1

LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

UNIT 2: RIZAL’S LIFE AND DEATH

2.0 Learning Outcomes

a. Demonstrate clear understanding on Rizal’s family, childhood and early

education
b. Evaluate the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early life
c. Explain the principle of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda Movement
d. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with Other Propagandists
e. Analyze Rizal’s growth as a Propagandist and disavowal of assimilation
f. Analyze the factors the led to Rizal’s execution
g. Analyze the effects of Rizal’s execution on Spanish colonial rule and the
Philippine Revolution

2.1 Introduction

From the previous learning material, you have been able to learn about the
beginnings of the legal basis of the study of Rizal’s life in universities and colleges,
his 19th century context, as well as the different literatures offering contrasting
perspectives about Rizal. These topics provided the foundation into better
understanding Rizal and how he was able to flourish through the various influences
he got from the environment he lived in.

This learning packet will offer you an account about Rizal’s life, from his birth
to his death. It will look into his personal encounters with people who have become
instrumental in his personal, social, and political development. From his native town
to the different places abroad, he undeniably had a lot of influences which made him
the person that we know of now.

2.2 Discussion and Assessment

2.2.1 Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education

FAMILY BACKGROUND
 2
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

Birth
1. Date: June 19, 1861
2. Place: Calamba Laguna

Parents
1. Father Francisco Mercado
2. Mother: Teodora Alonso y Realonda

Siblings
1. Saturnina (1850-1913), later married to Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanauan,
Batangas;
2. Paciano (1851-1930), during the Philippine Revolution, Paciano became a
revolutionary general and retired to farming after the conflict. Though he was
thought to be a bachelor during his life, he actually had his own family;
3. Narcisa (1852-1939), married to Antonio Lopez, a teacher from Morong, Rizal;
4. Olimpia (1855-1887), married to Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from
Manila;
5. Lucia (1857-1919), married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba;
6. Maria (1859-1945), married to Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biňan, Laguna;
7. Concepcion (1862-1865), died at the age of 3;
8. Josefa (1865-1945), head of the women chapter of the Katipunan, died
unmarried;
9. Trinidad (1868-1951), a member of the Katipunan, unmarried; and
10. Soledad (1870-1929), married to Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

Jose came after Maria. He is the seventh child in the family.

EDUCATION

Early Childhood
1. First teachers hired by his father:
a. Lucas Padua
b. Leon Monroy
2. His mother, Doňa Teodora
a. Reader used: El Amigo de los Niňos (The Children’s Friend)
b. Prominent lesson learned as a young boy was from “The story of the
moth”

Influences from Other Members of His Family

1. Uncle Gregorio taught him the value of hard work, to think for himself, and
to observe his surroundings keenly.
 3
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

2. Uncle Jose encouraged him to sketch, paint, and make sculptures.

3. Uncle Manuel encouraged him to pursue his physical development. He
taught the young boy swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports.
4. His yaya (nanny) told stories of duwendes (dwarves), ghosts, and aswangs (evil
spirits), of the beautiful Mariang Makiling, and other tales on the beautiful
surroundings of his hometown, Calamba, Stories that awakened the
imagination and creativity of the young boy.

Artistic Endeavors
1. Poems written:
a. “Sa Aking Mga Kabata”
b. “Un Recuerdo de Mi Pueblo” (“A Memory of My Town,” a poem
about Calamba)
2. He made sculptures out of mud.
3. He drew things surrounding heir house like trees, flowers, birds, butterflies,
and anything he saw around him. He used charcoal and juices of leaves and
flowers for colors.

2.2.2. Rizal’s Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad

During His Secondary Education

1. Place: Biňan, Laguna
a. Teacher: Justiniano Aquino Cruz
b. Process used in teaching: He was quick to discipline his students for
any infraction using a short, thin stick.
2. Injustice to the Rizal Family
a. Doňa Teodora was accused as an accomplice of Jose Alberto of trying
to poison his wife.
b. Doňa Teodora tried to mediate between the spouses but she was
accused of trying to poison the wife.
c. Doňa Teodora was thrown to jail.
3. As a student of Ateneo (1872-1877)
a. Jose Rizal entered Ateneo Municipal as an eleven-year old.
b. His close friendship with Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, S.J. inspired
the young student.
 Some poems written under the guidance of Fr. Sanchez:
 “The Tragedy of St. Eustace”
 “In The Memory of My Town”
 “Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education”
 4
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

 “Through Education Motherland Receives

Enlightenment”
 He had excellent achievements and graduated highest in class.
 Other activities while in Ateneo:
 He studied painting under Agustin Saez.
 He studied sculpture under Teodoro Romualdo de Jesus.
 He carved the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a
batikuling wood.
 He carved the image of the Sacred Heart.
 He joined the organization Marian Congregation. His
mentor was Fr. Pablo Pastells, S.J.
 He was a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature.
 He was a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences.
 Fr. Jose Villaclara, S.J. encouraged him to pay attention
also to the sciences and philosophy.
c. In S.Y. 1877-1878, he returned to Ateneo while studying at the
University of Santo Tomas. He took up a course on land surveying
which was offered then as a vocational course.
 He completed the surveyor’s course and was awarded the title
perito agrimensor.
 He passed the final examination for the course.
 He could not practice the surveyor’s profession since he was still
underage when he passed the course.
 He was issued his certificate on November 15, 1881,at the age of
20.
4. As a student of the University of Santo Tomas:
a. He enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters; majored in
Philosophy, 1877-1878.
b. He pursued medicine at the University of Santo Tomas. Some of his
grades were still excellent but he also had lower grades.
c. He submitted an entry in the Liceo Artistico de Manila in 1879, entitled
“A La Juventud Filipina” (To The Filipino Youth”).
 He won first prize in the contest.
 He was awarded a silver quill.
 For the first time, he used the phrase “the youth, the fair hope of
my country” (“kabataan, pag-asa ng aking bayan”).
d. In 1880, a literary contest was held by Liceo Artistico Literario de
Manila. Jose Rizal submitted an entry entitled “El Consejo de los
Dioses” (“Council of the Gods”).
 5
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

 This was held in commemoration of the 400th death anniversary

of Miguel de Cervantes, Spain’s national poet.
 This poem was in praise of Cervantes and made him coequal
with Homer and Virgil.
 He was awarded the grand prize.
 The award was a gold ring with an engraved bust of Cervantes.
5. Other literary works:
a. “Junto al Pasig” – This one-act play was requested by the Jesuits on the
feast day of the Immaculate Conception. This was a satire showing the
good elements and bad elements. In the end, it was a victory for the
good elements.
b. “A Filipinas”
6. He decided to continue his studies in Spain:
a. To widen his knowledge;
b. To avail of more conducive conditions in Europe; and
c. To learn a cure on the worsening eye condition of his mother.

FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE

Jose Rizal left Manila on May 3, 1882

1. He left for Spain with the blessings of his brother Paciano and his uncle,
Antonio Rivera.
2. He decided not to seek his parents’ blessing knowing they would never
approve of his plan.
3. He secured endorsements from Pedro Paterno.
4. His first stop was in Singapore; Colombo in Sri Lanka; Aden in Yemen; and
crossed the entire length of the Suez Canal. They landed at Port Said, Egypt;
Naples in Italy; and disembarked in Marseilles, France.

Activities in Marsielles
1. Jose Rizal went to Cháteau d’If, the venue of Alexandre Dumas’s novel, The
Count of Monte Cristo.
2. He boarded in Portbou. He noticed the indifference of the Spanish
immigration officers compared to the courteous French counterparts.

Arrival in Spain
1. He first stopped in Barcelona, the capital of the Spanish province, Cataluňa.
According to him, the people were indifferent and he arrived during the
summer vacation of the students.
 6
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

a. In this city, he found out that the people of the city enjoyed freedom
and liberalism.
b. He wrote essays for Diariong Tagalog.
i. “Amor Patrio” (Love of Country)
ii. “Los Viajes” (Travels)
iii. “Revista de Madrid” (Review of Madrid)
c. He met his classmates from Ateneo at the Plaza de Cataluňa.
2. Madrid
a. He enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3,
1882. He enrolled in the following courses:
i. Medicine
ii. Philosophy and Letters
b. He took courses at the Academy of San Carlos
i. Painting and Sculpture
ii. Languages: French, German, and English
c. He took private lessons at the Hall of Sanz and Carbonell
i. Shooting
ii. Fencing
d. Important people he met:
i. Dr. Miguel Morayta, an advocate of freedom and self-
determination. Students from South America hailed Dr.
Morayta as their champion. He joined his students and other
supporters to this end.
ii. Don Pablo Ortega y Rey, a Spanish liberal who used to live in
the Philippines.
e. Jose Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano Filipino.
i. It was a social organization where the members talked on the
reforms needed in the Philippines.
ii. This group was mostly made up of elder Filipinos who were the
exiles of 1872.
iii. It held informal programs which included poetry reading and
debates.
f. Jose Rizal joined freemasonry.
i. He became a member and his masonic name was “Dimasalang.”
ii. Freemasonry was an organization outlawed by the Catholic
Church because its beliefs are contrary to the doctrines of the
Church.
iii. A mason’s view is that knowledge should be achieved by the
light of reason and universal brotherhood of men. Rizal adopted
the mason’s view.
 7
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

iv. Masonry attacked the Church because they believed it promoted

religious superstition and obscurantism, hiding truth behind the
veil of religion.
g. He was an avid book collector. He scrimped on food and clothes, and
lived in modest accommodations but he bought books. Important
books he collected:
i. Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
ii. Works of Alexandre Dumas
iii. The Wandering Jew written by Eugene Sue
iv. Lives of the Presidents of the United States from George Washington
to Andrew Johnson
v. The Complete Works of Horace (3 Volumes)
h. Events on June 25, 1884
i. Juan Luna was awarded the top prize for his painting Spoliarium
while Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo took the second place for his
painting Virgines Christianas Expuestas al Populacho (Christian
Virgins Exposed to the Population).
ii. The Filipino painters joined the National Exposition of Fine
Arts.
iii. Jose Rizal gave a speech in a public audience saying that Luna
and Hidalgo were the pride of the Filipino people; that genius is
not a monopoly of any race and their prizes were products of
both the Philippines and Spain. He voiced the hope that,
someday, Spain will grant the reforms needed by Filipinos.
iv. This speech was published in the newspaper El Liberal. This
reached the Philippines and there were elements in the
Philippines who were not pleased with this development.
i. Completion of His Studies
i. He completed his Licenciado en Medicina on June 21, 1884. He
did not have his Doctorate in Medicine because he did present
the thesis required for graduation. He can practice medicine
with the acquisition of this degree but he cannot teach medicine.
ii. He finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters and obtained
the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras with the rating of
sobresaliente.
j. He started writing the novel Noli Me Tangere when he was still a
student of the Central University of Madrid.
i. He was inspired to write after reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin by
Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book is about the trial and hardship
 8
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

of the black slaves and awakened in him his inherent love and
concern for the afflicted.
ii. On January 2, 1884, the Filipino expatriates had a meeting at the
house of the PAterno brothers. It was during this meeting that
the Filipinos who attended agreed to write a novel about the
Philippines. These were Pedro Paterno, Maximo Paterno,
Antonio Paterno, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, and
Eduardo de Lete.
iii. The plan did not materialize and Jose Rizal was left to write the
novel. He started writing in Madrid and he continued to write
while he was in France and Germany. Final revisions were made
in Berlin.
iv. He could not afford the printing cost but was saved by his
friend, Maximo Viola. He lent Jose P5300, the needed amount
for the first 2,000 copies of the novel.
v. On March 29, 1887, the novel was printed in Berlin. The first
recipients of the novel were Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce,
and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo.
vi. As a way of showing his appreciation, he gave the original
manuscript of the Noli Me Tangere and a complimentary copy
to Maximo Viola.
vii. Jose Rizal explained the title “Noli Me Tangere” means “Touch
Me Not.” This was from the bible, from the Gospel of St. John.
viii. The book was dedicated to the Philippines, his fatherland.

Paris, France
1. He arrived in Paris in November 1885.
2. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert.
3. He found time to be with his friends, Pardo de Tavera, Juan Luna, and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo.
4. He posed for Juan Luna’s paintings.
5. Composed songs “Alin Mang Lahi” and “La Deportacion”

Germany
1. On February 1886, he arrived in Heidelberg, an old university town.
a. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Otto Becker at the University Eye
Hospital.
b. He listened to the lectures of Dr. Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehme.
c. He wrote the poem, “To the Flowers of Heidelberg.”
 9
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

d. He spent his summer vacation in 1886 in Wilhelmsfeld where he lived

with Protestant pastor Karl Ulmer to perfect his ability to speak
German.
e. He started his correspondence with Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, the
Director of Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria. He sent a book to Prof.
Blumentritt, Aritmetica by Rufino Baltazar.
2. In August 1886, he arrived in Leipzig.
a. He met Prof. Friedrich Ratzel and Dr. Hans Meyer who wrote a book
on the Philippines.
b. He translated Schiller’s William Tell to Tagalog. The book narrates how
the Swiss attained their independence in a peaceful manner.
c. He translated Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales to Tagalog for his
nephews and nieces.
3. On October 29, 1886, he arrived in Dresden.
a. He saw the painting of Raphael, the Sistine Madonna.
b. At the Zoological, Anthropological and Ethnographic Museum, he saw
the collection on the Philippines.
4. Berlin
a. He met Dr. Feodor Jagor who wrote Travels in the Philippines.
b. He met Drs. Rudolf and his son, Hans Virchow, two known German
anthropologists; Dr. W. Joest; and Dr. Ernest Schweigger, a known
ophthalmologist.
c. He became a member of the Anthropological Society, the Ethnographic
Society, and the Geographic Society.
i. His paper entitled “Tagalische Verkunst” was delivered before
the members.
ii. He was accepted and became a very respected member.
d. He made the final revisions on the novel Noli Me Tangere. On March
29, 1887, the novel was finally printed.
5. He went to Prague to visit the tomb of Nicolaus Copernicus.

Departure from Europe

1. In Geneva, Switzerland, Maximo Viola and Jose Rizal parted ways. Viola
returned to Spain.
2. Rizal continued to Rome, Italy.
3. In Marseilles, France, he boarded Djemnah to Saigon, Vietnam and finally,
Manila.
4. He arrived in Manila.

Jose Rizal Returned to Calamba

 10
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

1. He established a clinic and his first patient was his mother.

2. He treated his mother’s eyes.
3. He worked as a town physician.
4. He was called to Malacaňang by Gov. Gen. Emilio Terrero due to the
controversy raised by Noli Me Tangere. The first copies had arrived in
Manila.
5. Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade was assigned to watch over Jose Rizal.
6. After a review of the Noli Me Tangere, it was found out that the book was
heretic, impious, unpatriotic, subversive, and injurious to the government of
Spain in the Philippines. It was recommended that the importation,
reproduction, and distribution of the book should be prohibited.
7. Gov. Gen. Terrero requested Jose Rizal to leave the country.
8. Investigation on the Calamba problem.

The Protesta de Calamba

While Rizal was staying in Calamba, Governor General Emilio Terrero

ordered an investigation of the friar landholdings. The colonial government
suspected that the Calamba estate might be evading the full payment of taxes,
and the Public Treasury Department decided to check on its returns by asking
how much they were paying to the administrators of the estate.
Rizal was involved in this investigation by helping to draft an
informative report on the agrarian situation in Calamba. The tenants reported
that they were losing money to the advantage of the Dominican
administrators. They said that “…that the Dominican landholdings comprised
not only the lands around Calamba but the whole town including the houses
of the people.” Secondly, Rizal alleged that the Dominicans increased their
income by arbitrarily increasing the rent of the tenants. According to them,
the hacienda raised rent every year. Thirdly, it was said that the hacienda
owner, the Dominicans, did not contribute a single centavo for the town
fiesta; fourthly, the tenants who worked clearing the lands were dispossessed
of such lands; and lastly there were high rates of interests charged for delayed
payment of rentals and if the rentals could not be paid, the management of
the hacienda would confiscate the carabaos, tools, and homes of the tenants.
The tenants’ report was followed by a petition to the government
questioning the legitimacy of the landholdings of the Dominicans or at least
parts of it.
The allegations of the tenants were not entirely true. A study of the
other side of the controversy uncovers the truth. While it was true that the
Dominicans controlled vast landholdings not only in Calamba, they also
 11
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

controlled landholdings in the neighboring towns of Biňan, San Pedro, and

Santa Rosa, these lands were actually titled in the name of the Order.
Moreover, many lands were rent free for settlers for many years. The Calamba
landholdings were extended to Los Baňos. In 1885, Paciano was allowed to
clear and cultivate the land in Barrio Pansol. Under the contract with the
Dominican administrators, they will not receive payment from Paciano for the
next five years. During those years, it was reported that the land produced
bountiful harvests. In anticipation of Don Francisco Mercado’s death, the
Dominican administrators also allowed Rizal’s sisters to hold land leases
under very favourable terms.
The income from the Dominican landholdings did not necessarily
enrich the Dominican Order as rent earned from these lands were used to
maintain churches and institutions like the University of Santo Tomas and
The College of Letran. Since it was given the status of a royal university, the
University of Santo Tomas was prohibited from receiving any subsidy from
the government. Income from the landholdings also supported the Dominican
seminary and missionary works within and outside the country, especially in
China.
The Dominicans contributed to the town fiesta and to other similar
activities. Increases in rent happened as costs increased. The increases in rent
mentioned in legal’s novel were not realistic as the increased charges were
very low. The agricultural production on these lands was abundant because
of the work of the tenants and their sharecroppers and also because of the
investments made by the Dominicans. The Dominicans had to stop the
tenants from neglecting their lands at the expense of their heirs. In many
instances, the tenants lost their money not because of poor harvests but
because of gambling which takes place in the house of Rizal’s sister, Lucia.
In cases of failure to pay due to poor harvests and low prices of
agricultural products, the hacienda administrators actually provided
generous grace periods that gave the tenants enough time to pay their rents.
After Rizal had left Calamba in February 1888, the tenants openly refused to
pay their rentals. The Dominicans spent one year trying to persuade the
tenants to pay until they were forced to file a case in court in 1889. An
amicable settlement was agreed upon but this eventually failed. The tenants
won their case at the Justice of the Peace of Calamba, but the tenants lost
when the case was appealed at the provincial court in Santa Cruz, Laguna,
then at the higher tribunal in Manila and ultimately at the Supreme Court in
Madrid.
When the defiant tenants refused to obey the decision of the tribunal of
Santa Cruz, agents of the court, supported by a detachment of soldiers,
 12
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

evicted the families and destroyed around 50 houses in the Hacienda de

CAlamba. The Rizal family was one of those affected by the eviction. When
the tenants began to return, Governor General Valeriano Weyler, who
replaced Governor General Terrero, sent more soldiers and ordered the
deportation to Mindoro of 25 individuals including Paciano and Rizal’s
brother-in-law, Silvestre Ubaldo. Another brother-in-law Manuel Hidalgo,
was banished to Bohol.
Various authors attributed the eviction of Rizal’s family and other
tenants from Calamba to the controversy over the Noli Me Tangere and the
influence of the friars in the government. The real cause of the eviction was
the tenants refused to pay the annual rent demanded by the hacienda
administrators. These situations were reflected in Rizal’s second novel El
Filibusterismo in the family of Cabesang Tales.
While still in Calamba, Rizal was seen as a troublemaker and a rabble-
rouser. His family received threats on his life. Word was spread that he was a
mason and that he was a sorcerer, and a spy of German Chancellor Otto von
Bismarck. Rumors were spread against him, that he and Lt. Tavial de
Andrade raised a German flag atop Mt. Makiling and claimed the Philippines
for Germany.

Departure for Europe

His family was worried for his safety every time he leaves the house.
Rizal took the necessary precautions. Though invited to several banquets, he
avoided them. People said that he carried a special spoon which changes color
whenever it was dipped in food because this was spiked with poison. The
friars exerted pressure on Governor General Terrero to have him arrested or
deported. The governor refused to act seeing that there was no valid cause to
arrest Rizal. One day, Terrero summoned Rizal to Malacaňang and advised
him to leave the Philippines for his own good. His continued presence caused
undue anxiety on his family. While meeting with a seaman, Perfecto Rufino
Riego who later helped him in smuggling copies of the Noli Me Tangere into
the colony, Rizal confided to him that the friars offered him money that could
be withdrawn anywhere abroad if he only stopped attacking them. He
refused the offer saying that he did not need their money.
Just before leaving Calamba, he composed a poem entitled “Himno al
Trabaho” (“Hymn to Labor”) which commemorated the elevation of Lipa,
Batangaas into the status of a villa under the Becerra Law of 1888.

SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE

 13
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

He Traveled through Asia

1. In Hong Kong
a. He was met by Jose Ma. Basa and other Filipinos who were exiled due
to the secularization issue of 1872.
b. He studied the Chinese language, Chinese drama and theatre, Chinese
cultures, and Chinese values.
c. He visited Macau, a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong.
2. He visited Japan.
a. He stayed in Yokohama.
b. He studied the Japanese language, Japanese culture, theatres, martial
arts, and he visited shrines.
c. On the way to the United States, on board a ship, he met Tetcho
Suehiro.
i. Suehiro wrote the book Dead Trveler. In this book, he described
his travel from Japan to the U.S. and his association with Jose
Rizal.
ii. He wrote another book, Storm Over the Southern Sea. This is said
to be similar to Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.

In the United States of America

1. The entire boat was quarantined when it docked in San Francisco on April 28,
1888. The reason given was because the boat came from a land where cholera
was rampant. In reality, it was because the boat carried several Chinese
coolies and laborers who accepted cheap labor, displacing American laborers.
This situation was resolved and the passengers were allowed to disembark
safely.
2. He travelled westward through Reno, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Chicago,
Albany, and New York City.
3. His comments on America:
a. The United States was a progressive and prosperous country.
b. There was lack of racial equality because there was racial prejudice
against the blacks.
c. America was a land of fairness and justice but only for the whites.

Liverpool, England

He reached Liverpool, England on May 24, 1888. Immediately after his

arrival, he left for London.
 14
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

1. He was met by Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, also an exile of 1872. Dr. Regidor
practiced law in London.
2. Jose Rizal was introduced to Dr. Reinhold Rost, the librarian of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in England. He was also an authority on Malay
languages and customs.
3. His objectives for choosing to live in London were:
a. To do research on Philippine history; and
b. To annotate Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, a rare
Philippine history book available at the British Museum.

He transferred to Paris
1. He continued his research on Philippine history at the Bibliotheque Nationale
or the National Library in Paris.
2. He continued to work on his annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas. He published his annotated version.
3. He studied the French language.
4. He wrote a volume of French exercises that the students of the French
language may use as a textbook or workbook.
5. He founded the Kidlat Club and the Indios Bravos. These were social clubs
which aimed to prove that the Filipinos could excel intellectually and
physically.
6. He published Por Telefono, an answer to Fr. Salvation Font, a Spanish friar
who attacked the Noli Me Tangere.

Activities in Brussels
1. He continued to write El Filibusterismo, his second novel.
2. He wrote articles for the La Solidaridad.
a. “La Verdad Para Los Todos” or “The Truth for All People” appeared
on the May 31, 1889 issue.
b. “Verdades Nuevas” or “New Truths” was published on July 31, 1889.
c. “Una Profanacion” or “A Profanation” which also appeared on the July
31, 1889 issue.
d. “Diferencias” or “Differences,” September 15, 1889.
e. “Filipinas Dentro de Cien Aňos” or “The Philippines a Century Hence”
published in four series, September 30, October 31, December 15, 1889
and February 1, 1890.
f. “Ingratitudes” which also meant “ingratitudes” in the English
language was published on January 15, 1890.
g. “Sin Nombre” or “Without Name,” February 28, 1890.
 15
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

h. “Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Langua Tagala” or “On the New

Orthography of the Tagalog Language,”April 15, 1890.
i. “Cosas de Filipinos” or “Things about the Philippines,” April 30, 1890.
3. Publication of the El Filibusterismo. Like Noli Me Tangere, money was very
scarce. It was financed by Valentin Ventura.
4. He received the news that the members of his family were deported to
different places. They also lost the agrarian case in Calamba.
5. Publication of El Filibusterismo

The Decision to Transfer to Madrid

1. The case of Rizal was elevated to the Supreme Court in Madrid. Rizal wanted
to pay attention to the case. The Calamba residents were forced to leave the
town, their houses were burned, and more people were exiled, including the
entire Rizal family.
2. He wrote a poem entitled “A Mi Musa” (To My Muse).
3. Rivalry between Jose Rizal and M.H. del Pilar
a. Another group of Filipinos was being formed in Madrid. This was
composed of disgruntled students who viewed that the members of the
Circulo Hispano Filipino were more inclined to accommodation,
moderation, and politeness toward the Spaniards than actually fighting
for reforms in the Philippines.
b. Another organization was formed, this was the Asosacion Hispano
Filipino. It was headed by Dr. Miguel Morayta, a Spanish professor
and a Mason Grandmaster. In a meeting to decide where the direction
of the Propaganda was going, the group started with an election of the
leader. There were 90 Filipino members. An election was held and it
was a contest between Jose Rizal and M.H. del Pilar. For two
canvassings, del Pilar lead the votes but there was no majority. Finally,
on the third attempt, Jose Rizal won but Jose chose to leave than divide
the Filipinos in Madrid.
4. Paciano, his elder brother, advised Jose not to return to the Philippines but he
compromised that Jose can return to the East, near enough for his parents and
relatives to visit him but he cannot be disturbed by the Spaniards. He left for
Hong Kong.

Productive Life in Hong Kong

1. Jose Ma. Basa initially paid for his fare to Hong Kong.
2. With his undesirable experience in Madrid, he decided to leave the political
life in Europe and concentrate on his endeavors.
 16
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

3. He applied for his license to practice medicine in Hong Kong and this was
granted.
4. He had a reunion with his siblings and his parents. He supported them in
Hong Kong.
5. His friendship with Dr. Lorenzo P. Marquez helped him start his practice in
Hong Kong.
6. He went to Sandakan, Borneo to look for an alternative place for displaced
Calamba farmers.
7. Writings
a. He translated The Rights of Man written in French Tagalog, Ang Mga
Karapatan ng Tao.
b. He was never idle as he stayed in one place. He had his lucrative
practice, but he still took time to write.
c. He tried to finish his third novel, Makamisa, in Tagalog but gave it up.
Paciano started translating the Noli Me Tangere to Tagalog.
d. He wrote “A la Nacion Espaňola” (“To the Spanish Nation”), an appeal
to Spain to right the wrongs done to the Calamba tenants.
8. Jose Ma. Basa thought of the idea of an organized group of Filipinos toward
the attainment of the liberty of the people of the Philippines. This was later
named La Liga.
9. Return to the Philippines
a. He wanted to face Gov. Gen. Eulogio Despujol on the fate of his North
Borneo project since the governor general remained silent on Jose
Rizal’s petition.
b. Together with his sister Lucia, Rizal left Hong Kong and returned to
Manila.

2.2.3. Rizal’s Life: Exile, Trial and Death

Years of Exile in Dapitan

1. On his arrival, he was met by Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, Ambrosio
Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Deodato Arellano, and other patriots. They
met in Ilaya Street and formed the La Liga Filipina (The Filipino League).
2. He took a train in Tutuban and visited Malolos, Bulacan; San Fernando,
Pampanga, Tarlac; and Bacolor, Pampanga.
3. Handbills were found in Lucia’s pillows entitled “Pobres Frailes.” Jose Rizal
admitted that those bills belonged to him. He was ordered arrested by
Despujol.
4. He was ordered exiled to Dapitan, North Zamboanga.
 17
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

a. The prisoner was handed over to Captain Ricardo Carnicero, the

political military governor of Dapitan, an isolated Spanish outpost in
northern Mindanao.
b. One of the passengers was Fr. Pablo Pastells, S.J.
c. He won in a lottery with Captain Carnicero and Francisco Equilor. He
bought land in Talisay. He had a house, a clinic, and a school
constructed on his land.
d. He continued to correspond and send various species of plants,
animals, and insects to other European scientists.
e. Animal species named after Jose Rizal:
i. Rhacophorus rizali, a frog
ii. Apogonia rizali, a beetle
f. He constructed a huge relief map of Mindanao at the town plaza with
the help of Fr. Sanchez.
g. He helped in the livelihood of the people.
i. He modelled an invention on a Belgian example of making
bricks.
ii. He taught the people to run a cooperative to ensure they have
an income from buying and selling abaca and its products.
h. Poems written while he was in Dapitan:
i. “El Canto del Viajero”
ii. “A Ricardo Carnicero”
i. He did an operation on his mother’s eyes.
j. He studied the native medicinal plants of Dapitan so he could
prescribe these to his patients.
k. Mr. George Tauffer was brought to him in Dapitan with Josephine
Bracken.
l. Dr. Pio Valenzuela arrived in Dapitan with a blind man, Raymundo
Mata. Dr. Valenzuela imparted to Jose Rizal the intents of the
revolution.
m. Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt updated Jose Rizal on world events. He
suggested that Rizal volunteer his services to the Spanish government
and join forces as a doctor in Cuba as a means to end his exile.
n. Gov. Gen. Ramon Blanco granted Jose Rizal’s request. On July 30, 1896,
he was granted a safe conduct pass. Rizal returned to Manila on board
the steamer Espaňa.

The Final Chapter of His Life

1. While on board the steamer Espaňa, awaiting another ship that will transport
him to Spain and eventually to Cuba, Philippine Revolution broke out.
 18
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

2. He was transferred to another ship that left for Spain.

3. He was arrested while cruising the Mediterranean Sea. He was imprisoned in
Barcelona, Spain and was immediately deported back to Manila.
4. In Manila, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago. He was tried on the charges of
rebellion, sedition, and illegal association.
5. He was found guilty and was sentenced to death through a firing squad on
December 30, 1896.

Learning Assessment

Instructions: Provide what is asked in each activity.

ACTIVITY 1. Recall how “The Story of the Moth” played a crucial influence in
Rizal’s early childhood. Going deeper, how did the story shape Rizal’s social and
political ideas? Provide instances where Rizal manifested such character.

ACTIVITY 2. Among Rizal’s influences, what for you stands the most significant?
Why? Justify your view.

ACTIVITY 3. POETRY WRITING. Create a poem dedicated to your mother or to

your native town showing your love, honor, gratitude, and appreciation.

ACTIVITY 4. SCRAPBOOKING/TRAVEL JOURNAL. In each of Jose Rizal’s stop

over, identify a person or a place that he met or visited. You may even make a
scrapbook, travel journal, or just attach a photo or portrait of the person or the place
to complete your illustration of Rizal’s journey to Europe. Be creative. (You may opt
not to follow the sequence provided. It’s your call!)
 19
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

1. Singapore
2. Colombo, Sri Lanka
3. Egypt
4. Naples, Italy
5. Marseilles, France
6. Barcelona, Spain
7. Paris, France
8. Berlin, Germany
9. Prague, Czech Republic
10. Vienna, Austria
11. Bavaria, Germany
12. Geneva, Switzerland
13. Milan Italy

ACTIVITY 5. Draw a symbolism which reminds you of the national importance of

Rizal’s death to the amplification of the nationalist consciousness among the
Filipinos during his time.
 20
LEARNING PACKET 2: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

2.3 References

Cruz, G. R. C. & B. Ofalia. (2015). A workbook for the Rizal course. Mandaluyong
City: Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2015.
De Viana, Augusto V., Helena Ma. F. Cabrera, Emelita P. Samala, Myrna M. De Vera,
& Janet C. Atutubo. Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot, A study of his life and
times. Revised Edition. Rex Book Store.

Salazar, Zeus. “A Legacy of the Propaganda: The Tripartite View of Philippines

History “ in Atoy Navarro and Flordeliza Lagbao-Bolante,eds Mga Basasahin
sa Agham Panlipunang Pilipino, Pilipinolohiya, at Pantayong Pananaw. QC: C&E
Publishing, 2007.
http://www.bagongkasaysayan.org.downloadable/zues_005.pdf

Wani-Obias, Rhodalyn, Aaron Abel Mallari, and Janet Reguindin-Estella. (2018).

“The life and wrks of Jose Rizal.” C&E Publishing: Quezon City, 2018.

2.4 Acknowledgment

The figures and information contained in this learning packet were taken
from the references cited above.