RIZAL’S LIFE:

RIZAL’S FAMILY, CHILDHOOD,

AND EARLY EDUCATION
Introduction
Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on June
19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna. The seventh of eleven children
born to a relatively well-off family in a Dominican-owned tenant
land in Calamba, Laguna, Jose Rizal lived and died during the
Spanish colonial era in the Philippines.

In his early childhood, Jose had mastered the alphabet and

learned to write and read. His early readings included the
Spanish version of the Vulgate Bible. At a young age, he already
showed inclinations to the arts. He amazed his family by his
pencil drawings, sketches, and moldings of clay. Later in his
childhood, he showed special talent in painting and sculpture,
wrote a Tagalog play, which was presented at a town fiesta (and
Don Francisco Mercado
Jose's father, Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado, was a
productive farmer from Binan, Laguna. He was an independent-
minded, taciturn, but dynamic gentleman from whom Jose
inherited his "free soul." Don Francisco became tiniente
gobernadorcillo (lieutenant governor) in Calamba and was thus
nicknamed Tiniente Kiko.

Francisco's great grandfather was Domingo Lam-co, a learned

pro-poor or maka-masa Chinese immigrant businessman who
married a sophisticated Chinese mestiza of Manila named Ines de
la Rosa.
Don Francisco Mercado
Don Francisco was born on May 11, 1818 in Binan, Laguna.
When he was eight years old, he lost his father. He was
nonetheless educated as he took Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose in Manila, where he met and fell in love with
Teodora Alonso, a student in the College of Santa Rosa. Married
on June 28, 1848, they settled down in Calamba where they were
granted lease of a rice farm in the Dominican-owned haciendas.
Doña Teodora Alonso
Jose's mother, Teodora Alonzo (also spelled "Alonso"), was an
educated and highly cultured woman from Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Common biographies state that Doña Teodora Alonso Quintos
Realonda, also known as "Lolay," was born on November 8, 1826 in
Santa Cruz, Manila and baptized at the Sta. Cruz Church.

Dona Lolay was educated at the College of Santa Rosa, an esteemed

school for girls in Manila. She was usually described as a diligent
business-minded woman, very graceful but courageous, well-
mannered, religious, and well-read. Very dignified, she disliked
gossip and vulgar conversation. Possessing refined culture and
literary talents, she influenced her children to love the arts,
literature, and music.
Jose's Siblings

Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913) is the eldest child of Don

Francisco and Teodora Alonso. She and her mother provided the
little Jose with good basic education that by the age of three, Pepe
(Jose's nickname) already knew his alphabet.
Jose's Siblings

Paciano Rizal, Jose's only brother, was born on March 7,

1851 in Calamba,Laguna.He was fondly addressed by his siblings
as Nor Paciano, short for "Señor Paciano." The 10-year older
brother of Jose studied at San Jose College in Manila, became a
farmer, and later a general at the Philippine Revolution.

After Jose's execution in December 1896, Paciano joined the

Katipuneros in Cavite under General Emilio Aguinaldo. As
Katipunero, Paciano was commissioned as general of the
revolutionary forces and elected as secretary of finance in the
Department Government of Central Luzon.
Jose's Siblings

Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939) or simply "Sisa" was the

third child in the family. Later in history, Narcisa (like Sturnina)
would help in financing Rizal's studies in Europe, even pawning
her jewelry and peddling her clothes if needed. It was said she
could recite from memory almost all of the poems of our national
hero.
Jose's Siblings

Olympia Rizal (1855-1887) was the fourth child in the

Rizal family. Jose loved to tease her, sometimes good-humoredly
describing her as his stout sister. Jose's first love, Segunda
Katigbak, was Olympia's schoolmate at the La Concordia
College. Rizal confided to Olympia (also spelled "Olimpia") about
Segunda, and the sister willingly served as the mediator between
the two teenage lovers.
Jose's Siblings

Lucia Rizal (1857-1919) was the fifth child in the family.

She married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, Laguna. Charged of
inciting the Calamba townsfolk not to pay land rent and causing
unrest, the couple was once ordered to be deported along with some
Rizal family members. (Lucia's husband died during the cholera
epidemic in May 1889 and was refused a Catholic burial for not
going to confession since his marriage to Lucia. In Jose's article in
La Solidaridad titled Una profanacion (A Profanation), he scornfully
attacked the friars for declining to bury in "sacred ground" a "good
Christian" simply because he was the "brother-in-law of Rizal.")
Jose's Siblings

Maria Rizal (1859-1945) was the sixth child in the

family. It was to her whom Jose talked about wanting to marry
Josephine Bracken when the majority of the Rizal family was
apparently not amenable to the idea. In his letter dated December
12, 1891, Jose had also brought up to Maria his plan of
establishing a Filipino colony in North British Borneo. In his
letter dated December 28, 1891, Jose wrote to Maria, "I'm told
that your children are very pretty."
Jose's Siblings
Today, we have a historical proof that Maria's progenies were
indeed nice-looking (lahing maganda). Maria and Daniel had five
children: Mauricio, Petrona, Prudencio, Paz, and Encarnacion.
Their son Mauricio married Conception Arguelles and the couple
had a son named Ismael Arguelles Cruz. Ismael was the father of
Gemma Cruz Araneta, the first Filipina to win the Miss
International title, also the first Southeast Asian to win an
international beauty-pageant title.
Jose's Siblings

Also called "Concha" by her siblings, Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865) was the
eighth child of the Rizal family. She died at the age of three. Of his sisters, it was said that
the young Pepe loved most little Concha who was a year younger than he. Jose played
games and shared children stories with her, and from her he felt the beauty of sisterly love
at a young age.
Jose's Siblings

Josefa Rizal's nickname is "Panggoy" (1865-1945). She was the

ninth child in the family. Panggoy died a spinster. Among Jose's letters
to Josefa, the one dated October 26, 1893 was perhaps the most
fascinating. Written in English, the letter addressed Josefa as "Miss
Josephine Rizal." (After Jose's martyrdom, the epileptic Josefa joined
the Katipunan and was even supposed to have been elected the
president of its women section. She was one of the original 29 women
admitted to the Katipunan along with Gregoria de Jesus, wife of
Andres Bonifacio. They safeguarded the secret papers and documents
of the society and danced and sang during sessions so that civil guards
would think that the meetings were just harmless social gatherings.)
Jose's Siblings

Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951) or "Trining" was the tenth

child. Historically, she became the custodian of Rizal's last and
greatest poem. Right before Jose's execution, Trinidad and their
mother visited him in the Fort Santiago prison cell. As they were
leaving, Jose handed over to Trining an alcohol cooking stove, a
gift from the Pardo de Taveras, whispering to her in a language,
which the guards could not understand, "There is something in
it." That "something"was Rizal's elegy now known as "Mi Ultimo
Adios." Like Josefa, Paciano, and two nieces, Trinidad joined the
Katipunan after Jose's death.
Jose's Siblings

Also called "Choleng" Soledad Rizal (1870-1929) was the

youngest child of the Rizal family. Being a teacher, she was arguably the
best-educated among Rizal's sisters. In his long and meaty letter to
Choleng dated June 6, 1890 ("Jose Rizal on Facebook Courtship," 2013),
Jose told her sister that he was proud of her for becoming a teacher. He
thus counseled her to be a model of virtues and good qualities "for the
one who should teach should be better than the persons who need her
learning." Rizal nonetheless used the topic as leverage in somewhat
rebuking her sister for getting married to Pantaleon Quintero of
Calamba without their parents' consent. "Because of you," he wrote,
"the peace of our family has been disturbed."
The Surname RIZAL
Had their forefathers not adopted other names, Jose and Paciano could have been known
as "Lamco" (and not Rizal) brothers.

Their paternal great-great grandfather, Chinese merchant Domingo Lamco, adopted the
name "Mercado," which means "market." But Jose"s father, Francisco, who eventually
became primarily a farmer, adopted the surname "Rizal" (originally "Ricial",which
means "the green of young growth" or "green fields"). The name was suggested by a
provincial governor who was a friend of the family. The new name, however, caused
confusion in the commercial affairs of the family. Don Francisco thus settled on the name
"Rizal Mercado" as a compromise, and often just used his more known surname
"Mercado.”
The Surname RIZAL
When Paciano was a student at the College of San Jose, he used "Mercado" as his last name.
But because he had gained notoriety with his links to Father Burgos of the "Gomburza," he
suggested that Jose use the surname "Rizal" for Jose"s own safety.

Commenting on using the name "Rizal" at Ateneo, Jose once wrote: "My family never paid
much attention [to our second surname Rizal], but now I had to use it, thus giving me the
appearance of an illegitimate child!" (as cited in Arriza, 2012, para. 8)

But this very name suggested by Paciano to be used by his brother had become so well known by
1891, the year Jose finished his El Filibusterismo. As Jose wrote to a friend, "All my family now
carry the name Rizal instead of Mercado because the name Rizal means persecution! Good! I
too want to join them and be worthyofthis family name .. " (as cited in Arriza, 2012, para. 8)
Rizal’s Birth
Dona Teodora was said to have suffered the greatest pain during the delivery of her
seventh child, Jose. Her daughter Narcisa recalled: "I was nine years of age when my
mother gave birth to Jose. I recall it vividly because my mother suffered great pain. She
labored for a long time. Her pain was later attributed to the fact that Jose's head was
bigger than normal" (as cited in "Lola Lolay." 2013, para. 8).

Jose Rizal was born in Calamba. In 1848, his parents decided to build a home in this town
in Laguna, southern Luzon. The name Calamba was derived from kalanbanga, which
means "clay stove" (kalan) and "water jar" (banga).
Rizal’s Birth
The first massive stone house (or bahay na bato) in Calamba was the very birthplace of
our national hero. It was a rectangular two-storey building, built of adobe stones and solid
wood, with sliding capiz windows. Its ground floor was made of lime and stone, the second
floor of hard wood, except for the roof, which was of red tiles. There was an azotea and a
water reservoir at the back. Its architectural style and proximity to the church implied
Rizal family's wealth and political influence.
The Childhood of a Phenom
● A phenom is someone who is exceptionally talented or
admired, especially an up-and-comer. Rizal, especially
during his childhood, was none less than a phenom.
● Jose Rizal's first memory, in his infancy, was his happy days
in their family garden when he was three years old. Their
courtyard contained tropical fruit trees, poultry yard, a
carriage house, and a stable for the ponies. Because the
young Pepe was weak, sickly, and undersized, he was given
the fondest care by his parents, so his father built a nipa
cottage for Pepe to play in the daytime.
The Childhood of a Phenom
● Memory of his infancy included the nocturnal walk in the
town, especially when there was a moon. Jose also recalled
the "aya" (nursemaid) relating to the Rizal children some
fabulous stories, like those about the fairies, tales of buried
treasure, and trees blooming with diamonds.
● Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer in
their home. Rizal recorded in his memoir that by nightfall,
his mother would gather all the children in their home to
pray the Angelus. At the early age of three, he started to take
a part in the family prayers.
The Childhood of a Phenom
● When Concha died of sickness in 1865, Jose mournfully wept
at losing her. He later wrote in his memoir, "When I was four
years old. I lost my little sister Concha, and then for the first
time I shed tears caused by love and grief" ("Memoirs of a
Student in Manila," n.d.).
● At the age of five, the young Pepe learned to read the
Spanish family Bible, which he would refer to later in his
writings. Rizal himself remarked that perhaps the education
he received since his earliest infancy was what had shaped
his habits ("Memoirs of a Student," n.d ., para. 3).
The Childhood of a Phenom
● As a child, Rizal loved to go to the chapel, pray, participate in
novenas, and join religious processions. In Calamba, one of the
men he esteemed and respected was the scholarly Catholic priest
Leoncio Lopez, the town priest. He used to visit him and listen to
his inspiring opinions on current events and thorough life views.
● Also at the age of five, Pepe started to make pencil sketches and
mold in clay and wax objects, which attracted his fancy.
● When he was about six years old, his sisters once laughed at him
for spending much time making clay and wax images. Initially
keeping silent, he then prophetically told them "All right laugh at
me now!. Someday when I die, people will make monuments and
images of me."
The Childhood of a Phenom
● When Jose was seven years old, his father provided him the
exciting experience of riding a "casco" (a flat-bottomed boat
with a roof) on their way to a pilgrimage in Antipolo. The
pilgrimage was to fulfill the vow made by Jose's mother to
take him to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she
and her child survive the ordeal of delivery, which nearly
caused her life. From Antipolo, Jose and his father proceeded
to Manila to visit his sister Saturnina who was at the time
studying at the La Concordia College in Sta. Ana.
● As a gift, the child Jose received a pony named "Alipato"
from his father (Bantug & Ventura, 1997, p. 23). As a child, he
loved to ride this pony or take long walks in the meadows and
lakeshore with his black dog named "Usman."
The Childhood of a Phenom
● The mother also induced Jose to love the arts, literature, and the classics. Before he was eight
years old, he had written a drama (some sources say "a Tagalog comedy.") which was performed
at a local festival and for which the municipal captain rewarded him with two pesos. (Some
references specify that it was staged in a Calamba festival and that it was a gobernadorcillo from
Paete who purchased the manuscript for two pesos.)
● Contrary to the "former" common knowledge however, Rizal did not write the Filipino poem
"Sa Aking Mga Kababata/Kabata" (To My Fellow Children). The poem was previously believed
to be Rizal"s first written poem at the age of eight and was said to have been published
posthumously many years after Rizal"s death. However, Jose had a preserved correspondence
(letters) with his brother Paciano admitting that he (Jose) had only encountered the word
"kalayaan" when he was already 21 years old. The term ("kalayaan") was used not just once in
the poem "Sa Aking Mga Kababata/Kabata."
The Childhood of a Phenom
● The young Rizal was also interested in magic. He read many
books on magic. He learned different tricks, such as making
a coin disappear and making a handkerchief vanish in thin
air.
● Some other influences of Rizal's childhood involved his three
uncles: his Tio Jose Alberto who inspired him to cultivate his
artistic ability; his Tio Manuel who encouraged him to
fortify his frail body through physical exercises; and his Tio
Gregorio who intensified Rizal's avidness to read good
books.
The Story of the Moth
● To impart essential life lessons, Lolay held regular storytelling sessions with the
young Rizal. Do?a Teodora loved to read to Pepe stories from the book Amigo de los
Ni?os (The Children's Friend). One day, she scolded his son for making drawings on
the pages of the story book. To teach the value of obedience to one's parents, she
afterward read him a story in it.
The Story of the Moth
● Lolay chose the story about a daughter moth who was warned by her mother against
going too near a lamp flame. Though the young moth promised to comply, she later
succumbed to the pull of the light's mysterious charm, believing that nothing bad
would happen if she approached it with caution. The moth then flew close to the
flame. Feeling comforting warmth at first, she drew closer and closer, bit by bit, until
she flew too close enough to the flame and perished.
The Story of the Moth
● Incidentally, Pepe was watching a similar incident while he was listening to the
storytelling. Like a live enactment, a moth was fluttering too near to the flame of the
oil lamp on their table. Not merely acting out, it did fall dead as a consequence. Both
moths in the two tales paid the price of getting near the fatal light.
Education in Calamba
● The familiar statement that Do?a Teodora was Rizal's first teacher is not just a sort
of "venerating" his mother who sacrificed a lot for our hero. It was actually a
technical truth. In his memoirs, Rizal wrote, "My mother taught me how to read and
to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God."
● In Rizal's time, seldom would one see a highly educated woman of fine culture, like
Do?a Teodora who had the capacity to teach Spanish, reading, poetry, and values
through rare story books. Lolay, indeed, was the first teacher of the hero teaching
him Spanish, correcting his composed poems, and coaching him in rhetoric. On her
lap, Jose learned the alphabet and Catholic prayers at the age of three, and learned
to read and write at age of 5.
Education in Calamba
● Aside from his mother, Jose's sister Saturnina and three maternal uncles also
mentored him. His uncle Jose Alberto taught him painting, sketching, and sculpture.
Uncle Gregorio influenced him to further love reading. Uncle Manuel, for his part,
developed Rizal's physical skills in martial arts, like wrestling.
● To further enhance what Rizal had learned, private tutors were hired to give him
lessons at home. Thus, Maestro Celestino tutored him, and Maestro Lucas Padua
later succeeded Celestino. Afterward, a former classmate of Don Francisco, Leon
Monroy, lived at the Rizal home to become the boy's tutor in Spanish and Latin.
Sadly. Monroy died five months later. (Of course, there is no truth to some naughty
students' comical insinuation that Rizal had something to do with his death.)
Education in Biñan
● Rizal was subsequently sent to a private school in Biñan. In June 1869,
his brother Paciano brought him to the school of Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. The school was in the teacher's house, a small nipa house
near the home of Jose's aunt where he stayed. In Rizal's own words, his
teacher "knew by the heart the grammars by Nebrija and Gainza."

During Rizal's first day at the Biñan school, the teacher asked him:

'Do you know Spanish?"

'A little, sir," replied Rizal.

'Do you know Latin?"

'A little, sir."

Education in Biñan
● Because of this, his classmates, especially the teacher's son
Pedro, laughed at the newcomer. So later in that day, Jose
challenged the bully Pedro to a fight. Having learned wrestling
from his Uncle Manuel, the younger and smaller Jose defeated
his tormenter. (Compared to bullying victims today, we can say
that Rizal did not wait for anyone to enact a law against
bullying, but rather took matters into his own hands.)
● After the class, he had an arm-wrestling match with his
classmate Andres Salandanan. In that match, however, Jose lost
and even almost cracked his head on the sidewalk. (That only
proves that merely being a desperado won't make you win all
your fights.)
Education in Biñan
● In the following days, Jose was said to have some other fights with Biñan boys. (If his average
was two fights per day, as what happened during his first day in Biñan school, then he might
have been more active than today's MMA [mixed martial arts] fighters.) For his scuffles, he
nonetheless received many whippings and blows on the open palm from his disciplinarian
teacher.
● Rizal might not have won all his brawls but he, nevertheless, beat all Biñan boys academically
in Spanish, Latin, and many other subjects. After sometime, Jose told his father that he had
already learned all there was to be taught in Binan. Don Francisco firmly scolded Jose and
hustled him back to the school: Maestro Cruz, Jose's teacher in Binan, later confirmed,
however, that Jose had indeed finished already all the needed curricular works. So despite his
wife's reluctance, Don Francisco then decided to send Jose to a school in Manila.