The Life and

Works of Jose
Rizal
Unit 1: Introduction to the Study of Life and Works of
Rizal

RIZAL LAW or Republic Act No. 1425

 Entitled "An act to include in the Curricula of all Public and Private Schools,
Colleges and Universities courses on the Life, Works, and Writings of Jose
Rizal, particularly his novels NOLI ME TANGERE and EL
FILIBUSTERISMO."
 passed June 12, 1956
The Rizal Law basically provides:
1. Requirement for students in the colleges and universities to study the life, works and
writings of Jose Rizal; (Section 1)
2. Requirement for the colleges and universities to have sufficient and unexpurgated
copies of Rizal's works and writings especially his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo in their respective libraries; (Section 2)
3. Translation and publication of Rizal's works to English and other dialects of the
Philippines in cheap editions and the distribution of his works through the Purok
organization; (Section 3)
4. Stipulation that the discussion of Rizal's idea does not violate the states prohibition of
discussion of religious beliefs in the country's public learning institutions; (Section 4)
5. The appropriation of the sum of ₱300,000 for the publication of popular and cheap
editions of Rizal's works. (Section 5)
The Story of the Rizal Law
 It's original author saw the need for the Rizal Law to instill heroism among
the youth;
 Recto's original bill made it obligatory for college and university students to
study the life and works of Jose Rizal;
 The Catholic Church assailed the Rizal Bill as anti-church
 A compromised bill was filed by Sen. Jose P. Laurel and it was based on the
proposals of Senators Roseller Lim and Emanuel Pelaez which accomodated
the objections of the Catholic Church.
WHY FILIPINOS CONSIDER
RIZAL A NATIONAL HERO
Why Nations Have Their Heroes
 every country has its heroes. At one point in time these heroes played a crucial role of
their country.
 having heroes is important in the history of every country. They demonstrate the best
of what a person can be.
 he developed and manifested strong conviction which aimed to save his country from
severe challenges
 a hero is not self-seeking nor he seeks rewards for his heroism. Most individuals who
were considered heroes preferred humility and anonymity.
The Humanity of Heroes
 every hero is a human being. Heroes are made and no one was born as a hero.
 Heroes is a product of his time
 He is also the product of his environment which includes his society, his surroundings and the
conditions happening at his time.
 Heroes are made because they responded to the call of the times and their response to this call had a
decisive effect on the lives of their countrymen.
 Heroes are not born as saints and many of them were not exactly saintly. Heroes are actually human
beings who faced challenges with an extraordinary response.
 It is also important to consider how the hero's achievement outweighed his deficiencies in serving
the nation.
The Criteria for Heroes
 there is no law or official proclamation which directly made Rizal into a hero. Rizal's
hero status was made by the acclamation of the Filipino people.
 the test of a person's heroism becomes stronger if the person is acclaimed long after
his death and by people who are not of his generation.
 to be considered a hero, his life and achievements need to be studied carefully. A
passage of time is necessary to allow a dispassionate and objective study of his
life,achievements and times.
 the National Historical Institute, (now the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines) the country's agency in charge of historical matters, prescribes the
passage of fifty years before a person is finally confirmed as a hero. If the person is
still being admired after that period and his ideas and ideals are still invoked and
appreciated, that person has passed the test of time and is considered a hero.
 Activity 2: Rizal as a Hero

The Definition of a Hero

 The National Historical Institute laid down the definition of a hero. In 1965 its
predecessor office, the National Heroes Commission released a criteria on the
definition of a national hero. It was approved by a committee headed by Director
Carlos Quirino of the National Library. According to the definition, a hero was:
"an admirable leader towering over his peers, who serves a noble cause, possessing
exceptional talent, distinguished valor and/or hold enterprise, exercising a determinative
influence over the spiritual life of his people in a particular remarkable event."
UNIT 2: SPAIN AND THE
PHILIPPINES DURING
RIZAL'S TIME
The World During Rizal's Time
 Rizal belonged to the 19th century
 At the time of his birth, the Philippines was still a colony of Spain. During this time however most
of Spain's colonies such as those in South and Central America such as Mexico, Chile, Argentina,
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and others have already
won their independece through revolution.
 The Philippines was one of Spain's remaining Spanish colony along with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and
the Spanish Sahara. With the exception of the last colony, the Philippines was the largest and in
terms of natural resouces and trade potential, the Philippines was the richest.
 The 19th century was also a time of change: the Age of Enlightenment reached its zenith in
France culminating in the Revolution of 1789.
 In this age, ideas of freedom, liberty and equality and equity and the belief in the
sovereignty of the people in determining government thundered all across Europe.
 The French Revolution resulted in toppling of the monarchy of King Louis XVI and
the ushering in of the French Republic. Though France was to slide back to monarchy
following the establishment of Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire in 1804 and the
restorion of Bourbon dynasty in 1814, the ideas of the French Philosophes such as
Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, Jean Marie Arouet (Voltaire), as well as Englishman
John Locke would spread around the world like a conflagration.
The Need for Reforms: Representation
 during Napoleon's time, Spain (1804_1814/1815) was part of France's alliance against Britain in
the Continental System.
 Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808, deposed its king Ferdinand VII, and installed his brother Joseph
as king. The Spaniards resisted the French triggering the world's first guerilla war.
 Spanish patriots declared allegiance to Ferdinand VII and gathered in the city of Cadiz where they
decided to give representaion to their colonies in their law-making body called the Cortes. The
Philippines was given representation for the very first time and Ventura de los Reyes, a Spaniard
born in the Philippines was selected to represent the colony. He helped draft the Spanish
Constitution of 1812.
 Ferdinand VII abolished the Cortes saying that the body encroached on powers he believed
belonged solely to him.
 In 1820, the Spanish people rose up and practically held the king and forced him to
reconvene the Cortes and restore representation of the colonies. The restoration of
the Cortes was short-lived as France, under the Bourbons, sent an army which
restored Ferdinand to absolute rule and caused the abolition of the Cortes in 1823.
 In 1833, Ferdinand VII died and the Cortes was again restored. At this time the body
held a secret session in which it was decided that the Philippines should not be
accorded representation. Instead, the Philippines was placed under the Overseas
Ministry which oversaw the colonies
 Representation in this body was one of the reforms demanded by reformists
like Rizal. It would have given the Filipinos the right to be heard in the body
and equal rights with the Spaniards.
 Meanwhile Spain continued its downward spiral as European power. The
country was ruled by Queen Isabella II whose rule was characterized by
decadence and mismanagement while other European powers such as Great
Britain and France became the leading powers in the cintinent.
The Religious Front: Secularization

 persistent issue of the secularization of the Philippine church. This is basically a

matter involving the Catholic clergy in the Philippines.
 Secularization was mandated under the Council of Trent during the 16th century. At
the beginning of Spanish colonization, the task of establishing and administering the
country's parishes were done by the regular priests who belonged to the religious
orders: Augustinians, Recollects, Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans.
 There were demands by the seculars to implement the royal and papal orders.
 for a time, this was actually implemented but turned out to be a failure as the secular
priests who were mostly composed of native priests and were deemed to be
unprepared to head the parishes.
 in 1768 with the expulsion of the Jesuits created some opportunities for seculars to
occupy some parishes. However, when the Jesuits were allowed to return in, 185
parishes held by the seculars were given back to the regulars as soon as the secular
priest holding the post died.
 what happened was a reverse secularization of the churches where the parishes held
by the seculars now reverted to the regulars.
The Conditions in Europe, America and Asia
 Europe went up in revolution from 1848 with the regimes of the absolute monarchs in
France and Austria being toppled by the people seeking more responsible governments;
 In 1861, the year of Rizal's birth, Tsar Alexander II emancipated Russian serf.
 In the same year, the Italians under Guiseppe Galibaldi threw out the Austrians and
took over the Papal lands. Italian nationalism ended the domination of the Church and
they united the various Italian states to unite as one country.
 Germany was on the process of unification which would last until 1871.
 In the United States, President Abraham Lincoln emancipated the black slaves but also
triggered the American Civil War which lasted from 1861 to 1865.
 South of the US border, Mexican troops dealt a humiliating defeat on the French-
supported regime of Archduke Maximillian.
 In France, the regime of Napoleon III was crumbling after the debacle in Mexico.
 in Asia, the British gained its colony in Hong Kong and forced China to open five
ports to its traders following China's defeat in the Opium War of 1839-1842.
 Britain furthermore enlarged its colony in Hong Kong by taking over Kowloon.
 Japan was forced open by the Americans under Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854.
 India became a Crown Colony of Britain in 1858 following the suppression of the Sepoy
Mutiny in 1857.
 Burma became a colony of Britain after three Burmese Wars in 1824-1826, 1862-1863,
and 1885-1886.
RIZAL'S ANCESTRY, BIRTH
AND CHILDHOOD
The accounts by Zaide(1999) and Lopez and Paras 2010) discussed the members of
Rizal's family. Among them are the following:

Jose Rizal's Parents:

FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898) - father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13
offspring of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Binan, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose
College, Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1872-1913) - she was the first mentor and the teacher of young Jose
Rizal. Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She
studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was business-minded woman, courteous, religious, hard-
working and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913
in Manila.
JOSE RIZAL'S SIBLINGS:

 SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913) - eldest child of the Rizal-Alonso marriage.

Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. One of the correspondents of
Rizal when he was in Europe was Saturnina's husband.
 PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930) - only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child.
Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a farmer and later a general of the
Philippine Revolution after his brother was executed. An avid supporter of his younger
brother when he was abroad.
 NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939) - the third child of Mercado's family who became a
teacher and musician. She married Antonio Lopez, a teacher from Morong, Bataan.
 OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)- the fourth child who married Silvestre Ubaldo with
whom she bore 5 children. She died when Rizal was in Europe.
 LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919) - the fifth child who married Mariano Herbosa. Her
husband was denied a Christian burial because he was associated with Rizal and was
believed to have anti-friar sentiments.
 MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945) - the sixth child who got married to Daniel Faustino of
Binyang, Laguna with whom she bore 5 children.
 CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865) - the eight child. Diead at the age of three.
 JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945) - the ninth child who was nicknamed "Panggoy". Died at
the age of 80.
 TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951) - the 10th child who died last in Rizal's family. She
was entrusted by Rizal with his untitled poem inside the alcohol lamp.
 SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929) - the youngest who got married to Pantaleon Quinter
and the couple had 5 children.
The Birth of Jose Rizal

- born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna.

- named in honor of St. Joseph, the patron saint of laborers and soldiers. He was blessed
with a second first name, Protasio a 4th century saint who was the Bishop of Milan.

JOSE RIZAL'S FAMILY SITUATION:

*Rizal's grandfather, Juan, adopted the name "Mercado" in compliance with the decree of Governor General
Narciso Claveria requiring natives to adopt new surnames for taxation purposes.
*Filipinos of noble descent such as Lakandula and the Makapagals were exempted from this decree along with
the Chinese immigrants.
*Rizal's family became part of affluent principalia class which was eligible for public office at the time.
*the Mercado family grew corn, dyestuff, rice, and sugar cane on their farm
*they also operated a sugar mill, a flour mill, and a ham press
*they were also involved in the trade of dye and sugar
The Childhood Years

-Rizal had generally pleasant memories of his childhood. He wrote about this stage in his life
at the age of seventeen in his autobiography entitled "Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila"
under the name "P. Jacinto".

*Un Recuerdo de Mi Pueblo - a poem he wrote when he wS fifteen years old immortalizing
the town of his birth.

-he described his father "a model of fathers" who had given his children an education
commensurate with the family's small fortune.
-he described his mother as "cultured woman of Manila". She knew literature and spoke
better Spanish than he did. She was also a Mathematician and has read many books.
-Jose was called several nicknames by his brother and sisters like Ute or Moy. Outside of the house, he
was called Pepe or Pepito.
-he was small and had a fragile physique.
-Jose developed a strong bond with his elder brother whom he considered as a second father.
-Jose experienced the first sad episode of his life with the death of his younger sister, Concha, who died
of disease. He was four years old when she passed away.

*Lucas Padua and Leon Monroy - tutors hired by his parents; taught Jose Latin.

Rizal's Uncles who Added To His Inspiration:

*Gregorio Alberto - a lover of books. He taught him to wrk hard, to think for himself, and observe life
keenly.
*Jose - who was educated in Calcutta, India encouraged him to sketch, paint, and sculpt.
*Manuel - taught him swimming, fencing, wrestling and other sports.
-the foremost talent manifested best by Rizal was poetry.

*Sa Aking mga Kabata (To my Fellow Children)

- the first poem he wrote when he was eight years old;
- it was a praise to the native language of the Tagalogs which became the basis of the
country's national language;
- in this poem he appealed to the readers to love their native tongue.
Formal Education

*June 1870 - Paciano brought young Jose to the school managed by Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. He was nine years old at that time.

*Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz - described by Rizal as a tall, thin, long-necked man
with a body slightly bent forward.

- he became an outstanding student surpassing his classmates in Spanish, Latin and other
subjects.
- in December 1871, he bade farewell to his school and his teacher.
- after Christmas of that year, Don Francisco decided to send Jose to Manila to continue
his studies.
A Taste of Injustice
- in June 1871, Jose's mother was accused as an accomplice of her brother Jose Alberto in
trying to poison the latter's wife.
- another incident which carved an indelible mark on Jose's mind was the execution of the
Filipino secular priests Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. The three
priests were implicated in the Cavite Mutiny of January 20, 1872.

*Governor General Rafael de Izquierdo - revoked the workers' exemption from

compulsory community labor and increased tax deduction from their monthly pay.
*Governor General Carlos Ma. De la Torre - allowed the Filipino liberals and seculars to
voice out their grievances.
A Manila Student: The Ateneo Years, 1872-1877

*June 1872 - Jose was sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo Municipal.

- he was eleven years old.

- almost did not enroll because the school registrar, Fr. Magin Fernando, believed that he was
late for registration and he appeared to be frail and sickly.
- through the intercession of Manuel Xeres Burgos, Jose was able to enter the Jesuit
institution.
- Jose used the surname "Rizal" for the first time
- he was called an externo or a living out student during his days in the Atenek Municipal.
- he lived in a house in Caraballo Street in Santa Cruz; the house was owned by a certain Titay
who owed the Mercado family ₱300.
- in Rizal's class, they divided the class into two groups, namely: the Romans and
Carthaginians

EMPIRE
Roman or Carthaginians

EMPEROR
the highest rank

The Tribune

Centurion

The Leaders
the standard bearers
- a day in Ateneo starts with an attendance to a mass in a chapel.
- being a latecomer in the class and having little knowledge of Spanish, Rizal was
placed at the bottom of the class and assigned with the Carthaginians.

*Fr. Jose Bech - Jose's first professor; whom he gave an unflattering description:"a
tall, thin man with a body slighlty bent forward, with a hurried walk, ascetic face,
severe and inspired small deep-sunken eyes and a sharp nose which was almost Greek
and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell towards the chin."
*Historia Universal by Cesar Cantu

Among his favorite books were: Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas and the
Travels to the Philippines by the German scientist Feodor Jagor.
*June 14, 1875 - Jose entered his fourth year in Ateneo.
*Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez - one of his professors whom he described as a great
educator and scholar, a model of rectitude, a solicitude, and had a great devotion to the students'
progress.

Poems written by Rizal which were inspired by Fr. Sanchez:

 Felicitation (Felicitation)
 El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan's Fleet)
 Y Es Espanol: Elcano, El Primero en dar la Vuelta del Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano
the First to Circumnavigate the World)
 El Combate: Uzbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo) - tribute to
the Spanish conquest of Jolo by Governor General Antonio de Urbiztondo in 1851.
Other outstanding poems written by Rizal in 1876:

 La Tragedia de sa Eustaquio (The Tragedy of St. Eustace)

 Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo ( In Memory of My Town)

 Alianza Intima Entra la Religion y la Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance Betwee

Religion and Good Education)

 El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil (The Captivity and

Triumph: The Captivity and Imprisonment of Boabdil)

 La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Catolicos en Granada (The Triumphal Entry of the

Catholic Monarchs into Granada)

During his final year in Ateneo, Rizal wrote more poems which were:

 El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Colon)

 Colon y Juan II (Columbus and John II)
 Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Comfort and Great Misfortune)
 Un Dialogo Alusivo a la Despedida a los Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogue to his
Fellow Students)

 June 1876 - Rizal returned to Manila to complete his studies at the Ateneo .
 March 23, 1877 - he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts with honors.
The Other Aspects of Rizal at the Ateneo
The Painter and Sculptor
*Agustin Saez - a famous Spanish painter. Rizal's teacher in painting.
*Romualdo Teodoro de Jesus - a noted Filipino sculptor; he was the likely model for the
character Filosofo Tasio in his novel "Noli Me Tangere". He taught Jose to sculpt and carve.

A Devout Catholic
- Rizal became a member of the Marian Congregation in which he later served as its
secretary.
- two of his poems in the Ateneo were about the Child Jesus and the Virgin Mary: Al Nino
Jesus (To the Child Jesus) and A la Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary).
A Lover of the Arts and the Sciences
- Rizal was an active member of two academies in the Ateneo, the Academy of Spanish
Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The First Romantic Episode

*Segunda Katigbak - a young lass from Lipa, Batangas. She was the sister of his friend,
Mariano.
- describing the then fourteen year old, "she was rather short, with eyes that were eloquent
and ardent at times and languid at others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and provocative
smile that revealed very beautiful teeth and the air of sylp; her entire self diffused a
mysterious charm."
In the University of Santo Tomas, 1877-1882

*1877-1878 (Fisrt Term) - Rizal studied at the philosophy program taking up

cosmology, metaphysics, theodicy and the history of philosophy.
*1878-1879 (Second Term) - Rizal decided to shift to medicine.
*1877-1878 - Rizal returned to the Ateneo, taking up a land surveying course which
was then a vocational course. He completed the surveyor's course and was awarded
the title of perito agrimensor.
*November 25, 1881 - he was issued the certificate of the land surveying coursse.
*1879 - gave Rizal the opportunity to win top prizes in literary contests especially in the Liceo
Artistico Literario de Manila. He submitted a poem entitled A La Juventud Filipina (To the
Filipino Youth).

* A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) - won first prize in the contest and was
awarded a silver quill for his prowess in poetry.
- became known for its immortal words when it referred to the youth as the fair hope of the
motherland.

*1880 - the Liceo Artistico-Literario held a contest commemorating the 400th death
anniversary of Spain's national poet, Miguel Cervantes.
- Rizal joined the competition with his entry entitled El Consejo de los Dioses. It was a play
written in praise of Spain's national poet.
- in the same year, Rizal wrote a one-act play entitled Junto al Pasig at the request of the
Jesuits and it was staged at the Ateneo on the occasion of the feast day of the Immaculate
Concepcion.

- other literary works while Rizal was a student at the University were a sonnet entitled A
Filipinas in which he urged Filipino artists to glorify the country through their works. Earlier
in 1879, he composed a poem entitled Abd el-Aziz y Mahoma which was claimed by Manuel
Fernandez.

*1881 - he produced a poem in honor of the Rector of Ateneo, Fr. Pablo Ramon entitled Al M.
R.P. Pablo Ramon (To the Most Reverend Fr. Pablo Ramon).