INTRODUCTION

“There are two Spains: one great, generous, with all those legendary qualities extolled throughout the globe, with her
knightly legions, heroes at home and in the world, serenely giving their lives for love, for an idea, in military discipline
or in scientific dedication; the Spain that Rizal loved to the day he died… and another “black” Spain that seized him in
a glorious hour of his life, a Spain that grows ever smaller, composed of the evil and the clumsy, the cruel and the
fanatical, heads without honor and honors without brains, with whom one must not share even the complicity of
silence.”
- Javier Gomez de la Serna –
“The First Filipino” by Leon Ma. Guerrero

I. Rizal Law (Republic Act No. 1425)

The Filipinos are well-known throughout the world with their sense of nationalism. Since the
Spanish era until the latest People Power, the Filipinos had generously expressed their ideals of their own
love of freedom of their country. This certain noble love that we, Filipinos, are proud of should always be
remembered and practiced, and therefore should be taught to the younger generations. For this reason,
the Republic Act No.1425, or popularly known as the Rizal Law, was promulgated on June 12, 1956.

The Rizal Law (Republic Act No. 1425) states that all public and private schools, colleges, and
universities in the country must include in their curricula, courses or subject about the life, works and,
writings of Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly the novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In this law, the
honor of the Filipinos’ nationalism, particularly our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, is met with special
fondness and devotion by the younger generations during their formal education.

The works of Dr. Jose Rizal, especially the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are excellent
inspiring sources of nationalism or patriotism in which the Filipino youths should also recognize and put
into practice. Since, also in school, the minds of these youths are carefully molded with proper knowledge
and discipline. Therefore, in school, the enacted curricula, course or subject is also a way of teaching the
youths of being a good Filipino citizen.

To let the youth to better understand the importance and purpose of the law, the following are
its intentions:

a. The law aimed to make the life and experience of Rizal during the Spanish era an inspiration to
the Filipino people especially the youth.

b. The law seeks to have the Filipinos their own principles of freedom and nationalism which
was valued by our heroes.

c. It aimed to re-arouse the patriotic feelings of every Filipinos and be able to pass such feeling
by the youth of today and to the next generation.

d. It aimed also to acknowledge the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal and remind each Filipino his
great part in the history of the Philippines. His life, deeds, and writings, such as "Noli
Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo", will serve as inspiration in the minds of every
Filipinos to love our country.
 The bill passed through a series of debates and deliberations and even controversies because the
Catholic Church was not in favor of it. The Catholic Church was against the passage of the bill because
of the anti – church contents of Jose Rizal’s two novels (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo). But the
authors of the bill, Claro M. Recto and Jose P. Laurel, were able to defend the bill and able to convince
the members of the Congress.

To strengthen the implementation of the Rizal Law, the following are issued:

1. Memorandum Order No. 247

Directing the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on
Higher Education to fully implement Republic Act No. 1425

2. CHED Memorandum No. 3, s. 1995

Enforcing strict compliance to Memorandum Order No. 247

II. Why Jose Rizal is the National Hero?

(Source: “Rizal Without the Overcoat” by Ambeth Ocampo; pp. 10-11)

In an interview with Asuncion Lopez Bantug, Narcissa Rizal’s granddaughter, I was told that the
young Jose Rizal was very conscious about his looks because he had a big head and a frail body and was
small for his age. He was fascinated by stories of “higantes” and “great men” in history. Today Rizal
scholars who put this data in the context of psychoanalysis hypothesize that Rizal’s intellectual “gifts”
were merely ways of making up for physical frailty. Psychohistory has yet to shake the foundations of
Philippine historiography.

In the previous column, I discussed the psychic in Rizal and how many of his dreams proved
prophetic. Rizal himself admitted that “my dreams have always guided my actions.” Aside from the fact
that psychohistory or even psychic research is frowned upon by many of our academic historians, I
believe the main reason we refuse to see Rizal as a prophet because viewing Rizal from this perspective
will undoubtedly make him a “conscious hero” and thus diminish his stature.

What do you mean by a “conscious hero?” It is clear from Rizal’s letters, diaries and writings that
he had planned his entire life down to the last detail. He did not leave anything to chance, not even the
choreography of his death. So he willfully became a hero.

Another Rizal story that pops out of my notes today deals with a time when Rizal’s sisters found
him in his “bahay kubo” behind the Calamba house, molding clay statue of Napoleon Bonaparte (who was
small and short like him). When teased about it, he is supposed to have said, “All right, guys, say what
you want today because in the future, people will make monuments for me!”

I wonder what his sisters felt when they saw the Rizal monument rise on the Luneta or when
they officiated at the unveiling ceremonies of the other monuments to their brother that began to
mushroom all over the archipelago? Jose Rizal had the last laugh.

Rizal could have lived beyond December 30, 1896, if he had simply stayed out of the Philippines
and its politics. If he remained in Hongkong, then he would just be another forgotten expatriate Filipino
doctor. Rizal, however, was different. You could say he had a death wish and this, for me, make a
“conscious hero” doubly brave, because unlike military heroes whose job description contains “death in
battle.” Rizal was quiet, peaceful man who willfully and calmly walked to his death for his convictions.
Before his execution, his pulse rate was reputedly normal. How many people do you know who would
die for their convictions if they could avoid it?
 In June 1892 Rizal left two sealed letters with a Portuguese friend “to be opened and published
after my death.” In these letters Rizal explained to his family and his countrymen that he has returning
to the Philippines to show by example that Filipinos knew how to die for principles.

More important, Rizal addressed his countrymen, mostly “natives” or “indios” like you and me, as
“Filipinos” at a time when the term was reserved for Spaniards born in the Philippines.

Guided by the belief from childhood that he would not reach the age of 30, Rizal decided to
return home against all odds. He probably thought he would be executed in 1892; he miscalculated and
died in 1896 at the age of 35.

This is the letter he wanted us to read, a letter that will illustrate to anti-Rizal advocates why
Rizal is our national hero:

“The step that I have taken, or am about to take, is undoubtedly very risky, and it is unnecessary
to say that I have pondered on it a great deal. I know that everyone is opposed to it but I realized also
that no one knows what goes on in my heart. I cannot live knowing that many are suffering unjust
persecution because of me; I cannot live seeing my brothers (hermanos) and their large families
persecuted like criminals. I prefer to face death and gladly give my life to free so many innocent persons
from this unjust persecution.

I know that, at present, the future of my country gravitates in part around me; that with my death,
many would rejoice, and that, consequently, many are longing got my end. But what am I to do? I have
duties of conscience above all else; I have moral obligation toward the families who suffer, toward my
aged parents whose sighs pierce my heart; I know that I alone, even my death can make them happy by
returning them to their country and the tranquility of their home. My parents are all that I have, but my
country has many sons still who can take it to advantage.

Moreover, I wish to show those who deny us patriotism that we know how to die for our
duty and for our convictions. What matters death if one dies for what one loves, for one’s country
and for those whom he loves?

If I know that we were the only pillar of Philippine politics and if I were convinced that my
countrymen were going to make use of my services, perhaps I would hesitate to take this step, but there
are still others who can take my place, who can take my place to advantage. Furthermore, there are
those who find me superfluous and in no need of my services, thus, they reduce me to inaction.

I have always loved my poor country and I am sure that I shall love her until my last moment.
Perhaps some people will be unjust to me; well, my future, my life, my joys, everything. I have sacrificed
for love of her. Whatever my fate may be, I shall die blessing my country and wishing her the dawn of her
redemption.”
 JOSE RIZAL – BIRTH OF A HERO
CHAPTER I

“Treat your old parents as you would like to be treated by your children later”
- Dr. Jose Rizal –

Objectives:

At the end of this chapter, the students will be able to:

1. Discuss the different cultural influences of the Family.

2. Trace the lineage of the Rizal Family.
3. Draw a Family Tree of Jose Rizal.

I. The Birth of Rizal

From the biography of Jose Rizal, “Memoirs of a Student in Manila” (Memorias de un Estudiante
en Manila), he was born on a moonlit Wednesday on June 19, 1861, between eleven and twelve o’clock
at midnight, a few days before full moon at Calamba, Laguna. His birth would have cost his mother’s life
had she not vowed to the Virgin of Antipolo that would take him on a pilgrimage of her shrine.

He was baptized at a Catholic Church of Calamba, on June 22, when he was only three days ole,
by a priest, Rev. Fr. Rufino Collantes, a close friend of his family who also stood as his godfather. The
name Jose was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph).

It should be noted that during the baptismal ceremony, Fr. Collantes was impressed by the boy’s
big head. He politely told the members of the family who were present to “take good care of this child
for someday he will become a great man”. His words proved prophetic and later explicitly confirmed by
subsequent events.

Rizal’s Birth Certificate.  A translation of

his birth and baptism reads as follows: “I, the
undersigned parish priest of the town of
Calamba, certify that from the investigation
made with proper authority, for replacing the
parish books which were burned September 28,
1862, to be found in Docket No. 1 of Baptisms,
page 49, it appears by the sworn testimony of
competent witness that JOSE RIZAL MERCADO
is the legitimate son, and lawful wedlock, of
Don Francisco Rizal Mercado and Dona Teodora
Realonda, having been baptized in this parish
on the 22nd day of June in the year 1861, by
the parish priest, Rev. Rufino Collantes, Rev.
Pedro Casanas being his godfather.” Witness
my signature. (signed) LEONCIO LOPEZ.
II. Calamba: The Cradle of Genius

Scenic Calamba is the picturesque town that gave birth to our hero, Rafael Palma said: “Hemmed
in a vedant plain by mount Makiling, on one side and by Laguna de Bay on the other. Calamba offers
authentic scenery of sunny contours and romantic spots. There is deep and magnetic charm in the
beauty and grandeur with these surroundings inspire – where bounteous Nature in its gayest moments
lavishes its most precious and delicate caresses. The site was destined to the cradle of a genius. It is a
joy forever, where the plodding and patient carabao moves lazily about besides a lake of poem and
songs, within the sight of Mount Makiling rugged peak, covered the year round with luxuriant vegetation,
which seemed peopled with spirit of ancient days, should exert a powerful influence in making Rizal a
thinker and a poet? Calamba is a town named after a big native jar surrounded by a big hacienda which
belonged to the Dominican Order, which also owned almost all the lands around it.

III. The Parents of Jose Rizal

Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898), the

hero’s father was born in Biñan, Laguna. His great,
great grandfather was a Christian Chinese named
Domingo Lamco. He studied Latin and Philosophy at
the College of San Jose, Manila. He was a
hardworking and progressive farmer who became
well-to-do through industry and with the assistance of
his cultured and talented wife. He was a man of solid
shoulders, strong constitution, tall, with prominent
forehead and dark eyes. A pure Filipino, Dr. Rizal
called him “a model of fathers.” He died at the age of
eighty, a year after the hero’s execution.

Don Francisco’s original family name was Mercado. Rizal wrote to his friend, Professor
Blumentritt of Austria in 1889, that “our family name was really Mercado, but in the Philippines there
were many Mercado’s who were not related to us. My father choose Rizal as our surname because
Mercado sounded common. It is in this respect, it seems as though I am an illegitimate child.” He
married Teodora Alonzo Realonda on June 28, 1848, a woman of fortitude which exemplified the Filipino
character at its highest and loftiest measure.
 Doña Teodora Alonzo (1826 – 1911), Rizal’s
mother was born in Manila on November 8, 1826
where she grew up and studied at the College of
Santa Rosa. She is a woman of remarkable talent in
mathematics, business and literature. She possessed
refined culture, strong spirit, and the fortitude of a
Spartan woman. She belonged to a distinguished
family, her father having once a delegate to the
Spanish Cortes, while her brother, Jose Alberto, was
educated in Europe and spoke different languages.

Doña Teodora was imprisoned by the Spanish authorities for filmsy reasons, but she barvely
endured the persecutions heaped upon her and her family. Some years before she died at the age
eighty-five she politely refused a life pension offered her by our government saying: My family has never
been patriotic about money. If government has plenty of funds and it does not know what to do with
them, it had better reduce the taxes.” Such statements, indeed, are explicit manifestations of a woman
worthy to be the mother of a national hero.

According to Rafael Palma, Rizal inherited “from his father a profound sense of dignity and self-
respect, seriousness and self-possession; and from his mother the temperament of the poet and dreamer
and bravery for sacrifice.
IV. The Siblings of Jose Rizal

The marriage of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo were blessed with eleven children – two boys
and nine girls.

Paciano (1851 – 1930) was the elder and only brother of

Jose Rizal. Being a decade older than Rizal, Paciano became a
second father to his sibling. Became an agriculturist, like his father,
he had a college education in Manila. People who knew him opined
that he was the Filosopo Tasio in Noli Me Tangere. He succeeded in
sending the young Jose (Pepe) to Europe to study. During the
younger years Paciano would continue supporting his brother
financially. After the death of Jose, Paciano joined the Revolution
and was later appointed general of the revolutionary forces in
Laguna. His common-law wife was Severina Decena. He died in Los
Baños, Laguna on April 13, 1930.

Saturnina (1850 – 1913) also known as “Neneng,” was the

eldest of the Rizal children. She married Manuel T. Hidalgo,
affectionately called "Maneng" by Rizal, who was a native of
Tanauan, Batangas.
 Narcisa (1852 – 1939) was the third child of Francisco and
Teodora. She was a teacher and a musician by profession, and
married Antonino Lopez who was a school teacher in Morong, Rizal.

Olympia (1855 – 1887) was the fourth child of the brood

who married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila.

Lucia (1857 – 1919) was the fifth child of the Rizal family
who was married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba. She died in 1887.

Maria (1859 – 1945) was the sixth of the eleven children

who married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.

Jose (June 19, 1861- December 30, 1896), later to become

the Philippine national hero, was the second son and seventh child.

No picture available Concepcion (1862 – 1865), also known as “Concha,” was the
eight child of the Rizals, who died at the age of three.

Josefa (1865 – 1945) was the ninth child and affectionately

called Panggoy. She remained a spinster throughout her life.
 Trinidad (1868 – 1951) was the tenth child who, like Josefa,
died without a husband.

Soledad (1870 – 1929) was the youngest of the brood who

later married Pantaleon Quintero, a native of Calamba.

V. Rizal’s Ancestry

Jose Rizal, like a typical Filipino was a product of mixed ancestry. It can be inferred that in his
veins flowed then blood of both East and West – Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Spanish. Rizal was a
sixth-generation patrilineal descendant of Domingo Lam-co (Chinese: Ke Yinan), a Chinese immigrant
entrepreneur who sailed to the Philippines from Jinjiang, Quanzhou and arrived here in 1690. Lam-co
became a Christian and married Inez de la Rosa, a Sangley native of Luzon. To free his descendants from
the anti-Chinese animosity of the Spanish authorities, Lam-co changed the family surname to the Spanish
surname "Mercado" (market) to indicate their Chinese merchant roots. Domingo Mercado and Inez de
la Rosa had a son. Francisco Mercado, who resided in Biñan and was elected as Gobernadorcillo, married
Cirila Bernancha, a Chinese-Filipino mestiza. One of their sons, Juan Mercado (Rizal’s grandfather),
married Cirila Alejandro, a Chinese-Filipino mestiza. Like his father, he was elected Gobernadorcillo of
Biñan. They had thirteen children, the youngest was Francisco Mercado, Jose Rizal’s father.

Aside from indigenous Filipino and Chinese ancestry, recent genealogical research has found that
Jose had traces of Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. His maternal great-great-grandfather (Teodora's
great-grandfather) was Eugenio Ursua, a descendant of Japanese settlers, who married a Filipina named
Benigna (surname unknown). They gave birth to Regina Ursua who married a Sangley mestizo from
Pangasinán named Atty. Manuel de Quintos, Teodora's grandfather. Their daughter Brígida de Quintos
married a Spanish mestizo named Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, the father of Teodora. Austin Craig mentions
Lakandula, Rajah of Tondo at the time of the Spanish incursion, also as an ancestor.
 Rizal’s Family Tree drawn by Jose The old Rizal house in Calamba, Laguna.
while he was exiled in Dapitan.

VI. The Name of Rizal

In 1849, Governor-General Narciso Claveria ordered all Filipino families to choose new surnames
from a list of Spanish family names. José's father Francisco adopted the surname "Rizal" (originally
Ricial, the green of young growth or green fields), which was suggested to him by a provincial
governor, whom José described as "a friend of the family." However, the name change caused confusion
in the business affairs of Francisco, most of which were begun under the old name. After a few years, he
settled on the name "Rizal Mercado" as a compromise, but usually just used the original surname
"Mercado”.

“Whoever that Spanish Alcalde-Mayor was”, commented Ambassador Leon Ma. Guerrero, a
distinguished Rizalist and diplomat, “his choice was prophetic for Rizal in Spanish means a field where
wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again.”

VII. The Family Life

The Rizal family was a respected and considered one of the richest families in Calamba during
that time. In fact, the family belongs to the “principalia”, the town’s aristocrat during Spanish times.

Because his parents were industrious, they were able to build a big house. The house in which
the hero was born, was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during those times. It was a
two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods, and roofed with red
tiles. According to Dr. Rafael Palma, “the house was high and even sumptuous, a solid and massive
earthquake-proof structure with sliding shell windows. Thick walls of lime and stone bounded the first
floor was made entirely of wood except for the roof, which was of red tile, in the style of the buildings in
Manila at that time.. At the back there was an azotea and a wide, deep cistern to hold rain water for
home use”. Behind the house were the poultry yard full of turkeys and chickens and a big garden of
tropical fruit trees – atis, balimbing, chico, macopa, papaya, santol, tampoy and etc.

They were one of the few families to own a carruaje (horse-drawn carriage), the first to have a
home library with almost 1,000 volumes, and probably, the first to send their children to Manila to study
in college.

They raised rice, corn, sugar and other agricultural crops on the large tracks of land rented from
Dominican estate of Calamba. Doña Teodora also managed a general merchandise store which sold
various economic goods and operated a small flour-mill and home-made ham press.

Rizal family was highly esteemed and respected in the community. They always participated in
almost all social and religious activities in Calamba for a noble cause. The religiosity of the family is
manifested in hearing mass together in the town parish, pray the Angelus and recite the Holy Rosary
before retiring to bed at night for all the blessings they had received for the day.

The Rizal family was truly, a happy social institution where parental respect and affection reigned
supreme. Both parents and children lived harmoniously united by strong ties of affection, understanding
and respect. Don Francisco and Doña Teodora loved their children, but they never spoiled anyone of
them. They trained and imbibed to their children to respect the law, give everybody is due, behave well,
be obedient and to respect people’s right, especially to the old folks. They were strict but fair and firm.
They believed in the old adage: “spare the rod and spoil the child.”

EARLY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA

CHAPTER II

“To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the book that tells her past”
- Dr. Jose Rizal -
Objectives:

At the end of this chapter, the students will be able to:

1. Describe the hometown of Jose Rizal.

2. Recognize how Calamba through its natural beauty influence the National Hero.
3. Cite the events that awaken the Nationalism of Jose Rizal.
4. Analyze the character traits of the people surrounding Jose Rizal and how they shaped the hero’s
personality.

The life of Jose Rizal just like any other young boys had a lot of pleasant and beautiful memories.
He had affectionate parents, thoughtful and caring brother and sisters. He grew up in an environment
characterized by joy and contentment. His birth place was an ideal place for artists, poets, budding
writers and lovers of art. The majestic and legendary Mt. Makiling and the vibrant beauty of Laguna de
Bay provides travelers from Manila and nearby towns gain inspiration from its healthy and clean water
and scenic panorama. Calamba is indeed, the cradle of genius.

When Jose Rizal was 15 years old and was a student at Ateneo de Manila, he reminisce his
beloved town and wrote a poem, “Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo”, (In Memory of My Town).
“Calamba, you will remain an important and cherished part of my life,” Jose murmured with deep sigh of
happiness.
IN MEMORY OF MY TOWN

When early childhood's happy days Within that rustic temple prayed
In memory I see once more With childhood's simple faith unfeigned
Along the lovely verdant shore While cooling breezes, pure unstained,
Would send my heart on rapturous flight.
That meets a gently murmuring sea;
I saw the Maker in the grandeur
When I recall the whisper soft
Of your ancient hoary wood,
Of zephyrs dancing on my brow
Ah, never in your refuge could
With cooling sweetness, even now
A mortal by regret be smitten;
New luscious life is born in me.
And while upon your sky of blue
I gazed, no love nor tenderness
When I behold the lily white
Could fail, for here on nature's dress
That sways to do the wind's command,
My happiness itself was written.
While gently sleeping on the sand
The stormy water rests awhile;
Ah, tender childhood, lovely town,
When from the flowers there softly breathes
Rich fount of my felicities,
A bouquet ravishingly sweet,
Of those harmonious melodies
Out-poured the newborn dawn to meet,
Which put to flight all dismal hours,
As on us she begins to smile.
Come back to my heart once more!
Come back gentle hours, I yearn!
With sadness I recall. . . . recall
Come back as the birds return,
Thy face, in precious infancy,
At the budding of the flowers!
Oh mother, friend most dear to me,
Who gave to life a wondrous charm.
Alas, farewell! Eternal vigil I keep
I yet recall a village plain,
For Thy peace, Thy bliss, and tranquility,
My joy, my family, my boon,
O Genius of good, so kind!
Beside the freshly cool lagoon, --
Give me these gifts, with charity.
The spot for which my heart beats warm.
To thee are my fervent vows, --
To Thee I cease not to sigh
Ah, yes! My footsteps insecure
These to learn, and I call to the sky
In your dark forests deeply sank;
To have thy sincerity.
And there by every river's bank I found refreshment and
delight;

His childhood memories are characterized by playing in the garden while he watched and
marveled to birds like the maya, the pipit and maria-capra as they chirped and flied from one branch to
another listening with wonder and joy their melodious songs. Jose and other Rizal children gathered
together during nightfall and pray the angelus. He also remembered about stories, about fairy tales of
buried treasures and trees blooming with diamonds. When at times, the food served during supper did
not appeal his taste, the maid would threaten him about the aswang and tikbalang.

His first sorrow was the death of little Concha (Concepcion) whom he fondly called died when
she was three years old. He cried bitterly and for the first time he wept tears of love and intense grief.

When he was five years old, our hero showed his affection to animals for having a pet dog,
naned Berganza.

When he was seven, he was called, Manong Jose. At an early age, he was pious and devoted
son of the Catholic Church. He loved to go to church almost everyday for spiritual nourishment and to
join religious activities.

I. Early Education in Calamba

At the tender age of three, Jose learned the alphabet from his mother. Her mother was strict
and a patient teacher. “She taught me how to read and say haltingly the humble prayers which
I raised fervently to God”. Fortunately, his mother, father, and uncles recognized this unusual talent
and gave him every encouragement. They offered the boy an almost ideal environment for the building
of genius. Uncle Jose Alberto, the youngest brother of Doña Teodora, not only gave wise direction in
the regular studies of the child but also influenced him travel and explore the world.. Uncle Gregorio
was a tireless reader, with a flair for the artistic. Often he lectured the eager child on the foundations of
success: "Work hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be swift as well as
thorough; be independent in thinking, (which Rizal did not need to be told); and make visual
pictures of everything." This last was immensely important for an eye-minded boy like Rizal. In
learning twenty languages, he made visual photographs of words, and never forgot them. His Uncle
Manuel, a man of athletic built, developed the physique of the young boy Jose, who was sickly and frail,
when he was growing up.

An important factor in Jose’s development was the realization of his relatives that they were
dealing with an intelligent child, and their determination not to crush his tender genius. His father
Francisco, who had received some education in the College of San Jose, insisted that all the customary
subjects must be learned, not only well, but very well. For many months he kept an old man Leon
Monroy in the family for the purpose of teaching the boy the beginnings of Latin. His other private
tutors who gave him lessons at home were Maestro Celestino and Maestro Lucas Padua.

Jose was designed by nature to be an artist. When he was five years of age, for without any
assistance from others he began to draw with his pencil and to mould in wax or clay any object
he saw about him. His painting ability was also recognized when he replaced the religious banner of
Calamba and it was better than the original one. He also is good in playing magic tricks and skills in
manipulating puppets. One interesting anecdote about Rizal was the incident about his clay and wax
images. One day, when he was about six years old his sisters laughed at him spending so much time
making those images rather than participating in their games. He kept silent as they laughed with
childish glee. But as they were departing, he told them: “All right laugh at me now! Someday when
I die, people will make monuments and images of me!”

Another happy influence in building Jose's character was the parish priest, Father Leoncio Lopez.
He was an independent thinker with wide intelligence and sound judgment. He loved children, but above
all the eager little boy who asked serious leading questions about the things he had heard his elders say.
Years later in Noli Me Tangere, Rizal paid a beautiful tribute to Father Leoncio Lopez.

II. The Story of the Moth

One incident which Jose tells of his childhood reveals his inmost soul.

"One night, all the family, except my mother and my self, went to bed early. My mother began
to read me the fable of the young moth and the old one. She translated it from Spanish into Tagalog a
little at a time.

"My attention increased from the first sentence. I looked toward the light and fixed my gaze on
the moths which were circling around it. The story could not have been better timed. My mother
repeated the warning of the old moth. She dwelt upon it and directed it to me. I heard her, but it is a
curious thing that the light seemed to me each time more beautiful, the flame more attentive. I really
envied the fortune of the insects. They frolicked so joyously in the enchanting splendor that the ones
which had fallen and been drowned in the oil did not cause me any dread.

"My mother kept on reading and I listened breathlessly. The fate of the two insects interested me
greatly. The flame rolled its golden tongue to one side and a moth, which this movement had singed, fell
into the oil, fluttered for a time and then became quiet. That became for me a great event. A curious
change came over me which I have always noticed in myself whenever anything has stirred my feelings.
The flame and the moth seemed to go farther away, and my mother's voice sounded strange and
uncanny. I did not notice when she ended the fable. All my attention was fixed on the fate of the insect. I
watched it with my whole soul. It had died a martyr to its illusions.

As she put me to bed, my mother said: “See that you do not behave like the little young moth.
Don’t be disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did.” I do not whether I answered or not… The story
revealed to me things until then unknown. Moths no longer were for me, insignificant insects. Moths
talked; they know how to warn. They advised just like my mother. The light seemed to me more
beautiful, more dazzling, and more attractive. I now knew why the moths circled the flame.

The tragic fate of the young moth, which “died a martyr to its illusions,” left a deep impress on
Rizal’s mind. He justified such noble death, asserting that “to sacrifice one’s life for it,” meaning for an
ideal, is “worthwhile”. And, like that young moth, he was fated to die as a martyr for a noble ideal.

III. Early Education in Biñan

At the age of nine, Don Francisco sent his son to Biñan to continue his studies in Latin under
Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Rizal described his teacher as “tall, thin, long-necked man, with
sharp nose and a body bent slightly forward”. He usually wore a sinamay shirt woven by skillful hands of
the Batangueñas.

His way life was methodical and well regulated. He heard mass at four if there was one that
early, or studied his lesson at that hour and went to mass afterwards. Returning home, he might look in
the orchard for a mabolo fruit to eat, then he took his breakfast, consisting generally of a plate of rice
and two dried sardines. 

After that he would go to class, from which he was dismissed at ten, then home again. He ate
with his aunt and then began at ten, then home again. He ate with his aunt and then began to study. At
half past two he returned to class and left at five. He might play for a short time with some cousins
before returning home. He studied his lessons, drew for a while, and then prayed and if there was a
moon, his friends would invite him to play in the street in company with other boys.

Rizal’s school days in Biñan was remarkable. He excelled in all subjects especially Latin and
Spanish languages. Because of this, it was not surprising that some of his older classmates were secretly
jealous of his intellectual gifts. His schooling in Biñan came to an end when he learned almost all that his
teacher could teach him, so Justiniano wrote a letter to his parents that it was time to sent Jose to
College in Manila.

Aside from his lessons with Maestro Cruz, Jose learned painting in the shop of an old painter
named Juancho. Jose, with his intense interest and love for painting spent many leisure hours at the
painter’s studio. Juancho gave him lessons in drawing and paintings. He was impressed and awed by
the artistic creative talent of his young pupil.

Jose left Biñan on December 7, 1871. After staying for one and a half years, He was warmly
welcomed by his parents, brothers and sisters. At home, he shared his memorable experiences with
fascinating tales of his brawls with some quarrelsome classmate and school triumphs with amusement
and delight from his brother and sister.

IV. Literary Talents

At the age of eight years, Rizal revealed his God-given talents in literary by writing poems. The
poem he wrote in Tagalog was entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” (To My Fellow Children). He wrote
this poem as an appeal to his countrymen to love their national language.

SA AKING MGA KABATA TO MY FELLOW CHILDREN

Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig Whenever people of a country truly love
Sa kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit, The language which by heav'n they were taught to use,
Sanglang kalayaan nasa ring masapit That country also surely liberty pursues.
Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid. As does the bird which soars to freer space above.

Pagka't ang salita'y isang kahatulan For language is the final judge and referee
Sa bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian, Upon the people in the land where it holds sway;
At ang isang tao'y katulad, kabagay In truth our human race resembles in this way
Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan. The other living beings born in liberty.

Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita Whoever knows not how to live his native tongue
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda, Is worse than any beast or evil smelling fish.
Kaya ang marapat pagyamaning kusa To make our language richer ought to be our wish
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala. The same as any mother loves to feed her young.

Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin Tagalog and the Latin language are the same
Sa Ingles, Kastila at salitang anghel, And English and Castilian and the angels' tongue,
Sapagka't ang Poong maalam tumingin And God, whose watchful care o'er all is flung,
Ang siyang naggawad, nagbigay sa atin. Has given us His blessing in the speech we claim.

Ang salita nati'y huwad din sa iba Our mother tongue, like all the highest that we know
Na may alfabeto at sariling letra, Had alphabet and letters of its very own;
Na kaya nawala'y dinatnan ng sigwa But these were lost -- by furious waves were overthrown
Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una. Like bancas in the stormy sea, long years ago.

V. First Taste of Injustice

The Rizal family now determined that Jose should continue his education in Manila. He was
making preparations to depart when an injustice occurred which threw the first shadow across his happy
young life. His mother was thrown into prison, accused of a crime of which she was so incapable that
everybody knew it was a pure fabrication. The charge against her was that she had conspired with her
brother, Jose's uncle Alberto Realonda, to poison his wife, who had separated from him. The real reason
for the arrest, as everybody well knew, was that honest, independent Francisco Rizal Mercado had been
too frank in dealing with two Spanish officials, and that these men now sought vengeance on the father
of Jose by imprisoning his mother.

One of these Spanish officials was a lieutenant. Francisco Rizal had dared to request this officer
to remove his squad of civil guards from a field, because the troops were destroying the crops. The
lieutenant swore that he would avenge that insult. He did not have long to wait. It happened that a judge
visited the Rizal home, as did all important visitors to Calamba. But he imagined that he had not been
shown any greater respect than the Filipino visitors, which wounded his dignity. The judge and lieutenant
conspired to show this Filipino, Francisco Rizal, how to treat a Spanish official. The police were sent to
the Rizal home by the insulted lieutenant. They forced Doña Teodora Mercado to walk nearly fifty
kilometers over a rough road to the prison at Sta. Cruz, the capital of Laguna Province. The judge in
person saw to it that she was not permitted to ride one step of the way. She was thrown into prison to
await trial. The insulted judge acted as her prosecutor as well as her jury. She appealed to the Supreme
Court of the Philippines, which ordered her immediate release. The judge then rearrested her for insulting
him, declaring that for her to appeal to the Supreme Court was contempt of his court. The Supreme
Court agreed that this was true! She had to face trial for one false charge after another -- six charges in
all. It began to look as though she might remain in prison for the rest of her life, a misfortune which had
befallen many others in those dark days of injustice.
VI. Awakening of Jose Rizal’s Concept on Love of Country

It was with a sad heart that Francisco Rizal finally sent Jose off to school in Manila. Jose was now
eleven years of age. His brother Paciano was studying in the College of San Jose under its famous
teacher Fr. Jose Burgos. Jose is now to face with the second tragedy that shattered his childhood
dreams. He found his brother Paciano distracted over a ghastly tragedy that had just taken place. Fr.
Burgos, together with F. Gomez and Fr. Zamora, were sentenced to death by means of the garrote,
mechanical strangulation, on the charges of subversion and inciting revolution after the Cavite mutiny.

Prior to the execution of (Gomburza),the three Filipino

martyrs, (GOMBURZA stands for the names of the
three Filipino priests- Fathers Mariano Gómez, José
Apolonio Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, executed on
February 17, 1872, at Bagumbayan, Manila). There had
been an unresolved issue about secularization in
the Philippines that resulted a conflict among the religious
regulars and the church seculars. Father Mariano Gomez was
a strong advocate of the rights of the secular clergy.

Father Jose Burgos, however, was liberal and had strong nationalist views. He went for
ecclesiastic reforms to empower native clergy, the reason he became a target of opposition by Roman
Catholic authorities.
Father Jacinto Zamora, on the other hand, loved playing cards. No one knew about this except
his playmates. Unfortunately, on the day of the Cavite Revolt, Father Zamora received an invitation that
said, his friend has "Powder and Munitions." In a gambler's language, Powder and munitions meant they
had much money to gamble. This invitation fell into the Spanish hands. This invitation is one of the
reasons why the Spaniards blamed the three priests.
Some Filipino Catholic priests in Cavite had been thrown out of their churches in order to make
place for Spanish friars. Fr. Burgos had openly denounced this injustice which his deposed fellow priests
had suffered. Further, there was a mutiny of a few soldiers and employees in Cavite. Fr. Burgos was
falsely blamed for having stirred up this mutiny. He was court-martialed, together with Fathers Gomez
and Zamora, two other innocent Filipino Catholic priests, and convicted. All three were executed by
having the inhumanly cruel garrote screwed into the backs of their necks until the vertebrae cracked.

Paciano Rizal had loved and almost worshipped Fr. Burgos, "the most popular professor in the
university." Paciano was in grief and rage. He almost became stupid and was not being allowed to take
his examinations. All of this had happened just before Jose reached Manila.

This and his mother's imprisonment were fearful shocks for an idealistic young boy to endure all
at one time, and they burned ineradicably into his soul. He felt a sense of an intolerable wrong, that the
rest of his life seemed lonely, a feeling grew upon him that the misfortunes of his people were to be the
business of his life.
 What Did Jose Rizal Read?

I was recently going through the Rizaliana collection of the Lopez Museum where I found Jose Rizal's
bibliographic cards. I was so excited because I was sure these would help me understand Rizal more.

Rizal grew up in a home with a large library – a rarity in the nineteenth century Philippines. Thus, he
developed a liking for books and learning. In Europe, though he was on a shoestring budget, with his
allowance sometimes arriving late, he would still scrimp and save to buy books. Knowing Rizal, I think he
probably read all the books in his his library.

Esteban de Ocampo, in his monograph Rizal as Bibliophile, copied the bibliographic cards of Rizal in Fort
Santiago and those cards kept by Rizal's relatives. He listed 252 cards, not knowing that the Lopez Museum
itself had 99 more cards. Rizal owned a valuable collection of over 2,000 books, which he left with Jose Ma.
Basa in Hong Kong. Josephine Bracken, realizing the monetary value of Rizal's library, tried to claim it as
Rizal's “widow”, but because she was unable to present concrete proof of her marriage to Rizal, she dropped
the claim.

Rizal read a lot of French literature: Honore de Balzac, Alexandre Dumas pere Three Musketeers and Count
of Monte Cristo; the complete works of Pierre Jean de Beranger, Moliere, Charles de Secondat Montesquieu
Trivia aboutZola.
and Emile Dr. Jose Rizal
He read Alfred de Musset's poems and Napoleon's Memoirs Written from Sainte Helene.
Most of his books were in Spanish translation, although he did read English, French and German too.

Rizal also read Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Charles Dicken's David Copperfield, and Hans Christian
Andersen's Fairy Tales, five of which he even translated into Tagalog for his nephews and nieces. He read
The Barber of Seville and the Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchias, so it is highly probable that after reading
these, he went to see Mozart's operas.

Rizal read books on the Philippines: Azcarraga y Pamero's La Libertad de comercio en las Islas Filipinas;
Blumentritts Breve diccionario etnografico de Filipinas : Meyer's Album von Philippinen Typen; and Montero
y Vidal's El Archipelago Filipino y las Islas Marianas, Carolinas y Palaos, among any others.

Being an artist, Rizal also owned a lot of picture books. He owned dictionaries and three different versions of
the Bible-one in Spanish, one Catholic edition, and another translated from the Latin Vulgate.

What is interesting are the “pragmatic” books, which show the breadth of the hero's interest and an inkling
into his plan to create a Philippine colony in North Borneo later in life: guidebooks to Paris, Germany, the
Rhine, Central Italy, Switzerland; Baille's Las Maravillas de la Electricidad; Bairei's six volume Studies of
Birds; Buenet's Drawings and Ornaments of Architecture; Baltet's The Art of Grafting and Budding;
Duyckinck's Lives and Pictures of the Presidents of the United States; Money's Java: or How to Manage a
Colony; Levy's Treatise on Public and Private Hygiene; Nasau Lee's Tea Cultivation, Cotton and other
Agricultural Experiments in India.

Source:
“Rizal Without the Overcoat”
In Commemoration of Rizal’s 150th Birth Anniversary
Ambeth Ocampo
c.2012
Exercise 2.1