COLEGIO DE LA PURISIMA CONSEPCION

The School of the Archdiocese of Capiz

Roxas City

College of Arts and Science and Education

INSTRUCTIONAL LEARNING KIT/MODULE

In
MC
The Life ,Works and Writings of Jose Rizal

WEEK 2 -A
Name of the Unit/Topic: Rizal’s Birth and His Ancestors/ Rizal’s Childhood and Early Studies

Intentions:
At the end of the module, the students will be able to:
1. tell short account about Rizal’s birth and ancestors;
2. describe the Filipino culture that the Rizal family exemplify;
3. Discuss Joe Rizal’s memories of his early childhood.
Introduction:
This module will review us of Jose Rizal’s life from the time he was born, his ancestors , and his early
childhood life. It will further give us the picture of some unpleasant experiences he went through at his early age.

Inputs:
RIZAL'S BIRTH
Rizal in his biography entitled "Memoirs of a Student in Manila" stated that he was born in the lakeshore of
Calamba, Laguna at about midnight on Wednesday, June 1 861. His birth had almost caused the life of his mother
because of his big head, accordingly, had his mother not vowed to ' the virgin of Antipolo that he would be taken to
her "sanctuary by way of pilgrimage."
After three days he was baptized in a Catholic Church and was-christened "Jose" in honor of San Jose. His mother was
a devotee of the Christian Saint, St. Joseph.
During the baptismal ceremony, Father Rufino Collantes, the parish priest who baptized him noticed the unusual
size of the baby’s head. He was impressed of this and told the members of the family to take care of the child for he
would "become a great man." This prophecy of Father Collantes had shown evidences in the succeeding events in his
life.
RIZAL'S PARENTS
Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of the couple Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso
Realonda. His father was a native of Binian, Laguna. After the death of his father;-he moved to Calamba and became
tenant-farmer of the Dominican owned hacienda. He was hard-working strong-willed, and independent-minded who
talked less and work more. He was a man who could not easily be deceived nor influence. He was "valiant in spirit"
which Rizal had inherited, strong character and well-educated having studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of
San Jose in Manila. With all these qualities, Rizal considered him "a model oi fathers."
Rizal's mother Dona Teodora Alonso Realonda who was eight years younger than his father was born on
November 8, 1 826 in Manila where she grew and studied at the College of Santa Rosa, a Weil known College of girls.
In the city she was a woman possessing a refine culture and unrefutable character, strong spirit, literary and
mathematical intelligence. She knew literature well and spoke Spanish fluently. She was truly a "remarkable woman."

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

The marriage of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda was blessed with eleven children—nine
girls and two boys. These children were:
1. Saturnina — she was the oldest among the Rizal children who was nicknamed Neneng. She studied in La
Concordia College in Sta. Ana, Manila. She married Manuel T. Hidalgo, a native of Tanawan, Batangas.
2. Paciano — He was the older brother whom Rizal called "uto" and his second father. He accompanied Rizal when
he enrolled in schools. Enraged by the Gomburza execution and the sentiments of his younger brother Jose, he
joined the Philippine Revolution and became a combat general. After the revolution, he had lived in his farm in
Los Banios. He had lived as a gentleman farmer and died an old bachelor at the age of 79. He survived two
children mistress, Severina Decena, a boy and a girl.
3. Narcisa -— She was the second girl in the family whose nickname was Sisa. She was a school teacher of Morong.
She married Antonio Lopez, a nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez.
4. Olimpia — She was the third girl among the children. Her pet name was Ypia. She married Silvestre Ubaldo, a
telegraph operator from
5. Lucia — she was the fifth child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda. She married Mariano
Herbosa of Calamba. He died of cholera and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of
Jose Rizal.
6. Maria —'Her nickname was Biang. She married Daniel Faustino Cruz from Binian, Laguna.
7. Jose — the greatest Filipino hero and genius was nicknamed Pepe. He had lived with Josephine Bracken, an
Irish girl from Hong Kong. He had a son by her who died a few hours after he was born. Rizal named his son
"Francisco" after his father's name.
8. Concepcion --- Her pet name was Concha. She died when she was only three years old. Her death brought grief
to the whole family. That was the first sorrow Jose had experienced.
9. Josefa - She was called Panggoy by the family. She died an old maid at age 80
10. Trinidad — her pet name was Trining. Like her sister Josefa. Trining never married and died an old maid at 83.
11. Soledad — Choleng was her pet name and the youngest among the eleven children of the couple Francisco and
Teodora. She married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.

The Rizal family was big, yet, the children had very harmonious relationship. Family ties were strong and
the affections among the children were great. Their parents loved them very much but they never spoiled the
children. In fact, they were disciplinarian’s especiaily when the children made wrong actions, or got into
mischievous things. Don Francisco and Dona Teodora believed in the saying "spare the rod and spoil the child€"
They taught their children the value of love to their fellowmen most especially love of god, to be honest and
obedient. They also trained the children to be respectful to people especially the old folks.

The whole family heard mass every day in the town church, particularly during Sundays and holidays. They
prayed together the Angelus and .the Holy Rosary very night before they went to bed. All the children had been
trained to kiss the hands of their parents after the prayers. Life, however, was not always prayers and church, they
were also allowed to play in their azoteas or in the spacious yard where they played by themselves.

The Rizal’s belonged to one of the affluent families in Calamba. Through hard work and frugal living, they
were able to build a large stone house near the town church, to buy another, to own a carriage which was the
status symbol of the ilustrados during the Spanish time, to construct the biggest private library in Calamba during
that period, and to sent the children to colleges in Manila.

The family income gave them adequate and comfortable life so they could lead social and religious activities
in the community. They also played cordial and hospitable hosts to all visitors and guests during the town fiestas,
holidays and other celebrations in their place. They entertained in their home all guests irrespective of their color,
rank, social and economic status — friars, Spaniards, Filipinos, young and old alike. Everybody was welcomed in
their house anytime.

RIZAL'S ANCESTORS
Like all Filipinos, Jose Rizal was a descendant of the Malayan race. His blood was a mixture of Negrito,
Indonesian, Chinese, and Japanese and Spanish genes. On his father side, Rizal's great-great grandfather was a
Chinese from Fukien City of Changchow, Domingo-Lamco, a merchant who migrated to the Philippines. He was
converted to Christianity and married a Christian girl Ines de la Rosa. He assumed the surname Mercado, a Spanish
term which means market and appropriate for him for being a merchant. Domingo Mercado and in Spanish de la
Rosa union was gifted with a son. They named him Francisco Mercado who married a Chinese-Filipina mestiza,
Cirila Bernacha. The young couple settled in Binian where Francisco became a gobernadorcilLo of the town, one of
their sons was Juan Mercado, Jose Rizal’s grandfather. Juan wedded Cirila Alejandro, a Chinese mestiza. He was
also elected gobernadorcillo o binian. Capitan Juan and Capitana Cirila had thirteen children, the youngest was
Francisco Mercado, Jose Rizal's father.
 Francisco Mercado's father died when he was only- eight years old so he was left and grew up under the
care of his mother. He studied Latin and Philosophy in the College of San Jose in Manila. While studying, he met
Teodora Alonso Realonda with whom he fell in love and got married on June 28, 1848. The couple settled down in
Calamba. They engaged in farming in a Dominican-owned hacienda where they reared a big family.
It was believed that Dona Teodora's family was a descendant of the last native king of Tondo, Lakandula.
Her great grandfather was Eugenio Ursua, a Japanese ancestry. He married a Filipina by the name of Benigna,
surname unknown. The couple had a daughter Regina, who married Manuel de Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer
from the province of Pangasinan. One of the daughters of Attorney Quintos and Regina was Brigida, Jose
Rizal's grandmother. She married Lorenzo Alberto, a Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Binian. They have five
children: Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal's mother), Gregorio, Manuel and Jose. Teodora, being a daughter of a prominent
family studied in Manila where she met Francisco Mercado and were married.
The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado but there were so many Mercado's in the Philippines
who were not related to them. It was said that an Alcalde Mayor who was a friend of the family added Rizal by
reason perhaps of distinction. -This was not so important to the family, in fact Jose was the only one in the family
who used the surname Rizal that made him appear an illegitimate son.

Rizal’s Childhood

Jose Rizal has many happy and beautiful memories about his childhood. He grew up with his loving parents,
thoughtful and caring siblings. He spent his early childhood in the lakeshore town of Calamba with its scenic beauties
and majestic Mt. Makiling a fe w kilometer away from home. He enjoyed the vibrant beauty of Laguna de Bay. Far
north of the town lies the famous shrine of Miraculous Lady of Peace and Good Voyage of Antipolo where her mother
vowed to the virgin that he would be taken to her sanctuary by way of pilgrimage. Rizal wrote a poem entitled “Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo” for his love to his hometown. Rizal was frail and sickly at three. Most tender care was given to
him. His father built a nipa hut where he can rest and provided him a nurse maid to look for his needs.
Rizal’s childhood memories were filed with happy moments, he was mused of the beauty of nature. Did the
daily prayers. He had his nocturnal walk in the town especially when the moon was full.
One of the happiest events in Rizal’s early childhood was hiss journey with his father to Antipolo in order to
fulfill his mother’s vow made on his birth after which they proceeded to Manila to visit his sister Saturnina who awa
studying at La Concordia College.
Not all his memories were full of happiness. At four, he experience his first taste of sorrow. His younger sister
Concha died of sickness.
At a very young age, Rizal endowed with artistic talent, he started to draw objects with pencil and to mould
with clay and wax objects that caught his interest and fantasy. His sisters laughed at him for he did much things instead
of playing with them. He told them:” all right laugh at me now! Someday when I die, people will make monument and
images of me.”
Rizal had a poetic mind. He was also a lover of literature just like her mother who was good in literature and
rhetoric. The story of the moth of his mother left an impression on Rizal’s mind that to sacrifice for a noble cause is
worthwhile.
Att the age of eight , Rizal was able to write his first poem in the native language entitled “ Sa Aking Mga
Kababata” (To My Fellow Children). The poem reveals Rizal’s early sentiment when he declared that a person who
truly love their native language will surely strive for liberty like “ the birds which soars to freer space above.” His first
poem was followed by his dramatic work, a tagalog comedy which was delightfully recognized and applauded by the
audience.
Rizal’s beautiful memories of his childhood in Calamba was dimly shadowed by the uniformed Spanish soldiers
across the Bay and their cruelty. As he walked during twilight hours of summertime, Rizal, accompanied by his favorite
black dog Bergaza , witnessed thee Guardia Civil Lieutenant has his daily activity canning and injuring some unarmed
and innocent people of the village.

Rizal’s Early Education in Laguna

Rizal had his early education in Calamba, Laguna. The lessons were concentrated on the four R’s. Although the
system of instruction was poor, Rizal worked hard to prepare himself for college in Manila and abroad. The was strict,
memorization was employed. Rizal was weak and thin but develop his natural aptitude and sharpen his brain to become
“an intellectual giant” despite of defective Spanish system of education and backward method of instruction in the
Philippine during that time.
Rizal’s first teacher was his mother. At three Dona Teodora patiently and conscientiously taught his so the
alphabet, to pray and read the Holy Bible. She encourage and developed in him the desire to learn more and write
poetry.
When Rizal was older his parents employed tutors to help him and give lessons at home. His first tutor was
Maestro Celestino, then Maestro Lucas Padua and later Leon Monroy, his father’s classmate. Leon Monroy stayed at
Rizal’s home and taught him spanish and latin. Not long, the old man died after five months. This incedentt, made
Rizal’s parent to sent him to a private school in Binan.

Jose in Binan

There was a tearful parting leaving Calamba. He a accompanied by his brother Paciano. He stayed in the house
of his aunt. That night he went sightseeing but he did not enjoy the beauty of the place because he felt homesick.
The following day, Paciano brought Jose to school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, a former teacher of
Paciano.
Jose’s first day in school was unpleasant. He was bullied by Pedro, the son of his teacher and some classmates.
Rizal’s life in Binan was not always all fights. He had some pleasurable relationship with some friends especially
Juancho, the father in law of his teacher , a painter. It was there where his love for painting was revived. They became
popular among his classmates. He led a systematic way of doing things that contributed much to his future
development. His methodical life in Binan strengthened his mind and body and helped him later as one of the leaders
of the Propaganda Movement.
In school, Jose Rizal; surpassed all his classmates in all subjects.

On Dec. 17, 1870, after one year and a half of schooling in Binan he left the school with a heavy heart.

During his early days of education, there were two disgusting events that brought sorrow into his life:
1. the execution of the three priest; Gpmez, Burgos and Zamora
2. the imprisonment of her mother

Dona Teodora’s Imprisonment

Before June 1872, Dona Teodora was arrested together with his brother Jose Alberto, as an accomplice
in an attempt to poison her brother’s wife, Jose Alberto, a rich illustrado of Binan has a business trip in Europe. When
he returned home he found out that his wwife had abandoned their children and hahd lived with another man.
Angered by her infidelity, Alberto planned to divorced his wife. To avoid family scandal, Dona Teeodora persuaded her
brother to forgive his wife. The case was settled amicably and the couple live again together. However, the adulterous
woman connived with a Spanish Lieutenant of the Guardia Civil with the help of Calamba’s Gobernadorcillo, Antoniio
Vivencio del Rosario, filed a case. The lieutenant has been a frequent guest of the Rizals but had taken advantage of
the situation to settle lan issue against the Rizal family.
Dona Teodora was arrested and was forced by the ungrateful lieutenant to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz,
a distance of 50 kilometers. She was incarcerated in the provincial capital, Santa Cruz, Laguna, where she stayed in
prison for two years and a half until the Manila Royal Audiencia (Supreme Court) acquitted her and vindicated her from
her accusers. Later, Rizal learned that her mother got sick in her cell without proper treatment given. All these gave
Jose Rizal heartaches and determination to avenge the cruelties his family had suffer.

Intervention and Involvement Activities:

Lets do these:

1. Make a profile of Jose Rizal’s family.

2. Answer the following questions:
a. To what kind of family did Rizal belong? Tell something about the family’s social and economic
status.
b. How did the people of long ago acquired their family name? Is it the same practice we have today?
Differentiate.
c. List down distinguishing traits that Jose Rizal may have inherited from his ancestors.
d. What Filipino culture did the Rizal family exemplify? How are they manifested?
3. Make a short summary of Jose Rizal’s memories of his early childhood.
4. What were the incidents that dimly shadowed his beautiful and happy memories?
5. How did the incidents affect the life of young Rizal?