Rizal’s Women

Segunda katigbak

Segunda Katigbak was her puppy love. Unfortunately, her engagement to a town-mate, Manuel Luz, made further advances impossible. After his admiration for a short girl in the person of Segunda, then came

Leonor Valenzuela

Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl from Pagsanjan. Rizal send her love notes written in invisible ink, that could only be deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He visited her on the eve of his departure to Spain and bade her a last good bye.

Leonor Rivera

Leonor Rivera, his sweetheart for 11 years played the greatest influence in keeping him from falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, Leonor's mother disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rizal, who was then a known filibustero. She hid from Leonor all letters sent to her sweetheart. Leonor believing that Rizal had already forgotten her sadly consented her to marry the Englishman Henry Kipping, her mother's choice.

Consuelo Ortiga y Rey

Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, the prettier of Don Pablo Ortiga's daughters, fell in love with him. He dedicated to her A la Senorita C.O. y R., which became one of his best poems. Rizal and his compatriots frequented the Ortiga's residence in Madrid. He probably fell in love with her and Consuelo apparently asked him for romantic verses. He suddenly backed out before the relationship turned into a serious romance, because he wanted to remain loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did not want to destroy hid friendship with Eduardo de Lete who was madly in love with Consuelo.

O Sei San

O Sei San, a Japanese samurai's daughter taught Rizal the Japanese art of painting known as su-mie. She also helped Rizal improve his knowledge of Japanese language. If Rizal were a man without a patriotic mission, he would have married this lovely and intelligent woman and lived a stable and happy life with her in Japan because Spanish legation there offered him a lucrative job.

Gertrude Beckett

While Rizal was in London annotating the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, he boarded in the house of the Beckett family, within walking distance of the British Museum. Gertrude, a blue-eyed and buxom girl was the oldest of the three Beckett daughters. She fell in love with Rizal. Tottie helped him in his painting and sculpture. But Rizal suddenly left London for Paris to avoid Gertrude, who was seriously in love with him. Before leaving London, he was able to finish the group carving of the Beckett sisters. He gave the group carving to Gertrude as a sign of their brief relationship.

Nellie Boustead

Having lost Leonor Rivera, Rizal entertained the thought of courting other ladies. While a guest of the Boustead family at their residence in the resort city of Biarritz, he had befriended the two pretty daughters of his host, Eduardo Boustead. Rizal used to fence with the sisters at the studio of Juan Luna. Antonio Luna, Juan's brother and also a frequent visitor of the Boustead's, courted Nellie but she was deeply infatuated with Rizal. In a party held by Filipinos