This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mang kiko (talk | contribs) at 04:22, 8 November 2003 (minor re-arrange). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:22, 8 November 2003 by Mang kiko (talk | contribs) (minor re-arrange)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896) is the national hero of the Philippines. He was a doctor, a painter, a sculptor, a poet, a dramatist, and a novelist. He also spoke several European languages.
He was born in the town of Calamba, Laguna, to Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo.
José Rizal was quite known for writing two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which are social commentaries of the Philippines' under Spanish colonial rule. The Spanish authorities considered these novels as subversive and put Rizal under trial for instigating the Philippine Revolution. He was sentenced to death and was executed by a firing squad in Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park), in Manila.
Education
He first studied under Justiniano Cruz in Laguna. He went to Manila to at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he received his bachelor of arts in 1877. He continued his education in the Ateneo Municipal to obtain a degree in land surveying and assessor, and at the same time in the University of Santo Tomas where he studied Philosophy and letters. Upon learning that his mother was going blind, he then decided to study medicine in the University of Santo Tomas, but did not complete it because he felt that Filipinos were being discriminated by the Dominicans who operated the University.
He then went to Madrid, Spain, against the wishes of his father, to study Medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid where he earned the degree of Licentiate in Medicine.