Chapter 3Early Education in Calamba and Biñan

• Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan

• Four R’s – reading , writing, arithmetic, and religion

• The Hero’s First Teacher– Her mother, Doña Teodora, was her first teacher– At aged 3, he learned the alphabet and the prayers– His mother was the first who discovered that he has

talent for poetry and encouraged him to write poems• Private tutors:– Maestro Celestino – Maestro Lucas Padua– Leon Monroy – lived in Rizal’s home and taught him

Spanish and Latin

• In June 1869, he left Calamba for Biñan to enroll.– He was accompanied by Paciano– Lived at his aunt’s house

• First day in Biñan School– The school was in the house of the teacher,

Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz– It was a small nipa hut about 30 meters from the

home of Jose’s aunt– Paciano was also under the teacher before

• First School Brawl– In the afternoon of his first day in school while

teacher was having his siesta– Jose was angry at Pedro (the bully) for making fun

of him– He challenged Pedro to a fight– They wrestled in the classroom– Jose learned wrestling from Tio Manuel– He defeated Pedro and became popular– Andres Salandanan challenged him to an arm-

wrestling match but he lost– In succeeding days he had other fights with the

boys of Biñan

• Painting Lessons in Biñan– Near the school was a house of an old painter,

named Juancho– He spent many leisure hours at the painter’s

studio– Juancho freely gave him lessons in drawing and

painting– Jose and Jose Guevarra became Juancho’s

apprentices– They later became the favorite painters of the

class

• Daily Life in Biñan– Jose led a simple life which contributed much to

his future development– It strengthened his body and soul

• Best Student in School– Jose beat all the Biñan boys in Spanish, Latin, and

other subjects– His classmates were jelous of him– They told lies to discredit him– As a result, the teacher had to punish Jose

• End of Biñan Schooling– Jose received a letter from Saturnina, informing

the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan to Calamba.

– He thought that he would not returned to Biñan – He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles

as souvenier, and bade farewell to his teacher and classmates

– On December 17, 1872, he left Biñan and passage on steamer Talim

– He met Arturo Camps, a Frenchman and a friend of his father, who took care of him

• Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za– On January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino soldiers

and workmen rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of their usual privileges

– 2 days later, it was suppressed by reinforcements from Manila

– On February 17, 1872, Fathers Gom-Bur-Za was executed

– Their martyrdom was deeply mourned by the Rizal family

– Paciano was enraged by th execution of Burgos, his friend, teacher, and housemate. He quit his studies and returned to Calamba.

– He told Jose about the heroic story of Burgos

– The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za inspired Jose to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny and redeem his oppressed people

– Later in 1891, he dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za

• Injustice to Hero’s Mother– Before June of 1872, Doña Teodora was suddenly

arrested on a malicious charge that she and her brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poision the latter’s wife

– Jose Alberto had just returned from a business trip in Europe and found out that his wife was living with another man and abandoned their home and children.

– He planned to divorce her– Doña Teodora persuaded him to forgive his wife– The family trouble was settled and Jose Alberto

lived again with his wife

– However, the evil wife filed a case in court accusing her husband and Doña Teodora of attempting to poison her

– The lieutenant and the gobernadorcillo, Antonio Vivencio del Rosario, arrested Doña Teodora

– The lieutenant forced her to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz (capital of Laguna Provincee), a distance of 50 km

– When she arrived at Santa Cruz, she was immediately imprisoned

– She spent 2 and a half years in the prison

By:

• Palacio, Ma. Theresa L., S.N. (CCMC-CN)