In his 35 years of existence, Gat. Jose Rizal had done a lot of things and had been to a lot of places. From being an ophthalmologist to being a discoverer of different lizard species, from being the author of the highly controversial novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusteresmo to being this country’s national hero. From Calamba, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Dapitan,
Despite being occupied maintaining his career in various fields, and his endless fight for our freedom and independence, Jose Rizal never forgot to take good care of his heart. We can say that in this field, Pepe was as determined and as successful as his other pursuits.
In this week’s column, we will dwell on Pepe’s love interests and will get to know all the girls she loved before. Our national hero’s love life is as colorful and dramatic as our country’s history.
Let’s start with Segunda Katigbak, the puppy love and the first heartbreak.
“She was not the most beautiful woman I have seen but I had never seen one more bewitching or alluring.”, Rizal wrote. Rizal met Segunda when he was just 16 and she was just 14. The two formed a friendship and even became very close. Unfortunately, Segunda was already engaged to a certain Manuel Luz, thus, young Rizal can do nothing but to yield and mend his first broken heart.
The next one is Orang. Leonor Valenzuela, the college love.
Rizal and Orang met when the former was already pursuing medicine at the University of Sto. Tomas. She lived near the house where college boy Rizal boarded in Intramuros. In order to communicate with Orang, it has been said that Pepe wrote his letters in invisible ink made from water and salt which may be read by heating them over a lamp or candle.
In addition to that, rumors had it that during the time Pepe was in a relationship with Orang, he was also wooing another Leonor, Leonor Rivera. You Pepe! Perhaps the reason for the invisible ink.
Leonor Rivera, the greatest but forbidden love. The inspiration behind Noli Me Tangere’s Maria Clara
They met when Rizal was 18 and Leonor was 13, at the boarding house of Rizal’s uncle in Intramuros, Manila. Leonor was Rizal’s second cousin. Their love was deep, true and intense. They even got engaged and Rizal really intended to marry her. And had it not for Paciano’s (Rizal’s brother) protestations, the marriage between the two lovebirds could have took place.
In addition to that, Leonor’s parents vehemently opposed their relationship mainly because of the fact that Rizal is a “filibuster” or someone who was against the Spanish colonization. Their love story started to go downhill when Rizal left for Spain in 1882 to further his education. Despite the distance between them, they tried to continue their relationship by writing with each other. However, unknown to Leonor, her mother intercepted the letters by bribing the postman and instructing it to delivered Rizal’s letter to her and not to Leonor.
Leonor, assuming that Rizal already forgot about her, agreed to marry Henry Kipping, a British Engineer, in 1890. She informed Rizal thru a letter in the same year. Before marrying Kipping, Leonor burned all of Rizal’s letter but kept its ashes. To make their story even sadder, Leonor died during her second childbirth in 1893. Rizal was greatly devastated upon hearing the news from his sister, Narcisa.
During her stay abroad, Rizal met and befriended other women (of different race). The stories of these women and Rizal’s supposed wife and last love will be the subject of our column next week.
Mabuhay ka, Pepe!