The Life of Jose Rizal: Family,

Childhood and Early Education

By: Mrs. Marites L. Ababao
Objectives:
1. Discuss about Rizal’s family, childhood, and
early education
2. Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood and early
education
3. Evaluate the people and events and their
influence on Rizal’s early life
4. Analyze Rizal’s poem Sa Aking Mga Kabata/
To My Fellow Children
5. Write a biographical essay comparing their
early childhood with Rizal’s
“ ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita
mahigit sa hayop at sa malansang isda”
Jose Rizal’s Family
The Mercado Home
• Born on June 19, 1869,
in Calamba, Laguna.
• Between 11:00 PM to 12
midnight. Nearing to full
moon.
• It’s Wednesday.
• Her mother had a
devotion of making a
pledge to the Virgin of
Antipolo due to difficulty
of giving birth.
Teodora’s Promise:
• Due to difficult time of
giving birth to Jose, his
mother, Teodora made a
pact with the Virgin of
Antipolo that she would
send the Jose on a
pilgrimage to her shrine
once she passed through
the difficult birthing
process.
• Jose was 7 years old
when he was sent to
Antipolo. He was
accompanied by his
father.
• Three days after his birth, he was baptized in a
Catholic Church by Fr. Rufino Collantes.
• He was Christened Jose Protacio in honor of two
Saints: Saint Joseph and St. Protacio.
• The name “Jose” is from Saint Joseph because
his mother is a devout believer of San Jose/Saint
Joseph.
• While the name “Protacio” was inspired by Saint
Gervacio Protacio whose feast day is celebrated
every June 19.
Rizal’s baptism:
 Indicates conjunction
Means market
“and”

New family
name

JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA

Old family
name
In honor of two saints

Means green
fields

Claveria Decree
Jose Protacio
JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA
Saint Joseph Saint Gervacio Protacio
Rizal
JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA

• On November 21, 1849,

Governor General
Narciso Claveria issued
a decree sending long
lists of Spanish and
local surnames to the
chiefs of provinces.
• The list was called:
Catalogo Alfabetico de
Apellidos.
Mercado
JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA
Domingo Lam Co
• Jose’s great grandfather
in his father side.
• A Chinese immigrant
from Fukien City of
Changchow.
• He arrived in Manila in
1690 and married Ines de
la Rosa from Manila.
• He took the name
Mercado in 1731.
y JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA

• The “y” in Spanish names indicates the

conjunction “and” and separates the
patriarchs and matriarchs surname.
Alonso
JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA

• The surname Alonso comes from Rizal’s

mother’s old family name.
Realonda
JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO y ALONSO REALONDA

• The surname Realonda was the adapted

surname of the Alonso’s of Biñan due to the
Claveria decree.
Nickname: Pepe
• According to the book In
Excelsis, writer Felice
Prudente Santa Maria
explains that Rizal got the
name “Pepe” because the
letters “P.P.” were always
used after the name of
Saint Joseph.
• In Latin “P.P.” stands for
“pater putativus” which
means putative father.
• In Spanish, “p” is
pronounced as “peh.”
 Rizal’s Ancestry

Domingo Lam Co Ines de la Rosa Eugenio Ursua Benigna

Francisco Mercado Cirila Bernacha Manuel de Quintos Regina Ursua

Juan Mercado Cirila Alejandro Lorenzo Alonso Brigida de Quintos

Francisco Mercado Rizal II Teodora Alonso Realonda

Mercado Family
Parents:
They got married on June 28, 1848.
Francisco Rizal Mercado Teodora Alonso Realonda
Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado
y Alejandra II (1818-1898)
• He was the father of
Jose Rizal and the
youngest of 13 off-
springs of Juan and
Cirila Mercado.
• Born in Biñan, Laguna
on May 11, 1818;
studied in San Jose
College, Manila; and
died in Manila in
January 5, 1898.
 Francisco Rizal Mercado/Don Kiko
Francisco Mercado
A model father
(Gobernadorcillo of Biñan)

Juan Mercado Rizal made him a clay bust

(Gobernadorcillo of Biñan) in 1881.

Francisco Mercado II After 6 years, Rizal made a

(Cabeza de Barangay) life-size wood sculpture.
Francisco Rizal Mercado/Don Kiko
Before Rizal’s death, he wrote a
letter to his brother, Paciano and
he wrote:

“Tell our father, I remember him,

and how I remember my whole
childhood, of his affection and of
his love. Ask him to forgive me for
the pain that I have unwillingly
caused him.”
Francisco Rizal Mercado/Don Kiko

He also wrote a letter for his father:

“My beloved father, pardon me

for the pain with which I repay
you for your sorrow and sacrifices
for my education. I did not want
nor did I prefer it. Goodbye,
father, goodbye.
Francisco Rizal Mercado/Don Kiko
• His life and legacy are a
testament to the
importance of hard
work, perseverance,
and love for family and
community.
 Teodora Morales Alonso Realonda
y Quintos (1827-1913)
• The mother of Jose Rizal
who was the second child
of Lorenzo Alonso and
Brijida de Quintos.
• She studied at the Colegio
de Santa Rosa.
• She was a business-minded
woman, courteous,
religious, hard-working and
well-read.
• She was born in Santa Cruz,
Manila on November 8,
1826 and died in 1913 in
Manila.
 Doña Teodora

“Ah!... Without her what

would …. have been my
fate?
After God, the mother is
everything to man.”

She came from a

principalia class.
Doña Teodora
Her grandfather, Cipriano
Alonso was a
gobernadorcillo in Biñan.
Her father, Lorenzo Alberto
Alonso was also a
gobernadorcillo in Biñan.

According to Rizal: “My

mother is a woman of
more than ordinary
culture.”
Doña Teodora
• Their mother taught
them to read, write
and pray at a very
young age.
• She also taught values
like discipline, justice,
compassion and more
importantly to treat
Indios as equals.
 Mercado Children
1. SATURNINA RIZAL-HIDALGO (1850-1913)

• Also called “neneng.”

• The eldest child of the
Rizal-Alonzo marriage.
• She married Manuel
Timoteo Hidalgo of
Tanauan, Batangas, and
published Pascual H.
Poblete's Tagalog
translation of the Noli Me
Tangere.
• She had five children.
2. PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)

• He is the only brother

of Jose Rizal and the
second child.
• He studied at San Jose
College in Manila;
became a farmer and
later a general of the
Philippine Revolution.
• He had children to
Severina Decena, a boy
and a girl.
3. NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)
• She is the third child.
• She married Antonio
Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a
teacher and musician.
• Also, known as Doña Sisa
and can recite from
memory all the poems of
Jose Rizal.
• She was the one who
found the unmarked
grave of Rizal in Paco
Cemetery.
4. OLIMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
• The fourth child. Also
known as Ypia.
• She married Silvestre
Ubaldo; a telegraph
operator in Manila.
• They had 4 children.
• She is a school mate of
Segunda Katigbak in La
Concordia College.
• She died in 1887 from
childbirth at the age of
32.
5. LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

• The fifth child.

• She married Matriano
Herbosa who died in
cholera and was denied
a Christian burial due
to the fact that he is
the brother-in-law of
Rizal.
• They had five children.
6. MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
• The sixth child.
• She is fondly called
“Biang.”
• She married Daniel
Faustino Cruz of Biñan,
Laguna.
• One of her children,
Mauricio Cruz became
Rizal’s student in
Dapitan.
• The only sister of Rizal
who lived up to 1950's.
7. JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL (1861-1896)

• He is the second son

and the seventh child.
• He was executed by the
Spaniards on December
30,1896.
8. CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)

• She is the eight child.

• Her nickname is
“Concha.”
• She died at the age of
three.
• Her death was one of
Rizal’s first sorrow in
life.
9. JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

• She is the ninth child.

• Her nickname is
“Panggo.”
• She is unmarried and
lived together with her
sister Trinidad until
their death.
• She is an epileptic, died
a spinster.
10. TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)

• She is t the tenth child.

• She is called “Trining.”
• She died a spinster
together with her sister
Josefa and the last of the
family to die.
• She was the one to
received the lamp from
Jose, in which he secretly
hid his last poem, “Mi
Ultimo Adios.”
11. SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)

• She is the youngest child

married Pantaleon
Quintero of Calamba.
• She is lovingly called
“Choleng.”
• Studied at La Concordia
College where she and
Leonor Rivera where
classmates.
• She had five children.
• Jose Rizal’s family provided him with moral
and spiritual support that made him
accomplished the heroic mission that
dominated their lives.
• His brother in law Manuel Hidalgo was
deported and persecuted in Bohol.
• His siblings supported him all the way up to
the time Narcisa searched for his tom after
his execution.
Why Jose used Rizal as his surname?
• In a letter he sent to Blumentritt, he
explained why he used Rizal as his last name
while the rest of his family uses Mercado.
• Because of his brother Paciano’s strong
attachment to Father Burgos who was then
thought to be the cause of the Cavite Munity.
• Paciano thought that it is safe to use Rizal as
his surname so as not to interfere with his
studies.
Jose Rizal’s Childhood
and Early Education
His first teacher ….
• His mother, Teodora was
his first teacher.
• He was 3 when his
mother taught him the
alphabet and how to
pray.
• His mother encouraged
him to write poems.
• He wrote a poem about
his hometown entitled:
“Un Recuerdo A Mi
Pueblo (In Memory of
My Town).”
Childhood of Rizal:
• His father built him a
small nipa hut that
served as a sanctuary
place for him and his
siblings.
• A replica of his bahay
kubo in their house in
Calamba.
Childhood of Rizal:
• He was attended by an
Aya, nurse maid hired
by his father to look
after his needs.
• His nurse maid told him
ghost stories and even
scared him with stories
on aswang, nuno sa
punso and tikbalang if
he refused to eat
dinner.
 Uncle Jose Alberto, Uncle Gregorio
and Uncle Manuel
• They are his uncle from his mother’s side.
• They played a unique role in shaping Rizal’s
character and skills.
 Uncle Jose Alberto
• He is an accomplished artist.
• He nurtured Rizal’s appreciation for nature’s
beauty and taught him various art forms such
as painting, sketching and sculpture.
 Uncle Gregorio
• He instilled Rizal a love for education,
emphasizing its importance and the value of
hard work.
• He also encouraged Rizal to think critically,
observe his surroundings attentively, and
deepen his curiosity and knowledge.
• Under his guidance, Rizal also developed his
love for reading.
 Uncle Manuel
• He is worried with the physical development
of Rizal.
• He taught him to various athletic skills like
swimming, fencing, wrestling and other
martial arts.
Jose’s pet
• He had a pony named “Alipato.”
• He also had a pet dog named: “Usman.”
• They spent a lot of nocturnal walk together.
Usman is a big black dog.
Preparation for Education:
• His parents decided to hire private tutors to
prepare him for his education.
• His first tutor was Maestro Celestino,
followed by Maestro Lucas Padua.
• Leon Monroy, one of his tutor and a
classmate of his father, taught him Spanish
and Latin.
• Sadly, after five months of staying with the
Rizal’s, Monroy died.
Biñan, Laguna
• After the death of his tutor, Leon Monroy, his father sent
him to Biñan, Laguna to study Spanish and Latin.
• He was with his Brother, Paciano and lived in the house of
their Aunt. Paciano acted like his father during his school
days in Biñan.
• Leandro was his aunt’s grandson, whom he spent a
moonlit walk at night.
• Rizal met his teacher, Mr. Justiniano Aquino Cruz.
• He was described by Rizal as tall, thin man with a long
neck. He knew Latin and Spanish by heart.
• Mr. Cruz was a terror. He was bullied by Pedro, the
teacher’s son.
• He was mocked by his classmate, Andres Salandanan into
“bunong braso,” in which Rizal lost and almost got killed
himself.
• During his stay in Biñan, he had fight with the
boys, who not only bullied him physically but
also verbally.
• He was nicknamed: Calambeño by his
classmates but he does not mind.
• He received whipping and blows from an
open palm from his disciplinarian teacher.
• Rizal received “palo (beating with a stick),
palmetazos (being struck on the hand with a
stick) and 3 to 6 disiplinas (lashes with a
whip.)”
• He learned painting during his free time with
his teacher’s father-in-law.
Back to Calamba (El Pueblo)
• After going back to Calamba, his parents
decided that he should stay before going to
Manila.
• Two disheartening events drew Rizal’s
attention and disturbed him.
The Death of Gomburza:
• 3 secular priests named:
Mariano Gomez de los
Angeles of Bacoor, Cavite,
Jose Burgos of Manila
Cathedral and Jacinto
Zamora, a Marikina parish
priest.
• The Gomburza was charged
of orchestrating the Cavite
Mutiny in 1872.
• They were charged of
treason and sedition by the
Spanish authorities.
The Death of Gomburza:
• They were executed by
garrote in Luneta on
February 17, 1892.
• Rizal saw how his parents
and neighbors were
terrified of this event and
it also affected the life of
his brother, Paciano.
• Rizal’s second novel, El
Filibusterismo, was
dedicated to the 3 tragic
figures.
Imprisonment of His Mother:
• During this time, his Uncle Jose Alberto got back from
Europe.
• A scandal happened to their family involving his
uncle, mother and his uncle’s wife, also named
Teodora.
• He was only 11, when he witnessed his mother was
forced to walk 50 kilometers around Laguna.
• Her mother was charged of alleged poisoning her
sister-in-law – Teodora Alberto.
• His mother was defended by Atty. Francisco de
Marcaida and Atty. Manuel Masigan and finally his
mother was acquitted after 2 ½ years.
 Fill out the Chart:

Significant Person Contributions

Teodora Mercado

Paciano Mercado

Justiniano Cruz

Gomburza
In not more than 5 - 10 sentences, write a short
biographical essay comparing your own early
childhood with Rizal’s.