CHAPTER III

Rizal's Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education

Overview

The Chapter will discuss the life of the Philippine National hero, Dr. Jose Rizal with a focus on his
birth, family and early education. Rizal's ancestors on both his paternal and maternal sides were
people of substance and influence far above the average of their time. His lineage was regarded as
one of the biggest families of their era. Jose Rizal was born into a 13-member family that included
his parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda, as well as nine sisters and one
brother.

His childhood memories are mixed with both happy and sad memories. He was delighted to be with
his siblings, messing around and honing his skills as a young boy. He was raised with Catholic virtues
and values instilled in him. There were also unhappy events in Jose Rizal's life, such as the death of
his little sister, Concepcion or Concha, the execution of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora and the imprisonment of his mother, Dona Teodora. The Gomburza's death and his
mother's encarceration had left an imprint on him.

This section will also go over his early education and how the future national hero demonstrated
academic ability at such a young age. He was given tutors and later sent to Binan for formal
education. It was not an easy journey for him to get his education away from his family, but he
finished with flying colors because of his perseverance.

Learning Outcomes

 At the end of this Chapter, the students should be able to:

 examine the life, family, childhood, and early education of Dr. Jose P. Rizal;
 identify the people and events that influenced Rizal's early life;
 describe the characteristics that would later define Dr. Jose P. Rizal's character from his
experiences.

Summary of the Chapter

The birth, family and early education of Dr. Jose Rizal were discussed in this Chapter. He comes from
a large family, with ten siblings, but his parents were able to raise them to be better persons and
Filipinos. He was so fortunate during his time because his parents belonged to the group of the
principales and ilustrados, which allowed him to have his own tutors and later be sent to Binan for
his first formal schooling. His mother was his first teacher, where he learned story telling, write the
alphabet, and recite Spanish prayers. His family had been supportive of his education. Rizal, like any
other ordinary boy of his time, had happy and sad childhood memories. He wept over the death of
her younger sister Concepcion or Concha. He was so young when he was separated from his family
to study in Binan, Laguna.

His stay in Binan was both meaningful and painful because he had to deal with the difficulties of
being a student away from his family. He reaped what he sowed for at the end of his stay, he
received awards as best student for outperforming all Binan boys in academic subjects such as
Spanish, Latin and others. The Chapter also discussed Rizal's misfortunes following his education in
Binan, where he learned of the execution and deaths of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora from Paciano, his older brother. They were instigated in the Cavite Mutiny in 1872.
They were advocators of the secularization of Philippine parishes. He cried so loud when he
witnessed his mother forced to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance of 50 kms because of
malicious charge. These incidents had a strong impact on him, as he was able to write about the
oppression that Filipinos faced during the Spanish colonization in the latter part of his life.

Motivational Activity

Guide questions:

1. What can you say about Rizal's childhood education?

2. What were Rizal's mother's influences on him?
3. What circumstances and events influenced Rizal's childhood?

Birth

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 moming. 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 fold 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."

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 the 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. Satumine was
born 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. Doña Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos On November
9, 1827, she was born 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, Merary
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 Noli 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 commany of the Revolutionary forces in Laguna.
Prior to his death, he led a simple life as a farmer. He manied his common-law wife, Severina
Decena, and they had he 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 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 bom 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 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 Sionggue 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 surname 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 Cirila Bernacha (also known as Bernarda 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 Bormean Muslim. Eugenio Ursua, Dona Teodora's great-grandfather, was of
Japanese ancestry and married a Filipina named Benigna (surname 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 sumames 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 sumame 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 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 leam 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 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 Antipalo. 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 lour 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 sisler 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 Nios (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. I 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.

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 reag 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 easiy 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 waming 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 of whether I cried. But I do remember that i was a long
time before I fell asleep. The story revealed to me things until then unknown. Molks no longer wore,
for me, insignificant insects. Moths talked, they knew how to wam. They advised, just like my
mother. The light seemed to me more beautifhd. It had grown mom dazzling and more attractive. I
knew why the moths circled the flame.

The advice and wamings 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.

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 t 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 morning. 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?"

"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 afternoon 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 fight 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 konger! A day
more seemed like a day spry in heaven to him and how he sobbed quiolly and secretly when he saw
the cales that was there. Then 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 Done 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 Fernando 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-hag Spaniards, Creoles, secular priests, lawyers, merchants/businessmen
and loca officials. They only had one thing in common: they openly campaigned for and supported
liberal ideas. Three secular priests were among those arrested, having long complained about the
unfair treatment of secular (Filipino) clergy in favor of Spanish fnars. 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.