Teodora Alonzo
Mother of Dr. José Rizal
Born: November 9, 1827
Died: 1911
This is the woman and mother who molded the spirit and thoughts of the great hero, Dr. José Rizal. When she refused the offer of pension by the American government, she said, "The Rizals offer their lives to their mother country because of their inherent patriotism and not because of money."
Si Teodora Alonzo ay ipinanganak sa Meisik, Tundo, Maynila, noong ika-9 ng Nobyembre ng taong 1827. Nag-aral siya sa Kolehiyo ng Santa Rosa at doon siya natutong magsalita ng Kastila. Isang matalino siya at mabait na babae. Naging maybahay ni Ginoong Francisco Rizal Mercado ng Biñan, Laguna. Kabilang sa marami nilang naging anak ang pinakadakilang bayani ng bayang kayumanggi, si Dr. José Rizal. Si Ginang Toedora Alonzo ang unang magturo ng mga titik kay Dr. Rizal. Siya ang humutok sa diwa’t kaisipan ng dakilang bayani kaya’t nang ito’y ganap nang magkaisip ay pinanindigan niya ang mga simulaing natutuhan niya sa kaniyang ina.
Noong si Dr. Rizal ay labing-isang taon pa lamang, ay nakagalit ng mga Kastila ang kaniyang ama. Kay Ginang Teodora ibinunton ng mga Kastila ang galit at ito ang pinaghigantihan. Ang kahabag-habag na babae, sapilitang pinaglakad magmula sa Kalamba hanggang Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Pagdating doon ay pinagbintangan siya nang hindi wasto at ibinilanggo siya nang wala man lamang makatarungang paglilitis. Noon, nagsimula ang pagkamuhi ni Dr. Rizal sa mga kabuktutan ng pamahalaang Kastila.
Nang si Dr. José Rizal ay nasa Europa ay kay Ginang Teodora naman nabuhos ang paghihiganti ng mga Kastila, bagamat ang butihing inang ito ay walang kasalanan. Di kakaunting hirap ang kaniyang tiniis, subalit ni isang daing ay hindi siya nagpabatid sa nalalayong anak. Si Ginang Teodora ay nabuhay hanggang noong 1911. Nasakop na ng Amerika ang Pilipinas at bilang pagkilala ng pamahalaan sa malaking utang na loob kay Ginang Teodora ay hinandugan ito ng pensiyon sa taun-taon upang makatulong sa kaniyang katandaan at nang huwag na siyang mag-intindi sa kabuhayan. Tinanggihan ni Ginang Teodora ang handog ng pamahalaan at sinabing, "Ang mga Rizal ay naghahandog ng kanilang buhay sa Inang Bayan dahil sa katutubong kabayanihan at hindi dahil sa salapi."
Teodora Alonzo was born in Meisek, Tondo, Manila, on November 9, 1827. She studied in Sta. Rosa College where she learned to speak Spanish. She was an intelligent and good-natured woman. She married Francisco Rizal Mercado from Biñan, Laguna. One of their children was the foremost Filipino hero, Dr. José Rizal. Teodora Alonzo was the first teacher that taught him the alphabet. It was whe who molded the spirit and thoughts of the great hero, so when he grew up he stood for the principle that he had learned from his mother.
When Rizal was only eleven years old, his father had a quarrel with the Spaniards. The Spaniards heaped their anger on Teodora Alonzo and they had a revenge on her. The pitiful woman was made to walk from Calamba to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. When she arrived in Sta. Cruz, she was accused of something false and was imprisoned without any trial. That was the beginning of Dr. Rizal’s hatred for the evil practices of the Spaniards.
When Dr. Rizal was in Europe it was Teodora that the Spaniards had their revenge even if this good woman had no fault. She was made to suffer very mush but the patient mother never mentioned anything about her sufferings to her son in a distant place. She knew that her son was having a dispute with the Spaniards for the sake of his mother country, the Philippines.
She lived until 1911, when the Philippines was already under the American regime. The Americans felt that they owed this suffering mother a debt of gratitude, so they offered her a yearly pension to help her in her old age. Teodora refused the pension offered by the American government and said, "The Rizals offer their lives to their mother country because of their inherent patriotism and not because of money."