Dr. Jose Rizal's Cebu connection

CEBU, Philippines - Like tertiary roots, the Rizal clan has reached places far and wide.

There’s the Rizal-Hidalgo in Tanauan, Batangas; the Rizal-Lopez of Morong, Rizal; the Rizal-Ubaldo and Rizal-Cruz of Biñan, Laguna; and the Rizal-Quintero of Manila.

And then the lateral roots began branching out to Cebu.

This is evident in the “Rizal Family Tree” outlined at the foyer of the Jose Rizal Museum a.k.a. Rizaliana Museum at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation-Mabini campus.

The blueprint pointed out that the founders of the USPF are related to the Rizal family by affinity.

It was learned that Dr. Jose Rizal’s elder sister, Doña Lucia (the fifth child of Don Francisco Mercado and Doña Teodora Alonso), married Mariano Herbosa, whose granddaughter Concepcion Herbosa married Escolastico Duterte.

Duterte, who is vice president of the said school in the 1950s, is the nephew of USPF founders Agustin and Beatriz Jereza.

The university was made aware of this relation when Maria Montes Punsalan married Oscar Jereza Sr. – the university’s fourth president.

It is through this family connection that the university acquired the majority of its collection. How did this happen? Further information gathered revealed that on February 11, 1951, Doña Trinidad (the 10th child), donated the personal belongings of his brother.

These memorabilia are now displayed at the USP Rizaliana Museum. Originally housed in the Lahug Campus, the USP Rizaliana Museum retains the largest collection of Rizaliana items outside of Manila.

Says curator Lucio Pulmones, the museum contains many of Dr. Rizal’s articles of clothing, including undershirts, winter coats, and breeches, as well as letters to his colleagues and friends, and sketches of his sisters. It also holds all 14 original postcards with the text of “Mi Ultimo Adios”.

In line with the nation’s commemoration of 150 years of Rizal, USPF Vice President for External Affairs Lourdes “Odette” Jereza is in Manila to supervise the travelling museum at the Mall of Asia which is part of the year-round activities for the sesquicentennial celebration. (FREEMAN)