Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on the moonlit night of Wednesday,

June 19, 1861, in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna Province, Philippines. He was baptized
in the Catholic church of his town on June 22, aged three days old, by the parish priest, Father
Rufino Collantes who was a Batangueño. His godfather was Father Pedro Casanas, native of
Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family. His name “Jose” was chosen by his mother who
was a devotee of the Christian saint “Saint Joseph”. During the christening ceremony Father
Collantes told the members of the family who were present: “take good care of this child, for
someday he will become a great man.” His words proved to be prophetic, as confirmed by
subsequent events
Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora
Alonso Realonda. Jose's father Francisco (1818-1898) was born in Biñan, Laguna, on May 11,
1818. He studied Latin and philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila. In early manhood,
following his parents death, he moved to Calamba and became a tenant-farmer of the
Dominican-owned hacienda. He was a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less
and worked more, and was strong in body and valiant in spirit. He died in Manila on January 5,
1898 , at the age of 80.
Doña Teodora (1826-1911), Jose’s mother, was born in Manila on November 8, 1826 and was
educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls in the city. Doña Teodora
died in Manila on August 16, 1911, at the age of 85. Shortly before her death the Philippine
government offered her a life pension but she courteously rejected it saying, “My family has
never been patriotic for money. If the government has plenty of funds and does not know what
to do with them, better reduce the taxes.”
God blessed the marriage of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda with eleven
children -two boys and nine girls. The oldest of ty Rizal children was Saturnina (Neneng) and
followed by Paciano, Narcisa (Sisa), Olimpia (Ypia), Lucia, Maria (Biang), Jose (Pepe) our national
hero, Concepcion (Concha) she died of sickness at the age of 3; her death was Rizal’s first
sorrow in life, Josefa (Panggoy), Trinidad (Trining) and the youngest Soledad (Choleng).
Dr. Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
Jose: given name after, San Jose (Rizal’s mom was a patron of St. Joseph)
Protasio: given name
Rizal: he chose this name after he went to Ateneo. This name comes from the old Spanish word
“ricial”, meaning “green fields”. This was the name suggested to them by their governor-
general friend. They continued to use the surname Mercado, however.
Mercado: the name his great grandfather chose to highlight Chinese merchant origins. The rest
of the Rizal family except Jose continued to use the surname Mercado.
Alonso: the surname of his mother, Teodora Alonso
Realonda: the surname of his grandmother (Doña Teodora's mom).

Jose Rizal had many beautiful memories of childhood in his native town. He grew up in a
happy home, ruled by good parents, bubbling with joy, and sanctified by God's blessings. His
natal town of Calamba, so named after a big native jar, was a fitting craddle for a hero. It’s
scenic beauties and it’s industrious, hospitable, and friendly folk’s impressed him during his
childhood years and profoundly affected his mind and character. The happiest period of Rizal’s
life was spent in this lakeshore town, a worthy prelude to his Hamlet-like tragic manhood.
Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical schooling that a son of an
ilustrado family received during his time, characterized by the four R's “reading, writing,
arithmetic, and religion.” Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds
of the pupils by means of the tedius memory method aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the
defects of the Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was able to acquire the necessary
instruction preparatory for college work in Manila and abroad. It may be said that Rizal, who
was born a physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather in
spite of, the outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the Philippines during
the last decade of Spanish regime.
The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and
fine culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. “My
mother,” wrote Rizal in his student memoirs, “taught me how to read and to say haltingly
humble prayers which I raised fervently to God.”
Jose goes to Biñan. One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose after kissing the hands of his
parents and a tearful parting from his sisters, left Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by
Paciano, who acted as his second father. The two brothers rode in a Carromata, reaching their
destination after one and one-half hours drive. They proceeded to their aunt’s house, where
Jose was to lodge.
The next morning Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz. The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 30
meters from the home of Jose’s aunt. Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had
been a pupil under him before. He introduced Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to
return to Calamba. In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in
Spanish, Latin and other subjects.
Before the Christmas season in 1870, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing
him of the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan to Calamba. Upon
reading the letter, he had a premonitition that he would not return to Biñan, so that he became
sad. He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in the river for souvenirs, and regretfully
bade a farewell to his teacher and classmate and classmates.
Jose who had not yet celebrated his eleventh birthday, was sent to Manila. He studied in the
Ateneo municipal, a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits. This college was a
bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de Letran. It was the formerly the
Escuela Pia (charity school) a school for poor boys in Manila which was established by the city
government in 1817. When the Jesuits, who had been expelled from the Philippines in 1768,
returned to Manila in 1859, they were given the management of the Escuela Pia, whose name
was changed to Ateneo Municipal and later became the Ateneo de Manila. They were splendid
educators, so that Ateneo acquired prestige as an excellent college for boys.
On June 10, 1872 Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila. He took the entrance
examination on Christian doctrine, arithmetic and reading at the college of San Juan de Letran,
and passed them. He returned to Calamba to stay a few days with his family and to attend the
town fiesta. His father, who first wished him to study at Letran changes his mind and decided to
send him to Ateneo instead.
Thus, upon his return to Manila, Jose, again accompanied by Paciano, matriculated at the
Ateneo Municipal. At first, Father Magin Ferrando, who was the college registrar, refused to
admit him for two reasons; he was late for the registration and he was sickly undersized for his
age. Rizal was then eleven years old. However, upon the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos,
nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo.
Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He registered under this name at
the Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under suspicion of the Spanish
authorities. Paciano had used “Mercado” as his surname at the College of San Jose and he was
known to the authorities as Father Burgos favorite student and confidant.
At the time Jose studied in the Ateneo, this college was located in Intramuros, within the walls
of Manila. He first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes walk
from the college. This boarding house was owned by a spinster named Titay who owed the Rizal
family the amount of 300 pesos. Jose boarded with her in order to collect the part of the debt.
After graduating with the highest honors from Ateneo, Rizal had to go to the University of
Santo Tomas for higher studies. The bachelor of Arts course during time was equivalent only to
the high school and junior college courses today. It merely qualified its graduate to enter a
university. Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue higher learning in the
University. But Doña Teodora, who knew what happened to GomBurZa, vigorously opposed the
idea and told her husband; “Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets to
know more, the Spaniards will cut of his head.” Don Francisco kept quiet and told Paciano to
accompany his younger brother to Manila, despite their mothers tears.
In April 1877, Rizal who was 16 years old, matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas taking
the course on philosophy and letters. He enrolled in this course for the reasons of his father
liked it and he was still uncertain as to what career to pursue. He had written to father Pablo
Ramon, rector of the Ateneo, who had been good to him during his student days in that college,
asking for advice on the choice of his career. But the Father rector was then in Mindanao so
that he was unable to advise Rizal. Consequently, during his first year term (1877-78) in the
University of Santo Tomas, Rizal studied Cosmotology, Metaphysics, Theodicy and History of
Philosophy.
It was during the following term (1878-79) that Rizal, having a received the Ateneo rector’s
advice to study medicine, took up the medical course, enrolling simultaneously in the
preparatory medical course and the regular first year medical course. Another reason why he
chose medicine for a career was to able to cure his mother’s growing blindness.
During his term in University of Santo Tomas (1877-78, Rizal also studied in ateneo