Rizal 1

• Family and Lineage of Dr. Jose Rizal


  • Born on the moonlit night of Wednesday, June 19, 1861, in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna
  • His mother almost died during the delivery because of his big head
  • Baptized in the Catholic church of his town on June 22, aged three days old by the parish priest, Father Rufino Collantes, who was a Batangueno
  • His godfather (ninong) was Father Pedro Casanas, native of Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family
  • His name was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Jose)
• Jose Rizal


  • Youngest among the 13 children
  • Highly educated and attended the Latin school in Biñan and had obtained education at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila where he studied Latina and Philosophy
• Rizal's parents


  • Father - Lorenzo Alonzo: Highly distinguished man which occupied prominent government positions such as town Mayor of Biñan, Laguna and member of the Spanish Cortes
  • Mother - Brijida De Quintos: Well educated housewife, acquired her formal education at the Colegio de Santa Rosa Manila, possessed high educational attainment, had broad knowledge in arts, literature and mathematics
• Jose Rizal's lineage


  • Descended from a royal bloodline, his maternal origin suggested a royal bloodline
  • Rizal's father, Don Francisco, was a fourth-generation Chinese mestizo, descended from a Chinaman named Siang-co whose parents, Siang-co and Zin-nio were migrants from Fujian, China
  • In 1849, ordered all Filipinos to use Spanish family names to facilitate the tax-census registry, Don Francisco opted to adopt Rizal as their new family name
• The Rizal Children


  • Neneng (1850-1913)
  • Paciano (1851-1930)
  • Saturnina (1852-1939)
  • Narcisa (1855-1887)
  • Lucia (1857-1919)
  • Maria (1859-1945)
  • Jose (1861-1896)
  • Concepcion (1862-1865)
  • Josefa (1865-1945)
  • Trinidad (1868-1951)
  • Soledad (1870-1929)
• The Rizal Home and the Middle Class Family

  • The house of the Rizal family was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the Spanish times, a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles
  • Behind the house were the poultry yard full of turkeys and chickens and a big tree garden of tropical fruit trees
• As a young lad, Jose Rizal experienced events that traumatized his gentle spirit, including his mother's imprisonment due to a fabricated complaint and the unfair execution of GOMBURZA
• Legal status of inhabitants in the Philippines during Spanish colonization


  • Spaniards, indios or native, Chinese, mestizo (descendants of Chinese-indio marriage)
  • Mestizos had higher tax obligation than indios but lower than Chinese
• Rizal is "the very embodiment of the intelligentsia and petite bourgeoisie", and his greatness stemmed from an inborn attribute
• Early education of Dr. Jose Rizal

  1. Studied under Maestro Celestino, Maestro Lucas Padua and Leon Monroy

  2. Used the reader "El Amigo de los Niños (The Children Friend)"

  3. Prominent lesson learned as a young boy was from "The Story of the moth"

  4. Inspired by uncles Gregorio, Jose and Manuel, and his yaya who taught him stories about dwarves, ghosts, aswangs and other Calamba tales
• Rizal's formal schooling


  1. Started in Biñan, Laguna in 1870 under Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, excelled among his peers

  2. Studied at Ateneo Municipal Manila from 1872-1877, obtained Bachelor of Arts degree with excellent grades

  3. Studied Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, also enrolled in surveying at Ateneo Municipal

  4. Won first prizes in literary contests sponsored by Liceo Artistico-Literario of Manila
• Rizal's stay at the University of Santo Tomas was unhappy due to unpleasant Dominican professors, racial discrimination, and old-fashioned instructional approach
• Sa Aking mga Kabata

  • Rizal's first poem, traditionally believed to be written when he was 8 years old in 1869
  • Played a great part in molding nationalistic pride among young citizens
  • Authorship of the poem is subject to suspicion due to use of letter 'k' and the word 'kalayaan' which were not common during Rizal's childhood
• Places Rizal wishes to visit on a world tour

  • 5 places
• Reason for visiting each place

  Provide reason
• Rizal-Hitler Connection
• Jack the Ripper Controversy
• Rizal on board of steamship "Salvadora"


  MAY 3, 1882
• Rizal on board of Djemnah

  MAY 17-18, 1882
• Colombo


  Scenic beauty and elegant buildings, more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila
• Rizal impressed with the beautiful moonlight at Suez Canal which reminded him of Calamba


  JUNE 2, 1882
• Barcelona


  Welcomed by schoolmates in Ateneo at Plaza De Cataluña café, Enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Medicine and Philosophy & Letters on Nov 3, 1882
• In Naples Rizal observed the business activity, lively people, and its panoramic beauty, In Marseilles he visited Chateau de I'f (Dantes, the hero of the Count of Monte Cristo)


  JUNE 12-13, 1882
• In Madrid Rizal studied sculpture, drawing and art in San Carlos, Took language lesson with Mr. Hughes, Spent time reading, writing, attending reunions of Filipino students in the house of Pedro & Antonio Paterno, Practiced fencing, shooting, gymnastics, Read Harriett Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tombs Cabin" and Eugene Sue's "The Wandering Jew"


  JUNE 16, 1882
• In Paris Rizal learned French, Stayed at the Hotel de Paris but moved to a cheaper hotel, Visited museums and attracted by its scenery, Observed Dr. Nicaise at Laennec Hospital on how he treated his patients, Visited Lariboisiere Hospital and observed the different diseases of women, with an empty stomach, he joined a contest in Greek language and won the gold medal


  JUNE 17-AUG 20, 1883
• Rizal finished Licentiate in Medicine at Universidad Central de Madrid, Studied English, French, Italian, German, so as to prepare for his travels. By knowing the language, he could learn their customs, and lessons from their history that might be advantageous to Filipinos

  JUNE 21, 1884
• Rizal gave a speech for Juan Luna's first prize-painting, the "Spoliarium" in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Together with Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo's "Christians Virgins exposed to the populace"

  JUNE 24, 1884
• Rizal joined the Madrid bloody riots by students of Central University student demonstration caused by the speech of Dr. Miguel Morayta during the opening ceremonies in proclaiming "the freedom of Science and the Teacher"


  JUNE 25, 1884
• Rizal explained the term "Filibusterismo" in the newspaper of Madrid El Progreso, calling the attention of the Spanish authorities over the case of future of the Filipinos


  JULY 1, 1884
• Rizal started writing his Noli Me Tangere


  NOV 20-22, 1884
• Rizal awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by Universidad Central de Madrid with a rating of "excellent"


  JUNE 19, 1885
• Rizal worked as assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, a French ophthalmologist


  NOV 1885-FEB 1886
• Rizal wrote his first letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt from Heidelberg and sent him a book of arithmetic written in Tagalog. And with this, a gracious communication and friendship between the two men started


  FEBRUARY 1886
• Rizal left Paris for Germany, arrived at Heidelberg on Feb 3, He wrote the poem "To the Flowers of Heidelberg" on April 22, 1886


  FEBRUARY 1886
• Rizal left Heidelberg for Leipzig on August 9, 1886 on a train


  JULY 13 1886
• Reasons why Rizal stayed in Berlin

  To gain further knowledge in Ophthalmology, Further study sciences and languages, Observe the economic and political conditions of Germany, Associate with German scientists and artists, Publish the Noli Me Tangere
• Rizal stayed from Aug 15-Oct 29 in Berlin due to cheapest cost of living, Befriended historian Prof. Friedrich Ratzel (historian) and Dr. Hans Meyer (anthropologist/ethnologist)

  AUG-OCT 1886
• Rizal met Dr. Feogor Jagor (author of Travels in the Philippines), Dr. Rudolph Virchow (German Anthropologist), Dr. Hans Virchow (Professor of Descriptive Anatomy), Dr. W. Joest(German Geographer), Dr. Ernest Schweigger (German Opthalmologist whom had Rizal worked)

  NOV 1-MAY 11 1886
• Rizal's observation with German Women


  Serious, diligent, educated and friendly, Not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome, Not particular with what dresses to wear, or expensive jewelry
• Rizal's words to Trinidad

  Now that you are still young, you should strive to read and learn. You must not allow yourself to be conquered by indolence because it costs so little to cast it off