LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL

1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024

PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN

REPUBLIC ACT 1425 “RIZAL LAW” Philippines: Jose Rizal’s Time (19th
Century Philippines)

RIZAL as a National Hero

A Hero is Born: Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado

Rizal Alonzo Y Realonda

♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡

 LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL
1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024
PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN

Rizal’s Parents:

Rizal’s Siblings:

♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡

 LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL
1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024
PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN

RIZAL’S CHILDHOOD The Rizal Home

Influences on the Hero’s Boyhood

Rizal’s First Sorrow

♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡

 LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL
1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024
PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN
THE STORY OF THE MOTH
My attention increased from the first
sentence. I looked toward the light and fixed my
gaze on the moths which were circling around it.
The story could not have been better timed. My
mother repeated the warning of the old moth.
She dwelt upon it and directed it to me. I heard
her, but it is a curious thing that the light seemed
to me each time more beautiful and the flame
more attractive. I really envied the fortune of the
insects. They frolicked so joyously in its
enchanting splendor that the ones which had
fallen and been drowned in the oil did not cause
me any dread.
My mother kept on reading and I
listened breathlessly. The fate of the two Insects
interested me greatly. The flame rolled its
golden tongue to one side and a moth which this
movement had singed fell into the oil, fluttered
for a time and then became quiet. That became
for me a great event. A curious change came
over me which have always noticed in myself
whenever anything has stirred my feelings. The
flame and the moth seemed to go further away
and my mother's words sounded strange and
uncanny. I did not notice when she ended the
fable.
All my attention was fixed on the face
of the Insect. I watched it with my whole soul.,
It had died a martyr to its illusions. As she put
me to bed, my mother said: "See that you do not
behave like the young moth. Dont be
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did.” I do
not know whether I answered or not... The story
revealed to me things until then unknown.
Moths no longer were, for me, insignificant
insects. Moths talked; they know how to warn.
They advised just like my mother, The light
seemed to me more beautiful. It had grown more
♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡
dazzling and more attractive. I knew why the
moths circled the flame.
RIZAL - CHILDHOOD
(additional info from the net)
TIMELINE:
19 June 1861
JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco
Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos,
was born in Calamba, Laguna.
22 June 1861
He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at
the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest
Rev. Rufino Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas
as the sponsor.
28 September 1862
The parochial church of Calamba and the
canonical books, including the book in which
Rizal’s baptismal records were entered, were
burned.
1864
Barely three years old, Rizal learned the
alphabet from his mother.
1865
When he was four years old, his sister
Conception, the eight child in the Rizal family,
died at the age of three. It was on this occasion
that Rizal remembered having shed real tears for
the first time.
1865 – 1867
During this time his mother taught him how to
read and write. His father hired a classmate by
the name of Leon Monroy who, for five months
until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the
rudiments of Latin.
 LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL
1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024
PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN
At about this time two of his mother’s cousin
frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto,
seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself
with the physical development of his young
nephew and taught the latter love for the open
air and developed in him a great admiration for
the beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a
scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love
for education. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and
perform every task very carefully; learn to be
swift as well as thorough; be independent in
thinking and make visual pictures of
everything."
6 June 1868
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to
Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his mother
to take the child to the Shrine of the Virgin of
Antipolo should she and her child survive the
ordeal of delivery which nearly caused his
mother’s life.
From there they proceeded to Manila and visited
his sister Saturnina who was at the time studying
in the La Concordia College in Sta. Ana.
1869
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem
entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was
written in tagalog and had for its theme "Love of
One’s Language."
FACTS:
● The childhood of Jose Rizal can be
characterized by his desire to learn, even
frequenting the church nearby his home
to watch and observe people but not to
be religiously inclined; His brilliance
was also the character of the young Jose
Rizal.
● Pepe - nickname for Rizal
♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡
● His First Teacher - His Mother; who laid
the foundation of his great knowledge
achieved in such a short time
● An important part of Rizal childhood
and early education is his unforgettable
experience when his mother was once
teaching him values. For the interesting
details, read: The Story of the Moth,
Jose Rizal, and his Mother
● At Age 3: Rizal learned his letters after
insisting that he be taught to read and
share the lessons learned by his elder
sister.
○ Rizal even tried to spell out the
words of his sister’s story book
with the use of a syllabary in
such a way that one does when
using a dictionary in a foreign
language.
● Three uncles who were brothers of his
mother also had much influence on the
early childhood of Jose Rizal.
○ The youngest uncle named Jose,
took care of teaching regular
lessons to Rizal.
○ His huge uncle Manuel
developed his physique until he
had a body of silk and steel and
was no longer a skinny and
sickly boy.
○ The last uncle, Gregorio
instilled in the mind of Rizal
that it was not easy to obtain
something until you put effort
into it.
● Jose Rizal, at age five started to make
pencil sketches and mold in clay and
wax objects which attracted his fancy;
Clay and wax were the favorite play
materials of Rizal.
○ He used these materials in
forming modeled birds and
 LIFE and WORKS of RIZAL
1ST SEMESTER I A.Y 2023-2024
PROFESSOR: DR. REY E. REMOTIN
butterflies. This animal
molding activity also started his
study of nature.
● Jose Rizal also owned a pony and used
it to have long rides into the surrounding
country which was rich in scenery; He
also took long walks together with his
big black dog named Usman.
● During Rizal’s childhood, he would love
to go to the chapel, pray, participate in
novenas, and join religious processions.
○ In his hometown Calamba, one
of the men he esteemed and
respect was the scholarly
Catholic priest Leoncio Lopez,
the town priest. He used to visit
him and listen to his inspiring
opinions on current events and
thorough life views.

♡ Transcribed by: Shahinaz Tagle ♡