SESSION 7: Other Information on Rizal’s Life

1. What did you learn from Rizal’s character, principle, traits and virtues?

a. I think what I most learned from Rizal’s character, principle, traits and virtues was
being a nationalist. Being a nationalist takes a lot of courage and your willingness to
sacrifice your own life for your own country. We know that Rizal has no capability to
fight the Spaniards through combat but he did not let it become a hindrance to fight for
his country, he used his intelligence and skills in writing to open the eyes of the
Filipinos to fight for their rights and the freedom of their country.

2. Was Rizal productive during the exile in Dapitan? If yes, what were his works and
accomplishments?

a. August 26, 1892

 Rizal composed a poem for his commandant’s birthday
b. September 21, 1892
 Rizal won in Manila Lottery with an amount of Php 20,000.00
 He used the money in investing thru purchasing a piece of land in Talisay to
build his tree houses, one square type made of bamboo, another hexagonal
type made of wood and the last was octagonal shape made of nipa. He also
sends money to his father in Hong Kong and the 2/3 of the prize was given to
Captain Carnicero and Francisco Equilor both are the co-owner of the winning
lotto ticket.
c. He established a school in Dapitan that began with only 3 pupils who increased to 16
and eventually 21. He taught them Spanish, English and Mathematics.
d. He practiced medicine in Dapitan and gave people free medicines.
e. He operated successfully the eyes of his mother.
f. He was able to discover rare species named after him: Flying Dragon (DracoRizali),
Small Beetle (Apogonia Rizali) and Toad (Rachophorous Rizali).
g. Held the title of “Expert Surveyor” by constructing a system of waterworks to provide
clean water.
h. Drained the marshes to get rid of malaria that infested Dapitan.
i. Wrote a poem entitled “Hymn to Talisay”
j. Made a statuette called “The Mother’s Revenge”
k. Formed a business partnership with Ramon Carreon in lime manufacturing on May 14,
1893.
l. Organized the Cooperative Association of Dapitan Farmers
m. Invented a cigarette lighter and a wooden machine for making bricks
n. Wrote a poem entitled “My Retreat”

3. If you would be in defense of Rizal, in what grounds that should be considered to freed
him from execution at Bagumbayan?

a. If I would be there to defend Rizal, I will convince everyone that Rizal’s execution is the
dumbest thing to do, executing Rizal means tearing a big part in our country. With
Rizal’s intelligence we can use it as a tool to heal the ignorance of every Filipinos in
that time. We can achieve a lot of things if we let Rizal live, he is a brilliant man who
knows what he is doing and what he’s capable of. And regardless of Rizal’s capability,
the fact that he was forcefully arrested and exiled without proper investigation was one
of the reasons Rizal is innocent and he was just framed.
 4. Rizal is a gentleman and respected women he met, what were the reasons why
relationship did not prosper?

Name of Woman Reason why relationship did not prosper

SEGUNDA KATIGBAK At the age of 16, Rizal already experienced
his first love with Segunda Katigbak, a 14
years old pretty girl from Lipa. Although they
loved each other it was still hopeless since at
the very beginning Segunda was already
engaged to be married to her townmate,
Manuel Luz.
“MISS L” After his heartbreak with Segunda Katigbak,
he courted a young girl from Calamba. Rizal
did not mention her name but described her
as “fair with seductive and attractive eyes.”
But he suddenly stopped because (1) the
sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in
his heart and (2) his father did not like the
family of “Miss L.”
LEONOR VALENZUELA (Orang) Rizal courted Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl
from Pagsanjan. He would send her love
notes written in invisible ink. But as with
Segunda, he stopped short in proposing
marriage to Orang (pet name of Leonor
Valenzuela).
LEONOR RIVERA Rizal’s sweetheart for 11 years but
unfortunately ended when he received a
letter from Leonor Rivera announcing her
marriage with an Englishman named Charles
Henry Kipping (the choice of her mother).
CONSUELO ORTIGA y PEREZ Being lonely in a foreign country and being
far from his natal land, Rizal was attracted to
Consuelo’s beauty and vivacity. He even
composed a lovely poem titled A La Señorita
to express his admiration for her. But before
her romance with Consuelo could blossom
into a serious affair, he suddenly backed
down because (1) he was still engaged to
Leonor Rivera and (2) his friend and co-
worker in the Propaganda Movement –
Eduardo de Lete was madly in love with
Consuelo and had no wish to break their
friendship just because of a pretty girl.
SEIKO USUI/O-SEI SAN Rizal fell in love with a Japanese girl, whose
loveliness infused joy and romance in his
sorrowing heart but also cut short because he
chose to sacrifice his own happiness to carry
on his work for the redemption of his
oppressed people.
GERTRUDE BECKETT While Rizal was in London annotating the
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded in
the house of the Beckett family. Gertrude fell
in love with Rizal. But Rizal suddenly left to
 fulfill his dreams.
PETITE SUZANNE JACOBY Petite Suzanne was attracted to Rizal being
charming and a dignified gentleman. Rizal
found a certain bliss in the company o a
pretty Belgian girl. He might have flirted with
Petite Suzanne but he could not stoop low to
a deceptive amorous relationship.

NELLIE (NELLY) BOUSTEAD Rizal courted Nelly who in turn reciprocated

his affection and was planning to propose
marriage to her but it did not have a happy
ending because of two reasons: (1) he
refused to give up his Catholic faith and be
converted to Protestantism as Nelly
demanded and (2) Nelly’s mother did not like
Rizal as their son-in-law.
JOSEPHINE BRACKEN Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each
other at first sight. After a month they decided
to get married but was strongly refused by
Father Obach because they did not have a
permission from the Bishop of Cebu. But later
married themselves in the eyes of God.
Josephine later gave birth to a premature
baby who lived for only three hours that
frightened her.

5. Select a poem (from his literary works) and write an interpretation or analysis