Bier @ | 4 - ” CHAPTER 4 THE LIFE 2 OF JOSE RIZAL biography narrates how a person has lived during a certain Period of time. It presents not only the life of an individual ‘and how he/she has influenced the society but also how an individual and his/her ideas have been shaped by historical events, José Rizal lived in the nineteenth century, a period in Philippine history when changes in Public consciousness were already being felt and Progressive ideas were being realized. Studying Rizal's biography, therefore, will lead to a better understanding of how Rizal devoted his life in shaping the Filipino character. This chapter will cover Rizal's life and how he became an important hero of the Philippines. LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: ' A. discuss about Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education; describe people and events that influenced Rizal's early life; 4 A explain Rizal's growth as a propagandist; and A identify the factors that led to Rizal's execution.THE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 41 Mette Lad Chinese mestizo — a person of mixed Chinese and Filipino ancestry principolia — the ruling and usually educated upper class in Spanish colonial Philippines Bochiller en Artes — Bachelor of Arts degree bestowed by colleges or universities Spanish Cortes.— Spain's lawmaking or legislative body ilustrado — a term which literally means “enlightened ones” or the Filipinos educated in Europe Masonry — fraternal organization which strives for moral betterment pA Rizal’s Family José Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in the town of Calamba, province of Laguna. Calamba, then a town with around three to four thousand inhabitants, is located 54 kilometers south of Manila. It is found in the heart of a region known for its agricultural prosperity and is among the major producers of sugar and rice, with an abundant variety of tropical fruits. On the southern part of the town lies the majestic Mount Makiling, and on the other side is the lake called Laguna de Bay. The wonders of creation that surrounded Rizal made him love nature from an early age. His student memoirs show how his love of nature influenced his appreciation of the arts and sciences (Coates, 1992). Rizal’s father, Francisco Mercado, was a wealthy farmer who leased lands from the Dominican friars. Francisco’s earliest ancestors were Siang-co and Zun-nio, who later gave birth to Lam-co. Lam-co is said to have come from the district of Fujian in southern China and migrated to the Philippines in the late 1600s. In 1697, he was baptized in Binondo, adopting “Domingo” as his first name. He married Ines de la Rosa ofa42 THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL in Binondo. Domingo and Ines later settled in the estate of San Isidro Labrador, owned by the Dominicans. In 1731, they had a son whom they named Francisco Mercado. The surname “Mercado,” which means “market,” was a common surname adopted by many Chinese merchants at that time (Reyno, 2012). Francisco Mercado became one of the richest in Bifian and owned the largest herd of carabaos. He was also active in local politics and was elected as capitan del pueblo in 1783. He had a son named Juan Mercado who was also elected as capitan del pueblo in 1808, 1813, and 1823 Mercado married Cirila Alejandra, g Francisco Engracio, the father Narciso Claveria’s decree in dopt Spanish surnames, urname “Rizal,” from as he later settled in known entrepreneurial family (Reyno, 2012). Juan a native of Biiian. They had 13 children, includin; of José Rizal. Following Governor 1849 which ordered the Filipinos to a Francisco Engracio Mercado added the s the word “ricial” meaning “green field,” the town of Calamba as a farmer growing sugar cane, rice, and indigo. Being in a privileged family, Francisco Engracio (1818-1898) had a good education that started in a Latin school in Bifian. Afterwards, he attended the College of San Jose in Manila. In 1848, Francisco married Teodora Alonso (1826-1911) who belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Manila. Teodora, whose father was a member of the Spanish Cortes, was educated at the College of Sta. Rosa. Rizal described her as “a woman of more than ordinary culture” and that she is “a mathematician and has read many books” (Letter to Blumentritt, November 8, 1888). Because of Francisco and Teodora’s industry and hardwork, their family became a prominent member of the principalia class in the town of Calamba. Their house was among the first concrete houses to be built in the town. Rafael Palma (1949, p. 1), one of the first biographers of José Rizal, described the family’s house:4 gee. , i ae nto ate was made if 1 the roof, which was of red “the buildings in Mona at that ae selected the hardest woods from the forest and had ther __ sawed; it took him more than two years to construct t ~ house. At the back there was an azotea and a wide, d cistern to hold rain water for home use. a ih i oo sind) le sek liven José Rizal (1861-1896) is the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso. The other children were: Saturnina (1850-1913); Paciano (1851-1930); Narcisa (1852-1939); Olimpia (1855-1887); Lucia (1857- 1919); Maria (1859-1945); Concepcion (1862-1865); Josefa (1865-1945); Trinidad (1868-1951); and Soledad (1870-1929). Rizal was affectionate to all his siblings. However, his relation with his only brother, Paciano, was more than that of an older brother. Paciano became Rizal’s second father. Rizal highly respected him and valued all his advice. It was Paciano who accompanied Rizal when he first went to school in Bifian. It was also him who convinced Rizal to pursue his studies in Europe. Like Rizal, Paciano had his college education in Manila but later decided to join the Katipunan and fight for independence. After the revolution, Paciano retired to his home in Los Bafios and led a quiet life until his death in 1930. Childhood and Early Education Rizal had good memories of childhood in Calamba. As a family, they prayed together during the Angelus. There were times when they would stay in the garden exchanging stories. It was in this garden where he learned to appreciate nature. Rizal’s childhood was full of love and care shown to him by his parentsRIZAL 44. THE LIFE AND WORKS oF Jose al had a personal servant him legends and fairy terested in myths and 0 his poor health, Riz: and siblings. Due Me ‘angels, ‘vould tell frer the dai : ; wen These stories made him become 17 folklores. «atelligence and learned As a young boy, Rizal demonstra dora eho taught him easily. His first teacher 0 oats eet eee how to pray. Hs oe he already showed a great interest alphabet heoke He enjoyed staying in their library at home ee Eventually, Dofia Teodora would notice Rizals skills in poetry. She would ask him to write verses. Later, she felt the need for a private tutor for the young Rizal. Just like the other children from the principalia class, Rizal experienced education under private tutors. His first private tutor was Maestro Celestino followed by Maestro Lucas Padua. But it was Leon Monroy, his third tutor, who honed his skills in basic Latin, reading, and writing. This home education from private tutors prepared Rizal to formal schooling which he first experienced in Bifian. At the age of nine, Rizal left Calamba with his brother to study in Bifian. After one-and-a-half hour of travel, they reached the town on board a carromata. They went to the house of their aunt where Rizal stayed for more than a year. Before leaving his brother, Paciano introduced Rizal to the teacher, Justiniano Aquino Cruz, who was also Paciano’s former teacher. , / The class, as described by Rizal (P. Jacinto. 1879), was ina nipa house, about thirty meters away from his Bined house pa ss Rizal would wake up early and either hear mass at our o'clock in the morning or study his lesson fj d mass after. After returning home, he would take b: Seas to class from which he would come out at ten 0’ i ey then again go to school at two o'clock and come ce ei te at five. He would pray with his cousin ix and th S at si hi before going nt and then study for a while } |THE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 45 In Bifian, he excelled in Latin and Spanish. He also had painting lessons under Maestro Cruz’ father-in-law, Juancho, an old painter. Rizal’s leisure hours were mostly spent in Juancho’s studio where he was given free lessons in painting and drawing. After receiving a letter from his sister, Saturnina, Rizal returned to Calamba on December 17, 1870 after one-and- a-half year of schooling in Bifian. He went home on board the steamship Talim and was accompanied by Arturo Camps, a Frenchman and friend of his father (P. Jacinto, 1879). Student of Manila Rizal was sent by his father to Ateneo Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia, for a six-year program, Bachiller en Artes. He took the entrance exam on June 10, 1872, four months after the execution of Gomburza. He followed the advice of his brother, Paciano, to use the name José Rizal instead of Jose Mercado. He feared that Rizal might run into trouble if it was known openly that they were brothers since Paciano was known to have links to Jose Burgos, one of the leaders of the secularization movement and one of three priests executed. During this time, Ateneo Municipal was known to offer the best education for boys. Like all colleges in Manila, Ateneo was managed by priests, but with an important difference in the sense that these religious were not friars but Jesuit Fathers. Students in Ateneo were required to attend masses in the morning before the start of classes. Ateneo was also known for its rigid discipline and religious instruction that trained students’ character. Ateneo were divided into two groups, the Students in e was Romans and the Carthaginians. The Roman Empire arding at Ateneo while the Carthaginian f non-boarding students. This grouping he spirit of competition among composed of students bo Empire was composed o was done to stimulate ¢46 THE LIFE AND WORKS OF Jose RIZAL al lagged behind his classmates but ‘ i dies, he becam; of his perseverance and seriousness in stucies, ne aes emperon? & title given to the most a student in class, in just a month’s time (Zaide & Zaide, . Rizal studied at Ateneo from 1872-1877. In those years, he consistently showed excellence in his academic - ore, He passed the oral examination on March 14, 1877 and graduated with a degree Bachiller en Artes, with the highest honors. After finishing Bachiller en Artes, Rizal was sent by Don Francisco to the University of Santo Tomas. Initially, Dofia Teodora opposed the idea for fear of what had happened to Gomburza. Despite this, Rizal still pursued university education and enrolled in UST. During his freshman year (1877-1878), he attended the course Philosophy and Letters. Also in the same year, he took up a vocational course in Ateneo that gave him the title perito agrimensor (expert surveyor) issued on November 25, 1881. the students. At the start, Riz In his second year at UST, Rizal shifted his course to Medicine. He felt the need to take up this course after learning about his mother’s failing eyesight. Rizal’ . : seth zal ae performance in UST was not as impressive at ae un teneo. He was a good student in Medicine but not as i ¢ was in Arts and Letters. Despite this, he was still one of the seven students who remained in : at UST out of the original batch of twenty-four (Jose, 2011) 5 * : In 1882, Rizal and Paciano made a secret pact i 80 to Europe to complete his medical studi "how eaten himself for the great task of . tyranny. the course in his last year Ss there and prepare liberat; iberating the country from Spanish Rizal in Europe On May 3, 1882, Rizal left the Phil ‘ . ippi . F first trip abroad, Rizal was very excit Ppines for Spain. In his ed to learn new things.THE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 47 He was only twenty years old and as a young man, he was very observant and eager to interact with foreign nationals. He made sketches of his fellow passengers and of the things that he saw during his travels. Rizal reached Barcelona on June 16, 1882. He arrived during the summer vacation so he was able to meet up with former classmates in Ateneo. These classmates organized a welcome party for Rizal at a coffee house in Plaza de Cataluiia. They toured Rizal around the city and brought him to the famous historical sites in Barcelona. In this city, Rizal found time to write an essay entitled “El Amor Patrio” (Love of Country). This essay was published on August 20, 1882 in Diariong Tagalog where he used the pen name Laong Laan. After the summer vacation, Rizal decided to move to Madrid where he enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid (presently the Universidad Complutense de Madrid) on November 3, 1882. He also took lessons in painting and sculpture at the Academia de San Fernando, and classes in French, English, and German at the Madrid Ateneo. Not content with these activities, he still managed to enroll in fencing class at the schools of Sanz and Carbonell. In January of 1883, Rizal wrote to his family and informed them that: “I am now studying Italian and have made a bet that I shall be able to speak it in two months” (Guerrero, 2010). Rizal was awarded with the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine for passing the medical examinations in June 1884. With this title, Rizal was able to practice medicine. He continued enrolling in courses that would have led to a Doctorate in Medicine but the degree was not given to him because he failed to pay the fee required to defend his thesis. It is important to note that at this time, Rizal was already feeling the effect of the difficult economic situation in Calamba. His family faced financial problems brought about by low crop production because of drought and locusts aggravated by the hike in renta48 THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAE nicans. Consequently, there wer, : he Domi on the haciendas by the Do from the Philippines. delays in his monthly allowance Rizal also took examinations in Greek, Latin, and worlg history. He won the the first prize in Greek and a grade Be “excellent” in history. He also obtained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters) from the Universidad Central de Madrid on June 19, 1885 with a rating of sobresaliente. In between his studies, Rizal made time for meeting fellow s in Madrid. Known as ilustrados, these Filipinos he Circulo Hispano-Filipino which h activities like poetry-reading and d poet, Rizal was asked to write (They Ask Me for Filipino: (enlightened ones) formed tl held informal programs wit debates. As a prolific writer an a poem. Asa result, he wrote Mi Piden Versos Verses). In one of the Filipino reunions at the house of Pedro Paterno in Madrid on January 2, 1884, Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippine society. The group approved the project but this plan did not materialize. His fellow Filipinos who agreed to help him did not write anything so he drafted the novel alone. It was in Madrid that he was able to write the first half of his novel, Noli Me Tangere. While in Madrid, Rizal was exposed to liberal ideas through the masons that he met. He was impressed with the masons’ view about knowledge and reasoning and how they value brotherhood. He joined the Masonry and became a Master Mason at the Lodge Solidaridad on November 15, 1890. Filipinos in Madrid occasionally visited Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, the former city mayor of Manila under the term of Governor-General Carlos Maria de la Torre. Rizal joined his fellow Filipinos at Don Pablo’s house where he met and became attracted to Consuelo, Don Pablo’s daughter. However, Rizal did not pursue her because of his commitment to Leonor Rivera His friend, Eduardo de Lete, was also in love with Consuelo but didTHE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 49 not want to ruin their friendship. In 1883, Rizal wrote a poem for Consuelo entitled A Sefiorita C. O. y R. Rizal specialized in ophthalmology and trained under the leading ophthalmologists in Europe like Dr. Louis de Weckert of Paris for whom he worked as an assistant from October 1885 to March 1886. In Germany, he also worked with expert ophthalmologists Dr. Javier Galezowsky and Dr. Otto Becker in Heidelberg in 1886 and Dr. R. Schulzer and Dr. Schwiegger in 1887 (De Viana, 2011). During his stay in Germany, Rizal befriended different scholars like Fredrich Ratzel, a German historian. Through his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal was also able to meet Feodor Jagor and Hans Virchow, anthropologists who were doing studies on Philippine culture. Rizal mastered the German language and wrote a paper entitled Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art). He also translated Schiller’s William Tell into Tagalog in 1886. It was also in Berlin where he finished Noli Me Tangere which was published on March 21, 1887 with financial help from his friend Maximo Viola. After five years in Europe, Rizal went home to Calamba on August 8, 1887. He spent time with the members of his family who were delighted to see him again. He also kept himself busy by opening a medical clinic and curing the sick. He came to be known as Doctor Uliman as he was mistaken for a German. His vacation, however, was cut short because he was targeted by the friars who were portrayed negatively in his novel Noli Me Tangere. He left the country for the second time on February 16, 1888. Rizal’s Second Trip to Europe Rizal became more active in the dos like Marcelo H. Mariano Ponce, In his second trip, Propaganda Movement with fellow ilustra del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna,50 THE Lire AND WORKS OF Cw ra. The Propaganda Movement as: (1) for the Philippines to j, tive Filipinos would hay, (2) representation of the and (3) secularization of and Trinidad Pardo de Tave campaigned for reforms such eo made a province of Spain so pat equal rights accorded to a Philippines in the Spanis! 5 parishes. Rizal became preoce which were published in t upied with writing articles and essay, he Propaganda Movement’s newspaper, La Solidaridad. Among his intellectual works in Europe is his ae f Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipings 11890) in which Rizal showed that even before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos already had a leveloped culture. He also wrote an essay entitled “Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos» (On the Indolence of the Filipinos) pu lished in 1890 in which he attributed the Filipinos’ “indolence” to different factors such as climate and social disorders. Another essay he wrote strongly called for reforms; it was called “Filipinas Dentro de Cien Afios” (The Philippines a Century Hence) published in parts from 1889 to 1890. By July 1891, while in Brussels, Rizal completed his second novel, El Filibusterismo, which was published on September 18, 1891 through the help of his friend, Valentin Ventura. Compared with his Noli, Rizal’s El Fili was more radical with its narrative portrayed of a society on the verge of a revolution. In 1892, Rizal decided to return to the Philippines thinking that the real struggle was in his homeland. In spite of warnings and his family’s disapproval, Rizal arrived in the Philippines on June 26, 1892, Immediately, he visited his friends in Central Luzon and encouraged them to join the La Liga Filipina, a socio-civic organization that Rizal established on July 3, 1892. Unfortunately, just a few days after the Liga’s formation, Rizal was arrested and brought to Fort Santiago on July 6 1892, He was charged with bringing with him , entitled Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars), Dominican friars and their accumulat from Hong Kong leaflets a satire against the rich ion of wealth which wasTHE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 51 against their vow of poverty. In spite of his protests and denial of having those materials, Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao Exile in Dapitan Rizal arrived in Dapitan on board the steamer Cebu on July 17, 1892. Dapitan (now a city within Zamboanga del Norte) was a remote town in Mindanao which served as a politico-military outpost of the Spaniards in the Philippines. It was headed by Captain Ricardo Carnicero, who became a friend of Rizal during his exile. He gave Rizal the permission to explore the place and required him to report once a week in his office. The quiet place of Dapitan became Rizal’s home from 1892 to 1896. Here, he practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, and continued his artistic pursuits in sculpture, painting, sketching, and writing poetry. He established a school for boys and promoted community development projects. He also found time to study the Malayan language and other Philippine languages. He engaged himself in farming and commerce and even invented a wooden machine for making bricks. On September 21, 1892, Rizal won the second prize in a lottery together with Ricardo Carnicero and another Spaniard. His share amounted to 6,200 pesos. A portion of Rizal’s purchasing land approximately one na place known as Talisay. He f Talisay as well as a school and winnings was used in kilometer away from Dapitan i built his house on the seashore o a hospital within the area. In his letter to Blumentritt described his daily activities in Dapitan: live here. I have a square nd another octagonal— d nipa. In the square ew and I live, e boys whom (December 19, 1893), Rizal Lam going to tell you how we house, another hexagonal, a all made of bamboo, wood an er Trinidad, a neP my mother, sist 1 my boys live—som In the octagona52 THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL 1 teach arithmetic, Spanish and English—and now and then a patient who has been operated on. In the hexagonal are my chickens. From my house I hear the murmur of a crystalline rivulet that comes from the high rocks. I see the beach, the sea where I have two small crafts—two canoes or barotos, as they call them here, | have many fruit trees—mangoes, lanzones, guyabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats, etc. I get up early—at 5:00. I visit my fields, I feed the chickens, I wake up my folks, and start them moving. At 7:30 we take breakfast—tea, pastry, cheese, sweets, etc, Afterwards I treat my poor patients who come to my land. I dress and go to the town in my baroto, I treat the people there and I return at 12:00 and take lunch. Afterwards, I teach the boys until 4:00 and I spend the afternoon farming. I spend the evening reading and studying. Relative to Rizal’s project to improve and beautify Dapitan, he made a big relief map of Mindanao in the plaza and used it to teach geography. With this map, which still exists today, he discussed to the town people the position of Dapitan in relation to other places of Mindanao. Assisted by his pupils, Rizal also constructed a water system to supply the town with water for drinking and irrigation. He also helped the people in putting up lampposts at every corner of the town. Having heard of Rizal’s fame as an ophthalmologist, George Taufer who was suffering from an eye ailment traveled from Hong Kong to Dapitan. He was accompanied by his adopted daughter, Josephine Bracken, who eventually fell in love with Rizal. They lived as husband and wife in Rizal’s octagonal house after being denied the sacrament of marriage by Father Obach, the parish priest of Dapitan, due to Rizal’s refusal t0 retract his statements against the Church and to accept other conditions. ee keTHE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL 53 On the eve of June 21, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela visited Rizal in Dapitan and informed him about the founding of Katipunan and the planned revolution. Rizal objected to it, citing the importance of a well-planned movement with sufficient arms. Meanwhile, Rizal had been sending letters to then Governor- General Ramon Blanco. Twice he sent letters, one in 1894 and another in 1895. He asked for a review of his case. He said that if his request would not be granted, he would volunteer to serve as a surgeon under the Spanish army fighting in the Cuban revolution. On July 30, 1896, Rizal’s request to go to Cuba was approved. The next day, he left for Manila on board the steamer Espana. And on September 3, 1896, he boarded the steamer Isla de Panay which would bring him to Barcelona. Upon arriving at the fort, however, Governor-General Despujol told him that there was an order to ship him back to Manila. On November 3, 1896, Rizal arrived in Manila and was immediately brought to Fort Santiago. Trial and Execution The preliminary investigation of Rizal’s case began on November 20, 1896. He was accused of being the main organizer of the revolution by having proliferated the ideas of rebellion and of founding illegal organizations. Rizal pleaded not guilty festo appealing to the revolutionaries lawyer, Lt. Luis Taviel de However, on December 26, ad. José Rizal was and even wrote a mani to discontinue the uprising. Rizal’s Andrade, tried his best to save Rizal. 1896, the trial ended and the sentence was re found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad. na On December 28, 1896, Governor-Genera, heal ec Polavieja signed the court decision. He ee eee ; al executed by firing squad at 7:00 a.m. of Dece .ON 54 THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL Rizal, on his last remaining days, composed his longest poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, which was about his farewell to the Filipino people. When his mother and sisters visited him on December 29, 1896, Rizal gave away his remaining possessions, He handed his gas lamp to his sistet Trinidad and murmured softly in English, “There is something inside.” Eventually, Trining and her sister Maria would extract from the lamp the copy of Rizal’s last poem. At 6:30 in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, in black suit with his arms tied behind his back, walked to Bagumbayan. The orders were given and shots were fired. Consummatum est! (“It is finished!”) Rizal died offering his life for his country and its freedom. Chapter Questions Briefly answer the following: 1. Describe the background of Rizal’s ancestry that might have contributed to his life and education. 2. Compare the experiences of Rizal as a student in Ateneo Municipal, UST, and in Madrid.