JOSEFA RIZAL: The Katipunera

© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog

 

Josefa Rizal’s nickname is Panggoy (1865-1945). She’s the ninth child in the family who died a spinster. 

 

 

Among Jose’s letters to Josefa, the one dated October 26 1893 is perhaps the most fascinating. Written in English, the letter addressed Josefa as “Miss Josephine Rizal”, thereby making her the namesake of Rizal’s girlfriend Josephine Bracken.

 

In the letter, Jose praised her sister for nearly mastering the English language, commenting that the only fault he found in Josefa’s letter is her apparent confusion between the terms ‘they are’ and ‘there’. Jose also wrote about the 20 pesos he sent, the 10 pesos of the amount was supposed for a lottery ticket.

 

This indicates that Jose did not stop ‘investing’ in lottery tickets despite winning 6, 200 pesos in September the previous year. Even when he was in Madrid, he used to spend at least three pesetas monthly for his ‘only vice’ (Zaide, p. 221).

 

After Jose’s martyrdom, the epileptic Josefa joined the Katipunan and is even supposed to have been elected the president of its women section. She was one of the original 29 women admitted to the Katipunan along with Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio.

 

They safeguarded the secret papers and documents of the society and danced and sang during sessions so that civil guards would think that the meetings were just harmless social gatherings.  (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)

 

Also by author Jensen DG. Mañebog:

The Colorful Love Affairs of Dr. Jose Rizal 
The Interesting Tales of the Jose Rizal Family 
Jose Rizal: The First Filipino Phenom 
Jose Rizal's Collaborations with Other Heroes 

 

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Jensen DG. Mañebog, the contributor, is a book author and professorial lecturer in the graduate school of a state university in Metro Manila. His unique affordable e-books on Rizal (available online)  comprehensively tackle, among others, the respective life of Rizal’s parents, siblings, co-heroes, and girlfriends. (e-mail: jensenismo@gmail.com)

 

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