JOSE RIZALChapter 1

Advent of a National Hero

THE BIRTH OF A HERO

José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda

Known as Dr. Jose P. Rizal

He was born on June 19, 1861, on the night of a

Wednesday at the town of Calamba, Laguna

Baptized in the Catholic church of his town on

June 22, 1861 by Fr. Rufino Collantes ; his

godfather was Fr. Pedro Casanas.

RIZAL’S PARENTS

Francisco Mercado Rizal

Born on May 11, 1818 in Biñan, Laguna

He studied Latin and Philosophy at the College

of San Jose in Manila.

He died in Manila on January 5, 1898, at the

age of 80

RIZAL’S PARENTS

Teodora Alonso Realonda

Born on November 8, 1826 in Manila

Educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-

known college for girls in the city.

Died in Manila on August 16, 1911

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

1. Saturina – oldest of the Rizal children, nicknamed Neneng

2. Paciano – older brother and confidant of Jose Rizal, he was

immortalized by Jose Rizal in his first novel Noli Me

Tangere as Pilosopo Tasio

3. Narcisa – her pet name was Sisa

4. Olimpia – Ypia was her pet name

5. Lucia – she married Mariano Herbosa, the nephew of Fr.

Casanas; he was denied a Christian burial because he was

the brother-in-law of Jose Rizal

6. Maria – her nickname was Biang

7. Jose – the greatest Filipino hero, his nickname was Pepe

8. Concepcion – her pet name was Concha, she died f

sickness at 3; her death was Jose Rizal’s first sorrow

9. Josefa – her pet name was Panggoy, she died an old maid

at the age of 80

10.Trinidad – Trining was her pet name, also died an old

maid at the age of 83

11.Soledad – youngest of the Rizal children, her pet name

was Choleng

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

Domingo Laméo – a Chinese immigrant from the Fukien city

of Changchow. He is Rizal’s great-great-grandfather. He

arrived in Manila about 1690. He married a well-to-do

Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de la Rosa, then

assumed Mercado as his surname in 1731.

Francisco Mercado – son of Domingo and Ines, great-

grandfather of Rizal. He married a Chinese-Filipino mestiza,

Cirila Bernacha, and was elected governadorcillo of

Biñan.

Juan Mercado – one of Francisco’s and Cirila’s sons,

grandfather of Rizal. Married Cirila Alejandro, a Chinese-

Filipino mestiza. Like his father, he was elected

governadorcillo of Biñan.

Francisco Mercado – Rizal’s father. The youngest of

thirteen children of Juan and Cirila. At the age of eight he

lost his father. He met and fell in love with Teodora Alonso

Realonda in Manila while studying. They got married on

June 28, 1848

RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

Lakandula – the last native king of Tondo. He is a believed

ancestor of Doña Teodora’s family.

Eugenio Ursua – Rizal’s great-great-grandfather from

his mother’s side. He was of Japanese ancestry. He married a

Filipina named Benigna.

Regina – the daughter of Eugenio and Benigna married

Manuel de Quintos, a Filipino-Chinese lawyer from

Pangasinan. One of their daughters married Lorenzo Alberto

Alonso, a prominent Spanish-Filipino mestizo of Biñan; their

children were: Narcisa, Teodora(Rizal’s mother), Gregorio,

Manual and Jose.

RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

THE SURNAME “RIZAL”

Mercado – the real surname of the Rizal family

which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Laméo

Rizal – the second surname which was given by a

Spanish alcalde mayor of Laguna, who was a family

friend. In Spanish it means, “A field where wheat, cut

while still green, sprouts again.”

THE RIZAL HOME

The Rizal Residence was a two-storey building,

rectangular in shape, built of adobe stone and hard-

woods, and roofed with red tiles.

A GOOD AND MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY

The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town

aristrocracy in Spanish Philippines.

They owned a carriage which was a status symbol of the

illustrados (composed of native-born intellectuals and cut

across ethnolinguistic and racial lines—Indios, Insulares, and

mestizos, among others).

They also owned a library, the largest in Calamba,

consisting of more than 1000 volumes.

HOME LIFE OF THE RIZALS

The Rizal Children were taught and trained:

To love God

To behave well

To be obedient

To respect people, especially the old folks

They believed in the maxim: “Spare the rod and spoil

the child”