A Closer Look On The More Human Side
Of The National Hero of the Philippines, Dr
Jose Rizal
By C.A. Piedad-Pugay & P.J. Uckung
From Tatler Philippines; April 21, 2020
particularly his two novels, Noli Me Tangere
read in the pages of history books. This
Tatler Philippines revisits the life of the "Pride
of the Malayan Race" and discover his humanity
This feature story was originally titled as The
Real Rizal, and was published in the
December 2006 issue of Tatler Philippines.
Besides being the national hero of the
Philippines, Jose Rizal was also known
through time as the First Filipino, Pride of the
Malayan Race, the Greatest Malayan, among
others. Many considered him a genius, a
master of all trades, a patriot, a model
brother and an ideal son. Active efforts to
promote Rizalist culture and values are being
made by the government as well as Rizalist
groups to encourage good moral character,
personal discipline and civic consciousness.
In fact, Republic Act 1425, the Rizal law,
requires schools, universities and colleges,
both private and public, to include in their
curricula the study of Rizal’s life and works,
and El Filibusterismo, to instil into students
the ideals of freedom and nationalism.
Perhaps because of these efforts to elevate
him as a paradigm of a great Filipino, Rizal
may have become too difficult to emulate
and his brand of nationalism left simply to be
distance from an image of a real person may
even have made the other hero, Andres
Bonifacio, more attractive, more endearing to
the ordinary Filipino.
What an unfair assessment of Rizal! For
while he truly was a great man, there was
also a more
h u m a n ,
more real
side to this
genius.
Jose Rizal, Marcelo del
Pilar and Mariano Ponce
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 While at the Ateneo, the teenage

RE-INTRODUCING RIZAL
Pepe busied himself with his studies, extra-

Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, in curricular activities including sports like

Calamba, Laguna, to Francisco Mercado and chess and fencing, making friends and

Teodora Alonso. The seventh of 11 children, wooing young girls of his age. He sometimes

he grew up to be a sickly and frail boy, which failed in his pursuits but it was all part of

was probably why he engaged in the various growing up.

sports at that time to improve his physique.

For his further education, Rizal

Typical of Filipino families even at present, enrolled at the University of Santo Tomás,

his mother was his first teacher until he was where he at first took Philosophy and Letters

sent to a nearby town, Biñan, to study under and then shifted to Medicine – just a normal

Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Like his young man with many interests and talents

peers, and perhaps contrary to the general but still in search of a direction in life.

perception that he was always a well- At the UST however, he failed to

behaved boy, the young Pepe, as he was stand out in his class. Biographers,

also called, engaged in brawls with his interpreting Rizal’s words in the chapter “The

classmates. One brawl ended with Rizal Physics Class” of the El Filibusterismo as his

being hit in the butt with the teacher’s own personal experience, concluded that the
bamboo stick.
hero blamed the Dominican friars’ old-
For college he went to the Ateneo, fashioned ways of teaching, as he was used
where he was one of the high achievers– but to the more liberal Jesuit priests of the
not the valedictorian of his class, as most Ateneo. In that chapter, the character of
teachers of a Rizal course today usually Placido Penitente protested that the physics
overstate. The truth is, he was only one of students were not even allowed to hold the

nine in a class of 12 who got sobresaliente, microscope. Penitente also personified

the highest grade.

Rizal’s frustration over the indifference of his

classmates who did not support him in his

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protest. Such frustration and a growing
awareness of the unjust social conditions
suffered by Filipinos from the colonisers
drove Rizal to pursue his studies abroad.
Following his academic triumph, Rizal
At the Universidad Central de Madrid,
he continued his course in Philosophy as
well as in Medicine. Rizal wanted to
specialise in ophthalmology, primarily due to
the failing condition of his mother’s eyes.
According to biographer Austin Coates, Rizal
tried his best to excel in his various subjects
at the university, especially in languages like
Greek and Hebrew, and in literature. Through
hard work and perseverance, he received
both his Licentiate in Philosophy and
Licentiate in Medicine in 1884. While abroad,
Rizal involved himself with the Circulo
Hispano-Filipino. Most of the members of
this elite association were peninsulares
(Spaniards born in Spain) and mestizos
(mixed race), and a spattering of indios
(Filipinos born in the Philippines) like Rizal
and Tomas Arejola. He also participated in
the Propaganda Movement, which sought to
gain freedom for the Philippines, together
with other eminent ilustrados, or learned
men, like the satirical writer Graciano Lopez
Jaena, the political analyst Marcelo del Pilar,
the painter Juan Luna, the historian Mariano
Ponce and others.
went to Paris to specialise in ophthalmology
and travelled to various parts of Europe,
where he met prominent figures who also
influenced his thoughts and the course of his
actions. This is seen in his two novels, which
were published at this time with the financial
help of Maximo Viola (for the Noli Me
Tangere) and Valentin Ventura (for the El
Filibustrismo), rich friends of Rizal who were
also studying abroad.
Spanish friars in the Philippines
naturally took offence. They banned the
books, believing they were provocative
enough to incite rebellion; and ordered those
caught reading them to immediately be
imprisoned.
RIZAL AND THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT
Rizal was looked upon as the leader of the
Filipinos in Europe; but the Spanish clerics in
the Philippines did not consider him a more
dangerous political agitator as they did
Marcelo del Pilar, another member of the
Circulo. The two could have struck a potent
Page 3 of 9
partnership in the Propaganda Movement stuck to his decision of never writing again

but due to a petty misunderstanding, this did for the newspaper, justifying his resignation

not happen, as recounted by Antonio by asking the paper to just give his writing

Valeriano in his book Marcelo H del Pilar: fee to budding writers. But in a letter to del

Ang Kanyang Buhay, Diwa, at Panulat Pilar, Rizal bared his hurt, lamenting that the

published in 1984.
“scratches from a friend are more painful

On December 31, 1890, a party was than the wounds inflicted by the enemy.”

organised by the Filipinos in Spain to That one year later he was still

celebrate New Year. In the revelry the smarting from the “loss” can be gleaned in

Filipinos decided to elect the foremost leader the letter Rizal wrote to Jose Maria Basa, a

of the movement. Only Rizal and del Pilar Filipino exile in Hong Kong who became a

were nominated. The rule was for the winner rich businessman, on January 21, 1891.

to garner two-thirds of the total votes. Rizal Rizal told Basa that there was a plot against

won most of the votes, but not enough for him and that del Pilar was an unwitting

two-thirds of the total. Another count was accomplice.

made, and another. After the second The rift worsened when an article

recount, Rizal walked out of the party, entitled “The Illusionist,” written by Eduardo

saying, “Now I know I have only 19 friends in de Lete, was published in La Solidaridad on

the place.” 
April 15, 1892. Rizal believed that Lete’s

After his departure, he was article was alluding to him and that it did not

unanimously elected; but because he had get printed without del Pilar’s approval. So

already left, del Pilar was chosen instead as hurt was he that he wrote to Ponce of the

the leader of the Filipinos.

Circulo, “I am deeply hurt by del Pilar’s

Later, del Pilar implored Rizal not to permission to print that article.” Lete’s

abandon La Solidaridad, the official organ of article, however, was about the folly of a

revolution without the means of achieving

the Propaganda Movement, for which he
success and not about Rizal.

wrote. Del Pilar’s efforts were futile. Rizal

Page 4 of 9
 opponent, of the Revolution. Constantino’s

proof was the hero’s own manifesto dated

RIZAL AND THE REVOLUTION

December 15, 1896. Here, Rizal declared

The Philippine Revolution of 1896 to 1901 is that when the plan of the Revolution came to

seen by many historians as a period when his knowledge, he opposed its absolute

the Filipino people were most united, most impossibility and stated his utmost

involved and most spirited to fight for a willingness to offer anything he could to stifle

common cause—freedom. As to the actual it. Rizal thought of it as absurd, and abhorred

involvement of Rizal in the Revolution, its alleged criminal methods.

however, they disagree, with the issue In this manifesto Rizal also declared

remaining, to date, controversial, disputed the necessity of education in the

and unresolved.
achievement of liberties. Most important, he

Historians do not deny that Rizal believed that reforms to be fruitful must

played a major part in the country’s struggle come from “above” and that those that come

for reforms and independence. His writings, from “below” are shaky, irregular and

particularly the Noli Me Tangere and the El insecure. By “above” Rizal meant the

Filibusterismo, were viewed as the guiding educated Filipinos and by “below,” the

force for other patriots to rally behind the masses.

country’s cause. But some of them do not R i z a l ’s h e s i t a t i o n a b o u t t h e

credit the hero with the leadership of the Revolution was, however, muddled by the

Revolution, even playing down his actual role accounts of Dr Pio Valenzuela regarding his

in the fight for freedom.

mission to seek the hero’s opinion and

One of these historians is the approval in launching an armed rebellion

professor, Renato Constantino. In his Rizal against the Spanish administration. The

Day lecture in 1969 entitled “Veneration mission, ordered by Andres Bonifacio, sent

Without Understanding,” Constantino said Valenzuela to Dapitan, where Rizal was in

that Rizal was not a leader, but a leading

Page 5 of 9
exile after he got into trouble with the his lecture, he pointed out that even without

Spaniards for writing his two novels.

Rizal, the nationalistic movement would still

In September 1896 Valenzuela advance with another leader because it was

testified before a military court that Rizal was not Rizal who shaped the turn of events but

resolutely opposed to the idea of a otherwise. The historical forces untied by

premature armed rebellion and disparaged it. social developments may have impelled and

In October 1896 Valenzuela again made the motivated Rizal to rise up and articulate the

same account but changed the portion people’s sentiments through his writings, but

about foul language, saying it was Bonifacio, the Revolution ensued although Rizal

not Rizal, who used foul words.

disagreed with it. Finally, Constantino argued

A n d y e t , t w o d e c a d e s l a t e r, that to better understand the hero, we

Valenzuela reversed his story again by saying should also take note of his weaknesses and

that Rizal was not actually against the profit from them.

R e v o l u t i o n b u t m e re l y a d v i s e d t h e Rizal’s weakness, in Constantino’s view, lay

Katipuneros (members of the revolutionary in his failure to fully understand his people.

movement called Katipunan) to wait for the He failed to empathise with the true

right time, secure the needed weapons and sentiments of the people in launching the

get the support of the rich and scholarly armed rebellion that made him repudiate it,

class. Valenzuela recounted that his 1896 perhaps due to his belief that violence

statements were embellished due to duress should not prevail and that reforms must

and torture and that in his desire “not to come from above. Following this thought,

implicate” or “to save” Rizal, testified that Rizal in a way unconsciously underestimated

the latter was opposed to the Revolution.

the capacity of those from below to compel

Valenzuela’s contradicting statements changes and reforms.

put historians into a great confusion

regarding Rizal’s stand on the Revolution, CONTRADICTIONS AND INCONSISTENCIES

making him both a hero and an anti-hero. In

Page 6 of 9
In the study of Rizal, certain inconsistencies
have been brought forth. One is about the
hero’s famed quality of thrift.
was told that Ibarra had died. In real life, it
After he published Noli Me Tangere, Rizal
travelled to various places in Europe with his
friend Maximo Viola. Historical accounts talk
of the hero allotting ample amount of money
for lottery tickets, for expensive studio
photographs (that is why he is very much
documented), for theatres, balls and, most of
all, books. The book collection of Rizal
perhaps costs a fortune because Josephine
Bracken once sued the Rizal family in an
attempt to get the collection, claiming she
had rights over her “husband’s” estate.
friend named Jose M Cecilio. The letters
So was he really a thrifty man? Many
students conclude that he was just forced to
be tight with money because of the delay in
the arrival of his allowance from the
Philippines.
classmate of Rizal named Ceferino de Leon
Then there was the matter of his
portrayal as an ever faithful, ever loyal and
romantic lover. It is a general impression that
he was, in reality, the person behind the
character of Crisostomo Ibarra in his two
novels. The story goes that because of his
everlasting love for Maria Clara, Ibarra
disguised himself so he could get inside the
convent which she had entered when she
was said that the woman Rizal almost
married was Leonor Rivera, his fiancée with
whom he corresponded for six years while
he was abroad. Unfortunately, the marriage
did not push through, due to circumstances
beyond the lovers’ control. But was Rizal a
faithful lover?
In his book The First Filipino,
Professor Leon Maria Guerrero discussed
the presence of “the other Leonor” in the
confidential letters between Rizal and a
revealed that Rizal was engaged to two
women both named “Leonor.” Meanwhile,
Professor Ambeth Ocampo in his book Rizal
Without the Overcoat wrote that in 1884 a
tried to pursue Leonor Rivera but held off on
learning that she was the hero’s fiancée.
Later, de Leon met and fancied a lady named
Leonor Valenzuela, who told him, however,
that she was already engaged to Rizal. In the
Rizal-Cecilio correspondence, Rivera was
always referred to as the “little land lady”
Page 7 of 9
since her father, Don Antonio Rivera,

managed a boarding house in Intramuros; In his book, however, Ocampo wrote

Valenzuela, on the other hand, was labelled that when Valenzuela came to Dapitan on

“winsome Orang.”
June 21, 1896, to talk to Rizal about the

Such anecdotes prove that Rizal, just Revolution, he arrived with a companion

like Ibarra, was no doubt a romantic; but with named Raymundo who was blind. Rizal

regard to faithfulness, Rizal seems suspect.

examined the eyes of Raymundo and

And then there was the question of his skill declared that they were beyond cure.

as a doctor. During his first homecoming, Nevertheless, he prescribed 3 grams of

Rizal built a clinic in Calamba, where he potassium iodide in 100 grams of distilled

treated his townmates. It was also common water, one spoonful of it to be taken every

knowledge that he treated the failing morning. Ocampo, in trying to determine the

eyesight of his mother upon his return. In his correctness of the prescription, consulted an

short stint in Hong Kong, he was also able to eye-ear-nose-throat specialist who disclosed

create a good reputation as an that the prescription was a diuretic.

ophthalmologist that allowed him to Could this be a case of medical

establish a satisfactory clientele.

malpractice or did Rizal think that the

When he was exiled in Dapitan in patient’s blindness had something to do with

1892, Rizal won in the lottery and bought for a urinary problem?

himself hectares of an estate identified as OUR HUMAN HERO

Talisay. There he built a school and a clinic. Sometimes in our eagerness to find heroes,

Since Dapitan was a remote island, and we tend to put them so high on a pedestal

since Rizal was a Europe-trained that one day we wake up to find out they are

ophthalmologist, villagers trusted him to cure too far to reach. In Rizal’s case, there was so

even diseases not related to his much about him that really elevated him to

specialisation.
the level of an extraordinary man. He was a

writer, a poet; he was a scientist, an

Page 8 of 9
opthalmologist; a philosopher, a lover. His

exploits are what makes for interesting

anecdotes and heroic tales.

The unfortunate result of this is a risk

toward alienation. With Rizal in fact, many

had fallen into this danger, with some who

have even daubed him with divinity, shooting

him off to high heavens as a demigod. In the

end, Rizal has become too good to the

common people as well as their ideals. 

It is fortunate, though, that we have

retained the capacity to go back in history

and restudy Rizal. By remembering his

human side, we bring our national hero back

to our midst and begin to share with him

once more the ideals of freedom for which

he laid down his life.

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