LESSON 1 o Government recognition of any private college or
TOPIC 1 : THE STUDY OF RIZAL IN HISTORICAL AND
CRITICAL APPROACH
WHY STUDY RIZAL?
 First and foremost, because it is mandated by law.
 Secondly, because of the lessons contained within the course
itself.
WHY STUDY RIZAL: BECAUSE IT IS MANDATED BY LAW
 REPUBLIC ACT 1425 (Rizal Law)
o stipulated that course on the writer and his novels
be made mandatory in all educational institutions
in the Philippines.
 Senator Claro M. Recto, the person who filed Bill No. 438
 Senator Jose P. Laurel, the person who sponsored the said law.
 Goals:
o To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of
freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes
lived and died.
o To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting
his life and works in shaping the Filipino
character.
o To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through
the study of Rizal’s life, works, and writings.
WHY STUDY RIZAL: BECAUSE OF THE LESSONS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE COURSE
 To recognize the importance of Rizal’s ideals and teachings in
relation to present conditions and situations in the society
 To encourage the application of such ideals in current social and
personal problems and issues.
 To develop an appreciation and deeper understanding of all
that Rizal fought and died for.
 To foster the development of the Filipino youth in all aspects.
TRIALS
 The enactment of R.A. 1425 otherwise known as the RIZAL
LAW sparked heated disputes and bitterness among Philippine
legislators.
 It was originally filled by the Senate Committee on Education
on April 3, 1956, as Senate Bill No.438. It was supported by all
the senators except for three.
 When Senator Jose P. laurel, then Chairman of the Committee
on Education started his sponsorship of the bill on April 17,
1956, dispute between the pros and antis emerged.
o An Act to Make Noli Me Tangere And El
Filibusterismo Compulsory Reading material In
All Public And private Colleges And Universities
And For Other Purposes.
 Jose Rizal’s Noli Me tangere and El Filibusterismo are hereby
declared compulsory reading material in all public and
private schools, colleges, pand universities in the Philippines.
 Rizal’s novel shall be in the original editions or in their
expurgated English and National language versions.
 No provisions of this act shall be construed as prohibiting or
limiting the study of the works of other Filipino heroes.
 Any public or private college or university found violating,
failing to comply with, or circumventing the provisions of this
act shall be punished accordingly.
 Punishments…
o The head of any public college or university
charged with implementing provisions of this act
who shall have been found guilty of violating,
failing to comply with or circumventing the
provisions thereof, shall be dismissed
immediately from public service and shall be
disqualified from teaching in any public or
government recognized private school, college or
university.
university found violating or circumventing the
provisions of this act shall immediately
withdraw, and the responsible and professor
or professors concerned shall disqualified
from teaching in any government-recognized
college or university.
 Jose p. Laurel argued that the object of the measure was to
disseminate the ideas and ideals of the great Filipino patriot
through the reading of his works, particularly Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo.
o Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo must be
read by all Filipinos. They must be taken to
heart, for in their pages we see ourselves as in a
mirror, our defects as well as our strength, our
virtues as well as our vices. Only then would we
become conscious as a people, and so learn to
prepare ourselves for painful sacrifices that
ultimately lead to self-reliance, self-respect, and
freedom.
TOPIC 2 : OPPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
 The hierarchy of the Philippine Church claimed that the two
novels contained errors which were against the teachings of
the Catholicism. The ‘compulsory’ nature of the bill was also
challenged as a breach of religious freedom.
 In general, the Philippine Church strongly opposed due to the
following reasons.
o Show open criticism to the Catholic Church
o In the “compulsory” teaching of the
unexpurgated versions of Rizal’s Noli Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, a teacher would have the
tendency to discuss or worse, to criticize certain
Church doctrines.
o The inevitable criticism of the Church doctrines
might lead to the jeopardy of the faith of people.
 In general, the Philippines Church strongly opposed due to the
following reasons.
o Show open criticism to the Catholic Church.
o In the ‘compulsory’ teaching of the unexpurgated
versions of Rizal’s Noli me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, a teacher would have the
tendency to discuss or worse, to criticize certain
‘Church doctrines.
o The inevitable criticism of the Church doctrines
might lead to the jeopardy of the faith of the
people.
 The Catholic Action of Manila (CAM) was one of the
principal organizations that initiated campaigns against the bills.
 Its two attempts were to release articles of resistance daily,
instead of weekly, through the Sentinel, and to convince the
Catholics to write the senators and congressmen to junk the bill.
 Fr. Jesus Cavanna, a speaker on the symposium organized by
CAM, lambasted Rizal’s novels by saying that the Noli me
Tangere and El Filbusterismo…
o “ .. belong to the past and it would be harmful to
read them because they represented a false
picture of conditions in the country at that time.
Noli Me Tangere is an attack on the clergy and
its object was to put in ridicule the catholic faith.
The novel was not really patriotic because out of
333 pages, only 25 contained patriotic passages,
while 120 were devoted to anti-Catholic attack.”
 Debates on Senate Bil. 438 started on April 23, 1956
o PROS – Jose P. Laurel and Claro M. Recto
o ANTIS – Mariano J. Cuenco, Francisco Rodrigo
and Decoroso Rosales
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 Claro M. Recto argued that under the police power and Article
14 Section 5 of the 1935 Constitution, the Senate could require
the reading of Noli M Tangere.
o “Rizal did not pretend to teach religion or
theology when he wrote these books. He aimed at
inculcating civic consciousness in the Filipinos,
national dignity, personal pride, and patriotism,
and if references were made by him during his
narration to certain religious practices in the
Philippines in those days and to the conduct and
behavior of erring ministers of the church, it was
because he portrayed faithfully the general
situation in the Philippines as it then existed.
“ ..but while he criticized and ridiculed the
unworthy behavior of certain ministers of the
church, he made exceptions in favor of certain
ministers of the church, he made exceptions in
favor of the worthy ones, like the Dominican
friar, Padre Fernandez, and virtuous nature
native priests, Padre Florentino, and the Jesuits
in general.”
– Claro M. Recto
“A vast majority of our people are at the same
time Catholics and Filipino citizens. As such,
they have two great loves: their country and their
faith. These two loves are not conflicting loves.
They are harmonious affections, like the love of a
child for his father and for his mother.”
“This is the basis of my stand. Let us not create a
conflict between nationalism and religion;
between the government and the church.” –
Francisco Rodrigo
 On May 9, 1956, a sudden turn of events happened.
 It became apparent that Jose P. Laurel was willing to enter
into a compromise with those who oppose the bill.
o An Act to Include in the curricula 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 Therefore, And For
Other Purposes
 WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our
history, there is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals of
freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and
died.
 WHEREAS it is meet that in honoring them, particularly
the national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember with
special fondness and devotion their lives and works that
have shaped the national character.
 WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novels Noli me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially
during their formative and decisive years in school, should
be suffused.
 WHEREAS all educational institutions are under the
supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State, and
all schools are enjoined to develop moral character,
personal discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties
of citizenship.
 Why is Rizal placed in 1 peso coin not in the bill?
o Rizal's head is the lowest denomination on the
currency because, as a national hero, he was one
of the people who led up to our country's
Ged 103
independence. We want his face to be seen by
everyone, and we want it to be as accessible as
possible.
o a convenient and widely accepted form of
currency for making small purchases.
o The reason why Rizal is placed in 1 peso coin not
in the bill is because it is a practical and
extensively used form of payment for little
transactions that higher the chances of being seen
by everyone.
RIZAL’S NATIONALISM
 Rizal believes that Filipinos could only foster their own sense
of nationalism by studying history.
 Rizal believes that history will provide the true concept of
oneself and drive the nation to great things.
 Rizal was the dominant nationalist figure of his time who unlike
all others had the vision of the future of the Philippines.
 Rizal defines nationalism as the idea of oneness by a group of
people who possess common traditions, shared history, a set of
goals, and a belief in a specific future. There is a strong
identification with the values, the heroes and the traits of a
country.
RIZAL: HUMAN AND HERO
 Reverence without understanding is for deities, not flesh and
blood heroes like Rizal. Hero-worship must be both historical-
critical.” (Ocampo: 1969)
 We must view Rizal as an evolving personality within an
evolving historical period.
 Many of his social criticisms are still valid today because certain
aspects of our life are still a carryover of the feudal and colonial
society of his time.
 To be able to appreciate a hero for that matter, we must be able
to learn more about him – not merely his acts but the thoughts
behind his acts, his reasons, the situation he found himself in as
well as his motivations.
TOPIC 3
 Our national hero was a man of peace with a vision.
 Rizal suffered as much as his countrymen.
 He was the spark that gave birth to Philippines pride for one’s
country and people.
 Yet all he wanted for his people was that they educate
themselves so that they could stand as free men and face the
world with head held high.
TOPIC 4
 According to Nick Joaquin, Rizal was greatly aggrieved by his
physique.
 When Rizal was young, he was always teased by his sisters
because of his frail body and often described as a very tiny child
with a disproportionately big head that he carried even in his
adulthood.
 When the young Rizal was in the early stages of adolescence, he
strove to erase his puny image.
 He became interested in bodybuilding and athletics, but his
feelings of inferiority had made an indelible mark on his soul.
 Rizal was forever haunted by a sense of inadequacy which
explains his inability to sustain relationships with women and
great dread for responsibility.
 Rizal’s inferiority complexes were not without positive side,
however.
 It was his feelings of inadequacy that made him dynamic, and he
continually looked for ways to be better than others.
 Jose Rizal’s dynamism was what made him a jack of many
talents, and master of many trades.
 He lacked in physique he compensated for by excelling in many
fields such as science, art, literature, among many others.
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 Because of his insecurities, Rizal strove to overcome himself
and rise above the others.
 Rizal’s determination to excel in as many fields as possible was
to show the world that he was capable, that he was as tall as that
next man.
 He proved that he was very much taller by rising above himself.
TOPIC 5
RIZAL IDEAS: A REPLY TO THE CHALLENGES OF OUR MILLENIUM
 “Rizal ideas are responses in the challenges of the new
millennium.” – Ambassador Edmundo Libid
 Jose Rizal is indeed pre-eminent among the national heroes of
the Philippines and is thus revered by the Filipino nation
primarily because of his virtues of character which exemplify
honesty, personal integrity, patriotism and civic
responsibility, willingness to sacrifice for the cause of his
native land, high sense of justice and family solidarity, and
the other loftiest standard of truth with which he pursued the
nobility of his cause to found and foster Filipino Nationhood.
 Rizal’s pre-eminence
o Derived from the very fact that he validated all
his social and civic virtues, embodied in his
noblest aspirations for his country and people, by
consciously and clear-headedly accepting the
ultimate sacrifice of death in the tragic field of
Bagumbayan now called as the Luneta on
December 30, 1896.
 Rizal the man stands among those few that are companion to no
epoch or continent, who belong to the world, and whose lives
have a universal message.
 His field of action lay in the strife of politics and power, but
these were not to his inclination. He shouldered his political
burden solely in the cause of duty, a circumstance rendering him
one of those figures rare in human affairs, a revolutionary
without hatred, and a leader without worldly ambition.
 Where his true inclination lay is finely demonstrated in his life
by the fact that his works in science, history, and literature, and
his profession as an ophthalmic surgeon, share a single, identical
aim – to shed illumination and give sight to the blind.
 Honesty; personal integrity; patriotism; Civic Responsibility;
Willingness to Sacrifice; High Sense of justice; Family
Solidarity
 Honesty; Personal Integrity
o Rizal’s honesty was the result of his constant love
and search for the truth.
 Patriotism; Civic Responsibility
o Rizal’s courage in loving his country is a virtue
that is very relevant today. His moral courage to
do only the best for his people is worth imitating.
 Obeying the laws of the country; paying the taxes levied by the
Government.
o The youth nowadays have the courage to fight for
what they believe is right. The young generation
mostly use social media platforms to voice their
opinions.
 In this millennium, it is not outlandish to predict those basic
values of human honor and dignity, the same aspirations for
freedom and independence of peoples everywhere, the same
natural desire for mutual respect, material well-being.
 In brief, the very values and virtues embodied in the spirit of
RIZALISM will form the core humanity’s aspirations despite
adjustments that must be accommodated by the new reality of
evolved technology and scientific advances far superior to the
knowledge in the previous millennium.
LESSON 2 - JOSE RIZAL'S GENEALOGY AND EARLY
EDUCATIO
TOPIC 1 - THE ANCESTRY CLAN OF RIZAL
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Who is Dr. Jose Rizal?
 Jose Protacio Realonda Alonso Y Mercado Rizal - known to a
“child of a good family."
 He was born on June 19, 1861 between eleven o'clock and
twelve o'clock at night, a few days before the full moon in
Calamba.
 He was the seventh of eleventh children, the younger of two
boys and with nine sisters all in all.
 Austin Craig accounted that Rizal’s Father began in the
Philippines with CHINAMAN.
 A Philippine Hero, Traveler
 A linguist, he knows about 22 languages.
 A talented, brilliant, and genius man of honor.
 An ophthalmologist.
 A poet, novelist, philosopher and historian.
 He is also a farmerbusinessman.
 Sculptor; “The Triumph of Science over Death” or
“Scientia”
 Cartographer
 Bibliophile
 Jose Protacio Realonda Alonso Mercado Rizal
o Jose - it as chosen by his mother who was
devotee of the Christian saint San Jose.
o Protacio - was taken from St. Protacio who
were very properly was a martyr.
o Rizal - the name was adopted in 1850 authority
of the Royal Decree of 1849 upon the order of
Governor Narciso Claveria.
o Alonzo - old surname of his mother.
o Y and Realonda – it was used by Donya
Teodora from the surname of her godmother.
 The Rizal family is considered as one of the biggest family
during their time Domingo Lam-co (Chinese Entrepreneur)
 The family's paternal ascendant was Chinese who came to the
Philippines from Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th
century and married a halfChinese by the name of Ines de la
Rosa.
FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)
 Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 off springs of
Juan and Cirila Mercado.
 Born in Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818
 Studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.
 Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in
Manila
 Became tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda.
 He was hardworking and independent-minded who talked
less but worked more valiant spirit.
 Died in Manila on January 5, 1898, at the age of 80.
 Rizal affectionately called him “a model of father.”
 Parents are Juan Mercado and Cirila Alejandrino.
TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)
 Born in Sta. Cruz, Manila on November 8, 1826.
 Studied at Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Manila
 A remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary
talent, business ability, and fortitude of Spartan women.
 Woman of ordinary culture; she knows literature and speaks
Spanish according to Rizal.
 Died in Manila on August 16, 1913, at the age of 86.
 Parents; Lorenzo Alonso, a municipal captain and Brijida de
Quintos, an educated housewife and had four other siblings.
 They prospered in Calamba after involving themselves in
business and agriculture.
 Known to be a hardworking, intelligent, business-minded
woman. The Rizal’s.
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TOPIC 2 – THE RIZAL’S SIBLINGS
SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)
 Full name; Saturnina Mercado Rizal Hidalgo
 Born in 1850
 She had 5 children.
 Eldest child of Rizal-Alonso marriage.
 Married to Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas
 She and her mother provided the little Jose with the basic
education by the age of three.
 died the same year as her mother in 1913.
PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
 Full name; Paciano Rizál Mercado y Alonso Realonda
 aka "Lolo Ciano" was the only brother of Jose Rizal.
 ▪He was born in 1851 and studied in Biñan later attending
school at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila.
 he joined in the Philippine Revolution where he rose up to the
ranks of a General.
 He later married Severina Decena of Los Banos and had two
children of which one died at an early age.
 He passed away in 1930.
NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)
 Full name; Narcisa Alonso Realonda Rizal Mercado Lopez
 born in 1852 and was the one who found the unmarked grave of
her brother, Jose in the abandoned Old Paco Cemetery.
 Married Antonio Lopez who was a teacher and musician from
Morong, Rizal.
 She died in 1938.
 She help in financing Rizal’s studies in Europe, even pawning
her jewelry and peddling her clothes if needed.
OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
 Full name; Olympia Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda Ubaldo.
 Born in 1855; She married Silvestre Ubaldo and together they
had three children.
 She died in 1887 from childbirth when she was only 32 years
old.
 Jose loved to tease her, sometimes good-humoredly describing
her as his stout sister.
 She died of childbirth in 1887.
LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)
 Full name; Lucia Alonso Rizal Realonda Herbosa
 was born on December 13, 1857, in Calamba, Laguna,
Philippines.
 fifth Rizal child, was the wife of Mariano Herbosa.
 They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 7 daughters.
 She died on 25 December 1919, in her hometown, at the age of
63, and was buried in Manila North Cemetery.
 In 1889 Mariano died due to an epidemic but was denied a
Christian burial.
 This showed the beginning of the persecution of the Rizal
family by Spanish friars.
MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
 Full name; Maria Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda Cruz
 the sixth Rizal child, became the wife of Daniel Faustino Cruz
of Biñan, Laguna.
 It was to her whom Jose talked about wanting to marry
Josephine Bracken
 Born in 1859; Mauricio Cruz, one of Maria's children became a
student of Jose Rizal in Dapitan; was known to be one of his
uncle’s.
 Maria was a known recipient of many odd Jose's letters during
his lifetime.
 Maria died in 1945.
 In his letter date December 28, 1981, Jose wrote to Maria.
Ged 103
CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)
 Full name; Concepcion Alonso Mercado Rizal.
 Concepcion Rizal was born in 1862.
 her pet's name was Concha; she died of sickness at the age of 3
in 1865;
 her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)
 Full name; Josefa Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
 ninth child in the family; born in 1865; unmarried lived
together with sister Trinidad until death.
 Panggay (her nickname) died an old maid at the age of 80.
 Josefa was said to have suffered from epilepsy. She died in
1945.
TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)
 Full name; Trinidad Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
 the tenth Rizal child; born in 1868; remained unmarried and
lived together with her sister Josefa.
 she was the custodian of Rizal’s greatest poem.
 the one who received an alcohol lamp from brother Jose, in
which he secretly hid the "Last Farewell" better known as "Mi
Ultimo Adios," a poem.
 Rizal wrote on the eve of his death in 1896.
 She died also an old maid in 1951 at the age of 83; outliving all
her siblings.
SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)
 Full name; Soledad Mercado Realonda Rizal Quintero
 born in 1870; the youngest Rizal child.
 married Pantaleon Quintero and together they had 5 children.
 Soledad died in 1929.
RIZAL’S CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND EARLY
EDUCATION
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
 Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his
native town Calamba where he grew up with his family.
 The happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lakeshore
town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like tragic manhood.
 He loved Calamba with all his heart and soul. In 1876, when he
was 15 years old and was a student in Ateneo de Manila, he
remembered his beloved town. Accordingly, he wrote a poem
Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
 According to some readings, his mother nearly died during his
delivery because of his big head.
 Three days after his birth, Rizal was baptized on June 22 of the
said year with the name Jose Rizal Mercado at the Catholic
church of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes.
He was the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and
Teodora Alonso y Quintos.
 The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days
in the family garden when he was three years old.
 Because he was a frail, sickly, and undersized child, he was
given the tenderest care by his parents.
 His father built a nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in a
day.
 A kind old woman was employed as an aya (nurse maid) to
look after his comfort.
 “Pepe” or “Pepito” to the town people of Calamba.
 1868 (7 yrs. Old), he wrote a comedy for the local fiesta.
 A voracious reader was able to read at age of 3.
 Was influenced greatly by his mother in his education and
development of interest in poetry, music and European
literature.
 Readings in Tagalog poetry and assignments in Phil. History
inculcated sense of Filipino Culture
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 Ged 103
 At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native
language entitled Sa Aking mga Kabata (To My Fellow
Children).
 At a very young age, he has shown great interest in reading.
He enjoyed reading books in their library at home, with his
mother who acts as his reading teacher and a critic.
 At this time, he also learned how to pray and even read the
bible.
 When Jose Rizal grew older, his parents acquired private tutors
to give him lessons at home in preparation for his formal
education.
 One of them was Leon Monroy, a classmate of his father who
taught him the rudiments of Latin.
 At about this time, his mother’s cousin, Uncle Manuel Alberto,
who frequently visited the family in Calamba, was worried
about his nephew’s physical development.
 He then taught Rizal to develop the skills in swimming,
fencing, wrestling and other sports, while Uncle Jose taught
him to love and admire the beauty of nature.
 Uncle Gregorio, a scholar, has instilled in Rizal’s mind the love
for education and its importance, the value of hard work, to
think for himself, and to observe his surroundings carefully.
 When he was four years old, his sister Concepcion, the eighth
child in the Rizal family, died at the age of three.
 This was the first time he cried as a young boy. As sad as he
was, the parish priest of Calamba, Father Leoncio Lopez,
helped Rizal understand the philosophy of life and learned the
value of scholarship and intellectual honesty.
 Rizal, in his childhood, used to take long rides through all the
surrounding country by riding his pony that his father gave him.
Among his pets were doves and a dog.
 Owing to the continuous teaching of Doña Teodora, Rizal was
persuaded to express his feelings through verses.
 He was able to write his first poem when he was eight years old.
 The poem was entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kababata” (To My
Fellow Children), which showed that Rizal, even at a young
age, already had love for his country.
 He similarly incorporates the love for the native language with
God’s gift of freedom. He compared his native language or
Tagalog to Latin, English and Spanish.
 Tagalog, like any other languages, had its own alphabet and
system writing, which according to Rizal, disappeared because
they were neglected or ignored.
 The poem was entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kababata” (To My
Fellow Children), which showed that Rizal, even at a young
age, already had love for his country.
 He similarly incorporates the love for the native language with
God’s gift of freedom.
 Tagalog, like any other languages, had its own alphabet and
system writing, which according to Rizal, disappeared because
they were neglected or ignored.
 He encourages his fellow children to love their native tongue.
 After Rizal’s tutor Leon Monroy died, his parents decided to
transfer Rizal to a private school in Biñan, Laguna.
 The school was then supervised by Maestro Justiniano Aquino
Cruz.
 The maestro asked him if he knows how to speak Latin or
Spanish, but in response, he only knew a little of the languages.
 While Rizal’s interest in painting was nurtured early on by an
old painter named Juancho of Biñan.
 During this time, knowledge was taught in the minds of the
students by doing tedious memorization method.
 Despite some lack of the elementary education in Spanish
system, Rizal was able to have the needed instruction
preparatory for college work in Manila.