Life and Works of Rizal

Chapter 1: Rizal - A Biological

Sketch
Presented by: Lemuel Dela Cruz
What we'll discuss
• Rizal’s Birth
• Calamba: "The Cradle of a Genius"
• The Rizal Family
• The Children of Rizal Family
• Rizal's Ancestry
• The Name Rizal
• The Rizal House
"One only dies once, and if
one does not die well, a
good opportunity is lost
and will not present itself
again,"
- Jose Rizal
Dr. Jose Rizal - Introduction
• The life, works and ideals of DR. JOSE
RIZAL. had served as an inspiration not only
to Filipinos, but also to all freedom-loving
peoples throughout the world.
• Endowed with superior intelligence, indeed,
he can be considered a rare universal genius.

• He also acquired different professions that

make him trully versatile; namely:
 Dr. Jose Rizal - Introduction
• physician (ophthalmic surgeon) • cartographer
• mathematician • novelist
• engineer • dramatist
• surveyor • inventor
• poet • philosopher
• musician • linguist
• sculptor • businessman
• painter • economist
• cartoonist • farmer
Rizal’s Birth
• Jose Rizal was born on Wednesday, June 19, 1861 between
eleven and twelve o'clock at midnight, a few days before
the full moon at Calamba, Laguna.

• He was baptized at a Catholic Church of Calamba, on June

22, when he was only three days old, by a priest, Rev.
Rufino Collantes, a close friend of his family who also
stood as his godfather.

• The name Jose was chosen by his mother who was a

devotee of the Christian Saint San Jose (St. Joseph).
 Calamba: "The
Cradle of a Genius"
• Calamba, Laguna is often referred to as the "Cradle of Genius"
primarily because it is the birthplace of José Rizal, the
Philippines' national hero. Rizal is celebrated for his
extraordinary intellect, contributions to literature, and pivotal
role in the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonial rule.

• Calamba has become a symbol of Filipino pride and intellectual

heritage because of Rizal's legacy. The city honors his memory
and contributions through various landmarks, such as the Rizal
Shrine, which was his ancestral home, now turned into a
museum.
The Rizal Family
Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898)
• Don Francisco's original family name was Mercado. Rizal wrote
to his friend, Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt of Austria in 1889, that
"our family name was really Mercado, but in the Philippines there
were many Mercados who were not related to us. My father chose
Rizal as our surname because Mercado sounded common. It is in
this respect, it seems as though I am an illegitimate child."
• He married Teodora Alonzo Realonda on June 28, 1848, a woman
of fortitude which exemplified the Filipino character at its highest
and loftiest measure.
Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898)

• Francisco Mercado Rizal was born in Biñan, Laguna. His great,

great grandfather was a Christian Chinese named Domingo Lam-
co.

• He studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose,

Manila. He was a hardworking and progressive farmer who
became well-to-do through industry and with the assistance of his
cultured and talented wife.
Doña Teodora Alonzo (1826-1911)
• Rizal's mother was born in Manila on November 8, 1826, a
woman of remarkable talent in mathematics, business and
literature. She possessed finesse.

• She belonged to a distinguished family, her father having been

once a delegate to the Spanish Cortes, while his brother was
educated in Europe and spoke different languages.
The Rizal Family
• The Rizal family was a respected and considered one of the riches
families in Calamba during that time. Because his parents were
industrious, they were able to build a big house. They were one of
the few families to own a carruaje a horse-drawn carriage, the first
to have a home library with almost 1,000 volumes, and probably,
the first to send their children to Manila to study in college.

• Rizal family was highly esteemed and respected in the community

because of wealth, culture, hospitality, sincerity and warmth. They
always participated in almost all social and religious activities in
Calamba for a noble cause.
The Children of
Rizal Family
The marriage of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonzo
Realonda were blessed with eleven children -two boys and nine giris;
namely:
Saturnina Rizal (1850–1913):
• The eldest of the Rizal siblings, Saturnina was affectionately
called "Neneng." She married Manuel T. Hidalgo and played a
significant role in supporting her younger brother José Rizal in his
studies and nationalist endeavors.
Paciano Rizal (1851–1930):
• Paciano was the only brother of José Rizal. He was deeply
involved in the revolutionary movement and served as a general in
the Philippine Revolution. Paciano was a key influence on José
and supported him financially and ideologically.
Narcisa Rizal (1852–1939):
• Known as "Sisa," Narcisa was instrumental in taking care of her
younger siblings. She married Antonio Lopez and was active in
preserving José Rizal's legacy after his death.
Olimpia Rizal (1855–1887):
• Olimpia, called "Ypia," married Silvestre Ubaldo. She passed
away at a relatively young age but was remembered for her
supportive role in the family.
Lucia Rizal (1857–1919):
• Lucia married Mariano Herbosa. Unfortunately, Herbosa faced
persecution due to his relation to José Rizal, and he was denied a
proper Christian burial, which was a significant issue at the time.
Maria Rizal (1859–1945):
• Maria, known as "Biang," married Daniel Faustino Cruz. She was
close to José Rizal and corresponded with him regularly,
providing emotional support.
José Rizal (1861–1896):
• The most famous of the Rizal siblings, José was a national hero,
polymath, and revolutionary whose works and martyrdom sparked
the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule.
Concepción Rizal (1862–1865):
• Concepción, called "Concha," died at the young age of three. Her
death deeply affected José Rizal, who was very close to her.
Josefa Rizal (1865–1945):
• Known as "Panggoy," Josefa was active in the women's
movement and was a member of the Katipunan, the revolutionary
society that fought for Philippine independence.
Trinidad Rizal (1868–1951):
• Trinidad, called "Trining," remained unmarried and dedicated her
life to preserving José Rizal's legacy. She was also a member of
the Katipunan and was entrusted by José with his final poem, "Mi
Último Adiós."
Soledad Rizal (1870–1929):
• The youngest sibling, Soledad, known as "Choleng," married
Pantaleon Quintero. She was also supportive of her brother José's
work and legacy.
Rizal’s Ancestry
• Rizal, like a typical Filipino was a product of mixed ancestry.

• It can be inferred that in his veins flowed the blood of both East
and West-Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Spanish.

• Rizal's father, was a great grandson of Lam-co, a Chinese

immigrant from Fukien City.

• In some historical pieces of document, Rizal's maternal ancestor

was Lakan-Dula, the last king of Tondo.

• His maternal great-great-grandfather was Eugenio Ursua, of

Japanese blood and ancestry.
The Name Rizal
• The original surname of the Rizal family was "Mercado". This
surname was adopted by Dorningo Lam-co, the paternal Chinese
ancestor in 1731. In Spanish, Mercado means "market" which
Lam-co chose because of his business acumen and venture.

• In 1849, Governor Claveria issued a decree directing all Filipino

families to choose and adopt new surnames from a list of Spanish
family names. It should be noted that the purpose of this decree
was to Hispanize the Filipino surnames.
• Rizal's father scrutinized carefully the list of surnames sent to
Calamba such as "Cruz", "Diaz" "Guzman", "Luna", "Ramos",
"Reyes", "Rivera", "Santos", and "Trinidad". He did not have any
interest in these surnames, so be chose his own surname Rizal,
which apparently was not in the list recommended by the Spanish
authorities. He preferred this new family name Rizal to be more
fitting and appropriate for his farming clan to Mercado which
means "market" in spanish.
The Rizal House
• The house in which Rizal was born was high and made of solid
and massive earthquake proof structure with sliding wide window
shutters with capiz shells.
• Rizal's father selected the hardest and seasoned woods from the
forest and had them sowed. It took him more than two years to
construct the house.

• At the back there was an azotea overlooking the garden and

orchard and a wide, deep cistern a tank for storing water or hold
rain water during the rainy season for home use.

• Behind the house, stood various tropical fruit-bearing trees, e.g.,

santol, chico, macopa, atis, balimbings, duhat and atis.
Thank You
for listening!