Teodora Alonzo - Extraodinary Mother

     There is a well-known adage: "The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

     This Filipino saying can never be truer than in the case of our National Hero Jose Protacio Mercado Alonzo Rizal y Realonda's mother TEODORA ALONZO. Today 16, August, 2011we celebrate this extra-ordinary woman's hundredth death anniversary. Her exemplary life is mirrored in Rizal's strength of will and polished character. This is the result of her mentoring Rizal from an early age.

     Born 9 November, 1827 in Meisik, Tondo, Manila; Dna. Teodora studied Mathematics and Literature at the Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Intramuros, Manila. She was married to Francisco Mercado of Binan, Laguna. The couple decided to reside in Calamba, Laguna and raise a family of 11 children of two boys and nine girls: Saturnina, Paciano, Narcissa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. 

     To support the family, they engaged in agri-business on Dominican land they rented and managed. She also set-up her own textile business, sugar and flour mill and a small store on the ground floor. Years later, the  family would fall from the good graces of the Spanish authorities. In 1871, she was accused falsely and was incarcerated for two and a half years. In 1891, she was arrested for not using the surname Realonda de Rizal and was made to walk for four days from Manila to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Eventually they were evicted from their land due to a dispute. By then, Jose had been exiled in Dapitan where she spent the next four years until he was moved back to Manila. Intermittently, while moving around in exile, it was in Hong Kong where Jose operated on her cataracts as she was getting advanced in age. The height of all her suffering came when her son was found guilty of treason and was sentenced to die by firing squad. All her pleas for her son's life to be spared fell on deaf ears.

       After Jose Rizal was declared a National Hero, the Philippine Assembly approached her and offered her a lifetime pension for her loss. She politely and graciously turned down the offer saying that "her son died in service of his beloved country which was every Filipino's duty." 

     It doesn't surprise me the Rizal gave up the ghost for his country, Teodora Alonzo taught him early on the values of  love of God, patriotism, loyalty, love of work, respect for elders, love for fellowmen and family. His character was an extension of her own...