REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 or RIZAL LAW
The said unexpurgated
 Law mandates the teaching of the life and
works of Jose Rizal including his writings
particularly Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo to all educational
institutions in the Philippines.
 The law has 6 sections and was approved
on June 12, 1956.
 The author and main proponent of the law
is Senator Claro M. Recto, and the sponsor
is Senator Jose P. Laurel.
 signed by President Ramon Magsaysay
 “An Act to Include in the Curricula of All
Public and Private Schools, Colleges and
Universities Courses on the Life, Works
and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly
His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing
and Distribution Thereof, and for Other
Purposes”
GOALS:
1. To recognize the relevance of Rizal’s ideals,
thoughts, teachings, and life values to present
conditions in the community.
2. To apply Rizal’s ideas in the solution of day
– to – day situations and problems in
contemporary life.
3. To develop an understanding and
appreciation of the qualities, behavior, and
character of Rizal; and
4. To foster the development of moral
character, personal discipline, citizenship, and
vocational efficiency among the Filipino
youth.
SECTION 1
Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose
Rizal, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the
curricula of all schools, colleges and universities,
public or private: Provided, that in the collegiate
courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of
the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or
their English translation shall be used as basic
texts.
SECTION 2
It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and
universities to keep in their libraries an adequate
number of copies of the original and
unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other
works and biography.
editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo or their translations in English as
well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in
the list of approved books for required reading in
all public or private schools, colleges, and
universities.
SECTION 3
The Board of National Education shall cause the
translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose
Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal
Philippine dialects
SECTION 4
prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines
by public school teachers and other person
engaged in any public school.
SECTION 5
The sum of PHP 300,000 is hereby authorized to
be appropriated out of any fund not otherwise
appropriated in the National Treasury to carry
out the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 6
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: June 12, 1956
Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p.
2971 in June 1956.
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
 it was opposed by the Catholic Church
claiming that Rizal’s novel Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo would
violate freedom of conscience and religion
 Congressman Miguel Cuenco and Senator
Francsisco “Soc” Rodrigo voiced the
opposition of the church in both houses of
Congress
 He proposed that the novels be footnoted,
and annotated versions of the novels be
used instead compared to the
unexpurgated versions required in the
Recto Bill
COMPROMISE
  a proposal to use “expurgated” versions of
the novels as textbooks, with the
“unexpurgated” copies to be kept under
lock and key in the school libraries, to be
used or made available only at the
discretion and or approval of higher
school officials
 “Only the college students would have the
option to read the unexpurgated versions
of the clerically- contested materials. It
was then approved unanimously on May
12, 1956’
19TH CENTURY
 the birth of modern life, more so, the
birth of many nation-states all over the
world.
 Much of Spain’s colonies have gained
its independence except the
Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the
Spanish Sahara.
 Philippines was the richest in terms of
natural resources and trade potential
 human rights are denied to Filipinos,
there is no equality before the law,
there is maladministration of justice,
discrimination, frailocracy, and forced
labor and Philippines has no
representation in the Spanish Cortes
ECONOMIC ASPECT
THE END OF THE GALLEON TRADE
Filipinos are already trading with its
neighboring countries such as China,
Japan, Siam, India, Cambodia, Borneo,
and the Moluccas.
When the Spaniards came, the trade
relations to these countries were
continued and made Manila known as the
center of commerce in the East.
In 1565, the Spanish government closed
the ports of Manila to all countries except,
Mexico, thereby giving birth to the Manila
– Acapulco Trade, popularly known as the
“Galleon Trade”.
The Manila Galleon Trade allowed
modern, liberal ideas to enter the
Philippines, eventually and gradually
inspiring the movement for independence
from Spain. It was in 1815 when the
Galleon Trade ended with Mexico’s war of
Independence
OPENING OF SUEZ CANAL
connects the Mediterranean and the Red
Seas
Ferdinand de Lesseps, a French diplomat,
under the Suez Canal Company. It opened
on November 17, 1869.
With the use of steamships, it lessened the
travel time from Philippines to Spain in
just 32 to 40 days compared to more than
3 months before
I encouraged the Ilustrados, including
Jose Rizal, to study abroad
OPENING OF MANILA PORTS TO WORLD
TRADE
the integration of the Philippines into an
international commercial system linking
industrialized Europe and North America
with sources of raw materials and markets
in the Americas and Asia
non-Spanish Europeans were not allowed
to reside in Manila or elsewhere in the
islands,
In 1834 the crown abolished the Royal
Company of the Philippines and formally
recognized free trade, opening the port of
Manila to unrestricted foreign commerce.
RISE OF THE EXPORT CROP ECONOMY.
majority of the exports of the Philippines
came from cash crops like tobacco, sugar,
cotton, indigo, abaca, and coffee
Philippine economy “a native middle class
was rising.”
MONOPOLIES
development of fiscal monopolies was the
fundamental condition for the continuity
of Spanish colonial power in the
Philippines and it was primarily the
revenues from tobacco that guaranteed the
fiscal resources necessary to sustain the
Spanish presence
the fiscal monopolies sustained the
administration of the colonial state
 The Philippines became known globally as
the largest Tobacco – producing country
in Asia. Filipinos were offered jobs in cigar
and cigarette factories. Thus, more
Filipinos became employed. It triggered
internal trade
SOCIAL ASPECT
EDUCATION
the new economy demanded a more
literate population to address the rising
need for a more professionalized
workforce to man the trading activities
compelled the issuance of colonial
government order in 1863 that required all
towns to set up primary schools to teach
the population how to read and write
reformed educational system gave
Filipinos the opportunity to pursue higher
learning, study liberal western ideas and
develop valuable leadership skills. This
gave birth to select group of enlightened
individuals who call themselves as
Ilustrados.
Prominent Ilustrados were Graciano
Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, Marcelo H.
del Pilar, Antonio Luna and Dr. Jose P.
Rizal
RISE OF CHINES MESTIZOS
giving rise to intermarriages with Indios
that gave birth to Chinese mestizo
prominent mestizo families were noted for
their wealth and formed the major
component of a Filipino elite
As the export economy grew and foreign
contact increased, the mestizos and other
members of this Filipino elite, known
collectively as ilustrados, obtained higher
education (in some cases abroad), entered
professions such as law or medicine
THE RISE OF INQUILINO
An inquilino is a tenant who rents lands
from the landlords (friars) then subleases
the land to a sharecropper or kasama,
is a three-tiered system composed of the
Spanish religious hacenderos at the
topmost part who has direct authority,
followed by the Inquilinos or lessee. They
pay a fixed annual amount. The bottom
part is the sharecroppers or the kasama,
very profitable that some inquilinos
acquired lands of their own and entered in
other gainful commercial ventures
POLITICAL ASPECT
LIBERALISM
liberty and equality – were first realized
successfully in the American Revolution
and then achieved in part in the French
Revolution
challenged conservatism in the European
continent
representative government as opposed to
autocratic monarchy, equality before the
law as opposed to legally separate classes
The idea of liberty also meant specific
individual freedoms: freedom of the
press; freedom of speech; freedom
of assembly; and freedom from
arbitrary arrest
“First liberal governor-general in the
Philippines,” Governor General Carlos
Maria Dela Torre. He held the position
from 1869 to 1871 and is widely
considered to be the most beloved of the
Spanish Governor General
His liberal and democratic governance had
provided Jose Rizal and the other a
preview of a democratic rule and way of
life
IMPACT OF BOURBON REFORMS
The Bourbon Reforms were a set of
economic and political laws promulgated
by the Spanish Crown and under the
orders of several kings of the House of
Bourbon, mainly in the eighteenth
century.
The Bourbon Reforms consisted of
changes in economic, political, and
administrative matters in the peninsular
territories including its colonies such as
the Philippines to gain positive impact on
the economy of Spain.
The impact is limited because the
Philippine is far from Spain, and it was
hard for the bourbon advocates to check if
reform policies were properly
implemented.
 The reform process was also seen as so
complex that Spanish reformers
its impact at least is that it gave people,
especially the native Philippines, the idea
that colonization could be done without
much intervention from the Catholic
Church
CADIZ CONSTITUTION
The Cadiz Constitution of 1812 mandated
the transformation of the Spanish
government from monarchy to
constitutional monarchy,
the parliamentary system in the creation
of law, division of power in the
government,
equality, free trade, competition, and
divestment of properties held in mortmain
or the properties from the church and
other institution
new constitution brought confusion to the
Spanish people and the majority of the
population wanted the old system of the
government because their perspective in
the new system was just a new version of
the absolutism in France
The social and political transformation in
Spain paved way to the rise of different
groups which later on affected the political
situation in the Philippines and influenced
the Illustrados (the Enlightened Ones)
including Jose Rizal as he ventured to
Spain to pursue his studies and do his
mission.
RIZAL’S LIFE
• Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y
Alonso Realonda
• June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna.
• The seventh of eleven children
born to a relatively well-off family
in a Dominican owned tenant land
in Calamba, Laguna.
• He was baptized in the Catholic
Church of his town on June 22,
aged three days old, by the parish
priest, Father Rufino Collantes,
who was a Batangueno.
• In his early childhood, Jose had
mastered the alphabet and learned
to write and read. His early
readings included the Spanish
version of the Vulgate Bible.
• At a young age, he already showed
inclinations to the arts. He amazed
his family by his special drawings,
sketches, and moldings of clay.
Later in his childhood, he showed
special talent in painting and
sculpture.
Don Francisco Mercado Rizal
 farmer from Binan, Laguna
 moved to Calamba after the
death of his parents, and
became a tenant-farmer of
the Dominican owned
hacienda
 hardworking, independent-
minded man who talked
less and work more,
dynamic gentleman, strong
in body and valiant in
spirit.
 great grandfather was
Domingo Lam-co, a learned
pro poor, Chinese
immigrant businessman
who married a
sophisticated Chinese
mestiza of Manila named
Ines de la Rosa.
 One of their two children,
Francisco (also) resided in
Binan and married
Bernarda Monicha.
Francisco and Bernarda’s
son, Juan Mercado, became
the gobernadorcillo (town
mayor) of Binan, Laguna.
 Youngest in the 12 children
 May 11, 1818 in Binan,
Laguna
 Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose in
Manila
 Married on June 28, 1848,
they settled down in
Calamba, where they were
granted lease of a rice farm
in the Dominican –owned
hacienda
Dona Teodora Alonzo Quintos Realonda
 • “Lolay” was an educated and highly
cultured woman from Sta. Cruz,
Manila, born on November 8, 1826
• educated at the College of Santa
Rosa, a respected school for girls in
Manila
• diligent business minded woman,
very graceful but courageous, well
mannered, religious, and well-
read. Very dignified, she disliked
gossip and vulgar conversation
• Possessing refined culture and
literary talents, she influenced her
children to love the arts, literature,
and music.
• sent her children to colleges in
Manila.
• she ran sugar and flour mills and a
small store in their house, selling
home-made ham, sausages, jams,
jellies, and many others
• family descended from Lakandula,
the last native king of Tondo.
Lolay’s great grandfather was
Eugenio Ursua (of Japanese
descent) who married a Filipina
named Benigna. Regina, their
daughter, married a Filipino-
Chinese lawyer of Pangasinan,
Manuel de Quintos
• Lorenzo Albert Alonzo, a well-off
Spanish Filipino mestizo of Binan,
took as his “significant others”
Brigida Quintos, daughter of
Manuel and Regina Quintos
• 2nd children
• as “a woman of more than ordinary
culture”
• Claveria decree of 1849 which
changed the Filipino native
surnames, the Alonso adopted the
surname Realonda
RIZAL’S SIBLINGS
Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913)
 is the eldest child
 She and her mother provided the little
Jose with good basic education that by the
age of three, Pepe already knew alphabet
Paciano Rizal (1851-1930)
 Jose’s only brother
 March 7, 1851 in Calamba, Laguna.
 as Nor Paciano, short for “Senor Paciano.”
 The 10-year older brother of Jose studied
at San Jose College in Manila, became a
farmer, and later a general of the
Philippine Revolution.
 became Rizal’s second father. Rizal highly
respected him and valued all his advice
 who accompanied Rizal when he first went
to school in Binan. It was also him who
convinced Rizal to pursue his studies in
Europe.
 After Jose’s execution joined the
Katipuneros in Cavite under General
Emilio Agiunaldo
 Paciano was commissioned as General of
the Revolutionary Forces and elected as
Secretary of Finance in the Department
Government of Central Luzon
 retired to his home in Los Banos and led a
quiet life until his death in 1930
Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)
 her nickname is Sisa, was the third child
 Narcisa like Saturnina helped financing
Rizal’s studies in Europe, even pawning
her jewelry and peddling her clothes if
needed.
 It was said she could recite from memory
almost all of the poems of Rizal
Olympia Rizal, (1855-1887)
 was the fourth child
 Jose loved to teach her, sometimes good
humoredly describing her as his stout
sister.
 Jose’s first love, Segunda Katigbak, was
Olympia’s schoolmate at the La Concordia
College. Rizal confided to Olympia, about
Segunda, and the sister willingly served as
the mediator between the two teenage
lovers
Lucia Rizal (1857-1919)
 was the fifth child
 married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba,
Laguna. Charged of inciting the Calamba
townsfolk not to pay land rent and
causing, unrest, the couple was once
ordered to be deported along with some
Rizal family members.
  Lucia’s husband died during the cholera
epidemic in May 1889 and was refused a
catholic burial for not going to confession
since his marriage to Lucia.
Maria Rizal (1859-1945)
 was the sixth child
 whom Jose talked about wanting to marry
Josephine Bracken when the majority of
the Rizal family was apparently not
amenable to the idea.
 In his letter dated December 12, 1891, Jose
had also brought up to Maria his plan of
establishing a Filipino colony in North
British Borneo.
 In his letter dated December 28, 1891,
Jose wrote to Maria, “I’m told that your
children are very pretty.”
Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865)
 also called Concha by her siblings, was the
eight child of the Rizal family.
 died at the age of three.
 the young Pepe loved most little Concha
who was a year younger than he.
 Jose played games and shared children’s
stories with her, and from her he felt the
beauty of sisterly love at a young age.
Josefa Rizal (1865-1945)
 her pet-name was Panggoy,
 she was the ninth child in the family.
 Panggoy died a spinster
 Among Jose’s letters to Josefa, the one
dated October 26, 1893 was perhaps the
most fascinating. Written in English, the
letter addressed Josefa as “Miss
Josephine Rizal.”
 After Jose’s martyrdom, the epileptic
Josefa joined the Katipunan and was even
supposed to have been elected the
President of its Women section.
 She was one of the original 29 women
admitted to the Katipunan along with
Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres
Bonifacio.
 They safeguarded the secret papers and
documents of the society and danced and
sang during sessions so that civil guards
would think that the meetings were just
harmless social gatherings.
Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951)
 Trining was the tenth child.
 she became the custodian of Rizal’s last
and greatest poem.
 Right before Jose’s execution, Trinidad
and their mother visited him in the Fort
Santiago prison cell. As they were leaving,
Jose handed over to Trining an alcohol
cooking stove, a gift from the Pardo de
Taveras, whispering to her in a language,
which the guards could not understand,
“There is something in it.” That
“something” was Rizal’s elegy now known
as “Mi Ultimo Adios.”
 Like Josefa, Paciano, and two nieces,
Trinidad joined the Katipunan after Jose’s
death
Soledad Rizal (1870-1929)
 Also called Choleng, was the youngest
child
 Being a teacher, she was arguably the best
educated among Rizal’s sisters.
 In his long and meaty letter to Choleng
dated June 6, 1890, Jose told her sister
that he was proud of her for becoming a
teacher.
 He thus counseled her to be a model of
virtues and good qualities for the one who
should be better than the persons who
need her learning.
 Rizal nonetheless used the topic as
leverage in somewhat rebuking her sister
for getting married to Pantaleon Quintero
of Calamba without their parent’s consent.
The Surname Rizal
 The real surname of the Rizal family was
Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by
Domingo Lamco, the great-great
grandfather of Jose Rizal.
 is a Chinese merchant and immigrant
from the Fukien City of Changchow, who
arrived in Manila about 1690. He adopted
the name “Mercado” which means
“market,”
 Francisco, who eventually became
primarily a farmer, adopted the surname
“Rizal” originally “Ricial,” which means
“the green of young growth” or “green
fields.” The name was suggested by a
provincial governor
 Don Francisco thus settled on the name
“Rizal Mercado” as a compromise
THE BIRTH OF RIZAL
  was said to have suffered the greatest pain
during the delivery of her seventh child,
Jose. Dona Teodora labored for a long
time.
 pain was attributed to the fact that Jose’s
head was bigger compare to other babies
 His godfather was Father Pedro Casanas, a
native of Calamba and close friend of Rizal
family. His name Jose was chosen by his
mother who was devotee of the Christian
saints San Jose
 Father Collantes was amazed by the baby’s
big head. During the christening
ceremony, he mentioned to the family
members, “take good care of the child, for
someday he will become a great man.”
THE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF JOSE
RIZAL
 in his infancy, was his happy days in their
family garden when he was three years
old.
 Their courtyard contained tropical fruit
trees, poultry yard, a carriage house, and a
stable for the ponies,
 Because the young Pepe was weak, sickly,
and undersized, he was given the fondest
care by his parents, so his father built a
nipa cottage for Pepe to play in the
daytime.
 included the nocturnal walk in the town,
especially when there was a moon
 the “aya” relating to the Rizal children
some fabulous stories, like those about the
fairies, tales of buried treasures, and trees
blooming with diamonds.
 was the daily Angelus prayer in their
home. Rizal recorded in his memoir that
by nightfall, his mother would gather all
the children in their home to pray the
Angelus.
 At the early age of three, he started to take
a part in the family prayers. When Concha
died of sickness in 1865, Jose mournfully
wept at losing her. He later wrote in his
memoir, “When I was four years old, I lost
my little sister Concha, and then for the
first time I shed tears caused by love and
grief”
 At the age of five, the young Pepe learned
to read the Spanish family bible
 loved to go to the chapel, pray, participate
in novenas, and join religious processions.
 one of the men he esteemed and
respected was scholarly Catholic priest
Leoncio Lopez, the town priest.
 He used to visit him and listen to his
inspiring opinions on current events and
thorough life views.
 at the age of five, Pepe started to make
pencil sketches and molds in clay and wax
objects, which attracted his fancy.
 When he was about six years old, his sister
once laughed at him for spending much
time making clay and wax images. Initially
keeping silent, he then prophetically told
them “All right laugh at me now! Someday
when I die, people will make monuments
and images of me.”
 When Jose was seven years old, his father
provided him the exciting experience of
riding a “casco” (a flat-bottomed boat with
a roof) on their way to a pilgrimage in
Antipolo. The pilgrimage was to fulfill the
vow made by Jose’s mother to take him to
the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should
she and her child survive the ordeal of
delivery, which nearly caused her life.
 From Antipolo, Jose and his father
proceeded to Manila to visit his sister
Saturnina who was at the time studying at
the La Concordia College in Sta. Mesa.
 As a gift, the child Jose received a pony
from his father he loved to ride the pony
 take long walks in the meadow and
lakeshore with his black dog named
“Usman.”
 Dona Teodora encouraged Jose to love the
arts, literature, and the classics.
 Before he was eight years old, he had
written a drama, some sources say a
Tagalog comedy which was performed at a
local festival and for which the municipal
captain rewarded him with two pesos, it
was staged in Calamba festival and that it
was a gobernadorcillo from Paete who
purchased the manuscript for two pesos
 Rizal did not write the Filipino poem “Sa
Aking Mga Kababata/Kabata” (To My
Fellow Children). The poem was
previously believed to be Rizal’s first
written poem at the age of eight and was
said to have been published posthumously
many years after Rizal’s death.
 Jose had a preserved correspondence
(letters) with his brother Paciano
admitting that he (Jose) had only
encountered the word “kalayaan” when he
was already 21 years old. The term
 “kalayaan” was used not just once in the
poem “Sa Aking Kababata/Kabata.
 was also interested in magic. He read
many books on magic. He learned
different tricks, such as making a coin
disappear and making a handkerchief
vanish in thin air.
 Tiyo Jose Alberto to who inspired him to
cultivate his artistic ability
 Tiyo Manuel who encouraged him to
fortify his frail body through physical
exercises
 Tiyo Gregorio who intensified Rizal’s
avidness to read good books
EDUCATION IN CALAMBA
 Dona Teodora was Rizal’s first teacher
 In his memoirs, Rizal wrote, “My mother
taught me how to read and to say humble
prayers which I raised fervently to God.”
 In Rizal’s time, seldom would one see a
highly educated woman of fine culture,
like Dona Teodora who had the capacity to
teach Spanish, reading, poetry, and values
through rare story books Lolay, indeed,
was the first teacher of the hero teaching
him Spanish, correcting his composed
poems, and coaching him in rhetoric.
 On her lap, Jose learned the alphabet and
Catholic prayers at the age of three, and
learned to read and write at age of 5.
 Jose’s sister Saturnina and three maternal
uncles also mentored him.
 uncle Jose Alberto taught him painting,
sketching, and sculpture.
 Uncle Gregorio influenced him to further
love reading.
 Uncle Manuel, for his part, developed
Rizal’s physical skills in martial arts, like
wrestling.
 To further enhance what Rizal had
learned, private tutors were hired to give
him lessons at home
 Maestro Celestino tutored him, and
Maestro Lucas Padua later succeeded
Celestino.
 Afterward, a former classmate of Don
Francisco, Leon Monroy, lived at the Rizal
home to become the boy’s tutor in Spanish
and Latin. Sadly, Monroy died five months
later.
EDUCATION IN BINAN
 his brother Paciano brought him to the
school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
 The school was in the teacher’s house, a
small nipa house near the home of Jose’s
aunt where he stayed.
 During Rizal’s first day at the Binan
school, the teacher asked him: “Do you
know Spanish?” “A little, sir,” replied
Rizal. “Do you know Latin?” “A little, sir,”
Because of this, his classmates, especially
the teacher’s Don Pedro, laughed at new
comer.
 So later in that day, Jose challenged the
bully Pedro to a fight. Having learned
wrestling from his Uncle Manuel, the
younger and smaller Jose defeated his
tormenter. After the class, he had an arm
wrestling match with his classmate Andres
Salandanan. In that match, however, Jose
lost and even almost cracked his head on
the sidewalk. In the following days, Jose
was said to have some other fights with
Binan boys.
 Rizal might not have won all his brawls
but he, nevertheless, beat all Binan boys
academically in Spanish, Latin, and many
other subjects.
 After sometime, Jose told his father that
he had already learned all there was to be
taught in Binan. Don Francisco firmly
scolded Jose and hustled him back to the
school. Maestro Cruz, Jose’s teacher in
Binan, later confirmed, however, that Jose
had indeed finished already all the needed
curricular works.
 despite his wife’s reluctance, Don
Francisco then decided to send Jose to a
school in Manila.

 Rizal was subsequently sent to a private

school in Binan. In June 1869,
EDUCATION IN MANILA
 Don Francisco sent Jose Rizal to Ateneo
Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia,
for further education in June 1872.
 From 1872 to 1877, Rizal studied at Ateneo
Municipal and took up a six-year program,
Bachiller en Artes.
 During this this, Ateneo Municipal was
known to offer the best education for boys.
Ateneo was managed by the Jesuits
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.
 Paciano found a boarding school in
Intramuros but Jose later transferred to
the house of a spinster on Calle Carballo in
the Santa Cruz area.
 There he became acquainted with various
mestizos who were said to be begotten by
Friars.
 To encourage healthy competitions,
classes at the Ateneo were divided into two
groups, which constantly competed
against each other.
 One group, named 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 – that just after a month, he had
become an Emperor, receiving a religious
picture as a prize.
 When the term ended, he attained the
mark of “excellent” in all the subjects and
in the examinations.
 The second year, Jose transferred
residence to No. 6 Calle Magallanes.
 He obtained a medal at the end of that
academic term.
 In 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 could
somewhat repay his father for his
sacrifices.
 On March 23, 1877, he received the
Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating as one
of the nine students in his class declared
“sobresaliente” or outstanding.
 Some of the priest-professors at the
Ateneo were Jose Bech, a man with a
mood swing 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 Vilaclara, and a certain Mineves.
 At the Ateneo, Rizal cultivated his talent in
poetry, applied himself regularly to
gymnastics, and devoted time to painting
and sculpture.
 Don Agustin Saez, another professor,
thoughtfully guided him in drawing and
painting,
 and the Filipino Romualdo de Jesus
lovingly instructed him in sculpture.
Rizal at University of Santo Tomas (1877-
1882
 In 1877, Rizal enrolled in the University of
Santo Tomas, taking the course on
Philosophy and Letters.
 At the same time, he took at the Ateneo a
land-surveyor and assessor’s degree
(expert surveyor), a vocational course.
 He finished his surveyor’s training in 1877,
passed the licensing examination in May
1878 through the license was granted to
him only in 1881 when he reached the age
of majority.
 After a year at UST, Jose changed course
and enrolled in Medicine to be able to cure
the deteriorating eyesight of his mother.
Being tired of the discrimination by the
Dominican professors against Filipino
students, he nonetheless stopped
attending classes at UST in 1882.
 It is worthwhile to note that another
reason for Rizal’s not completing medicine
at UST was that the method of instruction
was obsolete and repressive.
 In 1882, Rizal and Paciano made a secret
pact – Rizal would go to Europe to
complete his medical studies there and
prepare himself for the great task
 liberating the country from Spanish
tyranny.
RIZAL IN EUROPE
 On May 3, 1882, Rizal left for Spain and
enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters at the Universidad Central de
Madrid on November 3.
 On some days of November 1884, Rizal
was involved in the chaotic student
demonstrations 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 and science and
the teacher, at the opening ceremony of
the academic year
 In June of 1884, Rizal received the degree
of Licentiate in Medicine at the age of 23.
His rating though was just “fair” for it was
affected by the “low” grades he got from
the UST.
 In 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.
 Exactly on his 24th birthday in, the
Madrid university awarded him the degree
of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters
with the grade of “excellent”
(Sobresaliente).
 Wanting to cure his mother’s advancing
blindness, Rizal went to Paris. He was said
to have attended medical lectures at the
University of Paris.
 November 1885 to February 1886, he
worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de
Weckert.
 Through this leading French
ophthalmologist, Rizal thankfully learned
how to perform all the ophthalmological
operations.
 February 3, 1886, Rizal arrived in
Heidelberg, Germany.
 He attended the lectures of Dr. Otto
Becker and Professor Wilhelm Kuehne at
the University of Heidelberg.
 He 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 newly invented opthalmoscope, which
later used to operate on his mother’s eye.
 In Heidelberg the 25-year-old Rizal
completed his eye specialization.
 Afterward, Rizal spent three months in the
nearby village, Wilhemsfed, where he
wrote the last few chapters of Noli Me
Tangere. He stayed at the Pastoral house
of a kind pastor, Dr Karl Ullmer, the whole
family of whom became Rizal’s good
friends.
 In August 1886, he attended lectures on
history and psychology at the University of
Leipzig.
 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.
 In Berlin, he was inducted as a member of
the Berlin’s “Ethnological Society,”
“Anthropological Society.” ‘Geographical
Society.”
 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
 In German, Rizal met and befriended the
famous academicians and scholars at the
time. Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a German
historian; Dr. Hanz Meyer, a German
anthropologist; and Rudolf’s son, Dr.
Hans Virchow, Descriptive Anatomy
professor.
 Especially after the hero’s martyrdom,
these people who were the renowned
personalities in the academe not only in
Germany but also in Europe were so proud
that once in their lives they had known the
educated and great Filipino named Jose
Rizal.
LIFE IN EUROPE
 As mentioned, Rizal stopped attending
classes at UST in 1882, for he was sick and
tired of the discriminatory and oppressive
Dominican professors.
 May 3 same year, he must left for Spain
not only to complete his studies but also to
widen his political knowledge through
exposure to European governments.
 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 co
conspired in the plan.
IN EUROPE
 On his way to Madrid, Rizal had many
stopovers. He first disembarked and
visited the towns of Singapore. Onboard
the steamship “Djemnah,” he passed
through Punta de Gales, Colombo, and
Aden. En route to Marseilles, he went
across the historic waterway of Suez Canal
and visited the Italian city of Naples. He
left Marseilles, France for Barcelona in an
express train.
 After some months, Rizal left Barcelona
for Madrid. On September 16, 1882, Rizal
met and befriended Consuelo Ortiga y
Rey, the prettiest of the daughters of Don
Pablo Ortiga y Rey, the Spanish liberal and
former mayor of Manila who became vice-
president of the Council of the Philippines
in the Ministry of colonies. Consuelo
suggested in her diary entry that on the
first day she met Rizal, they talked the
whole night and that the young Filipino
said many beautiful things about her
 Rizal enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy
and letters at the Universidad Central de
Madrid on November 3, 1882.
 In Rizal’s letter dated February 13, 1883,
he informed Paciano of his meeting with
some Filipinos.
 A year after that sumptuous feasting, Rizal
GRAND EUROPE TOUR
became penniless as his family
encountered economic 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
Filipino painters, Juan Luna and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo.- He delivered a
very daring liberal speech (known today as
Rizal’s Brindis Speech”), which became so
controversial that it even caused sickness
to worrying mother
 1885, Rizal had finished his two courses
in Madrid went to Paris, France.
 From November 1885 to February 1886,
he worked as an assistant to the celebrated
ophthalmologist Dr. Louis De Weckert.
 February 3, 1886, he left Paris for
Heidelberg, Germany. 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, Wilhemsfled, at the
Pastoral house of a Protestant pastor, Dr.
Karl Ullmer.
 It was during this time that the
correspondence and long- distance
friendship between Jose and Ferdinand
Blumentritt began. Rizal wrote a letter in
German and sent it with a bilingual book
Aritmetica to Blumentritt who was
interested in studying Jose’s native
language.
 He travelled next to Leipzig and attended
some lectures at its university. Having
reach Dresden afterward, he met and
befriended Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, the
Director of the Anthropological and
Ethnological Museum. Also a
FIlipinologist, Meyer showed Rizal some
interesting things taken from tombs in the
Philippines.
 November 1886, he went to Berlin and
enhanced his skills and knowledge in
ophthalmology.
 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.
 February 21, 1887, he finished his first
novel, the Noli, and it came off the press a
month later.
 With his friend Maximo Viola who loaned
him some amount to cover for the printing
of the Noli, Rizal traveled to various places
in Europe.
 Through Paciano’s remittance, Jose had
paid Viola and decided to further explore
some places in Europe before returning to
the Philippines.
 May 11, 1887, they left Berlin for Dresden
and witnessed the regional floral
exposition there. Wanting to see
Blumentritt, they went to Leitmeritz,
Bohemia. Professor Blumetritt warmly
received them at Leitmeritz railroad
station.
 The professor identified Jose through the
pencil sketch, which he had previously
made himself and sent to Blumentritt.
 The professor acted as their tour guide,
introducing them to his family and to
 famous European scientists, like Dr,
Carlos Czepelak and Prof. Robert
Klutschak
 May 16, the two Filipinos left Leimeritz for
Prague where they saw the tomb of the
famous astronomer Copernicus.
 To see the sights of the Danube River, they
left Vienna in a boat where they saw
passenger using paper napkins.
 From Lintz, they had a short stay in
Salzburg. Reaching Munich, they tasted
the local beer advertised as Germany’s
finest.
 In Nuremberg, they saw the infamous
torture machine used in the so called
Catholic Inquisition.
 Afterward, they went to Ulm and climbed
Germany’s tallest cathedral.
 In Switzerland, they toured Schaffhausen
before staying in Geneva was generally
enjoyable except when he learned about
the exhibition of some Igorots in Madrid,
side by side some animals and plants.
 Not only did the primitive Igorots in bahag
become objects of ridicule and laughter;
one of them, a woman, also died of
pneumonia. On June 19, 1887, Rizal
treated Viola for it was his (Rizal) 26th
birthday, Four days after, they parted ways
– Viola went back to Barcelona while Rizal
proceeded to Italy. In Italy, Rizal went to
see Turin, Milan, Venice and Florence.
Rizal’s Life: Exile, Trial and Execution
 Rizal arrived in Dapitan on board the
steamer Cebu on July 17, 1892.
 Dapitan 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 wood
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 winnings was used in
purchasing land approximately one
kilometer away from Dapitan in a place
known as Talisay.
 He built his house on the seashore of
Talisay as well as a school and a hospital
within the area. In his letter to Blumetritt
(December 19, 1893), Rizal described his
daily activities in Dapitan:
 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.
 Rizal also constructed a water system to
supply the town with water for drinking
and irrigation. He also helped the people
in putting up lamppost 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 to retract his statements against
the Church to accept other conditions.
 On the eve of June 21, 1896, Dr. Pio
Valenzuela visited Rizal in Dapitan and
informed him about the founding 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.
DAPITAN TO MANILA
 there was an attempt by the Katipuneros
to help Rizal escape (Bantug &Ventura,
1997, p. 135).
 The Katipunero Emilio Jacinto, disguising
himself as a ship crew member, had
manage to get close to Rizal, while another
Katipunan member, Guillermo
Masangkay, circled the ship in a boat.
Firm in his aim to fulfill his mission in
Cuba, Rizal was said to have refused to be
rescued by katipunan’s envoys Rizal
arrived in Manila on August 6, 1896, a day
after themail boat Isla de Luzon had left
for Spain, and so he had to stay in Manila
until the next steamer arrived.
 Afraid that his one-month stay on board
the ship might bring him troubles, he
requested the governor-general that he be
isolated from everyone except his family.
The government reacted by transferring
him near midnight of the same day to the
cruiser Castilla docked at Cavite.
 On August 19, the Katipunan plot to revolt
against the Spanish authorities was
discovered through the confession of a
certain Teodoro Patino to Mariano Gil.
Augustinian cura of Tondo.
 The discovery led to the arrest of many
Katipuneros. The Katipunan led by
Bonifacio reacted by convening many of its
members and deciding to immediately
begin the armed revolt.
 As a sign of their commitment to the
revolution, they tore their cedulas.
 On August 30 Blanco issued letters of
recommendation on Rizal’s behalf to the
Spanish Minister of War and the Minister
of Colonies with a cover letter clearing
Rizal of any connection to the raging
revolution.
 On September 2, he was transported to the
ship Isla de Panay.
MANILA TO SPAIN
 The steamer Isla de Panay left Manila for
Barcelona the next day.
 Arriving in Singapore on September 7,
Rizal Was urged by some Filipinos, like his
co-passenger Don Pedro Roxas and
Singaporean resident Don Manuel Camus
to stay in the British-controlled territory.
 Trusting Blanco’s words, Rizal refused to
stay in Singapore. Without his knowledge,
however, Blanco and the Ministers of War
and the Colonies had been exchanging
telegrams, planning his arrest upon
reaching Barcelona
 As Isla de Panay made a stopover at Port
Said, Egypt on September 27, the
passengers had known the uprising in the
Philippines got worse as thousands of
Spanish soldiers were dispatched to
Manila, and many Filipinos were either
killed in the battle, or arrested and
executed.
 Rizal had the feeling that he had already
been associated with the Filipino
revolution as his co-passenger became
aloof to him.
 A day after, he wrote a letter to
Blumentritt informing him that he
received some information that Blanco
had an order to arrest him.
 Before reaching Malta on September 30,
he was officially ordered to stay in his
cabin until further orders from Blanco.
 With Rizal as a prisoner onboard, the Isla
de Panay anchored at Barcelona on
October 3, 1896.
 He was placed under heavy guard by the
then Military Commander of Barcelona,
General Eulogio Despujol-the same former
governor general who deported Rizal to
Dapitan in 1892.
 Early in the morning of October 6, he was
transported to Monjuich prison fortress.
In the afternoon, he was brought to
Despujol who told him that there was an
order to ship him back to Manila in the
evening.
TRIAL AND EXECUTION
 Arriving in Manila as a prisoner on
November 3, 1896, Rizal was detained in
Fort Santiago where he had been
imprisoned four years ago.
 To gather pieces of evidence against him,
some of his friends, acquaintances,
members of the La Liga, and even his
brother Paciano were tortured and forcibly
questioned.
 As a preliminary investigation, Rizal
underwent a series of interrogations
administered by one of the judges, Colonel
 Francisco Olive – the same military leader
who led the troops that forced the Rizal
family to vacate their Calamba home in
1890. Those who were coerced to testify
against Rizal were not allowed to be
crossed examined by the accused.
 Rizal was said to have admitted knowing
most of those question, “though he would
deny to the end that he knew either
Andres Bonifacio or Apolinario Mabini”
 Fifteen pieces of documentary evidence
were presented – Rizal’s letters, letters of
his compatriots, like Marcelo del Pilar and
Antonio Luna, a poem (Kundiman), a
masonic document, two transcript of
speech of katipuneros (Emilio Jacinto and
Jose Turiano Santiago), and Rizal’s poem
A Talisay.
 The testimonial evidence involve the oral
testimonies of 13 Filipinos notably
including that of La Liga officers like
Ambrosio Salvador and Deodato Arellano,
and the katipunero Pio Valenzuela
 Olive submitted the reports to Blanco on
November 26, and Captain Rafael
Dominguez was assigned as special Judge
Advocate in Rizal’s case and delivered it to
Blanco who subsequently sent the papers
to Judge Advocate-General Don Nicolas
dela Pena.
 After examining the case. Pena
recommended that (1) Rizal be instantly
brought to trial, (2) he be kept in jail, (3)
an order of attachment be issued against
his property, and (4) a Spanish army
officer, not a civilian lawyer, be permitted
to defend him in court.
 December 8, Rizal was given the restricted
right to choose his lawyer from a list of
100 Spanish army officers.
 He chooses Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade
who turned out to be a younger brother of
his bodyguard –friend in Calamba in 1887,
Jose Taviel de Andrade.
 Three days after (December 11), the formal
charges were read to Rizal in his prison
cell, with Andrade on his side.
 He was accused of being the main
organizer and the “living soul” of the
revolution having proliferated ideas of
rebellion and of founding illegal
organizations.
 He pleaded not guilty to the crime of
rebellion and explained that La Liga, the
constitution of which he wrote was just a
civic organization.
 On December 13, the day Camilo G. de
Polavieja replaced Blanco as governor-
general, papers of Rizal’s criminal case
were sent to Malacanang.
 Concerned about the welfare of his people,
Rizal on December 15, wrote a manifesto
appealing to the revolutionaries to
discontinue the uprising and pursue to
attain liberty instead by means of
education and labor.
 But De la Pena interpreted the manifesto
as all the more advocating the spirit of
rebellion as it ultimately willed the
Filipino liberty Polavieja thus disallowed
to issue Rizal’s manifesto.
 On the morning of December 26, the
Filipino patriot who was once figuratively
referred to by Spanish officials as a
“trapped rat” appeared in the Kangaroo
court inside the military building, Cuartel
de Espana.
 He was tried before seven members of the
military court with Lt. Col Jose Tagores
Arjona acting as the president
 Judge advocate Dominguez presented
Rizal’s criminal case followed by the
lengthy speech of Prosecuting Attorney
Enrique de Alocer.
 To appeal to the emotions of the Spanish
judges, Alocer went as far as dramatically
mentioning the Spanish soldiers who had
died in the Filipino traitorous revolt and
discriminately describing Rizal as a
“typical ‘Oriental; who had presumed to
rise from a lower social scale in order to
attain powers and positions that could
never be his” At the end, Alcocer
petitioned for a death sentence for Rizal
and an indemnity of twenty thousand
pesos
 Rizal’s defense counsel, Lt. Andrade, then
took the floor and tried his very best to
save his client by reading his responsive
defense, stressing, too, that it was but
natural for anyone to yearn for liberty and
independence.
 Afterward, Rizal was allowed to read his
complementary defense consisting of
logical proofs that he could have not taken
part in the revolution and that La Liga was
distinct from Katipunan.
 He argued, that he even advised the
Katipunan emissary not to pursue the plan
to revolt; the revolutionists had used his
name without his knowledge; he could
have escaped either in Dapitan or
 Singapore if he were guilty; and the civic
group La Liga, which died out upon his
exile did not serve the purpose of the
uprising, and that he had no knowledge
about it reformation.
 Lt. Col. Arjona then declared the trial over.
Expectedly, the entire defense was
indifferently disregarded in Rizal’s mock
trial as it instantaneously considered him
guilty.
 The jury unanimously voted for the death
sentence.
 Jose Rizal was found guilty, and the
sentence was death by firing squad.
 December 28, Governor-General Polavieja
signed the court decision and decreed that
the guilty be executed by firing squad at 7
AM of December 30, 1896 at
Bagumbayan(Luneta).
 Because Rizal was also required to sign the
verdict, he stoically signed his own death
sentence.
 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 sister Trinidad and
murmured softly in English, “There is
something inside.” Eventually, Trining
and her sister Maria would extract from
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.