DR RIZAL’S EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BINAN

Lesson 2

Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Binan. It was a typical schooling that a
son of an “illustrado” family received during his time, characterized by the four R’s READING,
WRITING, ARITHMETIC and RELIGION. School instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was
forced into the minds of the pupils by means of the tedious (dull and boring) memorization
method aided by teacher’s whip. Despite the defects of Spanish system of elementary
education, young Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction preparatory for college
work in Manila and abroad. It may be said that Jose Rizal, who was born a physical weakling,
rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather despite, the outmoded and
backward system of instruction obtaining in the country during the last decade of Spanish
regime.

The first teacher of Rizal was his MOTHER Dona Teodora, who was remarkable
woman of good character and fine culture. On her lap, Pepe learned at the age of three the
alphabet and the prayers. As tutor, Dona Teodora was patient, meticulous, and
understanding. It was she able who first discovered that her son has a talent for poetry.

As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The
first was MAESTRO CELESTINO, the second MAESTRO LUCAS PADUA, later an old man named
LEON MONROY, a former classmate of Don Francisco, became the boy’s private tutor.

EARLY Schooling in Binan

In June 1869, Rizal was sent to Binan by his parents for his formal schooling. Jose was
accompanied by Paciano, who acted as his second father. The school was in the house of the
teacher, MAESTRO JUSTINIANO CRUZ. The classroom is a makeshift made of nipa hut which
was about 30 meters from the home of Jose’s aunt, where Jose was about to lodge.

In the afternoon of his first day in school, when Maestro Cruz was having his “Siesta”, Jose
met the bully, Pedro, the teacher’s son for a brawl. Jose was angry at this bully for making fun
of him during his conversation with the teacher in the morning.

The two boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their classmates.
Jose, having learned the art of wrestling from his TIO Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For his
feat, he became popular among his classmates.

After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenges him to
an arm-wrestling match. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms.
Jose, having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk. In the
succeeding days he had other fights with the boys of Binan. He was not quarrelsome by nature,
but he never ran away from a fight.

Jose led a methodical (orderly) life in Binan, almost SPARTAN in simplicity:

Best Student in School

In academic studies, Jose bet all Binan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and
other subjects. Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. He
wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school, and even told
lie to discredit him before the teacher’s eye. Consequently, the teacher had to punish Jose.
Thus, Rizal said that, despite the reputation I had of being a good boy, the day was unusual
when I was not laid out on a bench and given five or six blows.”
 Before the Christmas season in 1870, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina,
informing him of the arrival of the steamer “TALIM” which would take him from Binan to
Calamba. Upon reading the letter, he had a premonition that he would not return to Binan, so
that he became sad. He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in the river for souvenirs,
and gratefully bade farewell to his teacher and classmates.

Jose left Binan on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870, after one year and half of
schooling in that town. He was thrilled to take passage on the steamer Talim, of his father, who
took care of him.

MARTYRDOOM OF GOMBURZA

On the night of January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite
arsenal under the leadership of LAMADRID, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because of
the abolition of their usual privileges, including exemption from tribute and polo by the
reactionary Governor Rafael de Izquierdo. Unfortunately, this Cavite mutiny was suppressed
two days later by troop reinforcement from Manila. The Spanish authorities, in order to
liquidate FATHERS MARIANO GOMEZ, JOSE BURGOS, and JACINTO ZAMORA leaders of the
secular movement to Filipinize the Philippine parishes, and their supporters (Jose Ma. Basa,
Attorney Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, and Antonio Ma. Regidor) magnified the failed mutiny into a
“revolt” for Philippine independence.

Accordingly, GOM-BUR-ZA despite the archbishop’s plea for clemency because of their
innocence, were executed at sunrise, FEBRUARY 17, 1872, by order of Governor General
Rafael de Izquierdo. Their martyrdom was deeply mourned by the Rizal family and many
patriotic families in the Philippines.

Paciano, angry by the execution of Fr. Burgos, his beloved friend, teacher, and housemate,
quit his studies at the College of San Jose and returned to Calamba, where he told the heroic
story of Fr, Burgos to his younger brother Jose, who was then nearly eleven years old.

The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish
tyranny and redeem his oppressed people.

INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER

Before June 1872, tragedy struck the Rizal family, Dona Teodora was suddenly arrested on a
malicious charge that she and her brother, JOSE ALBERTO, tried to poison the latter’s
perfidious (dishonest) wife.

Jose Alberto, a rich Binan “illustrado”, had just returned from a business trip in Europe.
During his absence his wife abandoned their home and children. When he arrived in Binan,
he found her living with another man. Infuriated by her infidelity, Jose Alberto planned to
divorce her, Dona Teodora, to avert family scandal, persuaded him to forgive his wife. The
family trouble was amicably settled, and Jose Alberto lived again with his wife. However, the
evil wife, with the connivance of the Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil, filed a case in
the court accusing her husband (Jose) and Don Teodora of attempting to poison her.

After arresting Dona Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her to walk from
CALAMBA to STA. CRUZ, the capital town of Laguna Province, 50 kilometers walking distance
from Calamba town.. Upon arrival in Sta. Cruz, Dona Teodora was incarcerated (jailed) at the
provincial prison, where she suffered for two (2) years and a half until Manila Royal Audiencia
(Supreme Court) acquitted her of the alleged crime.
 Dona Teodora was defended by Lawyers, Atty. Francisco de Marcaida and Atty. Manuel
Marzan, the most famous lawyers of that time in Manila. She finally succeeded to be acquitted
and justified in the eyes of her judges, accusers, and even her enemies, but after how long?
After two a half year.

SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPS AT ATENEO DE MANILA

(1872-1877)
Four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and with Dona Teodora still in prison,
Jose who had not yet celebrated his eleven birthdays, was sent to Manila. He studied in the
ATENEO MUNICIPAL, a college under the supervision of the Spanish JESUITS. This college was
the bitter rival of the Dominican-owned COLLEGE OF SAN JUAN DE LETRAN. Ateneo de Manila
was formerly the SCUELA PIA (Charity School) a school for poor boys in Manila which was
established by the city government in 1817.In 1859, Ateneo Municipal was renamed ATENEO
DE MANILA.

On June 10, 1872 Jose accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila and took the entrance
examinations on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan de
Letran, and passed them. But Don Francisco, who wished him to study at LETRAN, changed his
mind and decided to send him to ATENEO instead.

Upon their return in Manila, Jose finally matriculated at the Ateneo de Municipal. At first,
Father MAGIN FERNANDO, who was the college registrar, refused to admit JOSE RIZAL for two
reasons; first he was late for registration, and Jose was sickly and undersized for his age. Rizal
was then eleven years old. However, upon the intercession of MANUEL XEREX BURGOS,
nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly admitted at the ATENEO DE MANILA.

Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “RIZAL”. He registered under this
name at the Ateneo because their family name “MERCADO” had come under the 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 confidant.

At that time Jose studied in the Ateneo, this college was in INTRAMUROS, within the wall
of Manila. He first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes
‘walk from the college. This boarding house was owned by a lady named TINAY who owed
the Rizal family the amount of three hundred pesos (Php 300.00). Jose boarded with her in
order to collect part of the debt.

THE JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

The system of education given by the Jesuit in the Ateneo was more advance than that of
other colleges in that period. It trained the character of the student by rigid discipline and
religious instruction. It promoted physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies. Aside
from academic courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, it offered vocational courses
in agriculture, commerce, mechanics, and surveying.

Students were divided into two groups, namely: the (1) ROMAN EMPIRE” consisting of
the “INTERNOS” (boarders) (2)“CARTHAGINIAN” EMPIRE composed of the
“EXTERNOS” (Non-boarders)

Each of these empires had its RANKS. The best student in each “empire” was the
EMPEROR; the second best, the TRIBUNE; the third best, the DECURION; the fourth best,
CENTURION; and the fifth best, the STANDARD-BEARER.

LEONILO A. CAPELLAN
TUP 2023