Professional Documents
Culture Documents
RIZAL’S ANCESTRY
• In his veins flowed the blood of East and West-Chinese, Japanese, Malay and
Spanish.
• Rizal's father was a great-grandson of Lam-co, a Chinese immigrant from Fujian,
China.
• Rizal’s maternal ancestor was Lakandula, the last king of Tondo.
• Maternal great-great-grandfather was Eugenio Ursua, with a Japanese blood and
ancestry.
• Greatest Malayan who ever lived - the title he earned for the wisdom and sacrifices
for the country; up to this day, no Asian has surpassed Rizal's ingenuity and extreme
intelligence.
• Dr. Austin Craig was the first to trace Rizal's family roots and discover his Chinese
ancestry.
• Dr. Jose P. Rizal was a 9th generation patrilineal descendant of a Chinese immigrant
and business tycoon Don Domingo Lamco (Chinese name: Pinyin Ke Yinan) of
Laguna was his great-great grandfather.
• Don Domingo Lamco - is originally from Amoy, China who came to the Philippines in
the mid-17th century. This is where he met his wife, Inez de la Rosa daughter of
Agustin Chinco an immigrant of trader from Chuanchow.
• To avoid the conflict and hostility of the Spanish authorities; Lamco dropped his
surname and adopted that of the Spanish which is “Mercado” which means market
GE MS 02 – Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal 7 of 11
UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA
(Formerly City College of Manila)
UDM Annex, Plaza Lacson, Sta. Cruz, Manila
College of Education – Technical-Vocational
and started businesses of the clan and became a successful entrepreneur.
• June 1697, Mercado was baptized in the Catholic church of Manila's Parian Chinese
ghetto and moved to Biñan Laguna.
• He was 35 years old that time and he became a Chinese community leader; his son
named Francisco Mercado and grandson named Juan Mercado married Chinese
Mestizas and served as distinguished mayor of Biñan Laguna.
• Juan's wife, Cirila Alejandra was the daughter of an immigrant trader and Mercado's
baptismal godson Siong-co. They are the parents of Rizal's father.
• Rizal's father was born, they trasferred to Calamba and have a house built with
stones - a first stone house in the whole town.
• Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Paciano was identified with one of the martyred priest, Jose Burgos
so the family changed their surname from Mercado to Rizal.
• Recent genealogical findings revealed that Rizal also had Spanish, Japanese, and
Negrito ancestry.
• Teodora (Rizal's mother) great grandfather, Eugenio Ursua was a descendant of
Japanese settlers.
• Eugenio Ursua married a Filipino named Benigna and their union produced Regina
Ursua.
• Atty. Manuel de Quintos, a Sangley mestizo from Pangasinan married Regina and
their daughter is named Brigida. Brigida married a half-caste Spaniard named
Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo. They are the parents of Teodora and Rizal's grandparents.
MEMORIES OF CALAMBA
• He could remember the tenderest care of his mother because he was frail, sickly and
undersized boy.
• At the age of 3, he enjoyed watching in the garden; like watching the insects, maya,
culiawan, maria capra, pipit, marting and other birds.
• He listened “with excitement and wonder” to their twilight songs and sound.
• Another childhood memory was the daily praying of Angelus of 6:00 pm in their altar.
• At the “azotea” on a moonlight night, the “aya” (nursemaid) would tell stories about
fairies, legends, tales of buried treasures and other fabulous stories.
• The aya would threaten him if he would not eat his supper, about aswang, tikbalang,
nuno or the turbaned Bombay will come to take him away
✓ At the age of 3 - join religious processions, and novena in the church
✓ At the age of 5 - he was able to read the Spanish Bible with help of his mother.
✓ Nearly 7 - his father took him for a pilgrimage to Antipolo in order to fulfull his
mother's vows which was made when he was born.
• Calamba a perfect place to nurture a growing child that became the "cradle of a
genius".
• The death of his younger sister Concepcion, Concha as what they called him, was
considered by Rizal as his first sorrow.
• When he was 15 years old and a student at Ateneo de Manila, he wrote a poem “Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo” (In Memory of My Town).
IN MEMORY OF MY TOWN
When I recall the days
That saw my childhood of yore
Beside the verdant shore
Of a murmuring lagoon;
When I remember the sighs
Of the breeze that on my brow
Sweet and caressing did blow
With coolness full of delight;