Kirsten Lopez BSTMOUMN 3-B

QAQ 1 | Sojourn in Europe

How was Jose Rizal buried?

Before being put to death on December 30, 1896, Rizal sent an undated letter to his family
at Fort Santiago that had the following instructions: "Bury me in the earth, set a stone and a
cross over it. My name, birthdate, and passing date. Nothing further. You may eventually
erect a fence to enclose my grave if you choose. Zero anniversaries. Where the current
Manila North Cemetery is located, I much prefer Paang Bundok. All of these
recommendations were ignored, with the exception of building a fence around his burial at
the Rizal monument in Manila's Luneta Park.Aside from this non-compliance with Rizal’s
wish, what happened to his remains after he was shot in Bagumbayan field on 30 December
1896? Rizal’s remains were secretly buried without a coffin.

The body of Rizal was transported in a van and interred at the old, deserted Paco cemetery
in the strictest of secrecy. Sra. Rizal's mother, Teodora, wished to carry out her son's dying
request that his remains be cared for by his family. Following several protests from various
Spanish government representatives, Civil Governor Manuel Luengo granted Sra. Teodora.
When the funeral vehicle left, however, they had already surreptitiously carried the body
away, and Rizal's sister Narcisa searched in vain across all the cemeteries in Manila for his
remains. She noticed some guardia civiles on her way back via the Paco cemetery's open
gate.She got a hint from this. After looking for a while, she finally spotted a recently dug-in
grave that was covered in soil in the cemetery. She gave some cash to the grave digger and
erected a plaque bearing the initials of her brother, R.P.J., which stands for Rizal, Protacio
Jose.

Narcisa Rizal, Rizal's sister, requested permission from the new authorities to exhume her
brother's remains a few days after the Americans captured Manila in August 1898. The
go-ahead was given. Rizal's body had not yet been put in a coffin when it was discovered
after the body had been unearthed. When the shoes were found, whatever was concealed
inside of them had already vanished. The Paco cemetery's reinterment procedures were
followed once the remains were put in a suitable state. The sepulchre was then properly
cared for. Rizal's remains were moved from the Paco cemetery to the base of the monument
that had previously been erected at the Luneta in 1911. His elderly mother was still alive and
able to participate in the celebrations. She died a few weeks later. It appears that Rizal's
mother made an effort to survive her son, to live till her son's memory was formally justified.

“Why did Rizal choose to study in Europe and not in the Philippines?”