To commemorate our national hero, acclaimed author, and physician, Dr. Jose Rizal’s 158th birthday, Google Philippines has created a special doodle featuring his words that inspired the Philippine National Movement.
The doodle depicts a quill pen, a powerful tool that Rizal used for his works and writings as he fought for the freedom of the Filipinos. There’s also a magnifying glass that represents his occupation as an Ophthalmologist during this time.
Rizal was born in Calamba Laguna, on this day in 1861, and learned to read and write by the age of five. He received secondary education in the City of Manila, and then went overseas to study philosophy and medicine at the University of Madrid, the University of Paris, and the University of Heidelberg.
While in Europe, he began publishing a series of works including the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed), establishing himself as a leading voice for reform. He was also a frequent contributor to the La Solidaridad, a newspaper published in Barcelona, where he advocated for the Philippines to be integrated as a province of Spain with all the basic rights and representation given to Filipino citizens.
Today, Rizal is remembered as a Filipino national hero who inspired a revolution. A monument in Rizal’s honor stands in Rizal Park located in Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
