Chapter 3 Rizal’s Life: Family, and married a Chinese half-breed by the

name of Ines de la Rosa.

Childhood, and Early Education
• The Mercado-Rizal Family had also
traces of Japanese,Spanish,Malay,and
DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL Y Negrito blood.
ALONZO REALONDA • Jose Rizal came from a 13-member
 Doctor- completed his medical family, consisting: his parents, nine sisters,
course in Spain and was and one brother
conferred the degree of Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueño, the
Licentiate in Medicine by the parish priest who baptized Rizal
Universidad Central de Madrid
Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal's godfather,
 Jose- was chosen by his mother native of Calamba and close friend of the
who was a devotee of the Rizal family
Christian saint San Jose (St.
Joseph) Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the
governor general of the Philippines when
 Protacio- from Gervacio P. which Rizal was born
come from a Christian calendar
 Mercado- adopted in 1731 by
Domigo Lamco (the paternal
great-great Grandfather of Jose
Rizal) which the Spanish term
mercado means 'market' in
English
 Rizal- from the word 'Ricial' in
Spanish means a field where
wheat, cut while still Green,
sprouts again
 Y- and
 Alonzo- old surname of his
mother
 Realonda- it was used by Doña
Teodora from the surname of her
godmother based on the culture
by that time

 Date of birth: June 19, 1861, moonlit of

Wednesday between eleven and midnight, Among the earliest known ancestors of
Jose Rizal were Siang-co and Zun-nio of
born in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Fujian, China. Their son Lam-co migrated
Laguna. to the Philippines in the late 1600s. Lam-co
 Baptism:June 22, 1861- in the Catholic adopted the name “Domingo” and married
Ines de la Rosa, the daughter of Agustin
Church. Chin-co and Jacinta Rafaela, a Chinese
The Rizals is considered one of the biggest mestiza resident of the Parian.
families during their time.
Lam-co and Ines heeded the invitation of
• Domingo Lam-co, the family’s paternal Spanish friars to move to the Dominican
ascendant was a fullblooded Chinese who estate of Biñan, Laguna. Their son,
came to the Philippines from Amoy, China Francisco Mercado, was born there in
in the closing years of the 17th century 1731. To steer clear of the anti-Chinese
hostility of the Spanish authorities, Lam-co
changed the family surname to the Spanish
Mercado (“market”), which also signified
their merchant roots.

Francisco Mercado married Bernarda

Monica of San Pedro, Tunasan in 1771
and sired Rizal’s grandfather, Juan. Juan
Mercado served as the capitan municipal
of Biñan. With his wife, Cirila Alejandra,
he had 13 children; among whom was
Rizal’s father, Francisco.
Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family
consisting of his parents, Francisco
Mercado Il and Teodora Alonso Realonda,
and nine sisters and one brother.
Francisco Mercado, 80 (1818-1898)
− father of Jose Rizal
parents: Juan Mercado and Cirila
Mercado
− the youngest of 13 offspings
− born in Biñan, Laguna on April 18,
1818
− studied at San Jose College, Manila
− died in Manila
Teodora Alonso, 86 (1827-1913)

As a young man, Francisco ventured to − Mother of Jose Rizal

Calamba, then a new Dominican frontier.
− Second child of Lorenzo Alonso and
He applied for a land grant and was even
Brijida Quintos
rewarded with more land, so that he
shortly became one of the top landholders − Studied at Colegio de Santa Rosa
of the hacienda.
− Business-minded woman, courteous,
When he was 30, Francisco married religious, hard-working and well-read
Teodora Alonso, a Manila-born girl 10
years younger than him. Teodora’s great- − Born in Santa Cruz, Manila on
grandmother was Regina Ursua of Cavite, November 14, 1827
who wedded Manuel Facundo de − Died in 1913 in Manila
Quintos, a lawyer from Pangasinan. They
made their home in San Pedro Makati and SIBLINGS OF RIZAL
gave birth to Teodora’s mother, Brigida, 1. Saturnina Rizal, 63 (1850-1913)
who married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso of
Biñan. Teodora and Francisco were wed in − Born on June 4, 1850
1848 and lived in Calamba.
− “the second mother”
− Saturnina Rizal Mercado y Alonso
Realonda
− Eldest sister of Jose
− Married to Manuel T. Hidalgo, a native − “a fellow-sufferer”; fifth child
and of
− Born in Calamba, Laguna on
the richest persons in Tanauan, Batangas. December 13, 1856
− Also known as “neneng” − Married to Mariano Herbosa on
February 1876
− Died in September 14, 1913
− His husband died due to cholera
2. Paciano Rizal, 79 (1851-1930)
epidemic on
-The “big brother”
May 1889 and was refused a catholic
− Second child burial

− Born in Calamba, Laguna on March 9, − Died on December 26, 1919 in

1851 Calauan, Rizal

− Studied at San Jose College in Manila 6. Maria Rizal, 86 (1859-1945)

− A farmer, later became a general of the − The “confidant”; sixth child

Philippine Revolution − Born in Calamba, Laguna in April
− Took care of Jose Rizal 1859

− Died on April 13, 1930 − She was the one who knows the plan of
Jose to
3. Narcisa Rizal, 87 (1852-1939)
− third child and the “the hospitable marry Josephine Bracken and his plans in
sister” establishing Filipino colony in North
− Aslo known as “sisa” (pet name)
− Born in Calamba, Laguna on October British Borneo
29, 1852 − She and Jose often wrote letters with
− Married to Antonio Lopez at Morong,
Rizal each other
− A teacher and musician when he was abroad
− Helped financed Jose Rizal in his studies
abroad − Married to Daniel Faustino Cruz of
(pawned her jewelry and peddled her Biñan, Laguna
clothes)
− Died on June 24, 1939 − Died on September 1, 1945 in San

4. Olimpia Rizal, 32 (1855-1887) Pablo, Luisiana, Laguna, Philippines

7. Jose Rizal, 35 (1861-1896)
− The “go-between” and the Fourth
child − The second son; seventh child

− Born in Calamba, Laguna on 1855 − Born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba,

Laguna
− Studied at La Concordia College, she
was the − Patriot, physician, and man of

schoolmate of Segunda Katigbak (Jose’s letters who was

first love) an inspiration to the Philippine
− The mediator between Jose and Segunda nationalist

− Married to Silvestre Ubaldo (a movement

telegraph operator − He was executed and died on
form manila) December 30,
− Died on August 1887 due to childbirth 1896 at 7:03am

5. Lucia Rizal, 62 (1857-1919) 8. Concepcion Rizal, 3 (1862-1865)

− “a dear loss” − “the teacher”; eleventh child
− Eighth child − Nickname “choleng”
− Born in Calamba, Laguna on April − Born in Calamba, Laguna on 1870
19, 1862 − Married to Pantaleon Quintero
− also called “concha” by her siblings − A teacher and the most educated among
− Died due to sickness in 1865 Jose’s
− Jose Rizal’s first and greatest heartbreak sisters
9. Josefa Rizal, 80 (1865-1945) − Died August 26, 1929 in San Roque,
− “the katipunera” ; ninth child Dasmariñas,
− Nickname “panggoy” Cavite
− Born in 1865
− She joined the Katipunan after Jose was How Rizal got his surname
executed; − The earliest known ancestors of Jose
one of the original women joined the Rizal were Siang-co and Zun-nio of Fujian,
Katipunan China
along with Gregoria de Jesus (wife of − To steer clear of the anti-Chinese
Andres hostility of the Spanish authorities,
Bonifacio) Lam-co changed the family surname to
− Died a spinster on December 10 the Spanish, Mercado (“market”),
1945 which signifies their merchant root.
10. Trinidad Rizal, 83 (1868- − Francisco and Teodora were wed in
1951) 1848.
− “the steward”; tenth child − A year after, Gov.-Gen. Narciso
− Also known as “trining” Claveria issued the dictum decreeing new
− Born on June 6, 1868 family names for the Indios to facilitate
− She and her mother joined Jose during census work and tax collection.
his exile in Dapitan − Francisco adopted the surname “Rizal”
− Joined the Katipunan after Jose’s
death Teodora and Francisco were wed in 1848
− She received an alcohol cooking stove and lived in Calamba. One year later,
from Jose on when they visited him in Fort Governor-General Narciso Claveria issued
Santiago that has the dictum decreeing new family names for
something on it the Indios to facilitate census work and the
− That something was the “Mi Ultimo collection of taxes. Each province was
Adios” given a list from which each family could
− Died a spinster on May 9, 1951; the choose a new surname.

last of the The Mercados of Calamba chose the

family to die unlisted name Rizal, although they

11. Soledad Rizal, 59 (1870- continued to use the name Mercado. Their

1929) original application was for the name

Ricial (meaning “the green of young Jose Rizal’s baptismal records were
growth” or “green fields”), which was burned.
connected to their livelihood, but this was 1864
denied for no apparent reason. - three years old, he learned alphabet from
his mother
In the same way, the Alonsos of Biñan • 1865-1867 - during this time, his mother
chose the family name Realonda but taught him how to read and write
continued to use Alonso. This seemed to be - his father hired a tutor in the name of
a common practice, so that each family Leon Monroy (for only five months since
ended up with four surnames: each of the Monroy died); he taught the rudiments of
old and new family names of both the Latin
mother and the father. For Rizal, the - Manuel Alberto, cousin of his mother,
compounds were his father’s double taught Jose the love for open air and
surname: Mercado and Rizal, plus his developed a great admiration for the
mother’s surname: Alonso and Realonda. beauty of natures.
Francisco and Teodora’s seventh child, - His uncle Gregorio, on the other hand,
Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso instilled into the mind of the boy love for
Realonda. The first and second names education
came from the Catholic calendar: June 19, • June 6, 1868
Rizal’s birth date, is the feast day of Saints - with his father, Jose made a pilgrimage to
Jose and Protacio. He adopted the name Antipolo to fulfill the vow made by his
Rizal to enable him to travel freely and to mother to take the child to the Shine of the
dissociate himself from his brother Virgin of Antipolo.
Paciano, who had gained notoriety by - visited his sister Saturnina who was at
supporting the cause of revolutionary the time studying in the La Concordia
Filipino priests like Fr. Jose Burgos. It was College in Sta. Ana.
Paciano who financially and morally 1869
sustained Rizal in his studies abroad. - at the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first
poem entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kabata”,
Rizal’s Childhood and Early Education written in tagalog
• June 19, 1861 • 1870
- Jose Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna - Paciano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna
• June 22, 1861 - placed under the tutelage of Justiano
- baptized as Jose Protacio Rizal Aquino Cruz, studying Latin and Spanish
Mercado y Alonso Realonda by parish - he also learned the art of painting under
priest Rev. Rufino Collantes with Rev. the tutorship of an old painter
Pedro Casañas as the sponsor. by the name of Juancho Carrera
• September 28, 1862 December 17, 1870
- the parochial church of Calamba and the - finished his studies in Biñan, Laguna
canonical books, including
- he returned to Calamba on board the beauties of nature or to play by himself. In
motorboat “Talim” his boyhood memoirs, he narrated how he
• 1871 at the age of three, watched from his
- his mother was imprisoned in Sta. Cruz, garden cottage the culilan, the maya, the
Laguna for allegedly poisoning the wife of culae, the maria-capra, the martin, the
her cousin Jose Alberto, brother of Manuel pipit, and other birds, listening "with
and Gregorio wonder and joy" to their twilight songs.
• 1872
- for the first time, Jose heard the word Another childhood memory was the daily
“filibustero” and was forbade by his Angelus Prayer. By nightfall, Rizal related,
father to utter his mother gathered all the children at the
house to pray the Angelus. With nostalgic
June 10, 1872 feeling, he also remembered the happy
- Rizal, at the age of 11 years old, moonlit nights at the azotea after the
examined in San Juan de Letran nightly rosary. The aya related to the Rizal
College, Manila (it was part of the Sto. children (including Jose) many stories
Tomas University during the Spanish about the fairies; tales of buried treasure
time, they controlled the entrance to all and trees blooming with diamonds, and
higher institutions) other fabulous stories. The imaginary tales
• June 26, 1872 told by the aya aroused in Rizal an
- entered Ateneo Municipal de Manila, a enduring interest in legends and folklore.
public school, as a day scholar Sometimes when he did not like to take his
• June 16, 1875 supper, the aya would threaten him that
- age 14, became a boarder in the Ateneo the asuang, the nuno, the tigbalang, or a
• March 23, 1876 terrible bearded and turbaned Bombay
- age 15, received the Bachelor of Arts would come to take him away if he would
(B.A.) degree, with highest honors from not eat his supper.
Ateneo de Manila.
Another memory of his infancy was the
nocturnal walk-in town, especially when
The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, there was a moon. The aya took him for a
was his happy days in the family garden walk in the moonlight by the river, where
when he was three years old. Because he the trees cast grotesque shadows on the
was a frail, sickly, and undersized child, he bank. Recounting this childhood
was given the tenderest care by his experience, Rizal wrote: "Thus my heart
parents. His father built a little nipa fed on somber and melancholy thoughts so
cottage in the garden for him to play in the that even while still a child, I already
daytime. A kind old woman was employed wandered on wings of fantasy in the high
as an AYA (maid) to look after his comfort. regions of the unknown.”
At times, he was left alone to muse on the
First Sorrow employed private tutors to give him
The Rizal children were bound together by lessons at home. The first was Maestro
ties of love and companionship. They were Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas
well-bred, for their parents taught them to Padua. Later, an old man named Leon
love one another, to behave properly in the Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal's
presence of elders, to be truthful and father, became the boy's tutor. This old
religious, and to help one another. They teacher lived at the Rizal home and
affectionately called their father Tatay and instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin.
their mother Nanay. Unfortunately, he did not live long. He died
Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little five months later. After a Monroy's death,
Concha (Concepcion). He was one year the hero's parents decided to send their
older than Concha. He played with her, gifted son to a private school in Biñan.
and from her he learned the sweetness of
brotherly love. Unfortunately, Concha died "The Moth Story"
of sickness in 1865 when she was only One night "Doña" Teodora was reading the
three years old. Jose, who was very fond of story of "The Moth and the Flame" in a
her, cried bitterly to lose her. "When I was book, El Amigo de los Ninos (The Friend of
four years old," he said, "I lost my little the Children). Young Jose was not listening
sister Concha, and then for the first time I to his mother for he was attracted by two
wept tears of love and grief...."The death of moths flying around the flame of the
little Concha bought him his first sorrow. coconut oil lamp. The young moth,
disobeying its mother's advice, flew too
The Hero's First Teacher near the flame and got killed. It felt dead
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, into the hot oil of the lamp. Rizal was
who was a remarkable woman of good deeply attracted by the death of the brave
character and fine culture. On her lap, he little moth that he did not notice when his
learned at the age of three the alphabet mother ended the reading of the story. All
and the prayers. "My mother," wrote Rizal his attention was on the light of the oil
in his student memoirs, "taught me how to lamp and on the dead little moth. The light
read and to say haltingly the humble that caused the little moth's death
prayers which I raised fervently to God. appeared to him "more beautiful" than
"As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, ever. He justified the tragic fate of the
conscientious, and understanding. It was little moth. Rizal believed that "it is worthy
she who first discovered that her son had a for a man to sacrifice his life for a noble
talent for poetry. cause."
Accordingly, she encouraged him to write
poems. To lighten the monotony of Jose Goes To Biñan
memorizing the ABC's and to stimulate her One Sunday afternoon in June , 1869, Jose,
son's imagination, she related many after kissing the hands of his parents and a
stories. As Jose grew older, his parents tearful parting from his sister, left
Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied The teacher sharply stopped all noises and
by Paciano , who acted as his second begun the lessons of the day. Jose
father. The two brothers rode in a described his teacher in Biñan as follows:
carromata, reaching their destination after "He was tall, thin, long-necked, with sharp
one and one-half hours’ drive. They nose and a body slightly bent forward, and
proceeded to their aunt’s house, where he used to wear a sinamay shirt, woven by
Jose was to lodge. It was almost night the skilled hands of the women of
when they arrived, and the moon was Batangas. He knew by the heart the
about to rise. grammars by Nebrija and Gainza. Add to
That same night, Jose, with his cousin this severity that in my judgement was
named Leandro, went sightseeing in the exaggerated and you have a picture,
town. Instead of enjoying the sights, Jose perhaps vague, that I have made of him,
became depressed because of but I remember only this."
homesickness. "In the moonlight," he
recounted, "I remembered my home town, First School Brawl
my idolized mother, and my solicitous In the afternoon of his first day in school,
sisters. Ah, how sweet to me was Calamba, when the teacher was having his siesta,
my own town, in spite of the fact that was Jose met the bully, Pedro. He was angry at
not as wealthy as Biñan." this bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher in the
First Day in Biñan School morning. Jose challenged Pedro to a fight.
The next morning (Monday) Paciano The latter readily accepted, thinking that
brought his younger brother to the school he could easily beat the Calamba boy who
of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. The was smaller and younger.
school was in the house of the teacher, The two boys wrestled furiously in the
which was a small nipa hut about 30 classroom, much to the glee of their
meters from the home of Jose’s aunt. classmates. Jose, having learned the art of
Paciano knew the teacher quite well wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel,
because he had been a pupil under him defeated the bigger boy. For this feat, he
before. He introduced Jose to the teacher, became popular among his classmates.
after which he departed to return to
Calamba. After the class in the afternoon, a
Immediately, Jose was assigned his seat in classmate named Andres Salandanan
the class. The teacher asked him: challenged him to an arm-wrestling match.
"Do you know Spanish?" They went to a sidewalk of a house and
"A little, sir," replied the Calamba lad. wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the
"Do you know Latin?" weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his
"A little, sir." head on the sidewalk. In succeeding days
The boys in the class, especially Pedro, the he had other fights with the boys of Biñan.
teacher’s son laughed at Jose’s answers.
He was not quarrelsome by nature, but he and released after being defended by two
never ran away from a fight. of Manila's most famous lawyers. She was
made to walk fifty kilometers to Sta. Cruz,
Best Student in School Laguna, for failing to use her
In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan "Hispanicized" surname, Realonda de Rizal
boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, instead of Alonzo. Her family was ejected
Latin, and other subjects. Some of his from their lands in Calamba as a result of a
older classmates were jealous of his land conflict between Dominicans and the
intellectual superiority. They wickedly Filipino tenants. The family moved to
squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had Manila, but the Spanish persecution still
a fight outside the school, and even told followed
lies to discredit him before the teacher’s
eyes. Consequently, the teacher had to Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za P
punish Jose. On the night of January 20, 1872, about
While he was studying in Biñan, he 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the
returned to his hometown now and then. Cavite arsenal under the leadership of
How long the road seemed to him in going Lamandrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in
and how short in coming. When from afar violent mutiny because of the abolition of
he descried the roof of his house, secret their usual privileges, including exemption
joy filled his breast. How he looked for from tribute to polo (forced labor) by the
pretexts to remain longer at home. A day reactionary Governor Rafael de Izquierdo.
more seemed to him a day spent in heaven, Unfortunately, this Cavite Mutiny was
and how he wept, though silently and suppressed two days later by troop
secretly, when he saw the calesa that was reinforcements from Manila. The Spanish
flower that him Biñan. Then everything authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers
looked sad; a flower that he touched, a Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto
stone that attracted his attention he Zamora, leaders of secular movement to
gathered, fearful that he might not see it Filipinize the Philippine parishes, and their
again upon his return. It was a sad but supporters (Jose Ma. Basa, Attorneys
delicate and quite pain that possessed him. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera and Antonio Ma.
Regidor, etc.) magnified the failed mutiny
ImprisonmEnt of Rizal’s Mother into a "revolt" for Philippine Independence.
Doña Teodora was imprisoned and Accordingly, Gom-Bur-Za despite the
punished on the basis of false and flimsy archbishop's plea for clemency because of
charges. As the mother of a perceived their innocence, were executed at sunrise,
enemy of the Spanish authorities, Teodora February 17, 1872, by order of Gov Gen.
was often made a target. She was Izquierdo. Their martyrdom was deeply
imprisoned for two and a half years on mourned by Rizal family and many other
trumped-up charges of poisoning her patriotic families in the Philippines.
brother's wife, but was finally acquitted Panciano, enraged by the execution of
Burgos, his beloved friend, teacher, and
housemate, quit his studies at the College
of San Jose and returned to Calamba,
where he told the heroic story of Burgos to
his younger brother, Jose, who was then
nearly eleven years old.