Chapter 1: The Birth Of Rizal

3. The Birth of Jose Rizal
Born on Wednesday of June 19,1861
Lakeshore Town of Calamba, Laguna, Philippines
Jose came from a saint name “San Jose”
Fr. Rufino Collantes officiated the christening ceremony,
three days after his birth

4. The Parents of Jose Rizal
 Francisco Mercado, Jose Rizal’s Father
 Born May 11,1818 in Binan,Laguna
 Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San
Jose,Manila.
 Became a tenant farmer of the Dominican-owned
haciendas when his parents died.
 An independent-minded man with few words and
worked more.
 Died in Manila on January 5,1898 at the age of 80.

5.  Dona Teodora Alonzo Realonda
 Born November 8,1826 in Manila
 Educated at the College of Santa Rosa (prestigious
school for girls in Manila).
 A remarkable woman, possessing refined culture,
literary talents, business ability and a fortitude of a
Spartan woman.
 First teacher of the hero
 Taught Jose Spanish language, made necessary
corrections in poem composition and gave good advice
in rhetoric.
 A mathematician and a lover of books.
 Died on august 16,1911 in Manila at the age of 80.

6. The Siblings
 Saturnina
 Eldest of the Rizal children
 Nickname: Neneng
 Married Manuel Hidalgo of Batangas
 Paciano
 Confidant of Jose
 Encourage Jose to go abroad
 Supported him in all endeavors
 Narcisa
 Pet name: Sisa
 Married Antonio Lopez (nephew of Fr. Leoncio Lopez),
a school teacher of Morong

7.  Olimpia
 Pet name: Ypia
 Married Sylvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from
Manila
 Lucia
 Married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a
nephew of Fr. Casarias.
 Herbosa was denied of a decent Christian burial when
he died of cholera in 1889.
 Maria
 Nickname: Biang
 Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna

8.  Jose
 Nickname: Pepe
 During his exile, he lived with Josephine Bracken, an
Irish girl from Hongkong. He had a son by her but died
two hours after the delivery.
 Conception
 Pet name: Concha
 Died of sickness at the tender age of three
 Her death was the first sorrow of Jose Rizal
 Josefa
 Pet name: Panggoy
 Died an old maid at the age of 80.

9.  Trinidad
 Petname: Trining
 Died an old maid at the age of 83.
 Soledad
 Pet name: Choleng
 Youngest of Rizal children
 Married to Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba

10. Ancestral Lineage
Domingo
Lamco
Ines de la
Rosa
Francisco
Mercado
Cirila
Bernacha
Juan
Mercado
Cirila
Alejandro
Francisco Mercado
Eugenio
Ursua
Benigna
Manuel de
Quintos
Regina
Ursua
Lorenzo
Alberto
Alonzo
Brigada de
Quintos
Jose Rizal
Teodora Alonzo Realonda

11.  Domingo Lamco
 Great-grandfather of Jose on his father’s side
 A Chinese immigrant from the Eukien City of
Changchow
 Became a Christian, when he got married.
 Ines de la Rosa
 A well-to-do Christian girl in Manila
 Assumed in 1731 the surname Mercado that means
market
 Francisco Mercado
 Son of Rosa, who resided in Binan
 Elected gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor)
 Cirila Bernacha
 Wife of Franciso , a Chinese-Filipino mestiza

12.  Juan Mercado
 grandfather of Jose
 Elected as gobernadorcillo of Binan,Laguna
 Cirila Alejandro
 A Chinese-Filipino mestiza
 Had thirteen children and the youngest was Francisco,
the father of Jose Rizal
 Eugenio Ursua (Japanese ancestry)
 Great-grandfather of Teodora
 Benigna
 Filipina wife of Eugenio
 Regina Ursua
 Daughter of Eugenio and Benigna

13.  Manuel de Quintos
 A Filipino-Chinese lawyer from Pangasinan
 Brigada de Quintos
 Daughter of Manuel and Regina
 Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo
 Husband of Brigada, a prominent Spanish-Filipino
mestizo from Binan.
Obviously, Jose Rizal was a product of a mixture of races.
In his veins flowed the blood of the East and the West.
He was a magnificent specimen of Asian manhood.

14. The Family Name-”Rizal”
 Mercado was the real surname of their family which was
adopted by Domingo Lamco in 1731.
 The family name Rizal was given by the Spanish Alcalde
mayor (Provincial Governor) of Laguna who was a family
friend.
 The surname Rizal was taken for granted by the family.
All of them preferred to use the old name Mercado.
 Jose started using the surname Rizal when the name
Mercado was already at the bad light of Spaniards.
 In their family, Jose was the only one who used the
surname Rizal.

15. Societal Position
 The house of Jose Rizal was a two-storey, rectangular in
shape and made of adobe stones and hard wood.
 They belonged to the Principalia, an aristocrat during
Spanish time.
 His parents were engaged in farming.
 They raised pigs, chicken and turkeys at the backyard.
 Dona Teodora managed a general good store, operated a
flourmill and homemade ham press.
 They owned carriage, a symbol of the illustrado, had a
library (largest in Calamba) with 1000 volumes.

16. The Young Jose
 He was a frail, sickly, and undersized child.
 At the age of three, he participated in family prayers.
 At the age of five years old, he was able to read the
Spanish family bible.
At a young age, Jose had shown some of his artistic talents:
 At the age of five, he began to make sketches.
 At the age of eight , he wrote the first poem in his native
language “Sa Aking Mga Kababata” (To My Fellow
Children).
 Wrote his first dramatic work, which was a Tagalog
comedy at the age of eight.

17.  Jose Rizal was good in sleigh of hands. He learned so
many magic tricks, such as making coin paper
disappeared i3n his hands, making a handkerchief
disappeared in thin air.
 He entertained the town folks with magic lantern
exhibitions.
 He gained skills in manipulating marionettes (puppet
shows).

18. The following events were unfolded which influenced
the life of the hero:
1. Martyrdom of GomBurZa
2. Imprisonment of his mother

19.  The first teacher of Jose Rizal was Dona Teodora
 Taught Jose Rizal the ABC’s
 Stimulated her son’s imagination by telling many story’s
 Encouraged to write poems
 Jose Rizal’s parents hired private tutors
 Maestro Celestino, first tutor
 Maestro Lucas Padua, second tutor

20.  Jose was sent to Binan to study in the school of Maestro
Justiano Aquino Cruz
 Tio Manuel, taught Jose the art of wrestling
 Jose became a member of macho bravado kids
 Spent his leisure hours at the painter’s studio of Juancho
 Ended up his studies in Binan on December 17,1870 after
one year and a half schooling

21.  Father Magin Ferrando, college registrar denied them of
admittance for two reasons:
 He was late for registration;
 He was sickly and undersize for his age.
 Jesuit priests administered Ateneo
 The school promoted physical culture, humanities and
scientific studies.
 Aside from academic courses, it offered vocational courses
in agriculture, commerce, mechanics and surveying.

22.  Classroom Management
Class Division Empire Banner
Internos Roman Empire Red
Externos Cartheginians Blue
Rank Position
Best student Emperor
Second Best Tribune
Third Best Decurion
Fourth Best Centurion
Fifth Best Standard Bearer

23.  Jose belonged to the class composed of Spaniards,
meztizos nd Filipinos.
 Father Bech, first teacher of Jose in Ateneo
 Jose took private lessons in Santa Isabel College to
improve his Spanish
 He placed second at the end of the year.

24.  Jose studied harder this year and regained his
leadership composure.
 Became an emperor again
 At the end of the school year, he received excellent
grades in all subjects and a gold medal.

25.  Compared to the previous school year, Rizal did not
make an excellent showing in his studies although, his
grades remained excellent in all subjects.
 Won a single medal in Latin
 Failed to win a medal in Spanish

26.  Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez
 Befriended his professor Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez.
 Regarded him as a great educator and scholar
 Inspired him to write poetry and to study harder
 Regarded him as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and
love”
 Jose topped all his classmates in all subjects.
 Won five medals at the end of the school term.

27.  Graduated on March 23, 1877 (16 years old)
 Received the degree of Bachelor of Arts with highest
honors
 Rizal graduated sobresaliente.
Year Level Award/Recognition S.Y. Received
First 2nd place 1872-1873
Second Gold medal 1873-1874
Third 1 Medal for Latin 1874-1875
Fourth 5 Medals 1875-1876
Fifth Sobresaliente 1876-1877

28.  Extra curricular Involvement
 An emperor inside the classroom
 Campus leader
 Active member and became a secretary, the Marian
Congregation Religious Society
 Member of the academy of Spanish Literature and the
Academy of Natural Sciences
 Poet
 Studies painting under the famous Spanish painter ,
Agustin Saez
 Improved his scuture talents under the supervision of
Romualdo de Jesus
 Engaged in gymnastics and fencing and continued the
physical training under his sportss-minded Tio Manuel.

29.  Dominican constitution
 Jose sought advice of Fr. Pablo Ramon, rector of Ateneo
to what course to take.
 He took Philosophy and Letters influenced by his
father.
Disappointments of Rizal:
1. Dominican professors were hostile to him;
2. There was a racial discrimination;
3. The methods used were obsolete and repressive.

30.  When he was enrolled in UST, he also enrolled
vocational course in Ateneo, to the perito agrimensor
at the age of 17

31.  Studies in Spain
Rizal continued his medical studies in the Universidad
Central de Madrid in two courses:
1. Medicine
2. Philosophy and Letters
 Enrolled Fine Arts at San Fernando
 Took lessons in different languages (French, German,
and English) under private tutors.
 Took time for sports like fencing and shooting in the
Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonnell.

32.  Learn more in music and other subjects. During his spare
time, visited galleries and museums and read books of
different subjects including military engineering.
 The only extravagance of Jose was investing few pesetas
for a lottery ticket in every draw of the Madrid Lottery.
 He was conferred the degree of Licensure in Medicine by
the Universidad Central de Madrid on June 21, 1884.
 The next academic year, he studied and passed all
subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
However, he did not submit the thesis required for
graduation nor paid the corresponding fees. He was not
awarded his Doctor’s Diploma.

33.  Upon completion of his studies in Universidad Central
de Madrid, he decided to specialize in ophthalmology
to do something about the failing eyesight of his
mother. He then proceeded to Paris.
 November 1885- arrival of Jose in Paris
 Stayed for about four months. He served as an
assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, leading French
ophthalmologist.

34.  February 1, 1886- arrived in Germany
 Stayed in boarding house adjacent to Heilderberg
University and worked at the eye hospital under the
supervision of Dr. Otto Becker.
 Jose together with Friedrich Ratzel, a German
Historian attended the lectures of Dr. Hans Meyer
(famous anthropologist in Leipzig)

35.  Jose Rizal’s life in Berlin was a struggle.
 Spent his hard earned money wisely.
 Worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr. Schweigger,
eminent German Ophthalmologist.
 Attended lecture in University of Berlin.
 Took private lessons under Lucie Cerdole to master the
intricacies of idioms of the French language.

36. Course/ Degree School Year Taken/ Completed
Bachelor of Arts Ateneo University,
Philippines
SY 1872-1877
Philosophy and Letters University of Santo Tomas,
Philippines
SY 1877-1878
Perito Agrimensor Ateneo University,
Philippines
He received the title
“Surveyor” on Nov. 25, 1881
Degree of Licentiate in
Medicine
Universidad Central de
Madrid, Spain
June 21, 1884
Degree of Licentiate in
Philosophy and Letters
Universidad Central de
Madrid, Spain
June 19, 1885
Fine Arts San Fernando 1882
Units in Doctor of
Medicine
Universidad Central de
Madrid, Spain
Passed all subjects but he
did not submit the thesis
required for graduation

37. Isabel College, Philippines
Painting Agustin Saez, Philippines 1872
Sculpture Romualdo de Jesus,
Philippines
1872
Gymnastics Tio Manuel, Philippines 1872
Fencing -Tio Manuel, Philippines
-Practised in the Hall of
Arms of Sanz y Carbonnell,
Madrid
-1872
-1882
French Language Private tutor, Madrid 1882
German Language Private tutor, Madrid 1882
English Language Private tutor, Madrid 1882
Shooting Practiced in the Hall of Arms
of Sanz y Carbonnell,
Madrid
1882
Assistant Ophthalmologist Dr. Louis de Weckert, Paris 1885
Worked at the eye hospital Dr. Otto Becker, Germany 1886
Attended lectures on
anthroplogy
Dr. Hans Meyer, Germany 1886
Assistant Ophthalmologist Dr. Schweigger, Germany 1886