THE BACKGROUND OF RIZAL
ALL ABOUT RIZAL
JOSE AS 'PEPE'
FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
The mandatory teaching of Jose Rizal’s Life with the emphasis on his landmark novels is inscribed in this legislation Republic Act no 1425, more popularly known as the Rizal law, was passed in 1956 leaving a colorful narrative and contestation
The legislation was first sponsored by Senator Jose P Laurel, Chairman of the Committee on Education, on April 17, 1956 while Senator Claro M Recto Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal Bill.
The passage of the republic act no 1425 was primarily set to address “ a need for rededication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died”. The passage of the law was met with fire opposition in both the senate and the house of representatives
As the Philippines grappled with various challenges, particularly the call for nation building, prominent individuals who championed nationalism came to action The Catholic elements in and outside Congress were quick to assail the measure as an attempt to discredit their religion. Principal basis of their opposition was an alleged Pastoral Letter which, while praising Rizal, practically branded his novels as heretical and impious
Debates on Senate Bill No. 438 began on April 23, 1956 Senator Laurel was supported by a prestigious colleague and ardent nationalist, the formidable Senator Claro M Recto In the other camp were Senators Mariano J. Cuenco, Francisco Rodrigo and Decoroso Rosales, all of them identified as rabid Catholics
The Noli Me Tangere, which, given that it was penned during the Spanish reign, includes 120 antiCatholic phrases compared to just 25 lines that are patriotic The legislation, they argued, would infringe on people's rights to free speech and religion
Senator Recto’s statement on the discussion on the sole object of the Rizal Bill:
“Rizal did not pretend to teach religion or theology when he wrote those books He aimed at including civic consciousness in the Filipinos, national dignity, personal pride, and patriotism, and if references were made by him in the course of his narration to certain religious practices in the Philippines in those days and to the conduct and behavior of the erring ministers of the church, it was because he portrayed faithfully the general situation n the Philippines as it then existed ”
On May 9, 1956, the controversy took a new though not quite unexpected turn that stirred new hope for a final resolution of the issue This came about when Senator laurel, Sensing the futility of the further strife on the matter, rose to propose in his own name an amendment by substitution
No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero
Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero The position he now holds in Philippine history is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his contribution to the significant social transformations that took place in our country
The person must be a Filipino
The person is a peace-loving and pacifist. The person must have a great sense of patriotism. The person must die for the country as a martyr
(ONOFRE
Those who define and contribute to a system of life of freedom and order for a nation
Those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation
The extent of a person's sacrifice for the welfare of the country
The motive and methods employed in the attainment of the ideal (welfare of the country)
The moral character of the person concerned
The influence of the person concerned on his/ her age and or the succeeding age
Those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation's freedom
a part of the people's expression
person who thinks of the future, especially the future generations
The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or history, but of the entire process that made this particular person a hero
The arrival of novel concepts and ideologies from America and Europe marked socio-cultural events in the nineteenth century Spanish missionaries spread Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, but they also suppressed indigenous beliefs and practices The European Enlightenment ideas and nationalist movements influenced the Propaganda Movement and the Philippine Revolution, which inspired the call for independence from Spanish rule. The birth of Philippine literature and art took place in the nineteenth century, with authors and creators adopting Western techniques and styles while instilling their works with indigenous themes and motifs
century was a period of creative change in Europe and the United States, with revolutionary changes in science, technology, economics, and politics The Philippines was largely medieval, but signs of progress were noted in certain sectors, such as social and economic structure based on feudalistic patterns of abuse and exploitation of the Indios, racial discriminatory practices, intellectual decadence, and government process not respecting the needs of the people.
Spain governed the Philippines through the Ministro de Ultramar (Ministry of the Colonies) established in Madrid in 1863. This body helped the Spanish monarchs manage the affairs of the colonies and governed the Philippines through a centralized machinery, exercising executive, legislative, judicial, and religious powers. The Government was divided into two: first is the Central Government in which the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch reside and the second is also divided into three minor sectors namely; the Provincial Government, Municipal Government, City Government
The country was opened to foreign trade in 1834, which resulted to rapid rise of foreign firms in Manila. After the of the Spanish government establishment in Manila, the challenged that Legaspi faced is how he could control the different part of the country in with his limited armies He created ENCOMIENDA on the indios' land in order to address the problem of governance
It is a privilege of provincial governors to engage in and monopolize trade Polo y servicio is the forced labor for
years of age who were obligated to give services to community projects One could be exempted from polo y servicio by paying the falla, of one and a half real.
The polo system was patterned after the Mexican repartimento, selection of forced labor The guidelines specified that the encomiendero's sole responsibility was to oversee the local populace; nevertheless, when the policy was put into place in the colony, lands were also
Manila -Acapulo Galleon Trade was the main source of income for the colony during its early years Service was inaugurated in 1565 and continued into the early 19" century The Galleon trade brought silver from New Spain and silk from China by way of Manila. This way, the Philippines earned its income through buy and sell - that is, they bought American silver for resale to China.
Peninsulares. They are the highest class in the Philippines, entrusted with the offices of high rank Peninsulares are pure blooded Spaniards born from Spain and sent to Spanish colonies to govern Often times, they are awarded with great favors and large quantities of land
Insulares. They are a rank below the peninsulares The insulares or criollos are of European descent but born in the colonies of Spain A son or daughter of a Spanish couple is an insulare Insulares enjoy various goverment and church positions but as economics and power shifted, they changed to capitalist driven entrepreneurs owning large parcels of lands.
Mestizo de Sangley. A person of Filipino or any racial descent marrying a Chinese, the result is children that will be called mestizo de sangley
Mestizo de Espanol. They are offsprings of Spanish people interbreeding with Filipinos Mestizo is a term given to individuals inheriting foreign ancestry They may or may not have European or other racial features despite popular belief
Tornatras. Tornatras is an old Spanish term for a person of mixed ancestry from Spanish, Filipino and Chinese Basically, almost every Filipino today can put a claim to this
Most of the Ilustrados or the educated ones belong to this class. They are idealists, artists and free thinkers. Many are born of wealthy landowners, but there are some like Apolinario Mabini who was from a family of farmers Because of their ideas and efforts, Nationalism and the desire for more freedom has been awakened within every Filipino.
Indio. In the Spanish racial hierarchy, indios were the lowestranked group The order was peninsulares, criollos, mestizos, Filipinos and indios. Originally, native Filipinos were included in the indio category in the Mariana Islands along with CHamorus, but were later designated as “Filipinos” in Spanish censuses
The 19th century saw the emergence of a new national identity among Filipinos, as they began to reject their status as Spanish subjects and began to see themselves as distinct people with their own culture, language, and history
There are lots of criticisms received in the educational system of the Philippines in the late 19th century The power of religious orders remained one of the great constants, over the centuries, of Spanish colonial rule The friars were responsible for education and health measures These missionaries emphasized the teachings of the Catholic religion starting from the primary level to the tertiary level of education Obsolete teaching methods were practiced They had a limited curriculum
In the primary level were taught the Christian Doctrines, the reading of Spanish books and a little of the natives’ language Science and Mathematics were not very much taught to the students even in the universities Aside from the Christian Doctrines taught, Latin was also taught to the students instead of Spanish There were poor classroom facilities There was an absence of teaching materials
In entirety, education during the Spanish regime was privileged only to Spanish students. The supposed Philippine education was only a means to remain in the Philippines as colonizers For this reason, the Filipinos became followers to the Spaniards in their own country Students memorized and repeated the contents of book which they did not understand In most cases, knowledge was measured in the ability of the students to memorize, largely hampering intellectual progress There was an evident prejudice against Filipinos in the schools of higher learning
Even auspicious Filipinos became cronies, to the extent that even their lifestyles were patterned from the Spaniards Friars have control over the system The friars controlled the educational system during the Spanish times. They owned different schools, ranging from the primary level to the tertiary levels of education. The missionaries took charge in teaching, controlling and maintaining the rules and regulations imposed to the students.
wealthy family in Calamba, Laguna, which was one of the largest families in the area, consisting of his parents, nine sisters, and one brother His father, Francisco Mercado II, was the youngest of 13 children, and his mother, Teodora Alonso Realonda, was a business-minded and religious individual. Teodora had Spanish and Japanese ancestors, while the father of Teodora was a half Spaniard engineer known as Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo The Rizal paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a fullblooded Chinese who arrived in the Philippines in the late 17th century
Jose Rizal was not physically strong, but his desire to learn was evident from a young age, and his mother was his first teacher She laid the foundation for his great knowledge, and he learned almost without the use of books Rizal even tried to spell out the words of his sister's storybook with the use of a syllabary
Three uncles who were brothers of his mother also had much influence on the early childhood of Jose Rizal
His young uncle, Jose, took care of teaching regular lessons to Rizal, while his huge uncle Manuel developed his physique.
The last uncle, Gregorio, instilled in the mind of Rizal that it was not easy to obtain something until you put effort into it.
Rizal was regarded as a gifted student when he was younger His mother taught him at home until he was seven years old, at which point he enrolled in the Calamba neighborhood school He relocated to Binan in 1870 to finish his education, and in 1872 he was transferred to the prestigious Ateneo Municipal de Manila
Their residence was a spacious two-story stone building
The family possessed an extensive personal library, containing over a thousand books
They had their own carriage and horses Despite having received education in Manila, all of the siblings were able to have private tutors, which was within their parents' financial means
The childhood of Jose Rizal can be characterized by his desire to learn, even frequenting the church nearby his home to watch and observe people but not to be religiously inclined Jose Rizal was not a physically blessed or strong However, he had a strong will guided and taught by his mother, his first teacher He learned almost without the use of books His mother was the one who laid the foundation of his great knowledge achieved in such a short time His brilliance was also the character ofthe young Jose Rizal
Even in his childhood, Rizal already knew how to respect the rights of others and requested his elders to reason with him rather than get mad at him for small offenses He became a welcome companion for adults even at his young age since he respected their moods and was never a hindrance to their activities
There was a also a time when Rizal was able to draw a bird flying nearby without lifting the pencil he was using from the paper till the picture he drew was finished He can also draw a running horse and a chasing dog Clay and wax were the favorite play materials of Rizal He used these materials in forming modeled birds and butterflies This animal molding activity also started his study of nature
Jose Rizal also owned a pony and used it to have long rides into the surrounding country which was rich in scenery He also took long walks together with his big black dog named Usman He also loved to play with the doves in his neighborhood He learned about the myths and legends in Laguna after sleeping through the nut in a little straw hut used by Laguna farmers during the harvest season Rizal was also good in hand tricks which he perfected to amaze the simple folk and performed magic lantern exhibitions
Jose Rizal learned to read at the age of three with the help of his elder sister and a syllabary He also spent time observing people in a nearby church Three uncles had a significant impact on his childhood: Jose taught him regular lessons, Manuel helped him develop his physique, and Gregorio instilled the value of putting effort into achieving something.
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan It was a typical schooling that a son of 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 of the pupils by means of the tedious memory method aided by the teacher’s whip Despite the defects of the Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessary instruction preparatory for college work in Manila It may be said that Rizal, who was born a physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in spite of, the outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last decades of Spanish regime.
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers "My mother," wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, "taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God "
As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious, and understanding It was she who first discovered that her son had a talent for poetry Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems To lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate her son ’ s imagination, she related many stories.
As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home The first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal’s father, became the boy’s tutor This old teacher lived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin Unfortunately, he did not lived long He died five months later
In 1872, the martyrdom of Gomburza, leaders of the Secularization Movement, inspired Jose Rizal to fight Spanish tyranny Rizal had a formal education starting in Biñan and excelled as a student at Ateneo, finishing his Bachelor's degree at the age of 15. He dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gomburza. Rizal experienced injustice when his parents sent him to a private school in Biñan and later attended Ateneo Municipal in Intramuros, Manila
Jose Rizal was an excellent student under Maestro Justiniano After the suggestion of the Maestro, Rizal went to Manila to pursue higher education
He attempted to take an entrance exam at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, but his father preferred a Jesuit college, so he tried the Ateneo Municipal He was initially refused admission due to being late, sickly, and too short for his age, but was eventually admitted through the help of Manuel Xerez Burgos.
In Ateneo Municipal, Jose Rizal started using the surname "Rizal" which was chosen by his father to avoid suspicion from the Spanish authorities due to their relationship with the martyr, Burgos Rizal excelled in his studies and received high scholastic records in all subjects.
After graduating from Ateneo, Rizal wanted to enroll in a university, but his mother was apprehensive about his safety Eventually, his father and brother convinced her to allow him to attend the University of Santo Tomas where he first studied Philosophy and Letters and then Medicine. However, he was unhappy with the rampant discrimination he experienced from Spaniards towards Filipinos, including a Dominican priest who swore to never pass him in any subject As a result, Rizal left UST and decided to continue his medical studies in Spain
