MODULE 2

RIZAL’S CULTURE ROOTS

 SECTION 1
The Chinese Mestizos and the
Formation of the Filipino Nationality
 CHINESE HISTORY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
In 1954, the Spanish Governor Luiz Perez
Dasmarinas created Binondo as a
permanent settlement for Chinese
mestizos who converted to Catholicism. In
this part of manila, Chinese merchants and
traders were free to do their business.
 BINONDO

is the oldest Chinatown in the world

near Intramuros but across the Pasig
river for catholic Chinese, it was
positioned so that colonial rulers
could keep a close eye on their
migrant subject. Binondo is also the
center of commerce and trade of
Manila, where all types of business
run by Filipino Chinese thrive.
 From the beginning of the Spanish colonial period until 1740, the
inhabitants In the Philippines were classified into three:
• Spaniards
• Indio's
• Chinese
But on 1741 it was reclassified into four according to tax payment
or tribute:
• Spaniards and Spanish mestizos’
• Indio's
• Chinese
• Chinese mestizo's
19TH CENTURY CHINESE MESTIZO

• Any person born of a Chinese father and Indio mother

• A Spanish mestiza who married a Chinese mestizo
• A child of Spanish mestiza and a Chinese mestizo

However, a Chinese mestiza and an Indio were listed as Indio’s.

SIGNIFICANCE OF A CHINESE MESTIZO

• Chinese mestizos’ became prominent and influential figures

in the areas of industry, commerce, and business during the
Spanish colonial period. They carried a lucrative commerce by
collecting goods from north and selling them in manila .they
monopolized the internal trading in the Philippines while the
Spanish mestizo’s were concerned with foreign trade.
SIGNIFICANCE OF A CHINESE MESTIZO

• The entrepreneurial power of the Chinese mestizos gave way to the

emergence of the Philippine middle class describe as “more active and
enterprising, more prudent and pioneering more oriented to trade and
commerce than the Indio’s”
• Formation of the Filipino identify was evident during the latter part of
the 19th century when the Spanish became clearly influential in the
economy of the Philippines as a Spanish colony. This caused the
Spaniards to be concerned with the ability of the Chinese mestizos to
cause discord in society.
SIGNIFICANCE OF A CHINESE MESTIZO

• By 1800s, Chinese mestizos in the provinces began to form opinions

regarding the opinions regarding the Spanish colonial rule. It was also
difficult to separate the Indio's from Chinese mestizos since they
identified themselves with each other socially and culturally. Chinese
mestizos shared grievances with the Indio's about the harsh condition
under the Spanish rule. Spaniards feared that the independent mindset
and liberalism of Chinese mestizos might influence the political
consciousness of Indio’s.
SIGNIFICANCE OF A CHINESE MESTIZO
• The most vivid manifestation of the
budding sense of Filipino nationalism
appeared in the late 1870s in the
writings of Padre Paterno and Gregorio
Sanciano, who were both Chinese
mestizo.
• Their writings were nurtured by Jose
Rizal , a known pride of the Malay race
but also a Chinese mestizo.
SIGNIFICANCE OF A CHINESE MESTIZO

• The significant role of the Chinese mestizos in the making of the

nation was highly evident at the turn of the century. The
involvement of the armed revolt against the colonizers showed
that they recognized Spain as the enemy –the oppressor. The
Philippine revolution of 1896 to 1898 was the act of
determination on the part of Filipinos -Indio's and Chinese
mestizos alike –to claim for themselves and for future
generations the incomparable birthright or nationhood.
 RIZAL AND THE CHINESE MESTIZOS

• Rizal is a fifth generation Chinese mestizo. However he and his father were
considered as a Indio's. Through his novels ,Rizal exposes the abuses and
corruption of the Spanish authorities , condemned the oppression of the people by
colonizers, and ridiculed the hypocrisy and overbearing attitude of the Spanish
friars. He also depicted the bloody revolution that sparked revolution that sparked
peoples fury and eventually led them to revolt.
• At the same time, as a sign of his contempt towards Chinese immigrants ,his
novels brimmed with insult and scorn for them.
Click icon to add picture

FAMILY, CHILDHOOD,
AND EARLY
EDUCATION OF RIZAL
Section 2
 The Rizal family was known to be well-off family in Calamba,
Laguna and they were considered as one of the biggest families in
those times. They lived a life of comfort and prosperity, then
considered that his family belonged to the principalia class or the
ruling elite of their town. Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family,
consisted of his father Don Francisco Mercado II and his mother
Teodora Alonso Realonda. Jose Rizal had nine sisters and one
brother. Saturnina Rizal was the eldest child among the
siblings, followed by Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Jose,
Concepcion, Josefa and the youngest was Soledad.
 Rizal came from a mixture of races, his paternal ascendant was
Domingo Lam-co, a full-blooded Chinese. He married a wealthy
Chinese mestiza, Ines de la Rosa. Domingo Lam-co adopted the
surname Mercado, which means “market” in keeping the
gubernatorial decree of Narciso Claveria on the use of Spanish
surnames. From the Parian in Manila, the coupled moved to
Biñan, Laguna and became tenants in the Dominican hacienda.
Rizal’s father is one of the 14 children of Juan Mercado, paternal
grandfather and his grandmother was Cirila Alejandrino, a
Chinese-Filipino mestiza. Juan Mercado became a
gobernadoracillo of Biñan Laguna. Rizal’s maternal great
grandfather was Manuel de Quintos, a Chinese mestizo from
Lingayen, Pangasinan. Manuel married Regina Ursua, with a
Japanese ancestry to whom they bore the grandmother of Rizal,
Brigida who married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, one of their.
DON FRANCISCO RIZAL MERCADO
Click icon to add picture
(1818-1898)
Rizal’s father was born on May 11, 1818 and was
the youngest of his 13 siblings. Mercado was a
well-respected man in their home town of
Calamba in which citizens made him the their
"cabeza de barangay" (head of town.) He was of
part Chinese descent, having been related to a
Chinese entrepreneur by the name of Domingo
Lam-co. Mercado die shortly after Rizal in the
home of his daughter, Narcisa Rizal in Binondo,
Manila on January 5, 1898.
 Click icon to add picture
TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1911)

Doña Teodora Alonso was born on November 14,

1827 in Santa Cruz Manila. Her parents were
Lorenzo Alonso, a municipal captain and Brijida de
Quintos, an educated housewife and had four other
siblings . It is said that her great grandfather, Eugenio
Ursua was of Japanese ancestry making her of
Japanese descent. When Teodora was 20 years old,
she married Francisco Mercado, a native from Binan,
Laguna. Together they prospered in Calamba after
involving themselves in business and agriculture. She
was known to be a hardworking, intelligent, business
minded woman. She died in 1913 in Manila.
 SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Saturnina Mercado Rizal Hidalgo

was born in 1818 and was the
eldest sister of Jose Rizal. She had
five children together with husband
Manuel T. Hidalgo and died the
same year as her mother in 1913.
 PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
General Paciano Mercado Rizal aka "Lolo Ciano"
was the only brother of Jose Rizal. He was born in
1851 and studied in Biñan later attending school at
the Colegio de San Jose in Manila. After the
execution of his brother, he joined in the Philippine
Revolution where he rose up to the ranks of a
General. He later married Severina Decena of Los
Banos and had two children of which one died at
an early age. Paciano passed away in 1930.
 NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)

Narcisa Rizal Lopez was born in 1852 and

was the one who found the unmarked grave
of her brother, Jose in the abandoned Old
Paco Cemetery. Narcisa married Antonio
Lopez who was a teacher and musician from
Morong, Rizal. She died in 1938
 OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
Olympia Rizal Ubaldo was born in 1855.
She married Silvestre Ubaldo and together
they had three children. She died in 1887
from childbirth when she was only 32 years
old
 LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

The fifth child. She married Mariano

Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of
Fr. Casanas, Jose Rizal's godfather. Herbosa
died of cholera in 1889 and was denied of
Christian burial being the brother-in-law of
Rizal.
 JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)

The second son and seventh child.he was born on June

19, 1861 - Wednesday, between 11:00 and 12:00
midnight in the town of Calamba, province of Laguna,
Philippines.his nickname was Pepe.
June 22, 1861 - he was baptized in the Catholic
Church in Calamba.
Father Rufino Collantes- the parish priest who
baptized Rizal
December 30,1896-he was executed by the Spaniards.
 CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)

The eight child. Died at the age of three. She is

fondly called ‘concha’ by her siblings. Jose loved
Concha who was a year younger than him .Jose
played games and shared children stories with
her .She was Jose first grief as he mournfully
wept when she died at sickness in 1865. In Rizal's
memoir he wrote “when I was four years old, I
lost my sister concha, and then for the first time
e shed tears caused by love and grief.
 JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

The ninth child . An epileptic , died in a spinster. She

is nicknamed as ``panggoy”. after Jose was
executed, Josefa joined the Katipunan. She was one
of the original 29 women admitted to the
Katipunan along with Gregoria de Jesus, wife of
Andress Bonifacio. They secured the secret papers
and documents of the society. The danced and sang
during meetings to confuse civil guards that the
meetings where just harmless social gatherings.
 TRINIDAD RIZAL(1868-1951)
The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the
family to die.”Trining” along with their mother, joined
Jose in Dapitan and resided with him in his square
house during his exile. A day before Jose’s execution,
Trining and their mother visited him at fort Santiago
prison cell. As they were living, Jose handed over to
Trining an alcohol cooking stove, a gift from Pardo
de Taveras, whispering to her in a language which
the guard could not understand, "there is something
in it". That something was Rizal's elegy now known
as “Mi ultimo Adios". Like Josefa and two nieces,
Trinidad joined the Katipunan after Rizal's death.
 SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)
Soledad Rizal Quintero was born in 1870 making her
the youngest of the Rizal siblings. She married Pantaleon
Quintero and together they had 5 children. She was a
teacher and probably the best educated among Jose’s
teacher, which made Jose very proud of her. However,
Jose reprimanded her for getting married to Pantaleon of
calamba without their parents consent. Jose was very
much against women who allows themselves to be
courted outside their homes. He sad to Choleng “if you
have sweetheart, behave towards him nobly and with
dignity, instead of resorting to secret meetings and
conversations which do nothing but lower women's worth
in the eyes of man. You should value more esteem more
your honor and you will be more esteemed and valued”.
 CHILDHOOD OF RIZAL

• Jose was already seen as a welcome companion by many adults because he was very
respectful and polite. He spent many of his childhood days in their family garden, his
parents also made sure to watch over him at all times because he was frail and sickly.
His father also built him a nipa hut where he could play during the day.
• In his childhood, Jose was very curious about the things around him , this is why he
enjoyed very much the stories that his mother told him which also made him
interested in legends and folklore.
• Since the family of Rizal was religious, Teodora made sure to teach Jose all the
important prayers, especially the Angelus. Along with his siblings and parents, he
recited the Angelus daily. Through his family, he was exposed to catholic teachings
and values.
 EDUCATION OF RIZAL

• Jose Rizal’s first teacher was his mother. By three years old , Jose already
able to recite the alphabet because of his mother guidance. Aside from his
mother ,he also had a private tutor, Leon Monroy, who thought him the
rudiments of Latin. Jose was also thought by his Uncle Manuel Alberto and
uncle Gregorio.
• Jose had his early education in Calamba and Binan, his education was
focused on reading, writing, arithmetic and religion. His first teacher in Binan
was Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
• In terms of academics, Jose was the most outstanding among all his
classmates. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects .
 RIZAL'S INFLUENCES
• Jose Rizal’s grew up by influences that have contributed to the development
of his nationalist sensibilities. From his father, Francisco, Rizal learned the
value of self respect, love for work, and independent thinking.
• His greatest influence was his mother, it was from her that Jose got his
religiosity, a high sense of self sacrifice, and lower the arts. His love for
freedom and justice was inculcated in him by Paciano while his siters
thought him to be respectful and kind to women.
• Part of his extended family that play a great role in his character
development were his uncles also thought him valuable lessons in life. An
equally important influence on the character of Rizal was the environment
he grew up in.
 Section 3

AGRARIAN RELATIONS AND THE FRIAR

LANDS
 BRIEF HISTORY OF FRIAR
ESTATES
IN THE PHILIPPINES
The origin of the friar estates can be
traced back to the land grants
awarded to the early Spanish
conquistadores who arrived in the
Philippines during the late 16th and
17th centuries.
 HISTORY OF THE FRIAR
LANDS
The existence of friar lands in Philippines can be
traced back to the early Spanish colonial period
when Spanish conquistadors were awarded lands
in form of haciendas for their loyalty to the
Spanish crown. Approximately 120 Spaniards were
granted either large tracts of land called sitio de
Ganado mayor or smaller tracts called caballerias.
• When the export of agricultural crops started to blossom in the 18 th
century, the inquilinato system was input into place. In the system, one
who rented land for a fixed annual amount, an inquilino , was expected
to give personal services to the landlords. The inquilinos could also lease
the land they were renting from the landlord to a kasama or
sharecropper. Who would then be responsible for cultivating the land.
The inquilinato system functioned as a three layered systems with the
landlords on top, the inquilinos in the middle, and the kasama at the
bottom.
HACIENDA DE CALAMBA DISPUTE

• It was originally owned by a Spaniard who donated the land to Jesuit

friars to allow him to permanently stay in the Jesuit monastery.
However, since the Jesuits were expelled form the Philippines, the
hacienda went to the possession of the Spanish colonial government.
• In 1803, the land was sold to Don Clemente de Azansa. After his death,
it was eventually sold to the Dominicans who claimed the ownership of
the hacienda until late 19th century.