a tribute to our national hero,

Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Rizal’s Childhood….
In Calamba, Laguna 19 June
1861,
Jose Rizal, the seventh child
of Francisco Mercado Rizal
and Teodora Alonso y Quintos,
was born in Calamba, Laguna.
22 June 1861. He was baptized
JOSE RIZAL MERCADO
at the Catholic of Calamba by
the parish priest
Rev. Rufino Collantes with
Rev. Pedro Casañas as the
sponsor.
The parochial church of Calamba
and the canonical books, including
the book in which Rizal’s baptismal records
were entered, were burned.
(September 28, 1862)

Barely three years old, on 1864, Rizal learned

the alphabet from his mother, who served as
his first teacher. His father hired a classmate
by the name of Leon Monroy who, for five
months until his (Monroy) death, taught
Rizal the rudiments of Latin.
On 1865, his sister Conception, the
eight child in
the Rizal family, died at the age of
three. It was
on this occasion that Rizal
remembered having
shed real tears for the first time.
 At about this time two of his
mother’s cousin frequented
Calamba. Uncle Manuel
Alberto, seeing Rizal frail in
body, concerned himself with
the physical development
of his young nephew and
taught the latter love for the
He advised Rizal: "Work hard and
Open air and developed in
perform every task him a great admiration for the
very carefully; learn to be swift as well
as thorough; Beauty of nature, while Uncle
be independent in thinking and make Gregorio, a scholar,
visual pictures
of everything." instilled into the mind of the
boy love for education.
In 1869 at the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem
Entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kabata.“
The poem was written in Tagalog and had
for its theme “Love of One’s Language."

Main menu…
First School…..

One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose and

his brother Paciano left Calamba for Binan.
The next morning (Monday) Paciano
brought Jose to the school of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
In the afternoon of his first day in school, Jose
met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this
bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher. Jose
challenged Pedro to a fight. Jose, having
learned the art of wrestling from his athletic
Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.
After the class, a classmate named
Andres Salandanan challenged him
to an arm-wrestling match. Jose,
having the weaker arm, lost and
nearly cracked his head on the
sidewalk.
Near the school was the house of an
old painter, called Juancho. Jose
spent hours at the painter’s studio.
Juancho freely gave him lessons in
drawing and painting. Jose and his
classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also
loved painting, became apprentices
of the old painter.
In academic studies, Jose beat all
Binan boys. He surpassed them all
in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects. They were all jealous of his
intellectual superiority.
Before the Christmas season in 1870,
Jose received a letter from his sister
Saturnina, informing him of the
arrival of the steamer Talim which
would take him from Binan to
Calamba. He left Binan on Saturday
afternoon, December 17, 1870.
The Gomburza’s martyrdom was deeply mourned by
the Rizal family especially Paciano and many other
patriotic families in the Philippines.
(Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora), despite the
archbishop’s plea for clemency because of their
innocence, were executed at sunrise, February 17,
1872, by the order of Governor General Izquierdo.
 Ateneo
Municipal

In 1877, at the age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of

Arts degree with an average of "excellent" from the
Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
In the same year, he enrolled in Philosophy and
Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while at
the same time took courses leading to the degree of
surveyor and expert assessor at the Ateneo.
• In the same year, he enrolled in
Philosophy and Letters at the
University of Santo Tomas, while at
the same time took courses leading to
the degree of surveyor and expert
assessor at the Ateneo.
• He finished the latter course on March
21, 1877 and passed the Surveyor’s
examination on May 21, 1878; but
because of his age, 17, he was not
granted license to practice the
profession until December 30, 1881.
In 1878, he enrolled in medicine at
the University of Santo Tomas.
Because of the unfriendly
attitude of his professors towards
Filipino students, Rizal failed to
win high scholastic honors.
 Rizal’s Decision to Study Abroad
• On May 3, 1882, he sailed for Spain
where he continued his studies at
the Central Universidad de
Madrid. On June 21, 1884, at the
age of 23, he was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine
and on June 19,1885, at the age of
24, he finished his course in
Philosophy and Letters with a
grade of "excellent."
Central Unibersidad de Madrid..

Where Rizal continued

his studies abroad..
 The Secret Mission
• In the hope of securing political
and social reforms for his country
and at the same time educate his
countrymen, Rizal, the greatest
apostle of Filipino nationalism,
published, while in Europe, several
works with highly nationalistic and
revolutionary tendencies.
Having traveled extensively in
Europe, America and Asia, he
mastered 22 languages. These
include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese,
English, French, German, Greek,
Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin,
Malayan, Portuguese, Russian,
Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and
other native dialects.
In March 1887, his daring book, NOLI ME
TANGERE, a satirical novel exposing the
arrogance and despotism of the Spanish
clergy, was published in Berlin;
In 1890 he reprinted in Paris,
Morga’s
SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS
FILIPINAS with his annotations to
prove that the Filipinos had a
civilization worthy to be proud of
even long before the Spaniards set
foot on Philippine soil; on
September 18, 1891, EL
FILIBUSTERISMO, his second
novel and a sequel to the NOLI and
more revolutionary and tragic than
the latter, was
printed in Ghent.
As a consequence, he and those
who had contacts with him,
were shadowed; the
authorities were not only
finding faults but even
fabricating charges to pin
him down.
Thus, he was imprisoned in
Fort Santiago from July 6,
1892 to July 15, 1892 on a
charge that anti-friar
pamphlets were found in the
luggage of his sister Lucia
who arrive with him from Main menu…
Hong Kong.
The Exile….
Rizal was exiled in Dapitan. During this
time, Rizal won a Lottery. He used his
winning to purchase a land which
made him he engaged in agriculture,
fishing and business; he maintained
and operated a hospital; he conducted
classes- taught his pupils the English
and Spanish languages, the arts.
 Houses built for Rizal in Dapitan
which served as his Home,.
This house was intended to be
a house where Rizal would stay
with his sisters during their
regular visit.

A house for Rizal’s students

to learn
• The sciences, vocational courses including
agriculture, surveying, sculpturing, and
painting, as well as the art of self defense; he
did some researches and collected
specimens; he entered into correspondence
with renowned men of letters and sciences
abroad; and with the help of his pupils, he
constructed water dam and a relief map of
Mindanao - both considered remarkable
engineering feats.
When the Philippine Revolution started on
August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in
pressing him down. They were able to enlist
witnesses that linked him with the revolt
and these were never allowed to be
confronted by him.

Main menu…
Martyrdom….
• On November 3, Rizal came back to the
Philippines via Colon steamship, And the
Preliminary Investigation for Rizal started.
Evidences were presented both testimonial
and documentary. With his defender, Don
Luis Taviel de Andrade, Rizal was given the
right to create his own defense council.
In his prison cell (Fort Santiago), he wrote an
untitled poem, now known as "Ultimo
Adios" which is considered a masterpiece
and a living document expressing not only
the hero’s great love of country but also that
of all Filipinos.
After a mock trial, he was convicted of
rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal
association.
On December 28, 1896, Gov. Polavieja
approved the decision of the court martial
and ordered at Bagumbayan field (now
Luneta).
In the cold morning of December 30, 1896,
Rizal, a man whose 35 years of life had been
packed with varied activities which proved
that the Filipino has capacity to equal if not
excel even those who treat him as a slave,
was shot at Bagumbayan Field.
“I die just when I see the dawn break,
Through the gloom of night, to herald the day;
And if color is lacking my blood thou shalt take,
Pour’d out at need for thy dear sake,
To dye with its crimson the waking ray.”

--Rizal(3rd stanza of Rizal’s farewell poem)

Mi Ultimo Adios
Attributes to Rizal..
A versatile genius, he was an
architect, artists, businessman,
cartoonist, educator, economist,
ethnologist, scientific farmer,
historian, inventor, journalist,
linguist, musician, mythologist,
nationalist, naturalist, novelist,
opthalmic surgeon, poet,
propagandist, psychologist,
scientist, sculptor, sociologist,
and theologian.
Main menu…
 Sources
• Dumol, P.A. (2018). The Nation as Project “Readings in Rizal’s Life” Manila:
Vibal
• Coates, A. (1968). Rizal, Philippine Nationalist and Martyr. Oxford: Oxford
University Press
• Pangilinan, M. C. (2015). Dr. Jose Rizal: Life, works, and writings. Manila:
Mindshaper. 959.902092 P193 2015
• Francisco, V. J. (2015). Jose P. Rizal: A College Textbook on Jose Rizal’s life
and writings. Manila: Unlimited Books Library. 959.902092 F847 2015
• Valenzuela, E. E. (2014). Rizal and Other Heroes: Their relevance in
modern Filipino nationalism. Manila: Unlimited Books Library. 959.902092
V235 2014
• De Viana, A. V. (2011). Jose Rizal In Our Times: a guide for better
understanding of the Philippines’ foremost national hero. Mandaluyong
City: Books Atbp. Publishing. 959.902092 D494 2014
• Zaide, G.F. (2013). Jose Rizal: Life, works, and writings. Mandaluyong City:
National Book Store. 923.2599 213 2013