Rizal—A

Biographical
Sketch
“ RI ZA L TH E PRI DE M ALA Y RA CE AND
G REATEST H ERO OF NA TI ON.”
 Born on Wednesday, June 19, 1861, between
eleven and twelve o’clock at midnight, a few days
before the full moon at Calamba, Laguna.

Rizal’s Baptized at a Catholic Church of Calamba, on June

22, he was only three days old, by a priest, Rev.
Birth Rufino Collantes. He was also his godfather.

He politely told, “take good care of this child, for

someday he will become a great man.”
 Calamba is a town named after a big
Calamba: native jar surrounded by a big hacienda
“The Cradle which belonged to the Dominican Order,
of a Genius” which also owned almost all the lands
around it.
 Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818-1898) was born in
Biňan, Laguna. He studied Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose, Manila. Died at the age of eighty,
a year after the hero’s execution.

The Rizal
Family Doňa Teodora Alonzo (1826-1911), born in Manila on
November 8, 1826, a woman of remarkable talent in
mathematics, business, and literature. She died at the
age of eighty-five and politely refused a life pension
offered by the government. She said, “My family has
never been patriotic for money. If the government has
plenty of funds and it does not know how to do with
them, it had better reduce the taxes. “
 1. Paciano (1851-1930)
2.Saturnina (1850-1913)
3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
4. Olimpia (1855-1887)
The Children 5. Lucia (1857-1919)
of Rizal 6. Maria (1859-1945)
7. Conception (1862-1865)
8.Josefa (1865-1919)
9. Trinidad (1868-1951)
10. Soledad (1870-1929)
 Jose Rizal’s first memory: his happy days in their garden when
he was 3 years old

Jose Rizal was weak, sickly and undersized.

The His memory included nocturnal walk in town, especially

Childhood of during moonlight; stories from his “aya” (nursemaid) and his
Angelus prayers.
a Phenom
When his sister Concha died in 1865 because of sickness, he
mournfully wept at losing her

He wrote in his memoir “When I was four (4) years old, I lost
my little sister Concha, and then for the first time I shed tears
caused by love and grief”.
 At the age of five (5), Pepe (Jose Rizal) learned to read
the Spanish family Bible

Rizal loved to go to the chapel, pray and participate in

The novenas and join religious processions.
Childhood of
a Phenom Still at the age of five, Pepe started to make pencil
sketches and mold in clay and wax object

8 years old: Rizal had shown interests in writing drama,

poems, reading books on magics and tricks, and
physical exercises among others.
EDUCATION IN CALAMBA, AND BIŇAN

Doña Teodora was Rizal’s first teacher.

Doña Teodora had the capacity to teach Spanish, reading, poetry and values
through rare story books.

Jose learned the alphabet and Catholic prayers at the age of three and learned to
read and write at the age of 5

In Rizal’s time, seldom would one see a highly educated woman of fine culture
like Doña Teodora
 Who taught young Rizal?
· Jose’s sister Saturnina and three (3) maternal uncles also mentored him.

· Uncle Jose Alberto taught him painting, sketching and sculpture

· Uncle Gregorio influenced him to further love reading

· Uncle Manuel developed Rizal’s physical skills in martial arts like wrestling

· Tutors were also hired like Maestro Celestino and Maestro Lucas

· Paciano brought him to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz