CHAPTER 1

ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO

Rizal as a Genius: Physician, Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Historian, Architect,
Painter, Sculptur, Educator, Linguist, Musician, Naturalist, Ethnologist, Suveyor,
Engineer, Farmer, Businessman, Economist, Geographer, Cartographer, Bibliophile,
Philologist, Grammarian, Folklorist, Philosopher, Translator, Inventor, Magician,
Humorist, Satirist, Polemicist, Sportsman, Traveler and Prophet.

THE BIRTH OF A HERO

 Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda

 June 19, 1861
– Birthdate of Jose Rizal
 Born in Calamba Laguna Province
 June 22, 1861
– He was baptized in the Catholic church of his town at the age of 3 days old.
 Father Rufino Callantes
– Priest who baptized rizal
 Father Pedro Cansañas
– Rizal’s Godfather

RIZAL’S PARENTS

 Francisco Mercado Rizal

• Born on May 11, 1818
• Born in Biñan, Laguna
• Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila
• Died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
 Teodora Alonzo Realonda
• Born on November 09,1826
• Educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls
• Died in Manila on August 16,1911 at the age of 85

MEANING OF RIZAL’S NAMES

 Jose – Chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian Saint San Jose
(St. Joseph)
 Protacio – From Gervacio P. which came from a Christian calendar
 Mercado – Adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (The Paternal great-great
grandfather of Jose Rizal).
 Rizal – In Spanish means a field where wheat, cut while still green, sprout again
 Y – And
 Alonzo – Old surname of his mother
  Realonda – Used by Doña Teodora from the surname of her godmother

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

1. Saturnina (1850-1913)
• Oldest of the Rizal children ; nickname Neneng
2. Paciano (1851-1930)
• Older brother and confident of Jose Rizal; Pilosopo Tasio in Noli Me Tangere
3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
• Pet name; Sisa
4. Olimpia (1855-1887)
• Pet name; Ypia
5. Lucia (1857-1919)
• Married Mariano Herbosa , who died of cholera in 1889 and was denied
Christian burial because he was a brother in law of Dr. Jose Rizal
6. Maria (1859-1945)
• Nicknamed Biang
7. Jose (1861-1896)
• The Greatest Filipino Hero and Peerless Genius; nickname Pepe
8. Concepcion (1862-1865)
• She died of sickness at the age of 3; her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life
9. Josefa (1865-1945)
• Pet name Panggoy; died an old maid at the age of 80
10. Trinidad (1868-1951)
• Pet name Trining; died an old maid at the age of 83
11. Soledad (1870-1929)
• Youngest of the Rizal children; pet name Choleng

RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

Paternal Side

 Domingo Lamco
- Great-great grandfather of Rizal
- A Chinese immigrant from Changchow
- He was married to a Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la
Rosa
- In 1731, he adopt the name Mercado
 Francisco Mercado
- Domingo Lamco’s son; married Cirila Bernacha
 Juan Mercado
- Francisco’s son; married to Cirila Alejandro
 Francisco Mercado
- Youngest son of Juan Mercado
 - Rizal’s Father
- Married to Teodora Alonzo Realonda

Maternal Side

 Eugenio Ursua
- Great-great grandfather of Rizal
- Japanese Ancestry
- He was married to a Filipina name Benigna
 Lakandula
- Descendant; Last native King of Tondo
 Regina
- Daughter of Eugenio
- Married to Manuel de Quinto (Filipino-Chinese Lawyer)
 Brigida
- Daughter of Regina
- Married to Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo (Spanish-Filipino)
 Teodora Alonzo
- Daughter of Brigida
- Rizal’s Mother
- Married to Francisco Mercado

THE RIZAL HOME

 A 2-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hardwoods

and roofed with red tiles.
 Was one of the distinguished stones houses in Calamba, Laguna during Spanish
Times.
 Behind the house were poultry yard full of turkeys and chickens and a big garden
of tropical fruit trees.
 By day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds
in the garden.
 By night, it echoed with dulcet notes of family prayers.

A GOOD AND MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY

 Principilia
- A town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines was one of the distinguished
families in Calamba, Laguna.
 Carriage
- A status symbol of the Illustrados in Spanish Philippines
 Private Library
- The largest in Calamba; consisted of more than 1000 volumes
  They sent their children to the Colleges in Manila
 From the farms, which were rented from the Dominicans, they harvested rice, corn, and
sugarcane. They raised pigs, chickens, and turkeys in their backyard.
 They managed a general good store and operated a small flour-mill and a home-made
ham press.

CHAPTER 2
CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

CALAMBA, THE HERO’S TOWN

Calamba, Laguna
 Natal town of Rizal
 Named after a Big Native Jar
 Hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order
 Happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lakeshore town, a worthy prelude
to his Hamlet – like tragic manhood
 Picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with irrigated rice fields
and sugar lands
 A few kilometers to the south looms of the legendary Mt. Makiling and beyond
this mountain is the province of Batangas
 East of the town is the Laguna Bay
 North of the town is the distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the
miraculous Lady of Peace and God Voyage
Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)
 A poem written by Rizal in 1876 when he was 15 years old and a student of
Ateneo de Manila

EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family
garden when he was 3 years old .
 His father built a little nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in the daytime
 An Aya (Nurse maid) was employed to look after him.
 He watched from the cottage, the caliauan, maya, maria capra & martin pitpit
and other birds and listened with “wonder and joy” to the twilight songs
 The daily Angelus prayer and happy moonlight nights at the azotea after the
nightly rosary.
 The imaginary tales told by the aya aroused Rizal’s interest in legends and
folklore
 The aya would threaten Rizal with asuang, nuno, tikbalang or a terrible bearded
and turbaned Bombay would come to take him away if he would not eat his
supper.
 The nocturnal walk in the town especially when there was a moon with his aya
by the river.
THE HERO’S FIRST SORROW

 Jose was closely attached to Concha (Concepcion). He was a year

older than Concha. He learned the sweetness of sisterly love from her.
Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness when he was only 3 years old.
He cried for the first time: caused by love and grief. This was Jose’s
first sorrow.

DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH

 Young Rizal is a religious boy.
 He grew up a good catholic
 At the age of 3 years old, he began to take part in the family prayer.
 At the age of 5 years old, he was able to read the family’s Spanish Bible
 Fr. Leoncio Lopez: a Filipino priest. Jose listens to his stimulating opinions on
current events and sound philosophy of life.

PILGRAMAGE TO ANTIPOLO
 June 6, 1868
-Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo
 To fulfill his mother’s vow when Jose was born
 First trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his pilgrimage to Antipolo. They
rode Casco (Barge)
 Did not sleep the whole night: awed by the Pasig River and the silence
of the night. Experienced his first sunrise
 After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to
Manila and visited Saturnina, who was boarding student at La Concordia College
in Sta Ana

THE STORY OF THE MOTH

 Story told by her Mother: Made the profoundest impression on him. She was
teaching Jose to read in Spanish: El Amigo de los Ninos (The Children’s Friend)
when everyone was asleep. She was her ultimate critique in his poetical
compositions. Jose marveled how her mother sounded good in reading her
Spanish phrases. Jose watched a cheerful flame and moths encircling it when he
paid little attention to reading. She told Jose a story when she noticed that he was
not interested anymore in reading. The word ‘story’ promised something new
and wonderful on Jose. Jose was full of curiosity and wonder. Warning of the old
moth. Jose did not notice how her mother’s story ended he was fixated on how
the moth died because of its attraction to the flame. For Jose, it died a martyr to
its illusions. Mother’s advice: don’t behave like the young moth. Don’t be
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did. For Jose: Moths know how to warn
younger moths. They advised like her mother. The light for Rizal seemed to be
more beautiful. Noble death: sacrificing one’s life for the light. It is something
worthwhile.
ARTISTIC TALENTS

 At the age of 5 he started making sketches with his pencil/ molding of clay and
wax objects that attracted his fancy
 A religious banner was always used during fiesta and it was spoiled; Rizal
painted in oil colors a new banner that delighted the town folks
 Spending so much time making images in clay and wax rather than participating
in games: “laugh at me now, someday when I die, people will make monuments
and images of me.”

FIRST POEM BY RIZAL

 At the age of 8, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language entitled “Sa
Aking Mga Kabata” (To My Fellow Children). He wrote it in an appeal to our
people to love our national language.
 People who truly love their native language will surely strive for liberty like the
bird which soars to freer space above.
 Tagalog is equal to Latin, English, Spanish, and any other Language.

FIRST DRAMA BY RIZAL

 A Tagalog Comedy, written after his first poem was done
 Bought by a gobernadorcillo from Paete and staged it in his town
fiesta.

RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN

 Making a coin appear or disappear in his fingers and making a
handkerchief vanish in thin air
 Magic lantern exhibitions: lamp casting its shadow on a white
screen. He twisted his fingers into fantastic shapes, making their
enlarged shadows on the screen resemble certain animals and
persons.
 Gained skill in manipulating marionettes
 In Chapter XVII and XVIII of his second novel, El Filibusterismo, he
revealed his wide knowledge of magic

LAKESHORE REVERIES
 He used “meditations” at the shore of Laguna with his dog (Usman) on the sad
conditions of his oppressed people
 Guardia Civil: everyday in his town, unarmed villagers are always injured.
Villager’s only fault: not taking his hat off and not bowing. There was no
restraint put upon brutality
 Jose grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his beloved fatherland
  The Spanish misdeeds awakened in his boyish heart a great determination to
fight tyranny.
 With these injustices, Jose made a vow dedicating himself in studies to avenge
the many victims of his hometown. (same idea was written to his friend, Mariano
Ponce)

INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD

HEREDITARY

 Malayan Ancestors
- love for freedom, desire to travel, and courage.
 Chinese Ancestors
- serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children.
 Spanish Ancestors
- elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and gallantry to ladies.
 Father: profound sense of self-respect, love for work, habit of independent
thinking.
 Mother: religious nature, spirit of self-sacrifice, and passion for arts and
literature.

ENVIRONMENTAL

 Scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family
stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose.
 The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious nature.
 Paciano
- Love for freedom and justice
 Sisters
- Courteous and kind to women
 Fairy tales told by his aya
- Awakened his interest in folklore and legends.
 Tio Jose Alberto
- Who had studied for 11 years in a British School in Calcutta, India, and had
travelled in Europe inspired him to develop his artistic ability.
 Tio Manuel
- A husky and atheletic man, encouraged him to develop his frail body by
means of physical exercises, including horse riding, walking, and wrestling.
 Tio Gregorio
- A book lover, intensified his voracious reading of good books.
 Fr. Leoncio Lopez
- Fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
 Sorrows
- Death of Concha and the imprisonment of his mother, contributed
to strengthen his character, enabling him to resist blows of
adversity in later years.
- Spanish abuses and cruelties, the brutal acts of the Guardia Civil
and the alcalde, the unjust tortures inflicted on innocent Filipinos,
 and the Execution of the Gom-Bur-Za, awakened his spirit of
patriotism and inspired him to consecrate his life and talents to
redeem his oppressed people.

 DIVINE PROVIDENCE
- A person may have everything in life – brains, wealth, and power –
but, without the aid of Divine Providence, he cannot attain
greatness in the annals of the nation.
- Rizal was providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his
nation; endowed by God with versatile gifts for a genius, vibrant
spirit of a nationalist, and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble
cause.

CHAPTER 3
EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BINAN

THE HERO’S FIRST TEACHER

 Typical schooling of an Ilustrado son: 4Rs

- Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, Religion
 Knowledge was forced into the minds of students by means of memory method
aided by the teacher’s whip.
 Doña Teodora, his mother, was his first teacher
 At the age of 3: Jose learned the alphabet and prayers
 Discovered that her son had a talent for poetry
 Private tutors were employed: Maestro Celestino and Maestro Lucas Padua.
Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s father. They became the Hero’s
tutor in Spanish and Latin

JOSE GOES TO BINAN

 June 1869
- Jose left Calamba for Biñan with Paciano
 Carromata
- Their mode of transportation
 Aunt House
- Where Jose lodge
 Jose became depressed because of homesick

FIRST DAY IN BINAN SCHOOL

 School of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz

 Students laughing at Jose’s answers
FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL

 Jose met the bully, Pedro (Maestro Justiniano’s son). He was angry at this bully
for making fun of him during his conversation with the teacher. He challenged
Pedro to a fight and he won. He having learned the art of wrestling from his
athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.
 After the class: a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged Jose to an
arm- wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with
their arms. Jose, having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the
sidewalk.

PAINTING LESSONS IN BINAN

 Juancho: father-in-law of the school’s teacher

 Jose, lured by his love for painting, spent many leisure hours at the painter’s
studio.
 Old Juancho freely gave him lessons in drawing and painting. Jose and his
classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved painting, became apprentices of the old
painter.

DAILY LIFE IN BINAN

1. Hears mass at 4:00 am or studies lesson at that hour before going to mass
2. Goes to the orchard to look for a mabolo to eat
3. Breakfast: rice and 2 dried small fish
4. Goes to class until 10:00 am and goes home for lunch
5. Goes back to school at 2:00 pm and comes out at 5:00 pm
6. Pray with cousins and returns home
7. Studies lesson and draw a little
8. Supper: 1 or 2 rice with ana ayungin
9. Pray again and if there’s a moon, plays with cousins

BEST STUDENT IN SCHOOL

 Jose beat all the Binan boys in academic studies. Older classmates were jealous
of his intellectual superiority.
 They wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the
school and told lies to discredit him before the teacher’s eyes. Teacher had to
punish Jose five or six blows while laid out on a bench from his teacher.

END OF BINAN SCHOOLING

 Saturnina: arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Binan to
Calamba. This was Jose’s first time to ride in a steamer.
 December 17, 1870
- Jose left Biñan using the steamer Talim for Calamba.
 Arturo Camps
- Frenchman and friend of his father who took care of him during his trip.
MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA (1872)

 January 20, 1872

- Cavite Muntiny
 About 200 Filipino Soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the
leadership of La madrid, Filipino Sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because their
usual privileges were abolished, including exemption from tribute and polo (forced
labor) by: Gov. Rafael de Izquierdo. The mutiny was suppressed.
 The Spanish authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, leaders of the secular movement to Filipinize the
Philippine Parishes, magnified the failed mutiny into a “revolt” for Philippine
Independence.
 Paciano, enraged by the execution of Burgos, his beloved friend and teacher, quit
his studies and returned to Calamba, where he told the heroic story of Burgos to
Jose, who was 11 years old.
 The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny
and redeem his oppressed people. This motivated him to develop his studies.
 In 1891, Rizal dedicated his second novel El Filibusterismo to GOMBURZA.

INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER

 In 1872, Doña Teodora was arrested on a malicious charge that she and her
brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poision the latter’s perfidious wife.
 Jose Alberto planned to divorce his wife because of her infidelity. His wife
connived with the Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and filed a case against
Rizal’s mother.
 Antonio Vivencio Del Rosario
- Gobernadorcillio of Calamba, helped the lieutenant arrest Doña Teodora
 This lieutenant happened to have an ax to grind against the Rizal family, because
at one time Don Francisco (Rizal’s father) refused to give him fodder for his horse.
Taking the opportunity to avenge himself, he arrested Dona Teodora.
 After arresting Dona Teodora, the Spanish Lieutenant forced her to walk from
Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance of 50 kilometers.
 Don Francisco de Mercaida and Don Manuel Marzan
- Most famous lawyer of Manila, defended Doña Teodora in court.
 After arrival to Santa Cruz, Dona Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial
prison, where she languished for 2 and ½ years and was later on acquitted.