Calamba

Rizal Slept Here

WHEN I WENT TO CALAMBA, Laguna to see the house of Jose Rizal for the first time, typhoon Basiang had just shaken up Metro Manila and surrounding provinces. So it was with much awe that I stepped inside the Rizal Shrine, the house where the national hero grew up, seeing it unscarred by the fury of the storm.

I wondered, how much of the house stands from the original structure and how much had been restored? My guide Belen could not give a percentage, but she pointed out that nearly all the furniture are replicas, and that the restoration was done faithfully by the government according to the design of the original house. After all, more than a century has passed since Rizal was born in there. Countless calamities have occurred since. One cannot fault, say, the capiz shells from the windows to gel chipped or cracked under such circumstances, Belen said. But Calamba has done its best in caring for the house of its favorite son.

Rizal's House

Photo and Article Source: Balikbayan Magazine