Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda and His Family Members

Trivia:  

Before the Spanish conquest, the names of Filipinos were usually derived from animals, plants, or their life’s daily events.  

During Spanish occupation, Governor General Claveria promulgated a naming decree using a modern naming styles for their children.  

June 19, 1861 (Wednesday, 11:15), Rizal was born on this date.  

June 22, 1864, Rizal was three days old when he was baptized in Calamba.

Jose  

The name was based on Dona Teodora’s patron saint, Saint Joseph.  Back then, it was a practice of Catholics to name a newly born infant after a saint. In fact, a lot of Rizal relatives were named Jose. 

Protasio  

It was taken from the calendar of the Catholic names. 

Rizal  

• Rizal is his second Spanish surname after Mercado, it was derived from the Spanish word riccial which means “green field.”  
• This surname was given to his family by an alcalde mayor (provincial governor) in Laguna.  The family preferred to keep Mercado as the family surname, except for Jose who used Rizal for his matriculation in Ateneo Municipal.   
• As he recounted to Dr. Blumentritt, “I am the only Rizal because my parents, relatives, sisters and my brother have always preferred our old surname Mercado.” 

Mercado  

• It was the first Spanish surname used by Rizal’s family.  
• It was first adopted by Domingo Lam-co, Rizal’s great-greatgrandfather, a Chinese from Fukien.  
• He arrived in Manila in 1760. After converting to Christianity, he decided to settle in the country for good. He choose Mercado which literally means “market” in Spanish) as his Christian surname because it suited his line of work. Like most Chinese immigrants in the country, Lam-co was a local merchant. 

Alonzo  

• Was the surname of Rizal’s grandfather on his mother’s side, Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, a prominent Spanish-Filipino mestizo from Binan, Laguna. Realonda  
• Was the adopted surname of Dona Teodora from the Spanish surnames approved by the Spanish government in 1849.
  

Rizal’s Childhood  

• It was a happy one because he was showered  by his parents and siblings with love and support.   He was not deprived of all his material needs because his family was rich.  
• He also enjoyed the company of learned and experienced adults who guided him during his formative years.  
• Rizal noted in one of his essays that the children of the affluent families were usually cared for by a nurse or an aya (yaya or nanny.)
  His aya, Ina Munda, was his playmate at the azotea.  
• Aside from being reared by an aya, the young Rizal was also exposed to nature – an assortment of fruit-bearing trees such as atis, macopa, casuy, tamarind and balimbing.  
• He also enjoyed the shade of trees and entertained himself by watching birds.  
• Because of those experiences, the young Rizal’s appreciation for nature has always been greater than that of his contemporaries.   
• He also believed that everyone should benefit from the fruits of nature.  
• As a boy, Rizal was already blessed with exceptional intellect, talents, and skills.  
• During fiestas, he designed banners, molded clay figures, pulled off difficult magic tricks, and wrote and performed drams for the crowd.  
• Young Rizal was also active in sports. He took up fencing under the guidance of his Uncle Alberto.
  

Rizal’s Mixed Ancestry  

• Spanish colonialism and increased foreign immigration (especially of Chinese merchants) had a huge effect on the racial composition of Filipinos.  
• Intermarriages were commonplace during Rizal’s time and his family was not an exemption.
• Rizal alone carried four racial stocks in his blood: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Filipino. 
• The genes Rizal obtained from his father and mother resulted in the traits that best exemplify a true Malayan.
  

The Mercado Family

Don Franciso Engracio Rizal Mercado   

• He was a dignified man who believed in social justice and service to the people.  Born on May 11, 1818 in Binan Laguna  
• The son of a Chinese from Binondo, Manila  
• Educated in the College of San Jose in Manila where he studied Latin and Philosophy  
• Through hard work, he became one of Calamba’s wealthiest men.  
• One of the first residents of Calamba to build a stone house, own a carriage, put up a library and send his children to school in Manila.  
• Well-liked and greatly respected by the people of Calamba for his honesty, diligence and kindness.

Dona Teodora Alonso y Quintos  

• Was born on November 8, 1826 in Sta. Cruz, Manila  
• Was educated in the Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Manila  
• Became a successful businesswoman in Calamba where she owned a general merchandising store.  A woman of refined culture and admirable religiosity.  
• She died in 1913 at the age of 85.

Mercado Siblings  

There were 11 Mercado siblings all in all.
The first two, Saturnina (the eldest) and Paciano (the second eldest), acted as second parents to the young Rizal.  

The sisters of Rizal were his playmates and companions to church during childhood days. They influenced the development of the young Rizal’s values.  

They did minimal domestic chores because they had house servants.

1. Saturnina Mercado Hidalgo   

Born in 1850  

Called Neneng at home.  

Educated at the La Concordia College in Manila and married to Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo whom she had five children  

She passed away in 1913 at the age of 63  

The second mother to the young Rizal 

2. Paciano Alonso Mercado  

Born in 1851  

Died in Los Banos, Laguna in 1930  

The second father to Rizal.  

Acted also as companion, guardian, adviser, and friend to him.  

Intensified the nationalistic sentiments harbored by Rizal through stories about the martyrdom of Mariano Gomez, Joe Burgos and Jacinto Zamora in 1872.  

He had a common-law wife, Severina Decena of Los Banos with whom he had two children.  Educated in San Jose College and the University of Santo Tomas  

To protect Rizal from suffering from the hands of the Friars, he sent Rizal to Spain to continue his medical studies without the permission of their parents.

3. Narcisa Mercado Lopez   

Married to Antonio Lopez, a school teacher from Morong and a nephew of Fr. Leoncio Lopez.  Called Nora Sisa at home and died at the age of 87.

4. Olympia Mercado Ubaldo  

Married Silvestre Ubaldo with whom she had three children.  

Died from childbirth in 1887.

5. Lucia Mercado Herbosa  

Fifth sibling  

Married Mariano 

Herbosa of Calamba  

Died at the age of 30.

6. Maria Mercado Cruz  

Sixth child, married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Bina, Laguna.  

Called Nora Bian at home  

Died at the age of 86

7. Jose Rizal

8. Concepcion Mercado  

Eighth child  

Called Concha at home  

Died at the age of 3  

Her untimely death caused great pain and sorrow to Rizal

9. Josefa Mercado  

Ninth Mercado sibling.  

Called Nora Panggoy at home  

Remained unmarried throughout her life and died at the age of 80

10. Trinidad Mercado  

Tenth child   

Remained single all her life  

Called Nora Trining at home  

Died at the age of 83

11. Soledad Mercado Quintos  

Youngest among the siblings  

Married Pantaleon Quintos of Calamba  

Called Nora Choleng at home  

Died at the age of 59

REFLECTION ACTIVITY
Family Values 

Although Spanish values and customs were widespread and universal during Rizal’s formative years, his parents taught him and his siblings mostly Filipino values. Rizal and his siblings had a close relationship with their parents. Though Don Fracisco and Dona Teodora were strict, Rizal and his siblings were given freedom to play in azotea. The religiosity of Dona Teodora helped shape the religious attitude of their children. They were taught to love God, to be prayerful and to attend mass regularly. All things considered, the 11 children of Don Francisco and Dona Teodora were disciplined, cultured and raised according to the standard Filipino values. They were always reminded to behave accordingly at all times, respect people and be content with what they had.

1. What is the role of family values in the life of Jose Rizal? 

2. In your own opinion, what values should Filipinos follow in order to produce good sons and daughters? 

3. From your answer in number two (2), which do you think is the best? Why? 

4. What is the current situation of the modern family and its values that affect the quality of the lives of their children? 

5. Do you agree that the failure of the family in properly educating positive values on their children will contribute to the quality of the future society?  Explain.