Rizal- A Biographical
Sketch
JoseRizal was born on Wednesday,
June 19,1861 between eleven and
twelve o’clock midnight, a few
days before the full moon at
Calamba, Laguna. It cost his
mother’s life so she vowed to the
Virgin of Antipolo to take him on a
pilgrimage of her shrine
Baptized at Catholic Church of
Calamba on June 22 by Rev.
Rufino Collantes, also his
godfather.
Name chosen by his mother
because of his devotion to Saint
San Jose (St. Joseph)
Fr. Collates was impressed to
Rizal’s big head that he told “take
good care of this child, for
someday he will become a great
Calamba: Cradle of a Genius
Calamba is a town named after a big
native jar surrounded by a big
hacienda which belong to the
Dominican Order
Francisco Mercado Rizal, the hero’s
father was born in Biñan, Laguna. His
great, great grandfather was a
Christian Chinese named Domingo
Lamco. Dr. Rizal called him “a model
of fathers”
Don Francisco’s original family
name was Mercado. Choose by
his father because it sounded
common. Mercado means
“market” .
He married Teodora Alonzo
Realonda on June 28,1848.
Doña Teodora Alonzo, Rizal’s
mother was born on November
8,1826. She died at the age of
85.
Rizal’s family is considered as
one of the riches families in
Calamba. They own a
carruaje-a horse-drawn
carriage, home library with
1000 volumes
Children of Rizal
Francisco Mercado Rizal and
Teodora Alonzo Realonda has
eleven children- 2 boys and 9 girls
Paciano, the only brother is an
agriculturist. He is older than Jose.
He was the Filosopo Tacio in Noli
Me Tangere
After Rizal’s execution, he joined
Gen. Aguinaldo’s revolutionary
army with the rank of Major
General. He returned to Los Baños
after the restoration of peace and
led a simple life being a farmer.
He died unhonor and unsung in
1930 and buried in Manila.
Saturnina, Narcisa, Olimpia, Lucia,
Maria, Concepcion, Josefa,
Trinidad and Soledad are his nine
sisters. All of them got married
except Josefa and Trinidad and
Concepcion who died at the age
of three. All of them were born in
Calamba.
Rizal’s Ancestry
Rizal’s maternal ancestor was
Lakan-Dula, the last king of
Tondo. His maternal great-great
grandfather was Eugenio Ursua, a
Japanese blood ancestry
Rizal’s father was a great
grandson of Lam-co, a Chinese
immigrant from Fukien City.
The Name Rizal
The original surname of Rizal’s
family was Mercado. This surname
was adopted by Domingo Lam-co,
the paternal Chinese ancestor. In
Spanish “Mercado” means market.
In 1849 Governor Narciso Claveria
issue a decree to Filipino families
to choose and adopt new family
names.
The term Rizal originate from
ricial means “green field”.