Lesson 1
Rizal Law and tha Advent of a
National Hero
Learning Objectives
• To know the legal bases of the study of Rizal course;
• To appreciate the historic background and its
corresponding details for which reason the Rizal
Law/s were actually enacted and eventually
promulgated;
• To critically assess the effectiveness of the Rizal
Course
Republic Act No. 1425
The Rizal Law
Republic Act No. 1425 – an act to include in the
curricula of all public and private schools,
colleges and universities courses on the Life,
Works, and Writing of Jose Rizal, particularly
his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, authorizing the printing and
distribution thereof, and for other purposes.
Republic Act No. 1425
• was approved on June 12, 1956;
• was written by Sen. Jose P. Laurel with a
comprised version of House Bill no. 5561
which came out on April 19, 1956 in the House
of Representatives and Senate Bill no. 428 on
April 3, 1956 by then Committee on
Education, led by Cong. Jacobo Gonzales and
Sen. Claro Recto known as Noli-Fili Bill.
Republic Act No. 229
an act to prohibit cockfighting, horse racing and
jai-alai on the thirtieth day of December of
each year and to create a committee to take
charge of the proper celebration of Rizal Day
in every municipality and chartered city, and
for other purposes.
Rizal Seeks to Accomplish
• To rededicate the lives of the youth to the
ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which
our heroes lived and died;
• To pay tribute to our national hero devoting
his life and works in shapin Filipino cahracter;
• To gain an inspiring source of patriotism
through the study of Jose Rizal’s life, works
and writings.
The Birth of a Hero
• Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861
(Wednesday) in the lakeshore town of
Calamba, Laguna Province, Philippines
• He was baptized on June 22, 1861 by Father
Rufino Collantes
• Father Collantes was impressed by the baby’s
big head and told the members of the family
• His godfather was Father Pedro Casanas
• Dr. Jose P. Rizal is a unique example of a
many-splendored genius who became the hero of
a nation. He was a physician ( ophthalmic
surgeon), pet, dramatist, essayist, novelist,
historian, architect, painter, sculptor, educator,
linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist,
surveyor, engineer, farmer, businessman,
economist, geographer, carthographer,
bibliophile, philologist, grammarian, folklorist,
philosopher, translator, inventor, magician,
humorist, satirist, polemicist, sportsman, traveler
and prophet.
Rizal is acclaimed the foremost hero in our country
Definition of the term hero include:
• “a prominent or central personage taking an
admirable part in any remarkable action or
event.”.
• “a person of distinguished valor or enterprise
in danger , or fortitude in suffering.”
• “a man honored after death by public
worship, because of exceptional service to
mankind.” (Emiliano C. de Catalina
Rizal’s Parents
• Father - Francisco Mercado Rizal
- born on May 11, 1818
- he studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of
San Jose in Manila
- he move to Calamba and became a
tenant-farmer of Dominican-owned hacienda
after his parents death
- Died on January 5, 1898, at the age of 80
- “a model of fathers” as Rizal called him
• Mother – Teodora Alonso Reaonda
- born on November 8, 1826 in Manila
- studied at the College of Santa Rosa- a
well-known collge for girls
- Died on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85
The Rizal Children
1. Saturnina (1850 – 1913) – oldest of the Rizal children, nicknamed
Neneng; she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas
2. Paciano (1851 – 1930) – older brother and confidant of Rizal, after
his brother’s execution, he joined the Phil. Revolution and became
a combat general; after the revolution, he retired to his farm in Los
Baños, where he lived as a gentleman farmer and died on April 13,
1930,an old bachelor aged 79. He had two children by his mistress
(Severina Decena) a boy and a girl.
3. Narcisa (1852 – 1939) – her pet name was Sisa and she married
Antonio Lopez
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 a nephew of Father Casanas. Herbosa died of cholera in
1889 and was denied christian burial because he was a
brother-in-lawof Dr. Rizal.
• 6. Maria (1859 – 1945) - Biang was her nickname; she married
Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
• 7. Jose (1861 – 1896) – the greatest Filipino hero and peerless
genius; his nickname was Pepe: during hiis exile in Dapitan he
lived with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from Hongkong; he had a
son by her but the baby-boy died a few hours after birth. Rizal
named him Francisco after his father and burried him in Dapitan.
• 8. Concepcion (1862-1865) – her pet name was Concha; she died
of sickness, her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
• 9. Josefa (1865 – 1945) – her pet name was Panggoy; she died an
old maid at the age of 80.
• 10. Trinidad (1868-1951) – Trining was her pet name; she died also
as an old maid in 1951 aged 83.
• 11. Soledad (1870-1929) – yougest, her pet name was Choleng,
she married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba.
Sibling relationship among the Rizal children was
affectionately cordial. Rizal called his older sister Doña
or Señora if married and Señorita if single.
And his relation to his only brother was more than
that of older brother but treated Paciano as asecond
father. He immortalized him in his first novel Noli Me
Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio. On June 23,
1888, he regarded Paciano as the most noble of
Filipios.
Rizal’s Ancestry
• Rizal was a product of the mixture of races.
Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese
and Spanish. Predominantly, he was a
Malayan and was a magnificent specimen of
Asian Manhood.
• Domingo Lameo – Rizal’s great-great grandfather
(father’s side)
- Chinese immigrant from the Fukien City of Changchow
who married in Manila about 1690.
- married a well-to-do Chinese Christian girl of Manila
named Ines de la Rosa.
- assumed the surname Mercado in 1731
• Francisco Mercado – son of Domingo Mercado and
Ines de la Rosa who resided in Biñan and married
to a Chinese-Filipino mestiza, Cirila Bernacha.
- was elected as gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of
the town
• Juan Mercado – one of the sons of Francisco and
Cirila Bernacha.
- Rizal’s grandfather
-married to Cirila Alejandra, Chinese-Filipino
mestiza
- Like his father, he was elected as gobernadorcillo
of Biñan
- They had thirteen (13) children, the youngest
being Francisco Mercado(Rizal’s father)
• Eugenio Ursua – Rizal’s maternal great-great
grandfather (Japanese Ancestry)
- married a Filipina named Benigna (surname
unknown)
- Brigida- one of their daughter married to
Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, a prominent
Spanish-Filipino mestizo of Biñan. Their
children were Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s
mother), Gregorio, Manuel and Jose.
• The surname Rizal
The real surname was Mercado, which was
adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lameo. Rizal’s family
acquired a second surname which is Rizal was
given by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial
governor) of Laguna, who was a family friend.
• The Rizal Home
The house of the Rizal family, where he was born
was one of the distinguished stone houses in
Calamba during Spanish time. It was two-storey
building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe
stones and hard-woods and roof with red tiles.
A Good and Middle-Class Family
• The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town
aristocracy in Spanish Philippines. It was one of the
distinguished families in Calamba.
• They harvested rice, corn and sugarcane from the farm and
they raised pigs, chickens and turkeys in their backyard. In
addition to the farming and stockraising, Doña Teodora
managed a general goods store and operated a small
flour-mill and a home-made ham press.
• They owned a carriage, which was a status symbol of the
ilustrados in Spanish Philippines and a private library (the
largest in Calamba) which consisted of more than 1,000
volumes.
Assessment
I. Enumerate the following:
1-3. Proponents of the Rizal Law
4-6. What does Rizal seek to accomplish?
7-10 Proof of Rizal being a many-splendored genius
II. Essay.
1. What is the significance of the Rizal Law to our
present day society?
2. Choose one of the any given definitions of a hero
which you think is best suited for Dr. Jose Rizal.
Explain why.
3. Make your own definition of a hero and identify the
person who suits your definition. Why?
References
Sources
Zaide, Gregorio F. and Zaide, Sonia M.: Rizal: Life, Works, and
Writings of a Genius Writer, Scienties, and National Hero. All
Nations Publishing Co., Inc. Quezon City, 1999
Coates, Austin: Rizal, Philippine Nationalist and Martyr.
Hongkong. Oxford University Press. 1968
Costa, Fr. H. de la S. j.: Trial of Rizal. Ateneo de Manila University
Press, 1961.
Dumlao, Rosario R. and Amparo D. Reyes: Rizal, Martyr and
Hero. Manila, 1960.
Ocampo, Esteban A. de. Rizal, A Biographical Sketch. Manila,
1956:
Galicia, Reynaldo M., Solmerano, Ernesto Thaddeus M. and
Palencia, Marjueve M.: The Life and Works of Rizal . Fastbooks
Educational Supply,Inc. March 2018