MODULE 1: THE ADVENT OF NATIONAL HERO

Republic Act 1425 or Rizal Law

- The law requires all schools, colleges, universities, private or public to include in their curricula courses on
the life and works of Rizal. It also states that all schools are required to have an adequate number of copies
of the original and unexpurgated editions of El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere, as well as other works
and biographies of Rizal.

- House Bill No. 5561

- Senate Bill No. 438.
- It is commonly known as the Rizal Act, it was enacted and signed on 12th of June 1956 by Senator Claro M.
Recto (the author or main proponent of the Law)
- It was made effective on August 16, 1956.

3 Main Goals of Rizal’s Law

1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and
died.
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character.
3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works and writings.

Contents of Rizal’s Law

Section 1: This section mandates the students to read the two greatest novels of Rizal. These two shall be included
in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, public or private.

Section 2: This section mandates the schools to have “an adequate number” of copies in their libraries.

Section 3: This section orders the Board of National Education to publish the works in English, Tagalog, and other
major Philippine languages.

Section 4: It prohibits the discussion of religious doctrines by persons engaged in any public school.

Section 5: a sum of 300thousand pesos is appropriated to carry out the purposes of the law.

Section 6: It shall take effect upon its approval.

➢ Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example of a many-splendored genius who became the greatest hero of a nation.
He was a physician (ophthalmic surgeon), poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect, painter,
sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor, engineer, farmer businessman,
economist, geographer, cartographer, bibliophile, philologist, grammarian, folklorist, philosopher,
translator, inventor, magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist, sportsman, traveler, and prophet.

➢ Above and beyond all these, he was a hero and political martyr who consecrated his life for the redemption
of his oppressed people. No wonder, he is now acclaimed as the national hero of the Philippines.

The Birth and meanings of a Hero

➢ The Birth of a Hero. Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit night of Wednesday, June 19, 1861 in Calamba,
Laguna Province, Philippines. His mother almost died during the delivery because of his big head. He was
baptized in the Catholic church of his town on June 22, aged three days old, by the parish priest, Father
Rufino Collantes, who was a Batanguenyo . His godfather (ninong) was Father Pedro Casanas , native of
Calamba and close friend of the Rizal Family.
➢ The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (the
paternal great-great grandfather of Jose Rizal), who was a full-blooded Chinese)
➢ Rizal’s family acquired a second surname—RIZAL—which was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial
governor) of Laguna, who was a family friend
 ➢ It should be noted that at the time Rizal was born, the governor General of the Philippines was Lieutenant-
General Jose Lemery, former senator of Spain. He governed the Philippines from February 2, 1861 to July
7, 1862. Among his achievements as governor general were (1) fostering the cultivation of cotton in the
provinces and (2) establishing the politico-military governments in the Visayas and in Mindanao.
Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the
Universidad Central de Madrid
Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph)
Protacio- from Gervacio P. which come from a Christian calendar
Rizal- from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field where wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again
Mercado- adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the paternal great-great- grandfather of Jose Rizal) which the Spanish
term mercado means ‘market’ in English
Y- and
Alonzo- old surname of his mother
Realonda- it was used by Doña Teodora from the surname of her godmother based on the culture by that time
➢ Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda.

➢ Don Francisco Mercado the hero’s father was born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818 -studied Latin and
Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila -became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda
he was a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in body
and valiant in spirit -died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80 -Rizal affectionately called him “a
model of fathers”

➢ Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda the hero’s mother was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 -educated at
the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls in the city -a remarkable woman, possessing refined
culture, literary talent, business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan women -is a woman of more than
ordinary culture: she knows literature and speaks Spanish (according to Rizal) -died in Manila on August
16, 1911 at the age of 85
Information about his parents - Rizal always called her sisters Doña or Señora (married) and Señorita (single). -
Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda married on June 28, 1848, after which they settled down in
Calamba

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

Family Tree of Dr. Jose Mercado Rizal

Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) Teodora Alonso (1826-1911)

1. Saturnina (1850-1913) – oldest of the Rizal’s children, nickname NENENG: She married Manuel T. Hidalgo
of Tanawan Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930) - he immortalized him in first novel Noli Me Tangere as wise Pilosopo Tasio. Join the
Philippine revolution and became a combat General. Died on April 13, 1930 an old bachelor aged 79. Had 2
children by his mistress Severina Decena – a boy and a girl.
3. Narcisa (1852-1939) – pet name was SISA. She married Antonio Lopez (nephew of Father Leonco Lopez), a
school teacher of Morong.
4. Olympia (1855-1887) – YPIA was her pet name. married SILVESTRE UBALDO, a telegraph operator from
manila.
5. Lucia (1857-1919) – married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of father Casanas. Herbosa
died of cholera in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother in law of Dr. Rizal.
6. Maria (1859-1945) – BIANG was her nickname. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna.
7. Jose (1861-1896) – nickname PEPE. Lived with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from hongkong, he had a son by
her, but this baby boy died few hours after birth. Rizal name him FRANCISCO after his father and buried him
in dapitan.
 8. Conception (1862-1865) – pet name was CONCHA. Died of sickness at the age of 3. Her death was Rizal’s
first sorrow in life.
9. Josefa (1865- 1945) – pet name PANGGOY. She died an old made at the age of 80.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951) – TRINING was pet name. died also an old made in 1951 aged 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929) – youngest of Rizal children. Pet name CHOLENG. Married Pantaleon Quintero of
Calamba

Rizal’s Ancestry

➢ FATHER’S SIDE Domingo Lamco (a Chinese immigrant from the Fukien City arrived in Manila about 1690. He
adopt the name ‘Mercado’ meaning market) married to Ines de la Rosa (Well-to-do Chinese the Fukien city
arrived in Christian girl of Changchow Manila about 1690), Francisco Mercado (Domingo Lamco’s son), Juan
Mercado (Rizal’s grandfather) Francisco’s son and married to Cirila Alejandro Had thirteen children, the
youngest being Francisco Mercado (Rizal’s father)

FATHER SIDE ANCESTRY

Ines De La Rosa Domingo Lamco

Well to do Chinese Chinese immigrant from
Christian girl of Changchow Fukien City arrived in
Manila about 1690. GREAT-
GREAT GRANDFATHER

JUAN MERCDO FRANCISO MERCADO

CIRILA ALEJANDRO CIRILA BERNACHA

FRANCISCO MERCADO

(the youngest and hero’s father)

MOTHER SIDE ANCESTRY

LAKANDULA

The last native king of Tondo

EUGENIA URSUA LORENZO ALBERTO ALONSO

(Rizal’s maternal great great MANUEL DE QUINTOS A prominent Spanish Filipino

grandfather of Japanese ancestry) mestizo of Binian
TEODORA
ALONSO

(Hero’s Mother)
BENIGMA REGINA BRIGIDA
Two shows the ancestry of Jose Rizal’s Mother Teodora Alonso

➢ MOTHER’S SIDE Lakandula (Descendant. The last native king of Tondo), Eugenio Ursua (Rizal’s maternal
Great-great Grandfather of Japanese Ancestry) and was married to Benigna, Regina, daughter of Eugenio
and was married to Manuel de Quintos (a Filipino from Pangasinan), Brigida, daughter of Regina, married
to Lorenzo Alberto Alonso (a prominent Spanish Filipino mestizo of Biñan), Brigida was a mother of Narcisa,
Gregorio, Jose, Manuel, and Teodora (Rizal’s mother).

The Rizal Home

➢ The house of the Rizal family was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the Spanish
times . It was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed
with red tiles. The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines.

➢ Behind the house were the poultry and yard full of turkeys and chickens and a big garden of tropical fruit
trees. It was a happy home where parental affection and children’s laughter reigned. 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 the
dulcet notes of family prayers

Summary

-Republic Act 1925 - Include the curricula of all public and private schools, colleges, and universities courses on life,
works and writings of Jose Rizal particularly his novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, authorizing the
printing and distribution thereof and for purposes.
-It was enacted and signed on 12th of June 1956 by senator Claro M. Recto (author or main proponent of law)
-Purpose of Batas Rizal is to rekindle the flame of nationalism in the hearts of the Filipino particularly the youth. We
are forgetting what our patriots have done and given to fight for our freedom.

MODULE 2: CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

➢ Jose Rizal grew up in a happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by God’s
blessings. His natal town of Calamba, so named after a big native jar.
➢ Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town. He grew up in a happy home, ruled
by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by God’s blessings. His natal town of Calamba, so named
after a big native jar.
➢ His native town is Calamba, Laguna. Its scenic beauties and industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks
impressed him during his childhood years and profoundly affected his mind and character.
➢ Its scenic beauties and its industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks impressed him during his childhood
years and profoundly affected his mind and character.
➢ The happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lakeshore town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like
tragic manhood.
➢ Calamba town which name derived from the words “kalan” (clay stove and “banga” ( big native jar).
➢ The Great National Hero's natal town which name is derived from the words "kalan" (clay stove) and
"banga" (big native jar). Calamba during the Spanish Colonial Period was an hacienda town which belonged
to the Dominican Order.

2.1 CALAMBA, THE HERO’S TOWN

➢ Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which also owned all the lands
around it. (Mt. Makiling, Laguna Bay, Hacienda Town)
➢ It is a picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with irrigated rice fields and sugar lands.
➢ A few kilometers to the south looms the legendary Mt. Makiling and beyond this mountain is the province
of Batangas.
 ➢ East of the town is the Laguna de Bay, an inland lake of songs and emerald waters beneath the canopy of
azure skies.
➢ “Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo” (In Memory of My Town)
➢ Rizal loved Calamba with all his heart and soul. In 1876, a poem wrote by him when he was 15 years old
and was a student in Ateneo de Manila. In this poem he remembered his loving town that he loved with all
his heart and soul.
➢ Accordingly, he wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town), as written.

2.2 EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND THE FIRST SORROW

➢ The happy days in the garden when he was 3 years old and his father built a small nipa cottage.
➢ The daily Angelus prayer of the family by nightfall.
➢ The nocturnal walk in the town with his “aya” (nurse maid) to look after him.
➢ The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was three years
old. Because he was a sick child, he was given the tenderest care by his parents. His father built a little nipa
cottage in the garden for him to play in the day time.
➢ Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall, his mother gathered all the children
at the house to pray the Angelus.
➢ Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town. The maid took him for a walk in the
moonlight by the river.
➢ ...for the first time I shed tears caused by love and grief… -Jose Rizal
➢ Rizal’s first sorrow is when his younger sister Concha (Concepcion) died of sickness on 1885, Jose who was
a year older cried bitterly at losing her.
➢ He was very fond of the late Concha whom he played with and learned the sweetness of sisterly love.
➢ Rizal children were bound together by ties of love and companionship. They were well-bred, for their
parents taught them to love and help one another.
➢ Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (Concepcion). He was a year older than Concha. He played
with her and from her he learned the sweetness of a sisterly love.
➢ Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was three years old. Jose, who was very fond of
her, cried bitterly at losing her. “When I was four years old, I lost my little sister Concha, and then for the
first time I shed tears caused by love and grief…” The death of little Concha brough him his first sorrow.

2.3 DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH

➢ Rizal grew up a Catholic man.

➢ At the age of three, he began to take part in the family prayers.
➢ When he was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible.
➢ Devoted son of the Church. A scion of a Catholic clan, born and bored in a wholesome atmosphere of
Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn pious spirit, Rizal grew up a good Catholic.

➢ He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part in novenas, and to join the religious processions. He was so
seriously devout that he was laughingly called Manong Jose by the Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras. The
scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest that he used to visit and listen to his stimulating opinions
on current events and sound philosophy of life.

2.4 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO

➢ June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage of Antipolo.
➢ On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his
mother’s vow which was made when Jose was born.
 ➢ It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay. After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose
and his father went to Manila. They visited Saturnina, who was then a boarding student at La Concordia
College in Santa Ana.

2.5 THE STORY OF THE MOTH

➢ The Story of the Moth. Of all the stories told by Donya Teodora to her favorite son, Jose, that of the young
moth made the profoundest impression on him.
➢ “The Story of the Moth” about the mother moth warning its offspring of the danger of fluttering to close to
flame. The little moth did not heed the advice, thus it was burned by the flame. Gave him the moral lesson
that if one must succeed, he must take risks and prepare for the worst consequences. Without courage,
there will be no glory.
➢ The tragic fate of the young moth, justified such noble death, assorting that “ to sacrifice one’s life for it”,
meaning for an idea, is “worthwhile”. The moth fated to die as a martyr for noble ideal.

2.6 ARTISTIC TALENTS

• At the age of five, he began to make sketches with his pencil and to mold in clay and wax objects.
• Rizal was a genuine artist who found the great joy looking wonders of nature.
• Since early childhood, Rizal revealed his God-given talents for art. At the age of five, he began to make
sketches with his pencil and to mold in clay and wax objects.
• When Jose was a mere boy in Calamba, he painted in oil colors a new religion banner in exchange to the
one that was spoiled during the town fiesta. Rizal was a genuine artist who found the great joy looking
wonders of nature.
• He love to ride on a pony his father bought for him and take a long walks in the meadows and lakeshore
with his black dog called Usman.
• One interesting anecdote about Rizal was the incident about his clay and wax images. His sister laughed at
him for spending so much time making those images rather than participating in their games. But as they
were departing, he told them: “All right, laugh at me now! Someday when I die, people will make
monuments and images for me.”

2.7 FIRST POEM AND FIRST DRAMA BY RIZAL

➢ The poem reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment.

➢ Rizal possessed a God-given gift for literature. Since early boyhood he had scribbled verses on loose sheets
of paper and on the textbooks of his sisters. His mother who was a lover of literature, noticed his poetic
inclination and encouraged him to write poetry. At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native
language entitled Sa Aking mga Kababata (To My Fellow Children).
➢ TO MY FELLOW CHILDREN
➢ Whenever people of a country truly love The language which by heav’n they were taught to use That
country also surely liberty pursue 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 sway; To make our human race resembles
in this way The other living beings born in liberty.

2.7 FIRST POEM AND FIRST DRAMA BY RIZAL

➢ After writing the poem, Rizal, who was eight years old, wrote his first dramatic work which was in Tagalog
comedy. It is said that it was staged in a Calamba festival and was delightfully applauded by the audience.
➢ The gobernadorcillo from Paete, Laguna who witnessed the comedy liked it so much.
2.8 RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN

➢ Rizal as Boy Magician. Since early manhood Rizal had been interested in magic. He learned various tricks
such as making a coin appear or disappear in his fingers and making a handkerchief vanish in thin air. He
entertained his town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions.
➢ He also gained skill in manipulating marionettes (puppet show). In later years when he attained manhood,
he continued his keen predilection for magic. He read many books on magic and attended the performances
of the famous magicians of the world.

2.9 LAKESHORE REVERIES

➢ During twilight hours of the summertime, Rizal accompanied by his dog, used to meditate at the shore of
Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people.
➢ Young though he was, he grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his beloved fatherland. The Spanish
misdeeds awakened in his boyish heart a great determination to fight tyranny.

2.10 INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD

1. Hereditary Influence
2. Environmental Influence
3. Aid of Divine Providence

2.10 NFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD

1. Hereditary Influence - According to biological science, there are inherent qualities which a person inherits
from his ancestors and parents.

Malayan ancestors – his love of freedom, innate desire travel, and his indomitable courage.
Chinese ancestors – he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children.
➢ From his Malayan ancestors, Rizal inherited his love for freedom, his innate desire to travel, and his
indomitable courage.
➢ From his Chinese ancestors, he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children.

Spanish ancestors – his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and gallantry to ladies.

➢ Father – profound sense of self-respect, love for work, and the habit of independent thinking.
➢ Mother – his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.

2. Environmental Influence - According to psychologists, environment affects the nature of a person. These
influences includes: places, associates, and events.

• Artistic and literary talents – the scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family
stimulated the inborn talents of Jose Rizal.
• Religious nature – the religious atmosphere at his home fortified this nature.
• Love for Freedom and Justice – Paciano, his brother
• Courtesy and kindness to women – his sisters
• Interest in folklore and legends – the fairy tales told by his aya during his childhood years.
Influential people in his life:
• Tio Jose Alberto – inspired him to develop his artistic ability
• Tio Manuel – encouraged him to develop his frail body by means of physical exercise.
• Tio Gregorio – intensified his voracious reading of good books.
• Father Leoncio Lopez – fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
 • The sorrows at the death of Concha
• His mother’s imprisonment
• Spanish abuses and cruelties awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him to redeem oppressed
people.
• His three uncles, inspired him to develop his artistic ability, to develop his frail body and intensified his
voracious reading of good books.

3. Aid of Devine Providence - The ability to attain greatness in the annals of the nation.

Rizal was providentially destined to be the pride and the glory of his nation. God has endowed him with the versatile
gifts of a genius, the vibrant spirit of a nationalist, and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble cause.

As for the summary:

• Jose Rizal grew up in a happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by God’s
blessings.
• His native town is Calamba, Laguna and place derived from the words "kalan" (clay stove) and "banga" (big
native jar).
• He wrote a poem when he was 15 years old entitled Un Recuerdo A mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
• The death of little Concha brough him his first sorrow.
• He is a devoted son of the church. Rizal and his father went to Antipolo to join the pilgrimage. Among all
the stories of his mother the “Moth” is his favorite.
• Rizal loves to paint, he also write his first poem entitled “Sa Aking mga Kababata”. The poem reveals Rizal’s
earliest nationalist sentiment.
• He first time to do a theatrical play and a puppet show.
• He used to meditate at the shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people.
• Rizal, had all the favorable influences, few other children in his time enjoyed. These influences were the
following: Hereditary influence, Environmental influence, and Aid of Divine providence.