Josephine Bracken

        Josephine Bracken is a name familiar to filipinos because he was Jose Rizal's last love, the woman immortalized towards the end of Ultimo Adios in the words "adios dulce extanjera, mi amiga, mi alegria". In my view, Josephine Bracken was the dulce extranjera whom he loved dearly of whom he made a sculpted face, left sketches and delicated a book beore he was executed. It read; To my dear and unhappy wife, Josephine. She served as his dulce amor. But it was a sad ending, as we know, on the morning of 30 December 1896.
        I believe, Josephine Bracken was Jose Rizal's great love. She also helped in taking care of the sick and wounded while she is katipunera. In fact, it was her suggestion to start a field hospital in the casa hacienda of Tejeros" When Imus became under threat of recapture, Bracken made her way through bushes and mud to the forces in Maragondon where she witnessed the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897.

Retraction of Jose Rizal

          I have searched for books about Jose Rizal retraction and found an article authored by Gagelonia vehemently saying that Jose Rizal did not retract as evidence by his letters to some of his close friends. So for me Rizal was not retract it would be historically wrong to claim that Rizal repudiated the Revolution, he did not it. It would likewise be historically unfair to judge Rizal as a non-advocate of the revolution. Rizal also mentioned in one of his letters to Ferdinand Blimentritt that he has no desire to take part in conspiracies. The strong nationalist and patriotic character of Dr.   Jose Rizal sets him apart from others. He was firm and bold in his opposition to the colonizers that is why it is hard to just believe that he retracted from his nationalist goals in just a blink of an eye.

          Even if Jose Rizal has been found to retract from his religious beliefs but not still proven true. a number of materials prove that he did not retract from his nationalist and patriotic goals. He did not change his strong opposition stance overnight but instead continued to express his desires through subtle writings with a humungous impact to the eaders which until now resoantes in our society

Paciano Rizal

       Paciano Rizal was born in March 7, 1851, paciano was the second of the eleven Rizal children, ten years older than Jose Rizal.He studied in Colegio de San Jose and later in University of Santo Tomas both in Manila. He had to drop out of school because he was associated with martyred priests Fr. Jose Burgos who was accused a filibusterismo by Spanish government.

       Paciano did not want to be photograph because his reason was he was a wanted man in the past and if there were no photographs of him, then it would be hard for authorities to arrest him. There are only two known photographs of the man a stolen snap and a recuerdo de patay, taken after his death.

       Paciano is remembered by his relatives to be a tall man with a healthy complexion. One of  Paciano Rizal's exploits its getting the Spaniards to surrender in Calamba.

Paciano was

the last officer to surrender to the Amercans after the Filiino-American War. He only did so because he was suffering from malaria. The americans wanted him to swear allegiance to their flag but replied "he has only one flag".

Life of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda

The first thing I noticed in Dr. Rizal's life was that he lived a simple one. He did not choose to have a luxurious life like the most us have wanted. Even before he became under surveillance by Spaniards, he had lived his life as simple as possible. I think it was the work of his parents that made him lived like this. the second thing that I observed from life of Rizal was his calmness and ability to think rationally even in the most complicated circumstances. His advocacy of Philippines Independence is by legal and peaceful way that is why he wrote many books in order to fire-up the revolutionary spirit of the Filipinos.

As an educated man Rizal's philosophy of educated centers on the provision of proper motivation in order to strengthen the great social forces that make education a success, to create in the youth to innate desire to cultivate his intelligence and give him life eternal.

As a religious man Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was only for Catholics and that outside Christianity. Nor did he believe in the Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in the sale of such religious items as the cross, medals, rosaries and the like in order to propogate the Faith and raise church funds

As a political man Rizal guiding political philosophy proved to be the study and application of reforms, he extension of human rights, the training for self government and the arousing of spirit of discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness, and self love.

Basing of these philosophies, I can say that Rizal is very humane, compassionate and benevolent citizen.

Rizal's Last Hour

December 30 is the death day of Dr. Jose Rizal. He was guided to his cell in Fort Santiago where he spent his last 24 hours right after the conviction. At 6:00 AM of December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael Dominguez read Jose Rizal's death sentence and declared that he will be shot at 7:00 am of the next day in Bagumbayan
At 8:00 PM of the same day, Jose Rizal had his last supper and informed Captain Dominguez that he had forgiiven his enemies including the military judgs that condmned him to die. Rizal heard mass at 3:00 in the morning of December 30, 1896, had confeession before taking the hoy Communion. Rizal who was dressed in a black suit was a few meters behind his advance guards while moving to his slaughter place and was accompanid by Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, two Jesuit priests am\nd more soldier behind him. Rizal was told told to sand on a grassy lawn between two lam posts in the Bagumbayan field, looking towards the Manila Bay. He requested the firing squad commander to shoot him facing the firing squad but was ordered to turn his back against the squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish army. Jose Rizal's death was carried out when the command "Fuego" was heard and Rizal made an effort to face the firing squad but his bullet riddled body turned to the right and his face dircted to the morning sun. Jose Rizal was secretly buried in Paco Cemetery in Manilal but  no identification was placed in his grave. 

Education Life of Rizal

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 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". As tutor, Dona Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It was she who first discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. To lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC's and to stimulate her son's imagination, she related many stories.
Rizal first studied under Justinia Aquino Cruz in Binan, Laguna, before he was sent to Manila. As to his father's request, he took the entrance examonation in Colegio de San Juan de Letran but he then enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and graduated as one of the nine students in his class declared sobresaliente or outstanding. Upon learning that his mother was going blind, he decided o switch to medicine at te medical school of Santo tomas specializing later in ophthalmology.
In the first two terms the classes were divided into groups of interns and externs; the first constituted the Roamn Empire and the second, the Carthaginian Empire.
Without his arents knowledge and consent, but secretly supported by his brother Paciano, he traveled alone to Madrid Spain in May 1882 and studied medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid where he earned the degree, Lecentiate in Medicine.

Anna Mariel

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