RIZAL’S LIFE:

HIGHER
EDUCATION AND
LIFE ABROAD
At the end of the lesson, the
students should be able to:
1. Appreciate how Rizal’s education shaped
him as a person.
2. Appraise Rizal’s relationship with other
propagandists.
3. Appraise Rizal’s growth as a
propagandist and disavowal of
assimilation.
 MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
(1877-1882)
Rizal Entering University of
Santo Tomas
After The Tragic First Romance
Fortunately, it did not adversely
affect his studies in the University of
Santo Tomas.
Philosophy and Letters (1877-78)
After the finishing the first year of
this course, he transferred to the
medical course.
During his medical studies in UST
which was administered by the
Dominicans, rival educators of the
Jesuits, he remained loyal to Ateneo,
where he continued to participate in
extra-curricular activities and where
he completed the vocation course in
surveying.
As a Thomasian
- he won more literary laurels,
- had other romances with
pretty girls,
- and fought against Spanish
students who insulted the brown
Filipino students
Opposition to Higher Education
After graduating with the highest
honors from the Ateneo, He had to go
to the UST for higher studies.
Bachelor of Arts course
- during Spanish times was
equivalent only to the high school
and junior college courses today. It
merely qualified its graduate to enter
a university.
Pepe’s Education
Don Francisco and Paciano wanted
Jose to pursue higher learning in the
university.
Her Mother’s Opposition to Higher
Education
But Dona Teodora vigorously
opposed the idea and told her
husband: “Don’t send him to Manila
again; he knows enough. If he gets to
Pepe in UST
Don Francisco kept quiet and told
Paciano to accompany his younger
brother to Manila, despite their
mother’s tears.
Jose Rizal himself was surprised
why his mother, who was a
woman of education and culture,
should object to his desire for a
university education.
Years later he wrote in his journal:
“Did my mother perhaps have a
foreboding of what would happen
to me? Does a mother’s heart
really have a second sight?”
 Rizal Enters
University of Santo
Tomas
APRIL 1877
Rizal who was then nearly 16
years old, matriculated in the
University of Santo Tomas, taking the
course on Philosophy and Letters.
He enrolled in this course for two
reasons:
1. his father liked it and,
2. he was “still uncertain as to what
career he pursues”.
Father Pablo Ramon
- Rector of the Ateneo,
- Rizal asked for advice on the
choice of a career to the good
father. But the Father Rector was
then in Mindanao so that he was
unable to advise Rizal.
First Year Term (1877-78)
- he studied Cosmology,
Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of
Second Year Term (1878-79)
- during this term that Rizal
received the Ateneo Rector’s
advice to study medicine.
Second Year Term (1878-79)
- he took up the medical course,
enrolling simultaneously in the
preparatory medical course and the
regular first year medical course.
Another reason was to be able to
cure his mother’s growing
blindness.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
(1878)
- During his first school term in
the University of Santo Tomas
(1877-78), Rizal also studied in the
Ateneo. He took vocational course
leading to the title of perito
agrimensor (expert surveyor
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
(1878)
- In those days, it should be
remembered, the colleges for boys
in Manila offered vocational courses
in agriculture, commerce,
mechanics, and surveying
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
(1878)
- Rizal, as usual, excelled in all
subjects in the surveying course
in the Ateneo, obtaining gold
medals in agriculture and
topography.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
(1878)
- At the age of 17, he passed
the final examination in the
surveying course, but he could
not be granted the title as
surveyor because he was below
age. The title was issued to him
on November 25, 1881.
 RIZAL’S LOYALTY TO ATENEO
- Although Rizal’s a Thomasian, he
frequently visited the Ateneo because
of his loyalty to the Ateneo.
- unlike the Dominicans he had so
many beautiful memories of his Jesuit
professors, who loved him and
inspired him to ascend to greater
heights of knowledge.
 Rizal’s Participation To Ateneo’s
Extra-curricular Activities
- He continued to participate
actively in the Ateneo’s extra-
curricular activities.
Academy of Spanish Literature -
President
Academy of Natural Sciences -
Secretary
ROMANCES WITH OTHER
GIRLS
 Rizal’s Other Romantic
Entanglements
- His sad experience with his first
love had made him wiser in the ways
of romance.
1. Miss L
2. Leonor Valenzuela
3. Leonor Rivera
 MISS L
- describing her as “fair with seductive
and attractive eyes”. The romance
died a natural death
Two reasons for his change of heart:
a) the sweet memory of Segunda was
still
fresh in his heart and
b) his father did not like the family of
“Miss L”.
 LEONOR VALENZUELA(Orang)
- a tall girl with a regal bearing. Whom
he sent love notes written in invisible ink.
- daughter of Capitan Juan and
Capitana Sanday Valenzuela (Pagsanjan,
Laguna)
- this time he is residing in the house
of Donya Concha Leyva in Intramuros
 LEONOR RIVERA (Taimis)
- his cousin from Camiling
- pretty daughter of His landlord-uncle,
Antonio Rivera, a student at La
Concordia College, (where his sister
Soledad is studying)
- this time he is residing in Casa
Tomasina
at No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros
 SPANISH BRUTALITY
When Rizal was a freshman
medical student at the University of
Santo Tomas, he experienced his
first taste of Spanish brutality. One
dark night in Calamba, during the
summer vacation in 1878, he was
walking in the street. He dimly
perceived the figure of a man while
passing him.
 SPANISH BRUTALITY
Not knowing the person due to
darkness, he did not salute nor say a
courteous ‘Good Evening”. The
vague figure turned out be a
lieutenant of the Guardia Civil.
With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal,
whipped out his sword and brutality
slashed the latter on the back.
 SPANISH BRUTALITY
General Primo de Rivera
Rizal reported it but it to the Gov.
Gen was ignored, because he is an
Indio & the lieutenant is a
Spaniard.
March 21, 1887
he related it to Blumentritt, “I went
to the Captain-General but I could
not obtain justice; my wound lasted
A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA(1879)
Liceo Artistico-Literario
- a society of literary men and
artists, held a literary contest. It
offered a prize for the poem by a
native or a mestizo, Rizal, who was
then eighteen years old,
submitted his poem entitled A La
Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino
Youth).
A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA(1879)
Liceo Artistico-Literario
- The Board of Judges (Spaniards)
- got the first prize which
consisted of a silver pen, feather-
shaped and decorated with a gold
ribbon.
 Considered a Classic
1) it’s the first great poem in
Spanish written by a Filipino, that
was recognized by Spanish literary
authorities,
2) it expressed for the first time
the nationalistic concept that the
Filipinos, and not the foreigners,
were the “fair hope of the
Fatherland”
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1879)
Liceo Artistico-Literario
- another literacy contest to
commemorate the fourth centennial
of the death of Cervantes, Spain’s
glorified man-of-letters and famous
author of Don Quixote. This time the
contest was opened to both
Filipinos and Spaniards
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1879)
Liceo Artistico-Literario
- Many participated in the
contest: priest, newspapermen,
scholars and professors.
- Pepe, inspired by his poetical
triumph the previous year, entered
the literary joust, submitting an
allegorical drama
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1879)
Controversy about the Drama
- The Spanish community in
Manila, spear-headed by the Spanish
press, are against the decision -
author was an Indio.
 Despite all objections
- Rizal received a gold ring on
which was engraved the bust of
Cervantes
- D.N. del Puzo, won the second
prize.
Rizal winning the Contest
-For the first time in history, an
Indio a nineteen-year old Filipino
medical student at that –excelled in
a national literary contest,
defeating several Spanish writers
of his time in Manila
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1879)
HOMER – TRUMPET
VIRGIL – LYRE
CERVANTES - LAUREL
Rizal other Literary Works
Zarzuela was Junto al Pasig
(Beside the Pasig), staged by the
Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on
the occasion of the Feast Day of the
Immaculate Conception, Patroness of
the Ateneo. He wrote it as President
of the Academy of Spanish Literature
in the Ateneo
Rizal other Literary Works
1879
1) Abd-Azis y Mahoma (poem) which
was declaimed by an atenean,
Manuel Fernandez, on the night of
December 8, 1879 in honor of the
Ateneo’s Patroness.
Rizal other Literary Works
1880
2) A Filipinas (sonnet) for the album
of the Society of Sculptors. In this
sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists
to glorify the Philippines.
Rizal other Literary Works
1881
3) Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon (poem) He
wrote this poem as an expression of
affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the
Ateneo rector, who had been so kind
and helpful to him
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
May 1881
He went on a pilgrimage to the town
of Pakil, famous shrine of the Birhen
Maria de los Dolores. He was
accompanied by his sisters –
Saturnina, Maria, and Trinidad and
their female friends.
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
May 1881
They took a casco (flat-bottom
sailing vessel) from Calamba to Pakil,
Laguna, and stayed at the home of
Mr.& Mrs. Manuel Regalado, whose
son Nicolas was Rizal’s friend in
Manila.
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
May 1881
Rizal was infatuated by a pretty
girl colegiala, Ybardolaza, who
skillfully played the harp at the
Regaldo home
Rizal’s Visit to Pagsanjan
–it was native town Leonor
Valenzuela, one of Rizal’s girl
friends in Manila,
- and to see the world famed
Pagsanjan Falls.
Champion of Filipino Students
Compañerismo (Comradeship
1880), - secret society of
Filipino students the members
were called “Companions of
Jehu,” after the valiant Hebrew
general who fought the Armeans
and ruled the Kingdom of Israel for
28 years (843-816 B.C.).
Champion of Filipino Students
He was the chief of this secret
student society, with his cousin from
Batangas, Galicano Apacible, as
secretary. As chief, he led the
Filipino students into combat
against
the Spanish students in various
street fights.
Unhappy Days in UST
(1) the Dominican professors
were hostile to him,
(2) the Filipino students were
racially discriminated against by
the Spaniards, and
(3) the method of instruction was
obsolete and repressive.
Unhappy Days in UST
(1) later he mentioned this
experience and related it in Chapter
XIII – The Class in Physics
-that his science subject was taught
without laboratory experiments. The
microscope and other laboratory
apparatuses were kept inside the
showcases to be seen by visitors, but
the students could not even touch
Unhappy Days in UST
(2). Because of the unfriendly
attitude of his professors, Rizal, the
most brilliant graduate of the
Ateneo, failed to win high scholastic
honors. Although his grades in the
first year of the philosophy course
were all “excellent,” they were not
impressive in the four years of his
medical course
UST SCHOLASTIC RECORDS 1879-82
UST SCHOLASTIC RECORDS 1879-82
UST SCHOLASTIC RECORDS 1879-82
UST SCHOLASTIC RECORDS 1879-82
UST SCHOLASTIC RECORDS 1879-82
Decision to Study Abroad
After finishing in UST
Rizal decided to study in Spain. He
could no longer endure hostility in
the University of Santo Tomas.
Paciano, Saturnina (Neneng) and
Lucia, Uncle Antonio Rivera the
Valenzuela family, and some
friends
- approved his plan to study in