Course: Life and Works of Rizal

SAND COURSE INTENDED LEARNING ROUTCOME

MODULE 1
INTRODUCTION
This module will discuss one of the most important legislations in the Philippine
History, The Rizal Law also known as Republic Act No. 1425 (R.A. No. 1425). This module will
highlight the important points on how this law came into being, how this legislation boosted
Filipino Nationalism, answer questions on why students should study The Life Of Rizal and the
relevance of this course to their respective fields of expertise. This module also single out some
major economic, social, and political developments of the 19th century that influenced
Rizal’s growth as a nationalist and conditioned the evolution of his thought. This module also
tackles the different lifestyles of families during the 19th century. Discuss the important
details in Life Of Rizal and the significance of his birth. Highlights his childhood memories and
how it influenced his young mind. This module also discusses his early education, early
achievements and the people important to Rizal’s journey.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

K – Contextualize the relevance of the course in general to the daily life of the Filipinos nowadays

S – Demonstrate the importance and the relevance of how nationalism was molded in the heart and
mind of our national hero

A – Internalize how the writing of history can change the image of the country

CONTENTS OF THE MODULE

This module contains the following lessons:
Lesson 1: Introduction to the course: Republic Act 1425 & 19th Century Philippines as Rizal’s
Context

Lesson 2: Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE MODULE PROPERLY

In order to benefit profoundly from this module, please be guided by all the key points
presented below.
1. This module contains two (2) lessons. Read, comprehend and analyse the explanations
thoroughly so that you could understand the lesson fully.
2. On the first page of each lesson, you will find the specific learning outcomes (SLOs) of
each lesson. SLOs are knowledge and skills you are expected to acquire at the end of the
lesson.
3. You must answer the Learning Activities/Exercises (LAEs). The LAEs are designed to help
you acquire the SLOs.
4. Feel free to chat, call, text or send an email message to me if you have questions, reactions,
or reflections about the contents or activities in the module.
 5. The Practice Task/Assessment and the Assignment shall be checked by your subject
instructor.

LESSON 1:

Introduction to the course: Republic Act 1425 & 19th Century Philippines as Rizal’s Context

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this module you should be able to:
K – Contextualize the political, economic and social life of the Philippines during the 19 th century

- Process the link between the individual and the society in term of social, economic and political
development
S – Articulate on the life of the Filipinos during that time
- Demonstrate understanding for Jose Rizal in the context of his time
A – Internalize the relevance of the law in the nation building of a true Filipino

Motivation/Prompting Questions
*Do you know any of our national hero? *What do you think are the legal basis of becoming a
national hero? *Do you find it interesting studying and knowing the people from the past? *What
are your thoughts about the social, political and economic context of our country today?

Discussion
BACKGROUD AND CONTENT OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425, S.1956
“Republic Act No. 1425 known as the Rizal Law mandates all educational institutions in the
Philippines to offer courses about Jose Rizal. The full name of the law is ‘An Act to Include in the
Curricala 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.

Jose P. Laurel, then senator who co-wrote the law, explained that since Jose Rizal was the
founder of the country’s nationalism and had significantly contributed to the current condition of
the nation, it is only right that Filipinos, especially the youth, know about and learn to imbibe the
great ideals for which the hero died.

Accordingly, the Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals:

1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes
lived and died
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino
character

3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and writings.

RIZAL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE 19TH CENTURY PHILIPPINES

To be able to understand Jose Rizal in the context of his time, you need to analyze the various
economic, social, political and cultural changes that occurred in the nineteenth century.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The flowering of the nationalist movement in the late nineteenth century-Philippines could
scarcely be possible without the economic growth, which took place in the 19th century,
particularly after about 1830.

Economic growth that took place during Rizal’s time:

1. The Galleon Trade
2. The opening of the Suez Canal
3. The growth of the export industry
4. Opening of Manila Ports to World Trade
5. The rise of the monopolies

The Galleon Trade (Kalakalang Galyon)

- also known in New Spain as “La Nao de la China” (The China Ship) because it carried
largely Chinese goods shipped from Manila.
- The Galleon Trade was a government monopoly.
- Only two galleons were used: One sailed from Acapulco to Manila with some 500,000
pes0s worth of goods, spending 120 days at sea; the other sailed from Manila to
Acapulco with some 250,000 pesos worth of goods spending 90 days at sea.
- The Spanish trading ships which for two and a half centuries linked the Philippines
with Mexico across the Pacific Ocean lasted from 1565 to 1815.

When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, our ancestors were always trading with
China, Japan, Siam, India, Cambodia, Borneo and the Moluccas. The Spanish Government
continued trade relations with these countries, and Manila became the center of commerce
in the East. The Spaniards closed the ports of Manila to all countries except Mexico. Thus, the
Manila-Acapulco Trade, better known as the "Galleon Trade" was born.

Opening of the Suez Canal

⁃ The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 relatively became an easy passage between Spain
and the Philippines for Spanish trading.
⁃ On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was opened to navigation
⁃ When it opened, the Suez Canal was only 25 feet deep, 72 feet wide at the bottom, and
200 to 300 feet wide at the surface.
⁃ Major improvements began in 1876, however, and the canal soon grew into the one of
the world’s most heavily traveled shipping lanes.

In 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the former French consul to Cairo, secured an

agreement with the Ottoman governor of Egypt to build a canal 100 miles across the Isthmus
of Suez. An international team of engineers drew up a construction plan, and in 1856 the Suez
Canal Company was formed and granted the right to operate the canal for 99 years after
completion of the work.

Opening of Manila Ports to World Trade

- The growing numbers of foreign merchants in Manila spurred the integration of the
Philippines into an international commercial system linking industrialized Europe and
North America with sources of raw materials and markets in the Americas and Asia.
- In principle, non-Spanish Europeans were not allowed to reside in Manila or elsewhere in
the islands, but in fact British, American, French, and other foreign merchants
circumvented this prohibition by flying the flags of Asian States or conniving with local
officials.
- In 1834 the crown abolished the Royal Company of the Philippines and formally
recognized free trade, opening the port of Manila to unrestricted foreign commerce.

By 1856 there were thirteen foreign trading firms in Manila, of which seven were
British and two Americans; between 1855 and 1873 the Spanish opened new ports to foreign
trade, including Iloilo on Panay, Zamboanga in the western portion of Mindanao, Cebu on
Cebu, and Legaspi in the Bicol area of southern Luzon. The growing prominence of steam
over sail navigation and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 contributed to spectacular
increases in the volume of trade.

The Rise of the Export Crop Economy

⁃ By the late nineteenth Century, three crops--tobacco, abaca, and sugar-- dominated
Philippine exports. The government monopoly on tobacco had been abolished in
1880, but Philippine cigars maintained their high reputation.
⁃ Because of the growth of worldwide shipping, Philippine abaca, which was considered
the best material for ropes and cordage, grew in importance and after 1850 alternated
with sugar as the islands‘ most important export.
⁃ Sugarcane had been produced and refined using crude methods at least as early as the
beginning of the eighteenth century. The opening of the port of Iloilo in Panay in 1855
and the encouragement of the British vice consul in that town, Nicholas Loney, led to
the deveIopment of the of previously unsettled island of Negros as the center of the
Philippine sugar industry, exporting its product to Britain and Australia.
⁃ Loney arranged liberal credit terms for landlords to invest in the new crop, encouraged
the migration of labor from the neighboring and overpopulated island of Panay, and
introduces steam-driven sugar refineries that replaced the traditional method of
producing low-grade sugar in loaves. The population of Negros tripled. Local “sugar
barons” — the owners of the sugar plantations-became a potent political and
economic force by the end of the nineteenth century.

The Rise of the Monopolies

⁃ On March 1, 1782, Spanish governor general Jose V. Basco established the tobacco
monopoly as his economic program. Thus, the tobacco production in the Philippines
was under his total control. The provinces of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Provinces, Nueva
Ecija, and Marinduque were ordered to plant tobacco.
⁃ Only the government was allowed to buy the tobaccos. These tobaccos were then
brought to Manila to be made into cigar or cigarettes.
⁃ Basco explained to the Spanish King that the tobacco monopoly would be able to help
the Philippines be financially sufficient.
⁃ The King of Spain issued a royal decree on 9 February 1780 setting in motion Basco’s
plan.
 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

The Education System

A key factor in the emergence of nationalism in the late nineteenth century was the
cultural development consequent of the rapid spread of education from about 1861.

⁃ One of the major influences on the educational development of the nineteenth century
was the return of the Jesuits. Expelled from the Philippines in 1768 they finally
returned in 1859 to take charge of the evangelization of Mindanao and they returned
with ideas and methods new to the Philippine Educational System.

Asked by the Ayuntamiento to take over the municipal primary school in 1859 that
became Escuela Municipal, later renamed Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865, now Ateneo
de Manila University and opened it to the Filipino students as well as the Spaniards for whom
it had been founded. Rizal studied at Ateneo Municipal when this school was located at
Intramuros Manila.

⁃ Under the direction of the Jesuits too as the other new educational insitution:
the Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros (Superior Normal School) for female
teachers. It was opened in 1865 to provide Spanish-speaking teachers for the
projected new primary school system.

Other Schools Opened in the 19th Century

1. On April 28, 1811, the Universidad de Santo Tomas was founded in Manila initially as
the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario and later renamed as Colegio de
Santo Tomas. UST was first located in Intramuros, Manila where Rizal took his course
in Medicine.
2. In 1640, the Universidad de San Felipe de Austria was established in Manila. It was
the first public university created by the Spanish government in the Philippines. It
closed down in 1643.
3. The Jesuits also founded the Colegio de San José (1601) and, took over the
management of a school that became the Escuela Municipal (1859, later renamed
Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865, now the Ateneo de Manila University).
4. The Dominicans on their part had the Colegio de San Juan de Letran (1620) in Manila.
All of them provided courses leading to different prestigious degrees, like the
Bachiller en Artes, that by the 19th century included science subjects such as physics,
chemistry, natural history and mathematics.

Secondary Schools

1. A Nautical School was created on January 1, 1820 which offered a four-year course of study
(for the profession of pilot of merchant marine)

2. A School of Commercial Accounting and a School of French and English Languages were
established in 1839.

3. The Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades DHVCAT) in Bacolor, Pampanga is
said to be the oldest official vocational school in Asia.

- Other important vocational schools established were the Escuela de Contaduria, Academia
de Pintura y Dibujo and the Seminaries of Manila, Nueva Segovia, Cebu, Jaro and Nueva
Caceres.
4. The Manila School of Agriculture was created in 1887, although it was unable to open
its doors until July 1889.

5. The Real Sociedad Economica de los Amigos del Pais de Filipinas (Royal Economic
Society of Friends of the Philippines) was first introduced in the islands in 1780, and offered
local and foreign scholarships to Filipinos, professorships and financed trips of scientists
from Spain to the Philippines.

6. The Observatorio Meteorologico del Ateneo Municipal de Manila (Manila

Observatory) was founded in 1865 by the Jesuits

The Public School System in the 19th Century

 Free access to modern public education by all Filipinos was made possible through the
enactment of the Education Decree of December 20, 1863 by Queen Isabella II.
Primary instruction was made free and the teaching of Spanish was compulsory. The
royal decree provided for a complete educational system which would consist of
primary, secondary and tertiary levels, finally making officially available to Filipinos
valuable training for leadership after three centuries of colonization.

In 1866, the total population of the Philippines was only 4,411,261. The total public
school was 841 for boys and 833 for girls. In 1892, the number of schools increased to 2,137,
1,087 of which was for boys and 1050 for girls.

The Chinese Mestizos in the Philippines

⁃ The Chinese Mestizos rose to prominence between 1741 and 1898, primarily as a
landholder and a middleman wholesaler of local produce and foreign imports,
although there were also mestizos in the professions.
⁃ The Chinese mestizos in the Philippines possessed a unique combination of cultural
characteristics; Lovers of ostentation, ardent devotees of Spanish Catholicism.

Rejecters of their Chinese heritage, they were not completely at home with their indio
heritage. The nearest approximation to them was the urbanized, heavily-hispanized indio.
Only when hispanization had reached a high level in the nineteenth century urban areas could
the mestizo find a basis of rapport with the indio. Thus, during the late nineteenth century,
because of cultural, economic, and social changes, the mestizos increasingly identified
themselves with the indios. In a new kind of “Filipino” cultural and national consensus.

The Rise of the lnquilinos (Hacienderos)

The rapidly growing population in the nineteenth century needed in increased

amounts of rice. Thus, those who controlled large rice, sugar, and abaca-growing lands in the
Central Luzon, Batangas, parts of Bikol region, Negros and Panay profited the most. These
included not only the Filipino hacenderos of Pampanga, Batangas, and Western Visayas, and
the friar orders owning the large haciendas of Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite but also inquilinos
of the friar haciendas.

By this time, many of these inquilinos were equivalently hacenderos in their own
right, pass on from one generation to the next lands they rented from the flier hacienda and
farming them by means of their “share-tenants or kasama”. To the latter, they stood in a semi
feudal relationship little different from that which existed during Rizal’s time in the
Nineteenth-Century Context between owner-hacenderos and their tenants.
 The prosperity which the new export economy had brought to some may be
illustrated by the case of Rizal’s Chinese ancestor Domingo Lam-co. When he had come to the
Binan hacienda in mid eighteenth century, the average holding of an inquiline was 2.9
hectares; after Rizal’s father had moved to the hacienda, the Rizal family in the 1890’s rented
the hacienda over 390 hectares. But on the friar haciendas, rising prosperity had also brought
friction between inquilines and haciendas as lands grew in value and rents were raised.
A combination of traditional methods and modernizing efficiency led to disputes, ultimately
over who should reap the larger part of the fruits of the economic boom. Eventually, this
would lead to a questioning of the friar’s rights to the haciendas. But it is a gross misnomer
to speak of the Revolution as an ‘’agrarian revolt’’in the modern sense. For it would not be
the kasama who would challenge friar ownership, but the prosperous inquilines. And their
motive would be as much political as economic - to weaken the friars’ influence in the
Philippine political life.

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 setteld in the
country occupied the highest class in the society and the position in the government. The
Insulares or the Spaniards born in the Philippines were the second class and 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.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
There was an appointment of officials with inferior qualifications, without dedication
of duty and moral strength to resist corruption for material advancement. Through this
power and authority the Spaniards possessed, they collected and wasted the money of the
Filipinos.

The appointment of positions is obtained by the highest bidder which is the

Governorgeneral of the country. The term of office which is the length of time a person
(usually a politician) serves in a particular office is dependent on the desire of the King of
Spain. There were inadequate administrative supervisions, they were unable to face and
make solve the problems regarding the Philippines. There were also overlapping of powers
and privileges of officials which made them competitive.
Rise and Gradual Spread of Liberalism and Democracy

The principal ideas of liberalism- liberty and equality- were first realised successfully
in the American Revolution and then achieved in part in the French Revolution. This political
and social philosophy challenged conservatism in the European continent.

 Liberalism demanded representative government as opposed to legally separate

classes.
 The idea of liberty also meant to specific individual freedoms: freedom of the press;
freedom of speech, freedom of assembly; and freedom from arbitrary arrest.

Democracy became a way of life in many European countries, like Britain, Belgium, and
Switzerland.

 Democracy was gradually established thru the following means: *promulgation of

laws that advance democracy;
*undertaking of reforms thru legislation; abolition of slavery;
*adoption of a liberal constitution; providing the citizens the
*opportunity to propose laws;
*adoption of manhood suffrage; and
*granting of political, economic and social rights to the people.

Impact of the Bourbon Reforms

 The Bourbon Reforms (Castilian: Reformas Borbonicas) were a set of economic and
political legislation promulgated by the Spanish Crown under various kings of the
House of Bourbon, mainly in the 18th century.
 The reforms resulted in significant restructuring of the administrative structure and
personnel.
 The reforms were intended to stimulate manufacturing and technology to modernize
Spain. In Spanish America, the reforms were designed to make the administration
more efficient and to promote its economic, commercial and fiscal development. The
crown did so, hoping that it would have a positive effect on the economy of Spain.
 Furthermore, the Bourbon Reforms were intended to limit the power of Creoles and
re-establish Spanish supremacy over the colonies such as the Philippines.
 The reforms achieved mixed results administratively but succeeded in alienating the
local elites of the Americas (who called themselves Criollos) and eventually led to the
demise of all overseas dominions of the Spanish crown.

Cadiz Constitution of 1812

 A Spanish Constitution, adopted by the constituent Cortes in Cadiz on Mar. 18, 1812,
and made public on Mar. 19, 1812, during the Spanish Revolution of 1808-14.

“ The constitution declared that “sovereignty resides in the nation, which retains the
exclusive right to establish its own fundamental laws”, (art. .3). Spain was proclaimed a
hereditary monarchy (art. 14), with legislative power vested in the Cortes and the monarch
(art. 15) and executive power represented by the monarch (art. 16). The constitution
proclaimed individual freedom and the inviolability of domicile (arts. 286 and 307) but
declared Catholicism the official religion of Spain and prohibited the practice of any other
religion. (art. 12). The constitution proclaimed the equality of Spaniards of the mother
country and those of the Spanish colonies (art. 18) and established a national militia in the
provinces (art. 362).

 On his return to Spain, King Ferdinand VII revoked the constitution on May 4, 1814.
Restored at the outbreak of the Spanish Revolution of 1820-1823 (it was proclaimed
by Riego y Nunez on Jan. 1, 1820, and Ferdinand Vll swore to uphold it on March 9,
1820), it was again abolished on Oct. 1, 1823, by Ferdinand VII. On August 12, 1836,
the constitution went into effect for a third time in response to the demands of the
masses and remained in force until the adoption of a new constitution on June 18,
1837.

Learning Activities/Exercises
I. Create a trophy or certificate to honor the contribution of Rizal in our country. The
trophy or certifacate should contain the elements or symbol associated to Jose Rizal.
Explain in 100 words the trophy or certificate.
II. Explain the significance of the following to the life of the Filipinos today:
-One Peso Coin
-Monument of Rizal
-Celebration of the Death of Rizal
III. Explain the implication of the environment and time of Jose P. Rizal to his personality.
Fill up the blank with the possible implications of the elements of his environment and
time.

Economic Political
Condition: Situation:_
____________ ___________
___________ ___________
_______ _______

Education
JOSE P. System:___
RIZAL _________
___________
_______

Social Socio-
Stratificati cultural
on:_________ Situation:_
___ ___________
___________ ___________

IV. Define the following terms according to your own understanding.

1. Economic Development
2. Export Trade
3. Inquilinos
4. Nationalism
5. Political Development
6. Monopoly
7. Politics
 8. Democracy
9. Hacienda
10. Constitution

Teacher Intervention
The teacher created a students’ directory that includes the student name, home address, preferred
learning delivery mode, available gadgets, contact number, email address and connectivity. The
students are opting to pass their answers/output and ask queries regarding the subject matter via
email, messenger, text message, or they can drop their modules at the guard house/ NORSU gate.

Practice Task/Assessment
 Briefly explain the following questions:

1. What is the significance of the Cadiz Connection to the Spanish rule in the Philippines?

2. What is the connection of the Bourbon reforms with the Spanish Government in the Philippines?
Explain.

3. How do you evaluate the economic development during Rizal’s time?

4. How will the writings of Rizal become significant in the present time?

5. How was the Philippines ruled during the Spanish regime?

Feedback to Assessment
Please be guided with the following criteria in answering your learning activities and practice task.
Criteria Points
Content (Relevance of topic) 10
Organization (Unity of thought, flow of discussion) 10
Total: 20 points

LESSON 2:
RIZAL’S FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this module you should be able to:
K – Conceptualize the family of Rizal as well as the lifestyle of the families during the 19 th century

- Reflect on the influences of the young mind of the great Jose Rizal
S – Evaluate and compare the life of the family at that time with the family in modern times

- Specify the people and events and their influence on Rizal’s early life

A – Develop a sense of nationalism through studying Rizal’s family, childhood and early childhood
Motivation/Prompting Questions
*Do you have a family portrait of your ancestors? *Can you trace the lineage of your family
bloodline? *Were you born with a lot of siblings or were you an only child? Tell me your experience
as a child. *Looking back to the days when you were still a kid, reminisce the happy and sad
memories you had. *Can you still remember your teachers from your preparatory school and your
primary school?

Discussion
RIZAL’S BIRTH

Jose Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861 between eleven and twelve
midnight, a few days before full moon. Although he had a skinny physique and frail
body, his head is too big which has almost cause his mother’s death during delivery.
On June 22, 1861, 3 days after his birth, he was baptized in Calamba Catholic Church by
the paris priest Rev. Rufino Collantes, a Batagueno priest.

He was named “Jose” in honor of San Jose (St. Joseph) because her mother was a
devotee to the saint. Father Pedro Casanas, a close friend of the Rizal family stood as Rizal’s
god father.

The baby boy, who was destined to be the greatest man and a hero of all times is Jose
Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.

RIZAL’S ANCESTORS

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 surnmae Mercado (spanish term for market).

The son of Domingo and Ines, Francisco Mercado resided in Biñan and married a Chinese
woman named Cirila Bernacha. Francisco was elected as gobernadorcillo of Biñan and later
on, his son Juan Mercado. Juan married a Chinese Filipina named Cirila Alejandro and was
blessed with 13 children and of those was Francisco Mercado, the father of Jose Rizal. He
studied Latin and Philosophy at College of San Jose in Manila and fell inlove 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 their
daughter was Teodora Alonzo.

 The children of Brigida and Alberto adopted the family name “Realonda” family from
a list of Spanish surnames provided by Governor Narciso Claveria in1849. The
purpose of adding or changing a surname is easy for identification, pronunciation and
recollection of the person’s identity. Thus, Teodora Alonso became Teodora Alonso
Realondo.
 In the case Francisco Mercado (Rizal’s father), he did not like the list of Spanish
surnames sent to him. He chose his own surname – Rizal – which is Spanish is “Ricial”.
He believed that his surname Rizal is more fitting for his farming clan the “Mercado”.
Rizal or “racial” in English means “greenfield” or “new pasture”. However, Rizal was
the only child who used Rizal, as his surname because there are many Mercado’s in
 the Philippines who are not related to the Mercado’s in Calamba. His parent’s brother,
sisters and relatives, however, preferred to use the old surname Mercado.

RIZAL’S FAMILY

Rizal’s family belonged to the middle class or a principalia class or a creoles class. It is one
of the riches and distinguished families in Calamba during those times. Because of frugality
and industry, the family was able to build a large stone house and bought four more different
size. The family was able to own a horse-drawn carriage (caruaje), a big home library
consisting of more than 1000 volumes and general goods store in the town, operated a small
flour-mill and a home-made ham press.

In addition, to farming rice, corn and sugarcane, the family also raised pigs, chicken, turkeys in
their back ground. Because the Rizal family was considered as illustrados or affluence, the
children were able to study in exclusive schools in Manila.

The Rizal Children

1. Saturnina (1850-1913) – she was the eldest of the Rizal children. Her husband was
Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. Her nickname is “Neneng”.

2. Paciano (1851-1930) – he was the older brother of Jose. He studied at San Jose College
in Manila. After the execution of Jose, he joined the Spanish-Philippine revolution and became
a general. After the Revolution, he retired to his farm and became a general. After the
Revolution, he retired to his farm and became a farmer in Los Banos. He died an old bachelor
though he has a common-law wife, Severina Decena. They had two children, a boy and a girl.

3. Narcisa (1852-1939) - she was married toAntonio Lopez, (a nephew of Father Leoncio
Lopez) a school teacher of Morong, Rizal. Her pet name is “Sisa”

4. Olympia (1855-1887) – she was married to Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator

from Manila, her nickname is “Ypai”

5. Lucia (1857-1919) – she was married to Matriano Herbosa of Calamba. Herbosa died
of cholero in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother in-law of Jose.

6. Maria (1859-1945) – She was married to Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna. Her
nickname is “Biang”

7. Jose (1861-1896) – he was considered as the “lucky seven” in the family. He lived with
Josephine Bracken, a pretty Irish girl from Hongkong. Rizal had a son by her by the name of
“Francisco” who was named after his father, but died a few hours after birth and was buried
in Dapitan. Rizal’s nickname is “Pepe”

8. Concepcion (1862-1865) – Died at the age of three because of illness. Her death was
the first sorrow of Rizal. Her pet name is “Concha”.

9. Josefa (1865-1945) – she remained single, an epileptic, and old maid. Herp pet name
is “Panggoy”. She died at the age of 80

10. Trinidad (1868-1929) – like Josefa, she died an old maid at the age of 83. Her pet name
is “Trining”.

11. Soledad (1870-1929) – she was the youngest of the Rizal children. She married
Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba. Her pet name is “Choleng”.
The Childhood Memories

His childhood memories were full of happiness because of the care and love of his
family.

⁃ Because of his health condition, 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.

Early Education at Calamba

• He learned at the of three the alphabet, and prayers from his patient and
conscientious and understanding mother
• He learned how to read and write from his tutor, Maestro Celestino and second tutor
Maestro Lucas Padua. The third tutor was Leon Monroy, an old man who was Rizal’s
father classmate. Monroy lived at the Rizal’s house and taught Rizal Spanish and Latin
but died five months later.
• Rizal used to visit Father Leoncio Lopez, the town parish priest, to listen to the
stimulating opinions of the priest on current events and sound philosophy of life.
• On the many stories told by Doña Teodora to Jose, the tragic fate of the young moth
left a deep impact on Rizal’s mind that to sacrifice one’s life is worthwile.
• Three uncles who were brothers of his mother also had much influence on the early
childhood of Jose Rizal. The youngest uncle named Jose, took care of teaching regular
lessons to Rizal. His huge uncle Manuel developed his physique until he had a body
of silk and steel and no longer a skinny and sickly boy. The last unle, Gregorio instilled
in the mind of Rizal that it was not easy to obtain something until you put effort into
it.

Rizal’s Life and Education in Biñan

⁃ Rizal left Calamba for Biñan in June 1869 on a Sunday afternoon, accompanied by his
brother Paciano. They road in a carromata for one a half hour drive to the house of
their aunt where Rizal had to lodge.
⁃ On the same night, Jose and his cousin Leandro went sightseeing in town but Jose did
not enjoy well because of home sickness.
⁃ The next morning, he was brought by Paciano to Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, the
former teacher of Paciano. Maestro Cruz was a tall, thin, long necked, with a sharp
nose, he used to wear sinamay shirt, but was a disciplinarian and a tough teacher. The
school was in Maestro’s house. Rizal learned Spanish, Latin, and other subjects from
Maestro Cruz

At Biñan, Rizal was involved in several fights. First, Rizal and Pedro, son of Maestro Cruz
who was much bigger than Rizal had a fist fight. They wrestled furiously in the classroom.
Rizal, though smaller and with frail body, defeated Pedro because Rizal learned the art of
wrestling from his uncle Manuel, an athlete. The second brawl was with Andres Salandanan,
challenged Rizal to an arm-wrestling match or “bunong-braso”. At the sidewalk of a house,
they wrestled with their arms but Rizal lost because he had a weaker arm. He nearly cracked
his head on the sidewalk. He had other fights with his classmates in Biñan.

⁃ Rizal also learned drawing and painting from old Juancho, Maestro Cruz’s father-inlaw.
Rizal and his classmate Jose Guevarra became apprentices of old Juancho.

In academic studies, Rizal beat all Biñan boys in Spanish, Latin and other subjects

⁃ Rizal left Biñan for Calamba on a Saturday afternoon on December 17, 1870 after one
and one-half year of schooling. He boarded the steamer Talim with a French man
Arturo Camps, a friend of his father.

Learning Activities/Exercises
I. Make a diagram or family tree which illustrates the genealogy of the family
of
Rizal.
II. Describe the Rizal family and compare it with the modern Filipino family III.
Identify the word or term being described in each sentence.
_____1. The full name of our national hero.
_____2. The date of birth of Jose Rizal
_____3. The place of birth of Rizal
_____4. A person who rented a huge land from the corporation of the friars.
_____5. The source of the story about the tikbalang and nuno sa Punso of Jose
_____6. The first teacher of Rizal
_____7. The story which became the metaphor of the life of Rizal
_____8. The Chinese community in Manila where the ancestors of Rizal originated
_____9. The sister of Rizal who died at the age of four
_____10. The social class on which the family of Rizal came from

Teacher Intervention
The teacher created a students’ directory that includes the student name, home address,
preferred learning delivery mode, available gadgets, contact number, email address and
connectivity. The students are opting to pass their answers/output and ask queries regarding the
subject matter via email, messenger, text message, or they can drop their modules at the guard
house/ NORSU gate.
Practice Task/Assessment
I. Describe Calamba before and now in terms of
(a) population
(b) socio-economic conditions of the place and people
(c) political and cultural conditions
(d) religious and spiritual conditions note : post pictures as evidence
II. Answer the following questions:
 1. How did his primary education affect Rizal as a person?
2. What was the significance of the fable “The Moth and the Flame”in Jose
Rizal’s life?
III. Write an essay about the impact of childhood, family and early education
of Rizal to his successes as a person and as a hero.

RUBRICS:
Category 4 3 2 1

Impact of The writer The writer The writer The writer

Childhood & Early includes more includes 4 includes 3 includes 2
Education of than 5 impacts impacts impacts impacts
Rizal’s Early
Education to his
Personality
Content All the contents Most of the Some of the Most of the
are correct contents are contents are contents are
correct correct not correct

Cohesiveness All the sentences Most of Some of the Few of the

are cohesive sentences are sentences are sentences are
cohesive cohesive cohesive

Grammar There are There are There are some There are few
no few grammatical sentences
grammatical grammatical errors which are
erros erros correct in terms
of grammar.

REFERENCE:

Ariola, M. (2018). The Life and Works of Rizal. Intramuros, Manila: Unlimited Books Library
Services & Publishing Inc.

Francisco, V., & Micah, F. P. (2018). RIZAL: A Modular Approach (Based on the New CHED
Curriculum). Intramuros, Manila: MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.

Valenzuela, E., & Eleonor, C. (2019). RIZAL'S LIFE AND WORKS: TOWARDS SOCIAL
AWARENESS AND NATIONALISM. Quezon City: Great Books Trading.