RIZAL'S LIFE

In full, JOSÉ PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y

ALONSO REALONDA (born 19 June 1861,
Calamba, Philippines- died 30 December
1896, Manila, Philippines), patriot,
physician and man of letters whose life
and literary works were an

Family
T S
N E
R A

Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

P

-born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818

S'
L

-studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila

A

-became a tenant
Z I

-farmer of the Dominican

R

-owned hacienda
-a hardy and independent
-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in body and
valiant in spirit
-died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
-Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers”

Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911)

-born in Manila on November 8, 1826
-educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well
-known college for girls in the city
-a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent,
business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan women
-is a woman of more than ordinary culture: she knows literature and
speaks Spanish (according to Rizal)
-died in Manila on August 16, 1911 at the age of 85

RIZAL'S
CHILDRE
N
1. Saturnina (1850-1913) 3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
-oldest of the Rizal children -her pet name was Sisa
-nicknamed Neneng -married to Antonio Lopez (nephew
-married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school
Batangas teacher of Morong
2. Paciano (1851-1930) 4. Olimpia (1855-1887)
-older brother and confident of Jose Rizal -Ypia was her pet name
-was a second father to Rizal
-immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me
-married Silvestre Ubaldo, a
Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio telegraph operator from Manila
-Rizal regarded him as the “most noble of 5. Lucia (1857-1919)
Filipinos” -married to Mariano Herbosa of
-became a combat general in the Philippine Calamba, who was a nephew of
Revolution Father Casanas
-died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79 -Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and
-had two children by his mistress (Severina was denied Christian burial because
Decena) he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal
—a boy and a girl

6. Maria (1859-1945)
-Biang was her nickname -married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna
7. Jose (1861-1896)
-the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius
-nickname was Pepe
-lived with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong
-had a son 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) 10. Trinidad (1868-1951)

-her pet name was Concha -Trining was her pet name
-died of sickness at the age of 3 -she died also an old maid
-her death was Rizal’s first
sorrow in life in
9. Josefa (1865-1945) 1951 aged 83
-her pet name was Panggoy 11. Soledad (1870-1929)
-died an old maid at the age of -youngest of the Rizal
80 children
-her pet name was Choleng
-married Pantaleon
Quintero
of Calamba
 CHILDHOOD YEARS IN
CALAMBA
-Calamba was named after a big native jar
-Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to
the Dominican Order, which also owned all the
lands around it

• Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a poem

about Rizal’s beloved town written by Rizal in 1876 when he was
15 years old and was student in the Ateneo de Manila
• The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in
the family garden when he was three years old
• Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By
nightfall, Rizal related, his mother gathered all the children at
the
house to pray the Angelus
• Another memory of Rizal’s infancy was the nocturnal walk in
the
town, especially when there was a moon
• The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow
• At the age of three, Rizal began to take a part in the family
prayers
•When Rizal was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the
Spanish family bible
• The Story of the Moth- made the profoundest impression on
Rizal
-“died a martyr to its illusions”
• At the age of five, Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil
and to mould in clay and wax objects which attracted his fancy
• Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children)- Rizal’s first
poem in native language at the age of eight -reveals Rizal’s
earliest nationalist sentiment
• At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first dramatic work which
was
a Tagalog comedy

EARLY EDUCATION IN
CALAMBA AND BIÑAN
• The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was remarkable woman of good
character and fine culture —her mother
• Maestro Celestino- Rizal’s first private tutor
• Maestro Lucas Padua- Rizal’s second tutor
• Leon Monroy- a former classmate of Rizal’s father became Rizal’s tutor that
instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. He died five months later
• Sunday afternoon in June, 1869- Rizal left Calamba for Biñan accompanied by
Paciano
• Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz- Rizal’s teacher in a private school in Biñan -
Rizal described his teacher as follows: He was thin, long-necked, with a sharp nose
and a body slightly bent forward
• 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 give
Rizal lessons in drawing and painting
• Jose Guevara- Rizal’s classmate who also loved painting, became apprentices of the
old painter
• “the favorite painters of the class”- because of his artistic talent
• 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 Biñan to Calamba
• Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870- Rizal left Biñan after one year and a half
of schooling
• Arturo Camps- a Frenchman friend of Rizal’s father who took care of him on board

HIGHER EDUCATION
- Ateneo De Municipal established by the Jesuits- Rizal entered in 1872
- He belonged to the class composed of Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos
- His teacher was Fr. Jose Bech
- He was considered as an inferior and was placed at the buttom of the
class
- By the end of the month he became the emperor and received a prize, a
religious picture
- To improve his Spanish Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College
- During his 4th year in Ateneo he received 5 medals and graduated as
sobresaliente
- He graduated on March 23, 1877(16 years old)
- Received the degree of bachelor of arts, with highest honors not a
valedictiorian
 EXPERIENCE OF SPANISH
BRUTALITY
Rizal experienced his first taste of Spanish brutality when he was
in Calamba
spending summer vacation after a long tedious study as medical
student of
UST.
One night while he was walking alone along a dark street, Rizal
failed to
recognize the Spanish civil guard, passing by his side, thus, he
did not bow,
salute or greet the man. At a striking distance, the civil guard
(Guardia Civil)
whipped Rizal mercilessly at the back with a stingray tail (buntot
pagi). He
suffered from the ' wounds inflicted on his back that lasted for
two weeks
before it was completely healed. He could not accept such brutal
treatment.
When the incident was reported to the Captain General Primo de
Rivera, he
was even reprimanded and even told Rizal that he should be
thankful for
being still alive and spared by the civil guard

RIZAL’S ARTISTIC WORKS

While at UST, Jose Rizal showed his literary prowess. In the
year 1879, the Artistic literary Lyceum of Manila (Liceo Artistico
Literario) a society whose members were the artists in
literature held a contest in poetry writing and composition.
The contest was Opened to natives or mestizos. Rizal joined
the contest and submitted his poem “To the Filipino Youth” (A
La Juventud Filipina). It is an inspiring poem of very significant
form. Rizal pleaded to the Filipino youth to rise from their
complacency and show their talents and skills.
FIRST TRAVEL DECISION TO
GO AND STUDY ABROAD

Medical Studies in University of

Sto. Thomas
(1877-1882)
- After graduating , he continued his education at UST
- He finished a year in Philosophy and Letters
- He decided to shift to a medical course
- UST was under the Dominicans , rival of the Jesuits in education
- Remained loyal to Ateneo participated in extracurricular activities in
Ateneo and completed a course in surveying
- As a Thomasian he won more literary laurels
- During his first term in 1877-1878 in UST, he studied Cosmology,
Metaphysics , Theodicy and History of Philosophy.
- It was during the school term 1878-1879 that Rizal pursued his
studies in medicine

RIZAL’S EDUCATION IN SPAIN AT UNIVERSIDAD

CENTRAL DE MADRID
Rizal followed a systematic and well-organized schedule of
study. He completed his medical course and was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid
on June 21, 1884 that made him a full-pledged physician, qualified
topractice medicine. The next academic year (1884-1885), he
studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of
Medicine but was not awarded his Doctor’s Diploma for he did not
submit the thesis as a requirement for graduation nor paid the
corresponding fees. At the same time, he was also awarded the
degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters on June 19, 1885 with
the rating at ”Sobresaliente” (Excellent) The degree of Doctor of
Medicine was conferred as him posthumously in 1961 during the
centenary of his birth.

EXILE IN DAPITAN, 1892-1896

-Rizal lived in exile far-away Dapitan, a remote town in

Mindanao which was under the missionary jurisdiction of the
Jesuits, from 1892 to 1896
-Rizal practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies,
continued his artistic and literary works, widened his
knowledge of languages, established a school for boys,
promoted developments projects, invented a wooden
machine for making bricks, and engaged in farming and
commerce

LAST HOMECOMING AND TRIAL

-Rizal’s homecoming in 1896, the last in his life, was his

saddest return to his beloved native land. He knew he was
facing the supreme test, which might mean the sacrifice
of his life, but he was unafraid
-The trial that was held shortly after Rizal’s homecoming
was one of history’s mockeries of justice
 LAST HOURS OF RIZAL
DECEMBER 29, 1896

6:00am
=Captain Rafael Dominguez,
who was designated by
Governor General Camilo
Polavieja to take charge of all
arrangements for the
execution of the condemned
prisoner, read the death
sentence to Rizal—to be s
December 15, 1896 shot at the
7:00am
back by a firing squad at
7:00am in Bagumbayan =Rizal was moved to the
(Luneta) prison chapel, where he
spent his last moments. His
first visitors were Father
Miguel Saderra Mata
(Rector
of Ateneo Municipal), and
7:15am Father Luis Viza, Jesuit
teacher
= Rizal, in a jovial mood,
reminded Fr. Viza of the
statuette of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus which he had
carved with his pen knife as
an Ateneo student. Fr. Viza,
got the statuette from his
pocket and gave it to Rizal.
The hero happily received it
and placed it on his writing
8:00am
= Fr. Antonio Rosell
table arrived to
relieve Father Viza. Rizal
invited him to join him at
breakfats, which he did.
After breakfast, Lt. Luis
Taviel de Andrade (Rizal’s
9:00am defense counsel) came,
and
= Fr. Federico Faura
arrived. Rizal thanked him for his
Rizal reminded him that gallant services
he
said that (Rizal) would
someday lose his head for
writing the
Noli. “Father”, Rizal
remarked, “You are
indeed a
prophet.”
 10:00am
= Father Jose Vilaclara
(Rizal’s teachet at the
Ateneo) and Vicente
Balaguer (Jesuit missionary
in Dapitan who had
befriended Rizal during the
latter’s exile) visited the
hero. After them came
Spanish journalist, Santiago
Mataix, who
interviewed Rizal for his
newspaper El Heraldo de
Madrid
12:00am (noon)
to 3:30pm
= Rizal was left alone in his cell.
He took lunch after which he
was busy writing. It was
probably during this time
when
he finished his farewell poem
and hid it inside his alcohol
cooking stove which was
given to him as a gift by Paz
Pardo
de Tavera (wife of Juan Luna)
3:30pm
during his visit to Paris in 1890.
at the same time, he wrote his = Father Balaguer
last letter to Professor
Blumentritt in German returned to Fort
Santiago and
discussed
with Rizal about his
retraction of the
anti-Catholic ideas
in
4:00pm his writings and
membership in
= Rizal’s mother
arrived. Masonry
Rizal knelt down before
her
and kissed her hands,
begging her to forgive
him.
Trinidad entered the 6:00pm
cell to
fetch her mother. = Rizal received a new
visitor, Don Silvino Lopez
Tuñon, the Dean of the
Manila Cathedral. Fathers
Balaguer and March left,
leaving Vilaclara with Rizal
8:00pm and Don SIlvino

= Rizal had his last

supper. He
informed Captain
Dominguez who was with
him that he forgave his
enemies, including the
military judges who
condemned him to death
 9:30pm
= Rizal was visited by Don
Gaspar Cestaño, the fiscal
of the Royal Audiencia of
Manila. As a gracious host,
Rizal offered him the best
chair in the cell.

10:00pm
=The draft of the retraction
sent by the anti-Filipino
Archbishop Bernardino
Nozaleda (1890-1903) was
submitted by Father
Balaguer to Rizal for
signature, but the hero
rejected it because it was
too long and he did not like
it

DECEMBER 30, 1896

3:00am
=Rizal heard
Mass, confessed
his sins, and
5:30am took Holy
Communion
=Rizal took his last
breakfast on earth.
After
this, he wrote two
letters,
the first addressed to
his
family and the second
to his older brother
Paciano
 6:00am

= As the soldiers were

getting ready for the
death
march to
Bagumbayan, Rizal
wrote his last letter
to his
beloved parents.
6:30am
=a trumpet sounded at
Fort
Santiago, a signal to
begin
the death march to
Bagumbayan, the
designated place for the
execution
7:03am
=Rizal died in
the bloom of
manhood—aged
35 years,
five months and
11 days
Mi Ultimo Adios (Last
Farewell)- farewell
poem
of Rizal that originally
was
without title and was
unsigned

Father Mariano Dacanay- a

Filipino priest-patriot, who gave
the title Ultimo Adios (Last
Farewell) and under such title the
poem was published for the first
time in La Independencia
(General Antonio Luna’s
newspaper) on September 25,
1898
 Immediately after Rizal’s
execution the Spanish
spectators shouted “Viva
España!” “Muerte a los
Traidores’ (“Long Live
Spain! “Death to the
Traitors!”) and the Spanish
Military Band, joining the
jubilance over Rizal’s death,
played the gay Marcha de
Cadiz

By Rizal’s writings,
which awakened
Filipino nationalism
and paved the way
for the Philippine
Revolution, he
proved that “pen is
mightier than the
sword"