Module 2

The Life of Dr. Jose P. Rizal

José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

"My mother is not a woman of ordinary culture. She knows literature and speaks Spanish better than I
do. She even corrected my poems and gave me advice when I was studying rhetoric" – Jose Rizal

TIME ALLOTMENT: 1 Week

INSTRUCTOR:
CONTACT DETAILS:
 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. discuss about Rizal's family, childhood, and education;
2. describe and identify the significance of Rizal’s travel abroad;
3. describe and analyze the kind of life Rizal lived when he was exiled in Dapitan;
and
4. identify the factors that led to Rizal's trial and execution.

Introduction

A biography narrates how a person has lived during a certain period of time. It
presents not only the life of an individual and how he/she has influenced the society but
also how an individual and his/her ideas have been shaped by historical events. Jose Rizal
lived in the nineteenth century, a period in Philippine history when changes in public
consciousness were already being felt and progressive ideas were being realized. Studying
Rizal's biography, therefore, will lead to a better understanding of how Rizal devoted his
life in shaping the Filipino character. This topic will cover Rizal's life and how he became an
important hero of the Philippines.

Content

Activity 1: Genealogy Chart

Make a diagram or family tree which illustrates the genealogy
of your family. In five sentences, state the meaning of your
first and last name, the origin of your name, your name
popularity, and what your name can tell you about your past.
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Let us study Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education and do the
post activities.

Rizal's Family

Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in the town of Calamba, province of Laguna.
Calamba, then a town with around three to four thousand inhabitants, is located 54
kilometers south of Manila. It is found in the heart of a region known for its agricultural
prosperity and is among the major producers of sugar and rice, with an abundant variety
of tropical fruits. On the southern part of the town lies the majestic Mount Makiling, and
on the other side is the lake called Laguna de Bay. The wonders of creation that surrounded
Rizal made him love nature from an early age. His student memoirs show how his love of
nature influenced his appreciation of the arts and sciences (Coates, 1992).
Rizal's father, Francisco Mercado, was a wealthy farmer who leased lands from the
Dominican friars. Francisco's earliest ancestors were Siang-co and Zun-nio, who later gave
birth to Lam-co. Lam-co is said to have come from the district of Fujian in southern China
and migrated to the Philippines in the late 1600s. In 1697, he was baptized in Binondo,
adopting "Domingo" as his first name. He married Ines de la Rosa of a known
entrepreneurial family in Binondo. Domingo and Ines later settled in the estate of San
Isidro Labrador, owned by the Dominicans. In 1731, they had a son whom they named
Francisco Mercado. The surname "Mercado," which means "market," was a common
surname adopted by many Chinese merchants at that time (Reyno, 2012). Francisco
Mercado became one of the richest in Binan and owned the largest herd of carabaos. He
was also active in local politics and was elected as capitan del pueblo in 1783. He had a son
named Juan Mercado who was also elected as capitan del pueblo in 1808, 1813, and 1823
(Reyno, 2012). Juan Mercado married Cirila Alejandra, a native of Binan. They had 13
children, including Francisco Engracio, the father of Jose Rizal. Following Governor Narciso
Claveria's decree in1849 which ordered the Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames, Francisco
Engracio Mercado added the surname "Rizal," from the word "ricial" meaning "green
field," as he later settled in the town of Calamba as a farmer growing sugar cane, rice, and
indigo. Being in a privileged family, Francisco Engracio (1818-1898)had a good education
that started in a Latin school in Binan. Afterwards, he attended the College of San Jose in
Manila. In1848, Francisco married Teodora Alonso (1826-1911) who belonged to one of
the wealthiest families in Manila. Teodora, whose father was a member of the Spanish
Cortes, was educated at the College of Sta. Rosa. Rizal described her as "a woman of more
than ordinary culture" and that she is "a mathematician and has read many books" (Letter
to Blumentritt, November 8, 1888). Because of Francisco and Teodora's industry and hard-
work, their family became a prominent member of the principalia class in the town of
Calamba. Their house was among the first concrete houses to be built in the town. Rafael
Palma (1949, p. 1), one of the first biographers of Jose Rizal, described the family's house:
The house was high and even sumptuous, a solid and massive earthquake-proof
structure with sliding shell windows. Thick walls of lime and stone bounded the first floor;
the second floor was made entirely of wood except for the roof, which was of red tile, in
the style of the buildings in Manila at that time. Francisco himself selected the hardest
woods from the forest and had them sawed; it took him more than two years to construct
the house. At the back there was an azotea and a wide, deep cistern to hold rain water for
home use.
Jose Rizal (1861-1896) is the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco
Mercado and Teodora Alonso. The other children were: Saturnina (1850-1913); Paciano
(1851-1930); Narcisa (1852-1939); Olimpia (1855-1887); Lucia (1857-1919); Maria (1859-
1945); Concepcion (1862-1865); Josefa(1865-1945); Trinidad (1868-1951); and Soledad
(1870-1929).

Rizal was affectionate to all his siblings. However, his relation with his only brother,
Paciano, was more than that of an older brother. Paciano became Rizal's second father.
Rizal highly respected him and valued all his advice. It was Paciano who accompanied Rizal
when he first went to school in Binan. It was also him who convinced Rizal to pursue his
studies in [Link] Rizal, Paciano had his college education in Manila but later decided
to join the Katipunan and fight for independence. After the revolution, Paciano retired to
his home in Los Banos and leda quiet life until his death in 1930.

Childhood and Early Education

Rizal had good memories of childhood in Calamba. As a family, they prayed
together during the Angelus. There were times when they would stay in the garden
exchanging stories. I twas in this garden where he learned to appreciate nature. Rizal's
childhood was full of love and care shown to him by his parents and siblings. Due to his
poor health, Rizal had a personal servant who, after the daily Angelus, would tell him
legends and fairy tales. These stories made him become interested in myths and folklores.
As a young boy, Rizal demonstrated intelligence and learned easily. His first teacher
was Dona Teodora who taught him how to pray. He was only three years old when he
learned the alphabet. At a very young age, he already showed a great interesting reading
book. He enjoyed staying in their library at home with his mother. Eventually, Dona
Teodora would notice Rizal's skills in poetry. She would ask him to write verses. Later, she
felt the need for a private tutor for the young Rizal.
Just like the other children from the principalia class, Rizal experienced education
under private tutors. His first private tutor was Maestro Celestino followed by Maestro
Lucas Padua. But it was Leon Monroy, his third tutor, who honed his skills in basic Latin,
reading, and writing. This home education from private tutors prepared Rizal to formal
schooling which he first experienced in Binan.
Three uncles who were brothers of his mother also had much influence on the early
childhood of Jose Rizal. The youngest named Jose, took care of teaching regular lessons
to Rizal. His huge Uncle Manuel developed his physique while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar,
instilled into the mind of the boy the love 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 visual pictures of everything.”
At the age of nine, Rizal left Calamba with his brother to study in Binan. After one-
and-a-half hour of travel, they reached the town on board a carromata. They went to the
house of their aunt where Rizal stayed for more than a year. Before leaving his brother,
Paciano introduced Rizal to the teacher, Justiniano Aquino Cruz, who was also Paciano's
former teacher.
The class, as described by Rizal (P. Jacinto, 1879), was in a nipa house, about thirty
meters away from his aunt's house. Every day, Rizal would wake up early and either hear
mass at four o'clock in the morning or study his lesson first and go to mass after. After
returning home, he would take breakfast and go to class from which he would come out
at ten o'clock. He would then again go to school at two o'clock and come out at five. He
would pray with his cousins at six and then study for a while before going to sleep.
In Binan, he excelled in Latin and Spanish. He also had painting lessons under
Maestro Cruz' father-in-law, Juancho, an old painter. Rizal's leisure hours were mostly
spent in Juancho's studio where he was given free lessons in painting and drawing.

After receiving a letter from his sister, Saturnina, Rizal returned to Calamba on
December 17, 1870 after one-and-a-half year of schooling in Binan. He went home on
board the steamship Talim and was accompanied by Arturo Camps, a Frenchman and
friend of his father (P. Jacinto, 1879).

Activity 2. Fish Bone Diagram and Analysis

1. Fill up the fish bone diagram to show the effect of childhood, family and early education
of Rizal to his personality.

2. Based on your fish bone diagram, what is the impact of childhood, family and early
education of Rizal to his success as a person and as a hero.
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3. Explain briefly the importance and similarities of your family and parents to Rizal’s family
and parents.
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Rubrics

Category 5 4 3 2 1
Fish bone diagram
Impact of the The writer The writer The writer The writer The writer
Family, Childhood, includes 5 or includes 4 includes 3 includes 2 includes only
and Early more impacts impacts impacts impacts 1 impact
Education of Rizal
to his personality
Importance and
similarities of your
family and parents
to Rizal’s family
and parents
Content 100% /All of 80% of the 60 % of the 40% of the 20% of the
the contents contents contents contents answers are
are correct are correct are correct are correct correct
Cohesiveness 100%/All of 80% of the 60% of the 40% the 20% the
the sentences sentences sentences sentences
sentences are are are are cohesive
are cohesive cohesive cohesive cohesive
Grammar 100% free of 80% free of 60% free of 40% free of 20% free of
grammatical grammatic grammatica grammatica grammatical
error al error l error l error error

Enrich your learning about Rizal’s higher education, life abroad, exile,
trial, and execution. Do the reflective analysis activity.
Rizal as Student in Manila

Rizal was sent by his father to Ateneo Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia, for
a six-year program, Bachiller en Artes. He took the entrance exam on June 10, 1872, four
months after the execution of Gomburza. He followed the advice of his brother, Paciano,
to use the name Jose Rizal instead of Jose Mercado. He feared that Rizal might run into
trouble if it was known openly that they were brothers since Paciano was known to have
links to Jose Burgos, one of the leaders of the secularization movement and one of three
priests executed.
During this time, Ateneo Municipal was known to offer the best education for boys.
Like all colleges in Manila, Ateneo was managed by priests, but with an important
difference in the sense that these religious were not friars but Jesuit Fathers. Students in
Ateneo were required to attend masses in the morning before the start of classes. Ateneo
was also known for its rigid discipline and religious instruction that trained students'
character.
Students in Ateneo were divided into two groups, the Romans and the
Carthaginians. The Roman Empire was composed of students boarding at Ateneo while the
Carthaginian Empire was composed of non-boarding students. This grouping was done to
stimulate the spirit of competition among the students. At the start, Rizal lagged behind
his classmates but because of his perseverance and seriousness in studies, he became the
"emperor," a title given to the most outstanding student in class, in just a month's time
(Zaide & Zaide, 1999).
Rizal studied at Ateneo from 1872-1877. In those years, he consistently showed
excellence in his academic performance. He passed the oral examination on March 14,
1877 and graduated with a degree Bachiller en Artes, with the highest honors.
After finishing Bachiller en Artes, Rizal was sent by Don Francisco to the University
of Santo Tomas. Initially, Dona Teodora opposed the idea for fear of what had happened
to Gomburza. Despite this, Rizal still pursued university education and enrolled in UST.
During his freshman year (1877-1878), he attended the course Philosophy and Letters.
Also, in the same year, he took up a vocational course in Ateneo that gave him the title
perito agrimensor (expert surveyor) issued on November 25,1881.
In his second year at UST, Rizal shifted his course to Medicine. He felt the need to
take up this course after learning about his mother's failing eyesight.
Rizal's academic performance in UST was not as impressive as that in Ateneo. He
was a good student in Medicine but not as gifted as he was in Arts and Letters. Despite
this, he was still one of the seven students who remained in the course in his last year at
UST out of the original batch of twenty-four (Jose, 2011).In 1882, Rizal and Paciano made
a secret pact-Rizal would go to Europe to complete his medical studies there and prepare
himself for the great task of liberating the country from Spanish tyranny.

Rizal’s Life Abroad

First Trip to Europe
On May 3, 1882, Rizal left the Philippines for Spain. In his first trip abroad, Rizal was
very excited to learn new things. He was only twenty years old and as a young man, he was
very observant and eager to interact with foreign nationals. He made sketches of his fellow
passengers and of the things that he saw during his travels.
Rizal reached Barcelona on June 16, 1882. He arrived during the summer vacation
so he was able to meet up with former classmates in Ateneo. These classmates organized
a welcome party for Rizal at a coffee house in Plaza de Cataluna. They toured Rizal around
the city and brought him to the famous historical sites in Barcelona. In this city, Rizal found
time to write an essay entitled "El Amor Patrio' (Love of Country). This essay was published
on August 20, 1882 in Diariong Tagalog where he used the pen name Laong Laan.
After the summer vacation, Rizal decided to move to Madrid where he enrolled in
Medicine and Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid (presently the
Universidad Complutense de Madrid) on November 3, [Link] also took lessons in
painting and sculpture at the Academia de San Fernando, and classes in French, English,
and German at the Madrid Ateneo. Not content with these activities, he still managed to
enroll in fencing class at the schools of Sanz and Carbonell. In January of 1883, Rizal wrote
to his family and informed them that: "I am now studying Italian and have made a bet that
I shall be able to speak it in two months" (Guerrero,2010).
Rizal was awarded with the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine for passing
the medical examinations in June [Link] this title, Rizal was able to practice medicine.
He continued enrolling in courses that would have led to a Doctorate in Medicine but the
degree was not given to him because he failed to pay the fee required to defend his thesis.
It is important to note that at this time, Rizal was already feeling the effect of the difficult
economic situation in Calamba. His family faced financial problems brought about by low
crop production because of drought and locusts aggravated by the hike in rentals on the
haciendas by the Dominicans. Consequently, there were delays in his monthly allowance
from the Philippines.
Rizal also took examinations in Greek, Latin, and world history. He won the the first
prize in Greek and a grade of "excellent" in history. He also obtained the degree Licenciado
Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters) from the Universidad Central de
Madrid on June 19, 1885 with a rating of sobresaliente.
In between his studies, Rizal made time for meeting fellow Filipinos in Madrid.
Known as ilustrados, these Filipinos (enlightened ones) formed the Circula Hispano-Filipino
which held informal programs with activities like poetry-reading and debates. As a prolific
writer and poet, Rizal was asked to write a poem. As a result, he wrote Mi Piden Versos
(They Ask Me for Verses).
In one of the Filipino reunions at the house of Pedro Paterno in Madrid on January
2, 1884, Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippine society. The group
approved the project but this plan did not materialize. His fellow Filipinos whoa greed to
help him did not write anything so he drafted the novel alone. It was in Madrid that he was
able to write the first half of his novel, Noli Me Tangere.
While in Madrid, Rizal was exposed to liberal ideas through the masons that he
met. He was impressed with the masons' view about knowledge and reasoning and how
they value brotherhood. He joined the Masonry and became a Master Mason at the Lodge
Solidaridad on November 15, 1890.
Filipinos in Madrid occasionally visited Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey, the former city
mayor of Manila under the term of Governor-General Carlos Maria de la Torre. Rizal joined
his fellow Filipinos at Don Pablo's house where he met and became attracted to Consuelo,
Don Pablo's daughter. However, Rizal did not pursue her because of his commitment to
Leonor Rivera. His friend, Eduardo de Lete, was also in love with Consuelo but did not want
to ruin their friendship. In 1883, Rizal wrote a poem for Consuelo entitled A Senorita C. O.
y R.
Rizal specialized in ophthalmology and trained under the leading ophthalmologists
in Europe like Dr. Louis de Weckert of Paris for whom he worked as an assistant from
October 1885 to March 1886. In Germany, he also worked with expert ophthalmologists
Dr. Javier Galezowsky and Dr. Otto Becker in Heidelberg in 1886 and Dr. R. Schulzer and
Dr. Schwiegger in1887 (De Viana, 2011).
During his stay in Germany, Rizal befriended different scholars like Fredrich Ratzel,
a German historian. Through his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal was also able to meet
Feodor Jagor and Hans Virchow, anthropologists who were doing studies on Philippine
culture. Rizal mastered the German language and wrote a paper entitled Tagalische
Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art). He also translated Schiller's William Tellinto Tagalog in
1886. It was also in Berlin where he finished Noli Me Tangere which was published on
March 21, 1887 with financial help from his friend Maximo Viola.
After five years in Europe, Rizal went home to Calamba on August 8, 1887. He spent
time with the members of his family who were delighted to see him again. He also kept
himself busy by opening a medical clinic and curing the sick. He came to be known as
Doctor Uliman as he was mistaken for a German. His vacation, however, was cut short
because he was targeted by the friars who were portrayed negatively in his novel Noli
MeTangere. He left the country for the second time on February 16, 1888.

Second Trip to Europe

In his second trip, Rizal became more active in the Propaganda Movement with
fellow ilustrados like Marcelo [Link] Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano
Ponce, and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera. The Propaganda Movement campaigned for reforms
such as: (1) for the Philippines to be made a province of Spain so that native Filipinos would
have equal rights accorded to Spaniards; (2) representation of the Philippines in the
Spanish Cortes; and (3) secularization of parishes.
Rizal became preoccupied with writing articles and essays which were published in
the Propaganda Movement's newspaper, La Solidaridad. Among his intellectual works in
Europe is his annotation of Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1890) in which
Rizal showed that even before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos already had a
developed culture. He also wrote an essay entitled "Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos"(On
the Indolence of the Filipinos) published in 1890 in which he attributed the Filipinos'
"indolence" to different factors such as climate and social disorders. Another essay he
wrote strongly called for reforms; it was called "Filipinas Dentro de Cien Anos"(The
Philippines a Century Hence) published in parts from 1889 to 1890.
By July 1891, while in Brussels, Rizal completed his second novel, El Filibusterismo,
which was published on September 18, 1891 through the help of his friend, Valentin
Ventura. Compared with his Noli, Rizal's El Fili was more radical with its narrative portrayed
of a society on the verge of a revolution.
In 1892, Rizal decided to return to the Philippines thinking that the real struggle
was in his homeland. In spite of warnings and his family's disapproval, Rizal arrived in the
Philippines on June 26, 1892. Immediately, he visited his friends in Central Luzon and
encouraged them to join the La Liga Filipina,a socio-civic organization that Rizal established
on July 3, [Link], just a few days after the Liga's formation, Rizal was arrested
and brought to Fort Santiago on July 6, 1892. He was charged with bringing with him from
Hong Kong leaflets entitled Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars), a satire against the rich Dominican
friars and their accumulation of wealth which was against their vow of poverty. In spite of
his protests and denial of having those materials, Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao.

Exile in Dapitan 1892-1896

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, is not exempted and different
from other exiled personality in our civilization. Due to strong conviction as a propagandist
and reformist, the Spaniards led him to be exiled in Dapitan, July 1892, after being
implicated in nascent rebellion. He had promised the Spanish governor that he would not
attempt to escape. It is a knowledge that Dapitan is a remote part of the country, it would
have been relatively easy for him to escape but he faced his fate with bravery and trust to
his God.
Dr. Rizal believes and blatantly expresses that the plan of the Spaniard to exile him
to Dapitan, a province of Zamboanga del Norte is a form of comfortable exile or social exile
of people who have been excluded from the mainstream society. Such people are
considered "aliens" or internal "others" on the grounds of their religious, racial, ethnic,
linguistic or caste-based identity and therefore they migrate to a comfortable space
elsewhere after having risked their lives to restore representation, identity and civil rights
in their own country and often capture a comfortable identity to being part of a dominant
religion, society or culture.
Aboard the steamer Cebu and under heavy guard, Rizal left Manila, sailing to
Mindoro and Panay, until he reached Dapitan at seven o'clock in the evening of June 17.
From that day until July 31, 1896, Dapitan became the bare witness to one of the most
fruitful periods in Rizal's life. His stay in the province was more than “he” living in exile – it
was the period when Rizal had been more focused on serving the people and the society
through his civic works, medical practices, land development and promotion of education.
He retained, to the very end, a faith in the decency of Spanish "men of honor,"
which made it difficult for him to accept the revolutionary course of the Katipunan.
Revolution had broken out in Cuba in February 1895, and Rizal applied to the governor to
be sent to that yellow fever-infested island as an army doctor, believing that it was the
only way he could keep his word to the governor and yet get out of his exile. His request
was granted, and he was preparing to leave for Cuba when the Katipunan revolt broke out
in August 1896. An informer had tipped off a Spanish friar about the society's existence,
and Bonifacio, his hand forced, proclaimed the revolution, attacking Spanish military
installations on August 29, 1896. Rizal was allowed to leave Manila on a Spanish steamship.
The governor, however, apparently forced by reactionary elements, ordered Rizal's arrest
en route, and he was sent back to Manila to be tried by a military court as an accomplice
of the insurrection.
During his confinement or stint in Dapitan, numerous communications had been
constant with Ferdinand Blumentritt, a teacher and closest friend of the propagandist. The
communications made by the propagandist to Blumentritt were amazing experiences and
immersed himself into a boondocks habitat, as described:
“I have three houses: a square house, a six-sided house, and an eight-sided
house. My mother, my sister Trinidad, a nephew and I lived in the square house;
my students –
 boys who I am teaching math, Spanish and English – and is a patient. My chickens
lived in a six-sided house. From my house, I could hear the murmur of a crystalline
rivulet that drops from high rocks. I could see the shore, the sea where I have two
small boats or barotos, as they were called here. I had many fruit trees: mangoes,
lanzones, guyabanos, batuno, langka, etc. I had rabbits, dogs, cats, etc.
I got up early, at 5 in the morning inspect my fields, fed the chickens, woke up my
farm-hands and got them to work. At half past 7, we had breakfast consisting of
tea, pastries, cheese, sweets, etc. Then, I held clinic examining patients and
training the poor patients who came to see me. I dressed and went to town in my
baroto to visit my patients there. I returned at noon and had lunch that had been
prepared for me. Afterwards, I taught the boy until 4 and spent the rest of the
afternoon in the fields. At night, I read and studied.”

Contribution of Rizal to the People of Dapitan

As an educator, Rizal established a school in Dapitan which was attended by 16
young boys from prominent families. Instead of charging them for the matriculation, he
made the students do community projects for him like maintaining his garden and field.
He taught them reading, writing in English and Spanish, geography, history, mathematics,
industrial work, nature study, morals and gymnastics. He encouraged his students to
engage in sports activities to strengthen their bodies as well. There was no formal room,
like the typical classroom nowadays. Classes were conducted from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
with the teacher sitting on a hammock while the students sat on a long bamboo bench.
Rizal innovated a boarding school in Dapitan. He believed that a teenager’s
national consciousness could be excited by community service. He proved this through his
“hands-on” school program while exiled in Dapitan. Sixteen high school boys who lived
near his home were chosen to be his students. They earned their living by apprenticing in
his medical clinic, as well as in his horticulture and stock farm, while academic lessons were
done in the afternoons -free of charge. Field trips to mountains, caves, and the seashore
became actual botany and zoology lessons. The dictum “sound body, sound mind” was
lived out as he taught the boys boxing, swimming, wrestling, and fencing. Rizal’s high
school class was a model of the ideal boarding school.
Rizal gave lessons on business entrepreneurship. Despite the abundance of marine
life in the sea, the Dapitaños had no fishing industry because they knew nothing about
using and making fishing nets. Rizal requested his brother-in-law Manuel Hidalgo to buy a
big net for trawl fishing, and to send him two competent Calamba fishermen to teach the
people better fishing methods.
As a businessman, the adventurous Rizal, with his partner, Ramon Carreon, tried
his luck in the fishing, hemp and copra industries. In a letter to his brother-in-law, Manuel
T. Hidalgo, he pointed out the potential of the fishing industry in the province (as the area
was abundant with fish and good beach). He also requested that two good Calamba
fishermen be sent to Dapitan to teach the fisher folks of the new fishing methods, using a
big net called pukutan. But the industry in which Rizal became more successful was in
hemp, shipping the said product to a foreign firm in Manila.
Rizal as a physician, build Casab Redonda, a replica of the octagonal clinic of Rizal.
He practiced medicine in Dapitan and gave the people free medicines. On August 1893,
her mother, her sister Trinidad and his nephew arrived in Dapitan. They lived with him for
almost one and half year. He operated successfully the eyes of her mother. Rizal had many
patients not only in Dapitan but from the neighboring towns as well.
As an agriculturist, Rizal devoted time in planting important crops and fruit-bearing
trees in his 16-hectare land (later, reaching as large as 70 hectares). He planted cacao,
coffee, sugarcane, and coconuts, among many others. He even invested part of his
earnings from being a medical practitioner and his 6000-peso winnings from a manila
lottery to procure a parcel of land near the shore of Talisay in March 1983. From the United
States, he imported agricultural machinery and introduced modern agricultural methods
to the native farmers.
Rizal dabbled in engineering as well. When he saw that the people of Dapitan had
to climb up a hill to get water, he showed them how to create waterworks made of bricks
that would make the water flow from the hills. With his knowledge as a land surveyor
(perito agrimensor), Rizal planned new street layouts of Dapitan and constructed them
with the cooperative labor of the people. He likewise set up a lighting system of coconut
oil lamps installed along dark streets. Using his limited knowledge of engineering, he
provided the town with a water system completed in 1895 with the help of his pupils and
the townspeople. A mountain streams several kilometers away supplied the water. The
foundations of a dam and aqueduct pipes were built out of discarded roof tiles, bricks, gin
bottles, and stones with mortar made out of burned seashells and corals. Recalling what
he learned in Belgium and Germany, he invented a wooden machine for making bricks,
manufacturing at least 6,000 bricks daily. He also introduced a hemp-stripping machine to
increase the productivity of the abaca planters.
In science, during his stay in Dapitan, he would collect various species of animals
and insects around him. He sent specimen he found to the Museum of Europe especially
the Dresden Museum. In return, he received scientific book and surgical instruments. He
had built up a rich collection of conchology (consisting 334 shells of 203 species). He
discovered rare specimens, which he sent to European friends in the scientific community,
were eventually named after him: Draco rizali (Rizal’s lizard/dragon), Rhacophorus rizali
(Rizal’s frog) and Apogonia rizali (Rizal’s beetle).
Rizal’s exile in Dapitan has not only bring darkness in his life but bring lightness for
all Filipinos. He made the most of it, he never let his exile ruin his living but shared his
talent and knowledge to the common people there. It is to be noted that all his work
experiences in Dapitan had made his practical nationalism stronger and he was fully
convinced that self-improvement and community improvement were impetus to national
governance, respect, honor and integrity.

Other Projects of Rizal in Dapitan

To the best of his God given talents and to awaken civic consciousness of the people
in Dapitan, Rizal did all he can for the town. He knew that "Malaria" was spread by
mosquitoes which thrive in swampy places, thus he spent many months draining the
marshes to get rid of Malaria. With the P500 than an English patient paid him, it was used
for the lighting system consisting of coconut oil lamps placed in dark streets. The
beautification of Dapitan was one of Rizal’s concerns with the help of his former Jesuit
teacher Father Sanchez. Together, they remodeled the town plaza to enhance its beauty.
In front of the church, he made a huge relief map of Mindanao out of earth, stones and
grass. This map which still exists today was used by Rizal as a motivating devise in the
teaching of geography to his pupils. With the aid of the map, he discussed with the
townspeople and visitors the position of Dapitan and its relation to the rest of Mindanao.

Katipunan Seeks Rizal’s Advice

Prior to the outbreak of the revolution, the Katipunan leader, Andres Bonifacio,
sought the advise of Jose Rizal. In a secret meeting on May 2, 1896 at Bitukang Manok
river in Pasig, the group agreed to send Dr. Pio Valenzuela as a representative to Dapitan
who will inform Rizal of their plan to launch a revolution against the Spaniards.
On June 21, 1896, Valencia told Rizal of the Katipunan’s plan. Regarding this, Rizal
outspokenly objected Bonifacio’s “premature” idea for two reasons:
1. the Filipinos were still unready for such bloody revolution; and
2. the Katipunan lacked machinery-before plotting a revolution, there must be a
sufficient arms and funds collected.
Valenzuela also told Rizal of their plan to rescue him in Dapitan. Again, the exiled
hero disagreed because he has no plan of breaking his word of honor to the Spanish
authorities.

Trial and Execution

The preliminary investigation of Rizal's case began on November 20, 1896. He was
accused of being the main organizer of the revolution by having proliferated the ideas of
rebellion and of founding illegal organizations. Rizal pleaded not guilty and even wrote a
manifesto appealing to the revolutionaries to discontinue the uprising. Rizal's lawyer, Lt.
Luis Taviel de Andrade, tried his best to save Rizal. However, on December 26, 1896, the
trial ended and the sentence was read. Jose Rizal was found guilty and sentenced to death
by firing squad.
On December 28, 1896, Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja signed the court
decision. He later decreed that Rizal be executed by firing squad at 7:00 a.m. of December
30.
Rizal, on his last remaining days, composed his longest poem, Mi Ultimo Adios,
which was about his farewell to the Filipino people. When his mother and sisters visited
him on December 29, 1896, Rizal gave away his remaining possessions. He handed his gas
lamp to his sister Trinidad and murmured softly in English, "There is something inside."
Eventually, Trining and her sister Maria would extract from the lamp the copy of Rizal's last
poem.
At 6:30 in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal, in black suit with his arms tied
behind his back, walked to Bagumbayan. The orders were given and shots were fired.
Consummatum est! ("It is finished!") Rizal died offering his life for his country and its
freedom.

Activity 3. Rizal in the Eyes of Filipino Youth: a Reflective Analysis

1. Complete the matrix chart with the positive and negative experiences of Rizal during his
higher education days, travel abroad, exile in Dapitan, trial, and execution.

Indicators Positive experiences Negative Experiences

Higher Education
 Travel Abroad

Exile

Trial

Execution

2. Based on the matrix chart, reflect and cite the important lessons you learned from the
life of Rizal.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3. Is Rizal an ideal model for the Filipino youth? Why?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Rubrics

Category 5 4 3 2 1
Matrix Chart 100% /All of 80% of the 60 % of 40% of the 20% of the
the contents the contents answers
contents are correct contents are are correct
are correct are correct
correct
 Important lessons The writer The writer The writer The writer The writer
from the life of includes 5 or includes 4 includes 3 includes 2 includes only
Rizal more lessons lessons lessons 1 lesson
lessons
Rizal as ideal 100%/All of 80% of the 60% of the 40% of the 20% of the
model of Filipino the sentences sentences sentences sentences
youth sentences are factful are factful are factful are factful
are factful and and and and cohesive
and cohesive cohesive cohesive
cohesive
Grammar 100% free of 80% free of 60% free of 40% free of 20% free of
grammatical grammatica grammatica grammatica grammatical
error l error l error l error error

Rubrics

Let us know Rizal more through these various films:

• Pluma: Si Rizal, ang Dakilang Manunulat
[Link]
• Jose Rizal Movie by Marilou Abaya
• Illustrado Episode 1-20 by GMA Network
• Jose Rizal: Sa Landas ng Paglaya
([Link]
•
Activity 4. Jose Rizal: Sa Landas ng Paglaya Film Evaluation
Watch the NCHPs documentary film “Jose Rizal: Sa Landas ng Paglaya” on
[Link] during your free time and then accomplish
the evaluation sheet by answering the following questions cogently.

I. Reaction (Check the blank below)

_______ Very favorable
_______ Favorable
_______ Unfavorable
_______ Uncertain

II. Your emotional response of the film in six words.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

III. In just six words, explain the purpose/theme/aim of film as you see it.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

IV. Make a summary of the film in fifty words.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

V. What are the values you learned from this film?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

I. Identification. Identify the following statement correctly by writing the answer on the
space provided before the number.
______________________________ 1. The old parish priest of Calamba who fostered
Rizal to value intellectual honesty and scholarship.
______________________________ 2. The first native poem written by Rizal when he was
eight (8) years old.
______________________________ 3. The complete name of the Philippine National
Hero.
______________________________ 4. A woman of refined culture and character, who
studied at Colegio de Sta. Rosa, with exemplary literary talents, with business ability and
was considered the great mother of Rizal.
______________________________ 5. Rizal’s sister who died at the age of three (3) and
her death was considered as the first sorrow of Rizal.
______________________________ 6. He was the priest that Rizal considered as the best
professor in Ateneo.
______________________________ 7. The school in Manila where Rizal first took the
college entrance examination.
______________________________ 8. The name used by Dr. Jose Rizal when he travelled
to Spain.
______________________________ 9. The school in Madrid, Spain where Dr. Jose Rizal
enrolled for the Licentiate in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.
______________________________ 10. The friend of Rizal who helped him continue and
practice his career as an eye surgeon.
______________________________ 11. The favorite place of Rizal with his student in
Dapitan where sometimes they held their lessons.
______________________________ 12. A discovered specimen of a flying dragon sent to
Dresden museum named after Dr. Jose Rizal.
______________________________ 13. The chosen defense counsel of Rizal in his case
that was from the first and second lieutenants that the Spaniards provided.
______________________________ 14. The governor who signed and approved the
court’s decision and ordered Rizal’s execution.
______________________________ 15. The last masterpiece of Rizal which was put inside
the alcohol cooking stove given to his sister, Trinidad.

II. Compare the following matters.

1. The youth of yesteryears and the youth of today
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. Curriculum of the elementary and high school before (Rizal’s time) and the
curriculum of the elementary and high school today (21 st century).
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. The Philippines during Rizal’s time and the Philippines during President Duterte’s
time.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

4. The women before (during Rizal’s time) and women today.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

II. Essay (5 points/question)

1. Describe the background of Rizal's ancestry that might have contributed to his
life and education.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

2. Compare the experiences of Rizal as a student in Ateneo Municipal, UST, and in

Madrid.
 ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

3. Who were the important persons that influenced Rizal in his intellectual pursuits?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

4. How would you assess Rizal's objection to the revolution?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

5. What were Rizal’s activities in Dapitan and its impact particularly to ethnic
minorities?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

References
Galicia, R. & Palencia, M. (2018). The Life and works of Jose Rizal. Sampaloc, Manila:
Fastbooks Educational Supply.
Obias, R., Mallari, A., and Estella, R. (2018). The Life and works of Jose Rizal. Quezon City:
C & E Publishing, Inc.
Pangilinan, M. C., Franco-Igloria, M. C., and Pasague, E. (2018). Life and works of Dr, Jose
P. Rizal: a modular approach based on the new CHED curriculum. Manila:
Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Mallari, A. & Estella, J. (2018). The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. Manila: C & E Publishing,
Inc.
De Viana, A., et. al. (2018) . Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot: a study of his life and
times. Manila: Rex Book Store.