RIZAL’S FAMILY, CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION

According to the video, Rizal came from a mixture of races. On his father's side, Domingo
Lamco, a Chinese immigrant who arrived in Manila in 1690, was Rizal's great-great grandfather.
He became a Christian, married Ines de la Rosa, a wealthy Chinese Christian from Manila, and
took the surname Mercado since it fit his occupation as a merchant in 1731. Francisco Mercado,
a son of Domingo Mercado and Ines de la Rosa, was born in Binan, married Cirila Bernacha, a
Chinese-Filipina mestiza, and served as the town's gobernadorcillo. Juan Mercado, Rizal's great-
grandfather, married Cirila Alejandro, a Chinese-Filipino mestiza, through one of their sons. He
was chosen to lead Binan as governor, much like his father. Francisco Mercado, the father of
Rizal, was the youngest of the thirteen children born to Capitan Juan and Capitana Cirila.
According to legend, Dona Teodora's ancestors came from Lakandula, the final Tondo native
ruler. Eugenio Ursua, of Japanese heritage, was his great-grandfather and Rizal's maternal great-
great-grandfather. He married Benigna, a Filipina. Their daughter Regina got married to
Pangasinan-born Filipino-Chinese lawyer Manuel de Quintos. one of Attorney's daughters
Brigida, a prominent Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Binan, was the daughter of Quintos and
Regina. She married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso, and their daughter Teodora Alonzo Realonda the
mother of Dr. Jose Potracio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.
On June 19, 1861, Dr. Jose Rizal was born, he had nine sister and one brother. He learned the
alphabet from his mother at age of three. At age five, he could read and write, and he started
drawing with a pencil. His parents paid a tutor to assist him and instruct him at home. Maestro
Celestino and Maestro Lucas Padua was his instructor. Later, his father employed a fellow
classmate. He was known as Maestro Leon Manroy by Jose Rizal. At Rizal's house, he stayed.
Sadly, Manroy passed away five months later. Jose Rizal encountered a brawl on the very first
day of his studies in Binan. He ran into his bully Pedro while the teacher was taking his siesta,
and he was upset with him since Pedro had been making fun of him. Jose Rizal declared that he
would fight with him. The latter agreed to the duel, believing Jose Rizal to be smaller and
younger than he was. Jose Rizal overcame the bigger boy because to his courage and the
wrestling skills he had learnt from his Tio Manuel.
In addition, Juancho served as Jose Rizal's painting instructor. Jose Rizal will return to his
birthplace of Calamba after completing his studies at Binan Laguna. He visited the chapel of the
Virgin of Peace of Antipolo, went to the river to collect stones for souvenirs, crafted paper
fishes, and said goodbye to his classmates and instructor knowing that this would be the last day
of his stay in Binan. He arrived back in Calamba Laguna, his hometown, on Saturday, December
17, 1870 around 1 o'clock in the afternoon.