Heritage House of Jose Rizal

I just recently visited the house of Jose Rizal in Calamba City. I'm already a grown-up to finally see how his house look like. I heard from a couple of friends from other towns in Laguna that they still have not seen this shrine. I realized that even among the residents of Jose Rizal's province, his heritage house is still unfamiliar.

The house of Rizal that we see now is a reconstruction and an adaptation of the old one which was destroyed during World war II. It is maintained by the National Historical Institute and is located at the very heart of Calamba City, besides the church and plaza. The house that Jose Rizal's father, Don Francisco built for his family was large and was made of stone, red tiles and the best hardwoods from Mount Makiling. They built the first stone and hardwood house in Calamba.

Upon entry, visitors would see a spacious room. The ground floor used to have a small stable for horses and was used as storage for carriages. Now it serves as a display area for paintings and artifacts related to the Rizal family.  The living room, dining and bedrooms are on the upper floor.
I was amazed at the elegant stair leading to the second floor. As I gaze at the furniture and how the house was built, it is really evident that the Rizal family was prominent and well-off during the Spanish colonial times. 

My visit to the shrine persuade me to return and bring my family here to show them the heritage of the Rizal family and how the people from the past were influence by Spanish culture. It was a different experience being here.
The Shrine is approximately 43.5 kilometers from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. To visit the Shrine by car, take the South Luzon Expressway and exit onto Calamba Exit. Go straight to the Calamba City proper. The shrine is near the old Municipal Building and public market. Besides the Saint John the Baptist Parish Church.
The Shrine is open every Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00am to 5:00pm