José Rizal is turning 160 years old on June 19, 2021.

As we commemorate the
birth anniversary of this Philippine hero, let us also recall the significant events
in his life: from the birthplace of Jose Rizal and Jose Rizal’s education to Rizal’s
writings that somehow awakened Filipinos to revolt against their Spanish
colonizers.

Without a doubt, Jose P Rizal is one of the most admired Filipino figures in the
Philippine history for his heroic acts. In this blog, get to know this brave young
man and how he shaped history with the works of Rizal.

When he was young, he was known in his family as “Pepe.” But as he grew old,
he grew smarter, stronger, and more famous for so many things.

Doc Jose Rizal was known for his strong criticisms against the Spaniards and he
spread the word without using the full name of Jose Rizal. Not that we’re saying
he isn’t brave enough to write his opinion because he hid his identity—in fact,
he’s one of the bravest Filipinos in history—using the real name of Jose Rizal
wouldn’t be a smart choice because if the pen names of Jose Rizal weren’t used,
who knows, the Filipinos might not gain its independence sooner. Here are the
pen names of Jose Rizal that changed the Philippine history.

Born to an affluent family with Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda and Don
Francisco Mercado being his parents, Jose P Rizal grew up in what was said to
be the first stone house in Calamba, Laguna. They were also the ones first to
own a piano, a home library, and stables and carriage. Their family, the
Mercados, were among the richest in Calamba.

According to experts, Rizal’s boyhood is typical, similar to other kids his age.
From telling stories of his crushes to experiencing beatings, Rizal was like any
other boy. Except for the fact that he was really a bright young kid. Jose Rizal’s
education started at home with his mom and aunt as his first teachers. His early
studies also started with his teacher Justiniano Aquino Cruz. He learned the
alphabet from his mother at the age of 3 and could read and write at age 5.

At the age of 11, he entered the Ateneo school then located at

the Intramuros in Manila, and he was initially denied entry. But with their
family’s connections, Doc Jose Rizal was allowed to study at the premier school
despite knowing very little Spanish. During José Rizal education at the Ateneo,
he felt isolated because most of his classmates were mestizos and he was a
dark-skinned Filipino boy.

As time passed, Rizal’s life in Ateneo became more bearable. He rose through
the ranks, being one of the top-performing students. He excelled in every
subject he took. He was, indeed, a bright young boy.

To grant his father’s request, Rizal took the entrance examination in Colegio de
San Juan de Letran but then enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and
graduated as one of the nine students in his class recognized
as sobresaliente or outstanding. Rizal continued his education at the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila to obtain a land surveyor and assessor’s degree, and at the
same time at the University of Santo Tomas where he did take up a preparatory
course in law and finished with an excellent mark. 

When Rizal found out that his mother Teodora Alonzo was going blind, he
decided to take up medicine at the medical school of the University of Santo
Tomas specializing later in ophthalmology. As expected, Rizal finished his
medical studies with flying colors. 

But the story of Jose Rizal ’s education didn’t stop there. In May 1882, Rizal
traveled alone to Madrid without his parents’ knowledge but he was secretly
supported by brother Paciano. There she studied medicine at the Universidad
Central where he earned a degree. 

At 25, Rizal completed his eye specialization under the renowned professor,
Otto Becker in 1887. There he used the newly-invented ophthalmoscope to later
operate on his own mother’s eye. 

Apart from being known as a poet, an essayist, and an expert in the field of
medicine, Rizal has other amazing talents worth taking note of. He knew how to
paint, sketch, and make sculptures, and became a polyglot as he can converse
in 22 languages. Aside from medicine, poetry, and creative writing, Rizal had
other degrees in architecture, sociology, anthropology, fencing, martial arts,
and economics to name a few.