Señor Tesoro College

Diversion Road Brgy. San Miguel Calasiao, Pangasinan

Chrissa Aranela C. Malit

Activity 2. Search for the Biography of Rizal.

Biography of Rizal (IMRAD Format)

I. Introduction
When one heard the word hero, one will immediately think that the person is
very brave, courageous, or a warrior. Here in the Philippines, the national hero who is
Dr. Jose Rizal didn’t used any weapons to fight the colonizers. Instead, he used his
knowledge in writings to convey his message to them and to stand for the independence
of the Philippines. The question is, what is his biography?

II. Method
The method used in this research is qualitative method because it requires
content analysis. The researcher used the internet as a source to collect the needed
data. Moreover, the researcher also considered credible sources to ensure the
credibility and viability of the research.

III. Results

Biography of Rizal

Dr. José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, is not only admired for possessing
intellectual brilliance but also for taking a stand and resisting the Spanish colonial
government. While his death sparked a revolution to overthrow the tyranny, Rizal will
always be remembered for his compassion towards the Filipino people and the country.
 Señor Tesoro College
Diversion Road Brgy. San Miguel Calasiao, Pangasinan

Humble beginnings

José Protasio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19, 1861 to
Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo in the town of Calamba in the province of
Laguna. He had nine sisters and one brother. At the early age of three, the future
political leader had already learned the English alphabet. And, by the age of five, José
could already read and write.

Upon enrolling at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (now referred to as Ateneo De

A man with multiple professions

While he originally obtained a land surveyor and assessor’s degree in Ateneo, Rizal
also took up a preparatory course on law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). But
when he learned that his mother was going blind, he decided to switch to medicine
school in UST and later on specialized in ophthalmology. In May 1882, he decided to
travel to Madrid in Spain, and earned his Licentiate in Medicine at the Universidad
Central de Madrid.

Apart from being known as an expert in the field of medicine, a poet, and an essayist,
Rizal exhibited other amazing talents. He knew how to paint, sketch, and make
sculptures. Because he lived in Europe for about 10 years, he also became a polyglot –
 Señor Tesoro College
Diversion Road Brgy. San Miguel Calasiao, Pangasinan

conversant in 22 languages. Aside from poetry and creative writing, Rizal had varying
degrees of expertise in architecture, sociology, anthropology, fencing, martial arts, and
economics to name a few.

His novels awakened Philippine nationalism

Rizal had been very vocal against the Spanish government, but in a peaceful and
progressive manner. For him, “the pen was mightier than the sword.” And through his
writings, he exposed the corruption and wrongdoings of government officials as well
as the Spanish friars.

While in Barcelona, Rizal contributed essays, poems, allegories, and editorials to the
Spanish newspaper, La Solidaridad. Most of his writings, both in his essays and
editorials, centered on individual rights and freedom, specifically for the Filipino
people. As part of his reforms, he even called for the inclusion of the Philippines to
become a province of Spain.

But, among his best works, two novels stood out from the rest – Noli Me
Tángere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of the Greed).

In both novels, Rizal harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in the country and
exposed the ills of Philippine society at the time. And because he wrote about the
injustices and brutalities of the Spaniards in the country, the authorities banned Filipinos
from reading the controversial books. Yet they were not able to ban it completely. As
more Filipinos read the books, their eyes opened to the truth that they were suffering
unspeakable abuses at the hands of the friars. These two novels by Rizal, now
considered his literary masterpieces, are said to have indirectly sparked the Philippine
Revolution.
 Señor Tesoro College
Diversion Road Brgy. San Miguel Calasiao, Pangasinan

Rizal’s unfateful days

Upon his return to the Philippines, Rizal formed a progressive organization called the
La Liga Filipina. This civic movement advocated social reforms through legal means.
Now Rizal was considered even more of a threat by the Spanish authorities (alongside
his novels and essays), which ultimately led to his exile in Dapitan in
northern Mindanao.

This however did not stop him from continuing his plans for reform. While in Dapitan,
Rizal built a school, hospital, and water system. He also taught farming and worked on
agricultural projects such as using abaca to make ropes.

In 1896, Rizal was granted leave by then Governor-General Blanco, after volunteering
to travel to Cuba to serve as doctor to yellow fever victims. But at that time,
the Katipunan had a full-blown revolution and Rizal was accused of being associated
with the secret militant society. On his way to Cuba, he was arrested in Barcelona and
sent back to Manila to stand for trial before the court martial. Rizal was charged with
sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion – and therefore, sentenced to death by firing squad.

Days before his execution, Rizal bid farewell to his motherland and countrymen through
one of his final letters, entitled Mi último adiós or My Last Farewell. Dr. José Rizal was
executed on the morning of December 30, 1896, in what was then called Bagumbayan
(now referred to as Luneta). Upon hearing the command to shoot him, he faced the
squad and uttered in his final breath: “Consummatum est” (It is finished). According
to historical accounts, only one bullet ended the life of the Filipino martyr and hero.
 Señor Tesoro College
Diversion Road Brgy. San Miguel Calasiao, Pangasinan

His legacy lives on

After his death, the Philippine Revolution continued until 1898. And with the assistance
of the United States, the Philippines declared its independence from Spain on June 12,
1898. This was the time that the Philippine flag was waved at General Emilio
Aguinaldo’s residence in Kawit, Cavite.

IV. Discussion

Dr. Jose Rizal is indeed a phenomenal hero. He contributed a lot for achieving
the independence of our country. Through his works, we became free from slavery. As
a youth, it is important for us to study his life so that we can preserve his legacy and we
can pay tribute to his life.

References:

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-life-and-legacy-of-jose-
rizal-the-philippines-national-hero/