José Protasio Rizal Mercado y

Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 –

December 30, 1896) was a Filipino polymath,
nationalist, and the most prominent advocate for
reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial
era. He is considered the Philippines' national hero,
and the anniversary of Rizal's death is
commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal
Day.

Born in Calamba, Laguna to a wealthy family, Rizal was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist,
correspondent, and novelist. His most famous works were the social commentaries Noli
me Tangere and El filibusterismo, which inspired dissent among peaceful reformists
and spurred the militancy of armed revolutionaries against Spanish colonial authorities.

Rizal was a polyglot conversant in at least ten languages. He attended the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila, the University of Santo Tomas, and universities in Spain, France,
and Germany, earning degrees in medicine and philosophy.

As a political figure, Rizal founded La Liga Filipina, a civic organization that

subsequently gave birth to the Katipunan revolutionary movement. He advocated for
institutional reforms by peaceful means rather than violent revolution.

Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine
Revolution. His death is attributed as the catalyst that precipitated the revolution,
despite his own opposition to violence.

Family

Jose Rizal came from a large 13-member family. His father was Francisco Mercado
(1818-1898), a prosperous landowner and sugar/rice planter. His mother was Teodora
Alonso (1827-1913), a highly educated and business-minded woman.

Rizal was the seventh of eleven children, with nine sisters and one older brother named
Paciano (1851-1930). Paciano was a farmer who later became a general in the
Philippine Revolution.

The Rizal family had diverse ancestral roots, with traces of Chinese, Japanese, Spanish,
Malay, and even Negrito blood. They belonged to the principalia, or municipal elite, in
the Spanish Philippines.
Education

Rizal began his studies under Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Biñan, Laguna before being sent
to Manila to attend the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He graduated as one of the nine
outstanding students in his class. Rizal then continued his education at the Ateneo,
earning a degree in land surveying and assessment, while simultaneously studying
Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters.

After learning that his mother was going blind, Rizal decided to study medicine
specializing in ophthalmology at the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. However, he
did not complete the program due to discrimination against Filipino students by the
Spanish Dominican faculty and outdated teaching methods.

Without his parents' knowledge, Rizal traveled to Europe in 1882, supported by his
brother Paciano. In Madrid, he earned a Licentiate in Medicine from the Universidad
Central de Madrid. Rizal continued his studies in Paris and Heidelberg, where he
specialized in ophthalmology under Professor Otto Becker in 1887. There he used the
newly invented ophthalmoscope, which he later used to operate on his mother's eye.

Although Rizal never officially received his doctoral degree, he was a skilled
ophthalmologist who practiced throughout his life. His training under renowned
specialists like Louis de Wecker and Otto Becker demonstrates his expertise in the field.

Rizal's multifacetedness was described by his German friend, Dr. Adolf Meyer, as
"stupendous." Documented studies show him to be a polymath with the ability to
master various skills and subjects. He was an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter,
educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative
writing, he dabbled, with varying degrees of expertise, in architecture, cartography,
economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and
pistol shooting. He was also a Freemason, joining Acacia Lodge No. 9 during his time in
Spain and becoming a Master Mason in 1884.

Rizal's romantic attachments

Jose Rizal had significant romantic relationships with nine identified individuals, each
playing a unique role in his life:

1. Segunda Katigbak
 Segunda Katigbak was Rizal's first love, known as his "puppy love." Their
relationship was short-lived as Segunda was engaged to another man, Manuel
Luz.
2. Leonor Valenzuela
 Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan, received love notes from Rizal
written in invisible ink. Rizal bid her a last goodbye before departing for Spain.
3. Leonor Rivera
  Leonor Rivera, Rizal's sweetheart for 11 years, had a significant influence on him.
Despite their deep connection, their relationship faced obstacles, including
disapproval from Leonor's mother.
4. Consuelo Ortiga
 Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga's daughters, fell in love
with Rizal. Rizal dedicated a poem to her, but he backed out of a serious romance
to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and maintain his friendship with Eduardo de
Lete.
5. O-Sei San
 O-Sei San, a Japanese samurai's daughter, taught Rizal Japanese art and language.
Their relationship was marked by mutual respect and admiration, with Rizal
appreciating her intelligence and companionship.
6. Gertrude Beckett
 Gertrude Beckett, a blue-eyed and buxom girl, fell in love with Rizal while he was
in London. She assisted Rizal in his artistic pursuits, including painting and
sculpture.
7. Suzanne Jacoby
 Petite Suzanne Jacoby, the niece of Rizal's landladies, found bliss in Rizal's
company. Their relationship was characterized by affection, but Rizal left London
abruptly, leaving Suzanne heartbroken.
8. Nelly Boustead
 Nelly Boustead, the daughter of Eduardo Boustead, was admired by Rizal for her
intelligence and vivacious temperament. Rizal intended to propose marriage to
Nelly, but their relationship faltered due to religious differences and Nelly's
mother's disapproval.
9. Josephine Bracken
 Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl, had a whirlwind romance with Rizal and became
his common-law wife in Dapitan. Their relationship faced challenges, including a
tragic event where Josephine prematurely gave birth to a son who lived only for
three hours.

Writings of Rizal

Novels:

 Noli Me Tangere (1887) - Rizal's first novel that depicts the effects of Spanish
colonial rule and corruption in the Philippines

 El Filibusterismo (1891) - The sequel to Noli Me Tangere, further criticizing

Spanish abuses

Poetry:

 Mi Último Adiós (1896) - Rizal's final poem written before his execution,
emphasizing the honor of dying for one's country

 Alin Mang Lahi (Kundiman) - A patriotic song attributed to Rizal

Essays:
  La Indolencia de los Filipinos (1890) - An essay arguing against the Spanish claim
that Filipinos are indolent

 Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años (1889-90) - An essay predicting the Philippines'

future a century later

 Sa Mga Kababaihang Taga Malolos (1889) - A letter to the women of Malolos

advocating for women's rights

Other Works:

Annotations to Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1889) - Rizal's

annotations to a 17th century book on Philippine history

The Triumph of Science over Death (1890) - A clay sculpture symbolizing

enlightenment through science

Rizal's writings, especially his novels, angered both the Spanish colonial authorities and
many Filipinos due to their criticism of Spanish rule and the Catholic Church. However,
they also inspired the Philippine Revolution and cemented Rizal's legacy as a national
hero.

Representation in the Cortes

1. Reforms Advocated by Filipino Reformists

 Replacing Spanish friars (Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans) with Filipino
priests in parishes and remote areas
 Granting freedom of assembly and speech
 Ensuring equal rights before the law for both Filipino and Spanish plaintiffs
2. Colonial Authorities' Response and Rizal's Break with Del Pilar
 The colonial authorities did not favor these reforms, even though they were
endorsed by Spanish intellectuals like Morayta, Unamuno, and Margall.
 After his break with Marcelo H. Del Pilar, José Rizal walked out and left Madrid in
January 1891, declining his rightful election as responsible or president.
3. Formation and Disbandment of La Liga Filipina
 Upon returning to Manila in 1892, Rizal formed the civic movement La Liga
Filipina, which advocated for these reforms through legal means.
 However, La Liga Filipina was disbanded by the governor.
4. Rizal's Exile and Novels
 At this time, Rizal had been declared an enemy of the state by Spanish authorities
due to his novels, Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo.

Persecutions
1. Retana's Apology and Biography
 Political commentator Wenceslao Retana slightly offended Rizal, who challenged
him to a duel.
 Aware of Rizal's superior swordsmanship, Retana apologized, became an
admirer, and wrote Rizal's first European biography.
2. Teodora Alonso's Imprisonment
 Rizal's mother, Teodora Alonso, was accused of attempting to poison a cousin's
wife in 1871.
 Without a hearing and with the Church's approval, she was ordered to prison in
Santa Cruz, walking 10 miles (16 km) from Calamba.
 After two-and-a-half years of appeals to the highest court, she was released.
3. Eviction from Calamba
 In 1887, Rizal wrote a petition on behalf of Calamba tenants and led them in
protesting the Dominicans' rent increase attempts.
 The litigation resulted in the Dominicans evicting the Rizal family and other
tenants from their homes.
 General Valeriano Weyler ordered the farm buildings torn down.
4. Paciano's Torture
 In 1896, while Rizal was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, his brother Paciano was
tortured by Spaniards seeking evidence of José's involvement in the revolution.
 Two officers took turns applying pins under Paciano's fingernails and dropping
him repeatedly until he lost consciousness, with his hands bound behind him and
raised several feet.

Execution

Moments before his execution by a firing squad of Filipino native infantry of the
Spanish Army, backed by an insurance force of Spanish troops, the Spanish surgeon
general requested to take his pulse; it was normal. Aware of this, the Spanish sergeant
in charge of the backup force hushed his men to silence when they began raising
'¡vivas!' with the partisan crowd. His last words were those of Jesus Christ:
"consummatum est",--it is finished.
He was secretly buried in Paco Cemetery in Manila with no identification on his grave.
His sister Narcisa toured all possible gravesites and found freshly turned earth at the
cemetery with civil guards posted at the gate. Assuming this could be the most likely
spot, there being ever no ground burials there, and she made a gift to the caretaker to
mark the site "RPJ", Rizal's initials in reverse.