Life and Works of Rizal — Comprehensive Study Notes

I. Competencies

Analyze the various social, political, economic and cultural changes that occurred in the nineteenth century.
Understand Jose Rizal in the context of his times—the life, the individual, and society.
Know the hero’s genealogy by making or drawing the family tree of Rizal.

II. Notes: The World and the Philippines During Rizal’s Time

UNSTABLE SPAIN
- Turbulent year of King Ferdinand VII’s reign from $1808-1833$ .
- Despotism (the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way) vs Liberalism (political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed, and equality before the law).
- $3$ Carlist Wars (1833-1876).
- $4$ constitutions from $1834-1862$ .
- $28$ parliamentary elections.
- Installation of $529$ ministers.
- Party bickering, revolutions, and other forms of political upheavals.
Political Instability
- Periodic shifting of colonial policies and changing of colonial rules.
- $50$ governor-generals from $1835-1897$ .
- Average term of office: $1 ext{ year and } 3 ext{ months}$ .
- From $1853-1854$ there were four assigned governor-generals.
- Appointed oidores/jurists for the Royal Audiencia; family took long and leisurely trips to the Cape of Good Hope.
- Possible six-month hope: “Hope for 6 months only to realize when he arrived that a new appointee is already seated.”
- Effects:
- Frequent changes slowed down political and economic growth.
- Short and unstable terms prevented capable and energetic leaders from functioning well.
- Corrupting opportunities for leaders to take advantage of their rule.
- Uninspiring political condition to perform well.
- Indifference of leaders to the political condition of the Philippines.
- Madrid to Manila situational domino effect.
- Systemic failure.
- Unsupervised political and economic performance of assigned leaders in the Philippines.
Golden Age
- Cultural golden-age figures cited: St. Theresa of Avila, Miguel de Cervantes, Calderón de la Barca, El Greco, Lope de Vega.
Decadent rule
- Rafael de Izquierdo: Hated for sentencing the death of the GomBurZa in 1872.
- José Malcampo: Good military in Muslim Mindanao but a weak administrator.
- Fernando Primo de Rivera: Ruled for 2 terms and involved in casino bribes.
- Valeriano Weyler: Branded as the Cuban Butcher in Cuba; received bribes of diamond from the Chinese; able soldier but heartless governor.
- Camilo de Polavieja: Able soldier but detested for executing Dr. Jose Rizal and for losing the Philippines to the USA; sash and sword presented by Gov. Blanco to Rizal’s family as an apology.
- Others.
Life and Works of Rizal (contextual reference across pages)
- Pages and topics recur; see relevant sections below for Rizal’s family, upbringing, and connections.

III. The Former Philippines Thru Foreign Eyes

In 1810, Tomas de Comyn described the appointment of provincial governors as ignorant barbers and lackeys; district magistrates and garrison commanders as rough sailors and soldiers.
Napoleonic invasion and representation in the Spanish Cortes (1810-1813).
- Ventura delos Reyes: one of the 184 signers of the democratic Constitution of 1812.
- Abolition of galleon trade.
Filipino representation during 1820-23 and 1834-37 was not fruitful because leaders were less energetic and devoted to parliamentary work.
Abolition in 1837
- Graciano López Jaena: “We want representation in the legislative chamber so that our aspirations may be known to the mother country and its government.”
- Bitterness: representation to Cuba and Puerto Rico from 1876-1898.
DENIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS
- Constitution of 1812 guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and other human rights, but liberals guarded these rights for fear they would be abolished by the Spanish monarch.
- Inconsistency in practice as observed by Sinibaldo de Mas.

IV. Issues of Liberty, Law, and Justice in Rizal’s Time

“Why do we fall into an anomaly, such as combining our claim for liberty for ourselves, and our wish to impose our law on remote peoples? Why do we deny to others the benefit which we desire to our fatherland?”
No equality before the law:
- “All men irrespective of color and race, are children of God and as such they are brothers, equal before God.”
- Yet: Filipinos viewed as inferior and as subjects of the King; equality before God but not in law and justice.
Legal inequalities
- Leyes de Indias: promulgated by Christian kings to protect natives and promote welfare.
- Spanish Penal Code imposed heavier penalties on native Filipinos or mestizos and lighter penalties on Spaniards.
- Dr. Rizal’s correspondence with Prof. Blumentritt highlighted frustration with injustice.
Maladministration of justice
- Court of Injustice described as inept, venal, and ignorant of law.
- Justice was costly, partial, and slow.
- Poor Filipinos had no access to the courts; wealth, social prestige, and skin color influenced outcomes.
- “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
- Many noble victims of miscarriages of justice.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
- “Brown-skinned and flat nose indios.”
- Phrases like “Chongo (Indio student) vs. bangus (fair-skinned enemy).”
Intellectual and political critique
- Fr. Burgos on racial/physical determinism and social mobility; critique of the social system.
FRAILOCRACY
- Definition: Union of church and state.
- Functions: supervisor of local elections; inspector of schools and taxes; arbiter of morals; censor of books and comedias; superintendent of public works; guardian of peace and order.
- Filipino views: obscurantism, fanaticism, oppression.
- Dr. Jose Rizal’s view: the system is an enemy of liberal reforms and modern progress; it has two faces.
FORCED LABOR (Polo)
- Compulsory labor imposed on adult Filipino males.
- Uses: construction of schools, hospitals, buildings; repair of roads and bridges; building ships in shipyards; other public works.
Attitudes toward polo
- Filipinos hated polo; Spaniards not compelled to work.
- Payment: about 2 pesos (≈ $0.50$ ) per day; caused hardship.
HACIENDA TROUBLES
- Friars obtained royal titles of ownership from the Spanish King.
- Hotbeds of revolts.
- 1768: Governor Simon de Anda recommended the sale of friar estates to Spain’s government, but the proposal was ignored.
FREEDOM, UNIFICATION, IDENTITY – BUILDING (Global Contexts)
- Russia: Czar Alexander II – Emancipation of 22.5 million serfs on $February hinspace 19, hinspace 1861$ .
- Serfdom: description of serf status and conditions; serfs could be bought/sold; various levels (private, state, community).
- Abolished when deemed economically unprofitable for the country.
- USA: American Civil War erupted on $April hinspace 12, hinspace 1861$ ; Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people (died following the emancipation).
- Mexico: Benito Juárez; 5-time president; indigenous reformer who fought against foreign occupation under Emperor Maximilian; sought a democratic federal republic.
- Archduke Maximilian of Austria installed as puppet emperor; was executed. USA aided Mexico to end French occupation.
- Italy: Count Camillo Benso di Cavour; Giuseppe Garibaldi; Red Shirts; King Emmanuel II; Rome as capital.
- Germany: Otto von Bismarck; Franco-Prussian War; unification of Germany in 1871; growth of German industry.
- GLOBAL PRESTIGE, IMPERIALISM, COLONIZATION, DOMINATION

V. Global Contexts: Major World Powers and Colonization (Selected Highlights)

The United Kingdom
- The British Empire: Britannia Rules the Waves under Queen Victoria.
- Used opium to expand territories; Opium Wars; acquisition of Hong Kong & Kowloon.
- India: Indian Rebellion and suppression; Mogul Empire’s defeat.
- After Anglo-Burmese Wars: Burma, Myanmar, Ceylon, Maldives, Malaya, Singapore, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand.
France in Indochina
- Vietnam (1858), Cambodia (1863), Laos (1893).
Netherlands East Indies
- Dutch East Indies Company (VOC); region known today as Indonesia.
Russia
- Eastward expansion to Siberia; Central Asia; Manchuria; built the Trans-Siberian Railway (5,800 miles) linking Vladivostok and Moscow.
Japan
- Commodore Perry’s 1853 reopening of Japan; Meiji Restoration; Western influences; modernization.
- Annexation interests: Formosa/Taiwan and Pescadores; Korea annexed in 1910.
Germany
- Colonization efforts starting in 1871; Yap (Caroline Islands); Palau. Capriles’ resistance noted; Rizal’s Carolina Questions in La Publicidad (Barcelona).
- Pacific arbitration by Pope Leo XIII.
Spain and Pacific questions
- Spain’s sovereignty over Caroline and Palau; concessions to Germany: right to trade; right to establish a coaling station in Yap for the German navy.
Defeat, Stagnation as World Power
- Spain: “Mistress of the Sea no more”; loss of the Siglo de Oro; other Latin American independence movements (Central and South America):
- Central America: Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua (1821).
- South America: Venezuela (1822), Peru (1824), Bolivia, Uruguay (1825).
- Spain’s despotism lost its hold over colonies; decline in global influence.

VI. Rizal Family Genealogy

Ancestry
- Domingo Lam-co: from Chinchew; baptized at Parian church of San Gabriel; parents Siang-co and Zun-nio; friend to Fr. Francisco Marquez and Fr. Juan Caballero; settled in Biñan; married Ines Dela Rosa.
- Ines Dela Rosa: parents Agustin Chinco (Chinchew) and Jacinta Rafaela (from San Rafael); children include Magdalena Vergara, Josepha, Cristobal Dela Trinidad, Juan Batista, Francisco Hong-sun, Ines Dela Rosa.
- Mercado clan: Capitan Juan Mercado (mayor of Biñan) and Cirila Alejandra; descendants include Petrona, Gabino, Potenciana, Leoncio, Tomasa, Casimiro, Basilisa, Gabriel, Fausta, Julian, Cornelio, Gregorio, Francisco.
- Alonso clan: Atty. Manuel Facundo de Quintos (affluent in Pangasinan) and Regina Ursua; notable descendants include Narcisa, Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel, Jose; Uncle Jose Florentino elected to the Spanish Cortes; Uncle Jose Alberto Alonso knighted by Queen Isabella.
1849 Royal Decree — Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos
- Gov. Narciso Clavería y Zaldua: organized surnames, cedula, population distribution, and government records; Rizal was adopted by Don Francisco; influenced by Rizal-Mercado naming; confusion in family business.
Rizal’s Parents
- Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898): born in Biñan, Laguna (May 11, 1818); Latin and Philosophy at College of San Jose; tenant-farmer of Dominican hacienda; hard-working, taciturn; died in Manila (January 5, 1898) at age 80; Rizal called him “a model of fathers.”
- Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911): born in Manila (November 8, 1826); educated at the College of Santa Rosa; cultured, literate, well-versed in literature and Spanish; died in Manila (August 16, 1911) at age 85; described as a remarkable woman with culture, talent, and fortitude.
Siblings
- Saturnina (Neneng): published Tagalog translation of Noli Me Tangere by Pascual Poblete; helped fund Rizal’s education.
- Paciano (Ute): learned English through self-study; described as the hero behind Rizal; served as Rizal’s confidant; second father figure; later a combat general in the Philippine Revolution; died April 13, 1930 at age 79; had two children by Severina Decena.
- Narcisa (Sisa): could memorize and recite Rizal’s poetry; educated many siblings; had 9 children; one became Leoncio, a physician at UST.
- Olimpia (Ypiang): moved among stations due to husband Silvestre Ubaldo’s work as a telegraph operator; one child became a retired doctor and professor at PGH/UP.
- Lucia: married to Mariano Herbosa; active in Calamba agrarian complaints; one child Delfina helped Manuel Agoncillo in sewing the Philippine flag in Hong Kong.
- Maria (Biang): married to Faustino Cruz; one child Mauricio (Moris) killed by Japanese; Gemma Cruz is a descendant who became a beauty queen; married to Antonio Araneta.
- Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal Alonzo y Realonda (full name and lineage explained below).
Meanings of the name
- Doctor: completed medical studies; Licentiate in Medicine, Universidad Central de Madrid.
- Jose: named after San Jose (St. Joseph) by Rizal’s mother.
- Protacio: from Gervacio.
- Mercado: adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (paternal great-great-grandfather); means ‘market’ in Spanish.
- Rizal: from the word ‘Ricial’ meaning a field where wheat sprouts again after being cut.
- Alonzo: old surname of his mother.
- Realonda: used by Doña Teodora from her godmother’s surname; reflects cultural practices of the time.
Key dates and life events
- June 19, $1861$ : Rizal’s birth; nickname “Pepe.”
- Rizal lived with Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl from Hong Kong; they had a son who died a few hours after birth and was named Francisco.
- Concepcion (Concha) — Rizal’s sister (1862-1865) died at age 3.
- Josefa (Panggoy) — died an old maid; one of the 29 women admitted to the KKK.
- Trinidad (Trining) — died, old maid; custodian of Mi Último Adiós.
- Soledad (Choleng) — wife of Pantaleon Quintero; close friend/classmate to Leonor Rivera; Rizal proud of her as a teacher.
Relationships with other families
- Connections listed with various family names (Gonzalez, Villaroman, Ver, Virata, Reyes, Black; etc.) through marriages and alliances.
DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA: MEANING OF NAMES
- Definitions of given/middle/surnames and their origins are summarized as above to explain Rizal’s full nomenclature and cultural naming practices.
The Rizal Family Tree: Exercises
- A1. Identification exercise (10 points): identify figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Benito Juarez, Archduke Maximilian, Queen Victoria, Red Shirts, Otto von Bismarck, Commodore Matthew C. Perry, Germany, Sphere of Influence, Spain.
- A2. Draw a family tree of Dr. Jose Rizal (Life and Works of Rizal 19).

VII. Exercises/Written Activities (Examples from the Transcript)

A1 Identification (answers, as in the provided key):
- Abraham Lincoln → Emancipation Proclamation (federal action to free enslaved people).
- Benito Juárez → Indigenous Mexican leader and president.
- Archduke Maximilian of Austria → Puppet emperor of Mexico (installed by Napoleon III).
- Queen Victoria → Queen of the United Kingdom; global colonial empire.
- Red Shirts → Italian nationalist force during unification.
- Otto von Bismarck → The Iron Chancellor of Germany.
- Commodore Matthew C. Perry → Opened Japan to the West (July 8, 1853).
- Germany → Power involved in colonization and global affairs.
- Sphere of Influence → A geographic region where a state has dominant influence.
- Spain → European power with Filipino colonies.
B. The Philippines of Rizal’s Times (key terms mapping)
- Leyes de Indias → Laws promulgated to protect natives and promote welfare; issues of colonial administration.
- Del Pilar and Lopez Jaena → Early leaders of the Philippine reform and Propaganda movements.
- Polo → Forced labor; a coercive practice under colonial rule.
- Hacienda → Large estates; land tenure issues.
- Guardia Civil → Internal security force; symbol of coercive power.
- Indios → The term used by Spaniards to refer to Filipinos.
- General Rafael Izquierdo → Governor-General known for harsh actions against reformists.
- Corrupt → A descriptor used for those who exploit power for personal gain.
- Juan de la Cruz → A symbolically used name for a Filipino accused of a crime (historical context).
- Valeriano Weyler → Known for brutal actions in the Philippines and Cuba.
A2. Draw a Family Tree of Dr. Jose Rizal (Life and Works of Rizal 19)
- This task requires constructing Rizal’s genealogical connections across his parents, siblings, and extended families; the notes above provide the key relationships and lineages to be included in the diagram.

VIII. Performance Tasks (Poster)

Make a poster that shows the happenings of the world and the Philippines during Rizal’s Time.
- Post your poster in Microsoft 365 Teams.
- Criteria:
- Originality: $10$ points
- Creativity: $10$ points
- Color harmony: $10$ points
- Relevance to the topic: $20$ points
- Total: $50$ points.

IX. Answer Key (Selected Highlights)

A1 (as shown in the transcript):
- Abraham Lincoln → $Emancipation Proclamation$ (Sept 22, 1863) freeing enslaved people.
- Benito Juárez → Indigenous Mexican president.
- Archduke Maximilian of Austria → Puppet emperor of Mexico (June 12, 1864).
- Queen Victoria → Queen of the United Kingdom; global empire.
- Red Shirts → Italian nationalist force.
- Otto von Bismarck → The Iron Chancellor of Germany.
- Commodore Matthew C. Perry → Opened Japan in 1853.
- Germany → Colonial power that asserted influence in the Pacific.
- Sphere of Influence → Concept of regional dominance.
- Spain → European colonial power in the Philippines.
A1 (the Philippines of Rizal’s Times) and A2 (Family Tree) answers align with the mass of content provided above.

X. References

Zaide, G.F., Jose Rizal Life, Works and Writings, Revised Millennium Edition, 2003.
Zaide, G.F., Rizal, Life Works and Writings of a Genius Writer, Scientist, and a National Hero.
Pasiqui, R.E., Jose Rizal: the man and the hero, C and E Publishing, Inc, Quezon City, 2014.
Official documents and online references listed in the transcript, including https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republic-act-no-1425/ and other sources for context.

Note on Structure

The notes above follow the presented transcript sections and pages, reorganizing content into major concept blocks (World context, Rights and injustices, Global powers, Rizal family, exercises, and references).
LaTeX formatting is used for numerical ranges and key figures to aid quick scanning and memorize important data points (all numbers are wrapped in $…$ as appropriate).