Rizal: Life, Works, & Teachings

In Sunny Spain (1882-1885)

Rizal’s Secret Mission

- Rizal’s secret mission (with the blessing of Paciano) was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and
customs, industries and commerce, governments and laws of European nations.

Paciano’s letter (An excerpt)

- “… it is said that you will finish the medical course in Barcelona and not Madrid. To me the principal purpose of
your departure is not to finish this course but to study other things of greater usefulness or that to which you
are more inclined. So I think that you ought to study at Madrid…..”

Secret Departure for Spain

- He used the name Jose Mercado, a cousin from Binan.

- May 3, 1882 – Rizal departed on board the Spanish steamer SALVADORA bound for Singapore.
- Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by Spanish authorities and the friars. Even his own
parents did not know because he knew they, especially his mother, would not allow him to go.
- Only his older Brother (Paciano), his uncle (Antonio Rivera father of Leonor Rivera), his sisters (Neneng and
Lucia), the Valenzuela Family (Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday and their daughter Orang), Pedro A. Paterno,
his compadre Mateo Evangelista, and Ateneo Jesuits fathers and some intimate friends, including Chengoy (Jose
M. Cecilio.

Singapore

- Donato Lecha the ship captain from Asturias, Spain.

- May 8, 1882 – while the steamer was approaching Singapore, Rizal saw a beautiful island. Fascinated by its
scenic beauty, he remembered “Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga”.
- May 9, 1882 – the Salvadora docked at Singapore. Rizal landed and registered at HOTEL DE LA PAZ, and spent
two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of England.

Singapore to Colombo

- Rizal transfers into another ship Djemnah, a French steamer which left Singapore for Europe on May 11. It was
larger, cleaner vessel which carried more passenger. Among these passengers were British, French, Butch,
Spaniards, Malays, Siamese, and Filipinos (Mr. and Mrs. Salazat, Mr. Vicente Pardo, and Jose Rizal).
- May 17 – the Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in Southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
- The following day the djemnah weighed anchor and resumed the voyage towards Colombo the capital of
Ceylon. After a few hours of sailing, she reached this city on the same day.

Suez Canal

- Form Colombo, the Djemnah continued the voyage crossing the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Guardafui, Africa.
- At the next stop over—in Aden—Rizal went ashore to see the sights. He found the city hotter than Manila.

First Trip to Suez Canal

- From Aden, the Djemnah proceeded to the city of the Suez, the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal. Upon arrival
at Suez, Rizal disembarked and went sightseeing, like an ordinary tourist.
- It took the Djemnah five days to transverse the Suez Canal. Rizal was thrilled because it was his first trip through
this canal which was built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat engineer). It was inaugurated on November
17, 1869. At Fort Said, the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal, Rizal landed to hear the multi-racial
inhabitants speaking a babel of tongues- Arabic, Egyptian, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, etc.
Naples and Marseilles

- Rizal reached Naples on June 11

- He was fascinated with Mt. Vesuvius, Castle of St. Telmo, and other historic sights
- Disembarked on Marseilles on night of June 12
- Visited famous Chateu d’If
- From Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.

Barcelona

- Rizal arrived in Barcelona by June 16, 1882

- Has first impression of being unfavorable
- Later came to like the city
- Wrote “Amor Patrio” in Barcelona under pen name Laong-laan which appeared on Diariong Tagalog

From Manila to Madrid

- By September 15, Rizal received information of widespread of Cholera

- Chatty letter of Chengoy regarding the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera
- May 26, Rizal was advised to finish course
- Left Barcelona in fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid, capital of Spain

Life in Madrid

- Enrolled on November 2, 1882 in Universided Central De Madrid in Medicine and Philosophy in Letters
- Studied painting and sculpture Academy of fine arts of San Fernando
- Took lessons in French and German and English
- Assiduously fencing and shooting in the Hall of Saz y Carbonell
- Lived frugally and led a Spartan life
- Stated that only extravagance was investing a few pesitas for a lottery ticket in every draw of Madrid Lottery
- Attends reunions at the Paterno Brother’s house
- On Saturday evenings, he visited the home of Pablo Ortega y Rey who lived with his son Rafael and daughter
Consuelo.

Consuelo Ortega y Perez

- Rizal composed a lovely poem for her on August 22, 1883 with A la Senorita C.O. y P (To miss C.O y P.)
- Backed out for romance because:
o He was still engaged to Leonor Rivera
o His co-worker on propaganda movement, Eduardo De Lete was madly in love with her.

Romance with Consuelo Ortega y Rey

- In 1882, shortly after his arrival in Madrid, Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), as
society of Spaniards and Filipinos.
- Upon request of the members of the society, he wrote a poem entitled Me Piden Versos (They asked Me for
Verses). In this sad poem, he poured out the cry of his agonizing heart, as follows;

Rizal as a Lover of Books

- Favorite pastime in Madrid

- Purchased books from second hand bookstores

Paris France

- Rizal’s first summer June 12 – August 20, 1883

 - Enamored with Paris with boulevards and sights
- Mistaken as a Japanese by the Parisians
- Quotes Paris “Costliest Capital of Europe”

As a Mason

- Rizal was impressed by the way Spanish Masons openly and freely criticized the government policies, which
could not be done with the Philippines that time
- Joined Acacia Lodge Masonry
- Later transferred to La Solidaridad (Madrid)
- Master mason on November 15, 1890
- February 15, 1892, he received a diploma as master mason by Le Grand Orient de France
- Has lukewarm role in freemasonry
- Has only masonic review was on a lecture “Science, Virtue and Labor” delivered on Lodge Solidaridad

Financial Worries

- Harvest of rice and sugarcane failed because of locust and drought

- Increased rentals on haciendas
- A dreadful pest that killed almost all of the turkeys
- The Hacienda manager was enraged when he was once refused for a turkey and increased the lease
- Rizal’s allowance were late in arrival or sometimes never arrived
- June 24, 1884:
- Because he was broke, he was unable to have any breakfast, attended class at university participated in Greek
Language and won a gold medal
- In evening of same day, he was able to eat for he was a guest speaker in a banquet held in honor of Juan Luna
and Felix Resurraccion Hidalgo at Resturant Ingles, Madrid

Salute to Luna and Hidalgo

- Evening of June 25, 1884:

- A Banquet for celebration on double victory of the Filipino Artist in the National Exposition in Fine Arts in
Madrid-Luna’s Spolarium with First Prize and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins exposed to populace

Student Demonstrations

- November 20-22, 1884 a riot was held by the students of Central University
- The address of Dr. Miguel Morayta, a professor of history caused his dismissal which led to violent
demonstrations

Student Demonstration

- November 20, 1884:

o “Viva Morayta! Down with the Bishops!”
- November 21, 1884:
o “down with Creus!”
- New appointed rector Chaos ensued
- November 22, 1884:
o Police occupied the university
o Rizal had to go under disguise
o He swore never to return to the university
o Until their satisfaction and the old rector was reinstituted
 - Becomes a sensational controversy, where papers, except ministry are in the students’ favor, a rich banker even
gives ten thousand euros to the ex-rector to bail students and professors

Studies completed in Spain

- Rizal completed his medical course in Spain

- He was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by University Central de Madrid on June 21, 1884.
- Next academic year he studied and passed all the subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of the Medicine.

Doctor of Medicine (Not Awarded)

- H finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters

- Awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters on his 24 th birthday (June 19, 1885) with the rating of
excellent.
- Rizal complete his studies in Spain.
- He became qualified to be a professor of Humanities in any Spanish University.
- He became a full=fledged physician, qualified to practice medicine.
- Being a man of high intelligence and foresight, he knew that with his brown color and Asian ancestry no friar-
owned university or college in the Philippines would accept him in its faculty staff.
- He said his letter to his family written in Madrid, November 26, 1884, “My doctorate is not of very much value to
me… because although it is useful to a university professor, yet I believe they will never appoint me as such in
the College of Santo Tomas. I say the same thing of philosophy and letters which may serve also for
professorship, but I doubt if the Dominican fathers will grant it to me.”