CHAPTER 1
- The Name “Rizal”
- Jose Rizal
o born July 19, 2861 in Calamba,
Laguna
o baptized by Rev. Rufino
Collantes in the Catholic church
of Calamba, June 22, 1861
o named “Jose” in honor of St.
Joseph
o Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y
Alonso Realonda
- Parents
o Francisco Mercado Rizal – born
in Binan, Laguna on May 11,
1818 and died in Manila on
January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
o Teodora Alonso Realonda –
born in Manila on November 8,
1826 and died in Manila on
August 16, 1911 at the age of
85
- Children
o Saturnina
o Paciano
o Narcisa
o Olympia
o Lucia
o Maria
o Jose
o Concepcion
o Josefa
o Trinidad
o Soledad
- Ancestry of Rizal
o Great-great-grandfather was a
man named Domingo Lam-co
o Rizal’s ancestor was Lakan-Dula,
the last Malayan king of Tondo
o Gregorio, Manuel and Jose are
Rizal’s 3 uncles, brothers of
Teodora
o Grandfathers – Lorenzo Alberto
Alonso and Cipriano Alonso
o The original name of the Rizal
family was “Mercado”
o The term “Rizal” came from the
Spanish word racial which
means “green field” or “new
pasture”.
- The Rizal Family
o Were the first to build a large
stone house in Calamba
o First to own a carruaje
o First to have a home library
o First to educate their children in
the colleges of Manila
- The Rizal Home
o One of the distinguished stone
houses in Calamba during the
Spanish times.
o It was rectangular in shape, “of
adobe stone and hardwood
with a red-tiled roof”
CHAPTER 2
 Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In memory
of my town) – the poem Rizal wrote in
1876 when he was a student in Ateneo
when he remembered his beloved town
 Jose was jokingly called Ute
 The people in Calamba knew him as
Pepe or Pepito
 Jose loved most the little Concha
(Concepcion)
 Concha died of sickness in 1865
 Rizal was a religious boy. A scion of
Catholic clan, born and bred in a
wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism,
and possessed of an inborn pious spirit,
he grew up as a Catholic.
 On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left
Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to
Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s
 vow which was made when Jose was
born.
 Jose’s first teacher was his Mother
 At the age of three, Jose learned the
alphabet and prayers
 The story of the Moth – One of the
stories told by Dona Teodora to Jose
that made the profoundest impression
on him.
Rizal’s three uncles
 They were Gregorio, Jose, and
Manuel Alberto Alonso. Brothers of
Dona Teodora.
 Uncle Gregorio was a lover of
books, instilled into Rizal’s mind a
great love for books.
 Uncle Jose was the youngest
brother of Dona Teodora, he
encouraged Rizal to paint, sketch
and sculpture.
 Uncle Manuel was a big, strong and
husky man, looked after the
physical training of Rizal and
encouraged him to learn sports.
- The first known poem that he wrote
was a Tagalog poem entitled Sa Aking
Mga Kabata. He wrote it in appeal to
our people to love our national
language.
Influences on Rizal’s Boyhood
- Hereditary influence
- Environmental influence
- Aid of Divine Providence
CHAPTER 3
 He attended a private school under
Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, who
was reputed to be a good teacher
 He was given further instruction by
private tutors such as Maestro
Celestino and later Maestro Lucas
Padua
 Leon Monroy, hired by Rizal’s father,
taught him his first lessons in Latin
 Rizal left Calamba for Binan on June
1870. He was accompanied by Paciano.
 Jose challenged a bully named Pedro for
making fun of him during class. He
defeated the bigger boy and became
popular in class.
 Andres Lakundanan challenged him to
an arm-wrestling and he lost nearly
cracking his head on the sidewalk.
 He met an old painter named Juancho
who gave him free lessons in drawing
and painting.
 In December 1871 Jose received a letter
from his sister Saturnina informing him
of the arrival of the steamer Talim
which would take him from Binan to
Calamba.
 Arturo Camps, a friend of his father
took care of him while on the steamer.
 Dona Teodora was arrested on
malicious charge that she aided her
brother, Jose Alberto, in trying to
poison Alberto’s wife. She was sent to
the provincial jail in Santa Cruz, capital
of Laguna.
 On January 20, 1872 the Cavite mutiny
flared up, followed by the execution of
Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora on
February 17th.
CHAPTER 4
 Escuela Pia – first name of Ateneo
Municipal that then became Ateneo de
Manila
 June 10, 1872 – Jose went to Manila
accompanied by Paciano to take
entrance examinations at the San Juan
de Letran
 His father changed his mind and
decided to send Rizal to Ateneo instead
 Father Magin Ferrando who was the
school registrar refused to admit Rizal
for two reasons
o He was late for registration
o He was sickly and undersized
for his age
 Through the intercession of Manuel
Xerez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos,
he was reluctantly admitted to Ateneo.
 Rizal was the first in the family to adopt
the surname “Rizal” because the family
name “Mercado” is already under
suspicion of the Spanish authorities.
 Students in Ateneo were divided into
two groups:
o Roman Empire consisting of
the internos (boarders)
o Carthaginian Empire
composed of the externos
(non-boarders)
 Emperor – best student in each empire
 Tribune – second best student
 Decurion – third best
 Centurion- fourth best
 Standard-bearer – fifth best
 June 1872 – Rizal first heard Mass at the
college chapel
 Fr. Jose Bech – Rizal’s firs professor in
Ateneo
 Rizal was an externo, therefore
assigned to the Carthaginian Empire in
which he became emperor.
 Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel
College to improve his Spanish
 Rizal made a prophecy that his mother
will be released from prison after three
months when he interpreted his
mother’s dream
 The first favorite novel of Rizal was The
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander
Dumas
 On his third year at Ateneo, he only got
one medal – in Latin.
 On June 14, 1875 he became an
internee in the Ateneo.
 Fr. Francisco Sanchez, a great educator
and scholar who inspired Rizal to study
harder and write poetry.
 Rizal graduated at the head of his class.
 March 23, 1877 – commencement day,
on which Rizal received the degree of
Bachelor of Arts with highest honors.
 He was an active member, later
secretary, of a religious society, the
Marian Congregation.
 Rizal was also a member of the
Academy of Spanish Literature and the
Academy of Natural Sciences.
 He studied painting under the famous
Spanish painter, Augustin Saez and
sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus,
noted Filipino sculptor.
 Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First
Inspiration) – the first poem Rizal made
in Ateneo, dedicated to his mother on
her birthday, expressing his filial
affection in sonorous verses.
 The Intimate Alliance Between Religion
and Good Education – Rizal showed the
importance of religion in education. To
him, education without God is not true
education.
 Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus) – one
of the poems Rizal wrote to express
devotion to Catholic faith
 A la Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary) –
his ode to the virgin mary
 Segunda Katigbak – a pretty fourteen-
year old Batanguena from Lipa. Rizal’s
first love.
 Segunda was already engaged to be
married to her townmate, Manuel Luz.
CHAPTER 5
 April 1877, Rizal matriculated in the
University of Sto. Tomas taking
Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled in
this course for two reasons:
o His father liked it
o He was still uncertain as to what
career to follow
 He studied cosmology, metaphysics,
theodicy, and history of philosophy
 During the following school term (1878-
79) that Rizal took up medicine. The
reasons why he took up medicine were
o He wanted to be a physician so that
he might cure his mother’s failing
eyesight.
o The father rector of the Ateneo
recommended medicine.
 Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took
the vocational course in surveying
leading to the title of perito agrimensor.
 At the age of 17 he passed the final
examination but was not given the title
because he was under age
 The title as surveyor was given to him
on November 25, 1881.
 He paid court to a young woman in
Calamba. Her name was Miss L,
described as “fair with seductive and
attractive eyes.”
 He stopped wooing the young woman
because
o The sweet memory of Segunda was
still in his heart
o His father objected to the match
 He courted Leonor Valenzuela, who was
a tall girl and had a regal bearing. He
sent her love notes written in invisible
ink made of table salt and water. He
stopped short of proposing marriage to
Leonor/Orang.
 Leonor Rivera – Rizal’s cousin, daughter
of his uncle Antonio Rivera.
 Between Jose and Leonor sprang a
tenderly beautiful romance. They
became engaged.
 Rizal was attacked by a lieutenant of the
Guardia Civil after passing by without a
salute or a courteous “Good evening”.
He was brutally slashed on the back.
 A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino
Youth, 1879) – the poem Rizal
submitted to the literary contest held
by Liceo Artistico-Literario. He won first
prize, a silver pen, feather-shaped and
decorated with a gold ribbon.
 A La Juventud Filipina is an inspiring
poem beseeching the Filipino youth to
“rise from lethargy, to let his genius fly
swifter than the wind and descend with
art and science to break the chain that
has long bound the poetic genius of the
country”
 “The Council of the Gods” (1880) – a
winning allegory in prose submitted by
Rizal to another literary contest opened
by the Artistic-Literary Lyceum.
 Junto al Pasig – a drama produced by
Rizal that was staged by the Ateneans
on December 8, 1880 on the occasion
of the annual celebration of the
Immaculate Conception, Patroness of
the Ateneo.
 A Filipinas – a sonnet, urged all Filipino
artists to glorify the Philippines
 Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma (1879) – a poem
written by Rizal, declaimed by Manuel
Fernandez on the night of December 8,
1879
 Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon, Rector del
Ateneo, en Sus Dias (1881) – a poem he
wrote to Father Pablo Ramon, the
Ateneo Rector to express his affection
for he had been so kind and helpful to
him.
 Rizal participated in school brawls. His
three close friends called themselves
“The Three Musketeers” and chose him
as Treville, their chief.
 He was also the chief of a secret
student organization called
Companerismo, organized in 1880.
  Galicano Apacible was the secretary of
Companerismo and the members called
themselves “Companions of Jehu”.
 Rizal was unhappy at UST because
o The Dominican professors were
hostile to him
o The Filipino students were racially
discriminated
o The method of instruction was
obsolete and recessive
 Because of the unfriendly attitude of his
professors, Rizal failed to win high
scholastic honors.
 After finishing the fourth year of his
medical course, Rizal decided to study
in Spain.
 His uncle Antonio Rivera, Paciano and
Saturnina encouraged him to go
abroad.
CHAPTER 6
 Rizal’s departure to Spain was kept
secret in order to avoid detection by
the colonial officials and the friars. Even
his own parents did not know he was
leaving.
 Paciano gave him 700 pesos and
Saturnina gave him a diamond ring.
 To maintain his studies and sojourn
abroad he needed a monthly allowance
of 35 pesos.
 Rizal used a passport obtained by a
cousin named “Jose Mercado”.
 A cryptic telegram by Manuel T. Hidalgo
from Manila arrived, announcing that
the Spanish steamer Salvadora was
scheduled to sail to Singapore.
 May 1, 1882 he left Calamba by
carromata to Manila after 10 hours of
travel.
 He had a tearful meeting with Leonor,
this proved to be their last meeting.
 May 3, 1882 – embarkation date – he
heard mass at Santo Domingo Church.
 He was the only Filipino on board.
 After 5 days, Rizal arrived at Singapore.
 Rizal stayed at Hotel de Paz during two
days of his stop-over in Singapore.
 In Singapore, Rizal boarded Djemnah, a
French steame which was sailing to
Europe.
 A week after leaving Singapore, the
steamer reached Point de Galle “sad
and sleepy”.
 May 18, 1882 voyage resumed and
docked at Colombo Ceylon.
 From Colombo the steamer crossed the
Indian Ocean to Guardafui in Africa.
 May 28, 1882 he saw for the first time
the coast of Africa which he called
“inhospitable but famous land”
 June 2, 1882 he arrived at the city of
Suez, the Red Sea terminal of the Suez
Canal.
 It took Djemnah five days to traverse
the Suez Canal.
 On June 11, 1882 he arrived at Naples.
 On the night of June 12, 1882, the
steamer docked at the French harbor of
Marseilles.
 At Marseilles, Rizal took the train for
the last lap of his trip to Spain. He
stopped at the frontier town of Fort-
Buo.
 Rizal continued his trip to Barcelona
after a passport inspection at Port-Buo.
 Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona was
“ugly, with dirty little inns and
inhospitable residents”.
 The Filipinos in Barcelona, some of
whom were his schoolmates in the
Ateneo, welcomed Rizal and gave him a
party at their favorite café in Plaza de
Cataluña.
 Amor Patrio – a nationalistic essay Rizal
wrote, his first article written on Spain’s
soil.
 He sent this article to Basilio Teodoro in
Manila who was a member of the
editorial staff of the Diariong Tagalog.
 Amor Patrio under his pen name Laong
Laan appeared in print in Diariong
Tagalong on August 20, 1882.
 This was translated to Tagalog by M. H.
Del Pilar.
 Rizal left Barcelona in the Fall of 1882
and established himself in Madrid, the
capital of Spain after his brother
Paciano advised him to finish the
medical course there.
 November 3, 1882 – Rizal enrolled in
the Universidad Central de Madrid
(Central University of Madrid) in two
courses – Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters.
 On August 22, 1883 he wrote a lovely
poem titled “A la Señorita C.O. y R.” for
Consuelo Ortega y Rue, daughter of
Don Pablo Ortega y Rue. Consuelo loved
Rizal
 Rizal did not allow the romance to go
on for two reasons:
o He was still engaged to Leonor
Rivera and he would not want to be
unfaithful to her
o Eduardo de Lete, his friend, was
deeply in love with Consuelo, and
he did not want to break their
friendship just for a wisp of a girl.
 Shortly after he arrived in Madrid, Rizal
joined Circulo Hispano-Filipino
(Hispano-Philippine Circle) a society of
Spaniards and Filipinos.
 He wrote a poem Me Piden Versos
(They Asked Me For Verses) upon the
request of the society. In this sad poem
he poured out the cry of his agonizing
heart.
 Rizal was impressed by the way Spanish
Masons loudly and freely attacked the
government and the Chrurch.
 In 1883 he joined the Masonic Lodge
Acacia in Madrid. His Masonic name
was Dimasalang.
 2 reasons why he became a mason:
o The bad friars in the Philippines, by
their abuses unworthy of their
priestly habit or calling, drove Rizal
to desperation and to masonry.
o He needed the help of the masons
to fight the bad friars in the
Philippines.
 June 25, 1884 – Rizal won a prize in
Greek on an empty stomach because he
had not eaten since the night before
due to lack of funds.
 At the National Exposition of Fine Arts
in Madrid in 1884, Juan Luna’s
Spoliarium won first prize and Felix R.
Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgins Exposed to
the Populace” was awarded second
prize.
 Rizal was awarded the degree of
Licentiate in Medicine by the
Universidad Central de Madrid on June
21, 1884.
 The next year he passed all subjects
leading to the degree of Doctor of
Medicine.
 He was awarded the degree of
Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by
the Universidad Central de Madrid on
June 19, 1885 with the rating of
excellent.
CHAPTER 7
 Rizal decided to go to Paris after
terminating his studies at Universidad
Central de Madrid in order to acquire
more knowledge in ophthalmology.
 He stopped by Barcelona to visit
Maximo Viola, a medical student and a
member of a rich family of San Miguel,
Bulacan.
 He befriended Señor Eusebio
Corominas, editor of the newspaper La
Publicidad
 He made a crayon sketch of Don Miguel
Morayta, owner of La publicidad and a
statesman
 In October 1885 Rizal was living in Paris
where he sojourned for about four
months.
 He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis
de Weckert (1852-1906) leading French
ophthalmologist.
 In Juan Luna’s canvas “The Death of
Cleopatra” Rizal posed as an Egyptian
priest.
 In “The Blood Compact” he posed as
Sikatuna with Dr. Trinidad Pardo de
Tavera taking the role of Legazpi.
 Rizal learned solfeggio, the piano, and
voice culture in one month and a half.
However he confessed that he could
not sing well.
 He composed three musical pieces
o The song entitled ‘Leonor’ which he
composed before his departure for
Spain
o “El Canto del Prisionero” a danza
which he composed during his exile
in Dapitan
o “Alin Mang Lahi” a patriotic hymn
 On February 8, 1886 he arrived in
Heidelberg
 For a short time he lived in a boarding
house with some German law students
 Later Rizal lived with a Lutheran
minister, Pastor Karl Ullmer.
 Rizal worked in the clinic of Dr. Javier
Galezowsky, famous Polish
ophthalmologist.
 He also studied under Dr. Otto Becker,
great German authority on
ophthalmology.
 “To The Flowers of Heidelberg” a poem
he wrote on April 22, 1866 for the
blooming flowers of Heidelberg that
reminded him of home.
 On July 21, 1886 Rizal wrote his first
letter to Professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of
Leitmeritz, Austria.
 He sent Blumentritt a book entitled
Arithmetica (Arithmetic), published in
two languages, Spanish and Tagalog, by
UST press in 1868. The author was
Rufino Baltazar Hernandez, a native of
Santa Cruz, Laguna.
 August 6, 1886 – fifth centenary of
University of Heidelberg
 August 8, 1886 – Rizal left Heidelberg
 August 14, 1886 – he arrived in Leipzig
where he befriended Professor
Friedrich Ratzel, a famous German
historian
 In this German city he translated
Schiller’s William Tell from German to
Tagalog . Later he also translated Hans
Andersen’s Fairy Tales to Tagalog.
 On October 29, 1886 he left Leipzig for
Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B.
Meyer, Director of the Anthropological
and Ethnological Museum
 He worked for the clinic of Dr. R.
Schulzer, famous German
ophthalmologist.
 Rizal lived in in Germany for five
reasons:
o To gain further knowledge of
ophthalmology
o To further his studies of sciences
and languages
o To observe the conditions of the
German nation
o To associate with famous German
scientists and scholars
o To finish his novel, Noli Me Tangere
o He took private lessons of Madame
Lucie Gerdolle to master French.
 The German woman is serious, diligent,
educated and friendly. She is not
gossipy, frivolous, and quarrelsome like
the Spanish women.
 The winter of 1886 in Berlin was his
darkest winter. He lived in poverty
because no money arrived from
Calamba and he was flat broke.
 His health broke down due to lack of
proper nourishment
CHAPTER 8
 He finished Noli Me Tangere on
February 21, 1887.
 January 2, 1884 he proposed the writing
of a novel about the Philippines by a
group of Filipinos
 Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began
writing the novel in Madrid and finished
about one-half of it
 December 1886, he almost through the
manuscript into the fire because he lost
hope of having it published because he
was utterly penniless.
 Dr. Maximo Viola the man who saved
Noli Me Tangere, he lent Rizal money to
pay for the publication of the novel.
 The first edition of the Noli was printed
in Berlin on 1887. The cost of printing
was 300 pesos for 2000 copies.
 March 29, 1887 – is a significant date
for it was the date when the Noli Me
Tangere came off the press.
 The title Noli Me Tangere is a latin
phrase which means “Touch me not”. It
was taken by the gospel of St. John
20:13-17.
 Rizal dedicated the novel to the
Philippines. “To my country”
 Noli Me Tangere contains 63 chapters
and an epilogue
 Capitan Tiago (Santiago de los Santos)
 Crisostomo Ibarra – a young and rich
Filipino, the only son of Don Rafael
Ibarra, friend of Capitan Tiago
 Maria Clara – fiancé of Crisostomo
Ibarra
 Padre Damaso – a Franciscan friar who
had been parish priest of San Diego
(Calamba)
 Padre Sibyla – a young Dominican
parish priest of Binondo
 Señor Guevara – an elderly and kind
lieutenant of the Guardia Civil
 Don Tiburcio de Espadaña – bogus
Spanish Physician
 Doña Victorina – wife of Don Tiburcio
 Padre Salvi – Franciscan parish priest of
San Diego
 Tasio the Sage – whose ideas were too
advanced for his times so that the
people who could not understand him
called him “Tasio the lunatic”
 Sisa – was formerly a rich girl but
became poor because he married a
gambler and a wastrel at that.
 Basilio and Crispin – Sisa’s sons.
 Crispin – the younger brother who died
of torture after being accused of
stealing the money of a priest
 Elias – a boatman whom Ibarra saved
from a crocodile.
 Maria Clara was Leonor Rivera.
 Ibarra and Elias represented Rizal
 Tasio the Sage was his elder brother
Paciano
 Padre Salvi was Padre Antonio
Piernavieja, the hated Augustinian friar
in Cavite who was killed during the
Revolution
 Capitan Tiago was Capitan Hilario
Sunico of San Nicolas
 Doña Victorina was Doña Agustina
Medel
 Basilio and Crispin were the Crisostomo
brothers of Hagonoy
 Padre Damaso was typical of a
domineering friar during the days of
Rizal, who was arrogant, superlicious
and anti-Filipino
CHAPTER 9
 “Elias and Salome” – a missing chapter
in Noli me Tangere that Rizal removed
from the printed novel to shorten the
manuscript because of lack of funds.
CHAPTER 10
 May 11, 1887 – Rizal and Viola left
Berlin by train
 Rizal and Viola tarried for some time in
Dresden where they visited Dr. Adolph
Meyer.
 May 13, 1887 1:30pm – Rizal met
Blumentritt for the first time at the
railroad station of Leitmeritz, Bohemia
CHAPTER 11
 Rizal was determined return to the
Philippines for the following reasons
o To operate his mother’s eyes
o To serve his people who had long
been oppressed by Spanish tyrants
o To find out for himself how the Noli
and his other writings were
affecting Filipinos and Spaniards in
the Philippines
o To find out why Leonor Rivera had
remained silent
 June 29, 1887 – Rizal wrote to his father
announcing his homecoming
 July 3, 1887 he boarded the steamer
Djemnah, the same steamer which
brought him to Europe 5 years ago.
 On July 30 he transferred to another
steamer Hayfong, which was Manila-
bound
 August 6 – he arrived in Manila
 Governor General Terrero read the Noli
and found nothing wrong with it
 Faculty members of UST stated that the
Noli was “heretical, impious, and
scandalous in the religious order and
anti-patriotic, subversive of public
order, injurious to the government of
Spain and its function in the Philippine
Islands in the political order”
 The novel was sent to the Permanent
Commission of Censorship which was
composed of priests and laymen
 Fr. Salvador Font, drafted the report of
this commission recommended “that
the importation, reproduction and
circulation of the pernicious book in the
islands be absolutely prohibited” for
they found the novel to contain
subversive ideas against the Church and
Spain.
 The banning of the Noli only served to
make it popular
 What the hated Spanish masters did not
like, the oppressed masses like.
 Fr. Jose Rodriguez published a pamphlet
entitled Caiingat Cayo (Beware) which
attacked the Noli and warned the
readers that if they read it “they
commit mortal sins inasmuch as the
said book is full of heresy”
 Marcelo H. del Pilar writing under the
pen name Dolores Manapat published a
pamphlet entitled Caiigat Cayo (Be as
slippery as an eel) as an answer to Fr.
Rodriguez’ Caiingat Cayo.
 Rev. Vicente Garcia, writing under the
pen name Justo Desiderio Magalang,
wrote a defense of the Noli which was
published in Singapore
o Rizal cannot be an “ignorant man”,
as Fr. Rodriguez alleged, because he
was a graduate of Spanish
universities and was a recipient of
scholastic honors.
o Rizal does not attack the Church
and Spain, as Fr. Rodriguez claimed,
because what Rizal attacked in the
Noli were bad Spanish officials and
not Spain, and the bad and corrupt
friars and not the Church.
o Father Rodriguez said that those
who read the Noli commit a mortal
sin: since he (Rodriguez) had read
the novel, therefore he also
commits a mortal sin.
 Governor-General Terrero assigned a
bodyguard for Rizal, he was Lt. Jose
Taviel de Andrade
 Friars exerted pressure on Malacanan
Palace to eliminate Rizal, one day, Gov.
Terrero summoned Rizal and advised
him to leave the Philippines for his own
good.
  He was compelled to leave Calamba for
two reasons:
o His presence in Calamba was
jeopardizing the safety and
happiness of his family and friends
o He could better fight his enemies
and serve his country’s cause with
greater efficacy by writing in foreign
countries.
 Himno Al Trabajo (Hymn to Labor) –
poem Rizal wrote for his friend from
Lipa in commemoration of the town’s
elevation to a villa. He wrote it as a
dedication to the industrious folks of
Lipa.
CHAPTER 12
 February 3, 1888 – Rizal left Manila for
Hong Kong
 In Hong Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria
Hotel
 Jose Sainz de Varanda – shadowed
Rizal’s movement in Hong Kong
 February 18, 1888 – Rizal, accompanied
by Jose Maria Basa, boarded the ferry
steamer Kiu-Kiang for Macao.
 In Macao, Rizal stayed at the home of
Don Juan Francisco Lecaros, last Filipino
delegate to the Spanish Cortes
 February 21, 1888 – Rizal and Basa
returned to Hong Kong, on board the
steamer Kiu-Kiang
 Rizal studied Chinese life, language,
drama and customs
 February 22, 1888 – Rizal left Hong
Kong on board the Oceanic, an
American steamer. His destination was
Japan
CHAPTER 13
 February 28, 1888 – Rizal arrived in
Yokohama
 He registered at Grand Hotel.
 The next day he proceeded to Tokyo
and registered at Tokyo Hotel, where he
stayed from March 2 to 7.
 He was visited at his hotel by Juan Perez
Caballero, secretary of the Spanish
Legation. He was invited to live at the
Spanish Legation.
 He accepted the invitation for two
reasons
o He could economize his living
expenses by staying at the legation
o He had nothing to hid from the
prying eyes of the Spanish
authorities
 March 7, 1888 – Rizal checked out of
Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish
Legation.
 He studied Japanese, the Japanese
drama, arts, music, and judo.
 Rizal’s impressions of Japan
o The beauties of the country – its
flowers, mountains, streams, and
scenic panoramas
o The cleanliness, politeness and
industry of the Japanese people
o The picturesque dress and simple
charm of the Japanese women
o There were very few thieves in
Japan so that the houses remained
open day and night, and in the
hotel room one can safely leave
money on the table.
o Beggars were rarely seen in the city
streets, unlike in Manila and other
cities
 O-sei-san / Seiko Usui – a pretty girl
Rizal met at a Japanese shop. Daughter
of the store owner who learned English
and French from her private tutors
 Her beauty and affection almost
tempted Rizal to settle down in Japan.
 April 13, 1888 – Rizal boarded the
Belgic, an English steamer at Yokohama
bound for the United States.
 Tetcho Suehiro – a Japanese
newspaperman who had been jailed
 twice for writing articles against the  “America is the land par excellence of
government. freedom but only for the whites”
 On the Belgic he met Mrs. Emma
Jackson, a Filipno woman married to an
Englishman.

CHAPTER 14

 April 28, 1888 – Rizal first saw America

 The steamer docked at San Francisco
 The ship was placed under quarantine
because the American authorities
believed that it came from the Far East
where a cholera epidemic where raging
 After a week of quarantine, the first-
class passengers including Rizal were
permitted to land
 Rizal registered at the Palace Hotel
which was then considered a first-class
hotel in the city
 Leland Stanford – a millionaire US
senator representing California that was
mentioned in Rizal’s diary
 Rizal stayed in San Francisco from May
4 to 6 1888
 May 6, 1888 – Rizal left San Francisco
for Oakland
 May 13, Rizal reached New York, thus
ending his trip across the American
continent
 May 16, 1888 – he left New York for
Liverpool on board The City of Rome,
“the second largest ship in the world” at
that time
 Rizal’s impressions of America
o The material prograss of the
country as shown in the great cities,
huge farms, flourishing industries
and busy factories
o The drive and energy of the
American people
o The natural beauties of the land
o The high standard of living
o The opportunities for better life
offered to poor immigrants
 One bad impression Rizal had of
America was the lack of racial equality