The Philippine National Hero

Normal 0 Disclaimer: This is a repost.     Article by:  Fred Lamar Pearson, Jr., 33°The life and death of Brother Jose Rizal were central to his fame as the "George Washington of the Philippines."Dr. Jose P. Rizal, a Philippine national born on June 19, 1861, died before a firing squad on December 30, 1896. Thus came to an...

Disclaimer: This is a repost.  To visit the original article, click here.One of the least known facets of  the life of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, whose 111th death anniversary is being commemorated today, was his being a member of a worldwide fraternity called Freemasonry.According to Filipino historian Reynold Fajardo, in his book “Dimasalang: The Masonic Life of...

BY: ESTEBAN A. DE OCAMPO Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, or simply Jose Rizal (1861-1896), is unquestionably the greatest hero & martyr of our nation. The day of his birth & the day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all classes of our people throughout the length & breadth of this country & even by Filipinos...

By BERNARDO M. VILLEGASDecember 19, 2011, 12:16amDisclaimer: This is a repost.  To view the original article, click here. MANILA, Philippines — As my small contribution to celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of our National Hero Jose Rizal, let me speculate on what could have happened if he had not been executed on December 30, 1896 and had lived...

November 2, 1896Monday, 2 November -- Today, they returned to me this notebook which they took away on the 11th of last month before reaching Port Said.  For this reason my diary was interrupted. They searched me and inspected thoroughly my luggage.  They took away all my papers and afterward they put me behind bars and they did...

December 19, 1893I shall tell you how we live here.  I have three houses: one square, another hexagonal, and a third octagonal, all of bamboo, wood, and nipa.  In the square house we live, my mother, sister Trinidad, a nephew and I; in the octagonal live my boys or some good youngsters whim I teach arithmetic, Spanish and...

July 6, 1892They assigned me a fairly furnished room with a bed, a dozen chairs, one table, a wash basin, and a mirror. The room had three windows; one without grill which opens on a patio, another with grills which looks out on the city walls and the beach and another which was the door closed with a...

Not all of the text contained in the original manuscript of the El Filibusterismo was included in the printed book.  Two such texts are the Foreword and the Warning.  These portions of the book were eliminated to save on printing cost.The Warning reads:They are going to waste their time who would attack this book by holding on to...

Not all of the text contained in the original manuscript of the El Filibusterismo was included in the printed book.  Two such texts are the Foreword and the Warning.  These portions of the book were eliminated to save on printing cost.The Foreword reads:We have so often been frightened by the phantom of filibusterism that from only a nurse's...

To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old).  Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February, 1872.The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been imputed to you; the Government, by surrounding your...

I have finished my book! Oh no, I have not written it in my idea of revenge against my enemies by only what is for the good of those who are suffering, for the rights of the Tagalog race, though brown and may not have good features!Surely I will leave tomorrow for Paris, and from there I don't...

Madrid is one of the gayest cities of the world which combines the spirit of Europe and the East, which has adopted the orderliness, the convenience, the bon ton of civilized Europe without disdaining, without repelling, the brilliant colors, the ardent passions, the primitive customs of the African tribes, of the chivalrous Arabs whose traces are still recognizable...

July 18, 1890I want to go back to the Philippines, and although I know it would be daring and imprudent, what does that matter? The Filipinos are all very prudent, and that is why our country is going the way she is.  As it seems to me that we are not making any progress by following prudence, I...

May 28, 1890 Luna in Paris complains of the gambling of the Filipinos in Madrid, so does Ventura. They say that, according to news from the Philippines, the parents are very much disgusted... I am afraid we are serving the friars' scheme. There is nothing at home to remind them that the Filipino does not come to Europe...

To The FilipinosIn the Noli Me Tangere I started to sketch the present state of our Fatherland: the effect which my attempt produced made me realize, before proceeding to develop before your eyes other pictures to follow, the necessity of first giving an understanding of the past in order the better to judge the present and measure the...

May 16, 1889My daily life in Paris is spent in the following manner: one or two hours in the gymnasium and in fencing, three or four hours in the library, the rest I use up in writing and visiting friends... Every other night from 8:00 to 11:00 we meet in a cafe where we play chess. On Saturdays...

Monday, May 7. I saw an Indian attired in semi-European suit, and semi-Indian suit, leaning against a wall.  Wide deserts without plants nor trees. Unpopulated. Lonely place. Bare mountains. Sands. A big extension of white land, like chalk. Far from this desert can be seen some blue mountains. It was a fine day. It was warm, and there...

Japan has enchanted me.  The beautiful scenery, the flowers, the trees, the inhabitants -- so peaceful, so courteous, and so pleasant.  O-Sei-San, Sayonara, Sayonara! I have spent a happy golden month; I do not know if I can have another one like that in all my life.  Love, money, friendship, appreciation, honors -- these have not been wanting.To...

June 27, 1887I am in Rome! Everything I step on is the dust of heroes.  Here I breathe the same air which the Roman heroes have breathed.  I salute every statue with reverence, and to me, a humble native of a small island, it seems that I am in a sanctuary.  I have already seen the Capitolium, the...

August 6, 1886For its fifth centenary the famous University of Heidelberg celebrated its Festung this morning, and we attended.  I liked the picture better than the original itself.  There were, however, many elegant and brilliant costumes; Bugmuller, the famous student of Heidelberg, was dressed as Frederick the Victorious; Lieberman, as a gentleman of the seventeenth century; Gregoire, wolf...

When the new Rector went to assume office next day [November 21,1884], feelings were much irritated, we were still seeing red, it was resolved not to return to classes as long as they did not give us satisfaction, and remove the Rector.  There were repeated shouts of "Down with Creus!" I was there also.  On that day there...

But as God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt myself from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fulfill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellow-men. I realize that all this...

Without 1872 there would not be now either a Plaridel or Jaena, or Sanciangco, nor would there exist brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe; without 1872 Rizal would be a Jesuit now and, instead of writing Noli Me Tangere, would have written the opposite.  At the sight of those injustices and cruelties while still a child my...

Education in BinanDuring the time of Rizal, education was characterized by the 4Rs: reading writing, arithmetic, and religion.Rizal, although he was born a physical weakling, became an intellectual giant.His first teacher was his mother.At the age of 3, Rizal learned to recite the alphabet and prayers.Jose had private tutors to teach him lessons at home:  Maestro Celestino, then...