Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch
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 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.
