§ Calamba is an enchanted town as described by Palma

(1949) in his book “The Pride of the Malay Race”, which is a

valley situated in between Laguna de Bay and Mt. Makiling.
§ Calamba was an agricultural town owned by the Dominican
friars as a friar estate and the family of Rizal was a tenant of
these lands and the primary production is sugar.
§ Calamba was blessed by a fertile land however, due to the
control of the Dominicans, tenants suffer due to abuse of
power by the Guardia Civil and the friars in their
oppression and exploitation.
§ Jose was born June 19, 1861 where his mother (Donya
Teodora Alonso) almost died because he has a big head.
Rizal was baptized by Father Rufino Collantes at Calamba
Catholic Church, with Father Pedro Casañas, as his
godfather. They named him José Protasio Rizal Mercado y
Alonso Realonda.
§ Rizal was the seventh (7th) son our of the eleven (11)
children of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora. Their
children, as according to birth order, were:
Saturnina (1850) Jose (1861)
Paciano (1851) Concepcion (1862)
Narcisa (1852) Josefa (1865)
Olimpia (1855) Trinidad (1868)
Lucia (1857) Soledad (1870)
Maria (1859)
§ Rizal came from a mixture of races. His great grandfather from his
father side was a Chinese merchant named Domingo Lamco. He
married a wealthy Chinese mestiza, Ines dela Rosa.
§ In 1849, Domingo Lamco assumed the name Mercado in following
the order with the gubernatorial decree of Narciso Claveria on the
use of Spanish surnames in the Philippines.
§ From Parian in Manila, the couple moved to Biñan, ending up as
tenants in the Dominican hacienda. Rizal’s grandfather from his
father side was Juan Mercado who married a Chinese-Filipino
mestiza, Cirila Alejandrino.
§ At one point, Juan Mercado became a gobernadorcillo of Biñan,
Laguna. Juan and Cirila had 14 children, one of whom was Rizal’s
father, Don Francisco.
§ The family of Rizal was part of the
Principalia (ruling/elite class) yet they
live like they are part of the middle
class;
§ Their house is made of adobe and
hardwood;
§ They own a carriage and horses;
§ They have a lot of books in their
house;
§ They have personal servants taking
care of the needs of the children;
§ They have their own private tutors.
§ The family’s business is sugar and rice
which helped the family to send the
children to school in Manila.
§ He was an educated man;
§ He took courses in Latin and Philosophy at
the Colegio de San Jose in Manila;
§ Rizal described him as a model father;
§ He later became a tenant at the Dominican
hacienda in Calamba;
§ Because of Don Francisco, Rizal inherited
the characteristics of profound feeling of
dignity, self-respect, serenity and poise,
and seriousness.
§ Also an educated woman;
§ Shecompleted her education at the Colegio de Santa
Rosa, a prestigious college for girls in Manila then;
§ She was described by Rizal as disciplinarian, a
woman of more than average education, a woman of
culture and religion, a sacrificing and industrious
housewife;
§ She was the first teacher of Rizal where he learned
the values of warmth and virtue.
§ Rizal inherited the characters of practical
temperament, stoicism, self-sacrifice, temperament of
a dreamer and fondness for poetry.
§ Rizal grew up in a pious Catholic owing to the training
provided him by his mother;
§ At three years old, he learned to pray and read the Bible
which was strengthened by the frequent visit of Father
Leoncio Lopez. He also learned the value of scholarship
and intellectual honesty from the priest. He has also
memorized the alphabet and is fond of reading books
together with his mother.
§ At four years of age, Rizal experienced his first sorrow
when his younger sister, Concepcion, whom he fondly
called Concha, died. This is where he learned the
importance of sisterly love.
§ As a young boy, he spent many hours down the shore of
Laguna de Bay, thinking and dreaming of what is beyond
the waves. There he witness different acts of violence
against the Calambeños by the Guardia Civil and the
Gobernadorcillo which questions him if these incidents are
also happening in the lands across the Laguna de Bay.
§ Sketching
§ Painting
§ Sculpture
§ Literature
§ First poem was written when he was 8 years old
 RIZAL IN
VILLAGE SCHOOL
§ Rizal first formal school was in Biñan, Laguna and
not in Calamba where they reside and he was
born.
§ Paciano introduced Rizal to his former school
(village school) and his former mentor Maestro
Justiniano Cruz who teachers Spanish and Latin.
§ Rizal’s first bully is named Pedro, the son of
Maestro Justiniano, who would always make fun of
him because of his little knowledge on Spanish
and Latin language, as well as due to the stature of
Rizal of a small body with a big head.
§ During lunch-break, Rizal challenged Pedro in a
fight, and to the surprise of everyone, he beat
Pedro…in an arm wrestling and that’s where many
of his classmates challenged him for a match.
§ Rizal eventually became the best in the class before
he left the village school where he attended for one
(1) and half (1/2) years of stay.
§ Rizal did not enjoy his schooling at the village
school and even did not like his teacher because he
uses corporal punishment to make his pupils to
learn the lesson everyday.
His Life in Biñan
§ He had to wake up at 4am to attend the mass then he had to
study his lessons after the mass.
§ Then he had to prepare himself and eat breakfast for him to
attend his class until 10am. He had to take his lunch and
return to school for his 2pm to 5pm class.
§ At 6pm, he had to pray with his cousins and then study for a
while.
§ Aside from his formal school, he also took painting and
drawing lessons from the father-in-law of Maestro Cruz
named Juancho “Old Juancho” Carrera by which he
became the apprentice of the old painter.
End of Schooling at the Village School
§ He returned to Calamba after receiving a letter from
his sister Saturnina.
§ He returned to his hometown on December 17, 1870.
§ After one and a half years of schooling in Biñan, he will
be his parents again. He was excited because he was
going home by himself on board the steamship named
Talim.
§ He was happy when he saw his personal servant
waiting for him with the carriage. He felt very happy
since he will be living in his own home, with his own
family.
 RIZAL IN
ATENEO
MUNICIPAL
§ Rizal’s family decided to enrolled Jose for
secondary education with the title Bachiller en Artes
when he was only 11 years old.
§ His father decided not to send him at Colegio de
San Jose because of the unhappy experience of
Paciano and the mere mention of the school made
Don Francisco remember the unjust execution of
Father Burgos, Paciano’s mentor and one of the
GomBurZa.
§ Don Francisco wanted to send Rizal to Letran but
later decided to enroll him at Ateneo Municipal
(Ateneo de Manila), formerly known as Escuela Pia.
Enrollment at Ateneo
§ Rizal took his entrance exam at Colegio de San Juan de Letran
which consist of reading, arithmetic, and Catholic doctrines.
§ But after passing the qualifying exam, Rizal sought admission at
Ateneo Municipal.
§ He was almost refused entry into the institution for 2 reasons:
§ A. he is a late registrant
§ He was very frail and undersized for his age
§ Another factor he got admitted is due to the intervention of
Manuel Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos
§ Jose did not use the surname Mercado but he registered as
Rizal because of his original surname had rung a bell to the
ears of the authorities then due to Paciano’s association with
one of the leaders of the secularization movement, Father
Burgos.
Atenean Education
§ Rizal took the academic title Bachiller en Artes where the program is divided into 5 areas
such as:
a. Christian Doctrine
b. Languages – Spanish, Latin, Greek and French
c. History and Geography – World History and Geography and History of the Philippines
d. Mathematics and Sciences – arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, mineralogy, chemistry,
physics, botany, and zoology
e. Classic Disciplines – poetry, rhetoric, and philosophy.
§ Ateneo divided its students to create a spirit of competition namely:

a) Roman Empire - those boarding students at Ateneo

b) Carthaginian Empire - those non-boarding students
RANKINGS:
1. Emperor
2. Tribune
3. Decurion
4. Centurion
5. Standard Bearer
§ Rizal lagged behind his classmates at the beginning but emerged as the Emperor
in his class making him the brightest in the class.
§ Ratio Studiorum – is the Ateneo’s method of instruction where a system of
indoctrination under tight and constant discipline, with every incentive of
compensation and reward.
§ Ad majorem Dei gloriam (For the greater glory of God) – is Ateneo’s aim where the
ultimate task of the Jesuit teachers was to make lifelong Catholics. Their secondary
course is centered on the philosophy of man as a creature of God.
§ Rizal graduated in Ateneo on March 14, 1877 with the degree of Bachiller en Artes
with the highest honors.
§ Rizal joined multiple extra-curricular activities and academic societies in which he
honed his talent in Literature
§ During his free time, Rizal honed his painting talent under the supervision of
Agustin Saez and his sculpture talent under Romualdo de Jesus.
§ His Tio Manuel trained him for his physical fitness which includes gymnastics and
fencing to develop his frail and weak body.
§ Rizal wrote 5 poems during his years in Ateneo with meanings namely:
1. Mi Primera Inspiration (My First Inspiration) - a dedication of Rizal to his
mother for her natal day.
2. Un Recuerdo de Mi Pueblo (in Memory of My Town) - paying homage to his
birthplace, Calamba, giving emphasis to its beauty and tranquility of his
hometown to which gave him the inspiration to love nature and to have trust and
confidence to the Almighty God.
3. Al Ñino Jesus (To the Child Jesus) - an expression of his devotion to Catholicism,
which his mother implanted in his heart and was strengthened by his schooling at
Ateneo.
4. La Alianza Intima Enter Religion y La Buena (The Intimate Alliance Between
Religion and Good Education) - Rizal stressed the importance of religion to
education. For Rizal, education not centered on God cannot be considered true
education.
5. Por La Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education The Country
Receives Light) - He believed that through education the country could have a
pool of educated youth who can steer it to progress. Moreover, though education
the youth of the country can be directed towards the path of virtue and rectitude.
 He finished
his education
in Ateneo on
March 23,
1877 with the
grades:
§ Rizalwas unsure on what to take to further his studies and he had three
(3) choices, Literature, Medicine and Law
§ His former Jesuit mentor advised him to take either Priesthood or
farming
§ His brother Paciano discouraged Rizal in taking Law for the reason that
he will not be able to practice the profession later due to the political
conditions in the country during those times.
§ Rizal took the course Philosophy and Letters at Universidad de Santo
Tomas when he was 16 years old
§ He took the course Philosophy and Letters for the reasons of:
a. His father wanted him to pursue the course
b. His decision to enroll is a failure to solicit the advice of Father Ramon
Pablo, the rector of Ateneo which was in Mindanao at that time.
§ He also took up the courses in Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy and
History of Philosophy.
§ Rizal shifted to the course of Medicine after his freshman year. The
reasons are:
a. He was advised by Father Ramon Pablo to pursue the course
b. b. To cure the failing eyesight of his mother and other physical ailment.
§ His grades on his first course was excellent but after he shifted, he performed
poorly.
§ Rizal was unhappy during his student days at UST for the reasons of:
a. Hostility of Dominican professors to Rizal;
b. Racial discrimination against Filipino students; and
c. Obsolete and repressive method if instruction at UST.
§ The factors why he did not performed the same way he performed
on Ateneo
a. Medicine was not Rizal’s real vocation.
b. Dissatisfaction with the Dominican system of education; and
c. The exciting distractions of youth.
§ Factors that influenced Rizal in his studies as a medical student
in UST
a. Women
b. Parties
c. Took part in gang fights

§ The three (3) revolutions experienced by Filipino students and

intellectuals in Manila during the 19th century
a. Revolution of the senses against the otherworldliness of monasticism;
b. Revolution of human reason against the comforting certitudes of the
catechism;
c. Revolution of race and nation against inequality and subjection

§ Rizal and his peers was influenced by the influx of liberal ideas
into the country during his student days that they desired to
reap scientific and artistic achievements.
§ Rizal’s outstanding literary works produce during his time in UST
1. A La Juventud Filipina – Rizal’s first testimony of his nationalism wherein he referred to
the Philippines as Mi Patria or his motherland. It was the first expression of nationalistic
concept that the Filipinos were the fair hope of the motherland. Calling the youth the Fair
Hope of the Motherland (La Bella Esperanza de la Patria Mia) and challenges them to:
i. Cultivate their relent in the arts
ii. Develop their knowledge of the sciences
iii. Look forward and break their chain of bondage
2. El Consejo delos Dioses – Rizal was able to disprove the alleged superiority of the
Spaniards over the Filipinos and to prove that the Filipinos can compete with other races
in a fair play.
3. Junto at Pasig – This play can be interpreted in several ways:
i. As a prophecy of 50 years of revolution, invasion after invasion, defeat, subjugation and civil
tumult.
ii. Rizal’s appeal for the Filipino youth to chide alien people for causing them misery
iii. As a purely religious allegory, as the play depicted Leonido, together with a choir of angels
successfully driving Satan and his devils out of the land.
4. A Filipinas – it was written by Rizal in 1880 to praise the beauty of the Philippines and
encourage Filipino artists to glorify the country through their art works.
§ The poem A La Juventud Filipina is considered Rizal’s first true expression
of his nationalistic sentiment because the poem can be considered Rizal’s
first testimony of his nationalism.
§ The poem was considered as a classic Philippine Literature for two (2)
reasons:
a) It was the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, recognized by the
Spanish authorities.
b) It was the first expression of the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos were the
fair hope of the motherland.
§ Rizal manifested his leadership in student activism at UST when He
organized a secret society of Filipino students. This society came to be
called Compañerismo and the members call themselves as Companions
of Jehu, the patriot general of the Jews, in which became the president of
this secret society.
§ An incident in UST led to Rizal’s manifestation of his leadership in activism
in UST when he espoused the cause of brown-skinned Filipino students
against the Spanish and mestizo students. As both the Spanish and mestizo
students labeled the Filipinos Indio or change, Rizal and his peers
retaliated by calling them Kastila or bangus.
§ An incident that led to Rizal’s first taste of Spanish brutality is when He failed to salute a
lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and greeted Buenas Noches, which slashed his back. Rizal
sent a written complaint to Governor-General Primo de Rivera about the incident but
nothing positive came out of it since he was an indio.
§ This incident left Rizal that as an Indio, he was not accorded equality with a Spaniard
before the bar of justice.
§ Rizal was given the title the “First Filipino” because he is the first to call the country
(Philippines) the motherland through his poem A La Juventud Filipina yet the Spanish
critics thought he meant Spain when he presented it in a contest.
§ Rizal decided to leave the country after completing his fourth year and will complete the
medical course in Barcelona, Spain due to his disappointment with his schooling at UST.
However, Rizal was not going to Europe not just to complete his medical studies there
but the hidden purposes are:
a. To make a name for himself in the realm of journalism;
b. To observe and study European society; and
c. To prepare himself for the task of liberating the Filipinos from Spanish tyranny.

§ His brother, Paciano, sponsored it where it was kept a secret.

End