Jose Rizal was a Filipino polymath and patriot who advocated for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He wrote two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, that exposed issues in Philippine society under Spanish rule. He formed organizations that sought Philippine independence, like the La Liga Filipina and Katipunan. Rizal was executed by the Spanish in Manila in 1896, and is commemorated as a martyr and hero in the Philippines on Rizal Day. A monument in his honor stands in Luneta overlooking Manila Bay.