RIZAL’S LIFE  Siglo de Oro – Golden Age
 Gen. Rafael de Izquierdo – boast & ruthful who execute the
PROLOGUE – RIZAL AND HIS TIMES
The World of Rizal’s Time
 February 19, 1861, Czar Alexander II issued a proclamation
emancipating 22,500 serfs.
 President Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation on
Sept. 22, 1862.
 June 1, 1861 Benito Juarez, a full blooded Zapotec Indian was
elected President of Mexico.
 Emperor Napoleon III, sent French troops which invaded and
conquered Mexico.
 After the American Civil War, Juarez with US support defeated
Maximilian’s French forces in the Battle of Quereraro (May 15,
1861) and executed Emperor Maximilian on June 19, 1867.
 Two European nations (Italians and Germans).
 Italians under the leadership of Count Cavour and of Garibaldi and
his army of Red Shirts.
 Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel (Rome – capital city)
 Prussians led by Otto von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor.
 King Wilhelm of Prussia as first Kaiser of German Empire.
 Western Imperialism – Queen Victoria able to conquer many
countries throughout the world.
 First Opium War, she acquired the island of Hongkong (Fragrant
Harbor)
 Second Opium War, forced he helpless Manchu dynasty to cede
Kowloon Peninsula.
 Other Lands in Asia became British Colonies were Ceylon (Sri
Lanka), Maldives, Aden, Malaya, Singapore, Egypt, Australia,
Singapore, New Zealand.
 France with the help of Filipino troops conquered Vietnam,
Cambodia and Laos.
 Czarist Russia, unable to expand westward to Europe.
 Manchuria – sphere of influence
 5,800-mile Trans-Siberian Railway – the world’s longest railroad
 Commodore Matthew C. Perry – re-opened Japan to the word
 Emperor Meiji – modernized the country by accepting Western
influences
 Germany – became a sovereign state in January 1871.
 Ilties entered the harbor of Yap (an island of the Carolines
discovered by Francisco Lezcano who named it Carolina in honor of
King Charles II)
 Don Enrique Capriles – governor of the Carolines
 Two Concessions to Germny
1. The right to trade in the disputed archipelagoes and
2. The right to eslablish a coaling station in Yap for the German
navy.
 La Publicidad – newspaper owned by Don Miguel Morayta
 Spain – mistress of the world
 Siglo de Oro – Golden Age
 Rich Colonies in Latin America
- Paraguay - Guatemala
- Argentina - El Salvador
- Chile - Nicaragua
- Colombia - Venezuela
- Ecuador - Peru
- Costa Rica - Bolivia
- Honduras - Uruguay
 Remaining Colonies under Spain – Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines.
The Philippines of Rizal’s Time
1. Instability of Colonial Administration
 King Ferdinand VII – marked the beginning of political chaos in
Spain.
 Changes in Spanish government between Despotism to Liberalism
 Spain – adopted 4 constitutions, elected 28 parliaments and
installed less than 529 minsters
 Philippines – ruled by 50 governors general for 1 year and 3 months
 1835 – 1847 – 50 change in governor general term of 1yr and 3mos.
 At one time there were 4 governor generals.
 Spanish Jurist – took the LONGER ROUTE of Cape of Good Hope
for 6 months.
 Another Jurist – took the SHORTER ROUTE of Isthmus of Suez.
2. Corrupt Colonial Officials
 Officials – corrupt, incompetent, cruel or venal
 Governor-general, judges, provincial executives, etc. are highly
corrupt, incompetent and cruel.
innocent Father Gomez, Burgos and Zamora the Martyrs of 1872
 Gen.Fernando Primo de Rivera – accept bribes from casinos
 Admiral Malcampo – goord Moro Fighter
 Gen. Valeriano Weyler – poor that became a millionaire, who
received bribes and gifts of diamond for his wife from Chinese
- A “tyrant” – prosecute Calamba tenants & Rizal Fam
- “The Butcher” – Cubans cursed him bcoz of reconcentration policy
that kill thousands of Cubans
 Gen. Camilo de Polavieja – detested by Filipino people for
executing Dr. Rizal, a militarist but heartless
3. Philippine Representation In Spanish Cortes
 1810 – 1813 – 1st Period of Cortes Representation
 Ventura de los Reyes – first Philippine delegate of the Constitution
1812, Spain’s first democratic constitution and was one of its 184
signers
- Achieved the abolition of Galeon Trade.
 1820 – 1823 – 2nd period
 1834 – 1837 – 3rd period
 1837 – abolish overseas representation in Cortes
 Graciano Lopez Jaena – silver-tongued, imploresonorous Castilian
during 31st Anniversary of Discovery of America by Columbus in
Madrid
 Spanish Constitution of 1876 – Cuba & Puerto granted
representation
 Rizal, Del Pilar, Jaena – launched the propaganda movement which
paved away the Phil. Revolution of 1896.
4. Human Rights Denied to Filipinos
 People of Spain enjoyed Freedom of speech, freedom of the press,
freedom of association and other human rights except freedom of
religion.
5. No Equality Before the Law
 Spanish missionaries introduced Christianity into the Philippines.
 Brown Filipinos and White Spaniards may be equal before God, ut
not before the law.
 Leyes de indias (Law of the Indies) Promulgated by the Christian
monarchs of Spain to protect their rights and promote welfare of
natives in Spain’s overseas
 Spanish Penal Code - imposed heavier penalties on native Filipinos
and lighter penalties on white complexioned Spaniards. (Legal
inequality)
6. Maladministration of Justice
 Court of justice during Rizal’s time were notoriously corrupt
 Poor Filipinos have no access to the courts because they could not
afford the heavy expenses of litigation
 John Foreman – eyewitness of Spanish sovereignty in the
Philippines
 Juan Dela Cruz case does not have proper trial
 Dona Teodora – arrested and jailed on flimsy ground
 Rizal – deported to Dapitan in July 1892 without benefit of trail
7. Racial Discrimination
 Brotehrhood – all men under God, the father
 Indios – brown skin and flat-nosed
 Spaniards (mestizo) – enjoy political and social prestige
8. Frailocracy
 Frailocracy is a government by friars
 Augustinians, Dominicans and Franciscans controlled religious and
educational life in spain
 Friars ruled every town except Isamic Mindanao and Sulu
9. Forced labor
 Polo – compulsory labor imposed by Spanish
 Filipino males from 16 to 60 were obliged to render forced labor for
40 yrs.
 Feb 2, 1885 – became 16-18 and reduced the days of labor from
40-15 also male Spanish from 18-60 must render forced labor
 Falla – money paid to be exempted in polo
 Filipino hate forced labor because
1) White Spanish residents were not obliged to perform forced labor
2) According to law, were able to receive daily of 2 pesetas (50
centavos) but only received part of it or nothing
3) Annual Forced Labor cause inconvenience and suffering
10. Haciendas Owned by Friars
 Friars – richest land lord owned best haciendas (agricultural lands)
 Rural folks became tenants
 Royal titles of ownership – to be recognized as legal owner
 1745 – 1747 – bloody agrarian revolt
  1768 Governor Anda – realized the danger of friars owning
haciendas suggest sale of friar estates but ignored
 1887 – Rizal Family advocate agrarian reform but result to increase
rentals
 Rizal famous essay – Indolence of the Filipinos
11. Guardia Civil
 Guardia Civil (Constabulary) – created by the Royal Decree of Feb.
12, 1852 for the purpose of maintaining peace and order in the
Philippines
 They later become infamous for their rampant and abuses
CHAPTER 1 – ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO
 Dr. Jose Rizal – many-splendored genius, greatest hero of a nation
 Physician, poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect,
painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist,
geographer, cartographer, bibliophile, philologist, magician, inventor,
traveler & prophet
 A hero and a political martyr
1. The Birth of a Hero
 June 19, 1861, moonlit night of Wednesday in Lakeshore town of
Calamba, Laguna
 His mother almost died during delivery because he has big head
 Between 11 and midnight
 June 22, 1861 – 3 days old baptized in Catholic Church by Father
Rufino Collantes (Batangeño)
 Godfather - Father Pedro Casanas, native Calamba, close friend of
Rizal family
 JOSE - came from St. Joseph
 Lieutenant General Jose Lemery - governor general when Rizal was
born and a former senator of Spain
2. Rizal’s Parents
 FATHER – Don Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898)
- Born in Biñan, Laguna May 11, 1818
- Studied Latin and philosophy at College of San Jose in Manila
- Became a tenant-farmer of Dominican-owned hacienda.
- Died in Manila on January 5,1898 age 80
- Rizal called him “a model of fathers”
 MOTHER – Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda 1826-1911
- Born in Manila November 8, 1826
- Studied at College of Santa Rosa – well-known college for girls
- Woman of more than ordinary culture, knows literature and speak
Spanish more than Rizal
- Died in Manila on August 16, 1911 age 85
3. The Rizal Children (SPNOL-MJCJ-TS)
1) SATURNINA – Neneng
2) PACIANO - only brother 10 yrs gap, 2nd father to Rizal,
immortalized him in 1st novel Noli Me Tangere as Pilosopo Tasio
- June 23, 1888 described him in a letter as most noble filifinos &
though an Indio more generous and noble than all Spaniards
put together
- Oct 12, 1888 in letter to Blumentritt – he’s finer and more
serious than Rizal, bigger and more slim
3) NARCISA – Sisa
4) OLYMPIA – Ypia
5) LUCIA –
6) MARIA – Biang
7) JOSE – Pepe
8) CONCEPCION – Concha, died age of 3 sickness, Rizal first
sorrow
9) JOSEFA – Pangoy
10) TRINIDAD – Trining
11) SOLEDAD – Choleng
4. Rizal Ancestry
 Blood of east and west - (NIMCJS) Negrito Indonesian, malay,
Chinese, Japanese, Spanish
 Great great grandfather - DOMINGO LAMCO – merchant
- Chinese immigrant from Fukien city of Changchow 1960 in Manila
- Married to Chinese Christian of Manila Ines de la Rosa
- Assume Mercado surname in 1731
- Mercado means Market
 FRANCISCO MERCADO – resided in Biñan, married Cirila
Bernacha, and was elected Gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of
the town
 JUAN MERCADO – Rizal grandfather, married Cirila Alejandro, also
elected as gobernadorcillo of Biñan.
- Capitan Juan & Capitana Cirila has 13 children, youngest is
Francisco Mercado
 FRANCISCO MERCADO – at 8yrs old lost his father, studied Latin
& philosophy in College of San Jose in Manila, fell in love with
Teodora Alonso Realonda. Married on June 28, 1848 and settled
down in Calamba and engaged in farming & business
 Doña Teodora’s family – from Lakan Dula – last native King of
Tondo
 Great Grandfather was Eugenio Ursua of Japanese Ancestry,
married Filipina Benigna
- Daughter – Ragina married Manuel de Quintos(Fil-Chinese
lawyer from Pangasinan)
- Daughter was Brigida married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso (Prominent
Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Biñan)
- Children – Narcisa, Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel & Jose
5. The Surname Rizal
 Real surname of Rizal family was MERCADO, adopted from
the paternal great-great-grandfather of Jose Rizal (Domingo
Lamco)
 Rizal's family acquired a second surname RIZAL (which was
given by a spanish alcade mayor (provincial governor) of
Laguna
 Ambassador Leon Ma. Guerrero - "Whoever that spanish
alcade mayor was"
6. The Rizal Home
 Dr. Rafael Palma described the house of the Rizal family :
Two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones
and handwoods, and roofed with red tiles
 Behind the house were the poultry yard full of turkeys and
chickens and a big garden of tropical fruit trees such as atis,
balimbing, chico, macopa, papaya, santol, and tampoy
7. A Good and Middle-Class Family
 Rizal family belonged to the "principalia" (a town aristocracy in
Spanish Philippines
 Doña Teodora- managed a general goods store and operated
a small flour mill and home made ham press
 They owned a carriage, which was a status symbol of the
illustrados in Spanish Philippines and a private library consist
of more than 1000 volumes.
8. Home Life of Rizal
 Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life
 Don Francisco and Doña Teodora loved their children but they
never spoiled them. They were strict parents and they trained
their children to love God, to behave well, to be obedient and to
respect people especially the old folks.
 They believed in the maxim (Spare the rod and spoil the child)
 Always attended mass particularly during Sundays and
Christian holidays. They prayed together daily at home--the
Angelus at 6pm and rosary before retiring to bed at night
 Azotea - in the graden by themselves.
CHAPTER 2 – CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
1. Calamba, The Hero’s Town
Calamba – hacienda town belonged to the Dominican Order,

owns all land around it
 Picturesque town nestling on a verdant plain covered with
irrigated ricefields and sugar-lands
 South looms Mt. Makiling, beyond this is Batangas
 East is Laguna de Bay – inland lake
 In middle of lake tower – Island of Talim
 North was distant Antipolo, Mountain shrine of Lady of Peace
and Good Voyage
 When he was 15 years old he wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi
Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)
2. Earliest Childhood Memories
 1st memory was his happy days in family garden when 3 years
old
 He was frail, sickly, undersized child
 Father built nipa cottage in garden for him to play in day time
 An aya (nurse maid)was employed to look after him
 From the cottage he watched culiauan, maya, maria capra,
martin, pipit and other birds and listened with wonder and joy to
their twilight songs
 Daily Angelus Prayer memory – by nightfall mother and all
children pray Angelus
 Happy moonlit night at azotea (balcony) after nightly Rosary
  Aya told stories about fairies, tales of buried treasure, trees
blooming with diamonds, faboulous story that aroused his
interest in legends & folklore
 When he doesn’t want to eat, aya threatened that asuang,
nuno, tikbalang, and Bombay would come and take him away
 Nocturnal walk in town – aya took him for a walk in moonlight
by the river
3. The Hero’s First Sorrow
 He is bound by love and companionship
 He loved Concha (Concepcion) a year younger who played
with him and he learned sweetness of sisterly love
 Concha died in sickness in 1865 3 yrs old, 1st time Rizal shed
tears caused by love and grief
4. Devoted Son of the Church
 A scion of a Catholic clan
 3yrs old begin to take part at family prayer, taught by his
mother
 5yrs old able to read haltingly Spanish family Bible
 Loved to go to church, take part in novenas and processions
 Called Manong Jose by Hermanos & Hermanas Terceras
 Father Leoncio Lopez – town priest he respected and listen to
his opinion on current events & philosophy in life
5. Pilgrimage to Antipolo
 June 06, 1868 – Jose and his Father go to pilgrimage to
Antipolo to fulfill his mother’s vow when he was born
 Doña Teodora gave birth to Teodora so she could not
accompany them
 Rizal’s first trip across Laguna de Bay and first Pilgrimage to
Antipolo
 Rizal and Father road Casco (barge), he did not sleep the
whole night while they sailed towards Pasig River
 After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, they went to
Manila to visit Saturnina who was a boarding student at La
Cordia College in Santa Ana
6. The Story of the Moth
 The tragic fate of the young moth which ‘died a martyr to its
illusions’ left a deep impress on Rizal’s mind
 He justified a noble death to sacrifice one’s life for it
 Like the young moth he was fated to die as a martyr for a noble
ideal
7. Artistic Talents
 5 yrs old began to make sketches with pencil and mold clay &
wax objects
 Rizal painted in oil colors a new religious banner upon the
request of the town mayor when the banner was spoiled, it was
better than the original
 He loved to ride on a spirited pony which his father bought, and
take long walks in meadows & lakeshore with his black dog,
Usman
 6 yrs old his sisters laughed at him for spending so much time
in making clay & wax images and told them that when he die
people will make monuments for him
8. First Poem by Rizal
 Possessed by God given gift for literature
 He scribbled verses on loose sheets of paper, her mother
encouraged him to write poetry
 8yrs old he wrote his first poem in native language “Sa Aking
Mga Kababata” (To My Fellow Children) – reveals Rizal’s
earliest nationalist sentiment
9. First Drama by Rizal
 Wrote 1st dramatic work a Tagalog Comedy, it was staged in
Calamba festival
 Gobernadorcillo of Paete bought the manuscript for 2 pesos to
staged it in Paete town fiesta
10. Rizal as a Boy Magician
 Interested in magic, with his dexterous hands learn various
tricks such making coin appear or disappear in his fingers,
making handkerchief vanish to tin air
 Entertain folks with magic-lantern exhibitions – ordinary lamp
casting shadow on white screen, twisted his fingers into shapes
enlarged by shadows resemble animals and person
 Gain skill in manipulating marionettes (puppet shows)
 He read books on magic and attended performances of famous
magician of the world
 In Chapter 17 and 18 of El Filibusterismo he revealed his wide
knowledge about magic
11. Lakeshore Reveries
 During twilight hour of summer he and his dog meditate at the
shore of Laguna de Bay
 He grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his beloved
fatherland
 Spanish misdeeds awakened his determination to fight tyranny
 When he became a man, he wrote to Mariano Ponce promising
to dedicate his life to avenge many victims of Spanish
12. Influences on the Hero’s Boyhood
 He rose to fame and greatness because he had all the
favorable influences
 Influences :
1) Hereditary Influence
- He inherent qualities from his ancestors and parents
- Malayan Ancestor from Love for freedom, innate desire to
travel, indomitable courage
- Chinese Ancestor for Serious nature, frugality, patience and
love for children
- Spanish Ancestor for Elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult,
gallantry to ladies
- From his Father for Profound sense of self-respect, love for
work, habit of independent thinking
- From his Mother for Religious nature, spirit of self-sacrifice,
passion for arts and literature
2) Environmental Influence
- Scenic beauty of Calamba, beautiful garden of Rizal family –
artistic and literary talents
- Religious atmosphere in his home – religious nature
- Paciano – love for freedom and justice
- Sisters – courteous and kind to women
- Fairytales by aya – interest in legends and folklore
- Tio Jose Alberto (studied 11yrs at British school in Calcutta
India traveled in Europe) – inspired him to develop his artistic
ability
- Tio Manuel (husky athletic man) – encourage to develop his
frail body by physical exercises, horse riding, walking, wrestling
- Tio Gregorio (book lover) – intensifies his various reading of
good books
- Father Leoncio Lopez – love for scholarship and intellectual
honesty
- Sorrow of his family (Concha’s death and Teodora’s
imprisonment in 1871-1874 – strengthen his character,
enabling him to resist blows of adversity
- Spanish abuses & cruelties he witnessed such as brutal acts of
lieutenant of Guardia Civil and Alcalde, unjust tortures on
innocent Filipinos, execution of GOMBURZA in 1872 –
awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him to
consecrate his life and talent to redeem his oppressed people
3) Aid of Divine Providence
- He was destined to be the pride and glory of his nation
- God endowed him with versatile gifts of a genius, vaibrant spirit
of a nationalist, valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble cause