1

GE 12 – RIZAL’S LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS

LEARNING MODULE
SECOND SEMESTER 2021-2022
Saint Joseph College of Bulacan
Instructor : Edgardo E. Villanueva
E-mail : edvillanueva2015@gmail.com

Preliminary Examination Period (pages 1-

Topics:
Introduction
Life of Rizal
Childhood years in Calamba, Laguna
Schooling
Rizal’s Departure for Spain(1882)
Life in Paris, France (1885-1886)
Life in Heidelberg, Germany (1886)
Grand Tour in Europe
Jose Rizal’s Love Life
Collaboration with the other Heroes
 2

Contribution to Reform Movement

The Women in Rizal’s Life
Collaboration with other heroes
Love-Hate Relationship to Del Pilar COLLABORATION

INTRODUCTION
Why Study Rizal?
It is of great importance that students understand the rationale behind
having to take up a Rizal course in college.  For high school students, the
Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo are injected into the Filipino
subject as part of the overall curriculum.  In tertiary education, however,
Rizal is a subject required of any course, in any college or university in the
Philippines. 

Usually, during the first day of the course, the professor asks the well-
overused questions:

Why study Rizal?

What is the importance of studying Rizal?
Why is Rizal one of the minor subjects taken up in college?
Why is Rizal included in the course outline?
What relevance does Rizal have in college education?

The answer to such questions can be summed up in two points:

1. First and foremost, because it is mandated by law.

2. Secondly, because of the lessons contained within the course itself.

Let us discuss those reasons one by one:

WHY STUDY RIZAL:  BECAUSE IT IS MANDATED BY LAW

The teaching of Jose Rizal’s life, works, and writings is mandated by
Republic Act 1425, otherwise known as the Rizal Law.  Senator Jose P.
Laurel, the person who sponsored the said law, said that since Rizal was
the founder of Philippine nationalism and has contributed much to the
current standing of this nation, it is only right that the youth as well as all
 3

the people in the country know about and learn to imbibe the great ideals
for which he died.  The Rizal Law, enacted in 1956, seeks to accomplish
the following goals:
1. To rededicate the lives of
youth to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism, for which our
heroes lived and died
2. To pay tribute to our
national hero for devoting his life
and works in shaping the Filipino
character
3. To gain an inspiring source
of patriotism through the study of
Rizal’s life, works, and writings.

WHY STUDY RIZAL: 

BECAUSE OF THE LESSONS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE
COURSE
Aside from those mentioned
above, there are other reasons
for teaching the Rizal course in
Philippine schools:
1. To recognize the
importance of Rizal’s ideals and
teachings in relation to present conditions and situations in the society.
2. To encourage the application of such ideals in current social and
personal problems and issues.
3. To develop an appreciation and deeper understanding of all that Rizal
fought and died for. 
4. To foster the development of the Filipino youth in all aspects of
citizenship.

THE LEGAL BASIS OF RIZAL COURSE

What is Republic Act 1425 or Rizal Law? –
House Bill No. 5561 - Senate Bill No. 438. - It is commonly known as the
Rizal Act, established on 12th of June 1956 by Senator Claro M. Recto. –
 4

It requires the curricula of private and public schools, colleges and

universities courses to include, works and writings of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. – It was
made effective on August 16, 1956.
Rizal Law (Republic Act No. 1425) As stated in the preamble of RA
1425/Rizal Law;
“Whereas, today more than other period of or history, there is a need for a
re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died.” “Whereas, all educational institutions are under the
supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State, and all schools are
enjoined to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience,
and to teach the duties of citizenship.”
Rizal Law (Republic Act No. 1425)

- The law requires all schools, colleges, universities, private or public to

include in their curricula courses on the life and works of Rizal. It also
states that all schools are required to have an adequate number of copies
of the copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of El Filibusterismo
and Noli Me Tangere, as well as other works and biographies of Rizal.
- The purpose of Batas Rizal is to rekindle the flame of nationalism in the
hearts of the Filipino, particularly the youth. We are forgetting what our
patriots have done and given to fight for our freedom.
❖ Factors in Determining of a Person
⮚ Just
⮚ Patient
⮚ Courageous
⮚ Bearer of Wisdom
 5

⮚ Respectful
⮚ Nationalist
o Source: National Historical Commission

❖ Criteria in Choosing the Philippine National Hero

⮚ Filipino citizen
⮚ Patriot/nationalist
⮚ Has already been dead
⮚ Patient
o Source: National Historical Commission

❖ Personalities Nominated to be our National Hero

⮚ Marcelo H. del Pilar
⮚ Emilio Jacintoϖ
⮚ Graciano Lopez-Jaena
⮚ Antonio Luna
Issues about the Proclamation of Dr.Jose Rizal as National Hero
1. He was the illegitimate son of Adolf
Hitler
2. He should not be proclaimed as the
national hero because of his cowardice
to fight the colonizers through
revolution.

3. He was regarded
as an ―American-made hero‖. First Philippine
Commission was formed by the United States President
headed by the American Governor-General William
Howard c. Taft. Declaration of Dr. Jose Rizal as our
national hero was only their strategy to hinder our
nationalistic feelings
 6

Philippines: Spanish Period Emergence of political unrest in Spanish

Politics
1.It started during the reign of King Ferdinand VII
2.Spanish political instability resulted to frequent shifts of colonial policies
and unfixed terms of government officials in the Philippines.
Representation in the Spanish Cortes
⮚ Deprivation of Human Rights to the Filipino
⮚ Corrupt Spanish Officialϖ Inequality
⮚ Racial Discriminationϖ Land ownership and Feudalism

Explanation about Rizal’s full name

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda
Doctor – complete his medical course in Spain and was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid.
Jose – chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian St.
Joseph.
Protacio – form Gervacio P which come from a Christian calendar, in
consideration of the day of his birth.
Rizal – from the word ―Ricial‖ in Spanish means a field where a wheat, cut
while still green, sprouts again.
Mercado – adopted by Domingo Lamco which Spanish term means market.
y – (Spanish letter (y) read as “e” which means “and” in Eglish
Alonzo – old name surname of his mother.
Realonda – it was used by Doña Teodora from the surname of her
godmother based on the culture by that time.
 7

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda

❖ He was born near midnight of Wednesday of June 19, 1861 to the
Rizal family of Calamba, Laguna.
❖ He was baptized by Rev. Rufino Collantes in the Catholic church of
Calamba on June 22, 1861, three days after birth.
❖ His Godfather named Father Perdo Casanas, a close friend of Rizal
family.
❖ Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery was the governor general of the

Philippines when Rizal was born.

Rizal’s Father Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

❖ Born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818.
❖ Studied Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose in Manila. - Became a
tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned
hacienda.
❖ A hardly and independent-minded man,
who talked less and worked more, and was
strong in body and valiant in spirit.
 8

❖ Died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at age of 80.

❖ Rizal affectionately called him ―a model father.

Rizal’s Mother Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911)

❖ Born in Manila on November 8, 1826. - Educated at the College of
Santa Rosa, a wellknown college for girls in the city.
❖ A remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent,
business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan.
❖ Is a woman of more than ordinary culture; she known literature and
speaks Spanish (according to Rizal).
❖ Died in Manila on August 16, 1911 at age of 85.
Information about his parents
❖ Rizal always called her sisters Doña or Señora (married) and
Señorita (single).
❖ Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda married on June
28, 1848, after which they settled down in Calamba.
❖ The real surname of the Rizal was Mercado, which was adopted in
1713 by Domingo Lamco (paternal great-great grandfather of Jose
Rizal), who was a full blooded Chinese.
❖ Rizal‘s family acquired a second surname – Rizal – which was given
by a Spanish Alcalde Mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who
was a family friend.
Ancestry of Jose Rizal
9
10
 11

The Siblings of Jose Rizal

1. Saturnina (1850-1913)
❖ Oldest of the Rizal children - Nicknamed Neneng - Married to Manuel
T. Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. Paciano
❖ Older brother and confident of Jose Rizal. - He was the second father
to Rizal.
❖ Immortalized him in Rizal‘s first novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise
Pilosopong Tasio.
❖ Rizal regarded him a s the ―most noble of Filipinos‖.
❖ He became a combat general in the Philippine Revolution.
❖ Died on April 13, 1930,an old bachelor at age of 79, he had two
children by his mistress (Severina Decena) – a boy and a girl.

2. Narcisa (1852-1939)
❖ Petname Sisa
❖ She was married to Antonio Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio
Lopez), a school teacher of Morong.

3. Olympia (1855-1887) –
❖ Petname Ypia - She was married to Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph
operator in Manila.

4. Lucia (1857-1979)
❖ she was married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a
nephew of Father Casanas.

5. Maria (1859-1945)
❖ Biang was her petname
❖ She was married to Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

6. Concepcion (1862-1865)
❖ Concha was her pet-name - She died at age of three because of
sickness.
❖ Her death was Rizal‘s first sorrow in life.

7. Josefa (1865-1945)
❖ Panggoy was her pet-name
❖ An old maid, died at age of 80.
 12

8. Trinidad (1868-1951)
❖ Trining was her pet-name
❖ An old maid, died at age of 83.

9. Soledad (1870-1929)
❖ Choleng was her pet-name
❖ She was married to Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

Rizal’s Home
❖ It is one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the
Spanish times.
❖ It was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe
stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles.
❖ During the day, it hummed with the noises of children at paly and the
songs of the birds in the garden; by night, it echoed with the dulcet
notes of family prayers.
❖ The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, town aristocracy in
Spanish Philippines.
❖ The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life.

Childhood Years in Calamba, Laguna

- Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to Dominican Order,
which also owned all the lands around.
- Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town) – a poem about
Rizal‘s beloved town written by Rizal in 1876 when he was 15 years old
and was student in the Ateneo de Manila.
- The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family
garden when he was three.
- Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall,
Rizal related, his mother gathered all the children at the house to pray the
Angelus
 13

- Another memory of Rizal during infancy was the nocturnal walk in the
town, especially when there was a moon.
- The death of Concha was his first sorrow.
- At age of three he began to take part in the family prayers.
- At 5, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible, and make
sketches with this pencil and to mould in clay and wax on objects which
attracted his fancy.
● The Story of the Moth - made the profoundest impression of Rizal.
● Sa Aking Mga Kabata - his first poem written in the native language
at age of 8, he also wrote his first dramatic work (Tagalog comedy

Influences on the Hero’s Boyhood

1. Hereditary influence
2. Environmental influence
3. Aid of the Divine Providence
- Tio Jose Alberto – he develop the artistic ability of Rizal.
- Tio Manuel – he guided Rizal on his physical exercises.
- Tio Gregorio – intensified Rizal‘s voracious reading of good books.
- Father Leoncio Lopez – fostered Rizal‘s love for scholarship and
intellectual honesty.

Early Education in Calamba and Biñan

- The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was remarkable woman of
good character and fine culture.
- Maestro Celestino – first private tutor. - Maestro Lucas Padua – science
tutor.
- Leon Monroy – a former classmate of his father, that instructed in
Spanish and Latin. He diedfive months later.
 14

- June 1869
– Rizal left Calamba to study in Biñan, accompanied byPaciano.
- Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz – Rizal‘s first teacher in Biñan
- Pedro – his classmate that challenge him to fight.
- Andres Lakindanan – challenged Rizal to an wrestling match.
- Juancho – an old painter who was the father-in-law of the school teacher;
freely give Rizal lesson in drawing and painting.
- December 17, 1870 – he left Biñan after one year and a half of schooling.
- Arturo Camos – a French friend of Rizal‘s father who took care of him on
board.

Martyrdom of GomBurZA
- January 20, 1872
– about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the
leadership of Sgt. Lamadrid (he was Filipino, but rose in mutiny because of
the abolition of their usual privileges).
- Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora – were executed at
sunrise of February 17, 1872, by the order of Governor-General Izquierdo.
- The martyrdom of the GomBurZa in 1872 truly Rizal to fight the evils of
Spanish tyranny and redeem his oppressed people.
- Rizal dedicated his second novel El Filibusterismo to GomBurZa.

Injustice to Rizal’s Mother

- June 1872 – Doña Teodora was suddenly arrested on a malicious charge
that she and her brother Jose Alberto, tried to poison the latter‘s perfidious
wife.
- Antonio Vivencio del Rosario – Calamba‘s gobernadorcillo, who helped to
arrest Doña Teodora.
 15

- After arresting Doña Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her
to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz, Laguna (50km.).
- Doña Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where she
languished for two years.
- Francisco de Marcaida and Manuel Marzan – the most famous lawyers of
Manila that defend Doña Teodora.
 16

Scholastic Triumph at Ateneo de Manila - Ateneo Municipal, a college

under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits. - Escuela Pia (Charity
School) – formerly name of Ateneo, a school for poor boys in Manila which
was established by the city
government 1817. - June 10,
1872 – Rizal was accompanied
by Paciano on his way to
Manila. - Father Magin Ferrano
– he was the college registrar,
who refused to admit Rizal in
Ateneo for two reason: a) he
was late or registration b) he
was sickly and undersized for
his age. - Manuel Xerez Burgos
– because of his intercession,
nephew of Father Burgos, Rizal
was reluctantly admitted
Ateneo. - He registered Rizal
as his surname since Mercado
was suspected by the Spanish
authorities. - Rizal was first
board in a house outside in
Caraballo Street. This was
owned by a spinster named
Titay who owed the family the
amount of 300 pesos. Mylene
Gado Almario Jesuits System
of Education - It trained the character of the students by rigid discipline and
religious instructions. - Students were divided into two groups: - Roman
Empire – consisting of internos (boarders); red banner. - Carthaginian
Empire – composed of the externos (non-boarders); blue banner. -
Intelligence distribution: - Emperor – 1 st - Tribune – 2 nd - Decurion - 3 rd -
Centurion – 4 th - Stand – 5 th - The Ateneo students wore a uniform
consisted of ―hemp-fabric trousers‖ and ―striped cotton coat‖. The coat
material was called ravadillo.

First Year in Ateneo (1872-1973) - Father Jose Bech – Rizal‘s first

professor in Ateneo who he described as ―tall thin man, with a body
slightly bend forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired,
 17

smell deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips
forming an arc whose fell toward the chin‖. - A Religious picture – a Rizal‘s
first prize for being brightest pupil in the whole class. - To improve his
Spanish, he took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon
recesses. He paid
three pesos for
those extra
Spanish lessons. -
At the end of the
school year in
March, 1873, he
returned to
Calamba for
summer vacation.
- When the
summer vacation
ended, Rizal
returned to Manila
for his second
year term in
Ateneo. This time
he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was
an old widow name Doña Pepay

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-1874) - At the end of the school year, Rizal
received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal. - The Count of
Monte Cristo –(Alexander Dumas) – the first favourite novel of Rizal which
made a deep impression on him. - Universal History (Cesar Cantu) – Rizal
persuaded his father to buy him this set of historical work that was a great
aid in his studies. - Dr. Feodor Jagor – a German scientist-traveller who
visited the Philippines 1859-1860 who wrote Travels in the Philippines. He
was impressed in this book because; 1) Jagor’s keen observation 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. Third and Fourth Year in Ateneo (1874- 1876) - Rizal's grades
remained excellent in all subjects but e won only one medal – Latin. - At the
end of the school year, Rizal‘s returned to Calamba for the vacation. He
himself was not impressed by his scholastic work. - June 16, 1875 – Rizal
became an interno of the Ateneo. - Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez – a
 18

great educator and scholar, one of Rizal‘s professors who inspired him to
study harder and to write poetry. Rizal described this Jesuit professor as
―model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his
pupils‖. - Rizal‘s topped all his classmates in all subjects and on five
medals at the end of the school term.

Last Year in Ateneo (1876-1877) - Rizal‘s studies continued to fare well. As

a matter-of-fact, the excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of
his time, he was truly the pride of the Jesuits. - March 23, 1877 –
Commencement Day, Rizal who was 15 years old, received from his Alma
Mater; the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honour. - Marian
Congeragtion – a religious society wherein Rizal was an active member
and later became the secretary. - Rizal cultivated his literary talent under
the guidance of Father Sanchez. - Father Jose Vilaclara – advised Rizal to
stop communing with the muse and pay mote attention to more practical
studies. - Rizal studies painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agusti
Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus; a noted Filipino sculptor. -
Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling with his
pocket-knife. - Father Lieonart – impressed by Rizal‘s sculptural talent,
requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Poems in Ateneo - It was Doña Teodora who was first discovered the
poetic genius of her son, and it also she who first encourage him to write
poems. However, it was Father Sanchez who inspired Rizal to take full of
his God-given gift in poetry. - Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration),
1874, the Rizal probably wrote during days in Ateneo which was dedicated
to his mother on her birthday; Rizal wrote he was 14 years old. 1875
(inspired by Father Sanchez) 1. Felicitacion 2. El Embarque: Himno a la
Flota de Magallanes 3. Y Es Español:Elcano el Primero en dar la Vuelta al
Mundo 4. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo 5. Al Niño Jesus (To the
Child Jesus) – brief ode.
 19

Poems in Ateneo 1876

(religion, education,
childhood and
memories of war)
1. Un Recuerdo a Mi
Pueblo (In Memory of
My Town) – honour for
his hometown
Calamba.
2. Alianza Intima Entre
la Religion y la Buena
Education (Intimate
Alliance Between
Religion and Good Education) – shows the importance of religion and
education.
3. Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the
Country Receives Light) – education plays in the progress and welfare a
nation.
4. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucenas y Prison Boabdil (The
Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of
Boadbil) – the defeat and capture of Boabdil, the last Sultan of Granada.
5. La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Catolices en Granada (The Triumphal
Entry of the Catholic Monarchs into Granada) – victorious entry of King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabel of Spain to Granada.
6. San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, The Martyr) – prose story of St.
Eustace.

Poems in Ateneo 1877

1. El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Columbus) – poem praises
Columbus.
 20

2. Colon y Juan II (Columbus and John II) – relates how King John II of
Spain missed fame and riches by his failure to finance the projected
expedition of Columbus to the New World.
3. Gran Cunsuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great Misfortune)
– a legend relates to the tragic life of Columbus.
4. Un Dialogo Aluviso a la Despedida de los Colegiales (A Farewell
Dialogue of the Students) – farewell to his classmates in Ateneo.
5. A la Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary) – another religious poem which
doesn‘t have exact date when it was written.

Life in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-1882) - After finishing the first
year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878). He transferred to
the medical course. - April 1877 – he enrolled in the UST taking Philosophy
and Letters because; 1) his father like it, 2) he was “still uncertain as to
what career to pursue”. - Father Pablo Ramon – Rector of Ateneo, who had
been good to him his students days in that college, asking for advice on the
choice of a career but unfortunately he was in Mindanao. - During Rizal‘s
first school term in the UST, Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the
vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expect surveyor).

Rizal excelled in all subjects

in the surveying course in
Ateneo, obtaining gold
medals in agriculture and
topography. He passed all
the subject but the title was
no issued to him because he
was only 17 yearsold,
underage. The title was
issued to him on November
25, 1881- the title was issued
to Rizal for passing the final
examination in the surveying course. - Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-
Literay Lyceum of Manila) – society of literary men and artists held a
 21

literary contest in the year 1879. He also served as the President of the
Spanish Literature in Ateneo.
While at UST, he fell in love with three women. During his first year, he fell
in love with a woman simply called “Miss L”, a woman with a fair, seductive
and attractive eyes. The romance dead a natural death because of two
reasons: (1) the sweet memory of Segunda Katigbak was still fresh to in his
memory a and, (2) Rizal‘s father did not like the family of Miss L. - During
his sophomore year, he courted Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl with regal
bearing. Rizal sent her love notes in invisible ink. But just like Segunda he
also stopped visiting her.

During his junior year, Rizal had romance with Leonor Rivera, of Camiling,
Tarlac. Leonor was a pretty girl and a students of La Concordia Colllege.
Both Rizal and Leonor were engaged, he used the sign name ―Taimis‖ to
cover their relationship from their parents. - Rizal studied in UST from
1878-1882. his grade in Medicine consists of 2 excellent, 3 very good, 8
good, and 2 fair (physics and general pathology). His grades in UST
College of Medicine were not as impressive as what he got at Ateneo
Philosophy and Letters due to the hostility of the Dominican professors.
Accordingly, laboratory equipment's are just for display and racial
discrimination against the Filipino students.

A La Juventud (To the Filipino Youth) – at 18, submitted tis poem, it is

inspiring poem of flawless form. This poem won as a classic Filipino
literature for two reasons: a) it was a great poem in Spanish written by the
Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary authorities, 2)
expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipino, and
not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”. The Board of
Judges, composed of Spaniards was impressed by Rizal‘s poem and gave
it gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and
decorated with a gold ribbon. - A Filipinas – a sonnet written by Rizal for
the album of the Society of Sculptors; in this sonnet, he urged all Filipino
artists to glorify the Philippines.
 22

Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma – poem honouring the Ateneo Patroness. - Al M.R.P

Pablo Ramon – poem dedication to Father Pablo Ramon (Atenean Rector),
who had been so kind and helpful to him. - Vicenta Ybardolaza – a pretty
girl colegiala who skillfully played a harp at the Regalado home, whom
Rizal was infatuated. - Compañerismo (Comradeship) – Rizal founded a
secret society of Filipino students in UST 1880. - Galicano Apacible –
Rizal‘s cousin from Batangas who is the secretary of the society. Mylene
Gado Almario Unhappy Days in UST - Rizal found the atmosphere at the
UST suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican
institution of higher learning because 1) the Dominican professors were
hostile to him 2) the Filipino students were racially discriminated by the
Spaniards 3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive. - In
Rizal novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were
humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward
the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural
sciences. He related in Chapter XIII (The Class in Physics).
The Women in Rizal’s Life
 23

1. Julia – a girl in the Pagsanjan River, who use to catch ϖ butterfly.

2. Segunda Katigbak – teenage crush - She was a comely 14-year old

Batangueña from Lipa City. She also known as ―Paisana‖ but Rizal
referred to her in his diary as ―K‖. She was described by Rizal as
gay, talkative,
witty, virginal,
attractive,
alluring, and
beguiling.
At 16, Rizal fell in love
with his ―first
romance‖. Segunda
was boarding student
at the Colegio de la
Concordia where his
sister Olympia and
Leonor Rivera also
studied. He found out
later that Segunda was engaged to be married to her town-mate, Manuel
Luz.
 24

3. Margarita Almeda Gomez – Miss L - A young lady from Pakil,

Laguna. This young lady was believed to be Leonor Valenzuela but
she was not. She was described by Rizal as with fair complexion,
seductive and with attractive eyes.

Their romance died a natural death for two reasons:

a) Rizal’s memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart, and
b) Rizal’s father objected their love affair.
 25

4. Leonor Valenzuela – Orang -The daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana

Sanday Valenzuela of Pansanjan, Laguna. She was a tall girl with regal
bearing. Rizal sends her love notes written in invisible ink, that could only
be deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the
eve of his departure to Spain and bade her last goodbye.

4. Leonor Rivera – Taimis - A lady form Camiling, Tarlac, a daughter of

Antonio Rivera (Rizal‘s uncle) and Silvestre Bauson. Rizal courted
her, when she was 13-year old and she got engaged to Rizal before
the age of 15. Their relationship was actually a ―love affair by
correspondence‖ wherein Rizal wrote several letters to Leonor while
he was in abroad. However, their relationship ended when she
married her mother choice Charles Henry C. Kipping. Their love affair
last for 11 years.
 26

5. Vicenta Ybardaloza – pretty colegiala - She was also from Pakil,

Laguna who was a high school at that time. Rizal get infatuated to her
when she played a harp. However, nobody knew what happened
later between the two.

6. Consuelo Ortiga y Rey – pretty Manileña - She was a daughter of

Don Pablo Ortega y Rey(a former civil governor of Manila, under the
administration of Carlos Ma. De la Torre). He dedicated to her A la
Senorita C.O. y R., which became one of his best poems. He

probably fell in love with her and Consuelo apparently asked him for
romantic verses. He suddenly backed out before the relationship
turned into a serious romance, because he wanted to remain loyal to
Leonor Rivera and he did not want to destroy his friendship with
Eduardo de Lete who was madly in love with Consuelo.
 27

7. Seiko Usui – O-Sei-San- A Japanese samurai‘s daughter taught Rizal

the Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. Rizal was 29 at that
time while Seiko was 23. She helped Rizal improve his knowledge of

Japanese language. They spent a happy months together visiting old

temples and art galleries. - If Rizal was a man without a patriotic
mission, he would have married this lovely and intelligent woman and
lived a stable and happy life with her in Japan because Spanish
legation there offered him a lucrative job.

8. Gertrude Beckett – Gettie - An English girl with brown hair, blue eyes
and pink cheeks. When Rizal was in London, he boarded in the
house of the Beckett family. During rainy days when Rizal stayed at
 28

home, Gettie helped him mixed his colours for paintings or assisted in
preparing the clay for sculpturing. - Then Rizal realized that their
friendship was drifting to a serious affair, he drove to Paris in 1889

leaving Gertrude behind. He could not return the English girl‘s

affection and marry her because of loyalty to Leonor Rivera.
 29

9. Suzanne Jacoby –
pretty girl in
Brussels,
Belgium - She
was a pretty
niece of Rizal‘s
landlady.
Suzanne was
deeply fell in
love with him,
she cried when
Rizal left for
Madrid towards
the ends of July,
1890.
 30

10. Nellie Boustead –

almost wife‖ - She was a
daughter of Eduardo
Boustead, they met when
Rizal was a guest in the
Boustead family. She
was described as gay-
hearted, sportsminded,
highly intelligent,
vivacious in
temperament and morally
upright. Nelly was
infatuated with Rizal but
Rizal, at first, loved
Adelina. Antonio Luna,
who had previously loved and lost Nelly, encouraged Rizal court and marry
her. Rizal having lost his beloved Leonor Rivera came to entertain
considerable affection for Nelly. - However, their love affair didn‘t have a
happy ending because of two reasons: a) he refused to give up his Catholic
faith, and 2) Nelly’s mother did not like Rizal as a son-in-law.
11. Pastora Necesario – Totak - She
was a weaver of cloth at Dapitan.as a
sign of love, Rizal gave her a statue of a
woman and also sent her letters of love
and concern. When Rizal was executed
in Bagumbayan, she married Gonzalo
Carreon of Dapitan.
 31

First Travel of Jose Rizal (1882-1887)

Secret Mission of Jose Rizal Rizal conceived the secret mission, with the
blessing of his brother Paciano was to do the following: Observe keenly the
life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce and
governments and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself
for the task of liberating his people from Spanish Tyranny
Rizal’s Departure for Spain His parents, Leonor Rivera and the Spanish
authorities knew nothing about his secret departure except; 1. Paciano 2.
Antonio Rivera 3. Saturnina(Neneng) 4. Lucia 5. Leonor Valenzuela and
family 6. Pedro Paterno 7. Mateo Evangelista

Highlights:
When Jose Rizal becomes Jose Mercado ▫ Due to the popularity of the
surname and perhaps the kind Jesuit priest who gave him letters of
recommendation for their Society in Barcelona – he was claimed as a
cousin ▫
May 3, 1882 – he left Manila through
the steamer Salvadora, with 16
passenger including him. ▫
May 8, 1882 – the Salvadora
reached Singapore (an English
Colony), he stayed in Singapore for
two days spending his time
sightseeing the sorties of the city.

May 11, 1882 – he was board Djemnah, accordingly it is more larger and
cleaner than Salvadora. During the travel he was ale to learn French
language and observation, because the
steamer’s speaking language is French.
May 17, 1882 –The steamer arrived at
the Point Galle, Ceylon. The town was
quiet, lovely and sad at the same time.
 32

May 18, 1882 – he had an stopover at Colombo, Ceylon, which describe by

him as smart, elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila.
Highlights:
May 28, 1882 – from Colombo, Djemnah continued it voyage and crossed
the Indian Ocean until he reached Cape of Guardafin, Africa to Aden, Africa
where he was able to see camels for the first time.
June 2, 1882 – he proceeded to Suez Canal. It took 5 days to travel in the
said canal, then they reached the Port Said.
June 11, 1882 – from Port Said, the steamer proceeded it travel to Europe
and reached the Naple City, Italy. The city was busy because of its
business activity, lively people and panoramic beauty.

Highlights:
June 12, 1882 – the steamer docked at the French
harbor of Marseilles, France. Rizal disembarked and
visited the Chateau d’ef where Dantes (The Count
of Monte Cristo) was in jailed. He stayed in
Marseilles for 3 days.

June 16, 1882 – by a train he continued his trip to Barcelona, Spain. He

stayed in Hotel de España. He visited Ronda de la Universidad de
Barcelona. At first, he had a bad impresions to Barcelona – because he
happened to stay in a stingy people inn. But later on, he realized the
 33

atmosphere of freedom and liberalism around the place, the people were
open-hearted, hospitable and courageous.

Highlights:
Life in Barcelona:
1. He was welcomed by his former classmates in Ateneo.
2. He was treated and guided by his friend in European way.
3. He received the bad news about the cholera outbreak in Manila.
4. Leonor Rivera’s recounting happiness who getting thinner and thinner
due to the absence of her love-one.

November 3, 1882 – he left Barcelona for Madrid through the advised of

Paciano.

Life in Madrid:
1. He enrolled in Universidad Central de Madrid (Philosophy and
Letters and Medicine)
2. He lived
frugally, budgeting
hid money wisely.
3. He used to buy
lottery tickets in
every draw in
Madrid Lottery.
4. He spent his
leisure time in
reading books.
5. He met and
attracted to
Consuelo Ortega y
Rey.
 34

6. He graduated his degree in Philosophy and Letter and Medicine.

Life in Paris, France:
• June 15, 1882 –
Rizal was invited to
speak for the
celebration for the
double victory for the
two artist namely: Juan
Luna (Spoliarium) and
Felix R. Hidalgo
(Virgenes Christianas
Expuestas El
Populacio), for winning
the 1 st and 2 nd
prizes in the Paris
Exposition for the Arts.
• He lived in Paris,
France for 4 months
and be came an assistant to the clinic of Dr. Louis de Wecket.
• He also became a model for the artworks of Juan Luna (“The Death
of Cleopatra” and “The Blood Compact”).
• After his stay in Paris, he left for Heidelberg, Germany.
Heidelberg, Germany
1. He work in the University Eye Hospital under the supervision of Dr.
Otto Becker.
2. He also attended some lectures of Dr. Becker and Dr. Wilhelm
Kuehne.
3. He visited some scenic places in Heidelberg, such as castles,
rivers and old churches.
4. He was also befriended with Dr. Karl Ullmer, during summer
vacation where he stayed in Wilhelmsfeld.
5. He wrote his first letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt. - During the 5 th
centenary celebration of Heidelberg, he decide to left and went to
Leipzig, Germany via train.

Leipzig, Germany: August 14, 1886

 35

– He attended the lectures at the University of Leipzig in history and

psychology.
- He met Dr. Hans Meyer and Prof. Friedrich Ratzel.
- He translated Scheller’s William Tell and Hans Christian
Andersons’s Fairy Tale. Dresden, Germany: October 29, 1886
- He met Dr. Adolf Meyer
- After two days of stay he left Dresden and went to Berlin, Germany
in the evening of November 1, 1886.

Berlin, Germany
• Rizal was enchanted
by Berlin because of its
scientific atmosphere
and the absence of race
prejudice
• Rizal met for the first
time Dr. Feodor Jagor,
celebrated German
scientist-traveler and
author of Travels in the
Philippines, a book
which Rizal read and
admired during his student days in Manila
• Dr. Rudolf Virchow- introduced to Rizal by Dr. Jagor; famous
German anthropologist
• Dr. Hans Virchow- son of Dr. Rudolf Virchow, professor of
Descriptive Anatomy.
• Dr. Ernest Schweigger (1830-1905)- famous German
ophthalmologist where Rizal worked
• Rizal became a member of the Anthropological Society, the
Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin, upon
the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer.

Grand Tour in Europe

– May 11, 1887 – Rizal and Viola left Berlin for Dresden. They visited
Dr. Adolf B. Meyer. While strolling at the scene of the Floral
Exposition, they met Dr. Jagor, and suggested them to meet
Blumentritt.
 36

- May 13, 1887 –Rizal and Viola reached Leitmeritz, Bohemia. They
met Ferdinand Blumentritt. The two enjoyed the warm hospitality of
the Blumentritt family.

- They also met famous scientist Dr. Carlos Czepelah and another
eminent naturalist Robert Klutschak.

- May 17, 1887

– they left Leitmeritz by train on their way to the city of Prague. They
carried recommendation letters of Prof. Blumentritt Dr. Wilhomm, a
professor of Natural History in the University of Prague. Mylene Gado
Almario Grand Tour in Europe –

May 19, 1887 – they reached the city of Brunn.

- May 20, 1887 – they arrived

at the city of Vienna, Austria.
They visited famous interesting
scenic places like churches,
museums, art galleries,
 37

theatres, public parks, beautiful buildings, and religious images. They

also met Mr. Norfenfoe (European novelist) and Masner and
Nordmenn (Austrian scholars).

- May 24, 1887 – they left Vienna, via river boat to see the beautiful
sights of the Danube river. The river voyage ended in Lintz,
afterwards they travelled on land to Salzburg and from there Munich.
In Munich, they had a short time savouring the famous Munich beer
(best beer in Germany).

- From Munich, they went to Nuremberg (oldest city in Germany),

were their impressed by the manufacturer of dolls which was the

biggest industry in the city. Afterwards, they went to Ulm particularly
he city cathedral, they enjoyed they view upon reaching the top, even
though Viola felt dizzy and tried.
- All they visit Ulm, they went to Stuttgart, Baden and Rheinfall.
- June 2-3, 1887 – they continued their trip on a boat and reached
Basel, Bern, Laussenne, and they cross to the lake of Geneva. - June
 38

6, 1887- they reached Geneve, Switzerland. While in Geneva, Rizal

received sad news from his friends in Madrid about the conditions of
Igorots, who were exhibited in the 1887 Madrid Exposition, some of
the natives died.
- June 19, 1887 – it was 26th birthday, he treated Viola to a blow-out
with a sumptuous meal. He also wrote a letter to Blumentritt
regarding Industrial exhibition.
- June 23, 1887 – Rizal and Viola parted ways. They both spent 15
days in Geneva. Viola returned to Barcelona and Rizal continued his
tour to Italy.
- June 24, 1887 – Rizal went to Italy, and visited Turin, Milan, Venice
and Florence.
- June 27, 1887 – he reached Rome and visited famous architectural
buildings.
–June 29, 1887 – he visited the Vatican City. He has sightseeing and
was impressed by the magnificent edifice like St. Peter’s Church, the
rare works of the art, the vast St. Peter’s Square, and the colourful
Papal Guard. After a week travel in Rome, he decided to return to the
Philippines.
 39

Rizal’s First Homecoming (1887-1888) Rizal’s Plans of Homecoming

As early as 1884, Rizal wanted to go back to the Philippines for the
following reasons:
– Financial difficulties in Calamba
– Dissatisfaction with his studies in Madrid
– Desire to prove that there is no reason to fear going home.
– His belief that the Spanish regime will not punish the innocent.
 40

Decision to return home

• After five years of his memorable sojourn in Europe, Rizal returned

to the Philippines.
• However, Rizal was warned by the following not to return to the
Philippines because his Noli Me Tangere angered the friars:

– Paciano Mercado – Rizal’s adviser and only brother. – Silvestre

Ubaldo – Rizal’s brother in law; husband of Olimpia. – Jose Ma.
Cecilio (Chenggoy)

– one of Rizal’s closest friends. Mylene Gado Almario

• Rizal was determined to come back to the Philippines for the
following reasons:
– To operate his mother’s eyes
– To serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish
tyrants.
 41

– To find out for himself how the Noli Me Tangere and his other
writings were affecting Filipinos and Spaniards.
– To inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent.
Rizal arrives in Manila
• Rizal left Rome by train to Marseilles, a French port and boarded
Djemnah, the same steamer that brought him to Europe five years
ago.

• There were 50 passengers: 4 Englishmen, 2 Germans, 3 Chinese, 2

Japanese, 40 Frenchmen, and 1 Filipino (Rizal)

• When the ship reached Aden, the weather became rough and some
of Rizal’s book got wet.
• In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam – he transferred to another
steamer, Haiphong, that brought him to Manila.
 42

Happy Homecoming
 43

When Rizal arrived in Calamba, rumors spread that he was a: –

German spy – An agent of Otto Von Bismarck – the liberator of
Germany. – A Protestant – A Mason – A soul halfway to damnation

• Paciano – did not leave him during the first days after arrival to
protect him from any enemy assault.
• Don Francisco – did not permit him to go out alone In Calamba
• Rizal established a medical clinic.
• Doña Teodora – was Rizal’s first patient
• Rizal treated her eyes but could not perform any surgical operation
because her cataracts were not yet ripe.
• He painted several beautiful landscapes in Calamba.
• He translated German poems of Von Wildernath in Tagalog.
• Doctor Uliman – Rizal was called this name because he came from
Germany. – He earned P900 in a few months and P5,000 before he
left the Philippines.
• Gymnasium – was opened by Rizal for the young people • He
introduced European sports fencing and shooting to discourage them
from cockfighting and gambling. Mylene Gado Almario Sad moments
while Rizal was in Calamba
• Leonor Rivera – Rizal tried to visit her in Tarlac but his parents
forbade him to go because Leonor’s mother did not like him for a son-
inlaw.
• Olimpia Mercado-Ubaldo – died because of child birth.
 44

Storm over the Noli Me Tangere

• As Rizal was peacefully living in
Calamba, his enemies plotted his
doom.
• Governor General Emilio Terrero
– wrote to Rizal requesting to
come to Malacañang Palace.
– Somebody had whispered to his
ear that the Noli contains
subversive ideas.
– Rizal explained to him that he
merely exposed the truth, but did
not advocate subversive ideas.
– He was pleased by Rizal’s
explanation and curious about the
book, he asked for a copy of the
novel.
– Rizal had no copy that time but promised to send one for him.

Rizal visited the Jesuits

• Rizal visited the Jesuit fathers to ask for their feedback on the novel.
• He was gladly welcomed by the following friars:
– Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez
– Fr. Jose Bech
– Fr. Federico Faura – told Rizal that everything in the novel was the
truth and warned him that he may lose his head because of it.

• Governor-General Emilio Terrero –

a liberal minded Spaniard who knew
that Rizal’s life was in jeopardy
because the friars were powerful. –
Because of this he gave Rizal a
bodyguard to protect him.
 45

Jose Taviel de Andrade

• A young Spanish
lieutenant who came
from a noble family
• He was cultured and
knew painting
• He could speak
French, English and
Spanish.
• They became good
friends.

Attackers of the Noli

• Archbishop Pedro
Payo – a Dominican
• Archbishop of Manila
• Sent a copy of the Noli to Fr. Gregorio Echevarria, Rector of the
University of Santo Tomas to examine the novel. UST and Rizal
• The committee that examined the Noli Me Tangere were composed
of Dominican professors.
• The report of the faculty members from UST about the Noli states
that the novel was:
– Heretical, impious and scandalous in the religious orders, and anti-
patriotic, subversive of pubic order, injurious to the government of
Spain and its function in the Philippine Islands in the political order.

• Governor-General Terrero – was not satisfied with the report so he

sent the novel to the Permanent Commission of Censorship which
was composed of priests and lawyers.

• Fr. Salvador Font

– Augustinian friar curate of Tondo was the head of the commission.
– The group found that the novel contain subversive ideas against the
Church and Spain and recommended that the importation,
 46

reproduction and circulation of the pernicious book in the islands be

absolutely prohibited.

• The newspaper published Font’s written report • The banning of the

Noli Me Tangere served to make it popular • The masses supported
the book.

• Fr. Jose Rodriguez

– Augustinian Prior of Guadalupe
 47

– Published a series of eight pamphlets under the heading Questions of

Supreme Interest to blast the Noli and other anti-Spanish writing.
– Copies of anti-Rizal pamphlets were sold after mass
– Many Filipinos were forced to buy them in order not to displease the friars
Noli Me Tangere in Spain
• The novel was fiercely attacked in the session hall of the Senate of
the Spanish Cortes.
• Senators: – General Jose de
Salamanca – General Luis de Pando –
Sr. Fernando Vida

• Vicente Barantes – Spanish

academician of Madrid who formerly
occupied high government position in
the Philippines bitterly criticized the
novel in an article published in the
Madrid newspaper, La España Moderna.

Defenders of the Noli Me Tangere

• Propagandists such
as Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez-Jaena,
Antonio Ma. Regidor,
Mariano Ponce rushed
to uphold the truths of
the Noli Mtangere
• Father Francisco de
Paula Sanchez –
Rizal’s favorite teacher
in Ateneo defended
and praised the novel
in public.
 48

• Don Segismundo Moret – former Minister of the Crown.

• Prof. Miguel Morayta- historian and stateman
• Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt – Rizal’s best friend
• Rev. Fr. Vicente Garcia – a Filipino
Catholic priest-scholar, a theologian of the
Manila Cathedral and a Tagalog translator
of the famous Imitation of Christ by Thomas
Kempis. – Under the pen name Justo
Desiderio Magalang he wrote a defense of
the novel published in Singapore.
• Rizal cried because of his gratitude to his
defenders especially to Fr. Garcia who
defended him unexpectedly.
• He attacked Barantes by exposing his
ignorance of Philippine affairs and mental
dishonesty which is unworthy of an
academician.
• Because of the interest of both enemies and protectors of the Noli the
price of the book increased from five pesetas per copy to 50 pesetas per
copy.
Agrarian Problem in Calamba
 49

• Influenced by the novel, Governor-General Emilio Terrero ordered a

government investigation of the friar estates to remedy whatever inequities

might have been present in connection with land taxes and with tenant •
One of the friar estates affected was the Calamba hacienda by the
Dominican order since 1883.
• Upon hearing about the investigation, the people of Calamba asked
helped from Rizal to gather facts and list the grievances so that the
government might institute certain agrarian reforms.

Findings submitted by Rizal

• The hacienda of the Dominican Order comprised not only the lands
around Calamba, but the whole town of Calamba.
 50

•The profits of the

Dominican Order
continually increased
because of the
arbitrary increase of
The rentals paid by
the tenants.
• The hacienda
owner never
contributed a single
centavo for the
celebration of the
town fiesta, for the
education of the
children, and for the
improvement of
agriculture.
• Tenants who spent
much labor in
clearing the lands
were dispossessed
of the said lands for
flimsy reasons
• High rates of interest were arbitrarily charged the tenants for delayed
payment of rentals
• When the rentals could not be paid, the hacienda management
confiscated the work animals, tools, and farm implements of the tenants.

Friars Reaction
• Rizal’s exposure to the deplorable condition angered the friars.
• The friars exerted pressure to Malacañang to eliminate Rizal.
• They asked Gov. Gen. Terrero to deport Rizal but the latter refused for
there is lack of charges against Rizal in court.
 51

• Anonymous threats in Rizal’s life alarmed his parents, siblings, Andrade

his bodyguard, friends, and even Terrero, thus they all advised him to leave
the country.
Rizal’s reasons for leaving the Philippines second time
• His presence in Calamba was jeopardizing the safety and happiness of
his family and friends.
• He could not fight better his enemies and serve his country’s cause with
greater efficacy by writing in foreign countries.
Farewell Philippines
• On February 3, 1888 Rizal left his country with a heavy heart.
• But this is for his own good and the safety of his family and friends.

Second
Travel of Dr.
Jose Rizal
(1888-1892)
• February 3,
1888 – after
a short stay
of six
months in
Calamba,
Rizal was
forced to
leave his
country for a
second time.
Rizal left
Manila for
Hongkong on board the Zafiro. He was sick and sad to leave Calamba.
• February 7, 1888 – the steamer made a brief stopover at Amoy. But he
got off the ship he was not feeling well and that the city was dirty.
 52

• February 8, 1888 – he arrived in Hongkong. He stayed at Victoria Hotel.

Accordingly, it was a small but very clean city. He was welcomed by

Filipino residents like Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio and Manuel
Yriarte. There were other Filipinos in Hongkong but they were generally
poor, gentle and timid. He observed the noisy celebration of the Chinese
New Year due to the continuous explosions of firecrackers, the noisy
audience and music in a Chinese theatre.
• February 18, 1888 – Rizal and Basa visited Macao. They boarded the
ferry steamer, Ku-Kiang. The city was small,low and gloomy. There were
many junks, sampans, but few steamers. The city looked sad and dead.
They stayed at the house of Don Juan Francisco Lecaros. They also visited
the theatre, casino, cathedral, churches, pagodas, botanical gardens and
bazaars.
• February 20, 1888 – after their two-day sojourn in Macao, Rizal and Basa
returned to Hongkong on board again on the steamer Ku-Kiang.
• February 21, 1888 – Rizal and Basa went back to Hongkong. Rizal stayed
in Hongkong for almost two weeks. While in Hongkong, Jose Sainz de
 53

Varonda, a Spaniard, was commissioned by the Spanish authorities to spy

on Rizal.

Rizal in Japan
• February 22, 1888 – Rizal left Hongkong alone on board the Oceanic,
American steamer to Japan his next destination. Rizal liked the ship
because it was clean and
efficiently managed but did not
like the meals on board. Other
passengers of the ship were
two Portuguese, two Chinese,
several British and an
American woman Protestant
missionary. His cabin mate
was a British Protestant m
issionary who lived in China for
27 years.
• February 28, 1888 – Rizal
arrived in Yokohama, Japan
and registered at the Grand
Hotel.
• February 29, 1888 – he
proceeded to Tokyo and took a
room at Tokyo Hotel where he
stayed for 6 days. Japan was
to him the “Land of the Cherry Blossoms” because of its natural beauty and
the charming manners of the Japanese people.
• He visited by Juan Perez Caballero, secretary of the Spanish legation. He
wrote a letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, sharing his observation in Japan.
• During his first day in Tokyo, Japan, Rizal was embarrassed because he
didn’t know the Japanese language. To avoid further embarrassment, he
decided to study the Japanese language and a few days, he was able to
speak the language.
• He also studied Kabuki, visited museum, libraries, art galleries and
shrines, and villages. He was impressed by the beauty of Tokyo, but he
 54

was not impressed with the mode of transportation because the rickshaws
were drawn by men, which made Rizal disgusted because human were
working like horses.
• He also met Seiko Usui but Rizal called her as O-Sei-San. They also met
daily as they visited interesting spots of the city, like the Imperial Art
Gallery, the Imperial Library, the city parks and picturesque shrines. She
served as his guide, interpreter and tutor.
• April 13, 1888 – Rizal boarded the Belgic, an English steamer bound for
the United States. He left Japan very sad because he would never see
again the beautiful land and his beloved O-Sei-San. His sojourn in Japan
for 45days was one of the happiest interludes in Rizal’s life.
• On board the Belgic, he met a passenger, Techo Suchero, a Japanese
newspaperman who was jailed in his country for his articles and principles
and was exiled. The ship carried 643 Chinese people and other
nationalities.
Across the Atlantic - USA
• April 28, 1888 – Rizal and Techo arrived in San Francisco Port on
Saturday morning of April 28. All passengers were not allowed to land
because the ship was
placed on a quarantine
on the ground that it
came form the Far East
where cholera epidemic
was alleged to be raging.
• He soon discovered
that placing the ship
under quarantine was
prompted by politics.
• After a week of
quarantine, all first class
passengers, including
Rizal were permitted to
land but the Chinese and Japanese passengers of the second and third
class accommodations was remained on board.
Across the Atlantic - USA
 55

• May 4, 1888 – it was the day when Rizal and other passengers were
permitted to land. Rizal registered at the Palace Hotel.
• May 6, 1888 –
Rizal left San
Francisco to
Oakland by ferry
boat. In
Oakland, he
took his supper
at Sacramento
for 75 cents and
slept in his
coach.
• May 7, 1888 –
Rizal boarded a train for a trip across the continent.
• Reno, Nevada (May 7); Utah, Ogden, Denver (May 8); • Colorado (May
9); Nebraska (May 10);

• Chicago (May 11); Canada (May 12);

• Albany (May 13) and travel to New York City.
• May 13, 1888 – Rizal reached New York and stayed for 3 days. Rizal
called it as “The Big Town”. He visited the memorial George Washington,
and other scenic and historic places.
• May 16, 1888 – he left New York for Liverpool and board the City of
Rome. He also visited the Colossal Statue of Liberty on Bedloe Island.
 56

Rizal’s Impressions of America

1. Progressive nation
2. People were energetic and hard-working
3. Better opportunities for immigrants
4. Racial prejudice
5. Freedom and democracy were only in words, not practiced
6. No true liberty
London, England
• May 25, 1888 – he went to London and stayed there for a short time as a
guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor (lawyer).
• He boarded at Becket family, and being close to Gertrude Becket.
• He spent Sundays in the house of Dr. Reinhold Rost, and played crickets
with Dr. Rost son.
• He also spent much of his time in the British Museum annotating Morga’s
book, Sucesos de los Islas Filipinas (Historical Events of the Philippine
Islands).
• For 10 months, he was
deeply immensed in his
historical studies in London,
England He received news:
the Queen Regent of Spain
requesting the expulsion of
the friars in the Philippines.
• Attacks on Rizal by
Senator Salamanca and
Vida in the Spanish Cortes
and Wenceslao Retana.
• Persecution of the Rizal’s
family and other Calamba farmers for their courage to petition the
government for agrarian.
 57

• Exile of Manuel Hidalgo without due process.

• Arrest and jailing of Rizal’s friend – Lauriano Viado, for the copies of Noli
found in his house.

• September, 1888 – Rizal visited Paris for a week and visited his Juan
Luna and his wife Paz Pardo de Tavera with their son Andres.
• December 11, 1888 – he went again to Spain and visited Madrid and
Barcelona. He went to visit his compatriots Marcelo H. Del Pilar and
Marciano Ponce. They exchanged ideas and promised to cooperate in the
fight for reforms.
• December 24, 1888 – he returned to London and spent Christmas and
New Year with the Becket family.
• December 31, 1888 – the Associacion de La Solidaridad was
inaugurated, Rizal served as the Honorary President; Galicano Apacible
 58

(President); Graciano Lopez-Jaena (VP); Manuel Santa Maria (Secretary);

Mariano Ponce (Treasurer); Jose Ma. Panganiban (Accountant).
• January 14, 1889 – Rizal wrote Blumentritt of his proposal to establish the
“Inauguration Association of the Filipinologist” and have its inauguration in
the French capital. Blumentritt gladly supported him.
• January 28, 1889 – Rizal a letter addressed to the members of the
Associacion de La Solidaridad recognizing his position as Honorary
President. On his letter, he stressed that the individual should give way to
the welfare of society and he should nor expect rewards/honors for what he
does.
• February 15, 1889 – Graciano Lopez-Jaena and
Mariano Ponce was founded newspaper, called as
La Solidaridad in Barcelona – the official organ of
the Propaganda Movement.
La Solidaridad:
Aims
1. To work for a peaceful
political and social reforms in the Philippines;
2. To portray the deplorable conditions of the
Philippines so that Spain may treat them;
3. Oppose the evil forces of reaction;
4. To advocate liberal ideas and progress;
5. Champion the legitimate aspirations of the
Filipino people to life, democracy and happiness.
• Rizal congratulated Lopez-Jaena and its associates in founding the news
organ, however, he advised LopezJaena that great care should be taken in
publishing only the truth. Paris, France
• March 19, 1889 – From London he went again to Paris. He organized the
society called Kidlat Club – aim to bring together the young Filipinos in the
French capital so that they could enjoy their stay in the city during the
duration of the Paris Universal Exposition.
 59

• May 6, 1889 – Rizal and his friends attended the opening ceremonies of
the Paris Universal Exposition. - vast crowd of tourist attended - greatest
attraction was the Eiffel Tower (Alexander Eiffel) - Felix Hidalgo (2 nd),
Felix Pardo De Tavera & Juan Luna (3 rd), Rizal’s artwork didn’t qualify for
the exhibit. Paris, France
• June 24, 1889 – Rizal stood as Godfather to a baby-girl (Maria de la Paz
Blanca Laureana Hermenegilda Juana y Pardo de Tavera) born to Juan
Luna and his wife.
• August 1889 – Rizal scheduled the holding of the inaugural convention of
the International Association of Filipinologist in Paris. This association aim
to study the Philippines from the scientific and historical point of view.
However, the inaugural convention did not materialize because the French
government discouraged the holding of conferences by private
organizations during the period of the international exposition.
France
• September 21, 1889 – Rizal founded the secret society called as
Redencion de los Malayos (Redemption of the Malays)
- It was patterned after Freemasonry. It had various degrees of
membership, “with the members not knowing each other.” Members of the
R.D.L.M Society 1. Gregorio Aguilera 2. Jose Ma. Basa 3. Julio Dorente 4.
Marcelo Del Pilar 5. Mariano Ponce 6. Baldomero Roxas 7. Fr. Jose Maria
Chongco
Brussels, Belgium
• January 28, 1890- Rizal left Paris for Brussels, Belgium Two reasons
impelled Rizal to leave Paris, namely;
1. the cost of living in Paris was very high because of the Universal
Exposition
2. the gay social life of the city hampered his literary works, especially the
writing of his second novel, El Filibusterismo.
• Rizal was accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels. They
lived in a modest boarding house on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne, which
was run by two Jacoby sisters (Suzanne and Marie). Later Albert, left the
city and was replaced by Jose Alejandro, an engineering student.
 60

Brussels, Belgium
• Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua Tagala (The New Orthography of
the Tagalog Language) was published in La Solidaridad.
• Letters from home which Rizal received in Brussels worried him;
1.the Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse.
2.the Dominican Order filed a suit in court to dispossess the Rizal family of
their lands in Calamba.
• Rizal had bad dreams during the nights in Brussels when he was restless
because he was always thinking of his unhappy family in Calamba.
• Rizal feared that he would not live long. He was not afraid to die, but he
wanted to finish his second novel before he went to his grave.
• In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his family, Rizal planned to go
home. He could not stay in Brussels writing a book while his parents,
relatives, and friends in the distant Philippines were persecuted.
• July 29, 1890- another letter to Ponce written at Brussels by Rizal, he
announced that he was leaving Brussels at the beginning of the following
month and would arrive in Madrid about the 3rd or 4th (August).
• He had an amorous relationship with Suzanne Jacoby, and when Rizal
leave Brussels at the end of July, she cried a lot.
Misfortune in Madrid, Spain
• Early in August, 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid
• Upon arrival in Madrid, Rizal immediately sought help of the Filipino
colony, The Asociacion Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal Spanish
newspaper in securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants. - El
Resumen- a Madrid newspaper which sympathized with the Filipino cause,
said: “To cover the ear, open the purse, and fold the arms—this is the
Spanish colonial policy. - La Epoca- an anti-Filipino newspaper in Madrid.

Life Events Madrid, Spain

 61

• Jose Ma. Panganiban, his talented co-worker in the Propaganda

Movement, died in Barcelona on August 19, 1890, after a lingering illness.
• Aborted duel with Antonio Luna
• Rizal challenged Wenceslao Retana – a Spanish talented scholar, an
agent of the Spanish friars, and his rival in pen
• Infidelity of Leonor Rivera – marrying Charles Henry Kipping.
• Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry - Rizal wrote a brief note thanking his compatriots
for electing him as Responsible. It was the last time he saw Madrid.

Biarritz, France
• To seek solace for his disappointments in Madrid, Rizal took a vacation in
the resort city of Biarritz on the fabulous French Riviera. He was a guest of
the rich Boustead family at its winter residence—Villa Eliada.
• February, 1891- Rizal arrived in Biarritz, France.
• Frustrated in romance, Rizal found consolation in writing. Evidently, while
wooing Nellie and enjoying so “many magnificent moonlight nights” with
her, he kept working on his second novel which he began to write in
Calamba 1887.
• March 29, 1891- the eve of his departure from Biarritz to Paris, he finished
the manuscript of El Filibusterismo.
• March 30, 1891-Rizal bade farewell to the hospitable and friendly
Bousteads and proceeded to Paris by train.

Paris, France to Brussels, Belgium

• April 4, 1891 - Rizal wrote to his friend, Jose Ma. Basa, in Hong Kong
from Paris, expressing his desire to go to that British colony and practice
ophthalmology in order to earn his living.
• Middle of April, 1891- Rizal was back in Brussels. Since abdicating his
leadership in Madrid in January, 1891, owing to the intrigues of his jealous
 62

compatriots, Rizal retired from the Propaganda Movement or reform

crusade.
• May 1, 1891- Rizal notified the Propaganda authorities in Manila to
cancel his monthly allowance and devote the money to some better cause
• May 30, 1891- revision of the finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo was
mostly completed
• June 13, 1891- Rizal informed Basa that he was negotiating with a
printing firm.

Ghent, Belgium
• He published the El Filibusterismo.
• July 5, 1891- Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in
Belgium.
• Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were;
1. the cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels;
2. to escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne.
• Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose Alejandro and Edilberto
Evangelista, both studying engineering in the world-famed University of
Ghent.
• September 22, 1891 - four days after the Fili came off the press, Rizal
wrote to Blumentritt: “I am thinking of writing a third novel, a novel in the
modern sense of the word, but this time politics will not find much space in
it, but ethics will play the principal role.”
• October 3, 1891 - two weeks after the publication of Fili, Rizal left Ghent
for Paris, where he stayed a few days to say goodbye to the Lunas, the
Pardo de Taveras, the Venturas and other friends; Rizal proceeded by train
to Marseilles.
• October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles
bound for Hongkong during the voyage, Rizal began writing the third novel
in Tagalog, which he intended for Tagalog readers.
 63

Hongkong
• Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong, where he lived from November, 1891 to
June, 1892.
His reasons for leaving Europe were;
1. life was unbearable in Europe because of his political differences with
M.H. del Pilar and other Filipinos in Spain;
2. to be near his idolized Philippines and family.
• November 20, 1891 - Rizal arrived in Hong Kong. He established his
residence at No. 5 D’ Aguilar Street No. 2 Rednaxola Terrace, where he
also opened his medical clinic.
Hongkong
• December 1, 1891 - Rizal wrote his parents asking their permission to
return home. On the same date, his brother-inlaw, Manuel T. Hidalgo, sent
him a letter relating the sad news of the “deportation of twenty-five persons
from Calamba, including father, Neneng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano and the rest
of us.”
• The Christmas of 1891 in Hong Kong was one of the happiest Yuletide
celebrations in Rizal’s life: For he had a happy family reunion.
• January 31, 1892- Rizal wrote to Blumentritt, recounting pleasant life in
Hong Kong. His family very impressed with the English government.
• Rizal successfully operated on his mother’s left eye so that she was able
to read and write again.
Borneo, Colonization Project
• Rizal planned to move the landless Filipino families Filipino families to
North Borneo (Sabah), rich British owned island and carve out of its virgin
wildness a “New Calamba”.
• March 7, 1892- Rizal went to Sandakan on board the ship Menon to
negotiate with the British authorities for the establishment of a Filipino
colony. • Rizal looked over the land up the Bengkoka River in Maradu Bay
which was offered by the British North Borneo Company.
 64

• April 20, 1892 - Rizal was back in Hong Kong. His brother in-law
(Hidalgo), objected to the project for it was antinationalistic act to have a
colony.
Colonization Project
• Governor General Eulogio Despujol – the present governor-general
(1891-1892)
• December 23, 1891- first letter of Rizal to Governor Despujol.
• March 21, 1892- Rizal’s second letter and gave it to a ship captain to be
sure it would reach Governor Despujol’s hand, in this second letter, he
requested the governor general to permit the landless Filipinos to establish
themselves in Borneo.
• Despujol could not approve the Filipino immigration to Borneo, alleging
that “the Philippines lacked laborers” and “it was not very patriotic to go off
and cultivate foreign soil.
\Writings in Hongkong
• “Ang Mga Karapatan Nang Tao- which is a Tagalog translation of “The
Rights of Man” proclaimed by the French Revolution in 1789.
• “A la Nacion Espanola” (To the Spanish Nation) - which is an appeal to
Spain to right the wrongs done to the Calamba tenants.
• “Sa Mga Kababayan” (To my Countrymen)- explaining the Calamba
agrarian situation.
• “Una Visita a la Victoria Gaol” (A Visit to Victoria Gaol)- it contrasted the
cruel Spanish prison system with the modern and more humane British
prison system.
Writings in Hongkong
• “Colonisation du British North Borneo, par de Familles de Isles
Philippines” (Colonization of British North Borneo by Families from the
Philippine Islands)- an article in French which Rizal elaborated on the same
idea in another article in Spanish.
• “La Mano Roja” (The Red Hand) - it denounces the frequent outbreaks of
intentional fires in Manila • Constitution of La Liga Filipina - the most
 65

important writing made by Rizal during his Hong Kong sojourn, which was
printed in Hong Kong, 1892

Decision to Return in Manila

• May, 1892- Rizal made up his mind to return to Manila.
• This decision was spurred by the following:
1. to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his Borneo colonization
project;
2. to establish the La Liga Filipina in Manila;
3. to prove that Eduardo de Lete was wrong in attacking him in Madrid that
he was being comfortable and safe in Hong Kong, had abandoned the
country’s cause.
• June 20, 1892- Rizal wrote two letters which he sealed, inscribed on
each envelope “to be opened after my death” and gave them to his friend
Dr. Marques for safekeeping.

Second Homecoming
• May, 1892- Rizal made up his mind to return to Manila.
• This decision was spurred by the following:
1. to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his Borneo colonization
project;
2. to establish the La Liga Filipina in Manila;
3. to prove that Eduardo de Lete was wrong in attacking him in Madrid that
he was being comfortable and safe in Hong Kong, had abandoned the
country’s cause.
• June 20, 1892 - Rizal wrote two letters which he sealed, inscribed on
each envelope “to be opened after my death” and gave them to his friend
Dr. Lorenso Marques for safekeeping. 1 st letter – “TO MY PARENTS,
BRETHREN and FRIENDS” 2 nd letter – “TO THE FILIPINOS”
 66

• June 21, 1892 - Rizal penned another letter in Hong Kong for Governor
Despujol, incidentally his third letter to that discourteous Spanish chief
executive. • Immediately after Rizal’s departure from Hong Kong, the
Spanish consul general who issued the government guarantee of safety,
sent a cablegram to Governor Despujol that the victim “is in the trap”.
• On the same day (June 21, 1892), a secret case was filed in Manila
against Rizal and his followers “for anti-religious and anti-patriotic
agitation”.
• Luis de la Torre - secretary of Despujol, ordered to find out if Rizal was
naturalized as a German citizen.

Arrival in Manila with Sister

• June 26, 1892 - Sunday at 12:00 noon, Rizal and his widowed sister
Lucia arrived in Manila.
• In the afternoon, at 4:00 o’clock, he went to Malacañang Palace to seek
audience with the Spanish governor general, General Eulogio Despujol,
Conde de Caspe. • June 27, 1892- at 6:00pm, Rizal boarded a train in
Tutuban Station and visited his friends in Malolos (Bulacan), San Fernando
(Pampanga), Tarlac (Tarlac), and Bacolor (Pampanga)
• Rizal returned by train to Manila on the next day, June 28, at 5 o’clock in
the afternoon.
• July 3, 1892 – Rizal founded the La Liga Filipina in Tondo, Manila.
Mylene Gado Almario Rizal Arrested and Jailed in Fort Santiago • July 6,
1892- Wednesday, Rizal went to Malacañang Palace to resume his series
of interviews with governor general.
• Pobres Frailles (Poor Friars) - incriminatory leaflets which allegedly found
in Lucia’s pillow cases; it is under the authorship of Fr. Jacinto and printed
by the Imprenta de los Amigos del Pais, Manila
• Rizal was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon
Despujol, nephew and aide of Governor General Despujol.
• July 7, 1892 - the Gaceta de Manila published the story of Rizal’s arrest
which produced indignant commotion among the Filipino people,
particularly the members of the newly organized Liga Filipina. The same
 67

issue of the Gaceta (july 7, 1892) contained Governor General Despujol’s

decree deporting Rizal to “one of the islands in the South” Mylene Gado
Almario Rizal Arrested and Jailed in Fort Santiago
• July 14, 1892, shortly after midnight (that is 12:30 am of July 15, 1892) –
Rizal was brought under heavy guard to the steamer Cebu which was
sailing for Dapitan. This steamer under Captain Delgras departed at 1:00
AM, July 15, sailing south, passing Mindoro and Panay and reaching
Dapitan on Sunday, the 17th of July at 7:00 in the evening.
• Captain Ricardo Carnicero- Spanish commandant of Dapitan whom
Captain Delgras handed Rizal
• July 17, 1892 to July 31, 2896 - Rizal began his exile in lonely Dapitan, a
period of four years.
• Rizal practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, continued his artistic
and literary works, widened his knowledge of languages, established a
school for boys, promoted developments projects, invented a wooden
machine for making bricks, and engaged in farming and commerce (1892
to 1896).
Exile in Dapitan (July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896)
• The steamer Cebu which brought Rizal to Dapitan carried a letter from
Father Pablo Pastells, Superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippine, to
Father Antonio Obach, Jesuit parish priest of Dapitan
• Rizal lived in the house of the commandant, Captain Carnicero. • A Don
Ricardo Carnicero - Rizal wrote a poem on August 26, 1892, on the
occasion of the captain’s birthday.
• September 21, 18792- the mail boat Butuan was approaching the town,
with coloured pennants flying in the sea breezes
• Butuan - the mail boat, brought the happy tidings that the Lottery Ticket
no. 9736 jointly owned by Captain Carcinero, Dr. Jose Rizal, and Francisco
Equilior (Spanish resident of Dipolog, a neighboring town of Dapitan) won
the second prize of P20,000 in the government-owned Manila Lottery.
Mylene Gado Almario Exile in Dapitan (July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896)
• Pablo Mercado (Florencio Namanan) - friar’s spy and posing as a
relative, secretly visited Rizal at his house on the night of November 3,
1891 he introduced himself as a friend and relative, showing a photo of
 68

Rizal and a pair of buttons with the initials “P.M.” (Pablo Mercado) as
evidence of his kinship with the Rizal family.
• Captain Juan Sitges - who succeeded Captain Carnicero on May 4, 1893
as commandant of Dapitan, Rizal denounced to him the impostor.
• August 1893 - Rizal’s mother and sister, Maria, arrived in Dapitan and
lived with him for one year and a half. Rizal operated on his mother’s right
eye. Activities in Dapitan
• As Physician - Rizal became interested in local medicine and in the use of
medicinal plants. He studied the medicinal plants of the Philippines and
their curative values.
• As Expert Surveyor - Rizal applied his knowledge of engineering by
constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the
townspeople.
• Rizal as Teacher - Rizal exile to Dapitan gives him the opportunity to put
into practice his educational ideas. In 1893 he established a school which
existed until the end of his exile in July, 1896. Rizal taught his boys
reading, writing, languages (Spanish and English), geography, history,
mathematics (arithmetic and geometry), industrial work, nature study,
morals and gymnastics. He trained them how to collect specimens of plants
and animals, to love work and to “behave like men”.

Activities in Dapitan
• As a Scientist - Rizal built up a rich collection of concology which
consisted of 346 shells representing 203 species. Rizal also conducted
anthropological, ethnographical, archaeological, geological, and
geographical studies, as revealed by his voluminous correspondence with
his scientists friends in Europe.
• As a Linguist - he learned the Bisayan, Subanum, and Malay languages.
He wrote Tagalog grammar, made a comparative study of the Bisayan and
Malayan languages and studied Bisayan (Cebuan), and Subanum
languages. He knew 22 languages - Tagalog, Ilokano, Bisayan, Subanun,
Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Arabic, Malay, Hebrew,
Sanskrit, Dutch, Catalan, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish,
and Russian.
 69

• As an Artist – he continued his artistic works such as, sketching and

woodcarving (The Mother’s Revenge and Dapitan Girl).
• Rizal as Farmer - In Dapitan, Rizal devoted much of his time to
agriculture. Rizal introduced modern methods of agriculture which he had
observed in Europe and America. He encouraged the Dapitan farmers to
discard their primitive system of tillage and adopt the modern agricultural
methods.
• Rizal as Businessman - Rizal engaged in business in partnership with
Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan merchant, he made profitable business
ventures in fishing, copra, and hemp industries. January 19, 1893 - Rizal
wrote a letter to Hidalgo expressing⎫ his plan to improve the fishing
industry. May 14, 1893 - Rizal formed a business partnership with⎫ Ramon
Carreon in lime manufacturing. January 1, 1895 - Rizal organized the
Cooperative Association⎫ of Dapitan Farmers to break the Chinese
monopoly on business in Dapitan.
Activities in Dapitan • As an Inventor - Rizal invented a cigarette lighter
which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt. He called it “sulpukan”. This unique
cigarette lighter was made of wood. “Its mechanism”, said Rizal “is based
on the principle of compressed air.” - He also invited a wooden machine for
making bricks.
• My Retreat (Mi Retiro) - Rizal wrote this beautiful poem about his serene
life as an exile in Dapitan and sent it to her mother on October 22, 1895,
which acclaimed by literary critics as one of the best ever penned by Rizal.

Rizal and the Katipunan

• Andres Bonifacio - the “Great Plebeian”, sowing the seeds of an armed
uprising - the secret revolutionary society, called Katipunan, which he
founded on July 7, 1892.
• May 2, 1896 - a secret meeting of the Katipunan at a little river called
Bitukang Manok near the town of Pasig, Dr. Pio Valenzuela was named
emissary to Dapitan, in order to inform Rizal of the plan of the Katipunan to
launch a revolution for freedom’s sake.
• June 15, 1896 - Valenzuela left Manila on board the steamer Venus. To
camouflage Valenzuela’s real mission, he brought with him a blind man
 70

Raymundo Mata and a guide, ostensibly going to Dapitan to solicit Rizal’s

expert medical advice
• June 21, 1896 - evening, Dr. Pio Valenzuela arrived in Dapitan.

Rizal and the Katipunan Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s audacious project to

plunge the country in bloody revolution because he was of sincere belief
that it was premature, for two reasons:
1. the people are not ready for a revolution, and;
2. arms and funds must first be collected before raising the cry of
revolution.
Rizal as a Volunteer Doctor in Cuba
• Rizal had offered his services as military doctor in Cuba, which was then
in the throes of a revolution and a ranging yellow fever epidemic. There
was a shortage of physicians to minister to the needs of the Spanish troops
and the Cubans people.
• December 17, 1895 - Rizal wrote to Governor General Ramon Blanco,
offering his services as military doctor in Cuba.
• July 30, 1896 - Rizal received the letter from Governor General Blanco
dated July 1, 1896 notifying him of acceptance of his offer.
• “The Song of the Traveler” (El Canto del Viajero) - Rizal wrote this heart-
warming poem because of his joy in receiving the gladsome news from
Malacañang.
• July 31, 1896 - Rizal’s four-year exile in Dapitan came to an end. Rizal
embarked on board the steamer España. (4years, 13 days and few hours)
• As farewell music, the town brass band strangely played the dolorous
Funeral March of Chopin. Last Trip Abroad (1986)
• July 31, 1896 - Rizal left Dapitan at midnight on board the España sailed
northward.
• Isla de Luzon - a regular steamer that Rizal missed which sailed to Spain
the day before he arrived in Manila Bay
 71

• Castilla - a Spanish cruiser wherein Rizal was kept as a “guest” on board.

• August 1, 1896 - at dawn of Saturday, it anchored at Dumaguete. He met
a friend name Herriro Regidor.
• August 26, 1896 - Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan raised the cry of
revolution in the hills of Balintawak, a few miles north of Manila.
• September 3, 1896 - Rizal left for Spain on the steamer Isla de Panay.

Outbreak of the Philippine Revolution

• August 19, 1896 - the Katipunan plot to overthrow Spanish rule by means
of revolution was discovered by Fray Mariano Gil, Augustinian cura of
Tondo.
• August 26, 1896 - the “Cry of Balintawak” which raised by Bonifacio and
his valiant Katipuneros.
• August 30, 1896 - sunrise, the revolutionists led by Bonifacio and Jacinto
attacked San Juan, near the city of Manila.
• In the afternoon, after the Battle of San Juan, Governor General Blanco
proclaimed a state of war in the first eight provinces for rising in arms
against Spain - Manila (as a province), Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac.
• Rizal learned of the eruption of the revolution and raging battles around
Manila through the newspapers he read on the Castilla.
He was worried for two reasons:
1.The violent revolution which he sincerely believed to be premature and
would only cause much suffering and terrible loss of human lives and
property had started, and
2.It would arouse Spanish vengeance against all Filipino patriots.
August 30, 1896 - Rizal received from Governor General Blanco two letters
of introduction for the Minister of War and Minister of Colonies, which a
covering letter which absolved him from all blame for the raging revolution.
September 3, 1896 – the Isla de Panay left Manila and reached Singapore
on the 7th .
 72

Rizal: A Cabin Prisoner

• Don Pedro Roxas - rich Manila creole industrialist and Rizal’s friend that
advised him to stay on Singapore and take advantage of the protection of
the British law.
• Don Manuel Camus - headed several Filipino residents in Singapore,
boarded the steamer, urging Rizal to stay in Singapore to save his life.
• The Isla de Panay, with Rizal on board, left Singapore at 1:00pm,
September 8.
• September 25, 1896 - Rizal saw the steamer Isla de Luzon, leaving the
Suez Canal, crammed with Spanish troops.
• September 27, 1896 - Rizal heard from the passengers that a telegram
arrived from Manila reporting the execution of some Filipino patriots.: A
Cabin Prisoner
• September 28, 1986 - a day after the steamer had left Port Said
(Mediterranean terminus of the Suez Canal), a passenger told Rizal the
bad news that he would be arrested by order of Governor General Blanco
and would be sent to prison in Ceuta (Spanish Morocco), opposite
Gibraltar.
• September 29, 1896 - Rizal wrote in his travel diary: “There are people
on board who do nothing but slander me and invent fanciful stories about
me. I’m going to become a legendary personage.”
• September 30, 1896 - at 4:00pm, Rizal was officially notified by Captain
Alemany that he should stay in his cabin until further orders from Manila.
• October 3, 1896 - at 10:00am, the Isla de Panay arrived in Barcelona,
with Rizal, a prisoner on board. The trip from Manila to Barcelona lasted
exactly 30 days. Rizal was kept under heavy guard in his cabin for three
days. Last Homecoming and Trial (1896)
• October 6, 1896 - at 3:00am, Rizal was awakened by the guards and
escorted to the grim and infamous prison-fortress named Monjuich. About
2:00 in the afternoon, Rizal was taken out of prison by the guards and
brought to the headquarters of General Despujol.
• On the same date, at 8:00pm, Rizal left Barcelona through the ship Colon
“full of soldiers and guards and their families”.
 73

• October 8, 1896 - a friendly officer told Rizal that the Madrid newspaper
were full of stories about the bloody revolution in the Philippines and were
blaming him for it.
• October 11, 1896 - before reaching Port Said, Rizal’s diary was taken
away and was critically scrutinized the authorities.
• November 2, 1896 - the diary was returned to Rizal. Last Homecoming
and Trial (1896)
• Attorney Hugh Fort - an English lawyer in Singapore - his friends (Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez) dispatched frantic telegrams to Fort
to rescue Rizal from the Spanish steamer when it reached Singapore by
means of Writ of Habeas Corpus.
• Chief Justice Lionel - denied the writ on the ground that the Colon was
carrying Spanish troops to the Philippines.
• November 3, 1896 - the Colon reached Manila, where it was greeted with
wild rejoicings by the Spaniards and friars because it brought more
reinforcements and military supplies.
• November 20, 1896 - the preliminary investigation on Rizal began.
• Colonel Francisco Olive - the judge advocate. Two kinds of evidence
were presented against Rizal, namely documentary and testimonial.
The 15 Exhibits of Documentary Evidence
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. 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, 1889, implicating Rizal in the Propaganda campaign in Spain.
4. A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal in Manila on
September 12, 1891.
 74

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

September 18, 1891, describing Rizal as the man to free the Philippines
from Spanish oppression.
6. A Masonic document, dated Manila, February 9, 1892, honouring Rizal
for his patriotic services.
7. A letter signed Dimas Alang (Rizal’s pseudonym) to Tenluz (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 of Dimas Alang 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 as their saviour.
11. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 17, 1893,
informing an unidentified correspondent of the arrest and banishment of
Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador.
12. A letter of Marcelo H. del Pilar to Don Juan A. Tenluz (Juan Zulueta),
dated Madrid, June 1, 1893 recommending the 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 reunion of the
Katipunan on July 23, 1893, in which the following cry was, uttered “Long
Live the Philippines! 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!”
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 their rights.
Oral Testimonies consists of the following person:
1. Martin Constantino
 75

2. Aguedo del Rosario,

3. Jose Reyes
4. Moises Salvador
5. Jose Dizon
6. Domingo Franco
7. Deodato Arellano
8. Ambrosio Salvador,
9. Pedro Serrano Laktaw
10. Dr. Pio Valenzuela
11. Antonio Salazar
12. Francisco Quison
13. Timoteo Paez
Trial
• November 26, 1896 - after the preliminary investigation, Colonel Olive
transmitted the records of the case to Governor Dominguez as special
Judge advocate to institute the corresponding action against Rizal.
• After studying the papers, Judge advocate General, Don Nicolas de la
Peña, 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 court by an army officer, not by a civilian
lawyer.
• The only right given to Rizal by the Spanish authorities was to choose his
defense counsel.
Trial
 76

• December 8, 1896 - Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, a list of

100 first and second lieutenants in the Spanish Army was presented to
Rizal.
• Don Luis Taviel de Andrade - 1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, chosen by
Rizal to defend him brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade, Rizal’s
“bodyguard” in Calamba in 1887.
• December 11, 1896- the information of charges was formally read to Rizal
in his prison cell, with his counsel present.
• Rizal was accused of being:
1. the principal organizer and the living soul of the Filipino insurrection,
2. the founder of societies, periodicals, and books dedicated to
fomenting ,and
3. propagating ideas of rebellion.

Court Martial
• December 13, 1896 - Dominguez forwarded the papers of the Rizal case
to Malacañang Palace.
• December 15, 1896 - Rizal wrote the Manifesto to His People in his prison
cell at Fort Santiago, appealing to them to stop the necessary shedding of
blood and to achieve their liberties by means of education and industry. •
December 25, 1896 - a dark and cheerless Christmas for Rizal, his last on
earth, was the saddest in Rizal’s life.
• December 26, 1896 - at 8:00am, the court-martial of Rizal started in the
military building called Cuartel de España
• Lt. Col. Togores Arjona - considered the trial over and ordered the hall
cleared. After a short deliberation, the military court unanimously voted for
the sentence of death.
• December 28, 1896 – Camilo Polavieja approved the decision of the
court-martial and ordered Rizal to be shot at 7:00 in the morning of
December 30 at Bagumbayan Field.
 77

• After the court-martial, Rizal returned to his cell in Fort Santiago to

prepare his rendezvous with destiny.
• During his last 24 hours on earth - from 6:00am December 29 to 6:00am
December 30, 1896 - he was busy meeting visitor, named; Santiago Mataix
- Spanish newspaper correspondent. Pearl of the Orient Sea
- Rizal called the Philippines.⎫ Pearl of the Orient
- Rizal’s last poem in an article⎫ entitled “Unfortunate Philippines”
published in The Hong Kong Telegraph on September 24, 1892

The Last Hours - December 29, 1896

• 6:00am - Captain Rafael Dominguez, who was designated by Governor
General Camilo Polavieja to take charge of all arrangements for the
execution of the condemned prisoner, read the death sentence to Rizal - to
be on December 30, 1896 shot at the back by a firing squad at 7:00am in
Bagumbayan.
• 7:00am - Rizal was moved to the prison chapel, where he spent his last
moments. His first visitors were Father Miguel Saderra Mata (Rector of
Ateneo Municipal), and Father Luis Viza, Jesuit teacher.
• 7:15am - Rizal, in a jovial mood, reminded Fr. Viza of the statuette of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus which he had carved with his pen knife as an
Ateneo student. Fr. Viza, got the statuette from his pocket and gave it to
Rizal. The hero happily received it and placed it on his writing table. The
December 29, 1896 • 8:00am
- Fr. Antonio Rosell arrived to relieve Father Viza. Rizal invited him to join
him at breakfast, which he did. After breakfast, Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade
came, and Rizal thanked him for his gallant services.
• 9:00am - Fr. Federico Faura arrived. Rizal reminded him that he said that
(Rizal) would someday lose his head for writing the Noli. “Father”, Rizal
remarked, “You are indeed a prophet.”
• 10:00am - Father Jose Vilaclara (Rizal’s teacher at the Ateneo) and
Vicente Balaguer (Jesuit missionary in Dapitan who had befriended Rizal
during the latter’s exile) visited the hero. After them came Spanish
 78

journalist, Santiago Mataix, who interviewed Rizal for his newspaper El

Heraldo de Madrid.
- December 29, 1896 12:00am (noon) to 3:30pm
- Rizal was left alone in his cell. He took lunch after which he was busy
writing. It was probably during this time when he finished his farewell poem
and hid it inside his alcohol cooking stove which was given to him as a gift
by Paz Pardo de Tavera during his visit to Paris in 1890. at the same time,
he wrote his last letter to Prof. Blumentritt in German.
3:30pm - Father Balaguer returned to Fort Santiago and discussed with
Rizal about his retraction of the anti-Catholic ideas in his writings and
membership in Masonry.
4:00pm - Rizal’s mother arrived. Rizal knelt down before her and kissed her
hands, begging her to forgive him. Trinidad entered the cell to fetch her
mother. As they were leaving, Rizal gave to Trinidad the alcohol cooking
stove, whispering to her in English; “There is something inside” This
“something” was Rizal’s farewell poem.
- December 29, 1896 • 6:00pm - Rizal received a new visitor, Don Silvino
Lopez Tuñon, the Dean of the Manila Cathedral. Fathers Balaguer and
March left, leaving Vilaclara with Rizal and Don Silvino.
• 8:00pm - Rizal had his last supper. He informed Captain Dominguez who
was with him that he forgave his enemies, including the military judges who
condemned him to death.
• 9:30pm - Rizal was visited by Don Gaspar Cestaño, the fiscal of the Royal
Audiencia of Manila. As a gracious host, Rizal offered him the best chair in
the cell. After a pleasant conversation, the fiscal left with a good impression
of Rizal’s intelligence and noble character.
• 10:00pm - The draft of the retraction sent by the anti-Filipino Archbishop
Bernardino Nozaleda was submitted by Father Balaguer to Rizal for
signature, but the hero rejected it because it was too long and he did not
like it.
December 30, 1896
• 3:00am - Rizal heard Mass, confessed his sins, and took Holy
Communion.
 79

• 5:30am - Rizal took his last breakfast on earth. After this, he wrote two
letters, the first addressed to his family and the second to his older brother
Paciano. Josephine Bracken, accompanied by a sister of Rizal⎫ (Josefa),
arrived. Josephine, with tears in her eyes, bade him farewell. Rizal
embraced her for the last time and before she left, Rizal gave her a last gift
- a religious book, Imitation of Christ.
• 6:00am - As the soldiers were getting ready for the death march to
Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote his last letter to his beloved parents.

The Execution • 6:30am - a trumpet sounded at Fort Santiago, a signal to

begin the death march to Bagumbayan, the designated place for the
execution.
• Rizal was dressed elegantly in black suit, black derby hat, black shoes,
white shirt and black tie. His arms were tied behind from elbow to elbow.
But the rope was quite loose to give his arms freedom of movement.
• Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo - a Spanish military physician, asked Rizal
permission to feel his pulse and was amazed to find it normal showing that
Rizal was not afraid to die.
• 7:03am - Rizal died in the bloom of manhood - aged 35 years, five months
and 11 days.

Last Works
• Mi Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell) - farewell poem of Rizal that originally was
without title and was unsigned.
• Father Mariano Dacanay - a Filipino priest-patriot, who gave the title
Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell) and under such title the poem was published
 80

for the first time in La Independencia (General Antonio Luna’s newspaper)

on September 25, 1898
• Immediately after Rizal’s execution the Spanish spectators shouted “Viva
España!” “Muerte a los Traidores’ (“Long Live Spain! “Death to the
Traitors!”) and the Spanish Military Band, joining the jubilance over Rizal’s
death, played the gay Marcha de Cadiz.
• By Rizal’s writings, which awakened Filipino nationalism and paved the
way for the Philippine Revolution, he proved that “pen is mightier than the
sword”.
Why Rizal is Our Greatest National Hero?
1. Rizal is our greatest hero because, as a towering figure in the
Propaganda Campaign, he took an “admirable part” in that movement
which roughly covered the period from 1882-1896.
2. Rizal’s writings contributed tremendously to the formation of Filipino
nationality.
3. Rizal becomes the greatest Filipino hero because no Filipino has yet
been born who could equal or surpass Rizal as “a person of distinguished
valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering.”
4. Rizal is the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived because he is “a man
honoured after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to
mankind”
What happened to Josephine Bracken?
Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken (October 3, 1876 – March 15,
1902) was the common-law wife of Philippine national hero José
Rizal during his exile in Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga del Norte in
the southern Philippines. In the early morning hours of December 30, 1896,
the day of his execution by firing squad, the couple were married in Fort
Santiago, the place of his incarceration, following his reconciliation with
the Catholic Church. The marriage is disputed by some sectors because no
records were found regarding the union, discounting the unusual events of
that day, even if it was attested by Josephine herself and the officiating
priest.
 81

Josephine was born in Victoria Barracks in Hong Kong on October 3, 1876,

to Irish parents[4] James Bracken, a corporal in the British Army, and
Elizabeth Jane McBride, who were married on May 3, 1868, in Belfast,
Ireland. After her mother died shortly after childbirth, her father gave her up
for adoption. She was taken in by her godfather, the American George
Taufer, a blind, and fairly well-to-do engineer of the pumping plant of
the Hong Kong Fire Department, and his late Portuguese wife. He later
remarried another Portuguese woman from Macau, Francesca Spencer,
with whom he had another daughter.
In 1891, the second Mrs. Taufer died and the two young women managed
the Taufer home.
After on, Mr. Taufer decided to remarry again but the new wife turned out to
be difficult to deal with for Josephine. She spent two months in the Convent
of the Canossian Sisters, where she previously attended early years of
school. She decided to go back only after Mr. Taufer called at the
Convent's door pleading her to go back home as his third wife turned out to
be a bad housekeeper. Shortly after a few months, she had trouble again
with the third Mrs. Taufer and haunted her out of the house.
 82

Relationship with Rizal

Bracken later recommended that her blind

adoptive father see Jose Rizal, who was a
respected ophthalmologist and had practiced
at Rednaxela Terrace in Hong Kong. By this time,
he was a political exile in Dapitan, Zamboanga del
Norte in southern Philippines. The family sailed to
the Philippines and arrived in Manila on February
5, 1895, and later that month Bracken and Taufer
sailed to Dapitan.
Taufer's double cataract was beyond Rizal's help,
but he fell in love with Bracken. Taufer vehemently
opposed the union, but finally listened to reason.
Bracken accompanied Taufer to Manila on his way
back to Hong Kong, together with Rizal's sister,
Narcisa, on March 14, 1895. Rizal applied for
marriage but because of his writings and political stance, the local priest
Father Obach, would only agree to the ceremony if Rizal obtain permission
from the Bishop of Cebu. Either the Bishop did not write him back or Rizal
was not able to mail the letter because of Taufer's sudden departure.
Before heading back to Dapitan to live with Rizal, Bracken introduced
herself to members of his family in Manila. His mother suggested a civil
marriage, which she believed to be a lesser "sacrament" but free
from hypocrisy—and thus less a burden to Rizal's conscience—than
making any sort of political retraction. Nevertheless, Bracken and Rizal
lived together as husband and wife in Barangay Talisay, Dapitan, beginning
in July 1895. The couple had a son, Francísco Rizal y Bracken, who was
born prematurely and died within a few hours of birth.
While she was in a delicate condition, Rizal played a prank on her that was
harmless in itself, which startled her so that she sprang forward and was
struck against an iron stand. Though it was purely an accident and Rizal
was scarcely at fault, he blamed himself for it, and his later devotion seems
largely to have been trying to make amends.
 83

Rizal's last days

The title page of a Spanish edition of the Imitation of Christ that was Rizal's

wedding and parting gift to his wife. His dedication is written in English.

See also: Jose Rizal's retraction controversy

On the evening before his execution on December 30, 1896 on charges
of treason, rebellion and sedition by the Spanish colonial government, the
Catholic Church claimed that Rizal returned to the faith and was married to
Bracken in a religious ceremony officiated by Father Vicente
Balaguer, S.J. sometime between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM, an hour before
his scheduled execution at 7:00 AM. Despite claims by Father Balaguer
and Bracken herself, some sectors, including members of Rizal's family,
disputed that the wedding had occurred because no records were found
attesting to the union.
After Rizal's death
Following Rizal's death, Bracken promptly joined revolutionary forces
in Cavite province, where she took care of sick and wounded soldiers,
boosting their morale, and helping operate reloading jigs
for Mauser cartridges at the Imus Arsenal under revolutionary general
Pantaleón García. Imus was under threat of recapture, so Bracken, making
her way through the thicket and mud, moved with the operation to the
Cavite mountain redoubt of Maragondon. She witnessed the Tejeros
Convention on March 22, 1897 before returning to Manila, and was later
summoned by the Spanish Governor-General, who threatened her with
torture and imprisonment if she did not leave the colony. Owing however to
her adoptive father's American citizenship, she could not be forcibly
 84

deported, but Bracken voluntarily returned to Hong Kong upon the advice
of the American consul in Manila.

A carving of Josephine by
Jose Rizal

Later life of Miss Bracken

Upon returning to Hong
Kong, she once more lived in
her father's house. After his
death, she married Vicente
Abad, a Cebuano mestizo,
who represented his
father's tabacalera company
in the British territory. A
daughter, Dolores Abad y
Braken, was born to the
couple on April 17, 1900. A
later testimony of Dolores
affirms that her mother "was
already suffering
from tuberculosis of the
larynx," at the time of the
wedding. Bracken died of
tuberculosis on March 15,
1902, in Hong Kong and was
interred at the Happy Valley
Cemetery.

Inconsistencies about Miss Bracken

● British historian Austin Coates allegedly found Bracken's birth

certificate in Hong Kong and reported it as tampered. He claimed
that she was probably the illegitimate daughter of an
unknown Englishman and a Chinese mother.[8]
 85

● American historian Austin Craig reported that Bracken returned to

the Philippines and lived in Cebu with her new husband, Vicente
Abad. She gave lessons in English, like she told Rizal during their
last meeting, at first privately in Cebu, where one of her pupils
allegedly became the first Speaker of the Philippine Assembly. For
a while, she also taught English at the Colegio de la Inmaculada
Concepción in Cebu, attested to by one of her pupils, Encarnación
Bernad (1887-1969). Afterwards, Bracken worked as a
government employee in public schools and at the Liceo de
Manila, a school in Intramuros (which is unrelated to the
present Lyceum of the Philippines University).

Josephine Bracken – an unhappy wife

In the last days of February 1895, while still in Dapitan, Rizal met an 18-
year old petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair and a happy
disposition. She was the adopted daughter of George Taufer from Hong
Kong, who came to Dapitan to seek Rizal for eye treatment. Rizal was
physically attracted to her. His loneliness and boredom must have taken
the measure of him and what could be a better diversion that to fall in love
again. But the Rizal sisters suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars
and they considered her as a threat to Rizal‘s security. Rizal and Josephine
fell in love with each other, however, Fr. Obach , refused to marry them
without the permission of the Bishop of Cebu. When Mr. Taufer heard their
projected marriage, he flared up because he could not endure the thought
of losing Josephine. He even tried to commit suicide by cutting off his throat
but Rizal prevented him from killing himself. To avoid further injury,
Josephine went with his uncle to Manila. - Eventually, Mr. Taufer returned
to Hongkong alone and Josephine returned to Dapitan. Since no priest
would marry them, they lived happily as common law husband and wife.
Their extremely happy marriage had begotten an 8-month old premature
baby boy who lived only for 3 hours. Their son was named ―Francisco‖ in
honour of Don Francisco.
During the hours of Rizal on December 30, 1896, Josephine was
accompanied by Narcisa, arrived at Fort Santiago. At 5:00 am on the same
day, Rizal requested Fr. Balaguer that they be married canonically. Then
Rizal gave his ―wife‖ – a wedding gift, a religious book ―Imitacion de
Cristo‖ which he autographed: “To my dear and unhappy wife, Josephine
December 30th , 1896”. Note: Rizal‘s canonical marriage to Josephine
 86

Bracken remains doubtful and questionable. Since, there was no proof that
they were married in court or in church.

References:
Camiloza, Loreto., 2010., Dr. Jose Rizal's Religious Thoughts: Revisited.,
National Bookstore Craig, Austin, 2010, Lineage, Life and Labors of Dr.
Jose Rizal., Vee Press Publishing Inc. Lopez-Bantug, Asuncion., 2008.,
Lolo Jose: An Intimate and Illustrated Portrait of José Rizal. Vibal
Publishing House. Quezon City. Ocampo, Ambeth, 2010, Rizal Without the
Overcoat, Anvil Publishing Corp.
Pasigui, Ronnie E. and Danilo H. Cabalu., 2006. The Man and the Hero
(An Anthology of Legacies and Controversies). C & E Publishing, Inc.
Zaide, Gregorio F. and Sonia M. Zaide., 1997., Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and
Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero.All Nations
Publishing Co. Inc.
Zaide, Gregorio, et.al., 2010., Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a
Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero, All Nations Publishing Corp.
Zulueta, Francisco M. 2004., Rizal: Life, Works and Ideals. National
Bookstore.

My Last Farewell (TAGALOG, SPANISH and ENGLISH)

 87

This was the last poem written by Filipino national hero Jose Rizal before
he was executed in Manila on December 30, 1896. Spanish Original (Mi
Ultimo Adios) English version(My Last Farewell) and have various
translations into Tagalog as (Ang Aking Huling Paalam and Huling Paalam

Mi Ultimo Adios (Original Poem to be memorized by all students taking

Rizal Course) under Mr. Villanueva’s class)

Mi Ultimo Adiós by Jose Rizal

1
Adios, Patria adorada, region del sol querida,
Perla del Mar de Oriente, nuestro perdido Eden!
A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,
Y fuera más brillante más fresca, más florida,
Tambien por tí la diera, la diera por tu bien.

Paalam pinipintuho kong Bayan, Lupang iniirog ng sikat ng araw,

Mutyang mahalaga sa dagat Silangan, kaluwalhatiang sa ami’y pumanaw.
Masayang sa iyo’y aking idudulot ang lanta kong buhay na lubhang
malungkot;
Maging maringal man at labis ang alindog
Sa kagalingan mo ay akin ding handog.
2

En campos de batalla, luchando con delirio

Otros te dan sus vidas sin dudas, sin pesar;
El sitio nada importa, ciprés, laurel ó lirio,
Cadalso ó campo abierto, combate ó cruel martirio,
Lo mismo es si lo piden la patria y el hogar.

Ang nanga sa digmaan dumog sa paglaban

Handog din sa iyo ang kanilang buhay hirap ay di pansin at di
gunamgunam
Saan man mautas ay di kailangan, cipres o laurel, lirio ma’y patungan
Bibitaya’t madlang mabangis na sakit, o pakikibakang lubhang
mapanganib,
Pawang titiisin kung ito ang nais Ng baya’t tahanang pinakaiibig.

3
 88

Yo muero cuando veo que el cielo se colora

Y al fin anuncia el día trás lóbrego capuz;
Si grana necesitas para teñir tu aurora,
Vierte la sangre mía, derrámala en buen hora
Y dórela un reflejo de su naciente luz.

Ako’y mamamatay ngayong minamalas, ang kulay ng langit na

nanganganinag
Ibinababalang araw ay sisikat, sa kabila niyang mapanglaw na ulap.
Kung dugo ang iyong kinakailangan, sa ikadidilag ng iyong pagsilang,
Dugo ko’y ibubo’t sa isa man lamang, nang gumigiti mong sinag ay
kuminang.
4
Mis sueños cuando apenas muchacho adolescente,
Mis sueños cuando joven ya lleno de vigor,
Fueron el verte un día, joya del mar de oriente
Secos los negros ojos, alta la tersa frente,
Sin ceño, sin arrugas, sin manchas de rubor.

Ang mga nasa ko, mulang magkaisip, magpahanggang ngayon maganap ang
bait,
Ang ikaw’y makitang hiyas na marikit, ng dagat Silangan na nakaliligid.
Noo mo’y maningning at sa mga mata, mapait na luha bakas ma’y wala na,
Wala ka ng poot, wala ng balisa, walang kadungua’t munti mang pangamba,
5
Ensueño de mi vida, mi ardiente vivo anhelo,
Salud te grita el alma que pronto va á partir!
Salud! ah que es hermoso caer por darte vuelo,
Morir por darte vida, morir bajo tu cielo,
Y en tu encantada tierra la eternidad dormir.

Sa sandaling buhay maalab kong nais,

Ang kagalingan mo’t ang paiwang sulit, ng kaluluwa kong gayak ng aalis:
Ginhawa’y kamtan mo! Anong pagkarikit! Nang maaba’t ikaw’y mapataas
lamang,
Mamatay at upang mabigyan ka ng buhay,
Malibing sa lupang puspos ng karika’t
Sa silong ng iyong langit ay mahimlay.

6
 89

Si sobre mi sepulcro vieres brotar un dia

Entre la espesa yerba sencilla, humilde flor,
Acércala a tus labios y besa al alma mía,
Y sienta yo en mi frente bajo la tumba fría
De tu ternura el soplo, de tu hálito el calor.

Kung sa ibang araw ikaw’y may mapansin

Nipot na bulaklak sa aba kong libing,
Sa gitna ng mga damong masisinsin, hagka’t ang halik mo’y itaos sa akin.
Sa samyo ng iyong pagsuyong matamis, mataos na taghoy ng may sintang
sibsib,
Bayaang tumaggap noo ko ng init, na natatabunan ng lupang malamig.
7
Deja a la luna verme con luz tranquila y suave;
Deja que el alba envíe su resplandor fugaz,
Deja gemir al viento con su murmullo grave,
Y si desciende y posa sobre mi cruz un ave,
Deja que el ave entone su cantico de paz.

Bayaan mong ako’y malasin ng buwan, sa liwang niyang hilano’t malamlam;

Bayaang ihatid sa aking liwayway, ang banaag niyang dagling napaparam.
Bayaang humalik ang simoy ng hangin;
Ng darapong ibon sa kurus ng libing, ang buhay payapang ikinaaaliw.
8

Deja que el sol ardiendo las lluvias evapore

Y al cielo tornen puras con mi clamor en pos,
Deja que un sér amigo mi fin temprano llore
Y en las serenas tardes cuando por mi alguien ore
Ora tambien, oh Patria, por mi descanso á Dios!

Bayaang ang araw na lubhang maningas, pawiin ang ulan, gawing pawang ulap,
Maging panginoring sa langit umakyat, at ang aking daing ay mapakilangkap.
Bayaang ang aking maagang pagpanw,
Itangis ng isang lubos na nagmamahal;
Kung may umalala sa akin ng dasal,
Ako’y iyo sanang idalangin naman.

9
 90

Ora por todos cuantos murieron sin ventura,

Por cuantos padecieron tormentos sin igual,
Por nuestras pobres madres que gimen su amargura;
Por huérfanos y viudas, por presos en tortura
Y ora por tí que veas tu redencion final.

Idalangin mo rin ang di nagkapalad,

Na nangamatay na’t yaong nangaghirap sa daming pasakit,
at ang lumalangap naming mga ina luhang masaklap.
Idalangin sampo ng bawa’t ulila at nangapipiit na tigib ng dusa;
idalangin mo ring ikaw’y matubos na sa pagkaaping lyong binata.

10

Y cuando en noche oscura se envuelva el cementerio

Y solos sólo muertos queden velando allí,
No turbes su reposo, no turbes el misterio
Tal vez acordes oigas de citara ó salterio,
Soy yo, querida Patria, yo que te canto á ti.

Kung nababalot na ang mga libingan ng sapot na itim ng gabing

mapanglaw, at wala ng tanod kundi pawing patay,
Huwag gambalain ang katahimikan. pagpitagan mo ang hiwagang lihim,
at mapapakinggan ang tinig marahil,ng isang saltero:
Ito nga’y ako ring inaawitan ka ng aking paggiliw.
11

Y cuando ya mi tumba de todos olvidada

No tenga cruz ni piedra que marquen su lugar,
Deja que la are el hombre, la esparza con la azada,
Y mis cenizas antes que vuelvan á la nada,
El polvo de tu alfombra que vayan á formar.

Kung ang libingan kong limot na ng madla

ay wala nang kurus at bato mang tanda
sa nangangabubukid ay ipaubayang bungkali’t isabog ang natipong lupa.
Ang mga abo ko’y bago pailanglang mauwi sa wala na pinaggalingan,
ay makalimutan ng parang kapupunang iyong alabok sa lupang tuntungan.

12
 91

Entonces nada importa me pongas en olvido,

Tu atmósfera, tu espacio, tus valles cruzaré,
Vibrante y limpia nota seré para tu oido,
Aroma, luz, colores, rumor, canto, gemido
Constante repitiendo la esencia de mi fé.

Sa gayo’y wala ng anoman sa akin, na limutin mo ma’t aking lilibutin

ang himpapawid mo kaparanga’t hangin
at ako sa iyo’y magiging taginting.
Bango, tinig, higing, awit na masaya liwanag at kulay
na lugod ng mata’t uulit-ulitin sa tuwi-tuwina.

13

Mi patria idolatrada, dolor de mis dolores,

Querida Filipinas, oye el postrer adios.
Ahi te dejo todo, mis padres, mis amores.
Voy donde no hay esclavos, verdugos ni opresores,
Donde la fé no mata, donde el que reyna es Dios.

Bayang iniirog, sakit niyaring hirap,

Katagalugan kong pinakaliliyag, dinggin mo ang aking pagpapahimakas;
diya’y iiwan ko sa iyo ang lahat.
Ako’y patutungo sa walang busabos, walang umiinis at berdugong hayop;
Pananalig doo’y di nakasasalot, si Bathala lamang doo’y haring lubos.
14

Adios, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,

Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adios, dulce extrangera, mi amiga, mi alegría,
Adios, queridos séres morir es descansar.

Paalam anak, magulang, kapatid, bahagi ng puso’t unang nakaniig,

ipagpasalamat ang aking pag-alis sa buhay na itong lagi ng ligalig.
Paalam na liyag, tanging kaulayaw, taga ibang lupang aking katuwaan,
Paalam sa inyo, mga minamahal; mamatay ay ganap na katahimikan.

MY LAST FAREWELL
 92

Farewell, adored Fatherland, the sun’s beloved clime,

Pearl of the Orient seas, our lost Paradise;
Gladly now I give thee this faded, languid life:
If it were brighter, fresher, or more blest
Still would I give it thee; I would give it for thy sake.

On the fields of battle, madly struggling with frenzy,

Others give thee their lives, without doubts, without regrets;
The place matters not; cypress, laurel or lily,
Scaffold or open country, combat or cruel martyrdom,
All are alike if needed by home and country.

I die as I see dawn brighten the sky,

And at last herald the day behind this dismal night.
If you needst crimson to tinge thy dawn,
Shed my blood, pour it in the hour of need,
With it I give thee a likeness of thy own light.

My dreams, even in early adolescence,

My dreams, in youth, then overflowing with vigor,
Were one day, to see thee, gem of the Orient seas,
Dry they ebony eyes, hold thy brow serene,
Without frowns, without furrows, nor stigma of shame.

The dreams of my life, my ardent, living desire,

Hail to thee! greets the soul which hurriedly departs,
Hail to thee! oh, how lovely to fall that thou mayest rise,
To die to give thee life, to die underneath thy skies,
And to sleep all eternity in thy enchanted earth!

If over my tomb, one day thou seest grow,

Amidst dense weeds, a simple, humble flower,
Draw it to thy lips, ’tis the flower of my soul
And I shall feel on my brow, beneath the cold tomb,
The flow of thy tenderness, the warmth of thy breath.

Let the moon watch me with soft tranquil light,

Let the dawn send its swiftly fleeting brightness,
 93

Let the wind moan its solemn murmurs,

And if a bird descends and on my cross alights,
Let the bird sing its canticle of peace!

Let the burning sun evaporate the rains,

In the sky let them turn pure with my pursuing anguish;
Let a friendly soul weep over my untimely end,
And in the still evenings, when someone prays for me,
Pray too, oh Fatherland, that in God I rest!

Pray for all who died without happiness,

For all those who perished in unequaled torments,
For our unhappy mothers who moan in bitterness,
For orphans and widows, for tortured prisoners,
and pray for thee, that thou mayest see thy liberty!

And when at night the graveyard is wrapped in darkness,

And only, only the dead remain there keeping watch,
Disturb not its peace, disturb not the mystery,
Perhaps thou mayest hear a zither or a rosary:
‘Tis I beloved Country, I, who sing unto thee!

And when alas! my tomb, forgotten by all,

Has neither cross nor stone to mark its place,
Let men plow it, let be scatter with spade,
And my remains, before they return to nothingness,
May they form the dust of thy earthly floor . . .

Then it matters not if I am consigned to oblivion,

In the air, through thy space, over thy vales shall I fly,
Vibrant and distinct sound shall I be to thy ears;
Fragrance, light, rainbow, murmur, song, groaning,
Constantly repeat the essence of my faith.

My idolized Country, grief of my griefs,

Beloved Philippines, hear now my last farewell!
Here I leave thee all: my parents, my loved ones,
I go where there are no slaves, tyrants or oppressors,
Where faith never kills, where God alone Reigns.
 94

Farewell, parents and brothers, torn from my own soul.

Friends of my childhood days in our home dispossessed,
Be grateful that I rest from the wearisome day!
Farewell to thee, sweet stranger, my friend, my happiness!
Farewell, beloved creatures all! to die is to rest!

END OF GE 12 MODULE

ós   My Last Farewell

adorada, región del sol querida,
de oriente, nuestro perdido Edén!
legre la triste mustia vida,
brillante, más fresca, más florida,
ti la diera, la diera por tu bien.
de batalla, luchando con delirio,
sus vidas sin dudas, sinpesar;
importa, ciprés, laurel o lirio, martirio,
ampo abierto, combate o cruel
s si lo piden la patria y el hogar.
ando veo que el cielo se colora
cia el día tras lóbrego capuz;
esitas para teñir tu aurora,
gre mía, derrámala en buen hora
eflejo de su naciente luz.
Farewell, my beloved Country, treasured region of the
Pearl of the sea of the Orient, our lost Eden!
To you eagerly I surrender this sad and gloomy life;
And were it brighter, fresher,
more florid,
Even then I’d give it to you, for your sake alone.
In fields of battle, deliriously fighting,
Others give you their lives, without doubt, without regre
The place matters not: where there’s cypress, laurel or
On a plank or open field, in combat or cruel martyrdom
It’s all the same if the home or country asks.
I die when I see the sky has unfurled its colors
And at last after a cloak of darkness announces the da
If you need scarlet to tint your dawn,
Shed my blood, pour it as the moment comes,
And may it be gilded by a reflection of the heaven’s ne
light.

uando apenas muchacho adolescente,

uando joven ya lleno de vigor,
te un día, joya del mar de oriente,
gros ojos, alta la tersa
arrugas, sin manchas de rubor
mi vida, mi ardiente vivo anhelo,
a el alma que pronto va a partir!
ue es hermoso caer por darte vuelo,
te vida, morir bajo tu cielo,
ntada tierra la eternidad dormir.
My dreams, when scarcely an adolescent,
My dreams, when a young man already full of life,
Were to see you one day, jewel of the sea of the Orien
Dry those eyes of black, that forehead high,
Without frown, without wrinkles, without stains of sham
My lifelong dream, my deep burning desire,
This soul that will soon depart cries out: Salud!
To your health! Oh how beautiful to fall to give you fligh
To die to give you life, to die under your sky,
And in your enchanted land eternally sleep.

epulcro vieres brotar If upon my grave one day you see appear,

sa yerba sencilla, humilde flor,
s labios y besa al a
n mi frente bajo la tumba fría,
el soplo, de tu hálito el calor.
a verme con luz tranquila y suave,
lba envíe su resplandor fugaz,
viento con su murmullo grave,
e y posa sobre mi cruz un ave,
ve entone su cántico de paz.
ol, ardiendo, las lluvias evapore
nen puras, con mi clamor en pos;
ser amigo mi fin temprano llore
nas tardes cuando por mí alguien ore,
oh Patria, por mi descanso a Dios!
s cuantos murieron sin ventura,
padecieron tormentos sin igual,
pobres madres que gimen su amargura;
s y viudas, por presos en tortura
ue veas tu redención final.
noche oscura se envuelva el cementerio
muertos queden velando
reposo, no turbes el misterio,
des oigas de cítara o
da Patria, yo que te canto a ti.
mi tumba de todos olvidada
z ni piedra que marquen su lugar,
re el hombre, la esparza con la azada,
s, antes que vuelvan a la nada,
u alfombra que vayan a formar.
da importa me pongas en olvido.
, tu espacio, tus valles cruzaré.
mpia nota seré para tu oído,
olores, rumor, canto, gemido,
pitiendo la esencia de mi fe.
atrada, dolor de mis dolores,
nas, oye el postrer adiós.
95
Amidst the dense grass, a simple humble flower,
Place it near your lips and my soul you’ll kiss,
And on my brow may I feel, under the cold tomb,
The gentle blow of your tenderness, the warmth of you
Let the moon see me in a soft and tranquil light,
Let the dawn send its fleeting radiance,
Let the wind moan with its low murmur,
And should a bird descend and rest on my cross,
Let it sing its canticle of peace.
Let the burning sun evaporate
the rains,
And with my clamor behind, towards the sky may they
Let a friend mourn my early
demise,
And in the serene afternoons, when someone prays fo
O Country, pray to God also for
my rest!
Pray for all the unfortunate ones who died,
For all who suffered torments
unequaled,
For our poor mothers who in their grief and bitterness c
For orphans and widows, for prisoners in torture,
And for yourself pray that your final redemption you’ll s
And when the cemetery is enveloped in dark night,
And there, alone, only those who have gone remain in
Disturb not their rest, nor the mystery,
And should you hear chords from a zither or psaltery,
It is I, beloved Country, singing to you.
And when my grave, then by all forgotten,
Has not a cross nor stone to mark its place,
Let men plow and with a spade scatter it,
And before my ashes return to nothing,
May they be the dust that carpets your fields.
Then nothing matters, cast me in oblivion.
Your atmosphere, your space and valleys I’ll cross.
I will be a vibrant and clear note to your ears,

do, mis padres, mis amores.
o hay esclavos, verdugos ni opresores,
o mata, donde el que reina es Dios.
s y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,
infancia en el perdido hogar,
que descanso del
extranjera, mi amiga, mi alegría,
os seres, morir es descansar.
1896
96
Aroma, light, colors, murmur, moan, and song,
Constantly repeating the essence of
faith.
My idolized country, sorrow of my sorrows,
Beloved Filipinas, hear my last good-bye.
There I leave you all, my parents, my loves.
I’ll go where there are no slaves, hangmen nor oppres
Where faith doesn’t kill, where the one who reigns is G
Goodbye, dear parents, brother and sisters, fragments
Childhood friends in the home now lost,
Give thanks that I rest from this wearisome day;
Goodbye, sweet foreigner, my friend, my joy;
Farewell, loved ones, to die is to rest.
José Rizal, 1896
97