LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

INTRODUCTION

What is the republic act of 1425 or Rizal law?

 House Bill no. 5561

 senate Bill no. 438
 known as the Rizal Act, established on the 12th of June 1956 by senator Claro M. Recto
 effective on august 16, 1956

Memoir of a student in Manila by Jacinto (pen name of Jose Rizal)

This is the student memoirs or reminiscences of José Rizal. He wrote it from 1879 to
1881, from 17 to 20. The English translation is by the José Rizal National Centennial
Commission. It is taken from the book José Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer,
Scientist, and National Hero by Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia M Zaide (Metro-Manila: National
Book Store Publishers).

CHAPTER 1: My Birth - Early Years Jose Rizal was born in Calamba on 19 of June 1861
between eleven midnight, a few days before full a moon. It was Wednesday and Rizlas mother
almost passed away giving birth to Jose Rizal because of his huge head had she not vowed to the
virgin of antipolo to take rizal to her sanctuary by the way of pilgrimage.

The education that he received since his early infancies was perhaps what has shaped his habits
like a jar that retains the odor of the body that it first held. Rizal had a nurse named Aya who
loved him very much and in order to make him take supper (which he had on the terrace on
moonlit nights.) frighted him with the sudden apparitions of some formidable Asuang (ghosts),
of a frightful Nuno or Parce-nobis as she used to call an imaginary being similar to the Bu of the
Europeans.
Rizal’s family

 In his own town Rizal learned how to write and his father who looked after his education
paid an old man (who had been his classmate) to give him the first lessons in Latin and he
stayed at their house. After five months he died almost having foretold his death when he
was still in good health. He remembered that he came to manila with his father after the
birth of the third girl (Trinidad) who followed him, and it was on 6 of June 1868. They
boarded a casco a very heavy craft. He had never gone through the lake of La Laguna
consciously and the first time.
 Taytay, Antipolo, Manila, Santa Ana where they visited his eldest sister (Saturnina) who
was at that time a boarding student at La Concordia. He returned to his town and stayed
in it until 1870, the first year that marked his separation from his family.
 This is what he remembered of those times that figure in the forefront of his life like the
dawn of the day. Alas when shall the night come to shelter him so that he may rest in
deep slumber? God knows it! In the meantime, now that he is in the spring of life
separated from the beings whom he loved most in the world, now that sad, he wrote these
pages. Let us leave providence to act, and let us give time to time awaiting from the will
of God the future, good or bad, so that with this he may succeed to expiate his sins.
 P. Jacinto was the first name of used by Rizal in his writings. His other pen names were
Laong-Laan and Dimas Alang.
 Filipinos, Spaniards and Chinese venerated the Virgin of Antipolo since Spanish colonial
days. The month of May is the time of pilgrimage to her shrine. She is also called Our
Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, the patron saint of travelers. One legend says her image
saved the shipwreck the crew of a ship that bore her from Acapulco to Manila many years
ago.
 The name Diana, goddess of the moon and of hunting.
 Casco is a Philippine River craft made of wood used for passengers and freight. The catig
is the vessel.
  A well-known boarding school for girls, the sisters of charity administered La Concordia
College. It was founded in 1868 by Margarita Roxas de Ayala, a wealthy Filipino woman,
who gave her country home called La Concordia in Sta Ana, Manila to the school and
hence its popular designation. Its official name is Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion.
 Rizal Avenue, named for the national hero absorbed this old street. At that point its name
was dropped.

CHAPTER 2: My life Away from my parents- My Suffering

 Jose Rizal, just like Filipino boys, had many beautiful memories of childhood.
 He has a happy home, filled with parental affection, impregnated with family joys, and
sanctified by prayers.
 In the midst of such peaceful, refined, God-loving family, he spent the early years of his
childhood.
 CALAMBA, THE HERO'S TOWN • Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to
the Dominican Order. • It is a picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with
irrigated rice fields and sugar-lands. A few kilometers to the south looms are the
legendary Mount Makiling in somnolent grandeur.
 In 1876 when he was 15 years old and was a student in the Ateneo de Manila he
remembered his beloved town. • He wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In
Memory of My Town).
 EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was
his happy days in the family garden. •Because he was frail, sickly, and undersized child,
he was given the most tender care by his parents.
 His father built a nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in the daytime. • 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. • With nostalgic feeling, he
also remembered the happy moonlit nights at the azotea after the rosary.
 His father built a nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in the daytime. • 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. • With nostalgic feeling, he
also remembered the happy moonlit nights at the azotea after the rosary.
 The ava related stories to Rizal children many stories about fairies; tales of buried
treasure and trees with blooming diamonds, and other fabulous stories.
 Sometimes, when he did not like to take his supper, the aya would threaten him that the
aswang, the nuno, the tikbalang, or a terrible bearded Bombay would come to take him
away if he would not eat his supper.
 Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town, especially when
there was a moon. • Recounting this childhood experience, Rizal wrote: "Thus my heart
fed on sombre and melancholy thoughts so that even still a child, I already wandered on
wings of fantasy in the high regions of the unknown.
CHAPTER 3: FROM JANUARY 1871 TO JUNE 1872 – 1873 - Summer Vacation (1873)
March 1873 – Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation. His sister Neneng (Saturnina)
brought him to Tanawan to cheer him up. Visited his mother in prison at Santa Cruz without
telling his father. After vacation, he returned to Manila for his 2ndyear term in Ateneo. Boarded
inside Intramuros at No. 8 Magallanes Street. Doña Pepay – landlady and old widow with a
widowed daughter and four sons

CHAPTER 4: 1872 - 1875

• In 1871, just before entering secondary school, Rizal witnessed – firsthand – the terrible
injustices of the Spanish system. The wife of Pepe's uncle, José Alberto Mercado, had been
unfaithful to her husband when he was out of the country.

• IMPRISONMENT OF THE MOTHER OF RIZAL

• June 1872 – the first day of class in Ateneo.

- During his first day he heard mass at the college chapel and prayed for guidance and success.
He went to class, where he saw a great number of Spaniards, mestizos and Filipino boys.

• •Fr. Jose Bech – first professor of Rizal.

The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he describes as a man of high stature; lean
body, bent forward; quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, sunken eyes;
sharp Grecian nose; thin lips forming an arch with its sides directed toward the chin." He was
somewhat of a lunatic and of an uneven humor; sometimes he was hard and little tolerant and at
other times he was gay and playful as a child.

• Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class since he was a newcomer and knows little Spanish.

• He was an externo and was assigned to Carthaginians. At the end of the month, he became
emperor of his Empire

• Took private lessons in Santa Isabel College and paid 3 pesos for extra Spanish lessons.

• Placed 2nd at the end of the year, although all his grades were still marked Excellent.

Summer Vacation (1873)

• March 1873 – Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation.

• His sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to Tanawan to cheer him up

• Visited his mother in prison at Santa Cruz without telling his father.

• After vacation, he returned to Manila for his 2ndyear term in Ateneo

• Boarded inside Intramuros at No. 8 Magallanes Street

• Doña Pepay – landlady and old widow with a widowed daughter and four sons

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)

• Rizal lost the leadership, but he repented and even studied harder, once more he became
empero. He received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal.

• He had 3 classmates from Biñan who his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano had
also been.

Prophecy of Mother’s Release

• Doña Teodora told her son of her dream the previous night. Rizal, interpreting the
dream, to her that she would be released from prison in a month’s time. It became
true.

• Doña Teodora likened his son to the youthful Joseph in the Bible in his ability to
interpret dreams.

Teenage Interest in Reading

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – Jose Rizal’s first favorite novel.

• Also read non-fiction, Cesar Cantu’s historical work Universal History.

• He also read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, German who visited the
Philippines in1859-1860. In this book, he foretold that someday Spain would lose the
Philippines and that America would come to succeed here as colonizer.

Third Year in Ateneo (1874-75)

• Shortly after the opening of classes, his mother was released from prison.

• Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his studies.

He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken was not fluently sonorous.

Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875)

• June 16, 1875 – he became an inferno in Ateneo.

• Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez – inspired him to study harder and write poetry. Rizal
describedhim as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his pupils”.

• He returned to Calamba with 5 medals and excellent ratings.

sCHAPTER 5 – Two years in college

After Rizal’s tragic 1st romance. He continued to study in the university of santo tomas where he
won more literary laurels, had many romances with pretty girls, and fought against Spanish
students who insulted brown Filipino students. (1877-1882)

After graduating with an excellence award rizal had to go to University of Santo Tomas for
ahigher study. Both Paciano and Don Francisco wanted Jose to pursue his studies but Doña
Teodora was Not with them, saying “Don’t send him to manila again; he knows enough if he
gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut his head”.

Years later he wrote in his journal: Did my mother perhaps have foreboding of what would
happen to me? Does a mother’s heart really have a second sight?

April 1877 Rizal go to the university at the age of 16 by taking Philosophy ang Letters because
father Pablo Ramon, Recto of Ateneo didn’t send him an advice that early. However, Rectos
advised Jose to take medicine also for the sake of his mother glowing blindness.

Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo (1878)

At the age of 17 Rizal passed the examination for the Licensure of Surveying. Pertaining to
hisage the title was issued to him on November 25, 1881.

Romances and other girls

After losing Segunda Katigbak, Jose was engaged to a new lover which is known a Miss L. but
due to his father that didn’t like “Miss L” he changes his heart. During the sophomore year he
encounter Leonor (Orang) the lovely daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela
from PagsanjanLaguna. Their love went through but rizal fell inlove into another woman, His
cousin from Camiling.Another Leonor (Taimis). Rizal used names and letters with an invisible
ink to hide his love.

Victim of Spanish Officer’s Brutality

At the University of Santo Tomas, Summer, 1878, Rizal didn’t recognize the Lieutenant of
Guardia Civil due to the darkness of the street. Inline with it rizal was brutally slashed in the
latter part of the back. After medication Jose reported the incident to General Primo de Rivera
but nothing cameout with his compliant.

To the filipino youth

1879 “A la juventud filipina” Poem of rizal was born and entitled as the best poem by native or
amestizo. Jose beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let their genius fly swifter
than thewind and descend with art and science to break the chains that have long bound the spirit
of the people.

The council of the gods

1880 El Conseho De los Dioses (The Council of the God) a drama submitted by Rizal. It is
theaward winning piece of rizal from the Judges of all Spaniards. Despite of all objections that
Rizal was anindio. The award was given to him at the end of the day.

CHAPTER 6: April to December 1877

This chapter is dedicated to Segunda Katigbak, Rizal’s first love. Rizal, however, remembers this
period of his life with bitterness. They were both young and Segunda was already engaged to
someone else when they met. There were no significant events in Chapter 7.

CHAPTER 7: From January to December 1878

 Paris to Berlin
 In Leipzig and Dresden
 August 14, 1886 – Rizal arrived in Leipzig.
 He attended some lectures at the University of Leipzig on history and psychology.
 He befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a famous historian, and Dr. Hans Meyer, German
anthropologist.

Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was the cheapest in Europe so he stayed for 2
months and a half.

On October 29, he went to Dresden, where he met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, the Director of the
Anthropological and Ethnological Museum.

The Bleak winter of 1886 was memorable in the life of Rizal.

1. It was a painful episode for he was hungry, sick and dependent in a strange City.

2. It brought him great joy, after enduring so much sufferings, (Because his first novel Noli Me
Tangere came off the press in March, 1887)

Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University

The famous University of Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration on August 6, 1886
where Rizal had witnessed the said celebration.

 Rizal as Musician
 Rizal Suspected as French Spy.

During the printing of NOLI, the chief of police BERLIN visit RIZAL’s boarding house and
requested to see his passport, unfortunately, that time to travel with or without passports is
possible. The police chief then told him to produce a passport after 4 days.
The 4-day ultimatum expired. RIZAL himself apologize to the chief police, while asking why he
has to be deported, the police chief answered that he was always seen visiting many villages,
thereby pronouncing him as a French SPY.

RIZAL in fluent GERMAN explained to the police, that he was a Filipino ethnologist, who visits
rural areas to observe customs and lifestyles of their simple inhabitants. The chief impressed and
fascinated on RIZAL’s explanation, allowed him to stay freely in GERMANY.

Maximo Viola – a medical student and a member of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan

Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, and this he admitted. He studied music only because
many of his schoolmates at Ateneo were taking music lessons.

He told Enrique Lete that he “learned the solfeggio, piano, and voice culture in one month and a
half”.

He is also a flutist.

Some of his compositions are:

 Alin Mang Lahi (Any Race) – a pariotic song which asserts that any race aspires for
freedom
 La Deportacion (Deportation) – a sad danza, composed in Dapitan
 The "Noli" based on truth
 The Noli Me Tangere was a true story of Philippine conditions during the last decades of
Spanish Rule. The places, the characters and the situations really existed.
 "The facts I narrate there are all true and have happened; I can prove them" said Rizal.

In Historic Heidelberg

The author’s dedication

Rizal dedicated the Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines “to my country” his dedication runs as
follows: Recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer so malignant a character that the
least touch irritates it and awakens in it the sharpest pains. Thus, how many times, when in the
midst of modern civilization i have wished to call thee before me, now to accompany me in
memories. Now to compare thee with other countries, hath thy dear image presented itself
showing a social cancer like a to that other!

February 3, 1886 – Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its old
university and romantics surroundings.

He became popular among the Germans because they found out that he was a good chess player.

He worked at the University Eye Hospital under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker, distinguished
German ophthalmologist.

November 1885 – Rizal was living in Paris.

He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a leading French ophthalmologist.

Juan Luna – great master of the brush; Rizal helped him by posing as model in Luna’s paintings.

1.“The Death of Cleopatra” – where Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest

2.“The Blood Compact” – Rizal posed as Sikatuna

Rizal's friends praise the Noli

While Rizal"s friends praised the novel with glowing colors, his enemies condemned it. His
friend Blumentritt congratulated him for the beautiful novel about customs which he found
interesting.

In London Dr.Antonio Ma. Regidor, Filipino Patriot and lawyer who had been exiled for his
participation in the cavity munity of 1872. congratulated rizal and wrote him a letter.

CHAPTER 8: My First Reminiscence

Noli Me Tangere Published

Berlin (1887)

In Gay Paris (1885-1886)

After studying at the Central University of Madrid, Rizal, who was then 24 yrs old, went to Paris
to acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology.

The missing chapter of Noli Me Tangere

Rizal’s Darkest Winter

The winter of 1886 in Berlin was his darkest winter.

He lived in poverty because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke.

He could not pay his landlord and he was eating only one meal a day.

His clothes were old and threadbare.

His health broke down due to lack of proper nourishment.

This is one of the most memorable days in the life of Rizal.

The Writing of the Noli Me Tangere

End of 1884, Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and finished about one-half of it. In Paris
He continued writing the novel (Finishing one-half of the second half) In Germany He finished
the last fourth of the novel.

In Wilhemsfeld (April-June 1886) He wrote the last few chapters of Noli In Berlin (Winterdays
of February 1886) Rizal made the final revisions on the manuscript of the Noli.

The title of the novel

NOLI ME TANGERE a Latin word which means “Touch me not” that was originally from the
Bible.
Rizal wrote a letter to Felix Hidalgo, that the title was from the Gospel of St. Luke but Rizal
made a mistake for it was from the Gospel of St. John (chapter 20, verses 13 to 17). “Touch me
not; I am not yet ascended to my father...

“To the Flowers of Heidelberg”

The Characters

Maria Clara was Leonor Rivera

Tasio, was his elder brother, Paciano

Padre Salvi was Padre Antonio Piernavieja

Kapitan Tiyago was Capitan Hilario Sunico

Donya Victorina was Donya Agustina Medel

Basilio and Crispin were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy

Padre Damaso was a typical domineering friar during the days of Rizal, who was arrogant and
anti-Filipino

April 22, 1886 – Rizal wrote a fine poem entitled “A Las Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers
of Heidelberg) because he was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the Neckar River,
which is the light blue flower called “forget-me-not”.

First Letter to Blumentritt

Summary

Salome waits desperately for Elias, thinking that he would pass by the water any time soon.
Elias, however, is nowhere to be seen because he is in fact hiding from the authorities who are
currently patrolling the lake.When the two finally get to meet, Salome tells the youth for her plan
to move in Mindoro and live with her relatives and requests that he go with her, Elias, however,
refuses her offer because he does not want her to be entangled with the tragedies and troubles of
his past, he tells the lady that she must marry an honorable man, one whom he truly deserves and
who can make her happy.

July 31, 1886 – Rizal wrote his first letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt who is the Director
of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria.

Blumentritt is an Austrian ethnologist and he has an interest in the Philippine language.

Rizal sent Aritmetica (Arithmetic) book to Blumentritt which was published in 2 languages –
Spanish and Tagalog – by the University of Santo Tomas Press in 1868. The author was Rufino
Baltazar Hernandez.

Blumentritt became the best friend of Rizal.

German Customs

Some of the German customs Rizal admired:

On Yuletide season, people will select a pine tree from the bushes and adorned it with lanterns,
papers, lights, dolls, candies, fruits, etc.

Self-introduction to strangers in a social gathering.

Idea of writing a novel on the Philippines

During his stay at CENTRAL UNIVERSITY of MADRID His reading of HARRIET BEECHER
STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN inspired RIZAL to prepare a novel that would depict the
miseries of the Filipinos.

January 2, 1884, during their reunion in the PATERNO residence, RIZAL proposed the writing
of a novel about the Philippines. His proposals were approved by PATERNOS (Pedro, Maximo
and Antonio), Graciano Lopez JAENA, Evaristo AGUIRRE, Eduardo DE LETE, Julio
LLORENTE,Melecio FIGUEROA and Valentin VENTURA. But unfortunately, those friends
which approved and willing to participate in that novel, to be serious in writing, instead they
wasted their time in gambling or flirting with Spanish Senoritas. So, he wrote the Novel alone.

Señor Eusebio Corominas – editor of La Publicidad

Don Miguel Morayta – owner of La Publicidad and a statesman

Rizal gave Editor Corominas (an article on the Carolines Question)

Viola, Savior of the NOLI.

RIZAL in the midst of poverty, before Christmas Day of 1887, was visited by his friend Dr.
MAXIMO VIOLA, a rich friend in Bulacan. Viola was shocked to find RIZAL in a dirty place,
just not to waste money for the printing of NOLI ME TANGERE.

Upon seeing his talented friend’s state, Viola agreed to finance the publication of NOLI, he also
lend money for RIZAL’s personal expenses.

February 21, 1887 – Noli was finally ready for printing. With Viola, they search for the most
cheap publisher – and then found out BERLINER BUCHDRUCKEI-ACTIONS-
GESSELSCHAFT – which charges 300 pesos for 2,000 copies.

Rizal on German Women

Rizal sent a letter to his sister, Trinidad, dated on March 11, 1886. In his letter, Rizal expressed
his high regard and admiration for German womanhood. Rizal said that German woman is
serious, diligent, educated and friendly.