Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on March 7, 1851 in Calamba, Laguna. According to Filipino historian Ambeth R. Ocampo, Paciano was fondly addressed by his siblings as ‘ñor Paciano,’ short for ‘Señor Paciano’. The 10-year older brother of Jose studied at San Jose College in Manila, became a farmer, and later a general of the Philippine Revolution.