RIZAL'S CHILDHOOD

Birth and baptismal of Rizal

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Alonzo y Realonda, the seventh of eleven children, was
born on June 19, 1861, between 11 and 12 at night, in Calamba, Laguna. During his deliver, his
mother almost died because of his big head. He was named Jose by his mother who was a
devotee of Saint Joseph.

He was baptized on June 22, 1861 by Father Rufino Collantes, with Father Pedro
Casanas as his godfather. His baptismal certificate read as follows:

“I, the parish priest of the town of Calamba, whose signature appears
below, certify that as a result of inquiries, which with the proper authorization
were made for the restoration of the canonical books (that were burned) on the
28th of September 1862 and are found in the file of baptisms, book n 1, page 49,
it emerges according to the declaration of competent and sworn witnesses that
Jose Rizal Mercado is legitimate son from the legitimate matrimony of Don
Francisco Rizal Mercado and Doña Teodora Realonda (that) he was baptized in
this parish on the 22nd of June 1861 by the parish priest Reverend Father Rufino
Collantes, and his godfather was the Reverend Father Pedro Casanas. And I
sign this as true. -Leoncio Lopez.”

During Rizal's birth, the governor general of the Philippines is Lieutenant-General Jose
Lemery, who governed the Philippines from February 2, 1861 to July 7, 1862. Among his
achievements include the fostering of cultivation of cotton in the provinces and establishing the
politico-military governments on Visayas and Mindanao.

Family and Ancestry

Parents

1. Francisco Mercado Rizal. Francisco was born on May 11, 1818 in Biñan, Laguna. He
studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila and moved to
Calamba as a tenant-farmer in a Dominican-owned hacienda after his parents died. He
became a tiniente gobernadorcillo in Calamba and was nicknamed Tiniente Kiko.
Francisco did not like the list of Spanish names sent to him so he chose Rizal (from
"Ricial" meaning "greenfield"or new pasture"). During his studies in Manila, he fell in love
with Teodora and were married on June 28, 1848. He died on January 5, 1898.
Francisco was described as independent-minded, hardy, quiet, strong in body,
and valiant in spirit. Rizal considered him as "a model of fathers".

2. Teodora Alonso Realonda. Teodora was born on November 8, 1826 in Sta. Cruz,
Manila. The children of Rizal's grandparents adopted the surname "Realonda" from a
list of Spanish surnames provided by Governor Narciso Claveria in 1849, making her
name Teodora Alonso Realonda. It was said that Teodora's family descended from
Lakan-Dula, the last native king of Tondo. She studied at the College of Santa Rosa.
She died on August 16, 1911.
Teodora was described as cultured, with literary and business talent, and a
strong fortitude. She was good in rhetoric, mathematics, literature, and Spanish. She
also declined a life pension offered to her before her death, preferring a reduction of
taxes collected for others instead.

Siblings

1. Saturnina (1850 - 1913). Nicknamed Neneng, she married Manuel T. Hidalgo of

Tanauan, Batangas and had five children. Along with Teodora, she provided Rizal with
good basic education at an early age.

2. Paciano (1851 - 1930). He joined the Philippine Revolution following Rizal's death and
died a farmer after he retired from the Revolution. He had two children by his common
 law-wife Severina Decena. In Rizal's Noli, he was immortalized as Pilosopo Tasio and
was regarded by Rizal as his second father.

3. Narcisa (1852 - 1939). Nicknamed Sisa, she married Antonio Lopez of Morong and had
nine children. She helped financed Rizal's studies in Europe.

4. Olympia (1855 - 1887). Nicknamed Ypia, she married Silvestre Ubaldo of Manila and
had three children. Rizal loved to tease Narcisa. She was also the schoolmate of
Segunda Katigbak and Olympian served as their mediator.

5. Lucia (1857 - 1919). She married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba. Mariano, who died of
cholera, was denied of Christian burial.

6. Maria (1859 - 1945). Nicknamed Biang, she married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan,
who had five children. She was Rizal's confidante about wanting to marry Josephine
Bracken. She was related to Gemma Cruz Araneta, the first Southeast Asian to win an
international beauty pageant and the first Filipina to win Miss International.

7. Concepcion (1862 - 1865). Nicknamed Concha, she died when she was three years
old, making it the first sorrow of Rizal's life.

8. Josefa (1865 - 1945). Nicknamed Panggoy, she died unmarried. She was one of the
original 29 women admitted to the Katipunan and was supposed to have been elected
as a president of its women section.

9. Trinidad (1868 - 1951). Nicknamed Trining, she died unmarried. She was the
custodian of Rizal's greatest poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, who was given to her during their
visit before his execution. She joined the Katipunan after Rizal's death.

10. Soledad (1870 - 1929). Nicknamed Choleng, she married Pantaleon Quintero of
Calamba (who, controversially, was married to Soledad without the consent of their
parents, much to Rizal's displeasure) and had five children. She was a teacher and
arguably the most educated of Rizal's sisters. His marriage with Quintero linked Rizal's
family with Miguel Malvar.

Rizal would have good cordial relationships with his siblings and would address them as
Señor, Señora (if married), or Señorita (if unmarried). Interestingly, of all the siblings, only Rizal
used Rizal as a surname. The rest used Mercado.

Paternal Ancestors

1. Domingo Lam-Co (1662 - 1752) and Ines de la Rosa (b. 1680). Rizal's great-great
grandfather, a Chinese immigrant from Fukien City of Changchow, and his great-great
grandmother, a Chinese Christian girl from Manila. Domingo arrived in Manila in 1731
and used the surname Mercado, which means "market".

2. Francisco Mercado (1731 - 1801) and Bernarda Monicha. Rizal's great grandfather,
who was elected gobernadorcillo of Biñan, and his great grandmother, who was a
Chinese-Filipino mestiza. They had five children, Clemente, Benito, Tomas, Evarista,
and Juan Mercado.

3. Juan Mercado and Cirila Alejandro. Rizal's grandfather, who became an alcalde
mayor or Biñan, and Rizal's grandmother, who was also a Chinese mestiza. They had
13 children, and Francisco Mercado, Rizal's father, was the youngest.

Maternal Ancestors

1. Eugenio Ursua and Benigna. Rizal's great-great grandfather, who is of Japanese

ancestry, and his great-great grandmother, a Filipina. They had three children, Benito,
Padre Alejandro Pio, and Regina.
 2. Regina Ursua and Manuel de Quintos. Rizal's great grandmother married a Filipino-
Chinese lawyer from Pangasinan who became prominent in Manila. They had four
children, Maria Victoria, Juan Soler, Joaquin, and Brigida de Quintos.

3. Brigida de Quintos and Engr. Lorenzo Albeto Alonso. Rizal's grandmother married a
Spanish mestizo who became a municipal captain in Biñan in 1824. They had five
children, Narcisa, Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose.

Rizal's Hometown

Rizal grew up in Calamba, Laguna, a hacienda town belonging to the Dominican order,
north of Mount Makiling and west of Laguna de Bay. Rizal loved his hometown, as evidenced
by his poem Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town), written when he was 15 years
old in Ateneo Municipal.

Rizal's Home, Home Life, and Childhood

Rizal's home was the first massive stone house in Calamba. It was a distinguished two-
storey rectangular house made of adobe stone s and hard woods and red tiled roof. The
second floor was made entirely than wood. The back of the house was a wide azotea, with
deep cistern to hold rain water for home use. The backyard have turkeys, chickens, and tropical
fruits.
Rizal's home life was an epitome of a wholesome family. His parents loved them but did
not spoil them, and they trained them to love God, behave well, be obedient, and respect
others. They hear Mass regularly and prayed together daily.
Rizal's family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines.
They were able to live well through hard work. They harvested rice, corn, and sugarcane,
raised pigs, chickens, and turkeys, and had a general goods store, small flour mill, and home-
made ham press managed by Doña Teodora. They owned a carriage and a private library, a
testament to their affluence.
Rizal was a frail, sickly, and undersized child, the reason why his family given him the
tender care. An aya (nurse maid) Ina Munda was hired to look after him. He also loved nature
and would climb trees, watched and listened to birds, and take walks during moonlit nights. He
loved to ride ponies with his father and take long walks with his dog Usman.
Rizal grew up a good Catholic, and by the age of three, participated in family prayers.
By five, he can haltingly read the Spanish Bible.
On June 6, 1868, he went with his father on a pilgrimage to Antipolo to fulfill his mother's
vow who cannot go because she had given birth to Trinidad. It was his first time to ride a casco
(barge), first trip across Laguna de Bay, and after their visit to Antipolo, went to see Saturnina at
La Concordia College in Santa Ana, which was also Rizal's first trip to Manila.
Rizal's mother told him stories, and one which made a profound impression on him was
the story of the moth. In the story, the moth "died a martyr to its illusions" and Rizal asserted
that "to sacrifice one's life for it" is "worthwhile."
Rizal showed artistic talents at an early age. At five, he was sketching and molding clay.
It was said that one day, he painted a new banner for a fiesta upon the request of the mayor of
Calamba. Rizal was also interested in magic.
Rizal was also gifted in literature. At eight, he wrote his first poem in Filipino entitled Sa
Aking Mga Kababata (To My Fellow Children) and his first drama (a Tagalog comedy) that was
purchsed by a gobernadorcillo from Paete for two pesos for liking it.

Rizal's Early Grief and Sorrows

However, at an early age Rizal has already experienced grief and sorrow. Among these
are as follows:

1. In 1865, his sister Concepcion died because of sickness.

2. By order of Governor General Rafael de Izquiedo, the Martyr Priests Father Mariano
Gomez, Father Jose Burgos, and Father Jacinto Zamora, leaders of the secular
movement to Filipinize the Philippine parishes, were executed on February 1, 1872.
This is because of the Cavite Mutiny which happened on January 20, 1872, which
happened due to the abolition of privileges of Filipino soldier and workmen of the Cavite
 arsenal. This mutiny was suppressed but it caused the arrest of the priests among
others, who were accused of complicity to the mutineers. Paciano quit his studies and
told the story to the family, and this inspired Rizal to fight against Spanish tyranny. He
later dedicated El Filibusterismo to Gomburza.

3. Before June 1872, Doña Teodora was also imprisoned, along with her brother Jose
Alberto, because of charges of attempted poisoning to Jose Alberto's wife. Jose Alberto
planned to divorce his wife because she was living with another man when he was
away, but Teodora persuaded her to avoid a family scandal. The wife, however,
connived with the Spanish lieutenant of the Guardia Civil and filed a case against them.
It should be noted that the lieutenant was refused by Rizal's family fodder for his horse
previously. With the help of gobernadorcillo Antonio Vivencio del Rosario, Teodora was
arrested and was forced to walk 50 km from Calamba to Sta. Cruz, and was imprisoned
for two years, until the Manila Royal Audiencia acquitted her.

Rizal's Education in Calamba and Biñan

Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. He was instructed the 4Rs
(reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion) strictly and rigidly. His first teacher was his mother,
and as he grew older, his parents employed private tutors, the first being Maestro Celestino and
the second Maestro Lucas Padua. Leon Monroy became his ttor and lived in their home, but
died five months later. After this, he was sent to a private school in Biñan.
On June 1869, he left Calamba, accompanied by his brother, to Biñan to live with his
aunt during his schooling. His first teacher was Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. During his
first day, he met a bully named Pedro, the teacher's son, whom he challenged to a fight after
making fun of him during the morning's lesson. He defeated his bully using the wrestling skills
taught to him by his Tiyo Manuel, which made him popular. He also had a fight with Andres
Salandanan, who challenged him to an arm wrestle which he lost. In the following days, he had
other fights because he never ran away from a fight.
He also learned drawing and painting from Juancho, an old painter, and later became an
apprentice of the painter, together with his classmate Jose Guevarra..
In academics, he surpassed his classmates, making them jealous. They made stories
about him, leading to Rizal being punished.
He left Biñan in December 17, 1870 in a steamer called Talim, where Aruro Camps took
care of hm.

Influences on Rizal's Boyhood (According to Zaide)

1. Hereditary influences. It was said that Rizal inherited from his Malayan, Chinese, and
Spanish ancestors his love of freedom, innate desire to travel, indomitable courage,
seriousness, frugality, patience, love for children, elegance to bearing, sensitivity to
insult, and gallantry to ladies. From his father, he inherited a sense of self-respect, love
for work, and independent thinking. From his mother, he inherited his religiousness,
spirit of self-sacrifice, and passion for the arts and literature.

2. Environmental influences. He was influenced by Calamba and his home, religious

nature of his household, his siblings, and his aya. His uncles Jose Alberto inspired his
artistic ability, Manuel physical exercises, and Gregorio reading. Father Leoncio Lopez
fostered Rizal's intellect. The death of his sister and the imprisonment of his mother
developed his resistance. Spanish abuses, especially the execution of Gomburza,
awakened his patriotism and inspired him to consecrate his life and talents to people.

3. Aid of Divine Providence. God has endowed him with versatile gifts.
 Sa Aking mga Kabata Like bancas in the stormy sea, long years ago.

Kapagka ang baya’y sadyang umiibig

Sa langit salitang kaloob ng langit
Sanlang kalayaan nasa ring masapi
Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid

Pagka’t ang salita’y isang kahatulan

Sa bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian
At ang isang tao’y katulad, kabagay
Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan.

Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (A Tribute To My

Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda Town)
Kaya ang marapat pagyamanin kusa
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala When early childhood’s happy days
In memory I see once more
Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin, Along the lovely verdant shore
Sa Ingles, Kastila, at salitang anghel, That meets a gently murmuring sea;
Sapagkat ang Poong maalam tumingin When I recall the whisper soft
Ang siyang naggagawad, nagbibigay sa atin. Of zephyrs dancing on my brow
With cooling sweetness, even now
Ang salita nati’y tulad din sa iba New luscious life is born on me.
Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
Na kaya nawala’y dinatnan ng sigwa When I behold the lily white
Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una. That sways to do the wind’s command,
While gently sleeping on the sand
To My Fellow Children The stormy water rests awhile;
When from the flowers there softly breathes
Whenever people of a country truly love A bouquet ravishingly sweet,
The language which by heav'n they were Out-poured the newborn dawn to meet,
taught to use As on us she begins to smile.
That country also surely liberty pursue
As does the bird which soars to freer space With sadness I recall…recall
above. Thy face, in precious infancy
Oh mother, friend most dear to me,
For language is the final judge and referee Who gave to life a wondrous charm.
Upon the people in the land where it holds I yet recall a village plain,
sway; My joy, my family, my boon,
In truth our human race resembles in this way Besides the freshly cool lagoon,
The other living beings born in liberty. The spot for which my heart beats warm.

Whoever knows not how to love his native All yes! My footsteps insecure
tongue In your dark forests deeply sank;
Is worse than any best or evil smelling fish. And there by every river’s bank
To make our language richer ought to be our I found refreshment and delight;
wish Within that rustic temple prayed
The same as any mother loves to feed her With childhood’s simple faith unfeigned
young. While cooling breezes, pure, unstained,
Would send my heart on rapturous flight.
Tagalog and the Latin language are the same
And English and Castilian and the angels' I saw the Maker in the grandeur
tongue; Of your ancient hoary wood,
And God, whose watchful care o'er all is flung, Ah, never in your refuge could
Has given us His blessing in the speech we A mortal by regret by smitten;
claim, And while upon your sky of blue
I gaze, no love or tenderness
Our mother tongue, like all the highest that we Could fail, for here on nature’s dress
know My happiness itself was written.
Had alphabet and letters of its very own;
But these were lost -- by furious waves were Ah, tender childhood, lovely town,
overthrown Rich fount of my felicities,
 Oh those harmonious melodies For thy peace, thy bliss, and tranquillity,
Which put to fight all dismal hours, O Genius of good, so kind!
Come back to my heart once more! Give me these gifts, with charity.
Come back, gentle hours, I yearn! To thee are my fervent vows,-
Come back as the birds return, To thee I cease not to sigh
At the budding of the flowers! These to learn, and I call to the sky
To have thy sincerity
Alas, farewell! Eternal vigil I keep