CHAPTER I

ADVENT OF NATIONAL HERO

 DR. JOSE RIZAL
• Example of a many splendored hero
• Ranked with the words geniuses, physician, poet,
dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect,
painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, musician,
naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor, engineer, farmer,
businessman, economist, folklorist, philosopher,
translator, inventor, magician, humorist, satirist,
sportsman, traveler, and prophet a HERO and a
POLOTICAL MARTYR who sacrificed his life for the
REDEMPTION OF HIS PEOPLE.
THE BIRTH OF NATIONAL HERO
– Born on the moonlit night of Wednesday between
11:00 and midnight of June 19, 1861 in Calamba,
Laguna

– Baptized in June 22 by Fr. Rufino Collantes, a

Batangueno

– His Godfather was Fr. Pedro Casanas

 RIZAL’s PARENTS
FRANCISCO MERCADO RIZAL (1818-1898)
- born in Binan, Laguna on May 11, 1818
- Studied Latin & philosophy in College of San Jose
- After his parent’s death, he moved to Calamba and
became tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned
hacienda
- Hardy and independent minded, talked less and
worked more, strong in body and spirit
- Died on January 5, 1898
- Rizal called him “A MODEL OF FATHERS”
DONA TEODORA ALONZO REALONDA (1826-
1911)
- born in Manila on November 8, 1926;
studied in College of Sta. Rosa
- Possessed refine culture, literary talented,
business ability and fortitude, spoke Spanish,
mathematician, read many books
- Died in Manila on August 16, 1911
 THE RIZAL CHILDREN
• 11 children; 2 boys and 9 girls
1. Saturnina (1850-1913) – nickname Neneng;
married to Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan,
Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930) – confidant of Rizal;
become combat general of Philippine
Revolution; Retired to his farm in Los Banos;
Died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor; Had a
boy and a girl by his mistress Severina Decena
3. Narcisa (1852-1939) – married to Antonio
Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a
school teacher of Morong
4. Olimpia (1855-1887) Ypia; she married
Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from
Manila
5. Lucia (1857-1919) – married to Mariano
Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of
Father Casanas; Herbosa died of cholera in
1889 and was denied Christian burial because
he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal.
6. Maria (1859-1945) – Biang; she married
Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan
7. Jose (1861-1896) Greatest Filipino Hero and
peerless genius nicknamed PEPE
8. Concepcion (1862-1865) – nickname
Concha;died at the age of three (3)
9. Josefa (1865-1945) - Panggoy; she died an old
maid at 80
10. Trinidad (1868-1951) – Trining; died an old
maid at age 83
11. Soledad (1870-1929) – Choleng; married to
Pataleon Quintero of Calamba

Rizal immortalized Paciano in his Noli Me

Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio; Regarded
Paciano as the “Most noble of Filipinos and
more generous and noble than all the
Spaniards put together”
 RIZAL’s ANCESTRY
DOMINGO LAMEO - Rizal’s great-great grandparent on
his father side; Chinese immigrant from Fukien City of
CHANGCHOW arrived in Manila about 1690. Became
Christian and married a rich Chinese Christian girl from
Manila named INES DELA ROSA and assumed in 1731,
the surname MERCADO - (market in English); They
have a son named FRANCISCO MERCADO who married
Chinese Filipinas CIRILA BERNACHA and was elected
GOBERNADORCILLO. One of their sons JUAN MERCADO
(Rizal’s grandfather) married CIRILA ALEJANDRO,
Chinese Filipina mestiza, elected also as
GOBERNADOCILLO; had 13 children youngest being
FRANCISCO MERCADO, Rizal’s father.
DONA TEODORA’S great grand father (Rizal’s
maternal great-great-grandfather) was
EUGENIO URSULA (of Japanese ancestry)
married a Filipina BENIGNA (surname
unknown) their daughter REGINA married
MANUEL de QUINTOS Fil-Chinese lawyer from
Pangasinan. Their daughter BRIGIDA married
LORENZO ALBERTO ALONSO a prominent
Spanish-Fil of Binan. Their children were
Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s mother), Gregorio,
Manuel and Jose.
SURNAME RIZAL

MERCADO – was adopted in 1731 by DOMINGO

LAMCO (the paternal great-great
grandfather of Rizal)

RIZAL – was given by Spanish Alcalde Mayor of

Laguna – a family friend.
- A Spanish word which means a FIELD where
wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again.
THE RIZAL HOME
- Two-storey stone house, rectangular in shape, built
of adobe stones and hard woods and roofed with
red tiles;
Dr. Rafael Palma described it as follows:
The house was high and even sumptuous, a solid
and massive earthquake proof structure with
sliding shell windows. Thick walls of lime and stone
bounded the first floor; the second floor was made
entirely of wood except for the roof, which was of
red tile, in the style of the buildings in Manila at
that time… At the back there was an azotea and a
wide, deep cistern to hold rain water for home use.
- Behind the house were the poultry yard full of
turkeys and chickens and a big garden of tropical
trees – atis, balimbing, chico, macopa, papaya,
santol, tampoy, etc.
A GOOD MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY
- Rizal family belong to the PRINCIPALIA, a town
aristocracy in Spanish Philippines
- Rented farm from Dominican Order; harvested rice,
corn and sugar cane; raised pigs, chickens and
turkeys
- Dona Teodora managed general good store and
operated a small flour-mill and home-made ham
press.
- Able to build a large stone house; owned a carriage
and a private library
- Able to send all their children to colleges in Manila
HOME LIFE OF THE RIZAL

- Simple, contended and happy life

- Close family ties; children were loved but not
spoiled
- Strict parents, believe in the maxim “spare the
rod and spoiled the child”; children were trained
to love God, behave well, to be obedient and
respectful
- Religious; attend Sunday mass, pray together at
home the Angelus and rosary.
 CHAPTER 2

CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

 CALAMBA, the HERO’s Town-
• Hacienda town which belong to the DOMINICAN ORDER

• Nestling on a verdant plain covered with rice fields/sugar-lands

• To the south looms the legendary Mount Makiling

• East of the town is the Laguna de Bay; In the middle of the lake is
the island of Talim

• At the north is the distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the

miraculous Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

• UN RECUERDO A MI PUEBLO (1876) – Wrote this poem when he

was only 15 yrs old/student at Ateneo de Manila
EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
• Aya (nursemaid) employed to care for the frail, sickly and
undersized Rizal

• At the aged of three (3) he watched from nipa hut the culiauan,
maya, maria, capra, martin, pipit and other birds with wonder and
joy to their twilight songs.

• Angelus prayer

• Happy moonlit night at Azotea where the Aya related to the Rizal
Children many stories about fairies. These stories aroused in Rizal
enduring interest in Legends and Folklores.

• Nocturnal moonlit walk in the town and by the river

FIRST SORROW
• Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only
three years old

DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH

• Grew up a good Catholic
• At age 3, he began to take part in family prayers and at
age 5 he began to read haltingly Spanish family bible.
• Went to church, pray and take part in novenas and join
religious processions
• Rizal used to visit esteemed and respected Father
Leoncio Lopez, Calamba priest and listen to the latter’s
stimulating opinions on current events and sound
philosophy of life.
 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO
• On June 6, 1868 – Rizal and his father left
Calamba for Antipolo to fulfill his mother’s vow
which was made when Jose was born
• Describing the experience of crossing Laguna de
Bay in a casco he said “ With what pleasure I saw
the sunrise; for the first time I saw how the
luminous rays shone, producing a brilliant effect
on the raffled surface of the wide lake”
• On their way back they visited Saturnina in
Manila who was then a boarding student at La
Concordia College in Sta. Ana.
 THE STORY OF THE MOTH
• The young moth did not heed the repeated warning of the
old moth not to get so close to the light which to the young
moth was so beautiful and attractive, and so the young
moth met its death by burning itself by reason of curiosity
and attraction to the luminous light.

• Rizal justified such noble death (died martyr to its illusions)

asserting that “to sacrifice one’s life for it (ideal), is
worthwhile.

• Like that young moth, he was fated to die a martyr (in

search for light – education, reforms for his
country/people)
 ARTISTIC TALENT
• At age 5, made sketches with his pencil, mould
clay and wax objects

• He painted in oil colors a new banner that

delighted the crowd – it’s better than the
original
 FIRST POEM BY RIZAL
• His mother – lover of literature encourage
Rizal to write poetry

• At age of 8, he wrote his poem in the native

language entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kababata”.
This poem reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist
sentiment and proclaimed that people who
love the native language will strive for liberty.
 FIRST DRAMA BY RIZAL

• Tagalog comedy applauded in Calamba festival

the manuscript of which was bought by
gobernadorcillo from Paete, Laguna for P2.00.
It was shown also during Paete’s fiesta.
 RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN
• Making coin appear and disappear in his fingers
• Handkerchief vanishing in the air
• Magic-lantern exhibition – lamp casting its
shadow on a white screen
• Twisted his fingers into shapes, making their
enlarged shadows on the screen resemble certain
animals/persons
• Manipulated marionettes (puppet shows)
• Read books on magic and attended performance
of great magicians
 LAKESHORES REVERIES
• With his pet dog (Usman) used to meditate at Laguna de
Bay asking what might be over on the other side of the
waves.
• Thinking of the Guardia Civil caning and injuring unarmed
and peace loving villagers whose only act was not having
taken off their hats and vowed while passing in front of the
former.
• No restraint put upon Spanish brutality committed daily
• “In view of these injustices and cruelties, although yet a
child, my imagination was awakened and I made a vow
dedicating myself someday to avenge the many victims.”…
(letter to Mariano Ponce)
 INFLUENCE ON THE HEROE’S
BOYHOOD

1. HEREDITARY INFLUENCE
Malayan Ancestors – love for freedom;
innate desire to travel and his indomitable
courage.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE

• Scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of

the Rizal family stimulated Rizal’s inborn artistic and
literary talents.
• Religious atmosphere at home – fortified his religious
nature
• Paciano – instilled in his mind the love for freedom
and justice
• From his sisters – he learned courtesy and kindness to
women
• Fairytales told by his Aya – awakened his interest in
folklore and legends
• Tio Jose Alberto who studied for 11 years in British
School in Calcutta, India/ traveled to Europe – inspired
him to develop his artistic ability
• Tio Manuel – husky and athletic – encouraged
him to develop his frail body through exercise,
walking, wrestling
• Tio Gregorio – book lover – intensified Rizal’s
voracious reading of good books
• Fr. Leoncio Lopez – fostered Rizal’s love for
scholarship and intellectual honesty
• Death of Concha (1865), imprisonment of his
mother in 1871-74 – strengthened his character
• Spanish abuses, cruelties, brutal acts of guardia
civil and the alcalde, tortures on innocent
Filipinos and execution of GOMBURZA (1872)
awakened his patriotism
3. AID OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE

God endowed him with versatile gifts of a

genius, vibrant spirit of nationalistic and
valiant heart for a noble cause.