Romances of Rizal

SEGUNDA KATIGBAK: RIZAL'S FIRST LOVE

Segunda Solis Katigbak, Rizal’s

first puppy love but unfortunately
was engaged to his town mate,
Manuel Luz. Segunda first met Rizal
in a party of a relative of Rizal
in Manila. For about 7 months, he
became infatuated with her that he
showered her with much attention,
writing romantic poems and catching
her beauty in his sketches.

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His regular visits to Segunda
at the Concordia were often
marked with silence. In 1882,
Rizal write his Memorias de Un
Estudiante where he narrates
his infatuation for her,
sketching her beautifully and
in exchange Segunda giving him
a white paper flower which
again, was very symbolic.

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LEONOR VALENZUELA: PRIVATE LETTERS

Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela, Rizal’s

second object of affection, is
literally the girl-next-door. They
met when Rizal was a sophomore
medical student at the University
of Santo Tomas, during which time
he also lived at Doña Concha
Leyva’s boarding house in
Intramuros, Manila. Orang, who was
the 14 years old, was his neighbor.

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During the courtship, Rizal was said
to have sent Leonor private and secret
love letters, which he wrote using
invisible ink made with water and
salt—he was adept in chemistry, too.
To read the letters, Orang had to heat
the letter over a candle or a lamp.
Rizal also frequented the Valenzuelas’
home, which was a hang out place of
the students in the area.

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LEONOR RIVERA: THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT

Born as Leonor Bauson Rivera, a native of

Camiling, Tarlac. Rizal's European
biographer, described Rivera in Rizal:
Philippine Nationalist and Martyr as a
“pretty woman” whose physical features
included having a “high forehead”, “soft
and wavy hair”, a face that sported “almond
eyes”, “small and pensive mouth”, and
“engaging dimples”. Furthermore, Rivera was
a talented, mature, and intelligent lady
who played the piano and was gifted with a
“charming singing voice”.

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Leonor Rivera and Rizal first met in Manila when Rivera was only
14 years old. When Rizal left for Europe on May 3, 1882, Rivera
was 15 years of age. Their ensuing correspondence began when
Rizal left a poem for Rivera saying farewell, and their letters
to each other slowly became romantic in nature. The
correspondence between Rivera and Rizal kept Rizal focused on
his studies in Europe.

They employed codes in their letters because Rivera's mother did

not favour Rizal as a suitor for her daughter. A letter from
Mariano Catigbac dated June 27, 1884 referred to Rivera as
Rizal's “betrothed”. Catigbac described Rivera as having been
greatly affected by Rizal's departure, frequently sick because
of insomnia.

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In 1888, Rizal stopped receiving letters from Rivera
for a year, even as he kept sending letters to her. The
reason for Rivera's silence was the connivance between
Rivera's mother and an Englishman named Henry Charles
Kipping, a railway engineer who fell in love with
Rivera and was favoured by Rivera's mother.

Rivera died on 28 August 1893 shortly after giving

birth to her second child with Kipping. Shortly before
she died, her last wish was to have the silver box
containing the ashes of Rizal's burned letters be
buried with her.

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CONSUELO ORTIGA Y PEREZ: A SACRIFICE FOR FRIENDSHIP

During his stay in Madrid, Rizal and some

fellow Filipinos would visit the home of Don
Pablo Ortiga. They went there to visit the
Don’s daughters, but more specifically, Rizal
went there to visit Consuela, who was
considered to be the prettiest among Don
Pablo’s daughters. Consuela fell in love with
Rizal and he even wrote a poem for her called A
LA SENORITA C.O. y R. which became one of his
best poems. Yet, keeping in mind that he was
loyal to Leonor Rivera, he backed out before
the relationship could get any more serious.
Also, he knew that his friend – Eduardo de Lete
– was in love with Consuela and he did not wish
to destroy their friendship over a girl.

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O-SEI-SAN: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Seiko Usui, also known as O Sei San, was a
Japanese samurai's daughter. She was 23 years
old when she first met Jose Rizal. He had moved
to a Spanish Legation in the Azabu district of
Tokyo where she regularly worked. She served as
his interpreter during his stay in Japan. She
also helped him to be accustomed to the
Japanese culture, taught him how to read and
write Nihonggo, and taught him the Japanese art
of painting also known as su-mie. Together,
they visited The Imperial Art Gallery, The
Imperial Library, various universities, the
Shokubutsu-en (Botanical Garden), the Hibiya
Park, and various shrines.

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 Rizal was almost tempted by her beauty and
affection to stay in Japan. When Rizal left for
the United States, he told her in a note that he
had spent a happy golden month with her and that
he do not know if he can have another.

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GERTRUDE BECKETT: A CHISELED BEAUTY
In May 1888 Rizal visited London for a short
time, boarding the house of the Beckett
family: Mr. & Mrs. Beckett, their two sons,
and their four daughters. The eldest
daughter was named Gertrude.

The Artist's Right Hand

Gertrude was a buxom young lady with blue
eyes and brown hair. She fell in love with
Rizal and gave him all of her attention
during the family picnics and gatherings.
When Rizal stayed indoors during rainy days
painting and sculpting, she helped him mix
his colors and prepare his clay.

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Rizal enjoyed her company. Eventually their flirtatious
friendship drifted towards a blossoming romance. He
affectionately called her "Gettie," and in return she called him
"Pettie."

Leaving for a Higher Cause

Rizal withdrew before his relationship with Gettie could become
more serious, realizing that he had a greater mission to fulfill
and that in order to accomplish it he could not yield to the
option of marrying her. He suppressed the yearnings of his heart
and decided to leave so that the lady may forget him. Before he
did, however, he finished a number of sculptural works, one of
which was a carving of the heads of the Beckett sisters.

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SUZANNE JACOBY: A LOVE UNREQUITED

On January 28, 1890, Rizal left for

Brussels, Belgium. He stayed for a
considerable time, paying for room
and board. His landladies had a
pretty niece named Petite Suzanne
Jacoby. She was taken by Rizal's
charm and gallantry, and provided
him good company. Rizal could have
flirted with the lady, considering
that his beloved Leonor was far away
and he was a lonely man in a strange
and foreign land, but he realized he
could not deceive her.

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A Broken Heart

Suzanne fell in love with Rizal, and wept when he left for Madrid in July 1890. She wrote to him in French:

"Where are you now? Do you think of me once in a while? I am reminded of our tender conversations, reading
your letter, although it is cold and indifferent. Here in your letter I have something which makes up for your
absence. How pleased I would be to follow you, to travel with you who are always in my thoughts.

You wish me all kinds of luck, but forget that in the absence of a beloved one a tender heart cannot feel happy.

A thousand things serve to distract your mind, my friend; but in my case, I am sad, lonely, always alone with my
thoughts -- nothing, absolutely nothing relieves my sorrow. Are you coming back? That's what I want and desire
most ardently -- you cannot refuse me.

I do not despair and I limit myself to murmuring against time which runs so fast when it carries us toward a
separation, but goes so slowly when it's bringing us together again.

I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps I might never see you again.

Goodbye! You know with one word you can make me very happy. Aren't you going to write to me?"

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NELLIE BOUSTEAD: A FAILED PROPOSAL

In 1891, Rizal took a vacation

in Biarritz in order to find
reprieve from his troubles in
Madrid. He was a guest of the
Boustead family in their
winter residence, Villa
Eliada. Mr. and Mrs. Boustead
had two beautiful daughters,
Adelina and Nellie.

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An Emotional Rebounce

After having lamented his frustrated romance

with Leonor Rivera on account of the lady's
engagement to another man, Rizal came to
develop considerable affection for Nellie,
the prettier and younger daughter of Mr.
Eduardo Boustead. He found her to be
intelligent, morally upright, and full of
life. Rizal wrote to his closest friends
about his intention to marry her.

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Consent from the Lady's Past Love

Rizal's friends were delighted to hear that he

had found a suitable girl whom he at last
wished to settle down with. Even Antonio Luna,
who had previously loved Nellie, encouraged
Rizal to court her and ask for her hand in
marriage. With all the encouragement from
the friends he held dear, Rizal wooed Nellie
(also called Nelly) who, in turn, returned his
affections.

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A Broken Engagement

Rizal's marriage proposal failed for two reasons:

first, Nellie demanded that he give up his
Catholic faith and convert to Protestantism,
which was her religion. Rizal did not like this
idea. Second, Nelly's mother did not approve of
Rizal, as she had no desire to entrust her
daughter to a man who was wanting in wealth and
persecuted in his own country. In spite of the
circumstances, Rizal and Nellie parted as good
friends.

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JOSEPHINE BRACKEN: TRUE LOVE IN EXILE

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.

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Called by Dr. Jose Rizal as his “dulce extranjera,”
Josephine Bracken lived a short and largely sad life.
Bracken was the daughter of Irish parents, James Bracken
and Elizabeth MacBride. Her father was a corporal in the
British Army. Her siblings consisting of one brother and
three sisters were born in different places where her
father was stationed. Josephine was born in Hong Kong in
1876 where her mother died. Her father was unable to
support his children and was forced to give Josephine up
for adoption.

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Rizal's exile in Dapitan was one of the most lonesome
and sorrowful periods of his life. He missed the
company of his friends and family, and the death of
Leonor Rivera on August 28, 1893 left a gaping void
in his heart.

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Josephine Bracken arrived at the shores of Dapitan
accompanying her blind adoptive father, Mr. George
Taufer. No ophthalmologist in Hong Kong, their home
country, could cure the man's blindness and so they
sought the services of the famous Dr. Jose Rizal.

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Overcoming Barriers
Rizal and Josephine fell in love at first sight.It was
not a smooth one because Rizal’s sisters who were in
Dapitan to make life more comfortable for their brother
suspected Josephine to be a spy of the Spaniards.
Nevertheless, Rizal loved Josephine and affectionately
called her Josefina. Their romantic interlude went on
for about a month, after which they decided to marry.
Being a mason, Rizal and Josephine could not get married.
The priest of Dapitan, however, refused to conduct the
ceremony without consent from the Bishop of Cebu.

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When Mr. Taufer heard of his daughter's plan to marry
he became so enraged at the thought of losing
Josephine that he attempted to kill himself with a
razor to his throat. Rizal prevented this tragedy by
holding the man's wrists back. Josephine left with
her father on the first available steamer to Manila
in order to avoid more trouble. Since Mr. Taufer's
blindness was venereal in nature, it was incurable.

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Exchanging Vows

Mr. Taufer went back to Hong Kong alone, and

Josephine stayed in Manila with Rizal's family. At
length, she returned to Dapitan. Since no priest
would marry them, Rizal and Josephine held hands,
exchanged vows, and married themselves before God.

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The Loss of a Child

Rizal and Josephine lived together in Dapitan as

husband and wife, and in early 1896 they were
expecting a baby. Unfortunately, Josephine had to go
into premature labor after Rizal played a prank and
frightened her. A little boy of eight months was
born, who lived for only three hours. Rizal named
him Francisco in honor of his father, and buried the
child in Dapitan.

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Josephine and Rizal reunited for the last time at the
latter’s cell in Fort Santiago on December 30, 1896. The
couple were married in Catholic rites by Fr. Victor
Balaguer two hours before Rizal’s execution at
Bagumbayan. After his execution Josephine, accompanied
by Paciano and Trinidad Rizal entered rebel territory in
Cavite. They were received by Andres Bonifacio who
received from the Rizals a copy of the hero’s last poem
which would be known as the Mi Ultimo Adios

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THANK YOU!

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