Revisiting Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

* still, the (avocado) green-coated Rizal Shrine

* the grand staircase of the house; I cannot help but recall the event when Rizal walked out of an occasion when Fr. Leoncio Lopez questioned Rizal’s ability to make good poems

* commemorative coins for Rizal

* a portrait of Rizal made by G.T. Nepomuceno

* replicas, I think, of the simple tools for grinding and storing rice


* one of the rooms upstairs
* another upstairs room

* this image of Rizal has a 1927 date on one of its lower corner; I wonder if this is an original or a reproduction

* one cannot help but notice this white house just across the street; it has been there ever since I first visited the shrine

It is always good to have free afternoons. And when one time such opportunity came, we opted to revisit the Rizal Shrine.

Although I have visited the place more than ten times already, I always find the visits mentally rejuvenating. The place is very conducive for picturing mentally Rizal’s childhood – the lush trees, the imposing church across the street, the guardia civil quarters opposite the house, Calle Real. Mount Maquiling was still visible from their house during his childhood and it must have been a very lovely scene.

We have been speculating about the old stone wall still visible opposite the shrine. The place now houses a store. If I could have only dated the structure, at least visually, it would be good to know if the wall was still part of the old guardia civil quarters.

* a painting entitled “Agawang Buko” by Romeo Dianzon showing children playing with the buco; I wonder if there are children still doing this

* a small-scale reproduction of the Rizal Shrine

* one of Rizal’s coats; I cannot recall if this one was part of the coat Rizal wore when he was executed in Bagumbayan (now Luneta Park)

* a certificate of Rizal during his student days

* embroidered slippers given by Leonor Rivera to Rizal when he left for Spain in 1882; she made this she was still a student at La Concordia

* a diorama of Rizal’s cell in Fort Santiago

* a toothbrush holder made by Rizal for her sister Trinidad or Doña Trining


* another Rizal coat
* suspect for historical artifact – I have been wondering if the old walls visible in this photo can be traced back to the late nineteenth century

These potential discoveries really encourage me to travel to places of historical interest. I may not be a hardcore (or even a qualified) historian, but to know more about our country’s past – our history – is, for me, an adventure in itself. Plain traveler. Tourist. Visitor. Anything. Appreciation of history knows no title.

Why do I say these things? This is for chance readers who feel that paying the Rizal Shrine a visit is no longer relevant, that there are no more things to learn from the place. The place features artworks from Calambeños and nearby places. From these we can get a glimpse of the growth of views of the youth with regards to the city and its history. When we did the revisit, the works mostly featured social realism. Why is that? Questions like that can emerge and it would be good to entertain them while on trip.

---

I guess this wraps up my travels for the year. I still have a bunch of photos from some random trips but I plan to go through my entries in the past one year and make a personal assessment of some sort. Doing this Back Trails project has taught a lot of lessons and I wish to collate by rereading the entries.