TOPIC 3: Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood
and Early Education  He needed to go to school in Biñan to
MEMOIR OF A STUDENT IN MANILA
 P. Jacinto was the first pen name.
 Other pen names were Laong-Laan and
Dimas Alang.
 Wrote it from 1879 to 1881, from the age
of 17 to 20.
DR. JOSE RIZAL
 Born on June 19, 1861, Wednesday
between 11 and midnight, in Calamba,
Laguna.
 baptized on June 22,1861 (3 days old) by
Fr. Rufino Collantes and his godfather
Pedro Casanas.
 Full Name: José Protacio Rizal Mercado
y Alonso Realonda
 7TH child out of 11 (1 brother, 9 sisters)
CHAPTER 1
RIZAL’S PARENTS
Don Francisco Mercado
 “A model of fathers”
Donya Teodora Alonso
 First Teacher of Rizal.
RIZAL CHILDREN
Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olimpia, Lucia,
Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad,
Solidad
 At the age of four, Rizal experienced the
loss of his little sister, Concha.
 Rizal at the age of 3 learned the
alphabet and prayers.
 Maestro Leon Monroy became the
hero’s tutor in Spanish and Latin. But then
died due to sickness.
CHAPTER 2
study Spanish and Latin.
 1870, at the age of nine, was separated
from his family.
 Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz –
formal teacher.
 Bullies: Pedro, Andress Salandanan.
 Was called “Calambeño.
 Showing interest in art, just like his
classmate, Jose Guevara.
 End of Biñan Schooling (December 17,
1870), return to hometown with
Frenchman Arturo Camps.
 Martyrdom of GomBurZa (January 20
1872) Paciano, enraged by the execution
of Burgos, quit his studies at college and
returned to Calamba, where he told the
heroic story of Burgos to his younger
brother Jose, who was nearly 11 years
old.
CHAPTER 3
 In 1872, Doña Teodora was arrested on
malicious charge that she aided his
brother Jose Alberto in trying to poison his
wife.
 After arresting Doña Teodora, she was
forced to walk from Calamba to Santa
Cruz, 50 kilometers.
 Imprisoned by Mr. Antonio Vivencio del
Rosario. Calamba’s Gobernadorcilllo
 Francisco Marcaida and Manuel Mazan
are lawyers that defended his mother.
 He went down to Manila with Paciano on
June 10, 1872.
CHAPTER 4
 Fr. Magin Ferrando- refused to admit
Rizal because he was late for admission,
and he was sickly and small.
  Manuel Xerez Burgus- nephew of Fr.
Burgos, convinced the Father to accept
Rizal.
 Jose was the first of his family to adopt
the surname “Rizal”. He registered under
this name at Ateneo because their family
name “Mercado” had come under the
suspicion of Spanish authority.
JESUITS SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
 Two empires: Roman (Boarders) and
Carthaginian or Greek empire (non-
boarders).
 Fr Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in
Ateneo.
 Rizal became the Greek Emperor after
one month.
 At the end of the school year, he received
a religious picture as a prize.
 In Second Year, he began to devote his
leisure hours to the reading of novels. Like
The Count of Monte Cristo by
Alexander Dumas (Dantes, who is
betrayed and falsely imprisoned on the
eve of his wedding. While imprisoned,
Dantes learns the location of the treasure
on The Island of Monte Cristo. Dantes
escapes from the prison and uses the
treasure to become the Count of Monte
Cristo for revenge). Travels in the
Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor
because of Jagors keen observation of the
defects of Spanish rule and his prophecy
that Spain would lose the Philippines to
America.
CHAPTER 5
 In Fourth Year, Rizal became an interno
(Boarder) in Ateneo.
 Fr. Francisco De Paula Sanchez- One of
his professors that inspired him to study
harder (Mathematics, Rhetoric and Greek)
and to write poetry.
 won 5 medals.
 Entered last year of college, studying
Philosophy, Physics, Chemistry, and
Natural History.
 Fr. Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop
witing poems.
 Received a degree of Bachelor of Arts
with highest honor.
CHAPTER 6
 Enrolled in Metaphysics due to his
father’s wishes.
 Met Segunda Katigbak, studying at La
Concordia with his sister Olimpia.
 Segunda was engaged and he was
jealous, she was his first love. And he
gifted her a Self-Portrait. Ms. K gave him
a white rose.
CHAPTER 7
 Discussion of metaphysics and obtained
grace of excellence. Won two medals for
the examination of Topography and
Agriculture.
CHAPTER 8
 His mother read him a fable about moths
and said to obey for him to not get burned.
CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
By Gregorio F. Zaide
Calamba, the Hero’s Town
 Calamba was named after a big native
jar.
 Calamba was a hacienda town which
belonged to the Dominican Order
  Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of
My Town)- a poem about Rizal’s beloved
town written by Rizal
Rizal’s Childhood Memory
 The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy,
was his happy days in the family garden
when he was three years old;
 Another childhood memory was the daily
Angelus prayer. By nightfall, Rizal
related, his mother gathered all the
children at the house to pray the Angelus.
 Another memory of Rizal’s infancy was
the nocturnal walk in the town with his aya
(nurse-maid), especially when there was a
moon.
 The death of little Concha brought Rizal
his first sorrow.
 At the age of three, Rizal began to take a
part in the family prayers.
 When Rizal was five years old, he was
able to read haltingly the Spanish family
bible.
 On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left
Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to
Antipolo to pray, in order to fulfill his
mother’s vow which was made when Jose
was born.
 The Story of the Moth- made the
profoundest impression on Rizal – “died a
martyr to its illusions”.
 At the age of five, Rizal began to make
sketches with his pencil and to mold in
clay and wax objects which attracted his
fancy
 Sa Aking Mga Kababata (To My Fellow
Children)- Rizal’s first poem in native
language at the age of eight; reveals
Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment,
 At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first
dramatic work which was a Tagalog
comedy
 Rizal as Boy Magician Since early
manhood Rizal had been interested in
magic. Coin tricks and marionette.
Influences on the Rizal’s Boyhood
1. Hereditary Influence
 Malayan Ancestry: Inherited love for
freedom, desire to travel, and
indomitable courage.
 Chinese Ancestry: Serious nature,
frugality, patience, and love for
children.
 Spanish Ancestry: Elegance of
bearing, sensibility to insult, and
gallantry to ladies.
From Parents:
Father: Sense of self-respect, love for
work, and independent thinking.
Mother: Religious nature, spirit of self-
sacrifice, and passion for arts and
literature.
2. Environmental Influence
 Family Atmosphere:
Fueled Rizal's artistic and literary
talents, encouraging creativity.
 Siblings:
Learned courtesy and kindness to
women from sisters.
 Aya's Tales:
Fairy tales sparked interest in folklore
and legends, nurturing imagination.
Uncles' Influence:
 Tio Jose Alberto: Inspired artistic
development.
 Tio Manuel: Encouraged physical
activities.
 Tio Gregorio: Shared love for
literature.
 Father Leoncio Lopez: Learned
parish priest fostered love for research
and intellectual honesty.
Family’s Sorrows:
 Concha’s death
 Mother’s Imprisonment
3. Aid of providence
 God had endowed him with the
versatile gifts of a genius.With God’s
help Rizal became a Nationalist with a
heart to sacrifice himself for a noble
cause.