Spanish Education and History in the Philippines Quiz

Rizal's Early Life

• Rizal's mother gathered all the children at the house to pray the Angelus at nightfall
• Rizal's first memory was a nocturnal walk in the town, especially when there was a moon
• The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow
• At the age of three, Rizal began to take part in the family prayers
• At five years old, Rizal was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible
• The Story of the Moth made a profound impression on Rizal - "died a martyr to its illusions"
• At five years old, Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in clay and wax objects that attracted his fancy
• Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children) - Rizal's first poem in native language at the age of eight, reveals Rizal's earliest nationalist sentiment
• At eight years old, Rizal wrote his first dramatic work, a Tagalog comedy

Influences on Rizal's Boyhood

• Hereditary influence
• Environmental influence
• Aid of Divine Providence
• Tio Jose Alberto - studied in a British school in Calcutta, India and traveled in Europe, inspiring Rizal's artistic ability
• Tio Manuel - encouraged Rizal to develop his frail body through physical exercises
• Tio Gregorio - a book lover, intensified Rizal's voracious reading of good books
• Father Leoncio Lopez - fostered Rizal's love for scholarship and intellectual honesty

Early Education

• The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, a remarkable woman of good character and fine culture
• Maestro Celestino - Rizal's first private tutor
• Maestro Lucas Padua - Rizal's second tutor
• Leon Monroy - a former classmate of Rizal's father, became Rizal's tutor, instructing him in Spanish and Latin

Rizal's Family

• Parents:
  • Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) - born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818
  • Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911) - born in Manila on November 8, 1826
• Eleven children, including Rizal, with two boys and nine girls