Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuela_x000B_Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first love was engaged to be married to a town mate- Manuel Luz. After his admiration for a short girl in the person of Segunda, then came Leonor Valenzuela,

Segunda Katigbak and Leonor ValenzuelaSegunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, his first love was engaged to be married to a town mate- Manuel Luz. After his admiration for a short girl in the person of Segunda, then came Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan. Rizal send her love notes written in invisible ink, that could only be deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his departure to Spain and bade her a last goodbye.Leonor RiveraLeonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonors mother disapproved of her daughters relationship with Rizal, who was then a known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters sent to her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already forgotten her, sadly consented her to marry the Englishman Henry Kipping, her mothers choice.

Consuelo OrtigaConsuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortigas daughters, fell in love with him. He dedicated to her A la Senorita C.O. y R., which became one of his best poems. The Ortiga's residence in Madrid was frequented by Rizal and his compatriots. He probably fell in love with her and Consuelo apparently asked him for romantic verses. He suddenly backed out before the relationship turned into a serious romance, because he wanted to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did not want to destroy hid friendship with Eduardo de Lete who was madly in love with Consuelo.

O Sei SanO Sei San, a Japanese samurais daughter taught Rizal the Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also helped Rizal improve his knowledge of Japanese language. If Rizal was a man without a patriotic mission, he would have married this lovely and intelligent woman and lived a stable and happy life with her in Japan because Spanish legation there offered him a lucrative job.

Gertrude BeckettWhile Rizal was in London annotating the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded in the house of the Beckett family, within walking distance of the British Museum. Gertrude, a blue-eyed and buxom girl was the oldest of the three Beckett daughters. She fell in love with Rizal. Tottie helped him in his painting and sculpture. But Rizal suddenly left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude, who was seriously in love with him. Before leaving London, he was able to finish the group carving of the Beckett sisters. He gave the group carving to Gertrude as a sign of their brief relationship.

Nellie BousteadRizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courting other ladies. While a guest of the Boustead family at their residence in the resort city of Biarritz, he had befriended the two pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead. Rizal used to fence with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna. Antonio Luna, Juans brother and also a frequent visitor of the Bousteads, courted Nellie but she was deeply infatuated with Rizal. In a party held by Filipinos in Madrid, a drunken Antonio Luna uttered unsavory remarks against Nellie Boustead. This prompted Rizal to challenge Luna into a duel. Fortunately, Luna apologized to Rizal, thus averting tragedy for the compatriots.

Their love affair unfortunately did not end in marriage. It failed because Rizal refused to be converted to the Protestant faith, as Nellie demanded and Nellies mother did not like a physician without enough paying clientele to be a son-in-law. The lovers, however, parted as good friends when Rizal left Europe.

Suzanne JacobyIn 1890, Rizal moved to Brussels because of the high cost of living in Paris. In Brussels, he lived in the boarding house of the two Jacoby sisters. In time, they fell deeply in love with each other. Suzanne cried when Rizal left Brussels and wrote him when he was in Madrid.

Josephine BrackenIn the last days of February 1895, while still in Dapitan, Rizal met an 18-year old petite Irish girl, with bold blue eyes, brown hair and a happy disposition. She was Josephine Bracken, the adopted daughter of George Taufer from Hong Kong, who came to Dapitan to seek Rizal for eye treatment. Rizal was physically attracted to her. His loneliness and boredom must have taken the measure of him and what could be a better diversion that to fall in love again. But the Rizal sisters suspected Josephine as an agent of the friars and they considered her as a threat to Rizals security.

Rizal asked Josephine to marry him, but she was not yet ready to make a decision due to her responsibility to the blind Taufer. Since Taufers blindness was untreatable, he left for Hon Kong on March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizals family in Manila. Upon her return to Dapitan, Rizal tried to arrange with Father Antonio Obach for their marriage. However, the priest wanted a retraction as a precondition before marrying them. Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends and with Josephines consent took her as his wife even without the Church blessings. Josephine later give birth prematurely to a stillborn baby, a result of some incidence, which might have shocked or frightened her.

BUOD NG TALAMBUHAY NI DR. JOSE RIZAL Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda ang buong pangalan ni Dr. Jose Rizal. Labing-isa silang magkakapatid at ikapito siya. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay sina Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro at Teodora Morales Alonso Realonda y Quintos. Nakita niya ang unang liwanag noong ika-19 ng Hunyo, 1861 sa Calamba, Laguna. Kung susuriin ang pinagmulan niyang angkan, ang kanyang ama na si Francisco Mercado ay anak ng isang negosyanteng Instik na nagngangalang Domingo Lam-co at ang kanyang ina ay isa ring mestisang Intsik na ang pangalan ay Ines dela Rosa. Intsik na Intsik ang apelyidong Lam-co kung kayat kung minsan ay nakararanas si Domingo Lam-co ng diskriminasyon kaya upang makaiwas sa ganoong pangyayari at makasunod sa ipinag-uutos ni Gobernador Claveria kaugnay ng pagpapalit ng mga pangalang Pilipino noong 1849, ang Lam-co ay pinalitan ng apelyidong Kastila at pinili nila ang Mercado na nababagay sa kanya bilang negosyante, sapagkat ang ibig sabihin ng Mercado ay palengke. Ang pamilyang Lam-co ay kilalang mangangalakal noon sa bayan ng Binan, Laguna. Bagamat ang mga ninuno ni Rizal sa ama ay kilalang negosyante, ang kanyang ama ay isang magsasaka. Isa siya sa mga kasama sa Hacienda Dominicana sa Calamba, Laguna. Ang apelyidong Rizal ay naidagdag sa kanilang pangalan sa bias ng Kautusan Tagapagpaganap na pinalabas ni Gob. Claveria noong 1849 at itoy hinango sa salitang Kastila na luntiang bukid. Masasabing mayaman ang angkang Rizal sapagkat ang pamilya ay masikap, matiyaga at talagang nagbabanat ng buto. Nang tumuntong si Rizal sa gulang na tatlong taon, 1864, siya ay tinuruan ng abakada ng kanyang ina at napansin niyang nagtataglay ng di-karaniwang talino at kaalaman ang anak, kahit kulang sa mga aklat ay nagawa ng ginang na ito ang paglalagay ng unang bato na tuntungan ni Rizal sa pagtuklas niya ng ibat ibang karunungan. Nang siyay siyam na taong gulang, si Jose ay ipinadala sa Binan at nag-aral sa ilalim ng pamamahala ni Padre Justiniano Aquino Cruz, ngunit pagkalipas ng ilang buwan ay pinayuhan na ito na lumipat sa Maynila dahil lahat ng nalalaman ng guro ay naituro na niya kay Rizal. Noong ika-20 ng Enero, 1872, si Jose ay pumasok sa Ateneo Municipal de Manila. Siya ay nagpamalas ng kahanga-hangang talas ng isip at nakuha ang lahat ng pangunahing medalya at notang sobresaliente sa lahat ng asignatura. Sa paaralang ito natamo niya ang katibayang Bachiller en Artes at notang sobresaliente, kalakip ang pinakamataas na karangalan. Nang sumunod na taon sa Pamantasan ng Santo Tomas ay nag-aral siya ng Filosofia y Letras at Agham sa pagsasaka naman sa Ateneo Municipal de Manila. Kumuha rin siya ng panggagamot sa naturang pamantasan. Di pa nasiyahan, nagtungo siya sa Europa noong ika-5 ng Mayo, 1882 upang doon ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral. Nagpatuloy siya sa pag-aaral ng Medicina at Filosofia y Letras sa Madrid, Espana at tinapos ang kursong ito noong 1884 at 1885. Noong 1884, si Rizal ay nagsimulang mag-aral ng Ingles; alam na niya ang Pranses pagkat sa Pilipinas pa lamang ay pinag-aralan na niya ang wikang ito. Bukod sa mga wikang ito, nag-aral din siya ng Aleman at Italyano dahil naghahanda siya sa paglalakbay sa ibat ibang bansa sa Europa. Alam niyang mahalaga ang mga wikang ito sa pag-aaral ng mga kaugalian ng mga tao roon at ng pagkakaiba nila sa mga Pilipino sa bagay na ito. At upang mapag-aralan ang kasaysayan ng mga baying nabanggit na mapaghahanguan ng mga aral na alam niyang makatutulong sa kanyang mga kababayan. Bunga nito, si Rizal ay maituturing na dalubwika. Ayon kay Retana, ipinahayag ni Rizal na sinulat niya ang unang kalahati ng Noli Me Tangere sa Madrid noong magtatapos ang 1884, sa Paris naman ang ikaapat na bahagi at isa pang bahagi ay sa Alemanya. Ipinalimbag ito sa Berlin, at noon lamang Marso, 1887 ay lumabas ang 2000 sipi. Si Dr. Maximo Viola na taga-San Miguel, Bulacan ang nagbayad ng pagpapalimbag sa halagang 300 piso. Ang El Filibusterismo ang kasunod na aklat ng Noli Me Tangere na ipinalimbag sa Gante, Belhika noong 1891. Itinatatag naman ni Dr. Jose Rizal ang La Liga Filipina noong ika-3 ng Hulyo, 1892. Ang kapisanang ito ay lihim na itinatag at layuning magkaroon ng pagbabago sa palakad ng pamahalaan sa Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng mapayapang pamamaraan at di sa paghihimagsik. Noong ika-5 ng Agosto, 1887, siya ay nagbalik sa Pilipinas. Ngunit noong Pebrero 3, 1888, siya ay muling umalis sapagkat umiilag siya sa galit ng mga Kastila dahil sa pagkakalathala ng Noli Me Tangere. Bumalik siya sa Maynila noong ika-26 ng Hunyo, 1892. Noong Hulyo 7, 1892, alinsunod sa kautusan ni Kapitan-Heneral Despujol, si Rizal ay ipinatapon sa Dapitan, isang maliit na bayan sa hilagang kanluran ng Mindanao, dahil sa bintang na may kinalaman siya sa paghihimagsikan nang mga araw na iyon. Sa Dapitan, nagtayo si Rizal ng isang maliit na paaralan na may labing-apat na batang taga-roon na kanyang tinuturuan. Habang nagaganap ang labanan sa pagitan ng Espana at Cuba, sa pangambang madamay sa kilusang ukol sa paghihimagsik kaya hiniling niya na makapaglingkod siya sa mga pagamutan sa Cuba. Binigyan niya ng isang liham si Kapitan-Heneral Blanco na nagpapatunay na kailanman ay di siya nakikilahok sa mga himagsikan sa Pilipinas. Ngunit noong bago magtapos ang taong 1896, siyay hinuli ng mga kinauukulan at ibinalik sa Pilipinas. Ikinulong si Rizal sa Maynila sa Real Fuerza de Santiago. Nang iharap sa hukumang militar at litisin, siya ay nahatulang barilin sa Bagumbayan. Noong ika-29 ng Disyembre, 1896, Sinulat ni Rizal ang kanyang Mi Ultimo Adios (Huling Paalam) isang tulang kakikitaan ng magigiting na kaisipan at damdamin. At noong ika-30 ng Disyembre, si Rizal ay binaril sa Bagumbayan na ngayon ay tinatawag na Luneta.

Talambuhay ni Dr. Jose RizalSi Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal ay ang Pambansang Bayani ng Pilipinas. Siya ay isinilang sa Calamba, Laguna noong Hunyo 19, 1861. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay sina G. Francisco Mercado at Gng. Teodora Alonzo.Ang kanyang ina ang naging unang guro niya, maaga siyang nagsimula ng pag-aaral sa bahay at ipinagpatuloy niya ang kanyang pag-aaral sa Bian, Laguna. Nakapag tapos siya ng Batsilyer sa Agham sa Ateneo de Manila noong Marso 23, 1876 na may mataas na karangalan. Noong 1877 ipinagpatuloy niya ang kanyang pag-aaral sa Unibersidad ng Santos Tomas at Unibersidad Central de Madrid hanggang sa matapos niya ng sabay ang medisina at pilosopia noong 1885. Natuto rin siyang bumasa at sumulat ng ibat ibang wika kabilang na ang Latin at Greko. At nakapagtapos siya ng kanyang masteral sa Paris at Heidelberg.Ang kanyang dalawang nobela Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo. naglalahad ng mga pang-aabuso ng mga prayle sa mga Pilipino at mga katiwalian sa pamahalaan ng Kastila.Noong Hunyo 18, 1892 ay umuwi ng Pilipinas si Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Nagtatag siya ng samahan tinawag ito na La Liga Filipina. Ang layunin ng samahan ay ang pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino at maitaguyod ang pag-unlad ng komersiyo, industriya at agricultura.Noong Hulyo 6, 1892 siya ay nakulong siya sa Fort Santiago at ipinatapon sa Dapitan noong Hulyo 14, 1892. Apat na taon siya namalagi sa Dapitan kung saan nanggamot siya sa mga maysakit at hinikayat niya ang mamamayan na magbukas ng paaralan, hinikayat din niya ang ito sa pagpapaunlad ng kanilang kapaligaran.Noong Setyem bre 3, 1896 habang papunta siya sa Cuba upang magsilbi bilang siruhano at inaresto siya. Noong Nobyembre 3, 1896 ibinalik sa Pilipinas at sa pangalawang pagkakataon nakulong siya sa Fort Bonifacio.Noong Disyembre 26, 1896 si Dr. Jose Rizal ay nahatulan ng kamatayan sa dahilang nagpagbintangan siya na nagpasimula ng rebelyon laban sa mga Kastila.Bago dumating ang kanyang katapusan naisulat niya ang Mi Ultimo Adios (Ang Huling Paalam) upang magmulat sa mga susunod pang henerasyon na maging makabayan.Noong Disyembre 30, 1896, binaril si Dr. Jose P. Rizal sa Bagumbayan (na ngayon ay Luneta).

JOSE RIZALMAITUTURING na nagmula sa may kayang pamilya ang ating pambansang bayaning si Dr. Jose Rizal. Ang kanyang amang si Don Jose ay isang magsasaka ng tubo, at katiwala ng malawak na lupain. Samantalang ang kanyang inang si Donya Teodora ay may mataas na pinag-aralan na bihira sa kababaihan noong panahong iyon. Ang pamilya Rizal ay nakatira sa kongkretong bahay na may malawak na hardin, pribadong aklatan, kung saan matatagpuan ang daan-daang kolek-siyon ng aklat. Bagaman at maraming kapatid na babae si Jose o Pepe na maaaring mag-alaga sa kanya, kumuha pa ang kanyang ama ng yaya na siyang nag-alaga sa kanya. Si Donya Teodora naman ang sumubaybay sa panimulang edukasyon ng batang Rizal. Tinuruan niya itong magbasa, magdasal, at magrosaryo. Kalaunan ay kumuha rin ng pribadong tagapagturo ang kanyang mga magulang para magturo sa pagbabasa, pagsulat, gayundin sa pag-aaral ng Latin. Dahil sa pagkakaroon ng maraming aklat sa bahay at paghikayat ng kanyang mga magulang kung kaya't labis na nagkahilig ang batang si Pepe sa higit pang pag-aaral at pagkatuto hanggang sa mga huling bahagi ng kanyang buhay. Siyam na taong gulang si Jose nang dalhin siya ng kanyang ama sa Binan, Laguna, upang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pormal na pag-aaral. Hindi maganda ang karanasan ni Rizal sa paaralang iyon, anupa't naisulat niya sa kanyang tala-arawan ang pagkakatanggap ng palo mula sa kanyang guro na may istriktong pamamaraan ng pagtuturo. Sa kabila ng kanyang pagiging mabuting bata, bihira ang araw na hindi napapalo ang kanyang mga palad. Ayaw ni Rizal sa gayong paraan ng pagtuturo, at ito ay nabanggit niya sa kanyang nobelang Noli Me Tangere, na tumutukoy sa hindi magandang epekto ng ganoong paraan sa asal at isipan ng mga bata. Aniya, imposible ang makapag-isip nang maayos sa harap ng patpat na pamalo at latigo, at matatakot maging ang isang batang matalino. Noong 1872, nagpatala si Rizal sa Ateneo Municipal para sa digri sa Batselor sa Sining. Ang kakaibang espiritu ng kumpetisyon at personal na disiplina ay nagpaibayo sa panibagong interes para siya ay lalong pang matuto. Ang kanilang klase ay hinati sa dalawang grupo. Ang unang grupo ay tinawag na Romano samantalang ang ikalawa ay tinawag na Carthaginian. Ang mga miyembro ng grupo ay inihahanay sa kanilang tagumpay sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na leksiyon. Nagsimula si Rizal sa grupong Carthaginian na nasa hulihan ng talaan, pero makaraan ang isang buwan, siya ay tinanghal na emperador at ginawaran ng estampita. Nagtamo rin siya ng mga medalya at pagkilala dahil sa kanyang termino at nananatiling tumatanggap ng markang pinakamahusay sa halos lahat ng kanyang mga aralin. Nang lumaon ay nag-aral siya ng medisina sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas kasabay ng pag-aaral niya ng surveying sa pagtuturo ng mga Heswita. Nang siya ay 17 taong gulang ay nagtungo siya sa Espanya upang mag-aral sa Universidad Central de Madrid. Noong 1885 ay pareho niyang natapos ang kursong medisina at pilosopiya. Dahil sa espiritu ng liberalismo sa Europa kaya't mas lumawak ang kanyang interes. Nag-aral siya ng iba't ibang lengguwahe, naglakbay sa maraming bansa, kasabay ng kanyang aktibong kampanya para sa reporma sa Pilipinas. Isinulat niya ang isa pang nobela, ang El Filibusterismo at nagsalin ng Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, kung saan kanyang itinuwid ang mga pagkakamali sa nakatalang kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Nagbigay din siya ng mga kontribusyon sa La Solidaridad, ang pahayagan ng mga repormistang Pilipino sa Espanya. Nang siya ay magbalik sa Pilipinas noong 1892, ipinatapon siya sa Dapitan ng pamahalaang Espanyol, dahil sa umano'y pag-iingat ng mga subersibong papeles. Papunta siya sa Cuba upang magsilbi bilang boluntaryong doktor nang sumiklab ang rebolusyon sa Pilipinas. Hinuli siya at kinasuhan ng rebelyon at sedisyon. Noong Disyembre 30, 1896, binaril siya sa Luneta. Ayaw ni Rizal na barilin siya nang nakatalikod kagaya ng isang traydor, pero hindi pinayagan ang kanyang hiling na barilin na nakaharap sa firing squad. Sa oras ng eksekyusyon, nang marinig ni Rizal ang mga putok, ay ipinihit niya ang kanyang katawan. Bumagsak siyang patihaya, paharap sa sumisikat na araw sa umagang iyon ng Disyembre - kagaya ng isang kagalang-galang na tao na dapat na pagkilala sa kanya.

Jose Rizal FamilyTheJose Rizalfamily was a wealthy family in Calamba, Laguna and considered one of the largest families in those times. The 13 member of Jose Rizal family consisted of his father Francisco Mercado II and his mother Teodora Alonso Realonda. Jose Rizal had nine sisters and one brother. The Jose Rizal familys paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a full-blooded Chinese who lived inAmoy,China and arrived in the Philippines in the closing years of the 17th century. Domingo Lam-co was married to a Chinese half-breed named Ines de la Rosa. The Mercado-Rizal family had also Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Negrito blood aside from their Chinese blood.Jose Rizals father was the youngest of 13 children of Juan and Cirila Mercado. He was born in Binan, Laguna, studied in San Jose College of Manila and died in Manila. The mother of Jose Rizal was a business -minded, religious and hard working individual who was born in Santa Cruz,Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in Manila in 1913. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa and was the second child of Brijida de Quintos and Lorenzo Alonso.Saturnina Rizal was the eldest of the offsprings of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda. She married Manuel Hidalgo who hailed from Tanauan, Batangas. The only brother of Jose Rizal was Paciano Rizal and was the second child. Paciano studied at the San Jose College in Manila and worked as a farmer and later as a general of the Philippine Revolution. The other sisters of Jose Rizal were Narcisa,Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. Soledad was the youngest child and later was married to Pantaleon Quintero.The parents of Jose Rizal were both farmers who were granted by the Dominicans with the lease of a hacienda together with a rice farm. The mother of Jose Rizal, Teodora, had Spanish and Japanese ancestors while the father of Teodora was a half Spaniard engineer known as Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo.The Rizal surname was obtained by Francisco Mercado as suggested to him by a provincial governor after the Governor General of the Philippines, Narciso Claveria, issued a decree in 1849 by which native Filipino and immigrant families were to adopt Spanish surnames from a list of Spanish family names. Jose Rizal also obtained the surname Rizal after dropping three other names that made up his full name. Jose Rizal also retained Protacio as his other family name. His family never actually recognized his Rizal surname but Jose Rizal was forced to use it so that he can travel freely and disassociate him from his brother who was known to be notorious due to Pacianos links with native priests who were executed after they were found to be subversives.

Maikling Talambuhay ni Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal: National Hero of the PhilippinesOn June 19, 1861, the Mercado Family from the town of Calamba in the province of Laguna in the Philippines, happily greeted the birth of their newest member a baby boy born as the seventh child to proud parents Francisco Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Alonza y Quintos. They named the bouncing baby boyJose Protacio Rizal Mercado. Being the seventh of a brood of eleven, Jose Rizal Mercado demonstrated an astounding intelligence and aptitude for learning at a very young age when he learned his letters from his mother and could read and write at the age of five.Educational foundationsThe Mercado family enjoyed relative wealth as landowners who rented the land of theirhaciendato theDominican friarsin Laguna. Hence, education was a priority for the Mercado family and young Jose Protacio was sent to learn from Justiniano Aquino Cruz, a tutor from nearby Binan, Laguna. But the education of a small town and a tutor did not sufficiently quench the young mans thirst for knowledge and soon, the family began to make preparations for his admission to theAteneo Municipal de Manila, in the capital of the Philippines.The school was run by the Jesuit Order and was one of the most prominent and academic institutions in the country which catered to the rich, the powerful and most intelligent students that country had, certainly a place for a young man like Jose Protacio Mercado.Studying in ManilaPrior to his enrollment in this prominent learning institution, his older brother Paciano Rizal Mercado, insisted that Jose drop the surname Mercado, to ensure that the younger Mercado would be disassociated with the outspoken and borderline subversive reputation of his older brother. As such, the young man known as Jose Protacio Rizal enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.Being the child of a family of wealthy landowners, Jose Rizal decided to study for a degree in Land Surveying and Assessment at the Ateneo de Municipal de Manila where he graduated on March 14, 1877, with honors orsobresaliente. He took and passed the licensure exam for land surveying and assessment in 1878 but was not given a license until 1881 when he turned 21.In 1878, after his completion of his degree from Ateneo Municipal de Manila, he pursued, his passion for the arts as he enrolled at the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a degree in Philosophy at theUniversity of Santo Tomas. Although he excelled at philosophy, the news of his mothers impending blindness convinced him to study Medicine, and in 1878 he enrolled in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at University of Santo Tomas to specialize in ophthalmology. Citing discrimination against Filipino students by the Dominican professors in Medicine, Rizal left the medical program in 1882.Believing that education in the country was limited, he boarded a ship to Spain with the support of his older brother Paciano but without informing his parents. The ten years he would spend on the European continent would leave an indelible mark on his personality and open his eyes to the world, develop his natural talents and strengthen his devotion to his motherland.Academics in EuropeIn Spain, he continued the studies that were stalled in the Philippines and enrolled at theUniversidad Central de Madridwhere he graduated in 1884 with a degree in Medicine, and a year later with a degree in Philosophy and letters from the same institution. Even after the completion of these two degrees, he still was not satisfied and traveled to France and studied at theUniversity of Paris.In his pursuit to further increase his knowledge in his chosen field of specialization ophthalmology he studied at theUniversity of Heidelbergunder the distinguished eye specialist,Professor Otto Becker.Recognition in EuropeBorn a few centuries too late, Rizal could have been an idealRenaissance Man, he was a polymath who excelled at anything he put his considerable mind and talents to. The study of land assessment, medicine, and literature are just a few of his known accomplishments but he also excellent in arts such as sculpting, painting, architecture; physical activities such as martial arts, fencing, pistol shooting were also where he demonstrated his prowess; he was well read could discuss agriculture, economics, sociology, anthropology and history at will.

Photo courtesy of Lopez Museum117 years after Rizals death, the governmentwhere his family hailed in Calamba, Laguna recognized Rizals ability in various sports during his lifetime.READ:Jose Rizal as a hero sportsman, the great eskrimador or dueler.Apart from these, he was also multilingual and was known to have been able to converse in over 10 languages including Filipino, Spanish, English, French, German, and Dutch, among others.Rizal was also a member of theFreemasons. It is therefore no surprise that wherever he went, people were drawn to his charm, wit, intelligence and personality. He made friends and lovers wherever he went and left an impression and reputation that would outlive him.Foundations for reformEven as a youth, Jose Rizal had been exposed to the difficulties of being under the Spanish colonial government, which had instilled in him the need for change in the system of how the country was being run. Jose Rizal spent most of his time with his older brother Paciano, a man who had been linked to Filipino priests,Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, who sought reform within the catholic church by advocating equal rights for Filipino and Spanish priests in the Philippines. The three priests were later accused of being subversive and were executed by the Spanish colonial government.Even closer to home, Rizal saw the treatment accorded to his beloved mother by the Spanish authorities who accused her of attempting to poison her cousin and sent her to jail in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Teodora Mercado was made to walk sixteen kilometers from their home to the prison and was incarcerated for 2 and a half years until a successful appeal at the highest court of the Spanish government cleared her of the charges.NovelsDuring his stay in first stay in Europe, Rizal wrote his novel,Noli Me Tangere.The book was written in Spanish and first published in Berlin, Germany in 1887. TheNoli, as it is more commonly known, tells the story of a young Filipino man who travels to Europe to study and returns home with new eyes to the injustices and corruption in his native land.Rizal used elaborate characters to symbolize the different personalities and characteristics of both the oppressors and the oppressed, paying notable attention to Filipinos who had adopted the customs of their colonizers, forgetting their own nationality; the Spanish friars who were portrayed as lustful and greedy men in robes who sought only to satisfy their own needs, and the poor and ignorant members of society who knew no other life but that of one of abject poverty and cruelty under the yoke of the church and state. Rizals first novel was a scalding criticism of the Spanish colonial system in the country and Philippine society in general, was met with harsh reactions from the elite, the church and the government.Upon his return to the country, he was summoned by theGovernor General of the Philippine Islandsto explain himself in light of accusations that he was a subversive and an inciter of rebellion. Rizal faced the charges and defended himself admirably, and although he was exonerated, his name would remain on the watch list of the colonial government. Similarly, his work also produced a great uproar in theCatholic Churchin the country, so much so that later, he was excommunicated.Despite the reaction to his first novel, Rizal wrote a second novel,El Filibusterismo, and published it in 1891. Where the protagonist ofNoli,Ibarra, was a pacifist and advocate of peaceful means of reforms to enact the necessary change in the system, the lead character inFili,Simeon, was more militant and preferred to incite an armed uprising to achieve the same end. Hence the government could not help but notice that instead of being merely a commentary on Philippine society, the second novel could become the catalyst which would encourage Filipinos to revolt against the Spanish colonizers and overthrow the colonial government.Arrest, exile, and incarcerationUpon his return to the Philippines in 1892, he was arrested by the Spanish government for being a subversive and for his reported involvement in the rebellion. He was then exiled to the island of the Dapitan in the southernmost island group of the Philippines, Mindanao. There he established a school that taught English to young boys, he worked on agricultural projects onabaca, a plant used for rope, and he continued to practice medicine, eventually meeting one of the most famous women in his life, Josephine Bracken.Although Jose Rizal had repeatedly said that he advocated peaceful reforms in the Philippines, the Spanish government were correct in assuming that his novels would indeed stir up a hornets nest of unrest in the islands. One of the leaders of the revolutionary group calledKatipunan,Andres Bonifacio, had read the Rizals novels and had used these as a basis for the revolution. So influential was Rizal that even without his permission they named him as a member andKatipunerosshouted his name as part of the their battlecry.With no wish to be further implicated in the revolution, Rizal asked and was granted permission by then governor General Ramon Blanco to travel to Cuba, another Spanish Colony at the time, to support in the medical efforts needed to suppress an outbreak of yellow fever. On the way to Cuba, Rizal was arrested and incarcerated in Barcelona due to the political manoeuvrings of the friars which saw Blanco removed from office and replaced by Camilo de Polavieja.Execution and deathREAD:Rizal on trialRizal was then brought back to the Philippines to face charges of rebellion due to his reported association with the revolutionary movement. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Jose Rizal was executed by a firing squad on December 30 1896, at 7:00am, in Bagumbayan (now calledRizal Park) and his remains were buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby Paco Cemetery.Through the years, Rizals works and ideals have been cited by many reformists, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sun Yat Sen and even Ghandi as the means for peace reforms. As the national hero of the Philippines, his works, are required reading for all students and streets, buildings, and parks have been named after him and the 30th of December, his death anniversary, was declared a national holiday.Rizals legacyWhat made Jose Rizal worthy of becoming the Philippines national hero was not merely his intelligence, personality, literary acumen, or his pacifist ideals. Rather, it was his patriotism, optimism, undying love for his country and his belief in his countrymen which set him apart. He believed not merely in freedom but in the potential of the Filipino people to surpass what they were under the Spanish colonial government, and all he wished was for them to be given the chance to tap that potential. And for that, he has earned his right place as a symbol of what a Filipino can do in one short lifetime.Si Dr. Jos Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda(Hunyo 19, 1861Disyembre30, 1896) ay ang pampito sa labing-isang anak ng mag-asawang Francisco EngracioRizal Mercado y Alejandro at ng asawa nitong si Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda yQuintos. Ipinanganak si Jos Rizal sa Calamba, Laguna. Sina Saturnina, Paciano,Narcissa, Olimpia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad at Soledad angkanyang mga kapatid.Ang ina ni Rizal ay siyang kaniyang unang guro at nagturo sa kaniya ng abakada noongsiya ay tatlong taon pa lamang.Noong siya naman ay tumuntong ngsiyam na taon,pinadala siya sa Bian, Lagunaupang mag-aral sa ilalim ng pamamatnubayni JustianoAquino Cruz. Ilang buwan ang nakalipas, pinayuhan niya ang magulang ni Rizal na pag-aralin siya sa Maynila.AngAteneo Municipal de Manilaang unang paaralan sa Maynila na kaniyangpinasukan noong ikadalawa ng Enero 1872. Ayon sa isang salin ngNoli me tangereniGuzman atbp., sa kaniyang pananatili sa paaralang ito, natanggap niya ang lahat ng mgapangunahing medalya at notang sobresaliente sa lahat ng aklat. Sa paaralan ding ito niyanatanggap ang kaniyang Batsilyer sa Sining na may notang sobresalyente kalakip angpinakamataas na karangalan.Nang sumunod na taon,siya ay kumuha ng Pilosopiya at Panitikan saPamantasan ngSanto Tomas. Sa Ateneo, kasabay niyang kinuha ang agham ng Pagsasaka. Pagkaraan,kinuha niya ang kursong panggagamot sa nasabing Pamantasan (Santo Tomas)pagkatapos mabatid na ang kaniyang ina ay tinubuan ng katarata. Noong Mayo 5, 1882,nang dahil sa hindi na niya matanggap ang tagibang at mapansuring pakikitungo ng mgaparing Kastila sa mga katutubong mag-aaral, nagtungo siya sa Espanya. Doo'y pumasoksiya saUniversidad Central de Madrid, kung saan, sa ikalawang taon ay natapos niyaang karerang Medisina, bilang "sobresaliente" (napakahusay). Nang sumunod na taon,nakamit niya ang titulo sa Pilosopiya-at-Titik. Naglakbay siya sa Pransya atnagpakadalubhasa sa paggamot ng sakit sa mata sa isang klinika roon. Pagkatapos aytumungo siya sa Heidelberg, Alemanya, kung saan natamo pa ang isang titulo.Sa taon din ng kaniyang pagtatapos ng Medisina, siya ay nag-aral ngwikang Ingles,bilang karagdagan sa mga wikang kaniya nang nalalaman gaya ng Pranses. Isangdalubwika si Rizal na nakaaalam ng Arabe, Katalan, Tsino, Inggles, Pranses, Aleman,Griyego, Ebreo, Italyano, Hapon, Latin, Portuges, Ruso, Sanskrit, Espanyol, Tagalog, atiba pang mga katutubong wika ng Pilipinas.