© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog

“You will remember that, walking on the Pascode Recoletos … I told you: "Watch out, for some fine day we shall wake up quarrelling without knowing why."  You laughed at my witticism and so did I … that occurred to me without reason as a vague presentment.”– Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s letter to Jose Rizal (July 20, 1892)

ALSO KNOWN BY HIS PEN NAME Plaridel, Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitan was a Filipino writer, lawyer, and journalist. A prominent figure in the Propaganda Movement, he was a co-publisherand the second and last editor of La Solidaridad, the society’s publication.

He was born on August 30, 1850 to a wealthy family in Cupang (now Barangay San Nicolas), Bulacan, Bulacan. His father, Julian Hilario del Pilar, was a three-time ‘gobernadorcillo’ (municipal mayor) and his mother, Blasa Gatmaitan, was a descendant of the renowned Gatmaitan clan. The ninth of ten children, Marcelo’s siblings, among others, were: Toribio (a priest deported to the Mariana Islands in 1872),Fernando (the father of General Gregorio del Pilar),and Hilaria (who was married to Deodato Arellano, elected secretary of Jose Rizal’s La Liga Filipina).

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How much do you know Jose Rizal: A Fun Quiz Game

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The Life of Jose Rizal: A Fun Quiz Game

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The Jose Rizal Family: A Fun Quiz Game

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The Legacies of Jose Rizal: A Fun Quiz Game

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The Love Life of Jose Rizal: A Fun Quiz Game

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Jose Rizal’s Poems

© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog

“The Filipinos forgot their writings, their songs, their poetry, their laws in order to learn by heart other doctrines, which they did not understand.”

- JOSE RIZAL

ONE WAY TO GAUGE a person’s life is to look at his works and writings. Poetry reveals an individual’s thoughts, hopes, dreams, aspirations, and even heartaches. The genius in Jose Rizal, our national hero, had resulted in several poems during his childhood, schooling, life struggles, and right before his martyrdom. Let us take a peek at our national hero’s poetry. (For Rizal’s poems themselves, please see “Jose Rizal’s Poems: A Compilation” through the search engine of www.OurHappySchool.com).

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My First Inspiration (Mi Primera Inspiracion, 1874)

Most likely, “Mi Primera Inspiracion” was the first poem Jose Rizal had written during his stint at Ateneo. This poem was written in honor of his mother’s birthday as suggested by the terms “perfume of the flowers”, “the songs of the birds”, “feast your day of bloom” and “festive day”.

Jose Rizal’s poetic verses show his eternal love and appreciation for his mother. This was somewhat his way of paying tribute to all the efforts for him of her dear mother.

Felicitation (Felicitacion, 1875)

The poem “Felicitation” was written by the hero in 1875 during his schooling in the Ateneo de Municipal. The 14-year old Rizal wrote this poem to congratulate his brother-in-law, Antonio Lopez, husband of his sister Narcisa.

The Embarkation, A Hymn to Ferdinand Magellan’s Fleet (El Embarque: Himno A La Flota De Magallanes, 1875)

Rizal wrote this poem while he was a boarding student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. It was believed to have been his first poem that had the honor of being read in a public program held at that school. “Hymn to Magellan’s fleet”talked about the departure of Ferdinand Magellan, the first man to colonize the Philippines.

And He Is Spanish: Elcano, The First To Circumnavigate The World (Y Es Espanol: Elcano, El Primero En Dar La Vuelta Al Mundo, December, 1875)

This poem is about Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spanish Basque, Ferdinand Magellan’s second in command, who upon Magellan’s death on the shores of Mactan in the Philippines, took over and completed the first circumnavigation of the world.

The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo (El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror De Jolo, December 1875)

The poem is a reflection of Rizal’s liking for history. It was written to hail Urbiztondo for the successful battle against the Muslims. In the poem, the hero narrated how the great warrior defeated the Moros under Sultan Mahumat of Jolo.

The Tragedy of St. Eustace (La Tragedia De San Eustaquio, June 1876)

This poem recounts the tragic story of St. Eustace. The original manuscript of this poem no longer exists however as it may have been destroyed during the WWII bombings. Nonetheless, the poem had been published in installments in a magazine, “Cultura Social” of the Ateneo.

In Memory of My Town (Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo, 1876)

Rizal loved his hometown Calamba in Laguna. He fondly remembered his memories of the said town. In 1876, Rizal as a 15-year old student in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila wrote the poem “In Memory of My Town”. It was written to express his love and appreciation for the place where he grew up.

Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education (Alianza Intima Entre La Religion Y La Buena Educacion, 1876)

Jose Rizal believed that religion and good education go together. Believing that there is a strong relationship between academics and faith, he wrote the poem “Intimate Alliance between religion and good education” at the age of fifteen while he was in Ateneo.

Education Gives Luster To The Motherland (Por La Educacion Recibe Lustre La Patria, 1876)

Our national hero, despite his young age, had expressed high regards for education. He believed in the significant role education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation as evident in his poem “Education Gives Luster to the Motherland”.

            Rizal believed that education gives knowledge, knowledge gives wisdom, and that great wisdom benefits everyone. Considering that education is a vehicle for a country’s prosperity and success, he encouraged the Filipinos through the poem to acquire education for them to be able to fulfill their dreams and to improve their motherland. His high regards for education was manifested in his determination to seek the best education possible even across the shores of his country.

The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil (El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil, December 1876)

At 12 years of age, Rizal was believed to have read “El Ultimo Abencerraje,” a Spanish translation of Chateaubriand's novel, “Le Dernier des Abencérages.” This is the story of the last member of a famous family in the Muslim Kingdom of Granada in the 15th century, which later inspired Rizal to compose “The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil” while studying in Ateneo. In this poem, he described the defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.

Triumphant Entry of The Catholic Monarchs Into Granada (Entrada Triunfal De Los Reyes Católicos En Granada, December 1876)

This poem of Jose Rizal relates the triumphant entry of Ferdinand and Isabella, Spain’s “Most Catholic Kings,” into the city of Granada in 1492. This entry is one of the most powerful symbolic moments in Spanish history.

The Heroism of Columbus (El Heroismo De Colon, 1877)

Jose Rizal wrote this epic poem in December 1877 during his academic years in Ateneo Municipal de Manila. This poem praises Columbus, the discoverer of America.

Columbus and John II (Colon y Juan II)

This poem relates how King John II of Portugal missed fame and riches by his failure to finance the projected expedition of Columbus to the new world.

Great Solace in Great Misfortune (Gran Consuelo En La Mayor Desdicha, 1878)

This is a legend in verse of the tragic life of Columbus, the person credited for discovering America.

A Farewell Dialogue of the Students (Un Dialogo Alusive A La Despedida De Los Colegiales)

This was the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo which again amazed his teachers. It was a poignant poem of farewell to his classmates, written just before he graduated from the Ateneo.

Child Jesus (Al Nino Jesus, November 1875)

During his student days, the 14-year old Jose Rizal wrote “Al Niño Jesus” (Child Jesus), a brief religious ode which expressed his devotion as a child to Catholicism.

To the Virgin Mary (A La Virgen Maria, To Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage)

This undated poem was another religious writing Jose Rizal wrote in praise of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

To The Philippine Youth (A La Juventud Filipina, November 1879)

This was a winning poem in 1879. Rizal submitted it as his entry to the literary contest held by the ‘Liceo Artistico-Literario’ (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila—a society of literary men and artists. Written by Rizal at the age of eighteen, this artwork which was said to be of flawless form aimed to implore the Filipinos to rise from indolence. It is deemed a classical piece of Philippine literature for reasons that (1) Spanish literary authorities recognized it as an impressive poem written in Spanish by a Filipino and (2) it was the foremost literary piece to display the nationalistic belief that Filipinos were the “fair hope of the Fatherland.”

Abd-El-Azis and Mohammed (Abd-El-Azis Y Mahoma, December 1879)

This epic poem was written by Jose Rizal in 1879 and declaimed by a certain Manuel Fernandez on the night of December 8, 1879 in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness. It recalls the struggle between the Spaniards and the Moors in Spain.

ThePhilippines, February 1880

This very nationalistic poem was written by Jose Rizal to serve as a reminder for Filipinos to love their motherland.

Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon, 1881

Jose Rizal truly loved his alma mater Ateneo as well as his professors. He wrote a poem for one of them, ‘Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon’, a lovely tribute to the Very Reverend Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo, who had been so kind and helpful to the national hero. The poem was written on the occasion of the rector’s birthday.  

Goodbye to Leonor, 1882   

Leonor was only 13 years of age when she first met Jose Rizal. Due to the strong disapproval of Leonor’s parents of their love affair, they kept in touch by sending letters and photographs to each other. This poem was the one Rizal wrote for Leonor as he left for Spain in 1882.

They Ask Me for Verses (Me Piden Versos, October 1882)

Rizal had been a member of Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of Spaniards and Filipinos in Madrid. In the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in 1882, he declaimed his written “Me Piden Versos”, a poem he wrote due to the request of the society’s members. In March 31, 1889, this poem was published in the La Solidaridad.

To Miss C.O. y R., 1883

Jose Rizal, though not really a handsome man in today’s perspective, attracted ladies easily. Perhaps his exceptional talents and charisma made him attractive to women. Furthermore, his gift of poetry made him even more likable. He composed a poem entitled “To Miss C.O. y R” to express his admiration to Consuelo Ortiga y Perez, the beautiful daughter of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey. Nevertheless, he did not pursue his feelings for her due to the fact that he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera then and his friend, Eduardo de Lete, had serious feelings for Consuelo.

The Flowers of Heidelberg (A Los Flores De Heidelberg , April 1886)

At some points in his life, Jose Rizal stayed in Heidelberg, a city in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. In 1887, the 25-year old Rizal completed his eye specialization under the renowned Prof. Otto Becker in the University of Heidelberg. In spring, flowers bloom along the banks of Neckar River. Rizal admired particularly the light blue spring flower “forget-me-not”. These beautiful flowers made him think of their flowers in Calamba. Amid his homesickness in the spring of 1886, he came up with this nice poemwhich expressed prayer for the wellbeing of his native land.

The Song of Maria Clara, 1887

This poem forms part of the Jose Rizal’s first novel, Noli Me Tangere. In the novel, one of the main characters, Maria, upon the insistent requests of her friends, rendered a beautiful song with the accompaniment of the harp.

Hymn To Labor, 1888

Jose Rizal wrote the poem “Himno Al Trabajo” before he left Calamba in 1888. This poem was in response to the request of his friends from Lipa, Batangas. They wanted a hymn to commemorate the elevation of Lipa from a town to a city in January 1888. Dedicated to the industrious folks of Lipa, the poem consisted of lyrical conversations of men, wives, maidens and children.

To My Muse (A Mi, 1890)

It was against a background of emotional agony in Brussels, during those sad days when he was worried of family disasters, that Rizal wrote his emotional poem, “A Mi” (To my Muse).

Kundiman, 1891

The word “kundiman” connotes a traditional Filipino love song usually used by a man to serenade a woman being wooed. Rizal’s “Kundiman” was a poem expressing his intense love for his motherland. In the verses, we can see that Rizal is optimistic that the Philippines would be freed from inequality and oppression.

Water and Fire (El Agua Y El Fuego, 1891)

This is a very short composition excerpt from the novel El Filibusterismo, Chapter ‘El Cubierta’. In this poem, Jose Rizal expressed his great dream for the Philippines: its freedom and advancement.

To Josephine, 1895

Rizal dedicated this poem to an Irish woman, Josephine Bracken, whom he called (in another poem) his “dulce extranjera” (sweet foreigner).When Josephine temporarily left Dapitan to accompany Taufer to Manila, Rizal gave her this short poem which manifested that he was really “smitten” with Josephine.

Hymn To Talisay, October 1895

Rizal conducted his school at his home in Talisay, near Dapitan, where he had his farm and hospital. He frequently met with his boys underneath a talisay tree. This poem, which was written for his pupils to sing, also taught them how to fight for their rights. The poem speaks about the place Talisay and Rizal’s serene life in exile.

My Retreat (Mi Retiro, 1895)

Upon the request of Doña Teodora, Jose Rizal came up with a beautiful poem vis-à-vis his tranquil life in Dapitan. The poem, which was entitled “Mi Retiro” (My Retreat), was sent to his mother in 1895.  It was commended by the critics as one of the best of his literary creations.

In the poem, he gave a narrative account of his peaceful life while exiled in Dapitan where he lived a well-rounded life as a farmer, teacher, and a merchant. 

Song of the Wanderer/Traveler (El Canto Del Viajero, 1896)

Rizal’s friend Blumentritt once advised Jose Rizal, an exile in Dapitan, to offer his services as a military doctor in Cuba which was raged by yellow fever epidemic. A letter from Governor Ramon Blanco later notified Rizal that his offer was accepted. Knowing that he would be able to travel again (to Europe and then to Cuba), his delight in receiving the news led him to writing his “El Canto del Viajero” (The Song of the Traveler/Wanderer).

My Last Farewell (Mi Ultimo Adios, December 1896)

This untitled poem is considered as the most celebrated poem by the national hero. Rizal’s friend, Mariano Ponce,was the one who titled the poem “Mi Ultimo Pensamiento”(My Last Thought). Later, the poem was referred to as “My Last Farewell” (Mi Ultimo Adios).

 “Mi Ultimo Adios”, a brilliant creation, was assumed to be written the night before Jose Rizal’s execution on December 30, 1896. As the dear visitors were leaving, Jose handed over to his sister Trinidad an alcohol cooking stove, a gift from the Pardo de Taveras, whispering to her in a language which the guards could not comprehend, “There is something in it.” That ‘something’ was Rizal’s unsigned, undated, and untitled poem consisting of 14 five-line stanzas. The Rizal family reproduced and distributed copies of it and sent copies to the hero’s friends in the country and abroad.

Widely regarded as the most patriotic poem in the world, it has been translated into at least 38 languages. The poem reflects the hero’s adoration to and patriotism for his country. The poem requests Filipinos to pray for others who also have died and suffered for the country. It begged the Filipino people to never lose hope and faith in the Lord God. Forceful words were used to inspire them not to be the discouraged by the oppressions of the Spaniards.

At the last part of the poem, Jose Rizal mentioned of his “sweet stranger” as his friend and joy. This implied his farewell to his beloved “dulce estranjera”, Josephine. Lately, asong based on the poem “Mi Ultimo Adios” was composed by contemporary artist Joey Ayala.

A Fragment (A poem that has no title)

This short poem of Rizal has no title. It bespeaks of his thanksgiving to God for soothing him during his troubles and dark moments. In the poem, he also expressed his gratitude to God for allowing him to be born to a respectable and honorable family and to belong to a rich country. The difficulties and struggles of Rizal which he suffered and his sadness were evident in the verses of this poem.

To My Fellow Children: The Controversial Poem

The famous poem was a nationalistic artwork promoting the use of Tagalog (Filipino) language by the Filipino people. 

The poem “To My Fellow Children” (Sa Aking Mga Kababata/Kabata)was traditionally believed to be the national hero’s first written Tagalog poem at the age of eight and was said to have been published posthumously many years after Rizal’s death.

However, recent investigations cast serious doubts concerning the assumed authorship of the poem. Many scholars today believe that the very young Rizal could have not written the nationalistic poem. For one thing, it is doubted that an eight-year old child, who normally just begins to read, could write a five-stanza poem with profound terms.

Furthermore, Jose Rizal had preserved correspondence with Paciano, his brother, expressing that he had difficulties in using the Tagalog language particularly in translation. More significantly, Jose admitted that he had only encountered the word “kalayaan” when he was already 21 years old. The term (‘kalayaan’) was used not just once in the poem. (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)

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FURTHER READINGS

For complementary online reading materials, historical updates, new researches, and possible rectifications concerning this lecture, look for the entry “Jose Rizal’s Poems: A Compilation” at www.OurHappySchool.com.

THIS LECTURE tackles in detail Jose Rizal’s collaborations, relationship, and interaction with other Filipino heroes and patriots in his time. Among other things, this article gives us a picture of how Rizal was as a friend and compatriot especially in foreign lands.

Antonio Luna

Born on October 29, 1866in Urbiztondo, Binondo, Manila, Antonio Luna was five-year younger than Jose Rizal. Antonio was the youngest of the 7 children of Joaquin Luna and Laureana Novicio Ancheta.

Antonio received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1881 from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He afterward studied literature, chemistry, and pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas. Having superb scientific mind, his paper in chemistry ‘Two Fundamental Bodies of Chemistry’ won first prize in a contest in UST. Versatile and multi-talented, he also studied music (he was a good guitar player), as well as fencing, swordsmanship, and military science and tactics under a Spanish cavalry officer, and became a sharpshooter.

To obtain a licentiate (at Universidad de Barcelona) and doctorate (at Universidad Central de Madrid) in Pharmacy, Luna went to Spain where his older brother Juan was living. In Europe, he corroborated with other Filipino expatriates like Rizal in working for the Propaganda Movement. Writing for La Solidaridad, he once contributed the article ‘Impressions’ which discussed Spanish unique traditions and customs under the pen-name ‘Taga-ilog’. He also managed the paper La Independencia.

Someone who could be considered as an early Filipino scientist, Luna in 1893 published his scientific treatise on malaria, ‘El Hematozoario del Paludismo,’which was well received in the community of medical scientists and physicians. The Spanish government later commissioned him to study tropical and communicable diseases (“Antonio Luna,” n.d.).

In 1889, a Spanish writer, Pablo Mir Deas, attacked Antonio Luna in the Barcelona newspaper “El Pueblo Soberano”. As Rizal’s defense of his friend Luna, he wrote the article “Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences) which was published on November 30, 1889. A year after however, Rizal challenged Antonio to a duel. In a party held by Filipinos in Madrid, the intoxicated Antonio Luna made negative comments against Nellie Boustead—the woman he was courting but was said to have been infatuated with Rizal. Jose Rizal, who at the time was not in a good mood for bearing various problems, was prompted to challenge Luna into a duel. But since Luna apologized to Rizal, the duel was nonetheless aborted and their friendship was restored. When Rizal later decided to formally court Nelly, Antonio gentlemanly conceded to Rizal and even congratulated him through a letter.

Antonio returned to the Philippines in 1894. By winning in the competition for chief chemist of the Manila Municipal Laboratory, he attained the prestigious position. He and his older brother Juan also opened a fencing club in Manila, the ‘Sala de Armas’.

In 1896, Andres Bonifacio sent Pio Valenzuela to Dapitan to get Rizal’s approval of the Katipunan’s planned revolution. Rizal however politely refused to approve the uprising, believing that a revolution would be unsuccessful without arms and monetary support from wealthy Filipinos. He thus recommended that if the Katipunan were to start a revolution, it had to ask for the support of rich and educated Filipinos, specifically Antonio Luna who was also an expert in military tactics (Bantug & Ventura, 1997, p. 133).

When Antonio was asked to corroborate in the planned revolt of the secret society, he turned down the invitation, believing that reform was better than revolution. But when the Spanish authorities had known about the Katipunan and its plans, the Luna brothers were arrested and locked up in Fort Santiago for supposed involvement in the society. It was said that Antonio’s statement about the Filipino uprising was one of those used to nail down the punishment of death for Rizal. Juan and Jose Luna were released months later but the more military-oriented Antonio was deported to Spain in 1897 and was incarcerated at the Carcel Modelo de Madrid.

When released through the intercession of his influential brother Juan, Antonio studied various aspects of military science like guerrilla warfare, management, and field fortifications, under Gerard Leman, who would later be the commanding officer of the Liege fortress (“Antonio Luna,” n.d.). Arriving in Hong Kong, he met Felipe Agoncillo who gave him a letter of recommendation to Emilio Aguinaldo.

Returning to the Philippines in July 1889, he joined Aguinaldo’s cause in the Philippine-American war. Assigned by Aguinaldo ascommander of the Philippine Revolutionary Army, Lunafounded the country’s first military academy, formed professional guerrilla soldiers which was later known as the ‘Luna sharpshooters,’ anddesigned the three-tier defense (now known as the Luna Defense Line) which gave the opponents a hard campaign in Central Luzon.

Unfortunately, he was killed in a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ incident on June 5, 1899 by Filipino captain Pedro Janolino and other elements of the Kawit troop whom he (Luna) had earlier insultingly discharged for either cowardice or insubordination. Some blamed Aguinaldo as having a hand in Luna’s death, especially that no investigation was done on Luna’s death and the ‘murderers,’ though identified, were not punished.

Just recently, there were talks over the internet concerning Luna’s supposed diversion of millions of pesos from the Republic’s treasury, particularly from Ilocos and Pampanga, to Tarlac, the hometown of his sweetheart, Ysidra Cojuangco. Ysidra was the aunt of Jose Cojuangco, father of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino. The large sum of wealth was said to have been entrusted by Luna to Ysidra, resulting in the Cojuangco clan becoming one of the richest family in the Philippines by 1900.

The late Filipino historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo once had a conversation with then president Ferdinand Marcos about Antonio Luna. Asked about his opinion of the hero, Agoncillo answered, “Luna was a great general who didn’t win any battles!” Marcos then blurted, “You see, I’m a descendant of Luna” which resulted in Agoncillo’s becoming tongue-tied (Ocampo, 2010, p. 20). In 1968, during the 102nd birth anniversary of Luna, Marcos delivered a speech about the general whose kin was from Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Marcos praised Luna for introducing guerrilla tactics that preceded that of China’s Mao Zedong and Vietnam’s Vo Nguyen Giap and Ho Chi Minh (Antonio Luna,” n.d.).

Now, if Marcos was indeed Luna’s descendant and Luna was the cause of Cojuangco’s becoming rich, then President Noynoy Aquino’s clan had an “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude) to the forebear of Senator Bongbong Marcos.

Mariano Ponce

Mariano Ponce was bornto Mariano Ponce Sr. and Mariana Collantes de los Santos in Baliwag, Bulacan on March 23, 1863. After completing his primary education in his hometown, he enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

He afterward took up medicine at the University of Santo Tomas when Rizal was also attending classes in the institution. In 1881, Ponce left for Spain to continue his medical studies at the Unversidad Central de Madrid, where Rizal would also enroll as medicine student the following year.

In Europe, he met the great Filipino propagandists: Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar. The overpowering feeling of patriotism got the better of Ponce that he quit his studies to join the Filipino Movement in Spain (“Philippine heroes—Mariano Ponce,” n.d.) With Lopez Jaena, he co-founded the ‘La Solidaridad,’ served as secretary of the Propaganda Movement, and became head of the Literary Section of the Asociacion Hispano-Filipina.

As a propagandist, he used various aliases like ‘Naning’ (his nickname), ‘Kalipulako’ (from ‘Lapu-Lapu’), and ‘Tigbalang’ (a supernatural being in Filipino folklore). Through his writings, he disclosed the sad condition of Filipinos under Spanish government, attacked the rulers’ abuses, and fought for reforms and equality.

He actively corroborated with other Filipino patriots like Rizal and Del Pilar and kept correspondence with them. In fact, Ponce was the one who introduced Del Pilar to Rizal. Jose Rizal one day received a letter from Ponce with enclosed articles written by a certain ‘Plaridel.’ Impressed by the articles, Rizal wrote to Ponce, “I am very grateful to you for this … Who is Plaridel?” (“The Love-and-Hate Relationship,” 2013) Upon knowing Plaridel’s identity through Ponce, Rizal had then befriended Del Pilar (Plaridel) through correspondence. However, it was only in December 1888 when Rizal first met Ponce and Del Pilar when he (Rizal) visited his compatriots in Madrid and Barcelona.

Poncewillingly helped Rizal in the distribution of the Noli Me Tangere. In his letter dated August 18, 1888, Rizal asked Ponce, “Please send me two or three copies of the Noli… for I am going to begin the continuation. Try to send to Manila as many copies as you can. They sell well there…you will get one-half of the sale there.” Ponce’s August 25, 1888 reply read, “I continue sending copies of the Noli to the Philippines through every possible means. By so doing, I am only filling the orders that I receive. (“Rizal and Other Reformers [1888],” n.d.)

Through Ponce’s letters to Rizal, we could also glean that Ponce was also close to Ferdinand Blumentritt, the Austrian professor whom Rizal considered as his “best, dearest friend.” In Ponce’s July 4, 188 letter, he told Rizal, “Mr. Blumentritt has already informed me of the grand reception that the Noli me Tangere had in Germany… This good and learned professor also told me that he was busy translating it into German” (“Rizal and Other Reformers [1888],” n.d.).

Poncemust have been so proud to become Rizal’s friend, especially that the author of Noli had become so popular among Filipinos after the novel’s publication. In his August 25, 1888 letter, he said to Rizal, “Many friends ask me to send you their greetings. My family, who also sends your greetings, wished to have a picture of you, and so I wish to request you to comply with this desire when you have your picture taken” (“Rizal and Other Reformers [1888],” n.d.).

During the election for ‘Responsable’ among Filipinos in Madrid in February 1891, Rizal got the majority of the votes but the count fell short of the required two-thirds vote to be declared the winner. Rizal won again on the second day, but his votes did not reach again the needed fraction. On the third day, the very sensible Mariano Ponce appealed to some Pilaristas to surrender their will to what the majority wanted.  Ponce’s influence and wise move resulted in Rizal’s becoming the ‘legal’ Responsible, though he (Rizal) eventually decided to politely abdicate his leadership and leave Madrid.

When the Katipunan launched the revolution on August 1896, Ponce was arrested and locked up for 48 hours. Upon release, he fled to France to avoid another arrest. He later traveled to Hong Kong and corroborated with other Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese in the Junta Revolution.

In 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo chose Ponce to represent the newly-founded First Philippine Republic and commissioned him to design a framework of the revolutionary government. Assigned later as a representative of the First Republic to Japan, Ponce went to Japan to seek aid. In Japan, he met, negotiated with, and became a close friend of Sun Yat-Sen, the founder and First President of the Chinese Republic. Through Dr. Sun’s assistance, Ponce had procured weapons for the Philippine revolution, though the shipment failed to reach the Philippines because of a typhoon off the coast of Formosa.

Poncereturned to the Philippines with his Japanese wife, Okiyo Udanwara.

He was later elected assemblyman for Bulacan’s second district in the Philippine Assemblyand Speaker Osmeña appointed him chairman of the Committee on Libraries of the Philippine Assembly.

In 1917, he published his ‘Ang Wika at Lahi,’ a discussion on the significance of a having a national language. He was most likely influenced by Rizal’s interest in having a distinct Filipino language. In Rizal’s August 18, 1888 letter, he informed Ponce, “The new Tagalog orthography (a system of spelling) that we are using is perfectly in accord with the ancient writing and with the Sanskrit origin of many Tagalog words as I have found out through my research in the British Museum. Adopt it.” Ponce’s August 25, 1888 reply happily notified Rizal, “My family and I have already adopted the new Tagalog orthography and we write each other in it. My friends are also adopting it.”

Before his death in the Government Civil Hospital in Hong Kong on May 23, 1918, Ponce had written and published his memoirs, “Cartas Sobre La Revolucion” (Letters on the Revolution). His remains are now interred in the Cementerio del Norte, Manila. The public national high school located in Bagong Nayon Baliuag, Bulacan was named after him.

Mariano Ponce was the one who gave the title “Mi Ultimo Pensamiento”(My Last Thought) to the last and most celebrated, but originally untitled, poem of his dear friend Jose Rizal. Today though,the poem is conventionally referred to as “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell).

Graciano Lopez Jaena

Graciano Lopez Jaena (December 18, 1856-January 20, 1896) was a Filipino propagandist, journalist, and orator. He founded the fortnightly patriotic newspaper, La Solidaridad, of which he became the first editor.

Lopez Jaena was born to a poor couple, a general repairman and a seamstress in Jaro, Iloilo. At the age of six, he was placed under the guidance of a priest who noticed his intellectual capacity and special gift of speech. He finished high school as the best theologian in a local seminary.

His mother wanted him to become a priest but Graciano preferred medicine. He tried to study at the University of Santo Tomas but was denied, for what he finished in the seminary was not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. To learn medical practices, he was nonetheless advised to serve as an apprentice instead at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.

After two years as a hospital trainee, he returned to his hometown in Iloilo when his family ran out of money for his allowance and further training. Without a physician license, he dared to practice medicine and treated many patients for free.

His visits with the poor and sick provided him various knowledge about the clerical and colonial injustices inflicted among the natives. He counseled them and gave them hope by sowing in their minds the idea of freedom. At the age of 18, he anonymously wrote a satire, “Fray Botod (Big Bellied Friar)” which revealed the friars’ greed, immorality, cruelty, and false piety. This incensed the Spanish clergy and authorities but they could not prove that Lopez Jaena was its author. He got into deep trouble, however, when he refused to testify that some prisoners died of natural causes for he knew that they had died at the hands of the mayor of Pototan. When threats were made on his life, he left for Spain in 1880.

With financial support from his concerned friends, he took medical courses at the University of Valencia. His thirst for reforms nonetheless took him away from medical studies into writing for patriotic cause and establishing the genesis of the Propaganda Movement two years ahead of Rizal and nine years before Marcelo Del Pilar. Rizal once reproved Graciano for not finishing his medical studies. Jaena figuratively explained, “On the shoulders of slaves should not rest a doctor’s cape.” Rizal however retorted, “The shoulders do not honor the doctor's cape, but the doctor's cape honors the shoulders.” (“Graciano Lopez Jaena,” n.d.).

In Spain, Jaena became known as a great orator in socio-political clubs and thus became a member of the Progressive Republican Party. Deputized by the party to go on speaking engagements, Jaena became popular for his fiery and eloquent speeches espousing liberal ideas.

Jaena wrote very well when drunk. With a round of drinks, he would artistically craft very impressive patriotic articles. In 1888, he was offered to become the editor of a Spanish paper in New York through the American Ambassador in Madrid. Declining the offer, Jaena firmly said, “My brain and my pen belong to the Philippines, and not to any foreign country.”

Aside from his labors in La Solidaridad, he translated into Spanish some Visayan folksongs like ‘Balitaw’ and ‘Lolay.’ He also wrote the novelettes ‘Esperanza’ (Hope) and ‘La Hija del Fraile’ (The Daughter of a Friar). Impressed of Jaena’s talents, Rizal once described him, “the most talented Filipino I had ever known, even more superior than myself.”

In Rizal’s letter dated March 1889, he invited Lopez Jaena to go to Paris and become a member of the ‘Kidlat Club’ saying, “If you come, you will be made an exception and you will not have to pay because here you are appreciated on account of your work for the country.” In the same letter, he expressed his wholehearted support to Jaena’s La Solidaridad and advised the editor on the way the patriotic paper must be run:

“...Conduct yourself as you have conducted yourself thus far, liberal and generous towards all, and I assure you that everyone will support you.  See that the newspaper does not stumble and take care that the title of “Manager” does not make your head swell and make you treat your friends with contempt, and thus allow discord to arise.

Be economical, because who knows if the newspaper continues to live, it may become your fortune.  Treat it as if it were your first-born and only hope for it.

All of us will support your efforts and I shall write to Madrid so that they may do the same…

… Be careful not to publish exaggerations or lies or imitate others who avail themselves of dishonest means and of vulgar and ignoble language to attain their ends.  See that the periodical is just, honest, and truthful so that its opinion may always be respected.  It is necessary that we show our enemies that we are more worthy than they, morally and humanly speaking.  Should we tell the truth we shall have won our cause, because reason and justice are on our side.  There is no need for knaveries.

Excuse me for giving such advice but the existence of that periodical is so dear to me that I jump over polite conventionality…

Jaena, Rizal, and Del Pilar are regarded by many historians as the triumvirate of Filipino propagandists. At the age of 39, Lopez Jaena died of tuberculosis on January 20, 1896 and was buried the following day in an unmarked grave at the Cementerio del Sub-Oeste of Barcelona. In the same year, Del Pilar (July 4) and Rizal (December 30) also died, thus ending the great triumvirate of Filipino reformers. Their legacy and death nonetheless inspired other Filipino heroes like Bonifacio and Aguinaldo to fight for the national freedom.

Today, a public school in Iloilo City bears Jaena’s name, the “Graciano Lopez Jaena Elementary School.” Republic Act No. 6155 also declares December 18 of every year an official public holiday in the City and Province of Iloilo to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jaena. The ‘Jaro Plaza; in Iloilo is now called ‘the Graciano Lopez Jaena Park.’

Jose Alejandrino

Born in Binondo, Manila on December 1, 1870, Jose Alejandrino was nine-year younger than Jose Rizal. Alejandrino came from a rich family which was originally from Arayat, Pampanga.

Alejandrino pursued further studies in Spain and in Belgium where he had outstanding academic performance. At the University of Ghent in Belgium, he had as schoolmate Edilberto Evangelista, another Filipino engineer who later also served in the revolution. Alejandrino finished his degree in chemical engineering in July 1895.

In Europe, Alejandrino joined the Propaganda Movement and served as an editorial staff of La Solidaridad. In the Pilaristas-Rizalistas rivalry, Alejandrino supported Rizal (“Filipino Martyr,” 2013).

Being Rizal’s roommate in Belgium, Alejandrino was the one who canvassed printing press for El Fili. He delivered proofs and revisions to the publisher F. Meyer van Loo in Ghent. For his assistance, Rizal gave him the El Fili’s corrected proofs and the pen used in doing the corrections. Unluckily, these historical souvenirs were either lost or destroyed during the revolution (Ocampo, 2012, p. 111). Having helped Rizal in correcting errors in the El Fili, Alejandrino might have been the first person to read the novel aside from the author.

During the revolution, Alejandrino served as an engineer and general in the revolutionary army under Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1896, he went to Hong Kong to procure guns, ammunitions, and dynamites which would be used in the Filipino revolutionary movement (“Jose Alejandrino [revolutionary],” n.d.).

During the Philippine-American War, Alejandrino led the construction of trenches in areas like Caloocan and Bulacan. He later served as acting secretary of war, appointed as Central Luzon’s commanding general of the military operations, and assigned as Pampanga’s military governor (Dumindin, 2006).

He became the second city engineer of Manila in August 1901 upon the offer of Gov. William H. Taft. Holding the position for less than a year, he resigned and instead led a farmer’s life. In 1925, Gov. Gen. Leonard Wood assigned him as senator for Sulu and Mindanao. As a politician, Alejandrino became representative of Pampanga’s second district to the Constitutional Convention in 1934 (Dumindin, 2006).

In his letter to the editor of ‘The Philippine Magazine’ originally published in February 1941 (as cited in “Liham ng patotoo,” 2007), Alejandrino categorically stated his stand on the debate whether or not Rizal retracted his anti-Catholic and anti-clerical views:   

Certain representatives of the Roman Catholic Church have tried to discredit Dr. Rizal, attacking the firmness of his convictions and the fortitude of his character with the fable of his "retraction".

 I lived with Dr. Rizal for a long time in Europe and in the intimacy of private life formed a conception of the real character of the man. … It seems the Spaniards want to persecute him even in the grave since they slander him by attributing to him confessions and retractions of which he could not have been capable.

At age 80, Jose Alejandrino died on June 1, 1951, some 55 years after his former roommate’s martyrdom.

Edilberto Evangelista

Being born on February 25, 1862, Edilberto Evangelista was eight-month younger than Jose Rizal. Evangelista came from a poor family in Sta. Cruz, Manila and he had to work hard to have an education. To get further education in Europe, he worked first as a cattle dealer, tobacco merchant, teacher, and later a contractor of public works (Rojas, n.d.).

Reaching Madrid in 1890, he befriended and collaborated with Filipino expatriates in Europe like Jose Rizal. Perhaps sensing his potential, Rizal counseled him to take engineering in Belgium. Upon Rizal’s advice, Evangelista thus matriculated at the University of Ghent, one of the world’s leading engineering schools then. Rizal’s suggestion proved fruitful as Evangelista finished civil engineering and architecture with highest honors. Some European companies offered him rewarding positions but he turned them down for wanting to serve his country instead (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013).

During the 1896 Philippine revolution, the Spanish authorities suspected and arrested many Filipinos for supposed involvement in the uprising. Evangelista, who had in his possession Jose Rizal’s ‘Noli Me Tangere’ and ‘El Filibusterismo,’was one of those arrested and imprisoned.

Having escaped, he joined Emilio F. Aguinaldo’s revolutionary group on October 22, 1896.Known to be intellectual, he was asked to draft a constitution by the Magdalo and Magdiwang—two rival factions in the Katipunan on which he remained neutral. His composed constitution was accepted atthe Imus Assembly on December 31, 1896 in which he was elected Lieutenant General (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013).

The great Filipino engineer, who later became a general in the revolutionary army, designed trenches as a defense against enemy fire. The defensive forts and barricades he constructed in Binakayan, Bacoor, Imus, Cavite Viejo, Noveleta, Munting-ilog, Silang, Dasmariñas, Salitran, and Lumang-bayan were said to have been dubbed as “fortifications of the future” byone Spanish general (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013).

Evangelista was described as either brave or just relaxed and stoic. He would draw trenches on the ground even while the Spanish forces were firing bombs at them. When a shell dropped near him one time, he did not bother to wince or run away, instead he simply brushed the dirt off his clothes and proceeded drawing (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013). He nonetheless “ran out of luck” when he was soon killed during the Battle of Zapote Bridge on February 17, 1897. His military post was succeeded by Miguel Malvar, the hero who could have been listed as the second Philippine President for takingover the revolutionary government after Aguinaldo’s arrest in 1901.

On January 8, 1892, when Jose Rizal was living a relatively peaceful life in Hong Kong, Edilberto Evangelista in Ghent took an effort to reach him through a letter. Perhaps missing his adviser and wanting him to return to Europe, Evangelista wrote in part, “those of the Propaganda have supported you in the question of the Filipino colony in Madrid by offering you the management of Solidaridad with excellent conditions, as well as the formulation of the policy of the Philippine Islands in Europe” (as cited in Yoder, n.d.)

One of the busy streets in Makati City today was named after Evangelista—the hero whom Aguinaldo himself once publicly recommended to head the revolutionary government for being “the most educated” in the organization and one who could "command the respect of the Spaniards” (“Edilberto Evangelista,” 2013). (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)

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Tag: Jose Rizal’s Relations with other Filipino Patriots and Heroes

THE RIZAL BILL was as controversial as Jose Rizal himself.

            The mandatory Rizal subject in the Philippines was the upshot of this bill which later became a law in 1956. The bill involves mandating educational institutions in the country to offer a course on the hero’s life, works, and writings, especially the ‘Noli Me Tangere’ and ‘El Filibusterismo’. The transition from being a bill to becoming a republic act was however not easy as the proposal was met with intense opposition particularly from the Catholic Church.

Largely because of the issue, the then senator Claro M. Recto—the main proponent of the Rizal Bill—was even dubbed as a communist and an anti-Catholic. Catholic schools threatened to stop operation if the bill was passed, though Recto calmly countered the threat, stating that if that happened, then the schools would be nationalized. Afterward threatened to be punished in future elections, Recto remained undeterred.

Rizal's Life, Works, and Writings: Free Online Syllabus & Lectures 

Concerning the suggestion to use instead the expurgated (edited) version of Rizal’s novels as mandatory readings, Recto explained his firm support for the unexpurgated version, exclaiming: “The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools would blot out from our minds the memory of the national hero. This is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal.” (Ocampo, 2012, p. 23)

The bill was eventually passed, but with a clause that would allow exemptions to students who think that reading the Noli and Fili would ruin their faith. In other words, one can apply to the Department of Education for exemption from reading Rizal’s novels—though not from taking the Rizal subject. The bill was enacted on June 12, 1956.

RA 1425 and other Rizal laws

The Rizal Bill became the Republic Act No. 1425, known as the ‘Rizal Law’. The full name of the law is “An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities Courses on the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes.“

The first section of the law concerns mandating the students to read Rizal’s novels. The last two sections involve making Rizal’s writings accessible to the general public—they require the schools to have a sufficient number of copies in their libraries and mandate the publication of the works in major Philippine languages.

Jose P. Laurel, then senator who co-wrote the law, explained that since Jose Rizal was the founder of the country’s nationalism and had significantly contributed to the current condition of the nation, it is only right that Filipinos, especially the youth, know about and learn to imbibe the great ideals for which the hero died. Accordingly, the Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals:

1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died

2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character

3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and writings.

So far, no student has yet officially applied for exemption from reading Rizal’s novels. Correspondingly, former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1994, through Memorandum Order No. 247, directed the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to fully implement the RA 1425 as there had been reports that the law had still not been totally carried out. In 1995, CHED Memorandum No. 3 was issued enforcing strict compliance to Memorandum Order No. 247.

Not known to many, there is another republic act that concerns the national hero. Republic Act No. 229 is an act prohibiting cockfighting, horse racing, and jai-alai on the thirtieth day of December of each year and to create a committee to take charge of the proper celebration of Rizal day in every municipality and chartered city, and for other purposes.

The Importance of Studying Rizal

The academic subject on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal was not mandated by law for nothing. Far from being impractical, the course interestingly offers many benefits that some contemporary academicians declare that the subject, especially when taught properly, is more beneficial than many subjects in various curricula.

            The following are just some of the significance of the academic subject:

1. The subject provides insights on how to deal with current problems

There is a dictum, “He who controls the past controls the future.” Our view of history forms the manner we perceive the present, and therefore influences the kind of solutions we provide for existing problems. Jose Rizal course, as a history subject, is full of historical information from which one could base his decisions in life. In various ways, the subject, for instance, teaches that being educated is a vital ingredient for a person or country to be really free and successful.

2. It helps us understand better ourselves as Filipinos

The past helps us understand who we are. We comprehensively define ourselves not only in terms of where we are going, but also where we come from. Our heredity, past behaviors, and old habits as a nation are all significant clues and determinants to our present situation. Interestingly, the life of a very important national historical figure like Jose Rizal contributes much to shedding light on our collective experience and identity as Filipino. The good grasp of the past offered by this subject would help us in dealing wisely with the present.

3. It teaches nationalism and patriotism

Nationalism involves the desire to attain freedom and political independence, especially by a country under foreign power, while patriotism denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one’s nation. Jose Rizal’s life, works, and writings—especially his novels—essentially, if not perfectly, radiate these traits. For one thing, the subject helps us to understand our country better.

4. It provides various essential life lessons

We can learn much from the way Rizal faced various challenges in life. As a controversial figure in his time, he encountered serious dilemmas and predicaments but responded decently and high-mindedly. Through the crucial decisions he made in his life, we can sense his priorities and convictions which manifest how noble, selfless, and great the national hero was. For example, his many resolutions exemplified the aphorism that in this life there are things more important than personal feeling and happiness.

5. It helps in developing logical and critical thinking

Critical Thinking refers to discerning, evaluative, and analytical thinking. A Philosophy major, Jose Rizal unsurprisingly demonstrated his critical thinking skills in his argumentative essays, satires, novels, speeches, and written debates. In deciding what to believe or do, Rizal also proved his being a reasonably reflective thinker, never succumbing to the irrational whims and baseless opinions of anyone. In fact, he indiscriminately evaluated and criticized even the doctrines of the dominant religion of his time. A course on Rizal’s life, works, and writings therefore is also a lesson in critical thinking.

6. Rizal can serve as a worthwhile model and inspiration to every Filipino

If one is looking for someone to imitate, then Rizal is a very viable choice. The hero’s philosophies, life principles, convictions, thoughts, ideals, aspirations, and dreams are a good influence to anyone. Throughout his life, he valued nationalism and patriotism, respect for parents, love for siblings, and loyalty to friends, and maintained a sense of chivalry. As a man of education, he highly regarded academic excellence, logical and critical thinking, philosophical and scientific inquiry, linguistic study, and cultural research. As a person, he manifested versatility and flexibility while sustaining a strong sense of moral uprightness.

7. The subject is a rich source of entertaining narratives

People love fictions and are even willing to spend for books or movie tickets just to be entertained by made-up tales. But only a few perhaps know that Rizal’s life is full of fascinating non-fictional accounts.

For instance, it is rarely known that (1) Rizal was involved in a love triangle with Antonio Luna as also part of the romantic equation; (2) Rizal was a model in some of Juan Luna’s paintings; (3) Rizal’s common-law wife Josephine Bracken was ‘remarried’ to a man from Cebu and had tutored former President Sergio Osmeña; (4) Leonor Rivera (‘Maria Clara’), Rizal’s ‘true love’, had a son who married the sister of the former President of the United Nations General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo; (5) the Filipina beauty queen Gemma Cruz Araneta is a descendant of Rizal’s sister, Maria; (6) the sportscaster Chino Trinidad is a descendant of Rizal’s ‘first love’ (Segunda Katigbak); and (7) the original manuscripts of Rizal’s novel (Noli and Fili) were once stolen for ransom, but Alejandro Roces had retrieved them without paying even a single centavo.

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An Open Letter to School Principals, Teachers, and Parents

History: The Two Great World Wars (quiz)

Lessons about history are both interesting and fascinating. Learning is much easier when able to understand the events and reasons beyond a situation or a concept in the past. History is interesting for it uncovers things that are unknown to most of the people and the forgotten memories of the past. It gives humanity lessons that has been tested and hardened by time. History is fascinating because of some events might just give astonishment to many who never thought of things happened in the past which actually did. People’s knowledge of our history is minimal, that is why for those who acknowledges this reality should at least contribute for benefitting the many.

As a lover of history, the writer would like to present a small quiz on the two great world wars. It provides facts that contributed the face of the reality of today. These events are important and should be taught to many. The writer encourages every reader and examinee of this simple but precious quiz on the great World Wars to love history and contribute for the benefit of many.

About the Author

The author is Mr. David John D. Pereira, from the province of Isabela. He is 22 years of age and a working-student. He is an ex-seminarian of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate and took his Degree in Philosophy at Rogationist Seminary College-Manila. Currently, he is studying at Rizal Technological University-Mandaluyong taking Masters of Arts in Instructional Technology.

© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog

Editors' note: You, too, can have your lectures, readings, modules, researches, articles, etc. posted here. Send them through e-mail to OurHappySchool@yahoo.com.

IT IS AS IF ONLY when I moved to San Juan and was assigned to do a project in Paco, Manila that many places mentioned in the subject Rizal, which I’ve been teaching for many years aside from Philosophy and Social Science subjects, really make sense to me.

The reason is obvious. Rizal did not make history in the city now called after former president Manuel Quezon, if ever the national hero had even gone to that place where I used to reside. Most of Jose Rizal’s historically significant time in Luzon, he spent in Manila areas.

Almost everyday on my way to Paco, I trail the old and long Pedro Gil Road along which I get to see the historical La Concordia College. The emphasis is on the term “historical”, for indeed this institution founded in 1868 really is, as it is the alma mater of Jose’s sister Olimpia, of his youngest sister Soledad, of his “first” love, and of his so called “true” love.

Rizal was 16 years old then when one Sunday he paid visit to his maternal grandmother in Trozo, Manila and there met, among others, Segunda Katigbak, a two-year-younger-than-him student of La Concordia, with “eloquent eyes, rosy cheeks, and smile that reveals very beautiful teeth”. Rizal wasn’t sure whether or not she was a model of Colgate or Close-up but he knew very well that this Batangueña from Lipa had caused his blood pressure to rise even without eating R.Lapid’s chicharon. If Mariano, Segunda’s brother and Rizal’s classmate who was also in the house, could only read what was in the mind of Rizal in that very occasion, he would have uttered, “Ala-eh walang bastusan ng kapatid ah, sister ko ya-an eh, gusto mo bagang mabalisong?” But Mariano did not see it coming, nor did Jose and Segunda, for what happened between the two was “a love at first sight”, and they just found themselves following Ariel Rivera’s song “Getting to know each other” more intimately, as Jose’s visits to his sister Olimpia… or rather to his love interest Segunda in La Concordia College became more frequent.

How could Rizal forget that incident when he was urged by other acquaintances and conformed to make a pencil sketch of Segunda? “From time to time”, he recollected later, “she looked at me, and I blushed.” (Had anyone teased him for blushing, Rizal could have saved his face by saying, “Mag Likas Papaya na rin kasi kayo…para pumula rin ang pisngi nyo.) When Segunda one day gave him a white artificial rose she had made herself at school, he gave her in exchange that pencil sketch he had drawn of her.

But Rizal was clueless. How could he be so naïve? He should have known earlier the song “Paper Roses.” The artificial flower was perhaps Segunda’s way of sending the message that their love was hopeless from the very start, for the rumor that she had been engaged to be married to a fellow-townsman, Manuel Luz, even before she met Pepe, was all along true. Rizal’s discovery of the real score later, I suppose, was his major reason, being a man of delicadeza, why he did not propose to her, more than his being an alleged torpedo of Eraserheads.

It was also at La Concordia College where the young lovers talked to each other for the last time. It was a romantic day on December in 1877 when the confused Rizal came to see the ever-hopeful Segunda. It was mainly to say goodbye because he would spend his New Year vacation in his hometown starting the following day. She replied by saying she was also going home to Lipa one day later. She maintained silence after her short response, giving Rizal enough opportunity to say that sweetest tri-syllabic pronouncement which a lover wants to hear from a beloved. To her surprise, Rizal indeed uttered a three-syllable statement—he said, “Well, good-bye” (which is just equivalent to today’s text message “Ah ok” plus a smiley “Ü”). “Anyway—I’ll see you when you pass Calamba on your way to Lipa”, he nevertheless promised.

Rizal went home to Calamba. The following day, he woke up determined to fulfill his promise to Segunda and see her for the last time. The streamer carrying Segunda anchored in Biñan. Jose saddled his white horse to wait at the road. Segunda was in a carromata as she smiled and waved her handkerchief to him. He wanted to follow, but at the last minute he turned his horse around and rode home, and that marked the end of everything between them…

Segunda returned to Laguna and in due time married Manuel Luz. Too late a telenovela was the chinovela MeteorGardenwhich could have taught Segunda that she could marry someone else though she had been engaged to Manuel. And Rizal, on his part, should have imitated Baste (Mark Herras) of the telenovelaI Love New York in stealing Natalie (Jennilyn Mercado) from her supposed groom. Indeed, if only we could re-write their story and send it to Magpakailanman of Mel Changco kapusong totoo…(to be continued) (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)

TAGS: Jose Rizal, Leonor Rivera, Segunda Katigbak, Rizal's Girlfriend, History, Philippine Studies, Filipino Heroes

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 Leonor Valenzuela and Jose Rizal's Invisible Love Letters

Unlike her ‘tukayo’, Orang didn’t feel much sorrow upon Rizal’s departure. She was said to have accepted other suitors, attended social parties, and ended up marrying an employee of a trade house.  (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)

The author's e-book on Jose Rizal's love life

 

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TAGS: Jose Rizal, Leonor Valenzuela, Rizal's Girlfriend, History, Philippine Studies, Filipino Heroes; Leonor Valenzuela and Jose Rizal's Invisible Love Letters