A civil servant, colonial administrator, biographer, political commentator, publisher, bibliographer, and Filipinologist, Retana was a "onetime adversary" of Philippine national hero José Rizal who later became an admirer who wrote the first biographical account of the life of Rizal, entitled Vida y Escritos del Dr. José Rizal (The Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal).

[1][2] Rosa M. Vallejo described Retana as the "foremost" non-Filipino filipinologist.

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