Lesson 2:
Nevertheless it is possible that the
JOSE RIZAL'S GENEALOGY: A Name Destined to Be a
Legend
On June 28, 1848 were married Mr. Francisco Mercado, age 30 years,
2 months, and Miss Teodora Alonso, age 20 years, 7 months.
The Genesis
Genealogy is the study of ancestry and family histories. An
expert in this field is called a genealogist. This chapter traces the
origin and history of the name of the martyr-national hero of the
Philippines, Jose Protacio Realonda Alonso Mercado Rizal, known to
be "a child of a good family." He was born on June 19, 1861, between
eleven and twelve in the evening, a few days before the full moon" in
Calamba, on the southwest shore of the picturesque Laguna de Bay,*
some forty miles south of Manila. The name Calamba was derived
from kalan and banga. This is probably because the place is known
for clay pottery. On June 22, 1861 Rizal was baptized by Fr. Rufino
Collantes, while Fr. Pedro Casañas stood as Rizal's godfather.
The Chinese Ancestry of Rizal
Rizal's paternal ancestor, Lam-co, was a native of the Chinchew
district in China, where the Jesuits and the Dominicans had had
missions, so Lam-co perhaps knew something about Christianity
before leaving China.
He was baptized in the Parian church of San Gabriel on a
Sunday in June 1697. Lam-co's age was given in the record as thirty
five years, and the names of his parents were given as Siang-co and
Zun-nio. The second syllables of these names are titles of a little more
respect than the ordinary Mr. and Mrs. They are something like the
Spanish titles Don and Doña.
Dominican priest who kept the register was not as careful in his use
of Chinese words as a Chinese would have been. Following the
custom of the other converts on the same occasion, Lam-co took the
name Domingo, the Spanish term for Sunday, in honor of the day.
The record of this baptism can still be seen in the records of the
Parian church of San Gabriel, which are preserved with the Binondo
records in Manila.
Soon after Lam-co came to Manila, he became friends with two
well-known Dominicans, a friendship that changed his career and
materially affected the fortunes of his descendants. These powerful
friends were the learned Friar Francisco Marquez, author of a Chinese
grammar, and Friar Juan Caballero, a former missionary in China,
who, because of his own work and because his brother held high
office there, was influential in the business affairs of the Order.
Through them Lam-co was able to settle in Biñan on the Dominican
estate named after St. Isidore the Laborer.
Domingo Lam-co was married to Inez de la Rosa, who was half
his age. They were married in the Parian church by the same priest
who, over thirty years before, had baptized Lam-co.
Inez de la Rosa's father was Agustin Chinco, also of Chinchew
Agustin Chinco also had a Chinese godfather and his parents were
Chin-co and Zun-nio. He was married to Jacinta Rafaela, a Chinese
mestiza of the Parian, immediately after his baptism. She apparently
was the daughter of a Christian Chinese and a Chinese mestiza.
There were too many women with the name Jacinta during that day to
identify which of them she was and so enable us to determine the
names of her parents. The Rafaela part of her name was probably
added after she was already a grown-up, in honor of the patron saint
of the Parian settlement, San Rafael, just as Domingo, at his
marriage, added Antonio in honor of the Chinese. How difficult guide
names then were may be seen from this list of the six children of
Agustin Chinco and Jacinta Rafaela: Magdalena Vergara, Josepha,
Cristoval de la Trinidad, Juan Batista, Francisco Hong-Sun, and Inez
de la Rosa.
The Mercado Clan
Rizal was the son of a prosperous landowner, sugar and rice
planter, of Chinese-Filipino descent Francisco Mercado y Chinco, who
apparently owed his surname to the Chinese custom of looking for
names with appropriate meanings. Mercado was used for trader.
Francisco Mercado was born in Biñan, and lived to be eighty
years old, the youngest in a family of thirteen siblings in the following
order: Petrona, Gabino, Potenciana, Leoncio, Tomasa, Casimiro,
Basilisa, Gabriel, Fausta, Julian, Cornelio, Gregorio, and Francisco.
The parents of these thirteen siblings were Captain Juan
Mercado, who had been the gobernadorcillo or mayor of Biñan, and
Cirila Alejandra, daughter of Maria Guiño. Juan Mercado was the
older of the two brothers-Juan and Clemente-sons of Francisco
Mercado and Bernarda Monicha." The hero's father was named
Francisco in memory of his grandfather.
Jose Rizal's father was a well-educated farmer who studied
Latin and philosophy at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila. He was
born on April 18, 1818. Early in his adult life, he moved to Calamba
and became a tenant farmer. He attained a degree of wealth,
established a fine library, and cultivated friends among the friars and
Spanish government officials."
The name Francisco was a name held in high honor in Laguna
for it had belonged to a famous sea captain who had been given the
Encomienda of Bay for his services and had won the regard of those
who paid tribute to him by his fairness and interest in their welfare.
The Alonso Clan
Teodora Alonso, mother of Jose Rizal, was the second daughter
of Brigida de Quintos (Narcisa, Teodora, Gregorio, Manuel, and Jose).
who was the daughter of Manuel de Quintos of an affluent family in
Pangasinan and of Regina Ursua of the Ursua family."
The siblings of Brigida de Quintos were Joaquina, Jose Soler,
and Maria Victoria. Regina Ursua was the daughter of Eugenio and
Benigna Ursua. Her brothers were Alejandro, Jose, Benito, and Pio.10
Teodora Alonso was one of the most highly educated women in
the Philippines at that time. She was born on November 14, 1827 and
died on August 16, 1911 at the advanced age of 84. As a student of
Colegio de Santa Rosa, she had a business and literary sense far
ahead of her time. She was a gifted woman with insights into
literature, art, music, and other forms of Filipino culture. She was a
poet and wrote in the Tagalog language. She urged her son to read
and write in Tagalog and impressed upon him the importance of
Philippine culture and history. Jose's earliest poems were written with
the help of his mother and his career as a novelist was due to her
literary influences. He also inherited some of his science ability from
his mother. Teodora Alonso was a fine mathematician, gourmet cook,
interior decorator, and collector of fine books. She was not only Rizal's
mother but a national treasure."
Teodora Alonso was of Ilocano-Tagalog-Chinese-Spanish
descent, possibly having even a little Japanese blood. The Alonso
family was a distinguished one. An uncle, Jose Florentino, was elected
to the Spanish Cortes. He sat in the parliament and distinguished
himself through government service. It is said to have been a youthful
ambition of Jose Rizal to fill the same position someday." Jose Alberto
Alonso of the Alonso clan was awarded the Knight of the Grand Order
by Queen Isabella. Teodora had one of the most masterful commands
of Spanish in the Philippines. 16
The Destined Name
 History seldom accounts for the origin of the name Jose. For
one reason or another, there was no confirmation as to where it
originated. Although some would say Jose was named after St.
Joseph, the foster father of Jesus in keeping with the Catholic
tradition then of naming a child after a saint," but it could be a mere
speculation.
From Jose Rizal's maternal side, there were members of the
clan named Jose; one of the brothers of Teodora was Jose, one of the
brothers of Brigida de Quintos (mother of Teodora Alonso and
grandmother of Jose Rizal) was Jose Soler, and one of the brothers of
Regina Ursua (Teodora Alonso's grandmother and Jose Rizal's great-
grandmother) was also named Jose.
Seemingly Jose was named after one of them, most likely his
uncle Jose Florentino who was elected to the Spanish Cortes.
The Royal Decree of 1849: The Claveria List
A new family name was adopted in 1850 by authority of the
Royal Decree of 1849, upon the order of Governor Narciso Claveria,
which sought to remedy the confusion resulting from many unrelated
Filipinos, having the same surname and a still greater number having
no last name at all.
It was through the effort of Narciso Claveria y Zaldua (Governor
General of the Philippines from July 16, 1844 to December 26, 1849)
that the royal decree on the distribution and implementation of
surnames to the natives of the Philippines was issued on November
21, 1849 (Decree of 21 November 1849). Governor Claveria brought
Spanish names to the Philippines and the natives were given either
the privilege to choose or their names were simply awarded to them.
The list of produced and approved family names can be referred from
the "Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos."
Family names played a significant role under the Spanish
system. They were used in organizing the political system of the
country in terms of cedula or community tax, population distribution,
and monitoring the population for government records and
correspondence.
In contrast Filipino descendants of rajahs and noblemen were
given the option to keep their names. Among the clans, who were also
exempted from forced labor and paying taxes under the Spanish rule,
were the Lakandulas, Solimans, Gatmaitans, Gatbontons, Salongas,
Layas, Lapiras, Macapagals, Salamats, Manuguits, Balinguits,
Banals, and Kalaws, among others.
Claveria's contribution to the development of Philippine
genealogy was necessary for our identity, eventually ushering in
maturity to the civil society, be they of the middle class or of lower
economic status or educational attainment.
A copy of the printed catalogue of surnames, previously
prepared for this purpose, shall be remitted to all the heads of
provinces of these islands. The name Rizal, however, was taken not
from the list provided by the government, but it seems to have been
chosen, because of its appropriateness. Rizal, a shortened form of the
Spanish word for "second crop." seemed suited to a family of farmers
who were making a second start in a new home." The name Rizal
originated from the word Ricial, which literally means rice field. The
spelling was allegedly changed by Francisco from "Ricial" to "Rizal."
Francisco Rizal soon found that in spite of his legal authority.
the new name was making confusion in business affairs, so he
compromised on "Rizal-Mercado." His mother-in-law, who lived in the
neighborhood, at the same time, adopted the name Realonda, and her
children (including Teodora) followed her example. Hence when Jose
Protacio Rizal was baptized by Fr. Rufino Collantes, the record
showed his parents as Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Realonda
Alonso. The baptismal certificate signed by Fr. Leoncio Lopez
(successor of Fr. Rufino Collantes) read as follows:
 "I, the undersigned parish priest of Calamba, certify. that from
the investigation made with proper authority, for replacing the parish
books which were burned September 28, 1862, to be found in Docket
No. 1 of Baptisms, p. 49, it appears by the sworn testimony of
competent witnesses that JOSE RIZAL MERCADO is the legitimate son,
and of lawful wedlock, of Don Francisco Rizal Mercado and Doña
Teodora Realonda Alonso, having been baptized in this parish on the
22nd day of June in the year 1861 by the parish priest Rev. Rufino
Collantes, Rev. Pedro Casañas being his godfather."
The Siblings
Jose was the seventh of eleven children and the younger of two
boys. Don Francisco and his wife were a prolific pair.
 Saturnina (1850-1913) was the oldest of the Rizal children,
married to Manuel Hidalgo from Tanawan, Batangas. Manuel
and Saturnina had five children. Doña Saturnina published
Pascual H. Poblete's Tagalog translation of the Noli Me Tangere.
 Paciano (1851-1930) lived to be 79 years old and was the
oldest boy in the family. Paciano was ten years older than Jose
and more of a second father than an elder brother, especially
when Don Francisco, for all effects and purposes, left the
management of the family lands in his hands. Paciano joined
the revolutionary army and rose to the rank of Major General.
He returned to his farm in Los Baños after the restoration of
peace and led the life of gentleman-farmer and an exemplary
citizen. According to his daughter Emiliana and grandchildren
Eugenia and Francisco Lopez, General Paciano learned English
through self-study and his favorite periodical was the
Philippines Free Press. He had two children, a boy and a girl,
with Severina Decena of Los Baños. His daughter later married
her first cousin, Antonio Lopez (a son of Narcisa Rizal).
Francisco Lopez, a son of Antonio, was formerly assistant
general manager of the National Development Company. He was
the president of the society called the "Descendants of Rizal."
 Narcisa (1852-1939) married Antonio Lopez, a schoolmaster
from Morong and a nephew of Fr. Leoncio Lopez. Fr. Leoncio
Lopez succeeded Fr. Rufino Collantes, the priest who baptized
Jose Rizal. Narcisa was also known as Doña Sisa. It is said that
Sisa could recite from memory all the poems of Jose Rizal. One
of the nine children of Narcisa and Antonio is Leoncio,
physician and professor at the College of Medicine, University of
Santo Tomas, who was formerly connected with the Bureau of
Health and is married to Natividad Arguelles.
 Olympia (1855-1887) married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph
operator from Manila. Following her husband, she moved from
one station to another, like Albay, Bulacan, and Manila. One of
their children was Aristeo, a retired physician and professor at
the Philippine General Hospital and the College of Medicine,
University of the Philippines, respectively.
 Lucia (1857-1919) married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, a
farmer and a nephew of Fr. Pedro Casañas. Fr. Pedro Casañas
had stood as godfather to Jose's baptism. Mariano died of
cholera in 1889 and was denied a Christian burial, allegedly
because he was a brother-in-law of Jose Rizal. One of the
children of Lucia and Mariano is Delfina, first wife of General
Salvador Natividad and who helped Mrs. Marcela M. Agoncillo
make the first Filipino flag in Hong Kong. Another child was
named Jose, who died young, and another child was named
Concepcion, after Rizal's sister.
 Maria (1859-1954) married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan,
Laguna. Mauricio was one of the children of Maria and
Faustino, (nicknamed Moris by Rizal). He was killed by the
Japanese in 1945. Gemma Cruz (who married Antonio Araneta),
the first Filipina to bring home an international beauty title, is a
present day descendant of the Rizal family.
 Jose (1861-1896) was the second son and seventh child. He
became our national hero. Concepcion (1862-1865) was also
known as Concha. She died at the age of three.
 Josefa (1865-1945) did not marry.
 Trinidad (1868-1951) also did not marry.
 Soledad (1870-1929) was the youngest of the Rizal children.
She married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba. Soledad studied at
La Concordia College where she and Leonor Rivera were
classmates. One of the five children of Soledad and Pantaleon is
Amelia, married to Bernabe Malvar, son of General Miguel
Malvar.