Republic Act 1425 or Rizal Law

(Approved June 12, 1956)

◦ This law mandates tertiary students to study the life works, and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal
primarily to develop nationalism among young Filipinos.

◦ This course covers topics which include Rizal’s biography and his writings, particularly the
novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, some of his poems, essays, and various literary
works.

◦ In addition, this subject highlights the contributions of Rizal to the Filipino society and in the
many fields. Indeed, the study of Jose Rizal’s life, works and writings will give undoubtedly
reflections geared towards development of life lessons and values we need to build a better
nation concomitant to the aspirations of our forefathers.
Rizal as a Polyglot
• Catalan • Latin
• Chinese • Malay
• English • Portuguese
• French • Russian
• German • Sanskrit
• Greek • Spanish
• Hebrew • Tagalog
• Italian • and other native dialects
• Japanese
• Latin
Riza as a Polymath
◦ Doctor ◦ Educator Cartographer
◦ Poet ◦ Linguist
Grammarian
Folklorist
◦ Dramatist ◦ Musician Philosopher
◦ Essayist ◦ Naturalist Translator
Inventor
◦ Novelist ◦ Ethnologist
Magician
◦ Historian ◦ Surveyor Humorist
Satirist
◦ Architect ◦ Engineer
Sportsman
◦ Painter ◦ Farmer Traveler
◦ Sculptor ◦ Businessman Prophet
◦ geographer ◦ economist
JOSE RIZAL’S LOVELIFE
 1.Segunda Katigbak
◦ Many historians claim that Segunda Katigbak was Rizal's
"puppy love". Coming from a wealthy clan in Lipa,
Katigbak was a close friend of Rizal's sister, Olympia
Mercado.
◦ Katigbak was just 14 years old when she met Rizal who
was then 16. In Rizal's writings, he described Katigbak as:
◦ “May mga matang kung minsan ay makislap at
nangungusap, may ngiting nakagagayuma… Hindi siya ang
pinakamagandang babeng nakita ko, ngunit hindi ako
nakasilay kailanman nang higit na kaakit-akit. Rizal and
Katigbak did not end up together. The former was not able
to confess his true feelings and Segunda was promised to
Manuel Luz Y Metra, a member of a wealthy family in
Lipa.
◦ Katigbak and Metra had 12 children but only nine
survived.
 2. Leonor Valenzuela
◦ Met Rizal when he was still studying a medical course at
the University of Santo Tomas.
◦ Valenzuela was the next-door neighbor of Rizal when he
stayed in the house of Doña Concha Leyva in Intramuros.
◦ Rizal was strongly attached to Valenzuela and pursued her
by sending love letters with invisible ink that one can only
read when it is heated over a candle or lamp. The ink is a
mixture of substances that he learned from his chemistry
class.
◦ Rumor has it that Rizal used the invisible ink because he
was courting Leonor Rivera at the time.
 3. Leonor Rivera
◦ The “true love” of Rizal. The 13-year-old Leonor met the
18-year-old Jose at the boarding house owned by the family
of Leonor Rivera in Intramuros. Rivera was described by
Rizal as a charming woman with a beautiful singing voice
and good piano skills.
◦ Despite having a strong and fruitful bond, Rivera and Rizal
faced two problems: the two were second cousins and their
family disapproved of their relationship. Rivera's parents
did not approve of their relationship, saying that Rizal was
a filibuster.
◦ Some accounts claim that Rivera burned Rizal's letters to
her, but she kept the ashes in the hem of her wedding gown.
When Rivera died during second childbirth, documents
showed that Rizal did not speak for days.
◦ Some historians believe that Rizal immortalised Rivera
through Maria Clara's character in Noli Me Tangere.
Here is a poem Rizal wrote for Rivera:

And so it has arrived — the fatal instant,

the dismal injunction of my cruel fate;
so it has come at last — the moment, the date,
when I must separate myself from you.
Goodbye, Leonor, goodbye! I take my leave,
leaving behind with you my lover’s heart!
Goodbye, Leonor: from here I now depart.
O Melancholy absence! Ah, what pain!
 4. Consuelo Ortiga
◦ During Rizal's sojourn in Madrid, he met Consuelo Ortiga y
Rey, the daughter of then Manila mayor and vice president
of the Council of the Philippines in the Ministry of Colonies
Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey.
◦ On 18 January 1883, Ortiga wrote in her diary: “Rizal talked
with me for a long time, almost the whole night. He told me
that I was very talented, that I was very diplomatic, and that
he was going to see if he could extract some truth from me
within two weeks; that I was mysterious and that I had a veil
over my ideas.”
◦ Back in the Philippines, Rey had many suitors and among
them were Eduardo de Lete, a Philippine-born Spaniard who
is also part of La Solidaridad, and brothers Maximo and
Antonio Paterno. Rizal grew fond of Rey but he eventually
gave up because was still in love with Rivera.
 5. Seiko Usui
◦ Seiko Usui or O-Sei-San and Rizal met when the latter
was in Tokyo. Their friendship blossomed after Rizal
asked a gardener to introduce him to O-Sei-San who was
surprisingly fluent in English and French, two languages
that Rizal knew how to speak.
◦ In many accounts, it was written that Rizal almost moved
to Japan permanently to spend his remaining days with O-
Sei-San; however, Rizal's patriotic responsibilities kept
him from doing this.
◦ Rizal moved to San Francisco and never met the Japanese
woman again.
 6. Gertrude Beckette
◦ During Rizal's stay in London, he met the beautiful
Gertrude Beckett, the eldest daughter of Rizal's landlord
—Charles Beckett.
◦ Beckett has poured most of her time and attention to
Rizal, assisting him in his famous sculptures, Prometheus
Bound, a sculpture that depicted Greek legend
Prometheus who brought fire to man; and The Triumph of
Death over Life, a clay sculpture that depicts a young,
nude woman bearing a torch; and The Triumph of Science
Over Death.
◦ Despite having "pet names" for each other (Rizal calls
Beckett "Gettie", while Beckett calls Rizal "Pettie") the
feelings Beckett had for Rizal were not reciprocated.
 7. Nellie Boustead
◦ When Rizal lost Rivera, he entertained the thought of
meeting and courting other ladies. When Rizal stayed as a
guest in the Boustead family, he befriended the two
daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead.
◦ Rizal, together with Juan and Antonio Luna, used to fence
with the sisters. Antonio would often visit the Bousteads
and courted Nellie but the latter was already infatuated
with Rizal.
◦ Nellie and Rizal's love affair did not last. It failed because
Nellie demanded Rizal to convert to the Protestant faith
but he refused. Nellie's mother also frowns upon Rizal's
background, saying that she did not like a doctor without
enough paying clientele.
 8. Suzanne Jacoby
◦ Rizal was 29 years old when he first had a glimpse of Belgian
lady Suzanne Jacoby.
◦ In August 1890, Rizal left Belgium but he left the young
Jacoby a box of chocolates. which the latter did not eat nor
touch. Many historians believed that the affair was one-sided,
evident in the letters sent by Jacoby to Rizal.
◦ Below is an excerpt of Jacoby's letter to Rizal:
◦ “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.”
 9. Josephine Bracken
◦ Bracken was the daughter of Irish parents James Bracken
and Elizabeth MacBride. She first met the 34 years old
Rizal when she was 18 years old. The relationship between
the two blossomed quickly but one of Rizal's sisters
suspected that Josephine was a spy of the
Spaniards. Nevertheless, Rizal loved Josephine and
affectionately called her Josefina.
◦ Bracken last met Rizal in the latter's cell in Fort Santiago
on 30 December 1896. The couple were able to exchange
their vows in Catholic rites by Fr. Victor Balaguer two
hours before Rizal's execution.
◦ Bracken is the foreigner alluded by Rizal in his poem Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell), where he wrote:
"Farewell my sweet foreigner, my darling, my delight."
Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal Alonzo Y Realonda
◦ Birthplace: Calamba, Laguna
◦ Birthday: June 19, 1861
◦ Died: December 30, 1896 (aged 35)
◦ Height: 4'11"
◦ Mother: Teodora Alonzo Realonda de Quintos
◦ Father: Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado
◦ Baptism: June 22, 1861 at the age of 3 days old
◦ Fr. Rufino Collantes – the Parish Priest who baptized Rizal
◦ Jose Lemery – the Gov-Gen. of the Philippines when Rizal was born.
 Rizal’s Parents
Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)
◦ Born in Binan, Laguna
◦ Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of
San Jose in Manila.
◦ Became a tenant-farmer at the Dominican-owned
Hacienda Calamba.
◦ Died in Manila at the age of 80
◦ Rizal affectionately called him “ a model of
fathers”
Dona Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911
◦ Born in Manila.
◦ Educated at the College of Santa Rosa.
◦ A remarkable woman possessing refined
culture , literary talent , business ability and the
fortitude of Spartan women.
◦ She knows literature and speaks Spanish
◦ Died in Manila at the age of 85
 The Rizal Children
1.Saturnina “Neneng” (1850–1913)
2.Paciano (1851–1930)
“Pilosopong Tasio” in Noli Me Tangere
3.Narcisa ”Sisa” (1852–1939)
4.Olympia “Ypia” (1855-1887)
5.Lucia (1857–1919)
6.María “Biang” (1859–1945)
7. José “Pepe” (1861–1896)
8. Concepción “Concha” (1862–1865)
- Rizal’s first sorrow in life when she
died at the age of 3.
9. Josefa “Panggoy” (1865–1945)
10. Trinidad “Trining” (1868–1951)
11. Soledad “Choleng” (1870–1929)
◦ The real surname of the Rizal
◦ Rizal’s family acquired a
family was Mercado which
second surname – Rizal –
was adopted in 1731 by
which was given by a Spanish
Domingo Lamco (the paternal
Alcalde Mayor of Laguna,
great-great grandfather of
who was a family friend. It
Jose Rizal), who was a full-
came from a Spanish word
bloodied Chinese. The
“ricial” which means green
Spanish term mercado means
field or pasture.
“market” in English
The Rizal Home
◦ was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the
Spanish times.
◦ It was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe
stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles

◦ The Rizal family belonged to the Principalia, a town aristocracy in

Spanish Philippines.
Childhood Years in Calamba
◦ Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of my Town) – A poem about Rizal’s
beloved town written by him in 1876 when he was 15 years old and was a student in
Ateneo.

◦ The first memory of Rizal in his infancy was his happy days in the family garden
when he was three years old.

◦ The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow.

◦ At the age of three, Rizal began to take part in the family prayers.
Childhood Years in Calamba
◦ Rizal was five years old when he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible.

◦ The Story of the Moth made the profoundest impression on Rizal.

◦ At the age of five , Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil and to mold in clay
and wax objects.

◦ Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children) – Rizal’s first poem in native
language at the age of eight
Influences on the Hero’s Boyhood
◦ Tio Jose Alberto – Studied for 11 years in British school in Calcutta, India and had
travelled in Europe. Inspired Rizal to develop his artistic ability.

◦ Tio Manuel – a husky and athletic man, encouraged Rizal to develop his frail body by
means of physical exercise.

◦ Tio Gregorio – a book lover, intensified Rizal’s voracious reading of good books.

◦ Fr. Leoncio Lopez – the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s
love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
Early Education in Calamba and Binan
◦ His mother – First teacher

◦ Maestro Celestino – First private tutor

◦ Maestro Lucas Padua – Second tutor

◦ Leon Monroy – His tutor in Spanish and Latin

◦ Sunday afternoon in June, 1869 – Rizal left Calamba for Binan accompanied by Paciano.

◦ Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz – Rizal’s teacher in a private school in Binan

Early Education in Calamba and Binan
◦ Pedro – the teacher’s son which Rizal challenged to a fight
◦ Andres Salandanan – challenged Rizal to an arm wrestling match
◦ Juancho – an old painter who was the father in law of the school teacher, freely gave
Rizal lessons in drawing and painting.
◦ Christmas in 1870 – Rizal received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him of
the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Binan to Calamba.
◦ Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870 – Rizal left Binan after one year and a half of
schooling
Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za
◦ Night of January 20, 1872 – about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite
arsenal under the leadership of Lamadrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent mutiny
because of the abolition of their usual privileges.

◦ Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora – were executed at sunrise of
February 17, 1872 by order of Gov. Gen. Izquierdo.

◦ The martyrdom of GomBurZa in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish
tyranny.

◦ Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to GomBurZa.

Injustice to Hero’s Mother
◦ Before June, 1872 – Dona Teodora was suddenly arrested on a malicious charge that
she and her brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poison the latter’s wife.
◦ Antonio Vivencio del Rosario – Calamba’s gobernadorcillo, help arrest Dona Teodora.
◦ After arresting Dona Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her to walk from
Calamba to Santa Cruz, capital of Laguna, a distance of 50 kilometers.
◦ Dona Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison where she languished for two
years and a half.
 Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de Manila
(1872-1877)
◦ Ateneo Municipal – a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits

◦ June 10, 1872 – Rizal, accompanied by Paciano went to Manila

◦ Fr. Magin Ferrando- the Ateneo college registrar who refused to admit Rizal for the
reasons that he was late for registration and he was sickly and undersized for his age.

◦ Manuel Xerez Burgos – Nephew of Fr. Burgos. Because of his intercession, Rizal was
reluctantly admitted at the Areneo.
 First Year in Ateneo
(1872-1873)
◦ Fr. Jose Bech – Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo
◦ A Religious picture – Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil in the whole
class.
◦ To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the
noon recesses
◦ At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer
vacation.
◦ When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year term
in Ateneo. This time, he boarded inside Intramuros. His landlady was an old widow
named Dona Pepay
Second Year in Ateneo
◦ At the end of the school year, received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold
medal

◦ The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – first favorite novel of Rizal which
made a deep impression on him.

◦ Universal History by Cesar Cantu – Rizal persuaded his father to buy him this set of
historical work.
Third Year in Ateneo
(1874-1875)

◦ Rizal’s grade remained excellent in all subjects but he won only one medal – in
Latin.

◦ At the end of the school year, Rizal returned to Calamba for the summer vacation.
He himself was not impressed by his scholastic works .
Fourth Year in Ateneo
◦ Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez – a great educator and scholar, one of Rizal’s
professors who inspired him to study harder and to write poetry.

◦ Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of
the school term
Last Year in Ateneo (1876-1877)
◦ Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture
under Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor.

◦ Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of hardwood with his pocket-knife.

◦ Father Lleonart – impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him
an image of Sacred Heart of Jesus

◦ March 23, 1877 – Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years old , received the
degree of Bachelor’s of Arts, with highest honors
Famous Poems Written by Rizal in Ateneo
◦ Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) – the first poem Rizal probably wrote during his
days in Ateneo which was dedicated to his mother.

◦ Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of my Town) – a tender poem in honor of his

hometown, Calamba.

◦ Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y La Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance Between Religion
and Good Education) – Rizal showed the importance of religion in education.

◦ Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the Country Receives Light) –
Rizal believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a
nation.
Famous Poems Written by Rizal in Ateneo
◦ El Heroismo de Columbus (The Heroism of Columbus) – This poem praises
Columbus, the discoverer of America.

◦ Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus) – a brief ode written when he was 14 years old.

◦ A La Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary) – another religious poem which doesn’t have
exact date when it was written

◦ Un Dialogo Aluviso a la Despedida de los Colegiales ( A farewell Dialogue of the

Students) – This was the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo which was a poem of
farewell to his classmates.
Rizal at University of Santo Tomas (1877-1882)
◦ “Don’t send him to Manila again, he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut
off his head.”
- Dona Teodora vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue higher learning in the university.
◦ April 1877 – Rizal was then nearly 16 years old , matriculated in the UST taking the course Philosophy
and Letters because his father like it and he was still uncertain as to what career to pursue.
◦ In 1878, he shifted course to Medicine.
◦ During his first school term at UST, he also took the vocational course Perito Agrimensor (Expert
Surveyor) at Ateneo
◦ November 25, 1881 - The title was issued to Rizal for passing the final examination in the surveying
course.
Famous Poems Written while at UST
◦ A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) – Winning poem of Rizal where the Board of
Judges composed of Spaniards was impressed and gave it the first prize. A great poem in
Spanish written by a Filipino that expressed for the first time the nationalistic conceptthat the
Filipinos , and not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the fatherland”

◦ El Consejo de los Dioses (The Cuncils of the Gods) – an allegorical drama written by Rizal to
commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes

◦ A Filipinas – a sonnet that urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines.
Unhappy Days at the UST
Rizal found the atmosphere at the UST suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy
because the Dominican professors were hostile to him and the Filipino students were racially
discriminated.

After finishing the 4th year of his medical course, Rizal decided to complete his studies in Spain.

Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizal has secret mission – to observe keenly the life
and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and government and laws of the
European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed
people from Spanish tyranny
First Journey Abroad
◦ May 3, 1882 – Rizal departed on board the Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore.

◦ Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities

◦ May 9, 1882 – the Salvadora docked at Singapore

◦ Hotel dela Paz – stayed here and spent two days in the city which was a colony of England
First Journey Abroad
◦ Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a French steamer who left Singapore for Europe on May 11, 1882.

◦ May 17, 1882 – Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacost town in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

◦ According to Rizal, Colombo (Capital of Sri Lanka) is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore and
Manila.

◦ June 11, 1882 – Rizal reached Naples, Italy after passing through Red Sea, Suez Canal and Mediterranean
Sea.

◦ June 12, 1882 – the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles
Rizal in Barcelona, Spain
◦ June 16, 1882 – Rizal finally reached his destination – Barcelona.

◦ Amor Patrio (Love of Country) – Nationalistic essay. Rizal’s first article written on Spain’s
soil under his pen name Laong Laan.

◦ Diaryong Tagalog – the first Manila bilingual newspaper (Spanish and Tagalog) where Amor
Patrio was published.

◦ Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging Manila according to Paciano’s
letter.
Rizal in Barcelona, Spain
◦ Another sad news was the letter of his friend Chengoy recounting the unhappiness of
Leonor Rivera.

◦ In his letter, Paciano advised Jose to finish his medical course in Madrid.

◦ Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid
Life in Madrid
◦ November 3, 1882 – Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central
University of Madrid) in two courses – Medicine and Philosophy and Letters

◦ Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando – Rizal studied painting and sculpture.

◦ Rizal’s only extravagance spending for a lottery ticket every draw of the Madrid
Lottery.

◦ On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived
with his son and daughter Consuelo.
Life in Madrid
◦ Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle) – a society of Spaniards and
Filipinos which Rizal joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid.

◦ Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Beecher Stowe and The Wandering Jew by Eugene Sue – the
two books that aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people.
First Visit to Paris
◦ June 17- August 20, 1883 – Rizal’s sojourn in Paris

◦ Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish Mason openly and freely criticized the
government policies and lambasted the friars which could not be done in the Philippines.

◦ March, 1883 – He joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid.

◦ Rizal’s reason for becoming a mason was to secure Freemasonry’s aid in his fight against the
friars in the Philippines.
Returning to Madrid
◦ After returning to Madrid, the economic condition turned from bad to worse in Calamba.

◦ June 24, 1884 – he was broke and was unable to take breakfast.

◦ June 25, 1884 – Filipinos celebrated the victory of Luna’s Spoliarium winning the first prize, and Hidalgo’s
Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace, winning second prize in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in
Madrid.

◦ June 21, 1884 – He completed his medical course and was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine

◦ June 19, 1885 – on his 24th birthday, He was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters with
the rating of Excellent.
◦ Rizal had written the first chapters of Noli Me Tangere towards the end of 1884 in Madrid.
Paris to Germany (1885-1887)
◦ Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in ophthalmology.

◦ Maximo Viola – a medical student from a rich family in Bulacan, a friend of Rizal

◦ Dr. Louis de Weckert – leading French ophthalmologist wherein Rizal worked as an

assistant

◦ At the studio of Juan Luna in Paris, Rizal spent many happy hours. Rizal helped Luna
by posing as model in several paintings.
◦ He finished writing about fifty percent of his novel Noli Me Tangere in Paris
Paris to Germany (1885-1887)
◦ February 3, 1886 – Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its
old university.

◦ Dr. Otto Becker – Distinguished German opthalmologist where Rizal worked.

◦ April 22, 1886 – He wrote a fine poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To the Flowers of
Heidelberg) because he was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of
Neckar River.

◦ He wrote and finished the last parts of Noli Me Tangere in Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous
village near Heidelberg in 1886.
Paris to Germany (1885-1887)
◦ He wrote his first letter in German to Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt who became
his friend and confidante.

◦ Aritmetica (Arithmetic) – He sent this book as a gift to Blumentritt who was

interested in studying the Tagalog language.
Rizal in Leipzig and Dresden, Germany (1886)
◦ He met Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a famous German historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a
German anthropologist.

◦ The cost of living in Leipzig was the cheapest in Europe so he stayed here two months
and a half.

◦ October 29, 1886 – Rizal arrived in Dresden where he met Dr. Adoph B. Meyer,
Director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum.

◦ November 1, 1886 – Left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the evening.

The Publication of Noli Me Tangere in Berlin (1887)
◦ In Berlin during the winter days of February, 1886, Rizal made the final revisions on the manuscript of
the Noli.

◦ Maximo Viola (the savior of Noli) arrived in Berlin and loaned Rizal the needed funds (300 pesos for
200 copies) to publish the novel.

◦ To save printing expenses, Rizal deleted a whole chapter – “Elias and Salome”

◦ March 21, 1887 – The Noli Me Tangere came off the press.

◦ March 29, 1887 – Rizal gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli carefully rolled around the pen that he
used in writing it and a complimentary copy with the following inscription
◦ “ To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work”
◦ – Jose Rizal.
The Noli Me Tangere
◦ Noli Me Tangere – Latin word which means “Touch me not” which came from the biblical verse John 20:13-17
◦ It has 63 chapters and an Epilogue
◦ Was a true story of the Philippine conditions during the last decade of Spanish rule
◦ Maria Clara – was Lenor Rivera
◦ Ibarra and Elias – represented Rizal himself
◦ Tasio – represented Paciano Rizal
◦ Padre Salvi – Padre Antonio Piermavieja – the hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was killed by the patriots during the
revolution.
◦ Capitan Tiago – Captain Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas
◦ Dona Victorina – was Dona Agustina Medel
◦ Basilio and Crispin – Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy
◦ Padre Damaso – typical of a domineering friar who was arrogant, immoral and anti-Filipino.
Rizal’s Grand Tour of Europe with Viola (1887)
◦ Leitmeritz – He met Prof. Blumentritt for the first time
◦ Prague – according to Viola “nothing of importance happened in this city”.
◦ Vienna – Rizal received his lost diamond stickpin
◦ Munich – they savor the famous Munich beer
◦ Geneva – He treated Viola in this City on June 19, 1887, his 26 th birthday. After 15 days, Viola returned
to Barcelona while Rizal continued the tour to Italy.
◦ Rome – Rizal arrived the “Eternal City” on June 27, 1887
◦ Vatican – Rizal visited the “City of the Popes” on June 29, 1887.
The First Homecoming (1887-1888)
◦ Because of the publication of Noli Me Tangere and the uproar it caused among the friars, Rizal
was warned by Paciano and other friends not to return home.

◦ Rizal was determined to return for the following reasons:

1. to operate on his mother’s eye
2. To serve his people
3. To find out for himself how Noli and his other writings were affecting Filipinos and Spaniards
in the Philippines.
4. To inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent.
Delightful Trip to Manila
◦ July 3, 1887 – he boarded the steamer Djemnah, the same steamer that brought him to
Europe 5 years ago.

◦ July 30, 1887 – at Saigon, he transferred to another steamer, Haiphong which was
Manila-bound.

◦ August 5, 1887 – Near midnight, Rizal arrived in Manila

Happy Homecoming
◦ August 8, 1887 – Rizal arrived in Calamba

◦ He established a medical clinic where his first patient was his mother who was almost
blind

◦ He came to be called “Doctor Uliman” because he came from Germany.

◦ He opened a gymnasium for young folks

◦ He failed to see Leonor Rivera.

Storm Over the Noli
◦ Gov. Gen. Emiliano Terrero – Requested Rizal to come to Malacanang to talk about
the Noli
◦ Don Jose Taviel de Andrade – Spanish lieutenant assigned by Terrero to posed as
bodyguard of Rizal
◦ Permanent Commission of Censorship – found the novel to contain subversive ideas
against the church and Spain, and recommended that the importation, reproduction,
and circulation of the book be absolutely prohibited.
◦ Fr. Jose Rodriguez – published a series of eight pamphlets under the general heading
Cuestiones de Sumo Interes (Questions of Supreme Inrerests) to criticize the Noli
Farewell to Calamba
◦ The friars asked Terrero to deport Rizal, but later refused because there was no valid charge
against Rizal in court.

◦ Rizal was compelled to leave Calamba for two reasons:

1. his presence in Calamba was jeopardizing the safety and happiness of his family and friends
2. he could fight better his enemies and serve his country’s cause by writing in foreign
countries.

◦ Rizal left on February 1888. He was then a 27 years old, practicing physician and a recognize
man-of-letters
In Hongkong and Macao (1888)
◦ February 3, 1888 – Rizal left Manilafor Hongkong on board Zafiro

◦ February 8, 1888 – Rizal arrived in Hongkong and stayed in Victoria Hotel

◦ “Hongkong”, wrote Rizal to Blumentritt, “is a small, but very clean city”

◦ February 18, 1888 – Rizal accompanied by Jose Maria Basa visited Macao, a
Portuguese colony. They also returned to Hongkong on board the ferry steamer
Kiu Kiang
Romantic Interlude in Japan (February 28-April 13,1888)
◦ One of the happiest interludes in the life of Rizal was his sojourn in the Land of the Cherry
Blossoms for one month and a half.

◦ February 28, 1888 – Rizal arrived in Yokohama and registered at Grand Hotel.

◦ Juan Perez Caballero – secretary of the Spanish Legation visited Rizal at his hotel and invited
him to live in the Spanish Legation

◦ Romance with Seiko Usui (O-Sei-san) – The 27 years old Rizal saw in lovely 23 years old
Seiko Usui the qualities of his ideal womanhood – beauty, charm, modesty and intelligence.
No wonder, he fell deeply in love with her.
Rizal’s Visit to the United States (1888)
◦ Rizal had good and bad impressions of the USA.

◦ The good impressions were: the material wealth as shown in great cities, huge
farms and industries, natural beauty of the land and high standards of living.

◦ But one bad impression of Rizal is the lack of racial equality

Rizal’s Return in Europe
◦ London (1888-1889) - His greatest achievement was the annotating of Morga’s book, Sucesos delas Islas
Filipinas Historical events of the Philippine Islands)

◦ Madrid and Barcelona – Rizal wrote articles for La Silidaridad, a newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez
Jaena on February 15, 1889. Some of the articles contributed by Rizal are the Following:

◦ Paris (March, 1889) – He founded Kidlat Club simply to bring together young Filipinos to Paris. He wrote
the essay “The indolence of the Filipinos”

◦ Belgium (1890) – He met Suzanne Jacoby

Rizal’s Return in Europe
◦ Madrid (1890-1891) – Rizal received a letter from Leonor announcing her coming marriage to
and English engineer and asked for his forgiveness. Rivalry between him and Del Pilar also
happened.

◦ Biarritz, France – He almost completed the revision of his second novel El filibustersmo. It
took him 3 years to write this novel

◦ Ghent, Belgium – El Filibusterismo came off the press on September 18, 1891 after Valentin
Ventura (the savior of El Fili) loaned him the necessary amount needed for printing. Rizal
donated the original manuscript and an autographed printed copy to Ventura.
Opthalmic Surgeon in Hongkong (1891-1892)
◦ Two weeks after the publication of Fili, Rizal left Ghent for Hongkong. He boarded the steamer
Melbourne.

◦ The Christmas of 1891 was one of the happiest Yuletide celebrations in Rizal’s life for he had a happy
family reunion. He wrote to Blumentritt recounting pleasant life in Hongkong.

◦ He opened his own clinic and practiced medicine

◦ He successfully oerated on his mother’s left eye .

◦ Rizal planned to move the landless Filipino families to North Borneo (Sabah) and establish “new
Calamba”.
Decision to Return to Manila
◦ The decision was spurred by the following:
1. to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his Borneo Colonization
project

2. to establish the La Liga Filipina in Manila

3. to prove that Eduardo de Lete was wrong in attacking him in Madrid

that he being comfortable and safe in Hongkong had abandoned the
country’s cause
Second Homecoming and the Liga Filipina
◦ June 26, 1892 – at 12:00 noon, Rizal and his widowed sister Lucia arrived in Manila. At 4:00
p.m., he went straight to Malacanang to meet Despujol.

◦ July 3, 1892 – He founded La Liga Filipina in Tondo Manila. The motto of the organization
was “Unus Instar Omnium (One Like All)

◦ July 6, 1892 – Rizal was arrested and brought to Fort Santiago.

◦ July 14, 1892- He was sailed to Dapitan where he was about to be exiled.
 Exile in Dapitan
(July 17, 1892-July 31, 1896)

◦ Rizal practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, continued his artistic and
literary works, widened his knowledge of languages, established a school for
boys, promoted development projects, invented a wooden machine for making
bricks, and engaged in farming and commerce.
The Trial and Execution of Jose Rizal
November 3, 1896 – Rizal arrived in Manila with the steamer Colon
and brought to Fort Santiago pending his persecution.
Rebellion and Formation of Illegal Organization - These were the
cases filed against Rizal after 5 days of investigation and
presenting “documentary and testimonial” evidences.
He pleaded not guilty to the crimes charges against him.
December 19, 1896 - He was found guilty and to be condemned to
death by firing squad
Rizal’s Last Day – He spent his last 24 hours in his cell where he received
members of his family and write his letter of farewell, the first one to his
“second brother” Ferdinand Blumentritt. He gave his sister, Trinidad, an old
petroleum lamp and whispered to her in English that there is something inside
the lamp. Thus is Rizal’s famous farewell poem “Mi Ultimo Adios” was found.

-- Rizal said to have married his Irish girlfriend Josephine Bracken according
to Catholic rites in the very last hours of his life.
◦ December 30, 1896 – His arms tied behind his back, ready
and calm, Rizal uttered “consummatum est” (it is finished).
Then roll of drums accompany the firing of the soldiers.
And even at the moment of his fall, Rizal turns his body so
that he ends up lying on his back, with his face to the sun.
And while the Filipinos see the execution in enraged
silence, calls of “viva Espaňa!) resound thunderously.