Module 2 Lesson 1
Module 2 Lesson 1
Week No: 6 – 13
Overview
This module will cover Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education. Learners will gain a
greater appreciation for him by looking deeper into his upbringing and discovering his
innocent ways of thinking and behaving. Additionally, the module will also discuss his education
at Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomas, as well as his life and education
abroad. His participation in the Propaganda Movement will also be highlighted. The module, as
a whole, will portray Rizal as a man committed to education and the development of his
nationalistic aspirations. His life in Dapitan, trial, and execution would all be highlighted, as they
had a profound effect on the lives of other Filipinos.
Expected Output: K-W-L Chart, Critique Paper, Recorded Video, Quiz
Module Time Allotment (weeks or hours): 8 weeks / 24 hours
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
K-W-L CHART
On the “What I Know” column, write everything that you know about Rizal’s early life.
On the other hand, on the “What I Want to Know” column, generate a list of questions about
what you want to know about the topic. Post your answers on our UBian LMS Discussion.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
THE RIZAL FAMILY
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
DON FRANCISCO MERCADO
Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado, Jose's father, was a prosperous
farmer from Biñan, Laguna, who was born on May 11, 1818. Jose inherited
his "free soul" from him. He was an independent-minded, taciturn, but
dynamic gentleman.
Francisco's great grandfather was Domingo Lam-co, a well-educated pro-
poor or maka-masa Chinese immigrant businessman who married Ines de
la Rosa, a sophisticated Chinese mestiza from Manila. Francisco (also), one of their two children,
lived in Biñan and married Bernarda Monicha. Juan Mercado, the son of Francisco and Bernarda,
was elected gobernadorcillo (town mayor) of Biñan, Laguna. He married Cirila Alejandra and they
had 12 children, the youngest of whom was Francisco Rizal, Jose Rizal's father.
He lost his father when he was eight years old. Nonetheless, he was educated as he took Latin
and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila, where he met and fell in love with Teodora
Alonso, a student in the College of Santa Rosa. Married on June 28, 1848, they settled down in
Calamba where they were granted lease of a rice farm in the Dominican-owned haciendas.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Doña Teodora's family is believed to be descended from Lakandula, Tondo's last native king.
Eugenio Ursua (of Japanese ancestry) married a Filipina named Benigna. Regina, their
daughter, married Manuel de Quintos, a Pangasinan lawyer who is Filipino-Chinese. Lorenzo
Alberto Alonso, a prosperous Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Biñan, took Brigida Quintos, the
daughter of Manuel and Regina Quintos, as his "significant other." The Lorenzo-Brigida union
produced five children, the second of whom was Teodora Alonso Quintos, Jose Rizal's mother.
The Alonsos adopted the surname Realonda following the Claveria Decree of 1849, which
changed the native Filipino surnames. Rizal’s mother thus became Teodora Alonso Quintos
Realonda.
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Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
JOSE’S SIBLINGS
Saturnina (1850 – 1913) Don Francisco and Teodora Alonso's eldest child. She
and her mother provided a solid foundation for Jose's education, and by the age
of three, Pepe already knew his alphabet.
Paciano (1851 – 1930), Jose’s only brother, was fondly addressed by his
siblings as Ñor Paciano, short for “Señor Paciano”. Jose's ten-year-old older
brother attended San Jose College in Manila, became a farmer, and later a
revolutionary general in the Philippines. Paciano joined the Katipuneros in Cavite
under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo following Jose's execution in December 1896. As a, Katipunero he
was commissioned as general of the revolutionary forces and elected as secretary of finance in
the Department Government of Central Luzon.
Narcisa (1852 – 1939) or simply “Sisa” was the third child in the family. Later in
history, Narcisa assisted Rizal in financing his studies in Europe, even pawning
her jewelry and peddling her clothing when necessary. She was said to be able
to recite from memory nearly all of our national hero's poems.
Olimpia (1855 – 1887) was the fourth child in the Rizal Family. Jose loved to
tease her, sometimes good-humoredly describing her as his stout sister. Jose’s
first love, Segunda Katigabk, was Olimpia’s schoolmate at the La Concordia
College. Rizal confided to Olimpia about Segunda, and the sister willingly served
as the mediator between the two teenage lovers.
Lucia (1857 – 1919) was the fifth child in the family. She married Mariano
Herbosa of Calamba, Laguna. Charged of inciting the Calamba townsfolk not to
pay land rent and causing unrest, the couple was once oredered to be deported
along with some Rizal family members.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Maria (1859 – 1945) was the sixth child in the family. It was to her that Jose
expressed his desire to marry Josephine Bracken, despite the fact that the
majority of the Rizal family appeared to be opposed to the idea. Jose also
mentioned to Maria in his December 12, 1891 letter his intention to establish a
Filipino colony in North British Borneo.
Concepcion (1862 – 1865) also called “Concha” by her siblings, she was the
eighth child of the Rizal family. She died at the age of three. Of his sisters, it was
said that the young Pepe loved most little Concha who was a year younger than
him. Jose entertained her with games and shared children's stories. And it was
through her that he first experienced the beauty of sisterly love.
Josefa (1865 – 1945) also known as “Panggoy”, was the ninth child in the family.
Panggoy died a spinster. Perhaps the most fascinating of Jose's letters to Josefa
was the one dated October 26, 1893. The letter, written in English, was
addressed to Josefa as "Miss Josephine Rizal." Following Jose's martyrdom, the
epileptic Josefa joined the Katipunan and was even set to be elected president of the
organization's women section. Along with Gregoria de Jesus, Andres Bonifacio's wife, she was
one of the original 29 women admitted to the Katipunan. They safeguarded the secret papers and
documents of the society and danced and sang during sessions so that civil guards would think
that the meeting were just harmless social gatherings.
Trinidad (1868 – 1951) or “Trining” was the tenth child. Historically, she became
the custodian of Rizal's final and greatest poem. Trinidad and their mother paid
a visit to Jose in the Fort Santiago prison cell just before his execution. As they
departed, Jose handed Trining an alcohol lamp, a gift from Pardo de Taveras,
whispering to her in a language, which the guards could not understand. “There is something in
it”. That “something” was Rizal’s elegy now known as “Mi Ultimo Adios”. Trinidad, like Josefa,
Paciano and two nieces, joined the Katipunan following Jose’s death.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Soledad (1870 – 1929) or “Choleng” was the youngest child of the Rizal Family. She was arguably
the most educated of Rizal's sisters due to her profession as a teacher. Jose expressed his pride
in her sister for becoming a teacher in a lengthy and meaty letter to Choleng dated June 06, 1890.
He advised her to be a role model of virtues and good qualities, “for the one who should teach
should be better than the persons who need her learning”. Rizal, however, used the subject to
indirectly rebuke her sister for marrying Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba without their parents'
consent. “Because of you”, he wrote, “the peace of our family has been disturbed”.
Rizal was raised in a typical 19th-century middle-class family in the Philippines. He lived
a life of comfort and affluence, given that his family was a member of the town's principalia class,
or ruling elite. The following clearly demonstrates Rizal’s family’s affluence:
• The family’s predilection for studies;
• Its stone house of adobe and hardwood;
• Ownership of carriage and horses – the symbols of wealth and respectability during those
times;
• A home library with numerous volumes of books;
• Presence of personal servants taking care of the needs of the children;
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
• Private tutoring of the children in the family’s domicile;
• The family’s thriving business in rice and sugar; and
• Its ability to send their children for education in Manila
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Another experience that he was not able to forget was the
daily family prayer during Angelus, where all the members of his
family gather and pray together. Even the times when her
personal servant narrated legends and fairy tales to him at the
azotea, following the Angelus, were cherished by Rizal. These
fictitious tales told to Rizal by his personal servant instilled in him a lifelong fascination with
legends and folklore.
At the age of four, Rizal experienced his first sorrow. This was when
his young sister Concepcion, whom he fondly called Concha, died. It was
the first time he cried as a child, as Rizal had learned the value of sisterly love
from her.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
THE STORY OF THE MOTH AND THE FLAME
One of the stories Rizal never forgot was the fable, The Moth and the Flame, which was
narrated to him by his mother.
“One night the whole family, except for my mother and
myself, had gone to bed early; I do not know why, but the two
of us were left sitting by ourselves. The candles had been put
out inside the lamps with a curved tin blower. The room was
dimly lit by a coconut oil lamp. My mother was teaching me how
to read the book El Amigo de los Niños. That night, my mother
grew impatient listening to me read poorly. After scolding me for drawing funny pictures on its
pages, she told me to listen and started to read aloud herself. I grew tired of listening to sounds
that had no meaning for me. Instead, I watched the cheerful flame. Some moths were playing
about it in circles. I happened to yawn and my mother noticing that I had lost interest, stopped
reading and told me that she will be reading a very pretty story that I must listen to. On hearing
the story, I at once opened my eyes wide. It promised something new and wonderful. My mother
began to read to me the fable of old moth and the young moth, translating it to Tagalog as she
went along. My attention was caught from the very first sentence; I stared at the lamp and the
moths circling about it…
The story was that once upon a time, an old moth had warned her daughter against the flame,
so beautiful, so inviting, yet fatal and deceitful for it destroyed whoever came too close. She
herself, she said, had once been tempted by it; she had barely escaped with half-burnt wings.
The frightened young moth promised to obey, but was soon asking herself: “Now why should my
mother try to give me such a scare? Why should I close my eyes to such a pretty sight? These
old people are such cowards! They think every fly an elephant, any old dwarf a giant. What harm
can it do me, whatever she says, if I come near the flame, so long as I am careful? What am I, a
little silly? What a story I shall have for all the other girls if I, being very careful of course, take a
closer look.” No sooner said than done, and the silly little moth went fluttering round the flame. At
first, she only felt pleasantly warm; this encouraged her and she flew closer and closer until at
last, dazzled by the flame, fell and perished in it.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
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
story 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 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.”
Rizal was profoundly affected by this story. According to Rizal, the moth perished as a
result of its illusion in its search for light. Nonetheless, he discovered the sweetness of dying in
the pursuit of light. This story can be considered a biography of Rizal. As with the moth who
perished as a victim of its illusion, Rizal perished as a martyr seeking the light of truth, freedom,
and justice. Rizal learned from the story that in order to accomplish a goal, one must make
sacrifices and bear the consequences of one's actions.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
RIZAL’S EARLY EDUCATION
DOÑA TEODORA
He went to a university
He was subjected to He was sent to a
for a college degree
education under private secondary
private tutors. school. and completed studies
in Europe.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Formal Schooling at a Village School
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Rizal’s derision of the sadistic
One thing that he detested from his
method of teaching at Biñan was
teacher was the use of corporal
due to his height. He was quite small
punishment to make pupils learn
for his age. Thus, he tried to
the lesson for the day. To Rizal,
overcome this deficiency in physical
such kind of instruction was
stature with a self-assertiveness
barbarous.
centered on aggressiveness.
LIFE AT BIÑAN
Based on Rizal’s memoirs as a student, it was made clear that he led a very systematic and
disciplined life.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Life During His Elementary Schooling
03
The old painter noted Rizal’s
talent in painting, Eventually,
Rizal became an apprentice of
the old painter.
The rigorous life that Rizal has an elementary pupil, at the village school, equipped him
with competencies for secondary schooling in Manila. Moreover, it strengthened both his body
and soul as a young lad.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
EVENTS THAT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON RIZAL’S LIFE
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
Martyrdom of GomBurZa
To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez, Done Jose Burgos and Don Jacinto
Zamora. Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February 1872.
The Church by refusing to degrade you has placed in doubt the crime that has been
imputed to you; the Government by surrounding your trials with mystery and shadows, causes
the belief that there was some error, committed in fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by
worshipping your memory and calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability. In so
far, therefore, as your complicity in the Cavite Mutiny is not clearly proved, as you may or may
not have been patriots, and as you may or may have not cherished sentiments for justice and for
liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil which I undertake to
combat. And while we wait expectantly upon Spain someday to restore your good name and
cease to be answerable for your death, let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves
over your unknown tombs and let it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks
your memory stains his hands in your blood!
J. RIZAL
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
K-W-L CHART
On the “What I Learned” column, enumerate at least five events that happened during
Rizal’s early childhood which prepared him to become an ilustrado or a middle class intellectual.
Post your answers on the UBian LMS Discussion.
What I Know? What I Want to Know? What I Learned?
ASSESSMENT TIME!
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph
References:
• Mañebog, J., et al. (2018). Life and Works of Rizal: Biography, Writings, and
Legacies Of Our Bayani. 105 Engineering Road, Araneta University Village, Potrero,
Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
• Obias, R., Mallari, A., & Estella, J. (2018). The Life and Works of Rizal. 839
EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.
• Garcia, C., De Viana, A., & Cruz, C. (2015). Rizal and the Development of
Filipino Nationalism: A Textbook on the Life, Works, and Writings of Our National Hero.
707 Tiaga corner Kasipagan Streets Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.
Address: Governor Feliciano Leviste Road, Lipa City 4217, Batangas, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: +63 43 757 5277
Website: www.ub.edu.ph