GE 8

THE LIFE AND

WORKS OF RIZAL
:
NARLYN P. DELA CRUZ
 Rizal’s Life:
Family, Childhood
and Early
Education
Rizal’s Family
 Home Life of the Rizals
• They had a simple, contented and happy life.
• The parents were loving but they never spoil them.
• The parents were strict & they trained their children to love God, to behave
well, to be obedient, and to respect people, especially the old folks.
• Whenever the children , including Jose Rizal , got into mischief , were given
a sound spanking.
• Everyday heard mass in the town church, particularly during Sundays &
Christian holidays
• Prayed together at home – the Angelus at sunset & the Rosary before retiring
to bed at night. After the family prayers, all the children kissed the hands
of their parents.
• Children were given ample time & freedom to play – they play merrily in the
azotea or in the garden by themselves. The older ones were allowed to play
with the children of other families.
 Rizal’s
Ancestry
Don Francisco Engracio Mercado Rizal
(1818 – 1898)
 Domingo Lam – co
• Rizal’s paternal great – great – grandfather
• Chinese immigrant fr. Fukien city of Changchow ; arrived in Ines de la Rosa
Manila about 1690 A well – to – do Chinese
• Became a Christian & assumed in 1731 the surname Mercado Christian
bec. he is a merchant (Mercado means market in Spanish)

Cirila Bernacha
Francisco Mercado
Resided in Biῆan and was elected as
Chinese – Filipino
gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of mestiza
the town

Juan Mercado
Cirila Alejandro
• Rizal’s grandfather
A Chinese – Filipino
• Also elected as
Mestiza
gobernadorcillo of Biῆan

Francisco Mercado
• Rizal’s father
• The youngest among the
The surname Mercado was adopted complying to the Claveria Decree, 13 children of Juan
which mandated that all Filipinos use Spanish surnames. Mercado & Cirila Alejandro
• Born in Biῆan , Laguna on 11 May
• Rizal affectionately called
1818 him “a model of fathers” in
• Studied Latin & Philosophy at his student memoirs
the College of San Jose in Manila
• An independent-minded,
• Moved to Calamba in early taciturn, but dynamic
manhood, following his parent’s
gentleman from whom Jose
death & became a tenant – farmer
of the Dominican – owned hacienda inherited his free soul
• Hardy, independent – minded man, • Became a Tiniente
talked less & worked more , strong Gobernadorcillo (Lieutenant
in body & valiant in spirit Governor) & thus nicknamed
• Died in Manila on 5 January 1898 Tiniente Kiko
at the age of 80 • The youngest among the
thirteen (13) children
Doña Teodora Alonso Quintos Realonda
(1826 – 1911)
 Eugenio Ursua
Rizal’s maternal great – great – grandfather Benigna
Of Japanese ancestry (surname
unknown)

Manuel de Quintos
Regina Filipino – Chinese
lawyer fr. Pangasinan

Lorenzo Alberto
Brigida Alonso
One of the daughters of Regina & A prominent Spanish –
Atty. De Quintos Filipino mestizo of Biῆan

Narcisa,TEODORA (Rizal’s
mother),Gregorio,Manuel &
Jose
• Born in Manila on 8 November 1826
• Also known as Lolay
• She was educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well – known
college for girls in the city
• A remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary
talent, business ability & fortitude of Spartan women
• 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 good advice
when I was studying rhetoric. She is a mathematician and has
read many books.”
• Died in Manila on 16 August 1911 at the age of 85
• Shortly after her death, the Philippine government offer a
life pension ; she courteously rejected it.
 The Surname Rizal
• The real surname of the Rizal family was
Mercado,which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo
Lamco,who was a full – blooded Chinese. Rizal’s
family acquired a second surname – RIZAL – which
was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial
governor) of Laguna,who was a family friend.
• In Spanish Rizal means “ a field where wheat,cut
while still green,sprouts again .”
The Rizal
Siblings
 Saturnina
(1850 – 1913)

oldest of the Rizal

children,nicknamed
Neneng ; she married
Manuel T. Hidalgo
of Tanawan ,
Batangas
Paciano
(1851 – 1930)

older brother & confidant of

Jose Rizal ; after his
younger brother’s
execution, he joined the
Philippine Revolution &
became a combat general ;
after the revolution, he
retired to his farm in Los
Baῆos, where he lived as a
gentleman farmer & died on
13 April 1930, an old
bachelor aged 79. He had two
children by his mistress
(Severina Decena) – a boy and
a girl
Narcisa
(1852 – 1939)

her pet name was

Sisa & she
married Antonio
Lopez (nephew of
Father Leoncio
Lopez), a school
teacher of Morong
 Olimpia
(1855 – 1887)

Ypia was her pet

name ; she
married Silvestre
Ubaldo, a
telegraph
operator from
Manila.
 Lucia
(1857 – 1919)

she married Mariano

Herbosa of Calamba ,
Laguna, who was a
nephew of Father
Casanas. Herbosa
died of cholera in
1889 & was denied
Christian burial
because he was a
brother – in – law
of Dr. Rizal
 Maria
(1859 – 1945)

Biang was her

nickname ; she
married
Daniel
Faustino Cruz
of Biῆan ,
Laguna
Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal Y.
Alonzo Realonda
(1861 – 1896)
the greatest Filipino
hero & peerless genius
; his nickname was Pepe
; during his exile in
Dapitan he lived with
Josephine
Bracken,Irish girl
from Hong Kong ; he had
a son by her, but this
baby boy died a few
hours after birth ;
Rizal named him
“Francisco” after his
father and buried him
in Dapitan
• Sibling relationship among them was
affectionately cordial.
• When Rizal grew to manhood, he always called
her sisters Doῆa or Seῆora (if married) and
Seῆorita (if single)
• His relation to his only brother was more than
that of a younger to older brother ; Paciano
was a second father to him ; he immortalized
him in his first novel Noli Me Tangere as the
wise Pilosopo Tasio ; he regarded him as the
“most noble of Filipinos” and “though an Indio,
more generous and noble than all the Spaniards
put together”
Concepcion
(1862 – 1865)

her pet name

was Concha ; she
died of sickness
at the age of 3
; her death was
Rizal’s first
sorrow in life
 Josefa
(1865 – 1945)

her pet name

was Panggoy ;
she died an
old maid at
the age of 80.
 Trinidad
(1868 – 1951)

Trining was
her pet name ;
she died also
an old maid in
1951 aged 83.
Soledad
(1870 – 1929)
youngest of the
Rizal children ;
her pet name was
Choleng ; she
married
Pantaleon
Quintero of
Calamba
 The Rizal Home
• One of the distinguished stone houses in
Calamba during Spanish times.
• A two – storey building , rectangular in
shape,built of adobe stones & hard woods,&
roofed w/ red tiles.
• Behind the house : poultry of turkeys &
chickens & a big garden of tropical fruits
(atis, balimbing, chico, macopa, papaya, santol,
tampoy,etc.)
A Good and Middle – Class Family
•They belonged to the
principalia, a town
aristocracy in Spanish
Philippines.
•One of the distinguished
families in Calamba.
 The Birth of a Hero
• Born on Wednesday , 19 June 1861 in Calamba , Laguna ; his
mother almost died during the delivery because of his big
head
• Seventh child of the eleven children (2 boys & 9 girls)
• Baptized on 22 June 1861, three days old, in the Catholic
church of his town by the parish priest Father Rufino
Collantes who was a Batangueῆo.
• Father Pedro Casanas : his godfather (ninong),native of
Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family
• At the time of his birth, the governor – general of the
Philippines was Lieutenant – General Jose Lemery
 Calamba , Earliest Childhood Memories
The Hero’s Town
• Happy days in the family garden when he
was 3 years old
• Calamba : named after a • He was a frail, sickly & undersized child,
he was given the tenderest care by his
big native jar,the hero’s parents
natal town ; an hacienda • His father built a little nipa cottage in
the garden for him to play in the day
town w/c belonged to the • A kind old woman was employed as an aya
Dominican Order,w/c also (nurse maid – Aquilina Alquitran) to look
owned all the lands after his comfort ; related many stories
abt. fairies, tales of buried treasure &
around it. trees blooming w/ diamonds & other fabulous
• 1876 : Rizal was 15 y/o & stories ; the imaginary tales told aroused
in Rizal an interest in legends & folklore.
was a student in the • Daily Angelus prayer
Ateneo de Manila,he • Happy moonlit nights at the azotea after

remembered the nightly Rosary

• Nocturnal walk in the town especially when
there was a moon.
The Hero’s First Sorrow
• Concha’s (Concepcion) death. She died of sickness in 1865
at the age of 3
Devoted Son of the Church
• At the age of 3,he began to take part in the family
prayers
• At the age of 5,he was able to read Spanish bible
Pilgrimage to Antipolo
• 6 June 1868 : he & and his father left Calamba to go on a
pilgrimage to Antipolo, to fulfill his mother’s vow
which was made when he was born
• First trip across Laguna de Bay and they rode in a casco
(barge)
• After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo,
they went to Manila and it was his first time to see it
• They visited her sister Saturnina who was then a
boarding student at La Concordia College in Santa Ana.
The Story of the Moth

• The Children’s
Friend (El Amigo de
los Niños) : Spanish
reader
• The young moth
made the
profoundest
impression on him
 Artistic Talents
• Pencil Sketches and molding of clays,
and wax objects at the age of 5
(Religious Banner in Calamba)
• Wrote his first poem Sa Aking Mga
Kabata(To My Fellow Children) at the age
of 8
• Wrote his first drama, a Tagalog Comedy
• Boy Magician
Rizal’s Influence
Hereditary

Environmental Divine Providence

 Hereditary Influence
a. Malayan Ancestors c. Spanish Ancestors
• Love for freedom • Elegance of bearing
• Sensitivity to insult
• Innate desire to • Gallantry to ladies
travel
d. His Father
• Indomitable courage • Self – respect
b. Chinese Ancestors • Love for work
• Serious nature • Independent thinking
• Frugality e. His Mother
• Patience • Religious nature
• Love for children • Self – sacrifice
• Arts and literature
 Environmental Influence
a. Paciano d. Three uncles (brothers of
• Freedom and justice his mother)
i. Tio Jose Alberto : studied
b. His sisters for 11 years in a British school
• Courtesy and kindness in Calcutta , India and had
traveled in Europe
to women • Artistic ability
c. His aya ii. Tio Manuel
• Athleticism and sports
• Folklore and legends iii. Tio Gregorio
• Books
e. Father Leoncio Lopez
• Scholarship and intellectual
honesty
 Divine providence
God endowed him with
versatile gifts of a genius,
vibrant spirit of
nationalistic and valiant
heart for a noble cause
Early education
Early education:
Calamba
 The Hero’s First Teacher
• His first teacher was his mother who first discovered
his talent for poetry and encouraged him to write
poems.
• As he grew older, his parents employed private tutors
to give him lessons at home
• Maestro Celestino
• Maestro Lucas Padua
• Leon Monroy : former classmate of his father ; he lived at
the Rizal home & instructed him in Spanish & Latin but
unfortunately, he did not live long & died 5 months later.
• After Monroy’s death, the hero’s parents decided to
send him to a private school in Biñan.
Early education:
Biñan
• June 1869 : Jose left Calamba for Biῆan
• Accompanied by Paciano who acted as his
second father
• They rode in carromata ; one and a half
drive ; proceeded to their aunt’s house
where he was to lodge ; they arrive almost
night
• That same night since they arrived, with
his cousin Leandro, went sightseeing in
the town but instead of enjoying the
sights, he became depressed because of
homesickness.
FIRST DAY IN BIÑAN SCHOOL
• Paciano brought him to the school of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz,who was once his teacher
• The school was 30 m away from the home of Jose’s aunt
• Jose described his teacher as “He was tall,thin,long –
necked,with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent
forward, and he used to wear a sinamay shirt,woven by
the skilled hands of the women of Batangas. He knew by
heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza. Add to his
severity,that in my judgment was exaggerated, and you
have a picture,perhaps vague,that I have made of him,
but remember only this.”
 First School Brawl
• He met the bully Pedro (the
teacher’s son) when their
teacher was having his siesta in
the afternoon of his first day
in school.
• He was angry at this bully for
making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher
in the morning.
• He challenged Pedro to a fight
by which the latter accepted ;
he defeated Pedro & after this
feat, he become popular among
his classmates.
• After the class in the
afternoon, a classmate named
Andres Salandanan challenged
him to an arm – wrestling match
; they to a sidewalk but because
he had a weaker arm he lost the
fight and nearly cracked his
head on the sidewalk.
• He was not quarrelsome in
nature, but he never run away
from a fight.
 Painting Lessons in Daily Life in Biñan
Biñan
• He led a methodical life , almost
• Near the school was the Spartan in simplicity
house of an old painter • Hear four o’clock mass or study his
called Juancho (father – lessons then went to mass afterward
in – law of the school • Eat breakfast (rice & two dried
teacher) fish)
• Go to class and be out at ten o’clock
• Old Juancho freely gave • Go to school at two and out at five
him lessons in drawing • Play for a short while then return
and painting to home
• Jose Guevarra, his • Study,draw and eat supper (ayungin)
classmate, who also loved • Pray, if there is moon, play
painting, became the old
painter’s apprentices
 Best Student in School

• He beat all Biῆan boys ; he surpassed them all

in Spanish, Latin and other subjects
• Some of his older classmates were jealous of his
intellectual superiority
 End of Biñan of Schooling

• Left Biñan on a Saturday

afternoon, 17 December 1870,
after one and a half year
of schooling
• He was thrilled to take
passage on the steamer
Talim, for it was his first
time to ever rode on a
steamer
• On board was a Frenchman
named Arturo Camps , a
friend of his father , who
took care of him