Brainstormed Information
Jose Rizal isn’t just Jose Rizal that we Filipinos
knew him as our national hero. If we look back
and read or if we watch stories about Rizal,
especially in his love life and to every woman that
he met in his life. They said that Jose Rizal was
just a simple guy, a short guy with a brown skin a
really Filipino man looks. Even if he is not that
attractive person, we can say that there were at
least nine women linked with his life. These
women might have been beguiled by his
intelligence, charm and witty. That is why Rizal
known as “a man of letters”, not just an
inspiration to the Philippine nationalist
movement, but also the way he made moves
towards these women by writing flowering
words. Through this letter he expressed his
feelings and shows affection to these women.
Others will say that Rizal is a womanizer and it is
because he is too friendly, but other says that he
was just respecting to these women and delicate
that’s why girls are attracted to him. At the age of
16 he had already his first love and first
heartbreak. He also met Leonor Rivera and had a
relationship with her for more than 11 years,
she’s the greatest love of Rizal but Leonor’s
mother didn’t like Rizal. After so many years he
started courting again to every woman he met in
every country he visited. Because of Rizal’s
intelligence these women were impressed and
amazed of Rizal and that’s why these women fall
in love with him and it is because of his ability.
Then he also met Josephine Bracken, the last
woman he courted and married. But these things
were not easy to both of them at first his family
didn’t vote for her because they thought she was
a spy. Another thing is before marrying to
Josephine, Rizal need to sign a retraction
document that a priest wanted as a precondition
before marrying them. Rizal upon the advice of
his family, friends and with Josephine’s consent
took her as his wife even without the church
blessings.
Gathered Information
Jose Rizal was considered as a ‘’modern-day soft
boy’’ as of Scout Magazine in 2018 because of
him being creative, seeking for social justice and
change, wants to love and be loved, yet named as
Little Bad Boy of his European lovers. She was
known to be involved with nine women; Segunda
Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,
Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette,
Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. Segunda
Katigbak is a Batangueña whom Jose met when
she was 14 and he was 16 years old. Rizal decided
to stay away from Segunda and made excuses for
himself. In his youth, Rizal was also naive about
the qualities of real love, equating it with physical
attractiveness and wealth. However, just like
what happened to Segunda, he failed to ask her
for marriage. Moreover, there were rumors
before at that time, that he is also pursuing
Leonor Rivera. Rizal met Consuelo. He showed
affection towards Consuelo but was not serious
in his pursuit as he was still engaged to Leonor
Rivera at the time. Yes, he loved the company of
women, but during that brief period, he too was
lonely and yearning for the physical void left by
Leonora. In the end, Consuelo got engaged to
Rizal’s friend, Eduardo de Lete. It is said that
Eduardo’s love for Consuelo was also the reason
Rizal didn’t pursue the mestiza. Or maybe, in
modern parlance, theirs was a classic case of a
rebound fling. Rizal was once again charmed by
Japan Beauty,while staying in the country, it was
a woman named Seiko Usui, whom he
affectionately called O-Sei-San. Jose then went to
London, his next destination in 1888 for his next
agenda and stayed in a boarding house owned by
an Organist at Saint Paul’s Church named Charles
Beckett. During his stay in the Boarding house, he
later became friends with one of Beckett’s
daughter named Gertrude Beckett. Later,
Gertrude fell in love with Jose and wanted to be
more than just a friend, she even offers help with
his paintings and sculptures perhaps she could
help to be closer to Jose. A year later, January
1890, Jose stayed in Belgium after he and Jose
Albert left the very expensive stay in the city of
Paris. He later met Suzanne Jacoby, the niece of
the landladies that manages his boarding house
 during his 6 months stay in Brussels. In Jose’s last
year, 1896, he was in his last relationship.
Josephine Bracken. Jose Rizal who was already
exiled in Dapitan, Zambuanga del Norte. By that
time, he met Josephine and Jose then fell in love
and in a month they made an announcement that
they wanted to get married.

Summarized Article

Jose Rizal was a quite a ladies’ man himself and his lovelife shows his side of susceptibility to his
emotions towards the affection of the opposite sex especially when alone and sad. Women’s
attraction/fascination to Rizal maybe attributed to his charism as we all know that Rizal had his
forwardness with his feelings, funny personality and skillfulness in many areas, his educational
attainment and intelligence, his gentleness and loving trait. That is why Rizal known as “a man of
letters”, not just an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement, but also the way he made
moves towards these women by writing flowering words. Through this letter he expressed his feelings
and shows affection to these women. Rizal’s lovelife had its ups and downs. There are heart yearning
moments and heart breaks. But what’s more noble is that above all, Rizal’s love his country and his
countrymen had always been his priority.

Members:

Rhocharyl Torregosa

Chastine Borres

Philip Gargar