ETYMOLOGY OF RIZAL’S NAME
Doctor José Protacio Mercado Rizal Y Alonso
Realonda
Doctor – appended extension name after
completion of his medical course and licentiation in
Medicine
 In reality, he did not finish his medicine
course
 He failed to submit the thesis as his final
requirement
 Had massive grading in different European
countries
 There is no story that tells us that Rizal
graduated Medicine in University of Central
de Madrid (Central University of Madrid),
took the board examination and very busy
reviewing
Why is it that Rizal is carrying the title “Doctor”?
 During those time, since he finished the
academic requirement, head training, and
there is a need of doctors in the world. Rizal
was awarded a licentiate in Medicine
 He is not supposed to be carrying the tile
because he is not a full-pledged doctor
o But it can be a showcase of how
much respect is being given to our
national hero that’s why nobody
questioned his title “Doctor”
Licentiate
– not a licensure examination
- special privilege given to those people who
had breeding/training and can now practice
whatever they have finished
In fact, Rizal opted to become a lawyer. But
Paciano said that even if he will finish law, the
Spaniards won’t be allowing him to practice law
because it is only them who are allowed to do so.
Rizal shouted for Philippinization in the Spanish
Courts in the Philippines because...
 he found out that most of the lawyers are
Spaniards
 in order to represent the natives since there
is a language barrier
Why did Rizal opted to become a doctor instead?
 Because he wanted to cure his mother’s eye
problem
José – came from the father of Jose Rizal
named Francisco Mercado for he was the one who
is a devotee of St. Joseph
In fact, he was a devotee of St. Joseph because he
studied in Colegio de San Jose.
 Accdg. to his father, in order for you to
accepted in heaven, one must carry the name
Jose
 Before, mothers do not have a say in naming
a newly born child, it’s always the father for
this is a man’s world
o Women only acquired their rights during
the Women of Malolos lobbied for their
rights to be improved
Even the pseudonym of Rizal “Pepe” came from the
Latin name of St. Joseph, Pater Patitivus = PP
which is pronounced Pepe in Spanish.
Protacio – derived from Gervacio P.
which came from a Catholic calendar
* All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians
are Catholic
 It was culture back then that a newly born
child should be named with a name listed
under the Catholic calendar in order for him
to be accepted in heaven
June 19, 1861 – Rizal’s birthdate
Mercado – adopted in 1731 by
Domingo Lamco (the paternal great-great
grandfather of Jose Rizal)
Why did Domingo Lamco adapt that surname?
 Since Lamco is a merchant he adapted the
surname “Mercado” which means market
Lam – true name of his grandfather
Co – surname of his grandfather
Stating that Rizal came from the Co
Lamco became MERCADO
During the Spanish time, Spaniards realized that
there were so many Chinese (Inchik) working in the
Philippines but they cannot tax these Chinese
because they were not the subject of the Spanish
officials
Natives are the subject
Narciso Claveria
- created an order mandating all the Chinese in the
Philippines to adapt a Filipino surname so that they
will now be subject for taxation
Rizal – came from the word ‘Ricial’ in
Spanish that means greenish surroundings for at this
time his father was no longer a merchant but a land
owner
o Being a land owner resulted to elevating the
status of their family
 Due to the situation that Francisco Mercado
was irritated that there were so many
Mercados who are not actually related with
each other
 Added in order to create a distinction among
the other Mercado’s who are not related with
each other
 Only Jose utilized this surname because
majority of his siblings still opted to use
Mercado as their surname
Y
– connotes the word “and”
Alonso – old surname of his mother
 Surname of our mother is always included in
our full name
Realonda – used by Doña Teodora
from the surname of her godmother based on the
culture by that time
 Culture of having godparents
Godparents – those who are closest to our parents
for they would be acting as our second parents in
case something happened to our parents
RIZAL FROM BIRTH TO
CALAMBA
(Rizal and His Childhood Years at Calamba)
I. Calamba at the Time of Rizal’s Birth
a. As described by Palma (1949)
 Enchanted town
 Situated, as if enclosed in a valley, between
Laguna de Bay and Mt. Makiling.
 The town is panoramic with its landscape, as
if nature has lavished this town with all its
tenderest caresses.
Why do we need to understand the background of
Calamba during Rizal’s time?
 The kind of surrounding that we grow up
will always have something to do with the
kind of behavior we will possess in the
future
Hot springs of Laguna
- believed to be urine of Maria Makiling that is
capable of healing
b. As described by Romero (1978)
 Agricultural town (farming, fishing, mining)
 Owned by the Dominican friars
o Damaso – Augustinian friar
 Prosperous town due to its specialization in
the production of sugar
o Life was filled with hardships on the
part of people who were just tenants in
the Dominican hacienda
o Despite the cruelties suffered by the
tenants, their life was still far better than
 the other towns in Laguna during those
times
 Nature has been good to the Calambeños
 With its fertile soil and favorable climate,
the people were able to raise and harvest
different kinds of crops
 The beauty of the town provided the young
Rizal the inspiration and springboard to
hone his poetic and artistic sensibilities.
 The misfortunes suffered by the tenants
from the hand of the guardia civil and the
Dominican friars, the institutions of power
in Calamba, had ingrained in his young
mind hatred of oppression and exploitation
of the weak by the strong.

II. The Birth of Young Jose

 Jose was born on June 19, 1861
 His mother nearly died during his
delivery owing to his very big head.
 He was baptized by Father Rufino
Collantes at the Calamba Catholic Church
 Father Pedro Casañas- as his godfather
 Siblings are Saturnina (1850), Paciano
(1851), Narcisa (1852), Olimpia (1855),
Lucia (1857), Maria (1859), Rizal (1861),
Concepcion (1862), Josefa (1865),
Trinidad (1868), and Solidad (1870)

II. Rizal’s Ancestry

 Father Side
o Domingo Lamco and Ines dela Rosa
o Mercado because of Narciso
Claveria
o Moved to Biñan and became tenant
in the Dominican Hacienda
o Juan Mercado and Cirila Alejandro
(14 children)
o Don Francisco Mercado