LIFE & WORKS OF RIZAL

HOMEWORK#1

MARTINEZ, RENZ D
BS PSYCHOLOGY B2019

1. Who is Dr. Jose Rizal

Dr Jose Protacio Rizal was born in the town of Calamba, Laguna on 19th June 1861. The second
son and the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso.
With his mother as his first teacher, he began his early education at home and continued in
Binan, Laguna. He entered a Jesuit-run Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1872 and obtained a
bachelor's degree with highest honors in 1876. He studied medicine at the University of Santo
Tomas but had to stop because he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated by their
Dominican tutors. He went to Madrid at Universidad Central de Madrid and in 1885 at the age of
24, he finished his course in Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "Excellent".
He took graduate studies in Paris, France & Heidelberg, Germany. He also studied painting,
sculpture, he learned to read and write in at least 10 languages.
Rizal was a prolific writer and was anti-violence. He rather fight using his pen than his might.
Rizal's two books "Noli Me Tangere" (Touch Me Not) which he wrote while he was in Berlin,
Germany in 1887 and "El Filibusterismo" (The Rebel) in Ghent, Belgiun in 1891 exposed the
cruelties of the Spanish friars in the Philippines, the defects of the Spanish administration and the
vices of the clergy, these books told about the oppression of the Spanish colonial rule. These two
books made Rizal as a marked man to the Spanish friars.
In 1892 when Rizal returned to the Philippines, he formed La Liga Filipina , a non violent reform
society of patriotic citizen and a forum for Filipinos to express their hopes for reform, to promote
progress through commerce, industry and agriculture and freedom from the oppressive Spanish
colonial administration.
On July 6, 1892, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, on the charge of instigating unrest against
Spain, he was exiled to Dapitan, in northwestern Mindanao. He remained in exile for four years,
while he was in political exile in Dapitan, he practice medicine, he established a school for boys,
promoted community development projects, he applied his knowledge in engineering by
constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the townspeople. In
Dapitan he also met, fell in love and lived with Josephine Bracken.
In 1896, the Katipunan, a nationalist secret society launched a revolt against the Spaniards,
although Jose Rizal had no connection with the organization, his enemies were able to linked
him with the revolt. To avoid being involved in the move to start a revolution, he asked
Governor Ramon Blanco to send him to Cuba but instead he was brought back to Manila and
jailed for the second time in Fort Santiago

Extra information
Rizal found Mindanao a rich virgin field for collecting specimens. With his baroto (sailboat) and
accompanied by his pupils, he explored the jungles and coasts seeking specimens of insects,
birds, snakes lizards frogs shells and plants.
He sent these specimens to the museum of Europe especially the Dresden Museum. In payment
for these valuable specimens, the European scientists sent him scientific books and surgical
instruments.

Manila Lottery Winner

On September 21, 1892 the mail boat “Butuan” arrived in Dapitan carrying lottery Ticket No.
9736 jointly owned by Captain Carnicero, Dr Jose Rizal and Francisco Equilior won the second
prize of P20,000 in the government-owned Manila Lottery.
Rizal’s share of the winning loterry was P6,200. He gave P2,000 to his father and P200 to his
friend Basa in Hongkong and the rest he invested well by purchasing agricultural lands along the
coast of Talisay about one kilometer away from Dapitan.

2. State how he became our national hero

It has always been a heated argument on who deserves to be called Philippine’s national hero — Jose
Rizal or Andres Bonifacio.
Why is Jose Rizal the national hero of the Philippines? It is interesting to note that Jose Rizal’s heroism
was recognized first by the colonizing Americans and later on by General Emilio Aguinaldo.

Recommended by US Governor Taft

The Americans (through the American Governor William Howard Taft) recommended to the
Philippine Commission, which was sponsored by the US, to declare Jose Rizal as a national hero
for the Filipinos. The Americans recommended Rizal because of the fact that he was executed by
the Spaniards and of his peaceful way to achieve liberty. Unlike Andres Bonifacio whose desire
to achieve independence for his native land required armed approach. The Americans deemed
this approach to independence of Andres Bonifacio to be unacceptable and may inspire other
Filipinos to rebel against American rule. This is why Jose Rizal was chosen over him as the
national hero. Jose Rizal was declared as the greatest Filipino hero during the American
colonization after the Aguinaldo led armed forces were subdued during the Philippine-American
war.
December 30th as National Day of Mourning
General Emilio Aguinaldo was the first one to declare December 30th as a national day of
mourning in honor of Rizal and others who have died fighting the Spanish tyranny.

The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword

The Philippine revolution led by Andres Bonifacio was fueled by the writings of Jose Rizal, Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which made a more lasting impression. This is one of the best
arguments of those who believe that Rizal is rightfully the national hero. Rizal was truly an
inspiration to many Filipinos during the Spanish period. According to the historian Rafael Palma,
Rizal was more deserving of the national hero title. Rizal was even thought to have suggested
that Antonio Luna lead the revolutionary forces since Luna has studied military science which
was a brilliant idea to lessen casualties against the powerhouse Spanish militia. Rizal believed
that only an army that was well prepared and had enough arms would ensure victory.

3. The childhood of our hero and his parents and siblings in order.
He was a typical Filipino, for few persons in this land of mixed
blood could boast a greater mixture than his. Practically all
the ethnic elements, perhaps even the Negrito in the far past,
combined in his blood. All his ancestors, except the doubtful
strain of the Negrito, had been immigrants to the Philippines, early
Malays, and later Sumatrans, Chinese of prehistoric times and the
refugees from the Tartar dominion, and Spaniards of old Castile and
Valencia--representatives of all the various peoples who have blended
to make the strength of the Philippine race.

Shortly before Jose's birth his family had built a pretentious new home
in the center of Kalamba on a lot which Francisco Mercado had inherited
from his brother. The house was destroyed before its usefulness had
ceased, by the vindictiveness of those who hated the man-child that
was born there. And later on the gratitude of a free people held the
same spot sacred because there began that life consecrated to the
Philippines and finally given for it, after preparing the way for the
union of the various disunited Chinese mestizos, Spanish mestizos,
and half a hundred dialectically distinguished "Indians" into the
united people of the Philippines.
At three he learned his letters, having insisted upon being
taught to read and being allowed to share the lessons of an elder
sister. Immediately thereafter he was discovered with her story book,
spelling out its words by the aid of the syllabary or "caton" which
he had propped up before him and was using as one does a dictionary
 in a foreign language.

The little boy spent also much of his time in the church, which was
conveniently near, but when the mother suggested that this might be
an indication of religious inclination, his prompt response was that
he liked to watch the people.

To how good purpose the small eyes and ears were used, the true-to-life
types of the characters in "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo"
testify.

Three uncles, brothers of the mother, concerned themselves with

the intellectual, artistic and physical training of this promising
nephew. The youngest, Jose, a teacher, looked after the regular
lessons. The giant Manuel developed the physique of the youngster,
until he had a supple body of silk and steel and was no longer a
sickly lad, though he did not entirely lose his somewhat delicate
looks. The more scholarly Gregorio saw that the child earned his candy
money--trying to instill the idea into his mind that it was not the
world's way that anything worth having should come without effort; he
taught him also the value of rapidity in work, to think for himself,
and to observe carefully and to picture what he saw.

Sometimes Jose would draw a bird flying without lifting pencil from the
paper till the picture was finished. At other times it would be a horse
running or a dog in chase, but it always must be something of which
he had thought himself and the idea must not be overworked; there was
no payment for what had been done often before. Thus he came to think
for himself, ideas were suggested to him indirectly, so he was never
a servile copyist, and he acquired the habit of speedy accomplishment.

Clay at first, then wax, was his favorite play material. From these he
modeled birds and butterflies that came ever nearer to the originals
in nature as the wise praise of the uncles called his attention to
possibilities of improvement and encouraged him to further effort. This
was the beginning of his nature study.

Jose had a pony and used to take long rides through all the surrounding
country, so rich in picturesque scenery. Besides these horseback
expeditions were excursions afoot; on the latter his companion was
his big black dog, Usman. His father pretended to be fearful of some
accident if dog and pony went together, so the boy had to choose
between these favorites, and alternated walking and riding, just as
 Mr. Mercado had planned he should. The long pedestrian excursions
of his European life, though spoken of as German and English habits,
were merely continuations of this childhood custom. There were other
playmates besides the dog and the horse, especially doves that lived
in several houses about the Mercado home, and the lad was friend
and defender of all the animals, birds, and even insects in the
neighborhood. Had his childish sympathies been respected the family
would have been strictly vegetarian in their diet.
The other recollection of Rizal's youth is of his first reading
lesson. He did not know Spanish and made bad work of the story of the
"Foolish Butterfly," which his mother had selected, stumbling over the
words and grouping them without regard to the sense. Finally Mrs. Rizal
took the book from her son and read it herself, translating the tale
into the familiar Tagalog used in their home. The moral is supposed
to be obedience, and the young butterfly was burned and died because
it disregarded the parental warning not to venture too close to the
alluring flame. The reading lesson was in the evening and by the
light of a coconut-oil lamp, and some moths were very appropriately
fluttering about its cheerful blaze. The little boy watched them as
his mother read and he missed the moral, for as the insects singed
their wings and fluttered to their death in the flame he forgot
their disobedience and found no warning in it for him. Rather he
envied their fate and considered that the light was so fine a thing
that it was worth dying for. Thus early did the notion that there
are things worth more than life enter his head, though he could not
foresee that he was to be himself a martyr and that the day of his
death would before long be commemorated in his country to recall to
his countrymen lessons as important to their national existence as
his mother's precept was for his childish welfare.

When he was four the mystery of life's ending had been brought home to
him by the death of a favorite little sister, and he shed the first
tears of real sorrow, for until then he had only wept as children do
when disappointed in getting their own way. It was the first of many
griefs, but he quickly realized that life is a constant struggle and
he learned to meet disappointments and sorrows with the tears in the
heart and a smile on the lips, as he once advised a nephew to do.

At seven Jose made his first real journey; the family went to Antipolo
with the host of pilgrims who in May visit the mountain shrine of Our
Lady of Peace and Safe Travel. In the early Spanish days in Mexico
she was the special patroness of voyages to America, especially while
the galleon trade lasted; the statue was brought to Antipolo in 1672.
Parents of Rizal
Don Francisco Rizal Mercado was born on May 11, 1818 and was the youngest of his 13
siblings. Mercado was a well respected man in their home town of Calamba in which citizens made him
the their "cabeza de barangay" (head of town.) He was of part Chinese descent, having been related to a
Chinese entrepreneur by the name of Domingo Lamco. Mercado die shortly after Rizal in the home of his
daughter, Narcisa Rizal in Binondo, Manila on January 5, 1898.

Dona Teodora Alonso was born on November 14, 1827 in Santa Cruz Manila. Her parents were
Lorenzo Alonso, a municipal captain and Brijida de Quintos, an educated housewife and had four other
siblings . It is said that her great grandfather, Eugenio Ursua was of Japanese ancestry making her of
Japanese descent. When Teodora was 20 years old, she married Francisco Mercado, a native from Binan,
Laguna. Together they prospered in Calamba after involving themselves in business and agriculture. She
was known to be a hardworking, intelligent, business minded woman. She died in 1913 in Manila.

Siblings in Order

 Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913) Eldest 1st child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel
Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.

 General Paciano Mercado Rizal aka "Lolo Ciano" was the only brother of Jose Rizal
and the 2nd child. He was born in 1851 and studied in Binan later attending school at the Colegio
de San Jose in Manila. After the execution of his brother, he joined in the Philippine Revolution
where he rose up to the ranks of a General. He later married Severina Decena of Los Banos and
had two children of which one died at an early age. Paciano passed away in 1930.

 Narcisa Rizal Lopez The 3rd child. was born in 1852 and was the one who found the
unmarked grave of her brother, Jose in the abandoned Old Paco Cemetery. Narcisa married
Antonio Lopez who was a teacher and musician from Morong, Rizal. She died in 1938.

 Olympia Rizal Ubaldo The 4th child. was born in 1855. She married Silvestre Ubaldo and
together they had three children. She died in 1887 when she was only 32 years old.

 Lucia Rizal Herbosa The 5th child.  was born in 1857. She married Mariano Herbosa and
had 5 children together. In 1889 Mariano died due to an epidemic but was denied a Christian
burial. This was due to the fact that he was the brother in law of Jose Rizal. This showed the
beginning of the persecution of the Rizal family by Spanish friars. Lucia died in 1919.
 Maria Cruz Rizal The 6th child.  was born in 1855. She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of
Binan, Laguna and together they had 5 children. Mauricio Cruz, one of Maria's children became a
student of Jose Rizal in Dapitan and was known to be one of his uncle's favorites. Maria was a
known recipient of many od Jose's letters during his lifetime. Maria died in 1945.

 Jose Rizal (1861-1896) The 2nd son and the 7th child.

 Conception Rizal (1862-1865) The 8th child. Died at the age of three.

 Josefa Rizal The 9th child was born in 1865. She was unmarried lived together with sister
Trinidad until death. Josefa was said to have suffered from epilepsy. She died in 1945.

 Trinidad Rizal The 10th child. was born in 1868. She remained unmarried and lived together
with her sister Josefa. Trinidad was the one who recieved an alcohol lamp from brother Jose, in
which he secretly hid the "Last Farewell" better known as "Mi Ultimos Adios," a poem Rizal
wrote on the eve of his death in 1896. Trinidad died in 1951, outliving all her siblings.

 Soledad Rizal Quintero The youngest child and 11th child was born in 1870 making her the
youngest of the Rizal siblings. She married Pantaleon Quintero and together they had 5 children.
Soledad died in 1929.