Rizal’s Childhood Life

SUMMARY
In Calamba, Laguna 19 June 1861
JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora
Alonso y Quintos, was born in Calamba, Laguna.

22 June 1861
He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the Catholic of Calamba by the
parish priest Rev. Rufino Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor.

28 September 1862
The parochial church of Calamba and the canonical books, including the
book in which Rizal’s baptismal records were entered, were burned.

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

1864
Barely three years old, Rizal learned the alphabet from his
mother.
1865
When he was four years old, his sister Conception, the eight
child in the Rizal family, died at the age of three. It was on
this occasion that Rizal remembered having shed real tears
for the first time.
1865 – 1867
During this time his mother taught him how to read and
write. The Story of the Moth which inspired Rizal for
academic excellence was shared by her Mother. His father
hired a classmate by the name of Leon Monroy who, for five
months until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the rudiments
of Latin.

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

 At about this time two of his mother’s cousin frequented
Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto, seeing Rizal frail in
body, concerned himself with the physical development
of his young nephew and taught the latter love for the
open air and developed in him a great admiration for the
beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a scholar,
instilled into the mind of the boy love for education. He
advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform every task very
carefully; learn to be swift as well as thorough; be
independent in thinking and make visual pictures of
everything."

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

6 June 1868 
With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to Antipolo to
fulfill the vow made by his mother to take the child to the
Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she and her child
survive the ordeal of delivery which nearly caused his
mother’s life.

From there they proceeded to Manila and visited his sister

Saturnina who was at the time studying in the La Concordia
College in Sta. Ana.

1869
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem entitled "Sa
Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was written in tagalog and
had for its theme "Love of One’s Language."

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

In Biñan, Laguna 1870
His brother Paciano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna. He was placed
under the tutelage of Justiniano Aquino Cruz, studying Latin and
Spanish. In this town he also learned the art of painting under the
tutorship of an old painter by the name of Juancho Carrera.

17 December 1870
Having finished his studies in Biñan, Rizal returned to Calamba on
board the motorboat Talim. His parents planned to transfer him to
Manila where he could continue his studies.

Back in Calamba 1871

His mother was imprisoned in Sta. Cruz, Laguna for allegedly
poisoning the wife of her cousin Jose Alberto, a rich property owner
of Biñan and brother of Manuel and Gregorio.

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

  1872
For the first time, Rizal heard of the word “Filibustero”
which his father forbid the members of his family to
utter, including such names as Cavite and Burgos. (It
must be remembered that because of the Cavite Mutiny
on January 20, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos and Jacinto Zamora were garroted at
Bagumbayan Field on February 17, 1872.)

Reference: http://www.joserizal.ph -Copyright 2004©

Jose Rizal University

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

The Mercado - Rizal Family
 FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898)
Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13
offspring's of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan,
Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose
College, Manila; and died in Manila.

TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913)
Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of
Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied at
the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-
minded woman, courteous, religious, hard-working
and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on
November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila.

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)

SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913)
Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel
Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.

PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930)
Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San
Jose College in Manila; became a farmer and later a general of
the Philippine Revolution.

NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939) 
The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a
teacher and musician.

OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887)
The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from
childbirth.
LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919)
The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945)
The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan,
Laguna.

JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896)
The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by
the Spaniards on December 30,1896.

CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865)
The eight child. Died at the age of three.
JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945)
The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.

TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951)
The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the
family to die.

SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929)
The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.
Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda..
-Jose P. Rizal, Sa Aking Mga Kababata

MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

Rizal: Childhood Years (1861-1871)