JOSE RIZAL

 DR. JOSE RIZAL, the greatest hero of the Philippines,

 was a “many-splendored” genius.
 He was richly dowered by God with Superb intellectual, moral & Physical
qualities.
 He ranks with the world ‘s geniuses.
He was an Anthropologist, botanist, businessman, cartographer, dramatist, economist,
educator, engineer, essayist, entomologist, farmer, folklorist, geographer, grammarian,
historian, horticulturist, humorist, lexicographer, linguist, musician, novelist, painter,
physician, poet, philologist, philosopher, polemist, psychologist, satirist, sculptor,
traveler, and zoologist. (32)
 He was a Patriot, Hero, Martyr.
Unlike many geniuses, he consecrated his God-given talents, and even sacrificed his
own life, for the redemption and welfare of his people.
THE BIRTH OF A HERO
 Near midnight of Wednesday, June 19, 1861, when the Philippines was in a
deep slumber, a frail baby-boy was born to the Rizal family in Calamba, Laguna.
 He was baptized by Rev. Rufino Collantes days after his birth.
 His godfather was Rev. Pedro Casafias.
 He was named “Jose” by his pious mother, in honor of St. Joseph.
THE FULL NAME OF THE BABY
 Jose Protasio Rizal Marcedo y Alonzo Realonda.
 Jose was the seventh (7th) of the eleven children of the eleven children. (2 boys,
9 girls) of Francis Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonzo Realonda
THE HERO’S MOTHER, TEODORA
 Was born in manila on November 8, 1826 and died in manila on August 16,
1911, at the age of 85.
 A graduate of Santa Rosa College, she was a talented woman with high culture,
business ability and literary girl.
 Aside from helping her husband in farming and business, she looked after the
education and moral training of her numerous children.
THE RIZAL CHILDREN
 Saturnina ( 1850-1913) – She was the oldest of the rizal children. She married
Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas.
  Peciano (1850-1930) – He was the older brother of Dr. Rizal. After his young
brother’s execution, he joined the revolution and became a general. After the
Revolution. He retired to his farm in Los Baños and led the life of a gentleman
farmer. He died an old bachelor, though he had a common-law wife.

 Narcisa (1852-1939) – She married Antonio Lopez, a school teacher of

Morong, Rizal.
 Olympia (1855-1887) – She married Silvester Ubaldo, a telegraph
operator of manila.
 Lucia (1857-1919) – She married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba.
 Maria (1859-1945) – She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna.
ANCESTRY OF RIZAL.
 Jose Rizal, like a typical Filipino, was of mixed ancestry. In his veins flowed the
bloods of both East and West-Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese,
and Spanish.
 Rizal’s paternal great-great-grandfather was a Chinese man named Domingo
Lam-co, a native of chinchew, “ China’s city of spring” his father francisco was
the great grandson of Lam-co. both his father’s father and grandson had been
capitanes (Town mayors) of Biñan.
 It is said that on the maternal side, Rizal’s ancestor was Lakan-Dula, last
Malayan King of Tondo. A Maternal great-great-grandfather was Eugenio Ursua,
of Japanese blood. Jose’s mother Teodora belonged to a clan of gifted men. Her
brother Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose were men of unusual talent. Her father
Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, was an engineer who was awarded by Spain with the
coveted decoration of “ The knight of the grand order of Isabela the catholic.”
 Her maternal grandfather was Manuel De Quintos, a prominent Manila Lawyer.
Her paternal grandfather, Cipriano Alonso, was a Captain of Binan. In 1846,
when Governador Narciso Claveria ordered the filipino families to choose new
surnames from the list of Spanish Family names, the children of Lorenzo Alberto
Alonzo adopted the name “Realonda.” Hence Teodora Alonso become Teodora
Alonso Realonda.
THE NAME “RIZAL”
 The original name of the Rizal family was “Mercado.” it was a surname
adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lam-co, the paternal chinese ancestor. In
English it means “Market”. Evidently, Lam-co liked it because it appealed to
his Chinchew ancestors who were mostly merchants.
JOSE’S FATHER.
 Francisco, scanned the list of Spanish surnames sent to Calamba, such as
“Cruz”, “Santos”, “Ramos” etc. He did not like these surnames. Being a man
of independent character, he chose his own surname Rizal which is not in the
list recommended by the Spanish authorities. He considered this new family
name as more fitting for his farming clan than Mercado which signifies
“Market”. The term “Rizal” came from the Spanish word Ricial means “Green
field” or “New Pasture” .
 The Rizal Family was one of the richest families in Calamba during the times
prior to its persecution by the friars. Rizal’s parents, by their industry and
frugality, were able to honestly build up a large fortune. By present-day
standards, they were rich. They were the first to build a large stone house in
Calamba, the first to own a carruaje (Horse-drawn carriage), the first to have
a home library (estimated to consist of more than 1,000 volumes), and the
first to educate their children in the colleges of manila.
THE RIZAL HOME
The house of Rizal family was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during
the spanish times. It was rectangular in shape, “ of adobe stone and hardwood with a
red-tiled roof.” Behind it were the poultry yard full of turkeys and chickens and the
garden of tropical fruit trees – atis, balimbing, macopa, papaya, santol, tampoy etc.

It was a happy home where parental affection and children's laughter reigned. By day,
it hummed with the jubilant noises of the children at play. Both parents and children at
play. By night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers. Both parents and
children were harmoniously united by strong ties of affection and understanding. As
such a wholesome home, naturally, bred a wholesome family. And a family was The
Rizal Family.