MODULE IN RIZAL:

LIFE AND WORKS OF

RIZAL

First Semester
A.Y. 2021 - 2022
 MODULE 2

ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO AND CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA and

MAKING OF A HERO

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify advent of a national hero and his childhood years in Calamba.

2. Point out important landmarks in the life of Jose Rizal.
3. Analyze RA 1425: Rizal Law.
4. Draw a family tree of Rizal.

Introduction

This module focuses on the teaching of Rizal’s life and literary writings. It is in
accordance to RA 1425 also known as Rizal Law. It mandates the public and private institution
to include in the curricula the teaching of Life, Works and writings of Jose Rizal. Taking up Rizal
course for credits, like reading Shakespeare to get by in Englishcourses, can be tiresome for the
youth. If reading and discussing the text about Rizal cannot befun, then it will just be like a cold
stone without elaboration.To discuss about a hero is taking him as a person with flesh and blood
not as adeity or a supernatural being that is an object of reverence without understanding. To
appreciatea hero like Rizal, we must be able to learn more about him not his acts but the
thoughtsbehind his acts, his reasons, his experiences and his works that are relevant to our time
andplace. We should study Rizal as a person his intelligence, courage, compassion
nationalismand also his weakness like being a womanizer, violent, and short-tempered that
complete himas a human being. When we realize that he is like us, then, we can truly appreciate
his beinghuman and his great and exemplary deeds are word emulating.

ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO

Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example of a many splendored genius, who became the
greatest hero of the nation. 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 martyrs. No wonder, he is how
acclaimed as the national hero of the Philippines.

The Birth of a National 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
became of big head. 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
was Father Pedro Casanas, Native of Calamba and a close friend of Family Rizal. His name
“Jose” was chosen by his mother who was devoted by a Christian church saint San Jose (St.
Jose). “Take good care of this child, for someday he will become a great man” said Father
Collantes. His words proved to be prophetic, as confirmed by subsequent events.
Rizal’s Parents

Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco and Teodora Alonzo
Realonda Francisco (1818 – 1898) was born in Binan, Laguna, on May 11,1818. He studied
Latin and Philosophy at the college of San Jose in Manila. He died in Manila January 5,1898, at
the age of 80. In his student’s memories, Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers”

Doña Teodora (1826-1911) was born in Manila on November 8,1826 and was educated
at the college of Santa Rosa. Rizal lovingly said 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 a good advice when I was studying rhetoric. She is a Mathematician and
has read many books.” She died in Manila in August 16,1911, at the age of 85.

The Rizal Children

God blessed the marriage of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonzo Realonda with 11
children – two boys and nine girls.

1. Saturnina (1850-1913)

- the oldest, nicknamed Neneng; she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of

Tanawan Batangas.

2. Paciano (1857-1930)

- older brother and confidant of 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 Banos, where he lived as a gentleman farmer and died on April
13,1930 at the age of 79.

3. Narcisa (1852-1939)

-her pet name was sisa, she married Antonio Lopez, a teacher of Morong.

4. Olimpia (1855-1887)

- Ypia was her pet name, she married Silveste Ubaldo, a telegraph operator
from Manila.

5. Lucia (1857-1919)

- she married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, 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 Faustino Cruz of Biñan
Laguna.

7. Jose (1861-1896)

- the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius; his nickname was Pepe;
during his excite 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, 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 is her pet name; she also died an old maid at the age of 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929)

- Youngest at the Rizal children; her pet name was Choleng; she married
Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

Rizal relation with his only brother Paciano, who was ten years 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 Philosopo Tacio. 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 novel 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 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 low-legged.” Rizal’s Ancestry

As a typical Filipino, Rizal was a product of mixture of races. In his veins flowed the
blood of both East and West ─ Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish.
Rizal’s father, was a great grandson of Lamco, a Chinese immigrant from Fukien City. In some
historical pieces of document, it is said that Doña Teodora’s family descended from Lakan Dula,
the last native king of Tondo. His maternal great-great grandfather was Eugenio Ursula, of
Japanese blood and ancestry.

The Surname Rizal

The original surname of the Rizal family was “Mercado”. This surname was adopted by
Domingo Lam-co, the paternal Chinese ancestor in 1731. in Spanish, Mercado means “market”
which Lamco chose because of his business acumen and venture.

Rizal’s father scrutinized carefully the list of surnames sent to Calamba such as “Cruz”,
“Diaz”, “Guzman”, “Luna”, “Ramos”, “Reyes”, “Rivera”, “Santos”, and “Trinidad”. He did not have
any interest in these surnames, so be chose his own surname Rizal., which apparently was not
in the list recommended by the Spanish authorities. He preferred this new family name Rizal to
be more fitting and appropriate for his farming clan to Mercado which means “market” in
Spanish. The term Rizal originated from the word “ricial” which signifies “green field”.

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 house building, rectangular
in shape, built of adobe stones and hard woods, and roofed with red tile. Behind the house were
the poultry yard full of turkeys, chicken and a pig, garden of tropical fruit trees, atis, balimbing,
chico, macopa, papaya, santol, tampoy, etc. Such a wholesome home, naturally, bred a
wholesome family. And such a family was the Rizal’s family.

A Good and Middle-Class Family

The Rizal family belonged to the pricipalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish and 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 farm which were rented from Dominican
Order, they harvested rice, corn and sugarcane. They raised pigs, chicken, and turkeys in their
backyard. In addition, Doña Teodora managed a general goods store and operated a small
flour-mill and a home-made ham press.
Home Life of Rizal

Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life. In consonance with Filipino custom,
family ties among the Rizal were intimately close. Don Francisco and Doña Teodora loved their
children, but they never spoiled them. They were strict parent and trained the children to love
God, to behave well, to be obedient, and to respect people, especially the old folks.

CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in Calamba. He grew up in a
happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by God’s blessing. His
natal town of Calamba, so named after a big native jar, was a fitting cradle for a hero. Its scenic
beauties and industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks impress 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.
This is Calamba, a perfect place to nurture a growing child that holds promise that eventually
became the “cradle of a genius.”
Calamba, The Hero’s Town
Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which also 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 loom the legendary Mount Makiling in
somnolent grandeur, and beyond these mountains is the province of Batangas. East of the west
town is the Laguna de Bay, an island 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 distance Antipolo, famous mountain shrine of the miraculous Lady of Peace and
God Voyage.
When Rizal was 15 years old and was a student of Ateneo de Manila, he reminisced his
beloved town and wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town). “Calamba
you will remain an important and cherished part of my life,” Jose murmured with deep sigh of
happiness.
Early Childhood Memories
His boyhood memories are characterized by playing in the garden while he watched and
marveled to birds like the maya, the culiauan, pipit and maria-capra as they chirped and flied
from one branch to another listening with wonder and joy their melodious songs. Jose and other
Rizal children gathered together during nightfall and pray the Angelus. He also remembered
about stories, about fairy tales of buried treasures and tress blooming with diamonds. When at
ties, when food served during supper did not appeal his taste, the maid would threaten him
about the aswang and the tikbalang.
First Sorrow
Rizal’s first sorrow was when little Concha (Conception) whom he fondly called died when
she was only three years old. He cried bitterly and for the first time, he wept tears of tears of love
and intense grief.
Devoted Son of the Church
Jose as a young boy was very pious and devoted son of the Catholic Church. At an early
age at three, he used to take part in the family prayers. He loved to go to church for spiritual
nourishment and to join religious activities.
Pilgrimage to Antipolo
Jose and his father, in one occasion went on pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill his mother’s
vow which was promised when he was born. Doña Teodora could not accompany them
because she gave birth to her tenth child, Trinidad. They rode in a Casco (barge) across Laguna
de Bay. Since it was his first experience on a lake voyage he was thrilled and overwhelmed with
joy. He marveled and was awed by the “splendor and magnificence of the watery expanse and
the still of the night”.
Story of the Moth
Doña Teodora used to tell stories to her children before going to bed. In one occasion,
narrated to Jose the story of the young moth which had made an imprint and profound
impression in his mind at an early stage of his life. One evening, all members of Rizal’s family
went to bed early except his mother and him. The room was dimly lighted by the flickering light
from a coconut oil lamp on the table. For him the light seemed more beautiful and had grown
more dazzling and attractive. Now he knew why the moths circled the flame.
The tragic fate of the young moth attracted to the splendor of the light that died a martyr
to its illusions left a profound impress on Rizal’s mind. For him, such noble death was justified,
upholding that “to sacrifice one’s life for an ideal” is meritorious and exemplary.
Artistic Talents
Since early childhood Rizal revealed his God-given talent for art. At the age of five, he
begun to make sketches with his pencil and to mold in clay and 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 a soul of genuine artist.
First Poem by Rizal
At the age of eight Rizal wrote his first poem the native language entitled “Sa Aking Mga
Kababata” (To My Fellow Children). He wrote this poem as an appeal to his countrymen to love
their national language.
The poem reveals Rizal’s nationalistic sentiments and ideals even at an early age. In
poetic verse, he proclaimed with profound feeling that a people who truly love their native
language as a part of their culture, will undoubtedly strive for liberty like “the bird which soars to
freer space above” and that Tagalog is equal of English, Latin, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and
any other languages.
First Drama by Rizal
After writing the poem “To My Fellow Children” , Rizal, Who was then eight years old,
wrote his first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy. It is said that it was staged in a
Calamba festival and was delightfully applauded by the audience.
A gobernadorcillo from Paete, a town in Laguna famous for lanzones and woodcarvings,
happened to witness the comedy and liked it so much that he purchased the manuscript for two
pesos and brought it to his home town. It was staged in Paete during its town.
Rizal as Magician
Since early manhood Rizal had been interested in magic. With dexterous hands, learned
various tricks, such as making a coin appear or disappear in his fingers and making a
handkerchief vanish in thin air. He entertained his town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions. This
consisted of an ordinary lamp casting its shadow on a white screen. He twisted his supple
fingers into fantastic shapes, making their enlarged shadows on the screen resemble certain
animals and animals. He also gained skill in manipulating marionettes (puppet shows).
Lakeshore Reviries
During the twilight hours of summertime Rizal, accompanied by his pet dog, used to
meditate at the shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his oppressed people. Years
later, he related:
I spent many, many hours of, my childhood down on the shore of the lake, Laguna de
Bay. I was thinking of what was beyond. I was dreaming of what might be over on the other side
of the waves. Almost every day, in our town, we saw the Guardia Civil lieutenant caning and
injuring some unarmed and inoffensive villagers. The villager’s only fault was that while at a
distance he had not taken off his hat and made his bow. The alcalde treated the poor villagers in
the same way whenever he visited.
 We saw no restraint put upon brutality. Acts of violence and other excuses were
committed daily. I asked myself if, in the lands which lay across the lake, the people lived in the
same way. I wondered if there they tortured any countryman with hard and cruel whips merely
on suspicion.
Influences on the Hero’s Boyhood
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 where the following:
(1) hereditary influence (2) environmental influence (3) aid of divine
providence.
Hereditary Influence
According to biological science, there are inherent qualities which a
person inherits from ancestor 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 ancestor, he derived his serious nature
and love for children. From his Spanish ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing
and gallantry to ladies. From his father, he inherited a profound sense of self-
respect, and the love mother, he inherited his religious nature, and the spirit of
self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.
Environmental Influence
According to psychologist, 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 simulated the inborn artistic and literacy talents of Jose Rizal. The religious
atmosphere at his home fortified of his religious nature. His brother, Paciano
instilled in his mind the courteous and kind to women. The fairy tales told by his
aya during his early childhood awakened his interest in folklore and legends.
Aid of Divine Providence
Greater than heredity and environment in the rate of man is the aid 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 spirit of a nationalist, and the valiant hearth to sacrifice for a noble cause.