Rizal Day (December 30): José Rizal’s Life, Works & Legacy

Rizal Day is a national holiday in the Philippines on December 30. It commemorates the life and death of Dr. José Rizal (1861–1896), the country’s national hero, who was executed by Spanish colonial authorities in Manila on December 30, 1896. His writings inspired the Philippine Revolution.

José Rizal at a glance
Born	June 19, 1861, Calamba, Laguna
Died	December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park), Manila
Famous novels	Noli Me Tángere (1887), El Filibusterismo (1891)
Profession	Ophthalmologist, writer, scholar, artist
Languages	He is said to have known many languages
Holiday type	Regular national holiday in the Philippines

A Remarkable Life

Rizal studied in Manila and then in Spain, France and Germany, becoming an eye doctor. Abroad, he joined the Propaganda Movement, which called for reforms in Spanish rule: representation in the Spanish parliament, freedom of speech and an end to abuses by the friars. His novels exposed injustice so powerfully that they were banned in the Philippines.

Year	Event
1861	Born in Calamba, Laguna
1882	Leaves for Spain to study medicine
1887	Publishes Noli Me Tángere in Berlin
1891	Publishes El Filibusterismo in Ghent
1892	Founds La Liga Filipina; exiled to Dapitan, Mindanao
1896	Arrested after the revolution breaks out; tried for rebellion
December 30, 1896	Executed by firing squad at Bagumbayan
1898	Emilio Aguinaldo decrees December 30 a day of national mourning

On the eve of his execution, Rizal wrote the farewell poem “Mi último adiós” (“My Last Farewell”), smuggled out in an oil lamp.

How Rizal Day Is Observed

• Flag-raising and wreath-laying at the Rizal Monument in Rizal Park, Manila, led by the President.
• Ceremonies at the Rizal Shrine in Calamba and Fort Santiago, where he spent his last days.
• Flags at half-mast in many places.
• Readings of his works in schools and communities — the Rizal Law of 1956 requires all college students to study his life and novels.

The Rizal Monument

The monument in Rizal Park, unveiled in 1913 and designed by Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling, contains Rizal’s remains and is guarded around the clock by ceremonial sentries. It is “Kilometre Zero”, the point from which distances in Luzon are measured.

👉 Another Filipino hero: Bonifacio Day — November 30

👉 Year end: New Year’s Eve — December 31

José Rizal’s Remarkable Talents

Field	Achievement
Medicine	Trained ophthalmologist; operated on his own mother’s eyes
Literature	Two novels, poems and essays in Spanish and Tagalog
Languages	Said to have known many languages, including Spanish, German, French and English
Art	Sculptor and painter
Science	Collected new species during his exile in Dapitan, some named after him
Education	Founded a school and a hospital for local people in Dapitan

Visiting Rizal Sites

• Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila — site of his execution and the Rizal Monument.
• Fort Santiago, Intramuros — where he was imprisoned before his execution.
• Rizal Shrine, Calamba — a replica of his family home.
• Rizal Shrine, Dapitan — where he lived in exile.

Rizal’s Novels in a Nutshell

Novel	Theme
Noli Me Tángere (1887)	Exposes abuses by colonial officials and friars through the story of Crisóstomo Ibarra
El Filibusterismo (1891)	A darker sequel about revenge and revolution, featuring the mysterious Simoun

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