25 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn

8/19/2019 25 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn

1/22

25 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

About Jose RizalBy FilipiKnow | 06/19/2014

1,932

I know what you’re thinking. Jose R izal ….again?!Well, we all know that he’s o ur national hero, and his n ame is a ll over the place.Perhaps yo u hated him in high school or college, and e ven bragged that you alreadyknew everything about him.

But today i s h is 1 53rd birthday, and there’s n o better way t o celebrate it than to learnlesser-known facts about his l ife, works, and death. After all, we don’t want our nationalhero to be buried by the urry o f social media trends a nd technological innovations.

So whether you’re an anti-Rizal or not, please remember this g reat patriot on his sp ecialday. Here are 25 of the most amazing facts you should know about our Jose Rizal:

1. There a re t hree animals n amed after Rizal. These sp ecies of animals w ere theones h e collected while he was a n exile in Dapitan and include Apogonia Rizali (Heller),a type of small beetle; Draco Rizali (Wandolleck), a species o f ying dragon;and Rachophorous Rizali (Boetger), a species o f toad.

1

http://www.filipiknow.net/author/lui-b/http://www.filipiknow.net/http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/http://www.filipiknow.net/http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/http://www.filipiknow.net/author/lui-b/


2/22

Specimens c ollected by Rizal in Dapitan. Photo credit: www.joserizal.ph

2. Contrary to popular belief, the Rizal monument in Luneta was n ot made by aFilipino artist. The design was the work of Swiss scul ptor named Richard Kissling whowon second prize i n an art competition that was h eld in 1907 to nd the b est scalemodel for the future Rizal monument. The rst prize went to Italian sculptor C arlo Nicoli

of Carrara but for some reason, the contract to build the monument was g iven to thesecond-prize w inner.

2

http://myrizal150.com/2011/06/the-story-of-the-rizal-monument/http://myrizal150.com/2011/06/the-story-of-the-rizal-monument/


3/22

Bozeto No. 9 entitled “Motto Stella” by the Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling. Photo credit: Dennis V illegas

3. Rizal cured himself of tuberculosis , and was l ater recognized as a tuberculosisexpert .4. He was a lready a t erric sc ulptor even at a ve ry young age . In fact, Rizal carveda 9-inch statuette of the Sacred Heart out of batikuling wood when he was only 14 y earsold. The Jesuit fathers b rought this s tatuette in Fort Santiago when they v isited Rizal inDecember 1896. Aside from wood sculptures, Rizal also carved 40 amazingmasterpieces out of plaster, terra-cotta, wax, and clay.

3

http://www.joserizal.ph/ch01.htmlhttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/06/11/jose-rizal-sculptor-toohttp://www.joserizal.ph/ch01.htmlhttp://www.joserizal.ph/ch01.htmlhttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/06/11/jose-rizal-sculptor-too


4/22

Photo credit: joserizal.info

5. When he was st udying in Spain, Rizal had to pawn a r ing owned by his s isterSaturnina just to pay for his e xams . But he didn’t want his f amily t o get worried, so heonly m entioned his v ictories a nd excellent grades i n the letters a ddressed to his f amily.6. “Mi Retiro”, the name of his place of exile in Dapitan , was i nspired by h is f avoritepark in Spain, the Parque del Buen Retiro .7. He left specic instructions o n how he w anted to be t reated after his d eath. Hereare s ome o f his “last wishes” :

4

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341828/pinoyabroad/news/10-little-known-facts-about-dr-jose-rizal-s-life-in-spainhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341828/pinoyabroad/news/10-little-known-facts-about-dr-jose-rizal-s-life-in-spainhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/241498/lifestyle/peopleandevents/the-hero-and-the-human-that-is-jose-rizalhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341828/pinoyabroad/news/10-little-known-facts-about-dr-jose-rizal-s-life-in-spainhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341828/pinoyabroad/news/10-little-known-facts-about-dr-jose-rizal-s-life-in-spainhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/241498/lifestyle/peopleandevents/the-hero-and-the-human-that-is-jose-rizal


5/22

5


6/22

via GMA News

8. Rizal is r egarded by many as the “Father of Philippine Comics” because of somehumorous illustrations he made in Germany. The said drawing, entitled “The b aptism oftwo b rothers”, was i nspired by the German cartoon “Max a nd Moritz” and was made byRizal to entertain the children of his l andlord, Pastor Ulmer. The original copy i s n owpreserved in the National Library o f the Philippines.

“The baptism of two brothers” by Jo se Rizal. Photo credit: Dennis V illegas

9. Rizal had psychic abilities . On his j ournal entry d ated January 1 , 1883, he sharedabout a “frightful nightmare” he had two nights b efore (i.e. December 30). In this d ream,Rizal was imitating a dying actor and felt his “breath was failing” and his vision became

6

http://www.filipiknow.net/facts-about-christmas/http://www.filipiknow.net/facts-about-christmas/


7/22

very d im. Interestingly, Rizal would be executed 13 years l ater at the exact same date.Austin Coates, Rizal’s biographer, also underscored that there were many incidentswritten in both Noli Me Ta ngere and El Filibusterismo that eventually happened to Rizalin real life.

10. According to Faustino “Tinong” Alfon, Rizal’s f ormer cook in Dapitan, our nationalhero’s favorite fruits w ere l anzones and mangoes . His m eals b ack then usuallyconsisted of three kinds o f ulam. Rizal’s b reakfast, on the other hand, was u suallycomprised of hot chocolate, rice, and sardinas se cas, commonly known now assimply tuyo.11. Rizal was widely featured in c igarette wrappers . Most of these w rappers, madewith Art Deco or Art Nouveau designs, were produced in Binondo during the turn-of-the-century. An old cigarette label, Las Delicias, even went to the extreme by featuring Rizalsmoking a cigar.

Photo cred it: pinoykollektor.blogspot.com

12. Rizal was exceptional and prolic in a w ide r ange o f subjects– except music .This is because he already realized early in life that his singing “sounded like thebraying of an ass.”13. Vital statistics: Rizal was about ve feet three inches tall and had a waistline ofabout 25 to 26 ″ ″ . He also had a big head: His h ats w ere 6 1/2 across a nd the interior ″measures 8 from front to back. He didn’t look odd, though, as h is b road s houlders a nd ″developed neck co mpensated for it.14. Rizal’s original execution photo features a dog, the mascot of the ring squad .It is s aid that the dog ran around the corpse whining after a soldier red one last shot inRizal’s he ad to make su re h e was de ad.

7

http://pinoykollektor.blogspot.com/2011/06/rizal-on-cigarette-wrappers.htmlhttp://pinoykollektor.blogspot.com/2011/06/rizal-on-cigarette-wrappers.html


8/22

Fusilamiento de José Rizal (The execution of Jose Rizal)

15. It was rumored that both Adolf Hitler and Mao Zedong were the illegitimatesons o f Jose R izal . Read more: 8 Mind-Boggling Myths About Jose Rizal16. Only o ne o f Rizal’s s keletal remains w as not buried under the m onument inLuneta . A vertebra or a piece of the backbone where Rizal was a llegedly h it by thebullet was cl aimed by h is f amily a nd is n ow displayed in Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago.

8

http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/


9/22

Rizal’s b ackbone c urrently d isplayed in Fort Santiago. Photo credit: Camille E va Marie C onde

17. During Rizal’s e xecution, a t otal of 8 Filipinos a rmed with Remingtons f ormed

the ring s quad. There were also 8 Spanish soldiers w ith Mausers b ehind them, readyto shoot the Filipino soldiers if they refused to execute Rizal.18. A descendant of one of the executioners, Adolfo Pastor Quetcuti, revealedthat the captain of the guards put only one live bullet in one of the ries, whileplacing blanks in the others. He explained that this i s to e ase their guilt a s t heyalready kn ew in the beginning that Rizal was i nnocent.

9

http://www.philstar.com:8080/headlines/643170/rizals-execution-little-known-factshttp://www.philstar.com:8080/headlines/643170/rizals-execution-little-known-facts


10/22

19. Rizal stuffed unknown papers in his p ockets an d shoes o n the eve of hisexecution. He did this, assuming that his co rpse would be turned over to his f amily a fterthe execution. But as we all know, his b ody was dumped by S panish o fficials in anunmarked grave in Paco cemetery. The papers h ad since deteriorated, the contents o f

which were never identied.20. Rizal had a t hird, unnished novel . Known a mong h istorians as “Makamisa” , thisunnished work was st arted by Rizal in Hongkong in 1892 . Makamisa was n ot actuallythe title of Rizal’s w ork, but only t he title of a single chapter of the unnished Tagalognovel.21. Rizal once sent a love letter w ritten in invisible ink to Leonor Valenzuela , a tallgirl from Pagsanjan. The message could only b e deciphered if you put the letter over alamp or candle. Leonor Valenzuela was one of Rizal’s rst sweethearts. Unfortunately,they p arted ways w hen R izal had to leave for Spain.

Leonor Va lenzuela. Photo credit: www.joserizal.ph

22. “A la S enorita C .O. y R .” , one o f Rizal’s b est poems, was dedicatedto Consuelo Ortiga y Rey , a pretty d aughter of Don Pablo Ortiga whom Rizal fell in

10

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16114/things-you-won%E2%80%99t-ever-know-about-rizalhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16114/things-you-won%E2%80%99t-ever-know-about-rizalhttp://www.joserizal.ph/lv01.htmlhttp://www.joserizal.ph/lv01.htmlhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16114/things-you-won%E2%80%99t-ever-know-about-rizalhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16114/things-you-won%E2%80%99t-ever-know-about-rizalhttp://www.joserizal.ph/lv01.html


11/22


12/22

Numerous O ncomelania quadrasi. This d iminutive sn ail is t he common host for S chistosoma japonicum in Leyte,

Philippines. Photo c redit: workforce.calu.edu

25. While in Dapitan, Rizal wrote a n extensive written discourseon kulam. Entitled “La cu racion de los h echizados” (The treatment and cure of thebewitched), this l esser-known work o f Rizal explores t he psychological treatmentfor kulam and even explained that witches w ere not always w omen who a re old or ugly.He a lso d iscussed the difference b etween hiloanon of the Visayas, who gives p oison toher victims, and the manggagaway, the ‘traditional’ witch who uses rag doll and pins.

Illustration t hat accompanied J ose Rizal’s “The t reatment and c ure for the b ewitched.” Photo c redit: Dennis V illegas

About the Author: Luisito E. Batongbakal Jr. is t he founder and editor-in-chief ofFilipiKnow. He has a fetish for local trivia, unsolved mysteries, and all thingscreepy. Follow him on Instagram .

References

abs-cbnNEWS.com, (2011). Jose Rizal was a sculptor, too . [online] Available at:http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/06/11/jose-rizal-sculptor-too [Accessed 1 9 J un.2014].

12

https://instagram.com/filipiknow143/https://instagram.com/filipiknow143/


13/22

CUPIN, B. (2014). The hero a nd the human that is Jose Rizal . [online] GMA NewsOnline. Available at:http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/241498/lifestyle/peopleandevents/the-hero-and-the-human-that-is-jose-rizal [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].

Fernandez, R. (2009). Little known facts o n Rizal as a n agriculturist . [online]Asianjournalusa.com. A vailable at: h ttp://asianjournalusa.com/little-known-facts-on-rizal-as-an-agriculturist-p5353-87.htm [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].Himig.com.ph, (2014). Rizal’s Verses for Leonor and Maria Clara . [online] Available at:http://www.himig.com.ph/features/47-rizals-verses-for-leonor-and-maria-clara [Accessed19 Jun. 2014].Joserizal.ph, (2014). Jose Rizal [Different Characters] . [online] Available at:http://www.joserizal.ph/ch01.html [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].Joserizal.ph, (2014). Jose Rizal [Love Life] . [online] Available at:

http://www.joserizal.ph/lv01.html [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].Myrizal150.com, (2011). The story of the Rizal Monument | MyRizal150 . [online]Available at: http://myrizal150.com/2011/06/the-story-of-the-rizal-monument/ [Accessed19 Jun. 2014].Ocampo, A. (2012). Looking Back 5: Rizal’s Teeth, Bonifacio’s Bones . 1st ed.Mandaluyong City: Anvil, pp.9-10.Ocampo, A. (2012). Rizal Without the Overcoat . 2nd ed. Mandaluyong City: Anvil,pp.61, 64, 77, 155, 157.Ocampo, A. (2014). Things you w on’t ever know about Rizal . [online]

Newsinfo.inquirer.net. A vailable at: h ttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16114/things-yo u-won%E2%80%99t-ever-know-about-rizal [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].Philstar.com, (2014). Rizal’s execution: Little known facts | Headlines, News, ThePhilippine Star | philstar.com . [online] Available at:http://www.philstar.com:8080/headlines/643170/rizals-ex ecution-little-known-facts[Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].PULUMBARIT, V. (2014). 10 little-known facts about Dr. Jose Rizal’s life in Spain .[online] GMA News O nline. Available at:http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341828/pinoyabroad/news/10-little-known-facts-about-dr-jose-rizal-s-life-in-spain [Accessed 19 Jun. 2014].

More Fascinating Pinoy Trivia

13


14/22

8 Mind-Boggling Myths A bout Jose Rizal

9 Reasons Why Rizal Was Just As Human As The R est Of Us

11 T hings F rom Philippine H istory E veryone P ictures I ncorrectly

7 Pinoy P hotos You Won’t Believe Aren’t Photoshopped

10 Mind-Blowing C ontroversies O f Philippine H istory

14

http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/http://www.filipiknow.net/the-human-side-of-jose-rizal/http://www.filipiknow.net/things-from-philippine-history-everyone-pictures-incorrectly/http://www.filipiknow.net/images-you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped/http://www.filipiknow.net/historical-controversies-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/jose-rizal-myths/http://www.filipiknow.net/the-human-side-of-jose-rizal/http://www.filipiknow.net/things-from-philippine-history-everyone-pictures-incorrectly/http://www.filipiknow.net/images-you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped/http://www.filipiknow.net/historical-controversies-philippines/


15/22


16/22

• The Short And Tragic Life of The First IgorotaBeauty Queen

• 6 True Stories From Philippine H istory C reepierThan Any Horror Movie

16

http://www.filipiknow.net/eveline-chainus-guirey-first-igorota-beauty-queen/http://www.filipiknow.net/eveline-chainus-guirey-first-igorota-beauty-queen/http://www.filipiknow.net/true-stories-from-philippine-history-creepier-than-any-horror-movie/http://www.filipiknow.net/true-stories-from-philippine-history-creepier-than-any-horror-movie/http://www.filipiknow.net/eveline-chainus-guirey-first-igorota-beauty-queen/http://www.filipiknow.net/eveline-chainus-guirey-first-igorota-beauty-queen/http://www.filipiknow.net/true-stories-from-philippine-history-creepier-than-any-horror-movie/http://www.filipiknow.net/true-stories-from-philippine-history-creepier-than-any-horror-movie/


17/22

• 20 Classic F ilipino Toys T hat Will Make YouSuper N ostalgic

• Inside Antonio Luna's S ecret Love Affair WithYsidra Cojuangco

17

http://www.filipiknow.net/traditional-filipino-toys/http://www.filipiknow.net/traditional-filipino-toys/http://www.filipiknow.net/antonio-luna-affair-with-ysidra-cojuangco/http://www.filipiknow.net/antonio-luna-affair-with-ysidra-cojuangco/http://www.filipiknow.net/traditional-filipino-toys/http://www.filipiknow.net/traditional-filipino-toys/http://www.filipiknow.net/antonio-luna-affair-with-ysidra-cojuangco/http://www.filipiknow.net/antonio-luna-affair-with-ysidra-cojuangco/


18/22

• 10 Weird Phenomena That Perfectly Sum UpToday’s Filipino Culture

• Whatever Happened To Manila's S tatue ofLiberty?

18

http://www.filipiknow.net/modern-filipino-culture-phenomena/http://www.filipiknow.net/modern-filipino-culture-phenomena/http://www.filipiknow.net/statue-of-liberty-in-intramuros/http://www.filipiknow.net/statue-of-liberty-in-intramuros/http://www.filipiknow.net/modern-filipino-culture-phenomena/http://www.filipiknow.net/modern-filipino-culture-phenomena/http://www.filipiknow.net/statue-of-liberty-in-intramuros/http://www.filipiknow.net/statue-of-liberty-in-intramuros/


19/22

• A Look Into The Life of Paco Roman, ThatOther Guy Who Died With Antonio Luna

• 5 Most Badass Filipina N uns i n History

19

http://www.filipiknow.net/francisco-paco-roman-biography/http://www.filipiknow.net/francisco-paco-roman-biography/http://www.filipiknow.net/most-badass-filipina-nuns-in-history/http://www.filipiknow.net/francisco-paco-roman-biography/http://www.filipiknow.net/francisco-paco-roman-biography/http://www.filipiknow.net/most-badass-filipina-nuns-in-history/


20/22

• Meet The Legendary Filipino Basketball TeamWho Defeated China in Asian Olympics

• This L etter R eveals Who Really Killed AndresBonifacio

20

http://www.filipiknow.net/philippine-basketball-team-in-far-eastern-games/http://www.filipiknow.net/philippine-basketball-team-in-far-eastern-games/http://www.filipiknow.net/who-murdered-andres-bonifacio/http://www.filipiknow.net/who-murdered-andres-bonifacio/http://www.filipiknow.net/philippine-basketball-team-in-far-eastern-games/http://www.filipiknow.net/philippine-basketball-team-in-far-eastern-games/http://www.filipiknow.net/who-murdered-andres-bonifacio/http://www.filipiknow.net/who-murdered-andres-bonifacio/


21/22

• 30 Things You Didn't Know About University ofthe Philippines

• 10 Notorious Crimes o f the 1960s ThatShocked The Philippines

21

http://www.filipiknow.net/university-of-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/university-of-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/sensational-crimes-in-the-philippines-1960s/http://www.filipiknow.net/sensational-crimes-in-the-philippines-1960s/http://www.filipiknow.net/university-of-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/university-of-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/sensational-crimes-in-the-philippines-1960s/http://www.filipiknow.net/sensational-crimes-in-the-philippines-1960s/


22/22

• The Haunting S tory of Filipinos Locked in a'Human Zoo'

• 9 Things You Didn’t Know About The CatholicChurch In The Philippines

22
http://www.filipiknow.net/filipinos-in-human-zoo/http://www.filipiknow.net/filipinos-in-human-zoo/http://www.filipiknow.net/catholic-church-in-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/catholic-church-in-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/filipinos-in-human-zoo/http://www.filipiknow.net/filipinos-in-human-zoo/http://www.filipiknow.net/catholic-church-in-the-philippines/http://www.filipiknow.net/catholic-church-in-the-philippines/

Documents

25 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn