LESSON 1 - Introduction to the study of Rizal Course (Republic Act 1425)

Republic Act 1425- The law involves mandating educational institutions in the country to offer a
course on the hero’s life, works, and writings especially the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo. The Rizal law aims to eradicate the lives of the youth to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died. Secondly, to pay tribute to our national
hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character.

Senate bill 438 known as Rizal Bill which was first authored by Senator Claro M. Recto –
requiring the inclusion in the curricula of all private and public schools, colleges and universities
the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.

The Rizal Bill became the Republic Act No. 1425, known as the ‘Rizal Law’. The full
name of the law is “An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools,
Colleges and Universities Courses on the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly
His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution
Thereof, and for Other Purposes.“

The first section of the law concerns mandating the students to read Rizal’s novels. The last two
sections involve making Rizal’s writings accessible to the general public—they require the
schools to have a sufficient number of copies in their libraries and mandate the publication of the
works in major Philippine languages.Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals:

 To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our
heroes lived and died.
 To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino
character.
 To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
writings
 The subject provides insights on how to deal with current problems.
 It helps us understand better ourselves as filipinos.
 It provides various essential life lessons.
 It helps in developing logical and critical thinking.
 Rizal can serve as a worthwhile model and inspiration to every Filipino.
 The subject is a rich source of entertaining narratives.
 Honor the heroes of our nation.
 Develop moral character .
 Personal discipline.
 Civic conscience.
 Duties of citizenship.
 Selflessness of our national hero.

The life and works of Jose P. Rizal flow in each chapter of Philippine history and his
love for the country became the inspiration of the Filipinos in different eras. His works served
not only the mirror of our society during the time of Spanish colonization but also enlightened
the Filipinos to assert their political and civic rights and ask for reform in our society. His
brilliance in philosophy gave us another source of principles in analyzing our history and
government. His ideas shed light to the Filipino revolutionists and encouraged them to be brave
and die for the sake of our country. The greatness of Rizal could be seen in the different eras in
history, and in the Philippine Uprising in 1896, in the debate in the American Congress about the
annexation of the Philippines and at the preset when we need to have the inspiration in achieving
our goals for our country.

The Hero of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipuneros

Jose P.Rizal had the great influence to Andres Bonifacio, through reading of Rizal's
works, nationalistic sentiments of Bonifacio was enhanced and the novels of Rizal gave
Bonifacio an idea about the revolution. And we may consider Andres Bonifacio as the first hero
who recognized Jose Rizal as his hero.The fanaticism of Andres Bonifacio to Rizal was evident
when Andres attended the founding of La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892.
The La Liga Filipina is a civic organization founded by Jose Rizal which aimed for the reform
in the society through education and the unity of the whole archipelago. However, the
organization did not attain its goal because Rizal was exiled to Dapitan and he lived there for
four years (July 1892-July 1896) and his exile pushed Andres Bonifacio and another sixpeople
toestablishKKK(Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ngmga Anak ngBayan). KKKhad
different objective than the La Liga Filipina because it did not aim for reform but independence
from Spanish rule through revolution. The extent of influence of Rizal to Andres was also seen
in some aspects of KKK, the password of Bayani, the highest grade or group in KKK was Rizal.
The photograph of Rizal was also hang in the headquarters of the KKK. And the presence of
Andres Bonifacio in founding of La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892 was one of the evidence that
the Spaniards used to associate Rizal to Bonifacio and as the founder of KKK.

While Rizal was in Dapitan, Andres Bonifacio and the members of KKK had the
opportunity to expand to the other provinces of the country, from Manila to Cavite, Laguna,
Batangas, Bataan and other provinces which joined the uprising in 1896. The name Jose Rizal
was used to collect funds since during those time Jose Rizal was considered as a national figure.
This action of the Katipuneros became part of the evidence of the Spaniards that Jose Rizal was
truly the leader of KKK and the uprisings in 1896.

In May 1896, the emissary of KKK (Dr. Pio Valenzuela) informed Jose Rizal about the
plan of the Revolutionists and sought advice from him. However, Jose Rizal was against the
revolution because he knew that the Filipinos were not yet ready for the revolution and they did
not have a clear picture of good government that they should establish after the downfall of the
Spanish government in the Philippines. Aside from this, Rizal believed that the assistance of the
Creoles and the Illustrados was very much important in the revolution since they were educated.

In July 1896, Jose Rizal boarded a ship that would bring him to Singapore and from
Singapore, he would travel to Spain because the Governor General granted his request that he
could be a' volunteer doctor to Cuba. But upon his arrival in Madrid, he was not allowed to leave
the ship and for almost a month. He stayed in the ship and then returned to the Philippines' as a
prisoner in Fort Santiago. This was because the Spanish government already had the suspicion
about the existence of KKK that Rizal was the founder of the secret society. On August 19, 1896,
the existence of KKK was revealed to the Spanish government and on August 25, 1896, the
uprising started and even without concrete evidence, Rizal was accused as the leader of the
uprising. The existence of KKK and the revolution were used by the friars to execute Rizal.
Thus, the idea of revolution that Rizal wrote on his novels also became the reason why he was
executed on December 30,1896.

The Hero of Emilio Aguinaldo and the First Philippine Republic

The death of Jose Rizal was the start of the real battle of the Filipinos against the
Spaniards. His death intensified the hate feelings ,of the Filipinos against the Spaniards.
KKK.continued their struggle against. The Spaniards and the colonial government in the
Philippines was near to its end. However, because of the issue about leadership, the conflict
between the two factions of KKK (Magdiwang-Magdalo) led to the disunity of the katipuneros
and the execution of Andres Bonifacio signed by Emilio, Aguinaldo. The death of Andres
Bonifacio was one of the factors of the failure of the uprisings of the Filipino and on December
12-15,1897, the Spaniards and the Filipino decided to end the hostility and signed the Treaty of
Biak na Bato.
However, the group of Emilio Aguinaldo had the opportunity to communícate to the
Americans in Singapore and with their aid, the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines
ended. Upon the return of Emilio Aguinaldo from Hong Kong, he declared the independence of
the Philippines on June 12, 1898 and he became the first President: The administration of
Aguinaldo on December 20, 1898, issued his first proclamation wherein he declared December
30 as Rizal day and ordered for the half mast of the Filipino flag from 12:00 noon on December
29 until 12:00 noon of December. (Zaide, 1994)

The Hero of Other Nationalities

Jose P. Rizal was a well travelled hero; he lived in Europe for eight years
and was able to travel to Japan, America and North America. During his travel, he spent his time
inside the ship in conversation with other nationalities. Language was not a hindrance to him
since he knew 19 different languages. While he was in Europe, he attended different gatherings
where intelligent and known people were involved. He wrote different novels, essays and poem
which were published in Europe and circulated in different parts of the world. And on his death,
the people who had the opportunity to witness his brilliance gave tribute to his greatness.
On November 20, 1897 at the initiative of Dr. Rudolph Virchow,the president of the
Anthropological Society of Berlin sponsored the scientific neurological services to honor Rizal.
And the periodicals from different countries published the account of Rizal martyrdom to pay
tribute to his greatness. In 1902, Congressman Henry Allen Cooper of Winconsin delivered a
eulogy for Rizal and recited one of his work (Ultimo Pensamiento) to prove to the Congress the
capability of the Filipino people for self-government since the race was able to produce a
brilliant personality like Rizal. The result of his appeal was the approval of the Cooper Law or
the Philippine Bill of 1902 (De Ocampo). During the American colonization in the Philippines,
Jose Rizal was formally recognized and the Americans gave importance to the contributions of
Rizal especially his idea about social reform. The Americans used education as a method of
pacification and so with Jose Rizal who viewed education as means of attaining reform. The first
American civil governor in the Philippines, William Howard Taft approved the Act No. 137
which organized the politico- military district of Morong into the province of Rizal. Taft's action
was in line with their custom of naming the important localities in the memory of the person who
had a great influence in the community and in the country. The naming of the district of Morong
after Rizal was the first official recognition of the Americans to our hero. It was also William
Howard Taft who first expressed the need to choose a national hero to the members of the
Philippine Assembly. The discussion of the commission resulted to the list of the following
heroes from the Philippines namely: Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose P.Rizal,
Gen. Antonio Luna, Emilio Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio and among the list it was Jose P. Rizal
who was chosen as the National hero because of his contribution in building the sense of
nationhood and because of the extent of theinfluence of his writings to the Filipinos.
Aside from naming the province of Morong after his name, in 1913 the American
government in the Philippines ordered the creation of his monument in Luneta which marked the
origin of the distance of the places in the Philippines (Kilometer Zero).

The Hero for the Filipino Youth

The worth of a hero could not be known to different generations if the
people did not have a clear understanding of his life, struggles and writings. The life of Dr.Jose
P. Rizal was well documented since he left numerous number of writings, a diary and a lot of
correspondence to his family and friends.
In June 12, 1956, Jose P. Laurel, Claro M. Recto, Jose B. Laurel Jr., Jacobo Gonzales, Lorenzo
Tañada and other lawmakers sponsored the Republic Act 1425 that would enforce the teaching
of the life and works of Jose P. Rizal in all public and private schools, colleges and universities.
This law was implemented on August 16, 1956 by the National Congress of Education and was
known
as Rizal Law.

LESSON 2: THE PHILIPPINES IN THE 19TH CENTURY AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

The System of Government in the Philippines

S
P King of Spain (De jure executor, judiciary, legislator)
A Spanish Empire
N
I
A Council of the Indies (De jure legislator)
R [Spanish Colonies]
D
S
Governor General (De facto executor, judiciary, legislator)
[Philippine Province of Empire]

Encomendero (lateralcalde-mayor)
[Municipality: Encomienda and later alcaldia-mayor)

I
N Gobernadorcillo
D [pueblo or town]
I
O
Cabeza de Barangay
S
[barangay (later dissappeared into the barrio]

The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines ran indirectly through the viceroy of the
Spain in Mexico. The viceroy was the one who appointed the Governor General in the
Philippines. The Governor General was the chief executive in the whole archipelago and the
head of the military. He had the power of cumplase or the power to choose the law that he
implemented. Because the Spanish government gave a lot of power to the Governor General,
they assigned two positions that would check the administration of the Governor General. The
Visitador who visited the country to check the administration
of the Governor General and the Residencia who lived in the Philippines to observe the
Governor General.
The whole archipelago was divided into different provinces and each province
had the Alcalde Mayor as the head of the political unit.
The Alcalde Mayor had the power and responsibilities like the Governor General but its
power was limited in the province. The provinces were still divided in a smaller political unit
headed by the Gobernadorcillo. The power and responsibilities of the Gobernadorcillo was
the same as the Governor General, however, his power was limited only in the town or pueblo.
He also had the power of Indulto de Comercio or the power of the Gobernadorcillo to engage
into trading. Each town was still divided into smaller unit called barangay and it was headed by
the
Cabeza de Barangay. The Filipino was allowed to assume the position of Gobernadorcillo
and Cabeza de Barangay only and only given to a Filipino male, 23 years old, educated and had a
property of 500 pesos.
The power of legislation was on the Consejo de Indias. or the Council of Indies which
was also in Mexico. The Spanish Cortes also had the power to enact law that they would
implement in the Philippines, however, the Filipinos had no representative in the Spanish Cortes.
In terms of judiciary, the Royal Audiencia was the highest court in the country and
supervised the other courts but in reality, there was no equality in the Filipino and Spaniard in
the context of law.
The Spanish had the centralized government in the Philippines. However, aside from the
government, there was a highest decision-making body in the country composed mostly by the
friars. So, they had the opportunity to dominate the society and the government.

The Rise of Liberalism in Spain and the Philippines

The Political Situation in Spain

In the early 1800, the Spain was experiencing political instability due to the successive
rise and fall of the leaders brought by the conflict between the Liberals and the Conservatives.
The changes brought by the enlightenment and the territorial disputes made a change in the
perspective of the people towards the government.

The social and political transformation in Spain paved way to the rise of different groups
which later on affected the political situation in the Philippines and influenced Jose P. Rizal as he
ventured, to Spain to pursue his studies and to do his mission.
The first group was the Illustrados (the Enlightened Ones) they were the intellectuals
who aimed to introduce reform for the development of Spanish civil life and chosen by King
Carlos III, they believed that through education the society could attain reform.
The second group was the Progresistas, most of them were freemasons who believed
that the hindrance for the attainment of development were the absolutism of monarchy, the
ignorance of the people and the intercession of the friars in the political and social life of the
people. The third group was the Carlista, they believed that to attain stability in the
government and the society the people should follow the tradition and the church. The conflict
brought by the opposite reactions and perspective of the different groups became the basis of the
arguments of the intellectual like Rizal who aimed for the political reforms in the Philippines.
Likewise, the political instability of Spain also affected the political situations in the Philippines.

The Social Stratification in the Philippines

The Spanish colonization in the Philippines gave way to the existence of the new social
stratification.
The Peninsulares or the Spaniards who were born in Spain and settled in the country occupied
the highest class in the society and the position in the government. The Peninsulares built their
community in Intramuros (inside the city) and enjoyed all the privileges in the country.
The Insulares or the Spaniards born in the Philippines were the second class. Like the
Peninsulares, the Insulares also enjoyed the luxuries in the Philippines.
The third class was the Creoles or the mixture of the Spanish and native.
The Creoles class was the group where Jose Rizal, the Gomburza and other
Filipinos who sought reform in the society during the Spanish colonization
belonged. Under the Creoles was the Illustrado or the well-educated Filipinos
because during those times there was no public education so the wealthy
Filipinos were the ones who could afford to have an education and the Principalia
or the land owner and the lowest class was the natives or indios as the Spaniards
called them.

The Economic Development

In the 19th century, the wealthy Filipino families were engaged in the international trade.
The business in line with agriculture attained development because of the opening of Suez Canal
and development in the international trade. However, because most of the lands intended for
agriculture were under the control of the friars, they had the opportunity to increase the rent in
the land that resulted to the decrease in income of the Filipino elites. For instance, the father of
Jose Rizal, Francisco Mercado was an Inquilino, he rented a big land in Calamba from the
Dominican friars. And when the Dominicans increased the rent in the land, Francisco refused to
increase the rent of the farmers under his administration. So, the family of Rizal suffered because
of the decrease in their
income.

The Advent of Nationalism in the Philippines

Definition of Nationalism
Nationalism is a sentiment of a person towards his country. It is a display of loyalty of a
person to his own culture, history and aspiration as a nation. It is a national sentiment that unites
the people towards a common goal for the advancement of the country.
In the Philippines, nationalism could be attributed to growth of national consciousness
brought by the various events which challenged the pride of the people and the rise of the
Creoles and the well-educated Filipinos who wrote different essays articles and novels that
challenged the community to rise and assert their rights and ask for political reforms.

The Factors that Led to the Rise of Nationalism in the Philippines

A. The Opening of the Philippines in the World Trade
The opening of the Philippines in the 'world trade was one important factor in the rise of
nationalism in the country because of two reasons:

1. First, the international trade brought material progress in the different areas in the Philippines
where the agricultural products included in thé trade came from. The increase of the demand in
the agricultural products brought prosperity to the provincial elite and this development made
them capable of sending their children to universities in Manila
and in Spain. The well-educated Filipinos like Jose P. Rizal became the advocate of political
reforms in the country.
2. The Second reason Was that the world trade gave'opportunity to the Filipinos to gain
knowledge about the other parts of the'world as well as the political events and liberal ideas.

B. The Coming of the Liberal Ideas

1. The Administration of Carlos Maria De la Torre
Carlos Maria De La Torre was a liberal-minded governor general in the Philippines, during his
administration, he encouraged the Filipinos to participate in the government and expressed their
sentiments for the development of his administration. This method of
governance became an eye-opener to those who experienced his liberal administration. They
became aware that the colonial government could also undergo political reforms and the
Filipinos could also have an active participation in the government; however, as the transition
from liberal to conservative monarch in Spain, the liberal administration of Carlos Maria De La
Torre ended and he was succeeded by a conservative governor general Rafael de Izquierdo who
imposed rules opposite De la Torre. The sudden shift from liberal going to conservative gained
negative reaction from the Filipinos.

2. The Issue of Secularization

The secularization issue started in the times of Archbishop Sta. Justa and Governor
General Anda (1767-1776). The problems about the vacancies in the numerous churches
were solved by the appointment of Filipino priests and this decision of the archbishop was
supported by Governor General Anda. This move was criticized by the regular priest who
questioned the credibility of the Filipino priest in leading the church and the controversy was
highlighted by the questions from the standpoint of the general interest of the church and the
advancement of the parochial affairs in the country. The problem reached the Consejo de Indias
and in the Royal Decree in December 1776, the secularization of the parishes implemented by
Archbishop Sta. Justa was suspended.
The Royal Decree which limited the appointment of the Filipino priest in the parishes
was followed by orders which commanded the return of the parishes to the regular priest. The
Filipino priest knew that the policies aimed to eliminate the leadership of the Filipino in the
Philippine churches. This situation in the parishes and the discrimination of the Filipino priest
led to the creation of the secularization movement and Father Pedro Pelaez, the Vicar Capitular
of Manila Cathedral led the movement. This movement sought reform in the policies of the
church towards the Filipino priest and eventually for the Filipinization of the Philippine curacies.
The secularization issues gave birth to the popularity of the spokespersons of the Filipino priest
Fr. Burgos, Fr. Zamora and Fr.Gomez and put them in conflict with the Spanish priest.

3. The Cavite Mutiny

The administration of Rafael de Izquierdo cancelled the benefits enjoyed by the Filipino soldiers
in Cavite like,the exemption in tribute and personal services. This resulted to the unrest of the
laborers in the Cavite arsenal. The event was popularly known as
Cavite Mutiny; this uprising was of local character and was quickly suppressed. But the mutiny
was used by the Spanish äuthorities against the Filipino reactionaries like Fr. Burgos, Fr. Zamora
and Fr. Gomez.

4. The Execution of GomBurZa

 The three priests were executed because they were accused as the leaders of the uprisings
in Cavite. Francisco Zaldua testified against the three priests--Father Mariano Gomez, Father
Jose Burgos and Father Jacinto Zamora.
Father Mariano Gomez was the head priest of Bacoor, the second richest parish in Cavite
in terms of the tributes collected. He served in the, said parish for forty-eight years and was
loved by the people because of his dedication in strengthening not only the spiritual growth of
the people but also the progress in terms of their livelihood. His popularity was known not only
in Cavite but in the nearby town of Batangas and when they needed to collect funds to send a
representative to Rome for their problems about secularization. He initiated the collection of
donations to different parishes in Cavite and
Batangas. And because of his popularity, he became part of the list of the Spanish priest that they
wanted to eliminate. Second was Father Jacinto Zamora, the head priest of Marikina, he was also
part of the ssecularization movement and supported the struggle of the Filipino priest for equality
and opportunity to lead a church.
The third was Father Jose P. Burgos, the youngest among the three and the friend of Paciano
Mercado, the brother of Rizal. He became the leader of the secularization movement after the
death of the father of secularization, Father Pedro Pelaez and the head priest of the Manila
Cathedral. He wrote essays which contradicted the regular or the Spanish clergies and his
writings and active leadership made him part
of the list of the Spanish priest.
On January 24, 1872, an uprising of the soldiers of Cavite arsenal happened and the three
priests were accused as the leaders of the uprising on February 17, 1872, after the speedy trial
and upon the testimony of Francisco Zaldua, the three priests were executed in Bagong Bayan
(Luneta) by means of garrote.
The event became an eye opener among Filipinos specially to those who were well
educated. Paciano Mercado, the brother of Rizal was really affected since Father Jose Burgos
was his close friend. The said event and the injustices experienced by the three priests was
inculcated to the young Rizal through his brother so the second novel
of Rizal, El Filibusterismo was written in their memory.

C. The Implementation ofDifferent Unjust Policies

1. Polo Y Servicios - All males 16-60 years old were obliged to work for the government for
40 days every year_the Royal decree in 1883 increased the minimum age of the males who
worked as polista from 16 to 18 years old. The natives were required to do the work as their
service to the colonial government, however, those who could afford to pay falla (the amount
money paid to the government to be exempted from forced labor) were exempted to perform the
manual
labor implemented by the polo.
2. Enconmienda - The land of the natives was confiscated and was given to the Spaniards
who helped for the expansion of the territory Spain. The natives who were part of the land were
subjected to the policies of the enconmiendero and to the taxation. The farmers were not allowed
to work in their land without the permission of the said officials.
3. Hacienda Owned by the Friars - The hacienda system emerged after the abolition of
enconmienda. The descendants of the enconmiendero transformed the land as their hacienda.
And those enconmienda under the church was transformed as hacienda of the friars.
4. Bandala - The compulsory sale of the products of the natives to the Spaniards.
5. Tributo - tax obligation to the government in money or in kind.

D. The Maladministration of Justice

The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines had a Penal code as basis for the
justice system in the government, however, in most of the cases the accused was sentenced
without the due process of law.

E. Racial Discrimination
The social stratification made by the colonization of the Spaniards brought racial
discrimination and the usual victims were the creoles and the indios. In the church, the Filipino
priest (Secular) needed to pass the examination before he could be appointed as a parish priest
while the Spanish priest (Regular) could assume the position of Parish priest even without
examination. In the schools and universities run by the friars, the Filipino students were
considered secondary and inferior compared to the Spanish students. In the position in the
government, the Filipinos were only allowed to be elected in the level of gobernadorcillo or the
leader of the town or pueblo. The highest pósitions in the government were for the pure Spanish
only. In terms of land, owning the large and rich lands were given to the Spaniards.

F. The Lack of Representative of the Filipinos in the Spanish Cortes

One of the political reforms that Jose P. Rizal asked for was the rrepresentationn of the
Filipinos in the Spanish Cortes. The laws formulated for the Filipinos were suited in the culture
of the people and having a Filipino as representative in the Spanish Cortes could be the way to
have laws that would protect the interest of the Filipinos and could elevate their situation under
the law. And as Jose P. Rizal stated in his essay, The Philippines a Century Hence, the lack of
Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes and the political reforms in the country would be
the reason why the Filipinos rebelled against the Spanish Colonial government.

LESSON 3: RIZAL’S LIFE, FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

Jose Rizal our national hero has a lot of beautiful memories and wonderful experiences to reckon
during his childhood days in Calamba Laguna. He grew up in a happy home, ruled by good parents,
bubbling with joy and contentment sanctified by god’s blessing.He spent his childhood at the lake
shore town of Calamba with its scenic beauty. In Calamba it was typical for a son of an illustrado
family to receive the four R’s methods of teaching reading, writing, arithmetic and religion. Jose
Rizal’s first teacher was his mother. She taught him how to read and to write aside from that his
mother also taught him to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which he raised fervently to
God.

Article 1
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, iwe 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 us.
 We saw no restraint put upon brutality. Acts of violence and other excesses
were.committed daily... I asked myselfif, in the lands which lay across the lake, the people lived
in this same way. I wondered if there they tortured any countryman with hard and cruel whips
merely on suspicion. Did they respect the home? Or ever yonder also, in order to live in peace,
would one have to bribe tyrants?

Article 2
To My Sisters
Iurge you to take care of, to serve and to love our parent as you would like your children later to
take care of, serve and love you in your old age. May you live united and forgive one another's
asperities and slight faults-the natura! thorns oflife because it is a displeasure for parents. to see
that their children are not living in harmony. Afterwards, when our parents are dead, we shall
miss them greatly and we shall be sorry for not having served them while they lived.
I give my brother-in-law very many thanks for the friendship they have always accorded
me; they have loved me as a brother; I could not help but love them likewise. May my
nephews and nieces study, be good, obedient to their parėnts,grandparents and aunts.
May my boys continue behaving well... I shall know how to take care ofthem ifI return.
God will dispose ofthat. They have lost nothing it iis always good to have behaved well.

Article 3
Dear Son,

On the 13'h ofthis month we ate atyour Aunt Betang'shouse and on the 14th we slept
there, because we three had a group picture taken to send to you so that you will not get sad. We
happen to talk about your great desire to see our picture. Even though it is hard for my eyes, I
am writing you so that you may receive a letter from me.
It is very necessary that I tell you that, when you are not doing anything, you recall the
time when you zwere very young, before you learned to read, you were devoted to the Holy
Virgin,the Merciful Lady. She watched over you until you learned almost miraculously. I
acknowledge that the learning that you have attained is due to the many rosaries you recited to
her. May we not forget this.
Why is it that in one of your letters, it seems that you do not favor our praying in the
church? I am going to tell you since you left this place, in addition to my special offerings for
you, I urge fervently the saints to whom Ipray to preserve and protect you.
Now I am going to mention to you one by one my new debts to the Lord. On June 6, 1882
Lucia delivered a baby boy who was named Jose; on 15 of September 1882 Neneng gave birth to
a baby boy named Alfredo; On 14 June 1883 Sisa gave birth to a girl who was given the name
Maria Consolacion; on September 3, 1883 Olimpia gave birth to a boy who was named Aristeo.
On 24 November 1883 Lucia gave birth to a girl; on the 26 Novèmber 1883 Lucia gave birth to
a girl; on the 26 ofthis month Neneng gave birth to a girl also. Both girls are not yet baptized
but they will be on Sunday. Here many die ofchild birth, but they went through it safely.
The terrible cholera visited this place followed by beriberi and the destructive typhoon,
but we were not affected, because of God's mercy, Who seems to have sheltered and supported
us. Thieves stole 4,000 pesos from Neneng; she recovered it, except a small amount. Just see ifit
is not proper for you, my children, to help me to be grateful for all these debts, so that in the end
we may be grated another one, which is that we may meet again. Let us give thanks to the Lord.
Your mother who wishes the welfare of your soul.
Teodora Alonso
P.S.
Igave your uncle Antonio 25 pesos as my Christmas present to you.

Article 4
"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 burns 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.Ididnotunderstand Spanish andso Icouldnotreadwithexpression. 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
understood verse-making, too. Many times during Christmas vacations, my mother corrected my
poetical compositions, and she always made valuable criticisms.
I listened to her, full ofchildish enthusiasm. I splendour at the nice- sounding phrases
which she read from those same pages. The phrases she. read so easily stopped me at every
breath. Perhaps I grew tired oflistening 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 flights. 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 books, as
ifshe were looking for something. Then I settled down to listen. I was full ofcuriosity 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 ine the fable ofthe 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, 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 was 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 flamed 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 was quiet. That became for
me a great event. A curious change came over me which I always noticed in myself whenever
anything 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 he 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 like my mother. The
light seems to be more beautiful. It had grown more dazzling and more attractive. I knew why
the moths circled the flame.

Birth of the Hero

Jose P. Rizal was born on the 19h day of June 1861 between 11:00-12:00 midnight. His
mother Teodora Alonzo almost lost her life in giving birth to Jose because of his big head and
because of this difficulty, the family of Jose considered him as special and called him as muy
bonito. He was born in Calamba, Laguna, which was considered a first class municipality and a
place where the rich families enjoyed the material progress brought by the opening of the
Philippines in the world trade. Majority of the land of the town were owned by the Dominican
Friars and his father Francisco Rizal was an inquilino who rented a huge land from the
Dominicans.The family of Rizal was considered as one of the richest families in Calamba which
was evident because his family was able to send their ten children to prestigious schools and
universities in the country.
The time of his birth was also important in analyzing his personality as a person and as a
hero. He was born in a time where the well-educated Filipinos were starting to ask for reform
from the Spanish government in the Philippines. The changes in the political views of the people
during the time of his birth were brought by the enlightenment of the well-educated Filipinos
and the international events in regard to politics and government (the French Revolution, the
conflict between the Consrvative and Liberal government in Europe and the Revolution of the
colonies in the Latin America). The different events during his time enriched his liberal ideas and
sharpened his knowledge about the truegovernment.

The Mixed Ancestry

Jose came from a mixture of Chinese,Spanish,Japanese and Filipino blood. His great
grandfather in the father side was Domingo Lamco, a Chinese immigrant from China who
married Ines de la Rosa, a Chinese Christian girl from Manila. Domingo adopted the surname
Mercado (Spanish term for market). The son of Domingo and Ines, Francisco Mercado residëd in
Biñan and married a Chinese woman, named Cirila Bernacha. He was elected as gobernadorcillo
of Biñan and later on, his son Juan Mercado followed his footstep as the gobernadorcillo of the
town. Juan also married a Chinése Filipina named Cirila Alejandro. The couple was blessed with
thirteen children and one of those was Francisco Mercado, the father of Jose Rizal. At the age of
eight, Francisco
lost his father and grew up under the care of his mother. He studied Latin and Philosophy at
College of San Jose in Manila and fell in love with the student from the College of Santa Rosa,
named Teodora Alonzo.
 Teodora Alonzo came from the family of Lakandula. Her great grandfather Eugenio
Ursua who had a Japanese ancestry married Benigna. The daughter of Eugenio and Benigna was
Regina who was married to a Chinese-Filipino from Pangasinan. And their daughter Brigida was
married to a prominent Spanish named Lorenzo Alberto Alonso from Biñan. One of the
daughters of Lorenzo and Brigida was Teodora Alonzo.
Both the parents of Jose P. Rizal had Chinese ancestry. And after their marriage on June
28, 1848, they settled in Calamba and engaged in farming business. They were blessed with
eleven children namely, Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olimpia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion,
Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad.
Rizal's family belonged to the middle class or a principalia class or a creoles class. The
status of his family brought a comfortable life to Jose, their house was made of adobe and
hardwood, they owned a carriage and horses which were the symbols of wealth during those
times. Jose had ten siblings and all of them were 'educated in Manila and still his parents'could
afford to hire a private tutor fór the young Jose. The resources provided by his parents enhanced
the innate intelligence of Jose Rizal in becoming well-educated and because of his knowledge he
would someday enlighten the Filipino to'assert their rights' änd ask for reform in the government.

The Childhood Memories

His childhood memories were full of'happiness because of the care and love of his
family. And because his healthcondition, his parents employed an aya (nurse maid) who looked
after his comfort. His aya told him a lot of stories about the fairies, asuang,the nuno and the
tikbalang. His innate brightness made him remember all the trees from the orchards of his father
(Guerero, 2010). When he was three years old, his father built a little nipa cottage in their garden
and it was his splendor place where he listened to the chirping sounds of the birds and smelled
the aroma coming from the flowers of the trees.
When he was four years old, he experienced his first sorrow because of the death of his
little sister Concha. It was the first time that he shed tears caused by love and grief. He learned to
read and write at the age of three with the help of his mother, his first teacher.

The Story of the Moth

One night after dinner, as the usual scenario, Teodora Alonzo was teaching the young
Jose to read; however, the attention of Jose was caught by the flying moth in the light of the
lamp. Then Teodora decided to narrate a story about the young moth and his story seemed to be
the metaphor in the life of Jose P. Rizal. The tragic fate of the young moth that was enchanted
with the beautiful flame and did not listen to the advice of his mother had a similarity to the fate
of Rizal. Like the moth, he also chose to be involved in the reform movement and using his
literary skills he enlightened the people about their true conditions and the need for action and to
seek reform. And like the young moth, he died as a martyr for his ideals.
The story of The Moth and the Flame is not the only part of his childhood which became
true in his lifetime. One instance during his childhood, he made a small monument of himself
and because of that his sisters laughed at his work. In between sobbing, he told them that
someday he would have a monument built byother people. In the future, the prediction of Jose
Rizal became true and he had the monuments in different parts of the country and also abroad.

Journey to His Early Education

 At the age of three, the young Jose already knew how to read and write. This was because
ofhis mother who took care of his first education. His mother also hired
private tutors to enhance the learning and talent of Jose Rizal.He had Maestro Celestino as
hisfirst private tutor, Maestro Lucas Padua as his second private tutor and Leon Monroy who
lived with their family and taught Rizal Spanish and Latin but because
of his age, he did not live long and died after five months. However, his education
learned from home was not sufficient so his father Don Francisco decided to send
him to the fishing village in Biñan for his primary education.
In June 1869, at the age of eight, Jose P. Rizal needed to leave his family to
study in Biñan. With tears in his eyes, he left Calamba and his brother Pacianoaccompanied him
to Biñan. The two brothers rode the carromata for one and a
half hour, they arrived in Biñan. Jose lodged in the house of his aunt Isabel. The
beautiful scenery in the place did not appeal to the young Jose because of his
homesickness.

The First Day in Biñan

The school was thirty meters away from the house of his aunt and also the house of his
teacher Maestro Justiniano Cruz which was described by Rizal as tall, thin, long necked, with a
sharp nose and body slightly bent forward, and he used
to wear sinamay shirt and he knew by heart the grammar by Nebrija (Spanish language) and
Gainza (dialect in Bicol).
He experienced being scolded by Maestro Justiniano Cruz because he was
asked if he knew Latin and Spanish and he answered "um poco" or a little. His Maestro wanted
that his students should study their lesson and be ready before coming to school so he had the
reward and punishment as his method of teaching.During those times, teachers were allowed to
scold their students so that they would have discipline.According to his diary, Jose did not want
to remember the number of beatings that he experienced but the lessons from those beatings. For
Rizal,the sadistic method of learning was beneficial since he was encouraged to study harder and
perform above what was expected.

A Victim of Bullying
After the incident in the classroom, young Jose met the bully, Pedro,who laughed at him
during his conversation with Maestro Justiniano. Jose challenged Pedro to a fight and the latter
accepted because he thought that he could beat Jose for he was smaller than him but Jose learned
the art of arm wrestling from his Tiyo Manuel so he was able to defeat a taller boy than him.
After the fight he gained respect from his other classmates. Jose Rizal developed the other
aspects of his personality to avoid bullying, to compensate for his smail physique; he studied arm
wrestling, fencing and various aspects of arts.

Daily Life in Biñan

His life in Biñan was simple and well disciplined and this training contributed
a lot to his development as a person and as a hero. He lived in Biñan as a well disciplined student
but there was one instance that his cousin asked him to join them in playing near the river and
then his cousin pushed him because he was not aware that he was not a good swimmer. Luckily,
their companions saved him and because of that he avoided joining his cousin in his
escapades.According to his memoirs, this was his daily life in Biñan.
 "Here was my life. I heard the four o'clock mass, if there was any or I studied my lesson
at that hour and I went to mass afterwards. I returned home and I went to the orchard to look for
a mabolo to eat. Then I took breakfast, which consisted generally of a dish ofrice and two dried
small fish, and I went to class from which i came out at ten o'clock. I went home at once. If there
was one special dish, Leandro and I took some
ofit to the house of his children and I returned without saying a zword. I ate with them and
afterwards I studied, I went to school at two and came out at five. I prayed a short while with
some nice cousin and I returned home. I studied my lessons. I drew a little, and afterwards I took
my supper consisting ofone or two dishes ofrice with an ayungin. We prayed and ifthere was a
moon, mynieces invited me to play in the street together
with others. Thank God that I never got sick away from my parents."

Success in Biñan
Maestro Justiniano Cruz used corporal punishment to inculcate discipline
to his students. Jose didn't want to remember the number of beatings that he gained from the
Maestro Cruz but those beatings encouraged him to do his best in order to master the skills in
Latin, Spanish and other subjects. Because of his intelligence and perseverance he became the
top student in his class and gained the admiration of his teacher. After his class with Maestro, he
had a painting lesson with old Juancho. He was able to improve his painting skills and became
one of the favorite painters in the class.
Young Jose Rizal experienced the simple and usual life like other normal children. His training
and happy memories were the foundation of his personality. Although he disapproved of the
sadistic method of teaching as he stated in Noli Me Tangere but the discipline that he gained
from this method contributed a lot as he pursued higher education.

Return to Calamba
In December 1870, he received a letter from his sister Saturnina advising him to ride th e
steamer Talim that would bring him back to Calamba.Knowing that this would be the end of his
stay in Biñan so he went to the Chapel of the Virgin of Peace of Antipolo, went to the river to
gather stones as souvenir, made paper fishes and bade goodbye to his classmates and teachers.
On December 17, 1870 at one o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday, he reached his home at
Calamba and this ended his homesickness and longing for his family.