{"id":15887,"date":"2014-06-18T23:49:42","date_gmt":"2014-06-18T15:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=15887"},"modified":"2014-06-18T23:51:25","modified_gmt":"2014-06-18T15:51:25","slug":"pepes-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/06\/18\/pepes-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Pepe’s Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A replica of Jose Rizal’s childhood home. Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cRizal\u2019s house in Calamba is not just a tourist spot, it is a place that should inform, educate and inspire. It should open our eyes to new ways of seeing,\u201d wrote Ambeth Ocampo<\/a>, renowned historian and former chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines<\/a> or NHCP.<\/p>\n

While the kids of today are busy exercising their fingers on the latest tablet or phone (or their hybrid called \u2018phablet\u2019), our national hero spent his childhood roaming around his home in Calamba.<\/p>\n

Every corner was an exploration, every afternoon an adventure.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at Pepe as told by his childhood abode\u2014the walls that shaped the man we came to know as Jos\u00e9 Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, or simply Jos\u00e9 Rizal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The hallway leading to the AVR Room. Photo by Ching Dee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shrine that was once a home<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, he longed for his childhood home \u201clike a weary swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rizal Shrine\u2014once the refuge of the Rizal family\u2014is perhaps Calamba\u2019s top tourist destination. While Pansol has hot springs and Paete has wood carvings, Calamba has always had Rizal\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

It may be a typical bahay na bato<\/em> that was built during the Spanish regime, but it was the biggest residence in Calamba at the time.<\/p>\n

According to the NHCP, the house we see today is a reproduction of the original house where Rizal grew up\u2014with a few pieces of original furniture placed here and there (more original pieces are found at the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago, Manila). The original house was destroyed during World War II and the Philippine government decided to buy the ruins for PhP 24,000 (or CAD $600) through Executive Order No. 145 of President Elpidio Quirino<\/a>. National Artist for Architecture Juan F. Nakpil supervised the reconstruction and the house was inaugurated on what would have been Pepe\u2019s 54th<\/sup> birthday on June 19, 1950.<\/p>\n

According to museum curator Olga Palacay, Juan Nakpil regularly consulted Pepe\u2019s youngest sister Trinidad during the reconstruction to maintain the original look as much as possible.<\/p>\n

Several modern additions were made on the house and entire property, including an audio-visual room and museum holding historical artifacts in 1997, CCTV cameras, an elevator for guests on wheelchairs, as well as a new azotea<\/em> leading to the exit. On the centennial celebration of Jose Rizal\u2019s death, artist Dudley Diaz created a sculpture of a young Pepe and his dog. It is now on display in the property grounds, near the replica of Pepe\u2019s nipa hut.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A young Jose Rizal and his dog. Sculpture by Dudley Diaz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A replica of Pepe’s nipa hut. Photo by Ching Dee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Lawn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even with today\u2019s standards, the Rizal property\u2014or rather, the Mercado property\u2014in Calamba is massive.<\/p>\n

When Pepe was about four years old, his uncle Manuel and uncle Gregorio\u2014his mother\u2019s cousins\u2014taught him life lessons he cherished \u2018til the very end.<\/p>\n

Seeing the boy\u2019s frail state, Uncle Manuel taught Pepe to appreciate nature in all its beauty and get as much fresh air as possible. Meanwhile, Uncle Gregorio said to young Pepe, \u201cWork hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be independent in thinking and make visual pictures of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before heading off to Bi\u00f1an to start his formal education, young Pepe spent many afternoons in his small nipa hut by the lawn. This is where he created sculptures and wrote poems\u2014most of which we still know today.<\/p>\n

In fact, Pepe wrote his first poem “Sa Aking Mga Kabata<\/em>” at the tender age of eight.<\/p>\n

Today, the lush lawn has a replica of Pepe\u2019s nipa hut, a sculpture of a young Pepe with his dog, as well as several fruit bearing trees like santol and mabolo.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Rizal's<\/a>
Rizal’s self-portrait and a doll. Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Ground Floor<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ground floor is made of stone and bricks, which served as a garage for a carriage or two as well as a stable for their horses.<\/p>\n

Today, the ground floor contains several facsimiles of Rizal\u2019s birth certificate, notes, and even a doodle of himself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Main<\/a>
Main living room. Photo by Ching Dee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Living Area<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ascending the grand wooden staircase to the second level, one will see Pepe\u2019s father\u2019s caida<\/em>, which also serves as a library. The wooden floor and furniture\u2014framed by the light filtering through the capiz windows\u2014creates a nostalgic feeling.<\/p>\n

Pepe himself discovered worlds through his father\u2019s library by reading books. On a personal note, I believe this is the birthplace of Pepe\u2019s consciousness\u2014his thirst for education and wisdom that fueled him to be a poet, an artist, a doctor, a writer, and most of all\u2014a hero.<\/p>\n

The lack of electricity and modern methods of entertainment means more time with the family, and the Rizals were no exception. After having dinner, the family would often gather to the living area\u2014a table with seats by the huge window\u2014to listen to their parents\u2019 stories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Master's<\/a>
Master’s bedroom. Photo by Ching Dee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The girls’ bedroom. Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Bedrooms<\/strong><\/p>\n

The upper level has three bedrooms\u2014one for the girls, one for the boys, and the master\u2019s bedroom for Pepe\u2019s parents Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo.<\/p>\n

The girls\u2019 bedroom has a four-poster bed, a vanity, a cabinet, and Trinidad\u2019s original sewing machine.<\/p>\n

The master\u2019s bedroom was kept simple: just a four poster bed\u2014where Pepe was born, a vanity, and a table with two chairs by the capiz window overlooking the street.<\/p>\n

Pepe and his older brother Paciano\u2014whom some consider as Pepe\u2019s best friend and confidante\u2014slept in the boys\u2019 room, which still has the two-sink vanity for the boys. Palacay shared on a GMA News report last year that the sisters\u2014all nine of them\u2014would often drag their banig<\/em> and sleep in the boys\u2019 room to swap stories with them. It is said that it was in his room that Pepe learned his prayers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The dining table by the kitchen with the ‘punkah.’ Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Formal<\/a>
Formal dining hall. Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The kitchen. Photo by Leovic Arceta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Dining Hall and Kitchen<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second level also contains the formal dining hall where the Rizal couple welcomed guests for get-togethers.<\/p>\n

Even today, the heavy wooden table and accompanying seats are well maintained.<\/p>\n

Despite having a fancy dining table, the family often shared meals in their informal dining room near the kitchen. A punkah<\/em>\u2014a manually operated fan of Indian influence\u2014hung over the table and kept the family cool during the meal.<\/p>\n

According to historians, the kitchen was Pepe\u2019s first classroom where he learned the alphabet with the help of his mother when he was only three years old. One year later, he started learning latin with his father\u2019s former classmate Leon Monroy.<\/p>\n

Just outside the kitchen door is the azotea, where Pepe often listened to his yaya\u2019s \u201cskeletons and [buried] treasures, and trees that bloomed with diamonds.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than edible nourishment, Pepe was surely filled with education and imagination in his home.<\/p>\n

Rizal Shrine is located at F. Mercado Street, Calamba City, Laguna. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday at 8:00am to 4:00pm. It is easily accessible by jeep or by tricycle from the Calamba City Central Terminal.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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