1

Group 1

CHAPTER 3
Rizal's Life: Family, Childhood and
Early Education
Porlage, John Paul C.
Porras, James
Severino, Albert
Tulin, Mhar Andrea G.
Villar, Mary Ann
Villariez, Jamil Ken B.
Yanson, Roniel Joaquin
 2

OVERVIEW
The chapter discusses the life of Philippine National hero
Dr. Jose Rizal, focusing on his birth, family, and early
education. Rizal was born into a large family, with a mix of
happy and sad childhood memories. He was raised with
Catholic values and faced unfortunate events like the death
of his sister and the execution of his fathers. Rizal
demonstrated academic ability at a young age, receiving
tutors and attending Binan for formal education.
 3

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
morning. Pepe was the seventh child of Don Francisco Mercado and Dona
Teodora Alonso. Father Rufino Collantes baptized the baby, who was named
Jose Protacio in honor of Saint Joseph and Saint Protacio, three days later. Dona
Teodora was a devout follower of Saint Joseph, and it was their custom to
commemorate him on the 19th of each month. Saint Protacio, on the other
hand, is the patron saint of June 19, and he was martyred in Milan, Italy. His
family referred to him as Pepe.
 4

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

Rizal was christened at the church on June 22, 1861, when he was only
three days old. He was baptized by Reverend Father Rufino Collantes,
and his godfather was Reverend Father Pedro Casanas. Reverend
Father Collantes told Pepe's family that they should look after him
because he predicted that Jose would become someone because he
noticed the unusual size of his head. His prophecy became evident in the
course of his life.
 5

Rizal was christened at the church on June 22, 1861, when he was only
three days old. He was baptized by Reverend Father Rufino Collantes,
and his godfather was Reverend Father Pedro Casanas. Reverend
Father Collantes told Pepe's family that they should look after him
because he predicted that Jose would become someone because he
noticed the unusual size of his head. His prophecy became evident in the
course of his life.
 6

FAMILY
 7

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.
 8

As Catholics, they instiled in them the importance of being courteous to

others, particularly the elderty. Their love for God became the
foundation for them to value and respect others' rights. Every day,
especially on Sundays, they heard mass. Before going to bed, they
prayed the Angelus and the Holy Rosary together at 6 a.m., 12 p.m., and
6 p.m. They were accustomed to kissing their parents hands after the
prayer recital. However, Rizal's family life was not always focused on
religion, they were allowed to play in their backyard. As Principalia, they
were able to build a stone house near the church and even bought
another one; they owned a stagecoach, a library and were able to send
their children to college in Manila. Indeed, their being prudent gave
them a contented life where at times, they led social and religious
activities in their house. They also served as host to all their visitors
during holidays and other gatherings in their community.
 9

PARENTS

Don Francisco and Dona Teodora were a productive couple: They had
eleven children, Saturnina 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.
 10

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.
 11
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, literary
talent, business acumen and the tenacity of Spartan women.
Rizal penned a poem about his adoring mother. "My mother is a
woman of higher culture; she is a mathematician who has read
a lot of books." She died on August 16, 1911, in Manila, at the age
of 85, in her home at San Fernando Street in Binondo. The
Philippine government offered her a life pension shortly before
her death. She politely declined, saying. "My family has never
been patriotic for money." If the government has a surplus of
funds and is unsure what to do with them, it should lower taxes.
Such a remark befitted her as a deserving mother of a national
hero!
 12

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."
 13

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.
 14

SIBLINGS
Paciano (1851-1930) was our national hero's elder and only brother. He
was commonly referred to as Ciano. Prior to enrolling at the Colegio de
San Jose in Manila, he studied Latin with Maestro Justiniano Cruz. Jose
referred to him as "Uto" because, in addition to his uncle's assistance, his
brother sent him a monthly allowance of 50 pesos, which was later
reduced to 35 pesos. He was an ardent and dynamic Katipunero. Many
people thought he was the Pilosopong Tasio mentioned in Noli Me
Tangere. On June 23, 1888, Jose Rizal wrote to Ferdinand Blumentritt and
expressed regret for failing to introduce his brother to him. He went on to
say that those looking for good people will find the most dignified
Filipinos in him. His dear friend Jose Taviel de Andrade said that
whenever he thinks of him, he is more generous than today's Spaniards.
He was apprehended by American forces in 1900 as a result of his
involvement as military commander of the Revolutionary forces in
Laguna. Prior to his death, he led a simple life as a farmer. He married his
common-law wife, Severina Decena, and they had two children. He died of
tuberculosis at the age of 79.
 15

SIBLINGS
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.
 16

SIBLINGS
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.
 17

SIBLINGS
Maria (1859-1945) Maria Cruz Rizal was born in the year 1855. She
married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna, and they had five
children together. One of Maria's children, Mauricio Cruz, became a
student of Jose Rizal in Dapitan and was known to be one of his
uncle's favorites. During Jose's lifetime, Maria was a known recipient
of many of his letters. Maria passed away in 1945.
Concepcion (1862-1865) was called as Concha. She died at the age of
Three.
Josefa (1865-1945) Josefa Rizal was bom 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 bom 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.
 18

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, despite not holding significant government positions,
were crucial to the family's unity and moral support. Despite
persecution and deportation, there was no resistance from the
family, including the sons-in-law. The family's solidarity was evident
in the hundreds of letters he received, despite the persecution.
Rizal's sisters' care during his deportation and his stay in Hongkong
was exceptional. Narcisa's unwavering determination to find her
brother's tomb demonstrates the family's unifying bond of affection.
 19

ANCESTORS
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 sumame to "Mercado" in
1731.
 20

ANCESTORS
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
Bermacha (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.
 21

ANCESTORS
Jose Rizal's matrilineal descent can be traced back to Lakandula, the last native
king of Tondo and a Bornean Muslim. Eugenio Ursua, Dona Teodora's great-
grandfather, was of Japanese ancestry and married a Filipina named Benigna
(sumame unknown). They had a daughter named Regina, who married a Chinese
lawyer named Manuel de Quintos from Pangasinan. Brigida, one of their
daughters, married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, a deputy for the Philippines in the
Spanish Cortes, and was a prominent Bian Spanish-Filipino mestizo. Narcisa,
Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose were born to Brigida and Lorenzo.
There were reasons why Jose's parents' descendants did not use the 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 surname would relieve him of the discrimination
caused by those Chinese names, but he still believes it will remind him of his
ancestors. According to Russell and Rodriguez, Governor-General Claveria issued a
decree changing the last names 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,
 22

ANCESTORS

Francisco Mercado evaded the decree and instead used a Spanish term
that sounded like a sleaze word racial that means a green field of 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 ari illegitimate child.
 23

CHILDHOOD

Jose Rizal's childhood was filled with happy memories. They lived on the
Laguna Lake's shore and at the foot of Mt. Makiling. He enjoyed seeing
the magnificent beauty of Laguna de Bay. His eagerness to learn can be
used to characterize his childhood. He was an amiable, thoughtful and
loving son, brother and sibling. Because he was frail and sickly, his
parents lavished him with tender loving care. Despite his physique, he
can do things like any other young man. He was well guided, particularly
by his mother, who served as his first teacher. When he was three years
old, his mother taught him the alphabet and how to pray. His mother
noticed that he could write poems at a young age and encouraged him to
keep writing.
 24

CHILDHOOD

He was able to write a poem about his hometown, "In Mernory 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.
 25

CHILDHOOD
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 hit pencil from
his paper until the picture he drew was linished. He can also draw 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 then that when he died,
people would build monuments and images of him.
 26

CHILDHOOD
Jose's happiest memory from his childhood was a trip with his father to
Antipolo to fulfill his mother's vow to perform pilgrimage to the Virgin of
Antipolo They boarded a barge and sailed to the Pasig River. His first trip
excite him because he saw the vastness of the river and different scenery
that he hasn't seen in his hometown. After paying their respects to the
Virgin, they traveled to Manila to see his sister Saturnina. Jose was visiting
Manila for the first time. Jose experienced his first grief when he was four
years old, as a result of the death of his younger sister Concepcion
(Concha). His and his family were devastated by her death because his
sister was closer to him. Jose exhibited a poetic mind. and because his
mother was well-versed in literature and rhetoric, he developed an interest
in writing short verses. His mother told him a story about a moth one night.
The tragic fate of the moth left an indelible memory of sacrificing for a
worthy cause in exchange for something valuable.
 27

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.
 28

EARLY EDUCATION
First Teacher: His Mother Teodora
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.
 29

EARLY EDUCATION
First Teacher: His Mother Teodora

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 rea very taste and she and she
understod verse-making, too. Many times during Christmas vacations, my
mother corrected my poetical compositions, and she always made valuable
criticisms.
 30

EARLY EDUCATION
First Teacher: His Mother Teodora

I listened to her, full of childish enthusiasm. I marveled at the nice-sounding phrases

which she read from those same pages. The phrases she read so easily stopped me at
every breath. Perhaps I grew tired of listening to sounds that had 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 interested. She stopped
reading. Then she said to me: "I am going to read you a very pretty story. Now pay
attention."
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.
 31

EARLY EDUCATION
First Teacher: His Mother Teodora
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 it was a long time before I fell asleep. The story revealed to me
things until then unknown Moths no longer wore for me. insignificant insects. Moths
talked, they knew how to warm. They advised, just like my mother. The light seemed to
me more beautiful. It had grown more dazzling and more attractive. I knew why the
moths circled the flume. The advice and warnings sounded feebly in my ears. What I
thought of most was the death of the heedless moth. But in the depth of my heart I did
not most was 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 counties. He has studied beside thes crossed therms. 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).
 32

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.
 33

The Private Tutors

In June 1869, Jose left Calamba for Binan, accompanied by his second father
Paciano. His father sent him to Binan to continue his Latin studies after his first
teacher's death. Jose was heartbroken to leave his family and loved the beautiful
and pathetic scenes the world would witness without him. His brother drove him
to his aunt's house and introduced him to Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz's
school. Jose visited Binan, which appeared vast and prosperous but also sad and
unappealing. His teacher was strict and knew the grammars of Nebrija and
Gainza by heart.
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 moming 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
 34

The Private Tutors

Jose, a talented student, gained popularity among his classmates due to his
athleticism. He was challenged to an arm-wrestling match by Andres
Salandanan, leading to more fights with the Binan boys. Jose's life was orderly
and well-organized, with his family and friends. He attended mass, studied, and
ate with his aunt before returning home. He drew and prayed for friends to invite
him to play with other boys.

Jose stood out in class and outperformed many of his older classmates, leading to
punishments such as whippings and strokes. Despite his progress, Jose was
envious of his intelligence and was punished for his behavior. He visited his
hometown frequently while studying in Binan, and his journey to Calamba
became shorter during his retum. His keen sense of observation and vivid
imagination made him feel a surge of joy when he saw his house from afar.
 35

The Private Tutors

looked for excuses to stay at home longer! & day more seemed like a day spin in
heaven to him and how he sobbed quietly and secretly when he saw the cale that
was there. Then everything seemed sad; a flower he touched, a stone the caught
his eye, he gathered, afraid he wouldn't see it again when he returned 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 the imprisonment of her mother.
 36

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,
 37

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 got arrested in front of
her entire family.
 38

The Imprisonment of
Doña Teodora
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 the farotest because she was powerless; instead, she carried out the
punishment with as much dignity as she could. The Guardia Civil made Dona
Teodora walk 50 kilometers around Laguna to humiliate her and prolong her
sentence. They then imprisoned her without a trial. Jose Rizal was 11 years old
when this happened in the 1870s. This was just one of many sacrifices she had to
make to keep her family safe. These persecutions also sowed the seed of
indignation in an 11-year-old Rizal, prompting him to write powerful anti-Spanish
propaganda many years later.
 39

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.
 40

The Death of GOMBURZA

The mutiny in Cavite, Philippines, was a result of the secularization movement,

which began with the expulsion of the Jesuit order from the Philippines and the
royal decree in 1774 to fill vacant diocese posts with native priests. The
"regulares," or Spanish friars, opposed this as it threatened their political power
and influence. Three secular priests, Mariano Gomes de los Angeles, Jose Burgos,
and Jacinto Zamora, were arrested and sentenced to death by garrote for
allegedly instigating the mutiny. Saldua was the first to be executed, while
Gomez, Zamora, and Burgos were executed. The execution was a wake-up call for
Filipinos, as liberal notions of equality, meritocracy, and human dignity could no
longer thrive under a colonial regime. The prospect of independence loomed in
the distance, and Jose Rizal's second novel, El Filibusterismo, would be dedicated
to the three tragic figures.
 41

Thank You