Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna as the seventh child of his parents. He was baptized in the Parochial Church of Calamba but the baptismal records were later burned. As a child, he showed an early talent for reading, writing, drawing, sculpting with clay. He received his early education from his mother and several relatives who taught him values like working hard, being thorough and independent.
2. - JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONZO
REALONDA
- 06-19-1861
- CALAMBA, LAGUNA
- 7th CHILD
3. - 06-22-1861
- CATHOLIC OF CALAMBA
- REV. RUFINO COLLANTES
- REV. PEDRO CASANAS
- 09-28-1862
- PAROCHIAL CHURCH OF CALAMBA, &
BAPTISMAL RECORDS WERE BURNED
7. TEODORAALONZO// FIRST TEACHER
LEON MONROY//RUDIMENTS OF LATIN
UNCLE JOSE // REGULAR LESSONS
UNCLE MANUEL ALBERTO// BEAUTY OF NATURE
UNCLE GREGORIO// LOVE FOR EDUCATION
"Work hard and perform every task very carefully;
learn to be swift as well as thorough; be independent in
thinking and make visual pictures of everything.“
-Gregorio
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19 June 1861JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos, was born in Calamba, Laguna.
22 June 1861He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor.28 September 1862The parochial church of Calamba and the canonical books, including the book in which Rizal’s baptismal records were entered, were burned.
1864Barely three years old, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother.
Jose and his father went on a pilgrimage to Antipolo on June 6, 1868 so that they could fulfill his mother's vow, which she made when Jose was born. Teodora could not join them on this pilgrimage because she had given birth to Jose's sister Trinidad.
After the pilgrimage, Jose went with his father to Manila where they visited his sister Saturnina, who was then a boarding student at La Concordia College in Santa Ana.
1865 – 1867During this time his mother taught him how to read and write. His father hired a classmate by the name of Leon Monroy who, for five months until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the rudiments of Latin.
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. At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto, seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself with the physical development of his young nephew and taught the latter love for the open air and developed in him a great admiration for the beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love for EDUCATION. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be independent in thinking and make visual pictures of everything."