BIOGRAPHY

Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch

BY TEOFILO H. MONTEMAYOR

JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and pride of the Malayan race, was born on June
19, 1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the seventh child in a family of 11 children (2 boys
and 9 girls). Both his parents were educated and belonged to distinguished families.

His father, Francisco Mercado Rizal, an industrious farmer whom Rizal called "a model of
fathers," came from Biñan, Laguna; while his mother, Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, a highly cultured
and accomplished woman whom Rizal called "loving and prudent mother," was born in Meisic, Sta.
Cruz, Manila. At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his mother; at 5, while learning to read
and write, he already showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his family and relatives by
his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At the age 8, he wrote a Tagalog poem,
"Sa Aking Mga Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of one’s language. In 1877, at the
age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with an average of "excellent" from the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila. In the same year, he enrolled in Philosophy and Letters at the University of
Santo Tomas, while at the same time took courses leading to the degree of surveyor and expert
assessor at the Ateneo. He finished the latter course on March 21, 1877 and passed the Surveyor’s
examination on May 21, 1878; but because of his age, 17, he was not granted license to practice the
profession until December 30, 1881. In 1878, he enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo
Tomas but had to stop in his studies when he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated
upon by their Dominican tutors. On May 3, 1882, he sailed for Spain where he continued his studies
at the Universidad Central de Madrid. On June 21, 1884, at the age of 23, he was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine and on June 19,1885, at the age of 24, he finished his course in
Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "excellent."

Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22 languages. These
include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin,
Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other native dialects. A versatile
genius, he was an architect, artists, businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist,
scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist,
novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor, sociologist, and
theologian.

He was an expert swordsman and a good shot. In the hope of securing political and social reforms
for his country and at the same time educate his countrymen, Rizal, the greatest apostle of Filipino
nationalism, published, while in Europe, several works with highly nationalistic and revolutionary
tendencies. In March 1887, his daring book, NOLI ME TANGERE, a satirical novel exposing the
arrogance and despotism of the Spanish clergy, was published in Berlin; in 1890 he reprinted in Paris,
Morga’s SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS with his annotations to prove that the Filipinos had a
civilization worthy to be proud of even long before the Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil; on
September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO, his second novel and a sequel to the NOLI and more
revolutionary and tragic than the latter, was printed in Ghent. Because of his fearless exposures of
the injustices committed by the civil and clerical officials, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in
power. This led himself, his relatives and countrymen into trouble with the Spanish officials of the
country. As a consequence, he and those who had contacts with him, were shadowed; the
authorities were not only finding faults but even fabricating charges to pin him down. Thus, he was
imprisoned in Fort Santiago from July 6, 1892 to July 15, 1892 on a charge that anti-friar pamphlets
were found in the luggage of his sister Lucia who arrive with him from Hong Kong. While a political
exile in Dapitan, he engaged in agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and operated a
hospital; he conducted classes- taught his pupils the English and Spanish languages, the arts.

The sciences, vocational courses including agriculture, surveying, sculpturing, and painting, as well
as the art of self defense; he did some researches and collected specimens; he entered into
correspondence with renowned men of letters and sciences abroad; and with the help of his pupils,
he constructed water dam and a relief map of Mindanao - both considered remarkable engineering
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feats. His sincerity and friendliness won for him the trust and confidence of even those assigned to
guard him; his good manners and warm personality were found irresistible by women of all races
with whom he had personal contacts; his intelligence and humility gained for him the respect and
admiration of prominent men of other nations; while his undaunted courage and determination to
uplift the welfare of his people were feared by his enemies.

When the Philippine Revolution started on August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in pressing
him down. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked him with the revolt and these were never
allowed to be confronted by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986, to the date of his execution, he was
again committed to Fort Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an untitled poem, now known as
"Ultimo Adios" which is considered a masterpiece and a living document expressing not only the
hero’s great love of country but also that of all Filipinos. After a mock trial, he was convicted of
rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal association. In the cold morning of December 30, 1896,
Rizal, a man whose 35 years of life had been packed with varied activities which proved that the
Filipino has capacity to equal if not excel even those who treat him as a slave, was shot at
Bagumbayan Field.

FAMILY

The Mercado - Rizal Family

The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the family's
paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from Amoy, China in the
closing years of the 17th century and married a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa.

Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and
Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese.

Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and
Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother.

FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)

Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan,
Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)

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 a 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.

SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.

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.

NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)

The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.

OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth.

LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

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MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)

The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896.

Early Childhood

In Calamba, Laguna

19 June 1861
JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos, was born in
Calamba, Laguna.

22 June 1861
He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino
Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor.

28 September 1862
The parochial church of Calamba and the canonical books, including the book in which Rizal’s
baptismal records were entered, were burned.

1864 1865

Barely three years old, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother.

When he was four years old, his sister Conception, the eight child in the Rizal family, died at the age
of three. It was on this occasion that Rizal remembered having shed real tears for the first time.

1865 – 1867
During this time his mother taught him how to read and write. His father hired a classmate by the
name of Leon Monroy who, for five months until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the rudiments of
Latin. At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto,
seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself with the physical development of his young nephew and
taught the latter love for the open air and developed in him a great admiration for the beauty of
nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love for education. He
advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be swift as well as
thorough; be independent in thinking and make visual pictures of everything."

6 June 1868
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his mother to take the
child to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she and her child survive the ordeal of delivery
which nearly caused his mother’s life. From there they proceeded to Manila and visited his sister
Saturnina who was at the time studying in the La Concordia College in Sta. Ana.

1869
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was written
in tagalog and had for its theme "Love of One’s Language."

In Biñan, Laguna

1870
His brother Paciano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna. He was placed under the tutelage of Justiniano
Aquino Cruz, studying Latin and Spanish. In this town he also learned the art of painting under the
tutorship of an old painter by the name of Juancho Carrera.

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17 December 1870
Having finished his studies in Biñan, Rizal returned to Calamba on board the motorboat Talim. His
parents planned to transfer him to Manila where he could continue his studies.

Back in Calamba

1871
His mother was imprisoned in Sta. Cruz, Laguna for allegedly poisoning the wife of her cousin Jose
Alberto, a rich property owner of Biñan and brother of Manuel and Gregorio.

1872
For the first time, Rizal heard of the word filibustero which his father forbid the members of his
family to utter, including such names as Cavite and Burgos. (It must be remembered that because of
the Cavite Mutiny on January 20, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora
were garroted at Bagumbayan Field on February 17, 1872.)

Education

Early Education in Calamba and Biñan

Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical schooling that a son of an
ilustrado family received during his time, characterized by the four R’s- reading, writing, arithmetic,
and religion. Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds of the pupils by
means of the tedious memory method aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the defects of the
Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction
preparatory for college work in Manila. It may be said that Rizal, who was born a physical weakling,
rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in spite of, the outmoded and
backward system of instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last decades of Spanish
regime.

The Hero’s First Teacher

The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and
fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother,"
wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers
which I raised fervently to God."

As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It was she who first
discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. To
lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate her son’s imagination, she related
many stories.

As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The first was
Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a
former classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This old teacher lived at the Rizal home
and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not lived long. He died five months
later.

After a Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school in
Biñan.

Jose Goes to Biñan

One Sunday afternoon in June , 1869, Jose, after kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful
parting from his sister, left Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by Paciano , who acted as his
second father. The two brothers rode in a carromata, reaching their destination after one and one-
half hours’ drive. They proceeded to their aunt’s house, where Jose was to lodge. It was almost night
when they arrived, and the moon was about to rise.
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That same night, Jose, with his cousin named Leandro, went sightseeing in the town. Instead of
enjoying the sights, Jose became depressed because of homesickness. "In the moonlight," he
recounted, "I remembered my home town, my idolized mother, and my solicitous sisters. Ah, how
sweet to me was Calamba, my own town, in spite of the fact that was not as wealthy as Biñan."

First Day in Biñan School

The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz.

The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 30 meters from the
home of Jose’s aunt.

Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him before. He introduced
Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to return to Calamba.

Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. The teacher asked him:

"Do you know Spanish?"

"A little, sir," replied the Calamba lad.
"Do you know Latin?"
"A little, sir."

The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the teacher’s son laughed at Jose’s answers.

The teacher sharply stopped all noises and begun the lessons of the day.

Jose described his teacher in Biñan as follows: "He was tall, thin, long-necked, with sharp nose and a
body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear a sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled hands of the
women of Batangas. He knew by the heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza. Add to this severity
that in my judgement was exaggerated and you have a picture, perhaps vague, that I have made of
him, but I remember only this."

First School BrawlIn the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher was having his siesta,
Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his conversation
with the teacher in the morning.

Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that he could easily beat the
Calamba boy who was smaller and younger.

The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their classmates. Jose, having
learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this feat, he
became popular among his classmates.

After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged him to an arm-
wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the
weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.

In succeeding days he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not quarrelsome by nature,
but he never ran away from a fight.

Best Student in School

In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects.

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Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. They wickedly squealed to
the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school, and even told lies to discredit him before
the teacher’s eyes. Consequently the teacher had to punish Jose.

Early Schooling in Biñan

Jose had a very vivid imagination and a very keen sense of observation. At the age of seven he
traveled with his father for the first time to Manila and thence to Antipolo to fulfill the promise of a
pilgrimage made by his mother at the time of his birth. They embarked in a casco, a very ponderous
vessel commonly used in the Philippines. It was the first trip on the lake that Jose could recollect. As
darkness fell he spent the hours by the katig, admiring the grandeur of the water and the stillness of
the night, although he was seized with a superstitious fear when he saw a water snake entwine itself
around the bamboo beams of the katig. With what joy did he see the sun at the daybreak as its
luminous rays shone upon the glistening surface of the wide lake, producing a brilliant effect! With
what joy did he talk to his father, for he had not uttered a word during the night!

When they proceeded to Antipolo, he experienced the sweetest emotions upon seeing the gay
banks of the Pasig and the towns of Cainta and Taytay. In Antipolo he prayed, kneeling before the
image of the Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage, of whom he would later sing in elegant verses. Then
he saw Manila, the great metropolis , with its Chinese sores and European bazaars. And visited his
elder sister, Saturnina, in Santa Ana, who was a boarding student in the Concordia College.

When he was nine years old, his father sent him to Biñan to continue studying Latin, because his first
teacher had died. His brother Paciano took him to Biñan one Sunday, and Jose bade his parents and
sisters good-bye with tears in his eyes. Oh, how it saddened him to leave for the first time and live
far from his home and his family! But he felt ashamed to cry and had to conceal his tears and
sentiments. "O Shame," he explained, "how many beautiful and pathetic scenes the world would
witness without thee!"

They arrived at Biñan in the evening. His brother took him to the house of his aunt where he was to
stay, and left him after introducing him to the teacher. At night, in company with his aunt’s grandson
named Leandro, Jose took a walk around the town in the light of the moon. To him the town looked
extensive and rich but sad and ugly.

His teacher in Biñan was a severe disciplinarian. His name was Justiniano Aquino Cruz. "He was a tall
man, lean and long-necked, with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward. He used to wear a
sinamay shirt woven by the deft hands of Batangas women. He knew by memory the grammars of
Nebrija and Gainza. To this add a severity which, in my judgement I have made of him, which is all I
remember."

The boy Jose distinguished himself in class, and succeeded in surpassing many of his older
classmates. Some of these were so wicked that, even without reason, they accused him before the
teacher, for which, in spite of his progress, he received many whippings and strokes from the ferule.
Rare was the day when he was not stretched on the bench for a whipping or punished with five or
six blows on the open palm. Jose’s reaction to all these punishments was one of intense resentment
in order to learn and thus carry out his father’s will.

Jose spent his leisure hours with Justiniano’s father-in-law, a master painter. From him he took his
first two sons, two nephews, and a grandson. His way life was methodical and well regulated. He
heard mass at four if there was one that early, or studied his lesson at that hour and went to mass
afterwards. Returning home, he might look in the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat, then he took
his breakfast, consisting generally of a plate of rice and two dried sardines.

After that he would go to class, from which he was dismissed at ten, then home again. He ate with
his aunt and then began at ten, then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began to study. At
half past two he returned to class and left at five. He might play for a short time with some cousins

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before returning home. He studied his lessons, drew for a while, and then prayed and if there was a
moon, his friends would invite him to play in the street in company with other boys.

Whenever he remembered his town, he thought with tears in his eyes of his beloved father, his
idolized mother, and his solicitous sisters. Ah, how sweet was his town even though not so opulent
as Biñan! He grew sad and thoughtful.

While he was studying in Biñan, he returned to his hometown now and then. How long the road
seemed to him in going and how short in coming! When from afar he descried the roof of his house,
secret joy filled his breast. How he looked for pretexts to remain longer at home! A day more
seemed to him a day spent in heaven, and how he wept, though silently and secretly, when he saw
the calesa that was flower that him Biñan! Then everything looked sad; a flower that he touched, a
stone that attracted his attention he gathered, fearful that he might not see it again upon his return.
It was a sad but delicate and quite pain that possessed him.

Life and Studies at Ateneo

The Jesuits were considered the best educators of Spain, and perhaps of Europe, and so, when they
were permitted to return to the Philippines, although their power to administer parishes was
restricted except in the remote regions of Mindanao, the privilege of founding colleges, they had to
apply to the City of Manila for subsidies. That is why the college which began to function in the year
1865, was called the Ateneo Municipal.

To enter the Ateneo a candidate was subjected to an entrance examination on Christian doctrine,
reading, writing, grammar, and elementary arithmetic. Jose did not take his entrance examinations
Jose did not remain in Manila but returned first to his town to celebrate the fiesta of its patron saint;
it was then that his father changed his mind and decided to send him to the Ateneo instead.

Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, had come under suspicion of the authorities because
it was the name used by Paciano when he was studying and working with Father Burgos, in whose
house he lived, Jose adopted the second surname, Rizal.

Paciano who accompanied Jose, found him a house in Walled City, but Intramuros looked gloomy to
Jose, and he later found lodging outside, in the house of a spinster situated on Calle Carballo, district
of Santa Cruz. As if chance would furnish him data for his future campaigns, he became acquainted
in that house with various mestizos, begotten by friars.

The Jesuitical system of instruction was considered more advanced than that of other colleges in
that epoch. Its discipline was rigid and its methods less mechanical. It introduced physical culture as
part of its program as well as the cultivation of the arts, such as music, drawing, and painting. It also
establishes vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, and mechanics as a religious institute, its
principal purpose was to mold the character and the will of the boys to comply more easily with the
percepts of the Church. The students heard mass before the beginning of the class, which was
opened and closed with prayers.

In the first two terms the classes were divided into groups of interns and externs: the first
constituted the Roman Empire and the second, the Carthaginian Empire. In each empire there were
five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer. These dignities were
won by means of individual competitions in which it was necessary to catch one’s adversary in error
three times. The empires considered themselves in perpetual warfare, and when an individual of
one empire was caught in error by one belonging to the enemy empire, a point was counted in favor
of the latter. At the end of each week or two, the points in favor of each were added and the empire,
which obtained more point, was declared winner.

There was a fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis Gonzaga, to which only those who distinguished
themselves in the class for their piety and diligence could belong. This fraternity met on Sundays and
after mass held public programs in which poems were recited or debates were held. With all these

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inducements it was only natural that should be a spirit of emulation, a striving to surpass ones
colleagues found in the Ateneo.

The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he describes as a man of high stature; lean
body, bent forward; quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, sunken eyes; sharp
Grecian nose; thin lips forming an arch with its sides directed toward the chin." He was somewhat of
a lunatic and of an uneven humor; sometimes he was hard and little tolerant and at other times he
was gay and playful as a child. Among Jose’s classmates were Peninsulares and sons of Peninsulares;
Francisco G. Oliva, very talented but not very studious; Joaquin Garrido, endowed with a poor
memory but with much talent and industry; and Gonzalo Marzano, who occupied the throne of
Emperor.

From the first days Jose learned to systematize his work; he fixed a program of what he had to do in
the twenty-four hours of the day and did not in the least deviate from it. Thus he disciplined his will
and subjected it to the commands of his reason.

As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the class, but he was soon promoted and kept on
being promoted so that at the end of one month he had attained to the rank of Emperor. At the end
of the term he obtained marks of excellent in all the subjects and in the examinations. He had reason
to feel proud of his advancement; and so when he went home on vacation that year, he ran alone to
see his mother in the prison and tell her the happy news.

He must have uttered this exclamation on learning from his mother that they had played her a mean
trick. The judge, who was a blind partisan of the friars having been a domestic of theirs, told her that
if she confessed her culpability he would release her at once. With the desire to see her children
again, she pleaded guilty; but the judge, instead of releasing her, convicted her. In a few months the
judge asked her forgiveness for what he had done because according to him his conscience hurt him,
but the case had no remedy because it was already on appeal.

The second year, Jose had the same professor as in the previous year; but instead of lodging outside
the City, he resided at No. 6 Calle Magallanes. At the end of the term he obtained a medal, and upon
returning to his town, he again visited his mother in jail alone. This was three months before her
release.

The rejoicing that her release produced in his spirit had much influence on the result of his studies in
the third year, for he began to win prizes in the quarterly examinations.

About that time he devoted himself to reading novels, and one of those he enjoyed most was
Dumas’ (father) The Count of Monte Cristo. The sufferings of the hero of the twelve years. He also
asked his father to buy him a copy of The Universal History by Cesar Cantanu, and according to
himself he profited much from its perusal.

The family, who saw in Jose great aptitude for study, decided to place him as intern or boarding
student in the college the following year. In the corner of the dormitory facing the sea and the pier
Jose passed his two years of internship.

In the fourth year of his course he had Fr. Francisco Sanchez as professor. Jose describes him as a
model of rectitude, a solicitude, and love for the student, and his studied mathematics, rhetoric, and
Greek, and he must have progressed much, for at the end of the year he-obtained five medals,
which pleased him immensely because with them I could repay my father somewhat for his
sacrifices.

His aptitude for poetry revealed itself early, and from that time on he did not cease to cultivate it.

An incident which demonstrates Jose’s independence of character took place at this time. Fr.
Leoncio Lopez, parish priest of the town, who was a great friend of his father, also liked Jose as a
little friend. He was cultured but at the same time timid and tender. One day Jose’s mother showed
Father Lopez a poem of his young friend and that the latter must have copied it from a book. Jose,

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who heard this, answered the priest violently, for which his mother reprehended him. Afterward
Father Lopez came to know from the Jesuits themselves that Jose was a pupil who excelled in
poetry; and, in spite of his age, made a trip to Manila expressly to apologize to Jose. That gesture of
Father Lopez’ won him Jose’s esteem and they became good friends again, lending each other the
books they had.

In the fifth years Jose had other professors: Frs. Vilaclara and Mineves. He studied philosophy,
physics, chemistry, and natural history, but his devotion to poetry was such that his professor in
philosophy advised him once to leave it, which made him cry. But in his rest hours he continued
cultivating the Muses under the direction of his old professor, Father Sanchez. Jose had then written
a short story (leyenda), which was only slightly corrected by his professor, and a dialogue, which was
enacted at the end of the course, alluding to the collegians’ farewell. However, philosophy, just and
serve, inquiring into the wherefores of things, interested him as much as poetry; physics, drawing
back the veil that divine drama of nature was enacted, natural history seemed to him somewhat
uninteresting although he much liked the shells and sometimes imagined seeing a goddess in each
shell he was on the shelf.

Jose was considered small of stature and he tried to correct this defect by applying himself regularly
to gymnastics in the college. He also engaged in other physical exercises, such as fencing. After his
baccalaureate, he surprised his family with his skill in handling the sword when he gave an exhibition
bout with the best swordsman of the town.

He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In drawing and painting he was under the guidance
and direction of the Ateneo professor, the Peninsula Don Augustin Saez, who honored him with his
affection and consideration because of his progress. In sculpture his instructor was a Filipino,
Romualdo de Jesus, who felt proud in the last years of his life of having had such an excellent pupil.

PHILOSOPHIES

Philosophies in Life

PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study and pursuit of facts which deal with the ultimate reality or
causes of things as they affect life.

The philosophy of a country like the Philippines is made up of the intricate and composite
interrelationship of the life histories of its people; in other word, the philosophy of our nation would
be strange and undefinable if we do not delve into the past tied up with the notable life experiences
of the representative personalities of our nation.

Being one of the prominent representatives of Filipino personalities, Jose Rizal is a fit subject whose
life philosophy deserves to be recognized.

Having been a victim of Spanish brutality early in his life in Calamba, Rizal had thus already formed
the nucleus of an unfavorable opinion of Castillian imperialistic administration of his country and
people.

Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines as late as three centuries after his conquest in
Spain, with agriculture, commerce, communications and education languishing under its most
backward state. It was because of this social malady that social evils like inferiority complex,
cowardice, timidity and false pride pervaded nationally and contributed to the decay of social life.
This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life phylosophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills.

Educational Philosophy

Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is clearly enunciated in his work entitled Instruction
wherein he sought improvements in the schools and in the methods of teaching. He maintained that
the backwardness of his country during the Spanish ear was not due to the Filipinos’ indifference,
apathy or indolence as claimed by the rulers, but to the neglect of the Spanish authorities in the
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islands. For Rizal, the mission of education is to elevate the country to the highest seat of glory and
to develop the people’s mentality. Since education is the foundation of society and a prerequisite for
social progress, Rizal claimed that only through education could the country be saved from
domination.

Rizal’s philosophy of education, therefore, centers on the provision of proper motivation in order to
bolster the great social forces that make education a success, to create in the youth an innate desire
to cultivate his intelligence and give him life eternal.

Religious Philosophy

Rizal grew up nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family, was educated in the foremost Catholic
schools of the period in the elementary, secondary and college levels; logically, therefore, he should
have been a propagator of strictly Catholic traditions. However, in later life, he developed a life
philosophy of a different nature, a philosophy of a different Catholic practice intermingled with the
use of Truth and Reason.

Why the change?

It could have been the result of contemporary contact, companionship, observation, research and
the possession of an independent spirit.Being a critical observer, a profound thinker and a zealous
reformer, Rizal did not agree with the prevailing Christian propagation of the Faith by fire and sword.
This is shown in his Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.

Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was only for Catholics and that outside
Christianity, salvation was not possible even if Catholics composed only a small minority of the
world’s religious groups. Nor did he believe in the Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in
the sale of such religious items as the cross, medals, rosaries and the like in order to propagate the
Faith and raise church funds. He also lambasted the superstitious beliefs propagated by the priests in
the church and in the schools. All of these and a lot more are evidences of Rizal’s religious
philosophy.

Political Philosophy

In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country like the Philippines should not be taken advantage of
but rather should be developed, civilized, educated and trained in the science of self-government.

He bitterly assailed and criticized in publications the apparent backwardness of the Spanish ruler’s
method of governing the country which resulted in:

1. the bondage and slavery of the conquered ;

2. the Spanish government’s requirement of forced labor and force military service upon the n
natives;
3. the abuse of power by means of exploitation;
4. the government ruling that any complaint against the authorities was criminal;
5. and Making the people ignorant, destitute and fanatic, thus discouraging the formation of a
national sentiment.

Rizal’s guiding political philosophy proved to be the study and application of reforms, the extension
of human rights, the training for self government and the arousing of spirit of discontent over
oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness and self love.

Ethical Philosophy

The study of human behavior as to whether it is good or bad or whether it is right or wrong is that
science upon which Rizal’s ethical philosophy was based. The fact that the Philippines was under
Spanish domination during Rizal’s time led him to subordinate his philosophy to moral problems.
This trend was much more needed at that time because the Spaniards and the Filipinos had different

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and sometimes conflicting morals. The moral status of the Philippines during this period was one
with a lack of freedom, one with predominance of foreign masters, one with an imposition of foreign
religious worship, devotion, homage and racial habits. This led to moral confusion among the
people, what with justice being stifled, limited or curtailed and the people not enjoying any
individual rights.

To bolster his ethical philosophy, Dr. Rizal had recognized not only the forces of good and evil, but
also the tendencies towards good and evil. As a result, he made use of the practical method of
appealing to the better nature of the conquerors and of offering useful methods of solving the moral
problems of the conquered.

To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal:

1 .censured the friars for abusing the advantage of their position as spiritual leaders and the
ignorance and fanaticism of the natives;
2. counseled the Filipinos not to resent a defect attributed to them but to accept same as reasonable
and just;
3. advised the masses that the object of marriage was the happiness and love of the couple and not
financial gain;
4, censured the priests who preached greed and wrong morality;
5. and advised every one that love and respect for parents must be strictly observed.

Social Philosophy

That body of knowledge relating to society including the wisdom which man's experience in society
has taught him is social philosophy. The facts dealt with are principles involved in nation building and
not individual social problems. The subject matter of this social philosophy covers the problems of
the whole race, with every problem having a distinct solution to bolster the people’s social
knowledge.

Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with;

1. man in society;
2. influential factors in human life;
3. racial problems;
4. social constant;
5. social justice;
6. social ideal;
7.poverty and wealth;
8. reforms;
9.youth and greatness;
10.history and progress;
11.future Philippines.

The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment, explaining for the most part human
behavior and capacities like his will to live; his desire to possess happiness; the change of his
mentality; the role of virtuous women in the guidance of great men; the need for elevating and
inspiring mission; the duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of practicing gratitude;
the necessity for consulting reliable people; his need for experience; his ability to deny; the
importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s abilities and possibilities; the ability to
think, aspire and strive to rise; and the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of these combining
to enhance the intricacies, beauty and values of human nature. All of the above served as Rizal’s
guide in his continuous effort to make over his beloved Philippines.

DIFFERENT CHARACTERS

The Many-Sided Personality

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Filipinos and foreigners alike have paid tribute to Jose Rizal claiming that his place of honor in history
is secure. It was his Austrian bosom friend, Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, rector of the Imperial
Atheneum of Leitmeritz, who said "Rizal was the greatest product of the Philippines and his coming
to the world was like the appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only every other
century." Another German friend, Dr. Adolf B. Meyer, director of the Dresden Museum who admired
his all around knowledge and ability, remarked "Rizal’s many-sidedness was stupendous." Our own
Dr. Camilo Osias pointed to him as the "versatile genius."
His precocity since early boyhood turned into versatility in later years. Being curious and inquisitive,
he developed a rare facility of mastering varied subjects and occupations.

Actor
Rizal acted as a character in one of Juan Luna’s paintings and acted in school dramas.

Agriculturist
Rizal had farms in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte (1892-1896) where he planted lanzones, coconuts
and other fruit-bearing trees.

Ambassador Of Good Will

His friendliness, goodwill and cultural associations with friends entitled him as one.

Animal Lover
As a small boy, Rizal loved animals including birds, fish, insects, and other specimens of animal life.
Fowls, rabbits, dogs, horses, and cats constituted his favorites. As much as possible, he did not wish
fowls to be killed even for food, and showed displeasure in being asked to eat the cooked animal.
The family garden in Calamba abounded with insects galore and birds native to the Calamba
environs. He wrote about and sketched animals of the places he had toured.

Anthropologist
He made researches on the physical and social make up of man.

Archeologist
Rizal studied monuments and antique currency everywhere he went. He drew most of the
monuments he saw.

Ascetic
Rizal always practiced self-discipline wherever he went. Book lover He had a big library and brought
many books abroad.

Botanist
Rizal maintained a garden in Dapitan where he planted and experimented on plants of all kinds
Businessman He had a partner in Dapitan in the Abaca business there (1892-1896).

Cartographer
He drew maps of Dapitan, The Philippines and other places he visited.

Chess Player
He played chess and bear several Germans and European friends and acquaintances.

Citizen of the world

His extensive travels and multitude of friends in Europe, Middle East and Asia made him one.

Commentator
Rizal always expresses and published his personal opinion.

Conchologist
He had a good shell collection in Dapitan. An American conchologist praised him.

Educator

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Rizal taught in his special school in Dapitan.

Ethnologist
In his travels, Rizal was able to compare different races and he noted the differences. Father of
community school He proposed college in Hong Kong and his special school in Dapitan made him a
father of community schools.

Fencer
He fenced with Europeans and Juan Luna and other friends in Europe.

Freemason abroad
He was member of La Solidaridad Lodge in Spain.

Horticulture and farmer

He experimented on and cultivated plants in Dapitan.

Historian
His annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas entitled him as one.

Humorist
There are many humorous incidents in the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Ichthyologist
He collected 38 new varieties of fish in Dapitan.

Japanophile
His admiration of Japanese traits and his knowledge of her language proved he was one.

Journalist
He authored the published many articles in Spanish and English and London.

Laboratory worker
He was employed in the clinic of Dr. L. Wecker in Paris.

Linguist
He spoke over 20 foreign languages.

Lover of truth
He chided Spanish writers for not writing the truth about the Filipinos. He was always truthful since
boyhood.

Musicians
He played the flute and composed pieces of music and cultivated music appreciation.

Mythologist
Rizal used mythology in his Noli and Fili.

Nationalist
He gave full expression of the native spirit strengthened by world civilization and loved and
defended everything Filipino.

Newspaperman
He wrote and published articles in many publications and was one of the organizers of the La
Solidaridad.

Ophthalmologist

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He graduated in an ophthalmologic college in Spain.

Orientalist
Rizal admired the special characteristic and beauties of Oriental countries peoples.

Pharmacologist
Rizal treasured and popularized the usefulness and preparation of cures for treatment of his
patients.

Philologist
Rizal loved of learning and literature is unequalled.

Philosopher
Rizal not only loved wisdom but also regulated his life and enjoyed calmness of the life at all time

Physical culturist
Rizal maintained a good health by exercising all parts of his body and eating proper foods

Physicians
He treated several patients afflicted not only with eye diseases.

Plant lover
As a child, Rizal spend most of his time in the family garden which was planted with fruit trees,

Shrubs and decorative trees. His diaries contained detailed description and sketches of plants,
flowers and fruits he saw in the places he visited. He wrote poems on flower he like very much as his
poems To the Flowers of Heidelberg.

Poet
Rizal wrote over 35 poems including his famous Ultimo Adios.

Politician
Although Rizal did not engage in Politics, he exposed the evils of the political activities of the
Spaniards in the Philippines through his writing.

Polyglot
Rizal spoke and wrote in 20 languages.

Proofreader
In Germany, He worked as a part-time proofreader of his livelihood.

Propagandist
As a reformer, Rizal encourages the recommendation of improving the government entities and
discourage abuses publishing articles.

Public relation man

He worked for better cooperation of rulers and subjects in his country.

Reformer
He published the modern methods of government administration, so changes could be made.

Researcher
Being a wide reader, he compared the old and new practices in life.

Revolutionist
Rizal encouraged reforms, discouraged old, impractical usage, and desired new and useful laws to
benefit his countrymen. He desired changes for the better.

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Rhetorician
Rizal has always practiced the art of persuasive and impressive speaking and writing.

Rural reconstruction worker

He practiced rural reconstruction work in Dapitan in 1894 and succeeded.

Sanitary engineer
His construction of a water system in Dapitan exemplified this practice by Rizal.

Scientist
Rizal’s practice of many sciences here and abroad made him noted scientist.

Sculptor
His works of his father and of Father Guerrico, S. J. typified his sculptural ability.

Sharp shooter
He could hit a target 20 meters away.

Sinologist
Rizal’s ancestry and his ability to speak Chinese made him one.

Sociologist
In Rizal’s study of Philippines social problems, he always encouraged and introduced solutions.

Sodalist
He always joined fraternities, associations and brotherhood, for self-improvement.

Sportsman
He engaged from a surveying class at the Ateneo after passing his A. B. there. Tourist He was
considered the foremost tourist due to his extensive travels.

Traveler
He traveled around the world three times.

Tuberculosis expert
For having cured himself of this disease, he became and was recognized as an expert.

Youth leader
He considered the youth as "the hope of his Fatherland."

Zoologist
He was fond of pets. He researched later on their physiology, classification and habits.

Travels

Rizal's First Trip Abroad

3 May 1882
Rizal left Philippines for the first time Spain. He boarded the Salvadora using a passport of Jose
Mercado, which was procured for him by his uncle Antonio Rivera, father of Leonor Rivera. He was
accompanied to the quay where the Salvadora was moored by his uncle Antonio, Vicente Gella, and
Mateo Evangelista.

4 May 1882
He got seasick on board the boat.

5 May 1882
He conversed with the passengers of the ship; he was still feeling sea-sick.

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6 May 1882
He played chess with the passengers on board.

8 May 1882
He saw mountains and Islands.

9 May 1882
Rizal arrived at Singapore.

10 May 1882
He went around the town of Singapore and maid some observations.

11 May 1882
In Singapore, at 2 p.m., Rizal boarded the boat Djemnah to continue his trip to Spain. He found the
boat clean and well kept.

12 May 1882
He had a conversation with the passengers of the boat.

13 May 1882
Rizal was seasick again.

14 May 1882
On his way to Marseilles, Rizal had a terrible dream. He dreamed he was traveling with Neneng
(Saturnina) and their path was blocked by snakes.

May 15 1882
Rizal had another disheartening dream. He dreamed he returned to Calamba and after meeting his
parents who did not talk to him because of not having consulted them about his first trip abroad, he
returned traveling abroad with one hundred pesos he again borrowed. He was so sad and broken
hearted. Soon he woke up and found himself inside his cabin.

17 May 1882
Rizal arrived at Punta de Gales.

18 May 1882
At 7:30 a.m., he left Punta de Gales for Colombo. In the afternoon, Rizal arrived at Colombo and in
the evening the trip was resumed.

26 May 1882
Rizal was nearing the African coast

27 May 1882
He landed at Aden at about 8:30 a.m. He made observation at the time.

2 June 1882
He arrived at the Suez Canal en route to Marseilles.

3 June 1882
He was quarantined on board the Djemnah in the Suez Canal.

6 June 1882
It was the fourth day at Suez Canal and was still quarantined on board of the boat.

7 June 1882
Rizal arrived at Port Said. In a letter to his parents, He described his trip en route to Aden along the
Suez Canal.

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11 June 1882
Rizal disembarked and, accompanied by a guide, went around the City of Naples for one hour. This
was the first European ground he set foot on.

12 June 1882
At ten o’clock in the evening, the boat anchored at Marseilles. He sleptn board.

13 June 1882
Early on the morning he landed at Marseilles and boarded at the Noalles Hotel. Later he around for
observation.

14 June 1882
His second in Marseilles.

15 June 1882
He left Marseilles for Barcelona in an express train.

~Rizal in Barcelona, Spain~

16 June 1882
At 12:00 noon, Rizal arrived at Barcelona and boarded in the Fonda De España.

23 June 1882
In a letter, Rizal related to his parents his experiences during his trip from Port Said to Barcelona. In
the same Letter, he requested them to send him a birth certificate and statement showing that he
had parents in the Philippines.

18 August 1882
P. Leoncio Lopez of Calamba issued a certified copy of Rizal’s birth certificate.

20 August 1882
His article "Amor Patrio" was published in the Diarong Tagalog, a Manila newspaper edited by Basilio
Teodoro. This was the First article he wrote abroad.

~Rizal in Madrid, Spain~

2 September 1882
Rizal matriculated at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He took the following subjects: medical
clinic, surgical clinic, legal medicine and obstetrical clinic.

2 October 1882
He attended his regular classes which stared in all earnest.

4 October 1882
Asked to deliver a poem by the members of Circulo Hispano-Filipino, there together in the effort to
save the association from disintegration, Rizal recited "Me piden versus." The meeting was held at
the house of Pablo Ortiga y Rey.

7 October 1882
He attended again of the Circulo Hisfano-Filipino held in house of Mr. Ortiga.

2 November 1882
He wrote the article "Revista de Madrid" which was in intended for publication in the Diarong
Tagalog in Manila, but was not published because the newspaper stops its circulation.

7 November 1882
Rizal wrote an article entitled "Las Dudas". The article was signed Laong - Laan.

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30 December 1882
In a letter, Rizal revealed to Paciano his plan of going to Paris or Rome in June. He wanted to practice
French in Paris and Italian in Rome and to observe the customs of people in those cities.

- In the evening, Rizal dreamed he was an actor dying in the scene, feeling intensely the shortage of
his breath, the weakening of his strength, and darkening of his sight. He woke up tired and
breathless.

1 January 1883
Rizal felt sad in the morning. He recollected the terrible dream he had the previous night.

15 January 1883
He attended the birthday of Pablo Ortiga with some of the Filipinos.

16 January 1883
He attended the masquerade ball in Alhambra with some of his countrymen.

13 February 1883
In a letter Rizal appraised his brother Paciano of his activities in Madrid,

LOVE LIFE

Rizal, the Romantic

There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela,
Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and
Josephine Bracken. These women might have been beguiled by his intelligence, charm and wit.

Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Valenzuela

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, 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 Rivera
Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from
falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor’s mother disapproved of
her daughter’s 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 mother’s choice.

Consuelo Ortiga
Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga’s 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 San
O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s 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 Beckett

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 While 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 Boustead
Rizal having lost Leonor Rivera, entertained the thought of courting othe lradies. 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, Juan’s 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 Nellie’s 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 Jacoby
In 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 Bracken
In 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 Rizal’s 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 Taufer’s blindness was untreatable, he left for Hon Kong on
March 1895. Josephine stayed with Rizal’s 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 marriying them. Rizal upon the advice of his family and friends and with
Josephine’s 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.

Rizal In Dapitan
Peaceful Life in Dapitan
During the early part of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal lived at the commandant’s residence. With
his prize from the Manila Lottery and his earnings as a farmer and a merchant, he bought a piece of
land near the shore of Talisay near Dapitan. On this land, he built three houses- all made of bamboo,
wood, and nipa. The first house which was square in shape was his home. The second house was the
living quarters of his pupils. And the third house was the barn where he kept his chickens. The
second house had eight sides, while the third had six sides.

In a latter to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, on December 19, 1893, Rizal described his peaceful
life in Dapitan.

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"I shall tell you how we lived here. I have three houses-one square, another hexagonal, and the third
octagonal. All these houses are made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. I live in the square house,
together with my mother, my sister, Trinidad, and my nephew. In the octagonal house live some
young boys who are my pupils. The hexagonal house is my barn where I keep my chickens.

"From my house, I hear the murmur of a clear brook which comes from the high rocks. I see the
seashore where I keep two boats, which are called barotos here.

"I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits,
dogs, cats, and other animals.
"I rise early in the morning-at five-visit my plants, feed the chickens, awaken my people, and prepare
our breakfast. At half-past seven, we eat our breakfast, which consists of tea, bread, cheese, sweets,
and other things.

"After breakfast, I treat the poor patients who come to my house. Then I dress and go to Dapitan in
my baroto. I am busy the whole morning, attending to my patients in town.

"At noon, I return home to Talisay for lunch. Then, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., I am busy as a teacher. I
teach the young boys. "I spend the rest of the afternoon in farming. My pupils help me in watering
the plants, pruning the fruits, and planting many kinds of trees. We stop at 6:00 p.m. for the Angelus

"I spend the night reading and writing."

Rizal's First Christmas in Dapitan

After a short time, Jose Rizal began to enjoy the simple life of Dapitan.

Rizal became prosperous. Aside from his lottery prize, Rizal earned more money by practicing
medicine. Some rich patients paid him well for curing their eye ailments. He began to buy
agricultural lands in Talisay, a barrio near Dapitan. He planned to build his house in this scenic barrio
by the seashore.

As Christmas came nearer, Rizal became more cheerful. His savings increased, for the cost of living in
Dapitan was cheaper than in Calamba. His health improved. Many Dapitan folks, who were formerly
indifferent to him, became his friends.

No wonder, Rizal enjoyed his first Christmas in Dapitan. He was one of the guests of Captain
Carnicero at a Christmas Eve dinner in the comandancia (house of the commandant). The other
guests were three Spaniards from the neighboring town of Dipolog and a Frenchman named Jean
Lardet. It was a merry feast. The guests enjoyed the delicious dishes prepared by the commandant’s
native cook. With the exception of Rizal, they drank beer, for he disliked hard liquor. At midnight,
Captain Carnicero, Rizal, and other guests went to church to hear the Mass of the Noche Buena.

In a letter to his mother, dated January 5, 1893, Rizal described how he enjoyed his first Christmas in
Dapitan. He said:

"I spent a merry Christmas here. It could not have been merrier. I had a happy dinner on Christmas
eve, together with my host (the commandant), three Spaniards from a neighboring town, and a
Frenchman. We heard Mass at 12:00 midnight, for you know I go to Mass here every Sunday."

Rizal as a Farmer in Dapitan

To prove to his people that farming is a good a profession as medicine, Rizal became a
farmer in Dapitan. In a letter to his sister, Lucia, on February 12, 1896, he said: "We cannot all be
doctors; it is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil."

During the first year of his exile (1893), Rizal bought an abandoned farm in Talisay, a barrio near
Dapitan. This farm had an area of sixteen hectares and was rather rocky. It lay beside a river that
resembled the Calamba River-clear fresh water, wide and swift current. In his letter to his sister

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Trinidad on January 15, 1896, Rizal said: "My land is half an hour’s walk from the sea. The whole
place is poetic and very picturesque, better than Ilaya River, without comparison. At some points, it
is wide like the Pasig River and clear like the Pansol, and has some crocodiles in some parts. There
are dalag (fish) and pako (edible fern). If you and our parents come, I am going to build a large house
where we can all live together."

On this land in Talisay, Rizal actually built a permanent home. With the help of his pupils and some
laborers, he cleared it and planted cacao, coffee, coconuts, and fruit trees. Later, he bought more
lands in other barrios of Dapitan. In due time, his total land holdings reached 70 hectares. They
contained 6,000 abaca plants, 1,000 coconut palms, many coffee and cacao plants and numerous
kinds of fruit trees.

On his lands, Rizal introduced modern methods of agriculture which he had observed during his
travels in Europe and America. He encouraged the Dapitan farmers to replace their primitive system
of cultivation with these modern methods. These modern methods of farming consisted of the use
of fertilizers, the rotation of crops, and the use of farm machines. Rizal actually imported some farm
machines from the United States.

Rizal dreamed of establishing an agricultural colony in the sitio of Ponot near Sindangan Bay. This
region contained plenty of water and good port facilities. He believed that it could accommodate
about 5,000 heads of cattle and 40,000 coconut palms. It was also ideal for the cultivation of coffee,
cacao, and sugar cane because of its fertile soil and favorable climate.

He invited his relatives and friends in Luzon, especially those in Calamba, to colonize the Sindangan
Bay area. Unfortunately, his plan of founding an agricultural colony in Sindangan Bay did not
materialize, like that of his former project to colonize North Borneo. He did not get the support of
the Spanish government.

Before Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, he already knew many languages. These languages were: Tagalog,
Ilokano, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Catalan, Dutch,
Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, and Russian-19 in all.

His knowledge of many languages was one aspect of Rizal’s amazing genius. Few men in history were
gifted by God with such ability to learn any language easily. And one of these rare men was Rizal.

To learn a new language, Rizal memorized five root words every night before going to bed. At the
end of the year, he learned 1,825 new words. He never forget these foreign words because of his
retentive memory.

Rizal made a good use of his knowledge of many languages in his travels in Europe and America, in
communicating with foreign scholars and scientists, and in his writings. Many times during his travels
abroad, he acted as interpreter for his fellow travelers who belonged to various nationalities-
Americans, British, French, German, Italians, Spaniards, Japanese and others.

During his exile in Dapitan, Rizal increased his knowledge of languages. He studied three more
languages- Malay, Bisayan and Subanun. On April 5, 1896, he wrote to his Austrian friend, Professor
Blumentritt: "I know Bisayan already, and I speak it quite well. It is necessary, however, to know
other dialects."

By the end of his exile in Dapitan on July 31, 1896, Rizal had become one of the world’s great
linguists. He knew 22 languages, namely, Tagalog, Ilokano, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Greek,
Sanskrit, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Japanese,
Swedish, Russian, Malay, Bisayan, and Subanun.

Rizal as a Painter in Dapitan

In Dapitan, Rizal demonstrated his talent for painting. Before the Holy Week of 1894, Father
Vicente Balaguer, a young Jesuit parish priest, was worried. He needed a good backdrop (canvas oil
painting behind the main altar) for the annual Lenten celebration. In his native city of Barcelona,

Page | 21
Spain, a church had one that showed a colonnaded court, viewed from a wide open gate- a scene
depicting the court of Pontius Pilate.

Upon hearing of Rizal’s painting ability, Father Balaguer went to Talisay to talk with the exiled
doctor. He was accompanied by a convent helper named Leoncio Sagario.

"Doctor," he told Rizal, "I need your help. I would like to have a beautiful backdrop behind the
church altar that shows the spirit of the Holy Week. I’ve in mind something similar to one in a church
in Barcelona."
Father Balaguer made some rough sketches as he described the backdrop in the Barcelona church. "
Can you paint in oil such a picture on a huge canvas, Doctor?" he asked.

"I’ll try, Father. You see, I haven’t done any painting for many years, but I’ll do my best."

The following day, Rizal went to the Jesuit priest, bringing his own sketch based on the latter’s ideas.
Father Balaguer was satisfied and urged Rizal to begin the painting job at once.

The actual painting of the backdrop was a difficult task. Rizal obtained the help of two assistants-
Sister Agustina Montoya, a Filipina nun from Cavite who could paint, and Francisco Almirol, a native
painter of Dapitan.

The trio-Rizal, Sister Montoya, and Almirol- made the sacristy of the church as their workshop. Rizal
sketched in soft pencil the general outline of the picture, after which his two assistants applied the
oil colors.

Daily, Rizal supervised the work of his assistants. He himself put the finishing touches. He was glad to
note that he still had the skill in painting.

Father Balaguer was very much satisfied with the finished oil painting of the backdrop. " Beautiful,
very beautiful," he said. He warmly thanked Rizal and his two assistants for the work well done.

The gorgeous backdrop became a precious possession of the Dapitan church- Santiago Church. It
was truly a masterpiece.

Senate President Manuel L. Quezon saw Rizal’s painting masterpiece during his visit to Dapitan. He
was deeply impressed by its majestic beauty. At one time General Leonard Wood, governor-general
of the Philippines, saw it and said that it was truly "a Rizalian legacy".

After the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the beautiful backdrop was sent to
the Museum of the Ateneo de Manila for safekeeping.

Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Second World War when fires and bombs razed the city
of Manila.

Rizal's Son Dies

By the beginning of 1896, Rizal was very happy. His beloved Josephine was heavy with child.
Within a few months, she would give birth to a child. As an expectant father, Rizal had every reason
to be cheerful and gay.

"I wish it would be a boy," he told Josephine.

"I also have the same wish," she replied.

"Let us hope and pray," said Rizal, " that it will be a boy. I will name him after my father."

"Suppose," asked Josephine in joking manner,

"that it will be a girl?"

Page | 22
"Then, I will name her after my mother."

Unfortunately, Rizal and Josephine were not destined to have a child. One day in early March 1896,
Rizal played a practical joke on Josephine, which frightened her terribly. As a result of her great
fright, she gave birth prematurely to an eight-month baby boy.

The baby was very weak and was gasping for breath. Seeing the baby’s condition, Rizal immediately
baptized him Francisco in honor of his father. He did everything he could to save the life of his infant
son, but in vain. All his knowledge and skill as a physician could not save little Francisco. Sorrowfully,
Rizal saw his child die three hours after birth.

With a heavy heart, he drew a sketch of his dead son. Then he buried him under a shady tree near
his home. He prayed": "Oh, God, I give you another tiny angel. Please bless his soul."

Rizal's Last Christmas in Dapitan

The Christmas of 1895 was one of the happiest events in Rizal’s life. It was because of the
presence of Josephine, who proved to be a loving wife and a good housekeeper.

She was now used to living a simple rural life in the Philippines. She was industrious and learned to
cook all sorts of native dishes. In his letter to his sister, Trinidad, on September 25, 1895, Rizal
praised Josephine, thus: "She cooks, washes, takes care of the chickens and the house. In the
absence of miki for making pancit, she made some long macaroni noodles out of flour and eggs,
which serves the purpose. If you could send me a little angkak, I should be grateful to you, for she
makes bagoong. She makes also chili miso, but it seems to me that what we have will last for 10
years."

On December 25, 1895, Rizal and Josephine gave a Christmas party at their home in Talisay. By a
strange twist of fate, it proved to be Rizal’s last Christmas in Dapitan.

Rizal roasted a small pig to golden brown over a slow fire. He also made chicken broth out of a fat
hen. He invited all his neighbors. They all danced and made merry until dawn.

Writing to his sister, Trinidad, on January 15, 1896, Rizal described his last Christmas party in
Dapitan. "We celebrated merrily, as almost always. We roasted a small pig and hen. We invited our
neighbors. There was dancing, and we laughed a great deal until dawn."

Adios Dapitan
On the morning of July 31, 1896, his last day in Dapitan, Rizal busily packed his things. He
was scheduled to leave the town on board the España, which was sailing back to Manila. He had sold
his lands and other things he owned to his friend, mostly natives of Dapitan.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, he and eight other companions embarked on the steamer. His eight
companions were Josephine; Narcisa (his sister); Angelica (daughter of Narcisa); his three nephews,
Mauricio (son of Maria Rizal ), Estanislao (son of Lucia Rizal), and Teodosio (another son of Lucia
Rizal); and Mr. And Mrs. Sunico.

Almost all Dapitan folks, young and old, were at the shore to see the departure of their beloved
doctor. The pupils of Rizal cried, for they could not accompany their dear teacher. Captain Carnicero,
in full regalia of a commandant’s uniform, was on hand to say goodbye to his prisoner, whom he had
come to admire and respect. The town brass band played the music of the farewell ceremony.

At midnight, Friday, July 31, 1896, the steamer departed for Manila. The Dapitan folks shouted
"Adios, Dr. Rizal!" and threw their hats and handkerchiefs in the air. Captain Carnicero saluted his
departing friend. As the steamer left the town, the brass band played the sad music of Chopin’s
Farewell March.

Page | 23
Rizal was in the upper deck, with tears in his eyes. He raised his hand in farewell to the kind and
hospitable people of Dapitan, saying: " Adios, Dapitan!" He gazed at the crowded shore for the last
time. His heart was filled with sorrow.

When he could no longer see the dim shoreline, he turned sadly into his cabin. He wrote in his diary:
"I have been in that district four years, thirteen days, and a few hours."

Page | 24
 LAST HOURS

Rizal's Last Hours

Dec. 29, 1896. 6:00 – 7:00 a.m.

Sr. S. Mataix asks Rizal’s permission to interview him. Capt. Dominguez reads death sentence to
Rizal. Source of information: cablegram of Mataix to EL Heraldo De Madrid, "Notes" of Capt.
Dominguez and Testimony of Lt. Gallegos.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Rizal is transferred to his death cell. Fr. Saderra talks briefly with Rizal. Fr. Viza presents statue of the
Sacred hearth of Jesus and medal of Mary. Rizal rejects the letter, saying , "Im little of a Marian,
Father." Source: Fr. Viza.

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Rizal is shares his milk and coffee with Fr. Rosell. Lt. Andrade and chief of Artillery come to visit Rizal
who thanks each of them. Rizal scribbles a note inviting his family it visit him. Sources: Fr. Rosell and
letter of Invitation.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Sr. Mataix, defying stringent regulation, enters death cell and interviews Rizal in the presence of Fr.
Rosell. Later, Gov. Luengo drops in to join the conversation. Sources: Letter of Mataix ti Retana
Testimony of Fr. Rosell.

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Fr. Faura persuades Rizal to put down his rancours and order to marry josephine canonically. a
heated discussion on religion occurs between them ion the hearing of Fr. Rosell. Sources: El
Imparcial and Fr. Rosell .

11:00 – 12:00 noon.

Rizal talks on "various topics" in a long conversation with Fr. Vilaclara who will later conclude (with
Fr. Balaguer, who is not allowed to enter the death cell) that Rizal is either to Prostestant or
rationalist who speaks in "a very cold and calculated manner" with a mixture of a "strange piety." No
debate or discussion on religion is recorded to have taken place between the Fathers mentioned and
Rizal. Sources: El Imarcial and Rizal y su Obra.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Rizal reads Bible and Imitation of Christ by Kempis, then meditates. Fr. Balaguer reports to the
Archbishop that only a little hope remains that Rizal is going to retract for Rizal was heard saying that
he is going to appear tranquilly before God. Sources: Rizal’s habits and Rizal y su Obra.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Rizal denies (probably, he is allowed to attend to his personal necessities). Source: "Notes" of Capt.
Dominguez.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Rizal confers with Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara. Sources: "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez in conjunction
with the testimonies of Fr. Pi and Fr. Balaguer.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Rizal reads verses which he had underlined in Eggers german Reader, a book which he is going to
hand over to his sisters to be sent to Dr. Blumentritt through F. Stahl. He "writes several
letters . . . ,with his last dedications," then he "rest for a short." Sources: F. Stahl and F. Blumentritt,
Cavana (1956) – Appendix 13, and the "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez.

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Capt. Dominguez is moved with compassion at the sight of Rizal’s kneeling before his mother and
asking pardon. Fr. Rosell hears Rizal’s farewell to his sister and his address to those presents
Page | 25
eulogizing the cleverness of his nephew. The other sisters come in one by one after the other and to
each Rizal’s gives promises to give a book, an alcohol burner, his pair of shoes, an instruction,
something to remember. Sources "notes" of Capt. Dominguez and Fr. Rosell, Diaro de Manila.

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

The Dean of the Cathedral, admitted on account of his dignity, comes to exchange views with Rizal.
Fr. Rosell hears an order given to certain "gentlemen" and "two friars" to leave the chapel at once.
Fr. Balaguer leaves Fort Santiago. Sources: Rev. Silvino Lopez-Tuñon, Fr. Rosell, Fr. Serapio Tamayo,
and Sworn Statement of Fr. Balaguer.

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Fr. Rosell leaves Fort Santiago and sees Josephine Bracken. Rizal calls for Josephine and then they
speak to each for the last time. Sources: Fr. Rosell, El Imparcial, and Testimony of Josephine to R.
Wildman in 1899.

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Fr. Faura returns to console Rizal and persuades him once more to trust him and the other
professors at the Ateneo. Rizal is emotion-filled and, after remaining some moments in silence,
confesses to Fr. Faura. Sources: El Imparcial.

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Rizal rakes supper (and, most probably, attends to his personal needs). Then, he receives Bro. Titllot
with whom he had a very "tender" (Fr. Balaguer) or "useful" (Fr. Pi) interview. Sources: Separate
testimonies of Fr. Balaguer and Fr. Pi on the report of Bro. Titllot; Fisal Castaño.

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Fiscal Castaño exchanges views with Rizal regarding their respective professors. Sources: Fiscal
Castaño.

10:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Rizal manifests strange reaction, asks guards for paper and pen. From rough drafts and copies of his
poem recovered in his shoes, the Spaniards come to know that Rizal is writing a poem. Sources: El
Imparcial and Ultimo Adios; probably, Fiscal Castaño.

11:00 – 12:00 midnight

Rizal takes time to his hide his poem inside the alcohol burner. It has to be done during night rather
than during daytime because he is watched very carefully. He then writes his last letter to brother
Paciano. Sources: Testimonies and circumstantial evidence.

12:00 – 4:00 a.m.

Rizal sleeps restfully because his confidence in the goodness of God and the justness of his cause
gives him astounding serenity and unusual calmness.

Dec. 30, 1986. 4:00 – 5:00 a.m.

Rizal picks up Imitation of Christ, reads, meditates and then writes in Kempis’ book a dectation to his
wife Josephine and by this very act in itself he gives to her their only certificate of marriage.

5:00 – 6:15 a.m.

Rizal washes up, takes breakfast, attends to his personal needs. Writes a letter to his parents. Reads
Bible and meditates. Josephine is prohibited by the Spanish officers from seeing Rizal, according to
Josephine’s testimony to R. Wildman in 1899.

6:15 – 7:00 a.m.

Rizal walks to the place of execution between Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara with whom he converses.
Keeps looking around as if seeking or expecting to see someone. His last word, said in a loud voice:
"It is finished"

Page | 26
7:00 – 7:03 a.m.
Sounds of guns. Rizal vacillates, turns halfway around, falls down backwards and lies on the ground
facing the sun. Silence. Shouts of vivas for Spain.

Retraction
Rizal's Retraction: Introduction
This section presents contrasting views on the retraction by biographers of Rizal.The team
deemed it proper to present the views in the exact words of the scholars so as to avoid
misinterpretations.

Read on and judge for yourself whether Rizal retracted or not.

Interested readers may submit their materials for inclusion in this site or you may advise us of your
own web site on this topic for linkage. Any contribution shall be deeply appreciated since it will help
in further enlightening our students on this controversial issue.

Texts of Rizal's Retraction

The "original" discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. on May 18, 1935

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir.

Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido
contrario a mi cualidad de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me somento
a cuanto ella manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia, y como Sociedad
prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como Autoridad Superior Eclesiastica hacer
publica esta manifastacion espontanea mia para reparar el escandalo que mis actos hayan podido
causar y para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Manila 29 de Deciembre de 1896

Jose Rizal

Jefe del Piquete

Juan del Fresno

Ayudante de Plaza
Eloy Moure

Translation (English)

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live and die.

I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct has been
contrary to my character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I confess whatever she teaches
and I submit to whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which is of the Church,
and as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical
Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal which
my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.

Manila 29 of December of 1896

Jose Rizal

Page | 27
La Voz Española, December 30, 1896

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir.

Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido
contrario a mis cualidades de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me
somento a cuanto ella manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia y como
sociedad prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como autoridad superior eclesiastica
hacer publica esta manifastacion espontanea para reparar el escandalo que mis actos hayan podido
causar y para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Manila, 29 de Diciembre de

1896-Jose Rizal

Jefe del Piquete

Juan del Fresno

Ayudante de Plaza
Eloy Moure

Fr. Balaguer's text, January 1897

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir. Me retracto de
todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido contrario a mi
calidad de hijo de la Iglesia. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me somento a cuanto Ella manda.
Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia, y como Sociedad prohibida por la
misma Iglesia.

Puede el Prelado diocesano, como Autoridad superior eclesiastica hacer publica esta manifastacion
espontanea mia, para reparar el escandalo que mis actos hayan podido causar, y para que Dios y los
hombers me perdonen.

Manila, 29 de Diciembre de

1896-Jose Rizal

Analysis Rizal's Retraction

At least four texts of Rizal’s retraction have surfaced. The fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the
day after Rizal’s execution; it is the short formula of the retraction.

The first text was published in La Voz Española and Diaro de Manila on the very day of Rizal’s
execution, Dec. 30, 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, on February 14, 1897, in the
fortnightly magazine in La Juventud; it came from an anonymous writer who revealed himself
fourteen years later as Fr. Balaguer. The "original" text was discovered in the archdiocesan archives
on May 18, 1935, after it disappeared for thirty-nine years from the afternoon of the day when Rizal
was shot.

We know not that reproductions of the lost original had been made by a copyist who could imitate
Rizal’s handwriting. This fact is revealed by Fr. Balaguer himself who, in his letter to his former
superior Fr. Pio Pi in 1910, said that he had received "an exact copy of the retraction written and
signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose it is. . ." He
proceeded: "I even suspect that it might have been written by Rizal himself. I am sending it to you
that you may . . . verify whether it might be of Rizal himself . . . ." Fr. Pi was not able to verify it in his
sworn statement.

Page | 28
This "exact" copy had been received by Fr. Balaguer in theevening immediately preceding Rizal’s
execution, Rizal y su Obra, and was followed by Sr. W. Retana in his biography of Rizal, Vida y
Escritos del Jose Rizal with the addition of the names of the witnesses taken from the texts of the
retraction in the Manila newspapers. Fr. Pi’s copy of Rizal’s retraction has the same text as that of Fr.
Balaguer’s "exact" copy but follows the paragraphing of the texts of Rizal’s retraction in the Manila
newspapers.

Regarding the "original" text, no one claimed to have seen it, except the publishers of La Voz
Espanola. That newspaper reported: "Still more; we have seen and read his (Rizal’s) own hand-
written retraction which he sent to our dear and venerable Archbishop…" On the other hand, Manila
pharmacist F. Stahl wrote in a letter: "besides, nobody has seen this written declaration, in spite of
the fact that quite a number of people would want to see it. "For example, not only Rizal’s family but
also the correspondents in Manila of the newspapers in Madrid, Don Manuel Alhama of El Imparcial
and Sr. Santiago Mataix of El Heraldo, were not able to see the hand-written retraction.

Neither Fr. Pi nor His Grace the Archbishop ascertained whether Rizal himself was the one who
wrote and signed the retraction. (Ascertaining the document was necessary because it was possible
for one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting aforesaid holograph; and keeping a copy of the same
for our archives, I myself delivered it personally that the same morning to His Grace Archbishop… His
Grace testified: At once the undersigned entrusted this holograph to Rev. Thomas Gonzales Feijoo,
secretary of the Chancery." After that, the documents could not be seen by those who wanted to
examine it and was finally considered lost after efforts to look for it proved futile.

On May 18, 1935, the lost "original" document of Rizal’s retraction was discovered by the
archdeocean archivist Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. The discovery, instead of ending doubts about Rizal’s
retraction, has in fact encouraged it because the newly discovered text retraction differs significantly
from the text found in the Jesuits’ and the Archbishop’s copies. And, the fact that the texts of the
retraction which appeared in the Manila newspapers could be shown to be the exact copies of the
"original" but only imitations of it. This means that the friars who controlled the press in Manila (for
example, La Voz Española) had the "original" while the Jesuits had only the imitations.

We now proceed to show the significant differences between the "original" and the Manila
newspapers texts of the retraction on the one hand and the text s of the copies of Fr. Balaguer and
F5r. Pio Pi on the other hand.

First, instead of the words "mi cualidad" (with "u") which appear in the original and the newspaper
texts, the Jesuits’ copies have "mi calidad" (with "u").

Second, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction omit the word "Catolica" after the first "Iglesias" which
are found in the original and the newspaper texts.

Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction add before the third "Iglesias" the word "misma" which is
not found in the original and the newspaper texts of the retraction.

Fourth, with regards to paragraphing which immediately strikes the eye of the critical reader, Fr.
Balaguer’s text does not begin the second paragraph until the fifth sentences while the original and
the newspaper copies start the second paragraph immediately with the second sentences.

Fifth, whereas the texts of the retraction in the original and in the manila newspapers have only four
commas, the text of Fr. Balaguer’s copy has eleven commas.

Sixth, the most important of all, Fr. Balaguer’s copy did not have the names of the witnesses from
the texts of the newspapers in Manila.

In his notarized testimony twenty years later, Fr. Balaguer finally named the witnesses. He said
"This . . .retraction was signed together with Dr. Rizal by Señor Fresno, Chief of the Picket, and Señor
Moure, Adjutant of the Plaza." However, the proceeding quotation only proves itself to be an
addition to the original. Moreover, in his letter to Fr. Pi in 1910, Fr. Balaguer said that he had the

Page | 29
"exact" copy of the retraction, which was signed by Rizal, but her made no mention of the witnesses.
In his accounts too, no witnesses signed the retraction.

How did Fr. Balaguer obtain his copy of Rizal’s retraction? Fr. Balaguer never alluded to having
himself made a copy of the retraction although he claimed that the Archbishop prepared a long
formula of the retraction and Fr. Pi a short formula. In Fr. Balaguer’s earliest account, it is not yet
clear whether Fr. Balaguer was using the long formula of nor no formula in dictating to Rizal what to
write. According to Fr. Pi, in his own account of Rizal’s conversion in 1909, Fr. Balaguer dictated from
Fr. Pi’s short formula previously approved by the Archbishop. In his letter to Fr. Pi in 1910, Fr.
Balaguer admitted that he dictated to Rizal the short formula prepared by Fr. Pi; however; he
contradicts himself when he revealed that the "exact" copy came from the Archbishop. The only
copy, which Fr. Balaguer wrote, is the one that appeared ion his earliest account of Rizal’s retraction.

Where did Fr. Balaguer’s "exact" copy come from? We do not need long arguments to answer this
question, because Fr. Balaguer himself has unwittingly answered this question. He said in his letter
to Fr. Pi in 1910:

"…I preserved in my keeping and am sending to you the original texts of the two formulas of
retraction, which they (You) gave me; that from you and that of the Archbishop, and the first with
the changes which they (that is, you) made; and the other the exact copy of the retraction written
and signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose it is, and I
even suspect that it might have been written by Rizal himself."

In his own word quoted above, Fr. Balaguer said that he received two original texts of the retraction.
The first, which came from Fr. Pi, contained "the changes which You (Fr. Pi) made"; the other, which
is "that of the Archbishop" was "the exact copy of the retraction written and signed by Rizal"
(underscoring supplied). Fr. Balaguer said that the "exact copy" was "written and signed by Rizal" but
he did not say "written and signed by Rizal and himself" (the absence of the reflexive pronoun
"himself" could mean that another person-the copyist-did not). He only "suspected" that "Rizal
himself" much as Fr. Balaguer did "not know nor ... remember" whose handwriting it was.

Thus, according to Fr. Balaguer, the "exact copy" came from the Archbishop! He called it "exact"
because, not having seen the original himself, he was made to believe that it was the one that
faithfully reproduced the original in comparison to that of Fr. Pi in which "changes" (that is, where
deviated from the "exact" copy) had been made. Actually, the difference between that of the
Archbishop (the "exact" copy) and that of Fr. Pi (with "changes") is that the latter was "shorter" be
cause it omitted certain phrases found in the former so that, as Fr. Pi had fervently hoped, Rizal
would sign it.

According to Fr. Pi, Rizal rejected the long formula so that Fr. Balaguer had to dictate from the short
formula of Fr. Pi. Allegedly, Rizal wrote down what was dictated to him but he insisted on adding the
phrases "in which I was born and educated" and "[Masonary]" as the enemy that is of the Church" –
the first of which Rizal would have regarded as unnecessary and the second as downright contrary to
his spirit. However, what actually would have happened, if we are to believe the fictitious account,
was that Rizal’s addition of the phrases was the retoration of the phrases found in the original which
had been omitted in Fr. Pi’s short formula.

The "exact" copy was shown to the military men guarding in Fort Santiago to convince them that
Rizal had retracted. Someone read it aloud in the hearing of Capt. Dominguez, who claimed in his
"Notes’ that Rizal read aloud his retraction. However, his copy of the retraction proved him wrong
because its text (with "u") and omits the word "Catolica" as in Fr. Balaguer’s copy but which are not
the case in the original. Capt. Dominguez never claimed to have seen the retraction: he only "heard".

The truth is that, almost two years before his execution, Rizal had written a retraction in Dapitan.
Very early in 1895, Josephine Bracken came to Dapitan with her adopted father who wanted to be
cured of his blindness by Dr. Rizal; their guide was Manuela Orlac, who was agent and a mistress of a
friar. Rizal fell in love with Josephine and wanted to marry her canonically but he was required to
sign a profession of faith and to write retraction, which had to be approved by the Bishop of Cebu.

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"Spanish law had established civil marriage in the Philippines," Prof. Craig wrote, but the local
government had not provided any way for people to avail themselves of the right..."

In order to marry Josephine, Rizal wrote with the help of a priest a form of retraction to be approved
by the Bishop of Cebu. This incident was revealed by Fr. Antonio Obach to his friend Prof. Austin
Craig who wrote down in 1912 what the priest had told him; "The document (the retraction),
inclosed with the priest’s letter, was ready for the mail when Rizal came hurrying I to reclaim it."
Rizal realized (perhaps, rather late) that he had written and given to a priest what the friars had been
trying by all means to get from him.

Neither the Archbishop nor Fr. Pi saw the original document of retraction. What they was saw a copy
done by one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting while the original (almost eaten by termites) was
kept by some friars. Both the Archbishop and Fr. Pi acted innocently because they did not distinguish
between the genuine and the imitation of Rizal’s handwriting.

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