Jose P.

Rizal

( Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda ) , (born June 19, 1861, Calamba,
Philippines, died December 30, 1896, Manila), patriot, physician, and man of letters
who was an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement. The son of a
prosperous landowner, Rizal was educated in Manila and at the University of
Madrid. A brilliant medical student, he soon committed himself to the reform of
Spanish rule in his home country, though he never advocated Philippine
independence. Most of his writing was done in Europe, where he resided between
1882 and 1892. In 1887 Rizal published his first novel, Noli me tangere (The Social
Cancer), a passionate exposure of the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines. A
sequel, El filibusterismo (1891; The Reign of Greed), established his reputation as
the leading spokesman of the Philippine reform movement. He published an
annotated edition (1890; reprinted 1958) of Antonio Morga's Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, hoping to show that the native people of the Philippines had a long history
before the coming of the Spaniards. He became the leader of the Propaganda
Movement, contributing numerous articles to its newspaper, La Solidaridad,
published in Barcelona. Rizal's political program included integration of the
Philippines as a province of Spain, representation in the Cortes (the Spanish
parliament), the replacement of Spanish friars by Filipino priests, freedom of
assembly and expression, and equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law.
Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892. He founded a nonviolent-reform society,
the Liga Filipina, in Manila, and was deported to Dapitan in northwest Mindanao. He
remained in exile for the next four years. In 1896 the Katipunan, a Filipino nationalist
secret society, revolted against Spain. Although he had no connections with that
organization and he had had no part in the insurrection, Rizal was arrested and tried
for sedition by the military. Found guilty, he was publicly executed by a firing squad
in Manila. His martyrdom convinced Filipinos that there was no alternative to
independence from Spain. On the eve of his execution, while confined in Fort
Santiago, Rizal wrote “Último adiós”(“Last Farewell”),a masterpiece of
19th-century Spanish verse.
Among his known compositions are Kundiman ni Rizal, Alin Mang Lahi and Leonor

Kundiman ni Dr. José Rizal

Tunay ngayong umid yaring dila't puso

Sinta'y umiilag, tuwa'y lumalayo,

Bayan palibhasa'y lupig at sumuko

Sa kapabayaan ng nagturong puno.

Datapuwa't muling sisikat ang araw,

Pilit maliligtas ang inaping bayan,

Magbabalik mandin at muling iiral

Ang ngalang Tagalog sa sandaigdigan.

Ibubuhos namin ang dugo't babaha

Matubos nga lamang ang sa amang lupa

Habang di ninilang panahong tadhana,

Sinta'y tatahimik, iidlip ang nasa.

 Alin Mang Lahi ni Dr. Jose Rizal

Alin mang lahi, insinasanggalang

Sa lupit ang kanyang lupang tinubuan

Tuloy pinaghahandugan

Ng buhay at dugo kung kailangan.

Ang kamatayan man, kung saka-sakaling

Igiginhawa ng mga kalahi

Tatanggapin nakangiti

Kaaliwa’t tuwang di mumunti.

Nguni’t pagkasawing-palad yata

Ng katagalugang napapanganyaya

Bukod pa sa ibang umaaba

Lalong nagbibigay-hapis ang ibang kapwa.

Sabagay di kulang sa pupuhunanin

Lakas, dunong, tapang, yaman ay gayon din

Aywan kung bakit at inaalipin

Ng alin mang lahing makasuno natin?

 Ang Pagiibigan ni Leonor at Jose Rizal

Leonor Rivera-Kipping (née Rivera y Bauzon; 11 April 1867 – 28 August 1893) was

the childhood sweetheart, and “lover by correspondence” of Philippine national

hero José Rizal. Rivera was the “greatest influence” in preventing Rizal from

falling in love with other women while Rizal was traveling outside the

Philippines.Rivera's romantic relationship with Rizal lasted for eight years.She was

immortalized by Rizal as the character María Clara in the Spanish-language novel

Noli Me Tangere. Her original hometown is in Camiling, Tarlac. Born as Leonor

Bauson Rivera, a native of Camiling, Tarlac, was the daughter of Antonio Rivera and

Silvestra Bauzon.Her father (whom Rizal calls "Uncle Antonio" in his letters) is a

cousin of Rizal's father, Francisco Mercado.Austin Coates, Rizal's European

biographer, described Rivera in Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr as a “pretty

woman” whose physical features included having a “high forehead”, “soft and

wavy hair”,a face that sported “almond eyes”,“small and pensive mouth”, and

“engaging dimples. Furthermore, Rivera was a talented, mature, and intelligent

lady who played the piano and was gifted with a “charming singing voice”. Rivera

studied at La Concordia College in Manila.

Jose Rizal Family

Jose Rizal's thirteen member family consisted of his father Francisco Mercado II,

his mother Teodora Alonso Realonda, himself, nine sisters and one brother.

Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro

(May 11, 1818 – January 5, 1898) was the father of the Philippines' national hero

Jose Rizal. He was born in Biñan, Laguna. He had a wife named Teodora Realonda

y Quintos and had 11 children altogether.He was one of the children of Juan Monica

Mercado and Cirila Alejandro. His family had adopted the additional surnames of

Rizal in 1849, after Governor General Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa decreed the

adoption of Spanish surnames among the Filipinos for census purposes (though

they already had Spanish names).

Like many families in the Philippines, the Rizals were of mestizo origin. Francisco's

patrilineal lineage could be traced to Fujian in China through his father's ancestor

Lam-Co, a Hokkien Chinese merchant who immigrated to the Philippines in the late

17th century. Lam-Co traveled to Manila from Xiamen, China, possibly to avoid the

famine or plague in his home district, and more probably to escape the Manchu

invasion during the Transition from Ming to Qing. He decided to stay in the islands

as a farmer. In 1697, to escape the bitter anti-Chinese prejudice that existed in the

Philippines, he converted to Catholicism, changed his name to Domingo Mercado

and married the daughter of Chinese friend Augustin Chin-co.Francisco Rizal was

only eight years old when his father died. He attended a Latin school in Biñan, which

his sons would later attend. He also attended the Colegio de San Jose in Manila,

where he studied Latin and philosophy. He was described by Rafael Palma: "He was

40, of solid shoulders, strong constitution, rather tall than short, of serious and

reflective mien, with prominent forehead and large dark eyes. A pure

Filipino.Francisco married Teodora Alonso on June 28, 1848, when he was 30 years

old.The couple resided in Laguna, particularly in Calamba and built a business in

agriculture.
 Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos

(November 9, 1827 – August 16, 1911) was a wealthy woman in the Spanish colonial

Philippines. She was best known as the mother of the Philippines' national hero

Jose Rizal. Realonda was born in Santa Cruz, Manila. She was also known for being

a disciplinarian and hard-working mother. Her medical condition inspired Rizal to

take up medicine. Teodora Alonso was the second child of Lorenzo Alberto Alonso,

a municipal captain in Biñan, Laguna, and Brijida de Quintos. Her family had

adopted additional surname Realonda in 1849, after Governor General Narciso

Clavería y Zaldúa decreed the adoption of Spanish surnames among the Filipinos

for census purposes (though they already had Spanish names).

Teodora's ancestry included Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog. Her lineage can be

traced to the affluent Florentina family of Chinese mestizo families originating in

Baliuag, Bulacan.She also had Spanish ancestry from both of her parents.Her

maternal grandmother, Regina Ochoa, had mixed Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog
blood.Teodora Alonso was also a representative in the Spanish Courts and a pious

Catholic, being a Knight of the Order of Isabella.Quintos was an educated woman,

who became a housewife, devoted to caring for her family's needs. Her family

adopted “Realonda” after General Governor Narciso Clavería issued a decree in

1849. Realonda came from a financially able family and studied at the Colegio de

Santa Rosa in Manila, just like her mother who was well-bred and had an

educational background in the subjects of mathematics and literature.Teodora

married Francisco Mercado, a native of Biñan, Laguna, on June 28, 1848, when she

was 20 years old. The couple resided in Laguna, particularly in Calamba and built a

business from agriculture. She was an industrious and educated woman, managing

the family's farm and finances. Teodora used her knowledge to grow the rice, corn,

and sugarcane that sustained the family's well-to-do lifestyle. She also expanded

the family business into the areas of textiles, flour, and sugar milling, refining these

raw materials and selling the finished staples from a small store on the ground floor

of the family home.Teodora had eleven children with Francisco. They are Saturnina,

Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, José, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and

Soledad. All her children were sent to study in different colleges in Manila, but only

Jose was sent to Europe – as he was inspired to study medicine, particularly

ophthalmology, to help his mother due to her failing eyesight.

Jose Rizal belonged to a big family of thirteen (including his parents). He had one

brother, Paciano, and nine sisters. Aside from Rizal's sweethearts, let's get to know

the important women in his life.

Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913)

Saturnina was the eldest child of Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso

Realonda. She was married to Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. It

was Doña Saturnina who published Pascual Poblete’s translation in Tagalog

language of the Noli Me Tangere in 1909.

Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)

Narcisa is the third child and was married to Antonio Lopez, a teacher and musician

from Morong, Rizal. Like a doting sister, Narcisa was very close to Rizal and could

recite all of Rizal’s poems from memory.

Olympia Rizal (1855-1887)

Olympia was married to Silvestre Ubaldo, who was a telegraph operator from

Manila. Olympia unfortunately died in 1887 from childbirth.

Lucia Rizal (1857-1919)

Lucia was the fifth child and was married to Matriano Herbosa. One important fact

to know is that Lucia’s daughter, Delfina, was the first wife of Gen. Salvador

Natividad and Delfina helped Marcela Agoncillo to make the first Philippine flag in

Hong Kong.

Maria Rizal (1859-1945)

Maria was the sixth child in the family. She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan,

Laguna.

Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865)

Concepcion (nicknamed “Concha”) did not live long to see Rizal’s martyrdom.

She died early at the age of three.

Josefa Rizal (1865-1945)

SOME CONTRIBUTION Josefa Rizal was nicknamed Panggoy in the family. Despite

suffering from epilepsy, she joined and was an active member of the Katipunan.

She died a spinster.

Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951)

Josefa and Trinidad were together living. Like Josefa, Trinidad also became a

member of the Katipunan and died a spinster, as well. Rizal’s elegy, Mi Ultimo
Adios, was in the safekeeping of Trinidad.

Soledad Rizal (1870-1929)

Soledad, the youngest child in the family, was married to Pantaleon Quintero. She

was a teacher and was considered as the best educated among the sisters of Rizal.

Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (March 9, 1851 – April 13, 1930) was a

Filipino general and revolutionary, and the older brother of José Rizal, the national

hero of the Philippines.

SOME CONTRIBUTION OF JOSE RIZAL

José Rizal (1861-1896) is one of the most revered figures in Philippine history. He

was a multifaceted intellectual and a political activist, best known for his political

writings that inspired the Philippine revolution and ultimately led to his execution by

the Spanish colonizers.

Noli Me Tángere

José Rizal, 1887 The Reign of Greed

José Rizal, 1891 The Indolence of the Filipino

José Rizal Rizal's Own Story of His Life

José Rizal, 2022 Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings

Freedom

Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines. He was the one who led the Filipinos to

start a revolution against the Spanish Government to attain freedom and to gain

control of the country.

Political activism

During his studies in Europe, Rizal was also working on his first novel, Noli Me

Tangere. Through the medium of fiction, he portrayed a vivid and realistic picture of

the social conditions in the Philippines. According to his own explanation. Noli me

tangere, a phrase taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, means "touch me not." The

book contains things that nobody in our country has spoken of until the present.

They are so delicate that they cannot be touched by anyone.. . . I have attempted to

do what nobody had wished to do. I have replied to the calumnies that for so many

centuries have been heaped upon us and our country. I have unmasked the

hypocrisy that under the cloak of religion has impoverished and brutalized us.I have

lifted the curtain in order to show what is behind the deceitful and dazzling promises

of our government.

Education

Rizal received his secondary education at the Ateneo Municipal of Manila, where he

was a star pupil. On graduation from the Ateneo, he won first prizes in 5 academic
subjects, and his bachelor of arts degree was conferred from Santo Tomas

University (the only institution in the Philippines authorized to grant academic

degrees).2 From 1879 to 1882, he studied medicine, agriculture, surveying, and

philosophy and letters at Santo Tomas University in Manila. Dissatisfied with his

education there, due in part to the prejudices of faculty against native students, he

continued his studies in Spain. In 1884, Rizal completed licentiates in medicine and

in philosophy and letters at the Central University of Madrid. (The licentiate is an

undergraduate degree similar to the American bachelor's degree but with a more

vocational focus. Further medical education was not required to call oneself a

physician or to practice medicine at that time. However, one could obtain a doctoral

degree, similar to a contemporary American doctoral degree, after passing

examinations and writing an approved thesis.

José Rizal Professions

Author

An author is the writer of a book, article, play, or other written work. A broader
definition of the word "author" states: "An author is 'the person who originated or

gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility for

what was created.

Poet

A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves

as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator who

creates poems, or they may also perform their art to an audience.

Polymath

A polymath is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of

subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific

problems. In Western Europe, the first work to use the term polymathy in its title was

published in 1603 by Johann von Wowern, a Hamburg philosopher.

Scientist

A scientist is a person who researches to advance knowledge in an area of the

natural sciences. By modern definitions, many scientists are required to have

advanced degrees in an area of science.

Revolutionary

A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The

term revolutionary can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a

major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.

 Novelist

A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other

genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists,

thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to support

themselves in this way or write as an avocation.

Ophthalmologist

is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care.

Ophthalmologists must complete many more years of training than optometrists

and opticians. As a result, ophthalmologists can diagnose and treat a wide range of

conditions
 Journalist

A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or

pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public.

The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism.

Visual arts

The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture,

ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture.

Rizal, the Romantic. 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.

Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuela

Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first love was engaged to

be married to a town mate- Manuel Luz. After his admiration for a short girl in the

person of Segunda, then came Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan. Rizal

send her love notes written in invisible ink, that could only be deciphered over the

warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his departure to Spain

and bade her a last goodbye.

Leonor Rivera

Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping

him from falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor's

mother disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rizal, who was then a

known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters sent to her sweetheart. Leonor
believing that Rizal had already forgotten her, sadly consented her to marry the

Englishman Henry Kipping, her mother's choice.

Consuelo Ortiga

Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga's daughters, fell in love with

him. He dedicated to her A la Senorita C.O. y R., which became one of his best

poems. The Ortiga's residence in Madrid was frequented by Rizal and his

compatriots. He probably fell in love with her and Consuelo apparently asked him

for romantic verses. He suddenly backed out before the relationship turned into a

serious romance, because he wanted to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did

not want to destroy hid friendship with Eduardo de Lete who was madly in love with

Consuelo.

O Sei San

O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s daughter taught Rizal the Japanese art of

painting known as su-mie. She also helped Rizal improve his knowledge of

Japanese language. If Rizal was a man without a patriotic mission, he would have

married this lovely and intelligent woman and lived a stable and happy life with her in

Japan because Spanish legation there offered him a lucrative job.

Gertrude Beckett

While Rizal was in London annotating the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded

in the house of the Beckett family, within walking distance of the British Museum.

Gertrude, a blue-eyed and buxom girl was the oldest of the three Beckett daughters.

She fell in love with Rizal. Tottie helped him in his painting and sculpture. But Rizal

suddenly left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude, who was seriously in love with him.

Before leaving London, he was able to finish the group carving of the Beckett sisters.

He gave the group carving to Gertrude as a sign of their brief relationship.

Nellie Boustead

Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courting other ladies.

While a guest of the Boustead family at their residence in the resort city of Biarritz,

he had befriended the two pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead. Rizal

used to fence with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna. Antonio Luna, Juan’s

brother and also a frequent visitor of the Bousteads, courted Nellie but she was

deeply infatuated with Rizal. In a party held by Filipinos in Madrid, a drunken Antonio

Luna uttered unsavory remarks against Nellie Boustead. This prompted Rizal to

challenge Luna into a duel. Fortunately, Luna apologized to Rizal, thus averting

tragedy for the compatriots.Their love affair unfortunately did not end in marriage. It

failed because Rizal refused to be converted to the Protestant faith, as Nellie

demanded and Nellie’s mother did not like a physician without enough paying

clientele to be a son-in-law. The lovers, however, parted as good friends when Rizal

left Europe.
Suzanne Jacoby

In 1890, Rizal moved to Brussels because of the high cost of living in Paris. In

Brussels, he lived in the boarding house of the two Jacoby sisters. In time, they fell

deeply in love with each other. Suzanne cried when Rizal left Brussels and wrote

him when he was in Madrid.

Josephine Bracken

In the last days of February 1895, while still in Dapitan, Rizal met an 18-year old

petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair and a happy disposition. She was

Josephine Bracken, the adopted daughter of George Taufer from Hong Kong, who

came to Dapitan to seek Rizal for eye treatment. Rizal was physically attracted to

her. His loneliness and boredom must have taken the measure of him and what

could be a better diversion that to fall in love again. But the Rizal sisters suspected

Josephine as an agent of the friars and they considered her as a threat to Rizal’s

security.Rizal asked Josephine to marry him, but she was not yet ready to make a

decision due to her responsibility to the blind Taufer. Since Taufer’s blindness was

untreatable, he left for Hon Kong on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s

family in Manila. Upon her return to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father

Antonio Obach for their marriage. However, the priest wanted a retraction as a

precondition before marrying them. Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends

and with Josephine’s consent took her as his wife even without the Church
blessings. Josephine later give birth prematurely to a stillborn baby, a result of some

incidence, which might have shocked or frightened her.

His mother's lineage can be traced to the affluent Florentina family of Chinese

mestizo families originating in Baliuag, Bulacan. He also had Spanish ancestry.

Regina Ochoa, a grandmother of his mother, Teodora, had mixed Spanish,

Chinese and Tagalog blood. The parents of Jose Rizal were both farmers who

were granted by the Dominicans with the lease of a hacienda together with a rice

farm. The mother of Jose Rizal, Teodora, had Spanish and Japanese ancestors

while the father of Teodora was a half Spaniard engineer known as Lorenzo

Alberto Alonzo.
The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo

Lam-co, the family's paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to

the Philippines from Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th century and

married a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa.

Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese,

Spanish, Malay and Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese.

Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco

Mercado II and Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother.
FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)

Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila

Mercado. Born in Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College,

Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)

Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de

Quintos. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded

woman, courteous, religious, hard-working and well-read. She was born in Santa

Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila.

SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of

Tanauan, Batangas.

PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)

Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in

Manila; became a farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.

NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)

The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.
OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth.

LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)

The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)

The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on

December 30,1896.

CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)

The eight child. Died at the age of three.

JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.

TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)

The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die.
SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)

The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.