The Mercado - Rizal Family

The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the family's
paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from Amoy, China in the
closing years of the 17th century and married a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa.
Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and
Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese.
Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora
Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother.
FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)
Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Bian,
Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.
TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)
Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied
at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous, religious, hard-working
and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila.
SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)
Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.
PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a
farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.
NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939)
The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.
OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth.
LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)
The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.
MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Bian, Laguna.
JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)
The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896.
CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)
The eight child. Died at the age of three.
JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)
The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.
TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)
The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die.
SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)
The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.

The childhood of Jose Rizal can be characterized by his desire to learn, even frequenting the church
nearby his home to watch and observe people but not to be religiously inclined. Jose Rizal was not a
physically blessed or strong child however, he had a strong will guided and taught by his mother, his first
teacher. He learned almost without the use of books. His mother was the one who laid the foundation
of his great knowledge achieved in such a short time. His brilliance was also the character of the young
Jose Rizal.
Jose Rizal learned his letters at the age of 3 after insisting that he be taught to read and share the
lessons learned by his elder sister. Rizal even tried to spell out the words of his sisters story book with
the use of a syllabary in such a way that one does when using a dictionary in a foreign language. He also
spent much of this time in a church nearby his house just watching or observing the people coming in
and out.
Three uncles who were brothers of his mother also had much influence on the early childhood of Jose
Rizal. The youngest uncle named Jose, took care of teaching regular lessons to Rizal. His huge uncle
Manuel developed his physique until he had a body of silk and steel and no longer a skinny and sickly
boy. The last uncle, Gregorio instilled in the mind of Rizal that it was not easy to obtain something until
you put effort into it.
There was a also a time when Rizal was able to draw a bird flying nearby without lifting the pencil he
was using from the paper till the picture he drew was finished. He can also draw a running horse and a
chasing dog. Clay and wax were the favorite play materials of Rizal. He used these materials in forming
modeled birds and butterflies. This animal molding activity also started his study of nature.
Jose Rizal also owned a pony and used it to have long rides into the surrounding country which was rich
in scenery. He also took long walks together with his big black dog named Usman. He also loved to play
with the doves in his neighborhood. He learned about the myths and legends in Laguna after sleeping
through the nut in a little straw hut used by Laguna farmers during the harvest season. Rizal was also
good in hand tricks which he perfected to amaze the simple folk and performed magic lantern
exhibitions.
Even in his childhood, Rizal already knew how to respect the rights of others and requested his elders to
reason with him rather than get mad at him for small offenses. He became a welcome companion for
adults even at his young age since he respected their moods and was never a hindrance to their
activities.

Earliest Childhood Memories:

Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of his childhood in his native town Calamba. Its scenic beauties
and its industrious, hospitable, and friendly folks profoundly affected his mind and character. The
happiest period of Rizals life was spent in this lakeshore town.
The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was in the family garden when he was 3yrs. old. Because he was
a frail, sickly and undersized, he was given the tenderest care by his parents. His father built a Nipa
cottage for him to play in the daytime.
Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall, his mother gathered all the
children at the house to pray the Angelus.
He also remembered the aya (nurse maid) related to the Rizal children amy stories about the fairies;
tales of buried treasure and trees blooming with diamonds, and other fabulous stories.
Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha ( Concepcion), who was a year younger than him. He
played with her and from her he learned the sweetness of sisterly love.
Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only 3yrs. old. Jose cried bitterly at losing
her. The death of Concha brought him his first sorrow.
Rizal grew up a good catholic. At age of 3, he would take part in the family prayers. When he was 5yrs.
old, he was able to read the Spanish family bible. He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part in
novenas, and to join religious processions.
One of the men he esteemed and respect in Calamba was the scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town
priest. He used to visit him and listen to his stimulating opinions on current events and sound
philosophy of life.
On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his
mothers vow, which was made when Jose was born. After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of
Antipolo, Jose and his father went to Manila to visit Saturnina, who was a boarding student in La
Concordia College in Santa Ana.
Of the stories told by Dona Teodora, Jose remembered the Story of the Moth. The tragic fate of the
young moth, which died a martyr to its illusions, left a deep impress on Rizals mind. He justified such
noble death, asserting that to sacrifice ones life for it, meaning for an ideal, is worthwile. And, like
that young moth, he was fated to die as a martyr for a noble ideal.
At age of 5, he began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in his clay and wax objects. Jose had
the soul of a genuine artist. He also loved to ride the pony that which his father gave him and take long
walks in the meadows and lakeshore with his black dog named Usman.
Aside from his sketching and sculpturing talent, Rizal possessed a God-given gift for literature. At age of
8, Rizal wrote his first poem in the native language entitled Sa Aking Mga Kababata (To My Fellow
Children).
After writing his first poem, Rizal who was then 8yrs. old, wrote his first dramatic work which was a
Tagalog comedy.
Rizal was also interested in magic. He learned various tricks, such as making a coin disappear and making
a handkerchief vanish in thin air. He read many books on magic and attended performances of the
famous magicians in the world.

Erish N. Gatchalian

BSCE - 5C

The Jose Rizal family was a wealthy family in Calamba, Laguna and considered one of the largest families
in those times. The 13 member of Jose Rizal family consisted of his father Francisco Mercado II and his
mother Teodora Alonso Realonda. Jose Rizal had nine sisters and one brother. The Jose Rizal familys
paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a full-blooded Chinese who lived inAmoy,China and arrived in
the Philippines in the closing years of the 17th century. Domingo Lam-co was married to a Chinese halfbreed named Ines de la Rosa. The Mercado-Rizal family had also Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Negrito
blood aside from their Chinese blood.
Jose Rizals father was the youngest of 13 children of Juan and Cirila Mercado. He was born in Binan,
Laguna, studied in San Jose College of Manila and died in Manila. The mother of Jose Rizal was a
business -minded, religious and hard working individual who was born in Santa Cruz,Manila on
November 14, 1827 and died in Manila in 1913. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa and was the
second child of Brijida de Quintos and Lorenzo Alonso.
Saturnina Rizal was the eldest of the offsprings of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda. She
married Manuel Hidalgo who hailed from Tanauan, Batangas. The only brother of Jose Rizal was Paciano
Rizal and was the second child. Paciano studied at the San Jose College in Manila and worked as a
farmer and later as a general of the Philippine Revolution. The other sisters of Jose Rizal were
Narcisa,Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. Soledad was the youngest child
and later was married to Pantaleon Quintero.
The parents of Jose Rizal were both farmers who were granted by the Dominicans with the lease of a
hacienda together with a rice farm. The mother of Jose Rizal, Teodora, had Spanish and Japanese
ancestors while the father of Teodora was a half Spaniard engineer known as Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo.
The Rizal surname was obtained by Francisco Mercado as suggested to him by a provincial governor
after the Governor General of the Philippines, Narciso Claveria, issued a decree in 1849 by which native
Filipino and immigrant families were to adopt Spanish surnames from a list of Spanish family names.
Jose Rizal also obtained the surname Rizal after dropping three other names that made up his full name.
Jose Rizal also retained Protacio as his other family name. His family never actually recognized his Rizal
surname but Jose Rizal was forced to use it so that he can travel freely and disassociate him from his
brother who was known to be notorious due to Pacianos links with native priests who were executed
after they were found to be subversives.