Relics of Jose Rizal are so rare and so precious that when one is discovered, it commands national attention. Just like when alleged brain fragments of Jose Rizal resurfaced from the holdings of the Ateneo Archives this month.
In an interview with SPIN’s Abo Limos, Filipino historian and Jose Rizal expert Ambeth R. Ocampo detailed how during one of his quests to find more of Rizal’s relics, one handkerchief dipped by Jose Rizal’s sister Saturnina in her brother’s blood was washed by a kasambahay.
“According to family lore, one of Rizal’s sisters—he had nine—went to Luneta with a batch of handkerchiefs. She then went to the spot where her brother fell and dipped each of these hankies in his blood. I was told that each member of the family was given one of these blood-stained hankies as a souvenir,” Ocampo told Limos.
“Three decades ago when I was interviewing Rizal's descendants, I asked if they had a stained hanky in their memorabilia. One of the descendants said they had one and when I asked to see it, the maid brought it out proudly saying she had washed it,” Ocampo said.
'Ang tindi po ng mantsa niyan!'
The kasambahay unknowingly washed, scrubbed, and bleached the handkerchief, a story that would have given historians a heart attack.
“Ang tindi po ng mantsa nyan! Kaya kinuskos kong mabuti, at kinula ko pa!” the maid proudly said, to Ocampo’s horror.
“Rizal’s blood down the drain,” Ocampo told Limos “I console myself with the knowledge that there must be about ten of these lying around somewhere but have not come to light.”
Below are photos of the handkerchief.


Today, most of Jose Rizal’s remains are in his monument in Luneta. One other relic, a piece of his backbone, was kept by the Rizal family.
“After Rizal’s remains were exhumed from Paco Cemetery, these were placed in a specially carved wooden urn and kept in the Rizal home in Binondo. Here, visitors of Teodora Alonso, would hear about the human side of the national hero, and if she was in a good mood she would open the box and show the skull to visitors. We have at least two photos of Rizal’s mother holding her son’s skull,” Ocampo told Limos.
“When Rizal’s remains were buried under the Luneta monument in 1912 the backbone was reserved by the family in a reliquary. This is now in Fort Santiago.”’’’’’’’
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