Jose Rizal June 19, 1861- Dr.
Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso
Realonda
Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example
of many-splendored genius who became
the greatest hero of a nation. Endowed by
God with versatile gifts, he truly ranked
with world’s geniuses. He was a physician
(ophthalmic surgeon), poet, dramatist,
essayist, novelist, historian, architect,
painter, sculptor, educator, linguist,
musician, naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor,
engineer, farmer businessman, economist,
geographer, cartographer, bibliophile,
philologist, grammarian, folklorist,
philosopher, translator, inventor,
magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist
sportsman, traveler, and prophet. Above
and beyond all these, he was a hero and
political martyr who consecrated his life
for the redemption of his oppressed people.
No wonder, he is now acclaimed as the
national hero of the Philippines.
night of Wednesday in the lakeshore town of Calamba,
Laguna.
December 30, 1896- Died in Manila
June 22, 1861- He was baptized in the Catholic Church
of his town, aged three years old. Rizal Works
“Jose”- was derived from the name Saint Joseph
➢ In 1887 Rizal published his
Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898) – Rizal’s Father. first novel, Noli me tangere (The Social
Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911)- Rizal’s Cancer), a passionate exposure of the
Mother. evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
➢ A sequel, El Filibusterismo (1891; The
THE RIZAL CHILDREN
Reign of Greed), established his
reputation as the leading spokesman of
Eleven children –two boys and nine girls the Philippine reform movement.
Saturnina ➢ He published an annotated edition
Paciano (1890; reprinted 1958) of Antonio
Narcisa Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Olimpia Filipinas, hoping to show that the native
Lucia people of the Philippines had a long
Maria history before the coming of the
Jose Spaniards.
Concepcion ➢ He became the leader of
Josefa the Propaganda Movement,
Trinidad contributing numerous articles to its
Soledad newspaper, La Solidaridad, published
in Barcelona.
➢ He founded a nonviolent-reform
society, the Liga Filipina, in Manila, and
was deported to Dapitan in
northwest Mindanao.
➢ While confined in Fort Santiago, Rizal
wrote “Último adiós” (“Last Farewell”),
a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish
verse.

✓ There are three animals named after
Rizal. These animals were what he
collected when he was exiled in
Dapitan: abogonia rizalie, a type of
small beetle; Drago Rizalie, a specie of
dragonfly and Racoforus Rizalie, a
specie of toad.
✓ When he was studying in Spain, Rizal
had to pawn a ring owned by his sister
Saturnina just to pay for his exams.
✓ Rizal was only five feet and three
inches tall but had a waistline of 25-26
inches. He also had a big head. His
hats were 6 1/2 inches across and the
interior measures eight inches from
front to back
✓ Rizal stuffed unknown papers in his
pockets and shoes on the eve of his
execution. He did this because he
presumed that his corpse would be
turned over to his family after his
execution. But as we all know, his
body was dumped by Spanish officials
in an unmarked grave in Paco difficulty in translating his works
cemetery. The papers have since because of his habit of switching
deteriorated and the contents of which languages. He was conversant in 22
were never identified. languages.
✓ Rizal’s favorite fruits were lanzones
“The youth is the hope of our future.”
and mango. On account of his former
cook in Dapitan, his meals consisted of
“He who does not know how to look back at where
three viands. His breakfast comprised he came from will never get to his destination.”
of hot chocolate, rice and tuyo.
✓ Rizal had his third unfinished work or “There can be no tyrants where there are no
novel. Known by historians as “Maka- slaves.”
misa,” this unfinished work was
started by Rizal in 1892 in Hongkong. “He who does not love his own language is worse
Maka-misa is not actually a title of the than an animal and smelly fish”.
novel but only a single chapter of the
unfinished novel. He began writing it “It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a
in Tagalog but gave up and continued great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field
without becoming a part of any edifice.”
writing in Spanish
✓ Rizal made humorous comics in
“One only dies once, and if one does not die well,
Germany entitled “The Baptism of a good opportunity is lost and will not present
Two Brothers.” He made the comic itself again.”
strip to entertain the children of his
landlord. He used cuss in that comic
strip.
✓ While in Dapitan, Rizal wrote an
extensive written discourse on
witchcraft with translation entitled
the “Treatment and Cure of the
Bewitched.” A part of it explained
that witches are not always old and
ugly.
✓ Rizal established a school while in
Dapitan with 21 pupils who were
never asked to pay but was required
by Rizal to work for the community.
✓ As a polyglot, Rizal had the habit of
switching from one language to
another. His biographers faced