BIOGRAPHY OF DR.

JOSE RIZAL
A biography is a detailed account of a person's life. But it is more than just a
narration of a person's basic facts, such as birth, birthplace, parents, education, and
death. A biography also tells about the person's life experiences.
This chapter will talk about Dr. Jose Rizals' family, childhood, early education,
education abroad, and the experiences he had that led to his capture, trial, and death.

BIRTH, FAMILY, AND FAMILY'S ANCESTRY

Jose Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861. In Rizal's time,
Calamba was a prosperous town devoted to the pr0duction of sugar. The soil was
fertile, and its climate was favorable. Its scenic beauty gave the young Rizal the right
impetus for his poetic and artistic creativity. It was in this atmosphere that Rizal learned
the early values of love, affection, and loyalty, which blossomed forth into his mature
years and Won for him the esteem and admiration of his people.
It Was a difficult delivery that endangered his mother's life. Jose Protacio Rizal
Mercado Alonso y Realonda was the 7th child of Don Francisco Engracio Rizal
Mercado y Alejandro and Doha Teodora Morales Alonso y Realonda of the 11 children,
the younger of two boys. Don Fransciso and his wife were a prolific pair: they had
Saturnina in 1850, Paciano in 1851, Narcisa in 1852, Olimpia in 1855, Lucia in 1857,
Maria in 1859, Jose in 1861, Concepcion in 1862, Josefa in 1865, Trinidad in 1868, and
Soledad in 1870. His fåmily fondly called him Pepe. The young Jose was Christened in
the nearby church on June 22, 1861 when he was only 3 days old. Reverend Father
Rufino Collantes baptized him while Reverend Father Pedro Casanas stood as his
godfather.
From Jose's own account of his boyhood, he was brought up in circumstances that
even in the Philippines of our present generation would be considered privileged. On
both his matrilineal and patrilineal sides, his forebears had been people of substance
and influence above the average of their times. Dona Teodora's family was perhaps the
more distinguished. In those days when professionals were scarce, the Alonso clan
could be proud of a number of lawyers, priests, engineers, and government officials.
The Alonsos and the Mercados were much closer to their field hands than the
absentee landlords of a later day. They were illustrados, that is to say, they could read
and write and figure, they had newspapers and went to court and sometimes traveled
abroad; they were of the principalia, that is to say, that they could vote for the town
mayor, they collected taxes, they had the preference, after the Spaniards, in town
church and town hall, in civic and religious processions, and they could wear a
European jacket or wield fork and spoon on special occasion. (Craig, 43 -46).
Rizal's father, Don Francisco Mercado was born in Bifian, Laguna. He studied Latin
and philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila. Doha Teodora Alonso, Rizal's
mother, was born in Meisik, Sta. Cruz, Manila. She came from a distinguished and
talented family. Rizal inherited his mother's literary talent. Both parents greatly
influenced Rizal and left their imprint on his character. From his father, he inherited a
profound sense of dignity and self respect, seriousness, and self possession; and from hi' mother
the temperament of the poet and the dreamer and bravery for sacrifice (Craig, 43 - 46).
CHILDHOOD
Jose had a few recollections of his childhood, which suggests that it was a happy
memory. In the evenings, he would be taken for walks along the river or listen to his
aya's (nanny or personal servant) fairy stories as they sat in the moonlight on the azotea
after saying the rosary. When he was old enough, his father engaged a private tutor for
him, a former classmate called Leon Monroy who lodged with the family and gave the
boy lessons in reading, writing, and the rudiments of Latin. Sometimes, it was also his
mother sharing stories to the young Jose (Craig, 1913).
The impression of his first reading lesson on the story of the moth was prophetic of a
martyr's fate for the child envied the insect, which died for the sake of the light. Early in
life he had already seen the injustices and abuses daily in Calamba that attracted his
attention. No small part of his childhood training came from listening to the Spaniards,
officials, and friars who generally were guests in the Rizal home when they visited
Calamba. Moreover, the parish priest, father Leoncio Lopez, also made the boy the
companion of his walks, and the confidant of his views on the injustices of the Filipino
clergy. Young Jose also spent much of his time in the church. Oftentimes, he also
enjoyed playing alone and watching different birds singing, like the culiawan, maya,
maria capra, martini, and the pipit. Jose also owned a pony and used it during his visit to
some beautiful sceneries in his hometown. Another happy memory was his nocturnal
walk with his big black dog Usman. He used to play with the doves of his neighbors, too.
He was also good in magic tricks performing magic-lantern exhibitions, disappearing a
coin, false-cutting a thin rope, and untying a handkerchief. Jose's early childhood, he
considered to be his happiest moment his trip with his father in Antipolo to fulfill his
mother's vow to do a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Antipolo (Craig, 1913).
His three uncles, brothers of his mother, concerned themselves with the intellectual,
artistic, and physical training of this promising nephew. The youngest, Jose, a teacher,
looked after the regular lessons. Uncle Manuel developed the physique Of the
youngster while Uncle Gregorio taught him the value of rapidity in work, to think for
himself, and to observe carefully and picture what he saw.
At the age of four, he lost his little sister Concha. Her death caused so much sorrow
to him and his family as his sister was very close to him. He also had the soul of an
artist' yearning for an expression. Before he was five years old, he began to draw with
pencil and to model in clay and wax. At the age of eight, Jose wrote a poem titled "To
my fellow children" (Sa Aking mga Kababata). This poem revealed Jose's dedication to
his mother tongue, he resonated that those who truly love their native language would
surely endeavor for freedom.
His father looked carefully after the beginnings of his education. drill in all his
elementary studies. when he was 9, he was sent to the boy's school in ' Biñan under the
supervision of Master Justiniano Cruz, where his uncle Jose Alberto lived, and where he
acquired knowledge in the traditional manner and under a liberal application of a rod.
Aside from being a strict disciplinarian, conscientious instructor. He wanted the young
Jose to go on further studies in Manila, and this was manifested in the Christmas
vacation of 1871.

IN SEARCH OF FORMAL EDUCATION Ateneo years

Soon Rizal's passion for knowledge superseded his home studies. On June 10,
1872, Rizal took the entrance examination at San Juan de Letran College. He passed
all qualifying tests in Christian doctrine, reading, and arithmetic. However, certain
difficulties remained; for one thing, the term had already begun and for another, the
father minister was dubious about the boy's health. But with the intervention of the
nephew of the ill-fated Father Burgos, Manuel Xerez Burgos, the young Jose was
admitted into Ateneo where he studied from 1872 to 1877 (Craig, pp. 10-11).
The first year in Manila was important into Rizal's education. The Jesuit curriculum
for the six-year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts was considerably
tougher than the present equivalent for high school and college. Besides Christian
doctrine, it included Spanish, Latin, Greek, and French, World Geography, and History,
the history of Spain and the Philippines, mathematics, and the sciences (arithmetic,
algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mineralogy, chemistry, physics, botany and zoology),
and the classic disciplines of poetry, rhetoric, and philosophy. In all Of these subjects,
Jose was consistently graded "excellent." The influence of the Jesuits on Rizal could not
be underestimated. Jose had been subjected thereafter to one of the world's most
thorough and gripping systems of indoctrination, the Jesuit ratio studiorum, under tight
and constant discipline. The spirit, which it infused was the spirit of classical humanities,
the arts of human culture; the method in brief is a combined memory and
understanding. But above all, Jesuit education pursued one aim: "Ad majorem Dei
gloriam," it was "all for the greater glory of God." The ultimate purpose Ofthe Jesuit
teacher was to make steadfast lifelong Catholics (Craig, pp. 10-11).
One educational device at the Ateneo was calculated to stimulate to the utmost
competitive instincts. Each class was divided into two teams or "empires" named in
imitation Of the classic wars as the "Roman" for boarders and the "Carthaginian" for day
— scholars or out boarders. Each empire had its ranks and dignities. The best scholar
in each team was the emperor and the next best was the tribune, the decurion, the
centurion, and the standard bearer. The two empires competed with each other as team
while the individuals within each team also strove to rise in rank by means of
challenges. Not only in academics did Rizal excel but also in writing literature. Most
ofthem are exercises not only in poetry but also in religion and Filipino patriotism. To
improve his knowledge and fluency in Spanish, Jose took private lessons during recess
time at the Santa Isabel College (Craig, pp. 11-13).
When the school year ended, Jose spent his summer vacation in Calamba. But he
did not enjoy his vacation because his mother was still in prison. When summer ended,
Jose returned to Manila to continue his studies. At the end of the school year, he did not
only receive excellent grades but also a gold medal for academic excellence. He
returned to Calamba that summer jubilantly. Like before, the reunion with his sisters,
brother, and parents were very happy telling them about his academic successes. As
usual, he visited his mother in prison. He comforted her by telling her about his
scholastic exploits and some funny stories about his professors and classmates. As
expected, his mother was very happy to hear his favorite son's outstanding performance
in school.
After this visit, Jose once again returned to the city for his studies. This time an
adolescent, he had shown an interest in reading romantic novels. Among his favorites
was the "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas. He was so impressed by the
fate of the main character and hero of the story who made a spectacular escape from
the dungeon, found a buried treasure, and later revenged against his enemies. Aside
from his novel, Jose had read several books, both fiction and nonfiction, which greatly
helped him in his studies and enabled him to win more prizes. A history book that
caught his attention most was Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German
scientist who stayed in the country from 1859 to 1860. Jose was impressed by this book
because: (a) it contained Jagor's careful observation and analysis about the
imperfections of the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, and (b) of his prophecy that
Spain would yield the Philippines to American colonizers in the near future.
In June 1874, Jose went back to Manila to continue his quest for knowledge. Shortly
after classes had started that semester, his mother arrived, telling him that she was
already released from prison, just as he had prophesized during his last visit to her in
the prison cell in Santa Cruz, Laguna.
Rizal's senior year in Ateneo was a memorable one. On June 16, 1875, he became
an interno under Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez who was a very good professor
and scholar. Father Sanchez was so impressed and deeply admired Jose's
performance. He inspired young Rizal to study more and write poetry. On his part, he
loved, admired, and respected Father Sanchez so much that he considered him the
best professor in school who always gave attention and special consideration for the
"advancement of his pupils." As a result, Jose topped all his subjects and brought home
five gold medals at the end of the school year. He presented the medals to his parents
with pride. He was extremely happy because he thought that this time he was able to
repay his father's sacrifices. Jose's last year of studies in Ateneo from 1876-1877
became more fruitful. He excelled in all subjects and gained recognition as the most
brilliant Atenean of his time and the "Pride of the Jesuits." In March 1877, he received
the degree of Bachelor of Arts with the highest honors. Shortly after graduation from
college, the sixteen-year-old Jose Rizal experienced his first romance. Accompanied by
one of his friends, he visited his maternal grandmother in Manila. When he reached his
grandmother's house, he met some other guests, one of whom was a very attractive girl
named Segunda Katigbak. Segunda was a college student at La Concordia College
where his sister Olimpia was also studying. Segunda was a close friend of his sister, so
he was able to know her more intimately during his weekly visits to his sister. It was a
love-at-first sight for the two and apparently, they had shown their love for each other.
Unfortunately, Segunda was already engaged to marry her townmate, Manuel Luz. He
returned to Calamba nursing a frustrated heart (Craig, 1913).
UST years
His second, third, and fourth years in UST were in Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters and were combined with outside studies in painting, sculpture, and interest in
two societies established by the Jesuits, the Academy of the Spanish Literature of which
he was president, and the Academy of Physical Sciences, in which he held the position
of Secretary.
Although, he was then a Thomasian, he remained loyal to Ateno where he had
happy and beautiful memories. His Jesuit professors loved him and inspired him to
acquire greater knowledge, contrary to the treatment he and his Filipino classmates
received in the University of Sto. Tomas. His grades in the medical course were only
"fair and good"
compared with the excellent grades he got in all his subjects in Ateneo.
These gave Jose Rizal a heavy heart for he knew he fared better than his peninsular
classmates. He hated the Dominican professors who were cruel and biased against his
Filipino classmates who just kept quiet in spite of being humiliated.
It was during his freshman year as medical student when he experienced his first taste
of Spanish brutality. While walking on the street one dark night during his summer
vacation in Calamba, he failed to recognize a lieutenant of the Guardia Civil whom he
passed by and likewise failed to greet him because of the darkness. With anger, the
Spanish officer turned on Rizal, and whipped him with his sword that slashed his back.
When he had recovered, he reported it to the Spanish-Governor General, but he was
ignored simply because Jose Rizal, the complainant, was an Indio.
Notwithstanding his hectic academic and extracurricular schedules in both schools,
UST and Ateneo, Rizal still found time for love. He was admired by many young ladies
and could still go with friends of his age. Young ladies from the university, as well as in
Calamba, had fallen in love with him. In 1879, at the start of his junior year in UST, he
lived in a boarding house in Intramuros where he met a frail, pretty young lady named
Leonor Rivera, who was the daughter of his landlord uncle Antonio Rivera. She was
born in Camiling, Tarlac and a student of La Concordia College where his youngest
sister was studying then. Between Jose and Leonor sprang a beautiful romance, which
they kept from their parents and friends. To keep their intimate relationship secret,
Leonor used Taimis as her pen name (Craig, 1913).
At 18, in a competition held by the Liceo Artistico Literario with the poem A La
Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth), he won the special prize for "Indians and
mestizos". The next year the same lyceum in a contest in honor of Cervantes allowed
Spaniards, mestizos, and Indians all to enter the same competition. The first prize for
prose was awarded to Rizal's Consejo de los Dioses (Council of the Gods) and the jury
gave it another special prize as the best critical appreciation of the author of Don
Quixote (Craig, 1913). Everybody had expected this prize to be won by Friar Evaristo
Arias, one of the most brilliant literary men the University of Sto. Tomas had, and there
was astonishment and disappointment among his many friends who were present to
applaud his triumph when the award Of the jury and the opening of the envelopes
revealed the success of an unknown medical student .
 These two prize-winning works proved that an Indio could write as well as a
Spaniard, or even better. A La Juventud Filipina was an open avowal of nationalism that
evoked the ideas of freedom and independence for one nation and one people. El
Consejo de los Dioses presented a discussion among the Olympian gods and
goddesses as to who the greatest poet was Homer, Virgil, or Cervantes. In the years
that followed, Jose joined several contests, and one of which was a contest sponsored
by Artistic Literary Lyceum to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of
Cervantes. The competition was opened to both Filipinos and Spaniards. Even if the
judges in that contest were all Spaniards, Jose's entry titled "The Council of Gods" won
the first prize for its literary superiority over the others. Aside from the two award
winning poems mentioned earlier, Jose Rizal had produced several literary works, like
poems, zarzuela, etc. The "Junta al Pasig" (Beside the Pasig), which he also wrote, was
a zarzuela. It was staged by the
Ateneans in 1880 on the occasion of the annual Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion.
He also wrote a sonnet entitled "A Filipina" for the album of the Society of Sculptors, a
poem
urging all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines (Craig, p. 14-15).
Shortly, after finishing fourth year in UST, Rizal decided to continue his studies in
Spain. In spite of his enormous successes in the literary field, he was no longer happy in
his stay in the Dominican-owned school. He felt "he could no longer endure the rampant
bigotry," discrimination, and hostility prevailing in the university. He informed his brother
Paciano, his two sisters Saturnina and Lucia, together with his uncle Antonio Rivera,
and some of his close friends about his plan, which they welcomed. They agreed to
keep the decision secret from his parents. They agreed that Paciano would send a
monthly allowance of P35.00 and his Uncle Antonio would solicit from friends for the
other expenses.
Aside from his strong desire to finish his medical course because of his mother's
illness, there were three other reasons Rizal decided to continue his studies abroad: (a)
the biased and hostile treatment of the Dominican professors against him; (b) his
disgust at the antiquated method of instruction in the university during that time; and(3)
the racial discrimination that the Dominican professors had against the Filipinos.

EDUCATION IN EUROPE
On May 5, 1882 he embarked for Singapore on the mail steamer "Salvadora." From
Singapore, he journeyed by French mail-boat through the Suez Canal to Marseilles, and
to Barcelona. From Barcelona, Rizal quickly went to Madrid and continued his double
course in Philosophy and Letters and in Medicine. Besides, he still found time for more
lessons in drawing and painting and studied foreign languages under special teachers.
The burden of so many studies was less than its appalling appearance, or less for Rizal.
With him, as with any other good minds reared in a bilingual atmosphere, languages
were an easy acquisition. In his childhood he had spoken Tagalog and Spanish; at
school he had added Latin and Greek. He now assailed French, English, and Italian, all
at the same time, and without any apparent difficulty. A little later, he mastered Catalan,
Arabic, German, Sanskrit, and Hebrew.
 Noli Me Tangere was printed and bound and launched on February 21, 1887. He.
sought help from Maximo Viola after a thorough canvassing for the printing of the novel,
they found Berliner Burchcdrukrei Action Gesselchaft printing house where they were
charged the lowest rate of 300 for 2,000 copies. It was also Maximo Viola who invited
him to take a pedestrian trip. So work went ahead, and when the delayed remittance
from his family arrived, Rizal repaid his obligation to Viola. Then the two sailed forth on
their trip (Bagolong, et al, 2014). They ramped together through remote Germany and
saw something of Switzerland and of Austria. Rizal, as he went, studied peasant life,
and diligently he compared it with the conditions of the philippine farmers. At the end of
the tour, he went to Dresden. There he found that by reputation he was already known
to Dr. A.B. Meyer and some other scientists, most Of whom speedily became his
friends. For some weeks the museum of Dresden detained him: the splendid collection
of picture and the unusual collection of specimens in the zoological and ethnological
museums. At the Museum of Art in Dresden, Rizal saw a painting of "Prometheus
Bound," which recalled to him a representation of the same idea in a French gallery
Then he went to Leitmeritz, old Bohemia, where he began that close and intimate
friendship with Dr. Ferdinand
Blumentritt. For months they had been in constant correspondence; they even had
progressed in letters. Thence, he also went to Vienna, where he became intimate with
Nordenfels, the Austrian novelist, and met some other men prominent in literature and
art (Bagolong, et al., 2014).
He went to Italy and in a few weeks was pondering over the antiquities of Rome.
Reviewing there his observations and researches in so many lands, he concluded that
the time had come for him to return to the Philippines. The irregularity of his passport by
which he had escaped from Manila he had since corrected; legally, he was as free as
anyone else to travel to the Islands. Furthermore, Leonora Rivera's silence also
motivated him to go home. He was also distressed by the reports he had of his mother's
failing eyesight so he became eager to return to her and help her. From Rome he sped
to Marseilles, took a steamer on July 3, 1887 for Saigon, and transshipped for Manila.
On August 5, after five years of wanderings and many triumphs, he saw once more the
Philippines.

THE HOMECOMING
The city had not altered much during Rizal's absence. His first operation in the
Philippines relieved the blindness of his mother, by the removal of a double cataract,
and thus the object of his special study in Paris was accomplished. This and some
Other similar successes gave the young oculist a fame that brought patients from all
parts of Luzon; and though his charges were moderate, during his seven months' stay
on the Islands, he accumulated over 5,00(), besides a number of diamonds that he had
bought as a secure way of carrying funds. Shortly after his arrival, Governor-General
Terrero summoned Rizal by telegraph to Malacafiang from Calamba. The interview
proved to be due to the interest in the author ofNoli Me Tangere and a curiosity to read
the novel. The recommendation of the censor was disregarded, and General Emilio
Terrero, fearful that Rizal might be molested by some persons, gave him a body guard
in the person of Jose Taviel de Andrade, a young Spanish lieutenant. Andrade and
Rizal soon became fast friends, as they had artistic and some'other tastes in common
(Craig, 1913).
By the beginning of 1888 their demand had reached a point where he must
compromise with it, and he advised Rizal to leave the country at once. The word was
equivocal and was meant so to be; the real significance of advice in this instance was
an unofficial order of deportation. Rizal obeyed but not until he had given to the world a
new evidence of the versatility of his genius to which there is scarcely any companion in
human records. He was reluctant to leave the Philippines because his private life, apart
from his career of service, had been darkened by the catastrophe of his love-affair; he
had come home to find Leonor Rivea married. Two other impulses concurred to urge
him away: the success of Noli Me Tangere (despite so many and powerful measures
taken to suppress the book) and manifest effect upon the Filipino mind that strongly
reminded him of that sequel he had vaguely intended when he completed the last
chapters of his novel. He could not hope to accomplish any such work at home; he
could not hope, even ifhe should write it there, to find a publisher for it on the Islands or
to smuggle out the manuscript. He planned to go back to Europe by way of the United
States (Craig, 1913).
He sailed from Manila on February 28, 1888, going first to Hong Kong. There and in
the neighboring city of Macao, he visited and talked with many refugees and exiles of
1872, annus hystericus in Philippine history. Moreover, Rizal was favorably impressed
by the methods of education in the British colony and with the spirit Of patriotism
developed there. He also looked into the subject of the large investments in Hong Kong
property by
the corporation landlords of the Philippines. He was equally interested in the Chinese
theater, comparing the plays with the somewhat similar productions that existed in the
Philippines (Craig, 1913).
With little delay, the journey was continued to Japan, where he was surprised by an
invitation to make his home at the Spanish consulate. There he was hospitably
entertained, and a like courtesy was shown him in the Spanish minister's home in
Tokyo. The latter even offered him a position, as a sort of interpreter; however, he
declined it. Rizal made considerable investigation into the condition of the vari0US
Japanesé classes and acquired such facility in the use of the language.
From Yokohama, Japan he sailed to san Francisco, United states of America. A
Japanese newspaper man, who knew no other language than his own, was a compan
ion on the entire journey to London, and Rizal acted as his interpreter. When he landed
in san Francisco, April 28, 1888, it happened to be a time when a terror of epidemics
was afoot. The health authorities of San Francisco were then busily quarantining
everything that came into the port. Finally, the first class passengers were allowed to
land, and he went right away to the Palace Hotel (Craig, 1913).
With little delay, the overland journey began; the scenery through the
picturesque .Rocky Mountains especially impressed him, and finally Chicago was
reached. Niagara Falls was the next impression recorded in the diary, which has been
preserved and is now in the Newberry Library Of Chicago. From Albany, the train ran
along the banks of Hudson, and he was reminded of the Pasig in his homeland, with its
much greater commerce and its constant activity. In New York, Rizal embarked on the
City of Rome, then the finest steamer in the world, and after a pleasant voyage, in which
his spare moments were occupied in rereading Gulliver's Travel in English. Rizal
reached England and said good bye to the friends he had met during their brief ocean
trip together (Craig,
1913).
For a short time, he lived with Dr. Antonio Maria Regidor, an exile of 1872 who had
come to secure what Spanish legal business he could in the British metropolis. Doctor
Regidor was formerly an official in the Philippines, and later proved his innocence of any
complicity in the troubles of 1872. He also met Dr. Reinhold Rost, a director of the
Library of the India Office and the best authority of Malayan customs and languages,
who was introduced to him through a letter by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt (Craig, 1913).
He devoted his time annotating the book of Dr. Morga. He rectified some important
points so that the Filipino people would know and understand the history of their
country. The annotation was later published in Paris in 1890; however, it was only
placed the Philippine lists of prohibited books. Rizal then departed for Paris. There,
Juan Luna, with whom Rizal had formed a close friendship while both were in Madrid,
from 1882 to 1885, had now made his home and Rizal seemed to have rejoiced to
renew his association with this talented countryman (Craig, 1913).
From the Philippines came the news ofhis sister Lucia's husband's death. The
corpse was refused interment in consecrated ground upon the pretext that the dead
man, who had been exceptionally liberal to the church and was of unimpeachable
character, had been negligent in his religious duties. Another individual with a notorious
record of longer absence from confession died about the same time, but his funeral took
place without any demur from the church. Rizal wrote a scorching article for La
Solidaridad under the caption "An Outrage," and took the matter up with then Spanish
Colonial Minister,
Becerra, a professed liberal (Craig, 1913).
While Rizal was in Belguim, he continued writing El Filibusterismo which he started
while he was in Calamba in 1887. He finally completed the book on March 29 1891 in
Biarritz, France. It was published in September of that year in Ghent, partially funded by
his friend Valentin Ventura.
Meanwhile, his family in the Philippines had more trouble over their land. General
Wyler sent troops to Calamba and the litigants were told to carry away their things and
sugar mills and bring them back again should the lawsuits favor them. As this meant the
destruction of their properties, naturally no one removed anything, so under protection
of his soldiers by Wyler's authority, all the houses was torn down. The loss of properties
of the Rizal family amounted to about 150,000. Twenty-five Calambans, including
Rizal's father's family, were banished to a distant part of the Archipelago (Craig, 1913).
Rizal went to Hong Kong and from there asked permission from his parents and
the new governor-general, Despujol, to return to the Islands. Meantime, he practiced
medicine in Hong Kong. He wrote, too, some articles on the Calamba controversy for
the Hong Kong Telegraph and made a short visit to British North Borneo. There he
obtained a promise of land for a Filipino• colony through the influence of his
recommendations from Europe, especially of his London friend, Dr. Roth, editor of the
Truebner's Monthly to which Rizal had contributed while in England (Craig, 1913).
Despujol was proving the best governor-general the Philippines had in many
years, and Rizal wrote to him again, expressing appreciation of his work and notifying
him of his intention of returning to take his relatives to North Borneo. The
governorgeneral's reply, through the Spanish consul of Hong Kong, was that anyone
who observed the laws might live in the Philippines but with the scarcity of labor, there
was little patriotism in taking any of its people to foreign lands. Rizal had no intention of
renouncing his Philippine allegiance for he always regretted the naturalization of his
countrymen abroad, considering it a loss to the country, which needed numbers to play
the influential part he hoped it would play in awakening Asia. All his arguments were for
British justice and "Equality before the Law," for he considered that political power was
only a means of securing and assuring fair treatment for all, and in itself of no interest
(Craig, 1913).
Upon Rizal's arrival in Manila, he was accompanied by his sister Lucia. In Basa
home, she had gathered five copies of a recent "proclamation," "Pobres Frailes" (Poor
Friars). Rizal and his sister landed without difficulty, and he at once went to the Oriente
Hotel. In Manila, he was the guest of honor at a banquet given by the masters and
wardens of the Filipino lodges, and he had frequent consultations with the leading
members. The last act of Rizal while at liberty was the establishment ofthe La Liga
Filipina, a league or association seeking to unite all Filipinos of good character for
concerted action toward the economic advancement of the country, for a higher
standard of manhood and to assure Opportunities for education and development to
talented Filipino youth. Resistance to oppression by lawful means was also urged, for
he believed that no one could fairly complain of bad government until he had exhausted
and found unavailing all the legal resources provided for his protection (Craig, 1913).

DAPITAN DEPORTATION
As soon as Rizal was lodged in his prison in a room in Fort Santiago, the governor
general began the composition of the documents. The Decree of Deportation was
immediately published on July 7, 1892 at Gaceta de Manila. The Decree of Deportation
came as a result of his possession of the leaflets he brought with him upon his arrival
from Hong Kong. It was also believed that the decision of the governor-general's
decision was prompted by the advice Of the Jesuits to exile him in Dapitan because
they knew he would be safe there since the superior of the Jesuit mission was known by
them. A letter was given to him to introduce him to Father Antonio Obach where he
could temporarily live (Bagolong, et al., 2014).
It was around 10'oclock on the evening on July 14, 1892 when Jose Rizal was
scheduled to leave Fort Santiago. He boarded the ferryboat "Cebu" bound to Dapitan
around 1:00 early morning. At the ferryboat, he was given special treatment as if he
were a high- ranking official. The captain of the ship gave him a prime cabin marked as
"jefes," which means commanding officers. But he was guarded by a sentry and a
corporal every time he ate his meals. on July 17, 1892, the ferryboat arrived in Dapitan
where he was met by Ricado Carnicero, who offered him to live either in his house or at
the Jesuit Mission house (Bagolong, et al., 2014).
He thought of borrowing 1,000 from his family to since he wanted to develop some
stretch of land in Dapitan. Then in September he had a stroke of good luck. Carnicero,
another local Spaniard, and he learned that ticket no. 9736 in which they had equal
onethird shares, had won a second prize in the lottery worth 20,000. His share came to
about 6,200. The happy news was brought to Dapitan by the mailboat Butuan. Rizal in
Dapitan was given considerable liberty. He had his medical practice, and he put up a
small hospital, bought a farm and planted on an ambitious scale, and carried on a
school for 14 boys. The dam built by Rizal and his pupils, pioneers in industrial
education in the Philippines, supplied Dapitan with water and the raised map of
Mindanao in the town plaza, as well as the exile's house. He invested the money he
won in the lottery. Besides, he made natural history collections which he exchanged
with European friends. Furthermore, he had some occasions during this time to show
something of his genius for learning languages. In addition to acquaintance with Greek,
Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and Arabic, he could use Spanish, French, German, and
English almost equally well, and read easily in Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, and Italian
(Russell & Rodriguez, 1923). Father Francisco Sanchez, Rizal's instructor in
rhetoric in Ateneo, made a long visit to Dapitan and brought with him some surveyor's
instruments that his former pupil was delighted to use with him. Together, they ran the
levels for a water system for the town, which later, with the aid of the lay Jesuit, was
carried to completion. Meanwhile, his mother and unmarried sisters had left Hong Kong
in April of that year 1893 and Doia Teodora and Trinidad joined him in Dapitan toward
the end ofAugust while his father returned to Calamba.
A few months after he had taken up his residence in Dapitan, there came a patient
from Hong Kong named Taufer, an American engineer, blind, and drawn to Dapitan by
the fame of the great oculist. He had with him his adopted daughter Josefina, who
promptly fell in love with Rizal. Her real name was Josephine Bracken; her parentage
was Irish. Her real father had been a noncommissioned officer in the British army and
stationed in Hong Kong. When he died, he left a large family in extreme poverty Taufer,
who was a kindly man of some means, adopted the youngest child as a matter of charity
and then grew to love her as if she had been his own daughter. Rizal fell in love with
Josephine and afterward decided to marry her, but their tnarriage was not permitted
because of the refusal from the bishop of Cebu (Russell & Rodriguez, 1923)'
RIZAL AND KATIPUNAN
About the time Rizal was founding his Liga Filipina, Bonifacio was formulating
another much more portentous union. The two were launched about the same time; one
in the open, the other in the dark and with utmost secrecy. Bonifacio called his society
the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, which meant
Supreme Most Respected Association of the Sons of People. For brevity's sake the long
unwieldy name soon came to be shortened into K.K.K. or the katipunan. Bonifacio
shaped it like a Masonic lodge, •with a ritual, passwords, grips, and the swearing of
fealty and silence. Its avowed object was the over- throwing by force of the Spanish
power and the establishing of the Philippine nation, free and independent (Russell and
Rodriguez, 1923). The name of Rizal was used as an honorary president of this
society but wholly without his authority or even knowledge. The deportation of Rizal
gave the Katipunan a great impetus; Bonifacio sent an emissary in the name ofPio
Valenzuela to Dapitan, to lay before him the plans for the revolution and to ask his help
(Craig, 1913). Valenzuela was welcomed by Rizal; however, Bonifacio's plan was
rejected by Rizal. He questioned on the readiness of the Filipino people. When
Bonifacio received Valenzuela's report of Rizal's decision, he swore and determined to
press on with his own plans and forget about the exile.

RIZAL'S LAST TRIP ABROAD

Dr. Blumentritt wrote to him that there was a great suffering among the Spanish
soldiers, so Rizal offered his services to Governor-General Blanco to go to Cuba as a
volunteer surgeon, a service of humanity, which he considered a doctor's duty in the
warfare for his sympathy with the Cubans. With the acceptance of the offer on July 30,
1896 by the governor- general, he was transferred to Manila the following day after a
sedate four-year exile and while on board a cruiser, "Espana" in the harbor awaiting the
sailing of the mail steamer for Spain, the Katipunan revolt broke out. Nevertheless, he
was placed in the next boat with letters of recommendation praising his exemplary
conduct as a prisoner and especially mentioning something that deserved the more
credit, that he was in no way concerned with the recent uprising (Craig, 1913).
On September 3, 1896, Rizal left for Barcelona on board the "Isla de Panay." On
the last day of the same month as the ship was nearing Malta Island, the captain of the
ship notified him that he was placed under arrest and was to be confined to his cabin.
He had heard rumors on board the ship that he was being blamed for the outbreak of
the Philippine Revolution in the Philippines. The ship docked at Barcelona harbor On
the early afternoon of October 6, 1896 and after a few hours of stay in Cell No. Il at
Montjuich Castle, he was brought to the SS colon bound for Manila, which was carrying
soldiers to fight the Filipino revolutionists (Craig, 1913). On November 3, 1896, the SS
Colon reached Manila, and Rizal was brought directly to Fort Santiago under heavy
guard.
TRIAL AND EXECUTION
On the early morning of December 29, 1896, Rizal was formally notified of the court's
verdict: DEATH. He was to be shot at sunrise of the next day. The news of the verdict
spread like wildfire. Tension gripped Manila as the Spaniards feared that the rebels
would enter the city and liberate Rizal (Craig, 1913).
The verdict had been reached after an unprecedented one-day trial held the day
after Christmas by a military court composed of six officers and presided over by
Colonel Jose Tagores Arjona. The auxiliary Advocate General himself, Enrique de
Alcocer, was prosecutor. Rizal was condemned for founding illegal associations and
promoting and inducing rebellion, the first being the necessary means to the second.
Rizal was defended by Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade, brother of his bodyguard in
Calamba in 1887 - 1888.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
Proofs of Rizal's guilt had been gathered by Captain Francisco de Olive and the
preliminary investigation was conducted by a special judge, Colonel Rafael Dominguez.
On November 20, the preliminary investigation began. Rizal was made to classify
persons as "friendly," "not suspicious," "hostile" from the list of names. Then he was
subjected to a continuous day-to-day inquisitorial interrogation without benefit of
counsel. He was not even allowed to confront those who testified against him. In two
short days, Rizal was forced to make a rapid identification from a "line-up" of some 27
characters whose faces he did not see and whose voices he could not hear but whose
words would be utilized to convict him (Bagolong et al., 2014).
He was questioned on several items, among them his participation in various political
activities, his associations with certain people, and his knowledge of certain
circumstances. The investigators had to trump up evidence from Rizal's
correspondence, written six to eight years prior to the organization of La Liga Filipina
which the Spaniards alleged to be the cause of the revolution, from his poems "TO
Talisay" and "Kundiman," and from the speeches of Katipuneros that ended with : "Long
Live the Philippines! Long Live Liberty! Love Live Dr. Jose Rizal"! (Bagolong et al,
2014).
They questioned him on his membership in the Masonic lodges, on Dr. Valenzuela'S
visit to Dapitan, on his appointment as honorary president of the katipunan, on the use
ofhis picture to adorn the secret session room of the Katipuneros, and on the
testimonies of apprehended katipuneros. The prefabricated evidences they dug up
yielded nothing but flimsy deductions, which could not definitely prove that Rizal favored
and plotted a rebellion. Desperate for more proofs of Rizal's guilt, Captain Olive had
Paciano tortured to unconsciousness. Paciano adamantly denied his brother's guilt and
silently endured one torture after another. He matched his younger brother's courage in
facing death and in defying Spanish tyranny. When the authorities were through with the
almost-dead Paciano, he had to be carried home on a stretcher. He was paralyzed and
speechless for several days (Bagolong et al., 2014).

THE TRIAL
Inconclusive as the evidences were, Judge Rafael Dominguez recommended a
speedy trial, which the governor and Judge Advocate General Nicolas dela Pena
approved. The latter suggested a trial by a military court and ordered the investigating
officer to begin the corresponding confiscation proceedings to the amount of at least a
million pesos.
The charge was that Jose Rizal Mercado was the principal organizer and the soul of
the insurrection in the Philippines, a founder of societies, newspapers, and books
devoted to favoring and making public rebellious and seditious ideas among the people,
and the chief of filibusterism in the country. Witnesses were examined to give testimony
against him only to have evidence of his entire ignorance of the plan made plain and to
escape this embarrassment. No mention was made of the unsuccessful attempt to
torture Paciano Mercado in admitting that he and his brother knew of the insurrection.
The use of symbolic names among his Masonic acquaintances made it possible for him
to say in many cases that he did not know any one of such names (Craig, 1913).
For the defense, Taviel de Andrade appealed to the fairness ofthe judges who should
not be carried away by the strong current of prejudice caused by the insurrection. He
argued that the incidents presented by the prosecutor occurred several years before the
rebellion broke out, and that had Rizal been accused before August 19 of that year, no
court would convicted him on the same evidences. Referring to Rizal's work, Taviel de
Andrade argued that the prosecutors impression on Rizal's writings was a
misconception, and that Rizal only asked for the recognition of and respect for the rights
of the people. A person, he argued, could not be condemned for voicing the sentiments
of his people. Neither could he be condemned for organizing the Liga because its aim
was to unite the people for the promotion of commerce, industry, agriculture, and the
arts. Ile further said that the Liga was short-lived because Rizal was deported to Dapitan
before it could be fully organized. Taviel de Andrade bolsteredthe defense by citing the
technicality of the law: that Rizal's guilt had not been proven by the confession of the
accused, by reliable witnesses, by expert testimony, by official documents, by visual
proof, or even by definitive and conclusive indications. Taviel de Andrade proceeded to
explain that the witnesses presented by the prosecution were biased against Rizal for
they were actually coaccused on the same case, having been apprehended when the
katipunan was discovered. They naturally had to save their necks by presenting Rizal as
the only instigator and promoter of the revolution (Craig, 1913).
Referring to the Liga, Taviel de Andrade argued that the statutes ofthe organization,
which Rizal wrote, did not show any evidence of illegality. He also called the court's
attention to the fact that Rizal had not written anything or discussed with anyone any
subject connected with politics since 1892. Valenzuela's visit to Dapitan should have
been presented as an argument in Rizal's favor, for Rizal actually told Valenzuela that
he disapproved of the uprising. Taviel de Andrade concluded that Rizal's guilt had not
been proven legally; therefore, the accused should be acquitted and all his rights should
be restored in the name of justice.
This brilliant argument was ineffective in a hostile courtroom. Rizal was given a
chance to speak in his defense. Impeccably dressed he took the floor and read his
"Additions to My Defense.". It was a refutation of the connections and activities imputed
to him (Craig, 1913).
 He called the court's attention to the fact that the Liga died shortly after it was
organized because of his exile to Dapitan, and it was revived without his knowledge. To
prove that the Liga did not serve the revolutionists' purposes, Rizal showed that they
disregarded it and organized the katipunan. In other words, if the Liga aimed at a
revolution, the revolutionists would not have abolished the said society in favor of the
Katipunan (Craig, 1913).
Explaining the passages of bitter criticisms in his letters, Rizal asked the court to
consider that their were written when his family had been stripped of their two residential
houses and their warehouses, as well as their lands and the other properties and when
his brother and all his brothers-in-law were deported. Concerning the rebellion, Rizal
reiterated his counsel's arguments that he had nothing whatsoever to do with political
affairs from July 6, 1892 to June of the present year. If he knew Of and favored
rebellion, he could have escaped easily from Dapitan because he owned a number
ofvessels, and his guards allowed him week- long trips. Instead, he had started a small
hospital, purchased land, and sent for his family. Since his activities at Dapitan were
questioned, Rizal explained that he was resigned to his exile because it gave him time
to write but not to incite rebellion as the prosecution alleged. To the testimony Of one of
the witnesses that Rizal sent letters to the revolutionists via his family, he called the
attention of the judges to the fact that not a single letter had been presented in courtas
evidence. To further convince the court of his innocence about the rebellion, he argued
that if he had known about the date and time of the outbreak of the revolution he would
have taken the necessary precautions to avoid possible arrest. He could have jumped
from the ship at any Of the ports of call. He called attention to the absurdity of the
accusations that he was the leader of the rebels by asking: "What kind of a chief is he
whose followers say 'yes' and he say 'no'? (Craig, 1913).
The death of Rizal was certain, and he knew it. But he had to make his last stand in
the name of justice. After the court had heard his defense, he was brought back to his
cell to await the verdict. That was shortly after high noon of the same day. That same
afternoon the findings and decision of the court were forwarded to Judge Advocate
General Nicolas de la Pena who referred it to Governor-General Camilio de Polavieja
for confirmation the same evening. The next day being a Sunday, the Governor's
approval of the verdict and the consequent release of the order for Rizal's execution
were deferred for Monday (Craig, 1913).

HIS LAST FEW DAYS

After the death sentence was read to Rizal on December 29, he refused to sign the
notification, reiterating his innocence and strongly objecting to that part that referred to
him as Chinese mestizo. His arguments were futile. He had to sign the document as
required by law. He had only 24 hours to live. With the guard's permission, he sent a
note to his family: "I should like to see some of you before I die, though it may be very
painful.
Let the bravest come, I have some important things to say."
 It was a busy day for him. Visitors came: members of his family, newspapermen, his
defense counsel, priests, mostly Jesuits who were working for his retraction from
Masonry. Later in the afternoon his mother came, accompanied by Maria, Trinidad,
Narcisa, his niece Angelica, and little Mauricio, his favorite nephew. First to enter his cell
was his mother. In tears, mother and son rushed to each other's arms but were
separated by the guards. He knelt and kissed her hand. At that moment there were no
words. With
grief and tenderness their tearful eyes met, and he asked his mother to seek the
authorities' permission for the family to bury his body. After a few minutes, Doha
Teodora left. She had to follow up a personal plea to the Governor-General for
clemency for her son (Russell & Rodriguez, 1923).
One by one the others came. He looked around his cell for something to give each
one: to Angelica he gave a handkerchief, to Narcisa he gave his wicker chair, to
Mauricio a belt and a watch with chain. To Trinidad, who understood English, he gave a
little alcohol burner saying aloud that he did not have anything better to give her. He had
this burner in his cell to heat his cold meals. And as he handed the burner to her, he
whispered in English: "There is something in it," He had nothing more left to give to
Maria, but he confided to her that he would marry Josephine (Russell & Rodriguez,
1923). When all the members of the family had left, Josephine came for a very brief
visit. Not much could be said between them. He loved her, but fate had separated them.
On the first hour of December 30 1896, Father Balaguer said he confessed again. At
Rizal's request, Father Balaguer said mass, and he received Holy Communion. After the
mass, Father Jose Villaclara, one of his favorite Ateneo teachers who had been with
him a good part of the previous day, suggested the reading of the acts of faith, hope,
and charity. He then turned to Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of Christ (Russell &
Rodriguez, 1923).
A retraction was required by the Archbishop before he could receive the
consolations of his religion and several forms were proposed. Practically every victim of
political persecution had left a retraction couched in such language that its
spontaneousness was always questioned. The one dictated for Rizal was no exception,
and the Jesuits knew he would never sign it, so they substituted a form of their own,
giving what is essential for reconciliation with the Church and worded in a way that
would not recall the differences Rizal had with some of his ministers (Russell and
Rodriguez, 1923).

EXECUTION
Dressed in black from head to foot, Rizal walked out his cell, his arms loosely
bound, elbow to elbow. He was flanked by Taviel de Andrade and Father Villaclara and
Estanislao March. A bugler and a drummer led the detachment of Filipino soldiers that
escorted him to the Luneta de Bagumbayan. The firing squad was composed of
Filipinos who were members of the regular army.
His last glimpse of the Ateneo gladdened him somewhat: "I spent seven years there,"
he remarked to his escort.
 At the execution square, he was blessed and given the crucifix to kiss. The army
doctor, Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo, felt his pulse and found it normal and steady. Just
before the order to fire was given, Rizal requested that he be shot in the front for he was
not a traitor. But the explicit orders were otherwise. His second request, that his head be
spared was granted.
The orders rang out, and a volley of shots was fired. As the bullets pierced him, Rizal
tried to turn right about and fell. He had proudly offered his life as a supreme sacrifice
for his country so that the wisdom of his example would serve as an inspiration to his
fellowmen.
The martyr's body was put in an unmarked grave in Paco Cemetery but a way to have
a small marble stone, bearing his initials in reversed order, was to drop the stone in with
his unconfined remains.
Within less than two years, on the first day of American occupation, the body was
raised for a more decent interment, and the marble slab rests under a cross bearing
only the date "December 30, 1896." The ashes have since been put in an urn of
Philippine woods carved by the skillful hands of Dr. Rizal's instructor in carving, and
finally deposited in what will be by far the finest of Manila's monuments.