Jose
Rizal: A Biographical Sketch
BY TEOFILO H. MONTEMAYOR |
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.
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