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Chapter 1 Advent of A National Hero

​ Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique example of a many-splendored genius who became
the greatesthero of a nation. Endowed by God with versatile gifts, he truly ranked with
the world’s geniuses.He was a physician (ophthalmic surgeon), poet, dramatist,
essayist, novelist, historian, architect,painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, musician,
naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor, engineer, farmerbusinessman, economist,
geographer, cartographer, bibliophile, philologist, grammarian,folklorist,
philosopher, translator, inventor, magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist,
sportsman,traveler, and prophet. Above and beyond all these, he was a hero and
political martyr whoconsecrated his life for the redemption of his oppressed people.
No wonder, he is now acclaimedas the national hero of the Philippines.The Birth of a
Hero. Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit night of Wednesday, June 19,1861, in the
lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna Province, Philippines. His mother almost
diedduring the delivery because of his big head. As he recounted many years later in
his studentmemoirs: “I was born in Calamba on 19 June, 1861, between eleven and
midnight, a few daysbefore full moon. It was a Wednesday and my coming out in this
vale of tears would have costmy mother her life had she not vowed to the virgin of
Antipolo to take me to her sanctuary byway of pilgrimage.He was baptized in the
Catholic church of his town on June22, aged three days old, bythe parish priest,
Father Rufino Collantes, who was a Batangueno. His godfather (ninong) wasFather
Pedro Casanas, native of Calamba and close friend of Rizal family, his name “Jose”
waschosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St.
Joseph).During the christening ceremony Father Collantes was impressed by the
baby’s big head,and told the members of the family who were present: “Take good care
of this child, for somedayhe will become a great man.” His words proved to be
prophetic, as confirmed by subsequentevents.The baptismal certificate of Rizal reads
as follows:“I, the undersigned parish priest of Calamba, certify that from the
investigationmade with proper authority, for replacing the parish books which were
burned September28, 1862, to be found in Docket No.1 of Baptisms, p. 49,
it appears by the sworntestimony of competent witnesses that JOSE RIAZAL
MERCADO is the legitimate son,and of lawful wedlock, of Don Francisco Rizal Mercado
and Dona Teodora Realonda,having been baptized in the parish on the 22nd day of
June in the year 1861, by the parishpriest Rev. Rufino Collantes, Rev. Pedro
Casanas being his godfather. –Witness mysignature.
​ It should be noted that at the time Rizal was born, the governor general of the
Philippineswas Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery, former senator of Spain (member of
the upper chamber ofthe Spanish Cortes). He governed the Philippines from
February 2, 1861 to July 7, 1862.Incidentally, on the same date of Rizal’s birth
(June 19, 1861), he sent an official dispatch to theMinistry of War and the Ministry of
Ultramar in Madrid, denouncing Sultan Pulalun of Sulu andseveral powerful Moro
datus for fraternizing with a British consul. Among his achievements as agovernor
general were (1) fostering the cultivation of cotton in the provinces and (2)
establishingthe politico-military governments in the Visayas and in Mindanao.Riza’s
Parents. Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Frncisco MercadoRizal
and Teodora Alonzo Realonda. The hero’s father, Francisco (1818-1898) was born
inBinan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818. He studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of
San Jose inManila. In early manhood, following his parent’s death, he moved to
Calamba and became atenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda. He was a
hardly an independent-minded mind,who talked less and worked more, and was
strong in body and valiant in spirit. He died in Manilaon January 5, 1898, at the age
of 80. In his student memoirs, Rizal affectionately called him ‘amodel of fathers”.Dona
Teodora (1826-1911), the hero’s mother, was born in Manila on November 8, 1826and
was educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls in the city.
Shewas a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent, business
ability, and thefortitude of Spartan women. Rizal lovingly said her: “My mother is a
woman of more thanordinary culture; she knows literature and speaks Spanish better
than I. she corrected my poemsand gave me good advice when I was studying rhetoric.
She is a mathematician and has readmany books.” Dona Teodora died in Manila on
August 16, 1911, at the age of 85. Shortly beforeher death, the Philippine government
offered her a life pensioned. She courteously rejected itsaying, “My family has never
been patriotic for money. If the government has plenty of fundsand does not know
what to do with them, better reduce the taxes,” Such remarks truly befittedher as a
worthy mother of a national hero.The Rizal Children. God blessed the marriage of
Francisco Mercado Rizal and ToedoraAlonso Realonda with eleven children –two boys
and nine girls. These children were as follows:1. Saturnina (1850-1913) –oldest of the
Rizal children, nicknamed Neneng; sheMarried Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan,
Batangas.2. Paciano (1851-1930) –older brother and confident of Jose Rizal; after
hisyounger brother’s execution, he joined the Philippine Revolution and became a
combatgeneral; after the Revolution, he retired to his farm in Los Banos, where he
lived as agentleman farmer and died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79. He
had twochildren by his mistress (Severena Decena) –a boy and a girl.3. Narcisa
(1852-1939) –her pet name Sisa and she married Antonio Lopez(Nephew of Father
Leoncio Lopez), a school teacher of Morong.4. Olimpia (1855-1887) –Ypia was her pet
name; she married Silvestre Ubaldo a telegraph operator from Manila.5. Lucia
(1857-1919) –she married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was anephew of Father
Casanas. Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied Christianburial because he
was a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal.6. Maria (1859-1945) –Biang was her nickname; she
married Danniel FaustinoCruz of Binan, Laguna.7. JOSE (1861-1896) –the greatest
Filipino hero and peerless genius; hisnickname was Pepe; during his exile in Dapitan
he lived with Josephine Bracken, Irishgirl from Hong Kong; he had a son by her, but
this baby-boy died a few hours after birth;Rizal named him “Francisco” after his father
and buried him in Dapitan.8. Concepcion (1862-1865) –her pet name was concha; she
died of sickness atthe age of 3; her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life. 9. Josefa
(1865-1945) –her pet name was panggoy; she died an old maid at theage of 80.10.
Trinidad (1868-1951) –Trining was her pet name; she died also an old maid in1951
aged 83.11. Soledad (1870-1929) –youngest of the Rizal’s children; her pet name
wascholeng; she married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.Sibling relationship among
the Rizal children was affectionately cordial. As a little boy,Rizal used to play
games with his sisters. Although he has boyish quarrels with them
herespected them. Years later when he grew to manhood, he always called them Dona
or Senora (ifmarried) and Senorita (if single). For instance, he called her older sister
“Dona Ypia,” his oldestsister “Senora Saturnina,” and his unmarried sisters “Senorita
Josefa” and Senorita Trinidad.”Rizal’s relationship with his only brother Paciano, who
was ten years his senior, wasmore than that of younger to older brother. Paciano was a
second father to him. Throughout hislife, Rizal respected him and greatly valued his
sagacious advice. He immortalized him in hisfirst novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise
Pilosopo Tasio. In a letter to Blumentritt, written inLondon on June 23, 1888, he
regarded Paciano as the “noblest Filipinos” and “though an Indio,more generous and
noble than all the Spaniards put together”. And in a subsequent letter alsowritten to
Blumentritt and dated London, October 12, 1888, he spoke of his beloved
olderbrother, as follows: “He is much finer and more serious than I am; he is bigger
and more slim; heis not so dark; his nose is fine, beautiful and sharp; but he is
bow-legged.”Rizal’s Ancestry. As a typical Filipino, Rizal was a product of the mixture
of races. Inhis events flowed the blood of both East and West –Negrito,
Indonesia, Malay, Chinese,Japanese and Spanish. Predominantly, he was a
Malayan and was a magnificent specimen ofAsian manhood. Rizal’s great-great
grandfather on his father’s side was Domingo Lameo, a Chinese immigrant from
Fukien city of Changchow, who arrived in Manila about 1690. Hebecame a Christian;
a well-to-do Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la Rosa, andassumed in
1731 the surname Mercado which was appropriate for him because he
was amerchant. The Spanish term Mercado means “market” in English. Domingo
Mercado and Inesde la Rosa had a son Francisco Mercado, married a Chinese-Filipino
mestiza, Cirila Bernacha,and were elected gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of
the town. One of their sons, JuanMercado (Rizal’s grandfather), married Cirila
Alejandro, a Chinese-Filipino mestiza. Like hisfather, he was elected governadorcillo of
Binan. Capitan Juan and Capitana Cirila had thirteenchildren, the youngest being
Francisco Mercado, Rizal’s father.At the age of eight, Francisco Mercado lost his father
and grew up to manhood under thecare of his mother. He studied Latin and
Philosophy in the College of San Jose in Manila. Whilestudying in Manila, he met and
fell in love with Teodora Alonzo Realonda, a student in theCollege of Santa Rosa. They
were married on June 28, 1848, after which they settled down inCalamba, where they
engaged in farming and business and reared a big family.It is said that Dona
Teodora’s family descend from Lakan-Dula, the last native king ofTondo. Her
great-grandfather (Rizal’s maternal great-great-grandfather) was Eugenio Ursua
(ofJapanese ancestry), who married a Filipina named Benigna (surname unknown).
Their daughter,Regina, married Manuel de Quintos, Filipino-Chinese lawyer from
Pangasinan. One of thedaughters of Attorney Quintos and Regina was Brigida, who
married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, aprominent Spanish-Filipino mestizo of Binan. Their
children were Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’smother), Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose.The
Surname Rizal. The real surname of Rizal family was Mercado, which was adoptedin
1731 by Domingo Lamco (the paternal great-great-grandfather of Jose Rizal), who was
a fullblooded Chinese. Rizal’s family acquired a second surname –Rizal –which was
given by aSpanish alcalde mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who was a family
friend. Thus said Dr.Rizal, in his letter to Blumentritt (without date or place):I am the
only Rizal because at home my parents, my sisters, my brother, and myrelatives have
always preferred our old surname Mercado. Our family name was in factMercado, but
they were many Mercados in the Philippines who are not related to us. It issaid that
an alcalde mayor, who was a friend of our family added Rizal to our name. Myfamily
did not pay much attention to his, but now I have to use it. In this way, it seemsthat I
am an illegitimate son.“Whoever that Spanish alcalde mayor was,” commented
Ambassador Leon Ma.Guerrero, distinguished Rizalist and diplomat, “his choice
was prophetic for Rizal in Spanishmeans a field where wheat, cut while still green,
sprouts again.”The Rizal Home. The house of the Rizal family, where the hero was
born, was one of thedistinguished stone houses in Calamba during Spanish
times. It was a two-storey buildingrectangular in shape, built of adobe stones
and hard-woods, and roofed with red tiles. It isdescribed by Dr. Rafael Palma, one of
Rizal’s prestigious biographers, as follows:
The house was high and even sumptuous, a solid and massive
earthquake-proofstructure with sliding shell windows. Thick of lime and stone
bounded the first floor wasmade entirely of wood except for the roof, which was a red
tile, in the style of thebuildings in Manila at that time . . . At the back there was an
azotea and a wide, deepcistern to hold rain water for home use.Behind the house were
the poultry yard full of turkeys and chickens and a big garden oftropical fruit trees
–atis, balimbing, chico, macopa, papaya, santol, tampoy, etc.It was a happy home
where parental affection and children’s laughter reigned. By day, ithummed with the
noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the garden. By night, itechoed
with the dulcet notes of family prayers.Such a wholesome home, naturally, bred a
wholesome family. And such a family was theRizal family.A Good and Middle-Class
Family. The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a townaristocracy in Spanish
Philippines. It was one of the distinguished families in Calamba. By dintof honest and
hard work and frugal living, Rizal’s parents were able to live well. From the
farms,which were rented from the Dominican Order, they harvested rice, corn, and
sugarcane. Theyraised pigs, chickens, and turkeys in their backyard. In addition to
farming and stockraising,Dona Teodora managed a general goods store and operated a
small flour-mill and a home-madeham press.As evidence of their influence, Rizal’s
parents were able to build a large stone housewhich was situated near the town
church and to buy another one. They owned a carriage, whichwas a status symbol of
the ilustrados in Spanish Philippines and a private library (the largest incalamba)
which consisted of more than 1,000 volumes. They sent their children to the colleges
inManila. Combining affluence and culture, hospitality, courtesy, they participated
prominently inall social and religious affairs in the community. They were gracious
hosts to all visitors andguests –friars, Spanish officials, and Filipino friends –during
the town fiestas and other holidays.Beneath their roof, all guest irrespective of their
color, rank, social position, and economic status,were welcome.Home Life of the Rizals.
The Rizal family had a simple, contented, and happy life. Inconsonance with Filipino
custom, family ties among the Rizals were intimately close. DonFrncisco and
Dona Teodora loved their children, but they never spoiled them. They were
strictparents and they trained their children to loved God, to behave well, to be
obedient, and torespect people, especially the old folks. Whenever the children,
including Jose Rizal, got intomischief, they were given a sound spanking. Evidently,
they believed in the maxim: “Spare therod and spoil the child.”Every day the Rizals
(parents and children) heard mass in the town church, particularlyduring Sundays
and Christian holidays. They prayed together daily at home –the Angelus atsunset and
the Rosary before retiring to bed at night. After the family prayers, all the
childrenkissed the hands of their parents.
Life was not, however, all prayers and church services for the Rizal children. They
were given ample time and freedom to play by their strict and religious parents. They
played merrily in the azotea or in the garden by themselves. The older ones were
allowed to play with the children of the other families.

Chapter 2 Childhood Years in Calamba

​ Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town. He
grew up in a happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by
God’s blessings. His natal town of Calamba, so named after a big native jar, was a
fitting cradle for a hero. Its scenic beauties and its industrious, hospitable, and
friendly folks impressed him during his childhood years and profoundly affected his
mind and character. The happiest period of Rizal’s life was spent in this lakeshore
town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like tragic manhood. Calamba, the Hero’s
Town. Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican order,
which also owned all the lands around it. It is a picturesque town nestling on a
verdant plain covered with irrigated rice fields and sugar-lands. A few kilometers to
the south looms the legendary Mount Makiling. East of the town is the Laguna de
Bay, an inland lake of songs and emerald waters beneath the canopy of azure skies.
In the middle of the lake towers the storied island of talim, beyond it towards the north
is the distant Antipolo, famous mountain shrine ofthe miraculous Lady of Peace and
Good Voyage. Rizal loved Calamba with all his heart and soul. In 1876, when he was
15 years old and was a student in the Ateneo de Manila, he remembered his beloved
town. Accordingly, he wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My
Town), as follows: When early childhood’s happy daysIn memory I see once more Along
the lovely verdant shoreThat meets a gently murmuring sea; When I recall the whisper
softOf zephyrs dancing on my browWith cooling sweetness, even nowNew luscious life
is born in me.When I behold the lily whiteThat sways to do the wind’s command,While
gently sleeping on the sandThe stormy water rest awhile;When from the flowers there
softly breathsA bouquet ravishingly sweet,Out-poured the newborn dawn to meet,As
on us she begins to smile.While sadness I recall . . . recall Thy face, in precious
infancy,Oh mother, friend most dear to me,Who gave to life a wondrous charm?I yet
recall a village plain,My joy, my family, my boon,Besides the freshly cool lagoon, --The
spot for which my heart beats warm.Ah yes! My footsteps insecureIn your dark forests
deeply sank;And there by every river’s bankI found refreshment and delight;Within
that rustic temple prayedWith childhood’s simple faith unfeignedWhile cooling breezes,
pure, unstained,Would send my heart on rapturous flight.I saw the Maker in the
grandeurOf your ancient hoary wood,Ah, never in your refuge couldA mortal by regret
be smitten;And while upon your sky of blueI gaze, no love nor tendernessCould fail, for
here on nature’s dressMy happiness itself was written.Ah, tender childhood, lovely
town,Rich fount of my felicities,Oh those harmonious melodiesWhich put to flight all
dismal hours,Come back to my heart once more!Come back, gentle hours, I
yearn!Come back as the birds return,At the budding of the flowers!Alas, farewell!
Eternal vigil keepFor thy peace, thy bliss, and tranquility,O Genius of good, so
kind!Give me these gifts, with charity.To thee are my fervent vows, --To thee I cease
not to sighThese to learn, and I call to the skyTo have thy sincerity.Earliest Childhood
Memories. The first memory of Rizal of Rizal, in his infancy, washis happy days in the
family garden when he was three years old. Because he was a frail, sickly, And
undersized child, he was given the tenderest care by his parents. His father built a
little nipacottage in the garden for him to play in the daytime. A kind old woman was
employed as an aya(nurse maid) to look after his comfort. At times, he was left alone to
muse on the beauties ofnature or to play by himself. In his boyhood memoirs, he
narrated how he, at the age of three,watched from his garden cottage, the culiauan,
the maya, the maria capra, the martin, the pipit,and other birds and listened “with
wonder and joy” to their twilight songs.Another childhood memory was the daily
Angelus prayer. By nightfall, Rizal related, hismother gathered all the children at the
house to pray the Angelus.With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the happy
moonlight nights at the azoteaafter the nightly Rosary. The aya related to the Rizal
children (including Jose) many storiesabout the fairies; tales of buried treasure and
tress blooming with diamonds, and other fabulousstories. The imaginary tales told by
the aya aroused in Rizal an enduring interest in legends andfolklore. Sometimes, when
he did not like to take his supper, the aya would threaten him that theasuang, the
nuno, the tigbalang, or a terrible bearded and turbaned Bombay would come to
takehim away if he would not eat his supper.Another memory of his infancy was the
nocturnal walk in the town, especially whenthere was a moon. The aya took him for a
walk in the moonlight by the river, where the trees castgrotesque shadow on the bank.
Recounting this childhood experience in his student memoirs,Rizal wrote: “Thus my
heart fed on somber and melancholic thoughts so that even while still achild, I already
wandered on wings of fantasy in the high regions of the unknown.The Hero’s First
Sorrow. The Rizal children were bound together by ties of love andcompanionship.
They were well-bred, for their parents taught them to love and help one another.Of his
sister, Jose loved most of the little Concha (Concepcion). He was a year older
thanConcha. He played with her and from her he learned the sisterly
love.Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only three years
old. Jose,who was very fond of her, cried bitterly at losing her. “When I was four years
old,” he said, “Ilost my little sister Concha, and then for the first time I shed tears
caused by love and grief . . .”The death of little Concha brought him his first
sorrow.Devoted Son of the Church. A scion of a Catholic clan, born and bred in a
wholesomeatmosphere of Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn pious spirit,
Rizal grew up a goodCatholic.At the age of three, he began to take part in the family
prayers. His mother, who was abevout Catholic, taught him a Catholic prayer. When
he was five years old, he was able to readhaltingly the Spanish family Bible.He loves
to go to church, to pray, to take part in novenas, and to join
religiousprocessions. It is said that he was so seriously devout that he was laughingly
called Manong Joseby the Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras.
​ One of the men he esteemed and respected in Calamba during his boyhood
was thescholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest. He used to visit this learned
Filipino priest andlisten to his stimulating opinions on current events and sound
philosophy of life.Pilgrimage to Antipolo. On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left
Calamba to go on apilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow which
was made when Jose was born.Dona Teodora could not accompany them because she
had given birth to Trinidad.It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his
first pilgrimage to Antipolo. Heand his father rode in a casco (barge). He was thrilled,
as a typical boy should, by his first lakevoyage. He did not sleep the whole night as the
casco sailed towards the Pasig River because hewas awed by “the magnificence of the
watery expanse and the silence of the night.” Writingmany years later of this
experience, he said: “With what pleasure I saw the sunrise; for the firsttime I saw how
the luminous rays shone, producing a brilliant effect on the ruffled surface of thewide
lake.After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to
Manila.It was the first time Jose saw Manila. They visited Saturnina, who was then a
boarding student atLa Concordia College in Santa Ana.The Story of the Moth. Of the
stories told by Dona Teodora to her favorite son, Jose,that of the young moth made the
profoundest impression on him. Speaking on this incident, Rizalwrote:One night, all
the family, except my mother and myself, went to bed early. Why, Ido not know, but
we two remained sitting alone. The candles had been already been putout. They have
been blown out in their globes by means of a curved tube of tin. That tubeseemed to
me the finest and most wonderful plaything in the world. The room was dimlylighted
by a single light of coconut oil. In all Filipino homes such a light burns throughthe
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’sFriend” (El Amigo de los
Ninos). This was quite a rare book and an old copy. It had lostits cover amd my sister
had cleverly made a new one. She had fastened a sheet of thickblue 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 notunderstand Spanish and so I could not read
with impression. She took the book from me.First she scolded me for drawing funny
pictures on its pages. Then she told me to listenand she began to read. When her sight
was good, she read very well. She could recitewell, and she understood verse-making,
too. Many times during Christmas vacations, mymother corrected my poetical
compositions, and she always made valuable criticisms.I listened to her, full of
childish enthusiasm. I marveled at the nice-soundingphrases which she read from
those same pages. The phrases she read so easily stoppedme at every breath. Perhaps
I grew tired of listening to sounds that had no meaning for me. Perhaps I lacked of
self-control. Anyway, I paid little attention to the reading. I waswatching 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 stoppedreading. Then
she said to me: “I am going to read you a very pretty story. Now payattention.”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 theleaves
of the book, as if she were looking for something. Then I settled down to listen. Iwas
full of curiosity and wonder. I had never even dreamed that there were stories in
theold book which I read without understanding. My mother began to read the fable of
theyoung 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 fixedmy gaze
on the moths which were circling around it. The story could not have been
bettertimed. My mother repeated the warning of the old moth. She dwelt upon it and
directed itto me. I heard her, but it is a curious thing that the light seemed to me each
time morebeautiful, the flame more attractive. I really envied the fortune of the
insects. Theyfrolicked so joyously in its enchanting splendor that the ones which had
fallen and beendrowned in the oil did not cause me any dread.My mother kept on
reading and I listened breathlessly. The fate of the two insectsinterested me greatly.
The flame rolled its golden tongue to one side and a moth with thismovement had
singed into the oil, fluttered for a time and then became quiet. Thatbecame to me
a great event. A curious change came over me which I have always noticedin myself
whenever anything has stirred my feelings. The flame and the moth seemed togo
farther away and my mother’s words sounded strange and uncanny. I did not
noticewhen she ended the fable. All attention was fixed on the face of the insect. I
watched itwith my whole soul. . . It had died a martyr to its illusions.As she put to
bed, my mother said: “See that you not behave like the young moth.Don’t be
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did.” I do not know whether I answeredor not. .
. The story revealed to me things until then unknown. Moths no longer were, forme,
insignificant insects. Moths talked; they knew how to warn. They advised just likedmy
mother. The light seemed to me more attractive. I knew why the moths circled
theflame.The tragic fate of the young moth, which “died a martyr to its illusions,” left a
deep,impressed on Rizal’s mind. He justified such noble death, asserting that “to
sacrifice one’s lifefor it,” meaning for an ideal, is “worthwhile.” And, like that young
moth, he was fated to die as amartyr for a noble ideal.Artistic talents. Since early
childhood Rizal revealed his God-given talent for art. At theage of five, he began to
make sketches with his pencil and no mould in clay and wax objectswhich attracted
his fancy.
​ It is said that one day, when Jose was a mere boy in Calamba, a religious
banner whichwas always used during the fiesta was spoiled. Upon the request of the
town mayor, he painted inoil colors a new banner that delighted the town folks
because it was better that the original one.Jose had the soul of a genuine artist.
Rather an introvert child, with a skinny physique andsad dark eyes, he found great
joy looking at the blooming flowers, the ripening fruits, thedancing waves of the
lake, and the milky clouds in the sky; and listening to the songs of thebirds, the
chirping of the cicadas, and the murmurings of the breezes. He loved to ride on
aspirited pony which his father bought for him and take long walks in the meadows
and lakeshorewith his black dog named Usman.One interesting anecdote about Rizal
was the incident about his clay and wax images.One day when he was about six years
old his sister laughed at him for spending so much timemaking those images rather
than participating in their games. He kept silent as they laughed withchildish glee.
But as they were departing, he told them: “All right laugh at me now! Somedaywhen I
die, people will make monuments and images of me!”First Poem by Rizal. Aside from
his sketching and sculpturing talent, Rizal possessed aGod-given gift for literature.
Since early boyhood he had scribbled verses on loose sheets ofpaper and on the
textbooks of his sisters. His mother, who was a lover of literature, noticed hispoetic
inclination and encouraged him to write poetry.At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first
poem in the native language entitled Sa Akingmga Kababata (To My Fellow Children),
as follows:TO MY FELLOW CHILDRENWhenever people of a country truly loveThe
language which by heav’n they were taught to useThat country also surely liberty
pursueAs does the bird which soars to freer space above.For language is the final
judge and refereeUpon the people in the land where it holds sway;In truth our human
race resembles in this wayThe other living being born in liberty.Whoever knows not
how to love his native tongueIs worse than any beast or evil smelling fish.To make our
language richer ought to be our wishThe same as the mother loves to feed her
young.Tagalong and Latin language are the sameAnd English and Castilian and the
angel’s tongue;And God, whose watchful care o’er all is flung,Has given us His blessing
in the speech we claim, Our mother tongue, like all the highest that we knowHad
alphabet and letters of its very own;But these were lost –by furious waves were
overthrownLike bancas in the stormy sea, long years ago.This poem reveals Rizal’s
earliest nationalist sentiment. In poetic verses, he proudlyproclaimed that a people
who truly love their native language will surely strive for liberty like“the bird which
soars to freer space above” and that Tagalog is the equal of Latin, English,Spanish,
and any other language.This poem reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment. In
poetic verses, he proudlyproclaimed that a people who truly love their native
language will surely strive for liberty like“the bird which soars to freer space above”
and that Tagalog is the equal of Latin, English,Spainish, and other language.First
Drama by Rizal. After writing the poem To My Fellow Children, Rizal, who wasthen
eight years old, wrote his first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy. It is said
that itwas staged in a Calamba festival and was delightfully applauded by the
audience.A gobernadorcillo from Paete, a town in Laguna famous for lanzones and
woodcarvings,happened to witness the comedy and liked it so much that he purchased
the manuscript for twopesos and brought it to his home town. It was staged in Paete
during his town fiesta.Rizal as Boy Magician. Since early manhood Rizal had been
interested in magic. Withhis dexterous hands, he learned various tricks, such as
making coins appear or disappear in hisfingers and making a handkerchief vanish in
thin air. He entertained his town folks with magic-lantern exhibitions. This consisted
of an ordinary lamp casting its shadow on a white screen. Hetwisted his supple fingers
into fantastic shapes, making their enlarged shadows on the screenresemble certain
animals and persons. He also gained skill in manipulating marionettes
(puppetshows).In later years when he attained manhood, he continued his keen
predilection for magic.He read many books on magic and attended the performances
of the famous magicians of theworld. In Chapter XVII and XVIII of his second novel, El
Filibusterismo (Treason), he revealedhis wide knowledge of magic.Lakeshore Reveries.
During the twilight hours of summertime Rizal, accompanied byhis pet dog, used to
meditate at the shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of hisoppressed
people. Years later, he related:I spent many, many hours of my childhood down on the
shore of the lake, Lagunade Bay. I was thinking of what was beyond. I was dreaming
of what might be over on theother side of the waves. Almost every day, in our
town, we saw the Guardia Civillieutenant caning and injuring some unarmed and
inoffensive villagers. The villager’sonly fault was that while at a distance he had not
taken off his hat and made his bow. Thealcalde treated the poor villagers in the same
way whenever he visited us.
​ We saw no restrain put upon brutality. Acts of violence and other excesses
werecommitted daily . . . I asked myself if, in the lands which lay across the lake, the
peoplelived in this same way. I wondered if there they tortured any countryman with
hard andcruel whips merely on suspicion. Did they there respect the home? Or ever
yonder also,in order to live in peace, would once have to bribe tyrants?Young though
he was, he grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his belovedfatherland.
The Spanish misdeeds awakened in his boyish heart a great determination to
fighttyranny. When he became a man, many years later, he wrote to his friend,
Mariano Ponce: “Inview of these injustices and cruelties, although yet a child, my
imagination was awakened and Imade a vow dedicating myself someday to avenge the
many victims. With this idea in my mind,I studied, and this is seen in all my writings.
Someday God will given me the opportunity tofulfill my promise.”Influences on the
Hero’s Boyhood. On the night Jose Rizal was born, other childrenwere born in
Calamba and hundreds of other children were also born all over the Philippines.
Butwhy is it that out of all these children, only one boy –JOSE RIZAL –rose to fame
and greatness?In the lives of all men there are influences which cause some to be
great and others not.In the case of Rizal, he had all the favorable influences, few other
children in his time enjoyed.These influences were the following: (1) hereditary
influence, (2) environmental influence, and(3) aid of Devine Providence.1. Hereditary
Influence: According to biological science, there are inherent qualitieswhich a person
inherits from his ancestors and parents. From his Malayan ancestors,
Rizal,evidently, inherited his love for freedom, his innate desire to travel, and his
indomitable courage.From his Chinese ancestors, he derived his serious nature,
frugality, patience, and love forchildren. From his Spanish ancestors, he got his
elegance of bearing, sensibility to insult, andgallantry to ladies. From his father, he
inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love forwork, and the habit of
independent thinking. And from his mother, he inherited his religiousnature, the spirit
of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.2. Environmental Influence:
According to psychologist, environment, as well asheredity, affects the nature of a
person. Environmental influence includes places, associates, andevents. The scenic
beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family stimulatedthe inborn
artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal. The religious atmosphere at his
homefortified his religious nature. His brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the love
for freedom andjustice. From his sisters, he learned to be courteous and kind two
women. The fairy tales told byhis aya during his early childhood awakened his interest
in folklore and legends.His three uncles, brothers of his mother, exerted a good
influence on him. Tio JoseAlberto, who had studied for eleven for British school in
Calcutta, India, and had traveled inEurope inspired him to develop his artistic
ability. Tio Manuel, a husky and athletic man,encouraged him to develop his
frail body by means of physical exercises, including horse riding,walking, and
wrestling. And Tio Gregorio, a book lover, intensified his voracious reading ofgood
books.Father Leocio Lopez, the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered
Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.The sorrows in his family, such as
the death of Concha in 1865 and the imprisonment ofhis mother in 1871-74,
contributed to strengthen his character, enabling him to resist blows ofadversity in
later years. The Spanish abuses and cruelties which he witnessed in his boyhood,such
as a brutal acts of the lieutenant of Guardia Civil and the alcalde, the unjust
torturesinflicted on innocent Filipinos, and the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos,
and Zamora in1872, awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him to consecrate
his life and talents toredeem his oppressed people.3. Aid of Divine Providence: Greater
than heredity and environment in the fate of manis the aid of Divine Providence. A
person may have everything in life –brains, wealth, and power–but, without the aid of
Divine Providence, he cannot attain greatness in the annals of the nation.Rizal was
providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his nation. God had endowed
himwith the versatile gifts of a genius, the vibrant spirit of a nationalist, and the
valiant heart tosacrifice or a noble cause.

Chapter 3 Early Education in Calamba and Binan

​ Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Binan. It was a typical schooling
that a sonof an ilustrado family received during his time, characterized by the four R’s
–reading, writing,arithmetic, and religion. Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge
was forced into the minds ofthe pupils by means of the tedius memory method aide by
the teacher’s whip. Despite the defectsof the Spanish system of elementary
education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessaryinstruction preparatory for
college work in Manila and abroad. It may said that Rizal, who wasborn a physical
weakling, rose to be an intellectual giant not because of instruction obtaining inthe
Philippines during the last decades of Spanish Regime.The Hero’s First Teacher.
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was aremarkable woman of
good character and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of threethe alphabet
and the prayers. “My mother,” wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, “taught me howto
read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God.As a
tutor, Dona Teodora was patient conscientious, and understanding. It was she
whofirst discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged
him to writepoems. To enlighten the monotony of memorizing the ABCs
and to stimulate her son’simagination, she related many stories.As Jose grew
older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. Thefirst was
Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man
namedLeon Monroy, a farmer classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor. This
old teacherlived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin.
Unfortunately, he did not livelong. He died five months later.After Monroy’s death, the
hero’s parents decided to send their gifted child to a privateschool in Binan.Jose Goes
to Binan. One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose, after kissing the handsof his
parents and a tearful parting from his sisters, left Calamba for Binan. He was
accompaniedby Paciano, who acted as his second father. The two brothers rode in a
carromata, reaching theirdestination after one and one-half hours’ drive. They
proceeded to their aunt’s house, where Josewas to lodge. It was almost night when
they arrived, and the moon was about to rise.The same night, Jose, with his cousin
named Leandro, went sightseeing in the town.Instead enjoying the sights, Jose
became depressed because of homesickness. “In themoonlight,” he recounted,
“I remembered my home town, my idolized mother, and my solicitoussisters. Ah, how
sweet to me was Calamba, my own town, inspite of the fact, that it was not aswealthy
as Binan.”
​ First Day In Binan School. The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his
youngerbrother to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The first school was
in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 30meters from the
home of Jose’s aunt.Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil
under him before. Heintroduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to return
to Calamba.Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in the class. The teacher asked
him:“Do you know Spanish?”“A little, sir,” replied the Calamba lad.“Do you know
Latin?”“A little, sir.”The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the teacher’s son, laughed
at Jose’s answers.The teacher sharply stopped all noise and began the lessons of the
day.Jose described his teacher in Binan as follows: “He was tall, thin, long-necked,
with asharp nose and a body slightly bent forward, and he used to wear a sinamay
shirt, woven by theskilled hands of the women of Batangas. He knew by heart the
grammars by Nebrija and Gainza.Add to this his severity, that in my judgment was
exaggerated, and you have a picture, perhapsvague, that I have made of him, but I
remember only this.”First School Brawl. In the afternoon in his first day in school,
when the teacher havinghis siesta, Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at this
bully for making fun of him during hisconversation with the teacher in the
morning.Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that he
could easilybeat the Calamba boy who was smaller and younger.The two boys wrestled
furiously in the classroom, much to glee of their classmates. Jose,having learned the
art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For thisfeat, he
became popular among his classmates.After the class in the afternoon, a classmate
named Andres Salandanan challenged him toan arm-wrestling match. They went to a
side walk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose,having the weaker arm, lost
and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.In succeeding days he had other fights
with the boys of Binan. He was not quarrelsomeby nature, but he never ran away from
a fight.
​ Painting Lessons in Binan. Near the school was the house of an old painter,
calledJuancho, who was the father-in-law of the school teacher. Jose, lured by his love
for painting,spent many leisure hours at the painter’s studio. Old Juancho freely gave
him lessons in drawingand painting. He was impressed by the artistic talent of the
Calamba lad.Jose and his classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved painting, became
apprentices ofthe old painter. They improved their art, so that in due time they became
“the favorite painters inthe class”.Daily Life in Binan. Jose led in methodical life in
Binan, almost Spartan in simplicity.Such a life contributed much to his future
development. It strengthened his body and soul.Speaking of his daily life in Binan, he
recorded in his memoirs:Here was my life. I heard the four o’clock Mass, if there was
any, orstudied my lesson at that hour and I went to Mass afterwards. I returned home
andI went to the orchard to look for a mabolo to eat. Then I took breakfast,
whichconsisted generally of a dish of rice and two dried small fish, and I went to
classfrom which I came out at ten o’clock. I went home at once. If there was
somespecial dish, Leandro and I took some of it to the house of his children (which
Inever did at home nor would I ever do it), and returned without a saying a word. Iate
with them and afterwards I studied. I went to school at two and came out atfive. I
prayed a short while with some nice cousins and I returned home. I studiedmy lesson.
I drew a little, and afterwards I took my supper consisting of one ortwo dishes of rice
with an ayungin. We prayed and if there was a moon, my niecesme to play in the street
together with others. Thank God that I never got sick awayfrom my parents. Best
Student in School. In academic studies, Jose beat all Binan boys. He surpassedthem
all in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects.Some of his older classmates were jealous of
his intellectual superiority. They wickedlysquealed to the teacher whenever Jose had
a fight outside the school, and even told lies todiscredit him before the teacher’s
eyes. Consequently the teacher had to punish Jose. Thus Rizalsaid that “in spite of the
reputation I had of being a good boy, the day was unusual when I wasnot laid out on a
bench and given five or six blow.”End of Binan Schooling. Before the Christmas
season in 1870, Jose received a letterfrom his sister Saturnina, informing him of the
arrival of the steamer Talim which would takehim from Binan to Calamba. Upon
reading the letter, he had a premonition that he would notreturn to Binan, so that he
became sad. He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in theriver for souvenirs,
and regretfully bade farewell to his teacher and classmates.He left Binan on Saturday
afternoon, December 17, 1870, after one year and a half ofschooling in that town. He
was thrilled to take passage on the steamer Talim, for it was the firsttime he ever rode
on a steamer. On board was a Frenchman named Arturo Camps, a friend of his father,
who took care of him.Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za. On the night of January 20, 1872,
about 200 Filipinosoldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the leadership of
Lamadrid, Filipino sergeant,rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of their
usual privileges, including exemptionfrom tribute and polo (forced labor) by
the reactionary Governor Rafael de Izquierdo.Unfortunately, this Cavite Mutiny
was suppressed two days later by troop reinforcements fromManila. The Spanish
authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, andJacinto
Zamora, leaders of the secular movement to Filipinize the Philippine parishes, and
theirsupporters (Jose Ma. Basa, Attorneys Joaquin Pardo de Tavera and Antonio Ma.
Regidor, etc.)magnified the failed mutiny into a “revolt” for the Philippine
independence.Accordingly, Gom-Bur-Za (Gomez, Burgos and Zamora), despite the
archbishop’s pleafor clemency because of their innocence, were executed at sunrise,
February 17, 1872, by orderof Governor General Izquierdo. Their martyrdom was
deeply mourned by the Rizal family andmany other patriotic families in the
Philippines.Paciano, enraged by the execution of Burgos, his beloved friend, teacher,
and housemate,quit his studies at the College of San Jose and returned to Calamba,
were he told the heroic storyof Burgos to his younger brother Jose, who was then
nearly eleven years old.The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to
fight the evils of Spanishtyranny and redeem his oppressed people. Seventeen years
later, in his letter written in Paris,April 18, 1889, to Mariano ponce, he said:Without
1872 there would not be now either a Plaridel or Jaena, or Sanciangco,nor would there
exist brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe; without 1872 Rizalwould be a
Jesuit now and, instead of writing Noli Me Tangere, would have written theopposite. At
the sight of those injustices and cruelties while still a child my imaginationwas
awakened and I swore to devote myself to avenge one day so many victims and
withthis idea in mind I have been studying, and this can be read in all my works and
writings.God will someday give an opportunity to carry out my promise.”And later, in
1891, he dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za.Injustice to
Hero’s Mother. Before June of 1872, tragedy struck the Rizal family. DonaTeodora was
suddenly arrested on a malicious charged that she and her brother, Jose Alberto,tried
to poison the latter’s perfidious wife. Jose Alberto, a rich Binan ilustrado, had just
returnedfrom a business trip in Europe. During his absence his wife abandoned their
home and children.When he arrived in Binan, he found her living with another man.
Infuriated by her infidelity, heplanned to divorce her. Dona Teodora, to avert family
scandal, persuaded him to forgive hiswife. The family trouble was amicably settled,
and Jose Alberto lived again with his wife.However, the evil wife, with the
connivance of the Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil, fileda case in court
accusing her husband and Dona Teodora of attempting to poison her.
​ The lieutenant happened to have an ax to grind against the Rizal family,
because at onetime Don Francisco (Rizal’s father) refused her to walk from Calamba to
Santa Cruz (capital ofLaguna Province), a distance of 50 kilometers. Upon arrival in
Santa cruz, she was incarceratedat the provincial prison, where she languished for
two years and a half until the Manila RoyalAudiencia (Supreme Court) acquitted her of
the alleged crime.Recounting this incidence of his mother’s imprisonment,
Rizal said in his studentmemoirs: “Our mother was unjustly snatched away from
us and by whom? By some men whohad been our friends and whom we treated as
honored guests. We learned later that our mothergot sick, far from us and at an
advanced age. My mother was defended by Messrs. Francisco deMarcaida and
Manuel Marzan, the famous lawyers of Manila. She finally succeeded to
beacquitted and vindicated in the eyes of her judges, accusers, and even her enemies,
but after howlong? After two and a half years.”

Chapter 4 Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo deManila (1872-1877)

​ Four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and with Dona Teodora still
in prison,Jose, who had not yet celebrated his eleventh birthday, was sent to Manila.
He studied in theAteneo Municipal, a college under the supervision of the Spanish
Jesuits. This college was abitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de
Letran. It was formerly the EscuelaPia (Charity School) a school for poor boys
in Manila which was established by the citygovernment in 1817. When the
Jesuits, who had been expelled from the Philippines in 1768,returned to Manila in
1859, they were given the management of the Escuela Pia, whose namewas changed to
Ateneo Municipal, and later became the Ateneo de Manila. They were
splendideducators, so that Ateneo acquired prestige as an execellent college for
boys.Rizal Enters the Ateneo. On June 10, 1872 Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went
toManila. He took the entrance examinations on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and
reading at theCollege of San Juan de Letran, and passed them. He returned to
Calamba to stay a few days withhis family and to attend the town fiesta. His father,
who first wished him to study at Letran,changed his mind and decided to send him to
Ateneo instead.Thus, upon his return to Manila, Jose, again accompanied by Paciano,
matriculated at theAteneo Municipal. At first, Father Magin Ferrando, who was the
college registrar, refused toadmit him for two reasons: (1) he was late for registration
and (2) he was sickly and undersized,for his age. Rizal was then eleven years old.
However, upon the intercession of Manuel XerezBurgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he
was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo.Jose was the first of his family to adopt the
surname ‘Rizal.” He registered under thisname at the Ateneo because their family
name “Mercado” had come under the suspicion of theSpanish authorities. Paciano had
used “Mercado” as his surname at the College of San Jose andhe was known to the
authorities as Father Burgos’ favorite student and confidant.At the time Jose studied
in the Ateneo, this college was located in Intramuros, within thewalls of Manila. He
first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes’walk
from the college. This boarding house owned by a spinter named Titay who owned
theRizal family the amount of P300. Jose boarded with her order to collect part of the
debt.Jesuit System of Education. The system of education given by the Jesuits in the
Ateneowas more advanced than that of other colleges in that period. It trained the
character of thestudent by rigid discipline and religious instruction. It promoted
physical culture, Humanities,and scientific studies. Aside from academic courses
leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, itoffered vocational courses in agriculture,
commerce, mechanics, and surveying.
​ The students heard Mass in the morning before beginning of the daily class.
Classes inevery subject were opened and closed with prayers.Students were divided
into two groups, namely: the “Roman Empire” consisting of theinternos (boarders)
and the “Carthaginian Empire” composed of the externos (non-boarders).Each of
these empires had its ranks. The best student in each “empire” was the emperor;
thesecond best, the tribune; the third best, the Decurion; the fourth best, the
centurion; and the fifthbest, the standard bearer. Within the “empire”, the students
fought for positions. Any studentcould challenge any officer in his “empire” to
answer questions on the day’s lesson. Hisopponent could lose his position if he
committed three mistakes. Any student might be at the endof the line, but if he
studied hard and was brilliant, he could depose the officers one after anotherand
become an emperor.The two groups, “Roman Empire” and “Carthaginian
Empire” were in constantcompetition for supremacy in the class. They had their
distinctive banners: red for the Romansand blue for the Carthaginians. At the
beginning of the school term, both banners were usedequally in the classroom. “Upon
the first defeat, the banner losing party was transferred to theleft side of the room.
Upon the second, it was placed in an inferior position on the right side.Upon the third,
the inclined flag was placed on the left. Upon the fourth, the flag was reversedand
returned to the right. Upon the fifth, the reversed flag was placed on the left. Upon the
sixth,the banner was changed with a figure of a donkey.”The Ateneo students in rizal’s
time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-fabrictrousers” and “stripe cotton coat.”
The coat material was called rayadillo, which later becamefamous for it was
adopted as the uniform for Filipino troops during the days of the
FirstPhilippine Republic. Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-73). On his first day of
class in the Ateneo, in June,1872, Rizal first heard Mass at the college chapel and
prayed fervently to God for guidance andsuccess. When the Mass was finished, he
went to his class, where he saw a great number of boys,Spaniards, mestizos and
Filipinos.Rizal’s first professor in the Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he described as
a “tall, thinman, with a body slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face,
severe and inspired,small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and
thin lips forming an arc whosefell toward the chin.”Being a newcomer and knowing
little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of theclass. He was an externo, hence he
was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of theline.After the first week,
the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly. At the end of the month,he became
“emperor”. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a
prize,a religious picture!” He was proud of it because it was the first prize he ever won
at the Ateneo.To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel
College Dring the noon recesses, when other Ateneo students were playing or
gossiping. He paid three pesos forthose extra Spanish lessons, but it was money well
spent.In the second half of his first year in the Ateneo, Rizal did not try hard enough
to retainhis academic supremacy which he held during the first half of the term. This
was because heresented some remarks of his professor. He placed second at the end of
the year, although all hisgrades were still marked “Excellent”.Summer Vacation (1873).
At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returnedto Calamba for summer
vacation. He did not particularly enjoy his vacation because his motherwas in prison.
To cheer him up, his sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to Tanawan with her.This
did not cure his melancholy. Without telling his father, he went to Santa Cruz and
visited himother in prison. He told her of his brilliant grades at the Ateneo. She gladly
embraced herfavorite son.When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila
for his second year term inthe Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No.
6 Magallanes Street. His landlady wasan old widow named Dona Pepay, who had a
widowed daughter and four sons.Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74). Nothing unusual
happened to Rizal during his secondterm in the Ateneo, except that he repented
having neglected his studies the previous year simplybecause he was offended by the
teacher’s remarks. So, to regain his lost class leadership, hestudied harder. Once more
he became “emperoe”.Some of his classmates were new. Among them were three boys
from Binan, who hadbeen his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.At the
end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a goldmedal.
With such scholastic honors, he triumphantly returned to Calamba in March, 1874 for
thesummer vacation.Prophecy of Mother Release. Rizal lost no time in going to Santa
Cruz in order to visithis mother in the provincial jail. He cheered up Dona Teodora’s
lonely heart with news of hisscholastic triumphs in Ateneo and with funny tales about
his professors and fellow students. Themother was very happy to know that her
favorite child was making such splendid progress incollege.In the course of their
conversation, Dona Teodora told her son of her dream the previousnight. Rizal,
interpreting the dream, told her that she would be released from prison in
threemonth’s time. Dona Teodora smiled, thinking that her son’s prophecy was a mere
boyish attemptto console her.But Rizal’s prophecy became true. Barely three
months passed, and suddenly DonaTeodora was set free. By that time, Rizal was
already in Manila attending his classes at theAteneo.
​ Dona Teodora, happily back in Calamba, was even more proud of her son Jose
whomlikened to the youthful Joseph in the Bible in his ability to interpret
dreams.Teenage Interest in Reading. It was during the summer vacation in 1874 in
Calambawhen Rizal began to take interest in reading romantic novels. As a normal
teenager, he becameinterested in love stories and romantic tales.The first favorite
novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.This thrilling novel
made a deep impression on him. His boyish imagination was stirred by thesufferings
of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in prison, his spectacular escape from the dungeon
ofChateau d’If, his finding a buried treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and
his dramaticrevenge on his enemies who had wronged him.Rizal read numerous other
romantic novels with deep interest. The reading habit helpedto enrich his fecund
mind.As a voracious reader, he read not only fiction, but also non-fiction. He
persuaded hisfather to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu’s historical work
entitled Universal History.According to Rizal, this valuable work was of great aid in
his studies and enabled him to winmore prizes in Ateneo.Later Rizal read Travels in
the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-traveler who visited the
Philippines in 1859-1860. What impressed him in this book were (1)Jagor’s keen
observations of the defects of Spanish colonization and (2) his prophecy
thatsomeday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to
succeed her ascolonizer.Third Year in Ateneo (1874-75). In June 1874, Rizal returned
to the Ateneo for hisjunior year. Shortly after the opening of classes, his mother
arrived and joyously told him thatshe was released from prison, just as he had
predicted during his last visit to her prison cell inSanta Cruz, Laguna. He was happy,
of course, to see his mother once more a free woman.However, despite the family
happiness, Rizal did not make an excellent showing in hisstudies as in the previous
year. His grades remained excellent in all subjects; he won only onemedal –in Latin.
He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was notfluently
sonorous. He was beaten by a Spaniard who, naturally, could speak
Spanish withfluency and with right accentuation.At the end of the school year
(March 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for the summervacation. He himself was not
impressed by his scholastic work.Fourt Year in Ateneo (1875-76). After a refreshing
and happy summer vacation, Rizalwent back to Manila for his fourth year course. On
June 16, 1875, he became an interno in theAteneo. One of his professors this time
was Fr. Fracisco de Paula Sanchez a great educator andscholar. He inspired the young
Rizal to study harder and to write poetry. He became an admirerand friend of the
slender Calamba lad, whose God-given genius he saw and recognized. On his part,
Rizal had the highest affection and respect for Father Sanchez, whom he considered
his bestprofessor in the Ateneo.In his student memoirs, Rizal wrote of Father Sanchez
in glowing terms, showing hisaffection and gratitude. He described this Jesuit
professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness,and love for the advancement of his
pupils”.Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest. He
topped allhis classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the school
term. He returned toCalamba for his summer vacation (March 1876) and
proudly offered his five medals andexcellent ratings to his parents. He was
extremely happy, for he was able to repay hi “fathersomewhat for his sacrifices”.Last
Year in Ateneo (1876-77). After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila inJune
1876 for his last year in the Ateneo. His studies continued to fare well. As a
matter-of-fact,he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he
was truly “the pride of theJesuits”.Rizal finished his last year at the Ateneo in a blaze
of glory. He obtained the highestgrades in all subjects –philosophy, physics, biology,
chemeitry, languages, mineralogy, etc.Graduation with Highest Honors. Rizal
graduated at the head of his class. Hisscholastic records at the Ateneo from
1872 to 1877 were as follows:1872-1873Arithmetic
…………………………………………………….. ExcellentLatin I
……………………………………………………………. “Spanish I
…………………………………………………………. “Greek I
…………………………………………………………… “1873-1874Latin 2
………………………………………………………… ExcellentSpanish 2
…………………………………………………………. “Greek 2
…………………………………………………………... “Universal Geography
…………………………………………….. “1874-1875Latin 3
………………………………………………………... ExcellentSpanish 3
…………………………………………………………”Greek 3
…………………………………………………………... “Universal History
………………………………………………... “History of Spain and the Philippines
Arithmetic & Algebra ……………………………………………. “1875-1876Rhetoric & Poetry
…………………………………………… Excellent
French I ……………………………………………………… ExcellentGeometry &
Trigonometry …………………………………….. “1876-1877Philosophy I
…………………………………………………. ExcellentMineralogy & Chemistry
……………………………………….. “Philosophy 2
……………………………………………………. “Physics
………………………………………………………….. “Botany & Zoology
……………………………………………… “On Commencement Day, March 23, 1877, Rizal
who was 16 years old, received from hisAlma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree
Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors. It was a proudday for his family. But to Rizal,
like all graduates, Commencement Day was a time of bittersweetness, a joy mellowed
with poignancy. The night before graduation, his last night at thecollege dormitory, he
could not sleep. Early the following morning, the day of graduation, heprayed fervently
at the college chapel and “commented my life,” as he said, “to the Virgin so thatwhen I
should step into that world, which inspired me with so much terror, she would
protectme”.Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo. Rizal, unsurpassed in academic
triumphs, was amere bookworm. He was active in extra-curricular activities. An
“emperor” inside the classroom,he was a campus leader outside. He was an active
member, later secretary, of a religious society,the Marian Congregation. He was
accepted as member of this sodality not only because of hisacademic brilliance of his
devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the collegepatroness. Rizal was
also a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy ofNatural
Sciences. These “academies” were exclusive societies in the Ateneo, to which
onlyAteneans who were gifted in literature and sciences could qualify for
membership.In his leisure hours, Rizal cultivated his literary talent under the
guidance of FatherSanchez. Another professor, Father Jose Vilaclara, advised him to
stop communing with theMuses and pay more attention to more practices studies,
such as philosophy and natural sciences.Rizal did not heed his advice. He continued
to solicit Father Sanchez’s help in improving hispoetry.Aside from writing poetry, he
devoted his spare time to fine arts. He studied paintingunder the famous Spanish
painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus, notedFilipino
sculptor. Both art masters honored him with their affection, for he was a talented
pupil.Furthermore, Rizal, to develop his weak body, engaged in gymnastics and
fencing. Hethereby continued the physical training he began under his sports-minded
Tio Manuel.Sculptural Works in Ateneo. Rizal impressed his Jesuit professor in the
Ateneo with hisartistic skill. One day he carved an image of The Virgin
Mary on a piece of batikuling(Philippine hardwood) with his pocket-knife. The
Jesuit fathers were amazed at the beauty andgrace of the image.
​ Father Lleonart, impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve
for him animage of the Secret Heart of Jesus. Young Rizal complied, and within a few
says he presented itto Father Lleonart. The old Jesuit was highly pleased
and profusely thanked the teenagesculpture. He intended to take the
image with him to Spain, but, being an absent-mindedprofessor, he forgot
to do so. The Ateneo boarding students placed it on the door of theirdormitory,
and their it remained for many years, reminding all Ateneans of Dr. Rizal, the
greatestalumnus of their Alma Mater. This image played a significant part in Rizal’s
last hours at FortSantiago.Anecdotes on Rizal, the Atenean. One of Rizal’s
contemporaries in the Ateneo wasFelix m. Roxas. He related an incident of Rizal’s
schooldays in the Ateneo which reveals thehero’s resignation to pain and
forgiveness. One day many Ateneans, including Rizal, werestudying their
lessons at the study hall. Two Ateneans, Manzano, and Lesaca, quarreled andviolently
hurled books at each other. Rizal, who was busy at his desk poring over his
lessons,was hit in the face by one of the thrown books. He did not raise a cry of
protest, although hiswounded face was bleeding. His classmates brought him to
the infirmary where he had toundergo medical treatment for several days. After
the incident, he continued to attend his classes,feeling neither bitterness nor rancor
towards the guilty party.Another anecdote on Rizal the Atenean was related by Manuel
Xeres Burgos, in whosehouse Rizal boarded shortly before he became an interno in the
Ateneo. This anecdote illustratesRizal’s predilection to help the helpless at the risk of
his own life. One Thursday afternoon,being vacation day, the boys flew their kites from
the azotea. Young Rizal then was a busyreading a Spanish book of fables at the
window. After a while he heard Julio Meliza from Iloilo,one of the smallest boarders,
crying –because his kite was caught by the vines growing on thebelfry of the
Manila cathedral which was near the boarding-house. The bigger boys
werelaughing, making fun of Julio’s misfortune. Rizal closed the book he was reading
and told Julionot to cry, for he would try to retrieve the kite. True to his promise he
courageously climbed thehigh cathedral tower and successfully recovered the
kite.Poems Written in Ateneo. It was Dona Teodora who first discovered the poetical
geniusof her son, and it was also she who first encouraged him to write poems.
However, it was FatherSanchez who inspired Rizal to make full use of his God-given
gift in poetry and improved thelatter’s poetical art by opening his mind to the
enriching influence of the world’s literature.The first poem Rizal probably wrote during
his days in the Ateneo was Mi PrimeraInspiracion (My First Inspiration) which was
dedicated to his mother on her mother. It is saidthat he wrote it before he was 14
years old, that is, in the year 1874. Before this year he did notwrite poetry because
there was gloom in his heart owing to his mother’s imprisonment. Upon therelease of
her mother in 1874, his poetic heart began to sing with ecstacy and joy.In 1875,
inspired by Father Sanchez, he wrote more poems, as such:1. Felicitacion
(Felicitation).2. El Embarque: Himno a la Flera de Magallanes. (The Departure: Hymn
to Magellan’s Fleet).3. Y Es Espanol: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo
(And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First to Circumnavigate the World).4. El Combate:
Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo).In 1876, Rizal wrote
poems on various topics –religion, education, childhood memories,and war. They were
as follows:1. Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town). A tender poem in
honor toCalamba, the hero’s natal town.2. Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y la Buena
Education (Intimate Alliance BetweenReligion and Good Education).3. Por la
Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the Country ReceivesLight).4.
El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Battala de Lucena y Prisiion de Boabdil (The Captivityand
the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil). This martialpoem
describes the defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.5. La
Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Catolices en Granada (The Triumphal Entry of
theCatholic Monarchs into Granada). This poem relates the victorious entry of
KingFerdinand and Queen Isabel into Granada, last Moorish stronghold in Spain.A
year later, 1877, he wrote more poems. It was his last year in the Ateneo. Among
thepoems written that year were: 1. El Heroismo de Colon (The heroism of Columbus).
This poem praises Columbus, thediscoverer of America.2. Colon y Juan II (Columbus
and John II). This poem relates how King John II ofPortugal missed fame and riches by
his failure to finance the projected expedition ofColumbus to the New World.3. Gran
Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great Misfortune). This is alegend in
verse of the tragic life of Columbus).4. Un Dialogo Alusivo a la Despedida de los
Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogue of theStudents). This was the last poem written by
Rizal in Ateneo; it is a poignant poem offarewell to his classmates.
​ “My First Inspiration.” It was most fitting that the first poem written by Rizal as
anAtenean should be about his beloved mother. In his poem, he felicitates his
mother on herbirthday, expressing his filial affection in sonorous verses. It runs as
follows:My First InspirationWhy do the scented bowersIn fragrant frayRival each
other’s flowersThis festive day?Why is sweet melody bruitedIn the sylvan
dale,Harmony sweet and flutedLike the nightingale?Why do the birds sing soIn the
tender grass,Flitting from bough to boughWith the winds that pass?And why does the
crystal springRun among the flowersWhile lullaby zephyrs singLike its crystal
showers?I see the dawn in the EastWith beauty endowed.Why goes she to a feastIn a
carmine cloud?Sweet mother, they celebrateYour natal dayThe rose with her scent
innate,The bird with his lay.The murmurous spring this dayWithout alloy,Murmuring
bids you alwaysTo live in joy.While the crystalline murmurs glisten,Hear you the
accents strongStruck from my lyre, listen!To my love’s first song.
​ Rizal’s Poem in Education. Although Rizal was merely a teenager, he had a very
highregard for education. He believed in the significant role which education plays in
the progressand welfare of a nation. Thus he stated in his poem:THROUGH
EDUCATION OUR MOTHERLAND RECEIVES LIGHTThe vital breath of prudent
EducationInstills a virtue of enchanting power;She lifts the motherland to highest
stationAnd endless dazzling glories on her shower,And as the zephyr’s gentle
exhalationRevives the matrix of the fragrant flower,So education multiples her gifts of
grace;With prudent hand imparts them to the human race.For her a moral man will
gladly partWith all he has; will give him calm repose;For her are born all sciences and
all arts,That brews of men with laurel fair enclose.As from the towering mountain’s
lofty heart.The purest current of the streamlet flows,So Education without stint or
measure givesSecurity and peace to lands in which she lives.Where education reigns
on lofty seatYouth blossoms forth with vigor and agility;His error subjugates with solid
feet,And is exalted by conception of nobility,She breaks the neck of vice and its
deceit;Black crime turns pale and Her hostility;The barbarous nations She knows how
to tame,From savages create heroic fame.And as the spring doth sustenance bestowOn
all the plants, on bushes in the mead,Its placid plenty goes to overflowAnd endlessly
with lavish love to feedThe banks by which it wanders, gliding slow,Supplying
beauteous nature’s every need.So he who prudent Education doth procureThe
towering heights of honor will secure.From out his lips the watercyrstal pure,Of
perfect virtue shall not cease to go. With careful doctrines of his faith made sure,The
powers of evil he will overthrow,Like feaming waves that never long endure,But perish
on the shore at every blow;And from his good example other men shall learnTheir
upward steps toward the heavenly paths to turn.Within the breast of wretched
humankindShe lights the living flame of goodness bright;The hands of fiercest criminal
doth bind;And in these breasts will surely pour delightWhich her mystic benefits to
find, --Those souls She sets aflame with love of right.That gives to life its surest
consolation.And as the mighty rock aloft my towerAbove the center of the stormy
deepIn scorn of storm, or fierce Sou’wester’s powerOf fury of the waves that raging
sweep,Until, their first mad hatred, spent, they cowerAnd, tired at last subside and fall
asleep,--So he takes wise education by the hand,Invincible shall guide the reigns of
motherland.On sapphires shall his service be engraved,A thousand honors to him by
his land be granted;For in their bosoms will his noble sons have savedLuxuriant
flowers his virtue transplanted;And by the love of goodness ever laved.The lords and
governors will see implantedTo endless days the Christian Education;Within their
noble, faith-enraptured nation.And as in early morning we beholdThe ruby sun pours
forth resplendent rays;And lovely dawn her scarlet and her gold,Her brilliant colors all
about her sprays;So skillful noble Teaching doth unfoldTo living minds the joy of
virtuous ways.She offers our dear motherland the lightThat leads us to immortal
glory’s height.In another poem, The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education, Rizal showed the importance of religion in education. To him, education
without God is not true education. Thus, he said in his poem
​ THE INTIMATE ALLIANCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOOD EDUCATIONAs
the climbing ivy over lefty elmCreeps tortuously, together the adornmentOf the verdant
plain, embellishingEach other and together growing,But should the kindly elm refuse
its aidThe ivy would impotent and friendless witherSo is Education to ReligionBy
spiritual alliance bound.Through Religion, Education gains renown, andWoe to the
impious mind that blindly spurningThe sapient teachings of Religion, thisUnpolluted
fountain-head forsakes.As the sprout, growing from the pompous vine,Proudly offers
us its honeyed clustersWhile the generous and loving garmentFeeds its roots; so the
fresh’ning watersOf celestial give new lifeTo Education true, sheddingOn it warmth
and light; because of themThe vine smells sweet and gives delicious fruit.Without
Religion, Human EducationIs like unto a vessel struck by windsWhich, sore beset, is
of its helm deprivedBy the roaring blows and buffets of the dreadTempestuous Boreas,
who fiercely wieldsHis power until he proudly sends her downInto the deep abysses of
the angered sea.As the heaven’s dew the meadow feeds and strengthensSo that
blooming flowers all the earthEmbroider in the days of spring; so alsoIf Religion holy
nourishesEducation with its doctrines, sheShall walk in joy and generosityToward the
Good, and everywhere bestrewThe fragrant and luxuriant fruits of Virtue.Rizal’s
Religious Poems. During his student days Rizal expressed his devotion to his Catholic
faith in melodious poetry. One of the religious poems he wrote was a brief ode entitled
Al Nino Jesus (To the Jesus Child). It is as follows:
​ TO THE CHILD JESUSHow, God-Child hast Thou come
To earth in cave forlorn? Does Fortune now deride
Thee When Thou art scarcely born?
Ah, woe! Celestial King, Who mortal from dost
keepWoulds’t rather than be sovereign Be Shepherd
of Thy Sheep? This poem was written in 1875 when he was 14 years
old.Another Religious poem which he wrote was entitled A La Virgen Maria (To the
VirginMary). This poem is undated, so that we do not know exactly when it was
written. Probably,Rizal wrote after his ode to the Child Jesus. It runs as follows:TO
THE VIRGIN MARYDear Mary, giving comfort and sweet peaceTo all afflicted mortals;
thou the springWhence flows a current of relief, to bringOur soil fertility that does not
cease;Upon thy throne, where thou dest reign on high,Oh, list’ with pity as I weeful
grieveAnd spread thy radiant mantle to receiveMy voice which rises swiftly to the
skyPlacid Mary, thou my mother dear,My sustenance, my fortitude must be,And in
this fearsome sea my way must steer.If deprivation comes to buffet me,And if grim
death in agony draws near,Oh, succor me, from anguish set me free.Dramativ Work in
Ateneo. While Rizal was still a student at the Ateneo, his favoriteteacher, Father
Sanchez, requested him to write a drama based on the prose story of St. Eustacethe
Martyr. During the summer vacation of 1876, he wrote the requested religious drama
inpoetic verses at his home in Calamba and finished it on June 2, 1876.Upon the
opening of classes at the Ateneo in June 1876 –his last academic year at Jesuitcollege
–he submitted to Father Sanchez the finished manuscript of the drama entitled
SanEustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, the Martyr). The good priest-teacher read it and
felicitated theyoung Atenean for work well done
​ First Romance of Rizal. Shortly after his graduation from the Ateneo, Rizal, who
wasthen sixteen years old, experienced his first romance –“that painful experience
which comes tonearly all adolescents”. The girl was Segunda Katigbak, a pretty
fourteen years old Batanguenafrom Lipa. In Rizal’s own words: “She was rather short,
with eyes that were eloquent and ardentat times and languid at others, rosy-cheeked,
with an enchanting and provocative smile thatrevealed very beautiful teeth, and the
air of a sylph; her entire self diffused a mysterious charm.”One Sunday Rizal visited
his maternal grandmother who lived in Trozo, Manila. He wasaccompanied by his
friend, Mariano Katigbak. His old grandmother was a friend of the Katigbakfamily of
Lipa. When he reached his grandmother’s house, he saw other quests. One of
whomwas an attractive girl, who mysteriously caused his heart to palpitate with
strange ecstasy. Shewas the sister of his friend Mariano, and her name was
Segunda.His grandmother’s quests, who were mostly college students, knew
of his skill inpainting, so that they urged him to draw Segunda’s portrait. He
complied reluctantly and made apencil sketch of her. “From time to time”, He
reminisced later, “she looked at me, and Iblushed.”Rizal come to know
Segunda more intimately during his weekly visits to La ConcordiaCollege, where his
sister Olimpia was a boarding student. Olimpia was a close friend
ofSegunda. It was apparent that Rizal and Segunda loved each other. Theirs was
indeed “a love offirst sight”. But it was hopeless since the very beginning because
Segunda was already engagedto be married to her townmate, Manuel Luz. Rizal, for
his entire artistic and intellectual prowess,was a shy and timid lover. Segunda had
manifested, by insinuation and deeds, her affection forhim, but he timidly failed to
propose.The last time they talked to each other was one Thursday in December, 1877
when theChristmas vacation was about to begin. He visited Segunda at La Concordia
College to satgoodbye because he was going home to Calamba the following day. She,
on her part, told himshe was also going home one day later. She kept quiet after her
brief reply, waiting for him tosay something which her heart was clamoring to hear.But
Rizal failed to come up to her expectation. He could only mumble: “Well,
good-bye.Anyway --I’ll see you when you pass Calamba on your way to Lipa.”The next
day Rizal arrived by steamer in his hometown. His mother did not recognizehim at
first, due to her failing eyesight. He was saddened to find out about his mother’s
growingblindness. His sisters gaily welcomed him, teasing him about Segunda, for
they knew of hisromance through Olimpia.That night he demonstrated his skill in
fencing to his family. He had a friendly fencingbout with the best fencer in Calamba
and bested him.The following day (Saturday) he learned that the steamer
carrying Segunda and herfamily would not anchor at Calamba because of the strong
winds; it would stop in Binan. Hesaddled his white horse and waited at the road. A
cavalcade of carromatas from Binan passed by.
​ In one of whom was Segunda smiling and waving her handkerchief at him. He
doffed his hat andwas tongue-tried to say anything. Her carriage rolled on and
vanished in the distance like “aswift shadow”. He returned home, dazed and desolate,
with his first romance “ruined by his ownshyness and reserve”. The first girl, whom he
loved with ardent fervor, was lost to him forever.She returned to Lipa and later married
Manuel Luz. He remained in Calamba, a frustrated lover,cherishing nostalgic
memories of a lost love.Three years later, Rizal, recording his first and tragic romance,
said: “Ended, at an earlyhour, my first love! My virgin heart will always mourn the
reckless step it took on the flower-decked abyss. My illusions will return, yes, but
indifferent, uncertain, ready for the first betrayalon the path of love.”
Tab 2
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