Name; MICUA, Patleen Monica N.

Subject: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

To My Fellow Children
By: Jose Rizal

Whenever people of a country truly love

The language which by heav’n they were taught to use,
That country also surely liberty pursues
as does the bird which soars to freer space above.

For language is the final judge and referee

Upon the people in the land where it holds away;
In truth our human race resembles in this way
The other living being born in liberty.

Whoever knows not how to love his native tongue

Is worse than any beast or evil smelling fish.
To make our language richer ought to be our wish
The same as any mother loves to feed her young.

Tagalog and the Latin language are the same

And English and Castilian and the angels’ tongue,
And God, whose watchful care o’er all is flung,
Has given us His blessing in the speech we claim.

Our mother tongue, like all the highest that we know

Had alphabet and letters of its very own;
But these were lost – by furious waves were overthrown
Like bancas in the stormy sea, long years ago.
First Stanza:
First Stanza tells that Rizal considered the Native Language which is the Filipino Language as blessing
from heaven. And when we, the Filipinos of the entire country will use, embrace and love our own
language we will pursue liberty because that time Filipinos were colonized by Spaniards and we force
to speak Spanish. Rizal state about the bird and compared it in situation that we should be free in
speaking in our language not just like a bird that is in the cage of the colonization of Spaniards.

Second Stanza:
Second Stanza, Rizal tells the language will be the key to liberty even if Filipinos born in the slavery of
the Spaniards. We should use the language and stick on our mind that a Filipino should be a Filipino
heart and a Filipino language as well. The love and support of our language will become the symbol of
being a Filipino.

Third Stanza:
Third stanza, Rizal compared a Filipino who doesn't love his language as a worse than a smelly fish.
There are some Filipinos who forgot to love and use the language because when Spaniards colonized
the entire country the Spanish language is being used in educations, religious activities and in
government. The language needs to use to become richer, just like a mother who knows how to care
and fed her young. Rizal compared the language as a helpless child that must be nurtured in order to
grow and flourish.

Fourth Stanza:
Fourth stanza, According to Rizal the Filipino language are just like the language of Latin and other
languages even the angels language. Don’t underestimate the Filipino language because no language is
greater than others because God give language as a gift to be able to use in communications in every
lands and nations.

Fifth Stanza:
Fifth stanza, according to Rizal language has letters and characters of its own, similar to the way other
‘’elite tounges’’ do. Rizal is referring to ALIBATA which is the old Filipino alphabet whose characters
are unique but this were lost like overthrown by strong waves because of the colonization of Spaniards.
We should know how to value our own language just like Rizal who wrote this poem for us to know.
We should rise up and be proud for being a Filipino blood. Language is not just a tool for
communications because it is also serve as One’s Identity.
The House of Jose Rizal

The Mansion House of Jose Rizal is located at Calamba, Laguna, Philippines. It is a Stone House Type
and an Upper-class Filipino built during the Spanish Colonial Era and typically rectangular shape in
plan. The lower portion of the house or the 1st floor is mae up of Adobe stone and brick while the upper
portion or the 2nd floor consists of hardwood. The windows are made up of Capiz shells. The exterior
walls are painted in white and the roof is gable type roof and constructed of red ceramic tile.

The ground floor of the house served as a stable horses and carriages. The upper floor served as the
Family’s Living quarters and has living room, dining area, bathroom and library. A Caida or the
Francisco Mercado Library consisting of 1000 books. Their Library is the largest library in Calamba
that time. The Library is adjacent to their formal Dining Area serves as the Visitors Area. The Caida is
connected to Sala, which leads to the three bedrooms. The boys room is for Jose and Paciano, the girls
room are not enough for them to stay in a time because they are 9 girls. But the eldest are studying in
Manila, they stayed there for a while and the Master Bedroom are for their parents. The biggest among
rooms is the Master bedroom contains four-poster bed where Rizal was born. Beyond the Sala is the
Informal old well, one of the surviving features of the original house.