Life and Works of Rizal

against Recto but a fight against Rizal”

-Ocampo, 2012
Republic Act 1425 or Rizal
Law Co-Authored by: JOSE P. LAUREL

José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso “He elucidated that since Dr. Jose Rizal
Realonda was the founder of the country’s
nationalism and had significantly
“An Act to include in the Curricula of contributed to the current condition of
all public and private schools, colleges the nation, it is only proper and right
and universities courses on the life, that Filipinos, especially the youth,
works and writings of Jose Rizal, know about and learn to absorb the
particularly his novels Noli me Tangere great ideals for which the hero died.”
and El Filibusterismo, authorizing the
May 17, 1956: revised amendments,
printing and distribution thereof, and
the bill was finally passed
for other purposes.”
June 12, 1956: was signed into law as
• The law concerns mandating the RA. 1425 by PRESIDENT RAMON
students to read Rizal's novels. MAGSAYSAY
AIMS
• Recognize the relevance of
Jose Rizal's ideas, thoughts,
teaching, and life values to OPPOSITIONS to the BILL
present conditions in the
community and country and • Catholic Church • 3
apply them in the solution to Senators • 9 Members of the
day-to-day situations and lower house • 5 Groups
problems of contemporary life. Roman Catholic Organizations
• Develop an understanding and
appreciation of the qualities, • opposed the bill because some
behavior, and character of characters who are portrayed
Rizal and thus foster the as bad in the novel represent
development of moral the catholic church
character and personal • due to the inclusion of
discipline. compulsory reading of
Rizal’s novels in which
SENATE BILL 438 according to them, catholic
dogmas are humiliated
Dogma in the broad sense is any belief held
Bill: proposal for a new law, or a proposal to
unquestioningly and with undefended certainty
significantly change an existing law. A bill does
not become law until it is passed by the legislature
and has been, in most cases, approved by the • catholic elements asserted that
executive. the bill was an attempt to
discredit their religion and
Act to make Noli Me Tangere and El that it violates religious
Filibusterismo compulsory reading freedom
matter in all public and private colleges • Catholic was indirectly
and Universities and for other purposes. included in the debates and
Authored by: CLARO M. RECTO played a major role for the
intervention of signing of the
“The people who would eliminate the bill into a law
books of Rizal from the schools would
blot out from our minds the memory of
the national hero. This is not a fight
OPPOSER’S ARGUMENTS
• The Bill would go against
freedom of conscience and
religion.
• (CBCP) Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
submitted a pastoral letter to
which according, Rizal
violated Canon Law 1399
which forbids or bans books
that attack or ridicule the
catholic doctrine and practices
• After Oppositions
Scrutiny (Catholic
Hierarchical) they argued
that:
i. 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere ii.
only 25 passages are nationalistic
iii. 120 passages are anti – Catholic
iv. 170 Passages of Noli Me
Tangere and 50 Passages in El
Filibusterismo are against the
catholic faith
• also pointed out that Rizal
admitted that he did not only
attack the friars who acted
deceptively on the Filipinos
but also the Catholic faith
itself
RIZALIAN ANTHALOGY: a reading
material for suggested for students
which is a collection of Rizal’s literary
works that contain the patriotic
philosophy excluding the two novels
PROPONENT’s
ARGUMENTS
NATIONALISM: National Identity
PATRIOTISM: Love for the country
• To instill the values to the
children who are in their prime
years of growing and learning.
• Embedding a profound and
authentic moral character and a
strong sense of personal
discipline in the youth would
yield proficient, genuine, and
selfless Filipinos of the future
who would turn the Philippines
from an impoverished country
to a globally competitive
nation.
• To be experienced by all
student’s even those who are
financially troubled it is
commendable that in the
context of this act, the poor are
well represented and that it is
attainable regardless of
ethnicity, social stature, and
language barriers.
• To gain an inspiring source of
patriotism through the study of
Rizal’s life, works and
writings.
Republic Act 229
• an act prohibiting
cockfighting, horse racing, and
jai-alai on the thirtieth day of
December of each year • also
mandates creating a committee
to take charge of the proper
celebration of Rizal Day in
every municipality and
chartered city and for other
purposes
PH Systems in 19th Century
• Filipinos in the 19th century
had suffered from
FEUDALISTIC and master-
slave relationships with the
Spaniards
Feudalism: The dominant social system in
medieval Europe, in which the nobility held
lands from the Crown in exchange for
military service, and vassals were in turn
tenants of the nobles, while the peasants
were obliged to live on their lord's land and
give him homage, labor, and a share of the
produce, notionally in exchange for military
protection.
• The king has vast lands and
each land have a landlord
(military leader) that had
peasants who would work for
them in exchange for military
protection, and the landlords
would pay the king with taxes
 and crops that the peasants had POLO Y SERVICIO: “FORCED
worked on. LABOR”
• friars took the lands of the
Filipinos forcefully because • every Indio was forced to work
Filipinos at that time did not to keep the ships maintained if
have any titles for their lands they were of working age
which was
PRE-COLONIAL ERA SLAVES 18-60 for 40-day periods
• treated them badly by
Slaves have little rights.

• Sagigilid: a servant that lived

around the house of their
master; needs the permission
of his master for him/her to
marry
• Namamahay: a servant that
lived in their own little house
on the property of their master;
has the right to marry on his
own free will.

COLONIAL ERA SLAVES

• not fed well and most often

discriminated, and maltreated underpaying them
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION CASH CROP ECONOMY

• The term “PILIPINO”/ • replaced Galleon Trade

“FILIPINO” was coined
during the Revolution by the
middle and lowest class
ECONOMY
GALLEON TRADE
• trading between MEXICO and
PHILIPPINES
• Galleon trade because of the
ships that used which is called
Galleon Ships which were
huge and mainly for trading
MONOPOLY SYSTEM
• a type of economic market
structure where there is only
one seller or provider for a
particular product or service
• a single company or entity
(SPANIARDS) has complete
control and dominance over a
specific industry or market
• Tributo: tax
• an agricultural system that
primarily grows crops for the
purpose of selling them in
markets, both domestic and
international, rather than for
local consumption or
subsistence
• crops are often referred to as
"cash crops" because they are
grown primarily to generate
income or cash
POLITICAL
• under one central government
or centralized power
• Spanish colonial government
in the Philippines ran
indirectly through the viceroy
of Spain in Mexico
VICEROY: representative of
the King
GOVERNOR-GENERAL (Spaniards
Only)
• Appointed by the Spanish
monarch, the head of the
Spanish Colonial Government
 • the Vice Royal Patron, he
could nominate priests for
administration of the parishes
• head of the Royal Audiencia –
judicial (modern day Supreme
Court)
• has legislative powers (create
laws)
• power of cumplase (power to
decide which law or royal
decree should be implemented
or disregarded)
RESIDENCIA/ VISITADOR
(Spaniards Only)
• Assigned to investigate abuses
of the power given to
government officials (modern
day Ombudsman)
• Residencia – Work only in the
Philippines
• Visitador – Travels to work in
other colonies
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
i. Alcalde Mayor (Spaniards
Only)
• Provincial Governor
• Exercise executive and judicial
functions
• collects taxes
• Indulto de Commercio: right
to participate in trading makes
them one of the most corrupt
positions
• Alcaldia: jurisdiction of the
Alcalde
ii. Gobernadorcillo (Filipinos
only)
• Town (Pueblos) Mayor
• position of Emilio Aguinaldo
iii. Cabeza de barangay
(Filipinos only)
• Barrios or barangay
• Maintenance of peace and
order
• Collection of tax and tributes
in the barangay
FRIARS
• church can interfere with the
government during these times
because of Friars
• supervising
representative of the
Spanish
Government for local affairs
• approval was necessary for
almost all acts of the local
officials
• became more powerful and
influential that even civil
authorities feared them
• They advise the governor-
general
FRAILOCRACIA: rule of the friars
coined by Lopez Jaena
This is primarily because of
the faith of the people which became a
catalyst to easily manipulate them.
Their loyalty to the church was because
they believe that it is next to their god.
INDULHENSYA/INDULGENCE:
You can pay for your sins for you to be
forgiven.
GUARDIA CIVIL
• National Police of Spain
ENEMIES OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND CHURCH
• Filibusteros: enemies of the
Government
• Erehes: enemies of the
Catholic Church
ISSUES
• The Spanish Colonial
Administration was corrupt
and inefficient.
• The governor-general
exercised absolute powers- he
could reward positions in
bureaucracy to his favorites.
• Another source of weakness
and abuse of the Spanish
government was the
widespread selling of
government positions.
• The friars became more
powerful than the colonial
government administration.
EDUCATION
• was mostly run by the Church
• women have no Formal
Education
 • Spanish friars and missionaries converted indigenous
educated the natives and populations to the
Catholic faith

• made Manila the first Primate

city in Southeast Asia by the
early 17th century o
MODERN PUBLIC Manila is one of the oldest
SYSTEM SCHOOLS (1857) cities in SEA
1700s.

GOMBURZA (FEB 17, 1872)

• Because of the Cavite Mutiny, Izquierdo accused the GOMBURZA of being the cause of
the Mutiny because of their Filipinization movement.

• Friars and Jesuits are afraid that the

Filipinization might proceed, and they
might be removed from
Parishes causing them to accuse GOMBURZA.
• Because of this, the 3 priests are
sentenced to death by means of
GAROTE (until the bone of the neck
is
crushed)

Education Decree by: Segismundo Moret

• Proposed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring

teaching positions in such schools to be filled by competitive examinations.
• Moret was Pro-Filipino he wanted to let Filipino
Friars teach in schools.
• Was removed by Izquierdo in government because of being a pro-Filipino.

DIED: FEBRUARY 17, 1872

• Burgos was crying
• Gomez has no emotions seemingly accepted their
situation
• Zamora fainted before they are killed
•
JOSE BURGOS (Insulares)- youngest
• a friend of De la Torre

JACINTO ZAMORA (Insulares) -40

• prideful
• Snubbed a Spanish authority (a friend of Izquierdo)
who came to visit Manila that’s the reason why he was
accused and sentenced unfairly
• “magdala ng baril at pulbura” which was meant for his
gambling tendencies was used as evidence for
their accusation
MARIANO GOMEZ (Mestizo)- 70
• Old man
• nationalistic

Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

• (Older brother of Jose Rizal)

• witnessed the death of the GOMBURZA
• he is the sacristan of one of the priest
• He is 15 years old at that time.
• Jose Rizal (11 years old) is in Sto. Thomas during those times received a
message of the death of the
GOMBURZA
 Rizal’s Fam and Childhood better than I. She corrected my poems and gave
me good advice when I was studying rhetoric.
She is a mathematician and has read many
Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Alonso y Realonda Birthdate: books”.
June 19, 1861 • seventh child of Don Francisco Mercado and
Doña Teodora Alonso
• born on moonlit of Wednesday between eleven and
midnight after a painful and difficult labor on the part
of his mother, to use the words, “into the valley of
tears”
• After three days, Father Rufino Collantes baptized
the baby, who was named Jose Protacio, in honor of
Saint Joseph and Saint Protacio at the lakeshore town
of Calamba, Laguna.
• Writer Felice Prudente Santa Maria’s book, In
Excelsis once explained why Rizal was called “Pepe”.
o “Saint Joseph was the putative (commonly
accepted) father of Jesus Christ
o In Latin, San Jose’s name is always followed
by the letters “P.P” for pater putativus
o In Spanish, the letter “P” is pronounced
“peh” giving rise to the nickname Pepe for Rizal’s Siblings
Jose.”
• original baptismal record was burnt in 1862 o only 1. Saturnina (1850-1913)
restored through the help of reliable eye witnesses, • She is oldest of the Rizal children and was nicknamed
under the direction of Father Leoncio Lopez, a “Neneng” by the family.
Filipino priest at the church across the street, and a • She married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan,
friend of the Mercado family Batangas.
• As a boy, Pepe loved to visit Father Lopez, with
whom he could talk about anything 2. Paciano (1851-1930)
o Father Lopez became Pepe’s inspiration in • the older brother and confidant of Jose Rizal
characterizing Father Florentino in the “El • after his younger brother’s execution, he joined the
Filibusterismo” Philippine Revolution and became a combat general
Rizal’s Parents • after the Revolution, he retired to his farm in Los
Baños, where he lived as a gentleman farmer
Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) • born in Biñan, • died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79
Laguna on May 11, 1818 • He had two children by his mistress (Severina Decena)
• He studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San – a boy and a girl
Jose in Manila and became a tenant-farmer of the
3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
Dominican
• owned hacienda as a hardy and independent-minded • Her pet name was Sisa and she married Antonio
man, who talked less and worked more, and was Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a
strong in body and valiant in spirit school teacher and musician of Morong.
• died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
• called him “a model of fathers” 4. Olimpia (1855-1887)

Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911) • born in
Manila on November 8, 1826
• educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known
college for girls in the city
• died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85
• Shortly before her death, the Philippine government
offered her a life pension.
“My mother is a woman of more than ordinary
culture; she knows literature and speaks Spanish
• Ypia was her pet name; she married Silvestre Ubaldo.
• She died in 1887 from childbirth.
5. Lucia (1857-1919)
• She married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who
was a nephew of Father Casanas.
• Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied
Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of
Dr. Rizal

6. Maria (1859-1945)
• Biang was her nickname; she married Daniel Faustino
Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
7. Jose (1861-1896)
• greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius; his
nickname was Pepe;
• during his exile in Dapitan he lived with Josephine
Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong; he had a son by
her, but this baby-boy died a few hours after birth;
• Rizal named him “Francisco” after his father and
buried him in Dapitan.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865)
• Her pet name was Concha; she died of sickness at
the age of 3; her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
9. Josefa (1865-1945)
• Her pet name was Panggo. She was epileptic and died an
old maid at the age of 80.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951)
• Trining was her pet name. She died as a spinster and the
last of the family to die in 1951 at the age of 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929)
• She was the youngest of the Rizal children; her pet name
was Choleng who married Pantaleon Quintero of
Calamba.
Rizal’s Ancestry
• in his veins flowed the blood of both East and West –
Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese and
Spanish.
RIZAL’S GRANDPARENTS Father Side
DOMINGO LAMÉO
• Rizal’s great-great grand-father on his father’s side, a
Chinese immigrant from the Fukien City of
Changchow.
INES DE LA ROSA
• Chinese Christian girl of Manila the surname Mercado
which was appropriate for him because he was a
merchant. Rizal’s great great grandmother on his
father’s side.
• Domingo and Ines had a son, Francisco Mercado
who resided in Biñan and married a ChineseFilipino
mestiza, Cirila Bernacha, and was elected
gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of the town.
•
• One of their sons, Juan Mercado (Rizal’s
grandfather) married Cirila Alejandro, a
ChineseFilipino mestiza. Like his father, he was
elected gobernadorcillo of Biñan.
• Juan and Cirila had thirteen children, the youngest
being Francisco Mercado, Rizal’s Father. At the age
of eight, Francisco Mercado lost his father and grew
up to manhood under the care of his mother.
• While studying in Manila, he met and fell in love with
Teodora Alonso Realonda.
Mother Side
• It is said that Teodora’s family descended from
Lakan-Dula, the last native king of Tondo.
• His great-grandfather (Rizal’s maternal great-great
grandfather) was Eugenio Ursua (of Japanese
ancestry) who married a Filipina named Benigna
(surname unknown).
• Their daughter, Regina, married Manuel de
Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer from
Pangasinan.
o One of the daughters of Attorney Quintos
and Regina was Brigida, who married
Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, a prominent
Spanish-Filipino mestizo of Biñan. o Their
children were Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s
mother), Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose.
THE SURNAME RIZAL
• The real surname of the Rizal family was
Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by
Domingo Lamco. (Chinese were endangered
and was made to adopt a Spanish surname for
the rule of statistics)
• Rizal’s family acquired a second surname –
Rizal – which was given by a Spanish alcalde
mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who
was a family friend.
Thus, said Dr. Rizal, in his letter to Blumentritt: “I am the
only Rizal because at home my parents, my sisters, my
brother, and my relatives have always preferred our old
surname Mercado. Our family name was in fact Mercado,
but there were many Mercados in the Philippines who are
not related to us. It is said that alcalde mayor, who was a
friend of our family added Rizal to our name. My family
did not pay much attention to this, but now I have to use
it. In this way, it seems that I am an illegitimate son.”
THE RIZAL HOME
• one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba
during the Spanish times
• two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of
adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed with red
tiles.
 • By day, it hummed with the noises of children at play
and the songs of the birds in the garden; by night, it
echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers
• The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town
aristocracy in Spanish Philippines.
• Growing up Pepe was curious about the things around
him.
• • The first teacher hired by his Father was Lucas
Padua and Leon Monroy.
CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
• a frail, sickly and undersized child
• the first memory of Rizal, in was his infancy, was his happy
days in the family garden when he was three years old.
• When he was four, the death of little Concha brought Rizal his
first sorrow.
• When Rizal was five years old, he was able to read haltingly
the Spanish family bible.
-began to make sketches with his pencil and to mold in
clay and wax objects which his fancy
EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BIÑAN
• first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was remarkable
woman of good character and fine culture
o On her lap, he learned the alphabet. “The story of the Moth”
was a very prominent lesson learned by Rizal as a young
boy through his mother which left him a deep impression
on about “death of a martyr”.
• Maestro Celestino became his first private tutor succeeded by
Maestro Lucas Padua- Rizal’s second tutor.
o It may be said that Rizal, who was born a physical weakling,
rose to become an intellectual giant, not because of, but
rather in spite of, the outmoded and backward system of
instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last
decades of Spanish Regime.
• At age of nine, Rizal was sent to Biñan to continue his studies
of Latin under Maestro Joaquin Aquino Cruz.
o He excelled in all subjects especially in Latin and Spanish
languages.
o Because of this, some of his classmates grew jealousy and
bullied him.
o He met an old painter, named Juancho who freely gave him
lessons on drawing and painting.
o Momentarily, through art, Jose became acquainted with his
classmate, Jose Guevarra as they both became apprentice
of the painter.
• Rizal left Biñan on December 17, 1871 after a year-and a-half
as his teacher Justiniano wrote a letter to his parents that it
was time to send him to College in Manila.
RIZAL’S EDUCATION AND PAGGA-GALA
EDUCATION IN MANILA AND EUROPE AND EARLY
TRAVELS
• Jose Rizal studied in Manila through the initiative of his
father. He enrolled Philosophy and Letters at the
University of Sto. Tomas. He simultaneously took a
vocational course- surveying at Ateneo.
• In Casa Tomasina, his landlord and Uncle Antonio Rivera had
a daughter, Leonor who became his sweetheart.
• (For Rizal’s love affair with Leonora Rivera and Leonor
Valenzuela) read Appendix P: “Jose Rizal’s Filipino
Girlfriends”.)
EDUCATION IN ATENEO
• There was a claim that from the Binan School, Rizal studied
at Colegio de San Jaun de Letran.
• The suppose story stated that after attending his classing for
almost three months in Letran, Jose was asked by the
Dominican friars to look for another school because of his
radical and bold questions. However, standard biographies
agree that Rizal just took the entrance examination in that
institution, but Don Francisco sent him to enroll instead in
Ateneo Municipal in June 1872. Run by the Jesuit
congregation (society of Jesus), Ateneo upheld religious
instruction, advanced education, rigid discipline, physical
culture, and cultivation of the arts, like music, drawing,
and painting.
• Ironically, this school, which is now the archival of De La
Salle in being exclusively luxurious, among others was
formerly the Escuela Pio (charity school) --- a school for
poor boys in Manila established by the city government in
1817).
• Classes at the Ateneo were divided into two groups in order
to encourage healthy competition, the Roman Empire,
comprised the interns (boarders).
• While the other one, the Carthaginian Empire, consisted of
the externs (non-boarders), within an empire, members
were also in continuous competition as they vied for the
top ranks called dignitaries--- Emperor – being the highest
position, followed by Tribune, Decurion, Centurion and
Standard Bearer, respectively. Initially placed at the tail of
the class as a new comer, Jose was soon continually
promoted in a month, he became an Emperor and received
a religious picture as a price
• Rizal attained the mark of "excellent" in the subjects and in
the examinations and obtained a medal at the end of that
academic term. ln the third year, he won prizes in the
quarterly examinations.

• The following year, his parents placed him as intern
(boarding student) in the school and stayed there until his
graduation.
• At the end of the school year, he garnered five medals' with
which he said he could somewhat repay his father for his
sacrifices.
• He received the Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated as
ome of the nine students garnering "sobresaliente ', or
outstanding.
• Jose Bech was one of his professors at the Ateneo, a man
with mood swings and somewhat of a lunatic and of an
uneven humor; Francisco de Paula Sanchez, an upright,
earnest, and caring teacher whom Rizal considered his
best professor; Jose Viclara; a certain Mineves.
• At the Ateneo, Rizal cultivated his talent in poetry, applied
himself regularly to gymnastics, and devoted time to
paintings and sculpture.
• Don Augustin Saez thoughtfully taught him in drawing and
painting, and the Filipino Romualdo de Jesus earnestly
taught him in sculpture.
EDUCATION AT THE UST
• Rizal studied in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the
course on Philosophy and Letters.
• At the same time, took a vocational course at the Ateneo a
land surveyor and assessor's degree (expert surveyor).
• Rizal successfully finished his surveyor's training in 1877 and
passed the licensing examination in May 1878 through the
license was granted to him only in 1881 when he reached
the age of majority.
• Jose changed course and enrolled in Medicine to be able to
cure the failing eyesight of his mother after a year at UST.
• Rizal being annoyed and tired of the discrimination by the
Dominican professors against Filipino students, he ceased
attending classes at UST in 1882.
• The Rizal's reason for not completing medicine at UST was
the obsolete and repressive method of instruction. He
garnered "excellent" mark in all his subjects in the
Philosophy course.
EDUCATION IN EUROPE
• Jose Rizal went to Spain and studied in Medicine and
philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de
Madrid on May 3, 1882.
• Rizal involved in a chaotic student demonstration by the
Central University students in which many were wounded,
hit by cane, arrested, and imprisoned.
• The protest rallies started after Dr. Miguel Morayta had been
excommunicated by bishops for delivering a liberal
speech, proclaiming the freedom of science and the
teacher, at the opening ceremony of the academic year.
(Incidentally, the street in manila named after Morayta
("Nicanor Reyes street" today) has always been affected
by, if not itself the venue of, students demonstrations)
• Dr. Jose Rizal obtained the degree of Licentiate in Medicine
at the age of 23 on June 1884. Rizal"s rating was just
“fair” for it was affected by the “low” grades he got from
UST.
•
• ln the next school year (1884-1885), he took and completed
three additional subjects leading to the Doctor of Medicine
degree
• He was not awarded the Doctor’s diploma though for failing
to pay the fee and the required thesis. The Madrid University
awarded him the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters
with the grade of “excellent”, (sobresaliente) exactly on his
24th natal day. (One can dispute that Rizal was better as a
philosopher than a physician).
• Rizal went to Paris because he wanted to cure his mother’s
advancing blindness.
• Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, Germany on February 3, 1886.
He attended the lectures of Dr. Otto Becker and professor
Wilhelm Kuehne at the University of Heidelberg.
• He also worked at the University Eye Hospital under the
guidance of Dr. Becker. Under the direction of this renowned
German ophthalmologist, Rizal had learned to use the ten
newly invented ophthalmoscope (invented by Hermann von
Helmhottz), which he later used to operate on his mother's eye.
• ln Heidelberg, the 25-year-old Rizal completed his eye
specialization. Rizal spent three months in the nearby village,
Wilhemsfeld, where he wrote the last few chapters of Noli Me
Tangere- He lived at the pastoral house of a protestant pastor,
Dr. Karl Ullmer, the whole family of whom became Rizal's
good friends.
• ln August 1886, he attended lectures on history and
Psychology at the University of Leipzig. In November 1886,
he reached Berlin, the famous city where he worked as an
assistant in Dr. Schweigger’s clinic and attended lectures at the
University of Berlin. Dr. Rizal was inducted as a member of
the Berlin's “Ethnological Society", Anthropological Society',
and “Geographical Society”.
• ln April 1887, he was invited to deliver an address in German
before. the "Ethnographic society" of Berlin on the
orthography and structure of the Tagalog language.
LIFE IN EUROPE
• Rizal went to Spain not only to complete his studies but also
to widen his political knowledge through exposure to European
governments on May 3, 1887.
• It is funny that his departure for Spain had gone down to
history as a "secret departure", although at least ten people ---
including his three siblings and an uncle --- collaborated in his
going away, exclusive of the unnamed and unnumbered Jesuit
priests and intimate friends who conspired in the plan.
IN EUROPE
• Rizal had many stopovers on his way to Madrid. He first
visited and then to Punta de Gates, Colombo, and Aden. En
route to Marseilles, he went across the historic waterway of
Zuez Canal and visited Naples, an Italian City.
• He left Marseilles, France for Barcelona journey through an
express train. Dr. Jose Rizal enrolled in Medicine and
Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid
on November 3, 1882. (“Rizal and Family n.d.).
• Rizal had financial problem as his family encountered
economic crisis and regression. One day in June 1884, Rizal
who failed to eat breakfast still went to school and even won a
gold medal in a contest, later that day, he attended the dinner
party held in honor of two award-winning Filipinos
painters. Juan Luna and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo.
• ln the occasion, he delivered a very daring liberal speech
(known today as "Rizal's Brindis Speech"), which became so
controversial that it even caused sickness to his worrying
mother. (Indeed, being broke and hungry could really make
one braver and more impulsive.
• Rizal who had finished his two courses in Madrid went to
Paris, France on '1885. From November 1885 to February
1886, he worked as an assistant to the celebrated
ophthalmologist Dr. Louis de Weckert.
• In February 3, 1886, He left Paris for Heidelberg, Germany
on Feb. 1886. He attended lectures and training at the
University of Heidelberg where he was said to have completed
his eye specialization.
• Afterward Rizal settled for three months in the nearby village,
Withemsfeld, at the pastoral house of a protestant pastor, Dr.
Kart Ullmer.
• It was during this time that the correspondence and tong-
distance friendship between Jose and Ferdinand Blumentritt
began.
• Rizal wrote a letter in German and sent it with a bilingual
(Spanish and Tagalog) book Aritmiteca to Blumentritt who was
interested in studying Jose’s native language. He traveled next
to Leipzig and attend some lecturers at its University.
• Having reached Dresdan afterward he met and befriend Dr
Adolf Meyer, the Director of the Anthropological and
Ethnological Museum. Also, a Filipinologist, Meyer showed
Rizal some interesting things taken from tombs in the
Philippines. Rizal went to Berlin and further enhanced his
skills and knowledge in ophthalmology on Nov. 1886.
• In that famous city, not only did he learn other languages but
also became member of various scientific communities and
befriended many famed intellectuals at the time. Rizal finished
his first novel, the Noli me Tangere, and it came off press a
month later on Feb- 21, 1887.
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