THE RIZAL SHRINE IN FORT SANTIAGO

28th AUGUST 2017 ~ Jose Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines. He has a special place in every Filipino's heart. After visiting Jose Shrine and another museum, I believe he is a true warrior and deserves the honour bestowed upon him. 

Here are some interesting facts you should know about this great figure, gathered from Wikipedia:

• Jose Rizal was an ophthalmologist by profession - something like an eye specialist.
• He first studied law but quickly switched to medicine when he got to know his mother was going to be blind. He himself operated on his mother's eyes.
• When he was 21 years old, he traveled alone to Madrid to study medicine without his parents' knowledge.
• Rizal was a polymath - someone who was multi-talented. Not only he was good in Science, he was also good in sketching, painting, wood-carving and sculptures making.
• He could write well too - he wrote poems, novels and essays. 

• He was a well-known sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist.
• He was an expert in architecture, cartography, ethnology, economics, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting.  
• People working on his biography had difficulties in translating his writings like his diaries and letters as he had the habit of switching from one language to another, because he was a polyglot. He mastered 22 languages.

• Rizal sparked the idea of revolution against the Spanish in the Philippines in his writings. The pen is definitely mightier than the sword.
• Rizal was labeled as enemy of the state because of his novels.
• Because of a revolution movement that was going on at that time, Rizal was accused of being the mastermind. He was later pun on trial for rebellion, sedition and conspiracy.
• Sadly, he was executed for the crime he did not commit by the Spaniards at the age of 35.

How everything is just heart-breaking. Even though he was dead, his spirit lived on among the Filipino fighters and Jose Rizal was the one who inspired for the country's independence.

I am truly amazed and inspired by Jose Rizal, and I salute you!

[MY MANILA TRIP MAIN PAGE]