Jose Rizal's unpublished letter to parents details student life in Madrid

There is still much to learn about the life of Jose Rizal, according to Raffy Tima's report for 24 Oras.

The national hero penned the little-known letter to his parents in 1883, when he was still a medical student at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Spain.

He related details of his everyday life, in a melancholy tone, as a student.

"Napaka-lonely na wala siyang ginagawa kundi sumikap, mag-aral at saka matulog, wala na siyang ibang social life, sabi ni Rizal," Leon Gallery curator Lisa Guerrero Nakpil said.

He also related how he spent the money that he receives from his parents.

"Tungkol sa magkano ginagastos niya pag 30 days, 31 days, magkano yung renta niya doon sa kwartito niya, at saka magkano yung ginagastos sa pagkain niya," Nakpil said.

The daughter of the owner of the house Rizal was renting at that time wrote about being courted by the young man. 

Nakpil related that Consuelo Ortego wrote, "Malapit na si Rizal bumigay at magsabi na in-love siya sa kaniya."

It was this flirtation that Rizal kept from his parents, "It's exactly the same time as this letter na sinasabi niya sa mga magulang niya na 'wala akong ginagawa kung di mag-aral', 'nahihirapan na 'ko'..."

It was unveiled just in time for the national hero's 158th birth anniversary on Wednesday.

The document, which was part of the Don Jose P. Santos collection, will be among important historical documents up for auction at the Leon Gallery in Makati City on Saturday.

"Very important ito para sa mga nag-aaral o nagmamahal rin kay Jose Rizal as a irreplaceable memory ng isang pinaka-tanyag na hero ng ating bansa," Nakpil said. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News