Early life Jose Rizal was born to the wealthy Mercado-Rizal family in Calamba , Laguna of the Philippines. The Mercado- Rizal’s were considered one of the most prestigious Filipino families during their time. Jose Rizal came from the 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso Realonda , and nine sisters and one brother. His parents were leaseholders of a hacienda and an accompanying rice farm by the Dominicans.[11][12]From an early age, Jose Rizal Mercado showed a precocious intellect. He learned the alphabet from his mother at 3, and could read and write at age 5.[12] Upon enrolling at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, José dropped the last three names that make up his full name, on the advice of his brother, Paciano Rizal, and the Mercado-Rizal family, thus rendering his name as José Protasio Rizal. Of this, Rizal writes: My family never paid much attention [to our second surname Rizal], but now I had to use it, thus giving me the appearance of an illegitimate child![13] This was to enable him to travel freely and disassociate him from his brother, who had gained notoriety with his earlier links to Gomburza. From early childhood, José and Paciano were already advancing unheard-of political ideas of freedom and individual rights which infuriated the authorities.[note 1][note 2] Despite the name change, José, as Rizal soon distinguished himself in poetry writing contests, impressing his professors with his facility with Castilian and other foreign languages, and later, in writing essays that were critical of the Spanish historical accounts of the pre-colonial Philippine societies. Indeed, by 1891, the year he finished his El filibusterismo, this second surname had become so well known that, as he writes to another friend, All my family now carry the name Rizal instead of Mercado because the name Rizal means persecution! Good! I too want to join them and be worthy of this family name... Education Rizal, 11 years old, a student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila Rizal first studied under Justinian o Aquino Cruz in Biñan, Laguna before he was sent to Manila. As to his fathers request, he took the entrance examination in Colegio de San Juan de Letran and studied there for almost three months. He then enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and graduated as one of the nine students in his class declared sobresaliente or outstanding. He continued his education at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila to obtain a land surveyor and assessors degree, and at the same time at the University of Santo Tomas where he did take up a preparatory course in law.[15] Upon learning that his mother was going blind, he decided to switch to medicine at the medical school of Santo Tomas specializing later in ophthalmology. José Rizal as a student at the University of Santo Tomas Without his parents knowledge and consent, but secretly supported by his brother Paciano, he traveled alone to Madrid, Spain in May 1882 and studied medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid where he earned the degree, Licentiate in Medicine. Also, he also attended medical lectures at the University of Paris and the University of Heidelberg. In Berlin he was inducted as a member of the Berlin Ethnological Society and the Berlin Anthropological Society under the patronage of the famous pathologist Rudolf Virchow. Following custom, he delivered an address in German in April 1887 before the Anthropological Society on the orthography and structure of the Tagalog language. He left Heidelberg a poem, A las flores del Heidelberg, which was both an evocation and a prayer for the welfare of his native land and the unification of common values between East and West .At Heidelberg, the 25-year-old Rizal, completed in 1887 his eye specialization under the renowned professor, Otto Becker. There he used the newly invented ophthalmoscope (invented by Hermann von Helmholtz) to later operate on his own mothers eye. From Heidelberg, Rizal wrote his parents: I spend half of the day in the study of German and the other half, in the diseases of the eye. Twice a week, I go to the bierbrauerie, or beer hall, to speak German with my student friends. He lived in a Karlstraße boarding house then moved to Ludwigsplatz. There, he met Reverend Karl Ullmer and stayed with them in Wilhelmsfeld, where he wrote the last few chapters of Noli Me Tángere.Rizal was a polymath, skilled in both science and the arts. He painted, sketched, and made sculptures and woodcarving. He was a prolific poet, essayist, and novelist whose most famous works were his two novels, Noli Me Tángere and its sequel, El filibusterismo.[note 3][7] These social commentaries during the Spanish colonization of the country formed the nucleus of literature that inspired peaceful reformists and armed revolutionaries alike. Rizal was also a polyglot, conversant in twenty-two languages.[note 4][note 5][16][17]Rizals multifacetedness was described by his German friend, Dr. Adolf Meyer, as stupendous.[note 6] Documented studies show him to be a polymath with the ability to master various skills and subjects.[16][18][18][19] He was an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative writing, he dabbled, with varying degrees of expertise, in architecture, cartography, economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting. He was also a Freemason, joining Acacia Lodge No. 9 during his time in Spain and becoming a Master Mason in 1884. Personal life, relationships and ventures Rednaxela Terrace is where Dr. José Rizal lived during his self-imposed exile in Hong Kong (photo taken in 2011)José Rizals life is one of the most documented of 19th century Filipinos due to the vast and extensive records written by and about him.[20] Almost everything in his short life is recorded somewhere, being himself a regular diarist and prolific letter writer, much of the material having survived. His biographers, however, have faced difficulty in translating his writings because of Rizals habit of switching from one language to another.They drew largely from his travel diaries with their insights of a young Asian encountering the West for the first time. They included his later trips, home and back again to Europe through Japan and the United States, and, finally, through his self-imposed exile in Hong Kong.Shortly after he graduated from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (now Ateneo de Manila University), Rizal (who was then 16 years old) and a friend, Mariano Katigbak, came to visit Rizals maternal grandmother in Tondo, Manila. Mariano brought along his sister, Segunda Katigbak, a 14-year old Batangueña from Lipa, Batangas. It was the first time they met and Rizal described Segunda as rather short, with eyes that were eloquent and ardent at times and languid at others, rosy–cheeked, with an enchanting and provocative smile that revealed very beautiful teeth, and the air of a sylph; her entire self diffused a mysterious charm. His grandmothers guests were mostly college students and they knew that Rizal had skills in painting. They suggested that Rizal should make a portrait of Segunda. He complied reluctantly and made a pencil sketch of her. Unfortunately for him, Katigbak was engaged to Manuel Luz.[21] osephine Bracken was Rizals common-law wife whom he reportedly married shortly before his execution Relationship with Josephine BrackenFurther information: Josephine BrackenIn February 1895, Rizal, 33, became acquainted with an Irish woman from Hong Kong named Josephine Bracken when she accompanied her blind adoptive father, George Taufer, to have his eye checked by Rizal.[25] After frequent visits, Rizal and Bracken soon fell in love with each other and later applied for marriage, but because of his bad reputation from his own writings and political stance, the local priest Father Obach, only agreed to the hold the ceremony if Rizal could get a permission from the Bishop of Cebu. He was unable to obtain an ecclesiastical marriage because he would not return to Catholicism.[5]After accompanying her father to Manila on her return to Hong Kong and before heading back to Dapitanto live with Rizal, she introduced herself to members of his family in Manila. His mother suggested a civil marriage who believed it as a lesser sacrament, and would be less sinful to Rizals conscience than making any sort of political retraction in order to gain permission from the Bishop.[26] He, nonetheless, considered Josephine to be his wife and the couple lived together in Talisay in Dapitan. Reportedly, the couple had a child, Francísco Rizal y Bracken, who was stillborn and only lived for a few hours.[27] In Brussels and Spain (1890-1892) In 1890, Rizal, 29, left Paris for Brussels as he was preparing for the publication of his annotations of Antonio de Morgas Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. There, he lived in the boarding house of the two Jacoby sisters, Catherina and Suzanna who had a niece also named Suzanna (Thil), 16. Historian Gregorio F. Zaide states that Rizal had his romance with Suzanne Jacoby, 45, the petite niece of his landladies. Belgian Pros Slachmuylders, however, believed that Rizal had a romance with the niece, Suzanna Thil, in 1890.[28] Belgian Jean Paul Verstraeten proved this.[29] Jean Paul traced in the archives of Brussels that in the same house as Suzanne Jacoby, a little niece was living, Suzanne Till. Letters from Suzanne to Rizal were signed by Petite Suzanne.Rizals Brussels stay was short-lived, as he moved to Madrid, leaving the young Suzanna a box of chocolates. Suzanna replied in French: After your departure, I did not take the chocolate. The box is still intact as on the day of your parting. Don’t delay too long writing us because I wear out the soles of my for running to the mailbox to see if there is a letter from you. There will never be any home in which you are so loved as in that in Brussels, so, you little bad boy, hurry up and come back… (Oct. 1, 1890 letter). The house where Rizal was staying, in Rue Philippe de Champagne 38 doesnt exist anymore following some writers. (the house numbers jump from 36 to 42). Jean Paul Verstraeten proved during his research that this house still exists, on August 10, 1900, the number of the house was changed into 42.[30] Jean Paul traced the owner of this house and convinced her to put a historical marker. Slachmuylders’ group in 2007 unveiled this historical marker commemorating Rizals stay in Brussels in 1890.[28]The content of Rizals writings changed considerably in his two most famous novels, Noli Me Tángere, published in Berlin in 1887, and El Filibusterismo, published in Ghent in 1891 with funds borrowed largely from Rizals friends. These writings angered both the Spanish colonial elite and many educated Filipinos due to their insulting symbolism. They are critical of Spanish friars and the power of the Church. Rizals friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, an Austria-Hungary born professor and historian wrote that the novels characters were drawn from real life and that every episode can be repeated on any day in the Philippines.[31]Blumentritt was the grandson of the Imperial Treasurer at Vienna in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and a staunch defender of the Catholic faith. This did not dissuade him however from writing the preface of El filibusterismo after he had translated Noli Me Tángere into German. As Blumentritt had warned, these led to Rizals prosecution as the inciter of revolution and eventually, to a military trial and execution. The intended consequence of teaching the natives where they stood brought about an adverse reaction, as the Philippine Revolution of 1896 took off virulently thereafter. Rizal wrote mostly in Spanish, the then lingua franca of scholars, though some of his letters (for example Sa Mga Kababaihang Taga Malolos) were written in Tagalog. His works have since been translated into a number of languages including Tagalog and English. Novels and essays • Noli Me Tángere, novel, 1887 (literally Latin for touch me not, from John 20:17)[42] • El Filibusterismo, (novel, 1891), sequel to Noli Me Tángere • Mi Último Adiós, poem, 1896 (literally My Last Farewell ) • Alin Mang Lahi” (“Whate’er the Race”), a Kundiman attributed to Dr. José Rizal[43] • The Friars and the Filipinos (Unfinished) • Toast to Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo (Speech, 1884), given at Restaurante Ingles, Madrid • The Diaries of José Rizal • Rizals Letters is a compendium of Dr. Jose Rizals letters to his family members, Blumentritt, Fr. Pablo Pastells and other reformers • Come se gobiernan las Filipinas (Governing the Philippine islands) • Filipinas dentro de cien años essay, 1889-90 (The Philippines a Century Hence) • La Indolencia de los Filipinos, essay, 1890 (The indolence of Filipinos) [44] • Makamisa unfinished novel • Sa Mga Kababaihang Taga Malolos, essay, 1889, To the Young Women of Malolos • Annotations to Antonio de Moragas, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (essay, 1889, Events in the Philippine Islands) El filibusterismo (UP Diliman). The Triumph of Science over Death, by Rizal. Poetry • A La Juventud Filipina • El Canto Del Viajero • Briayle Crismarl • Canto Del Viajero • Canto de María Clara • Dalit sa Paggawa • Felictación • Kundiman (Tagalog) • Me Piden Versos • Mi primera inspiracion • Mi Retiro • Mi Ultimo Adiós • Por La Educación (Recibe Lustre La Patria) • Sa Sanggol na si Jesus • To My Muse (A Mi Musa) • Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo • A Man in Dapitan Plays • El Consejo de los Dioses (The council of Gods) • Junto Al Pasig (Along the Pasig)[45]:381 • San Euistaquio, Mártyr (Saint Eustache, the martyr)[46] Other works Rizal also tried his hand at painting and sculpture. His most famous sculptural work was The Triumph of Science over Death, a clay sculpture of a naked young woman with overflowing hair, standing on a skull while bearing a torch held high. The woman symbolized the ignorance of humankind during the Dark Ages, while the torch she bore symbolized the enlightenment science brings over the whole world. He sent the sculpture as a gift to his dear friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, together with another one named The Triumph of Death over Life.The woman is shown trampling the skull, a symbol of death, to signify the victory the humankind achieved by conquering the bane of death through their scientific advancements. The original sculpture is now displayed at the Rizal Shrine Museum at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila. A large replica, made of concrete, stands in front of Fernando Calderón Hall, the building which houses the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines Manila along Pedro Gil Street in Ermita, Manila. Reactions after death An engraving of the execution of Filipino Insurgents at Bagumbayan (now Luneta) Historical marker of José Rizals execution site. Retraction controversy Several historians report that Rizal retracted his anti-Catholic ideas through a document which stated: I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct have been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.[note 11] However, there are doubts of its authenticity given that there is no certificate of Rizals Catholic marriage to Josephine Bracken.[47] Also there is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery.[48]After analyzing six major documents of Rizal, Ricardo Pascual concluded that the retraction document, said to have been discovered in 1935, was not in Rizals handwriting. Senator Rafael Palma, a former President of the University of the Philippines and a prominent Mason, argued that a retraction is not in keeping with Rizals character and mature beliefs.[49] He called the retraction story a pious fraud.[50] Others who deny the retraction are Frank Laubach,[16] a Protestant minister; Austin Coates,[24] a British writer; and Ricardo Manapat, director of the National Archives.[51]Those who affirm the authenticity of Rizals retraction are prominent Philippine historians such as Nick Joaquin,[note 12] Nicolas Zafra of UP[52] León María Guerrero III,[note 13] Gregorio Zaide,[54] Guillermo Gómez Rivera, Ambeth Ocampo,[51] John Schumacher,[55] Antonio Molina,[56] Paul Dumol[57] and Austin Craig.[19] They take the retraction document as authentic, having been judged as such by a foremost expert on the writings of Rizal, Teodoro Kalaw (a 33rd degree Mason) and handwriting experts...known and recognized in our courts of justice, H. Otley Beyer and Dr. José I. Del Rosario, both of UP.[52]Historians also refer to 11 eyewitnesses when Rizal wrote his retraction, signed a Catholic prayer book, and recited Catholic prayers, and the multitude who saw him kiss the crucifix before his execution. A great grand nephew of Rizal, Fr. Marciano Guzman, cites that Rizals 4 confessions were certified by 5 eyewitnesses, 10 qualified witnesses, 7 newspapers, and 12 historians and writers including Aglipayan bishops, Masons and anti-clericals.[58] One witness was the head of the Spanish Supreme Court at the time of his notarized declaration and was highly esteemed by Rizal for his integrity.[59]Because of what he sees as the strength these direct evidence have in the light of the historical method, in contrast with merely circumstantial evidence, UP professor emeritus of history Nicolas Zafra called the retraction a plain unadorned fact of history.[52] Guzmán attributes the denial of retraction to the blatant disbelief and stubbornness of some Masons.[58]Supporters see in the retraction Rizals moral courage...to recognize his mistakes,[54][note 14] his reversion to the true faith, and thus his unfading glory,[59] and a return to the ideals of his fathers which did not diminish his stature as a great patriot; on the contrary, it increased that stature to greatness.[62] On the other hand, senator Jose Diokno stated, Surely whether Rizal died as a Catholic or an apostate adds or detracts nothing from his greatness as a Filipino... Catholic or Mason, Rizal is still Rizal - the hero who courted death to prove to those who deny our patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and our beliefs.[63] Mi último adiós Main article: Mi último adiós The poem is more aptly titled, Adiós, Patria Adorada (literally Farewell, Beloved Fatherland), by virtue of logic and literary tradition, the words coming from the first line of the poem itself. It first appeared in print not in Manila but in Hong Kong in 1897, when a copy of the poem and an accompanying photograph came to J. P. Braga who decided to publish it in a monthly journal he edited. There was a delay when Braga, who greatly admired Rizal, wanted a good job of the photograph and sent it to be engraved in London, a process taking well over two months. It finally appeared under Mi último pensamiento, a title he supplied and by which it was known for a few years. Thus, when the Jesuit Balaguers anonymous account of the retraction and the marriage to Josephine was appearing in Barcelona, no word of the poems existence reached him in time to revise what he had written. His account was too elaborate that Rizal would have had no time to write Adiós.Six years after his death, when the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 was being debated in the United States Congress, Representative Henry Cooper of Wisconsin rendered an English translation of Rizals valedictory poem capped by the peroration, Under what clime or what skies has tyranny claimed a nobler victim?[64] Subsequently, the US Congress passed the bill into law which is now known as the Philippine Organic Act of 1902.[65]This was a major breakthrough for a US Congress that had yet to grant equal rights to African Americans guaranteed to them in the US Constitution and the Chinese Exclusion Act was still in effect. It created the Philippine legislature, appointed two Filipino delegates to the US Congress, extended the US Bill of Rights to Filipinos, and laid the foundation for an autonomous government. The colony was on its way to independence.[65] The Americans, however, would not sign the bill into law until 1916 and did not recognize Philippine Independence until the Treaty of Manila in 1946—fifty years after Rizals death.This same poem which has inspired liberty-loving peoples across the region and beyond was recited (in its Indonesian translation by Rosihan Anwar) by Indonesian soldiers of independence before going into battle.[66] Later life of Bracken Josephine Bracken, whom Rizal addressed as his wife on his last day,[67] promptly joined the revolutionary forces in Cavite province,making her way through thicket and mud across enemy lines, and helped reloading spent cartridges at the arsenal in Imus under the revolutionary General Pantaleón García. Imus came under threat of recapture that the operation was moved, with Bracken, to Maragondon, the mountain redoubt in Cavite.[68]She witnessed the Tejeros Convention prior to returning to Manila and was summoned by the Governor-General, but owing to her stepfathers American citizenship she could not be forcibly deported. She left voluntarily returning to Hong Kong. She later married another Filipino, Vicente Abad, a mestizo acting as agent for the Tabacalera firm in the Philippines. She died of tubercolosis in Hong Kong in March 15, 1902 and was buried at the Happy Valley Cemetery.[68] She was immortalized by Rizal in the last stanza of Mi Ultimo Adios: Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, my joy.... Polavieja and Blanco Polavieja faced condemnation by his countrymen after his return to Spain. While visiting Girona, in Catalonia, circulars were distributed among the crowd bearing Rizals last verses, his portrait, and the charge that Polavieja was responsible for the loss of the Philippines to Spain.[69] Ramon Blanco later presented his sash and sword to the Rizal family as an apology.[citation needed] Criticism and controversies Attempts to debunk legends surrounding Rizal, and the tug of war between free thinker and Catholic, have kept his legacy controversial. Rizal Shrine in Calamba City, Laguna, the ancestral house and birthplace of José Rizal, is now a museum housing Rizal memorabilia. José Rizals original grave at Paco Park in Manila. Slightly renovated and date repainted in English. National Hero status The confusion over Rizals real stance on the Philippine Revolution leads to the sometimes bitter question of his ranking as the nations premier hero.[70][71] But then again, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Section Chief Teodoro Atienza, and Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, there is no Filipino historical figure, including Rizal, that was officially declared as national hero through law or executive order.[72][73] Although, there were laws and proclamations honoring Filipino heroes. Made National Hero by colonial Americans Some suggest that Jose Rizal was made a legislated national hero by the American forces occupying Philippines. In 1901, the American Governor General William Howard Taft suggested that the U.S. sponsored Philippine Commission name Rizal a national hero for Filipinos. Jose Rizal was an ideal candidate, favourable to the American occupiers since he was dead, and non-violent - both favourable qualities which, if emulated by Filipinos, would not threaten the American rule or change the status quo of the occuppiers of Philippine islands. Rizal did not advocate freedom for Philippines either.[74] Subsequently, the US-sponsored commission passed Act No. 346 which set the anniversary of Rizal’s death as a “day of observance.”[75]Renato Constantino writes Rizal is a United States-sponsored hero who was promoted as the greatest Filipino hero during the American colonial period of the Philippines – after Aguinaldo lost the Philippine–American War. The United States promoted Rizal, who represented peaceful political advocacy (in fact, repudiation of violent means in general) instead of more radical figures whose ideas could inspire resistance against American rule. Rizal was selected over Bonifacio who was viewed too radical and Apolinario Mabini who was considered unregenerate.[76] Made National Hero by General Aguinaldo On the other hand, numerous sources[77] quote that it was General Emilio Aguinaldo, and not the second Philippine Commission, who first recognized December 30 as national day of mourning in memory of Rizal and other victims of Spanish tyranny. As per them, the first celebration of Rizal Day was held in Manila on December 30, 1898, under the sponsorship of the Club Filipino.[78]The veracity of both claims seems to be justified and hence difficult to ascertain. However, most historians agree that a majority of Filipinos were unaware of Rizal during his lifetime,[79] as he was a member of the richer elite classes (he was born in an affluent family, had lived abroad for nearly as long as he had lived in the Philippines) and wrote primarily in an elite language (at that time, Tagalog and Cebuano were the languages of the masses) about ideals as lofty as freedom (the masses were more concerned about day to day issues like earning money and making a living, something which has not changed much today either)[80]Teodoro Agoncillo opines that the Philippine national hero, unlike those of other countries, is not the leader of its liberation forces. He gives the opinion that Andrés Bonifacio not replace Rizal as national hero, like some have suggested, but that be honored alongside him.[81]Constantinos analysis has been criticised for its polemicism and inaccuracies.[82] The historian Rafael Palma, contends that the revolution of Bonifacio is a consequence wrought by the writings of Rizal and that although the Bonifacios revolver produced an immediate outcome, the pen of Rizal generated a more lasting achievement.[83] References to the Catholic Church In one recorded fall from grace he succumbed to the temptation of a lady of the camellias. The writer, Maximo Viola, a friend of Rizals, was alluding to Dumass 1848 novel, La dame aux camelias, about a man who fell in love with a courtesan. While the affair was on record, there was no account in Violas letter whether it was more than one-night and if it was more a business transaction than an amorous affair.[84][85][note 15] Critiques of Books Others present him as a man of contradictions. Miguel de Unamuno in Rizal: the Tagalog Hamlet, said of him, a soul that dreads the revolution although deep down desires it. He pivots between fear and hope, between faith and despair.[86] His critics assert this character flaw is translated into his two novels where he opposes violence in Noli and appears to advocate it in Fili, contrasting Ibarras idealism to Simouns cynicism. His defenders insist this ambivalence is trounced when Simoun is struck down in the sequels final chapters, reaffirming the authors resolute stance, Pure and spotless must the victim be if the sacrifice is to be acceptable.[87]Many thinkers tend to find the characters of Maria Clara and Ibarra (Noli me Tangere) poor role models, Maria Clara being too frail, and young Ibarra being too accepting of circumstances, rather than being courageous and bold.[88]In El Filibusterismo, Rizal had Father Florentino say: ...our liberty will (not) be secured at the swords point...we must secure it by making ourselves worthy of it. And when a people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn.[87] Rizals attitude to the Philippine Revolution is also debated, not only based on his own writings, but also due to the varying eyewitness accounts of Pío Valenzuela, a doctor who in 1895 had consulted Rizal in Dapitan on behalf of Bonifacio and the Katipunan. Rizals role in the Philippine revolution Upon the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in 1896, Valenzuela surrendered to the Spanish authorities and testified in military court that Rizal had strongly condemned an armed struggle for independence when Valenzuela asked for his support. Rizal had even refused him entry to his house. Bonifacio, in turn, had openly denounced him as a coward for his refusal.[note 16]But years later, Valenzuela testified that Rizal had been favorable to an uprising as long as the Filipinos were well-prepared, and well-supplied with arms. Rizal had suggested that the Katipunan get wealthy and influential Filipino members of society on their side, or at least ensure they would stay neutral. Rizal had even suggested his friend Antonio Luna to lead the revolutionary forces since he had studied military science.[note 17] In the event that the Katipunan was discovered prematurely, they should fight rather than allow themselves to be killed. Valenzuela said to historian Teodoro Agoncillo that he had lied to the Spanish military authorities about Rizals true stance toward a revolution in an attempt to exculpate him.[89]Before his execution, Rizal wrote a proclamation denouncing the revolution. But as noted by historian Floro Quibuyen, his final poem Mi ultimo adios contains a stanza which equates his coming execution and the rebels then dying in battle as fundamentally the same, as both are dying for their country.[90] Legacy Rizal was a contemporary of Gandhi, Tagore and Sun Yat Sen who also advocated liberty through peaceful means rather than by violent revolution. Coinciding with the appearance of those other leaders, Rizal from an early age had been enunciating in poems, tracts and plays, ideas all his own of modern nationhood as a practical possibility in Asia. In the Noli he stated that if European civilization had nothing better to offer, colonialism in Asia was doomed.[note 18] Tribute to Rizal at Cavenagh Bridge in Singapore • Republic Act 1425 was passed in 1956 by the Philippine legislature requiring all high school and college curricula a course in the study of his life, works and writings. • Monuments erected in his honor can be found in Madrid;[104] Tokyo; Wilhelmsfeld, Germany; Jinjiang, Fujian, China;[105] Chicago;[106] Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey; Honolulu;[107] San Diego;[108] Mexico City, Mexico;[109] Lima, Peru;[110] Litomerice, Czech Republic;[citation needed] Toronto;[citation needed]and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[citation needed] • A two-sided marker bearing a painting of Rizal by Fabián de la Rosa on one side and a bronze bust relief of him by Philippine artist Guillermo Tolentino stands at the Asian Civilisations Museum Green marking his visits to Singapore in 1882, 1887, 1891 and 1896.[111] • A Rizal bronze bust was erected at La Molina district, Lima, Peru, designed by Czech sculptor Hanstroff, mounted atop a pedestal base with four inaugural plaque markers with the following inscription on one: Dr. José P. Rizal, Héroe Nacional de Filipinas, Nacionalista, Reformador Political, Escritor, Lingüistica y Poeta, 1861–1896.[112][113][114] • The USS Rizal (DD-174) launched in 1918 The statue of Rizal at the Rizal Park in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany The National Historical Institute Logo for the 150th Birth Anniversary of José Rizal • The Hong Kong Government erected a plaque beside Dr. José Rizals residence in Hong Kong • A plaque marks the Heidelberg building where he trained with Professor Becker while in Wilhemsfeld. There is a small Rizal Park in that city where a bronze statue of Rizal stands. The street where he lived was also renamed after him. A sandstone fountain in Pastor Ullmers house garden where Rizal lived in Wilhelmsfeld, was given to the Philippine government and is now located at Rizal Park in Manila.[115] • Throughout 2011, the National Historical Institute and other institutions organized several activities commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Rizal, which took place on June 19 of that year. Rizal in popular culture Adaptation of his worksThe cinematic depiction of Rizals literary works won two film industry awards more than a century after his birth. In the 10th FAMAS Awards, he was honored in the Best Story category for Gerardo de Leóns adaptation of his book Noli Me Tángere. The recognition was repeated the following year with his movie version of El Filibusterismo, making him the only person to win back-to-back FAMAS Awards posthumously.[citation needed]Both novels were translated into opera by the composer-librettist Felipe Padilla de León: Noli me tangere in 1957 and El filibusterismo in 1970; and his 1939 overture, Mariang Makiling, was inspired by Rizals tale of the same name.[116] Biographical filmSeveral films were produced narrating Rizals life. The most successful was José Rizal, (Directed by Marilou Diaz Abaya, produced by GMA Films and released in 1998). Cesar Montano played the title role.[117] A year before it was shown another movie was made portraying his life while in exile in the island of Dapitan. Titled Rizal sa Dapitan produced by Viva Films it stars Albert Martínez as Rizal and Amanda Page as Josephine Bracken. The film was the top grosser of the 1997 Manila Film Festival and won the best actor and actress trophies.[citation needed] Another film that tackled particularly on the heroism of Rizal was the 2000 film Bayaning 3rd World, directed by Mike de Leon and starring Joel Torre as José Rizal. Others • Nearly every town and city in Philippines contains a street named after Rizal (Rizal street and Rizal avenue) • At least ten towns / cities in Philippines are named Rizal (for example : Rizal - Cagayan) • A road in the Chanakyapuri area of New Delhi (India) is named Dr. Jose P Rizal Marg • The USS Rizal (DD-174) was a Wickes-class destroyer named after Rizal by the United States Navy and launched on September 21, 1918. • The José Rizal Bridge and Rizal Park in the city of Seattle are dedicated to Rizal.[118] • Rizal also appeared in the 1999 video game Medal of Honor as a secret character in multiplayer, alongside other historical figures such as William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill. He can be unlocked by completing the single-player mode, or through cheat codes.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 01:20:16 +0000
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