Nine women of Rizal with brief background

1. Segunda Katigbak
 “The Puppy Love”
 Rizal’s Age: 16
 Where they met: Lipa, Batangas
 Description: “She was rather short, with eyes that were eloquent and ardent
at times and languid at others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and
provocative smile that revealed very beautiful teeth, and the air of a sylph;
her entire self diffused a mysterious charm.”
 Reason of Separation: Segunda was already engaged to be married to her
townmate, Manuel Luz.
2. Leonor Valenzuela
 Rizal’s Age: 17
 Where they met: House of Dona Concha Leyva in Intramuros, as his neighbor.
 How Rizal courted her: Wrote letters using invisible ink. He then thought her
how to read the letters.
 Reason of Separation: Leonor married another man.
3. Leonor Rivera
 “Inspiration for the character of Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo”
 Rizal’s Age: 18
 Description: “Tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes”
 Reason of Separation: In the autumn of 1890. Rizal received a letter from
Leonor telling him of her coming marriage to a man whom her mother chose
to be her mate.
4. Consuelo Ortiga y Perez
 Rizal’s Age: 21-22
 Where they met: Rizal frequented to the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, the
former city mayor of Manila.
 Reason of Separation: Rizal’s romance with Consuelo did not turn into a
serious affair. He decided to take a step back for two reasons; First, he was
still engaged to Leonor Rivera; Second, he was aware of his friend’s affection
to Consuelo.
 Rizal’s dedication to her: A La Senorita C.O.y.P
5. O-Sei San
 Rizal’s Age: 27
 Description: “You have the color of Camelia, its freshness, its elegance”
 Where they met: Tokyo, Japan
 Reason of Separation: Rizal was offered a position at the Spanish Legation
during that time. He then decided to leave Japan and forget his romance
which pained him gravely because he truly loved O-Sei-San.
6. Gertrude Beckette
 Rizal’s Age: 27
 Date they met: May 1888
 Description: “A blue-eyed and buxom girl”
 Where they met: Boarding house of the Beckett Family in London
 Reason of Separation: Rizal withdrew his feelings before having a
relationship with Gertrude, realizing that he has a greater mission to fulfill.
7. Suzanne Jacoby
 Rizal’s Age: 29
 Date they met: January 28, 1890
 Place they met: Brussels, Belgium
 How they met: Rizal boarded with Suzzane and her aunts during his stay in
Brussels.
 Reason of Separation: Rizal realized that he could not deceive her. Suzzane
fell in love with Rizal and wept when he left for Madrid in July 1890.
8. Nellie Boustead
 Description: “Mestiza daughter of a Filipina and a wealthy French-English
merchant whose house was frequented by Filipinos in France.”
 Year they met: 1891
 Where they met: Boustead Family’s winter residence, Villa Eliada (Biarritz,
France)
 Reason of Separation: Rizal’s marriage proposal failed because Nellie
demanded that Rizal give up his Catholic faith and convert to Pretestanism.
9. Josephine Bracken
 Description: “an 18 year-old petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair
and a happy disposition.
 Date they met: February 1895
 Where they met: Dapitan
 How it ended: Rizal regarded Josephine as her wife until his last breath.