3rd Week

Rizal is not officially proclaimed as the national hero of the Philippines or any law
proclaiming him. It is because he was an American-sponsored hero.
1500s - the Spaniards went to the Philippines to get spices however, the Filipinos
don’t understand. The Spaniards introduced Christianity and the Filipinos
adapted it.
Dec. 30, 1896 - Rizal’s death

● Ignited heroism among Filipinos

● Because of religion, the Filipinos were blinded by the acts of the Spaniards
for 333 years
● It opened the eyes of Filipinos to join the revolution

June 12, 1898 - Independence Day

William Howard Taft

● Led the Americans to the Philippines

● Taught of a plan to join the Filipinos which is to go around the Philippines
and ask who is their hero
● According to Taft, he only needed to choose one and did a background
check
● Where Taft Ave. was named from

Reasons why Rizal was our National Hero according to Taft:

1. He was dead by the time the Americans colonised the PH

2. He did not make any negative remarks about Americans
3. Martyrdom of Rizal was a symbol of Spanish oppression (Noli and El Fili)
4. He urged reform from within by publicity, by public education, and appeal
to the public conscience

1909 to 1913 - Taft was claimed as the 27th President of American

Xiao Time:

1. Sept. 15, 1857 - Taft was born

2. 1900-1901 - governor-general in the Philippines
3. PH Organic Act 1902
4. Taft developed the PH by giving financial support to Filipinos

Veneration Without Understanding

● Written by Renato Constantino

● Focuses how Rizal was
● He stated that Rizal fought in a bloodless way using his works and writings
● Factors which we fail to converse over the years
 ● Discusses the concept of Filipino nationhood, metamorphosis of the term
“Filipino” and how Rizal viewed “independence” and “liberty” and their
meanings
● We are blinded by our adoration of how great Rizal was
● Constantino is not anti-Rizal rather, he wants to focus on the deeper
meaning or sense what a true hero is and how do you call someone a hero
● Rizal and other heroes in the PH are just a moment that happened in the
history
● Society evolves into a higher level of organisation and creating higher
forms of heroism
● Hero’s applicability ceases to be of current value
● A hero’s weaknesses is society’s weaknesses

> Rizal’s weaknesses were his society’s weaknesses

● We should treat our heroes as a mortal human being and that they are not
exceptional beings, they are accidents of history
● A whole people can be heroes given the proper motivation and articulation
of dreams

> A hero will be born through this fact

● “Let us be heroes of our time. This need not be further elaborated. For inits
true sense, it can be easily understood.”

Veneration

● Means respect, admiration, homage, adoration, honour

Rizal’s Ancestry
Francisco Mercado

● Rizal’s father
● Don Kiko
● Born in Binan, Laguna (Apr. 18, 1818)
● Studied in San Jose College in Manila
● Paternal ancestor Domingo Lam-co, a Chinese immigrant

Teodora Alonso

● Rizal’s mother
● Dona Lolay
● Born in Santa Cruz, Manila (Nov. 14, 1827)
● Ancestry is not easily traced
● Her influence is greater than Rizal’s father
 ● Her father Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo is said to have been “very Chinese” in
appearance
● They adopted the name Realonda
● Eugenio Ursua, a descendant of Japanese settlers

> gave birth to Regina Ursua and married a Tagalog-Chinese

> their daughter married a Spanish mestizo
Rizal’s Birth

● Born in June 19, 1861 between 11PM to 12PM

● 7th child
● His birth was of great difficulty that it endangered his mother’s life
● Born as a pale and sickly child with an undersized body and unusually
large head
● Christened in the nearby Calamba church (St. John the Baptist Parish
Church) when he was 3 days old
● Fr. Pedro Casanas is his godfather
● Fr. Rufino Collantes - the one who baptised Rizal and told his mother “Take
good care of this child. Some day he was be a great man”
● Baptismal name is Jose Rizal Mercado

Rizal’s siblings

1. Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913)

● Eldest child
● Married to Manuel Tomotheo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas
2. Paciano Rizal (1851-1930)
● Only brother and the 2nd child
● Studied at San Jose College in Manila
● Farmer and later general of the PH revolution
3. Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)
● 3rd child
● Married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal
● Teacher and musician
4. Olympia Rizal (1855-1887)
● 4th child
● Married Silvestre Ubaldo
● Died from childbirth
5. Lucia Rizal (1857-1919)
● 5th child
● Married Matriano Herbosa
6. Maria Rizal (1859-1945)
● 6th child
● Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna
7. Jose Rizal
 8. Conception Rizal (1862-1865)
● 8th child
● Died at the age of 3
● Rizal’s first tragedy as she was his favorite sister
9. Josefa Rizal (1865-1945)
● 9th child
● Epileptic
● Died a spinster
10. Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951)
● 10th child
● Died a spinster
● Last one to die
11. Soledad Rizal
● Youngest child
● Married Pantaleon Quintero

4th Week
Rizal’s Childhood Days

● Calamba, Laguna
● Rizal is known as “Pepe” or “Pepito” in Calamba
● 15 year old Rizal (1876) was in Ateneo in Manila
● He wrote a poem “Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo” (In Memory of My Town)
● His father built a nipa cottage (Bahay Kubo)
● At nightfall, Rizal and his mother pray the Angelus
● After the Angelus, they pray the rosary
● After the rosary, Rizal’s sister will tell stories
● Rizal is afraid of ghost stories
● They walk around town as a pastime especially when there was a moon
● Rizal wrote poems as another pastime
● Rizal was called “Ute” by his siblings
● Rizals’ favorite sibling is Concha (Conception)

> Concha died in 1865 (Rizal was 3 yrs. old) because of sickness
> This is Rizal’s 1st sorrow

● Rizal was a “sakristan” because he grew up Catholic

● When Rizal was 3 yrs. old, he took part in family prayers and when he was 5
yrs. old, he reads the family bible
● Rizal took part in novenas and join the religious processions

> He was called “Manong Jose” by the Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras
 ● Fr. Leoncio Lopez, the town priest and Rizal’s mentor
● Donya Lolay wished for another son

> They went to the Pilgrimage in Antipolo and

> Rizal and his father fulfilled his mother’s vow on June 6, 1868
> Her vow is to offer a prayer every 3 months back in the Pilgrimage in
Antipolo

● Rizal’s first trip across Laguna de Bay and his Pilgrimage to Antipolo; he did
not sleep the whole night
● Rizal likes nature tripping; he is very interested in his environement
● He love riding his spirited pony
● He likes walking with his black dog named “Usman”
● He kept many statues and paintings in his room; his reason is that people
will erect a monument and statues in his honour in the future
● He meditates at the shore of Laguna de Bay at 8 yrs. old on the sad
conditions of his oppressed people
● He grieved deeply over the situation of his beloved fatherland and the
misdeeds of the Spaniards awakened his boyish heart a great
determination to fight tyranny
● The “Illustrados”

First Education

● Rizal’s first teacher is his mother

● At 3 yrs. old, Rizal learned the alphabet and prayers
● His mother saw Rizal’s talent for poetry, she supported him and taught
everything that she learned in college
● He cannot forget his mother’s story about a young moth

Rizal’s 3 Uncles (Donya Lolay’s brothers)

1. Uncle Gregorio
● Loves books
● Instilled into the mind of Rizal a great love for books
● Taught him to work hard, think of himself, and observe life keenly
2. Uncle Jose
● Educated at Calcutta India
● Youngest brother of Donya Teodora
● Encouraged Rizal to paint, sketch, and sculpture
3. Uncle Manuel
● Big, strong, and husky man
● Looked after the physical training of Rizal
● Encouraged Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports to
acquire agility, endurance, and strength
Rizal’s Artistic Talents

● God-given talent for arts

● Met Hans Christian Andersen in Denmark
● Drew sketches
● Carved figures
● Rizal had a soul of a genuine artist
● Born a poet
● His mother encouraged him to write poetry
● “Sa AKing Mga Kababata” (To My Fellow Children) - his first known Tagalog
poem
● Before he was 8 yrs. old, he wrote a Tagalog drama

Rizal’s Early Education in Calamba

● Rizal’s parents hired private tutors (non-family member)

● Maestro Lucas Padua

> First tutor

● Leon Monroy

> Former classmate of Rizal’s father

> Taught Rizal Spanish and Latin
> Died 5 months later
Rizal’s Early Education in Binan

● After Monroy’s death, his parents sent him to a private school in Binan
● Enrolled in Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz
● Met a bully named Pedro who made fun of him; he ask Pedro to a fight and
defeated him
● Rizal learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel
● Andres Salandanan, his classmate who challenged Rizal to an
arm-wrestling which resulted to Rizal losing and almost hit his head on the
ground

Rizal - Best student in school

● He beat all Binan boys in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects

● They were all jealous because of Rizal’s intellectual superiority which led
them to lie to their teacher’s eyes
● He received many whippings and strokes from the ferrule (5 to 6 blows on
an open palm)
●
5th Week
Ateneo

● Formerly Ateneo Municipal de Manila

● Private university
● Quezon City, Philippines
● Founded 1859 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
● 3rd oldest university in the PH

Rizal in Ateneo (1872-1877)

● June 1872
● 12 yr. old Rizal was enrolled in Intramuros
● Secondary level of Rizal
● He was late for enrolment since he is not aware
● Rizal was discriminated because of his physical appearance by the Jesuits
● He did not make it to Ateneo
● He originally thought of going to San Juan de Letran
● Fr. Lleonart ask him to carve an image of the Virgin Mary with his pocket
knife
● My First Inspiration (Mi Primera Inspiracion)

> Dedicated for his mother

● Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light

> Depicts the significant role that education plays in the progress and
welfare of our nations

● The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education

> Showed the importance of religion in education

1st Year in Ateneo (1872)

● Fr. Jose Bech was his 1st professor

● He was an externo

> Assigned in Carthaginian, occupying the end of the line

● He became an emperor (highest commemoration)

● End of the month, he received a religious picture (1st prize he won)
● Santa Isabel College - where Rizal learned and improved his Spanish
because the culture in Ateneo is where all people speak Spanish
● End of the year, he placed 2nd but still marked excellent

2nd Year in Ateneo

 ● Studied very hard and became an emperor
● End of the year, he received excellent grades and a gold medal
● Rizal’s mother was in prison because she was accused of poisoning her
sister when in fact she was just attending her sister in Manila
● Rizal’s mother told him a dream and Rizal interpreted the dream that she
would be released from prison in 3 mos. and his prophecy came true
● The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alejandro Dumas

> Rizal’s 1st favorite novel

> About the sufferings of Edmond Dantes in prison, his escape, and the
finding of buried treasure, and revenge on his enemies
3rd Year in Ateneo

● His mother visited hime after she was released from prison
● Did not study much
● Won 1 medal in Latin but grades are still excellent

4th year in Ateneo

● Became interno
● Inspired by Francisco de Paula Sanchez

> Considered as his best professor

> Visited Rizal when he was in Dapitan

● Topped all his classmates in all subjects and won 5 medals

● Sobre saliente (Summa Cum Laude)

Last year in Ateneo

● Obtained his high grades

● Received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts with highest honors at the age of
16
● Active member of Marian Congregation
● Member of the Academy of Spanish Literature
● Member of Natural Science
● Wrote poems
● Engaged in fencing and gymnastics

Rizal’s Mentors

1. Francisco de Paula Sanchez

● Teacher in Math, Rhetoric, Greek
● Cares immensely for his students
● Accompanied Rizal in Dapitan
2. Don Agustin Saez
 ● Ateneo professor
● Painter
● Helped Rizal in drawing
3. Romualdo de Jesus
● Taught him in sculpture

Rizal’s First Love

● At the age of 16, Rizal experienced his first romance

● Her name is Segunda Katigbak
● Met her in his grandma’s house because he was friends with her brother
(Mariano Katigbak)
● She is studying at La Concordia College (wherein Rizal’s sister Olimpia
studies)
● Segunda saw Rizal first and was love at first sight (according to the nuns in
La Concordia College)
● Rizal went to La Concordia College to pursue Katigbak
● She accepted Rizal even if she was already engaged to Manuel Luz
● After several years, Segunda was married and they saw each other again

UST

● Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas

● Catholic university
● Founded on April 28, 1611 by Archbishop Miguel de Benavides
● Run by the Dominican order

Rizal in UST (1877-1882)

● Tertiary level
● His father decided to enrolled Rizal in UST because for him it was a
prestigious university
● His mother opposed the idea of higher education
● He signed up for Philosophy and Letters during his freshman year
● He asked the advised of Fr. Pablo Ramon (Rector of Ateneo)
● He was advised to take up medicine

> Simultaneously in the preparatory medical course and regular 1st yr.
medical course
1st Year in UST

● Studied vocational course leading to the title of “Expert Surveyor”

● At 17 yrs. old he got gold medals in agriculture and topography and passed
the final exam
● He was granted the title only in 1881 when he was 20 or 21 yrs. old
 ● As part of his course, he completed the ff. subjects:

> Cosmology and Metaphysics

> Theodicy
> History of Philosophy

● After his 1st year, Rizal took medicine because of 2 reasons:

> Fr. Ramon Pablo advised him to pursue the course

> His mother’s eyesight has failing eyesight and thought that he can cure
her condition

● His performance in UST was not as great as in his time in Ateneo

> When he was walking at night in UST, he did not see the Guardia civil and
forgot to greet him resulting to Rizal being brutally slashed
2nd Year in UST (Medicine)

● Where everything changed

● Him with his friends were insulted by the Spaniards and call them “Indio,
chongo”

> Retaliated by “Kastila Bangus”

> Often leads to crawls

● Founded a secret society called “Companerismo”

● Rizal was not happy at UST because of 3 factors:
1. Dominican professors were hostile to him
2. Filipino students suffered discrimination
3. Method instruction was obsolete and repressive
4. Science subjects do not have lab experiments and the lab apparatuses
were only for show and cannot be touched by students
● Main reasons for his struggling academic performance:
1. Rizal was not satisfied with the system of education
2. There were plenty of things to distract a young man in the peak of his youth
3. Medicine was not Rizal’s true vocation
4. His real calling was in arts

His Romance to other girls

1. Young woman in Calamba

● After losing Segunda, he courted her but he stopped and the romance died
a natural death
● 2 reason of his change of heart:

> Sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh

> His father did not like the family of Ms. L
 2. Leonor Valenzuela
● Tall girl from Pagsanjan, Laguna
● He send her love notes written in invisible ink and could be deciphered over
the warmth of the lamp
● Visited her on the eve of his departure to Spain and bid goodbye
3. Leonor Rivera
● His first cousin
● From Calamba
● Student at La Concordia College
● Had a beautiful romance with Rizal
● Became engaged
● Signed her name as Taimis

Last Years in UST

● Received his 4-yr practical training in medicine at Hospital de San Juan de

Dios in Intramuros
● In his last year, Rizal obtained the global grades of Notable (Very Good) in
all his subjects
● 2nd best student in a decimated class of 7 who passed the medicine course
● After his 4th yr., he decided to study in Spain
● Paciano, Saturnina, and Lucia approved his plan
● Left the country in the name of Jose Mercado
● His parents and Leonor did not know why he left but they were given a
letter right after he left
● Rizal’s secret mission:

> Wrote a letter to his father