Pinoy writer holds Rizal lecture in Spain's Biblioteca Nacional

Internationally acclaimed Filipino writer Miguel Syjuco recently held a lecture about Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in Spain's largest library — the Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) in Madrid.   Syjuco's lecture on February 9 was based on his book "Ilustrado," the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Syjuco's "Ilustrado" is a book about a young writer looking for the truth behind his mentor´s tragic and sudden death. The book won the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2008.   The book has so far been translated into Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Dutch, Japanese, Czech, German, Serbian, Italian, and Portuguese. During his lecture, Syjuco discussed the meaning of being an ilustrado in the context of Philippine socio-political history. He said his task as a writer was not to write facts about Philippine history but to provoke meaningful discussion of its various interpretations among his readers.   "The conference series, which started on January 26, was part of the BNE´s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jose Rizal," the DFA said.   In his review of the book "Ilustrado," Antonio Hidalgo said: "It is a mystery thriller, a historical novel of the Philippines and Filipinos spanning the last 150 years, a novel of manners of the Filipino ilustrado class, a political novel about the Philippines and its various diasporas, a deeply personal autobiographical novel, and a novel about two fictional gifted writers reflecting on Philippine literature." Hidalgo said Ilustrado is "ostensibly the story of two Filipino writers in New York" — Crispin Salvador, a larger-than-life fictionist and essayist, and Miguel, his student and literary acolyte.  Crispin was from hacendero family in Bacolod who "roamed the world in his youth and later wrote an autobiography about his adventures with the internationally rich and famous. When time passes him by and he is largely forgotten, he retreats to New York, becomes a recluse, teaches literature, and tries to write a final masterpiece," Hidalgo wrote. "Miguel also comes from a wealthy family that lives in Forbes Park, but he has chosen to run away from his emotional problems at home to find himself in Manhattan. He intends to write a biography of Crispin, his mentor, and doggedly hounds him to probe all the hidden crevices in Crispin’s mind and heart," Hidalgo added. Jose Rizal José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was a Filipino polymath and patriot who advocated for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era.

Rizal was born to a rich family in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh child in the family which had 11 children.

He attended various schools: 

• Ateneo Municipal de Manila (earning a Bachelor of Arts);
• University of Santo Tomas (medicine);
• Universidad Central de Madrid in Madrid, Spain (Licentiate in Medicine);
• University of Paris, and
• University of Heidelberg.

Rizal was a polyglot who was conversant in 22 languages.
He was also a poet and novelist and his two most famous works were the "Noli me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo."

On December 30, 1896, Rizal was executed by the Spanish in Bagumbayan.

The date of his death is remembered every year as "Rizal Day." - VVP, GMA News