BatangRizal Organization members
Rizal Shrine is one of the top tourist draws in the developing City of Calamba. This shrine is is a reconstruction of the ancestral home of Calamba’s greatest son, Dr. José P. Rizal. The original house was destroyed during World War II, and through Executive Order No. 145 by President Elpidio Quirino, the house was restored through the supervision of National Artist Juan Nakpil. The shrine was then inaugurated in 1950.
In 1848, Rizal’s parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, who were originally from Biñan, Laguna, got married and settled in Calamba. The house they built was of the Spanish architectural style of that time and was one of the first stone and hardwood houses in Calamba. On June 19, 1861, Rizal was born inside that house and was the seventh among the eleven children of Francisco and Teodora. He was baptized “José Rizal Mercado” at the Calamba Church right next door
Rizal’s family were driven away due to pressure from the Spanish authorities and the house was sold to a Spaniard Don Isidro for 24,000 Philippine pesos. The house was destroyed during the Second World War and after the war, the Philippine government bought what remains of the property for 27,000 pesos.
Today, the shrine serves as a museum containing memorabilias of Rizal’s earlier childhood. On the grounds is a statue of the boy Rizal and his pet dog. The lot is also where Rizal’s parents remains were transferred. Visitors can enter the shrine everyday and there’s no entrance fee, but donations are welcome.
The town of Calamba was originally part of an estate owned by the Jesuits from 1759 to 1768. It was acquired by a Spaniard in 1803, then by the Dominicans in 1883. Rizal’s parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, were from the neighboring town of Biñan but opted to settle in Calamba when they got married in 1848. They built the first stone and hardwood house in Calamba which is now known as the Rizal Shrine.
After the Rizals were driven out of Calamba by the Spaniards, the house was sold to a certain Don Isidro — said to be the brother of the Governor — for 24,000 Philippine pesos (US$460.679 at PhP52.097=$1) and he had it rented out. But after WWII, it was in ruins. The government purchased the property for PhP27,000 but the house was no longer standing.