Thursday, May 11, 2023

Francisco Mercado

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

MAY 11, 1818

Francisco Mercado (May 11, 1818 - January 5, 1898), the father of our national hero Jose Rizal,  was born in Biñan, Laguna. 

A prosperous farmer, he married Teodora Alonzo on June 28, 1848 and they had eleven children - Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. 

In 1849, Gov. Gen. Narciso Claveria decreed natives should have a distinct family name, and unsatisfied with his, he adopted “Rizal”, from the Spanish Ricial which means green field for pasture and so he became Francisco Rizal Mercado.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

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