Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch

JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and pride of the Malayan race, was
born on June 19, 1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the seventh child
in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9 girls). Both his parents were educated and
belonged to distinguished families.
His father, Francisco Mercado Rizal, an industrious farmer whom Rizal called "a
model of fathers," came from Bian, Laguna; while his mother, Teodora Alonzo y
Quintos, a highly cultured and accomplished woman whom Rizal called "loving and
prudent mother," was born in Meisic, Sta. Cruz, Manila. At the age of 3, he learned
the alphabet from his mother; at 5, while learning to read and write, he already
showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his family and relatives by his
pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At the age 8, he wrote a
Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of
ones language. In 1877, at the age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree
with an average of "excellent" from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the same
year, he enrolled in Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while
at the same time took courses leading to the degree of surveyor and expert
assessor at the Ateneo. He finished the latter course on March 21, 1877 and passed
the Surveyors examination on May 21, 1878; but because of his age, 17, he was
not granted license to practice the profession until December 30, 1881. In 1878, he
enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo Tomas but had to stop in his studies
when he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated upon by their
Dominican tutors. On May 3, 1882, he sailed for Spain where he continued his
studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. On June 21, 1884, at the age of 23,
he was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine and on June 19,1885, at the
age of 24, he finished his course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of
"excellent."
Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22
languages. These include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek,
Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish,
Tagalog, and other native dialects. A versatile genius, he was an architect, artists,
businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer,
historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist,
novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor,
sociologist, and theologian.
He was an expert swordsman and a good shot. In the hope of securing political and
social reforms for his country and at the same time educate his countrymen, Rizal,
the greatest apostle of Filipino nationalism, published, while in Europe, several
works with highly nationalistic and revolutionary tendencies. In March 1887, his
daring book, NOLI ME TANGERE, a satirical novel exposing the arrogance and
despotism of the Spanish clergy, was published in Berlin; in 1890 he reprinted in
Paris, Morgas SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS with his annotations to prove
that the Filipinos had a civilization worthy to be proud of even long before the
Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil; on September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO,
his second novel and a sequel to the NOLI and more revolutionary and tragic than
the latter, was printed in Ghent. Because of his fearless exposures of the injustices
committed by the civil and clerical officials, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in
power. This led himself, his relatives and countrymen into trouble with the Spanish
officials of the country. As a consequence, he and those who had contacts with him,
were shadowed; the authorities were not only finding faults but even fabricating
charges to pin him down. Thus, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago from July 6,
1892 to July 15, 1892 on a charge that anti-friar pamphlets were found in the
luggage of his sister Lucia who arrive with him from Hong Kong. While a political

exile in Dapitan, he engaged in agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and

operated a hospital; he conducted classes- taught his pupils the English and
Spanish languages, the arts.
The sciences, vocational courses including agriculture, surveying, sculpturing, and
painting, as well as the art of self defense; he did some researches and collected
specimens; he entered into correspondence with renowned men of letters and
sciences abroad; and with the help of his pupils, he constructed water dam and a
relief map of Mindanao - both considered remarkable engineering feats. His
sincerity and friendliness won for him the trust and confidence of even those
assigned to guard him; his good manners and warm personality were found
irresistible by women of all races with whom he had personal contacts; his
intelligence and humility gained for him the respect and admiration of prominent
men of other nations; while his undaunted courage and determination to uplift the
welfare of his people were feared by his enemies.
When the Philippine Revolution started on August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no
time in pressing him down. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked him with
the revolt and these were never allowed to be confronted by him. Thus, from
November 3, 1986, to the date of his execution, he was again committed to Fort
Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an untitled poem, now known as "Ultimo
Adios" which is considered a masterpiece and a living document expressing not only
the heros great love of country but also that of all Filipinos. After a mock trial, he
was convicted of rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal association. In the cold
morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, a man whose 35 years of life had been
packed with varied activities which proved that the Filipino has capacity to equal if
not excel even those who treat him as a slave, was shot at Bagumbayan Field.

Hailed as the greatest national hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal was a man of strong
convictions who sacrificed his life for the nationalist cause. During his time Philippines
was under Spanish colonial rule and Rizal advocated for peaceful reforms in his home
country. Rizal was not just a nationalist, he was a multifaceted personality who was a
qualified doctor, writer, and an artist who could draw, paint, sculpt and carve. He was a
prolific writer and poet who through his eloquent writings inspired the nationalists for
peaceful reforms as well as armed conflicts where the need arose. Born into a family
which valued education, he was encouraged to study well and gain knowledge about a
variety of subjects. Even as a youngster he was known to harbor thoughts of political
freedom and individual rights which were considered radical by the authorities who
frowned upon him. A well traveled man, he became involved in the Propaganda
Movement where he joined other Filipinos who wanted reforms. He also wrote about the
dark aspects of Spanish rule in a book which was banned in Philippines. Even though
he was a supporter of peaceful reforms, he was exiled from his home country, and later
on convicted of sedition and sentenced to death. The execution of this young nationalist
fuelled the Filipinos desire for independence further.
Childhood & Early Life
He was born as Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, one of the 11
children of Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Morales
Alonso y Quintos. He later adopted a shorter version of his name, Jose Rizal. His
family was very prosperous.
He enrolled at Ateneo de Municipal de Manila and graduated with a degree in
Land Surveying and Assessment in 1877. He had a deep interest in arts and thus
he went to the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a degree in Philosophy at the
University of Santo Tomas.
His mother was becoming blind during this time and the young man decided to
specialize in ophthalmology in order to help her. He enrolled at the Faculty of
Medical Sciences at University of Santo Tomas in 1878 for this purpose.
He went to Spain to continue his studies and enrolled at the Universidad Central
de Madrid from where he earned his degree in medicine in 1884. He completed
another degree in Philosophy and Letters from the same institute the next year.
He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and went to France to further his
knowledge of ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg. He completed his
eye specialization in 1887 under the tutelage of the famous professor Otto
Becker.
Later Life
In 1887, while studying medicine in the Universidad Central de Madrid, he wrote
the novel Noli Me Tangere. He harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in
Philippines and wrote of the injustices and brutalities suffered by the native
people. His novel was banned by the government due to its scathing contents.
He had been exposed to the problematic life under the Spanish government and
was aware of the difficulties experienced by the Filipinos. He became the leader
of the reform movement of Filipino students in Spain and wrote several articles
and essays in the Spanish newspaper La Solidaridad.
He believed that Philippines was struggling with the twin problems of corrupt
friars and bad government. Ideas of progressive ideals, peaceful reforms,
individual rights and rights for the Filipino people formed the foundation of his
writings.
The main focus of the reforms he advocated were freedom of assembly and
speech, representation in the legislature, equal rights before the law for both
Filipinos and Spanish, and that the Philippines be a province of Spain. However,
the colonial authorities did not favor these reforms.

In 1891, his second novel El Filibusterismo was published as a sequel to his first
novel. The novel dealt with dark and violent themes that were considerably
different from the theme of its predecessor. The novel profoundly impacted the
Philippine societys views about national identity and was banned in some parts
of the country for its portrayal of the Spanish governments corruption.
He returned to Philippines in 1892 as he felt he needed to be in the country to
effectively bring about reforms. He formed a civic movement called La Liga
Filipina which campaigned for social reforms through peaceful and legal means.
By the early 1890s the government had branded Rizal an enemy of the State in
spite of the fact that he advocated peaceful reforms; the authorities were angry
with his novels and writings which had exposed the corruption of the Spanish
Colonial government. He was exiled to Dapitan in July 1892.
In Dapitan he continued his reform work by building a school for young boys, a
hospital and a water supply system. He also taught farming and worked on
agricultural projects using abaca, a plant used for making rope.
In 1895, Cuba was engulfed by an epidemic of yellow fever and Rizal
volunteered to serve as an army doctor. His request was accepted by the
Governor-General Ramon Blanco.
By August 1896, a secret society Katipunan started a violent revolution. Even
though Rizal was in no way associated with the revolution, he was arrested
enroute to Cuba.
He was sent back to Manila where he was tried for rebellion, sedition and
conspiracy and convicted of all these charges.

Major Works
Jose Rizal was a national hero of the Philippines who exposed the corruptions
and wrongdoings of the Spanish colonial government through his writings. He
was an advocate of peaceful reforms and founded the progressive organization
La Liga Filipina which was considered a threat by the Spanish authorities and
ultimately led to his arrest.
Personal Life & Legacy
He had been involved with numerous women including Gertrude Beckett, Nelly
Boustead, Seiko Usui and Leonor Rivera.
He had a civil marriage with an Irish woman from Hong Kong named Josephine
Bracken. The couple had one son, born prematurely, who died soon after birth.
He was a polymath with the exceptional ability to master several subjects and
skills. He was a doctor, writer, poet, artist, farmer, educator, and historian. He
also had considerable knowledge in the fields of economics, anthropology,
dramatics and sociology. He could speak 22 languages.
He was arrested in October 1896 and convicted on charges of sedition,
conspiracy and rebellion. He was sentenced to death. His execution was carried
out on December 30, 1896 by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army.

BUOD NG TALAMBUHAY NI DR. JOSE RIZAL

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda ang buong pangalan ni Dr. Jose
Rizal. Labing-isa silang magkakapatid at ikapito siya. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay
sina Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro at Teodora Morales Alonso
Realonda y Quintos. Nakita niya ang unang liwanag noong ika-19 ng Hunyo, 1861 sa
Calamba, Laguna.
Kung susuriin ang pinagmulan niyang angkan, ang kanyang ama na si Francisco
Mercado ay anak ng isang negosyanteng Instik na nagngangalang Domingo Lam-co at
ang kanyang ina ay isa ring mestisang Intsik na ang pangalan ay Ines dela Rosa.
Intsik na Intsik ang apelyidong Lam-co kung kayat kung minsan ay nakararanas si
Domingo Lam-co ng diskriminasyon kaya upang makaiwas sa ganoong pangyayari at
makasunod sa ipinag-uutos ni Gobernador Claveria kaugnay ng pagpapalit ng mga
pangalang Pilipino noong 1849, ang Lam-co ay pinalitan ng apelyidong Kastila at pinili
nila ang Mercado na nababagay sa kanya bilang negosyante, sapagkat ang ibig sabihin
ng Mercado ay palengke. Ang pamilyang Lam-co ay kilalang mangangalakal noon sa
bayan ng Binan, Laguna.
Bagamat ang mga ninuno ni Rizal sa ama ay kilalang negosyante, ang kanyang ama
ay isang magsasaka. Isa siya sa mga kasama sa Hacienda Dominicana sa Calamba,
Laguna.
Ang apelyidong Rizal ay naidagdag sa kanilang pangalan sa bias ng Kautusan
Tagapagpaganap na pinalabas ni Gob. Claveria noong 1849 at itoy hinango sa salitang
Kastila na luntiang bukid.
Masasabing mayaman ang angkang Rizal sapagkat ang pamilya ay masikap,
matiyaga at talagang nagbabanat ng buto.
Nang tumuntong si Rizal sa gulang na tatlong taon, 1864, siya ay tinuruan ng
abakada ng kanyang ina at napansin niyang nagtataglay ng di-karaniwang talino at
kaalaman ang anak, kahit kulang sa mga aklat ay nagawa ng ginang na ito ang
paglalagay ng unang bato na tuntungan ni Rizal sa pagtuklas niya ng ibat ibang
karunungan.
Nang siyay siyam na taong gulang, si Jose ay ipinadala sa Binan at nag-aral sa
ilalim ng pamamahala ni Padre Justiniano Aquino Cruz, ngunit pagkalipas ng ilang
buwan ay pinayuhan na ito na lumipat sa Maynila dahil lahat ng nalalaman ng guro ay
naituro na niya kay Rizal.
Noong ika-20 ng Enero, 1872, si Jose ay pumasok sa Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
Siya ay nagpamalas ng kahanga-hangang talas ng isip at nakuha ang lahat ng
pangunahing medalya at notang sobresaliente sa lahat ng asignatura. Sa paaralang ito
natamo niya ang katibayang Bachiller en Artes at notang sobresaliente, kalakip ang
pinakamataas na karangalan.
Nang sumunod na taon sa Pamantasan ng Santo Tomas ay nag-aral siya ng
Filosofia y Letras at Agham sa pagsasaka naman sa Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
Kumuha rin siya ng panggagamot sa naturang pamantasan. Di pa nasiyahan, nagtungo

siya sa Europa noong ika-5 ng Mayo, 1882 upang doon ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pagaaral.
Nagpatuloy siya sa pag-aaral ng Medicina at Filosofia y Letras sa Madrid, Espana at
tinapos ang kursong ito noong 1884 at 1885.
Noong 1884, si Rizal ay nagsimulang mag-aral ng Ingles; alam na niya ang Pranses
pagkat sa Pilipinas pa lamang ay pinag-aralan na niya ang wikang ito. Bukod sa mga
wikang ito, nag-aral din siya ng Aleman at Italyano dahil naghahanda siya sa
paglalakbay sa ibat ibang bansa sa Europa. Alam niyang mahalaga ang mga wikang ito
sa pag-aaral ng mga kaugalian ng mga tao roon at ng pagkakaiba nila sa mga Pilipino
sa bagay na ito. At upang mapag-aralan ang kasaysayan ng mga baying nabanggit na
mapaghahanguan ng mga aral na alam niyang makatutulong sa kanyang mga
kababayan. Bunga nito, si Rizal ay maituturing na dalubwika.
Ayon kay Retana, ipinahayag ni Rizal na sinulat niya ang unang kalahati ng Noli Me
Tangere sa Madrid noong magtatapos ang 1884, sa Paris naman ang ikaapat na bahagi
at isa pang bahagi ay sa Alemanya. Ipinalimbag ito sa Berlin, at noon lamang Marso,
1887 ay lumabas ang 2000 sipi. Si Dr. Maximo Viola na taga-San Miguel, Bulacan ang
nagbayad ng pagpapalimbag sa halagang 300 piso.
Ang El Filibusterismo ang kasunod na aklat ng Noli Me Tangere na ipinalimbag sa
Gante, Belhika noong 1891.
Itinatatag naman ni Dr. Jose Rizal ang La Liga Filipina noong ika-3 ng Hulyo, 1892.
Ang kapisanang ito ay lihim na itinatag at layuning magkaroon ng pagbabago sa
palakad ng pamahalaan sa Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng mapayapang pamamaraan at
di sa paghihimagsik.
Noong ika-5 ng Agosto, 1887, siya ay nagbalik sa Pilipinas. Ngunit noong Pebrero 3,
1888, siya ay muling umalis sapagkat umiilag siya sa galit ng mga Kastila dahil sa
pagkakalathala ng Noli Me Tangere. Bumalik siya sa Maynila noong ika-26 ng Hunyo,
1892.
Noong Hulyo 7, 1892, alinsunod sa kautusan ni Kapitan-Heneral Despujol, si Rizal ay
ipinatapon sa Dapitan, isang maliit na bayan sa hilagang kanluran ng Mindanao, dahil
sa bintang na may kinalaman siya sa paghihimagsikan nang mga araw na iyon. Sa
Dapitan, nagtayo si Rizal ng isang maliit na paaralan na may labing-apat na batang
taga-roon na kanyang tinuturuan.
Habang nagaganap ang labanan sa pagitan ng Espana at Cuba, sa pangambang
madamay sa kilusang ukol sa paghihimagsik kaya hiniling niya na makapaglingkod siya
sa mga pagamutan sa Cuba. Binigyan niya ng isang liham si Kapitan-Heneral Blanco
na nagpapatunay na kailanman ay di siya nakikilahok sa mga himagsikan sa Pilipinas.
Ngunit noong bago magtapos ang taong 1896, siyay hinuli ng mga kinauukulan at
ibinalik sa Pilipinas.
Ikinulong si Rizal sa Maynila sa Real Fuerza de Santiago. Nang iharap sa hukumang
militar at litisin, siya ay nahatulang barilin sa Bagumbayan.
Noong ika-29 ng Disyembre, 1896, Sinulat ni Rizal ang kanyang Mi Ultimo Adios
(Huling Paalam) isang tulang kakikitaan ng magigiting na kaisipan at damdamin.
At noong ika-30 ng Disyembre, si Rizal ay binaril sa Bagumbayan na ngayon ay
tinatawag na Luneta.