RIZAL L4-INPUT

LESSON 4: THE LIFE OF JOSE RIZAL

In exploring this lesson, we shall be guided by the following learning objectives:

1. To discuss about Rizal’s family, childhood, and early education

2. To describe people and events that influenced Rizal’s early life
3. To explain Rizal’s growth as a propagandist
4. To identify the factors that led to Rizal’s execution

A. RIZAL’S FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

1. Rizal’s Family
a. Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna.
(1) Calamba is in the heart of a region known for its agricultural prosperity and is
among the major producers of sugar and rice.
(2) The wonders of creation that surrounded Rizal made him love nature at an early age
that influenced his appreciation of arts and sciences
b. Rizal’s father, Francisco Mercado, was a wealthy farmer who leased lands from the
Dominican friars.
(1) Francisco’s earliest ancestors were Siang-co and Zun-nio, who later gave birth to
Lam-co.
(2) Lam-co is said to have come from the district of Fujian in southern China and
migrated to the Philippines in the late 1600’s.
(3) In 1697, he was baptized in Binondo, adopting “Domingo” as his first name and
married Ines de la Rosa of a known entrepreneurial family in Binondo and settled in
the estate of San Isidro Labrador, owned by the Dominicans.
(4) In 1731, they had a son whom they named Francisco Mercado.
(5) The surname “Mercado,” which means “market,” was a common surname adopted
by many Chinese merchants at that time.
(6) Fancisco Mercado became one of the richest in Binan and owned the largest herd of
carabaos and had a son named Juan Mercado who was also elected as capitan del
pueblo like his father.
c. Juan Mercado married Cirila Alejandra, a native of Binan, and had 13 children including
Francisco Engracio, the father of Jose Rizal. Following Governor Narciso Claveria’s
decree in 1849 which ordered the Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames, Francisco
Engracio Mercado added the surname “Rizal,” from the word “racial” meaning
“greenfield.”
d. Being a privileged family, Francisco Engracio (1818-1898) had a good education that
started in Latin school in Binan.
(1) Afterwards, he attended the College of San Jose in Manila.
 (2) In 1848, Francisco married Teodora Alonso (1826 – 1911) who belonged to one of
the wealthiest families in Manila.
(3) Teodora, whose father was a member of the Spanish Cortes, was educated at the
College of Santa Rosa
(4) Because of the industry and hardwork of Francisco and Teodora, their family
became a prominent member of the principalia class in the town of Calamba.
e. Jose Rizal (1861-1896) is the seventh among the eleve children of Francisco Mercado
and Teodora Alonso. The other children were:
(1) Saturnina (1850-1913)
(2) Paciano (1851-1930)
(3) Narcissa (1852-1939)
(4) Olimpia (1855-1887)
(5) Lucia (1857-1919)
(6) Maria (1859-1945)
(7) Concepcion (1862-1865)
(8) Josefa (1865-1945)
(9) Trinidad (1868-1951)
(10) Soledad (1870-1929)
f. Rizal was affectionate to all his siblings. His relation with his only brother, Paciano was
more than that of a brother because he considered him a second father.
(1) It was Paciano who accompanied Rizal when he first went to school in Binan.
(2) It was also Paciano who convinced Rizal to pursue his studies I Europe
(3) Like Rizal, Paciano had his college education in Manila but later decided to join the
Katipunan and fight for independence. After the revolution, Paciano retired to his home
in Los Banos and led a quiet life until his death in 1930
2. Rizal’s Childhood
a. Rizal had good memories of childhood in Calamba
(1) As a family, they prayed together during Angelus and at times, stayed together in
their garden exchanging stories.
(2) It was in this garden where he learned to appreciate nature.
b. Rizal’s childhood was full of love and care shown to him by his parents and siblings
3. Rizal’s Early Education
a. As a young boy, Rizal demonstrated intelligence and learned easily.
(1) His first teacher was Dona Teodora who taught him how to pray.
(2) He was only three when he learned the alphabet and at a very young age, he
already showed a great interest in reading books.
(3) He enjoyed staying in their library at home
(4) He also demonstrated skills in poetry
b. Just like the other children from the principalia class, Rizal experienced education under
private tutors including
(1) Maestro Celestino, his first tutor
(2) Maestro Lucas Padua
 (3) Maestro Leon Monroy, his third tutor who honed his skills in basic Latin, reading and
writing
(4) This home education from private tutors prepared Rizal to formal schooling which
he first experienced in Binan.
c. At the age of nine, Rizal left Calamba with his brother to study in Binan
(1) In Binan, Rizal’s teacher was Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, who was also
Paciano’s teacher.
(2) Here, Rizal excelled in Latin and Spanish.
(3) He also had painting lessons under Maestro Cruz’ father-in-law, Juancho, an ald
painter.
(4) After one- and- a- half year of schooling in Binan, Rizal returned to Calamba on
December 17, 1870.
B. PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT INFLUENCED RIZAL’S EARLY LIFE
1. People
a. His parents, specially his mother, who taught him love of God and love of country, basic
values, and the importance of education
b. His brother Paciano, who taught him nationalism and patriotism
2. Events
a. The imprisonment of his mother and the injustice done to her because of a false
accusation
b. The Cavity Mutiny which culminated in the Martyrdom of GomBurZa
C. RIZAL’S GROWTH AS A PROPAGANDIST
1. The premises of Rizal’s growth as a propagandist are as follows:
a. Rizal is highly educated and accomplished in different fields –
(1) Graduated with a degree of Bachiller en Artes with highest honors at Ateneo in 1877
(2) Expert Surveyor (perito agrimensor) in 1881
(3) Obtained and awarded the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine in 1884
(4) Obtained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and
Letters) from the Central University of Madrid in i885.
(5) Specialized in ophthalmology under leading ophthalmologists in Europe in 1885
b. While in Madrid, Rizal was exposed to liberal ideas through the masons that he met and
became a Master Mason at the Lodge Solidaridad in 1890.
c. Friendship with leading European scholars, historians, anthropologists ad scientists
d. Writing and publication of the Noli Me Tangere in Berlin, Germany in 1887
2. In his second trip abroad in 1888, Rizal became more active in the Propaganda Movement
with fellow illustrados like Marcelo del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano
Ponce, and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera.
a. The Propaganda Movement campaigned for reforms such as:
(1) For the Philippines to be made a province of Spain so that native Filipinos would
have equal rights accorded to Spaniards
(2) Representation of the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes
(3) Secularization of parishes
 b. Rizal became preoccupied with writing articles and essays which were published in the
Propaganda Movement’s newspaper, La Solidaridad, which include, among others:
(1) His annotation of the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas by Antonio de Morga (1890) in
which Rizal showed that even before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos
already had developed culture
(2) Sobre La Indolencia de los Filipinos (On the Indolence of the Filipino People) in 1890
in which Rizal attributed the the Filipinos’ indolence to the different factors such as
climate and social disorders
(3) Filipinas Dentro de Cien Anos (The Philipines a Century Hence), an essay Rizal wrote
that strongly called for reforms and was published in part from 1889-1890
c. By July 1891, while in Brussels, Rizal completed his second novel, El Filibusterismo,
(which was published on September 18, 1891) which was more radical with its narrative
portrayal of a society on the verge of a revolution.
D. FACTORS THAT LED TO RIZAL’S EXECUTION
1. Rizal’s involvement with the Propaganda Movement
2. Rizal’s authorship of the Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo and other anti-Spain and
anti-Church articles and essays
3. Rizal’s involvement with the Katipunan and the revolution
4. Unjust and oppressive Spanish rule