2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

UNIT 3: Advent of a National Hero

1.0 Learning Outcome
1. Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education.
2. Evaluate the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early
life.
3. Explain the principles of assimilation advocated by the Propaganda
Movement.
4. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with another Propagandist.
5. Analyze Rizal’s growth as a propagandist disavowal of assimilation.
.

1.1 Introduction

DR. JOSE RIZAL, the greatest hero of the Philippines, was a "many-splendored”
genius. He was richly dowered by God with superb intellectual, moral, and physical
qualities. Truly, he ranks with the world's geniuses. He was an anthropologist,
botanist, businessman, cartographer, dramatist, economist, educator, engineer,
essayist, entomologist, ethnologist, farmer, folklorist, geographer, grammarian,
historian, horticulturist, humorist, lexicographer, linguist, musician, novelist, painter,
physician, poet, philologist, philosopher, polemist, psychologist, satirist, sculptor,
sportsman, sociologist, surveyor, traveler, and zoologist. More than all these, he was a
patriot, hero, and martyr. Unlike many geniuses, he consecrated his God-given talents,
and even sacrificed his own life, for the redemption and welfare of his people. Verily,
a man of his heroism and versatility appears but once in the history of any nation.

1.2 Topic/Discussion (with assessment /Activities)

1.2.1 THE BIRTH OF A HERO

Activity
Read and understand the story told by Theodora to the young Jose Rizal
and answer the questions below.
The Story of the Moth
Once there was moth who was fond of the light. It would always go to bright
places that attracted him.
One night, it was with its mom. They came across a candle light. The moth,
attracted to the flame of the candle approached it. Amazed, he circled the
light round and round.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Its mother upon seeing him circling the candle light warned him. “Don’t go
playing near the candle light. You might get burned with its flame.”
But the moth did not listen. It was happy seeing the bright of the flame. It
wanted to touch the flame so it kept going nearer and nearer to it.
Then the moth got burned. It was suddenly hit by the flame. It vanished.
Totally disappeared.

1. What do you think is the lesson Theodora, the mother of Jose Rizal, is
trying to teach the young genius?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Having the knowledge you have right now about our national hero, do
you think Rizal applied this lesson in the entirety of his life? Briefly
explain.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

1.2.2 THE BIRTH OF A HERO

• Near midnight of Wednesday, June 19, 1861, when the Philippines was
in deep slumber, a frail baby-boy was born to the Rizal family in
Calamba, Laguna. It was a moonlit
night, being "a few days before the full
of the moon. The delivery was
exceedingly difficult, and the mother
almost died.
• The baby boy was baptized by Rev.
Rufino Collantes in the Catholic
church of Calamba on June 22, 1861,
three days after his birth. His
godfather was Rev. Pedro Casañas. He
was named "Jose" by his pious Figure 1 – The Young Jose Rizal
mother, 'in honor of St. Joseph. It was
customary for Catholic parents to name their children after the saints.
• The full name of the baby boy, was:
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➢ JOSE PROTASIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA.

1.2.3 PARENTS

Father: Francisco Mercado Rizal - The hero's father, Francisco (1818-

1898), was born in Biñan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818 and died in
Manila on January 5, 1898, at the age of 80. He was an educated
farm. er having studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of
San Jose in Manila.
Mother: Teodora Alonzo Realonda - The hero's mother, Teodora (1826-
1911), was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 and died in
Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85. A graduate of Santa
Rosa College, she was a talented woman with high culture,
business ability, and literary gift.

1.2.4 THE RIZAL CHILDREN

1. Saturnina (1850-1913). She was the oldest of the Rizal children. She
married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tank- wan, Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930). He was the older brother of Dr. Rizal. After his
younger brother's execution, he joined the Revolution and became a
general. After the Revolution he retired to his farm in Los Baños and led
the life of a gentleman farmer. He died an old bachelor, though he had a
common-law wife.
3. Narcisa (1852-1939). She married Antonino Lopez, & school teacher of
Morong, Rizal.
4. Olympia (1855-1887). She married silvestre Ubal- do, & telegraph
operator from Manila,
5. Lucia (1857-1919). She married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba.
6. Maria (1859-1945). She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
7. JOSE (1861-1896). The "lucky seven” in a family of eleven children. He
married Josephine Bracken, a pretty Irish from Hongkong.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865). She died at the age of three.
9. Josefa (1865-1945). She did not marry; she died an old maid.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951). She died an old maid, like Josefa.
11. Soledad (1870-1929). She was the youngest of the Rizal children. She
married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.5 ANCESTRY OF RIZAL

Jose Rizal, like a typical Filipino, was of mixed ancestry. In his veins
flowed the bloods of both East and West-Negrito, Indonesian, Malay,
Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish.
Rizal's paternal great-great-grandfather was a China- man named
Domingo Lam-co, a native of Chinchew, "Chi- na's City of Spring." His
father, Francisco, was a great- grandson of Lam-co. Both his father's
father and grand- father had been Capitanes (town mayors) of Biñan.
1.2.6 THE NAME "RIZAL"
• The original name of the Rizal family was "Mercado."
• It was a surname adopted in 1731 English, it means "market".
• In the year 1849, as mentioned above, Governor Claveria issued a decree
directing all Filipino families to choose new surnames from a list of
Spanish family names.
• The purpose of this gubernatorial decree was to Hispanize the Filipino
surnames which were difficult for the Spanish authorities to pronounce,
much less to remember.
• Jose's father, Francisco, scanned the list of Spanish surnames sent to
Calamba, such as "Cruz", "Santos," "Ramos", "Rivera", etc.
• He chose his own surname Rizal, which was not in the list recommended
by the Spanish authorities. He considered this new family name as more
fitting for his farming clan than Mercado which signifies "market".
• The term “Rizal" came from the Spanish word RICIAL which means
"green field" or "new pasture."

1.2.7 THE RIZAL FAMILY.

• The Rizal family was one of the
richest families in Calamba during
the times prior to its persecution by
the friars.
• They were the first to build a large
stone house in Calamba, the first to
own a carruaje (horse-drawn
carriage), the first to have a home Figure 2 – Rizal’s House

library (estimated to consist of more

than 1,000 volumes), and the first to educate their children in the colleges
of Manila.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

• The Rizal family raised rice, corn, and sugar on large tracts of land rented
from the Dominican estate of Calamba.
• Teodora, the hero's mother, owned a store in town which sold many
articles of trade needed by the people.

Assessment:
Identification: After reading the first part of our module, answer the
following questions. Place your answer on the space provided.

1. In honor of what saint did Theodora Alonso Realonda named his

7th child? ______________________
2. After the decree mandating every family to change their Filipino
surname to Spanish, the father of Jose Rizal did not like the
proposed surnames and settled with “RIZAL”. What is the
meaning of that surname? ______________________
3. How old was Jose Rizal when he was baptized by Rev. Rufino
Collantes?
_________________________
4. Who was the governor who issued the decree directing all
Filipino families to choose new surnames from a list of Spanish
family names? _________________________
5. Who was the older brother of Jose Rizal who joined the revolution
and became a general? ________________________

1.2.8 FIRST SORROW

• Jose was jokingly called Uté by his brother and sisters. The people in
Calamba knew him as Pepe or Pepito. Jose was closest to his older brother
Paciano.
• Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (Concepcion). He was one
year older than Concha.
• Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only three
years old. Jose, who was very fond of her, cried bitterly to lose her. "When I
was four years old," he said, "I lost my little sister Concha, and then for the
first time I wept tears of love and grief...' The death of little Concha brought
him his first sorrow.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.9 DEVOTED SON OF CHURCH

• Young Rizal was a religious boy. A scion of Catholic clan, born and bred
in a wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn
pious spirit, he grew up as a good Catholic.
• At the age of three, he began to take part in the family, prayers. His mother,
who was a devout Catholic, taught him the Catholic prayer. When he was
five years old, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family Bible.
• 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 Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras.”
• Evidence of his fervent Catholic spirit is seen in the poems which he wrote
during his boyhood, such as Al Niño Jesus (1876), La Alianza Intima Entre
La Religión y La Buena Educación (1876), and A La Virgen Maria, (no
date).
• When he was studying in Biñan, Laguna (1870-71), he often heard Mass in
the parish church at 4:00 A.M. He started his life as a student in the Ateneo
in June, 1872 with a prayer, continued it with daily prayers and ended it a
prayer.
• One of the men he esteemed and respected in Calamba during his boyhood
was the scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest. He used to visit
this learned Filipino priest and listened to his stimulating opinions on
current events and sound philosophy of life.

1.2.10 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO

• On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on 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 and his first pilgrimage to
Antipolo. He and his father rode in a casco (barge). He was thrilled, as a
typical boy should, by his first lake voyage. He did not sleep the whole
night as the casco sailed towards the Pasig River because he was awed by
"the magnificence of the watery expanse and the silence of the night.”
• After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father
went to Manila. It was the first time Jose visited Manila. They went to Santa
Ana and visited Saturnina, who was then a student in La Concordia
College.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.11 FIRST EDUCATION FROM MOTHER

• Jose's first teacher was his mother. A woman

of good character and fine education, Doña
Teodora was a splendid teacher. At the age of
three, Jose learned the alphabet and the
prayers from her. She was patient and loving,
but strict as a tutor. Seeing that her boy had a
talent for poetry, she encouraged him to write
poems. At one time Jose, at the age of five,
refused to wear a sinamay camisa because it
was coarse and was scratchy to the skin. She
spanked him for disobedience.
• At another time while the parents were having Figure 3 – Teodora Alonso,
their regular siesta, Jose and Josefa played in the mother of Jose Rizal.
the garden. Jose ignited a fuse attached to a
bottle of powder. Soon a loud explosion rent the quiet afternoon, followed
by a scream of pain. Doña Teodora who was suddenly awakened by the
commotion in the garden, saw the crying Josefa with a burnt face. She gave
Jose another spanking.
• Notwithstanding the whippings administered by Doña Teodora, Jose loved
his mother and was appreciative of many things he learned from her.

1.2.12 RIZAL'S THREE UNCLES

There were three uncles, brothers of his mother, who played a great part in
the early education of Rizal. They were Gregorio, Jose, and Manuel Alberto
Alonso

• Uncle Gregorio was a lover of books. He instilled into the mind of his
precocious nephew (Jose) a great love for books.
• Uncle Jose, who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the youngest
brother of Doña Teodora. He encouraged his nephew to paint, sketch, and
sculpture.
• Uncle Manuel was a big, strong, and husky man. He looked after the
physical training of his sickly and weak nephew. He encouraged young
Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports, so that in
later years Rizal's frail body acquired agility, endurance, and strength.

1.2.13 INFLUENCES ON HERO'S BOYHOOD

 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

• Hereditary Influence: According to biological science, there are inherent

traits or qualities which a person inherits from his ancestors and parents.
From his Malayan ancestors, Rizal, evidently, inherited his passionate love
for freedom and his serenity of life’s outlook. From his Chinese ancestors
he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children.
From his Spanish ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to
insults, and gallantry to ladies.
• Environmental Influence: According to psychologist, environment, as
well as heredity, a affects the nature of a person. Environmental influence
includes places, associates, and events. The scenic beauties of Calamba and
the beautiful garden of the Rizal family stimulated the inborn artistic and
literary talents of Jose Rizal. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified
his religious nature. His brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the value of
brotherly love. From his sisters, he learned to be courteous and kind to
women. The fairy tales told by his Aya during his early childhood
awakened his interest in folklore and legends.

1.2.14 JOSE GOES TO BIÑAN

• One Sunday afternoon in June, left Calamba for
Binan. He was accompanied by Paciano, who
acted as his second father. The two brothers rode
in a carromata, reaching their destination after
one and one-half hours' drive.
• That same night Jose, with his cousin named
Leandro, went sightseeing in the town. Instead
of enjoying the sights, Jose became depressed
because of homesickness. Figure 4 – Paciano Rizal Mercado,
the brother of Jose Rizal.

1.2.15 FIRST DAY IN BIÑAN SCHOOL

• The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the
school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
• Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him
before. He introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to returm
to Calamba. Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class.
• Jose described his teacher in Biñan as follows: was a tall, thin, long-necked
man, with a sharp nose and a He body bent slightly forward. He usually
wore a sinamay a shirt woven by the skillful hands of the Batangueñas,
knew by heart the grammars of Nebrija and Gainza.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.16 FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL

• In the afternoon of his first day in school, when the teacher was having his
siesta, Jose me the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this bully for making fun
of him during his conversation with the teacher in the morning.
• Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that
he could easily beat the Calamba accepted, boy who was smaller and
younger.
• The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their
classmates. Jose having learned the arts of wrestling from his athletic Uncle
Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.
• In succeeding days, he had other fights with the boys of Biñan. He was not
quarrelsome by nature, but he never run away from a fight. In these school
fights, he won some and lost others.

1.2.17 BEST STUDENT IN SCHOOL

• In school studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish,
Latin, and other subjects.
• Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority.
They wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside
the school, and even told lies to discredit him before the teacher's eyes.
Consequently, the teacher had to punish Jose.

1.2.18 END OF BIÑAN SCHOOLING

• Time came when Jose learned all that Maestro Justiniano could teach him.
Accordingly, the teacher informed his parents that he should be sent to
college in Manila.
• In December, 1871, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing
him of the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan
to Calamba.
• He left Biñan on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1871. He was thrilled to
take passage on the steamer Talim, for it was the first time he ever rode on
a steamer.
• Upon arrival in Calamba, Jose was welcomed home by his parents, brother,
and sisters. The Christmas of 1871 was a joyous and memorable one for him.
He was home, and he regaled his brother and sisters with numerous tales
of his fights, escapades, and school triumphs in Biñan.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.19 INJUSTICE TO HERO'S MOTHER

• After the happy Christmas holiday in 1871, Don Francisco thought of

sending Jose to Manila to study.
• Before June came, tragedy struck the Rizal family. Doña Teodora was
arrested on malicious charge that she aided her brother, Jose Alberto, in
trying to poison Alberto's wife. Jose Alberto, a rich Biñan landowner, had
encouraged the artistic development of his talented nephew, Jose Rizal. He
had gone to Europe on a business trip. During his absence his wife
abandoned their home and children. When he returned to Biñan, he found
her living with another man. Enraged by her infidelity, he planned to
divorce her. Doña Teodora, to avert family scandal, persuaded him to
forgive his erring wife. The family trouble was amicably settled, and Jose
Alberto lived again with his wife. However, the unfaithful wife connived
with the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil to fabricate evidence that her
husband attempted to poison her, with Doña Teodora as an accomplice.
• This lieutenant had an ax to grind against the Rizal family because at one
time Rizal's father refused to give him fodder for his horse. Taking the
opportunity to avenge himself against Dou Francisco, he arrested Doña
Teodora. He was so brutal in placing her under arrest, forgetting that many
times he had been a guest in the Rizal home.
• The judge, who had been a guest many times at the Rizal home, was
vengeful. Like the lieutenant, he nursed a grudge against the Rizal family
because he imagined that he was not accorded greater respect than the
Filipino guests in the Rizal home. He ordered that Doña Teodora be sent to
the provincial jail in Santa Cruz, capital of Laguna. The lieutenant forced
the hero's mother to walk on foot from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance
of more than 50 kilometers. She languished in jail, for her case dragged on
until it reached the Supreme Court (Royal Audiencia).

1.2.20 THE MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA

• The Rizal family had not yet recovered from the
painful shock of the mother's imprisonment when
another calamity occurred. January 20, 1872, the
Cavite Mutiny flared up, followed by the execution
of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora on February
17th.
• Jose's older brother, Paciano, then a student in the
Figure 5 – Fr. Gomez, Fr.
College of San Jose, was boarding with Father
Burgos, and Fr. Zamora
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Burgos, his beloved professor and friend. He was a trusted assistant of

Burgos in the fight for the Filipinization of the parishes.
• After the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora, Paciano quit
college. He returned to Calamba and related the story of Burgos'
martyrdom to his younger brother, Jose.
• Jose Rizal was nearly eleven years old when the tragic martyrdom of Gom-
Bur-Za took place. Despite his tender age, he was deeply affected. It was
another Spanish injustice, like that done to his own mother.

Assessment
Modified True or False: Write T if the statement is true, if not, underline
the word or phrase that makes the statement incorrect.
____________1. Jose Rizal was jokingly called Uté by his brothers and sisters.
____________2. Uncle Gregorio was the youngest brother of Doña Teodora. He was
the one who encouraged Jose Rizal to paint, sketch, and sculpture.
____________3. Saturnina was a trusted assistant of Burgos in the fight for the
Filipinization of the parishes.
____________4. Doña Teodora was patient and loving, but strict tutor of Jose Rizal.
Seeing that her boy had a talent for poetry, she encouraged him to write poems.
____________5. Jose Rizal learned the arts of wrestling from his athletic Uncle Jose,
which helped him defeat the bigger boys in Biñan.

1.2.2 RIZAL ENTERS THE ATENEO

Activity:
1. Define the terms “Creative”, “Productive”, and “Progress”. How
are they related to each other? Explain your answer fully.
Creative: ______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Productive: ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Progress: ______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Relationship of this terms to each other: ___________________________
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Was Dr. Jose Rizal a creative or productive person? Justify your
answer with examples.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

• On June 10, 1872, Jose,

accompanied by Paciano,
went to Manila. He took
the entrance examinations
on Christian doctrine,
arithmetic, and reading at
the College of San Juan de
Letran, and passed them
all. His father, who first
wished him to study at Figure 6 – Ateneo De Manila in 1860s

Letran, changed his mind

and decided to send him to the Ateneo instead.
• Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal.” He registered
under this name at the Ateneo because their first family name "Mercado" had
come under suspicion of the Spanish authorities. Paciano had used "Mercado"
as his surname at the College of San Jose and he was known to the authorities
as Father Burgos' favorite student and helper.
• At the time Jose studied in the Ateneo, this college was located in Intramuros,
within the walls of Manila.

1.2.3 JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

• The system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was advanced
from that of other colleges in that period. It trained the character of the
student by rigid discipline and religious instruction. It promoted physical
culture, fine arts and scientific studies.
• The students heard Mass in the morning before the beginning of the daily
class. Class in every subject was opened and closed with prayers. Students
were divided into two groups, namely:
o the Roman Empire consisting of the internos (boarders).
o the Carthaginian Empire composed of the externos (non- boarders.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

• The two groups, "Roman Empire" and "Carthaginian Empire,” were in

perpetual warfare for supremacy in the class. They had their distinctive
banners, red for the Romans and blue for the Carthaginians.

1.2.4 RIZAL'S FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-73)

• On his first day of class in the Ateneo, in June, 1872, Rizal first heard Mass
at the college chapel and prayed fervently to God for guidance and success.
When the Mass was finished, he went to his class, where he saw "a great
number of boys, Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos."
• Rizal's first professor in the Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he described
as "tall, thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a hurried walk, an
ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that
was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the
chin."
• Being a newcomer and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the
bottom of the class. He was an externo, hence he was assigned to the
Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.
• After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly. At the end
of the month, he became “emperor." He was the brightest in the whole
class, and he was award- ed a prize. "How pleased I was,” he said, "when I
won my first prize, a religious picture!" That prize was a religious picture.
He was proud of it because it was the first prize he ever won in the Ateneo.
• To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College
during the noon recesses, when other Ateneo students were playing or
gossiping. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons, but it was
money well spent.

1.2.5 SUMMER VACATION (1873)

• At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for
summer vacation. He did not particularly enjoy his vacation because his
mother was in prison. To cheer him up, his sister Neneng (Saturnina)
brought him to Tanawan with her. This did not cure his melancholy.
Without telling his father, he went to Santa Cruz and visited his mother in
prison. He told her of his brilliant grades in the Ateneo and tearfully
embraced each other.
• The summer vacation ended; Rizal returned to Manila for his second-year
term in the Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6
Magallanes Street. His landlady was an old widow named Doña Pepay,
who had a widowed daughter and four sons.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.6 SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-74)

• Nothing unusual happened to Rizal during his second term in the Ateneo,
except that he repented having neglected his studies the previous year
simply because he was offended by the teacher's remarks, and so, to regain
his lost class leadership, he studied harder. Once more, he became
"emperor.”
• Some of his classmates were new. Among them were three boys from Biñan,
who had been his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.
• At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects
and a gold medal. With such scholastic honors he triumphantly returned to
Calamba in March, 1874 for summer vacation.

1.2.7 PROPHECY OF MOTHER'S RELEASE

• Rizal lost no time in going to Santa Cruz in order to visit his mother in the
provincial jail. He gladdened Doña Teodora's lonely heart with his
scholastic triumphs in Ateneo and with funny tales about his professors and
fellow students. The mother was very happy to see her favorite child
making such splendid progress in college.
• In the course of their conversation, Doña Teodora told her son of her dream
the previous night. Rizal, interpreting such dream, said to her that she
would be released from prison in three months' time. Doña Teodora smiled,
thinking that her son's prophecy was a mere boyish at- tempt to console her.
• But Rizal's prophecy became true. Barely three months passed, and
suddenly Doña Teodora was set free. By that time, Rizal was already in
Manila attending his classes in the Ateneo.

1.2.8 TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING

• It was during the summer vacation in 1874 in Calamba when Rizal began to
take interest in reading romantic novels. As a normal teenager, he became
interested in love stories and romantic tales.
• The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by
Alexander Dumas. This thrilling novel made a deep impression on him. His
boyish imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the
hero) in prison, his spectacular escape from the dungeon of Chateau d'If, his
finding of the buried treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and his
dramatic revenge on his enemies who wronged him.
• Rizal read numerous other romantic novels with deep interest. The reading
habit helped to enrich his fecund mind.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

• Later Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, German
scientist-traveler who had visited the Philippines. What impressed him in
this book were (1) Jagor's keen observations of the defects of Spanish
colonization and (2) his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the
Philippines and that America would come to succeed her as colonizer.

1.2.9 THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-75)

• In June, 1874, Rizal returned to the Ateneo for his junior year. Shortly after
the opening of classes, his mother arrived and joyously told him that she
was released from prison, just as he predicted during his last visit to her
prison cell in Santa Cruz, Laguna. He was happy, of course, to see his
mother once more a free woman.
• However, despite the family happiness, Rizal did not make an excellent
showing in his studies as in the previous year. His grades remained
excellent in all subjects, but he won only one medal — in Latin. He failed to
win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was not fluently. He
was beaten by a Spaniard who, naturally, could speak Spanish with fluency
and with right accentuation.
• At the end of the school year (March, 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for
summer vacation. He, himself, was not impressed by his scholastic work.
He said: “I returned dissatisfied to my home town."

1.2.10 FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO (1875-76)

• After a refreshing and happy summer vacation, Rizal went back to Manila
for his fourth-year course. On June 14, 1875, he became an internee in the
Ateneo. One of his professors this time was Fr. Francisco Sanchez, a great
educator and scholar. He inspired young Rizal to study harder and write
poetry.
• Years later Rizal wrote of Father Sanchez in glowing terms, showing his
affection and gratitude. He described this Jesuit professor as "a model of
rectitude, solicitude, and devotion to his pupils' progress.”
• Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest.
He topped ail his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end
of the school term.

1.2.11 LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-77)

• After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila in June, 1876 for his
last year in Ateneo. His studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact,
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was
truly “the pride of the Jesuits."
• Rizal finished his last year in the Ateneo in a blaze of glory. He obtained
the highest grades in all subjects - philosophy, physics, biology, chemistry,
languages, mineralogy, etc.

1.2.12 GRADUATION WITH HIGHEST HONORS

Rizal graduated at the head of his class. His scholastic records at the Ateneo from
1872 to 1877 are as follows:

Arithmetic - - - Excellent
Latin 1 - - - Excellent
Spanish 1 - - - Excellent
Greek 1 - - - Excellent
1873-1874
Latin 2 - - - Excellent
Spanish 2 - - - Excellent
Greek 2 - - - Excellent
Universal Geography - - - Excellent
1874-1876
Latin 3 - - - Excellent
Spanish 3 - - - Excellent
Greek 3 - - - Excellent
Universal History - - - Excellent
History of Spain and the Philippines - - - Excellent
Arithmetic & Algebra - - - Excellent
1875-1876
Rhetoric & Poetry - - - Excellent
French 1 - - - Excellent
Geometry & Trigonometry - - - Excellent
1876-1877
Philosophy 1 - - - Excellent
Mineralogy & Chemistry - - - Excellent
Philosophy 2 - - - Excellent
Physics - - - Excellent
Botany & Zoology - - - Excellent

• On Commencement Day, March 23, 1877, Rizal, who was 16 years old,
received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of
Arts, with highest honors.

1.2.13 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT ATENEO

• Rizal, unsurpassed in academic triumphs, was not a mere bookworm. He
was active in extra-curricular activities. An "emperor" inside the classroom,
he was a campus leader outside. He was an active member, later secretary,
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

of a religious society, the Marian Congregation. He was accepted as member

of this sodality not only because of his academic brilliance but also because
of his devotion to Our Lady. Only Ateneans who distinguished themselves
in class for their piety and good scholarship could be members of this society.
Rizal was also a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the
Academy of Natural Sciences.
• In his leisure hours, Rizal cultivated his literary talents under the guidance
of Father Sanchez. Another professor, Father Jose Vilaclara, advised him to
stop communing with the Muses and pay more attention to more practical
studies, such as philosophy and natural sciences.
• Aside from writing poetry, he devoted his spare time in fine arts. He studied
painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture
under Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor.
• Furthermore, Rizal, to develop his weak body, engaged in gymnastics and
fencing. He thereby continued the physical training he began under his
sports-minded Uncle Manuel.

1.2.14 SCULPTURAL WORKS IN ATENEO

• Rizal impressed his Jesuit professors in the Ateneo
with his artistic skill. One day he carved an image of
Our Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling
(Philippine hardwood) with his pocket-knife. The
Jesuit Fathers were amazed at the beauty and grace
of the image.
• Father Lleonart, impressed by Rizal's sculptural
talent. requested him to carve for him an image of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Young Rizal complied,
and within a few days he presented it to Father
Lleonart. The old Jesuit was highly pleased and
profusely thanked the teenage sculptor. He intended
Figure 7 – Jose Rizal’s
to take the image with him to Spain, but, being an
sculpture of the Sacred
absent-mined professor, he forgot to do so. The Heart of Jesus.
Ateneo boarding students placed it on the door of
their dormitory, and there it remained for nearly 20 years, reminding all
Ateneans of Dr. Rizal, the greatest alumnus of their Alma Mater. This image
played a significant part in Rizal's last hours at Fort Santiago.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.2.15 FIRST ROMANCE OF RIZAL

• Shortly after his graduation from the Ateneo, Rizal,
who was then sixteen years old, experienced his
first romance-"that painful experience which
comes to nearly all adolescents." The girl was, a
pretty fourteen-year-old Batangueña from Lipa. In
Rizal's own words: "She was rather short, with eyes
that were eloquent and ardent at times and languid
at others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and
provocative smile that revealed very beautiful
teeth, and the air of a sylph; her entire self-diffused
a mysterious charm.
• One Sunday Rizal visited his maternal
Figure 8 – Segunda
grandmother who lived in Trozo, Manila. He was
Katigbak
accompanied by his friend, Mariano Katigbak. His
old grandmother was a friend of the Katigbak family of Lipa. When he
reached his grandmother's house, he saw other guests. One of whom was
an attractive girl, who mysteriously caused his heart to palpitate with
strange ecstasy. She was the sister of his friend Mariano, and her name was
Segunda.
• His grandmother's guests, who were mostly college students, knew of his
skill in painting, so that they urged him to draw Segunda's portrait. He
complied reluctantly and made a pencil sketch of her. "From time to time,"
he reminisced later, "she looked at me, and I blushed."
• Rizal came to know Segunda more intimately during his weekly visits to La
Concordia College, where his sister Olimpia was a boarding student.
Olimpia was a close friend of Segunda. It was apparent that Rizal and
Segunda loved each other. Theirs was indeed "a love at first sight." But it
was hopeless since the very beginning because Segunda was already
engaged to be married to her townmate, Manuel Luz. Rizal for his artistic
and intellectual prowess, was a shy and timid lover. Segunda had
manifested, by insinuation and deeds, her affection for him, but he timidly
failed to propose.

• The last time they talked to each other was one Thursday in December,
1877, when Christmas vacation was about to begin. He visited Segunda at
La Concordia College to say good-bye because he was going home to
Calamba the following day.
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

Assessment:
Multiple choice: Read the following questions carefully and choose the letter
that best describes the answer. Incircle your answer.
1. Manuel Alberto Alonso was the brother of Teodora, the mother of
Jose Rizal. What was the training he gave to the young Jose Rizal?
A. Reading/Great love for books and literature
B. Paint, sketch, and sculpture.
C. Physical training
D. None of the above
2. Who was the first teacher of Jose Rizal?
A. Saturnina Hedalgo C. Teodora Alonso Realonda
B. Segunda Katigbak D. Paciano Rizal Mercado
3. He instilled into the mind of his precocious nephew, Jose Rizal, a
great love for books.
A. Uncle Jose C. Uncle Gregorio
B. Uncle Manuel D. Fr. Burgos
4. Father Lleonart was impressed by Rizal's sculptural talent. He
requested him to carve for him of an image if what?
A. Virgin Mary C. Sacred Heart of Jesus
B. Crucifixion of Christ D. San Antonio de Padua
5. Gom-Bur-Za was executed by garrote in 17 February 1872 in
Bagumbayan, by Spanish colonial authorities. What was the Fr.
Burgos, Fr. Gomez, and Fr. Zamora fighting for which triggered a
mutiny?
A. Higher salary given to the priests.
B. Government position of the Filipino clergy.
C. Filipinization of the parishes in the Philippines.
D. Freedom and independence.
6. What was the charge or complaint against Teodora Realonda that
caused a sudden arrest of her by the sadistic Spanish Lieutenant and
eventually forced her to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance
of 50 kms?
A. Failure to pay tax to the Spanish Government.
B. Aided her brother in trying to poison his wife.
C. Planning a mutiny against the Governor General.
D. Maltreatment of her children for their failure terms of
academe.
7. The following poems was written by Rizal in 1876 in Ateneo, except
for?
A. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha
B. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prisión de
Boabdil
C. La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Católicos en
D. La Tragedia de San Eustaquio
2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

8. In March 23, 1877, Jose Rizal, who was 16 years old graduated in
Ateneo Municipal with highest honor on what course or degree?
A. Bachelor of Education C. Bachelor of Arts
B. Bachelor of Philosophy D. BS in Industrial Technology
9. Who was the first love of Jose Rizal which at that time, was already
engaged with Manuel Luz in Lipa?
A. Josephine Bracken C. Leonor Rivera
B. Leonor Valenzuela D. Segunda Katigbak
10. Describe the behavior of Jose Rizal in handling his first romance?
A. Aggressive and assuring C. Cautious but determined
B. Confident but determined D. Timid and shy
 2| The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

1.3 References
Gregorio, Zaide F. Et al., Jose Rizal Life, Works, anf Writings of a
Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero, All Nations
Publishing Co., Inc., Quezon City, 2012.
Images:
https://www.joserizal.com/childhood-jose-rizal/
https://ph.asiatatler.com/society/a-closer-look-on-the-more-
human-side-of-national-hero-dr-jose-rizal
https://medium.com/@elainefilipino/the-tree-and-its-fruit-
teodora-alonso-realonda
https://ourhappyschool.com/history/paciano-rizal-pinoy-
heros-big-brother
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomburza
http://lahat1900s.blogspot.com/2015/08/old-ateneo-de-
manila-campus-ateneo-de.html
https://thesplendorofthechurch.com/2018/05/03/jose-rizal-
his-prayerful-mom-and-the-sacred-heart/

1.4 Acknowledgement

The images, tables, figures, and information contained in this

module were taken from the references cited above.

DISCLAIMER:
This module is not for commercial, and this is only for educational
purposes. Some technical terminologies and phrases were not changed, but the
author of this module ensures that all the in-text citations are in the reference
section. Even the photos or figures are with in-text citations to abide by the
intellectual property.