Dr. Jose Rizal’s ophthalmologist business card

He's one of the most famous multi-hyphenate Filipinos, but on paper, Jose Rizal will always be a doctor.

On Tuesday, December 29, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines gave Filipinos a glimpse of the business card the National Hero used while he stayed in Hong Kong.

Dr. Jose Rizal specialized in ophthalmology and practiced in Hong Kong from 1891 to 1892. Danny Pata

Similar cards can be seen on display at the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago.

The story goes that the young Rizal decided to pursue medicine and specialize in ophthalmology upon learning that his mother, Teodora Alonso, was going blind.

The inspired Rizal studied in France and Germany, under the guidance of Louis de Wecker and Otto Becker. At the time, de Wecker and Becker were two of the leading names in that field.

Rizal first worked as a doctor in Calamba (1887 to 1888), followed by a short period of practice in Hong Kong (1891 to 1892), and finally in Dapitan (1892 to 1896) while he was in exile. —Aya Tantiangco/KG, GMA News