UNIT 2: RIZAL’S LIFE: FAMILY, CHILDHOOD,

& EARLY EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Unit 2 of the course Life, Works, and

Writings of Jose Rizal.
After studying the historical context and contents of the Rizal Law, criteria for a hero,
and the social, political and economic conditions in the Philippines in the 19 th century, let
us now proceed to Rizal’s Life especially focusing on his family, childhood, and early
education.
In this unit, you will get to know more about our national hero as we explore the story of
his birth, family, and important aspects of his childhood. More importantly, this lesson
aims to trace how Rizal’s family and early childhood influenced his values and ideas.

UNIT LEARNING OUTOMES

At the end of this unit, you should be
able to:
a. Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education
b. Evaluate the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early life
 LESSON 4: RIZAL’S BIRTH AND FAMILY

INTRODUCTION

In studying a hero’s life, one of the most basic yet significant information that one
should know about him/ her are his birth and family. Knowing the story of a hero’s birth
and his family background would lead to a wider understanding of who he was as a
person and eventually as a hero.
In this lesson, you will get to know Rizal’s story of birth including of course his
birth date and place, the making of his name, his parents, siblings, their relationship with
one another or how they were as a family, including their economic status back then.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Trace the genealogy of Jose Rizal; and
2. Explain the role of Rizal’s family in the development of his thought and
character

ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE/ ENGAGE

Before you proceed to the main part of this lesson, try to recall whatever you
know about Rizal’s birth and family. Fill up the matrix below to present your prior
knowledge. You are therefore requested TO NOT SEARCH your answers on the
internet because doing so would defeat the purpose of this activity. If you don’t have
any idea about what is being asked, better skip the item.

Anything YOU KNOW about Answer HERE

1. Rizal’s Whole Name

2. Rizal’s Birthday

3. Rizal’s Birthplace

4. Rizal’s Parents

5. Rizal’s Siblings

PRESENTATION OF LEARNING CONTENT

 The Birth of Rizal

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19,1861
in Calamba, Laguna. In this autobiography, which he wrote when he was 17 years old,
Rizal recounted that the day of his birth was a Wednesday between eleven o'clock and
midnight. It was a difficult birth which almost cost the life of his mother, Teodora Alonso.
She made a bow to take Jose on a pilgrimage to Antipolo as gratitude for surviving a
difficult childbirth.
Three days after his birth, Rizal was baptized in the Catholic church of Calamba
on June 22, 1861 by Fr. Rufino Collantes, a Filipino priest from Batangas. His godfather
was Pedro Casañas, a native Calamba and friend of Rizal’s family.

On the Naming of Rizal

 Rizal’s complete name as earlier stated, was Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y
Alonzo Realonda. The name Jose was based on Doña Teodora's patron saint, Saint
Joseph. Back then, it was the practice of Catholics to name a newly born infant after a
saint. In fact, a lot of Rizal’s relatives were named Jose (Gagelonia, 1974). Protacio
was taken from the calendar of the Catholic names. June 19, Rizal’s birth date, is the
feast day of Saint Protacio.
Mercado was the first Spanish surname used by Rizal’s family. It was first
adopted by Domingo Lam-co, Rizal’s great -great -grandfather, a Chinese from Fukien.
He arrived in Manila in 1760. After converting to Christianity, he decided to settle in the
country for good. He chose Mercado (which literally means “market” in Spanish) as his
Christian surname because it suited his line of work. Like most Chinese immigrants in
the country, Lam-co was a local merchant.
As regards the family name Rizal, this was a matter of selection, in conformity
with the order in force about middle of the 19 th century, to the effect that the natives
chose the family name they wished from a list provided for this purpose. Rizal’s father
ignored these orders and reapplied for the name Rizal. This surname was given to his
family by an alcalde mayor (provincial governor) in Laguna (Guerrero, 1963). Rizal
derived from the Spanish word ‘Ricial’ which means ‘green field’. The family preferred to
keep Mercado as the family surname, except for Jose who used Rizal for his
matriculation in Ateneo Municipal. As he recounted to Dr. Blumentritt, “I am the only
Rizal because my parents, relatives, sisters, and my brother have always preferred our
old surname Mercado” (Guerrero, 2011). There was a good reason for the change. His
brother Paciano had contacts with Father Burgos, who was executed as a consequence
of the uprisings. The name Mercado thus became subject to suspicion. Hence, the
adoption of Rizal as the first family name.
Alonzo was the surname of Rizal’s grandfather on his mother’s side Lorenzo
Alberto Alonzo, a prominent Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Biñan, Laguna.
The name of Rizal’s mother was Teodora Alonso Quintos, and according to
some notes of Rizal’s brother, Paciano, the birth certificate of Jose bore the name
Realonda because there was a time when many Filipinos had the custom of adding the
name of the godmother or godfather to the child’s name. Thus, when his mother
Teodora was baptized, the name Realonda (her godmother’s) was added to her name,
and later to Rizal’s. Rizal himself gave in a letter to Blumentritt the complete name of his
mother: Teodora Alonso Quintos Realonda.

Calamba, Laguna – Rizal’s Hometown

Calamba is a small-town nestling at the foot of Mt. Makiling as it slopes down to

Laguna de Bay. Rizal’s town was prosperous town devoted to the production of sugar.
Despite their hardships as tenants of the Dominican friars whose estate covered
practically the whole town, its inhabitants were happy. Its soil was fertile; its climate
favorable. Its scenic environment influenced the young Rizal for his poetic and artistic
creativity. Its share of unhappiness also shaped his noble and heroic spirit. The
surrounding of his home opened to him the many wonders of nature. Verdant meadows
all around, a fruit laden orchard, and Mt. Makiling in the distance - all these broadened
his perception. The beauty of the orchard and the gentle atmosphere of the family's
rambling house left a deep impression on the young Rizal.

Rizal’s Ancestors

Like most Filipinos, Rizal was mixed racial origin. In his veins flowed the blood
of the East and West.
Spanish colonialism and increased foreign immigration (specially of Chinese
merchants) had a huge effect on the racial composition of Filipinos. In Rizal’s time,
intermarriages where commonplace, and Rizal’s family was not an exception to this
trend. Rizal Alone carried for racial stocks and his blood: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish,
and Filipino. The genes Rizal obtained from his father and mother resulted in the traits
that best exemplify a true Malayan (Bantug, 2008).
His Chinese heritage came from his great-great-grand father, Don Domingo Lam-
co. After converting to Christianity and adopting the surname Mercado in 1749, he
married Ines de la Rosa, A Chinese mestiza from the Binondo (Arcilla, 1990). The
young couple moved to Biñan and became the tenants of the Dominican-owned sugar
lands. They were blessed with two children, but only Francisco, Rizal’s great-
grandfather, survived. Francisco Mercado was a former gobernadorcillo (Municipal
Mayor). In 1783, he married Cerila Alejandro, a Chinese mestiza. They had thirteen
children, one of which was Francisco Mercado, Rizal’s father, who was the youngest.
Francisco Mercado married Teodora de Quintos y Alonso and had eleven children with
her (Bantug, 2008).
Rizal’s maternal heritage, on the other hand, also came from various ancestries.
Lakandula, the famous native king of Tondo, was the remote ancestor of Doña Teodora.
Eugenio Ursua, Rizal’s great-great-grandfather on his mother’s side, had Japanese
ancestry, and married a Filipina named Benigna (surname unknown). Regina Ursua,
Rizal’s great grandmother, married Manuel de Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer from
Pangasinan. Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, Rizal’s grandfather, was a prominent Spanish
mestizo from Biñan. He married Brigida Ursua de Quintos, a Chinese mestiza from
Pangasinan (Bantug,2008).

The Mercado Family

The Father
Don Francisco Engracio Mercado was a dignified man who believed in social
justice and service to people. He was described by Rizal as ‘a model of fathers’. He was
born on May 11, 1818 in Biñan, Laguna. Don Francisco was the son of a Chinese from
Binondo, Manila. He was educated in the College of San Jose in Manila where he
studied Latin and Philosophy. He met Teodora Alonso, then a student of Colegio de Sta
Rosa in Manila who eventually became lifelong partners (Bantug, 2008). He eventually
moved to Calamba, Laguna to become a tenant-farmer in the sugar lands owned by the
Dominican friars. Through hard work, Don Francisco (Villarroel, 1984) became one of
Calamba's wealthiest men. He was one of the first residents of Calamba to build a stone
house, own a carriage, put up a library, and send his children to school in Manila. Don
Francisco was well-liked and greatly respected by the people of Calamba for his
honesty, diligence, and kindness (Bantug, 2008).
The Mother
Doña Teodora Alonso y Quintos was born on November 8, 1826 in Meseci, Sta.
Cruz, Manila. Her parents were Lorenzo Alberto Alonso and Brigida Ursua de Quintos.
She was educated in the Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Manila. She became a successful
businesswoman in Calamba where she owned a general merchandising store. As
described by Rizal, Doña Teodora is a woman of refined culture and admirable
religiosity (Guerrero, 2011). She died in 1913 at the age of 85.
 Young Jose admired Doña Teodora so much. In 1874, while in his third year in
Ateneo, Jose composed a poem called Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration). He
dedicated this poem to his great mother on the occasion of her 48 th birthday (Basig,
1956). The poem was originally written in Spanish and was translated in English and
read as follows:
My First Inspiration
Why falls so rich a spray
of fragrance from the bowers
of the balmy flowers
upon this festive day?

Why from woods and vales

do we hear sweet measures ringing
that seem to be the singing
of a choir of nightingales?

Why in the grass below

do birds start at the wind's noises,
unleashing their honeyed voices
as they hop from bough to bough?

Why should the spring that glows

its crystalline murmur be tuning
to the zephyr's mellow crooning
as among the flowers it flows?

Why seems to me more endearing,

more fair than on other days,
the dawn's enchanting face
among red clouds appearing?

The reason, dear mother, is

they feast your day of bloom:
the rose with its perfume,
the bird with its harmonies.

And the spring that rings with laughter

upon this joyful day
with its murmur seems to say:
'Live happily ever after!'

And from that spring in the grove

 now turn to hear the first note
that from my lute I emote
to the impulse of my love.

Family Tree of Rizal Family

The Mercado Siblings

Don Francisco and Doña Teodora were blessed with eleven (11) children: two
boys and nine girls. They were in the order of birth as follows:
1. Saturnina (1850-1913) – oldest of Rizal children, nicknamed Neneng;
married to Manuel Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930) – older brother of Rizal; he became a revolutionary
general and retired to farming after the conflict during the Philippine
Revolution
3. Narcisa (1852-1939) –married Antonio Lopez, a school teacher of
Morong.
 4. Olympia (1855-1887) –married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator
from Manila
5. Lucia (1857-1919) – married Mariano Herbosa, a Batangueño farmer
6. Maria (1859-1945) –married Daniel Cruz of Biñan, Laguna
7. Jose (1861-1898) – greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865) –died at the age of three
9. Josefa (1865-1945) –died unmarried at the age of 80
10. Trinidad (1868-1951) – also died unmarried at the age of 83
11. Soledad (1870-1919) –married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba
The Mercado siblings were tightly bound by loved and companionship. They
were well trained by their loving parents to love each other and behave properly in front
of others.
The sisters of Rizal did not become prominent in occupying important public
positions. It would have been in those times unusual for women to do so. But they were
greatly responsible for the solidarity of the family, giving Rizal moral and spiritual
support – the heroic mission that dominated their lives.
The care and attention with which the sisters of Rizal showered him during his
deportation in Dapitan and his stay in Hong Kong are difficult to equal. Also, the
determination of Narcisa to find the tomb of her brother in the afternoon of his execution
clearly shows the unifying bond of affection that held the Rizal family.
Besides his sister, Rizal also developed a strong bond with his elder brother
Paciano whom he considered as a second father. Paciano on the other hand respected
the potentials of his younger brother and supported him in his Endeavors
The Status of the Mercado Family
The Mercado family was considered one of the more prominent and respected
families in Calamba. They belonged to the clase media (middle-class), the highest
social status that could be enjoyed by Filipinos at the time, since most Filipinos were
considered second -class citizens by the Spaniards. One gathers (Guerrero, 1963) from
Rizal’s accounts about his boyhood that he was brought up in circumstances that even
in present -day Philippines would be considered privileged.
Together with Spanish official and land-owning families, most middle-class
families during the Spanish era resided in the principalia. Families who live in the
principalia were considered to be the most influential social class in the country, with
established relations with friars and high-ranking Spanish officials. At a certain point, the
Mercado family belonged to the ilustrado class (which literally means ‘enlightened’).
Most ilustrado families owned big stone houses, carriages, private libraries with
thousands of book, and business; could speak Spanish; and send their children to
Manila or Madrid for university education.
Rizal’s parents were also engaged in various business ventures. Don Francisco,
on the one hand, managed a big hacienda owned by the Dominican friars. The farm
yielded crops such as sugarcane, rice and corn. In their own backyard, the family raised
pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Doña Teodora, on the other hand, managed the family ‘s
general goods store, a small flour mill, and a homemade ham business.

Family Values

Although Spanish values and customs were prevalent and pervasive during
Rizal’s formative years, his parents taught him and his siblings mostly Filipino values.
Rizal and his siblings had a close relationship with their parents. Though Don
Francisco and Dona Teodora were strict, Rizal and his siblings were given freedom to
play in the azotea. The religiosity of Doña Teodora helped shape the religious attitude of
her children. They were taught to love God, to be prayerful, and to attend mass
regularly. All things considered, the 11 children of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora
were disciplined, cultured, and raised according to the standard Filipino values. They
were always reminded to behave accordingly at all times, respect people, and be
content with what they had.

APPLICATION

Answer briefly but substantially the following questions:

1. If given the chance, would you also make a poem for your mother like what Rizal
did? If yes, what would it be about and what would its title be?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.

2. What do you think are the values of the Mercado family that Filipino families of
today should emulate? Why do you say so?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.

FEEDBACK
Multiple Choice: Read carefully the items that follow.
Choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on?
a. June 19, 1861
b. June 9, 1861
c. June 29, 1861
d. June 16, 1861

2. Birthplace of Rizal
a. Biňan, Laguna
b. Calamba, Laguna
c. Sta. Cruz, Manila
d. San Fernando, Pampanga

3. Who baptized Rizal in the Catholic Church three days after his birth?
a. Pedro Casañas
b. Domingo Lam-co
c. Fr. Rufino Collantes
d. Jose Alberto

4. Rizal’s great-great-grandfather was

a. Francisco Mercado
b. Domingo Lam-co
c. Clemente Mercado
d. Jose Alberto

5. Who was the first to use the family name ‘Rizal’ in 1872 when he went to Manila
to enroll at the Ateneo Municipal?
a. Jose
b. Paciano
c. Francisco
d. Teodora
6. Paciano, the brother of Jose, had contacts with this priest who was executed as
a consequence of the uprisings.
a. Father Gomez
b. Father Zamora
c. Father Burgos
d. Father Collantes

7. Don Francisco and Doña Teodora were blessed with how many children?
a. nine
b. seven
c. eleven
d. ten

8. Who is the oldest of the Rizal children?

a. Saturnina
b. Narcisa
c. Soledad
d. Olimpia

9. The surname given to the Mercado family by an alcalde mayor which was
derived from the Spanish word Ricial which means “green field”
a. Lamco
b. Rizal
c. Alonso
d. Realonda

10. Who is the youngest of the Rizal children?

a. Saturnina
b. Narcisa
c. Soledad
d. Olimpia
REFERENCES

De Viana A.V. et.al. (2011). Jose Rizal, Social Reformer and Patriot (1st Edition). Manila:
Rex Book Store, Inc.
Maranan, Ruben D. (2015). Jose Rizal First Global Filipino Here (New Edition). Quezon
City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Purino, A.P. (2014) (2014). Rizal The Greatest Filipino Hero (Revised Edition). Manila:
Rex Book Store, Inc.
 LESSON 5: RIZAL’S CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

Exploring Rizal’s childhood experiences, influences, and first taste of formal

education and injustices would allow for an in-depth understanding of how certain
aspects of his childhood significantly contributed to the formation of his consciousness
and awakened his sense of nationalism.
In this lesson, you will learn and realize that just like you, Rizal also had a
mixture of blissful and gloomy memories when he was still a child and when he pursued
his early education.
Needless to say, these experiences, had, to a great extent, molded his character
as a person and as a hero.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Explore important aspects of Rizal’s childhood and how these influenced and
awakened his sense of nationalism;
2. Analyze the development of Rizal’s character, beliefs and philosophy as
influenced by his formal education; and
3. To draw inspiration from the ‘Parable of the Moth’.

ENGAGE

Before we get into the main part of this lesson, try recalling your experiences
when you were still a child. Kindly share your most unforgettable childhood memory
which you believe had greatly influenced how you are now as a person.
 PRESENTATION OF LEARNING CONTENT

RIZAL’S
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
Rizal had generally pleasant memories of his childhood. He wrote beautiful
memories of his birthplace. The surroundings of his hometown of Calamba were
beautiful. Around the town were green and verdant fields. Rizal's home had a large yard
planted with various fruit trees and flowers. Birds of various kinds would visit the place
and at the night the moon can be seen clearly.

Photo of Rizal’s Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

He would imagine if the stories his yaya (nanny) told him were true such as those
of duwendes (dwarves), ghosts, and aswangs (evil spirits). Rizal's surroundings were
conducive to awakening of the artist in him which manifested in later life. He
commemorated the town of his birth in a poem entitled Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (A
Tribute To My Town) Pueblo which he wrote when he was 15 years old.
Rizal was small and had a fragile physique. His head was rather large and it was
joked that he would fall after standing up. He developed a love for sculpture and his
sisters joked about the head of his sculpture disproportionately large compared to the
body. Rizal retorted that "someday people will make statues of me”. "This playful reply
is a prophecy that is fulfilled today.

First Sorrow
Rizal experienced the first sad episode of his life with the death of his younger
sister Concha died of a disease at the age of 3. Rizal was 4 years old then. According to
Rizal for the first time he wept tears of love and grief. The death of his sister brought
him his first sorrow.
First Teacher
At an early age Rizal was first taught by his mother. At this stage, he
demonstrated superior intelligence which encouraged his parents to hire tutors for him.
Among them were Lucas Padua and Leon Monroy who taught Rizal Latin. Seeing that
the young Rizal had a passion for poetry, his mother encouraged him. He also had a
passion for anything new. His eyes lit up on very new discovery. He drew things that he
saw, including trees, flowers, and birds that visited in the yard. He made his own ink
using charcoal and the juices of various leaves and flowers.
During one afternoon when most of the family were having their siesta, Jose and
Josefa were playing in the yard. Suddenly there was a loud explosion. Jose lit up a
bottle of gunpowder and the resulting explosion burned his sisters face. Doña Teodora
gave him a serve spanking with her slipper. In later life, Rizal appropriated the stern
discipline of his mother saying that "Surely a man owes everything to his mother, next
to God".
The Story of Rizal and the Moth
One of the memorable anecdotes between the young Jose and his mother was
when his mother was reading to him a Spanish reader entitled El Amigo de los Niños
(The Children 's Friend). She noticed him not paying attention to her as she was reading
the contents of the book in Spanish. Jose instead was attracted to a pair of moths
circling the flame of the oil lamp. Of the two moths, one was larger and it was assumed
that it was the mother of the smaller one. The smaller moth got so attracted to the flame
that it flew too close, its wings got burned and fell into the oil and died.
The incident with the moths made an impact in the mind of the young boy and
when Doña Teodora put him into bed she said, "Don't be disobedient or you may get
burned as it did. "Rizal, however, had a different view. The story revealed to Rizal things
that were unknown. "Moths no longer were insignificant insects. Moths talked; they
knew how to warn. They advised like 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 story left an imprint on Jose's mind that to sacrifice one's life for an ideal is
worthwhile.

Childhood Influences
Aside from his immediate family, Rizal's three uncles added to Rizal's inspiration.
Gregorio Alberto was a lover of books. He taught Rizal to work hard, to think for
himself and observe life keenly. His uncle Jose who was educated in Calcutta, India
encouraged him to sketch, paint and sculpture, while his uncle Manuel looked after his
nephew 's physical development. He taught Rizal swimming, fencing, wrestling, and
other sports. His artistic side was becoming manifest as he made various statuettes
made of clay and wax. He restored a religious banner which was soiled and made it
with a better color. A rather introvert boy, he spent time riding on a pony his father
bought and his black dog named Usman was his companion. He was fascinated with
magic tricks and his nimble fingers dazzled many onlookers as he entertained folks and
friends in Calamba. In later life, his sister Trinidad recounted that his entertaining skills
and sense of humor made him attractive to many women and they felt very comfortable
with him.
Childhood Talents
The foremost talent demonstrated best by Rizal was poetry. The first poem he
wrote which was originally written in our native language was entitled Sa Aking mga
Kabata (To my Fellow Children). He was 8 years old when he wrote the said poem. It
was a praise to the native language of the Tagalogs which became the basis of the
country 's national language. In the same poem, he appealed to the readers to love their
native tongue. Through this poem, Rizal manifested a nationalistic inclination through
the appreciation of the country 's culture and heritage. The poem read:

Sa Aking Mga Kabata

Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig

Sa kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit
Sanlang kalayaan nasa ring masapit
Katulad ng ibang nasa himpapawid

Pagka't ang salita'y isang kahatulan

Sa bayan,sa nayo't mga kaharian
At ang isang tao'y katulad,kabagay
Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan.
 Ang hindi mag mahal sa kanyang salita
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda
Kaya ang marapat pagyamaning kusa
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala.

Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin.

Sa Ingles, Kastila, at salitang anghel,
Sapagkat ang Poong maalam tumingin
Ang siyang naggawad, nagbigay sa atin.

Ang salita nati'y tulad din sa iba

Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
Na kaya nawala'y, dinatnan na ng sigwa
Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una.

During his eight year, Rizal also wrote a Tagalog drama which was staged in the
fiesta of Calamba. The Gobernadorcillo of Paete, one of the towns of Laguna happened
to be present at the time and was very much impressed. He bought the manuscript from
Rizal for two pesos and staged it in the fiesta in Paete.
RIZAL’S FORMAL EDUCATION
Rizal continued his education under the guidance of private tutors. When his last
tutor, Leon Monroy, died, Don Francisco decided that his son should have his first taste
of formal education.
In June 1870, Paciano brought his younger brother to the school in Biñan
managed by Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Jose was 9 years old at that time. The
school was also the house of teacher. Maestro Cruz used to be the teacher of Paciano
when he was a younger. As a teacher, he was quick to discipline them from any
violation with a short thin stick especially if the wrong answer is given. This was the old
system of education at that time. The infliction of pain was made to ensure that the
student remembers the lesson. This was a severity to Jose's young mind. According to
him, a day did not pass that he did not receive a few strokes from his teacher’s short
stick.
Immediately after he was assigned a seat in the classroom, his teacher asked
him if he knew Spanish and Latin. His answer to both questions was 'a little, Sir," which
elicited laughter from his fellow students. Later the young frail boy became the object of
bullying from his classmates especially from Pedro, the son of the schoolmaster. Later
learning the wrestling skills he learned from his uncles, Jose eventually defeated the
class bully. Jose never backed down from a fight. At times he was defeated by stronger
students, and on one time he nearly cracked his skull after an arm wrestling with his
classmate named Pedro.
 Jose became an outstanding student surpassing his classmates in Spanish,
Latin, and other subjects. He was also very popular, that some of his classmates spread
rumors to discredit him. Many times he was punished for his alleged wrongdoings. At
the end of his schooling, Maestro Justiniano recommended that Jose should be sent to
Manila. In December 1871, he bade farewell to his school and his teacher. He also
collected pebbles from the river as souvenirs, knowing that he will never return to Biñan.
After the Christmas of that year, Don Francisco decided to send Jose to Manila to
continue his studies.

INJUSTICES EXPERIENCED DURING CHILDHOOD

The Detention of Dona Teodora
In June 1871, an incident in the family, forever changed Rizal's view of Filipino
society. Doña Teodora was accused as an accomplice of Jose Alberto of trying to
poison the latter’s wife. Don Jose was a rich landowner who went on a trip to Europe
and when he returned home, he found his wife gone and his children abandoned, only
to find out that his wife had been living with another man and had been unfaithful to him.
Doña Teodora tried to mediate between the disputing spouses. Don Jose’s wife
connived with the alferez or the police chief of Calamba to have Don Jose and Doña
Teodora arrested for trying to poison her. Jose Rizal said that alferez and his men were
so brutal in placing his mother under arrest. According to him, the official had a grudge
against his family because he did not provide food for his horse for a time. The alferez
had forgotten that one time, he was a guest in their house and was treated as friend of
the family.
When brought before the gobernadorcillo or town mayor who was also the justice
of the peace of Calamba, Rizal’s mother was also treated harshly. Jose attributed the
inconsiderate treatment to the fact that one time the gobernadorcillo was not given the
place of honor in one of the banquets in the Rizal’s house and that the family refused
his requests for free chickens and turkeys. He also recounted that the gobernadorcillo
was a fanatical puppet of the friars. Instead of just confining Doña Teodora in town jail,
they made Teodora walk barefoot going to the provincial jail of Santa Cruz – more than
50 kilometers away from Calamba. The gobernadorcillo tried to make her admit the
crime promising leniency. The case dragged on for two years until it reached the
Supreme Court.
First Taste of Injustice
Rizal had witnessed official injustice before, having seen as a young boy ordinary
folks being beaten just for not saluting to the civil guard. He never thought that injustice
could be so severe as to deprive his family a mother during the early years of his life.
He developed the perspective that there is injustice in this world and this could be done
by people who should have been one’s friends. In his writings about his life, Rizal wrote
that he developed a distrust of people especially when it comes to people in power.
The Execution of GOMBURZA
Another incident which carved an inedible mark on Jose Rizal’s mind was the
execution of the Filipino secular priests Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora.
During the Spanish era there were two kinds of priests: the regular and the
secular. The regular were the Spanish priests trained and studied in seminaries in Spain
belonging to the major missionary order like Jesuits, Recollects, Dominicans,
Augustinians, and Benedictines while the secular were Filipino priests studied and
trained in the seminaries in the Philippines.
The secular priest were Filipino priests trained in the Philippines and were
considered inferior and given limited assignments. They were not allowed to hold
parishes. Due to this kind of treatment, the seculars boldly clamored and demanded for
an equal responsibilities and assignments as clergies. This was known as the
secularization issue headed by Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos, and Fr. Jacinto
Zamora. Somehow, they were able to get the sympathy of some Filipinos, which
alarmed the Spanish authorities. This crusade became also an issue of Filipinization.
On January 20, 1872, the same year of the emergence of the controversial
secularization issue, Cavite mutiny took place. It was a mutiny spearheaded by Lt. La
Madrid, in-charged of Spanish arsenal, who was disgruntled because of abolition of
their benefits including forced labor and tax exemptions by the reactionary Governor
General Rafael de Izquirdo. The Cavite mutiny was failure and easily subdued within
two days. The Spanish authorities was able to get a chance to silence the GomBurza in
their secularization crusade by having them implicated as plotters of the Cavite mutiny.
Consequently, the GomBurZa were executed despite of archbishops’s plea for
clemency because of their innocence. Mounted fabricated evidences and false
witnesses sent them to garrote on February 17, 1872. It was considered martyrdom by
the Rizal family and some patriotic Filipinos in the Philippines.
Paciano was a friend, teacher and housemate of Fr. Jose Burgos while he was
studying in Colegio de San Jose in Manila. He was deeply affected with the execution of
his friend. As a sympathy and protest against the injustice of Spanish authorities, he quit
studies and went back to Calamba. He aired out his remorse by telling and retelling the
heroic stories of Fr. Burgos to his family. He came to realize the injustice and racial
discrimination in the Philippines.
Several years later, Jose Rizal wrote about Burgos: “He awakened my intellect
and made me understand goodness and justice. His farewell words I will always
remember – I have tried to pass on to you what I received from my teachers. Do the
same for those who come after you.” Jose dedicated his second novel El Filibusterismo
to the memory of the GOMBURZA priests, offering it as “a tardy wreath on your
unknown tombs!”

APPLICATION

Answer the following questions briefly but substantially:

1. What important lesson can you draw from the Story of the Moth and Rizal?
Relate it to your own life.

2. How was Rizal as a student when he had his first taste of formal education? Do
you think he is worthy of emulation? Why do you say so? If not, why do you say
otherwise?

FEEDBACK

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Read carefully the items that follow. Fill in the blanks with the
correct answer.
1. Considered as Rizal's first teacher
a. Leon Monroy
b. Lucas Padua
c. Saturnina Mercado
d. Teodora Alonso Mercado

2. Left an impression to Rizal about the sacrifice of one's life

a. Moth Story
b. Injustice to her Mother
c. Cavite Mutiny
d. Death of GOMBURZA

3. Rizal took his first formal education in the school managed by Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. In what town of Laguna was the school located?
 a. Calamba
b. Sta. Rosa
c. Biňan
d. San Pedro

4. Her death was Rizal’s first sorrow:

a. Concepcion
b. Maria
c. Josefa
d. Lucia

5. To whom did Rizal dedicate his second novel El Filibusterismo?

a. Concepcion
b. GOMBURZA
c. Francisco Mercando
d. Teodora Alonso Realonda

ESSAY
Answer briefly but substantially the following:

1. Explain the important message that the poem “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” would like
to convey to the Filipinos.

2. Based from the foregoing lesson, how did Rizal’s experiences of injustices in his
childhood years impact him as a person and as a Filipino?
REFERENCES

De Viana A.V. et.al. (2011). Jose Rizal, Social Reformer and Patriot (1st Edition). Manila:
Rex Book Store, Inc.
Maranan, Ruben D. (2015). Jose Rizal First Global Filipino Here (New Edition). Quezon
City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Purino, A.P. (2014) (2014). Rizal The Greatest Filipino Hero (Revised Edition). Manila:
Rex Book Store, Inc.