Chapter 2

• Jose Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861 between eleven and twelve midnight, a few days before the full moon. Although he had a skinny physique and frail body, his head is too big which almost caused his mother's death during delivery.
• On June 22, 1861, 3 days after his birth, he was baptized in Calamba Catholic Church by the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes, a Batagueno priest.
• He was named "Jose" in honor of San Jose (St. Joseph) because her mother was a devotee to the saint. Father Pedro Casanas, a close friend of the Rizal family stood as Rizal's god father.
• The baby boy, who was destined to be the greatest man and a hero of all times is Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.
• Jose came from a mixture of Chinese, Spanish, Japanese and Filipino blood.
• His great-grandfather in the father's side was Domingo Lamco, a Chinese immigrant from China who married Ines de la Rosa, a Chinese Christian girl from Manila. Domingo adopted the surname Mercado (Spanish term for market).
• The son of Domingo and Ines, Francisco Mercado resided in Biñan and married a Chinese woman named Cirila Bernacha. Francisco was elected as gobernadorcillo of Biñan and later on, his son Juan Mercado. Juan married a Chinese Filipina named Cirila Alejandro and was blessed with 13 children and of those was Francisco Mercado, the father of Jose Rizal.
• He studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila and fell in love with the student from the College of Santa Rosa, named Teodora Alonzo.
• Teodora Alonzo came from the family of Lakandula. Her great-grandfather Eugenio Ursia who had Japanese ancestry married Benigna. The daughter of Eugenio and Benigna was Regina who was married to a Chinese-Filipino from Pangasinan. Their daughter Brigida was married to a prominent Spanish named Lorenzo Alberto Alonso from Biñan. One their daughter was Teodora Alonzo.
• Siang-co and Zun-nio, who gave birth to Lam-co that came from Fujian in southern China were the ancestors of Rizal’s father. In the late 1600s, Lam-co migrated to the Philippines and was baptized in Binondo, Manila in 1697 then took on the first name “Domingo”.
• He later married Ines de la Rosa from a well-known Binondo family and both settled in the Dominican-owned estate in San Isidro Labrador. A son whom they named Francisco Mercado was born to them in 1731. Mercado which means “market” was a surname usually taken on for identification at the time by many Chinese merchants.
• Ines and Domingo’s son, Francisco Mercado turned into one of the wealthiest in Biñan, Laguna apart from being elected in 1783 as capitan del pueblo, a position into which his own son, Juan Mercado was also elected for three different terms in 1808, 1813, and 1823.
• Married to Cirila Alejandra who is a native of Biñan, Juan had 13 children – the youngest of whom was Francisco Engracio [Rizal’s father] whose fine education commenced at a Latin school in Biñan and included attending the College of San Jose in Manila.
• In 1848, Francisco married Teodora Alonzo from one of the wealthiest families in Manila and whose father was affiliated with the Spanish Cortes, the legislative branch of the Spanish democratic monarchy.
• In 1849, adhering to the decree by Governor-General Narciso Claveria mandating Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames, Francisco Engracio Mercado had taken on the surname “Rizal” and Teodora adopted “Realonda”.
• Rizal’s mother was a descendant of Lakandula who was the last native king of Tondo. Rizal’s maternal ancestor who was of Japanese ancestry, Eugenio Ursua was Rizal’s great-great grandfather who married Benigna whose surname was unknown.
• Brigida, one of their daughters had taken on a renowned Spanish mestizo from Biñan, Engr. Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo as her husband and had five children: Narcisa, Teodora [Rizal’s mother], Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose.
• Francisco later settled in Calamba, Laguna as a wealthy farmer leasing agricultural lands in the role of an inquilino from the Dominican friars with his wife Teodora who was educated at the College of Sta. Rosa.
• Francisco and Teodora’s diligence afforded the family some prominence in the principalia of Calamba and theirs was one of the first stone houses in town which Rizal’s biographer, Rafael Palma described as “massive and earthquake-proof”.
• The children of Brigida and Alberto adopted the family name "Realonda" family from a list of Spanish surnames provided by Governor Narciso Claveria in 1849.
• He believed that his surname Rizal is more

  fitting for his farming clan the "Mercado". Rizal or "racial" in English means "greenfield" or "new pasture"
• Rizal's family belonged to the middle class or a principalia class or a creoles class.
• The family was able to own a horse-drawn carriage (caruaje), a big home library consisting of more than 1000 volumes and general goods store in the town, operated a small flour mill and a homemade ham press.
• Because the Rizal family was considered illustrados or affluence, the children were able to study in exclusive schools in Manila.
• 1. Saturnina (1850-1913) - she was the eldest of the Rizal children. Her husband was Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. Her nickname is "Neneng".
• 2. Paciano (1851-1930) - he was the older brother of Jose. He studied at San Jose College in Manila. After the execution of Jose, he joined the Spanish-Philippine revolution and became a general. After the Revolution, he retired to his farm and became a general. After the Revolution, he retired to his farm and became a farmer in Los Banos. He died an old bachelor though he has a common-law wife, Severina Decena. They had two children, a boy and a girl.
• 3. Narcisa (1852-1939) - she was married to Antonio Lopez, (a nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez) a school teacher of Morong, Rizal. Her pet name is "Sisa"
• 4. Olympia (1855-1887) - she was married to Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila, her nickname is "Ypai"
• 5. Lucia (1857-1919) - she was married to Matriano Herbosa of Calamba. Herbosa died of cholero in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother in-law of Jose.
• 6. Maria (1859-1945) - She was married to Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna. Her nickname is "Biang"
• 7. Jose (1861-1896) - he was considered as the "lucky seven" in the family. He lived with Josephine Bracken, a pretty Irish girl from Hongkong. Rizal had a son by her by the name of "Francisco" who was named after his father, but died a few hours after birth and was buried In Dapitan. Rizal's nickname is "Pepe"
• 8. Concepcion (1862-1865) - Died at the age of three because of illness. Her death was the first sorrow of Rizal. Her pet name is "Concha".
• 9. Josefa (1865-1945) - she remained single, an epileptic, and old maid. Her pet name was "Panggoy". She died at the age of 80
• 10. Trinidad (1868-1929) - like Josefa, she died an old maid at the age of 83. Her pet is "Trining".
• 11. Soledad (1870-1929) - she was the youngest of the Rizal children. She married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba. Her pet name is "Choleng".
• He learned how to read and write from his tutor, Maestro Celestino and second tutor Maestro Lucas Padua. The third tutor was Leon Monroy, an old man who was Rizal's father classmate. Monroy lived at the Rizal's house and taught Rizal Spanish and Latin but died five months later.
• Rizal used to visit Father Leoncio Lopez, the town parish priest, to listen to the stimulating opinions of the priest on current events and sound philosophy of life.
• Three uncles who were brothers of his mother also had much influence on the early childhood of Jose Rizal. The youngest uncle named Jose, took care of teaching regular lessons to Rizal. His huge uncle Manuel developed his physique until he had a body of silk and steel and no longer a skinny and sickly boy.
• Rizal left Calamba for Biñan in June 1869 on a Sunday afternoon, accompanied by his brother Paciano. They rode in a carromata for one a half-hour drive to the house of their aunt where Rizal had to lodge.
• The next morning, he was brought by Paciano to Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, the former teacher of Paciano. Maestro Cruz was tall, thin, long-necked, with a sharp nose, he used to wear sinamay shirt, but was a disciplinarian and a tough teacher. The school was in Maestro's house. Rizal learned Spanish, Latin, and other subjects from Maestro Cruz.