INFLUENCE • EDUCATION • EXPLORATION

RIZAL’S
LIFE
 INTRODUCTION
This chapter introduces students to Rizal's life specifically his context. In studying
the context of a certain individual or historic event, one must take into consideration
the time, place, and the people or the overarching ideas present during the time in
question. Rizal lived in the late 19th century, a time when various reforms were
being implemented in the country. The situation of the Philippines, however, was
not as inclusive and the gap between the rich and the poor created a tense atmosphere
that eventually created nationalistic activities and organizations like the propaganda
movement in Spain and the revolutionary movement (KKK) in the Philippines.
19th Century Philippines

The late 18th and the early 19th century marked the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution led by the
British. Through the development of steam engines
and the integration of machinery in production,
Britain experienced rapid development and
urbanization.
RIZAL’S
TRAVEL
Chapter II
Philippines to Madrid

In 1882 Rizal left Manila to Madrid.

Rizal pursue his studies in Universidad Central de
Madrid in Spain and took medical clinic, surgical
clinic, legal medicine and obstetrical clinic.
Wrote “Me Piden Versos” ( They ask me to Verses)
and “Las Dudas” (as Laong-Laan)
Travel around Europe
In 1883 Rizal travel to France to observe how
medicine was being practice there.
Rizal learned the French language and cultures
in this city.
After finishing his studies, Rizal traveled
extensively across Europe until 1892, engaging
with various cultures and intellectual circles
that further influenced his nationalist ideas
Paris to Germany
Departed Paris in late February or early March
1886.
Traveled by train through various cities in
France and into Germany.
Rizal met Viola in Barcelona
Studied ophthalmology under Professor Otto
Becker.
Completed Noli Me Tangere during this stay.
Travels with Maximo Viola
Rizal met Viola in Barcelona in
1883.
They traveled together to various
cities including Madrid and Berlin.
In Berlin (1887), Viola assisted Rizal
by providing financial support for
the publication of Noli Me Tangere.
 Rizal journey to Great Britain and other North
Rizal's Second Sojourn American Countries.
Rizal traveled to Macau and Japan before going to
America. Entering San Francisco, California, in April
1888, he visited the states of Nevada, Utah, Colorado,
Nebraska, Illinois, and New York
Rizal arrived in England in May 1888. In August, he
was admitted to the British Museum, where he
copied Antonio de Morga's massive study of the
Philippines, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which
Rizal later annotated for publication "as a gift to the
Filipinos." In the museum he devoted his time
reading all the sources on Philippine history that he
could find.
London to Paris
(1890)
Rizal shuttled between London and Paris,
where he wrote ethnographic and history-
related studies, as well as political articles.
He also frequently visited Spain, where he
met with fellow Filipino intellectuals like
Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, and
Graciano Lopez-Jaena.
Rizal in BELGIUM
(1891)
In March 1891, Rizal finished writing his
second novel, El Filibusterismo, in France.
He planned to publish the book in
Belgium, but was financially hard up. His
brother's support from back home was
delayed in coming, and he was scrimping
on meals and expenses.
Rizal returned to the
PHILIPPINES (1892) Rizal decided to leave Europe to avoid the
worsening rift between the Rizalistas and
Pilaristas, and to help maintain unity
among Filipino expatriates. After staying
for some time in Hong Kong, where he
practiced medicine and planned to build a
"New Calamba" by relocating landless
Filipinos to Borneo, Rizal came home to
the Philippines in June 1892.
 Economic and
Political Situation of
the Philippines
 Some historians refer to the
19th century as a long century
in Philippine history because of
the numerous changes that
happened during this period. In
terms of political and
economic changes, the brief
occupation of Manila by British
forces in 1762-1764 and the
rapid development of
economies in Europe made
Spanish administrators in the
colony rethink their policies so
as not to get left behind by
their neighbors and to prevent
another incident such as the
British occupation from
happening again in the near
future.
Notable Reforms
Some of the more notable reforms were the
abolition of the Galleon trade and the
opening of the Philippines to world trade in
1830. This enabled not only the increase in
economic activities in the country and the
entry of firms from other European states,
but also the entry of foreign ideas mostly
through the form of books and other printed
media during that time.
Notable Reforms
The end of Spain's wars with the Dutch and the
British, as well as the nullification of the slave
raiding activities of the Moro, also led to the
development of agricultural lands and the
discovery of new frontiers in the Philippines. This
eventually created a change in the social and
economic class in the country with the principalias
and mestizos benefitting from these changes, thus
the consequent emergence of local elites. In
Laguna, Jose Rizal's family was considered to be
one of the local elites in the province since they
were leasing large blocks of lands from friar estates
in Calamba.
Guardia Civil
In Southern Tagalog areas, brigandage and
tulisanes increased their robbing, kidnapping,
and pillaging activities, prompting the colonial
government to create the Guardia Civil in
1868. Some movements such as the Cofradia de
San Jose in Tayabas, Quezon, on the other
hand, had more religious overtones that
challenged the dominance of the Catholic
Church and the discrimination between the
religious orders and secular priests.
 Education and
the Rise of the
Ilustrados
Education But through all these reforms, perhaps the most
notable was the increase of educated Filipinos as
the colonial government, under directives from
Spain, also started to reform educational
institutions in the Philippines.
Travelling to Europe during that time was also
made easier with the opening of the Suez Canal in
1859. With their education and exposure outside
the country, these individuals, who later on were
referred to as ilustrados, eventually formed the
core of a new emerging movement that asked the
colonial government for much needed reforms in
the Philippines.
Education
Rizal was born in 1861 amidst all of these political and
economic reforms and turmoils. He belonged to a local
elite family who was fortunate enough to capitalize on
the existing conditions at the time. He was sent to school
in the Philippines; and despite the hardships that his
family had to go through during the latter part of the
century, he was able to study in Europe. Rizal actively
participated in the propaganda movement while he was
studying in Europe. Later on, he moved back to the
Philippines in 1892 establishing the La Liga Filipina.
Rizal's involvement in the revolution is still a
controversial issue among historians today, with some
arguing that Rizal was not in favor of the revolution;
while others see Rizal being one of the main influences
of the KKK.
Education
KKK.
Two things are for sure, however. First is that
Rizal also thought about revolution as a means
of emancipating the Philippines from Spain
based on his letters to fellow propagandists and
friends such as Jose Alejandrino, Antonio Luna,
Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Ferdinand
Blumentritt. Second is that the founders of
Katipunan, like Andres Bonifacio and Deodato
Arellano, were members of Rizal's La Liga
Filipina.
RIZAL’S
FAMILY
Donya Teodora can be considered as Rizal's
first teacher. In Memorias de un Estudiante
de Manila, Rizal looked up to her as the one
who influenced his love for learning as
shown by their nightly readings in their
house in Calamba. In Letters to the Women
of Malolos, Rizal even recognized the
importance of mothers in inculcating this
value to their children along with the love for
country as they are the first teachers of their
children, at least in the traditional family
setting. Next to Donya Teodora is his
brother Paciano, whom he recognized as the
noblest of all Filipinos in one of his letters to
Blumentritt.
 Rizal was also home-schooled before he was transferred to a private school in
Student: Binan & Manila Binan, Laguna, which was under the supervision of Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
His love for painting was nurtured early on by an old painter named Juancho
in Binan. He stayed there for one and a half year.
From 1872-1877, Rizal studied in Ateneo de Manila under the supervision of
Jesuit priests. Jesuit education was characterized by rigid discipline and Rizal
appreciated his time under Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez who inspired him
to study harder and write poetry. He was also able to meet Fr. Jose Villaclara
who encouraged Rizal to study philosophy and the natural sciences. Rizal
graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts. He also completed a vocational
course on surveying in the same school.
From 1877-1882, before his first trip to Europe to study ophthalmology, Rizal
enrolled at the University of Sto. Tomas to pursue his medical studies. Before
taking up medical studies, however, Rizal took up a course on Philosophy and
Letters for year.
In 1882, he was sent to Europe by his brother Paciano with the secret mission
to observe the life, culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce,
and governments and laws of different European countries. Rizal enrolled at
the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 8, 1882. While studying
medicine, he also studied French, German, and English at the Academy of Fine
Arts of San Fernando, and fencing and shooting at the Hall of Arms of Sanz y
Carbonell.
THANK
YOU
Samira Hadid