Chapter 2:

CHILDHOOD YEARS IN
CALAMBA
 Jose Rizal, just like Filipino boys, had many
beautiful memories of childhood.
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 child hood years and profoundly
affected his mind and character.
Calamba, The Hero's Town Calamba was a hacienda
town 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 in
somnolent grandeur.
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, and beyond it
towards the north is the
distant Antipolo

famous mountain shrine of

the 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.
He wrote a poem " Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo( In
Memory of My Town)

 EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By

nightfall, his mother gathered all the children at the house to
pray the Angelus.
With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the happy moonlit
nights at the azotea after the rosary.
The aya related stories to Rizal and his siblings many
stories about fairies; tales of buried treasure and trees
with blooming diamonds, and other fabulous stories.
 EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
Sometimes, when he did not like to take his supper, the aya
would treaten him that the aswang, the nuno, the tigbalang,
or a terrible bearded Bombay would come to take him away
if he would not eat his supper.
Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in the
town, especially when there was a moon.
The aya took him for a walk in the moonlight by the river,
where the trees cast grotesque shadows o the bank.
 EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Recounting this childhood experience, Rizal

wrote:“Thus my heart fed on sombre and
melancholy thoughts so that even still a child, I
already wandered on wings of fantasy in the
high regions of the unknown.”
 THE HERO’S FIRST SORROW

Jose loved most the little Concha (Concepcion). He was a

year older than Concha. He played with her and from her he
learned the sweetness of a sisterly love.
Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was
three years old. Jose, who was very fond of her, cried
bitterly at losing her. “When I was four years old, I lost my
little sister Concha, and then for the first time I shed tears
caused by love and grief…”
 DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH

Young Rizal was a religious boy. A scion of a Catholic

clan, born and bred in a wholesome atmosphere of
Catholicism, and possessed of an inborn spirit, Rizal grew
up a good Catholic.
At the age of 3, he began to take part in the family
prayers.
When he was five years old, he was able to read
haltingly the family bible.
 DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH
He loved to go to church to pray, to
take part in novenas, and to join the
religious processions. It is said that he
was so seriously devout that he was
laughingly called Manong Jose by the
Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras. 
One of the men he esteemed and
respected in Calamba during his
FATHER LEONCIO LOPEZ boyhood was the scholarly Father
Leoncio Lopez, the town priest.
 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO

On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left for

Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order
to fulfill his mother’s vow which was made when
Rizal was born. 
It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay
and his first pilgrimage to Antipolo. 
He and his father rode in a casco (barge).
 PILGRIMAGE TO ANTIPOLO
He was thrilled, as a typical boy should, by his first
lake voyage. He did not sleep the whole night as the
casco sailed towards the Pasig River because he
was awed by “ the magnificence of the watery
expanse and the silence of the night.
 After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of
Antipolo, Jose and his father went to Manila. That
was the first time that Rizal saw Manila.
 FIRST EDUCATION FROM MOTHER

Jose’s first teacher was his mother. 

At the age of 3, Jose learned the alphabet and
prayers from her. 
Seeing Rizal had a talent for poetry, she
encouraged him to write poems. She gave her all
her love and all that she learned in college.
 THE STORY OF THE MOTH

All the story told by Dona Teodora to Jose, it

was that of the young moth that made the
profoundest impression on him.
The tragic fate of the young moth, which died
a martyr to its illusions, left a deep impression
on Rizal’s mind.
Rizal asserted that to sacrifice one’s life for a
noble ideal is worthwhile.
ARTISTIC TALENTS
Since early childhood Rizal revealed
his God-given talent for art.
At the age of five, he began to
make sketches with his pencil and to
mold in clay and wax objects. 
He drew sketches and pictures on
books of his sisters, for which
reason he was scolded by his
mother.
 ARTISTIC TALENTS
He carved figures of animals and persons out of wood.
 Even before he learned to read, he could already
sketch pictures of birds, flowers, fruits, rivers,
mountains, animals and person. 
It is said that one day when Rizal was a mere boy in
Calamba, a religious banner which was always used
during fiesta was spoiled. Upon the request of the town
mayor, he painted in oil colors a new banner which as
better than the original one.
 ARTISTIC TALENTS

Jose had a soul of genuine artists. 

Rather an introvert child, with a skinny physique
and sad dark eyes, he found great joy looking at
the blooming flowers, the ripening fruits, the dancing
waves of the lake, and the milky clouds in the sky;
and the listening to the songs of the birds, the
chirpings of the cicadas, and the murmurings of the
breezes.
 ARTISTIC TALENTS
He loved to ride on a spirited pony (which his father
bought for him) or take long walks in the meadows
for him) or take long walks in the meadows and
lakeshore with his big black dog named Usman. 
In his room, he kept many statuettes which he made
out of clay and wax. 
One interesting anecdote of Rizal was the incident
about his clay and wax images.
 ARTISTIC TALENTS

One day, when he was about six years old, his

sisters laughed at him for spending so much time
making those images rather than participating in
their games. He kept silent but as they were
departing, he told them: “All right laugh at me
now! Someday when I die, people will make
monuments and images of me!”
 FIRST POEM BY RIZAL
Not only was little Jose skilled in brush, chisel, and pen-
knife, but also in pen. 
He was born poet. 
His mother encouraged him to write poetry.
 At an early age when children usually begin to learn
ABC, he was already writing poems.
 At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem in the
native language entitled Sa Aking mga Kababata (To
My Fellow Children).
 FIRST POEM BY RIZAL

This poem reveal Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment.

In poetic verses, he proudly proclaimed 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 equal to Latin, English, Spanish and
any other language.
 FIRST DRAMA BY RIZAL
Rizal, who was eight years old, wrote his first dramatic
work which was in Tagalog comedy. It is said that it was
staged in a Calamba festival and was delightfully
applauded by the audience. 
A gobernadorcillo from Paete, a town in Laguna,
happened to witness the comedy and liked it so much that
he purchased the manuscript for two pesos and brought
it to his how town. It was staged in Paete during town
fiesta.
 RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN

 Since early manhood Rizal had been interested in

magic. He learned various tricks such as making a coin
appear or disappear in his fingers and making a
handkerchief vanish in thin air. 
He entertained his town folks with magic-lantern
exhibitions. 
He also gained skill in manipulating marionettes (puppet
show).
 RIZAL AS BOY MAGICIAN

 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 the world. 
In chapter XVII and XVIII of his second novel, El
Filibusterismo (Treason), he revealed his wide
knowledge of magic.
 LAKESHORE REVERIES
During the twilight hours of summertime, Rizal,
accompanied by his dog, used to meditate at the shore
of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of his
oppressed people. 
Young that he was, he grieved deeply over the unhappy
situation of his beloved fatherland. 
The Spanish misdeeds awakened in his boyish heart a
great determination to fight tyranny.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

On the night Jose Rizal was born, other children were
born in Calamba and hundreds of other children were
also born all over the Philippines. But why is it that out
of all these children, only one boy – JOSE RIZAL – rose
to fame and greatness.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

 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 favorable influences, which few other
children in our country enjoyed.
1.Hereditary Influence
2.Environmental Influence
3.Aid of Divine Providence
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

 1.Hereditary Influence 
According to biological science there are inherent qualities
which a person inherits from ancestors and parents. 
Malayan ancestors- love for freedom, innate desire to
travel and indomitable courage. 
Chinese ancestors- serious nature, frugality, patience and
love for children.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

 1.Hereditary Influence 
Spanish ancestors- elegance of bearing, sensitivity to
insult and gallantry to ladies. 
Father - Profound sense of self-respect, the love
for work and the habit of independent thinking.
 Mother - religious nature, the spirit of
selfsacrifice and the passion for arts and literature.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

 2. Environmental Influences 
The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the
Rizal family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of
Jose Rizal. 
Paciano, instilled in his mind the love for freedom and justice. 
From his sisters, he learned to be courteous and kind to women.
 The fairy tales told by his aya awakened his interest in folklore
and legends.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD
 2. Environmental Influences 
There were 3 uncles, brothers of his mother, who played a great part in
the early education of Rizal. 
Tio Jose Alberto- inspired him to develop his artistic ability.
 Tio Manuel- encourage Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling,
and other sports, so that in later years Rizal’s frail body acquired
agility, endurance, and strength. 
Tio Gregorio-a book lover, instilled into his a great love for books. He
taught him to work hard, to think for himself, and to observe life
keenly.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD
2. Environmental Influences 
Father Leoncio Lopez- fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual
honesty. 
The sorrows in his family such as death of Concha in 1865 and the
imprisonment of his mother in 1871-74 contributed to strengthen his character,
enabling him to resist blows adversity in later years. 
The Spanish abuses and cruelties which he witnessed in his boyhood such as
brutal acts if the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and the alcalde, the unjust
tortures inflicted on innocent Filipinos and the execution of Fathers Gomez,
Burgos and Zamora in 1872 awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him
to consecrate his life and talents to redeem his oppressed people.
 INFLUENCES ON HERO’S BOYHOOD
3. Aid of Divine Providence 
Greater than heredity and environment in the fate of man is the aid
of Divine Providence.
A person may have everything in life brains, wealth, and power but
without the aid of Divine Providence one 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 him with the versatile gifts of a genius, the
vibrant spirit of a nationalist and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a
noble cause.
 Antonette Abella Jhon Kendree Abuel
CBA Picking 04
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