Paciano Rizal

Paciano Rizal (full name: Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda) (March 9, 1851 – April 13, 1930) was a Filipino general and revolutionary, and the older brother of José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.

Early life
Paciano Rizal was born to Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro (1818–1897) and Teodora Morales Alonso y Quintos (1827-1911; whose family later changed their surname to "Realonda"), as the second of eleven children born to a wealthy family in the town of Calamba City, Laguna, and grew up witnessing the abuses of the clergy and the Spanish colonial government. His teacher and close friend, Fray José Burgos was implicated in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and summarily executed.

Revolutionary
Paciano joined and actively supported Propaganda Movement for social reforms, and supported the Movement's newspaper, Diariong Tagalog. An avid supporter of the movement, he did tasks such as collecting funds to finance the said organization, and solicited money for the nationalist paper.

In January 1897, after his younger brother's execution, Paciano joined General Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite. He was appointed brigadier general of the revolutionary forces, and was elected Secretary of Finance in the Departmental Government of Central Luzon.

During the Philippine-American War (1899–1913), he commanded the Filipino forces in Laguna. U.S. troops captured him in Laguna on 1900. He was released soon after, and he settled in the town of Los Banos, Laguna.

Death
He lived a quiet life as a gentleman farmer, and died at the age of 79 of tuberculosis.

Popular culture
He was portrayed by actor Ping Medina as the younger Paciano and at the same time by his real life father Pen Medina as the older Paciano, in the award-winning 1998 film, José Rizal.