-[] 1

.Ri
zal
bir
th,
fami
l
yandchi
l
dhood.

J oséProtas i
oRi zalMer cadoyAl onsoReal onda[7](Spanish:[xoˈ
seri
ˈ
sal
,-ˈ
θal]
,Tagal og:[
hoˈs
e
ɾ
iˈsal]
;June1 9,1861–December30, 1896)wasaFi l
ipinonat i
onali
st,
writ
erandpol ymat hacti
ve
att heendoft heSpani shc oloni
alperi
odoft hePhi l
ippines
. Heisconsi
deredanat ionalhero
(pambans angbayani )ofthePhi l
i
ppines.[
8][9]Anopht halmol ogi
stbyprofes
sion,Rizal
becameawr i
terandakeymemberoft heFili
pinoPr opagandaMovement ,whichadvoc ated
pol i
ti
calreformsf orthecol onyunderSpai n.

Hewasex ecutedbyt heSpanishcoloni

algovernmentforthecri
meofrebell
ionaf
terthe
Phi
li
ppineRevolut
ionbrokeout;itwasinspir
edbyhiswr i
ti
ngs.Thoughhewasnotact i
vely
i
nvolvedini
tsplanningorconduct,heulti
mat el
yapprovedofit
sgoalswhicheventual
ly
res
ultedi
nPhil
ippineindependence.

Rizal
iswi
delyconsideredoneoft hegr eatestheroesofthePhili
ppinesandhasbeen
recommendedt obes ohonoredbyanof f
ici
all
yempanel edNat i
onal Her
oesCommi tt
ee.
However,nolaw,executiveorderorpr ocl
amat ionhasbeenenact edorissuedof
fi
cial
ly
procl
aimi
nganyFi l
i
pinohi s
tori
calfi
gur easanat i
onalhero.
[9]Hewr otet
henovelsNol i
Me
Tángere(
1887)andEl fil
i
busteri
smo( 1891),whichtogetheraretakenasanat i
onalepic,i
n
addit
iont
onumer ouspoemsandes says .
[1
0][1
1]

JoséRizal wasbornonJ une1 9,1861t oFr ancis

coRizalMercadoyAl ejandroandTeodora
AlonsoReal ondayQui ntosinthet ownofCal ambai nLagunapr ovince. Hehadninesi
ster
s
andonebr other
.Hi
spar entswer el easeholdersofahaciendaandanaccompanyi ngr
icefar
m
heldbyt heDomi ni
cans .
Bot htheirfami l
ieshadadopt edtheaddi t
ional surnamesofRi
zaland
Realondai n1849afterGover norGener al Narci
s oCl
averí
ayZal dúadecr eedtheadopt
ionof
Spanishs urnamesamongt heFili
pinosf orcens uspurpos
es(thought heyalreadyhadSpanis
h
names ).

Likemanyf ami l
iesinthePhil
ippines,t
heRi zalswereofmes ti
zoor i
gin.José'spat r
il
ineal
l
ineagecoul dbet racedtoFujianinChinat hroughhisfather'
sancestorLam- co,aHokki en
Chi nesemer chantwhoi mmi gratedtot hePhili
ppinesinthelate17thcent ury.[
12][
13][note1][
14]
Lam- cot
raveledt oMani l
afrom Xiamen, China,possibl
ytoavoi dthefami neorpl aguei nhis
homedi st
rict,
andmor eprobablyt oescapet heManchui nvasiondur i
ngt het r
ans i
tionfrom
Mi ngt oQing.Hedeci dedtos tayinthei s
landsasaf armer.I
n1 697,toes capet hebi tt
eranti-
Chi neseprejudicethatexist
edi nthePhi l
i
ppines,heconvertedt oCatholi
cism, changedhi s
namet oDomi ngoMer cadoandmar ri
edt hedaught erofChinesefri
endAugus ti
nChi n-c
o.
Onhi smother'ss
ide,Ri
zal'
sancestryincludedChi neseandTagal og.Hismot her'
slineagecan
bet r
acedt otheaffl
uentFl
orenti
naf amilyofChines emes t
izofamili
esoriginati
nginBal i
uag,
Bulacan.
[15]HealsohadSpani shances try.
ReginaOchoa, agr andmot herofhismot her,
Teodora,hadmi xedSpanish,Chi
nes e,andTagal ogblood.Hismat ernalgrandfatherwasa
half-
SpanishengineernamedLor enz oAlbertoAlonzo.[
16]JoséRizal
'smat ernalgreat-gr
eat-
grandfat
her ,
EugenioUrsua,wasofJ apaneseances tr
y.[
17][1
8]

From anear l
yage,Jos éshowedapr ecociousintel
lect
.Helear nedt heal phabetf rom his
mot herat3, andcouldr eadandwr i
teatage5. [
13]Uponenr olli
ngatt heAt eneoMuni cipalde
Mani l
a,hedr oppedt helastthreenamest hatmadeuphi sful
l name, ont headvi ceofhis
brother,Pacianoandt heMer cadof ami l
y,thusrenderi
nghisnameas" J
os éProtasioRizal"
.Of
thi
s,hel aterwrote:"
Myf amil
yneverpai dmuchat tenti
on[toours econds urnameRi zal],
but
nowI hadt ouseit,
thusgi vi
ngmet heappear anceofani ll
egiti
mat echi l
d!"[
19]Thiswast o
enablehi mt otr
avel fr
eelyanddi sassociat
ehimf rom hisbrother,whohadgai nednotor i
ety
withear l
ierli
nkstoFili
pinopriest
sMar i
anoGomez, JoseBurgos ,andJ aci
nt oZamor a
(popularlyknownasGombur za),whohadbeenaccus edandex ecut edf ortreason.

José,as"Ri
zal"
,soondisti
nguishedhims el
finpoetrywrit
ingcont es
ts,i
mpressi
nghisprofessor
s
withhisf
acil
itywi t
hCas t
il
ianandot herforei
gnlanguages ,andl at
er,i
nwr i
ti
ngessaysthat
werecrit
icaloftheSpanishhistor
icalaccountsofthepre-colonialPhi
li
ppi
nes oci
eti
es.By1891,
theyearhef i
nis
hedhi ssecondnovel Elfi
li
buster
ismo,hi
ss econds urnamehadbecomes o
wellknownt hat
, ashewr i
testoanot herfr
iend,"
Allmyfami lynowcar rythenameRi zal
i
nsteadofMer cadobecaus ethenameRi zalmeansper secution!Good!It
oowantt ojointhem
andbewor t
hyoft hisf
ami l
yname. .
."
[19]

-[] 2.
Rizal
boyhoodandeducat
ion(
inbi
nan,
AteneoandUST)

Rizalf
irsts
tudiedunderJ ust
inianoAquinoCr uzinBi ñan,Laguna,beforehewass entt
o
Manila.[
20]Het ooktheentranceex aminati
ont oCol egiodeSanJ uandeLet ran,ashisfather
requested,butheenr ol
l
edatt heAteneoMuni cipaldeMani l
a.Hegr aduatedasoneoft he
ninestudentsinhisclas
sdecl aredsobresal
i
ent eorout st
anding.Hecont i
nuedhiseducat i
onat
theAteneoMuni ci
paldeMani latoobtainalands ur
veyorandas sessor'
sdegreeand
simult
aneous l
yatt heUniversityofSantoTomas ,
wher ehes t
udiedapr eparator
ycour s
ein
l
awandfini
shedwi
thamar
kofex
cel
ent
e,orex
cel
l
ent
.Hef
ini
shedt
hecour
seofPhi
l
osophy
asapr
e-l
aw.[21
]

Uponl earningthathismotherwasgoi ngbl i

nd,hedecidedtos witcht omedi ci
neatt he
medical s
chool ofSantoTomas ,s
peciali
zinglateri
nopht hal
mol ogy.Her ecei
vedhisfour-
year
pract
icaltraini
nginmedi ci
neatOs pi
taldeSanJ uandeDi osinIntramur os.Inhi
slastyearat
medical s
chool,hereceivedamar kofs obresali
entei
ncour sesofPat ologiaMedica(Medical
Pathology),Patol
ogíaQuirúrgi
ca(Sur
gical Pathol
ogy)andObs t
reti
cs.

Al
thoughknownasabrightst
udent,Rizal
hadsomedif
fi
cul
tyi
nsomesci
encesubject
sin
medical
school
suchasFís
ica(Phys
ics)andPat
ologí
aGener
al(
Gener
alPat
hology)
.[

Withouthi spar ent

s'knowledgeandcons ent,buts ecretl
ys uppor tedbyhi sbrotherPaciano,
hetraveledal onetoMadr idi nMay1 882ands t
udiedmedi cineatt heUni versi
dadCent ralde
Madr i
d.Ther eheear nedthedegr ee, Li
centi
ateinMedi ci
ne. Heal soat tendedmedi call
ectur
es
attheUni versityofPari
sandt heUni versi
tyofHei delberg.InBer l
i
n, hewasi nductedasa
memberoft heBer li
nEthnol ogicalSocietyandt heBer li
nAnt hropological Soci
etyundert he
patronageoft hefamouspat hologistRudolfVir
chow. Foll
owi ngcus t
om, hedeliveredan
addressinGer mani nApr i
l 1887bef oretheAnt hropological Societyont heor t
hographyand
st
ructureoft heTagal oglanguage. Hewr oteapoem t otheci t
y, "
Al asfloresdel Heidel
berg"
,
whichwasbot hanevocat ionandapr ayerforthewel fareofhi snativel andandt he
uni
ficati
onofcommonval uesbet weenEas tandWes t.

AtHeidelberg,the25-year-
oldRizalc ompletedhi seyes pecial
i
zationi
n1 887undert he
renownedpr ofes s
or,Ott
oBecker.Ther eheus edthenewl yinventedopht halmos cope
(i
nventedbyHer mannvonHel mholtz)tolateroperateonhi smother'
seye. From Heidelberg,
Rizalwrotehispar ent
s:"
Ispendhalfoft hedayi nthes t
udyofGer manandt heot herhalf
,in
thediseasesoft heeye.Twiceaweek, I
got ot hebi
erbrauerie,orbeerhal
l,tos peakGerman
withmys tudentf ri
ends.
"HelivedinaKar lst
raßeboar di
nghous ethenmovedt oLudwigsplatz.
There,hemetRever endKarlUll
merands tayedwi t
hthem i nWi l
helmsfel
d.Ther ehewr otet he
l
as tf
ewchapt er sofNoliMeTánger e, hi
sfirstnovel
,publ i
shedinSpanishlatert hatyear.

Rizalwasapolymat
h,skil
l
edi nbot
hsci
enceandt hearts
.Hepainted,s
ketched,andmade
sculptur
esandwoodcarvi
ng.Hewasapr ol
if
icpoet,es
sayis
t,andnoveli
stwhos emostfamous
wor kswerehi
stwonovels,Noli
MeTángere(1887)andit
ssequel,
Elfi
l
ibuster
ismo(1891
).[
not
e
2]Thes
esoci
alcommentari
esduri
ngtheSpanis
hcoloni
alperi
odofthecount
ryfor
medt he
nucl
eusofl
it
erat
uret
hatinspi
redpeacef
ulr
eformi
stsandarmedrevol
uti
onari
esal
ike.

Ri
zal
wasal
soapol
ygl
ot,
conver
santi
ntwent
y-t
wol
anguages
.[
not
e3]
[not
e4]
[23]
[24]

-[]3.
Fir
stt
ravel
abr
oadand1
sthomecomi
ng.

4.
Secondt
ravel
(Japan,
Amer
ica)ands
econdhomecomi
ng.

5.
Lif
eandex
per
iencesi
nDapi
tan.

6.
Tri
alandDeat
h.

7.
Novel
sofRi
zal
.

8.
Ess
ay

-[]-1
.Tot
heyoungwomenofMal
olos
.

I
nFebr uary1889,Rizalwrotealett
ertotheyoungwomenofMal ol
osinres ponsetotheir
peti
ti
ont oGovernor-GeneralWeylert
oopenani ghtschoolf
orwomen. Rizal expr
essedhis
deli
ghtandadmi rationtowardthesewomen, correcti
nghimsel
fforbeli
evingt hatFil
i
pino
womenar emeek, andcommendi ngthem fortheirunwaveri
ngdeterminationt oseek
education.Heunder st
oodthataneducat edwomancanhaveaf ar-
reachingi mpactonher
famil
y,communi ty,andulti
matelytheentir
enation.

I
nt hi
slett
er,Ri
zalhighli
ghtedthepr ofoundsignif
icanceplacedont hecont ri
but i
onsofwomen
andacknowl edgedtheiressenti
alroleinshapingapr ogressi
veandenl ightenednat i
on.He
recogni
zedthatthepr ogressandadvancementofanys ocietyar
ei ntr
icatelytiedtothe
educati
onandempower mentofitswomen. Rizal
'slet
teremphasizesthet ransformative
potenti
alofeducati
onf orwomen, empower i
ngt hem tobecomeact i
vepar ti
cipantsi
ns oci
al,
economic,andpolit
icalspheres.

Rizalalsoemphas i
zedtheroleofmot hersastheprimaryeducatorsoffutur
egener ati
ons.He
recognizedthei mmens einf
luencethatmot hershaveinshapingthevalues,character
,and
i
nt el
l
ectoft heirchi
ldr
en,maki ngthem cruci
alagentsofchangewhohol dthepowert oinsti
l
l
progressiveideas,moralval
ues ,andas enseofjust
icei
ntheirchil
dren.
Hes trongl
ybelieved
thatbyempower i
ngmot herswitheducat i
on,thecycl
eofknowl edgeandenl i
ghtenmentcan
beper petuatedacr os
sgener ati
ons.

Ri
zal
'
srecogni
ti
onoft
hei
mpor
tanceofmot
her
sinnat
ion-
bui
l
dingi
spar
ti
cul
arl
yres
onanti
n
today'
ss oci
ety.However,asthewor l
dcontinuestopr ogres
s, womenwhochoos et obewives
andmot hersarenowbei nglookeduponf orchoosingt onurturethei
rhomesandf amil
yover
advancingtheircar
eersandcl i
mbingthetopcor porateladder.Rizal
'
slet
ters
ervesasa
reminderthatempower i
ngmot her
sisnotjustamat terofequal i
tybutal
soas t
rat
egic
i
nves t
menti ntheprogr
essanddevel opmentofs ocietyasawhol e.

AsI refl
ectonRizal
'slett
er ,Iam remi ndedoft heex t
raordinarymotherswhohaves haped
hist
or y,
oftenworkingt i
relessl
ybehi ndt hes cenestocreateabet t
erfuturefortheirchil
dren
andcommuni ti
es.Theircont ri
butions,oftenover l
ookedorunder val
ued, havelaidthe
foundat i
onforprogress.Itisessentialthatwecont inuetohonorandampl i
fythevoi cesand
achievement sofmot hers,acknowl edgingt heiri
ndispensablerol
einnat i
on-buil
ding.

Ri
zal'
sLettertotheYoungWomenofMal olosbringstoli
ghtt hecr ucialroleofmot hersinthe
bui
ldi
nganddevel opmentofsociety.
Byr ecognizingthetrans f
ormat i
vepowerofeducat i
on
andtheinfluenceofmot her
saspr i
mar yeducat ors,Ri
zalunder s
cor est hesignif
icanceof
empower i
ngmot hersf
ortheprogressofanat ion.Aswer efl
ectont hislet
ter,l
etuss t
riveto
cr
eateas oc i
etythatval
uesands upportsmot hers,understandingt hatt heircontri
buti
onsare
notonl
yvital butals
oinstr
umental i
nshapingabr ight
erfuturef oral l
.

-[]2.
Thei
ndol
enceoft
heFi
l
ipi
nopeopl
e.

I
nt heyear1 890,
LaSolidaridadpubli
shedTheI
ndolenceoftheFil
ipi
no.JoseRizalwrot
ethi
sin
reacti
ont oaccusati
onsofFi l
i
pinol
azines
s.Hewrot
ei ttoconti
nuehisbatt
leforFil
i
pino
education,i
nwhi chheai medt oawakentheFi
l
ipi
nost oSpain'
scorr
uptanddef ect
ive
coloni
zationsyst
em byt ell
i
ngt hetr
uth.

I
ntheend,
Rizal
sumsupthemaincausesofi
ndol
encetot
heli
mit
edtrai
ningandeducat
ion
Fi
l
ipi
nonat
ivesr
ecei
veandtot
helackofnati
onal
senti
mentanduni
tyamongt hem.

Rizalpr
oposeseducationalreformsasas ol
uti
ontoindolence,advocati
ngforimproved
schools
,incr
easedsupportf oreducat
ion,andtheincorpor
ationofpract
icalski
l
lsi
nthe
curri
cul
um. Whi
lesomeas pectsmayhaveevol ved,thecoreideaofenhancingeducati
ont
o
combats oci
ali
ssuesremai nsrel
evanttoday.
Rizalexpl
ainedtheallegedFil
ipi
noindolencebypoi
ntingtothesefactor
s :
1)t
heGall
eonTrade
destroyedthepreviousli
nksofthePhil
ippineswi
thothercountr
iesinAsiaandtheMiddl
eEast,
therebyeradicat
ingsmal ll
ocalbus
inessesandhandi
cr af
tindus
tri
es;2)theSpani
shfor
ced
l
aborcompel ledtheFili
pinosto

Asi
def r
om thi
s,i
nhabit
antsoft hePhi
lippinesweredraggedtowarsouts
idethecount
ryt
o
defendtheSpanishhonortherebyresult
ingtomor edeathsandthedecl
i
neofs ki
l
ledwor
ker
s.
I
fthereareles
sskil
ledworkersthentherewoul dbelessworkdone,l
essworkdoneequal
sto
Fi
li
pinos'
indol
ence.

Accordi
ngtoournati
onal
hero,Dr.J
oseP.Rizal
,thesol
uti
onstoFi
li
pinoi
ndol
encewas
educati
onandli
bert
y.Hesaidt
hatthemaincaus esofFi
li
pinoi
ndol
encewereli
mit
edtr
aini
ng,
educati
on,
andlackofnati
onal
s ent
imentanduni t
y.

1
0.Es
say

-[]3.
ThePhi
l
ippi
nesAcent
uryhenc
e.

Fi
l
ipi
nasdentrodecienanos("
ThePhi
li
ppinesacent
uryhence"
)isasoci
o-pol
iti
cales
say
wri
tt
eninfourpart
s(September1
889-January1
890)int
hemagazi neLasoli
dari
dadbyJos
é
Ri
zal
.

JoseRi zal
wroteanessaytitl
edThePhili
ppi
nesaCent ur
yHencei nwhi
chheatt
emptedto
predictthecount
ry'
sfutur
e. Ri
zal
outli
nedsever
alscenari
osforhowthePhil
i
ppi
nesmight
evolveoverthenextcentury,t
hefir
stofwhichwasthatourcountrywoul
dremai
naSpanish
colony.

I
nhismostpresci
entess
ay, ThePhi
li
ppi
nesACenturyHence, wri
tteni
n1 889andinhis
December15,1
896,memor andum f
orusebyhiscounsel
,Rizalmadet hefol
l
owingpredict
ions
:
One,“t
hePhil
i
ppineswil
lonedaydec l
areher
sel
findependent”;t
wo, “
thegreatAmeri
can
Republ
icwi
thinter
estsi
nthePacifi
c…

I
t'
sdi
videdi
ntof
ourpar
tsorchapt
erswhi
cheachpar
ttackl
i
ngdi
ff
erents
ubj
ect
sandi
ssues
t
hatthePhi
l
ippi
nesf
aci
nginthehandoftheSpani
shcol
ony.
Inwrit
ingthees
say,Ri
zalwas
i
nspi
redbysomewri
ter
sli
keVict
orHugo,
butRizal
'
sgreat
lyi
nfl
uencedbyAndreasFedor
J
agor.

I
tf ocusedmainl
yont hepol i
ti
cal rel
ati
onshi
pbetweent
hePhi li
ppi
nesandit
smothercountry.
Rizal s
uggest
edabet terr
elationshipbetweenthe2andstatedthatSpai
nbegi
ven2choi ces:
reform ori
ndependence.Rizal endedhisessaywi
thapredict
ion—thatSpai
nwi
llsoonbe
over power
edbyt heAmer i
canRepubl i
c.

Howi mportantwasthewor kofRizalt

hePhi l
ippinesacenturyhence?Thewor kofJoseRi
zal
wasi ncr
edibl
yimportantforthePhili
ppines,
bot hduringhisti
meandi nthecenturyt
hat
fol
l
owed. Rizal
'swr
iti
ngsandact ivis
m playedas ignif
icantrol
eint
hePhili
ppinerevol
uti
on
againstSpanis
hcolonialr
ule.

AsRizallookedbackonwhatt hePhil
ippi
neshavebecomedur ingtheSpanishoccupati
on,he
propoundedaf ewt hi
ngs:(1)Spainwil
leventual
lygr
antthePhili
ppi
nestheindependences he
seeks-includi
ngt hefairr
epr es
entati
onintheSpanishcort
es,(
2)thePhil
ippi
neswi l
lupri
se
againstSpainifitconti
nuest oignor
eherout cr
yandform herowngovernment ,and(3)the
Amer i
cansmi ghttakeinterestinthePhil
i
ppinesandtakeit(
orbuyit)f
rom Spain.