Jose Protacio Rizal

Jose Protacio Rizal is considered to be the greatest national hero in the Philippine history. He made many remarkable feats during his time. José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born in June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Philippines. The 7^th out of the 11 offsprings of Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonso.  A one of a kind student, he was able to know multiple languages, a total of 22. The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. "My mother," wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God."

Now lets move on to Rizal’s love life. There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. These women might have been beguiled by his intelligence, charm and wit. Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor’s mother disapproved of her daughter’s relationship with Rizal, who was then a known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters sent to her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already forgotten her, sadly consented her to marry the Englishman Henry Kipping, her mother’s choice.

Lets move now to the last hours of Rizal Before execution. Moments before his execution on December 30, 1896 by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army, a backup force of regular Spanish Army troops stood ready to shoot the executioners should they fail to obey orders. The general of the Spanish Army silenced his men before he signaled the execution of the hero. Rizal’s last word were those of Jesus Christ: "consummatum est",--it is finished.

"Creative genius does not manifest itself solely within the borders of a specific country: it sprouts everywhere; it is like light and air; it belongs to everyone: it is cosmopolitan like space, life and God."

– José Rizal