Dr.

Jose Rizal - National Hero of the Philippines

Dr Jose Protacio Rizal was born in the town of Calamba, Laguna on 19th June 1861. The second
son and the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso.

With his mother as his first teacher, he began his early education at home and continued in Binan,
Laguna. He entered a Jesuit-run Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1872 and obtained a bachelor's
degree with highest honors in 1876. He studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas but had
to stop because he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated by their Dominican tutors.
He went to Madrid at Universidad Central de Madrid and in 1885 at the age of 24, he finished his
course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "Excellent".

He took graduate studies in Paris, France & Heidelberg, Germany. He also studied painting,
sculpture, he learned to read and write in at least 10 languages.

Rizal was a prolific writer and was anti-violence. He rather fight using his pen than his might. Rizal's
two books "Noli Me Tangere" (Touch Me Not) which he wrote while he was in Berlin, Germany in
1887 and "El Filibusterismo" (The Rebel) in Ghent, Belgium in 1891 exposed the cruelties of the
Spanish friars in the Philippines, the defects of the Spanish administration and the vices of the
clergy, these books told about the oppression of the Spanish colonial rule. These two books made
Rizal as a marked man to the Spanish friars.

 In 1892 when Rizal returned to the Philippines, he formed La Liga Filipina, a non-violent
reform society of patriotic citizen and a forum for Filipinos to express their hopes for reform, to
promote progress through commerce, industry and agriculture and freedom from the
oppressive Spanish colonial administration.

 On July 6, 1892, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, on the charge of instigating unrest
against Spain, he was exiled to Dapitan, in northwestern Mindanao. He remained in exile for
four years, while he was in political exile in Dapitan, he practice medicine, he established a
school for boys, promoted community development projects, he applied his knowledge in
engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the
townspeople. In Dapitan he also met, fell in love and lived with Josephine Bracken

 In 1896, the Katipunan, a nationalist secret society launched a revolt against the Spaniards,
although Jose Rizal had no connection with the organization, his enemies were able to linked
him with the revolt. To avoid being involved in the move to start a revolution, he asked
Governor Ramon Blanco to send him to Cuba but instead he was brought back to Manila and
jailed for the second time in Fort Santiago.

 On December 26, 1896, after a trial, Rizal was sentenced to die, he was convicted of rebellion,
sedition, and of forming illegal association. On the eve of his execution while confined in Fort
Santiago, Rizal wrote a poem Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell) and hid it inside the gas
burner and gave the gas burner to his sister Trinidad and his wife Josephine.
  He was executed on December 30, 1896 at the age of 35 by a firing squad at Bagumbayan,
now known as Luneta Park in Manila.

 Jose Rizal was a man of many accomplishments - a linguist, a novelist, a poet, a scientist, a
doctor, a painter, an educator, a reformer and a visionary, he left his people his greatest
patriotic poem, Mi Ultimo Adios to serve as an inspiration for the next generations.

 Rizal's Contribution to Science

Rizal found Mindanao a rich virgin field for collecting specimens. With his baroto (sailboat) and
accompanied by his pupils, he explored the jungles and coasts seeking specimens of insects, birds,
snakes lizards frogs shells and plants. He sent these specimens to the museum of Europe especially
the Dresden Museum. In payment for these valuable specimens, the European scientists sent him
scientific books and surgical instruments.

 Manila Lottery Winner

On September 21, 1892 the mail boat “Butuan” arrived in Dapitan carrying lottery Ticket No. 9736
jointly owned by Captain Carnicero, Dr Jose Rizal and Francisco Equilior won the second prize of
P20,000 in the government-owned Manila Lottery.

Rizal’s share of the winning loterry was P6, 200. He gave P2,000 to his father and P200 to his friend
Basa in Hong Kong and the rest he invested well by purchasing agricultural lands along the coast of
Talisay about one kilometer away from Dapitan.

 Rizal Discovered Rare Specimens

For four years during his exile in Dapitan, Rizal discovered some rare specimens which were named
in his honor by the scientists. Among these were:

 Draco Rizali—a flying dragon

 Apogonia Rizali -a small beetle

 Rhacophorus Rizali—a rare frog

 Jose Rizal Biography
Birthday: June 19, 1861
Nationality: Filipino
Famous: Writers Revolutionaries
Died At Age: 35
Sun Sign: Gemini
Also Known As: Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda
Born In: Calamba, Laguna
Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Josephine Bracken
Father: Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado De Alejandro
Mother: Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda De Quintos
Siblings: Concepción, José Protasio, Josefa, Lucia, Maria, Narcisa, Paciano Rizal, Saturina,
Soledad, Trinidad
Children: Francísco Rizal Y Bracken
Died On: December 30, 1896
Place Of Death: Bagumbayan, Manila [
Cause of Death: Execution
Founder/Co-Founder: La Liga Filipina
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
society’s views about national identity and was banned in some parts of the country
for its portrayal of the Spanish government’s 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.

Trivia
 Nearly every town and city in Philippines has a street named after this great national
hero.