REVIEWER LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

DAY 1

The Republic Act No. 1425, known as the Rizal Law, mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to offer
courses about José Rizal. The full name of the law is An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools,
Colleges and Universities Courses On the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly His Novels, Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes.

DAY 2
Pepe’s Big Head & his Childhood
• His mother almost died during the delivery because of his big head.
• Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861, between 11 o’clock and midnight.
• Jose was 7th among the 11 of Don Francisco Mercado & Doña Teodora Alonso.
• He was a frail, sickly, and undersized child.
• He experienced his first sorrow when his younger sister Concepcion died at age 3.
• He felt fear whenever his nanny threatened that aswang, tikbalang and heavy- bearded Bombay would take him
away if he did not eat his supper.
• He learned the alphabet from his mother at age three (3).
• He wrote “Sa Aking mga Kababata”, his first poem, at age 8.
• He was influenced by his three uncles – Jose Alberto, Gregorio, and Manuel – to excel in arts, reading and
sports.

c DAY 3

The First Taste of Injustice of Rizal

• Jose Alberto, a brother of Doña Teodora and one of the wealthiest men in Biñan, Laguna, returned from a trip to
Europe and found out that his wife was gone, and his children were abandoned.
• Jose Alberto planned to separate from his wife because of being unfaithful, but Doña Teodora intervened for the
sake of the children and on the account of Catholic principles. She succeeded in dissuading Jose Alberto.
• Jose Alberto’s wife conspired with the Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and sued Doña Teodora for
purportedly attempting to poison her.
• Doña Teodora was arrested and forced to walk 50 kilometers, from Calamba to capital of Laguna.
• Doña Teodora was later freed by Governor Izquierdo upon the request of Soledad.

Rizal as a Victim of Spanish Officer’s Brutality

• Rizal was a freshman medical student at the University of Santo Tomas, he experienced his first taste of Spanish
brutality.
• In 1878, he was walking in the streets. He dimly perceived the figure of man while passing him. Not knowing the
person due to darkness, he did not salute nor say a courteous greeting. It appeared that it was the lieutenant of
guardia civil. As a result, he turned upon Rizal, whipped out his sword and brutality slashed the latter on the back.
• Rizal reported the crime to General Primo de Rivera, the Spanish governor-general at that time. However,
nothing came out of his complaint, because he was an Indio.

DAY 5
Bullying refers to any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a
physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or
placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property;

RA 10627 is the law that punishes bullying – Anti-Bullying Law.

Cyber-bullying is a bullying done using technology or any electronic means (Section 2, RA 10627).
 REVIEWER LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
Assertion is standing up for one’s rights. It is a profession of one’s rights and putting up defense when challenged or
violated.

DAY 6

Achievements of Rizal

A La Juventud Filipina was Rizal’s winning entry in prose and poetry competition sponsored by Liceo Artistico-Literario
de Manila, where the Filipinos were invited to participate for the first time in a competition dominated by Spaniards.

Junto al Pasig was a zarzuela presented in seven scenes, during the celebration of the Feast of Immaculate Conception
of Mary.

El Consejo de los Dioses was an allegory which won him major prize but was not awarded to him because he is an indio.

Other Achievements

Title Genre
El Heroismo Epic
A la Juventud Filipina Ode
Abd-el Azis y Mahoma Romance
A Filipinas Sonnet
A La Virgen Maria Sonnet
Junto al Pasig Zarzuela
Al M.R.P Pablo Roman, SJ Ode
El Consejo de los Dioses Allegory

DAY 7

• After graduating with the highest honors his Bachiler en Artes from the Ateneo, Rizal had to go to the University
of Santo Tomas for higher studies.
• The Bachelor of Arts course during Spanish times were equivalent only to the high school and junior college
courses today.
• He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning because:
o the Dominican professors were hostile to him
o the Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards
o the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive.
• After finishing the fourth year of his medical course, Rizal decided to study in Spain. He could no longer endure
the rampant bigotry, discrimination, and hostility in the University of Santo Tomas.

DAY 9
Segunda Katigbak

• She was Jose Rizal’s “puppy love” and with her the hero was believed to have had “love at first sight”.
• Rizal was 16 years old when one Sunday in 1887 he paid visit to his maternal grandmother in Trozo, Manila and
there met, among others, Segunda Katigbak, a two-year-younger-than-him ‘colegiala’.
• Rizal graphically described her as a short lady with “eloquent eyes, rosy cheeks, and smile that reveals very
beautiful teeth”.
• Mariano Katigbak, Segunda’s brother and Rizal’s classmate who was also in the house, probably had no idea that
his friend had been experiencing “a love at first sight” being bewitched by his alluring sister.
• During the 1880s, the Katigbaks of Batangas were known for their successful and very lucrative coffee industry.
 REVIEWER LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
• When Jose met Segunda, she was at the time a boarding student of La Concordia College where Rizal’s sister
Olympia was also studying.
• Segunda Katigbak was married to Don Manuel Luz y Metra and was already engaged before he met Pepe.

DAY 10 & 11
Gertrude Beckett

• Rizal stayed in London to finish the annotations of the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he stayed in the Beckett
family’s residence which was within walking distance from the British museum.
• Gertrude, the oldest of three Beckett girls, was a buxom girl with blue-eyes, rosy cheeks and brown hair.
• She fell in love with Rizal as she helped him in doing paintings and sculptures. Rizal suddenly realized that he
could not marry Gertrude for he had a mission to fulfill in life.
• Before leaving, he finished the carving of the Beckett sisters and gave it to Gertrude as a sign of their brief
relationship.

Nellie Boustead

• While in Paris, Rizal met thru Antonio Luna Anglo-Filipino Eduardo Boustead. He stayed as a guest in their
residence and befriended the two pretty daughters of Eduardo.
• After having lost Leonor, Rizal entertained the thought of courting other ladies. Rizal and the ladies used to fence
at the studio of Juan Luna.
• Antonio courted Nellie although she admitted that she was deeply infatuated with Rizal.
• Their love affair however did not end in marriage since Rizal refused to be converted in Protestant faith which
Nellie demanded.
• Nellie’s mother also did not want to have as son-in-law a physician like Rizal who did not have enough paying
clientele. Rizal and Nellie parted as good friends when he left Europe.

Suzanne Jacoby

• In 1890, Rizal moved to Brussels due to the high cost of living in Paris. He stayed in the boarding house operated
by the Jacoby sisters.
• It wasn’t long before he and Suzanne became lovers. Rizal however left Brussels and continued with his journey.
• Although she cried when he left her, she continued sending him letters with hope that he will come back.
• Rizal produced Suzanne’s sculpture which he gave to Valentin Ventura.

Consuelo Ortega y Perez

• In 1882, when Rizal was a student at the Universidad Central de Madrid, he frequented the home of Don Pablo
Ortiga y Rey, the former city mayor of Manila.
• He lived with his son Rafael and his daughter Consuelo. Rizal, though he wasn’t a handsome man, had a great deal
of charisma and was gifted with many talents and a deeply noble character. For this reason, it is of no surprise that
Consuelo, the prettier of Don Pablo’s daughters, was very taken with him.
• Being lonely and isolated in a foreign country, Rizal found comfort in Consuelo’s vivacious company.
• He wrote her a poem entitled A La Senorita C.O. y P. (To Miss C.O.y P.), in which he expressed his great admiration
for the lady.
• Rizal’s romance with Consuelo did not turn into a serious affair, because:
o Rizal was still engaged with Leonor Rivera; and
o Rizal was aware of Eduardo de Lete’s affection for Consuelo Ortega.

Leonor Valenzuela

• When Rizal was a sophomore at the University of Santo Tomas and was boarding in the house of Dona Concha
Leyva in Intramuros he met Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela.
• She was the daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela.
 REVIEWER LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
• Rizal eventually courted Leonor by sending her love notes, which he wrote in invisible ink made from a mixture of
water and table salt.
• Rizal taught Leonor how to read his letters by heating them over a lamp or a candle to allow the words to surface.

Leonor Rivera

• Leonor Rivera was a young lady from Camiling, and a cousin of Jose Rizal.
• Leonor’s father had given room and board in Casa Tomasina, Intramuros for Rizal when the youth was still starting
his third year at the university.
• She and Rizal eventually became engaged. In her letters, she signed her name as “Taimis”, in order to hide their
intimate relationship from the girl’s parents.
• Silvestra urged his daughter to instead marry Henry Kipping, a British engineer designing the Dagupan-Manila
railway during the 1890s.
• Leonor later became his muse for Maria Clara, his novel’s heroine who depicted his thoughts, longings and pain.

O Sei-San

• Seiko Usui, also known as O-Sei-San, was a Japanese samurai’s daughter. She was 23 years old when she first met
him.
• Rizal had moved to a Spanish Legation in the Azabu district of Tokyo where she regularly worked. She served as
his interpreter during his stay in Japan.
• She also helped him to be accustomed to the Japanese culture, taught him how to read and write Nihonggo, and
taught him the Japanese art of painting also known as su-mie.
• Together, they visited The Imperial Art Gallery, The Imperial Library, various universities, the Shokubutsu-en
(Botanical Garden), the Hibiya Park, and various shrines.
• Her beauty and affection almost tempted Rizal to stay in Japan. When Rizal left for the United States, he told her
in a note that he had spent a happy golden month with her and that he does not know if he can have another.
• Sacrificing his personal happiness, Rizal had to carry on his libertarian mission in Europe; so, he assumed his
voyage, leaving behind the lovely O-Sei-San, whom he passionately loved.

Josephine Bracken

• 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, named Josephine Bracken.
• 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.
• Rizal sisters suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars, and they considered her as a threat to Rizal’s security.
• Rizal asked Josephine to marry him, but she was not yet ready to decide due to her responsibility to the blind
Taufer.
• Since Taufer’s blindness was untreatable, he left for Hong Kong on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s
family in Manila.
• Upon her return to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father Antonio Obach for their marriage. However, the
priest wanted a retraction as a precondition before marrying them.
• Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends and with Josephine’s consent took her as his wife even without the
Church blessings.
• Josephine later gives birth prematurely to a stillborn baby, a result of some incidence, which might have shocked
or frightened her.

PREPARED BY: MIKE STEPHEN P. PULICAY