Rizal

contents
5 - FACTS Rizal Fun facts 13 - On Rizal and Religion
14 - A Glimpse of Rizals Favorites 20 -
ENTERTAINMENT Feature RP612fic
30 - 5 Reasons why Rizal is just as human as the
rest of us 36 - TRIBUTE Noli Me Tangere opera
coming to Manila 37 - PHLPost exhibits Rizal
stamps, memorabilia 38 - Artworks

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1. There are three
animals named after
Rizal. These species
of animals were the
ones he collected
while he was an
exile in Dapitan and
include Apogonia
Rizali (Heller), a type
of small beetle; Draco
Rizali (Wandolleck), a
species of flying dragon;
and Rachophorous
Rizali (Boetger),
a species of toad.
6 Facts
2. Contrary to popular
belief, the Rizal
monument in Luneta
was not made by a
Filipino artist. The design
was the work of
Swiss sculptor named
Richard Kissling who
won second prize in
an art competition
that was held in 1907
to find the best scale
model for the future
Rizal monument. The
first prize went to
Italian sculptor Carlo
Nicoli of Carrara but
for some reason, the
contract to build the
monument was given
to the second-prize
winner.
3. Rizal cured
himself of tuberculosis,
and was
later recognized
as a tuberculosis
expert.
4. He was already
a terrific sculptor
even at a very
young age. In fact,
Rizal carved a 9-inch
statuette of the
Sacred Heart out of
batikuling wood when
he was only 14 years
old. The Jesuit fathers
brought this statuette
in Fort Santiago when
they visited Rizal in
December 1896. Aside
from wood sculptures,
Rizal also carved 40
amazing masterpieces
out of plaster,
terra-cotta, wax, and
clay.
5. When he was
studying in Spain,
Rizal had to pawn
a ring owned by his
sister Saturnina just to
pay for his exams. But
he didn’t want his family
to get worried, so
he only mentioned his
victories and excellent
grades in the letters
addressed to his family.

6. Rizal had psychic
abilities. On his journal
entry dated January 1,
1883, he shared about a
“frightful nightmare” he
had two nights before
(i.e. December 30). In
this dream, Rizal was
imitating a dying actor
and felt his “breath was
failing” and his vision
became very dim. Interestingly,
Rizal would
be executed 13 years
later at the exact same
date. Austin Coates,
Rizal’s biographer, also
underscored that there
were many incidents
written in both Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo
that eventually
happened to Rizal in
real life.
7. Rizal is regarded by
many as the Father
of Philippine Comics
because of some
humorous illustrations
he made in Germany.
The said drawing,
entitled “The baptism
of two brothers”, was
inspired by the German
cartoon “Max and
Moritz” and was made
by Rizal to entertain
the children of his
landlord, Pastor Ulmer.
The original copy is
now preserved in the
National Library of the
Philippines.
8. According to Faustino
“Tinong” Alfon,
Rizal’s former cook in
Dapitan, our national
hero’s favorite fruits
were lanzones and
mangoes. His meals
back then usually consisted
of three kinds of
ulam. Rizal’s breakfast,
on the other hand, was
usually comprised of
hot chocolate, rice, and
sardinas secas, commonly
known now as
simply tuyo.
9. Mi Retiro is the
name of his place of
exile in Dapitan, was
inspired by his favorite
park in Spain, the
Parque del Buen Retiro.
10. He left specific
instructions on how he
wanted to be treated
after his death.Here
are some of his last
wishes.
Facts
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11. Only one of Rizals skeletal
remains was not buried under
the monument in Luneta. A vertebra
or a piece of the backbone
where Rizal was allegedly hit by
the bullet was claimed by his
family and is now displayed in
Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago.
12. Rizal stuffed unknown papers
in his pockets and shoes on the eve
of his execution. He did this, assuming
that his corpse would be turned over
to his family after the execution. But as
we all know, his body was dumped by
Spanish officials in an unmarked grave
in Paco cemetery. The papers had since
deteriorated, the contents of which
were never identified.
13. During Rizals execution, a
total of 8 Filipinos armed with
Remingtons formed the firing
squad. There were also 8 Spanish
soldiers with Mausers behind
them, ready to shoot the Filipino
soldiers if they refused to execute
Rizal.
14. Rizal had a third, unfinished
novel. Known among historians as
“Makamisa”, this unfinished work
was started by Rizal in Hongkong
in 1892. Makamisa was not actually
the title of Rizal’s work, but only
the title of a single chapter of the
unfinished Tagalog novel.
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15. A descendant of one of the
executioners, Adolfo Pastor
Quetcuti, revealed that the captain
of the guards put only one live
bullet in one of the rifles, while
placing blanks in the others. He
explained that this is to ease their
guilt as they already knew in the
beginning that Rizal was innocent.

16. Rizal played a key role in
the identification of Oncomelania
cuadrasi, a Philippine snail
that harbors the parasite that
causes schistosomiasis. The said
snail was named after a certain
Mr. Cuadrasi, a known naturalist in
Manila and to whom Rizal sent his
specimens of animals and insects
for identification.
17. Rizal composed a farewell song for Leonor Rivera just before his
departure for Europe. The song, entitled “Leonor”, became very popular
“that many were heard singing it in the streets and during social gatherings. The
moment they saw Leonor, the children would sing the song.” Here is the English
translation of the song:
And so it has arrived: the fatal instant, the dismal injunction of my cruel
fate; and so it has come at last: the moment, the date, when I must separate
myself from you.Goodbye, Leonor, goodbye! I take my leave, leaving behind
with you my lover’s heart! Goodbye, Leonor: from here I now depart. O melancholy
absence! Ah, what pain!
18. “A la Senorita C.O. y R.”, one of Rizal’s
best poems, was dedicated to Consuelo
Ortiga y Rey, a pretty daughter of Don Pablo
Ortiga whom Rizal fell in love with when he
was in Madrid. However, Rizal backed out of
the blossoming relationship because he was
good friends with Eduardo de Lete who was in
love with Consuelo. He also wanted to remain
loyal to Leonor Rivera who would eventually
marry Englishman Henry Kipping.
19. Rizal once sent a love letter
written in invisible ink to
Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl
from Pagsanjan. The message
could only be deciphered if you
put the letter over a lamp or candle.
Leonor Valenzuela was one
of Rizal’s first sweethearts. Unfortunately,
they parted ways
when Rizal had to leave for Spain.
20. While in Dapitan, Rizal wrote an extensive
written discourse on kulam. Entitled “La curacion
de los hechizados” (The treatment and cure of the
bewitched), this lesser-known work of Rizal explores
the psychological treatment for kulam and even explained
that witches were not always women who are
old or ugly. He also discussed the difference between
hiloanon of the Visayas, who gives poison to
her victims, and the manggagaway, the ‘traditional’
witch who uses rag doll and pins.
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21. Rizal was widely
featured in cigarette
wrappers. Most of
these wrappers, made
with Art Deco or Art
Nouveau designs, were
produced in Binondo
during the turn-of-thecentury.
An old cigarette
label, Las Delicias,
even went to the
extreme by featuring
Rizal smoking a cigar.
22. Rizal was exceptional
and prolific
in a wide range of
subjects–except music.
This is because he
already realized early
in life that his singing
“sounded like the braying
of an ass.”
23. Vital statistics:
Rizal was about five
feet three inches tall
and had a waistline of
about 25″ to 26″. He
also had a big head:
His hats were 6 1/2″
across and the interior
measures 8″ from front
to back. He didn’t look
odd, though, as his
broad shoulders and
developed neck compensated
for it.
24. It was rumored
that both Adolf Hitler
and Mao Zedong
were the illegitimate
sons of Jose Rizal.
25. Rizals original
execution photo
features a dog, the
mascot of the firing
squad. It is said that
the dog ran around
the corpse whining
after a soldier fired
one last shot in Rizal’s
head to make sure he
was dead.
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2
On Rizal
and Religion
Written By John Rhofil Icaranom
to the article is quite simple: “Dahil Siya ang
Pambansang Bayani “
To mock someone elses religion is a very dangerous
thing. Last January this year, the world
is set a buzz when French Satirical Weekly
News Magazine Charlie Hebdo
was attacked by two gunmen.
12 people were killed, 8 journalist,
2 police officers, a caretaker
and a visitor. The two
gunmen killed five of France’s
top cartoonists, saying that
they wanted to avenge the
prophet Muhhamad for Charlie
Hebdo’s satire of him.
According to an article published
in the newspaper Philippine
Star, barangay Ronggot in Calamba Laguna
is dubbed as the Rizalista Village. Barangay
Ronggot is a bit out of the way according to
the article. From Calamba proper, you have to
take a bangka to get to the barangay, or the
alternative is to walk about three or four kilometers
on an unfinished, unpaved road. The
barangay does not have a hospital or a public
market, and the residents of the village have
to go all the way to Calamba proper for the
consumer items that they need.
The reason for worshipping Rizal according
When I found out that there is a group
of people who worships Rizal as their
second Christ, my initial reaction was
to laugh. Really? What a really absurd
practice I say. However, I’ve manage to
urge the practice because of what I
remember about the recent world events
that transpired because of a lack of
respect for other peoples beliefs.
According to the article, the place has a shrine
for Rizal with pictures and statues of the national
hero, with the Ten Commandments believed
to be penned by Rizal himself was said
to be built. It is also said that the worshippers
contend that Rizal’s spirit goes into chosen
mediums so that he can continue teaching
those who follow his ways. The medium nowadays
is an old lady named Manang Gloria.
There were others before her, but the story is
the same for all of them. Rizal’s spirit supposedly
possesses them during
the time of worship, and
through the medium, teaches
his followers the lessons
of living life the correct and
righteous way. They say it is
Rizal talking when the medium
takes on the voice of a man.
In a country that’s a haven of
a lot of myths and folklores,
it might not be really hard for
those people to believe and
do such practice. We have our own different
beliefs, and I believe we don’t have to have
the same religion beliefs to be able to genuinely
care about each other, to do good to
one another, besides all religion have a universality
when it comes to their golden rules,
“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself
would find hurtful.” In the end it all comes
down to you and your doings, if we’ve become
good christians, muslims, rizalists or
whatsoever, it’s all up to us. So yes, do good
my friend. Do what you want as long as no
one is hurting, it’s a free country anyways.
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human as th
5 Reasons why
Article written by Loren Rosaria
30 Entertainment
Heroes are human too; they
laugh, they cry, they make mistakes.
Jose Rizal was no different.
To say he was an invincible
champion who could do no
wrong would be tarnishing the
man Rizal was, for although he
had his fair share of flaws, he still
managed to overcome them all
and become someone great.
Rather than thinking of him as
the ideal hero, let’s think of
Rizal as someone who was
just like us, yet persevered to
become the great man we know
him to be.

Rizal is just as
e rest of us
1. He Was A Bit Of A Grammar Nazi.
While not as annoying as those you meet in online forums,
Jose Rizal did have the tendency to correct people’s grammar from time
to time, as exemplified in a letter he wrote to his young nephew, Alfredo.
In the letter, Rizal corrected Alfredo on the phrase “I and my
brothers greet you” (which the latter wrote in an earlier letter) and said
the pronoun should have been placed after and not before the word
“brothers.” For Rizal, it should have been “My brothers and I greet you”
and added that many others would often commit that mistake.
From a bigger perspective, Rizal also wanted to emphasize
that people should place others first before themselves.
2. He Was Stingy Yet Spent Regularly
On Photographs.
While living in Europe, Rizal
gained the reputation of a miser due to his
extreme penny-pinching ways (he supposedly
lived on only P50 a month).
Before checking into hotels, he would always
opt for a room without breakfast and
instead use the savings to buy tea, biscuits
and alcohol. He also rationed his portions
painstakingly. In one incident, he and his
roommate Jose Alejandrino agreed to
split a box of biscuits between them for a
month. The result? A starved Alejandrino
finished his portion in only 15 days while
Rizal managed to make his own last the
entire month.
Sometimes, Rizal would also
neglect personal hygiene. In a letter to his sister, he revealed that he went
without taking a bath for a long time because he found them too expensive.
For all his stinginess, however, Rizal made sure to regularly allocate
money for photographs. The number of photos we have of him today is
proof Rizal loved taking pictures of himself.
3. He Was Too Proud To Ask For Help.
Despite his meticulous budgeting, Rizal’s financial situation did not always
go smoothly. After his family’s estate in Laguna was subjected to a dispute,
Rizal’s allowances became few and far between.
Nevertheless, Rizal’s “Pinoy Pride” would never allow him to seek financial
assistance from anyone. In fact, on the days he was broke and hungry,
Rizal would often go out of his boarding house for a walk while cursing
his bad luck.
He would also go inside restaurants, take a whiff and go back home. Due
to the smell of food on him, his companions would then assume he had
just eaten out. Interestingly enough, American writer Ernest Hemingway
also used this technique while he was living in Paris.
4. He Experimented With Drugs.
To be fair, Rizal was NEVER a drug addict. However, that did
not stop him from trying some for the sake of science. While just an
18-year-old, Rizal once used hashish he bought from a drugstore. At the
time, the drug—a hallucinogen more potent than marijuana—could be
easily bought over the counter along with cocaine, morphine and heroin.
However, Rizal later justified his use of hashish in a letter he
wrote to German scientist Adolf Bernhard Meyer,
saying he just tried the drug for “experimental
purposes.” Aside from hashish, Rizal was also
known to use mustard plasters and sudorifics
(drugs which cause sweating) to treat torticollis
(“stiff neck”) when he was just a boy.
5. He Was Torpe.
Given the number of women who went in and
out of his life, it would seem counterintuitive
to think Rizal was “torpe.” Yet for the Don Juan
that he was, Rizal experienced a case of cold
feet in his liaison with his first love Segunda
Katigbak.
Although Katigbak was already engaged to
be married to Manuel Luz, Rizal still fell for her
anyway, describing her as “bewitching” and
“alluring.” For the young lovers, it was love at
first sight—one that would be doomed from
the start, in part because of Katigbak’s engagement and because of
Rizal’s indecisiveness.
It happened like this: Sometime in December 1877 Rizal promised to
escort the carriage carrying Katigbak when it passed by Calamba on
the way to her hometown in Lipa. True enough, Rizal did show up riding
a white horse and spotted Katigbak waving a white handkerchief to him
from inside the carriage. Surprisingly, Rizal—instead of following the
carriage—turned around and went home.
While we may never know what spurred him to do so, Rizal certainly
was heartbroken as could be clearly seen in his farewell poem dedicated
to Katigbak:
“Ended at an early hour, my first love! My virgin heart will always mourn
the reckless step it took on the flower-decked abyss. My illusions return,
yes, but indifferent, uncertain, ready for the first betrayal on the path of
grief.”
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PHLPost exhibits
Rizal stamps,
memorabilia
Get to see original and never before seen
Rizal stamps, artworks, love letters and
other memorabilia of our national hero,
Dr Jose Rizal!
This is a press release from
the Philippine Postal Corporation.
To commemorate the 154th birth
anniversary of national hero Dr
Jose Rizal, The Philippine Postal
Corporation (PHLPost), in cooperation
with Tayabas Historical and
Conservation Society will open the
Rizal Stamps exhibit dubbed as
“Mga selyo ni Rizal,” on Monday,
June 22, at the Orlando Nadres
Hall, Luis Palad National High
School in Tayabas, Quezon province.
Visitors will see all original
and never before seen Rizal
stamps, artworks, love letters, and
other memorabilia of Dr Jose Rizal.
The exhibit will present, in chronological
order, the old and latest
issues in limited copies of the
stamps with introductory texts.
The exhibit will run until July 3,
2015. Visitors will be charged a
P10-entrance fee. The proceeds
will go to the renovation of the
Gabaldon school building at Luis
Palad National High School.
PHLPost also encourages students
and the viewing public to participate
in philately or stamp collecting
by joining the Philatelic Youth
Club. A starter kit, complete with
application form, mini album, ID
and P10 worth of stamps shall be
available for those who want to
join the stamp club.
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Meanwhile, the public will
have the chance to try using
the personalized stamps
system to be installed in the
exhibit area. They can now
create their own photo stamps
which can be used not only as
a gift or souvenir, but also to
mail letters. – Rappler.com
Visitors will see all original
and never before
seen Rizal stamps, artworks,
love letters,
and other memorabilia
of Dr Jose Rizal.

‘Noli Me Tangere’ opera
coming to Manila
MANILA, Philippines
– A different
version of
the classic Noli
Me Tangere will
soon be showing
in the Philippines
– this
time, in opera
form.
The intimate gathering held last week, hosted
by director Freddie Santos, gave audiences a look at the
production. Guests were regaled with the powerful voices
of local opera group Primo Vera. The venue was also
abuzz with eager anticipation for the main event: songs
performed from the original opera.
Ms. Loida Nicolas Lewis, the mastermind behind
the bringing of the opera to the Philippines, was also in
attendance. Through the passion and dedication of Lewis,
along with executive producer, costume and set designer
Jerry Sibal, and assistant executive producer Edwin Josue,
Manila will soon have the pleasure of seeing a classic story
from Philippine history retold through a different medium.
The story of Noli is one that Filipinos know all too well,
from Crisostomo Ibarra’s discoveries after his return to
the country, the sad fate of the unfortunate Sisa, to the
truth about Crisostomo’s love, Maria Clara. Set in the
Spanish occupation, Rizal’s novel tells of the cancer that
plagued society, and what actions can spark a revolution
for change.
This operatic rendition breathes new life into Jose
Rizal’s masterpiece. “It’s an opera made in the same spirit
of Verdi, of Puccini, of Bernini. Grand opera in the Italian
style,” Lewis said. The difference? It is sung entirely in Filipino.
The brainchild of two national artists, the Noli opera
boasts music composed by Felipe de Leon and libretto by
Guillermo Tolentino.
Lewis first had the idea to bring the production
to New York after attending the 100-year celebration of
Felipe de Leon in Chicago last year.
“They were singing in Tagalog and napakaganda. (It was
so beautiful.) It touched my heart, and I said, ‘This cannot
stay in Chicago. I have to bring it to New York because if
it didn’t happen in New York, it didn’t happen,’” she says.
And so it happened. Lewis, Sibal, and Josue successfully
staged the Noli Me Tangere Opera in New York. It sold out
all the three days that it ran, and was even reviewed by
the New York Times.
The opera intends to showcase the world-class
talent of its Filipino cast. From the moment director Freddie
Santos introduced the first performance by the ensemble
from the US production, guests were immediately
treated to the unique feel of the opera, from the traditional
costumes to the fluid lyrics in Filipino. Noteworthy also,
was the solo performance of soprano Kirby Asunto, who
played the pivotal role of Basilio, Sisa’s son.
Noli Me Tangere Opera will once again play out
on Philippine stage in September
2014 at Resorts World Manila’s
Newport Performing Arts Center.
Freddie Santos will direct, with
Camille Lopez Molina at the helm
as vocal master. The team will stage
21 straight shows, a feat unheard of
in the opera world.
“This cannot be done with
the same cast every night,” Santos
says, “The amount of actors coming
from abroad is very minimal.” With
plans to have two alternate groups
of 40 actors each, the team is in
search of more talent. Open auditions
will be held on May 2 (4pm),
and May 3 (11am). Actors must
come prepared to sing an aria from
the Noliopera, or an aria of their
choice if they are unfamiliar with
songs from the production.
With the Philippines soon
to be checked off the list, the team
will next stage the production in
Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.
“It is now high time that the Philippines
take its proper place,” Lewis
explains, “We are not only economically
no longer the sick man of
Asia. We are the new tiger, but we
have to show the world that we are
also world class artists.” Sibal adds,
“We are trying to put this Noli Me
Tangere Opera in the world so that
the international opera companies
could adapt this and present this all
over the world.” – Rappler.com
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Made by Lester Absulio
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Supposed to be the Cover
Edited by
Mariel Verano