JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA

FAMILY BACKGROUND
PARENTS
Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro (1818-1898)
Teodora Morales Alonso Realonda y Quintos
SIBLINGS
Saturnina Paciano Narcisa Olympia Lucia Maria Jose Concepcion Josefa Trinidad Soledad (1850-1913) (1851-1931)
(1852-1913) (1855-1887) (1857-1919) (1859-1945) (1861-1896) (1862-1865) (1865-1945) (1868-1945) (1970-1929)

EARLY INFLUENCES and MEMORIES

JOSÉ POTASIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA

Born: June 19, 1861 in Calamba
He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes with
Rev. Pedro Casañas as his godfather.
His sister Conception (8th child) died at the age of three which was considered Rizal’s first sorrow.
His mother, his first teacher taught him how to read and write

Private Tutors:
Mestro Lucas Padua
Maestro Celestino
Maestro Leon Monroy

Uncle Manuel Alberto – taught fencing and gymnastics to strengthen his body.
Uncle Gregorio – instilled the love for education

EDUCATION IN BIÑAN, LAGUNA 1870 – his brother Paciano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna Justiano Aquino Cruz

At the age of 3, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother

At the age of 5, while learning to read and write, Rizal already showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his
family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay.
At the age of 8, Rizal wrote a Tagalog poem, “Sa Aking Mga Kababata”, the theme of which revolves on the love of
one’s language.

STUDIES IN ATENEO

The Jesuit system of education is more advanced than that of other colleges in that period. Students were
divided into two groups: The “Roman Empire” and The “Carthaginian Empire” to instill healthy competitions
among students.
He studied in Ateneo Municipal, a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits. The Jesuits
returned to Manila in 1859, they were given the management of the Escuela Pia or what we now know as
Ateneo de Manila.

Rizal studied Bachelor of Arts in 1877 Graduated as one of sobresaliente. Got excellent grades in all of his subjects.
First professor was Fr. Jose Bech Rizal.
Fr. Franciso Sanchez-Rizal’s favorite professor and inspired Rizal to write literary masterpiece.
His first poem in Ateneo Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration), which was dedicated to his mother on her
birthday.
He also wrote Through Education our Motherland Receives Light and The Intimate Alliance between Religion and
Good Education which showed the importance of religion in education.
Teenage Interest in Reading
The following were Rizal’s favorite book to read.
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas –Rizal’s first favorite novel
• Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled Universal History
• Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor

Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo

Rizal was a member of these two organizations in Ateneo: Marian Congregation and Spanish Literature
Academy of Natural
He also took private lessons on painting under Agustin Saez and sculpting under Romualdo de Jesus.

STUDIES IN THE PHILIPPINES IN UST

He enrolled Philosophy and Letters during his freshman year.

Why Philosophy & Letters?
1.) Don Francisco liked it.
2.) Uncertainty on what course to take up.
3.) Failure to solicit the advice of Father Ramon Pablo, Ateneo’s Rector, who was then at Mindanao.

Shifting from PHL & Letters to Medicine

Why did Rizal Shift to Medical course?
1.) Don Pablo Ramon, Ateneo Rector, advised him to choose medicine.
2.) Rizal wanted to cure his mother’s growing blindness.

Rizal was unhappy at this Dominican Institution of higher learning because;

1) Dominican professors were hostile to him
2) The Filipino students were racially discriminated
3) The method of instruction was obsolete and repressive

Romances
• Segunda Katigbak - Rizal’s puppy love/ first infatuation
• Miss L – fair with seductive and attractive eyes
• Leonor Valenzuela
• Leonor Rivera – a forbidden love
LITERARY WORKS
ᴥEl Consejo de los Dioses
ᴥJunto al Pasig
ᴥA Filipinas
ᴥTo the Filipino Youth (A La Juventud Filipina)-Message: The youth is the hope of the motherland.
Compañerismo (The Comradeship)-a secret society founded in UST.

RIZAL IN BARCELONA AND MADRID

After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal decided to
complete his studies in Spain • Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizalian his “secret mission’ –
was to observe keenly the life and the culture, languages and customs, industries, commerce and
government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his
oppressed people from Spanish tyranny
MAY 3 1882 Rizal left Philippines for the first time Spain. He boarded the Salvadora using a passport of
Jose Mercado, which was procured for him by his uncle Antonio Rivera, father of Leonor Rivera.
June 16, 1882 – Rizal finally reached his destination – Barcelona • Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the
greatest city of Cataluña and Spain’s second largest city was unfavorable
Amor Patrio (Love of Country) – nationalistic essay, Rizal’s first article written on Spain’s soil • Under his
pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882 • It was published in two
texts – Spanish and Tagalog – the Spanish text was the one originally written by Rizal in Barcelona, the
tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by M.H. del Pilar

MADRID
November 3, 1882 – Rizal enrolled In the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in
two courses – Medicine and Philosophy and Letters • Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando – Rizal
studied painting and sculpture • Rizal’s only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in
every draw of the Madrid Lottery •
Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle)- a society of Spaniards and Filipinos which Rizal joined
shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882
March 1883- Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid. Rizal’s reason for becoming a mason
was to secure Freemansory’s aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines. Lodge Solidaridad
(Madrid) – Rizal transferred where he became a Master Mason on November 15, 1890
PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT-Organized for literary and cultural purposes more than for political ends, the
Propagandists, who included upper-class Filipinos from all the lowland Christian areas, strove to "awaken
the sleeping intellect of the Spaniard to the needs of our country" and to create a closer, more equal
association of the islands and the motherland.
Among their specific goals were:
• representation of the Philippines in the Cortes, or Spanish parliament;
• secularization of the clergy;
• legalization of Spanish and Filipino equality;
• creation of a public school system independent of the friars;
• abolition of the polo (labor service) and vandala (forced sale of local products to the
government);
• guarantee of basic freedoms of speech and association;
• and equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service.