Life of Rizal PDF

TOPIC 2: RIZAL’S LIFE THE LIFE OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL  The Mercado - Rizal Family  The Rizal’s are 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 China in the...

TOPIC 2: RIZAL’S LIFE THE LIFE OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL  The Mercado - Rizal Family  The Rizal’s are 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 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. DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA He was born on June 19, 1861, on a moonlit Wednesday between 11 and midnight in the lakeshore town of Calamba Laguna. He was baptized on June 22,1861 aged three years old Father Rufino Collantes – a native of Batangas was the priest who baptized Rizal. Father Pedro Casanas – a native of Calamba and a close friend of the Rizal Family became his Godfather  THE MEANING OF HIS NAMES ❑ DOCTOR – he completed his medical course in Spain and was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central De Madrid. ❑ Jose – was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian Saint San Jose (St.Joseph) ❑ Protacio – from Gervacio P which come from a Christian Calendar. ❑ Mercado – adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco, (the paternal great-grandfather of Jose Rizal), which means Market. ❑ Rizal – from the word “Ricial” in Spanish which means green field. The second surname was given by Spanish alcalde mayor of Laguna, who was a family friend ❑ Alonzo – old surname of his mother ❑ Realonda – A new surname given to the Alonzo clan in virtue of the Claveria Decree of 1849  RIZAL’S PARENTS Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) ❑ born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818 ❑ studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila ❑ became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican- owned hacienda ❑ a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in body and valiant in spirit -died in Manila on January 5, 1898, at the age of 80 ❑ Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers” Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911) ❑ born in Manila on November 8, 1826 ❑ educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well- known college for girls in the city ❑ a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent, business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan women -is a woman of more than ordinary culture: she knows literature and speaks Spanish (according to Rizal) ❑ died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85  THE RIZAL CHILDREN o Saturnina (1850-1913) o Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. Paciano (1851-1930) o older brother and confident of Jose Rizal, was a second father to Rizal o immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio -Rizal regarded him as the “most noble of Filipinos” o became a combat general in the Philippine Revolution died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79 o had two children by his mistress (Severina Decena)—a boy and a girl. Narcisa (1852-1939) o The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician. Olimpia (1855-1887) o The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth. Lucia (1857-1919) o married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of Father Casanas o Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal Maria (1859-1945) o The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna. Jose (1861-1896) o the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius o nickname was Pepe o The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896. Concepcion (1862-1865) o her pet-name was Concha o died of sickness at the age of 3 o her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life Josefa (1865-1945) o The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster Trinidad (1868-1951) o The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die. Soledad (1870-1929) o The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.  RIZAL’S ANCESTRY – FATHER’S SIDE Domingo Lamco (a Ines de la Rosa – Well-to- Francisco Mercado – son Chinese immigrant from do Chinese Christian girl of Domingo and Ines China, arrived in Manila of Changchow. She Lamco about 1690) married Domingo Juan Mercado (Rizal’s grandfather) - Had Cirila Bernacha – thirteen children, the married to Francisco youngest being Mercado Francisco Mercado (Rizal’s father)  RIZAL’S ANCESTRY – MOTHER’S SIDE Eugenio Ursua Lakandula - (The (Rizal’s maternal Benigma - A Regina – The last native king of Great-great Filipina,Married daughter of Eugenio Tondo) Grandfather of Eugenio Ursua and Benigma Japanese Ancestry) Lorenzo Alberto The Children of the Manuel de Quintos – Brigida – The Alonso – married to Alonso’s - Narcisa, He married Regina daughter of Manuel Brigida(a prominent Teodora (Rizal’s (a Filipino from and Regina Spanish Filipino mother), Gregorio, Pangasinan) mestizo of Biñan) Manuel at Jose  THE RIZAL HOME The Rizal’s ancestral house is one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the Spanish times it was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles by day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the garden; by night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers The Rizal family belonged to the Principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life in Calamba. RIZAL OVER THE YEARS  CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA  1865- 1867 – The Influence of the Hero’s Boyhood (1) hereditary influence (2) environmental influence (3) Divine providence  At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented Calamba. His uncle Manuel a husky and athletic man, encouraged Rizal to develop his frail body by means of physical exercises. Seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself with the Physical development of his nephew and taught the latter love for the open air and developed in him a great admiration for the beauty of Nature.  Uncle Gregorio, a scholar instilled into the mind of the young Pepe the for education, he advised Rizal; Work hard and perform every task carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be independent in thinking and make visuals pictures of everything” He was a book lover, it intensified Rizal’s voracious reading of good book  His Uncle Jose Alberto- studied for eleven years in British school in Calcutta, India and had traveled in Europe inspired Rizal to develop his artistic ability  Father Leoncio Lopez- the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual Honesty.  EARLY YEARS OF EDUCATION  Rizal’s first teacher was his mother who had taught him how to read and pray and who had encouraged him to write poetry. Later private tutors taught the young Rizal Spanish and Latin, before he was sent to a private school.  At the age of 5 he was able to read the Spanish family bible, he began making sketches with his pencil and to mold the clay and wax objects.  He was also tutored by Leon Monroy(a classmate of Rizal’s father) that instructed young Pepe in Spanish and Latin  Rizal first studied under Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Binan, Laguna before he was sent to Manila. As his father’s request, he took the entrance examination in Colegio de San Juan de Letran, however after taking the exam he was encouraged by his father to enroll in Ateneo de Municipal.  THE INJUSTICE TO RIZAL’S MOTHER  In June of 1871, the unfaithful wife of a Jose Alberto, together with the head of the guardia civil detachment and with the help of the town mayor, had caused Teodora Alonzo Mercado to be arrested. The crime implicated to her was an allegation that she assisted her cousin in poisoning the unfaithful wife.  She was incarcerated for for two and half years inside the prison and latter on she was acquitted of the charges.  THE MARTYRDOM OF GOMBURZA  In the years leading to the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, the secularization movement was supported by liberals, such as those of the Comite de Reformades. The committee sought political and civil rights due to to Filipinas as a province of Spain. Rizal’s brother Paciano, ten years his senior and then a law student at UST was an active member of the youth arm of the Comite, the Juventud Escolar Liberal. He lived in the house as Fr. Jose Burgos and, when the latter was implicated in the mutiny, he left the university because of his own liberal politics. 1. The Regular Priest – they belong to the order or congregations of the Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans and Augustinians 2. The Secular priest – these were local or native priest that does not belong to any order. Filipino priest were then not accepted by the regular clergy and were mostly assigned as assistants to Spanish friars  On the Night of January 20,1872 – about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the leadership of La Madrid, rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of their usual privileges  Father Mariano Gomez, 85; Father Jose Apolonio Burgos, 35; and Father Jacinto Zamora, 36 -- who were executed by garrote in Bagumbayan (now named Luneta) in Manila on February 17, 1872, on charges of subversion and treason against Spanish colonial authorities.  The lamentable events that transpired in 1872 cemented the legacy of the three Filipino martyr priests in our history. The hasty and unjust trial they received awakened Filipinos to the cruel and prejudicial treatment we received from the Spanish colonialists, enkindling a sense of self-regard and desire to be liberated from these oppressions.  The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny and redeem his oppressed people.Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za.  AN EXCERPT FROM A LETTER WRITTEN BY RIZAL TO MARIANO PONCE  Without 1872 there would not be now either a Plaridel or Jaena, or Sanciangco, or would there exist brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe; without 1872 Rizal would be a Jesuit now and instead of writing Noli Me Tangere, would have written the opposite.  At the sight of those injustices and cruelties, while still a child, my imagination was awakened, and I swore to devote myself to avenge one day so many victims, and with this idea in my mind I have been studying and this can be read in all my works and writings.  God will someday give me an opportunity to carry out my promise. Good! May they commit abuses, let there be imprisonments, banishments, executions, good. Let Destiny be fulfilled! The day they lay their hands on us, the day they martyrize innocent families for our faults, goodbye, friar government, and perhaps, goodbye Spanish government!  JOSE RIZAL IN ATENEO MUNICIPAL DE MANILA When Rizal was 11 years old, he entered Ateneo Municipal and took up BACHELORS OF ARTS. He earned excellent marks in subjects like philosophy, physics, chemistry and natural history. At this school he read novels; wrote prize winning poetry and practiced drawing, painting and clay modeling all of which remained lifelong interest of him. Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He registered under this name at Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under the suspicion of the Spanish authorities JOSE RIZAL IN CALLE.6 INTRAMUROS CIRCA 1880’s  ATENEO MUNICIPAL RANK SYSTEM o June 10, 1872- Rizal accompanied by Paciano went to Manila o Father Martin Ferrando- was the college registrar, refused to admit Rizal in Ateneo for two reasons: (1) he was late for registration (2) he was sickly and undersized for his age o Manuel Xerez Burgos-because of his intercession, nephew of Father Burgos, Rizal was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo  ROMAN EMPIRE ( students boarding inside the campus)  CARTHAGINIAN EMPIRE ( the non-school boarders) 1. Emperor ( The Best Student in Each empire) 2. Tribune 3. Decurion 4. Centurion 5. Stand-bearer  FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873) Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo whom he described as a “tall thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin A Religious picture- Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil in the whole class To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon recesses. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-1874) At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas- the first favorite novel of Rizal which made a deep impression on him. Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded his father to buy him this set of historical work that was a great aid in his studies Dr. Feodor Jagor- a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines in 1859-1860 who wrote Travels in the Philippines. Rizal was impressed in this book because of the following: 1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization 2) his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed her as colonizer  THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875) Rizal grades remained excellent in all subjects, but he won only one medal—in Latin At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for the summer vacation. He himself was not impressed by his scholastic work FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO June 16, 1875- Rizal became an interno(Roman Empire) in the Ateneo Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great educator and scholar, one of Rizal’s professors who inspired him to study harder and to write poetry. Rizal described this Jesuit professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his pupils” Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the school term LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-1877) Rizal’s studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits” March 23, 1877- Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors  Father Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop communing with the Muse and pay more attention to more practical studies Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocket-knife Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred Heart of Jesus ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN 1. Felix M. Roxas- one of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo, related an incident of Rizal’s schooldays in Ateneo which reveals hero’s resignation to pain and forgiveness. “Neither bitterness nor rancor towards the guilty party” 2. Manuel Xerez Burgos- This anecdotes illustrates Rizal’s predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC  POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO It was Doña Teodora who was first discovered the poetic genius of her son, and it was also she who first encouraged him to write poems. However, it was Father Sanchez who inspired Rizal to make full use of his God-given gift in poetry. Rizal wrote poems on various topics-religion, education, childhood memories and war  Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration), 1874- the first poem Rizal probably wrote during his days in Ateneo which was dedicated to his mother on her birthday; Rizal wrote it before he was 14 years old  Un Recuerdo a mi pueblo ( A Gift to my Town) – written in 1876 a tender poem in honor of his hometown Calamba.  In total Rizal wrote 17 poems while he was still studying in Ateneo Municipal.  RIZAL IN UST After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), Rizal transferred to the medical course -“Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off his head.”- Doña Teodora, vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue higher learning in the university April 1877- Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and Letters because 1) his father like it 2) he was “still uncertain as to what career to pursue” During Rizal’s first school term in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-1878), Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor) he eventually earned a Land surveyors and assessor’s degree from Ateneo. Upon learning that his mother was going blind, Rizal opted to study ophthalmology at UST. On his second year in UST , Rizal joined a literary contest ,Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila- a society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest in the year 1879. A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth)- Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted this poem -is an inspiring poem of flawless form. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break the chains that have long bound the spirit of the people -this winning poem of Rizal is a classic in Philippine literature for two reasons: (1) it was the great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary authorities (2) it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the Fatherland” The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem and gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon El Consejo de los Dioses (The Councils of the Gods)- an allegorical drama written by Rizal which he entered in the literary contest of Artistic-Literary Lyceum in 1880 to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes ,was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek classics. The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust of Cervantes. Rizal was booed after winning the literary contest in which he excel over the Spaniards.  UNHAPPY DAYS AT UST He, however, was not able to complete the course because he became politically isolated by adversaries among the faculty and clergy who demanded that he assimilate to their system. Rizal found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning because (1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him (2) the Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards (3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive (4) In Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences. He related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”  1880 A FATEFUL YEAR On April 1880 – two months after writing his sonnet, Rizal entered another literary competition and won the first prize, but this was different from the competition few months earlier ( A La Juventud Filipina), this time there was only one category. When the audience discovered that a native had won, the applause was replaced with hisses. Seven years later in an unpublished article about Spanish racism, Rizal recalls this incident bitterly. Three months after the April incident, Rizal was in Calamba during a long vacation. Hurrying through the street in the deepening dusk, he felt a sudden blow on the back. He had been whipped by the commander of the local guardia civil for having failed to doff of his hat. Rizal was placed in jail due to this incident and he never forget the apparent indifference by the treatment of Spanish and the natives.  RIZAL’S VISION FOR HIS HOMELAND 1. A La Juventud Filipina( To the Filipino Youth) – this was written when Rizal was 15 years old, Rizal viewed the Philippines as part of Spain, a queen that needs to be served 2. Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig) – written in December 8,1880, the 19- year-old Rizal, viewed the Philippine as a country suffering under Spain, this was his vision after the incident with guardia civil. 3. A synthesis of Un Recuerdo a mi pueblo ( A gift to my town) - Rizal depicted the Philippines as untroubled and not naïve. 4. El Amor Patrio ( Love of Country) - Rizal wrote this on first month overseas, this clearly signals a qualitative shift in his Nationalism. Rizal describes the Philippines as a homeland sitting under a sky without a sun or star. A depiction that the homeland is deprived of enlightenment and hope.