Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

Photo of the original house

This is the house that Don Francisco Mercado built for his family. It is massive and solid. The ground floor was of lime and stone. Its upper floor was made from the best hardwoods, the Narra and Molave logs which Don Francisco personally selected from the nearby forest of Makiling. Its roof was of red tiles. The site was located in the center of the town, near the church and the plaza along Calle Real. It took two years to complete this house.

Birthplace of Jose Rizal

Did you know that the original house of Dr. Jose Rizal was destroyed? President Elpidio Quirino commissioned Architect Juan Nakpil to research, design and construct a house that would be a replica of the original house. Under Executive Order No. 145 of Pres. Quirino, this house has been restored with funds mainly coming from the contributions of schoolchildren of the Philippines. And on June 19, 1950, the house has been inaugurated.

Back of the Rizal's House

Why is Rizal's house painted green? Ambeth Ocampo said that the National Historical Institute (NHI) chose the hue of green to honor the memory of the Rizals and their way of life. It highlights and informs the visitor of the meaning of the surname. Rizal came from the Spanish word 'ricial' which means 'green field ready for harvest'. Don Francisco chose this surname for his family since he is a farmer and green fields are their source of living. Jose is the first in the family to use the surname Rizal.

Now, let's go inside.....

Registration Area

Once you get inside the house, you will have to sign in a logbook and register. Next to it is a donation box. You will find pictures on the wall of people related to Rizal and of information relating to Rizal, the house and his family. 

An Extraordinary Childhood

Quotation on the wall

The staircase

This is the staircase that leads to the upper story. The stone steps are said to be part of the original foundation. 

Let's go up and see what the house should look like in the time of Rizal.

Caida

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, you will find an area that they call the caida. It is the area after the grand stair. This is where visitors are entertained and served refreshments. But it is said that this room was also used as a library by the family. Francisco Mercado collected many books covering a wide range of topics. The collection was estimated to be about 1000 books. 

Comedor

Right next to the caida is the dining room or the comedor. The dining room is separated from the kitchen or cocina. Nowadays, the kitchen and the dining area are confined in a single area of the house. 

This window in the dining room looks out into the garden at the back of the house. 

After the dining room, you will enter the sala or the living room. This is where relatives and close friends would gather and converse. 

There are three bedrooms in the house. To the right of the living room is the room for the girls in the family. Opposite it is the room of the two brothers, Jose and Paciano. Next to it is the room of the spouses Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo

Bedroom of Jose
Rizal's Sisters

Bedroom Jose shared with his
brother Paciano

Bedroom of Jose's
Mother and Father

And now we will go to the kitchen or cocina. As I've said before, the kitchen is separated from the dining room. The kitchen in this house is adjacent to the caida.

And adjacent to the cocina is the toilet and bath. It is a structure that is separated from the main house.

And this is probably how they get their water into the house.

And this is where we will exit the tour of the house.

In the Garden....at the back of the house....

This is the Bahay Kubo or Nipa
Hut where Pepe and his siblings play.



                           


                   A statue of Pepe and his pet dog.




Museum and Memorabilia

           

                       

                                 

    

                                             

Ngayong malapit na ang aking kamatayan, ikinalulungkot ko na 

iiwan kitang mag-isa sa pagdadala ng ating buong angkan 

at ating matatanda nang mga magulang. 

Iniisip ko ngayon ang lahat ng hirap mo 

sa pagtulong mo sa akin. Naniniwala ako na nagawa ko 

ang aking pinakamahusay na magagawa na 

walang masayang na panahon. 

Aking kapatid na Paciano, 

kung mapait man ang bunga, ang may sala ay tadhana...

I saw this ad at the souvenir shop in the shrine. It won't hurt to read a little more and maybe you might find it interesting.

This is the retirement home of Gen. Paciano Rizal, located beside Laguna de Bay in Los Banos, Laguna. It was designed and built in 1926 by the Architect Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of the illustrious painter, Juan Luna. The design of the house reflects the noble simplicity of Paciano. After the restoration of peace following the Revolutionary War, Paciano returned to a useful life of farming. He quietly lived here until his death in 1930. The basic structure of the house and its simple layout have been preserved but all the original fixtures and furnishings have been lost or destroyed during the Japanese-American War. In the course of time, renovations and improvements on the property had to be made and the surrounding environmental changes have been inevitably altered its once idyllic location.

On these hallowed grounds now lie the remains of Gen. Paciano together with his sisters Josefa and Trinidad. A statue in his honor is set in the garden, as if looking out beyond the waters, towards the shores of his beloved Calamba, the hometown of the Rizal Family. 

The Paciano Rizal Family welcomes visitors to this shrine by appointment only. Please text or call Ms. Ester at 0919-9227829.