Rizal's Life, Family, Childhood & Early Education (RIZL111 - WEEK 3)

birth, family & ancestry of dr. rizal THE MERCADO FAMILY JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONZO REALONDA "PEPE" Born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna He was the seventh in a brood of eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo. He was bap...

birth, family & ancestry of dr. rizal THE MERCADO FAMILY JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONZO REALONDA "PEPE" Born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna He was the seventh in a brood of eleven children of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo. He was baptized three days later by Father Rufino Collantes in the Catholic church of Calamba. Father Pedro Casañas stood as his godfather (ninong).  FRANCISCO MERCADO (b. May 11, 1818 – d. January 5, 1898) Father of Jose Rizal and considered the patriarch of the family, was a native of Biñan, Laguna. He was an educated and industrious farmer who studied Latin and Philosophy at Colegio de San Jose in Manila. Of Chinese ancestry, his great grandfather Domingo Lam-co was a native of Amoy (now Guanzhou), China who married the Filipina Ines de la Rosa. Both Francisco's father, Juan, and grandfather, became Capitanes or town mayors of Biñan. Upon the death of his mother, Francisco moved to Calamba where he became a tenant and farmer of a large Dominican estate. On 28 June 1848, he married Teodora Alonzo Realonda. In 1849, when Gov. Narciso Claveria issued the decree on the Hispanization of Filipino names, he chose the new surname Rizal, from the Latin word “ricial” meaning “rice field.” In 1850 he petitioned the court to change the family name to Rizal, with all their children being surnamed as such.  TEODORA ALONZO REALONDA (b. November 8, 1826 – d. August 16, 1911) The mother of Jose Rizal, a Manileña, was a highly educated Filipina who graduated from the Colegio de Santa Rosa. Of Spanish and Japanese ancestry, Teodora was a talented woman whose interests lay in literature, culture, and business, and was well-versed in Spanish. She helped her husband in farming and in their business. She devoted herself to the children's education and growth as morally-upright individuals. Teodora's lineage can be traced to Lakandula, the greatest ruler of Tondo. Her great grandfather, who was of Japanese blood, was Eugenio Ursua (Ochoa). Her maternal grandfather was Manuel de Quintos who was a popular lawyer in his time, while her paternal grandfather was Cipriano Alonzo who belonged to Biñan's long list of Capitanes. Teodora was second child of Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, an engineer and a recipient of the most sought decoration, the Knight of the Grand Order of Isabella and the Catholic Order of Carlos III; and Brigida de Quintos, a fair and well-educated lady. When Governor Claveria issued the decree for the revision and adoption of new names, the children of Alberto Alonzo adopted the surname Realonda. Thus, the name Teodora Alonzo became Teodora Alonzo Realonda. THE RIZAL FAMILY  SATURNINA "NENENG" 1850 - 1913 She is the eldest. She became the wife of Manuel Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas.  PACIANO 1851 - 1930 He was the family caretaker. After his younger brother’s execution, he joined the Philippine Revolution. He retired to his farm in Los Baños where he lived as a farmer. He had 2 children by his common- law wife (Severina Decena)- a boy and a girl.  NARCISA "SISA" 1852 - 1939 She was married to Antonio Lopez, a school teacher of Morong, Rizal.  OLIMPIA "IPIANG" 1855 - 1887 She became the wife of Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator of Manila. She died in 1887 from childbirth.  LUCIA 1857 - 1919 She became the wife of Mariano Herbosa, a town mate from Calamba. Herbosa died of cholera and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Jose Rizal  MARIA "BIANG" 1859 - 1945 She became the wife of Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna. JOSE PROTACIO "PEPE" 1861 - 1896 The seventh child in the family. He was married to a Scottish girl named Josephine Bracken.  CONCEPCION "CONCHA" 1862 - 1865 She died at the age of three (3) due to illness.  JOSEFA "PANGGOY" 1865 - 1945 She was an epileptic and died at the age of 80 as a spinster.  TRINIDAD "TRINING" 1868 - 1951 She was also a spinster. She died at the age of 83. She inherited much of Rizal’s property in Dapitan.  SOLEDAD "LOLENG" 1870 - 1929 She was the youngest in the family. She became the wife of Pantaleon Quintero also from Calamba. CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF JOSE RIZAL  It had many rooms: for the girls, the boys, another for the couple, and quarters for servants. The family had a huge dining table and a big ceiling fan. They also had a library of more than a thousand volumes of Latin and Spanish books. In their backyard there is a nipa THE RIZAL ANCENTRAL HOUSE IN hut, a native house whose roof was made of thatched cogon CALAMBA grass and bamboo wall, where A large, two-storey building built of the children played. Many fruit-bearing trees adobe stones, hardwood and tiled surrounded the house. roof.  PARTIAL VIEW OF THE RIZAL FAMILY'S LIBRARY WITH MORE THAN A THOUSAND VOLUMES OF LATIN AND SPANISH BOOKS. Rizal’s family was one of the richest families in Calamba. Indeed, they belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines. The main source of their livelihood was the sugarcane plantation which was being rented from the Dominicans. The farm also had coconut (copra), rice fields, fruit-bearing trees and a large turkey farm. Moreover, the family milled their sugar and had a ham press. The Rizal family was also the first native family in Calamba to own a horse-drawn carriage, called the carruaje. Doña Lolay, fond name for Doña Teodora, who belonged to an affluent family was relatively popular in Calamba and in Binan, and was well respected by the town folks. At an early age Pepe (nickname of Jose) proved to be a truly gifted boy. His mother was his first teacher. At the age of three he was already taught how to read the Latin and Spanish alphabets. He was trained to work fast and efficiently, to be honest at all times, and to always pray to God. His younger sister Concepcion, fondly called Concha, his playmate and best friend, died of a sickness at the age of three. Jose was four years old at the time. Josefa, the next sister, should have taken the place of Concha, but with her health condition, being an epileptic. Jose was probably more of a caretaker to her rather than a playmate. Trinidad or Trining, the sibling next to Josefa, was even much closer to Jose. She was a girl with a strong character. It is as if Jose had a new younger brother. Jose learned many stories and legends even at a young age. He remembered his “yaya” (Tagalog word: nanny) would always frighten him through her stories of freaky night creatures. However, of all the stories told, he would never forget the story of “The Moth and the Flame” from the book, El Amigo de los Ninos. Some of those who became very influential to Jose when he was young were the three brothers of his mother. They were uncles Gregorio, Manuel and Jose Alberto. Pepe would always come along to his uncles who taught him things that would benefit him in the future. Jose Alberto, an artist, would teach Pepe skills in sketching and drawing through the use of a pencil or charcoal. Manuel, being an athlete, would instruct him the rudiments of fencing and wrestling. Lastly, his uncle Gregorio, who was a lover of books and a writer, would instill in him a passion for writing and an appreciation to poetry and literature. JOSE ALBERT0 ALONZO When Doña Teodora gave birth to Soledad, the eleventh child in the family, Don Francisco together with Jose went to Antipolo for a pilgrimage. Jose was then seven years old. Afterwards, they proceeded to Manila where they visited Saturnina who was then a boarding student at La Concordia College in Sta. Ana. Biñan STUDIES At the age of nine, Jose would be sent by his parents to Biñan to continue his primary education under the instruction of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Maestro Justiniano was a renowned teacher adept in Latin and Spanish grammar. In fact, he was a former teacher of his brother Paciano. In the first weeks of his studies in Biñan, he would receive ruler blows on his palms for his mistakes and misbehavior. The pain of Maestro Justiniano’s punishment helped him to take his studies seriously. Maestro Justiniano was of the old school who believed in the maxim "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Later on, Jose would be able to catch up quickly and win many prizes in competitions held by the maestro. He had practically beaten all his Biñan schoolmates. Maestro Justiniano, though a strict disciplinarian, was also a conscientious instructor. The teacher told Jose, who had been only a few months under his care, that he already knew as much as his master. Thus, he advised his parents that Jose be sent to Manila to pursue higher education. Being physically frail and thin, Jose was initially bullied by his classmates. One of them was a boy named Pedro whom he remembered as the first one he had a brawl with. Another one was Andres Salandanan who almost broke his arm during a “bunong braso” or arm-wrestling match.  ARM WRESTLING Arm-wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm, both put either the right or left, on a surface, with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand. The goal is to pin the other's arm onto the surface, with the winner's arm over the loser's arm. Biñan had been a valuable experience for young Rizal. There he had met a host of relatives and from them heard much of the past of his father's family. He befriended Leandro, his cousin’s son. His best friend in the class, though, was Jose Guevarra, his painting partner in the class of a painting guru Mang Juancho, the ageing father-in-law of Maestro Justiniano. Jose also received instructions from Maestro Lucas Padua and from Leon Monroy, his tutor in Latin. TO BE CONTINUED.... NEXT TOPIC: INJUSTICE, LIBERALISM AND GOMBURZA MARTYRDOM/STUDIES IN ATENEO AND UST