Antonino Manapat Lopez

Antonino Manapat Lopez was a school teacher from Morong, Rizal. He married Narcisa Mercado Rizal, Jose Rizal's sister. He corresponded frequently with Jose Rizal. Around 1891, he was exiled to Jolo; but Paciano offered and took his place so that Narcisa and their children would not be left alone.

In an interview by Ambeth Ocampo (p. 47), Narcisa’s grandchildren revealed that their lolo, Antonino Lopez was actually the son of the priest Leoncio Lopez—the ‘cura parroco’ of Calamba from whom Rizal based the character of Fr. Florentino in his El Fili. Substantiating the disclosure, they explained that Narcisa and Antonino, after marriage, lived in Leoncio’s parish house and Antonino inherited all of Leoncio’s books and possessions when the priest died.

Source

• "Narcisa Rizal". Wikipilipinas. http://bit.ly/ngBccl. Date accessed: 23 February 2014.
• "The Other Rizal". The Life and Works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. http://bit.ly/pZsA8j. Date accessed: 23 February 2014.
• "Reinterment of Narcisa Rizal Lopez and family". The Life and Works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. http://bit.ly/1mACzLk. Date accessed: 23 February 2014.