LET REVIEWER
GENERAL EDUCATION: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
1. Personal Background & Family
The complete name of the Philippine National Hero:
JOSÉ PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA
Rizal's common nickname:
PEPE
The exact date and place of Jose Rizal’s birth:
JUNE 19, 1861 IN CALAMBA, LAGUNA
The exact date of Rizal's baptism:
JUNE 22, 1861
The priest who baptized Rizal:
FR. RUFINO COLLANTES
The person who signed Rizal's baptismal certificate:
LEONCIO LOPEZ
The godfather of Jose Rizal:
FATHER PEDRO CASAÑAS
The parents of the national hero:
FRANCISCO MERCADO & TEODORA ALONZO
Rizal’s chronological rank among the eleven children of the Mercado family:
SEVENTH
The order and complete names of the 11 siblings:
SATURNINA, PACIANO, NARCISA, OLYMPIA, LUCIA, MARIA, JOSE RIZAL,
CONCEPCION, JOSEFA, TRINIDAD, SOLEDAD
Jose’s only brother and 'second father' who convinced and supported him to study in Europe:
PACIANO
The sister whose death at age three was Rizal's first sorrow and greatest heartbreak:
CONCEPCION (CONCHA)
The sister of Rizal who lived the longest, surviving up to the 1950s:
MARIA
The original surname of the family, which means 'merchant' in Spanish:
MERCADO
The surname adopted to comply with the Claveria Decree of 1849, meaning 'green field' or 'rice
field':
RIZAL (RICIAL)
The grandfather of Rizal on his father's side:
JUAN MERCADO
The Chinese paternal ancestor of Rizal from the Chinchew district:
DOMINGO LAMCO
The 1849 decree issued by Governor-General Narciso Claveria that ordered the allocation of
Spanish surnames to Filipinos:
CATALOGO ALFABETICO DE APELLIDOS (CLAVERIA DECREE)
The name of Rizal’s favorite black dog:
USMAN (UZMAN)
The name of Rizal's old pony:
ALIPATO
2. Early Education & Tutors
Rizal's first teacher who taught him the alphabet and early prayers:
DOÑA TEODORA
The tutor who stayed at the Rizal home to teach him Spanish and Latin:
LEON MONROY
The famous anecdote narrated by Doña Teodora that left a deep impression on Rizal about
making sacrifices for one's ideals:
THE STORY OF THE MOTH
Rizal's primary teacher in Biñan, Laguna, whom he described as a strict disciplinarian:
MAESTRO JUSTINIANO AQUINO CRUZ
The age at which Rizal could already read and write, coinciding with his first attributed poem:
8 YEARS OLD
3. Higher Education & Academic Achievements
The school where Rizal took and passed the entrance exam prior to entering Ateneo:
COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN
The nephew of Fr. Burgos who helped Rizal gain admission into Ateneo Municipal:
MANUEL BURGOS
The registrar at Ateneo Municipal who initially denied admission to Rizal:
MAGIN FERNANDO
The Jesuit school where Rizal earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors
(Sobresaliente):
ATENEO MUNICIPAL
The title given to the most outstanding student in the internal competitive system ('Roman
Empire') at Ateneo:
EMPEROR
The internal empire or division where he became the emperor:
CARTHAGINIAN EMPIRE
The university where Rizal first enrolled in Philosophy and Letters, before shifting to Medicine:
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST)
The two courses Rizal studied simultaneously while at the University of Santo Tomas:
PHILOSOPHY AND MEDICINE
The professional credential issued to Rizal on November 25, 1881 by Ateneo:
LICENSURE IN SURVEYING
The university in Spain where he finished his Licentiate in Medicine:
UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE MADRID
The institution where he studied painting and sculpture while studying medicine in Madrid:
ACADEMY DE SAN CARLOS
The fine arts institution where Rizal enrolled for drawing classes in Madrid:
ACADEMIA DE BELLA ARTES DE SAN FERNANDO
Rizal's drawing professor in Madrid:
MR. HAES
The approximate number of languages and dialects Rizal could speak and understand
throughout his lifetime:
MORE OR LESS 22 LANGUAGES
4. Medical Specialization & Practice
The medical specialization chosen by Rizal specifically to cure his mother’s failing eyesight:
OPHTHALMOLOGY
The leading French ophthalmologist in Paris whom Rizal assisted as a clinical tutor/assistant:
DR. LOUIS DE WECKERT
The German ophthalmologist and professor at the University of Heidelberg whom Rizal worked
for:
DR. OTTO BECKER
The location where Rizal successfully practiced medicine and conceptualized the 'Borneo
Colonization Project':
HONG KONG
5. Literary Works, Poems & Essays
The first poem attributed to Rizal, written at age 8, emphasizing love for one's native tongue:
SA AKING MGA KABABATA
The poem written by Rizal at age 9 upon the request of his mother:
A MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY
A poem written by Rizal in 1876 in fond memory of his beloved hometown:
UN RECUERDO A MI PUEBLO (IN MEMORY OF MY TOWN)
A prize-winning, silver pen-awarded poem dedicated to liberal-minded UST students where he
used the phrase 'The Youth is the Fair Hope of my Fatherland':
A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA (TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH)
An allegorical drama written by Rizal that won first prize in a literary contest, despite racial
discrimination against him as an 'Indio':
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (EL CONSEJO DE LOS DIOSES)
The title of the satirical play written by Rizal on December 8, 1880:
BESIDE THE PASIG
The very first foreign book read by Jose Rizal that deeply captivated his interest:
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO BY ALEXANDER DUMAS
A deeply melancholic poem written by Rizal in Madrid expressing the aching desires of his soul:
THEY ASK ME FOR VERSES
A beautiful poem expressing Rizal's intense longing for his native land, written while residing in
Germany:
TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG
The historical book by Antonio de Morga which Rizal meticulously annotated in London to prove
that early Filipinos possessed a rich culture before the arrival of the Spaniards:
SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
An essay where Rizal argued that the alleged 'laziness' of the natives was not inherent but was
a direct consequence of Spanish colonial policy:
LA INDOLENCIA DE LOS FILIPINOS (THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS)
A socio-political essay predicting the inevitable separation of the Philippines from Spain within a
century unless drastic reforms were made:
THE PHILIPPINES A CENTURY HENCE
An inspiring essay praising the young women of Bulacan for their revolutionary bravery and
desire to establish a night school to learn Spanish:
LETTER TO THE WOMEN OF MALOLOS
A poem written for his young student boys in Zamboanga during his period of confinement:
HYMN TO TALISAY
A profound poem written in Dapitan reflecting on his quiet, serene, and rustic life in exile:
ME RETIRO (MY RETREAT)
The untitled, masterpiece poem written by Rizal on his final nights at Fort Santiago, hidden
inside an alcohol cooking stove:
MI ULTIMO ADIOS (MY LAST FAREWELL)
The first sad poem written by Rizal dedicated to the Virgin Mary:
A LA VIRGEN MARIA
A poem which strongly suggested that education forms an integral and foundational part of
national character:
OUR MOTHERLAND RECEIVED LIGHT THROUGH EDUCATION
6. Major Novels & Publications
Rizal's first full-length novel, meaning 'Touch Me Not' from St. John 20:17, with the English title
'The Social Cancer':
NOLI ME TANGERE
The city and year where Noli Me Tangere was officially published:
BERLIN, GERMANY (1887)
The close friend known as the 'Savior of the Noli' who loaned Rizal 300 pesos to print 2,000
copies:
MAXIMO VIOLA
The terminology coined by Rizal in his first novel to describe the deep-seated structural defects
and corruption of Philippine colonial society:
SOCIAL CANCER
The sequel novel written by Rizal, meaning 'Subversive' or 'The Reign of Greed', dedicated to
the memory of the martyred priests GOMBURZA:
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
The city and year where El Filibusterismo was officially published:
GHENT, BELGIUM (1891)
The country where Rizal finished writing the final chapters of El Filibusterismo:
BELGIUM
The wealthy friend known as the 'Savior of the Fili' who provided the crucial financial aid to
complete its publication:
VALENTIN VENTURA
The primary pen names used by Rizal in his journalistic and socio-political writings:
LAONG LAAN (MEANING EVER READY) & DIMASALANG (MEANING UNTOUCHABLE)
The pen name Rizal fully intended to use for his planned, unfinished third novel:
MAKALINGAP
A wealthy friend and revolutionary supporter who smuggled copies of Rizal's novels and
assisted him in drafting the La Liga constitution:
JOSE MARIA BASA
7. Characters from the Novels
The primary protagonist of Noli Me Tangere who sought progressive social reforms specifically
through education:
CRISOSTOMO IBARRA
The real ancestral surname of Crisostomo Ibarra:
EIBARRAMENDIA
The character representing the 'ideal' and traditional Filipina, widely associated with Rizal's real-
life love, Leonor Rivera:
MARIA CLARA
The identity assumed by a resurrected Ibarra in El Filibusterismo, portraying a cynical, vengeful
revolutionist disguised as a wealthy jeweler:
SIMOUN
The noble, commoner character in Noli Me Tangere who sacrificed his life to save Ibarra and
represents the plight of the common Filipino:
ELIAS
The arrogant, cruel, and vindictive Spanish friar who serves as the chief antagonist in Noli Me
Tangere:
FATHER DAMASO
The young, promising student of the University of Santo Tomas who was constantly miserable
and disillusioned with the friar education system:
PLACIDO PENITENTE
The priest admirer who secretly harbored obsessive feelings for Maria Clara:
PARE SALVI
The character who represents a wise, misunderstood old scholar, labeled 'mad' or insane by the
uneducated masses:
PILOSOPO TASYO (DON ANASTACIO)
The character symbolizing the tragic, deeply suffering and driven-to-madness Motherland:
SISA
The innocent young sons of Sisa who served as sacristans and became victims of brutal
colonial oppression:
BASILIO & CRISPIN
The character of Basilio in the sequel El Filibusterismo:
AN ASPIRING MEDICAL DOCTOR
The abusive, low-class former laundry woman who married a Spanish military officer and styled
herself as the pretentious 'Muse of the Guardia Civil':
DOÑA CONSOLACION
The character who embodies extreme colonial mentality, artificial pretense, and disdain for her
own race:
DOÑA VICTORINA
The submissive, limp Spanish husband of Doña Victorina who fraudulently pretended to be a
medical doctor:
DON TIBURCIO
The direct would-be fiancé arranged for Maria Clara:
LINARES
A talented poet and Basilio's best friend in El Fili who was eventually jilted by Paulita Gomez:
ISAGANI
The devoted girlfriend of Basilio and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales:
JULIANA DE DIOS (JULI)
The father of Crispin and Basilio who was severely addicted to cockfighting:
PEDRO
A highly biased journalist in El Fili who foolishly believes he is the only intellectual thinker in the
entire archipelago:
ABRAHAM IBAÑEZ (BEN ZAYB)
An ordinary fellow who opportunistically married a wealthy woman to climb to the pinnacle of
Manila's high society:
DON CUSTODIO
The highly influential, brilliant lawyer of mid-Hispanic Manila from whom students sought
counsel:
ATTY PASTA
A wealthy Chinese businessman who conspired with Simoun and smuggled/hid weapons inside
his business premises:
QUIROGA
The highly respected Filipino priest in El Filibusterismo who famously threw Simoun’s ill-gotten
treasure jewels into the ocean:
PADRE FLORENTINO
8. Propaganda Movement & Travels
The official, fortnightly organ and newspaper of the Propaganda Movement established by
Filipino expatriates in Spain:
LA SOLIDARIDAD
The exact founding date of the La Solidaridad newspaper:
FEBRUARY 15, 1889
The exact date when the final issue of La Solidaridad was printed:
NOVEMBER 15, 1895
The first country Rizal travelled to when he left the Philippines for the first time in May 1882:
SPAIN
The Spanish steamer ship that carried Rizal from Manila to Singapore during his first voyage on
May 3, 1882:
SALVADORA (SS SALVADO)
The French steamer vessel Rizal boarded from Singapore to complete his journey to Europe:
DJEMNAH
The modern maritime engineering feat that Rizal traversed, which drastically shortened the
voyage from Manila to Europe to just 30 days:
SUEZ CANAL
The Protestant German pastor with whom Rizal stayed and formed a warm friendship at
Wilhelmsfeld:
PASTOR ULLMER
The country where Rizal met and fell in love with Seiko Usui, affectionately known as O-Sei-
San:
JAPAN
The city where Rizal stayed for a prolonged period to conduct his academic annotations of
Morga’s book:
LONDON
An Austrian scholar, school master, and Rizal’s ultimate best friend who fiercely defended
Filipino rights against Spanish detractors:
FERDINAND BLUMENTRITT
A temporary social club organized by Rizal for fellow Filipinos during the Universal Exposition in
Paris:
KIDLAT CLUB
A formal group of Filipino expatriates in Paris organized by Rizal to excel in various fields and
erase the derogatory 'Indio' stereotype:
INDIOS BRAVOS
The historical figure who led the Cavite Mutiny and signed the execution order of the
GOMBURZA martyrdom in 1872:
GOVERNOR-GENERAL RAFAEL IZQUIERDO
The friar who published a highly aggressive series of anti-Rizal pamphlets attacking the content
of Noli Me Tangere:
FATHER JOSE RODRIGUEZ
The date when Rizal returned to the Philippines for the first time after publishing his first novel:
JULY 5, 1887
9. La Liga Filipina & Exile in Dapitan
The civic, progressive organization founded by Rizal in Manila on July 3, 1892, with the motto
'Unus Instar Omnium' (One Like All):
LA LIGA FILIPINA
The Governor-General who ordered Rizal’s immediate deportation and political exile to
Zamboanga:
GENERAL EULOGIO DESPUJOL
The satirical, anti-friar leaflets allegedly discovered inside the pillowcase of Rizal's sister Lucia,
leading to his swift arrest:
POBRES FRAILES
The historic date on which the revolutionary Katipunan (KKK) was founded in Tondo, matching
the exact day Rizal's exile was announced:
JULY 7, 1892
The official newspaper of the Katipunan secret society:
KALAYAAN
The remote town in Zamboanga where Rizal lived out his political exile for four productive years
(1892–1896):
DAPITAN, ZAMBOANGA
The exact date when Rizal’s exile in Dapitan officially began:
JULY 14, 1892
The Spanish military commandant and governor in Dapitan who befriended Rizal and granted
him considerable personal freedom:
CAPTAIN RICARDO CARNICERO
The name of the innovative school system for young boys established by Rizal in Dapitan:
TALAMPISAY
An engineering feat achieved by Rizal in Dapitan to improve public health and provide clean
water to the community:
WATER SYSTEM
Rizal's extensive medical contributions during his exile, which included a delicate operation:
OPERATING ON HIS MOTHER'S EYES FOR THE THIRD TIME (FOR FREE)
Three distinct animal species discovered by and subsequently named in honor of Jose Rizal:
DRACO RIZALI (DRAGON), RACHOPHOROUS RIZALI (FROG), APOGONIA RIZALI
(BEETLE)
The beautiful Irish-born girl who arrived in Dapitan for medical help and became Rizal's
common-law wife, called his 'dulce extranjera':
JOSEPHINE BRACKEN
The secret emissary dispatched by Andres Bonifacio to Dapitan to consult Rizal regarding the
planned armed revolution:
DR. PIO VALENZUELA
10. Arrest, Trial, and Execution
The ultimate philosophy of peaceful change that Rizal lived and died by, rejecting violent
insurrection:
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
Rizal’s definitive stance on the sudden 1896 Katipunan revolution, arguing that the country was
unready and lacked proper weaponry:
NO TO THE REVOLUTION
The country where Rizal volunteered to serve as a civilian military surgeon, which was approved
before his final arrest:
CUBA
The Governor-General who granted Rizal official permission to travel to Cuba as a military
doctor:
GOVERNOR-GENERAL RAMON BLANCO
The historic fortress prison in Barcelona where Rizal was briefly locked up while en route to
Cuba before being sent back to Manila:
CASTILLO DE MONTJUICH
The historic military prison cell in Manila where Rizal was kept under heavy guard during his trial
and final days:
FORT SANTIAGO
The three explicit political crimes Rizal was formally charged with by the Spanish military court
tribunal:
SEDITION, CONSPIRACY, AND REBELLION (AND ORGANIZING ILLEGAL SOCIETIES)
The dedicated Spanish military officer who served as the defense counsel and lawyer for Rizal
during his trial:
LUIS TAVIEL DE ANDRADE
The Governor-General who signed the final, fatal death warrant confirming Rizal's execution:
GOVERNOR-GENERAL CAMILO DE POLAVIEJA
The exact date and time of Jose Rizal's execution by firing squad:
DECEMBER 30, 1896 AT 7:03 AM
The historic field where Rizal met his martyrdom, formerly known as Bagumbayan:
RIZAL PARK / LUNETA
The final exclamation uttered by Rizal at the exact moment of his execution, meaning 'It is
finished!':
CONSUMMATUM EST!
The special last request made by Rizal regarding the placement of the bullets during his
execution:
NOT TO BE SHOT IN THE HEAD (PACIANO'S REQUEST)
The physical maneuver executed by Rizal as the fatal shots were fired to prove he was not a
traitor to his country:
A FACING-UP FALL (TURNING TO FACE HIS EXECUTIONERS)
The initial burial place where Rizal’s body was placed in an unmarked, secret grave to prevent
public veneration:
PACO CEMETERY
The cryptic initials written on Rizal's hidden grave site to obscure his identity from Spanish
authorities:
RPJ
The devoted sister who tirelessly searched for and discovered Rizal's secret grave in Paco, and
who could memorize all his poems:
NARCISA
11. Legacy and Historic Honors
The first President who formally declared December 30 as a national day of mourning and grief
under the First Philippine Republic:
EMILIO AGUINALDO
The monument that houses the sacred mortal remains of the national hero, bearing the
inscription 'To the Memory of Jose Rizal':
RIZAL MONUMENT (LUNETA)
The legislative mandate, also known as Republic Act No. 1425, that requires the compulsory
study of Rizal's life, novels, and works across all schools:
RIZAL LAW
The primary author and passionate sponsor of the original Rizal Bill in Congress:
CLARO M. RECTO
The venerable senator who co-authored, fiercely defended, and championed the passage of the
Rizal Bill:
JOSE P. LAUREL
The President who signed Republic Act No. 1425 into law on June 12, 1956:
RAMON MAGSAYSAY
The legislative commission that officially designated and proclaimed Jose Rizal as the National
Hero of the Philippines during the American colonial period:
PHILIPPINE COMMISSION (TAFT COMMISSION)
The precise legal reality surrounding his status as the National Hero:
NEVER OFFICIALLY PROCLAIMED BY A SINGLE LAW, BUT FIRMLY ESTABLISHED
THROUGH HISTORICAL CONSENSUS AND LEGISLATIVE ACTS