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JoseRizal[Biography]

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JoseRizal:ABiographicalSketch

PhilippineMarinehonor
guardsstandatattention
whileUSPresidentGeorge
W.Bushpayshisrespectsin
frontofthemonumentof
PhilippinenationalheroJose
Rizalduringawreathlaying
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BYTEOFILOH.MONTEMAYOR

JOSERIZAL,thenationalheroofthePhilippinesandprideoftheMalayanrace,
wasbornonJune19,1861,inthetownofCalamba,Laguna.Hewasthe
seventhchildinafamilyof11children(2boysand9girls).Bothhisparents
wereeducatedandbelongedtodistinguishedfamilies.
Hisfather,FranciscoMercadoRizal,anindustriousfarmerwhomRizalcalled"a
modeloffathers,"camefromBian,Lagunawhilehismother,TeodoraAlonzo
yQuintos,ahighlyculturedandaccomplishedwomanwhomRizalcalled"loving
andprudentmother,"wasborninMeisic,Sta.Cruz,Manila.Attheageof3,he
learnedthealphabetfromhismotherat5,whilelearningtoreadandwrite,he
alreadyshowedinclinationstobeanartist.Heastoundedhisfamilyand
relativesbyhispencildrawingsandsketchesandbyhismoldingsofclay.Atthe
age8,hewroteaTagalogpoem,"SaAkingMgaKabata,"thethemeofwhich
revolvesontheloveofoneslanguage.In1877,attheageof16,heobtained
hisBachelorofArtsdegreewithanaverageof"excellent"fromtheAteneo
MunicipaldeManila.Inthesameyear,heenrolledinPhilosophyandLettersat
theUniversityofSantoTomas,whileatthesametimetookcoursesleadingto
thedegreeofsurveyorandexpertassessorattheAteneo.Hefinishedthelatter
courseonMarch21,1877andpassedtheSurveyorsexaminationonMay21,
1878butbecauseofhisage,17,hewasnotgrantedlicensetopracticethe
professionuntilDecember30,1881.In1878,heenrolledinmedicineatthe
UniversityofSantoTomasbuthadtostopinhisstudieswhenhefeltthatthe
FilipinostudentswerebeingdiscriminateduponbytheirDominicantutors.On
May3,1882,hesailedforSpainwherehecontinuedhisstudiesatthe
UniversidadCentraldeMadrid.OnJune21,1884,attheageof23,hewas
conferredthedegreeofLicentiateinMedicineandonJune19,1885,attheage
of24,hefinishedhiscourseinPhilosophyandLetterswithagradeof
"excellent."

Testimonials
"Congratulationsfor
launchingwww.joserizal.ph,a
websiteonDr.JoseRizal,
ournationalhero.The
constructionofthemost
comprehensiveeducational
websiteonournationalhero
willhelpnotonlyallsectors
ofourcommunitybutalso
citizensoftheworldwhoare
interestedandcuriousto
knowmoreaboutour
nationalhero."
AnscarJ.Chupungco
RectorSanBedaCollege

HavingtraveledextensivelyinEurope,AmericaandAsia,hemastered22
languages.TheseincludeArabic,Catalan,Chinese,English,French,German,
Greek,Hebrew,Italian,Japanese,Latin,Malayan,Portuguese,Russian,
Sanskrit,Spanish,Tagalog,andothernativedialects.Aversatilegenius,hewas
anarchitect,artists,businessman,cartoonist,educator,economist,ethnologist,
scientificfarmer,historian,inventor,journalist,linguist,musician,mythologist,
nationalist,naturalist,novelist,opthalmicsurgeon,poet,propagandist,
psychologist,scientist,sculptor,sociologist,andtheologian.
Hewasanexpertswordsmanandagoodshot.Inthehopeofsecuringpolitical
andsocialreformsforhiscountryandatthesametimeeducatehis

countrymen,Rizal,thegreatestapostleofFilipinonationalism,published,while

inEurope,severalworkswithhighlynationalisticandrevolutionarytendencies.
InMarch1887,hisdaringbook,NOLIMETANGERE,asatiricalnovelexposing
thearroganceanddespotismoftheSpanishclergy,waspublishedinBerlinin
1890hereprintedinParis,MorgasSUCCESSOSDELASISLASFILIPINASwith
hisannotationstoprovethattheFilipinoshadacivilizationworthytobeproud
ofevenlongbeforetheSpaniardssetfootonPhilippinesoilonSeptember18,
1891,ELFILIBUSTERISMO,hissecondnovelandasequeltotheNOLIandmore
revolutionaryandtragicthanthelatter,wasprintedinGhent.Becauseofhis
fearlessexposuresoftheinjusticescommittedbythecivilandclericalofficials,
Rizalprovokedtheanimosityofthoseinpower.Thisledhimself,hisrelatives
andcountrymenintotroublewiththeSpanishofficialsofthecountry.Asa
consequence,heandthosewhohadcontactswithhim,wereshadowedthe
authoritieswerenotonlyfindingfaultsbutevenfabricatingchargestopinhim
down.Thus,hewasimprisonedinFortSantiagofromJuly6,1892toJuly15,
1892onachargethatantifriarpamphletswerefoundintheluggageofhis
sisterLuciawhoarrivewithhimfromHongKong.Whileapoliticalexilein
Dapitan,heengagedinagriculture,fishingandbusinesshemaintainedand
operatedahospitalheconductedclassestaughthispupilstheEnglishand
Spanishlanguages,thearts.
Thesciences,vocationalcoursesincludingagriculture,surveying,sculpturing,
andpainting,aswellastheartofselfdefensehedidsomeresearchesand

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2/1/2015

JoseRizal[Biography]
collectedspecimensheenteredintocorrespondencewithrenownedmenof
lettersandsciencesabroadandwiththehelpofhispupils,heconstructed
waterdamandareliefmapofMindanaobothconsideredremarkable
engineeringfeats.Hissincerityandfriendlinesswonforhimthetrustand
confidenceofeventhoseassignedtoguardhimhisgoodmannersandwarm
personalitywerefoundirresistiblebywomenofallraceswithwhomhehad
personalcontactshisintelligenceandhumilitygainedforhimtherespectand
admirationofprominentmenofothernationswhilehisundauntedcourageand
determinationtoupliftthewelfareofhispeoplewerefearedbyhisenemies.
WhenthePhilippineRevolutionstartedonAugust26,1896,hisenemieslostno
timeinpressinghimdown.Theywereabletoenlistwitnessesthatlinkedhim
withtherevoltandthesewereneverallowedtobeconfrontedbyhim.Thus,
fromNovember3,1986,tothedateofhisexecution,hewasagaincommitted
toFortSantiago.Inhisprisoncell,hewroteanuntitledpoem,nowknownas
"UltimoAdios"whichisconsideredamasterpieceandalivingdocument
expressingnotonlytheherosgreatloveofcountrybutalsothatofallFilipinos.
Afteramocktrial,hewasconvictedofrebellion,seditionandofformingillegal
association.InthecoldmorningofDecember30,1896,Rizal,amanwhose35
yearsoflifehadbeenpackedwithvariedactivitieswhichprovedthatthe
Filipinohascapacitytoequalifnotexceleventhosewhotreathimasaslave,
wasshotatBagumbayanField.

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