JOSE RIZAL

Jose Rizal, born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines, was a multi-talented Filipino
nationalist, writer, and revolutionary. Rizal's educational journey took him to Europe, where he
studied medicine, literature, and political science. His literary masterpieces, such as "Noli Me
Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo," exposed the social injustices and abuses under Spanish
colonial rule.

Rizal's writings ignited a fervor for change, and he became a leading advocate for reforms.
Despite his peaceful approach, his involvement in the Propaganda Movement and his ideas for
social and political change led to his arrest and eventual execution on December 30, 1896, in
Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park), Manila. Rizal's martyrdom became a catalyst for the Philippine
Revolution against Spanish rule.