Jose Rizal Series

Rizal Sesquicentennial: The Origin of Jose Rizal Part I

CEBU, Philippines - The nation is celebrating 150 years of Dr. Jose Rizal!

Led by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the nation is being reminded of our national hero's birth anniversary on June 19 – and, of course, his deep impact as to how Philippine history was written and rewritten.

Gat Jose Rizal or "Pepe" was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna, to Don Francisco Mercado Rizal from Biñan and Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda from Manila. His paternal grandparents were believed to be descendants of one Domingo Lamco, a Chinese immigrant from the Chinchew District of Fookein, China. Doña Teodora's father, Don Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, was also said to be very "Chinese in appearance."

In compliance with the 1849 decree of Governor General Narciso Claveria regarding surnames, the Alonsos added the surname Realonda, while the Mercados chose Rizal, meaning "of rice" or "of green fields."

To the marriage of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora, the following were born: Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olimpia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad.

Don Francisco was a landholder and also a leasee of the Dominican lands in Calamba. Before Jose was born, he built a house, probably the best residential edifice constructed in the center of the town. Here Jose was baptized by Fr. Rufino Collantes on June 22, 1861; another priest, Father Pedro Casanas, stood as godfather.

At three years old, Jose learned the alphabet from his mother who also taught him to appreciate Spanish poetry although he did not speak Spanish well. An uncle took care of his intellectual development; another uncle, Gregorio, instilled in him the importance of work, judgment and visualization of what was previously seen. A burly uncle, Manuel, helped him develop his physical strength for as a boy, Jose was frail and sickly. He took long rides on horseback, molded clay and wax figures, developed proficiency in sleight-of-hand tricks and held high respect for the rights of others in work and in play. This behavior was the result of the influence of Fr. Leoncio Lopez.

At age nine, he was sent to study under the schoolmaster Don Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Biñan. After a few months, the tutor reported to his parents that their son had nothing more to learn in school. Jose did not only show his academic excellence, but he also displayed prowess in physical contests.

In 1871, while Jose was on vacation, the members of his family prepared for his enrollment in Manila. In spite of the objections of their mother, his older brother Paciano, took Jose to Manila. At the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jose took the entrance examinations and passed them with high ratings. Going back to Calamba for vacation, he found his mother involved in a court case against the Dominican friars who subsequently had her jailed. This event made him decide to stay home for a while, thus, his enrollment in the Ateneo instead of the friar-owned Letran College. It was only through the intercession of Dr. Manuel Xeres Burgos, a nephew of Fr. Jose Burgos and a close friend of Paciano, that Jose was finally allowed by Fr. Magin Ferando to enroll at the Ateneo. In the same year, Paciano, then a student in the Colegio de San Jose lost interest in his studies, an offshoot of his "academic encounters" in his classes with his mentors. For this behavior, he was also forbidden to take his final examinations in the Colegio de San Jose.

The Ateneo de Manila became an excellent training ground for the extremely talented and brilliant Jose. The Jesuits were impartial to both Filipinos and Spanish students. After a week, Rizal was promoted. For besting his classmates, he became emperor after a month. He avidly read Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo and Cantu's Universal History. He sculpted an image of the Sacred Heart and the Jesuit Fathers, becoming aware of his religious sentiments, customs and progress, admitted him to the Congregation of Mary.

After five years in the Ateneo, he graduated on March 14, 1877 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Fathers Francisco Paula de Sanchez and Pedro Villaclara were proud of their tremendous influence on his academic achievements. In Ateneo, his works were: Felicitacion, Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre La Patria, Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo, and El Heroismo de Colon.

In 1878, Jose enrolled in the college of medicine of the University of Santo Tomas, in addition to a course in surveying which he also finished. In the literary contest sponsored by the Liceo Literario-Artistico, his poem, To the Filipino Youth, (A La Juventud Filipina) won first prize. On the occasion of the 263rd death anniversary of Cervantes, Rizal's entry entitled, The Council of the Gods, won the highest award. But the coveted prize was given eventually by the Board of Judges to a Spaniard, despite the vigilant criticism of the press. He also wrote, Beside the Pasig which was highly regarded.

He found out that student life at the pontifical university was frustrating. There were discriminations against Filipinos in favor of Spaniards by the Dominican friars. He also found the method of teaching uninspiring. Once, while on vacation in Calamba, he was brutally assaulted by Lieutenant Porta of the Civil Guards for failure to render courtesy to him one evening. This incident led him to decide finally to continue his studies abroad.

Source: Filipinos in History (Volume 1), a publication of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines