CHAPTER 1

ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO

Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example of many-splendored genius who

became the greatest hero of a nation. Endowed by God with versatile gifts,
he truly ranked with worlds geniuses. He was a physician (ophthalmic
surgeon), poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect, painter,
sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor,
engineer, farmer businessman, economist, geographer, cartographer,
bibliophile, philologist, grammarian, folklorist, philosopher, translator,
inventor, magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist sportsman, traveler, and
prophet. Above and beyond all these, he was a hero and political martyr who
consecrated his life for the redemption of his oppressed people. No wonder,
he is now acclaimed as the national hero of the Philippines.
June 19, 1861- Dr. Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit night of Wednesday in
the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna.
-His mother almost died during the delivery because of his big
head.
June 22, 1861- He was baptized in the Catholic Church of his town, aged
three years old.
Father Rufino Collantes- who was a Batangueno, a parish priest who
baptized Dr. Jose Rizal.
Father Pedro Casanas- close friend of Rizal family, the godfather of Rizal
Jose- was derived from the name Saint Joseph
Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines
at the time Rizal was born, former senator of Spain (member of the upper
chamber of the Spanish Cortes)
His achievements as governor general were:
(1)Fostering the cultivation of cotton in the provinces
(2)Establishing the politico-military governments in the Visayas and
Mindanao

Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898) - the heros father, was born in

Bian, Laguna on May 11, 1818. He studied Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose in Manila.
-In early manhood, following his
parents death, he moved to Calamba and became a tenant- farmer of the
Dominican-owned hacienda.
-He was a hardy and independent
minded man, who talked less and works more and was strong in body and
valiant in spirit.
-He died in Manila on January 5,
1898 at the age of 80. Rizal affectionately called him a model of fathers.
Doa Teodora Alonso Realonda(1826-1911)- the heros mother, was born
in Manila on November 8, 1826 and was educated at the College of Santa
Rosa .
-She was a remarkable
woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent, business ability and the
fortitude of Spartan women.
-She died in Manila on
august 16, 1911, at the age of 85.
THE RIZAL CHILDREN
Eleven children two boys and nine girls.
(1)Saturnina (1850-1913) - oldest of the Rizal children, nickname Neneng,
she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas.
(2)Paciano (1851-1930) older brother and confidant of Jose Rizal. After his
young brothers execution he joined the Philippine Revolution and became a
combat general; after the Revolution he retired to his farm in Los Baos,
where he lived as a gentleman farmer and died on April 13, 1390, an old
bachelor aged 79. He had two children _a boy and a girl.
(3)Narcisa (1852-1939) -her pet name was Sisa and she married Antonio
Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school teacher of Morong.
(4)Olimpia (1855-1887) Ypia was her pet name; she married Silvestre
Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila.

(5)Lucia (1857-1919) she married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a

nephew of Father Casanas, Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied
Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Jose Rizal.
(6)Maria (1859-1945) Biang was her nickname; she married Daniel Faustino
Cruz of Bian, Laguna.
(7)Jose(1861-1896) the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius; his
nickname was Pepe; during his he exile in Dapitan he lived with Josephine
Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong; he had a son by her, but this baby-boy
died a few hours after birth; Rizal named him Francisco after his father and
buried him in Dapitan.
(8)Concepcion (1862-1865) her pet name was Concha; she died of
sickness at the age of 3; her death was Rizals first sorrow in life.
(9)Josefa (1865-1945) her pet name was Panggoy; she died an old maid at
the age of 80.
(10)Trinidad (1868-1951) Trining was her pet name; she died also an old
maid in 1951 aged 83.
(11)Soledad (1870-1929) youngest of the Rizal children; her pet name was
Choleng; she married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

Domingo Lameo Rizals great-great grandfather on his father side

-A Chinese immigrant from the Fukien City of Changchow
who arrived in Manila about 1690. He became a Christian, married a well-todo Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la Rosa.
Mercado means market in English
June 28, 1848 Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda were
married, after which the settle down in Calamba.
Eugenio Ursua great-great grandfather on mothers side (a Japanese
ancestry), who married a Filipina named Benigna.
The surname Rizal the real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado,
which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lameo, who was a full blooded
chemist. Rizals family required a second surname-Rizal- which was given by
spanish alcalde mayor of Laguna.

Middle class Family

The Rizal family belonged to the principalia a town aristocracy in
Spanish Philippines. It was one of the distinguished families in Calamba.

CHAPTER 2
CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
Calamba named after a big native jar
-was a hacienda town which belonged to Dominican order
Earliest Childhood Memories
-

In his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was
three years old
His father built a little niopa cottage in the garden for him to play in
the daytime
Was the daily Angelus prayer, by nightfall, Rizal related his mother
gathered all the children of the house to pray the Angelus
He also remembered the happy moonlit, nights at the azotea after
the nightly rosary
The nocturnal wall in the town, especially when there was a moon.

The Heros first Sorrow Concha died in sickness in 1865 when she was
only three years old. The death of little concha brought him his first sorrow.
Father Leoncio Lopez the old and learned parish priest of Calamba1,
fostered Rizals love for scholarship and intellectual honesty
June 6, 1868 Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to
Antipolo
Artistic talent at the age of five he began to make sketches with his pencil
and to mold in clay and wax objects which attracted his infancy
-when he was about six his sisters laughed at him for spending so
much time for making those images but he told them: All right

laugh at me now! Someday when I die, people will make monument

and images for me!
-at the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native
language entitled Sa Aking mga Kababata (To my Fellow Students)
Influence on the Heros Boyhood
1. Hereditary influence
2. Environmental influence
3. Aid of Divine Providence
His three Uncles
1. Tio Jose Alberto who had studies for eleven years in a British school
in inspired him to develop his artistic ability
2. Tio manuel a husky and athletic man, encouraged him to develop his
frail body by means of physical exercise
3. Tio Gregorio a book lover, intensified his voracious reading of good
book

CHAPTER 3
EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BIAN

Four Rs reading, writing, arithmetic and religion

The Heros First Teacher was his mother who was a remarkable woman
of good character and fine culture
Private Tutors:
1. Maestro Celestino
2. Maestro Lucas Padua
3. Leon Monroy
June, 1869 Rizal left Calamba for Bian
Juancho an old painter who was the father-in-law of the schoolteacher
December 17, 1870 he left Bian on Saturday afternoon

January 20, 1872 about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite
arsenal under the leadership of lamadrid
Governor Rafael de Izquerdo Filipino sergeant, rose in violent because of
the abolition of their usual privileges including exemption from tribute and
polo
February 17, 1872 the Gom-Bur-Za were executed by order of Gov.
General Izquerdo
1891 he decided his second novel, El Filibusterismo to Gom-Bur-Za
June of 1872 tragedy struck the Rizals family. Doa Teodora was suddenly
arrested on a malicious charge

CHAPTER 4
SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA
Rizal studied at Ateneo Municipal, a college under the supervision of
the Spanish Jesuits.
1817 Escuela Pia (charity school) a school for poor boys in manila ahich was
established by the city government
-

When the Jesuit, who had been expelled from the Philippines in
1786, returned to Manila in 1859, they were given the management
of the Escuela Pia whose name was change to Ateneo Municipal and
later became Ateneo de Manila

June 10, 1872 Rizal went to manila accompanied by Paciano

Father Magin Fernando who was the college registrar, refused to admit
him for two reasons: 1.) he was late for registration 2.) He was sickly and
undersized for his age
Manuel Xeres Burgos nephew of Father Burgos upon his intercession he
was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo
Students were divided into two groups:
1.) Roman Empire consisting of the internos (boarders)
2.) Carthaginians Empire composed of the externos (non-boarders)

Each of these empires had its ranks:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Emperor- best students

Tribune- second best
Decurion third best
Centurion- fourth best
Standard bearer fifth best
The Ateneo students in Rizals time wore a uniform with consisted of
hemp fabric trousers and striped cotton coat

Rayadillo the coat material

Father Jose Bech first professor of Rizal
Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class. He was externo, hence he
was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.
Santa Isabel College Rizal took private lessons during the noon recess. He
paid three pesos for these extra Spanish lessons.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas first favorite novel of
Rizal
Travels in the Philippines by Dr.Feodor Jagor a German scientisttraveler who visited the Philippines in 1859-1860, what impressed him to this
book were: 1.) Jagors keen observations of the defects of Spanish
colonization 2.) His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines
and that America would come to succeed her as colonize.
June 16, 1875 Rizal became an interno in the Ateneo
Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez one of his professors, a great educator
and scholar, he inspired Rizal to study harder and to write poetry, he became
an admirer and friend of Rizal

Rizal the most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly the pride of
the Jesuits

March 23, 1877 Commencement day, Rizal, who was 16 years old,
received from his alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of
Arts with highest honors.
Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo
RIZAL WAS ACTIVE IN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

1.) An emperor inside the classroom.

2.) A campus leader outside
3.) Active member, later, secretary of a religious society, the Marian
Congregation
4.) He was accepted as member of his sodality.
5.) He was also a member of the academy of Spanish Literature and
Academy of natural sciences.
Father Jose Villaclara another professor, advised him to stop communing
with the nurses and pay more attention to more practical studies
Agustin Saez famous Spanish printer
Romualdo de Jesus Filipino sculpture
Felix M. Roxas one of Rizals contemporaries in the Ateneo
Segunda Katigbak first romance of Rizal
-a pretty fourteen-year-old Batanguea from Lipa

CHAPTER 5
MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

April 1877 Rizal who was nearly 16 yrs. Old matriculated in the University
of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and letters. He enrolled in
this course for two reasons: 1.) his father liked it 2.)he was still uncertain as
to what career to pursue
Father Pablo Ramon Rector of the Ateneo, who had been good to him
during his student days in college, asking for advice on the choice of career
Perito agrimensor (expert surveyor)
*at the age of 17, he passed the final examination in the surveying course
Nov. 25, 1881-the title was issued to him
Miss L second romance of Rizal; Young woman in Calamba, a fair with
seductive and attractive eyes
Two reasons for his change of heart:

1.) The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart
2.) His father did not like the family of Miss L
Leonor Valenzuela who was tall girl with a regal bearing
-

Third romance of Rizal

Orang (pet name of Leonor Valenzuela)

Leonor Rivera fourth romance of Rizal

-a student at La Concordia College, where Soledad (Rizals
youngest sisters) was studying
-born in Camiling, Tarlac on April 11, 1867 was a frail, pretty girl
tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes
-they became engaged
General primo de Rivera Spanish Governor General of the Philippines at
that time, Rizal reported the incident but nothing came
March 21, 1887 out of his complaint because he was an Indio and abusive
lieutenant was a Spaniard
May 1881 rizal went on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of
the Birhen Maria de los Dolores. And stayed at the home of Mr. and
Mrs.Manuel Regalado, whose son Nicolas was Rizals found in
Rizal was unhappy at this Dominican Institution of higher learning
because:
1.) The Dominican professors were hostile3 to him
2.) The Filipino student5swere racially discriminated against by the
Spaniards
3.) The method of instruction was obsolete and repressive

CHAPTER 6
IN SUNNY SPAIN (1882-1885)

Rizals Secret Missions:

To observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs,

industries and commerce government and laws of the European nations in
order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people
from Spanish tyranny.
May 3, 1882 Rizal departed on board the Spanish steamer Salvadora board
for Singapore
Donato Lecha the ship captain from Asturias, Spain, befriend him
May 8, 1882 while the steamer was approaching Singapore-Rizal saw a
beautiful island. He remember Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga
Sir Thomas Stranford Raffles founder of Singapore
From Singapore to Colombo Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a
French steamer which left Singapore for Europe on May 11
May 17 the Djemnah reached point Galle, a second town in Southern
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Colombo the capital of Ceylon
-

More beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, point Galle and
Manda

Ferdinand de Lesseps French diplomat-engineer

-

He built the Suez Canal, it was inaugurated on Nov. 17,1869

June 11 Rizal reached Naples, this Italian City pleased him because of its
business activity
June 12 the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles
June 16, 1882 finally reaching his destination Barcelona
Las-Ramblas the most famous street in Barcelona
Amor Patrio (love of Country) nationalistic essay, Rizals first article
written on Spains soil
Basilio Teodore Moran publisher of Diariong Tagalog, the first Manila
bilingual newspaper (Spanish and Tagalog)

Aug. 22, 1882 Rizals Amor Patrio under his pen name LaongLLaan,
appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog
-

It was published in two text-Spanish and Tagalog. The Spanish text

was originally written by Rizal in Barcelona. The Tagalog text was a
Tagalog translation made by M. H. Pilar.

Las Viajes (Travels) - second article

Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid) third article, which he wrote in
Madrid on Nov. 29, 1882, was returned to him because Diariong Tagalog had
ceased publication for lack of funds
September 15, 1882 Pacianos letter about the dreadful epidemic
May 26, 1882 Paciano advised Rizal to finish the medical course in Madrid
Nov. 3, 1882 Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central
University of Madrid) in two courses-Medicine and Philosophy and latters
Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey had been city mayor of manila during the
administration of the liberal governor general Carlos M. de la Torre (18691871)
Consuelo Ortiga y Perez fifth romance of Rizal; Don Pablos Daughter
Aug. 22, 1883 Rizal composed a lovely poem dedicated to her titled A La
Seorita C.O.yP
Rizal backed out for two reasons:
1.) He was still engaged to Leonor Rivera
2.) His friend and co-worker Eduardo deLete, was madly in love with
Consuelo and he had no wish to break their friendship because of a
pretty girl
1882 Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano Filipino_-a society of Spanish and
Filipinos
Mi Piden Versos ,1882-poem was written upon the request of the
member of this society which he personally determined during New Years
Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of Dec. 3, 1882
Two books was deeply affected Rizal
1.) Beecher Stowes Uncle toms Cabin

2.) Eugene Sues the wandering Jew

June 17-Aug 20, 1883 Rizal went to Paris capital of France he lived to a
cheaper hotel on 124 Rue de Rennes in the Latin Quarter
Laennec Hospital where he observed Dr. Nicaise treating his patients
Lariboisiere Hospital where he observed the examination of different
disease of women
March 1883 Rizal joined the maconic lodge called Acacia in Madrid
Nov. 15 1890 Rizal transferred to Lodge Solidaridad (Madrid) where he
became a master mason
Feb. 15, 1892 he was awarded the diploma as master mason by Le Grand
Orient de France in Paris
June 24, 1884 a touching incident in Rizals life in Madrid occurred,
because he was unable to take breakfast that day
Nov. 20, 21, 22, 1885 the serene city of Madrid exploded in bloody riots
by the students of the central university
Dr. Miguel Morayta professor of history, at the opening ceremonies of the
academic year on Nov.20, in which he proclaimed the freedom of science
and teacher
June 21, 1884 he was conferred the degree of licentiate in medicine by the
Universidad central de Madrid
June 19, 1885 his 24th birthday, he was awarded the degree of licentiate in
Philosophy and letters with the rating of Excellent

CHAPTER 7
PARIS TO BERLIN (1885-1887)
Top German Scientist

1.) Dr.
2.) Dr.
3.) Dr.
4.) Dr.

Feodor Jagor
Adolph B. Meyer
Hans Meyer
Rudolf Virchow

Maximo Viola a medical student and a member of a rich family of San

Miguel of Bulacan
Dr. Louis de Weckert (1852-1906) leading French ophthalmologist, from
Nov.1885-Feb. 1886
February 1, 1886 Rizal left Paris for Germany
Feb. 3, 1886 he arrived in Heidelberg
April 22, 1886 he wrote a time poem A Las Flores de Heidelberg)
Dr. Karl Ullmer protestant pastor, who became his good friend and
admirer
July 31, 1886 Rizal wrote his first letters in German to Professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt
Aritmetica (Arithmetic) was published in two languages Spanish and
Tagalog by the University of Santo Thomas Press in 1868
Rufino Baltazar Hernandez author of Arithmetica, a native of Santa Cruz
Laguna
August 6, 1886 celebration of the fifth centenary of the famous University
of the Heidelberg
Aug. 14, 1886 Rizal arrived in Leipzig
Professor Friedrich Ratzel a famous German historian
Dr. Hans Meyer German Anthropologist
Dr. Adolph B. Meyer director of the Anthropological and Ethnological
Museum
Dr. Feodor Jagor German scientist-traveler and author of Travels in the
Philippines
Dr. Rudolf Virchow famous German anthropologist
Dr. Hans Virchow professor of descriptive Anatomy

Dr. W. Joest noted German geographer

Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger famous German ophthalmologist
Rizals life in Berlin
He lived in the famous capital of unified Germany for the five reasons:
1.) To
2.) To
3.) To
4.) To
5.) To

gain for the knowledge of ophthalmology.

further his studies of sciences and languages.
observe the economic had political conditions of the German nation.
associate with famous German scientist and scholars.
publish his novel, Noli me Tangere.

DANIEL B. PEA MEMORIAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION

TABACO CITY

POINTERS
IN
RIZAL
SUBMITTED BY:
JULIE PERL SUALIVIO
BSA II

SUBMITTED TO:
MR. HERCULANO BIBON