JOSE RIZAL’S Love Life

There were at least nine women linked to Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor
Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckett,
Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby, Josephine Bracken. His charm, humor, and
intelligence attracted these women. We’ll tackle the FULL descriptions of these
women.
IGNITE

 SEGUNDA KATIGBAK
Year: 1877
Rizal's Age: 17 years old

Who is she?
Segunda is Rizal's puppy love. She is a 14-year-old lady and the sister of
Rizal’s classmate and friend, Mariano Katigbak. She attended La Concordia
College, where Rizal's sister, Olympia, studied.

How did they meet?

According to some accounts, they first met in Trozo, Manila, where Rizal
visited his grandmother in the same area. There are also claims that they
encountered each other in Lipa, Batangas, the hometown of the Katigbak
family. Rizal often visited La Concordia College not only to see his sister but
also to catch glimpses of the young lady who, according to him, had a,
"...rather short, with eyes that were eloquent and ardent at times and languid
at others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and provocative smile that
revealed gorgeous teeth, and the air of a sylph; her entire self diffused a
mysterious charm."

How did the relationship end?

Segunda was destined to marry another Lipa native, Manuel Luz.

 LEONOR VALENZUELA
Year: 1878
Rizal's Age: 18 years old

Who is she?
Leonor, also known as "Orang," is a 14-year-old girl who lived in the
neighborhood and was a neighbor of Rizal in Intramuros. Rizal encountered
her during his time studying at the University of Santo Tomas. Orang was
tall, and her hometown was Pagsanjan.

How did they meet?

As neighbors, Rizal and Orang often spent time together. Rizal was frequently
seen hanging out with Orang since they lived nearby. Rizal also expressed his
love for the young lady through letters written with invisible ink.

How did the relationship end?

 Rizal had a special affection for Orang, but it's possible that their feelings for
each other were not mutual, as evidenced by her acceptance of other suitors.
Not a tear was shed by Orang when Rizal left for Spain.

 LEONOR RIVERA
Years: 1878 – 1890
Rizal's Age: 17 – 29 years old

Who is she?
Leonor is the daughter of her uncle, Antonio Rivera, who is the cousin of her
father, Francisco. In short, she became romantically involved with her cousin.
She served as Rizal's inspiration in creating the character of Maria Clara in
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

How did they meet?

The two first met when Leonor was only 13 years old. Their connection did
not waver even when Rizal went abroad for two years to pursue further
studies. Their relationship lasted for 11 years, during which Leonor became a
source of inspiration for Rizal in his studies.

How did the relationship end?

From the beginning, Leonor's mother opposed the relationship, considering
Rizal a filibuster. Instead of Rizal, she preferred that her daughter marry
Henry Charles Kipping, an English engineer. Despite Leonor's disapproval of
this Englishman, her mother persistently convinced her. The mother managed
to hide the letters from Rizal and falsely informed Leonor that Rizal was
going to marry Ferdinand Blumentritt's daughter. Eventually, Leonor believes
this lie and chooses to marry Kipping.

 CONSUELO ORTIGA Y REY

Year: 1884
Rizal's Age: 23 years old

Who is she?
Consuelo is said to be the most beautiful daughter of the former mayor of
Manila, Don Pablo Ortiga, during the term of Governor-General Carlos Maria
de la Torre from 1869-1871. The young lady is 18 years old.

How did they meet?

They first met on September 16, 1882. Being alone and far from his family and
hometown, Rizal couldn't help but fall in love again. He gave Consuelo many
gifts, including fabric made of abaca, a pineapple-made handkerchief, and
slippers. As a tribute to the young lady, he even wrote a poem titled "A La
Senorita C.O. y R."

How did the relationship end?

Rizal did not deepen his relationship with Consuelo. This was because he was
still committed to Leonor Rivera during that time. Another reason was the
interest of his friend Eduardo de Lete, a mestizo from Leyte, in Consuelo.
Rizal didn't want to sacrifice his friendship for a woman.

 SEIKO USUI
Year: 1888
Rizal's Age: 27 years old
 Who is she?
Seiko Usui, whom Rizal affectionately called O Sei-San, was a 23-year-old
Japanese woman, the daughter of a samurai, and worked at the Spanish
legation in Tokyo.

How did they meet?

In February 1888, Rizal worked at the Spanish legation in Japan, where the
two met. The young woman had proficiency in English and French, making it
easy for them to form a connection. She also taught Rizal the Japanese
language. In his diary, there is a letter dedicated to Seiko that reads,
“… To you I dedicate the final chapter of these memoirs of my youth. No
woman, like you, has ever loved me. No woman, like you has every sacrificed
for me. Like the flower of the chodji that falls from the stem, fresh and whole
without falling leaves or without withering, with poetry still despite its fall –
thus you fell. Neither have you lost your purity nor have you the delicate
petals of your innocence faded.”

How did the relationship end?

Due to his mission for the Motherland, Rizal had to leave and parted ways
with the Japanese woman, heading to San Francisco in the United States on
April 13, 1888.

 GERTRUDE BECKETT
Year: 1888
Rizal's Age: 25 years old
Who is she?
Gertrude age 19 years old, is one of the six children of Charles Beckett.
Charles is the English owner of 37 Chalcot Crescent, a rented house in
London, England, where Rizal stayed in May 1888.

How did their relationship develop?

During Rizal's stay on the Beckett property, he got to know Gertrude, whom
he affectionately called Gettie. Over time, the young lady developed feelings
for Rizal. She assisted Rizal in his artistic endeavors, including sculptures like
Prometheus Bound, The Triumph of Science over Death, and The Triumph of
Death over Life.

How did the relationship end?

Rizal distanced himself from Gettie as her feelings deepened. Before leaving
for Paris in March 1889, he presented the Beckett siblings with a sculpture he
had carved himself.

 SUZANE JACOBY
Year: 1890
Rizal's Age: 28 years old

Who is she?
Suzane is 44 years old and is the niece of the owner of the boarding house
where Rizal stayed in Brussels in February 1890.

How did they meet?

Due to the high cost of living in Paris, Rizal decided to leave and go to
Brussels for a more affordable stay. It was there that he met Suzane, and they
stayed together for six months.
 How did the relationship end?
Rizal left for Madrid, but before doing so, he left a box of chocolates for
Suzane. The young lady wrote to him, asking him to return to Brussels. He
did return in April 1891, but not for Suzane – he came back to continue
working on his novel, El Filibusterismo.

 NELLIE BOUSTEAD
Year: 1891
Rizal's Age: 30 years old

Who is she?
Nellie is 28 years old and has Filipino blood. Her mother is Filipino, while her
father is a British man named Eduardo Boustead, a businessman. She will
court Antonio, the brother of the renowned painter Juan Luna.

How did they meet?

In February 1891, Rizal stayed at Villa Eliada in Biarritz, French Riviera,
where the Boustead family resided. Rizal became friends with this family.
During Juan Luna's studies, Rizal often engaged in fencing with Nellie and
her sister Adelina. This was the time when his relationship with Leonor
Rivera was severed, as she was already married to Henry Kipping. Thus, he
could now pursue a new legal partner.

Nellie developed an admiration for Rizal, leading to Antonio Luna's failure in

courting her. In his frustration, the General, who was intoxicated at the time,
uttered harsh words against the young lady. This prompted Rizal to challenge
the enraged Luna to a duel. Fortunately, the duel did not push through, and
Antonio eventually apologized.

How did the relationship end?

There was a moment when marriage was considered, but it didn't materialize.
This was because Rizal refused to change his Protestant religious beliefs, a
preference of Nellie. Another reason was Nellie's mother's objection to their
relationship, stating that Rizal couldn't provide for her daughter. The two
parted ways amicably and peacefully.

 JOSEPHINE BRACKEN
Year: 1895 – 1896
Rizal's Age: 34 – 35 years old

Who is she?
Josephine was the last woman in his life. She is considered Rizal's legal wife.
Her parents were both Irish, but she was born in Hong Kong. Pepe
affectionately called her "Dulce extranjera" (Sweet Foreigner).

How did they meet?

Bracken, then 18 years old, sailed to Dapitan to accompany her stepfather,
George Taufer, who was seeking Rizal's eye treatment. Pepe was captivated
by the young lady's charm, and soon they became acquainted. They resided in
Barangay Talisay in Dapitan.

Rizal's sisters did not approve of Josephine, believing she was sent by the
friars to spy on Pepe. Despite this, the relationship endured. When Josephine
returned to Dapitan from her stay with Rizal's family in Manila, Pepe
arranged their marriage. He consulted with Father Antonio Obach, who
insisted on Rizal's retraction before officiating the marriage. Nevertheless, the
two proceeded with their wedding without the church's blessing. They had a
child named Francisco, who unfortunately died shortly after birth.
How did the relationship end?
Rizal was executed in Bagumbayan. Afterward, Josephine returned to Hong
Kong with her father. She later married Vicente Abad in 1900 and had a child
named Dolores.