History noted that Jose Rizal manifested an intellectual’s way of fighting.

The
common notion of Jose at present, and the painted picture of him through time, is that he
was one among many enablers that planted nationalism in the hearts of the Filipinos
through his literary works and even his life story. Throughout the review of the events and
facts that transpired and happened in his lifetime, it can be digested that the story of Jose
paved way in developing not just a single nationalistic character but also in highlighting
how social institutions should work for the society in such a way that justice and other
virtues must be given importance to.

As learners experience Jose in various biographical articles and literature, they are
educated not just on the upshots that came about in his years, but also on the causes that
gave essense to Jose as a ‘hero’ to consequent generations.

For Jose, educating will set the people free from oppression and subjugating
conditions; thus at present, to understand our history, it is important to understand the
vital information about Jose and his courage to live his life for his country.

Family and Early Childhood (1861-1871)

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was born on June 19, 1861 in
Calamba, Laguna. Birthed seventh out of the eleven siblings of the Mercados, Rizal was
born to be the second1 son of Francisco Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Alonzo y
Quinto. Rizal’s parents were both progressive citizens. Don Francisco was educated in Latin
and Philosophy, and finished his studies at the College of San Jose in Manila. His mother,
Dona Teodora also finished her tertiary education in Sta. Risa College. Although they were
both learned individuals, his father opted to be a hardworking master of their fields and his
mother to juggle business and family life on top of her field duties as well (Rizal: Life and
Philosophies, n.d.)

Jose Rizal was born in a principalia (middle class) family of the Mercado whose
origin comes from the royal blood-hood of noble and datu classes in the local kingdom
during the pre-colonial period. He traces his ancestry on both Japanese and Chinese
heritage. His paternal great grandfather, Domingo Lamco, was a pureblooded Chinese who
migrated to the Philippines and married Ines dela Rosa, who was of Filipino-Chinese
heritage. Similarly, his maternal great grandfather, Eugenio Ursua (Ochoa), was a
Japanese migrant who married a Filipina named Benigna (Balbin et al, 2018).

1The Rizal siblings: Saturnina (1850-1913), Paciano (1851-1930), Narcisa (1852-1939), Olimpia
(1855-1887), Lucia (1857-1919), Maria (1859-1945), Jose (1861-1896), Concepcion (1862-1945),
Josefa (1865-1945), Trinidad (1868-1951), and Soledad (1870-1926).
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 Jose recognized the efforts of his parents and other significant individuals, both of
familial link and extended connection, in his early age formation. His father, as he credits
to be hardworking and a “model of fathers”; his mother who was her first teacher that
rested the foundation of his learning of both academic and religious quality; to his “yaya”
who nursed him and made his childhood colorful by implanting in him the fear of mythical
tales of asuangs just to make him finish his supper; and to his maestros (teachers) and tios
(titos) who shall be tackled in the following biographical timeline.

One significant conflict in his family life was the imprisonment of her mother. In
connivance with a lieutenant of the civil guard, his auntie-in-law accused his uncle and
mother as a poisoner and an accomplice respectively. Teodora (or Dona Teodora on some
accounts) was imprisoned by Antonio Vivencio del Rosario for two and a half years. On the
contrary, Teodora was humiliated by being forced to walk 20 miles to prison, where she
spent two and a half months before being acquitted.

Education

Early Education
Our parents are our first teachers; and our house is the first school of life and
edifying institution that we are introduced to. The same goes with Jose. As stated earlier,
Rizal’s first teacher was his mother Dona Teodora. Religiously, at age three, he began
participating in family prayers. And at the young age of five, he started reading the Bible in
Spanish (Engaging Rizal, 2018).

In the account of de Ocampo (1962) as cited by Szczepanski (2019), Rizal learned the
alphabet from his mother at the age of three and could read and write at the age of five.
Balbin et al. (2018) also cited other notable influences in his tutelage were his uncles, who
were the brothers of his mother, aided him in his development in many facets of skills and
learnings: Tio Jose Alberto who inspired him to develop his artistic talents; Tio Manuel who
was responsible in developing him physically by encouraging him to exercise, practice
horseback riding and wresting; and the academic, Tio Gregorio who made him read books.

Also, Rizal had advanced his tutelage in the care of his first maestro, Maestro
Cenestino, and his second, Maestro Lucas Padua. His last tutor was a former classmate of
his father who was versed in Latin—a certain Leon Monroy.

Jose received his first formal education at Binan, Laguna after being sent to his
teacher’s school, Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The nipa hut that they studied at also served as
his teacher’s house. Rizal described his education to be focused on reading, writing,
arithmetic, and religion. At a tender age, Rizal experienced segregation among his

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classmates due to his exceling capacities, thus, he even narrated to have received lashings,
both that were rightly and wrongly delivered. It is said that Rizal studied in the school for
about a year and a half before furthering his education in the secondary level (Engaging
Rizal, 2018).

Secondary Education (1872-1877)

Jose had many distinguishable stints when he was schooled in the secondary level.
Aged 11 years old, Rizal started his secondary schooling at the Ateneo Municipal School in
Manila. Prior to his admission, Jose, accompanied by his brother Paciano, underwent with
the impasse of being refused by the school’s registrar to be admitted. Him being physically
unqualified for the secondary level was only one of the reasons used against him. It was
through the intercession of Manuel Xerex Buegos that he was finally admitted
(Szczepanski, 2019).

During his stay, a hierarchy among students was present. Students were categorized
based on their academic performance and qualities. According to Balbin et al. (2018), at
that time, students were divided into two empires that were determined from their living
condition—the Roman Empire for internos (boarders) and the Carthaginian Empire for the
non-boarders. Rizal belonged in the Carthaginian Empire, and only after a month he was
able to attain the status as emperor, which was the highest position in an empire.

In his letter, Jose wrote that after a month of achieving the title of emperor and
receiving a prize with the grade of excellent, he was dismayed and “disgusted on account of
some words of utterance” by his professor. Eventually, for a period, he said to have lost his
passion to study anymore. Although Rizal still performed well in his studies, having all
grades of excellent (unos=highest), he no longer aimed to be emperor nor to receive a
reward for distinguishment (Rizal’s Scholastic Records; Engaging Rizal, 2018). It was also
in Ateneo that he developed his passion for poetry and literature, which he too tributes to
his professor Francisco de Paula Sanches who inspired him to study hard and even write
prize-winning poetry. Rizal at the age of 12 enjoyed reading novels and books of different
language that’s far from his age. In the same period, Rizal wrote the poem “My First
Inspiration” which was addressed to her mother in jubilee of her liberty from prison and at
the same time in celebration of her natal day.

On March 23, 1877, Jose Rizal finished as one of the best students in his time and
received his Bachelor of Arts diploma (sobresaliente), which is equivalent to a secondary
school diploma today (Balbin et al., 2018).

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Tertiary Education (1877-1882)
In the year 1877, Jose again enrolled in Ateneo in a land surveyor and assessor
vocational course. In which he finished his training in the same year and passed the
licensure examination in May 1878. He was only 17 years old at that time. Jose was only
granted his license in 1881 upon reaching the age of 20.

In the same year of 1877, Jose was caught in the dilemma of taking up Law in
college. He was later discouraged by his brother Paciano by imparting in his letter that
rather than Law, “there are few who practice medicine and the arts, they make progress
here and live peacefully, the one thing we should look for in this world”. Jose later enrolled
in the University of Santo Tomas in 1877 under the Philosophy and Letters program, but
after a year in the institution, Jose shifted to the Medicine program, specifically in the
Pathology specialization. This was for the reason that he wanted to find cure in the
deteriorating eyesight of his mother, which again among his letters, he called as an illness
that is “far beyond their years”.

Balbin et al. (2018) recounted the event of Rizal’s reasons for discontinuing his study
in the University of Santo Tomas (UST):

“After four years of medical studies, Rizal left UST for Spain on
May 1, 1882. Among the reasons cited by different authors
regarding this matter are: because a certain professor of UST
caused him displeasure; because the atmosphere in UST
suffocated him, and it is presumed that because of it he left;
because in his class of medicine the lay professor made a
statement contrary to the textbook but refused to permit
discussion or to give explanations so Rizal decided he was
wasting his time to remain in the University; because he found
unfriendliness in the University; or because UST could not give
“fuller learning” to the youth, and its “usefulness was almost, if
not altogether nil.”

On the other hand, Szczepanski (2019) alleged that Jose quit the university after
noticing the discrimination against the indio students by the Dominican professor
(Biography of Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines).

Rizal’s Education Abroad (1882-1885; Balbin et al., 2018)

Since Jose left UST, and after persuading his father to pursue his studies abroad,
Jose began his academic journey oversees in Spain. Enrolled in University of Madrid, Jose
elucidated the same vigor and skill in various disciplines that garnered recognition from

4
many organizations. Jose still displayed the same passion for literature, history, and
languages. In fact, Jose invested much of his allowance to purchasing books such as: “Lives
of the Presidents of the United States”, “A History of English Revolution”, and “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin” which fed him of revolutionary substance that was later helpful in his novels and
literature.

He finished his Licentiate in Medicine on June 21, 1884 and consequently passed his
subjects leading to a degree in Doctor of Medicine. However, Jose was not awarded his
doctorate diploma for a deficiency in presenting necessary thesis requirement to finish the
program and paying the graduation fees. Jose also continued and pursued his disrupted
study in Philosophy and Letters, and later obtained licentiate for such in June 19, 1885.
Fuelled with the desire to be more learned, Jose took up subjects in fine arts at the
Academia de San Fernando in pursuit of his literary activities.

In the furtherance of his study, specifically in his training to specialize as an

Ophthalmologist, he interned to specialists in France and Germany. He entered as a
subordinate to the leading authority among the French oculist, Dr. Louis D. Weckert; and
later regularly assisted in the eye clinic of Dr. Otto Becker at Heidelberg, Germany
(Engaging Rizal, 2018).

What’s notable in this period was the beginning of Jose’s wind-up from his
fascination of the Spanish reign in the Philippines and his reflections on the adverse
culture that the Spaniards have incorporated in the Philippine system of trade and
education. In one of his letters addressed to his sisters, Maria, after observing how
empowered the German women were while he was in the practice of his profession in
Germany, he wrote:

“For these reasons, now that you are still very young and you
have time to learn, it is necessary that you study by reading and
reading attentively. It is a pity that you allow yourself to be
dominated by laziness when it takes too little effort to shake it off.
It is not enough to form only the habit of study and later
everything goes by itself.”

Jose also wrote the letter in reflection of how sad the Filipino attitude was for
settling to a unenthusiastic culture of laziness to study. Well, in the context of that time,
not everyone was given the opportunity to study. But Jose was directing the message to his
sister—a person from an able family; and with the insight that learning is not limited in
the corners of a school, but from reading and learning from literary materials. Rizal ended
his study abroad with energy to return and give back whatever it was that he learned

5
outside of the country, and with strategies of reform for the Philippines. He shall later be
confronted by the poor state of the Philippines then under the governance of the Spaniards.

Social and Political Struggle

Social Struggle
The earliest account of Jose’s social struggle can be taken from his experience in
grade school. Earlier, it was discussed that he experienced segregation among his
classmates in his schooling in Binan, Laguna. In the course of Jose’s academic journey, he
struggled with the discrimination that came with his intellect. Hence, his knowledge and
mind can be tagged as both a blessing and a curse for him. But in the progress of history,
his mind proved to be one of the revolutionary inspirations of his generation and the next to
come.

Jose was able to expand his connections while he was abroad. Came with it was his
struggle to socialize brought upon by the ignorance of other people of the Filipino race. In
one of the documents by Balbin et al. (2018), it was said the in the attempt of Jose to
converse with other passengers in a French steamer bound for Europe, he was mistaken to
be a Chinese or Japanese man, and was not recognized as a Filipino. Jose expressed his
frustration in his passage, “I attracted the attention of all who saw me; they called me
Chinese, Japanese, American, etc., anything but Filipino!”

Perhaps Jose’s social struggle was not limited to his experiences but it magnifies to
as how he finds fault in the social system of his Motherland. In his essay addressed to the
bold women of Bulacan, he wrote:

“No longer does the Filipina stand with her head bowed nor does
she spend her time on her knees, because she is quickened by
hope in the future; no longer will the mother contribute to
keeping her daughter in darkness and bring her up in contempt
and moral annihilation. And no longer will the science of all
sciences consist in blind submission to any unjust order, or in
extreme complacency, nor will a courteous smile be deemed the
only weapon against insult or humble tears the ineffable panacea
for all tribulations” (To The Young Women of Malolos).

The passage is in salutation with the feat that women have reached in Malolos,
Bulacan, specifically in the area of education. The happening tells of the liberation of
women from being held from receiving quality education, and deviates from the norm of
society on the supposed duties and narrow rights of women.

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Political Struggle
Jose’s political warfare started at the young age of 11. Though Jose was not one who
believed that violence is the key to attain freedom from the colonizers; he took the might of
the pen to spark a revolution in the minds and hearts of the Filipinos. Jose’s tender mind
was opened to the reality of the oppression that the Philippines was under in the tragedy of
the Cavity Mutiny in 1872. Thus, the fate of the Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora
(GOMBURZA) martyrs were used as motivations by Rizal to spark his propaganda
movement, which shall reflect in the birth of two novels, but would give more political
highlight on the second installment: El Filibusterismo.

In addition, Jose remembers one of his experiences as young man. He did not
recognize a civil guard while walking in the dark of the night and was beaten for failing to
salute him. Outraged, Rizal journeyed to Manila to report the incident and obtain redress,
but the Governor General would not receive him. Significantly, this particular experience of
Jose was also delivered in a chapter of his novel, the Noli Me Tangere. It is said that Noli
Me Tangere is the groundwork of Jose in introducing the social dilemma in his Motherland
(Balbin et al., 2018).

Also, Jose’s angst over the Spanish justice fueled in the memory of her mother’s
experience after being imprisoned for a set-up, which was discussed in the earlier
paragraphs of this biography (Balbin et al., 2018).

Among the other documented political struggles of Rizal was his political turndown
in his homecoming. Coates (1968) reported that the people of Calamba, including Rizal's
family, who were tenants of an estate owned by the Dominican friars, submitted a
"memorial" to the government 1888, listing their complaints and grievances about their
exploitation by the religious corporation. After lengthy court litigation, the tenants lost
their case, and Governor Valeriano Weyler, the "Butcher of Cuba," ordered troops to expel
the tenants from their ancestral farms at gunpoint and to burn their houses. Among the
victims were Rizal's father and three sisters, who were later deported. Jose, similarly
petitioned for the ruling to reconsidered after having knowledge about it, and to topped
with it is a suggestion for reform on the taxation system that’s imposed to the Filipinos.
Jose was only dismayed by the result of his efforts. Such event also sparked his political
thought on the notion that perhaps reform is not the solution for the country, but
separation from the colonizer.

“Rizal’s participation in the propaganda can be periodicized between

his two European travels, essentially between the writing os his two

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 monumental work, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The
sequential writing of the two novels marked the continuing evolution
of Rizal’s politics. In the run up to the final draft of Noli, Rizal
publicly upheld assimilation, the kind of front behind which he, and
other nationalists, could operate on other more radical projects but
no longer believed in it in private. But in Fili, Rizal, more hardened
and radicalized, publicly advocated a separatist politics.” (An
analysis from Engaging Rizal, 2018).

All of these events, birthed to Rizal’s propaganda movement to open the eyes of the
Filipinos, and conceivably even the world, on the condition of the Philippines and the
Filipino people under the rule of the Spaniards in an ingenious way.

Exile, Trial, and Execution

Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan on July 7, 1892. For four years Rizal
remained in exile in Dapitan, where he practiced ophthalmology, built a school and
waterworks, planned town improvements, wrote, and carried out scientific experiments.
Then he successfully petitioned to the Spanish government to be allowed to join the
Spanish army in Cuba as a surgeon; but on his way to Spain to enlist, the Philippine
revolution broke out, and Rizal was returned from Spain, imprisoned, and tried for false
charges of treason and complicity with the revolution (Encyclopedia of World Biography,
2010).

The Bers of 1986

On November 20, Jose was interrogated for his alleged crimes. On December 3, he
was indicated as the principal organizer of the insurrection against the Spanish
government. On December 10, it was decided that his case should be heard by a court
martial with his defense to be handled by an officer of the army and not a civil lawyer. Jose
then was made to choose his council. And in his favor, he selected First Lieutenant Luis
Taveal de Andrade.

On December 25, he was informed that his trial was to begin at 10:00AM the
following day. On the 26th,the Council of War gave its verdict that he was guilty of the
crime charged against him and he was to be sentenced to death on the same day. The latter
was held, and on the 28th, the Governor General confirmed the decision and fixed the date
of the execution.

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 On December 29, his sentence was formally read to him. And at 7:00AM of
December 30, 1898, Rizal was shot in Bagumbayan by eight indio soldiers. Rizal upon being
shot, shouted: “Preparen”, “Apunten”, “Consummatum est” (it is done).

The story of Jose will remain to be a pristine reminder of our history as a Filipino
people, and his contributions as the DNA of our nation.

Facts about Rizal’s Trial and Execution

1. 13 recognized prima facie evidences were used against Jose. He was charged and
accused of three crimes: rebellion, sedition, and illegal association (Carado, 2014).

2. Some of the so-called prima facie evidences used against Jose—including documents
and testimonies, were only obtained around June and August 1897. The final papers
were only available by April 1898, where Jose was a year and four months under his
grave (Balbin et al., 2018).

3. No one among Jose’s family came (Balbin et al., 2018). Only Josephine Bracken
(Engaging Rizal, 2018), “who was said to be his wife that he married hours before
his execution”—was present.

4. Jose was made to pay Php100,000—initially Php20,000. In the failure of him to pay,
the obligation shall be passed down to his family. However, it is accounted that the
confiscation of his assets already began in December 10. Such was taken and paid
for as indemnification for the damages to the government as a result of his crimes
(Balbin et al., 2018).

Facts About Rizal, His Life, and His Works

1. Jose became a Master Mason in Lodge Solidaridad on November 15, 1890. He was
annointed under the Gran Oriende de Espana after adopting the name Dimasalang,
and was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Oriente de France
(Balbin et al., 2018). 2

2. Never did Jose get a final grade lower than 1 (the highest by rubric) in all of his
subjects while he was studying in Ateneo de Manila (Rizal’s Scholastic Records;
Engaging Rizal, 2018).

2 The Freemasonry is a fraternal organization put up in the late 16th to 17th century that
existed in various forms in the world where members shared moral and metaphysical
ideals, which includes constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. At present, it
is considered as a social club.
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 3. Jose was able to fluently speak 10 different languages (not including other dialects
and languages that he was able to know about) throughout the course of his living
(Balbin et al., 2018).

4. In 1898, after the Mock Battle of Manila3, Jose’s remains were recovered. His bones
were washed and cleansed, and were placed in an ivory urn (The Last Days of José
Rizal: A Timeline of His Last Arrest, Incarceration, Execution and the Journey of
His Remains, n.d.).

5. El Filibusterismo consists of 39 chapters.

6. Nineteen works of Rizal were published in the magazine La Solidaridad. Among

these is his article The Indolence of the Filipinos, which counters and digests the
reason behind the laziness of the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization.

7. Jose was able to know about Josephine Bracken in Dapitan when she brought her
father to Rizal for a cataract operation (Szczepanski, 2019).

8. Mi Ultino Adios, translates as “My Last Goodbye” is the last poem written by Jose.

9. Jose died at the age of 35 years old.

10. There are no legal documents that prove that Jose is to be recognized as the
National Hero of the Philippines. However, known by common belief and tradition,
Rizal is socially merited as such, especially for his timeless contribution to society
and the revolution.

3 Battle between the Spaniards and Americans where the Americans won and took over
central Luzon.
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 REFERENCES

de Ocampo, E., (1962). Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism. Journal of Southeast
Asian History 3.1 (1962): 44-55.

Balbin, et al., (2018). Engaging Rizal. Quezon City, Philippines. Nieme Publishing House
Company Limited (2018). ISBN 978-621-95906-0-0.

Carado, H., (2014). Arrest and Trial. Retrieved on August 18, 2019, from:
https://www.slideshare.net/djoshuaabel/arrest-trial-of-rizal

Coates, A., (1968). Rizal Philippine Nationalist and Martyr. Hong Kong. Oxford
University Press (1968).

Encyclopedia of World Biography (2010). Jose Rizal Facts. Retrieved on August 18, 2019,
from: https://biography.yourdictionary.com/jose-rizal

Szczepanski, K., (2019). Biography of Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines.
Thoughts Company. Retrieved on August 18, 2019, from:
https://www.thoughtco.com/jose-rizal-hero-of-the-philippines-195677

Article Reference

Rizal: Life and Philosophies; Rizal: A Product of His Own Era (n.d.) Wordpress. Retrived on
August 17, 2019, from: https://www.kaspil23.wordpress.com/binan/

The Last Days of José Rizal: A Timeline of His Last Arrest, Incarceration, Execution and the
Journey of His Remains (n.d.) Retrieved on August 17, 2019, from:
https://xiaochua.net/2012/12/25/the-last-days-of-jose-rizal-a-timeline-of-his-last-
arrest-incarceration-execution-and-the-journey-of-his-remains/

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