José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the pre-eminent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. He is widely considered the greatest Filipino hero and a de facto national hero. The anniversary of Rizal's death (December 30) is commemorated as a holiday.




I am a native of Calamba, Laguna so I thought of showcasing the place here in my blog. Rizal Shrine was recently renovated and painted with Green, because according to them Rizal means "rice fields". I think changing its color was an issue with the National Historic Institute (NHI), but I don't know its status at the moment. Many of the Rizal family properties are no longer in this house. Maybe they are already placed in the other museums. But I still encourage the students to come visit Rizal Shrine, there are still many things that can be learned about our history. There are memorabilias of Jose Rizal's childhood, his written works, and some pictures. The entrance is free and photography for personal use is welcome.








The name of Calamba, came from the word "kalan" that means clay stove and "banga" that means water jar. Here's the story behind the name:

"During the Spanish period, two guardia civil (soldiers) were lost. As they walked around the place, they met a young lady who was carrying a jar of water and a wooden stove. In order to conceal the fact that they were lost, the soldiers asked her the name of the place using the Spanish language . The maiden, who do not understand Spanish, thought she was being asked on what she was carrying. She answered kalan-banga. It was believed that because the Spaniards could not pronounce kalan-banga properly, the town was then called Calamba."

Few meters from Rizal Shrine is a giant claypot built in 1939 where the names of the different barangays that comprises Calamba are inscribed.