JOSE RIZAL
LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS
CHAPTER ONE
DR. JOSE RIZAL
The greatest hero of the Philippines and
was a "many-splendored" genius.
HE WAS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST, BOTANIST, CARTOGRAPHER, DRAMATIST, EDUCATOR, FARMER, GEOGRAPHER, HISTORIAN, LINGUIST, MUSICIAN, NOVELIST, PHYSICIAN, SOCIOLOGIST, TRAVELER, ZOOLOGIST AND ETC.
He was born on the moonlit night of Wednesday, June 19, 1861, in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna Province, Philippines.
He was baptized in the Catholic church of his town on June 22, aged three days old, by the parish priest, Father Rufino Collantes with the hero’s godfather, Father Pedro Casanas.
"Jose" was chosen by his mother, who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph).
Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda.
He was born in Binan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818.
Following his parent's death, he moved to Calamba and became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda.
He died in Manila on January 5, 1898, at the age of 80.
She was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 and was educated at the College of Santa Rosa.
Dona Teodora died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85.
The Rizal Children
Saturnina [Neneng]
- oldest of the Rizal children; she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas.
Paciano
- an older brother and confident about Jose Rizal
Narcisa [Sisa]
- she married Antonio Lopez, a school teacher of Morong.
Olimpia [Ypia]
- she married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila.
Lucia
- she married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba
Maria [Biang]
- she married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna
Jose [Pepe]
- the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius
Concepcion [Concha]
- she died of sickness at the age of 3 and her death was Rizal's first sorrow in life
Josefa [Panggoy]
- she died as an old maid in 1951 aged 83
Trinidad [Trining]
- she died also an old maid
Soledad [Choleng]
- youngest of the Rizal children; she married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba
Rizal was a product of the mixture of races. In his veins flowed the blood of both East and West.
Francisco Mercado studied Latin and Philosophy in the College of San Jose in Manila. He met and fell in love with Teodora Alonso Realonda while studying in Manila.
Rizal's parents were married on June 28, 1848.
The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco, who was a full-blooded Chinese.
Rizal's family acquired a second surname "Rizal" which was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor of Laguna, who was a family friend.
The Rizal Home
Their house was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during Spanish times.
It was a happy home where parental affection and children's laughter reigned.
The Rizal family belonged to the principalia and they were the one of the distinguished families in Calamba.
From the hardword of Rizal's parents, they were able to build a large stone house.
They owned a carriage, which was a status symbol of the ilustrados in Spanish Philippines.
They owned a private library also.
Combining affluence and culture, hospitality and courtesy, they participated prominently in all social and religious affairs in the community.
Don Franciso and Donya Teodora loved their children, but they never spoiled them. They were strict parents and they trained their children to love God, to be have well, to be obedient, and to respect people, especially the old folks.
Every day the Rizals heard Mass in the town church, particularly during Sundays and Christian holidays.
