José Rizal

José Rizal was a Filipino nationalist, writer, and polymath.

A polymath is a person who excels in many different fields of study. Rizal was active during the final years of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. He is widely considered a national hero of the Philippines. While he was a trained ophthalmologist, he also became a key leader in the Propaganda Movement. This movement worked to seek political reforms for the Philippine colony under Spanish rule. His intellectual contributions and writings eventually helped inspire the drive for Philippine independence.

Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna. His parents were Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos. He was the seventh child in their family. The family was of mestizo origin, meaning they had mixed ancestry. His father's lineage traced back to a Chinese merchant named Lam-co who arrived in 1697. His mother's family included Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish heritage. Even his maternal great-great-grandfather, Eugenio Ursua, had Japanese ancestry. The family lived in a large house called a bahay na bato. This house stood near the town plaza, which showed the family's influence.

Rizal showed a curious intellect from a very young age. His mother taught him the alphabet when he was three years old. By age five, he could already read and write. He grew up with many books and close relationships with his siblings. He was particularly close to his brother, Paciano. In his early education, Rizal studied in Biñan under a strict teacher named Justiniano Aquino Cruz. He found the school environment somewhat dismal and felt humbled by the strict methods. However, he excelled in his studies and even won a fight against a classmate who mocked his Spanish. He eventually left Biñan in 1870 to pursue secondary school in Manila.

Rizal's academic career was marked by many achievements and awards. He enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, where his command of Spanish improved greatly. He earned the title of class "emperor" and won several gold medals. He graduated on March 23, 1877, with a Bachelor in Arts degree. Later, he attended the University of Santo Tomas. He initially studied Philosophy and Letters because his father requested it. However, he later switched to medicine. He made this choice to help his mother, who was losing her sight. During this time, he also took a vocational course in land surveying.

In May 1882, Rizal traveled secretly to Spain to further his studies. He traveled by ship, passing through Singapore and the Suez Canal. He arrived in Spain in June 1882 and enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid. There, he studied both Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.

While living in Europe, he lived on a very tight budget. He often lacked enough money for food or even baths. Despite these hardships, he practiced many skills, including painting, sculpting, fencing, and shooting. He also joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino, a group of Filipinos and Spaniards in Spain.

Rizal's writings became central to the Philippine struggle for reform. He wrote two famous novels: Noli Me Tángere in 1887 and El Filibusterismo in 1891. These books are often viewed together as a national epic. In 1892, he established a secret society called La Liga Filipina in Manila. Shortly after, Spanish authorities arrested him. They accused him of possessing seditious documents. As a result, he was banished to Dapita on the island of Mindanao. During his four years of exile in Dapitan, he met Josephine Bracken, who became his common-law wife.

The end of Rizal's life was connected to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. In August 1896, he left his exile to serve as a doctor in Cuba. However, he was arrested while stopping in Barcelona. The Spanish government accused him of rebellion.

Although he did not plan the revolution, his writings had inspired it. He was executed by the Spanish colonial government in December 1896. His death became a significant event in the movement for independence. Today, he remains one of the most influential figures in Philippine history. While no official law has named him a national hero, the National Heroes Committee has recommended him for the honor.