Chapter 1: Understanding the Rizal Law

Objectives:
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1.determine the issues and interest at stake in the debate over the Rizal Bill; and
2.relate the issues to the present-day Philippines.

The mandatory teaching of Jose Rizal’s life with the emphasis on his landmark
novels is inscribed in legislation. Republic Act No. 1425, more popularly known as the Rizal
Law, was passed in 1956 leaving a colorful narrative of debate and contestation.
As an introduction to the life and works of Jose Rizal, this textbook will begin with
the reading of Rizal Law. In this chapter, you will study RA 1425 within its context, look
into the major issues and debates surrounding the bill and its passage into law, and reflect
on the impact and relevance of this legislation across history and the present time.
In the course of deliberation, the process of how a bill becomes a law in the
Philippines will be undertaken so you will have an idea regarding the country’s legislative
process.

The Context of the Rizal Bill

The postwar period saw a Philippines rife with challenges and problems. With a
country torn and tired from stresses of World War II, getting up on their feet was a
paramount concern of the people and the government.

How a Bill Becomes a Law?

The Legislative Process

The Senate and the House of Representatives follow the same legislative procedure.
Legislative proposals emanate from a number of sources. They may be authored by the
members of the Senate or House as part of their advocacies and agenda; produced through
the lobbying from various sectors; or initiated by the executive branch of the government
with the President’s legislative agenda. Once a legislative proposal, like a bill is ready, it will
go through the following steps.
Bill is filed in the Senate Office of the Secretary. It is given a number and calendared
for the first reading.
STEP 1 - First Reading. The bill’s title, number, and author(s) are read on the floor.
STEP 2 -Afterwards, it is referred to the appropriate committee.
STEP 3–Committee Hearings. The bill is discussed within the committee and a period of
consultations is held. The committee can approve (approve without revisions, approve
with amendments, or recommend substitution or consolidation with similar bills) or reject.
After the committee report, the bill is calendared for the second reading. Second Reading.
The bill is read and discussed on the floor. The author delivers a sponsorship speech.
STEP 4–The other members of the Senate may engage in discussions regarding the bill and
a period of debates will pursue. Amendments may be suggested to the bill.
STEP 5 –Voting on Second Reading. The senators vote on whether to approve or reject the
bill. If approved, the bill is calendared for the third reading.
STEP 6 - Voting on the Third Reading
STEP 7 - Consolidation of Version from the House. (Bicameral conference meeting)
STEP 8 - Transmittal of the Final Version to the Malacañ an.

Individuals who championed nationalism- Pursued government measures to instill

patriotism and love for the country in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos.
Passage - Republic Act No. 1425, Rizal Law

From the Rizal Bill to Rizal Law

SENATE BILL NO. 438

 Filed on April 3, 1956, by the Senate Committee of Education

 April 17, 1956 – Senate Committee on Education Chair Jose P. Laurel sponsored the
bill and began delivering speeches for the proposed legislation.
 The bill became controversial as the powerful Catholic church began to express
opposition against its passage.
 Claro M. Recto (main author) and his allies in the Senate entered a fierce battle
arguing for the passage of SB 438.
 Debated started on April 23, 1956.

HOUSE BILL NO. 5561

 Identical version of SB 438

 Filed by Representative Jacobo Z. Gonzales on April 19, 1956
 May 2, 1956 – House Committee on Education approved the bill without
amendments
 May 9, 1956 – debates commenced
Major point of the debates:
 Compulsory reading of the texts Noli Me Tá ngere and El Filibusterismo
appropriated in the bill was constitutional.
 Call to read the unexpurgated versions was also challenged.

May 9, 1956 – Senator Jose P. Laurel proposed the amendments to the bill.
 He removed the compulsory reading of Rizal’s novels and added that Rizal’s other
works must also be included in the subject.
 He, however, remained adamant in this stand that the unexpurgated versions of the
novel be read.
 May 14, 1956 – similar amendments were adopted to the House version.
 Amended version of the bills was also subjected to scrutiny but seemed more
palatable to the members of Congress.
 The passage was almost hijacked by technicality since the House of Representatives
was about to adjourn in a few days and President Ramon Magsaysay did not certify
the bill was a priority.
 The allies in the House skillfully avoided the insertion of any other amendment.
  They also asked the Bureau of Printing to use the same templates for the Senate
version in printing the House version.
 May 17, 1956 – Senate and House versions were approved.
 The approved versions were transmitted to Malacañ an.
 June 12, 1956 – President Magsaysay signed the bill into law – Republic Act No.
1425

CLARO MAYO RECTO

Parents: Claro Recto, Sr. and Micaela Mayo.
Married to Aurora Reyes and has 5 children.
Main sponsor and defender of the Rizal Bill.
Born in Tiaong, Tayabas (Quezon) on February 8, 1890.
Primary education in his hometown.
Secondary education in Batangas.
College:
 AB degree at the Ateneo and was awarded maxima cum laude (1909)
 Law degree from the University of Santo Tomas (1914)
 Admitted to the bar that same year.
Political Career:
 Representative of the third district of Batangas (1919).
 Later became House Minority Floor Leader.
 Elected as a Senator (1931).
 Positions: Minority Floor Leader, Majority Floor Leader, Senate President Pro-
Tempore
 Career was not confined to the legislature.
 Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1935).
Instrumental in the drafting of the constitution of the Philippines (1934-1935)
Selected president of the assembly
Senator for several terms (Commonwealth Period)
Served as a diplomat.
Ardent nationalist
Man of letters
October 2, 1960 – he died of a heart attack in Italy.

THE RIZAL LAW

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425
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 THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-
dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;
WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose
Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have
shaped the national character;
WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which the
minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in school, should
be suffused;

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; Now, therefore,

SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges
and universities, public or private: Provided, that in the collegiate courses, the original or
unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English
translation shall be used as basic texts.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt

forthwith measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the
writing and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within
sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including
those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board
shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons
of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the
provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from
taking the course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations
shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their
libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other works and biography. The
said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their
translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of
approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and
universities.

The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of
books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.

SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog
and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions;
and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through
the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country.
SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section nine
hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious
doctrines by public school teachers and other person engaged in any public school.

SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be

appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry
out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

Republic Act No. 1425 or the Rizal Law

•The mandatory teaching of the life, works and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal including his two
novels: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in all colleges and universities, public and
private.
•It aims to promote nationalism, value of freedom for which our heroes lived and died.
•The Rizal Law could be considered a landmark legislation in the postwar Philippines.
During this period, the Philippines was trying to get up on its feet from a devastating war
and aiming towards nation-building.
•As the government sought ways to unite the people, legislators like Senator Claro M. Recto
(main author) drew inspiration from the lives of the heroes of the revolution against Spain.
The proposed legislation however met opposition particularly from the Catholic Church.
After much debate, the bill was signed into law and became Republic Act No. 1425

From the Rizal Bill to Rizal Law

•The postwar period saw a Philippines rife with challenges and problems. With a country
torn and tired from the stress of World War II, getting up on their feet was a paramount
concern of the people and the government.
•On April 3, 1956, Senate Bill No. 439 was filed by the Senate Committee on Education.
•On April 17, 1956, then Senate Committee on Education Chair Jose P. Laurel sponsored the
bill and began delivering speeches.
•The bill became controversial as the powerful Catholic Church began to express
opposition. •Debates started on April 23, 1956.

CHAPTER 2 – NATION & NATIONALISM

This chapter will focus on nation and nationalism in the Philippine context. It will
explain the concepts of nation, state, and nation-state as a precursor to understanding
nationalism and the projects that lead to it. Likewise, the discussion will touch on some of
Rizal’s works that deal with nation and nationalism. This chapter also aims to reflect on
nation-building in the Philippines which is a major force behind the passage of the Rizal
Law.

TOPICS
NATION, STATE & NATION-STATE NATION & NATIONALISM NATION & BAYAN

NATION, STATE & NATION-STATE

To better understand nationalism, one must learn the concepts of nation and
nationhood as well as state and nation-state.
 Nation - A group of people that shares a common culture, history, language and
other practices like religion, affinity to a place, etc.
 Nation-State - A state governing a nation.
 State - A political entity that wields sovereignty over a defined territory.

Social scientists have fleshed out the nuances of nation, state, and nation-state.

NATION:
A nation is a community of people that are believed to share a link with one another based
on cultural practices, religion, or belief system, and historical experience, to name a few.

STATE:
A state, on the other hand, is a political entity that has sovereignty over a defined territory.
 States have: laws, taxation, government, and bureaucracy - basically, the means of
regulating life within territory.
 This sovereignty needs diplomatic recognition to be legitimate and acknowledge
internationally.
 The state’s boundaries and territories are not fixed and changed across time with
war, sale, arbitration and negotiation, and even assimilation or secession.

NATION-STATE:
The nation-state, in a way, is a fusion of the elements of the nation (people/community)
and the state (territory).
 The development of nation-states started in Europe during the periods coinciding
with the Enlightenment.
 The “classical” nation-states of Europe began with the Peace of Westphalia in the
17th century.
 Many paths were taken towards the formation of the nation-states.
 In the “classical” nation-states, many scholars posit that the process was an
evolution from being a state into a nation-state in which the members of the
bureaucracy (lawyers, politicians, diplomats, etc.) eventually moved to unify the
people within the state to build the nation-state.

Second Path (Nation-State)

 A second path was taken by subsequent nation-states which were formed from
nations.
  In this process, intellectuals and scholars laid the foundations of a nation and
worked towards the formation of political and eventually diplomatic recognition to
create a nation-state.

Third Path (Nation-State)

 A third path taken by many Asian and African people involved breaking off from a
colonial relationship, especially after World War II when a series decolonization and
nation-(re)building occurred.
 During this time, groups initially controlled by imperial powers started to assert
their identity to form a nation and build their own state from the fragments of the
broken colonial ties.

Fourth Path (Nation-State)

 A fourth path was by way of (sometimes violent) secessions by people already part
of an existing state.
 Here, a group of people who refused to or could not identify with the rest of the
population build a nation, asserted their own identity, and demanded recognition.

Contemporary World
In the contemporary world, the existing nation-states continuously strive projects of
nation-building especially since globalization and transnational connections are
progression.

NATION & NATIONALISM (Ernest Renan)

 Renan rejects to define the nation by objective criteria such as shared language,
physical characteristics, culture, custom, etc.
 Two things to constitute principle of a nation: past and present
 Past - the possession in common of a rich legacy of remembrance (common
sufferings).
 Present - the desire to live together to continue to value the heritage which all hold
in common.
 Nationalism connects individuals to the state.
 Nationalism connects individuals:
 They become sentimentally attached to the homeland.
 They gain a sense of identity and self-esteem through their national
identification.
 They are motivated to help their fellow nationals and countries.
 Nationalism is a “process”.

Three Theories about the roots of the Nation:

1. Primordialism
 Root of the nation of national identity are features of group of people, like,
race, language, religion and others. Argues that National identity has always existed
and nations have “ethnic cores.”
Nationalism is embedded in inherited biological attributes, a long history of
practicing cultural differences (kinship) or both. Irreconcilable differences due to
cultural gaps cause fear and conflict that beget violence.

2. Modernity
Nation, national identity, and nationalism are products of the modern
condition and are shaped by modernity.
Nationalism and national identity are necessary products of the social
structure and culture (emergence of capitalism, industrialization, secularization,
urbanization, and bureaucratization. Guard homogeneity in society.
Pre-Modern Societies ~ hierarchies could accommodate diversity in language
and culture; whereas, Rapid Change ~ pushes statehood to guard the homogeneity
in society through nationalism. Modernist Explanation ~ nationalism is a political
project.
3. Constructivist Approach
Nationalism is socially constructed and imagined by people who identify with
a group. Benedict Anderson argues that nations are “Imagined communities.” The
nation is imagined as limited because a nation holds limited number of people.
The nation is seen as imagined because the people who affiliate with that
community have a mental imprint of the affinity which maintains solidarity; they do
not necessarily need to see and know all the members of the group.
The nation is imagined as community because the nation is always conceived
as a “deep, horizontal comradeship”.
 maintains harmonious co-existence and fuels the willingness of the
people to fight and die for that nation.
 Anderson proposed that mass media is important in the construction
of the nation during that time.
MASS MEDIA

1. Fostered unified fields of communication which allowed the millions of people

within a territory to “know” each other through printed outputs and become aware
that many others identified with the same community;
2. Standardized languages that enhanced feelings of nationalism and community; and
3. Maintained communication through a few languages widely used in the printing
press which endured through time.

NATION & BAYAN

 Nation-building is a continuing struggle up to these present.
 The 19th Century brought a tremendous change in the lives of the Filipinos (actual
articulation of nation and nationhood).
  First anti-colonial revolution in Asia led by Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan
scholars note the important work of the propagandists like Rizal in the sustained
efforts to build the nation and enact change in the Spanish colony.

SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO & BAGONG KASAYSAYAN

 Introduced the concepts of KAPWA and BAYAN.
 Is an important concept in the country’s social relations.
 Supports the notion of unity and harmony in a community.

PANTAYONG PANANAW
 A major movement in the indigenization campaign led by Bagong Kasaysayan and
founded by Zeus Salazar.

BAYAN/BANUA
 Is loosely defined as the territory where the people live or the actual community
they are identifying with.
 Encompasses both the spatial community as well as the imagined community.
 The concept of bayan clashed with the European notion of nation during the Spanish
colonialism.

GROUP VENERATING JOSE RIZAL

ADARNISTA OR THE IGLESIANG PILIPINA

Candida Balantac of Ilocos Norte

 Founder of Adarnista or the Iglesiang Pilipina
 Inang Adarna
 Maestra (Teacher) and Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit)
 Balantac’s Followers believe the she was an engkantada (enchanted one) and
claimed that a rainbow is formed like the Ibong Adarna.
ADARNISTA

 Mass is held every Wednesday and Sunday at 7:00 am and lasts up two hours.
 Has more than 10, 000 followers in La Union, Isabela, Pangasinan, Zambales, Nueva
 Ecija, Tarlac, Nueva Vizcaya, Baguio City and Manila.
 Special religious ceremonies:
 June 19  December 30
Adarnista believe that:
 Rizal is a god of the Filipino people.
 Rizal is true god and true man.
 Rizal was not executed as has been mentioned by historians.
 Man is endowed with a soul; as such, man is capable of good deeds.
 Heaven and hell exist but are, nevertheless, ‘‘within us.’’
  The abode of the members of sect in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija is the New Jerusalem or
Paradise.
 The caves in Bongabon are the dwelling place of Jehovah or God.
 There are four persons in God: God, the father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, and the
Mother (Virgin Mary).
ADARNISTA SACRAMENTS:
Baptism  Confirmation  Confession  Marriage  Rites of the Dead

SAMBAHANG RIZAL / RIZAL CHURCH

 Founded by Basilio Aromin
 Pangulu guru (chief preacher)
 This was established to honor Rizal who was sent by Bathala to redeem the Filipino
race, like Jesus Christ who offered His life to save mankind.
 BATHALA
 It is the term used by the early Filipinos to refer to “God” or “Creator”.
 Aromin’s group believed the Rizal is the “Son of Bathala” in the same way the Jesus
Christ is the “Son of God”.
 Lalawigan guru
 Preach Rizal’s teaching in different provinces.
 About 7,000 followers found in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan.

BIBLE
 Noli Me Tangere
 El Filibusterismo

Iglesias Watawat ng Lahi

IGLESIA WATAWAT NG LAHI (ASSOCIATION OF THE BANNER OF THE RACE)

 It is said to have been established by the Philippine national heroes and Arsenio de
Guzman in 1911.
 Guzman preached that Rizal was the “Christ” and the “Messenger of God”
 He claimed that God chosen the Philippines to replace Israel as the “New Kingdom.
 Biggest Rizalista group with more than 100,000 members.
 According to the stories, sometimes in 1938, a “banal na tinig (holy voice) instructed
Mateo Alucuran and Alfredo Benedicto to go to Lecheria, Calamba in the province of
Laguna to look for Jovito Salgado and Gaudioso Parabuac.
 Every Sunday Afternoon they go to church to listened to the teaching of banal na
tinig.
 In 1938, the na tinig informed them that their guide is the spirit of Jose Rizal which
instructed them to organized a movement called, “Samahan ng Watawat ng Lahi.
  Word “Samahan” was into Iglesia to avoid suspicion by the Japanese soldier during
World War II.

The Aims of the Organization (Foronda)

 To love God above all things
 To love one’s fellowman as one himself
 To love motherland and to respect and venerate the heroes of the race especially the
martyr of Bagumbayan, Dr. Rizal to follow, spread and to support their right
teachings; and to serve the country with one’s whole heart towards its order,
progress, and peace.

The Beliefs of the Sect 1960-1961

 The teachings of the sect are based on the commands of the Holy Moses, Jesus Christ
and the teachings of Rizal is culled in his writings.
 Christians believe in the Trinity: the power of the father was given to Moses, the
power of son was given to Jesus Christ and the sect believes that the power of Holy
Ghost was given to Dr. Jose Rizal.
 Jesus Christ is embodied in Dr. Jose Rizal and hence, Dr. Rizal is once at God and
man.
 Rizal is not dead; he is alive and is physically and materially present in the new
Jerusalem which is presently hidden in the site extending from Mt. Makiling and Mt.
Banahaw.
 It is the voice of Rizal which commands the official and the members to do; this
voice in the weekly meetings.
 If World War III breaks out, numberless people will be killed by atomic weapons.
But after the war, Dr. Rizal will make an appearance to the new world and he will
lead the army of the God.
 Man has a soul but a soul that is different from the soul of Dr. Rizal, for Rizal is God.
 There is a particular judgment (the soul is judged three days after death) and the
last judgment (when all the creatures will be judged).

3 Factions

Watawat ng Lahi Samahan ng Watawat ng Lahi Presiding EldersTeaches that Rizal is not
Christ but only human.
-Claims that they hold the original teachings and
Inc.doctrines
of old Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi
Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi,
-Rizal is God/ Christ himself, the Jove Rex Al (God, King
of all)
Iglesia ng Lipi ni Gat. Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Inc.  

Rizalista
Rizalista Church
LIFE, WORKS & WRITING OR RIZAL

Suprema de la Iglesia del Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Inc.

 Officially registered as an organization in 1952.

 Founded by Maria Bernarda Balitaan (MBB) in the Tagalog region
 Ciudad Mistica is the biggest Rizalista group today, it is located at the foot of Mt.
Banahaw in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Dolores, Quezon.
 Approximately it has 5,000 members in Sta. Lucia alone.
 All over Luzon it has about 100, 000 members.
 In the history of Ciudad Mistica’s establishment it has always been led by a woman.
 The leader is called “Suprema”

The members believe that as a result of endless conflicts among countries in West
Asia, God decided to transfer his “Kingdom” to the Philippines.
It explains why there existed “holy stations/altars” (locally called pwesto) in Mt.
Banahaw, which is equivalent to the stations of the cross of Christ in the Pasyon.
For the Ciudad Mistica, Jesus Christ work is still unfinished and it will be continued
by Dr. Jose Rizal and the “twelve lights”.
 the “twelve lights” are said to be equivalent of Jesus Christ’s 12 apostles
 their work will be full filled by a woman, in the person of MBB
 as can be seen in their hymns

The Virgin Maria Bernarda, a Filipino mother

Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino Father
Once in a mystery, they came together
And so, emerge this country, the Philippines.

Like other Rizalista groups, the Ciudad Mistica shares many elements with Catholic Church;

 they hold masses every Saturday

 have prayers and chants
 they commemorate the birth and death anniversary of the “twelve lights”, with
Rizal's death (December 30) as the most important celebration
 each commemoration starts with raising the Philippine flag.

LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL (CHAPTER 4)

Learning objectives
 Discuss about the Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education.
 Describe people and events that influenced Rizal’s early life.
 Explain Rizal’s growth as a propagandist; and
 Identify the factors that led to Rizal’s execution.
RIZAL’S FAMILY
 June 19, 1861
 Calamba, Province of Laguna
 Francisco Mercado
 Siang-co and Zun-nio, who later give birth to Lam-co
 1600s- He migrated to the Philippines
 1697- He was baptized in Binondo. “Domingo”
 Ines de la Rosa, entrepreneurial family in Binondo
 1731- They had a son (Francisco Mercado)
 Mercado which means “MARKET”
 1783- Capitan del pueblo
 1808, 1813, and 1823 - Juan Mercado, as Capitan del pueblo
 Cirila Alejandra
 13 children including Francisco Engracio
 1849 - Governor Narciso Claveria
 “Rizal” from the word “ricial” meaning “green field”
 College of San Jose in Manila
 1848- Francisco married Teodora Alonso
 “a woman of more than ordinary culture”
 “a mathematician and has read many books”
 Principalia
 Their house was among the concrete houses to be built in the town
 Rafael Palma - One of the first Biographers of Jose Rizal.

The house was high and even sumptuous, a solid and massive earthquake-proof
structure with sliding’s shell windows. Thick walls of lime and stone bounded the first
floor; the second floor was made entirely of wood except for the roof, which was of red tile,
in the style of the buildings in Manila at that time. Francisco himself selected the hardest
woods from the forest and had them sawed; it took him more than two years to construct
the house. At the back there was an azotea and a wide, deep cistern to hold rainwater for
home use.

 Jose Rizal (1861-1896) is the Seventh among the Eleven children of Francisco
Mercado and Teodora Alonso.
 Saturnina (1850-1913)  Maria (1859-1945)
 Paciano (1851-1930)  Conception (1862-1865)
 Narcisa (1852-1939)  Josefa (1865-1945)
 Olimpia (1855-1887)  Trinidad (1868-1951)
 Lucia (1857-1919)  Soledad (1870-1929)
 Rizal was affectionate to all his siblings
 Paciano, become Rizal’s second father
  Accompanied Rizal when he first went to school in Binan
 Convinced Rizal to pursue his studies in Europe
 Paciano also had his college education in Manila but later decided to join the
Katipunan and Fight for Independence.
 After the revolution, Paciano returned to his home in Los Banos and Led a quiet life
until his death in 1930.

CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION OR RIZAL

 Rizal had a good memory of childhood in Calamba.

 Rizal had a personal servant who tells him legends and fairytales.
 Dona Teodora - His First Teacher
 He’s three years old when he learned the alphabet and showed a great interest in
reading books
 Maestro Celestino, Maestro Lucas Padua, and Leon Monroy
 honed his skills in basic Latin, Reading, and Writing.
 At the age of nine, Rizal left Calamba with his brother to study in Binan.
 Justiniano Aquino Cruz
 His class was in a nipa house, about thirty meters away from his aunt’s house.
 Rizal wake up early and either hear a mass at four o’clock in the morning or study
his lesson first and go to mass after.
 December 17, 1870 -Rizal returned to Calamba
 He went home on board the steamship Talim and was accompanied by Arturo
Camps

STUDENT OF MANILA

 Rizal was sent by his father to Ateneo Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia
 Took the entrance exam on June 10,1872
 Use the name of Jose Rizal instead of Jose Mercado
 Students in Ateneo were divided into two groups, the Romans and the
Carthaginians
 Roman Empire-was composed of students boarding at Ateneo
 Carthaginians Empire- was composed of non-boarding students
 Rizal studied at Ateneo from 1872-1877
 Passed Oral Examination on March 14,1877 and graduated w/ a degree
Bachiller en Artes
 Rizal sent by Don Francisco to the University of Santo Tomas
 Rizal pursued university education and enrolled in UST
 Freshman year (1877-1878) attended course of Philosophy and Letters
  Took up vocational course title “Perito Agrimensor” (expert surveyor) issued on
November 25,1881.
 Second year at UST, Rizal shifted his course to Medicine
 In 1882, Rizal and Paciano made a secret pact- Rizal would go to Europe to
complete his medical studies, and prepare himself for the great task of liberating the
country from Spanish Tyranny.

RIZAL IN EUROPE
 May 3, 1882, Rizal left the Philippines for Spain.
 He made sketches of his fellow passengers and of the things that he saw during his
travels
 June 16, 1882, Rizal reached Barcelona during the summer vacation.
 Organized a welcome party for Rizal at a coffee house in Plaza de Cataluna.
 August 20, 1882, “El Amor Patrio” (Love of Country) was published in Diariong
Tagalog where he used the pen name Laong Laan.
 November 3, 1882, Rizal decided to move to Madrid where he enrolled in Medicine
and philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid (Universidad
Complutense de Madrid)
 He also took lessons in painting and sculpture at the Academia de San Fernando
 Took classes in French, English, and German at the Madrid Ateneo
 Enroll in fencing class at the schools of Sanz and Carbonell
 January of 1883, Rizal wrote a letter to his family: “I am now studying Italian and
have made a bet that I shall be able to speak it in two months”
 June 1884, Rizal was awarded with the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine for
passing the medical examinations.
 Rizal also took examinations in Greek, Latin, and world history
 He won the first prize in Greek and a grade of “Excellent” in history.
 June 19, 1885, Rizal obtained the degree Licenciado en filosofia y letras (Licentiate
in Philosophy and Letters) from the Universidad Central de Madrid with a rating of
Sobresaliente.
 Meeting fellow Filipinos in Madrid, known as Ilustrados
 These Filipinos (enlightened one) formed the Circulo Hispano-Filipino which held
informal programs with activities like poetry-reading and debates.
 Rizal wrote Mi Piden Versos (They Ask Me for Verses)
 January 2, 1884, Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippine society.
 The group approved the project but this plan did not materialize.
 It was in Madrid that he was able to write the first half of his novel, Noli Me
Tangere.
 Rizal was exposed to liberal ideas through the masons that he met.
 November 15, 1890, Rizal joined the Masonry and became a Master Mason at the
Lodge Solidaridad.
  Don Pablo Ortiga Y Rey - a former city mayor of Manila under the term of
Governor-General Carlos Maria de la Torre
 Rizal joined his fellow Filipinos at Don Pablos house where he met and became
attracted to Consuelo, Don Pablos daughter
 In 1883, Rizal wrote a poem for Consuelo entitled “A Senorita C. O. y R”.
 October 1885 to March 1886, Rizal specialized in Ophthalmology and trained
under the leading ophthalmologists in Europe:
 Dr. Louis de Weckert of Paris.
 Dr. Javier Galezowsky and Dr. Otto Becker in Heidelberg in 1886
 Dr. R. Schulzer and Dr. Schwiegger in 1887
 In Germany, Rizal befriended different scholars like:
 Fredrich Ratzel, a German Historian
 Through his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal was able to meet:
 Feodor Jagor and Hans Virchow, Anthropologists
 Rizal wrote a paper entitled “Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Martial Art)”
 1886, Rizal translated Schiller’s William Tell into Tagalog.
 March 21, 1887, Rizal finished and published Noli Me Tangere in Berlin with the
financial help from his friend Maximo Viola.
 August 8, 1887, Rizal went home to Calamba.
 He came to be known as Doctor Uliman
 February 16, 1888, Rizal left the country for the second time.

RIZAL’S SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE

 More active in the Propaganda Movement w/ fellow ilustrados like Mercelo H. del
Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, and Trinidad Pardo Dr
Tavera.
 Propaganda Movement campaign for reforms such as:
 For the Philippines to be made a province of Spain so that native Filipinos
would have equal rights accorded to Spaniards
 Representation of Phil. in the Spanish Cortes
 Secularization of parishes
 Rizal became pre-occupied w/writing articles and essays published in Propaganda
Movement’s newspaper, La Solidaridad.
 Annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Island Filipinas (1890)
 Wrote an essay entitled “Sobre la Indolencia Dr Los Filipinos” (On the Indolence of
the Filipinos) published in 1890
 Indolence different factors such as climate and social disorders
 “Filipinas Dentro Dr Cohen Añ os” (The Philippines a Century Hence) published in
parts from 1889-1890
 July 1891 while in Brussels, Rizal completed his second novel, El Filibusterismo,
which was published on September 18,1891 -help of his friend Valentin Ventura
  1892, Rizal decided to return to the Philippines
 Arrived June 26,1892
 La Liga Filipina (Socio-civic Organization) that Rizal established on July 3,1892
 Rizal arrested and brought to Fort Santiago on July 6,1892
 Charged w/ bringing from Hong Kong leaflets entitled Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars)
 Poor Friars - a satire against the rich Dominican friars and their accumulation of
wealth which was against their vow of poverty.
 Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao

EXILE OF RIZAL IN DAPITAN

 July 17, 1892, Rizal arrived in Dapitan on board the steamer Cebu.
 Dapitan (now a city within Zamboanga del Norte) was remote town in
Mindanao which served as a politico- military outpost of the Spaniards in the
Philippines)
 Headed by Captain Ricardo Carcinero
 Dapitan became Rizal’s home from 1892-1896
 Establish a school for boys and promoted community development projects
 Study Malayan Language and other Philippine languages
 Engaged himself in farming and commerce
 Invented a wooden machine for making bricks
 September 21,1892 won the second prize lottery together w/ Ricardo Carcinero and
another Spaniard. His share amounted to 6,200 pesos.
 Used purchasing land approximately one kilometer away from Dapitan in a
place known as Talisay
 Built his house on the seashore of Talisay, also school and Hospital
 In his letter to Blumentritt (December 19,1893) Rizal described his daily activities
in Dapitan:
 The Letter
“I am going to tell you how we live here. I have a square house,
another hexagonal, and another octagonal, all made of bamboo, wood and
nipa. In the square my mother, sister Trinidad, a nephew and I live.
In the octagonal my boys live-some boys whom I teach arithmetic, Spanish
and English-and now and then a patient who has been operated on.
In the hexagonal are my chickens. From my house I hear the murmur
of a crystalline rivulet that comes from the high rocks. I see the beach, the sea
where I have two small crafts-two canoes or barotos, as they call them here. I
have many fruit trees-mangoes, lanzones, guyabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I
have rabbits, dogs, cats, etc. I get up early at 5:00. I visit my fields, I feed the
chickens. I wake up my folks, and start them moving.
At 7:30 we take breakfast-tea, pastry, cheese, sweets, etc. Afterwards I
treat my poor patients who came to my land. I dress and go to town with my
 baroto, I treat the people and I return at 12:00 and take lunch. Afterwards, I
teach the boys until 4:00 and I spend the afternoon farming. I spend the
evening reading and studying.”

 Rizal made a big relief map of Mindanao in the plaza and used it to teach geography
 Assisted by his pupils, Rizal also constructed a water system to supply the town
w/water for drinking and irrigation
 Helped people in putting up lamp posts at every corner of the town
 George Taufer who was suffering from an eye ailment traveled from Hong Kong to
Dapitan
 Accompanied by his adopted daughter, Josephine Bracken, who eventually fell in
love w/Rizal
 June 21,1896, Dr. Pip Valenzuela visited Rizal in Dapitan and informed him about
the founding of Katipunan and the planned revolution.
 Rizal sending letters to Governor General Ramon Blanco
 Twice sent letters, one in 1894 and another in 1895
 July 30,1896, Rizal’s request to go to Cuba was approved
 Left Manila on board the steamer Españ a.
 September 3,1896, he boarded the steamer Isla de Panay which would bring him to
Barcelona.
 Governor- General Despujol told him that there was an order to ship him back to
Manila.
 November 3,1896, Rizal arrived in Manila and was immediately brought to Fort
Santiago

TRIAL AND EXECUTION

The preliminary investigation of Rizal’s case began on November 20, 1896. He was
accused of being the main organizer of the revolution by having proliferated the ideas of
rebellion and of founding illegal organizations. Rizal pleaded not guilty and even wrote
manifesto appealing to the revolutionaries to discontinue the uprising. Lt. Luis Taviel de
Andrade, lawyer of Rizal tried his best to save Rizal. However, on December 1896 Jose Rizal
found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad.
On December 28,1896 Camilo de Polavieja, a Governor- General signed the court
decision then decreed that Rizal be executed by firing squad at 7:00 am of December 30.
Rizal on his last remaining days, composed his longest poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, which about
farewell to the Filipino.
At 6:30 in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal walked to Bagumbayan and
orders were given and shots were fired. Consummatum est! (“It is finished”). Rizal died
offering his life for his country and its freedom.
-------THE END-------