JOSE RIZAL BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH
At the end of the chapter, you should be
able to:
1. Know a glimpse of Jose P. Rizal
family, childhood, and education.
2. Foundation of knowledge to
survive through the upcoming
detailed studies of Rizal’s life.
Complete name: José Protacio Rizal
Mercado y Alonso Realonda
- Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique
example of a many-splendid
genius who became a greatest
hero of a nation. He was a:
Physician (ophthalmic surgeon),
Poet, Dramatist, Essayist,
Novelist, Historian, Architect,
Painter, Sculptor, Educator,
Linguist, Musician, Naturalist,
Ethnologist, Surveyor, Engineer,
Farmer, Businessman,
Economist, Geographer,
Cartographer, Bibliophile,
Grammarian, Folklorist, Satirist,
Polemicist, Sportsman, Traveler,
Hero and Political Martyr.
- the national hero of the
Philippines and pride of the
Malayan race.
- He was born on Wednesday,
June 19, 1961 between eleven
and twelve o’ clock midnight, a
few days before full moon at
Calamba, Laguna: Cradle of a
Genius.
- The birth of our national hero
almost cost his mother’s life
because of his big head, so her
mother vowed to the Virgin of
Antipolo to take Rizal on a
pilgrimage of her shrine.
(Pilgrimage – involve a journey or
search of moral or spiritual
significance.)
- He was named “Jose” by his
mother because of her devotion
to Saint San Jose (St. Joseph).
- Baptized as a Catholic on a
Catholic Church of Calamba on
June 22 by his godfather Rev.
Rufino Collantes.
- During the Christening Ceremony
Fr. Collantes was impressed to
Rizal’s big head that he told “take
good care of this child, for
someday he will become a great
man.”
CALAMBA: CRADLE OF A GENIUS
Calamba is a town named after a
big native jar surrounded by a big
hacienda which belong to the
Dominican Order.
Calamba came from the words
“kalan” (a clay stone) and “banga”
(a water jar). Since, the
Spaniards cannot pronounce the
word correctly it became
Calamba.
Calamba Legend:
Once, there were two
guardia civil or soldiers who got
 lost as they were passing through
what is now, Calamba. As they
walk, they met a young lady who
just came from a river, carrying a
jar of water and a clay stone. The
soldiers unwittingly ask the young
lady, in Spanish term, what the
name of that place is. The young
lady who speaks only her native
language, naturally thought she
was being interrogated about
what she was carrying and
nervously uttered… -
“kalan..banga”. Since the
Spaniards cannot pronounce the
word correctly, it became,
CALAMBA. -The Legend was
immortalized with a large
concrete jar erected in the City
plaza, with the name of the City’s
barangays written on its surface.
Rizal wholeheartedly loved
his beloved town-Calamba. And
so, when he was 15 years old, he
was inspired to write a poem for
this, entitled IN MEMORY OF MY
TOWN or in Spanish, UN
RECUERDO A MI PUEBLO. The
English translation was made by
Dr. Frank C. Laubach
JOSE RIZAL: PARENTS
Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898)
- The hero’s father was born in
Binan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818.
- He studied Latin and Philosophy
at the college of San Jose in
Manila and died at the age of 80
on Jan. 5,1898 in Manila.
- Dr. Rizal called him “a model of
fathers”. His great, great
grandfather was a Christian
Chinese name Domingo Lamco.
- Don Francisco’s original family
name was Mercado. Choose by
his father because it sounded
common. Mercado (Spanish)
means “market”.
- He married Teodora Alonza
Realonda on June 28, 1848.
Doña Teodora Alonzo
- Rizal’s mother was born in Manila
on November 8, 1826, and was
educated at the College of Sta.
Rosa. She died at the age of 85
on August 16, 1911.
- Rizal’s family is considered as
one of the riches families in
Calamba. They own a carruaje, a
horse-drawn carriage and home
library with 1000 volumes.
- Soon before his death, the
Philippine government offered her
a life pension. She courteously
rejected it saying: “My family has
never been patriotic for money if
the government has plenty of
funds and does not know what to
do with them, better reduce the
taxes.”
CHILDREN OF RIZAL
God blessed the marriage of
Francisco and Teodora with 11 children
– 2 boys and 9 girls.
Dr. Jose Rizal was the 7th of the 11
children. The children were as follows:
1. Saturnina (1850-1913)
Oldest of the Rizals
children, nicknamed Neneng;
She married Manuel T.
Hidalgo.
2. Paciano (1851-1930)
An agriculturist and the
only brother and confidant of
Jose Rizal. He is older than
Jose and he was the Filosopo
Tacio in Noli Me Tangere.
After his younger brother’s
execution, he joined Gen.
Aguinaldo’s Revolutionary
with the rank of Major
General; after the restoration
of peace he retired and
returned to his farm in Los
Banos, where he lived as a
gentlemen farmer and died on
April 13, 1930, unhonor and
unsung, an old bachelor aged
79. He had two children by his
mistress (Severina Dacena)- a
boy and a girl.
3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
Her nickname was Sisa
and she married Antonio
Lopez (nephew of father
Leoncio Lopez), a school of
Morong
4. Olimpia (1855-1887)
Ypia was her nickname;
she married Silvestre Ubaldi,
a telegraph operator from
Manila.
5. Lucia (1857-1919)
She married Mariano Herbosa
of Calamba, who was nephew
of Fr. Casanas. Herbosa died
because of cholera and
denied to have a Christian
burial because he was a
brother-in-law of Dr. Jose
Rizal.
6. Maria (1859-1945)
Biang was her nickname; she
married Daniel Faustino Cruz
of Binan, Laguna.
7. Jose (1861-1896)
The greatest Filipino hero
and peerless genius;
nickname was Pepe; during
his exile in Dapitan he lives
with Josephine Bracken, Irish
girl from Hong Kong; he had a
son by her; but this baby boy
died a few hours after birth;
Rizal named him “Francisco”
after his father and buried him
in Dapitan.
8. Concepcion (1862-1865)
She died of sickness at the
age of 3; her death was
Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
9. Josefa (1865-1945)
She died of sickness at the
age of 3;
10. Trinidad (1868-1951)
She died of sickness at the
age of 3;
 11. Soledad (1870-1929)
Youngest of Rizal children;
her nickname was Choleng;
she married Pantaleon
Quintero of Calamba.
- Sibling relationship among the
Rizal children was affectionately
cordial.
- As a little boy, Rizal used to Play
games with his sisters. Although
he had boyish quarrels with them
he respected them.
- Years later when he grew to
manhood, he always called them
Dona or Senora (if married) and
Senorita (if single).
- Rizal’s relation with his only
brother Paciano, who was ten
years his senior, was more than
that of younger to older brother.
RIZAL’S ANCESTRY
- Rizal’s maternal ancestor was
Lakan-Dula, the last king of
Tondo.
HOME LIFE OF THE RIZALS
- His maternal great-great
grandfather was Eugenio Ursua,
a Japanese Blood Ancestry.
- Rizal’s father was a great
grandson of Lam-co, a Chinese
immigrant from Fukien City.
THE NAME RIZAL
- The original surname of Rizal’s
family was Mercado. This
surname was adopted by
Domingo Lam-co, the paternal
Chinese ancestor. In Spanish
“Mercado” means market.
- In 1849 Governor Narciso
Claveria issue a decree to Filipino
Families to choose and adopt
new family names.
- The term Rizal originate from
racial means “green field”.
RIZAL HOME
- The house of the Rizal family was
one of the distinguished stone
houses in Calamba during
Spanish times. It was two-storey
building, rectangular in shape,
built in adobe stones and hard-
woods, and roofed with red tiles.
- Behind the house were the
poultry yard full of turkeys and
chickens and big garden of
tropical fruit trees-atis, balimbing,
chico, macopa, papaya, santol,
tampoy and etc.
- The Rizal family had a simple,
contented, and happy life. In
consonance with Filipino custom,
family ties among the Rizals were
intimately close.
- Don Francisco and Dona
Teodora love their children, but
they never spoil them. They were
strict parents and they trained
their children to love God, to
 behave well, to be obedient, and
to respect people, especially the
old folks.
- Every day the Rizals heard mass
in the town church. Particularly
during Sundays and Christian
holidays.

- They prayed together daily at

home. After the family prayers, all
the children kissed the hands of
their parents.
-