THE LIFE,WORKS,

AND LEGACY OF DR.

JOSE RIZAL

THE
THE LIFE OF OUTSTANDING
DR. RIZAL WORKS OF OUR
NATIONAL HERO
THE LEGACY OF A
STRONG, BRAVE, "THE MAN WHO
FOUGHT TILL DEATH
AND INTELIGENT FOR FREEDOM"
PERSON
"Life of Jose Rizal"
Jose Rizal's life began in Calamba, Laguna where he was born and raised. Rizal's family is one of the most famous
and richest in their town. Dr. Rizal was born on June 19,1861 in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna. Mercado
family has 13 members, The Jose Rizal family was a wealthy family in Calamba, Laguna and considered one of the
largest families in those times. The 13 member of Jose Rizal family consisted of his father Francisco Mercado II
and his mother Teodora Alonso Realonda. Jose Rizal had nine sisters and one brother. The Jose Rizal family’s
paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a full-blooded Chinese who lived inAmoy,China and arrived in the
Philippines in the closing years of the 17th century. Domingo Lam-co was married to a Chinese half-breed
named Ines de la Rosa. The Mercado-Rizal family had also Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Negrito blood aside
from their Chinese blood. Jose Rizal’s father was the youngest of 13 children of Juan and Cirila Mercado. He was
born in Binan, Laguna, studied in San Jose College of Manila and died in Manila. The mother of Jose Rizal was a
business -minded, religious and hard working individual who was born in Santa Cruz,Manila on November 14,
1827 and died in Manila in 1913. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa and was the second child of Brijida de
Quintos and Lorenzo Alonso. Jose Rizal, just like Filipino boys, had many beautiful memories of childhood. • He
have a happy home, filled with parental affection, impregnated with family joys, and sanctified by prayers. • In the
midst of such peaceful, refined, God-loving family, he spent the early years of his childhood.

When he turned nine, he was sent to Biñan, Laguna to

study under the guidance of Justiano Aquino Cruz. A few
months ago, he advised Rizal's parents to send him to
study in Manila. Ateneo Municipal de Manila was the first
school in Manila that he attended on the second of
January 1872. According to a translation of Noli me
tangere by Guzman etc., during his stay at this school, he
received all the major medals and sobresaliente notes. in
all books. It was also at this school that he received his
Bachelor of Arts with an outstanding mark with the highest

honor. Rizal took Philosophy and Literature at the University of Santo Tomas. At the Ateneo, he simultaneously
took up the science of Agriculture. Later, he took a medical course at the said University (Santo Tomas) after
learning that his mother was born with cataracts. On May 5, 1882, when he could no longer accept the one-
sided and critical treatment of the Spanish priests with the native students, he went to Spain. There he
entered the Universidad Central de Madrid, where, in the second year he completed his Medical career, as
“sobresaliente” (excellent). The following year, he earned a degree in Philosophy-and-Letters. He traveled to
France and specialized in the treatment of eye disease at a clinic there. He then went to Heidelberg, Germany,
where he won another title. Also in the year of his Medical graduation, he studied English, in addition to the
languages ​he already knew such as French. Rizal is a linguist who knows Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English,
French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and
other native languages ​of the Philippines. He was not satisfied with his studies at the University of Santo
Tomas -in his opinion, his Dominican professor was angry with him, had a low opinion of the Filipinos and what
they taught was bad and old -fashioned. Because of this, he was advised by Antonio Rivera, Paciano and
Saturnina to study medicine abroad.

"Life of Jose Rizal"

"Women Jose Rizal"
There were at least 9 women linked to Jose Rizal. These
Jose Rizal women were Segunda Katigbak, Leonor
Valenzuela, Leonor River, Consuelo Ortiga, Josephine
Bracken, Suzanne Jacoby, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette,
and Nelly Boustead. Jose Rizal standing at 4 feet and 11
inches was only a short man but like most women, the
women in Jose Rizal’s life may have been mesmerized
by his intelligence, wit and charm. Segunda Katigbak, a
short woman who hailed from Lipa, Batangas was
considered the puppy love of Jose Rizal. However, this
puppy love of Rizal was already betrothed to her towns
mate, Manuel Luz Rizal’s admiration with Segunda
Katigbak was followed by his affair with Leonor
Valenzuela who was a tall lass from Pagsanjan, Laguna.
Rizal used an invisible ink in writing love notes sent to
Leonor. The love notes can be read only through the
heat emitted by a lamp or candle. His last encounter
with Leonor was when he bade her goodbye before
leaving for Spain. Another Leonor but with a surname
of Rivera also become one of the many Jose Rizal
women. Leonor Rivera became his sweetheart or
girlfriend for 11 years and stopped him from falling for
other women even when traveling. However, Leonor’s
mother disagreed with the relation of her daughter
with Rizal, who was known as a filibuster. All letters sent
by Rizal to Leonor Rivera were hidden by her mother,
making Leonor believe that Rizal has forgotten her.
While Rizal was in Madrid, the pretty Consuelo Ortiga
fell in love with him and he compensated her affection
with one of his best poems.
Consuelo lived in Madrid and her house was often
visited by Rizal and his friends.
Rizal backed out before the affair became a serious
romance since he was seriously in love with Leonor
Rivera. O Sei San, a daughter of a Japanese samurai,
taught Rizal the Japanese art of painting known as su-
mie. She also taught Rizal to learn the Japanese
language. Gertrude Beckett also fell in love with Rizal
but Rizal hastily left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude
who was then seriously falling in love with him. After
learning that Leonor Rivera already was engaged, Rizal
thought of courting other girls and came to know Nellie
Boustead when he was a guest of the Boustead family
at their resort residence in Biarritz. Rizal even nearly
started a fight with Antonio Luna who was also a suitor
after Antonio Luna said malicious remarks against
Nellie Boustead in a party sponsored by Filipinos in
Madrid. Rizal met Suzanne Jacoby in Brussels and they
were deeply in love with each other. During Rizal’s exile
in Dapitan in 1895, he also met another European lass,
Josephine Bracken. Rizal was physically attracted to her
and asked Josephine to marry him but Josephine was
not ready to make a decision due to her responsibility
to her father who had an eye ailment. He still took her
as his wife even without the Church blessings. There
were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely
Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,
Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly
Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken.
These women might have been beguiled by his
intelligence, charm and wit
 Rizal's life Abroad and his Works.
On the afternoon of May 15, Rizal left Marseilles to proceed to Spain via train.
He crossed the Pyrenees and stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port
Bou. After the passport inspection at Port Bou, Rizal continued his trip by rail,
finally reaching Barcelona on June 16, 1882. His first impression of Barcelona
was unfavorable. He thought of it as an ugly, dirty and its residents are
inhospitable. Later, he changed his impression and liked the city. He found it
as a great city, with an atmosphere of freedom and liberalism. He also found
its people were open-hearted, hospitable, and courageous. He enjoyed
promenading along Las Ramblas which was the famous street in Barcelona.
Filipinos in Barcelona were some of his classmates in Ateneo, welcomed him.
They gave him a party at café Plaza de Cataluña. After toasts, Rizal in turn gave them the latest news and gossips in
the Philippines. In Barcelona, Rizal wrote a essay entitled “Amor Patrio” which was his first written article on Spain’s
soil. He then sent his article to Basilio Teodoro Moran, publisher of Diariong Tagalog. Basilio was deeply impressed
by the article congratulated Rizal and asked Rizal to publish more articles. While living in Barcelona, Rizal received
bad news about the cholera outbreak ravaging Manila and the provinces. Many people died and more were dying
daily. Sad news was that his beloved Leonor Rivera was getting thinner because of the absence of her loved one.
Also, Paciano advised Rizal to continue his medical course in Madrid. Heeding his advice, Rizal left Barcelona in the
fall of 1882 and proceeded to Madrid.

20 August 1882 7 November 1882

His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Rizal wrote an article entitled "Las Dudas". The article
Diarong Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by was signed Laong - Laan.
Basilio Teodoro. This was the First article he wrote

1891
abroad.
Filibusterismo" is the second sequel of "Noli Me
"El
2 November 1882 tangere" which he dedicates to the three martyred
He wrote the article "Revista de Madrid" which was in priests of Cavite mutiny. The execution of the three
intended for publication in the Diarong Tagalog in

priests was significant to the title of the novel.
Manila, but was not published because the
Mi último adiós, 1897
newspaper stops its circulation.
After being associated with the Katipuneros, Rizal
1887
was arrested and later sentenced to death by firing
He published his novel "Noli Me Tangere when he
squad for acts of sedition and rebellion. During his
was at Berlin, Germany. He dedicated this novel to
final days in Fort Santiago of Manila, Rizal bid farewell
Philippines which is suffering from the unfair
to his motherland and countrymen through letters.
treatment of Spanish Priars and government.
Mi último adiós or My Last Farewell is one of the few
last works that Rizal wrote.

"Rizal's life in Dapitan"

During the early part of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal
lived at the commandant’s residence. With his
prize from the Manila Lottery and his earnings as a
farmer and a merchant, he bought a piece of land
near the shore of Talisay near Dapitan. On this
land, he built three houses- all made of bamboo,
wood, and nipa. The first house which was square
in shape was his home. The second house was the
living quarters of his pupils. And the third house
was the barn where he kept his chickens. The
second house had eight sides, while the third had
six sides.

During his exile, Rizal practiced medicine,
taught some pupils, and engaged in
farming and horticulture. He grew many
fruit trees (like coconut, mango, lanzones,
makopa, santol, mangosteen, jackfruit,
guayabanos, baluno, and nanka) and
domesticated some animals (like rabbits,
dogs, cats, and chickens). The school he
founded in 1893 started with only three
pupils, and had about more than 20
students at the time his exile ended. Rizal
would rise at five in the morning to see
his plants, feed his animals, and prepare
breakfast. Having taken his morning
meal, he would treat the patients who
had come to his house. Paddling his boat
called ‘baroto’ (he had two of them), he
would then proceed to Dapitan town to
attend to his other patients there the
whole morning. Rizal would return to
Talisay to take his lunch. Teaching his
pupils would begin at about 2
pm and would end at 4 or 5 in the
afternoon. With the help of his pupils, Rizal
would spend the rest of the afternoon in
farming—planting trees, watering the
plants, and pruning the fruits. Rizal then
would spend the night reading and writing.
Rizal provided significant community
services in Dapitan like improving the
town’s drainage and constructing better
water system using empty bottles and
bamboo joints. He also taught the town
folks about health and sanitation so as to
avoid the spread of diseases. With his
Jesuit priest friend Sanchez, Rizal made a
huge relief map of Mindanao in Dapitan
plaza. Also, he bettered their forest by
providing evident trails, stairs, and some
benches. He invented a wooden machine
for mass production of bricks. Using the
bricks he produced, Rizal built a water dam
for the community with the help of his
students.