- "Genius has no country. It blossoms everywhere. Genius is light, is air. It is all of our heritage."
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), better known as José Rizal, was a Filipino nationalist writer, medic, and revolutionary. In his various writings, he criticized Spain's colonial rule and advocated for political reforms and increased independence for the Phillipines, making him a leading figure of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, and a national hero of the Philippines. He is a leader in Civilization VII.
Intro[]
Long regarded as a hero of the Philippines, José Rizal was a passionate defender of the dignity and autonomy of Filipinos. He first gained his reputation as a political activist in Europe, criticizing the Spanish rule of his homeland, and though he advocated for peaceful reform and equal rights, Rizal was eventually tried and executed by the Spanish. Yet his revolutionary spirit could not be contained, and has inspired Filipinos ever since.
In-Game[]
José Rizal has the Cultural and Diplomatic attributes. His default colors are grey and light orange.
His leader ability is Pambansang Bayani. He receives +20 
Culture, 
Gold and 
Influence per Age when gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, and has unique additional Narrative Events. He also gains +50% 
Happiness towards Celebrations and his Celebrations last 50% longer.
His agenda is Kapwa. His Relationship increases by a Medium Amount with the player that has the most active Endeavors started, and decreases by a Medium Amount with the player with the most active Sanctions started.
Strategy[]
|
Share your wisdom!
How do you use José Rizal? |
Lines[]
José Rizal is voiced by Bryan Allen Encarnacion. He speaks Tagalog. He would have spoken both Spanish and Tagalog during his lifetime.
| Line | Quote (English translation) | Quote (Tagalog) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote | Genius has no country. It blossoms everywhere. Genius is light, is air. It is all of our heritage. (lit. "Intelligence does not originate from any one country; it emerges everywhere. Intelligence is like the wind that flies lightly — it is a legacy for all of us.") | Walang bansang pinagmumulan ang katalinuhan, umuusbong ito kahit saan. Katalinuha'y mala hanging lumilipad sa gaan, ito'y pamana sa ating lahat. | This was Rizal's toast to the artists Juan Luna and Félix Hidalgo in Madrid in 1884. |
| Greeting | I am Jose Rizal, poet, painter, revolutionary. | Ako si Jose Rizal, makata, pintor, rebolusyonaryo. | |
| Attacked | We do not sleep; we wait for you with fire in our hearts and weapons in our hands. (lit. We are not sleeping; we are waiting for you with a burning heart and an armed fist.) | Hindi kami natutulog; hinihintay ka namin na may pusong nagaalab at kamaong may armas. | |
| Declares War | You must shatter the vase to spread its perfume, and smite the rock to get the spark. (lit. "We must shatter the vase upon spreading its smell, must need to pitch the rock with a hissing spark.") | Kailangan basagin ang sisiblan upang halimuyak ang bango, kailangan pigiin ng bato upang sumipot ang apoy. | This is a direct quote from El Filibusterismo, Rizal's second novel. It should use humalimuyak ("to smell") in the present participle. |
| Accepts Player's Deal | A beautiful proposition. (lit. "A nice suggestion.") | Mainam na suhestiyon. | |
| Rejects Player's Deal | We say no because we must. (lit. "We refused because it would need.") | Tumatanggi tayo dahil kailangan. | |
| Defeated | It is finished. | Consummatum est. | These were Rizal's last words before being shot by a Spanish firing squad.[1] |
Leader Path[]
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Forget-me-not |
| 3 | Cultural Attribute Node
|
| 4 | Exploration Cultural Legacy Card |
Exploration Diplomatic Legacy Card
| |
| 5 |  Ophthalmoscope |
| 6 | Jose Rizal Badge 1
|
Jose Rizal Banner
| |
| 7 | Diplomatic Attribute Node
|
| 8 | Modern Cultural Legacy Card |
Modern Diplomatic Legacy Card
| |
| 9 |  Noli Me Tángere |
| 10 | Jose Rizal Badge 2
|
National Hero
|
Civilopedia entry[]
Where does the Philippines belong on world maps? At times, the islands were a bridge to Oceania, an outpost of Southeast Asian maritime mandala states, or an eastern destination for Spanish treasure fleets seeking to exchange New World bullion for Chinese goods. Before the Spanish, the islands were not unified, housing Muslim sultanates in the south and a variety of linguistic and cultural groups spread over the rest of the islands. This disunity was a boon to the conquering Spanish, who declared Manila the capital of their East Indian possessions in 1571.
The Spanish Philippines were organized around church lands and co-opted local leaders (caciques). This structure tied rule to religion and quelled dissent, although conflict was consistently brewing and Spanish control was often weak. Outside powers saw how flimsy Spanish rule was over the Philippines. Local caciques and priests could be petty despots in their own right, and indigenous revolts were a consistent feature of Filipino history.
Into this mix came the idea of nationalism. Though this concept had not existed previously, life under the Spanish banner gave Filipinos a common experience and a common foe and encouraged Filipinos to begin identifying as Filipinos. Over time, local rebellions became national rebellions.
This tension was compounded by local wealth. Before Mexican independence, the term Filipino referred to Spaniards born in the isles, but afterward it quickly came to refer to inhabitants of the isles, especially wealthy mixed families (e.g. the children of caciques). These wealthy families sent their children to study abroad, where they picked up the ideas of social liberalism that proliferated in Europe during the 19th century. By this point, too, the role of the clergy had been indigenized to the extent that Filipino nationalists were calling for the appointment of Filipino bishops. These movements were met with harsh backlash, including executions and exile.
Enter Rizal.
José Rizal’s family was mestizo, which does not mean here mixed Filipino and white ancestry, as it might in the New World; in Rizal’s case, “mestizo” includes Chinese migrants. This was not unusual as wealthy Chinese set up prosperous merchant enclaves across the region and often worked their way into local elite circles (with notably less success in Muslim regions).
By all accounts, Rizal was a genius. From a young age, he excelled at languages and poetry, performing well in school, but took up medicine after learning his mother was going blind. As a young man, he studied abroad in Madrid, Heidelberg, and Berlin, and was fluent in Tagalog, Spanish, German, English, and other languages. He was eventually credited with speaking twenty-two languages and even made translations from Arabic, Russian, Swedish, Sanskrit, Greek, and more.
Rizal was also a playboy. His affairs with prominent mestizo and European women were well-documented. These fueled his poetry, and more than one of his lovers’ families disapproved of him and arranged for their daughters to marry other (non-Filipino and non-radical) matches.
But Rizal’s primary love was his homeland. His writing became more strident as the Spanish cracked down on nationalism. In his “El Filibusterismo” (“Reign of Greed" in English), his hero becomes increasingly frustrated with the cynical and greedy outlook of local administrators and seeks to abandon liberal reforms for violent overthrow. This deeply concerned the Spanish, who were already worried about Rizal’s work radicalizing Filipino expatriates and exiles in Madrid. But Rizal’s mission, contrary to that of his hero, seems reasonable today – the transformation of the Philippines into a core province of Spain, the promotion of Filipinos to higher positions within the priesthood, and the granting of freedoms of speech and assembly. Such rights were granted to the Spanish, and Rizal highlighted the double standard of denying them to colonial subjects.
The situation came to a head when revolutionary movements in the Philippines turned violent. While Rizal and his group advocated for peaceful protest, the Spanish claimed he maintained contacts with an extremist wing, and he was imprisoned in Barcelona in 1896 (likely due in part to the content of his novel). He was executed in Manila a few weeks later. His last words were “consummatum est” – “it is done" in Latin.
A couple of years later, Spanish rule came to an end when the Americans took the Philippines from Spain. The American administration was also colonial, but it was less harsh than that of the Spanish, though independence-minded Filipinos naturally still chafed at their presence.
Rizal’s works, especially “Reign of Greed,” are now required reading in the Philippines. He is perhaps the best-recognized symbol of Filipino nationalism. In this light, he sits alongside Mahatma Gandhi and Sun Yat-Sen as an anti-colonial figure who sought independence through non-violent means.
Trivia[]
- José Rizal's leader ability means national hero in Filipino, referencing his role in fighting for political reforms for the Philippines, while his leader agenda is a term from Filipino psychology referring to a "shared inner self."
Gallery[]
.png "José Rizal three-quarter length (Civ7).png (305 KB)")
Videos[]
First Look- José Rizal - Civilization VII
First Look: José Rizal
Related achievements[]
|
Can't Touch This.
Win the modern age as Jose Rizal.
|
References[]
See also[]
- José Rizal in other games