Rizal’s Life:

Family, Childhood
and Early
Education
Prepared by: DVPC
Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student
should be able to:
• Analyze Rizal’s family, childhood, and
early education;
• Evaluate the people and events and their
influence on Rizal’s early life.

2
 JOSE RIZAL

• José Protasio Rizal Mercado y

Alonso Realonda was born on June
19, 1861 in Calamba. Laguna.
• Jose had mastered the alphabet and
learned to read and write
• He amazed his family by his pencil
drawings, sketches, and moldings
of clay.
This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

3
DON FRANCISCO
MERCADO

• Jose's father, Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado, was a

productive farmer from Binan, Laguna
• He became tiniente gobernadorcillo (lieutenant governor) in
Calamba and was thus nicknamed Tiniente Kika
• Francisco's great grandfather was Domingo Lam-co
• He took Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in
Manila
• They were granted lease of a rice farm in the Dominican-
owned haciendas
4
DOÑA TEODORA ALONSO

Jose’s mother, Teodora Alonzo (also

spelled “Alonso”), was an educated and
highly cultured woman from Sta. Cruz,
Manila
Dona Lolay was educated at the College of
Santa Rosa, an esteemed school for girls in
Manila
Through the Claveria decree of 1849
which changed the Filipino native
surnames, the Alonsos adopted the surname
Realonda.
5
 JOSE’s SIBLINGS
Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913) is the eldest
child. She and her mother provided the little
Jose with good basic education
Paciano Rizal (Nor Paciano) Jose's only
brother; became a farmer, and later a general
of the Philippine Revolution
Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939) or simply "Sisa”;
She helped in financing Rizal's studies in
Europe
Olympia Rizal was the fourth child and Jose
loved to tease her
6
 JOSE’s SIBLINGS
Lucia Rizal (1851-1919) was the fifth child in the
family. Lucia's husband died during the cholera
epidemic in May 1889 and was refused a Catholic
burial for not going to confession
Maria Rizal (1859-1945) was the sixth child in the
family. . It was to her whom Jose talked about
wanting to marry Josephine Bracken.
Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865) was the eighth child
of the Rizal family. She died at the age of three
(Concha).
Josefa Rizal's nickname is "Panggoy" (1865-1945)
She was the ninth child in the family. Panggoy died a
spinster
7
 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.

Soledad Rizal (1870-1929) also called “Choleng” and she was the youngest child of the
Rizal family. Being a teacher, she was arguably the best-educated among Rizal's sisters.

8
 THE SURNAME RIZAL

Chinese merchant Domingo Lamco, adopted the name "Mercado”, which means
market
Jose’s father adopted the surname Rizal (originally Ricial which means the green
of young growth or green fields)
Paciano used “Mercado” as his last name when he was a student at the College of
San Jose 9
 RIZAL’S BIRTH
Dona Teodora was said to have suffered the greatest pain during the delivery of
her seventh child, Jose.
Jose Rizal was born in Calamba (DERIVED from kalanbanga, which means "clay
stove" (kalan) and "water jar" (banga).
The poem he wrote at Ateneo de Manila in 1876, Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In
Memory of My Town)
The first massive stone house (or bahay na bato) in Calamba was the very
10

birthplace of Rizal.
Rizal’s ancestral
house now called
Rizal Shrine

11
 THE CHILDHOOD OF A PHENOM
Jose Rizal's first memory, in his infancy, was his happy days in their family garden when he was three
years old

Memory of his infancy included the nocturnal walk in the town, especially when there was a moon

Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer in their home

When Concha died of sickness in 1865, Jose mournfully wept at losing her

At the age of five, the young Pepe learned to read the Spanish family Bible, which he would refer to
later in his writings.

12
 THE CHILDHOOD OF A PHENOM
As a child, Rizal loved to go to the chapel, pray, participate in novenas, and join religious
processions

At the age of five, Pepe started to make pencil sketches and mold in clay and wax objects, which
attracted his fancy

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

Rizal’s mother also induced Jose to love the arts, literature, and the classics

The young Rizal was also interested in magic. He read many books on magic
13
THE STORY OF THE MOTH

Lolay held regular storytelling sessions

with the young Rizal.
Dona Teodora loved to read to Pepe
stories from the book Amigo de los
Ninos (The Children's Friend)
To teach the value of obedience
 ( Moth’s Story)
Rizal himself felt that the moths' tale
could serve as an allegory of his own
destiny 14
EDUCATION IN CALAMBA

oIn his memoirs, Rizal wrote, "My

mother taught me how to read and to
say haltingly the humble prayers which
I raised fervently to God."
oIn Rizal's time, seldom would one see a
highly educated woman of fine culture
oLolay was the first teacher of Jose

15
 EDUCATION IN CALAMBA

Jose’s sister Saturnina and three maternal uncles

mentored Rizal
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
Maestro Celestino tutored and Maestro Lucas
Padua and Leon Monroy (private tutors)

16
 EDUCATION IN BIÑAN

Rizal was subsequently sent to a private school in Binan. In June 1869, his brother Paciano
brought him to the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.

Jose challenged the bully Pedro to a fight due to his first impression from the class.

He had an arm-wrestling match with his classmate Andres Salandanan

Rizal might not have won all his brawls but he, nevertheless, beat all Binan boys
academically in Spanish, Latin, and many other subjects.

17
THANK YOU!

https://youtu.be/MnzbFoeHStQ