José Rizal

Jose Rizal wrote two highly influential political novels titled "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo." Published in 1887 and 1891 respectively, these works exposed the abuses of the Spanish colonial government and the Catholic friars in the Philippines. They were instrumental in awakening Filipino nationalism leading up to the revolution.

Rizal was executed by a Spanish firing squad on December 30, 1896, at Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park) in Manila. Although he advocated for peaceful reform rather than violent revolution, the Spanish authorities falsely linked him to the brewing Philippine Revolution. His execution ironically fueled the uprising and cemented him as the national hero of the Philippines.

His most famous poem is widely known as "Mi Último Adiós" or "My Last Farewell." He wrote it in Spanish on the eve of his execution in 1896, hiding it inside a small alcohol stove in his cell. The poem served as his final goodbye to his homeland and became a massive symbol of Filipino patriotism.

Aside from being a novelist and nationalist, Rizal was a highly educated ophthalmologist. He studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila before traveling to Spain to complete his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He even opened a successful eye clinic in Hong Kong to support his family.