GEC 19: Life and Works of Rizal
the fact that he was the cause of many
Women in the Life of Rizal:
A National Hero’s Love Life
 There were at least nine women linked
with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak,
Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,
Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude
Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne
Jacoby and Josephine Bracken.
 These women might have been attracted
by his intelligence, charm and wit.
Nine Women in the Life of Pepe
1.) Segunda Katigbak
 A woman who hailed from Lipa, Batangas
was considered the puppy love of Jose
Rizal. However, this puppy love of Rizal
was already betrothed to her towns mate,
Manuel Luz.
 Rizal also, due to his shyness, failed to
propose to her but he kept a record of his
feelings and the end of his dream.
 It was during one of his visits to his
maternal grandmother, who lived in
Trozo, Manila, that he saw her. She was
a sister of his friend, Mariano, who
incidentally was his companion in the visit.
2.) Leonor Valenzuela
 Rizal’s admiration with Segunda Katigbak
was followed by his affair with Leonor
Valenzuela who was a tall lass from
Pagsanjan, Laguna.
 Rizal used an invisible ink in writing love
notes sent to Leonor. The love notes can
be read only through the heat emitted by
a lamp or candle. His last encounter with
Leonor was when he bade her goodbye
before leaving for Spain
3.) Leonor Rivera
 Rizal's love for 11 years and was the
reason he tried not to fall in love with other
women during his travels. But, due to
Rizal's being a Propagandist and owing to
political problems in Calamba, Leonor's
mother disapproved of the relationship.
 It is known that Rizal sent many letters
and notes to Leonor, all of which her
mother hid and never gave to her. This
caused Leonor to believe that Rizal no
longer had any feelings for her and she
decided to agree to marrying a man of her
mother's choosing - the Englishman
Henry Kipping.
4.) Consuelo Ortiga
 Considered to be the prettiest among Don
Pablo's daughters. Consuelo fell in love
with Rizal and he even wrote a poem for
her called A LA SENORITA C.O. y R.
which became one of his best poems.
 Yet, keeping in mind that he was loyal to
Leonor Rivera, he backed out before the
relationship could get any more serious.
Also, he knew that his friend - Eduardo de
Lete – was in love with Consuelo and he
did not wish to destroy their friendship
over a girl.
5.) Seiko Usui (O Sei San)
 A daughter of a Japanese samurai, taught
Rizal the Japanese art of painting known
as su-mie.
 She also taught Rizal to learn the
Japanese language. During his stay in
Japan, Rizal fell in love with his guide,
interpreter, and teacher in the Japanese
language.
 It is said that if Rizal did not have a
personal mission to accomplish, he would
have married O-Sei San and lived in
Japan for good.
6.) Gertrude Beckett
 In London, while Rizal was working on his
annotation of Morga's work, he stayed in
the Beckette family house which was
 walking distance from the British Museum
where Morga's work was displayed.
 The eldest of the Beckette sisters,
Gertrude or "Gettie" as Rizal used to call
her, fell in love with Rizal.
 He suddenly left for Paris though, in order
to avoid the growing feelings between
himself and Gettie. Before he left, he left
Gettie a sculpture of the Beckette sisters.
7.) Nelly Boustead
 During his stay in Biarritz, Rizal stayed
with the Boustead family, where he
became friends with Eduardo Boustead's
two pretty daughters.
 He would practice fencing with them at
Juan Luna's studio. Antonio Luna,
another frequent visitor to the Boustead
residence, was trying to court Nelly but
she was already infatuated with Rizal.
This resulted in an ugly scene where Antonio
said some bad words about Nelly while he was
drunk at a Filipino hosted party in Madrid. Rizal
then challenged him to a duel, but Antonio - after
sobering up - realized his mistakes and apologized
to Rizal and thus preventing rift among the unified
Filipinos in Madrid.
Unfortunately, Rizal and Nelly did not end up
getting married because Rizal did not want to be
converted to Protestant and Nelly's mother didn't
want a poor man for their daughter. The good thing
is, they remained friends and parted as friends
when Rizal left Europe.
8.) Suzanne Jacoby
 Rizal met Suzanne Jacoby in Brussels
and they were deeply in love with each
other. Due to the high cost of living in
Paris during the 1890's, Rizal moved to
Brussels where he stayed in a boarding
house owned by the Jacoby sisters.
 As time passed by, they fell in love but it
was for nothing since Rizal ended up
leaving Brussels, though she did write him
while he was in Madrid.
9.) Josephine Bracken
 Rizal met Josephine, an Irish, while he
was in Dapitan.
 Suspected by the Rizal sisters as a spy of
the Spanish friars and considered her to
be a threat.
 Was not able to marry Rizal due to issues
on Rizal’s retraction letter.
 Gave birth to a still born.
Rizal as a Poet
A la Juventud Filipina &
Sa Aking mga Kabata
“ANG KABATAAN ANG PAG-ASA NG BAYAN.”
 Rizal was one of the country’s greatest
poets
 He used it to convey his message
regarding the country, its heritage, and his
personal sentiments
 His poems can be classified into the
following periods:
 during his childhood
 while a student at Ateneo & UST
 when he finished his studies until his
death in 1896
A la Juventud Filipina
 It is a classic Philippine literature because
it was one of the first Spanish poems
written by a Filipino and was recognized
by Spanish literary authority.
 Another reason is that it expresses that
the Filipinos were the "fair hope of the
Fatherland" and not the Spaniards.
 A La Juventud Filipina is an inspiring
poem that states that the Filipino youth
are capable of great heights.
 It urges the Filipino youth to reach their
potential by harnessing their skills and
talents for the betterment of our
countrymen.
  It motivates the youth to free Filipinos
from ignorance, and to seek freedom and
human dignity.
Other Poems of Rizal:
Sa Aking Mga Kabata
 The poem was widely taught in Philippine
schools to point out Rizal's
precociousness and early development of
his nationalistic ideals.
 Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa
sariling wika, masahol pa sa hayop at
malansang isda.
 Widely quoted to promote the use of
Tagalog among Filipinos.
Publication History
(Sa Aking Mga Kabata)
 No manuscript written in Rizal's
handwriting exists.
 First published in 1906 in a book authored
by the poet Hermenigildo Cruz.
 Cruz claimed that he received the poem
from another poet, Gabriel Beato
Francisco, who in turn received it in 1884
from an alleged close friend of Rizal,
Saturnino Raselis.
 Pascual Poblete and Austin Coates
published a different account that the
poem was actually well-known to the
Filipino poets during Rizal’s childhood.
 The earliest known poems of Rizal in the
National Historical Institute’s collection,
Poesías Por José Rizal, also date six
years after the alleged writing date of "Sa
Aking Mga Kabatà".
Authenticity
 Several historians have debunked Rizal's
traditional authorship of the poem based
on the following:
 The use of the Tagalog word “Kalayaan”
 The poem also makes use of the letters
'K' and 'W‘
 The shift in Tagalog and later Filipino
orthography from 'C' to 'K' and 'U' to 'W'
were proposed by Rizal himself as an
adult, and was later made official in the
early 20th century
 Mi Ultimo Adiós (My Last Farewell)
 Written as the last notes before
his death
 Rizal did not ascribe a title to his
poem. Mariano Ponce, his friend
and fellow reformist, titled it "Mi
último pensamiento" ("My Last
Thought") in the copies he
distributed
 Fr. Mariano Dacanay, who
received a copy of the poem
while a prisoner in Bilibid (jail),
published it in the first issue of La
Independencia on September 25,
1898 with the title 'Ultimo Adios'
 Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (Memories of
My Town)
 A poem that Rizal wrote when he
was 15 about his hometown in
Calamba and its sacred forest
and lake.
 Jose Rizal spoke of his childhood
days in Calamba, Laguna
recalling his happiest memories
of the place and the people
 Por la Educación Recibe Lustre la
Patria (Through Education is the Nation
Glorified)
 Rizal wrote this poem Por la
Educacion (Recibe Lustre la
Patria) in 1876 at the age of
fifteen. It was written in Ateneo de
Municipal in Manila.
 The poem was written during the
Spanish Colonial Government.
The poem talks about Rizal's
expression to education.
 He speaks that education builds
up a country and allows it to rise
 above the rest whether in the
matters of honor or in good name.
 A las Flores de Heidelberg (To the
Flowers of Heidelberg)
 Is poem of loneliness, longing,
and homesickness
 He wrote this poem in April 1886,
when the winter snow had melted
to give way to another glorious
spring
 Mi Primera Insperación (My First
Inspiration)
 The first poem written by Dr. Jose
Rizal during his third academic
year in Ateneo de Municipal. He
wrote the poem in 1874, before
he turned 14. He was delighted to
see his mother, Doña Teodora
Alonso, released from prison that
same year so he dedicated the
poem to her on her birthday
 Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me for
Verses)
 was written while he was a
member of Circulo Hispano
Filipino. Me Piden Versos (They
Asked Me for Verses) reflects
how sad it was for him to have the
ability to steer emotions through
his poems, and have these
emotions stifled and muted by the
powerful and oppressive
Spaniards.
 written in Madrid in 1882
Nationalism as Portrayed in Rizal’s Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
What is a propaganda?
 Information (sometimes of a biased or
misleading nature) used to promote or
publicize a particular political cause or
point of view.
Rizal as a Propagandist
 Rizal became a leader of the Filipino
propaganda movement in Europe, an
unwavering campaign for political and
social freedoms, lobbying the peninsular
government, using their connections with
the liberal Spanish politicians.
 He wrote unceasingly for the La
Solidaridad, mouthpiece of the
Propaganda, hoping as did his fellow
Propagandists that the pleas of the
Filipinos would be heard.
 He also produced the two novels that he
hoped would succeed in achieving his
goals where all other means had failed,
but which ultimately led to his death.
Quick Facts on Rizal’s Two Most Famous
Novels
Noli Me Tangere
 Published in Berlin, Germany (1887)
 Maximo Viola helped in financing the
publication
 Has 63 chapters, written entirely in
Spanish language
El Filibusterismo
 Published in Ghent, Belgium (1891)
 Sequel to Noli Me Tangere
 Translates to “The Reign of Terror In
English”
 Has 39 chapters, written in Spanish
Noli Me Tangere vs El Filibusterismo
Similarities:
 Both talked about how Spaniards abused
the Filipinos, the abuse of power by the
Catholic Church and the discrimination
against the Filipinos.
 They convey one story because they were
published in sequel or continuation.
Differences:
 Noli is a love story or a romantic novel
dedicated to our motherland, while El Fili
 is a political novel associated with
revenge and anger and is dedicated to
GOMBURZA.
 Noli – Humor, lightness, wit, freshness,
soft-spoken
 El Fili – Hatred, bitterness, pain, anger,
vengeance
 In general, Noli is more on the reformist
side of Rizal while El Fili is on his
revolutionist.
Rizal’s View on Revolution
Father Florentino’s words for Simoun in El
Filibusterismo can be interpreted as Rizal’s view
towards the revolution against Spain:
“Educate the natives, and when they shall have
reached that stage where they would be willing to
die for their principles, God himself will supply the
weapon, and liberty will shine, like the first dawn.”
Rizal’s Return and his Propaganda
Movements
Rise of Nationalism
Factors that gave birth to Filipino nationalism:
 Opening of Suez Canal
 Rise of the media clase
 Influx of liberal ideas from abroad
 Martyrdom of Gomburza
What is Propaganda Movement?
 A peaceful crusade or campaign for socio-
political reforms in the Philippines during
the Spanish period.
 Organized by Ilustrados or Filipinos who
were educated in Europe
 Used pen and tongue as means of
pressuring the Spanish colonial
government
Propagandist Aims
 For the Philippines to become a province
of Spain
 For the Filipinos to have equal rights with
the Spaniards
 Philippine representation in the Spanish
cortes
 Secularization of parishes
Ilustrados
 The “enlightened” ones
 Rizal became more active in the
propaganda movement.
 Propaganda movement refers to the act of
criticizing the Spanish colonial
government through literary works as a
way of promoting socio-political reforms.
 Worked with Marcelo H. Del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna,
Mariano Ponce and Trinidad Pardo de
Tavera.
Rizal as a Propagandist
 Rizal wrote articles and essays which
were published in the propagandist
movement’s news paper, La Solidaridad.
 Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos
(1890), Filipinas dentro de Cien Años
(1889-1890)
 Annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos
de las Islas Filipinas
El Filibusterismo
 Rizal completed his 2nd novel while in
Brussels.
 El Filibusterismo was published on
September 18, 1891
 Financial help from his friend, Valentin
Ventura
 Compared with his Noli, the El Fili was
more radical with its narrative
portraying a society on the verge of a
revolution.
Rizal Returns to the Philippines
 Decided to return to the Philippines
thinking that the real struggle was in his
homeland.
 Rizal arrived in the Philippines on June
26, 1892.
  Visited his friends in Central Luzon and
urged them to join La Liga Filipina – a
socio-civic organization that Rizal
established on July 3, 1892.
Rizal’s Arrest
 Just a few days after La Liga’s formation,
Jose Rizal was arrested and brought to
Fort Santiago on July 6, 1892.
 He was charged with bringing with him
from Hong Kong leaflets entitled “Pobres
Frailes” which tackled about the friars’
accumulation of wealth.
Rizal’s Exile in Dapitan
 Rizal arrived in Dapitan on July 17, 1892.
 Dapitan became Rizal’s home from 1892-
1896.
 Here, he practiced medicine, pursued
scientific studies, sketching, writing,
sculpture, etc.
 He also established a school for boys and
promoted community development
projects.
 On September 21, 1892, Rizal won the
second prize of the lottery together with
Ricardo Carnicero and another Spaniard.
 He used the money to purchase land
outside Dapitan in a place known as
Talisay.
 There, he built his house, a school and a
hospital.
Draco rizali and Rhacophorus rizali
 Newly discovered species found in
Dapitan that was named after Rizal
 He wrote a paper about his new discovery
and submitted it to his scientist friends in
Europe
Jose and Josephine
 Having heard of Rizal’s fame as an
ophthalmologist, George Taufer travelled
from Hong Kong to Dapitan to be treated
by Rizal.
 He was accompanied by his daughter,
Josephine, who eventually fell in love with
Rizal.
 They lived as husband and wife in Rizal’s
octagonal house in Dapitan.
 However, Father Obach, the parish priest
of Dapitan, denied the sacrament of
marriage to the two due to Rizal’s refusal
to retract his statements against the
Church and to accept other conditions.
Rizal and the Revolution
 Rizal objected Dr. Pio Valenzuela’s offer
for him to support the revolution and the
existence of the Katipunan.
 For Rizal, the Filipinos were still not
prepared to govern themselves and still
needs an improved education system.
 Rizal had been sending letters to
Gov.Gen. Ramon Blanco to ask for a
review of his case and offered his service
to become a surgeon in the Spanish army
in Cuba.
 His request was approved, however for
some unknown reasons, he was re-
arrested and was sent back to Manila by
Gov. Gen. Despujol on November 3,
1896.
Trial and Execution
 Rizal was accused of being the main
organizer of the revolution by proliferating
the ideas of rebellion.
 Rizal pleaded not guilty and even wrote a
manifesto appealing to the revolutionaries
to discontinue the uprising.
 Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade was Rizal’s
lawyer.
 Rizal was sentenced to death on
December 26, 1896 under the term of
Governor General Camilo Polavieja