Brief Summary
This video provides a detailed overview of the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, covering his full name and its origins, family background, childhood memories, education, travels, relationships, and ultimately, his execution. It also addresses some misconceptions about Rizal's reasons for leaving UST and highlights his significant works and involvement in political movements.
- Rizal's full name and its meaning, family history, and early life influences.
- His education in the Philippines and abroad, including his academic achievements and the reasons for his shift from philosophy to medicine.
- Rizal's travels and the people he met, including his relationships and political involvements.
- The circumstances surrounding his exile, trial, and execution, as well as the aftermath and his final resting place.
Introduction
The video introduces a discussion about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, following up on a previous discussion about 19th-century Philippines, examining its economy, social context, and political landscape. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of Rizal's life.
Rizal's Full Name and Family Background
Dr. Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was an ophthalmologist and physician. The name "Jose" comes from Joseph, the father of Jesus. "Rizal" is derived from the Spanish word "Ricial," meaning green pastures. "Mercado" was adopted from his paternal lineage, referring to a market, as his paternal grandfather was a Chinese merchant. "Alonso Realonda" comes from his mother's side, Doña Teodora Alonso. Born on June 19, 1861, Rizal was the seventh of eleven children to Don Francisco Mercado and Doña Teodora Alonso. The family lived on Dominican-owned land in Calamba, where his father was a known farmer.
Paternal and Maternal Lineage
Rizal's paternal side traces back to Fujian, China, with Lamko, who became Domingo Mercado upon baptism in Binondo. Domingo married Ines De la Rosa, a mestiza sangley, and their son Francisco married Bernarda Monica. They had two children, including Juan Mercado, who married Cirila Alejandro and had 14 children, the youngest being Francisco, Rizal's father. On his maternal side, Rizal's lineage connects to Lakandula, a title for a great warrior or leader. Lakandula's descendant, Yeno Ursua, married Benigna, and their child Reina married attorney Manuel Quintos. Their daughter Brigida married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, and one of their five children was Teodora Alonso, Rizal's mother.
Rizal's Parents and Siblings
Rizal's father, Don Francisco Mercado, born on April 18, 1818, in Biñan, was an honest, thrifty, and industrious man who studied at San Jose College in Manila. He was a tenant farmer on Dominican-owned land in Calamba, selling agricultural and livestock products. His mother, Doña Teodora Alonso, born on November 8, 1826, in Santa Cruz, Manila, was an educated and cultured woman who studied at the College of Santa Rosa. She was diligent, courteous, religious, and Rizal's first teacher. Rizal's siblings included Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Concha (who died young and was Rizal's first heartbreak), Josefa (an epileptic member of the Katipunan Women's Division who died unmarried), Trinidad (also unmarried and a member of the Katipunan), and Soledad (the most educated sister).
Childhood Memories and Early Influences
Growing up in a middle-class family, Rizal lived in a "bahay na bato" or "bahay mistiso" and had fond memories of nighttime walks under the moonlight, listening to magical stories from his nursemaid, Aya. The family prayed the Angelus together. The death of his sister Concha was his first sorrow. He admired Leon Lopez, a town priest, and was influenced by his insights on life and faith. Rizal loved chapel visits, prayers, novenas, and processions. By age five, he could read the Spanish Bible and began drawing and molding clay figures. At age six, he prophetically told his sisters that people would one day make monuments of him. At seven, he went on a pilgrimage to Antipolo. He was also an animal lover, owning a pony named Alipato and a dog named Usman.
Early Education and Influences
There's a debunked story about Rizal writing a poem about freedom at age eight, as the Tagalog word for freedom, "laya," wasn't commonly used until later. Rizal was fascinated by magic and learned from books. His mother told him the story of the moth, which taught him a moral lesson. He also read "Amigo de los Niños," a book of moral teachings. His mother taught him his early lessons in speech, counting, language, and religion. His uncles also played a role in his intellectual development: Tio Jose taught him painting, sketching, art, and sculpture; Tio Gregorio influenced his love for reading; and Tio Manuel developed his physical skills in martial arts like wrestling. He had private tutors named Maestro Celestino and Leon Monroy, who taught him Spanish and Latin.
Formal Education in Biñan and Ateneo
Rizal was sent to a private school in Biñan, where he met Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, also known as Hoseng Sisiw, who was described as a severe disciplinarian. After Biñan, he attended Ateneo de Municipal, though he was initially not admitted due to his frail body and late admission. His brother Paciano, known to the priest Jose Burgos, helped him get admitted by changing his name to Jose Mercado. He finished with a Bachelor of Arts degree with the highest honors.
Studies at UST and Shift to Medicine
Rizal initially took up Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), possibly with the intention of becoming a priest. However, he later shifted to medicine due to his mother's eye ailment. His grades were mostly "sobresaliente" (outstanding), indicating excellent performance. Despite being considered a genius, he was portrayed as a normal student striving to succeed in college.
Reasons for Leaving UST
There are conflicting interpretations regarding Rizal's reasons for leaving UST. Some biographers suggest it was due to discrimination from Dominican friars. However, Father Fidel Villaruel argues that there was no concrete evidence of discrimination. Villaruel suggests Rizal left UST to seek more opportunities and further his studies elsewhere, similar to how people leave their hometowns for better prospects. Additionally, Rizal didn't inform his parents about his decision to go to Spain, possibly because he knew they were overprotective. Despite the uncertainty, the prevailing view is that Rizal sought a "greener pasture."
Further Studies and Literary Works
In 1882, Rizal studied medicine and philosophy at the Universidad Central de Madrid, obtaining his license in medicine in 1884. He specialized in ophthalmology at the University of Leipzig in Germany in 1886. During this time, he wrote "Noli Me Tangere," which was finished in 1887 with the help of Dr. Maximo Viola. He also annotated Antonio de Morga's "Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas" to highlight Filipino identity. Rizal contributed to "La Solidaridad" under the pen names Dimas Alang and Laong Laan. He published "The Philippines Within a Century" and "The Indolence of the Filipinos," where he argued that Filipinos are not lazy but work early in the morning. In 1891, he published "El Filibusterismo" as a sequel to "Noli Me Tangere."
Political Involvement and Personal Life
Rizal proposed a Filipino settlement in North Borneo to protect Filipinos from maltreatment. In 1891, he learned that his first love, Leonor Rivera, was marrying an Englishman. He practiced medicine in Hong Kong, where he operated on his mother's eye, and established La Liga Filipina.
Encounters with Intellectuals and Lovers
During his travels, Rizal met various people, including Suzanne Jacoby, whom he called Petit. In Germany, he met ophthalmologists Dr. Otto Becker and Ernest Schwager, as well as Pastor Karl Ulmer. He also befriended ethnographers and geographers like Dr. Professor Frederick Ratzel and Hans Mayer, along with psychiatrist Dr. Adolf Mayer, ethnologist Dr. Theodor Hagor, and anthropologist and pathologist Dr. Hans Verk Chao. In the Czech Republic, he met scholars Carlos Zepelac, naturalist Robert Clutch Cak, and botanist Dr. Einrich Wilcom. In Hong Kong, he met Jose Maria Basa, who smuggled copies of "Noli Me Tangere" into the Philippines, and Don Juan Francisco Lecaros, who hosted him in Macau. In London, he met Dr. Antonio Maria Regidor and orientalist Dr. Reinhold Rost, who praised him as a "pearl of a man." He also met Gertrude Beckett, who fell in love with him, but Rizal left to avoid entanglement. In Japan, he met Seiko Usui (Osayan), a 23-year-old woman with whom he had an intimate relationship.
Relationship with Osayan
Rizal met Seiko Usui (Osayan) in Japan, and they formed an intimate relationship. After a month, Rizal bid her goodbye in April 1888. Osayan mourned Rizal's death in 1896 and later married Alfred Charlton, an Englishman, with whom she had a son. After Charlton's death, she collected stamps with Rizal's image. Some believe that if Rizal didn't have his nationalist crusade, he might have stayed in Japan with Osayan.
Other Acquaintances and Ferdinand Blumentritt
Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, whom Rizal never met in person, was also a significant figure in Rizal's life.
Return to the Philippines and Exile in Dapitan
In 1892, Rizal returned to the Philippines to propose a Borneo colony, form La Liga Filipina, and refute claims of abandoning the Philippines. La Liga Filipina was established on July 3, 1892, but Rizal was captured on July 7 and exiled to Dapitan on July 15. His time in Dapitan, from 1892 to 1896, was productive. He worked as a doctor, teacher, builder, and scientist. He bought land with lottery winnings and created a Mindanao map in Dapitan Park.
Life in Dapitan and Josephine Bracken
While in Dapitan, Rizal mourned the death of Leonor Rivera. He met Pio Valenzuela, who sought his opinion on a potential revolution, but Rizal disagreed with a bloody revolution. He also met Josephine Bracken, who came from Hong Kong to seek treatment for her stepfather's vision problem. They formed a relationship and became common-law partners. They were unable to marry in the church due to Rizal's excommunication. Josephine became pregnant, but their child, Francisco, died shortly after birth due to a congenital heart disease.
Request to go to Cuba and Arrest
Rizal requested to go to Cuba as a medical doctor for the Spanish forces, which was approved in 1896. However, his departure coincided with the Katipunan revolution in August 1896. He was arrested and faced charges of sedition and rebellion.
Trial and Execution
Rizal maintained he was not involved in the revolution, but the Katipunan claimed him as an honorary member. Despite strong evidence, the Spanish officials, influenced by the friars, found Rizal guilty and sentenced him to death. On December 29, he was read the indictment, visited by Jesuit priests, and bid farewell to his family, including Josephine Bracken. He wrote "Mi Ultimo Adios." On December 30, 1896, at Bagumbayan, Rizal was executed by firing squad.
Burial and Monument
Rizal was buried in Paco Cemetery. His sister Narcisa marked his grave with "RPJ" to avoid detection by Spanish officials. In 1912, his remains were transferred to Luneta Park, where a monument sculpted by Richard Kissling stands in his honor.
