Although they were both learned individuals, his father opted to be a hardworking master of
their fields and his mother to juggle business and family life on top of her field duties as well ( Rizal: Life
and Philosophies, n.d.)
Jose Rizal was born in a principalia (middle class) family of the Mercado whose origin comes
from the royal blood-hood of noble and datu classes in the local kingdom during the pre-colonial period.
He traces his ancestry on both Japanese and Chinese heritage. His paternal great grandfather, Domingo
Lamco, was a pureblooded Chinese who migrated to the Philippines and married Ines dela Rosa, who was
of Filipino-Chinese heritage. Similarly, his maternal great grandfather, Eugenio Ursua (Ochoa), was a
Japanese migrant who married a Filipina named Benigna (Balbin et al, 2018).
Jose recognized the efforts of his parents and other significant individuals, both of familial link
and extended connection, in his early age formation. His father, as he credits to be hardworking and a
“model of fathers”; his mother who was her first teacher that rested the foundation of his learning of both
academic and religious quality; to his “yaya” who nursed him and made his childhood colorful by
implanting in him the fear of mythical tales of asuangs just to make him finish his supper; and to his
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The Rizal siblings: Saturnina (1850-1913), Paciano (1851-1930), Narcisa (1852-1939), Olimpia
(1855-1887), Lucia (1857-1919), Maria (1859-1945), Jose (1861-1896), Concepcion (1862-1945),
Josefa (1865-1945), Trinidad (1868-1951), and Soledad (1870-1926).
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maestros (teachers) and tios (titos) who shall be tackled in the following biographical timeline.
One significant conflict in his family life was the imprisonment of her mother. In connivance
with a lieutenant of the civil guard, his auntie-in-law accused his uncle and mother as a poisoner and an
accomplice respectively. Teodora (or Dona Teodora on some accounts) was imprisoned by Antonio
Vivencio del Rosario for two and a half years. On the contrary, Teodora was humiliated by being forced
to walk 20 miles to prison, where she spent two and a half months before being acquitted.
Education
Early Education
Our parents are our first teachers; and our house is the first school of life and edifying institution
that we are introduced to. The same goes with Jose. As stated earlier, Rizal’s first teacher was his mother
Dona Teodora. Religiously, at age three, he began participating in family prayers. And at the young age
of five, he started reading the Bible in Spanish (Engaging Rizal, 2018).
In the account of de Ocampo (1962) as cited by Szczepanski (2019), Rizal learned the alphabet
from his mother at the age of three and could read and write at the age of five. Balbin et al. (2018) also
cited other notable influences in his tutelage were his uncles, who were the brothers of his mother, aided
him in his development in many facets of skills and learnings: Tio Jose Alberto who inspired him to
develop his artistic talents; Tio Manuel who was responsible in developing him physically by
encouraging him to exercise, practice horseback riding and wresting; and the academic, Tio Gregorio who
made him read books.
Also, Rizal had advanced his tutelage in the care of his first maestro, Maestro Cenestino, and his
second, Maestro Lucas Padua. His last tutor was a former classmate of his father who was versed in Latin
—a certain Leon Monroy.
Jose received his first formal education at Binan, Laguna after being sent to his teacher’s school,
Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The nipa hut that they studied at also served as his teacher’s house. Rizal
described his education to be focused on reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. At a tender age, Rizal
experienced segregation among his classmates due to his exceling capacities, thus, he even narrated to
have received lashings, both that were rightly and wrongly delivered. It is said that Rizal studied in the
school for about a year and a half before furthering his education in the secondary level (Engaging Rizal,
2018).
Secondary Education (1872-1877)
Jose had many distinguishable stints when he was schooled in the secondary level. Aged 11 years
old, Rizal started his secondary schooling at the Ateneo Municipal School in Manila. Prior to his
admission, Jose, accompanied by his brother Paciano, underwent with the impasse of being refused by the
school’s registrar to be admitted. Him being physically unqualified for the secondary level was only one
of the reasons used against him. It was through the intercession of Manuel Xerex Buegos that he was
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finally admitted (Szczepanski, 2019).
During his stay, a hierarchy among students was present. Students were categorized based on
their academic performance and qualities. According to Balbin et al. (2018), at that time, students were
divided into two empires that were determined from their living condition—the Roman Empire for
internos (boarders) and the Carthaginian Empire for the non-boarders. Rizal belonged in the Carthaginian
Empire, and only after a month he was able to attain the status as emperor, which was the highest position
in an empire.
In his letter, Jose wrote that after a month of achieving the title of emperor and receiving a prize
with the grade of excellent, he was dismayed and “disgusted on account of some words of utterance” by
his professor. Eventually, for a period, he said to have lost his passion to study anymore. Although Rizal
still performed well in his studies, having all grades of excellent (unos=highest), he no longer aimed to be
emperor nor to receive a reward for distinguishment (Rizal’s Scholastic Records; Engaging Rizal, 2018).
It was also in Ateneo that he developed his passion for poetry and literature, which he too tributes to his
professor Francisco de Paula Sanches who inspired him to study hard and even write prize-winning
poetry. Rizal at the age of 12 enjoyed reading novels and books of different language that’s far from his
age. In the same period, Rizal wrote the poem “My First Inspiration” which was addressed to her mother
in jubilee of her liberty from prison and at the same time in celebration of her natal day.
On March 23, 1877, Jose Rizal finished as one of the best students in his time and received his
Bachelor of Arts diploma (sobresaliente), which is equivalent to a secondary school diploma today
(Balbin et al., 2018).
Tertiary Education (1877-1882)
In the year 1877, Jose again enrolled in Ateneo in a land surveyor and assessor vocational course.
In which he finished his training in the same year and passed the licensure examination in May 1878. He
was only 17 years old at that time. Jose was only granted his license in 1881 upon reaching the age of 20.
In the same year of 1877, Jose was caught in the dilemma of taking up Law in college. He was
later discouraged by his brother Paciano by imparting in his letter that rather than Law, “there are few
who practice medicine and the arts, they make progress here and live peacefully, the one thing we should
look for in this world”. Jose later enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas in 1877 under the Philosophy
and Letters program, but after a year in the institution, Jose shifted to the Medicine program, specifically
in the Pathology specialization. This was for the reason that he wanted to find cure in the deteriorating
eyesight of his mother, which again among his letters, he called as an illness that is “far beyond their
years”.
Balbin et al. (2018) recounted the event of Rizal’s reasons for discontinuing his study in the
University of Santo Tomas (UST):
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“After four years of medical studies, Rizal left UST for Spain on May 1,
1882. Among the reasons cited by different authors regarding this matter
are: because a certain professor of UST caused him displeasure; because
the atmosphere in UST suffocated him, and it is presumed that because of
it he left; because in his class of medicine the lay professor made a
statement contrary to the textbook but refused to permit discussion or to
give explanations so Rizal decided he was wasting his time to remain in
the University; because he found unfriendliness in the University; or
because UST could not give “fuller learning” to the youth, and its
“usefulness was almost, if not altogether nil.”
On the other hand, Szczepanski (2019) alleged that Jose quit the university after noticing the
discrimination against the indio students by the Dominican professor (Biography of Jose Rizal, National
Hero of the Philippines).
Rizal’s Education Abroad (1882-1885; Balbin et al., 2018)
Since Jose left UST, and after persuading his father to pursue his studies abroad, Jose began his
academic journey oversees in Spain. Enrolled in University of Madrid, Jose elucidated the same vigor and
skill in various disciplines that garnered recognition from many organizations. Jose still displayed the
same passion for literature, history, and languages. In fact, Jose invested much of his allowance to
purchasing books such as: “Lives of the Presidents of the United States”, “A History of English
Revolution”, and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” which fed him of revolutionary substance that was later helpful in
his novels and literature.
He finished his Licentiate in Medicine on June 21, 1884 and consequently passed his subjects
leading to a degree in Doctor of Medicine. However, Jose was not awarded his doctorate diploma for a
deficiency in presenting necessary thesis requirement to finish the program and paying the graduation
fees. Jose also continued and pursued his disrupted study in Philosophy and Letters, and later obtained
licentiate for such in June 19, 1885. Fuelled with the desire to be more learned, Jose took up subjects in
fine arts at the Academia de San Fernando in pursuit of his literary activities.
In the furtherance of his study, specifically in his training to specialize as an Ophthalmologist, he
interned to specialists in France and Germany. He entered as a subordinate to the leading authority among
the French oculist, Dr. Louis D. Weckert; and later regularly assisted in the eye clinic of Dr. Otto Becker
at Heidelberg, Germany (Engaging Rizal, 2018).
What’s notable in this period was the beginning of Jose’s wind-up from his fascination of the
Spanish reign in the Philippines and his reflections on the adverse culture that the Spaniards have
incorporated in the Philippine system of trade and education. In one of his letters addressed to his sisters,
Maria, after observing how empowered the German women were while he was in the practice of his
profession in Germany, he wrote:
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“For these reasons, now that you are still very young and you have time to
learn, it is necessary that you study by reading and reading attentively. It is a
pity that you allow yourself to be dominated by laziness when it takes too
little effort to shake it off. It is not enough to form only the habit of study
and later everything goes by itself.”
Jose also wrote the letter in reflection of how sad the Filipino attitude was for settling to a
unenthusiastic culture of laziness to study. Well, in the context of that time, not everyone was given the
opportunity to study. But Jose was directing the message to his sister—a person from an able family; and
with the insight that learning is not limited in the corners of a school, but from reading and learning from
literary materials. Rizal ended his study abroad with energy to return and give back whatever it was that
he learned outside of the country, and with strategies of reform for the Philippines. He shall later be
confronted by the poor state of the Philippines then under the governance of the Spaniards.
Social and Political Struggle
Social Struggle
The earliest account of Jose’s social struggle can be taken from his experience in grade school.
Earlier, it was discussed that he experienced segregation among his classmates in his schooling in Binan,
Laguna. In the course of Jose’s academic journey, he struggled with the discrimination that came with his
intellect. Hence, his knowledge and mind can be tagged as both a blessing and a curse for him. But in the
progress of history, his mind proved to be one of the revolutionary inspirations of his generation and the
next to come.
Jose was able to expand his connections while he was abroad. Came with it was his struggle to
socialize brought upon by the ignorance of other people of the Filipino race. In one of the documents by
Balbin et al. (2018), it was said the in the attempt of Jose to converse with other passengers in a French
steamer bound for Europe, he was mistaken to be a Chinese or Japanese man, and was not recognized as a
Filipino. Jose expressed his frustration in his passage, “I attracted the attention of all who saw me; they
called me Chinese, Japanese, American, etc., anything but Filipino!”
Perhaps Jose’s social struggle was not limited to his experiences but it magnifies to as how he
finds fault in the social system of his Motherland. In his essay addressed to the bold women of Bulacan,
he wrote:
“No longer does the Filipina stand with her head bowed nor does she spend
her time on her knees, because she is quickened by hope in the future; no
longer will the mother contribute to keeping her daughter in darkness and
bring her up in contempt and moral annihilation. And no longer will the
science of all sciences consist in blind submission to any unjust order, or in
extreme complacency, nor will a courteous smile be deemed the only
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weapon against insult or humble tears the ineffable panacea for all
tribulations” (To The Young Women of Malolos).
The passage is in salutation with the feat that women have reached in Malolos, Bulacan,
specifically in the area of education. The happening tells of the liberation of women from being held from
receiving quality education, and deviates from the norm of society on the supposed duties and narrow
rights of women.
Political Struggle
Jose’s political warfare started at the young age of 11. Though Jose was not one who believed
that violence is the key to attain freedom from the colonizers; he took the might of the pen to spark a
revolution in the minds and hearts of the Filipinos. Jose’s tender mind was opened to the reality of the
oppression that the Philippines was under in the tragedy of the Cavity Mutiny in 1872. Thus, the fate of
the Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora (GOMBURZA) martyrs were used as motivations by Rizal to spark his
propaganda movement, which shall reflect in the birth of two novels, but would give more political
highlight on the second installment: El Filibusterismo.
In addition, Jose remembers one of his experiences as young man. He did not recognize a civil
guard while walking in the dark of the night and was beaten for failing to salute him. Outraged, Rizal
journeyed to Manila to report the incident and obtain redress, but the Governor General would not receive
him. Significantly, this particular experience of Jose was also delivered in a chapter of his novel, the Noli
Me Tangere. It is said that Noli Me Tangere is the groundwork of Jose in introducing the social dilemma
in his Motherland (Balbin et al., 2018).
Also, Jose’s angst over the Spanish justice fueled in the memory of her mother’s experience after
being imprisoned for a set-up, which was discussed in the earlier paragraphs of this biography (Balbin et
al., 2018).
Among the other documented political struggles of Rizal was his political turndown in his
homecoming. Coates (1968) reported that the people of Calamba, including Rizal's family, who were
tenants of an estate owned by the Dominican friars, submitted a "memorial" to the government 1888,
listing their complaints and grievances about their exploitation by the religious corporation. After lengthy
court litigation, the tenants lost their case, and Governor Valeriano Weyler, the "Butcher of Cuba,"
ordered troops to expel the tenants from their ancestral farms at gunpoint and to burn their houses.
Among the victims were Rizal's father and three sisters, who were later deported. Jose, similarly
petitioned for the ruling to reconsidered after having knowledge about it, and to topped with it is a
suggestion for reform on the taxation system that’s imposed to the Filipinos. Jose was only dismayed by
the result of his efforts. Such event also sparked his political thought on the notion that perhaps reform is
not the solution for the country, but separation from the colonizer.
“Rizal’s participation in the propaganda can be periodicized between his two
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European travels, essentially between the writing os his two monumental work,
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The sequential writing of the two
novels marked the continuing evolution of Rizal’s politics. In the run up to the
final draft of Noli, Rizal publicly upheld assimilation, the kind of front behind
which he, and other nationalists, could operate on other more radical projects
but no longer believed in it in private. But in Fili, Rizal, more hardened and
radicalized, publicly advocated a separatist politics.” (An analysis from
Engaging Rizal, 2018).
All of these events, birthed to Rizal’s propaganda movement to open the eyes of the Filipinos,
and conceivably even the world, on the condition of the Philippines and the Filipino people under the rule
of the Spaniards in an ingenious way.
Exile, Trial, and Execution
Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan on July 7, 1892. For four years Rizal remained in
exile in Dapitan, where he practiced ophthalmology, built a school and waterworks, planned town
improvements, wrote, and carried out scientific experiments. Then he successfully petitioned to the
Spanish government to be allowed to join the Spanish army in Cuba as a surgeon; but on his way to Spain
to enlist, the Philippine revolution broke out, and Rizal was returned from Spain, imprisoned, and tried
for false charges of treason and complicity with the revolution (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2010).
The Bers of 1986
On November 20, Jose was interrogated for his alleged crimes. On December 3, he was indicated
as the principal organizer of the insurrection against the Spanish government. On December 10, it was
decided that his case should be heard by a court martial with his defense to be handled by an officer of the
army and not a civil lawyer. Jose then was made to choose his council. And in his favor, he selected First
Lieutenant Luis Taveal de Andrade.
On December 25, he was informed that his trial was to begin at 10:00AM the following day. On
the 26th,the Council of War gave its verdict that he was guilty of the crime charged against him and he
was to be sentenced to death on the same day. The latter was held, and on the 28th, the Governor General
confirmed the decision and fixed the date of the execution.
On December 29, his sentence was formally read to him. And at 7:00AM of December 30, 1898,
Rizal was shot in Bagumbayan by eight indio soldiers. Rizal upon being shot, shouted: “Preparen”,
“Apunten”, “Consummatum est” (it is done).
The story of Jose will remain to be a pristine reminder of our history as a Filipino people, and his
contributions as the DNA of our nation.
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Facts about Rizal’s Trial and Execution
1. 13 recognized prima facie evidences were used against Jose. He was charged and accused of
three crimes: rebellion, sedition, and illegal association (Carado, 2014).
2. Some of the so-called prima facie evidences used against Jose—including documents and
testimonies, were only obtained around June and August 1897. The final papers were only
available by April 1898, where Jose was a year and four months under his grave (Balbin et al.,
2018).
3. No one among Jose’s family came (Balbin et al., 2018). Only Josephine Bracken (Engaging
Rizal, 2018), “who was said to be his wife that he married hours before his execution”—was
present.
4. Jose was made to pay Php100,000—initially Php20,000. In the failure of him to pay, the
obligation shall be passed down to his family. However, it is accounted that the confiscation of
his assets already began in December 10. Such was taken and paid for as indemnification for the
damages to the government as a result of his crimes (Balbin et al., 2018).
Facts About Rizal, His Life, and His Works
1. Jose became a Master Mason in Lodge Solidaridad on November 15, 1890. He was annointed
under the Gran Oriende de Espana after adopting the name Dimasalang, and was awarded the
diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Oriente de France (Balbin et al., 2018). 2
2. Never did Jose get a final grade lower than 1 (the highest by rubric) in all of his subjects while he
was studying in Ateneo de Manila (Rizal’s Scholastic Records; Engaging Rizal, 2018).
3. Jose was able to fluently speak 10 different languages (not including other dialects and languages
that he was able to know about) throughout the course of his living (Balbin et al., 2018).
4. In 1898, after the Mock Battle of Manila 3, Jose’s remains were recovered. His bones were washed
and cleansed, and were placed in an ivory urn (The Last Days of José Rizal: A Timeline of His
Last Arrest, Incarceration, Execution and the Journey of His Remains, n.d.).
5. El Filibusterismo consists of 39 chapters.
6. Nineteen works of Rizal were published in the magazine La Solidaridad. Among these is his
article The Indolence of the Filipinos, which counters and digests the reason behind the laziness
of the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization.
7. Jose was able to know about Josephine Bracken in Dapitan when she brought her father to Rizal
for a cataract operation (Szczepanski, 2019).
8. Mi Ultino Adios, translates as “My Last Goodbye” is the last poem written by Jose.
9. Jose died at the age of 35 years old.
10. There are no legal documents that prove that Jose is to be recognized as the National Hero of the
2
The Freemasonry is a fraternal organization put up in the late 16 th to 17th century that existed in various
forms in the world where members shared moral and metaphysical ideals, which includes constitutional
declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. At present, it is considered as a social club.
3
Battle between the Spaniards and Americans where the Americans won and took over central Luzon.
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Philippines. However, known by common belief and tradition, Rizal is socially merited as such,
especially for his timeless contribution to society and the revolution.
REFERENCES
de Ocampo, E., (1962). Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism. Journal of Southeast Asian
History 3.1 (1962): 44-55.
Balbin, et al., (2018). Engaging Rizal. Quezon City, Philippines. Nieme Publishing House
Company Limited (2018). ISBN 978-621-95906-0-0.
Carado, H., (2014). Arrest and Trial. Retrieved on August 18, 2019, from:
https://www.slideshare.net/djoshuaabel/arrest-trial-of-rizal
Coates, A., (1968). Rizal Philippine Nationalist and Martyr. Hong Kong. Oxford University
Press (1968).
Encyclopedia of World Biography (2010). Jose Rizal Facts. Retrieved on August 18, 2019, from:
https://biography.yourdictionary.com/jose-rizal
Szczepanski, K., (2019). Biography of Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines. Thoughts
Company. Retrieved on August 18, 2019, from: https://www.thoughtco.com/jose-rizal-hero-of-the-
philippines-195677
Article Reference
Rizal: Life and Philosophies; Rizal: A Product of His Own Era (n.d.) Wordpress. Retrived on August
17, 2019, from: https://www.kaspil23.wordpress.com/binan/
The Last Days of José Rizal: A Timeline of His Last Arrest, Incarceration, Execution and the
Journey of His Remains (n.d.) Retrieved on August 17, 2019, from:
https://xiaochua.net/2012/12/25/the-last-days-of-jose-rizal-a-timeline-of-his-last- arrest-
incarceration-execution-and-the-journey-of-his-remains/
