Dr. Jose Rizal’s Alphabet
Animal Lover - As a small boy, Rizal loved animals including birds, fish, insects, and other specimens of animal life. Fowls, rabbits, dogs, horses, and cats constituted his favorites. As much as possible, he did not wish fowls to be killed even for food, and showed displeasure in being asked to eat the cooked animal. The family garden in Calamba abounded with insects galore and birds native to the Calamba environs. He wrote about and sketched animals of the places he had toured.
Basilio Moran – deeply impressed by “ Amor Patrio “ congratulated Rizal and requested for more articles.
Cartographer - He drew maps of Dapitan, The Philippines and other places he visited.
Title: Dapita church curtains Material: Oil Remarks: Made in Dapitan, 1894
He once demonstrated his talent for painting while in Dapitan. In 1894, Fr. Vicente Balaguer thought of a backdrop for the Holy Week. He wanted one that’s done in canvas oil painting. He heard of Rizal’s painting ability and requested him to paint a beautiful backdrop for the church altar that would show a colonnaded court, seen from a wide open gate like that of a scene depicting the court of Pontius Pilate. Fr. Balaguer sketched his idea based from a church in Barcelona, Spain and after Rizal showed him his sketch, Rizal with the help of Sister Agustina Montoya, a Filipina nun from Cavite who could paint, and Francisco Almirol, a native painter of Dapitan started the difficult task of painting the scene in oil.
Ethnologist - In his travels, Rizal was able to compare different races and he noted the differences.
Freemason abroad - He was member of La Solidaridad Lodge in Spain.
Geneva – June 9, 1887 Treated Viola to a blowout. It was his 26th birthday. Spent his 15 delightful days in Geneva.
Historian - His annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas entitled him as one.
Ichthyologist- He collected 38 new varieties of fish in Dapitan.
Japanophile -His admiration of Japanese traits and his knowledge of her language proved he was one.
KABABATA -“Sa akingmgakabata” is a much anthological poem on the beauty of Tagalog allegedly written when Rizal was eight years old. At best, this poem is attributed to Rizal, at worst it may not have been written by Rizal at all.
Lover of truth -He chided Spanish writers for not writing the truth about the Filipinos. He was always truthful since boyhood.
Musicians - He played the flute and composed pieces of music and cultivated music appreciation.
Nationalist -He gave full expression of the native spirit strengthened by world civilization and loved and defended everything Filipino.
Orientalist - Rizal admired the special characteristic and beauties of Oriental countries peoples.
Physical culturist - Rizal maintained a good health by exercising all parts of his body and eating proper foods.
QUIROGA- is a character in “El Filibusterismo” while Quiopquiap was the pseudonym of Pablo Feced, a journalist known for his anti-Filipino writings.
Rhacophorus - is a genus of frogs in the shrub frog family (Rhacophoridae) which together with the related Hylidae makes up the true tree frogs. They live in India, Japan, Madagascar, Africa, and Southeast Asia. "Amphibian Species of the World.
SEGUNDA-She was Jose Rizal’s “puppy love” and with her the hero was believed to have had “love at first sight”
Tuberculosis expert - For having cured himself of this disease, he became and was recognized as an expert.
University of Sto. Tomas - where he finish his 4th year medical course.
Verdades Nuevas (new Truths) – July 31, 1889 an article he wrote in La Solidaridad.
WOMEN of MALOLOS - Rizal wrote a lengthy letter to the women of Malolos, Bulacan, who against friar objections, proposed a night school where they could learn Spanish. The letter was published in La Solidaridad.
XEREZ-BURGOS Manuel Xerez-Burgos - nephew of the ill-fated Fr. Jose Burgos interceded with the Jesuits when Rizal was not admitted into Ateneo Municipal due to his small stature.
YBARRA, YSAGANI, YNDIOS BRAVOS - In Spanish orthography the letters “I” and “Y” are sometimes interchangeable and his manuscripts Rizal spells the names of these characters Ybarra/Ibarra and Ysagani/Isagani. The same for the group of friends that called themselves Yndios/Indios Bravos after the “Brave Indians” who performed Wild West show during the 1889 Paris Expo. Indio was a negative word used to describe native Filipinos, Rizal and friends turned in around and made it a badge of courage.
ZOOLOGIST, BEN ZAYB - Rizal was not a professional zoologist but is considered such because he collected specimens: seashells, butterflies, flora and fauna, and other artifacts that he sent to scientists in Europe during his exile in Dapitan. Rizal’s name appears in the classification for a winged lizard (Draco rizali), a frog or toad (Racophorusrizali) and a beetle (Apogoniarizali). Ben Zaybis a character in El Fili whose name is said to have come from Ybanez.