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Social Science 3 – Jose Rizal’s Life, Works &

Writings

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Chapter 2 – Childhood Years in Calamba

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Calamba at the time of Rizal’s Birth

Calamba was blessed with beautiful sceneries which served as inspiration for Rizal to hone his poetic and artistic abilities

Calamba at Rizal’s time was an agricultural town. Due to its fertile soil and favorable climate, the Calambeños were able to raise and harvest different kinds of crops but specialize in sugar

The town was virtually owned by the Dominican friars. As a result, those who served as tenants had a difficult life. However their life was considerably better than those living in other towns in Laguna at that time

The hardships suffered by the tenants from the guardia civil and friars had instilled in Rizal’s young mind hatred of oppression and exploitation of the weak by the strong

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Birth of the Young Jose

Born as Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonzo Realonda on June 19, 1861

According to Rizal himself, her mother nearly died during his delivery because big head. The midwife was named Celedonia

Three days later he was baptized by Father Rufino Collantes at Calamba Catholic church with Father Pedro Casañas as his godfather

Rizal was the 7th of the family of eleven of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora

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Rizal’s Ancestry

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Rizal’s Immediate Family

Rizal was raised by a typical family belonging in the principalia class.

The affluence of the Rizal family is clearly evident from the following:

- Family predisposition to studies

Stone house of adobe and hardwood

- Ownership of carriage and horses(jose had a personal horse)

- Home library

- Personal servants

- Private tutor of children in the family’s home

- Business in rice sugar production

- Ability to send the children for education in Manila

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Childhood Days and Memories

Because of the happy and comfortable life Rizal had , most of his memories in his childhood days were pleasant. In him, he always treasured the care of his parents because of his poor health.

He’ll never forget when his family stayed in their garden to exchange stories. Different types of stories always interest the young Rizal

Father Leoncio Lopez, the parish priest of Calamba was responsible for his religious upbringing. At the age of three, he learned to pray and read the bible.

At the age of four, he experienced his first great sorrow. Her your younger sister Cencepcion, whom she fondly call Concha died.

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Childhood Days and Memories

Rizal was a good observer ever since he was a child, taking note of every detail of what he saw and experienced, especially the violence and unjust treatment Guardia Civil and Gobernadorcillo to his fellow Clambeños.

Jose had a pony and used to take long rides through all the surrounding country, so rich in picturesque scenery

Besides these horseback expeditions were excursions afoot; on the latter his companion was his big black dog, Usman

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Story of the Moth and the Flame

The story of the moth and the flame was told to Rizal by his mother on a night when her mother was teaching him how to read a book entitled El Amigos de los Niños.

His mother grew impatient of his poor reading and lack of focus and always straying his eyes on the flame of the lamp and the cheerful moths surrounding it. Knowing his interest to stories his mother decided to stop teaching him and instead read him an interesting story.

Upon hearing the story, it gave a deep impression on Rizal. However, its not the story’s moral that truly struck him, he actually envied the moths and their fate and considered that the light was so fine a thing that it was worth dying for

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Important lessons learned in his childhood

1. From the story of the moth and the flame, he realized the sweetness of dying in search of the light. Rizal came to realize that one has to sacrifice and to suffer the consequences of one’s action for the attainment of a goal.

2. From the death of his favorite little sister, It was the first of many grieves, but he quickly realized that life is a constant struggle and he learned to meet disappointments and sorrows with the tears in the heart and a smile on the lips.

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Early Demonstration of Inborn Talents

As a young boy, Rizal showed several signs that he was naturally gifted with exceptional talent and intellect

With his mother, Doña Teodora, as his first teacher, he was able to hone his inborn skills especially in reading which he showed great interest

The young Rizal also showed an aptitude in sketching, painting, sculpture, and literature

Sometimes Jose would draw a bird flying without lifting pencil from the paper till the picture was finished. At other times it would be a horse running or a dog in chase.

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Early Demonstration of Inborn Talents

Clay at first, then wax, was his favorite play material. From these he modeled birds and butterflies that came ever nearer to the originals in nature.

Sleight-of-hand tricks were a favorite amusement, and he developed a dexterity which mystified the simple folk of the country

At the age of eight, he was able to write his first poem entitled Sa aking Kababata, which did not only show his talents in writing but also his sense of nationalism. Here he showed his love for his own language and the awareness that his fellowmen had their own language. Through the poem he is encouraging his fellow children to also love their language

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Early Demonstration of Inborn Talents

Clay at first, then wax, was his favorite play material. From these he modeled birds and butterflies that came ever nearer to the originals in nature.

Sleight-of-hand tricks were a favorite amusement, and he developed a dexterity which mystified the simple folk of the country

At the age of eight, he was able to write his first poem entitled Sa aking Kababata, which did not only show his talents in writing but also his sense of nationalism. Here he showed his love for his own language and the awareness that his fellowmen had their own language. Through the poem he is encouraging his fellow children to also love their language

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First taste of Injustice

In his young eyes, Rizal already witness the unjust and brutal treatments of the Spaniards to his town mates.

However what truly opened his eyes to this injustices was the arrest and the imprisonment of his mother due to the alleged complicity in the attempted murder of his uncle’s wife.

Doña Teodora was made to walk a distance of fifty kilometers from Calamba to Santa Cruz, Laguna and was imprisoned by two and one-half years. She was freed by Governor-General Izquierdo, who was charmed of the graceful dancing of Rizal’s youngest sister Soledad

Another incident that greatly influenced his life was the martyrdom of Gomburza which inspired him to redeem the oppressed Filipinos.

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Preparation for Formal Schooling

Most of his early studies where initiated by his mother. It was Doña Teodora who was responsible that Rizal was able to learn the prayers and the alphabet at the age of three, and to enhance his skills at poetry she encourage Rizal to write verses

Three uncles, brothers of the mother, concerned themselves with the intellectual, artistic and physical training of this promising nephew.

Jose, the youngest, a teacher, looked after his regular lessons

Manuel, developed the physique of the youngster, until he had a supple body of silk and steel and was no longer a sickly lad

Gregorio, he taught him also the value of rapidity in work, to think for himself, and to observe carefully and to picture what he saw. He instilled in the mind of young Rizal that it was not the world's way that anything worth having should come without effort

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Preparation for Formal Schooling

Later on his mother realized Rizal needed a private tutor to teach him at home. His private tutors were: Maestro Celestino, Maestro Lucas Padua, and Maestro Leon Monroy

Rizal like any other son of the principalia class was trained to be a middle class intellectual or illustrado.

His training as an illustrado could explain why he didn’t have any real social consciousness

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Childhood inspirations to his later works

As a child Rizal spent most of his time at the church where he enjoys watching people. Through his observation he was able to create the true-to-life types of the characters in "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo“

The emphasis on the oppressiveness of the Guardia Civil and the friars in his novels can be taken in his experience when he was a child in Calamba

The unjust arrest of Sisa from “Noli” may be an allusion of the arrest of his mother

His second novel, “El Filibusterismo” was dedicated to Gomburza which martyrdom served as huge turning point in his life

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