Rizal's Birth and Early Life

Rizal's Birth

• Born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861, between 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon.
• He was the 7th child of Don Francisco Mercado and Dona Teodora Alonso.
• Father Rufino Collantes performed the baptism.
• Named Jose Protacio in honor of Saint Joseph and Saint Protacio.
• Dona Teodora was a devout follower of Saint Joseph, celebrating his day every month.
• Saint Protacio is the patron saint of June 19 and was martyred in Milan, Italy.
• He was referred to as Pepe by his family.
• Felice Prudente Santa Maria wrote about Rizal in "In Excelsis".
• Santa Maria stated St. Joseph was Jesus Christ's putative father.
• She wrote St. Joseph 'P.P' for Pater Putativus in Latin.
• Santa Maria said in Spanish, 'P' is pronounced 'peh'.
• Rizal's mother had a difficult time giving birth to him,as recorded in his diary, “Memoirs of a Student in Manila."
• Dona Teodora promised the Patroness of Antipolo, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, a pilgrimage to her shrine if she survived the difficult birth.
• Dona Teodora sent her 7-year-old son to Antipolo from Calamba, accompanied by Don Francisco Mercado to fulfill the promised pilgrimage.
• Rizal was christened on June 22, 1861, three days after birth.
• Reverend Father Rufino Collantes performed the baptism, and Reverend Father Pedro Casanas was his godfather.
• Reverend Father Collantes predicted José would achieve greatness due to his unusually large head.
• Pepe's baptismal certificate was destroyed in a fire in 1862 but restored with eyewitness accounts and the help of Father Leoncio Lopez.
• Father Lopez was a Filipino priest and family friend with whom Pepe enjoyed conversing.

Rizal's Family

• Despite their large size, Don Francisco and Dona Teodora found joy and happiness in their family, fostering a harmonious environment with shared affections.
• The parents did not spoil their children but disciplined them when they engaged in wrongdoing.
• They upheld the adage "spare the rod, spoil the child.”
• They regularly attended mass, especially on Sundays, and prayed the Angelus and Holy Rosary at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.
• The family was able to build a stone house near the church, bought another stone house and owned a stagecoach, library, and sent their children to college in Manila
• Due to their prudence, they lived a contented life, often hosting social and religious activities in their home.

Parents

• Don Francisco and Dona Teodora had 11 children.
• Paciano was 10 years older than Jose, acting as a second father and managing the family lands.

Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandra II

• Born on May 11, 1818, in Biñan, Laguna, he was the youngest of 13 children to Cirila Alejandro and Juan Mercado.
• He was a 4th generation descendant of Domingo Lamco, a Chinese immigrant from the late 1600s.
• Graduated from the Colegio de San Jose in Manila, studying Philosophy and Latin after studying latin in his hometown
• The people of Calamba greatly respected him when he was elected cabeza de barangay.
• Don Francisco was a hardworking and dedicated Dominican tenant and landowner in Calamba, Laguna who increased his rented holdings and built a stone house in the town center.
• He was evicted from his house in September 1899 due to agrarian issues and died in Manila on January 5, 1898, at 80 years old.
• José Rizal viewed his father as a "model of father's," crediting him for providing education and instilling strong-willed, educated, and independent traits.

Doña Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos

• Born in Manila on November 9, 1827, as the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brigida de Quintos and attended the College of Santa Rosa.
• A remarkable woman with refined culture, literary talent, business acumen, and tenacity.
• Rizal penned a poem about his adoring mother.
• She was a woman of higher culture and a mathematician who read a lot of books.
• She passed away on August 16, 1911, in Manila, at 85 years old, in Binondo's San Fernando street.
• She politely declined a life pension from the Philippine Government shortly before her death.
• Saying, her family has never been patriotic for money.
• She suggested that, it should lower taxes.
• In a letter to Blumentritt, Jose Rizal said that she was more knowledgeable about literature and spoke more fluently.
• She was a mathematician who has read a lot of books.
• Her father, the Philippine delegate to the Cortes, had been her teacher.

Siblings

• Dr. Jose Rizal's parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, married on June 28, 1848.
• Teodora was from Meisik, Tondo, while Francisco was from Biñan, Laguna.
• They had 11 children: 2 boys and 9 girls.

Saturnina (1850-1913)

• The eldest sibling, commonly called Neneng.
• She attended La Concordia College in Manila's Santa Ana.
• Her husband was Manuel Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.
• In 1909, Dona Saturnina published Pascual Poblete's Tagalog translation of Noli me Tangere and died in 1913 at 63.

Paciano (1851-1930)

• Described as the national hero's elder and only brother, commonly known as Ciano.
• Prior to enrolling at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila, he studied Latin with Maestro Justiniano Cruz. – He was referred to as "Uto” providing Jose with a monthly allowance of 50 pesos, (later reduced to 35 pesos).
• Paciano was considered an ardent and dynamic Katipunero, thought by many to be the Pilosopong Tasio.
• On June 23, 1888, Jose Rizal wrote to Ferdinand Blumentritt expressing his regret for not introducing his brother.
• Jose Taviel de Andrade described him as generous.
• He was apprehended by American forces in 1900 for his involvement as a military commander of the Revolutionary forces in Laguna.
• Prior to his death, he lived a simple life as a farmer, married Severina Decena, and had two children, succumbing to Tuberculosis at 79.

Narcisa (1852-1939)

• 2nd daughter and 3rd child, called Sisa by her siblings.
• She supported her brother Jose's studies abroad.
• Perhaps the only sibling who could narrate Jose's poems.
• married to Antonio Lopez, a teacher and musician.
• She visited Jose in his prison cell the day before his execution.
• Rizal's remains were searched for and found and buried in an unmarked grave.
• Narcisa placed a marble marker given by Doroteo Ongjunco with the initials R.P.J.

Olimpia (1855-1887)

• Called as Ypia and married Silvestro Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila.
• She was the 4th child in her family.
• Jose liked to tease her, sometimes humorously calling her his stout sister.
• A schoolmate of Segunda Katigbak at the La Concordia College.

Lucia (1857-1919)

• Married Mariano Herbosa, and they had 5 children.
• Mariano died in 1889 due to an epidemic but was denied a Christian burial.
• This was due to being Rizal's brother-in-law.

Maria (1859-1945)

• Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna, and had 5 children.
• Mauricio Cruz, became a student of Rizal in Dapitan.
• He was known to be one of his uncle's favorites.
• Maria was a recipient of many of Jose's letters.

Concepcion (1862-1865)

• Called Concha died at the age of 3.

Josefa (1865-1945)

• She was unmarried and lived with her sister Trinidad until death and was said to have suffered from epilepsy.

Trinidad (1868-1951)

• Remained Single and shared a home with her sister, Josefa.
• Received an alcohol lamp from Jose, secretly hiding the “Last Farewell," or “Mi Ultimo Adios," a poem Rizal wrote on the eve of his death in 1896.

Soledad (1870-1929)

• She was the youngest of Rizal siblings and married Pantaleon Quintero, with whom she had 5 children.

Rizal's Sisters

• They did not occupy prominent government positions.
• There was solidarity in the family as they never disagreed with Rizal, and they were persecuted and deported,
• Manuel Hidalgo was deported to Bohol for being Rizal's brother-in-law.
• Rizal's sisters showed great care and attention during his deportation in Dapitan and their stay in Hongkong.
• Narcisa was very determined to find her brother's tomb after his execution.
• Rizal was close to all his siblings, especially his only brother, Paciano.
• Paciano accompanied Rizal to his first day of school and persuaded him to pursue higher education in Europe, sending Rizal his allowance while he was studying abroad.

Ancestors

• Jose had Chinese ancestors on his father's side and Japanese ancestors on his mother's side.
• His mother is from Rajah Lakandula.
• Ancestry can also be traced back to Malayan and Indonesian genes
• Domingo Lamco was Rizal's great-great-grandfather and a native Chinese of Sionggue, City of Changchow, Province of Fukien.
• He married Ines de la Rosa.
• The union produced Francisco and Josefa.
• Francisco Mercado, José's great grandfather, named after an uncle and scholar.
• He married Cirila Bernancha and lived in Binan.
• Later elected as the town's Gobernadorcillo.
• He had 2 children before he died in 1801.
• Juan Mercado, José grandfather, was elected Gobernadorcillo and known as Kapitan Juan.
• Elected 3 times and served as Hermano Mayor on several occasions.
• Married Cirila Alejandra, had 12 children, including Jose's father.
• Jose Rizal's matrilineal descent can be traced back to Lakandula.
• Eugenio Ursua was Dona Teodora's great-great grandfather married to Benigna.
• Brigada married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, and they had children including Teodora.
• Craig, the Lamco family was not used to taking their godparents' names.
• Russel said that Governor-General Claveria issued a decree changing last names to take an assessment.
• Francisco Mercado evaded the decree and chose a Spanish term “racial” in1731 .
• Jose explained why he used Rizal when his brother advised him to because of Father Burgos.

Childhood

• lived on the Laguna Lake's shore and at the foot of Mt. Makiling. He enjoyed the views.
• He was frail and sickly, his parents gave him loving care.
• His mother was his first teacher, teaching the alphabet and how to pray at age 3.
• Also noticed he could write poems and encouraged him.
• He wrote a poem about his hometown reminiscing about his beautiful memories as a young boy called “In Memory of My Town".
• His father built him a small nipa hut to served as both a sanctuary for him to play with his siblings and a resting place for him.
• His Aya would scare him with stories about aswang, nuno sa punso, and tikbalang, when he refused to eat his meals.
• He enjoyed playing alone and listening to birds such as the culiawan, maya, maria capra, martini, and pipit.
• His mother taught him to pray daily, including reciting the holy rosary.
• His uncle Jose taught him regularly.
• His uncle Manuel worked on his physique.
• His uncle instilling a desire to achieve life goals in him.
• owned a pony and took nocturnal walks with Usman, his big black dog.
• He also performed magic tricks and told his sisters people would build monuments and images of him.
• His happiest memory was a trip with his father to Antipolo to fulfill his mother's vow to the Virgin of Antipolo..
• He experienced his first grief due death of his younger sister Concepcion at 4 years old.
• He exhibited a poetic mind, leading to his interest in writing short verses due to his mother.
• His mother read him “The Story of the Moth” that sparked his interest in literature..

Early Education

• Rizal's first teacher was his mother, Teodora.
• She taught him the alphabet and prayers as a 3 year old.
• Dona Teodora told him many stories which later interest in poetry.
• She reads to him Story of the Moth" The Children's Friend.
• She chastised him for drawing on the pages of the story book and would read to teach him the value of obedience to his parents.
• Dona Teodora used storytelling sessions to talk about life important lesson.
• Rizal admired how the moth sacrifice for a valuable.
• The Private Tutors: Maestro Celestino, Maestro Lucas Padua, Leon Monroy.
• Paciano Rizal accompanied him at his first schooling in Binan.
• He left Calamba for Binan on a Sunday afternoon in June 1869.
• They arrived at their destination in carromata after an hour and a half of driving.
• his brother drove him to his aunt's house.
• Rizal would wake up to hear 4 am then study and then to mass.
• The class was in a nipa house, about 30 meters away from his own house.
• . After returning home he would take breakfast and go to class from which he would come out at 10:00.
• Then he would then again go to school at 2:00 and come out at 5:00. He would pray with his cousins at 6 and then study.
• Justiniano Aquino Cruz the grammars of Nebrija and Gainza.
• He was tall, lean, long-necked man with a sharp nose and a slightly bent forward body.
• Wore sinamay shirt woven by Batangas women's deft hands.
• Jose seated in a Class.
• “ Are you fluent in Spanish.
• Calamba lad replied “A little, Sir”.
• " Are you familiar in Latin”.
• “A little Sir" (Craig 1918).
• Answers that the teachers son Pedro laughts at.
• Met bully Pedro, the bully in day 1 in school while the teacher takes a siesta.
• He was enraged at the bully in the morning talk. Pedro Accepted fight.
• Won due to his Uncle Manuel.
• Andres Salandanan challenged to Match wrestled.
• He used to spend his time with Justiniano's father in law a master painter Juancho.

Imprisonment

• Jose Rizal was 11 when he saw his mother's bravery and watched the Spaniards arrest Teodora and watched her walk 50 km. Dona Teodora was imprisoned after walking a day after saying she was poisoning her sister in law.
• Dona Teodora was 45 and was trying to mediate between her brother and his wife Dona Teodora. Her Grandddaughter say Dona Teodora didn’t approve of protecting families reputation which is why she was sleeping with Guardia Civil.

Death of the GOMBURZA

• In 1774 the decree gave parish to the filipinos but Spaniards opposed
• GOMBURZA was accused in Cavite Mutiny on 1872
• Mariano de los Angeles- Bacoor Preist
• Jose burgos- Manila Cathedral Preist
• Jacinto Zamora-Marikina Preist
• February 17, 1872 took place