Rizal

One of two self-portraits (the first was lost, presumably destroyed during the war). This one shows Rizal at age 26, which was given to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt.

Rizal was a penny-pincher.

As chronicled in Ambeth Ocampo’s Rizal Without the Overcoat, Rizal was once invited to a New Year’s potluck party where he was assigned to bring champagne. He did not like the idea, and throughout the merrymaking, he lectured everybody and advised against drinking, gambling and womanizing—the key points of the night. Then, Rizal stood up, announced that "inabonohan niya lang" and requested everybody to pay their share of the champagne bill. Stunned, the partygoers thought it was a joke—until pre-national hero Rizal passed his hat around.

Before checking into a hotel, Rizal would also ask the front desk how much the rate was with and without breakfast. He usually opted for the latter and used the money saved to buy alcohol, tea or biscuits.

Another kuripot story made its way to the pages of Leon Ma. Guerrero’s First Filipino. Rizal supposedly survived on P50 a month in Europe, and he once wrote his sister Maria in December saying that he had not taken a bath since August, because it was "really expensive."

Stingy as he seemed to be, however, he set aside funds for photographs. Ocampo published a list of Rizal’s monthly expenses and there was an allocated amount for photographs.

nother rare Rizal gem, a sketched featured in the National Library.

Rizal had psychic tendencies.

There were many instances when Rizal’s dreams mirrored the future. One such dream was the one he had on Dec. 30, 1882. According to Rizal Without the Overcoat, Rizal wrote in an entry in his journal dated Jan. 1, 1883: "(Two nights ago) I had a frightful nightmare when I almost died. I dreamed I was imitating an actor in a scene in which he dies, I felt vividly that my breath was failing and I was rapidly losing strength. Then my vision became dim and dense darkness like that of...