JoLen: the mother of all Filipino breakups

Pepe Alas

Dec 10

Before Guy and Pip, Gabby and Sharon, AlDub, and quite recently KathNiel, there was José Rizal and Leonor Rivera or "JoLen". Theirs can be considered as the "mother of all Filipino breakups".

Leonor and Rizal were distant cousins. Like Kathryn Bernardo, Leonor was quite young when she started a relationship with Rizal. The pretty lass from Camilíng was only 14 while the Calambeño poet was already 20.

Take note that young Filipinas back then were already mature and sound of mind, unlike most of their counterparts today who talk and act like gadget-addict retards such as (insert KFC girl's name here).

But JoLen were together physically for only about a year. In the summer of 1882, Rizal had to leave for Europe to fulfill a (Masonic?) mission. Much of their relationship was long distance through mail correspondence.

Just imagine, at a time without airplanes and Internet connection, how long it took for a letter from our country to reach other parts of the globe, and vice versa.

This sad setup lasted six years. They never saw each other again.

Rizal made a brief return to our country in 1887, but he was not able to meet Leonor. Both their parents were against the relationship. Rizal returned to Europe without seeing his beloved.

Throughout his global wanderings, he entered into various liaisons. But it was still Leonor who remained in his heart and mind.

In 1888, Rizal stopped receiving letters from his childhood sweetheart. But he never stopped writing to her.

It turned out that Leonor's mother had been intercepting Rizal's letters. Leonor was also compelled by her parents to enter into a relationship with Henry Charles Kipping, an English railway engineer.

Leonor and Henry were married in 1890.

In 1893, Leonor died due to complications of her second childbirth. Like KathNiel who still professed their love for each other in their respective Bonifacio Day statements, Leonor professed her undying love for her first boyfriend by asking for the ashes of Rizal's burnt letters to be buried with her.

JoLen lasted only eight years.