Rizal Chapter 3

• Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos welcomed their seventh child into the world at Calamba, Laguna


  June 19, 1861
• Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos welcomed their seventh child into the world


  11:00-12:00 midnight
• Baby boy


  "my bonito"
• Name


  Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
• Protacio


  Taken from the Catholic calendar, a practice during the Spanish time to name a child after the Saint of the day
• Surname Mercado


  Adopted in 1731 by his paternal great-grandfather, Domingo Lamco, a full blooded Chinese merchant, meaning "market" in English
• Surname Rizal


  Given by Don Francisco, closer to the Spanish word RACIAL which means "luntiang bukirin" related to his work, as hacienda owner/farmer
• Surname Alonzo


  Rizal's mother's surname
• Surname Realonda


  Used by Doña Teodora, the surname of her godmother
• Teodora Alonzo almost lost her life giving birth because of the baby's big head and because of Doña Teodora's difficulty, the family considered the baby boy as special
• Jose Rizal was baptized in the Catholic Church in Calamba on June 22,1861 (3 days after his birth) by the parish priest, Father Rufino Collantes. His godfather was Father Pedro Casañas, a close friend of the Rizal family. Father Collantes was impressed by the big head of baby Jose. He told them, "Take good care of this child, for someday he will become a great man".
• Rizal's upbringing


  • Conducive for learning and proper upbringing
  • Climate of Laguna was favorable
  • Picturesque beauty of the town nestled at the foot of Mt. Makiling
  • Green meadows, verdant plains, family orchard, scenic beauty of Laguna de Bay enhanced his sense of creativity and love of nature
• In one of his diaries, Rizal wrote of the unhappy environment brought about by the abusive treatment of which his townspeople suffered in the hands of Spanish officials
• Rizal family

  • One of the richest families in Calamba
  • Rented land from the Dominican religious order
  • Belonged to the "principalia" (upper class) through frugal living, hard and honest work
• "Principalia"


  Upper class
• Rizal's parents

  • Able to live well
  • Able to send their ten children to prestigious schools and universities in the country
• Dona Teodora


  • Managed a grocery store
  • Operated a small flour mill
• Rizal family home

  • Large stone house situated near the town church
• Status symbols of the "illustrados" (educated class)

  • Carriage
  • Private library consisting of 1,000 volumes
• Jose Rizal's ancestry

  On father side, 9th generation patrilineal descendant of a Chinese immigrant and a business tycoon
• Don Domingo Lamco (Chinese name: pinyin: Ke Yinan)


  Rizal's great-great grandfather, originally from Amoy, China, came to the Philippines in the mid-17th century
• Inez de la Rosa


  Lamco's wife, daughter of Augustin Chinco, an immigrant trader from Chuanchow
• Lamco's decision

  1. To prevent conflict and hostility with the Spanish authorities, he decided to drop the name Lamco and adapted a Spanish surname

  2. As a merchant, they chose the name "Mercado" because it means market
• Lamco


  • Successful entrepreneur in despite of the discrimination experienced by Chinese traders from the Spaniards
• Lamco started the businesses of the Mercado's clan
• Lamco was baptized in the Catholic church of Manila's Parian Chinese ghetto and moved to Biñan, Laguna


  June 1697
• Lamco was 35 years old at that time
• Lamco's financial state


  Improved in Biñan
• Lamco


  Became a Chinese community leader
• Lamco's son Francisco Mercado and grandson Juan Mercado


  Married Chinese mestizas and both served as distinguished mayors of Biñan for five years
• Juan's wife, Cirila Alejandra


  Was the daughter of an immigrant trader and Domingo Lamco's baptismal godson Siong-co
• When Rizal's father was born, the family transferred to Calamba
• The house they built was the first stone house in the whole town
• On mother side, recent genealogical findings revealed that Rizal also had Spanish, Japanese and Negrito ancestry. Teodora (Rizal's mother) great grandfather Eugenio Ursua was a descendant of Japanese settlers. Ursua married a Filipina named Benigna and their union produced Regina Ursua. Manuel de Quintos, a Sangley mestizo from Pangasinan, married Regina and their daughter was named Brigida Brigida married a half-caste Spaniard named Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, they were the parents of Teodora.
• Jose Rizal's father

  Don Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898), born in Biñan, Laguna, studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila, became a tenant farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda, hard-working and independent-minded who talked less but worked more and valiant in spirit
• Jose Rizal: 'My father was a model of fathers, had given us an education commensurate with our small fortune; and through thrift he was able to build a stone house; erect a little nipa house in the middle of our orchard under the shade of some trees and others'
• Jose Rizal's mother

  Doña Teodora Alonzo y Realonda (1826-1911), born in Meisik, Sta. Cruz Manila, studied at Colegio de Sta Rosa in Manila, woman of refined culture and character, with exemplary literary talents, the fortitude of a Spartan woman and with business ability, she managed their store
• Jose Rizal: 'My mother is a woman of more than ordinary culture; she knows literature and speaks Spanish better than I. She even corrected my poems and gave me a wise advise when I was studying rhetoric. She is a mathematician and has read many books'
• Both parents greatly influenced Rizal as shown in his character. From his father, he inherited a profound sense of dignity and self- respect, seriousness and from his mother, the dreamer and bravery for sacrifices and her literary prowess. Don Francisco and Doña Teodora were blessed with eleven (11) children: two (2) boys and nine (9) girls.
• 1. Saturnina (1850-1913). She was the eldest child of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda. Her nickname was "Neneng". She was married to Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. It was Doña Saturnina who published Pascual Poblete's translation in Tagalog language of the "Noli Me Tangere" in 1909.