Re-visiting Rizal’s House at Calamba, Laguna

September 20, 2014

Re-visiting Rizal’s House at Calamba, Laguna

by Allan D

It was our college days (educational trip in Social Science) when I first visited the Rizal’s House in Calamba, Laguna. On September 11, after almost decade and a half, I got a chance to revisit the said place. Buti nalang holiday sa Bulacan.

The house is on the opposite side of this Street Mark.

The house is located at the corner of J.P. Rizal and Mercado Street. One landmark near the place is the very huge clay pot with the names of different Baranggays of Calamba.

The house is open to public free of charge (you can leave some donation) from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday. You just have sign in the huge visitor's logbook.

Huge Clay pot at the Calamba Plaza.

Going back to my visit.

Front view of the house

According to the trivia, the original home of the Rizal’s was destroyed and a copy of it was reconstructed with the help of school children. It was Architect Juan Nakpil (appointed by President Elpidio Quirino), who researched, designed and built the exact replica of the house. On June 19, 1950, the reconstructed house was inaugurated.

Back view of the house

The front door is not the main entrance when you visit the house.

The front door

Starting from the wooden stairway.

The stairway

Looks creepy that someone from the family waiting at the end who will give his/her warm welcome.

The Caida.

This place serves as the library of the family. Also, in this place, visitors were entertained and serve with refreshments.

The Caida

Here, you can have a wide view of the lawn in their backyard with plenty of fruit-bearing trees.

The lawn viewed from Caida

The Living Room.

Just like the modern days, families and close friends were entertained in this place.

The living room

Actually, this is not the actual furniture and arrangement of the living room; just an assumptions based on what is known about their house.

The Bedrooms.

I don’t know who owns this first bedroom. There is an old sewing machine and wooden carved sungka (the one that captures me most).

The first bedroom

I used to play sungka with my cousins in our Lolo and Lola's house on our younger years. I don’t know if kids of today are familiar with this game.

What captures my curiosity in the next bedroom is the wooden table with two large wholes. I think this is a lavatory and the wooden structure hanging on the wall above is a towel holder.

The next room

The next room is their parent’s with an image of Crucified Christ image which serves as a small altar. Also in this room, Jose Rizal was born.

There is an old woven “tampipi” and a ceramic-made “arinola”. Yes, the arinola is made of ceramic.

The tampipi and arinola

I just wonder how tall the Rizals are. The beds are quite shorter compared to the regular sized beds.

The Dining Room.

In this area, the freshly harvest fruits and vegetables are stored and prepared for cooking.

The Dining area

Look at their ceiling fan. It is a large curtain-like fabric hanging right above the table and is manually operated to fly away insects while having meals.

The Kitchen.

The clay pots are waited to be dried on the so-called “banggerahan”. Grains like rice placed in a rattan-wooven bakol (this is what we called in Ilocano) and stored in this area. Two-burner stoves were also famous during their time. Kahoy nga lang. LOL

The Kitchen

The Restrooms.

At the backdoor, the restrooms are located. Actually there is no toilet bowl but a chair-like wooden platform with a whole. The water is collected from the well below and stored in a large clay pot or banga.