Teodora Alonso was the mother of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal.
When Teodora turned 20 years old, she married Francisco Mercado. The two resided in Calamba where they engaged in agriculture. They achieved prosperity because of their industry, not to mention Teodora's efficiency at managing both the farm and the family's finances. She even set up her own textile business, a sugar and flour mill, and a small store at the ground floor of their house.
As the mother of a perceived enemy of the Spanish authorities, Teodora was often made a target. She was imprisoned for two and a half years on trumped-up charges of poisoning her brother's wife, but was finally acquitted and released after being defended by two of Manila's most famous lawyers. She was made to walk fifty kilometers to Sta. Cruz, Laguna, for failing to use her "Hispanicized" surname, Realonda de Rizal, instead of Alonzo. Her family was ejected from their lands in Calamba as a result of a land conflict between Dominicans and the Filipino tenants. The family moved to Manila, but the Spanish persecution still followed.
Teodora joined Rizal in Hong Kong in 1891 and kept a house in Dapitan where her son was in exile.
Rizal’s Birth Centenary #838, 19 Jun 1961
Definitve #1205, 18 Nov 1974
Surcharge #1562, 25 Nov 1981
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