RIZAL’S LIFE: FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

Learning Outcomes:
Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education - Evaluate the
people and events and the influence of Rizal’s early life
Advent of A National Hero
Overview
Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example of a many-splendored genius who
became the greatest hero of a nation. Endowed by God with versatile gifts,
he truly ranked with the world's geniuses. He was a physician (ophthalmic
surgeon), poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect, painter,
sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor,
engineer, farmer businessman, economist, geographer, cartographer,
bibliophile, philologist, grammarian, folklorist, philosopher, translator,
inventor, magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist, sportsman, traveler, and
prophet Above and beyond all these, he was a hero and political martyr

Learning Outcomes:
a. Identify the professions of Jose Rizal
b. Identify the blood that flowed in the veins of our national hero
c. Discuss why Jose Rizal is the only person who used Rizal surname in
the family d. Describe the life of Rizal’s family
 The Birth of a Hero. Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit night of
Wednesday, June 19, 1861, in the lakeshore town of Calamba Laguna
Province, Philippines His mother almost died during the delivery because
of his big head. As he recounted many years later in his student memoirs:
"I was born in Calamba, on 19 June, 1861, between eleven and midnight,
a few days moon. It was a Wednesday and my coming out in this vale of
tears would have cost my mother her life had she not vowed to the virgin
of Antipolo to take me to her sanctuary by way of pilgrimage”.
He was baptized in the Catholic church of his town on June 22, aged
three days old, by the parish priest, Father Rufino Collantes, who was a
Batangueño His godfather (ninong) was Father Pedro Casanas, native of
Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family. His name "Jose" was chosen
by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St.
Joseph).
During the christening ceremony Father Collantes was impressed by
the baby's big head, and told the members of the family who were present:
"Take good. care of this child, for someday he will become a great man."
His words proved to be prophetic, as confirmed by subsequent events.
The baptismal certificate of Rizal reads as follows: "I, the
undersigned parish priest of Calamba, certify that from the investigation
made with proper authority, for replacing the parish books which were
burned September 28. 1862, to be found in Docket No of Baptisms, p. 49,
it appears by the sworn testimony of competent witnesses that JOSE
RIZAL MERCADO is the legitimate son, and of lawful wedlock, of Don
Francisco Rizal Mercado and Doña Teodora Realonda, having been
baptized in this parish on the 22nd day of June in the in the year 1861, by
the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes, Rev. Pedro Casanas being his
godfather. ---- Witness my signature.
 It should be noted that at the time Rizal was born, the governor
general of the Philippines was Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery,
former senator of Spain (member of the upper chamber of the
Spanish Cortes). He governed the Philippines from February 2, 1861 to
July 7, 1862 Incidentally, on the same date of Rizal's birth (June 19, 1861),
he sent an official dispatch to the Ministry, of War and the Ministry of
Ultramar in Madrid, denouncing Sultan Pulalun of Sulu and several
powerful Moro datus for fraternizing with a British consul. Among
his achievements as governor general were (1) fostering the
cultivation of cotton in the provinces and (2) establishing the politico-
military governments in the Visayas and in Mindanào.
Rizal's Parents.
Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco
Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda. The, hero's father,
Francisco (1818-1898) was born in Biñan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818. He
studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of Sari Jose in Manila. In
early manhood, following his parent's death, he moved to Calamba and
became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda. He was a
hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more,
and was strong in body and valiant in spirit. He died in Manila on January
5, 1898, at the age of 80. In his student memoirs, Rizal affectionately
called him "a model of fathers".
Doña Teodora (1820-1911), the hero's mother, was born in Manila
On November 8, 1826 and was educated at the College of Santa Rosa,
a well-known college for girls in the city. She was a remarkable woman,
possessing refined culture, literary talent, business ability, and the
fortitude of Spartan women. Rizal lovingly sad of her: "My mother is a
woman of more than ordinary culture, she knows literature and speaks
Spanish better than I. She corrected my poems and gave me good
advice when I was studying rhetoric. She is a mathematician and has
read many books. Doña Teodora died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at
the age of 85. Shortly before her death, the Philippine government offered
her' a life pension. She courteously rejected it saying, "My family has
never been patriotic for money. If the government has plenty of funds and
does not know what to do with them, better reduce the taxes." Such
remarks truly befitted her as a worthy mother of a national hero?
The Rizal Children. God blessed the marriage of Francisco Mercado
Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda with eleven children-two boys
and nine girls. These children were as follows:
The Rizal Children. God blessed the marriage of Francisco Mercado Rizal
and Teodora Alonso Realonda with eleven children-two boys and nine
girls. These children were as follows:
1. Saturnina (1850-1913) - Oldest of the Rizal children, nicknamed
Neneng; she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas
2. Paciano (1851-1930) - An older brother and confidant of Jose Rizal;
after his younger brother's execution, he joined the Philippine Revolution
and became a combat general; after the Revolution, he retired to his farm
in Los Baños, where he lived as a gentleman farmer and died on April 13,
1930, an old bachelor aged 79. He had two children by his mistress
(Severina Decena) a boy and a girl.
3. Narcisa (1852-1939) - Her pet name was Sisa and she married Antonio
Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school teacher of Morong
4. Olimpia (1855-1887) - Ypia was her pet name she married Silvestre
Ubaido, a telegraph operator from Manila.
5. Lucia (1857-1919) – She married 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 was her nickname; she married Daniel
Faustinó Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
7. JOSE (1861-1896) - the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius; his
nickname was Pepe; during his exile in Dapitan he lived with Josephine
Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong; he had a son by her, but this baby-
boy died a few hours after birth; Rizal named him "Francisco" after his
father and buried him in Dapitan.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865) - her pet name was Concha; she died of
sickness at the age of 3; her death was Rizal's first sorrow in life.
9. Josefa (1865-1945) - her pet name was Panggoy; she died an old maid
at the age of 80.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951) - Trining was her pet name; she died also an old
maid in 1951 aged 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929) - youngest of the Rizal children; her pet name
was Choleng; she married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba:
Sibling relationship among the Rizal children was affectionately
cordial. As a little boy, Rizal used to play games with his sisters. Although
he had boyish quarrels with them, he respected them. Years later when he
grew to manhood, he always called them Doña or Señora (if married) and
Señorita (if single). For instance, he called his older sister "Doña Ypia,"
his oldest sister "Señora Saturnina," and his unmarried sisters "Señorita
Josefa" and "Señorita Trinidad."
 Rizal's relation with his only brother Paciano, who was ten years his
senior, was more than that of younger to older brother. Paciano was a
second father to him. Throughout his life, Rizal respected him and greatly
valued his sagacious advice. He immortalized him in his first novel Noli
Me Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio.
In a letter to Blumentritt, written in London on June 23, 1888, he
regarded Paciano as the "most noble of Filipinos" and "though an Indio,
more generous and noble than all the Spaniards put together. And in a
subsequent letter also written to Blumentritt and dated London, October
12, 1888, he spoke of his beloved older brother, as follows: "He is much
finer and more serious, than I am; he is bigger and more slim; he is not so
dark; his nose is fine, beautiful and sharp; but he is bow-legged."

Rizal's Ancestry
As a typical Filipino, Rizal was a product of the mixture of races."
In his veins flowed, the blood of both East and West-Negrito, Indonesian,
Malay, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. Predominantly, he was a Malayan
and was a magnificent specimen of Asian manhood. Rizal's great-great
grandfather on his father's side was Domingo Lamco, a Chinese
immigrant from the Fukien city of Changchow, who arrived in Manila
about 1690. He became a Christian, married a well-to-do Chinese
Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la Rosa, and assumed in 1731 the
surname Mercado which was appropriate for him because he was å
merchant. The Spanish term Mercado means "market" in English.
Domingo Mercado and Ines de la Rosa had a son, Francisco Mercado,
who resided in Biñan, married a Chinese-Filipino mestiza, Cirila
Bernacha, and was elected gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of the
town. One of their sons, Juan Mercado (Rizal's grandfather), married
Cirila Alejandro, a Chinese -Filipino mestiza. Like his father, he was
elected governadorcillo of Biñan. Capitan Juan and Capitana Cirila had
thirteen children, the youngest being Francisco Mercado, Rizal's father.
At the age of eight, Francisco Mercado lost his father and grew up
to manhood under the care of his mother. He studied Latin and Philosophy
in the College of San Jose in Manila. While studying in Manila, he met
and fell in love with Teodora Alonso Realonda, a student in the College
of Santa Rosa. They were married on June 28,1848, after which they
settled down in Calamba, where they engaged in farming and business
and reared a big family.
It is said that Doña Teodora's family descended from Lakan-Dula,
the last native king of Tondo. Her great-grandfather (Řizal's maternal
great-great-grandfather) was Eugenio Ursua (of Japanese ancestry), who
married a Filipina named Benigna (surname unknown). Their daughter,
Regina, married Manuel de Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer from
Pangasinan. One of the daughters of Attorney Quintos and Regina was
Brigida, who married. Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, a prominent Spanish-
Filipino mestizo of Biñan. Their children were Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal's
mother), Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose.
The Surname Rizal. The real surname of the Rizal family was
Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (the paternal
great-great-grandfather of Jose Rizal); who was a full-blooded Chinese.
Rizal's family acquired a second surname -Rizal - which was given by a
Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who was a family
friend. Thus said Dr. Rizal, in his letter to Blumentritt (without date or
place).
I am the only Rizal because at home my parents, my sisters, my
brother, and my relatives have always preferred our old surname
 Mercado. Our family name was in fact Mercado, but there were
many Mercados in the Philippines who are not related to us. It is
said that an alcalde mayor, who was a friend of our family added
Rizal to our name. My family did not pay 'much attention to this,
but now I have to use it. In this way, it seems that I am an
illegitimate son.
The Rizal Home.
The house of the Rizal family, where the hero was born, was one of
the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during Spanish times. It was a
two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-
woods, and roofed with red tiles. It is described by Dr. Rafael Palma, one
of Rizal's prestigious biographers, 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 fruit trees-chico,
macopa, papaya, santol, tampoy, atis, balimbing, etc.
It was a happy home where parental affection and children's laughter
reigned. By day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the
songs of the birds in the garden. By night, echoed with the dulcet notes of
family prayers. Such a wholesome home, naturally, bred a wholesome
family. And such a family was the Rizal family.
A Good and Middle-Class Family.
 The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in
Spanish Philippines. It was one of the distinguished families in Calamba.
By dint of honest and hard work and frugal living, Rizal's parents were
able to live well. From the farms, which were rented from the Dominican
Order, they harvested rice, corn, and sugarcane. They raised pigs,
chickens, and turkeys in their backyard. addition to farming and stock
raising, Doña Teodora managed a general goods store and operated a
small flour-mill and a home-made ham press.
As evidence of their affluence, Rizal's parents were able to build a
large stone house which was situated near the town church and to buy
another one. They owned a carriage, which was a status symbol of
the illustrados in Spanish Philippines and a private library (the largest in
Calamba) which consisted of more than 1,00 volumes. They sent their
children to the colleges in Manila. Combining affluence and culture,
hospitality and courtesy, they participated prominently in all social and
religious affairs in the community. They were gracious hosts to all visitors
and guests- friars, Spanish officials, and Filipino friends- during the town
fiestas and other holidays. Beneath their roof, all guests irrespective of
their color, rank, social position, and economic status, were welcome.

Home Life of the Rizals.

The Rizal family had a simple, contented, and happy life. In
consonance with Filipino custom family ties among the Rizals were
intimately close Don Francisco and Doña Teodora loved their children,
but they never spoiled them. They were strict parents and they trained
their children to love God, to behave well, to be obedient, and to respect
people, especially the old folks. Whenever the children, including Jose
Rizal, got into mischief, they were given a sound spanking. Evidently,
they believed in the maxim: "Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Every day the Rizals (pareris and children) heard Mass in the town
church, particularly during Sundays and Christian holidays. They prayed
together daily at home - the Angelus at sunset and the Rosary before
retiring to bed at night. After the family prayers, all the children Kissed
the hands of their parents.
Life was not, however, all prayers and church services for the Rizal
children. They were given ample time and freedom to play by their strict
and religious parents. They played merrily in the azotea or in the garden
by themselves. The older ones were allowed to play with the children of
other families

Childhood Years in Calamba

Overview
Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town.
He grew up in a happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy,
and sanctified by God's blessings. His natal town of Calamba, so
named after a big native jar, was a fitting cradle for a hero. Its scenic
beauties and its industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks impressed him
during his childhood years and profoundly affected his mind and
character. The happiest period of Rizal's life was spent in this lakeshore
town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like tragic manhood.
Learning Outcomes
a. Describe the childhood years of Jose Rizal in Calamba
b. Determine the achievement of Jose Rizal during his young age
c. Discuss the events in the life of Rizal that made him love to his nation
and fight for freedom.
Calamba the Hero's Town
Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican
Order, which also owned all the lands around it. It is a picturesque town
nestling on a verdant plain, covered with irrigated rice fields and sugar-
lands. A few kilometers to the south looms the legendary Mount
Makiling in somnolent grandeur, and beyond this mountain is the
province of Batangas East of the town is the Laguna de Bay, an inland
lake of songs and emerald waters beneath the canopy of azure skies. In
the middle of the lake towers the storied island of Talim, and beyond it
towards the north is the distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the
miraculous Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

Earliest Childhood Memories.

The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the
family garden when he was three years old. Because he was a frail, sickly,
and undersized child, he was given the tenderest care by his parents. His
father built a little nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in the
daytime. A kind old Woman was employed as an aya (nurse maid) to look
after his comfort. At times, he was left alone to muse on the beauties of
nature or to play by himself. In his boyhood memoirs, he narrated ho w
he, at the age of three, watched from his garden cottage, the culiauan, the
maya, the naria capra, the martin, the pipit, and other birds and listened
"with wonder and joy" to their twilight songs.
 Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By
nightfall, Rizal related, his mother gathered all the children at the house
to pray the Angelus.
With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the happy moonlit
nights at the azotea after the nightly Rosary. The aya related to the Rizal
children (including Jose) many stories, about the fairies, tales of buried
treasure and trees blooming with diamonds, and other fabulous stories.
The imaginary tales told by the aya aroused in Rizal an enduring interest
in legends and folklore. Sometimes, when he did not like to take his
supper, the aya would threaten that the aswang, the nuno, the tikbalang,
or a terrible bearded and turbaned Bombay would come to take him away
if he would not eat his supper.
Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town,
especially when there was a moon. The aya took him for a walk in the
moonlight by the river, where the trees cast grotesque shadows on the
bank.
The Hero's First Sorrow
The Rizal children were bound together by ties of love and
companionship. They were well-bred, for their parents taught them to love
and help one another.
Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha (Concepcion). He
was a year older than Concha. He played with her and from her he learned
the sweetness of sisterly love.
Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only
three years old. Jose, who was very fond of her, cried bitterly at losing her.
"When I was four years old," he said, "I lost my little sister Concha, and
then for the first time I shed tears caused by love and grief..."The death of
little Concha brought him his first sorrow.
Devoted Son of tine Church. A scion of a Catholic clan, born and
bred in a wholesome atmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an
inborn pious spirit, Rizal grew up 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 prayers.
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. It is said that he was so seriously devout that he
was laughingly called Manong Jose by the Hermanos and Hermanas
Terceras. 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 listen to his stimulating
opinions on current events and sound philosophy of life.
Pilgrimage to Antipolo
On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a
pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow which was
made when Jose was born Dona Teodora could not accompany them
because she had given birth to Trinidad. 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." Writing many years later of this
experience, 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 ruffled surface of the wide lake. After praying at the shrine of the
Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to Manila. It was the first time
Jose saw Manila. They visited Saturnina, who was then a boarding student
at La Concordia College in Santa Ana.
The Story of the Moth
Of the stories told by Doña Teodora to her favorite son, Jose, that
of the young moth made the profoundest impression on him. Speaking of
this incident, Rizal wrote: One night, all the family, except my mother and
myself, went to bed early. Why, I do not know, but we two remained sitting
alone. The candles had already been put out. They had been blown out in
their globes by means of a curved tube of tin. That tube seemed to me the
finest and most wonderful, plaything in the world. The room was dimly
lighted by a single light of coconut oil., In all Filipino homes such a light
burn through the night. It goes out just at day-break to awaken people by
its spluttering. My mother was teaching me to read in a Spanish reader
called "The Children's Friend'" (El Amigo de los Niños). This was quite a
rare book and an old copy. It had lost its cover and my sister had cleverly
made a new one. She had fastened a sheet of thick blue paper over the
back and then covered it with a piece of cloth. This night my mother
became impatient with hearing me read so poorly. I did not understand
Spanish and so I could not read with expression. She took the book from
me. First she scolded me for drawing funny pictures on its pages. Then
she told me to listen and she began to read. When her sight was good, she
read very well. She could recite well, and she under stood verse-making,
too. Many times during Christmas vacation my mother corrected my
poetical compositions, and she always made valuable criticisms. I
listened to her, full of childish enthusiasm, I marveled pages. The phrases
she read so easily stopped me at every at then ice-sounding phrases which
she read from those same breaths. Perhaps I grew tired of listening to
sounds that had no meaning for me. Perhaps I lacked self-control.
Anyway, I paid little attention to the reading. I was watching the cheerful
flame. About it, some little moths were. circling in playful fights. By
chance, too, I yawned. My mother soon noticed that I was not interested.
She stopped reading. Then she said to me: "I am going to read you a very
pretty story. Now pay attention."

On hearing the word 'story' I at once opened my eyes wide. The word
'story' promised something new and wonderful. I watched my mother
while she turned the leaves of the book, as if she were looking for
something: Then I settled down to listen. I was full of curiosity and
wonder. I had never even dreamed that there were stories in the old book
which I read without understanding. My mother began to read me the
fable of the young moth and the old one. She translated it into Tagalog a
little at a time.
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,
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 I have always noticed in
myself whenever anything has stirred my feelings. The flame and the
moth seemed to go farther 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. Don't be disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did,
I do not know whether I answered or not... The s tory revealed to me things
until, then unknown. Moths no longer were, for me, insignificant insects.
Moths talked; they knew how to warn. They advised just liked my mother.
The light seemed to me more beautiful. It had grown more dazzling and
more attractive. I knew why the moths circled the flame.
The tragic fate of the young moth, which "died a martyr to its
illusions," left a deep impress on Rizal's mind. He justified such. noble
death, asserting that "to sacrifice one's life for it," meaning for an idea l,
is "worthwhile." And, like that young moth, he was fated to die as a martyr
for a noble ideal.

Artistic Talents
Since early childhood Rizal revealed his God-given talent. for art.
At the age of five, he began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould
in clay ad wax objects which, attracted his fancy.
It is said that one day, when Jose was a mere boy in Calamba a
religious banner which was always used during the fiesta was spoiled.
Upon the request of the town mayor, he painted in oil colors a new banner
that delighted the town folks because it was better than the original one.
 Jose had the soul of a genuine artist. Rather an introvert child, with
a skinny physique and sad dark eyes, he found great joy looking at the
blooming flowers, the ripening fruits, the dancing waves of the take, and
the milky clouds in the sky; and listening to the songs of the birds, the
chirpings of the cicadas, and the murmurings of the breezes: He loved to
ride on a spirited pony which his father bought for him and take long
walks in the meadows and lakeshore with his black dog named Usman.
First Poem by Rizal
Aside from his sketching and sculpturing talent. Rizal possessed a
God-given gift for literature. Since early boyhood he had scribbled verses
on loose sheets of paper and on the textbooks of his sisters. His mother,
who was a lover of literature, noticed his poetic inclination and
encouraged him to write poetry.
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language
entitled Sa Aking Mga Kababata (To My Fellow Children)
In the lives of all men there are influences which cause some to be
great and others not. In the case of Rizal, he had all the favorable
influences, few other children in his time enjoyed. These influences were
the following: (1) hereditary influence, (2) environmental influence, and
(3) aid of Divine
Hereditary Influence: According to biological science, there are inherent
qualities which a person inherits from his ancestors and parents. From his
Malayan ancestors, Rizal, evidently, inherited his love for freedom, his
innate desire to travel, and his indomitable courage. 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 insult, and gallantry to ladies. From his father, he inherited
a profound sense of self-respect, the love for work, and the habit of
independent thinking. And from his mother, he inherited his religious
nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.
Environmental Influence: According to psychologists, environment, as
well as heredity, 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 brot her, Paciano, instilled in his mind
the for freedom and Justice. 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, His three uncles,
brothers of his mother, exerted a good influence on him. Tio Jose Alberto,
who had studied for eleven years in a British School in Calcutta, India,
and had traveled in Europe inspired him to develop his artistic ability. Tio
Manuel, a husky and athletic man, encouraged him to develop his frail
body by. means of physical exercises including horse riding, walking, and
wrestling. And Tio Gregorio, a book lover, intensified his voracious
reading of good books. Father Leoncio Lopez, the old and learned parish
priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal's love for scholarship and intellectual
honesty. The sorrows in his family, such as the death of Concha in 1865
and the imprisonment of his mother in 1871-74, contributed to strengthen
his character, enabling him to resist blows of adversity in later years. The
Spanish abuses and cruelties which he witnessed in his boyhood, such as
the brutal acts of the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and the alcalde, the
unjust tortures inflicted on innocent Filipinos, and the execution 'of.
Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora in 1872, awakened his spirit of
patriotism and inspired him to consecrate his life and talents to redeem his
oppressed people.
Aid of Divine Providence: Greater than heredity and environment in the
fate of man is the ajd of Divine Providence A person may have everything
in life- brains, wealth, _and power but, without the aid of Divine
Providence, he cannot attain greatness in the annals of the nation. Rizal
was providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his nation. God
had endowed him with the versatile gifts of a genius, the vibrant of spirit
a nationalist, and the valiant heart for noble cause.
Early Education
Overview
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical
schooling that a son of an ilustrado family received during his time,
characterized by the four R's - reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds of
the pupils by means of the tedious memory method aided by the teacher's
whip. Despite the defects of the Spanish system of elementary education,
Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction preparatory for college
work in Manila and abroad. It may be said that Rizal, who was born a
physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but
rather in spite of, the outmoded and backward system of instruction
obtaining in the Philippines during the last decades of Spanish regime.
Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Identify the characteristics of teaching during Rizal’s early
education.
2. Describe/discuss the early education of Rizal in Calamba and Biñan.
3. Reflect on the life of Rizal in Calamba and Biñan.
The Hero's First Teacher.
 The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a
remarkable woman of good character and fine culture. On her lap, he
learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. “My mother,"
wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say
haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God. As a tutor,
Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding. It was
she who first discovered that her son had a talent for poetry.
Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. To lighten the
monotony of memorizing the ABCs and to stimulate her son's
imagination, she related many stories. As Jose grew older, his parents
employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The first was
Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old
man named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal's father, became
the boy's tutor. This old teacher lived at the Rizal home and
instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not live
long. He died five months later. After Monroy's death, the hero's
parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school in Biñan.
Jose Goes to Biñan. One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose, after
kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful parting from his sisters,
left Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by Paciano, who acted
as his second father. The two brothers rode in a carromata, teaching
their destination after one and one-half hours drive. They proceeded to
their aunt's house, where. Jose was to lodge. It was almost night when
they arrived, and the moon was about to rise. First Day in Biñan
School. The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger
brother to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.The school
was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 30
meters from the home of Jose's aunt. 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 return to Calamba.
 Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. Jose described his
teacher in Biñan as follows: "He was tall thin, long-necked, with a
sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear a
sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled hands of the women of Batangas.
He knew by heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza. Add to this his
severity, that in my judgment was exaggerated, and you have a picture,
perhaps vague, that I have made of him, but I remember only this.
First School Brawl. In the afternoon of his first day in school; when the
teacher was having his siesta; Jose met 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 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 art of
wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For
this feat, he became popular among his classmates. After the class in
the afternoon, a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged 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 succeeding days, he had other fights with the
boys of Biñan. He was not quarrelsome by nature, but he never can away
from a fight. Painting Lessons in Biñan. Near the school was the house of
an old painter, called Juancho, who was the father-in-law of the school
teacher. Jose, lured by his love for painting, spent many leisure hours at
the painter's studio, Old Juancho freely gave him lessons in drawing and
painting. He was impressed by the artistic talent of the Calamba lad. Jose
and his classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved painting, became
apprentices of the old painter. They improved their art, so that in due time
they became "the favorite painters of the class. Daily Life in Biñan. Jose
led a methodical life in Biñan, almost Spartan in simplicity. Such a life
contributed much to his future development. It strengthened his body and
soul. Best Student in School. In academic 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. "Thus Rizal said that "in
spite of 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.
End of Biñan Schooling
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 Biñan to Calamba. Upon reading the letter, he had a
premonition that he would not return to Biñan, so that he became sad. He
prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in the river for souvenirs,
and regretfully, bade farewell to his teacher and classmates. He left Biñan
on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870, after one year and a half of
schooling in that town. He was thrilled to take passage on the steamer
Talim, for it was the first time he ever made on a steamer. On board was
a Frenchman named (Arturo Camps a friend of his father, who took care
of him. Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za. 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 (forced labor) by the reactionary Governor Rafael
de Izquierdo. Unfortunately, this Cavite Mutiny was suppressed two days
later by troop reinforcements 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, Attorneys Joaquin Pardo de
Tavera and Antonio Ma. Regidor, etc.) magnified the failed mutiny into a
“revolt” for Philippine independence. Accordingly, Gom-Bur-Za (Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora), despite the archbishop's plea for clemency because
of their innocence, were executed at sunrise, February 17, 1872, by order
of Governor General Izquierdo. Their martyrdom was deeply mourned by
the Rizal family and many other patriotic families in the
Philippines.Paciano, enraged by the execution of 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 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.

REFERENCES:

Printed Books and Journals

Porras, C.S., Doctor-Salinas, E., Apsay, L., Cunanan, R.J., Rillo, O.D.
(2022), The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Crudo, E.R., Guiwa, H.I., Pawilen, R. (2022), The Life, Works and
Writings of Jose Rizal. Rex Bookstore
Umali, V., Ramos, O., Ambida, M., Maliban, N. (2019), Jose Rizal: A
Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/dr-emilio-b-espinosa-sr-
memorial-state-college-of-agriculture-and-technology/bs-
mathematics/module-3-rizals-life-family-childhood-and-early-
education/25266734