SOCIAL BACKGROUND, STATUS AND ANCESTRY OF JOSE RIZAL Including the F !il" #$%&ile %& the Ri' l( in C l !

) , L gun The Ri' l F !il" B c*g$%und The Rizal family belonged to the principalia classtown aristocracy during the Spanish colonial era; being one of the prominent and influential in Calamba. The Mercados acquired their fortune through the industry of both rancisco and Teodora! Rizal"s parents. rom the farms! which were rented from the #ominicans! they har$ested rice! corn and sugarcane; raising pigs! chic%ens! and tur%eys e$en in their bac%yard. &n addition to farming and stoc% raising! Donya Teodora managed a general goods store and operated a small flour mill and a home'made ham press (s e$idence of their affluence! Rizal"s parents owned a carruaje )horse'drawn carriage*; status symbol of the ilustrados and a pri$ate library )the largest in Calamba* which consisted of more than +!,,, $olumes. &n addition! the children are sent to colleges in Manila. (side from being one of the wealthiest families in town! they were also highly esteemed and were %nown for being hospitable and cultured! participating among the $arious socio'cultural and religious gatherings and e$ents in town. Ri' l F !il" #$%&ile The Rizal family had a simple! contented and happy life at the beginning. -ose"s parents are strict; training the children to lo$e .od! beha$e well! be obedient and respect people! regardless of status. They hear mass together e$ery Sunday and Christian holidays! prayed together daily at home around Angelus and the rosary before retiring to bed at night. (ll these would be drastically altered beginning +/01 and more so around +//2. The children! howe$er! were gi$en ample time to play with the children of other families. -ose"s aya )nanny* would be the source of the many fol%tales that he would e$entually with his (ustrian friend! erdinand 3lumentritt. J%(e Ri' l+( Bi$th , B -ti(! 4e was born on the moonlit night of 5ednesday! -une +2! +/6+! in the la%eshore town of Calamba! 7aguna pro$ince. 4is mother almost died during the deli$ery due to his big head. 4e was baptized in the Catholic church of his town on -une 11 by the parish priest! r. Rufino Collantes! who was a Batangueno. 4is godfather was r. 8edro Casanas! nati$e of Calamba and close friend of the family. 4is name 9-ose: was chosen by his mother who is a de$otee of St. -oseph. r. Collantes remar%ed during baptism; 9Ta%e good care of this child! for someday! he will become a great man.: 4is words pro$ed to be prophetic. The Ri' l F !il"

-ose Rizal was the se$enth of the ele$en children of rancisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora (lonzo Realonda. -ose"s father! rancisco! was born in 3inan! 7aguna! on May ++! +/+/. 4e first attended a 7atin school in his hometown! was later sent to study philosophy and 7atin at the College of San -ose in Manila. 5hen his parents died! during his early manhood! he mo$ed to Calamba and became a tenant farmer of the #ominican'owned hacienda. 4e got married to Teodora (lonzo on -une 1/! +/</! after the death of his sister who too% care of him since childhood. 4is wife ga$e birth to ele$en children. rancisco Mercado was an independent'minded man who tal%ed less and wor%ed more; was respected in town to become cabeza-de-barangay of Calamba. Teodora! -ose"s mother! was born in Meisic! Sta. Cruz! Manila on =o$ember /! +/16 and was educated at the College of Sta. Rosa! a well'%nown college for girls in the city. She is a talented woman whose interests lay in literature ! culture
and business! and is well'$ersed in Spanish.

-ose referred to his mother as 9lo$ing and prudent.: 5hen her $ision was failing in old age! her son too% up medicine! specializing in opthalmology! in order to operate on her. She died in Manila on (ugust 6! +2++ at the age of /> in a rented house. Shortly before her death! the (merican colonial go$ernment offered her life pension. She courteously re?ected it saying; 9 My family has ne$er been patriotic for money. &f the go$ernment has plenty of funds and does not %now what to do with them! better reduce the ta@es.: The Ri' l Child$en .od blessed the marriage of rancisco and Teodora with ele$en childrentwo boys and nine girls; +. Saturnina )+/>,'+2+A*eldest! nic%named Neneng )affectionately called 9Maneng: by -oseB8epe; she married Manuel T. 4idalgo of Tanauan! 3atangas; 1. 8aciano )+/>+'+2A,*was the elder and only brother of -ose who became his 9second father: sending -ose to Curope to study! gi$ing the latter 0,, pesos upon departure. 8aciano was he financial supporter of -ose until the time that the latter started practicing medicine. (fter the death of -ose! 8aciano ?oined the re$olution and was later appointed general of the re$olutionary forces in 7aguna. 4is common'law wife was Se$erina #ecena. 4e died in 7os 3anos! 7aguna on (pril +A! +2A,. Their only child! Cmiliana Rizal! married a first cousin! (ntonio Rizal 7opez! -r.! the son of =arcisa Rizal with (ntonio 7opez! Sr. Pilosopong Tasyo! a character on Rizal"s Noli! was patterned after him.

A. =arcisa )+/>1'+2A2*the third child was a teacher and a musician by profession! and married (ntonio 7opez who was a school teacher in Morong! Rizal.; <. Dlimpia )+/>>'+//0*married Sil$estre Ebaldo! a telegraph operator in Manila; >. 7ucia )+/>0'+2+2*was married to Mariano 4erbosa of Calamba! a nephew of r. Casanas. 4erbosa died of cholera in +//2 and was denied Christian burial for being the brother'in'law of -ose. 6. Maria )+/>2'+2<>*married #aniel austino Cruz of 3inan! 7aguna; 0. -ose )+/6+'+/26*was nic%named 8epe. #uring his e@ile in #apitan! li$ed with -osephine 3rac%en! an &rish girl from 4ong%ong. -ose had a son by her but the baby died a few hours after birth; -ose named him rancisco! after his father! and buried him in #apitan. /. Concepcion )+/61'+/6>*also %nown as 9Concha;: who died at the age of three; was -ose"s first sorrow in life. 2. -osefa )+/6>'+2<>*affectionately called 9 Panggoy;: remained a spinster. +,. Trinidad )+/6/'+2>+*pet named 9Trining;: also died a spinster ++. Soledad )+/0,'+212*nic%named 9Choleng;: married 8antaleon Fuintero! a nati$e of Calamba Ri' l+( Ance(t$" -ose Rizal was a 2th'generation patrilineal descendant of #omingo 7am'co! a Chinese immigrant entrepreneur from -in?iang! Fuanzhou and arri$ed in Manila about +62,; became a Christian and married a well'to'do Sangley Christian girl of Manila! &nes de la Rosa. To free his descendants from Sinophobic animosity of the Spanish authorities! 7am'co changed the surname to the Spanish 9 Mercado: )mar%et* to indicate their Chinese merchant roots. #omingo Mercado and &nes de la Rosa had a son! rancisco Mercado! who resided in 3inan! 7aguna; married a Chinese' ilipino mestiza! Cirila 3ernacha! and was elected gobernadorcillo of 3inan. Dne of their sons! -uan Mercado )-ose"s grandfather* married Cirila (le?andro! a Chinese' ilipina mestiza ! who became gobernadorcillo! li%e his father. They had thirteen children and one of them as rancisco Mercado! -ose"s father. rancisco lost his father at the age of eight and grew to manhood under the care of his mother. 5hile studying in Manila! he met and fell in lo$e with Teodora (lonzo Realonda. They married on -une 1/! +/</ and settled down in Calamba. The Su$n !e .Ri' l/ Dn +/<2! .o$.'.en. =arciso Cla$eria ordered all nati$e families in the 8hilippines to choose new surnames from a list of Spanish family names. -ose"s

father! rancisco! adopted the surname 9Rizal: )originally Ricial! 9the green of young growth: or 9green fields:*! which was suggested to him by a pro$incial go$ernor! or as -ose described him! 9a friend of the family.: 4owe$er! the name change caused confusion in the business affairs of rancisco! most of which begun under the old surname. (fter a few years! he settled on the name 9Rizal Mercado: as a compromise! but usually! ?ust used the original surname 9Mercado.: INJUSTICES DONE TO T0E RIZAL FA1ILY 2h t the S- ni(h C%l%ni l Auth%$itie( A$e C - )le %& D%ing E3en t% the 1e!)e$( %& the Principalia Cl (( Se$ie( %& In4u(tice(5c (e %& Donya Te%d%$ (. &n +/01! Donya Teodora was arrested and thrown into common ?ail. -ose Rizal was ++ years old when it happened. +. Donya Teodora"s brother! #on -ose (lonzo had returned from Curope and found his house and children abandoned by his wife. #on -ose wanted to di$orce his wife but Donya Teodora persuaded him to ta%e his wife bac%. 1. ( few days later! the wife of #on -ose! together with a leiutenant of the Ci$il .uard who had been a friend of the Rizals! accused #on -ose of trying to poison her and named Donya Teodora as an accomplice. She was roughly seized and marched off on foot >, %m to ?ail in the pro$incial capital of Sta. Cruz. A. Donya Teodora was forced to admit! promising her that she would be set free and reunited with her children if she said what they wanted her to say. 3eing a pure'hearted mother! she admitted thin%ing that she will be truly reunited with her children. <. (s it turned out! she was only decei$ed by the lieutenant and was acquitted only after 1 G years for an allegation that was not e$en true in the first place. >. The reason behind the lieutenant"s submission to the accusation of #on -ose"s wife was because there was a specific time in the past wherein the lieutenant as%ed #on rancisco for a fodder for the lieutenant"s horse but #on rancisco refused so the lieutenant used the imprisonment of Donya Teodora as his pay bac%. In4u(tice(5the c (e %& J%(e Ri' l &n +/0+! the (rtistic'7iterary 7yceum opened another literary contest to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cer$antes! Spain"s glorified man'of'letters and famous author of #on Fui@ote. The contest was opened to both the ilipinos and Spaniards.

Rizal! inspired by his poetical triumph the pre$ious year )+/0,* on the 9 A a !u"entud #ilipina: )To the ilipino Houth* that won first prize! entered the literary ?oust! submitting an allegorical drama entitled 9 $l Consejo de los Dioses% )The Council of the .ods*. The ?udges of the contest were all Spaniards. (fter a long! critical appraisal of the entries! they awarded the first prize to Rizal"s wor% because of its literary superiority o$er the others 3ut upon disco$ering that the first prize winner was Rizal! an &ndio! the Spaniards too% the first prize gold pin from Rizal and ga$e him a second prize instead. Dn -uly +/0/! Rizal was spending the summer holidays in Calamba! 7aguna after his first year in medical school; when! going along a street one dar% night! he failed to doff his hat to a constabulary lieutenant! who promptly cut him with a nati$e whip across the bac%! threw him in ?ail despite his wound and threatened him with deportation. 4is wound too% two wee%s to heal. Rizal reported the incident to .eneral 8rimo de Ri$era! the Spanish .o$.'.en. at that time but nothing came out his complaint since he was an indio and the abusi$e lieutenant was a Spaniard. In4u(tice(51eddled 1 $$i ge %& Ri' l+( Si(te$( &t was due to the Spanish priests why two of Rizal"s sisters! -osefa and Trinidad died as spinsters. The priests did not appro$e of the marriage since they belong to a family of 'ilibusteros( Ri' l+( F !il" nd the #e%-le %& C l !) 67icti!( %& E3icti%n Dn September +//0! some tenant! including Rizal"s relati$es! stopped paying rent because they wanted the #ominicans to authenticate their title to the estate. The rental fee of the lands %ept mounting! e$en in hard times when there is flood and fall in the price of sugar and the #ominicans would still as% the tenants to pay for the increased rent. The Cases of C$iction of Calamba Tenants from the #ominican'Dwned Cstates C$en though the case was appealed in to the court! the e$iction was enforced by compelling the Rizals and the other families by putting their furniture on the street. The #ominicans were satisfied with the e$iction of the tenants who persisted in not paying. Rizal"s father too% the disaster philosophically and decided to li$e in =arcisa"s house.

E8ile %& S%!e %& the 1e!)e$( %& the Ri' l( #uring the e$iction! =arcisa"s husband! 7opez! together with his brothers'in'law! 8aciano and Dlimpia"s widower! Ebaldo! made an e$en greater show of

resistance to the authorities so that the three had been rusticated in Ialapan! the capital city of Mindoro. E3e$"thing &%$ Tu$*e"/6Ri' l & !il"+( l%(( %& -$%-e$t" Rizal wrote a letter to his friend! 3lumentritt to share the story of how his father lost all his assets to the #ominicans due to a tur%ey. 'The lay'brother of the hacienda) which was owned by the #ominicans! where the Rizals rented always as%ed for things including tur%ey which #on rancisco gladly ga$e. 3ut because of an epidemic! nearly all of the tur%eys died and #on rancisco managed to sa$e a few that remained for breeding purposes. 9Dne day! the lay brother as%ed for a tur%ey and my father had to say that he had none to spare for nearly all of them had died. The brother was furious at this answer and ended by saying; JHou will pay for this." . . . ( few days later! my parents recei$ed a paper written by the manager saying that the rental of my father"s land was being increased one'third. My father paid the rental without a word of protest but in a few months time! he recei$ed another notice that! since my father realized so much income from the land so that he could ha$e machines for ma%ing sugar! the rental would be twice what it had been. 1" & the$ --e led t% the c%u$t(, nd &in ll" l%(t h%u(e(, l nd nd ! chine$"6 ll &%$ tu$*e"9/ 0%ng*%ng ( Re&uge , Donya Te%d%$ +( :nd #e$(%n l In4u(tice The Rizals decided to spend Christmas in +/2+ in 4ong%ong to be away from the eyes of the Spaniards and be safe. Rizal wrote again to his friend! 3lumentritt and narrated how his mother had e@perienced woes in the hands of the Spaniards during that year. Sec%nd Incidence %& Donya Te%d%$ +( 2%e( Rizal wrote; 9My aged and blind mother is here! too )4ong%ong* to be free from tyranny. They sent her from Manila to Sta. Cruz in 7a 7aguna by mountain road! going from town to town! because she did not identify herself as Realonda de Rizal but simply Teodora (lonzoK 3ut she has always called herself Teodora (lonzoK 9&magine an old woman of more than 6<! going up and down mountain roads with her daughter! guarded by constablesK She as%ed to be allowed to tra$el by steamship! offering to pay e$erything! e$en the constables" fares but the 9noble: Spanish 9gentlemen: did not allow it. 5hen & learned of this act of gallantry and nobility! & wrote the 9gentleman: telling him that his beha$ior towards women and young girls was most unworthy; that barbarians and Chinese conducted themsel$es more nobly and humanely. Donya Te%d%$ +( 2%e( in Old Age

95hen my mother and sister! after a ?ourney of four days! reached Sta. Cruz! the .o$ernor there was deeply mo$ed and pardoned them.: Dec$ee %& B ni(h!ent Rizal arri$ed in Manila on -une 16! +/21 and immediately as%ed the .o$.'.en. at that time! #espu?ol! to lift the banishment of his father and his brothers in Mindoro and #espu?ol agreed. (fter more than a wee% of Rizal"s arri$al! #espu?ol recei$ed a report from the Customs that Rizal had smuggled pamphlets that were anti'friar and were hidden in pillows and sleeping mats. #espu?ol got angry and immediately sent Rizal to ort Santiago. Rizal! on the other hand! was equally surprised with the report of the Customs. Dn -uly +>! Rizal was already ta%en to #apitan in Mindanao where he will be spending four years. A 0 lted Se$3ice, A C%ntinued I!-$i(%n!ent Spain had war with Cuba in +/26 and ser$ices of doctors were needed to aid the condition of the soldiers of war. Dn September A! +/26! Rizal left Manila thin%ing that he was going to Cuba to offer his ser$ices as a doctor and answer all defamation. 3ut on September 1/th! he found out that he was not bound for Cuba but was instead sent to Spain for imprisonment. Dn Dctober 6! +/26! Rizal was ta%en to ort Mon?uich in 3arcelona to be ta%en later to Manila to face trial. e@ecutionDn #ecember 12! +/26!Rizal was sentenced to death by firing squad by .o$.'.en. 8ola$ie?a who appro$ed the e@ecution. 4e was e@ecuted at 0;,A (M on #ecember A,! +/26 in 3agumbayan! now %nown as Rizal 8ar%. E8tended #e$(ecuti%n 8aciano Rizal was arrested around the latter part of +/26 for being suspected of ha$ing participated in the acti$ities of the *atipunan. 4e was tortured by ha$ing his nails pulled out! one by one! then immersed on $inegar. 4e e$entually ?oined the *atipunan. Entil the day he died in +2A,! he didn"t want to hear any Spanish word. ( lot of the women of the Rizals e$entually ?oined reemasonry as a little gesture of gaining some ?ustice for their sufferings. Donya Teodora died on a rented house in Manila in +2++. Rizal! upon %nowing that -osephine 3rac%en is pregnant! as%ed the parish priest of #apitan to ?oin them in marriage but were refused since he is a 'ilibustero. C$ery time that Rizal would attend the mass! the priest would shout in$ecti$es against the couple saying that 9they are li$ing in sin.: -osephine 3rac%en e$entually ?oined the *atipunan re$olution after the death of Rizal.