Photo Credit: SCBJr
The office of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), UP Open University located in Los Banos, Laguna is 19 kilometers away from Calamba City, the place where our national hero, Jose Rizal, spent his childhood years.
Typical of a Spanish-inspired town planning, Jose Rizal’s house is situated right at the heart of Calamba city, along San Juan Avenue, and just across the street is the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church . At the back of his house is the old City Hall and fronting it is the Old Plaza.
Today, our national hero’s home is called “Jose Rizal Shrine and Museum”. Destroyed in World War II, the present shrine is a replica of the house where the young Jose was born on 19 June 1861. He was baptized and named Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado by his parents Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo.
The Shrine is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Entrance is free, but donation is accepted to maintain the place. The ground floor holds exhibits, manuscripts and drawings of Jose Rizal. The second floor showcases the family living quarters.
Students of FMDS, UP Open University would definitely enjoy visiting this place, a part of our history as a nation. As a prelude to the visit, you may wish to visit in virtually at
