Lesson 3.

Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education

The Mercado Home
Our national hero was born in the lakeside
town of Calamba, Laguna, on the moonlit
night of June 19, 1861, between eleven and
twelve o'clock in the morning. Pepe was the
seventh child of Don Francisco Mercado and
Dona Teodora Alonso, Father Rufino
Collantes baptized the baby, who was named
Jose Protacio in honor of Saint Joseph and
Saint Protacio, three days later. Dona
Teodora was a devout follower of Saint
Joseph, and it was their custom to
commemorate him on the 19th of each
month. Saint Protacio, on the other hand, is
the patron saint of June 19, and he was
martyred in Milan, Italy. His family referred to him as Pepe. Felice Prudente Santa Maria, the author of the
book "In Excelsis," explained how Rizal got the nickname "Pepe" in his book In Excelsis. "Saint Joseph was
Jesus Christ's putative (commonly accepted) father. San Jose's name is always followed by the letters P.P'
for pater putativus in Latin. The letter 'p' is pronounced 'peh' in Spanish, giving rise to the nickname Pepe for
Jose (Bagolong 2018, p4)."

Rizal wrote in his diary, "Memoirs of a Student in Manila," that his mother had a difficult time giving birth to
him. It is said that Dona Teodora made a pact with Antipolo's Patroness, Our Lady of Peace and Good
Voyage, that she would send the child she was carrying on a pilgrimage to her shrine once she had passed
through the difficult birthing process. The baby was saved. Dona Teodora kept her promise. She sent her
seven-year-old son on a journey from their hometown of Calamba to Antipolo, which was then part of the
province of Morong. Don Francisco Mercado, the young Rizal's father, accompanied him.
Rizal was christened at the church on June 22, 1861, when he was only three days old. He was baptized by
Reverend Father Rufino Collantes, and his godfather was Reverend Father Pedro Casanas. Reverend
Father Collantes told Pepe's family that they should look after him because he predicted that Jose would
become someone because he noticed the unusual size of his head. His prophecy became evident in the
course of his life.

Pepe's baptismal certificate was unfortunately destroyed in a fire in 1862. It was only restored with the help
of eyewitnesses and under the supervision of Father Leoncio Lopez, a Filipino priest and a friend of the
Mercado family. Pepe loved going to see Father Lopez because he could talk to him about anything. The
priest never tired of answering Pepe's questions and conversing with him in a rational manner. Father Lopez
was the model for Pepe's portrayal of Father Florentino in "El Filibusterismo."

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Family
Despite their large family, Don Francisco and Dona Teodora were able to find joy and happiness. They have
a harmonious relationship in which affections are shared among family members. Their parents loved and
cared for their children in the same way that any other family would. Despite this, they do not spoil their
children. In fact, they are present to discipline their children whenever they commit wrongdoing or engage in
harmful activities. They were firm believers in the adage "spare the rod, spoil the child." If children are not
disciplined decisively and are never punished when they deserve it, they will become spoiled or bad-
mannered.
As Catholics, they instilled in them the importance of being courteous to others, particularly the elderly. Their
love for God became the foundation for them to value and respect others' rights. Every day, especially on
Sundays, they heard mass. Before going to bed, they prayed the Angelus and the Holy Rosary together at 6
a.m, 12 p.m., and 6 p.m. They were accustomed to kissing their parents' hands after the prayer recital.
However, Rizal's family life was not always focused on religion; they were allowed to play in their backyard.
As Principalia they were able to build a stone house near the church and even bought another one; they
owned a stagecoach, a library and were able to send their children to college in Manila. Indeed, their being
prudent gave them a contented life where at times, they led social and religious activities in their house. They
also served as host to all their visitors during holidays and other gatherings in their community.

Parents
Don Francisco and Dona Teodora were a productive couple: They had eleven children. Saturnina was bom
in 1850, Paciano in 1851, Narcisa in 1852. Olimpia in 1855, Maria in 1859, Jose in 1861, Concepcion in
1862, Josefa in 1865, Trinidad in 1868, and Soledad in 1870. Paciano was thus ten years older than Jose,
and more of a second father than an elder brother, especially since Don Francisco had entrusted him with
the management of the family lands (Guerrero 1974, p.30)
Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandra II was born as the youngest of 13 children to Cirila
Alejandro and Juan Mercado on May 11, 1818. in Binan, Laguna. He was from the fourth generation of a
Chinese immigrant named Domingo Lamco who arrived in the late 1600. During his early education in his
hometown, he studied Latin, and later went on to study philosophy and Latin at the Colegio de San Jose in
Manila. The people of Calamba held him in high regard after he was elected Cabeza de Barangay, or head
of the Barangay. Don Francisco was a Dominican state tenant and landowner in Calamba, Laguna. His rented
holdings increased as a result of his hard work and dedication, and he built a stone house in the town center.
However, due to his failure in the agrarian case with the friars, he was evicted from his house in September
1899. He died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80.
Jose Rizal considered his father to be a "model of fathers," and as a result, had provided them with education.
He believed that his father was a strong- willed, educated and independent-minded individual, traits that he
inherited.

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Doña Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos On November 9, 1827, she was bom in Manila as the
second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brigida de Quintos. She attended the College of Santa Rosa. She was
a remarkable woman, with refined culture, literary talent, business acumen and the tenacity of Spartan
women. Rizal penned a poem about his adoring mother. "My mother is a woman of higher culture; she is a
mathematician who has read a lot of books." She died on August 16, 1911, in Manila, at the age of 85, in her
home at San Fernando Street in Binondo. The Philippine government offered her a life pension shortly before
her death. She politely declined, saying, "My family has never been patriotic for money. If the government
has a surplus of funds and is unsure what to do with them, it should lower taxes. Such a remark befitted her
as a deserving mother of a national hero!
Jose Rizal in his letter to Blumentritt which read as follows:
"My mother is not a woman of ordinary culture. She is more knowledgeable about literature and
speaks more fluently than I do. When I was studying rhetoric, she even corrected my poems and
gave me sound advice. She is a mathematician who has read a lot of books. Her father, the Philippine
delegate to the Cortes, had been her teacher."

Siblings
Dr. Jose Rizal's parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, married on June 28, 1848. Teodora was
from Meisik, Tondo, and Francisco was from Binan, Laguna. They had 11 children, with two boys and nine
girls.
Saturnina (1850-1913) was the eldest of the siblings and was commonly referred to as Neneng. She
attended La Concordia College in Manila's Sta. Ana. Manuel Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas, was her
husband. In 1909, Dona Saturnina published Pascual Poblete's Tagalog translation of Noll Me Tangere. She
passed away in 1913, at the age of 63.
Paciano (1851-1930) was our national hero's elder and only brother. He was commonly referred to as Ciano.
Prior to enrolling at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila, he studied Latin with Maestro Justiniano Cruz. Jose
referred to him as "Uto" because, in addition to his uncle's assistance, his brother sent him a monthly
allowance of 50 pesos, which was later reduced to 35 pesos. He was an ardent and dynamic Katipunero.
Many people thought he was the Pilosopong Tasio mentioned in Noli Me Tangere. On June 23, 1888, Jose
Rizal wrote to Ferdinand Blumentritt and expressed regret for failing to introduce his brother to him. He went
on to say that those looking for good people will find the most dignified Filipinos in him. His dear friend Jose
Taviel de Andrade said that whenever he thinks of him, he is more generous than today's Spaniards. He was
apprehended by American forces in 1900 as a result of his involvement as military commander of the
Revolutionary forces in Laguna. Prior to his death, he led a simple life as a farmer. He married his common-
law wife, Severina Decena, and they had two children. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 79.
Narcisa (1852-1939) was the second daughter and third child of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo.
She was called Sisa by her siblings. It was believed that she also supported her brother Jose's studies abroad
and perhaps the only amongst the siblings that could narrate the poems of Jose. She was married to Antonio
Lopez, a teacher and musician. She was one of the family members who visited Jose Rizal in his prison cell
the day before his execution on December 30, 1896. Rizal's remains were buried in an unmarked grave in

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the Cementerio General de Paco. After a two-day search, his sister Narcisa discovered it. To mislead
authorities, she placed a marble marker given by Doroteo Ongjunco with the initials R.P.J., the inverted initials
of Jose Protacio Rizal. This original sculptural work by I. Gallemit was created in 1935 (as stated in the
inscription) and donated to the Rizal Shrine Fort Santiago by Leoncio Lopez-Rizal (Memorandum of Receipt,
1957), son of Narcisa Rizal.
Olimpia (1855-1887) was called as Ypia. She was married to Silvestro Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from
Manila. She is the fourth child in the Rizal family. Jose loved to tease her, sometimes good-humoredly
describing her as his stout sister. Jose's first love, Segunda Katigbak, was Olimpia's schoolmate at the La
Concordia College. Rizal confided to Olympia about Segunda and the sister willingly served as the mediator
between the two teenage lovers. It was thus unclear whether it was Olympia or Segunda whom Jose was
frequently visiting at La Concordia at the time.
Lucia (1857-1919) In 1857, Lucia Rizal Herbosa was born. She married Mariano Herbosa and they had five
children. Mariano died in 1889 as a result of an epidemic, but he was denied a Christian burial. This was due
to the fact that he was Jose Rizal's brother-in-law. This marked the beginning of the Rizal family's persecution
by Spanish friars. Lucia passed away in 1919.
Maria (1859-1945) Maria Cruz Rizal was born in the year 1855. She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan,
Laguna, and they had five children together. One of Maria's children, Mauricio Cruz, became a student of
Jose Rizal in Dapitan and was known to be one of his uncle's favorites. During Jose's lifetime, Maria was a
known recipient of many of his letters. Maria passed away in 1945.
Concepcion (1862-1865) was called as Concha. She died at the age of three.
Josefa (1865-1945) Josefa Rizal was born in 1865. She was unmarried and lived with sister Trinidad until
death. Josefa was said to have suffered from epilepsy. She died in 1945.
Trinidad (1868-1951) Trinidad Rizal was born in the year 1868. She remained single and shared a home
with her sister Josefa Trinidad was the one who received from Jose an alcohol lamp in which he secretly hid
the "Last Farewell," also known as "Mi Ultimos Adios," a poem Rizal wrote on the eve of his death in 1896.
Trinidad died in 1951, having outlived all of her siblings. Soledad (1870-1929) Soledad Rizal Quintero was
the youngest of the Rizal siblings, born in 1870. She married Pantaleon Quintero and they had five children.
Soledad passed away in 1929.

Rizal's sisters did not become prominent in the sense of holding important government positions. It was
unusual for women to do so at that time. They were, however, largely responsible for the family's unity,
providing Rizal with moral and spiritual support that made him accomplished the heroic mission that
dominated their lives. The fact that there was never a resistant voice in the family of 13 members, not to
mention the sons-in-law, advising Rizal to stop his political activities, nor any ideological differences, despite
the persecution and deportation that they suffered as a result of him, is an example of family solidarity.
According to Weyler, Manuel Hidalgo was deported to Bohol solely because he was Rizal's brother-in-law.
Despite the fact that the entire family was deported and persecuted, there was not a single suggestion in the
hundreds of family letters that Jose abandon his mission. The care and attention that Rizal's sisters lavished
on him during his deportation in Dapitan and his stay in Hongkong are difficult to match. And one can't help

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but notice Narcisa's unwavering determination to find her brother's tomb in the afternoon of his execution.
Despite the fact that the Spanish authorities had chosen an abandoned site and had camouflaged the
sepulchre, she did not turn back until she found it. All of this clearly demonstrates the Rizal family's unifying
bond of affection.
Rizal was close to all of his siblings. His relationship with his only brother, Paciano, was, however, more than
that of an older brother. Paciano took on the role of Rizal's second father. Rizal admired him and valued all
of his advice. Paciano accompanied Rizal to his first day of school in Binan. Paciano also persuaded Rizal
to pursue higher education in Europe. He was sending Rizal his allowance while he was studying abroad
(Obias 2018, p43).

Ancestors
The Rizal family was a mix of races as Principales. Jose had Chinese ancestors on his father's side and
Japanese ancestors on his mother's side. According to a recent study, his mother is from Rajah Lakandula.
In short, his ancestry can also be traced back to Malayan and Indonesian genes, resulting in a truly
magnificent blend of bloods. Domingo Lamco, a native Chinese of Slonggue City of Changchow, Province of
Fukien, was Jose Rizal's great-great grandfather on his patrilineal side. He arrived in Manila around 1690,
possibly due to scarcity and political upheaval in his home country. Lamco became a Christian because he
wished to be a Catholic. She married Ines de la Rosa, a wealthy Chinese Christian lady from Manila. He
decided to change his sumame to "Mercado" in 1731. The term Mercado, which translates to "market, is
appropriate for a merchant like him. Their union produced two children, Francisco and Josefa, who died five
days after her birth. Francisco Mercado was Jose's great grandfather, named after an uncle and a friar scholar
in Manila. In the Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan, he married Cinila Bernacha (also known as Bemarda
Monicha), a Chinese-Filipino mestiza, Francisco Mercado lived in Binan and was eventually elected as the
town's Gobernadorcillo. They had two children before his death in 1801, Juan and Clemente. Juan Mercado,
Jose's grandfather, was also elected as Gobernadorcillo, and was affectionately known as Kapitan Juan by
many. He was elected three times, in 1808, 1813, and 1823, and served as Hermano Mayor on several
occasions. He married Cirila Alejandra, the daughter of Lamco's grandson Siongco. They had 12 children,
the youngest of whom was Jose's father, Francisco Mercado.
Jose Rizal's matrilineal descent can be traced back to Lakandula, the last native king of Tondo and a Bornean
Muslim. Eugenio Ursua, Dona Teodora's great-grandfather, was of Japanese ancestry and married a Filipina
named Benigna (sumame unknown). They had a daughter named Regina, who married a Chinese lawyer
named Manuel de Quintos from Pangasinan. Brigida, one of their daughters, married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso,
a deputy for the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes, and was a prominent Bian Spanish-Filipino mestizo.
Narcisa, Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose were born to Brigida and Lorenzo.
There were reasons why Jose's parents' descendants did not use the surnames Lamco and Mercado.
According to Craig, the Lamco family was not used to taking their godparents' names. He named his son
Sangley, which translates to the same thing in that Mercado. The surname would relieve him of the
discrimination caused by those Chinese names, but he still believes it will remind him of his ancestors.
According to Russell and Rodriguez, Governor- General Claveria issued a decree changing the last names

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of each family in order to survey the number of people in his encomendero and tax them. He provided a list
of Spanish names taken from Spain, but due to the large number of names,
Francisco Mercado evaded the decree and instead used a Spanish term that sounded like a sleaze word
racial that means a green field or grazing land. In a letter to his friend Blumentritt, Jose explained why he
used Rizal's last name and why others continued to use Mercado. Because of his brother Paciano's strong
attachment to Father Burgos, who was then thought to be the cause of the Cavite mutiny? His brother advised
Jose to use Rizal because it is safe for him and will not interfere with his studies because his brother may
associate him with Mercado. There were numerous Mercados in the Philippines who were unrelated to them.
There was even a family friend who was an Alcalde Mayor who used Rizal, perhaps to stand out, but his
Jose didn't mind. In fact, Jose is the only one who uses the surname Rizal. This could explain why Jose
appeared to be an illegitimate child.

Childhood
Jose Rizal's childhood was filled with happy memories. They lived on the Laguna Lake's shore and at the
foot of Mt. Makiling. He enjoyed seeing the magnificent beauty of Laguna de Bay. His eagerness to learn can
be used to characterize his childhood. He was an amiable, thoughtful and loving son, brother and sibling.
Because he was frail and sickly, his parents lavished him with tender loving care. Despite his physique, he
can do things like any other young man. He was well guided, particularly by his mother, who served as his
first teacher. When he was three years old, his mother taught him the alphabet and how to pray, His mother
noticed that he could write poems at a young age and encouraged him to keep writing.
He was able to write a poem about his hometown, "In Memory of My Town," when he was a young boy (Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo). A poem about his love for his hometown, reminiscing about his beautiful memories
as a young boy and cherishing the scenic beauty of his hometown. His father built him a small nipa hut that
served as both a sanctuary for him to play with his siblings and a resting place for him. He was also attended
to by an Aya (nurse maid) hired by his father to look after his needs. His nurse maid told him ghost stories,
treasure stories, legends, and folktales. When little Jose refused to eat his evening meal, she would scare
him with stories about aswang, nuno sa punso, and tikbalang,
He often enjoyed playing alone and listening to the different birds sing, such as the culiawan, maya, maria
capra, martini, and pipit. His mother, as a teacher, not only taught him to write poems, but also to pray on a
daily basis, including the recitation of the holy rosary. His mother's brothers had also influenced him. His
uncle Jose was in charge of teaching him on a regular basis. His uncle
Manuel worked on his physique until he had a silk and brace body. His uncle Gregorio instilled in him the
desire to do more and work harder in order to achieve his goals in life.
Jose also owned a pony, which he used to ride around his hometown's beautiful scenery. He used to be able
to draw a bird flying without removing his pencil from his paper until the picture he drew was finished. He can
also draw a horse chasing a dog and his favorite activity was molding animals out of clay and wax. Another
happy memory was his nocturnal walk with Usman, his big black dog (others call it Berganza). He used to

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play with his neighbors' doves. He could also perform magic tricks such as disappearing a coin, falsely cutting
a thin rope, and untying a handkerchief. His sisters giggled at him once while he was playing with his friends
but he didn't say anything: Instead, he silently told them that when he died, people would build monuments
and images of him.
Jose's happiest memory from his childhood was a trip with his father to Antipolo to fulfill his mother's vow to
perform pilgrimage to the Virgin of Antipolo. They boarded a barge and sailed to the Pasig River. His first trip
excite him because he saw the vastness of the river and different scenery that he hasn't seen in his
hometown. After paying their respects to the Virgin, they traveled to Manila to see his sister Saturnina. Jose
was visiting Manila for the first time. Jose experienced his first grief when he was four years old, as a result
of the death of his younger sister Concepcion (Concha). His and his family were devastated by her death
because his sister was closer to him. Jose exhibited a poetic mind, and because his mother was well-versed
in literature and rhetoric, he developed an interest in writing short verses. His mother told him a story about
a moth one night. The tragic fate of the moth left an indelible memory of sacrificing for a worthy cause in
exchange for something valuable.

EARLY EDUCATION

First Teacher: His Mother Teodora

Rizal was first educated at home by his mother, Dona Teodora, who was a remarkable and educated woman
in her own right. She was Rizal's first teacher. As a loving mother and tutor, she would sit the three-year-old
Pepe on her lap and devotedly taught him the alphabet and the prayers. He also taught Pepe to read the
Holy Bible. In their moments together, Doña Teodora would tell him many stories which later fuelled his strong
interest in poetry. But of all the stories that his mother told him, the Story of the Moth touched him so deeply
that he recorded it in his diary

Dona Teodora, Pepe and The Story of the Moth

Dona Teodora always held storytelling sessions with the young Rizal in order to impart important life lessons.
She enjoyed reading stories from the book Amigo de los Ninos (The Children's Friend) to Pepe. She once
chastised her son for drawing on the pages of the story book. She then read him a story in it to teach him the
value of obedience to his parents.
In our house, as in all others in the town, kerosene oil was unknown. had never seen a lamp in our town, nor
a carriage on our streets. Yet I thought Kalamba was a very gay and lively town. 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.

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My mother was teaching me to read in a Spanish reader called "The Children's Friend." 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. I did not understand Spanish and
so I could not read with expression. 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 of childish enthusiasm. I marveled 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 of
listening 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 book, as if she were looking for something.
Then I settled down to listen. I was full of curiosity 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 me the fable of the
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 and 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 is 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
flame 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 became quiet. That became for me a great event. A curious change came over me which
I have always noticed in myself whenever anything has stirred my feelings. The flame and the moth seemed
to go farther away and my mother's voice sounded strange and uncanny. I did not notice when she ended
the fable. All my attention was fixed on the fate of the insect. I watched it with my whole soul. I gave to it my
every thought. It had died a martyr to its illusions.
As she put me to bed, my mother said: "See that you do not behave like the young moth. Don't become
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did." I do not know whether I answered or not. I don't know whether I
promised anything or whether I cried. But I do remember that it was a long time before I fell asleep. 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, just like my mother. The light seemed to me more beautiful. It had
grown more dazzling and more attractive. I knew why the moths circled the flame. The advice and warnings
sounded feebly in my ears. What I thought of most was the death of the heedless moth. But in the depth of
my heart I did not blame it. My mother's care had not had quite the result she intended.

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Years have passed since then. The child has become a man. He has crossed the most famous rivers of other
countries. He has studied beside their broad streams. He has crossed seas and oceans. He has climbed
mountains much higher than the Makiling of his native province, up to perpetual snow. He has received from
experience bitter lessons, much more bitter than that sweet teaching which his mother gave him. Yet, in spite
of all, the man still keeps the heart of a child. He still thinks that light is the most beautiful thing in creation,
and that to sacrifice one's life for it is worth while (Craig 1918).

The Private Tutors

Jose's parents hired private tutors to teach him at home as he grew older. Maestro Celestino was the first,
and Maestro Lucas Padua was the second. Later, the boy was tutored by an elderly man named Leon
Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal's father. Jose was taught Spanish and Latin by this old teacher who
lived at the Rizal house. Unfortunately, he did not have a long life. Five months later, he passed away. The
death of Leon Monroy caused Jose's parents to send their nine- year-old Jose to a private school in Binan.

Rizal's First Formal Schooling in Binan

Jose left Calamba for Binan on a Sunday afternoon in June 1869, kissing his parents' hands and saying
goodbye to his sister with tears in his eyes. Paciano, who acted as his second father, accompanied him. His
father sent him to Binan to continue his Latin studies when he was nine years old, because his first teacher
had died. Oh, how it broke his heart to leave for the first time and live far away from his home and family! But
he was ashamed to cry and had to hide his tears and emotions. "How many beautiful and pathetic scenes
the world would witness without thee!" he exclaimed. After an hour and a half of driving, the two brothers
arrived at their destination in a carromata.
His brother drove him to his aunt's house, where he was to stay, and then dropped him off after introducing
him to the teacher Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz's school the next moming. The school was in the teacher's
house, which was a small nipa hut about 30 meters from Jose's aunt's house. Paciano was familiar with the
teacher because he had previously studied with him. He introduced Jose to the teacher before heading off
to his next destination. Jose went for a moonlit walk around town with his aunt's grandson, Leandro, at night.
To him, the town appeared vast and prosperous, but also sad and unappealing.
His Binan teacher was a strict disciplinarian. Justiniano Aquino Cruz was his name. "He was a tall, lean, long-
necked man with a sharp nose and a slightly bent forward body." He used to wear a sinamay shirt woven by
Batangas women's deft hands. He knew the grammars of Nebrija and Gainza by heart. Add to this a severity
that I have assigned to him based on my assessment, which is all I remember.
Jose was given his seat in the class right away. He was asked by his teacher:
"Are you fluent in Spanish?"
"A little, sir," the Calamba lad replied.
"Are you familiar with Latin?"

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 "A little, sir," says the narrator (Craig 1918).
Jose's answers made the boys in the class, particularly Pedro, the teacher's son, laugh. The teacher abruptly
silenced everyone and began the day's lessons.

Jose met the bully, Pedro, in the aftemoon of his first day of school, while the teacher was taking a siesta.
He was enraged at the bully for making fun of him during his morning conversation with the teacher. Pedro
accepted Jose's challenge to a fight. The latter readily accepted, believing that he could easily defeat the
smaller and younger Calamba boy. To the delight of their classmates, the two boys wrestled furiously in class.
Jose, who had learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, triumphed over the larger boy. He
gained popularity among his classmates as a result of this achievement. Andres Salandanan, a classmate,
challenged him to an arm-wrestling match after class in the afternoon. They went to a house's sidewalk and
fought. He had more fights with the Binan boys in the days that followed. He wasn't a quarrelsome person by
nature, but he never shied away from a fight.
Jose used to spend his free time with Justiniano's father-in-law, a master painter. He had his first two sons,
two nephews, and a grandson from him. His way of life was orderly and well-organized. He went to mass at
four o'clock if there was one, or he studied his lesson at that time and then went to mass. When he got home,
he'd look in the orchard for a mambolo fruit to eat before eating his breakfast, which was usually a plate of
rice and two dried sardines. He'd then go to class, which he'd be dismissed from at ten o'clock, and then
back home. He ate with his aunt, then went again to his class at ten o'clock, then returned home. He ate with
his aunt before beginning to study. He returned to class at half past two and left at five o'clock. He might play
for a short time with some cousins before returning home. He learned his lessons, drew for a while and then
prayed that if there was a moon, his friends would invite him to play with other boys on the street. When he
thought of his hometown, tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered his beloved father, his idolized
mother and his caring sisters. Oh, how lovely his town was, even if it wasn't as opulent as Binan! He became
sad and reflective.
Jose stood out in class and he outperformed many of his older classmates. Some of them were so wicked
that they falsely accused him in front of the teacher, for which he received many whippings and strokes from
the ferule, despite his progress. It was a rare day when he wasn't stretched out on the bench for a whipping
or given five or six blows on the head. In order to learn and thus carry out his father's will, Jose's reaction to
all of these punishments was one of intense resentment.
Jose outperformed all Binan boys in academics. He outperformed everyone in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects. Some of his older classmates were envious of his intelligence. They squealed at the teacher
whenever Jose got into a figh outside the school they even told lies to discredit him in front of the teacher's
eyes. As a result, the teacher was forced to punish Jose. Jose had a keen sense of observation and a vivid
imagination.
He visited his hometown every now and then while studying in Binan. The road to his home in Calamba
appeared to be long, but it became shorter during his return. When he saw the roof of his house from afar,
he felt a surge of joy. How he looked for excuses to stay at home longer! A day more seemed like a day spent
in heaven to him and how he sobbed quietly and secretly when he saw the calesa that was there. Then

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everything seemed sad; a flower he touched, a stone that caught his eye, he gathered, afraid he wouldn't
see it again when he returned. He was possessed by a sad but delicate and quiet pain.
During Rizal's early education, two disheartening events drew his attention and disturbed him: the execution
of the priests (Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora) and the imprisonment of her mother.

The Imprisonment of Doña Teodora

Jose Rizal was only 11 years old when he witnessed his mother's extraordinary bravery: the Spaniards
arrested Dona Teodora and forced her to walk 50 kilometers around Laguna. Upon arriving at Santa Cruz
after more than a day of walking under the sun, the exhausted Doña Teodora was charged and imprisoned
for two years without trial for falsehoods leveled against her, particularly an accusation that she attempted to
poison her sister-in-law. She was around 45 years old at the time. The poisoning allegation stemmed from
Dona Teodora's attempts to mediate between her brother Jose Alberto and his estranged wife, Teodora
Alberto, according to Barbara Cruz-Gonzales, Teodora's great-granddaughter. Dona Teodora discouraged
her brother from divorcing his wife in order to protect the family's reputation. This enraged the wife, who was
allegedly sleeping with a Guardia Civil leader.
When Dona Teodora brought food to Teodora Alberto one day, the latter refused to eat it and instead fed it
to her dog, who allegedly died as a result of eating it. Teodora Alberto had Dona Teodora arrested in front of
her entire family with the help of her Guardia Civil lover. Dona Teodora calmed everyone down after the
family patriarch and her husband Francisco Mercado attempted to fight. She didn't protest because she was
powerless; instead, she carried out the punishment with as much dignity as she could. The Guardia Civil
made Dona Teodora walk 50 kilometers around Laguna to humiliate her and prolong her sentence. They
then imprisoned her without a trial. Jose Rizal was 11 years old when this happened in the 1870s. This was
just one of many sacrifices she had to make to keep her family safe. These persecutions also sowed the
seed of indignation in an 11-year- old Rizal, prompting him to write powerful anti-Spanish propaganda many
years later (Bagolong 2018, p27).
Source: Guerrero, L. (1974). The First Filipino: A Biography of Jose Rizal. National Historical Commission of
the Philippines.

The Death of GOMBURZA

With Governor General Rafael Izquierdo repealing the exemption from tribute and forced labor long enjoyed
by the workers of the Cavite Navy Yard, including artillery support and corps of engineers, all of whom were
entitled to the benefits, the workers rose up in arms and mutinied against the colonial government in 1872.
On January 20, 1872, about 200 workers from the arsenal's marine battalion, including sailors and
artillerymen, led by Femando La Madrid, seized Fort San Felipe and captured seven Spanish officers. Despite
the fact that the mutiny lasted only two days due to the colonial administration's quick response, massive
arrests were made, including those who had no connection to the mutiny-hair Spaniards Creoles secular
priests, lawyers, merchants/businessmen and local officials. They only had one thing in common: they openly
campaigned for and supported liberal ideas. Three secular prests were among those arrested, having Jong

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complained about the unfair treatment of secular (Filipino) clergy in favor of Spanish friars Mariano Gomes
de los Angeles, a Bacoor priest, Jose Burgos, a Manila Cathedral priest, and Jacinto Zamora, a Marikina
parish priest, were among them
The secularization movement began with the expulsion of the Jesuit order from the Philippines and all
Spanish colonies in 1768, and the royal decree in 1774 to fill vacant clergy posts in parishes with native
priests ("seculares"). The "regulares," or Spanish friars, were opposed to this because they saw it as a threat
to their political power and influence in the colony. Many secular priests were displaced when the Jesuits
returned to the Philippines in 1859. Jose Burgos championed the secularization cause, provoking the wrath
of many Regulars According to Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, it was in this context that all of the forces converged
against the three secular priests who were accused, tried and sentenced to death by garrote for allegedly
instigating the mutiny in Cavite, despite the lack of evidence. Saldua was said to have been bribed to implicate
Burgos and the other two priests.

On the day of the execution, February 17, 1872, a large crowd of people gathered at the execution site in
Bagumbayan. Saldua was the first to be executed. The first of the GOMBURZA to be executed was Gomez,
who told his confessor, "Father, I know that not a leaf falls to the ground except by the will of God. His holy
will be done because He desires that I die here." The next one, Zamora, appeared to have lost his mind and
stood motionless until the screw turned and he was strangled. The final one was Burgos, who exclaimed in
terror after seeing his colleagues die. "What crime have I committed?" Is it possible that I will die in this
manner? Is there no justice on this planet? I am not guilty!" When told that Jesus had died in the same way,
Burgos stood resigned and forgave his executioners (Hernandez 1958, p4). The three secular priests' unjust
fate was well known at the time, not only for the fabricated charges leveled against them, but also for the
speed with which the Spanish court-martial rendered its decision. Even in the face of political pressure, the
Archbishop of Manila refused to defrock them. At the moment of their execution, he ordered that every church
toll its bells to demonstrate his recognition of the martyrs' innocence. It awoke in Filipinos a new realization:
liberal notions of equality, meritocracy, and human dignity could no longer thrive under a colonial regime. The
prospect of independence loomed in the distance. Rizal saw how this event terrified his parents and their
neighbors and affected the life of his brother, Paciano (Dumul 2018, p23). Jose Rizal's second novel, El
Filibusterismo, would be dedicated to the three tragic figures.
Source: Dumul, Paul et al (2018). The Nation As Project: A New Reading of Jose Rizal's Life and Works.
Manila: Vival Group Inc.

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