Francisco Mercado was only eight years old when his father died. He attended the Latin school in Biñan where his sons would later matriculate. He also attended the Colegio de San Jose in Manila where he studied Latin and Philosophy.

He was described by Rafael Palma: "He was 40, of solid shoulders, strong constitution, rather tall than short, of serious and reflective mien, with prominent forehead and large dark eyes. A pure Filipino."

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Sources:

• Craig, Austin. "Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal". Manila: Philippine Education Company, 1913. http://bit.ly/N3Y6X7
• "The Mercado-Rizal Family." Jose Rizal Ph. http://www.joserizal.ph/fm01.html
• Palma, Rafael. "The Pride of the Malay Race". Michigan: Prentice-Hall, 1949.
• Panlasigui, Isidro. "Dr. Jose Rizal's Chinese Ancestry". Fookien Times Yearbook, September 1953.