The early days of Rizal

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: The early days of Rizal
Year: 1940
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Fulltext: THE YOUNG CITIZEN December, 1940 HISTORY SECTION THE EARLY DAYS OF RIZAL The Birthplact of Ri%al JOSE RIZAL, destined to be the great Filipino martyr, was born in Calamba, June 19, 1861. A biographer states that he· was by birth a typical Filipino, for "few persons in this land of mixed blood could boast a greater mixture than his." All his ancestors were immigrants to the Philippines, and included early Malays, Chinese of prehistoric times in the Philippines, and Spaniards of Castile and Valencia. · A short time before Jose Rizal was born, his father built a home in the center of Calamba, a town on the south shore of Laguna de Bay. The house was of typical Philippine-Spanish construction, as shown in the photograph on this page, and must have been a very pretentious dwelling for those days, ·eighty years ago. In the nearby church Jose was christened when he was three days old. His godfather was a Filipino priest of Calamba namec! Father Pedro Casanas, and the priest who christened him was also a Filipino named Father Rufino Collantes. When Jose was three years old he learned his AB C's, because he said in his baby way that since his elder sister was being taught to read, he wanted to be taught also. At that early age, one day, so the story goes, his mother found him with his sister's story book propped up before him spelling out the words. As a boy Jose was not a strong child, so he was carefully nurtured. His mother was his first teacher, and it was she who tau_ ght him to read. She imparted to him also many other things which were useful to him in later life. The Calamba churcli and convento, built several years after the great earthqu~ke of 1863, was near his boyhood home. He spent much of his time there as 'l young boy, because, as he said, he liked "to watch the people." The kindly priest at fir6t tolerated the little boy about his church and living quarters, but soon the youngster became . "a welcome visitor." According to the priest, the boy never disturbed the meditations-often words spoken aloud-of the clergyman, but listened seriously to the remarks of the good priest. Sometimes Jose asked for information from the priest, who always gave a sensible answer or careful explanation to .what the boy asked. When the lad was seven years old, with his parents he made a journey which he never forgot. This was a trip to visit the famous image which had been brought to Antipolo in 1672 from Mexico, after having been carried in galleons as the patron saint of voyages across the Pacific. We are told that "a print of the Virgin, a souvenir of this pilgrimage, was, acDecember, 1940 THE YOUNG CITIZEN cording to the custom of those times, pasted inside Jose's wooden chest when he left home for school; later on it was preserved in an al'bum and went with him in all his travels." Often in the boyhood home of Rizal there were visitors. Some of these persons were of high social rank. No doubt the boy listened to their conversation, and since he was a child of serious mind, the conversation of his parents' guests must have helped to mold the character of this unusual boy. When .Jose was nine. years old, he was sent to study at Biiian, a. town not far from Calamba.. The boy stndie<l here a short time, and then it was decided to send him to school in Manila. went in the latter part of February, 1872, although he himself said that the formal beginning of his studies was in June of that year. The first school which he entered was San Juan de Letran, but soon he went back to Calamba. In July he 'entered another school, the famous Ateneo. While attending this school he was a "day pupil" until his fourth year. At that time the Ateneo was a very popular school in Manila, and there were many students in the school. During his brief stay at Biiian, the boy The Church at Colombo Which Rir:al Attended as a Boy. During his last two years in the school Rizal was boarding student. The Ateneo then was like our present ·high schoo'ls, but not so advanced nor so thorough. The method of instruction was that used by had learned much. He had numerous relatives in the place. Among them was an uncle, Jose Alberto, who had been educated in a school in India in which he had spent eleven years. While J ose was in his uncle's home in Biiian, a distinguished visitor from Hongkong, Sir John Bowring, governor of Hongkong, was a guest. Doubtless the visit of this notable Englishman made a great and lasting impression upon the observant youth. In Manila the first place in which Rizal lived was a nipa house to which he the Jesuits. According to this system there was always a review of the lesson of the previous day, questions on the lesson of the day, and an explanation of the lesson for the next day. This was an excellent system and Rizal·benefited very much from such instruction. While in the Ateneo Rizal frequently wrote poetry. Some of his verses were taken to Calamba for his mother's criticisms and suggestions. He won a prize with one of his poems which he called Al luventud Filipino (To the Philippine (Please turn to page 479.) December, 191-0 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 479 EARLY DAYS OF RIZAL this city, founded by the REVIEW (Continued from page 467) ancient Romans, made a 1. Where and when was Youth.). A translation of grea't impression upon the Jose Rizal born? the first stanza of this poem youthful traveler. Then he 2. Who were his ancesis as follows: went to Madrid, where he tors? Hold high the brow entered the University of 3. Tell of the family serene, Madrid. Here he began to residence in Calamba. 0 y'outh, where now you study medicine, as well as 4. Te 11 of the boy's stand; literature and philosophy. christening. Let the bright sheen He also had training in 5. Tell of his eariy deOf your grace be seen, sculpture, drawing, . and sire to learn to read. Fair hope of my father- painting, and in addition 6. Tell of the boy's early land! had private lessons in !an- physical characteristics. After Rizal graduated guages. His college days in 7. How was the boy with highest honors from Madrid were busy days, al- treated by the parish priest? the Ateneo, he entered the though he found time to 8. Tell of his pilgrimage University of Santo Tomas. meet with a group of Fili- to Antipolo. Here he studied agriculture pino students from time to 9. What was done with and philosophy, and began time, and !Cl att~nd the his print of the Virgin? to specialize in medicine. theater occasionally. Later, IO. Tell of visitors at his While a student in Santo Rizal studied in Paris and home. Tomas, he decided to con- Berlin. 11. Where was he sent at tinue his education outside . After some more travel the a e of nine years? of the Philippines. m France and Italy, Riza,l, Why? g With the help of his now." young man, starte.d 12. Tell of his stay at brother, he started to Eu- on his return tr,1p to Mam- Bifian. rope for further study. On la. He had been gone seven 13. Tell of his early life his way he stopped at Singa- years. When he arrived at in Manila. pore, the first modern city Manila, he immediately I 4. What school did he he had ever seen. At Singa- started for his home at Ca- first enter? pore he embarked on a Iamba. 15. What school did he French steamer and sailed Rizal had now become a next enter? for Europe via the .Suez skillful doctor and surgeon. 16. Tell of his school life. Canal. When enroute he His first surgical operation at the Ateneo. saw something of the city in the. Philippi?es was a~ 17. Tell of his early poetof Aden and a little of operat10n on his mother s ical efforts. Egypt. He arrived at Na- eyes. Doctor Rizal soon 18. What university did ples, and from thence went achieved local fame, and Rizal next enter? to Marseilles in France. had patients from all parts I 9. Where did he later deFrom this French port he of Luzon. cide to go? went by rail to Barcelona, The remainder of this 20. Tell of h0 is journey to 'lpain. hero's life until his martyr- Spain. He remained in Barce- dom belongs to the history 21. What did he study in Iona a short time. Evidently of the Philippines. the University of Madrid?