“To All the Girls I've loved

Before”
 "She was rather short, with eyes
that were eloquent and ardent at
times and languid at others, rosy-
cheeked, with an enchanting and
provocative smile that revealed
very beautiful teeth, and the air of
a sylph; her entire self diffused a
mysterious charm."
O Segunda Katigbak, a girl
from Lipa, Batangas
O Mariano's family were
close with Rizal's
grandmother, and upon
arrival at Lipa, Mariano's
sister Segunda was there at
the old woman's house
along with other guests.
O "From time to time, she
looked at me, and I
blushed."
 A Blossoming Love
ORizal's sister Olympia was a
close friend of Segunda and a
student at La Concordia College,
and Rizal went to visit her every
week, during which he came to
know Segunda more intimately.
OManuel Luz,
 Hopeless from the Beginning

"Ended, at an early hour, my first love! My

virgin heart will always mourn the reckless
step it took on the flower-decked abyss.  My
illusions will return, yes, but indifferent,
uncertain, ready for the first betrayal on the
path of love."
 LEONOR
VALENZUELA
• Leonor "Orang" Valenzuela,
his next-door neighbor and
daughter of Capitan Juan
and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela.
• He eventually courted
Leonor by sending her love
notes, which he wrote in
invisible ink made from a
mixture of water and table
salt.
• Leonor Rivera was a young
lady from Camiling, and a
cousin of Jose Rizal.
• The young girl was then a
student at La Concordia
College where Soledad,
Rizal's little sister was also
studying.
• In her letters, she signed her
name as "Taimis" in order to
hide their intimate
relationship from the girl's
parents.
“Tender as a budding flower
with kindly, wistful eyes." 
A SACRIFICE FOR FRIENDSHIP
 Taken by Charm
O In 1882, when Rizal was a student at the
Universidad Central de Madrid.
O Rizal, though he wasn't a handsome man,
possessed a great deal of charisma and was gifted
with many talents and a deeply noble character.
O Being lonely and somewhat isolated in a foreign
country, Rizal found comfort in Consuelo's
vivacious company. 
O A La Senorita C.O. y P. (To Miss C.O.y P.)
 Backing Out
O Rizal's romance with Consuelo did not
turn into a serious affair; he decided to
take a step back for two reasons:
O first, he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera at
that time;
O and second, he was aware of his friend's
(Eduardo de Lete) affection for the girl and he
did not want to ruin their friendship over her.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
 An Exploration of Beauty
O When Rizal was in Tokyo a few days after he
had moved to the Azabu district in 1888, he
spotted a pretty Japanese girl walking past the
legion gate. 
O She lived with her parents and often took
afternoon walks by the legation. 
O Rizal was almost tempted to settle down in
Japan. 
O His 45-day sojourn in Japan was one of the
happiest interludes in his life.
 The Artist's Right Hand
O In May 1888 Rizal visited London for a short
time, boarding the house of the Beckett family:
Mr. & Mrs. Beckett, their two sons, and their
four daughters. 
O She fell in love with Rizal and gave him all of
her attention during the family picnics and
gatherings
O When Rizal stayed indoors during rainy days
painting and sculpting, she helped him mix his
colors and prepare his clay.
Leaving for a Higher Cause
O "Gettie," and in return she called him "Pettie.“
O Rizal withdrew before his relationship with
Gettie could become more serious, realizing
that he had a greater mission to fulfill and that
in order to accomplish it he could not yield to
the option of marrying her.
O He suppressed the yearnings of his heart and
decided to leave so that the lady may forget
him.
O A sculpture of the heads of the Beckett sisters.
 A LOVE UNREQUITED
"Where are you now? Do you think of me once in a while? I
am reminded of our tender conversations, reading your
letter, although it is cold and indifferent.  Here in your letter
I have something which makes up for your absence.  How
pleased I would be to follow you, to travel with you who are
always in my thoughts.
You wish me all kinds of luck, but forget that in the absence
of a beloved one a tender heart cannot feel happy.
A thousand things serve to distract your mind, my friend; but
in my case, I am sad, lonely, always alone with my thoughts
-- nothing, absolutely nothing relieves my sorrow.  Are you
coming back?  That's what I want and desire most ardently --
you cannot refuse me.
I do not despair and I limit myself to
murmuring against time which runs so
fast when it carries us toward a
separation, but goes so slowly when it's
bringing us together again.I feel very
unhappy thinking that perhaps I might
never see you again.
Goodbye! You know with one word you
can make me very happy.  Aren't you
going to write to me?"
 A FAILED PROPOSAL
O After having lamented his frustrated
romance with Leonor Rivera on account
of the lady's engagement to another man,
Rizal came to develop considerable
affection for Nellie.
O Rizal wrote to his closest friends about his
intention to marry her.
O Rizal's friends were delighted to hear that
he had found a suitable girl whom he at
last wished to settle down with. 
 A FAILED PROPOSAL
O With all the encouragement from the friends he
held dear, Rizal wooed Nellie (also called Nelly)
who, in turn, returned his affections. 
O Rizal's marriage proposal failed for two reasons: 
first, Nellie demanded that he give up his Catholic
faith and convert to Protestantism, which was her
religion. 
O Second,  Nelly's mother did not approve of Rizal
O In spite of the circumstances, Rizal and Nellie
parted as good friends.
 TRUE LOVE IN EXILE
O Rizal's exile in Dapitan was one of the most
lonesome and sorrowful periods of his life. 
O Rizal and Josephine fell in love at first sight. 
O Their romantic interlude went on for about a
month, after which they decided to marry.
O When Mr. Taufer heard of his daughter's plan to
marry he became so enraged at the thought of
losing Josephine that he attempted to kill
himself with a razor to his throat. 
 TRUE LOVE IN EXILE
O Josephine left with her father on the first
available steamer to Manila in order to avoid
more trouble.  Since Mr. Taufer's blindness was
venereal in nature, it was incurable.
O Mr. Taufer went back to Hong Kong alone, and
Josephine stayed in Manila with Rizal's family. 
At length, she returned to Dapitan.
O Since no priest would marry them, Rizal and
Josephine held hands, exchanged vows, and
married themselves before God.  
O Rizal named him Francisco in honor of his
father, and buried the child in Dapitan.