Chapter 3

Rizal’s Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education

Lesson 1: Rizal-Mercado Family

Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal Y Alonzo Realonda

 Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid

 Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San
Jose (St. Joseph)

 Protacio- from Gervacio P. which 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 in lakeshore town of Calamba Laguna

Baptism: June 22, 1861- in the Catholic Church

Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueño, the parish priest who baptized Rizal

 Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal’s godfather, native of Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family

 Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines when Rizal was born.
PARENTS:

Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

 Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offspring of Juan and
Cirila Mercado. Studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila. 
Born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818

 Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila

 Became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda

 A hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked

more, and was strong in body and valiant in spirit

 Died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80

 Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers

Teodora Alonso (1827-1911)

 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 14, 1827 and died in 1911 in Manila
SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)

Saturnina Rizal Mercado de Hidalgo, or simply Saturnina Hidalgo, was the eldest sister of Philippine
national hero José Rizal. She was married to Manuel T. Hidalgo, a native and one of the richest persons
in Tanauan, Batangas. She was known as Neneng.

Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a farmer
and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.  Immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me
Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio  Rizal regarded him as the “most noble
of Filipinos”  became a combat general in the Philippine Revolution 
died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79  dad two children by his
mistress (Severina Decena)—a boy and a girl

Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)

Sisa’ was the third child in the family, a teacher and musician. Like
Saturnina, Narcisa helped in financing Rizal’s studies in Europe, even
pawning her jewelry and peddling her clothes if needed. It is said she could
recite from memory almost all of the poems of the national hero.

OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; a telegraph

operator from Manila died in 1887 from childbirth.
LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)

Was married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba. When her husband died in the cholera epidemic in 1889,
he was denied a Christian burial because he was the brother-in-law of Dr. Jose Rizal. She sent her two
sons, Estanislao and Teodisio to be educated in the school Jose Rizal established in Dapital during his
exile.

MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)

The sixth child in the family. It was to her whom Jose talked about
wanting to marry Josephine Bracken when most of the Rizal family was
apparently not amenable to the idea. Jose had also brought up to Maria
his plan of establishing a Filipino colony in North British Borneo. Wife of
Daniel Faustino Cruz.

JOSÉ RIZAL (1861- 1939)

A Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial
period of the Philippines. He is tagged as the national hero of the Filipino
people. The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the
Spaniards on December 30, 1896.

CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865) Also called ‘Concha’ by her siblings, was

the eight child of the Rizal family. She died at the age of three. Of his sisters,
it is said that Pepe loved most the little Concha who was a year younger
than him. When Concha died of sickness in 1865, Jose mournfully wept at
losing her. He later 41 wrote in his memoir, “When I was four years old, I
lost my little sister Concha, and then for the first time I shed tears caused by
love and grief.”
JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)

Also called Panggoy, was the ninth child in the family who died a
spinster. In Jose Rizal's letter to his sister, Jose praised her for nearly
mastering the English language. Jose also wrote about the 20 pesos he
sent, the 10 pesos of the amount was supposed for a lottery ticket.
This indicates that Jose did not stop ‘investing’ in lottery tickets despite
winning 6, 200 pesos in September the previous year. After Jose’s
death, the epileptic Josefa joined the Katipunan.

TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)

Also called ‘Trining’, was the tenth child and the custodian of
Rizal’s last and greatest poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios."

SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929) Youngest of Jose Rizal's sisters,

was educated as a teacher. His letters scolded her for marrying
without the blessing of their parents. Wife of Pantaleon
Quintero.