DR.

JOSE RIZAL LIFE,

WORKS AND WRITINGS
MODULE

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 1
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction _______________________________
i
Rizal’z Law 1425: Republic Act 1425
________________________ 4

19th century Philippines as Rizal's context

______________________7

Rizal's Life: Family, Childhood and Early

Education_______________

Rizal’s Life: Higher education and life

abroad____________________

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 INTRODUCTION

This course covers the life and works of the country ‘s national hero, Jose Rizal. Among
the topic covered are Rizal’s Biography and his writings, particularly the novels of Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, some of this essays are various correspondences.

Learning Outcomes
At the ends of the course student should be able
1. Discuss Jose Rizal’s life within the context of 19th century Philippines
2. Analyse Rizal’s various work, particularly the Novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo
3. Organize Rizal’s idea into various themes.
4. Demonstrate a critical reading of primary sources
5. Interpret the values that can be derived from studying Rizal’s life and works
6. Display an appreciation for education and love of country.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON THE LIFE, WORKS
AND WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME
TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-
dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;

WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot,
Jose Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that
have shaped the national character;

WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with
which the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in
school, should be suffused;

WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and subject to
regulation by the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop moral character,
personal discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties of citizenship; Now,
therefore,

SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools,
colleges and universities, public or private: Provided, That in the collegiate courses, the
original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their
English translation shall be used as basic texts.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith
measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing
and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty
(60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including
those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The
Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for
reasons of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of
the provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not
from taking the course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and
regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in
their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of
the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other works and
biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
or their translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the
list of approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and
universities.

The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books,
depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.

SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English,
Tagalog and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap,
popular editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to
read them, through the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country.

SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section

nine hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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religious doctrines by public school teachers and other person engaged in any public
school.

SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be

appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to
carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 The 19th century

By the late 18th century, political and economic changes in Europe were finally
beginning to affect Spain and, thus, the Philippines. Important as a stimulus to trade was the
gradual elimination of the monopoly enjoyed by the galleon to Acapulco. The last galleon arrived
in Manila in 1815, and by the mid-1830s Manila was open to foreign merchants almost without
restriction. The demand for Philippine sugar and abaca (hemp) grew apace, and the volume
of exports to Europe expanded even further after the completion of the Suez Canal in
1869.

The growth of commercial agriculture resulted in the appearance of a new class.

Alongside the landholdings of the church and the rice estates of the pre-Spanish nobility
there arose haciendas of coffee, hemp, and sugar, often the property of enterprising
Chinese-Filipino mestizos. Some of the families that gained prominence in the 19th
century have continued to play an important role in Philippine economics and politics.

Not until 1863 was there public education in the Philippines, and even then the church
controlled the curriculum. Less than one-fifth of those who went to school could read
and write Spanish, and far fewer could speak it properly. The limited  higher education in
the colony was entirely under clerical direction, but by the 1880s many sons of the
wealthy were sent to Europe to study. There, nationalism and a passion for reform
blossomed in the liberal atmosphere. Out of this talented group of overseas Filipino
students arose what came to be known as the Propaganda Movement. Magazines,
poetry, and pamphleteering flourished. José Rizal, this movement’s most brilliant figure,
produced two political novels—Noli me tangere (1887; Touch Me Not) and El
filibusterismo (1891; The Reign of Greed)—which had a wide impact in the Philippines.
In 1892 Rizal returned home and formed the Liga Filipina, a modest reform-minded
society, loyal to Spain, that breathed no word of independence. But Rizal was quickly
arrested by the overly fearful Spanish, exiled to a remote island in the south, and finally

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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executed in 1896. Meanwhile, within the Philippines there had developed a firm
commitment to independence among a somewhat less privileged class.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA
 Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and
was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by
the Universidad Central de Madrid
 Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee
of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph)
 Protacio- from Gervacio P. which come from a
Christian calendar
 Mercado- adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the
paternal great-great grandfather of Jose Rizal) which
the Spanish term mercado means ‘market’ in English
 Rizal- from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field
where wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again
 Alonzo- old surname of his mother Y- and
 Realonda- it was used by Doña Teodora from the
surname of her godmother based on the culture by that
time

• June 19, 1861- moonlit of Wednesday between eleven and midnight Jose Rizal was born in the
lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna

• June 22, 1861- aged three days old, Rizal was baptized in the Catholic church

• Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueño, the parish priest who baptized Rizal

• Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal’s godfather, native of Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family

• Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines when Rizal was born

RIZAL’S PARENTS

 Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

- born in Biñan, Laguna on May 11, 1818
- studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila
- became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda
- a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in
body and valiant in spirit
- died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 - Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers”

 Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911)

- born in Manila on November 8, 1826
- educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls in the city
- a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent, business ability, and the
fortitude of Spartan women
- is a woman of more than ordinary culture: she knows literature and speaks Spanish
(according to Rizal)
- died in Manila on August 16, 1911 at the age of 85

THE RIZAL CHILDREN

-Eleven children—two boys and nine girls

1. Saturnina (1850-1913)

- oldest of the Rizal children

- nicknamed Neneng
- married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas

2. Paciano (1851-1930)

- older brother and confident of Jose Rizal

- was a second father to Rizal
- immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio
- Rizal regarded him as the “most noble of Filipinos”
- became a combat general in the Philippine Revolution
- died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79
- had two children by his mistress (Severina Decena)—a boy and a girl

3. Narcisa (1852-1939)

- her pet name was Sisa

- married to Antonio Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school teacher of
Morong

4. Olimpia (1855-1887)

- Ypia was her pet name

- married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 5. Lucia (1857-1919)

- married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of Father Casanas

- Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a
brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal
6. Maria (1859-1945)
- Biang was her nickname
- married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan, Laguna
7. Jose (1861-1896)
- the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius
- nickname was Pepe
- lived with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong
- had a son but this baby-boy died a few hours after birth; Rizal named him “Francisco”
after his father and buried him in Dapitan
8. Concepcion (1862-1865)
- her pet name was Concha
- died of sickness at the age of 3
- her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life
9. Josefa (1865-1945)
- her pet name was Panggoy
- died an old maid at the age of 80
10. Trinidad (1868-1951)
- Trining was her pet name
- she died also an old maid in 1951 aged 83
11. Soledad (1870-1929)
- youngest of the Rizal children
- her pet name was Choleng
- married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba

• Rizal always called her sisters Doña or Señora (if married) and Señorita (if single)

• Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda married on June 28, 1848, after which they settled
down in Calamba

• The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco
(the paternal great-great grandfather of Jose Rizal), who was a full blooded Chinese)

• Rizal’s family acquired a second surname—Rizal—which was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor
(provincial governor) of Laguna, who was a family friend

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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RIZAL’S ANCESTRY

 FATHER SIDE

Domingo Lamco (a Chinese Ines de la Rosa (Well-to-do

immigrant from the Fukien Chinese Christian girl of
city arrived in Manila about Changchow
1690)

Francisco Mercado Cirila Bernacha

Juan Mercado (Rizal’s Juan Mercado (Rizal’s

grandfather) grandfather)

Had thirteen children, the youngest being

Francisco Mercado (Rizal’s father)

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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  MOTHER SIDE

Eugenio Ursua (Rizal’s

Lakandula (The last native maternal Great-great
king of Tondo) Grandfather of Japanese
Ancestry)

Eugenio Ursua (Rizal’s Benigma

maternal Great-great (a Filipina)
Grandfather of Japanese
Ancestry)

Regina Manuel de Quintos (a

Filipino from Pangasinan)

Brigida
Lorenzo Alberto
Alonso (a prominent
Spanish Filipino
mestizo of Biñan)

Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s mother), Gregorio, Manuel at Jose

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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LEARNING ACTIVITY: 100 points

1. Make and draw your family tree in ¼

illustration board.
2. Attach family picture of your family here in the
module.
3. Write your own short biographical essay that compare
the student early childhood with Rizal’s own
4. Essay
Reflect on your secondary education. Did your school comply with
RA 1425? How effective is the Rizal law is instilling patriotism
among secondary students?

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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THE RIZAL HOME

- was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the Spanish times
- it was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods and
roofed with red tiles
- by day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the garden;
by night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers

• The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines

• The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life

CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA

- Calamba was named after a big native jar

- Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which also owned all
the lands around it
 Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a poem about Rizal’s beloved town written
by Rizal in 1876 when he was 15 years old and was student in the Ateneo de Manila
 The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was
three years old
 Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall, Rizal related, his mother
gathered all the children at the house to pray the Angelus
 Another memory of Rizal’s infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town, especially when there
was a moon
 The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow
 At the age of three, Rizal began to take a part in the family prayers
 When Rizal was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible
 The Story of the Moth- made the profoundest impression on Rizal -“died a martyr to its
illusions”
 At the age of five, Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in clay and wax
objects which attracted his fancy
 Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children)- Rizal’s first poem in native language at the age of
eight -reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment
 At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD

(1) hereditary influence

(2) environmental influence
(3) aid of Divine Providence
 Tio Jose Alberto- studied for eleven years in British school in Calcutta, India and had
traveled in Europe inspired Rizal to develop his artistic ability
 Tio Manuel- a husky and athletic man, encouraged Rizal to develop his frail body by means
of physical exercises
 Tio Gregorio- a book lover, intensified Rizal’s voracious reading of good book
 Father Leoncio Lopez- the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for
scholarship and intellectual honesty

EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BIÑAN

 The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was remarkable woman of good character and
fine culture —her mother
 Maestro Celestino- Rizal’s first private tutor
 Maestro Lucas Padua- Rizal’s second tutor
 Leon Monroy- a former classmate of Rizal’s father became Rizal’s tutor that instructed Jose in
Spanish and Latin. He died five months later
 Sunday afternoon in June, 1869- Rizal left Calamba for Biñan accompanied by Paciano
 Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz- Rizal’s teacher in a private school in Biñan
-Rizal described his teacher as follows: He was thin, long-necked, with a sharp nose and a body
slightly bent forward
 Pedro- the teacher’s son which Rizal challenged to a fight
 Andres Salandanan- challenged Rizal to an arm-wrestling match
 Juancho-an old painter who was the father-in-law of the school teacher; freely give Rizal
lessons in drawing and painting
 Jose Guevara- Rizal’s classmate who also loved painting, became apprentices of the old painter
“the favorite painters of the class”- because of his artistic talent
 Christmas in 1870-Rizal received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him of the arrival of
the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan to Calamba
 Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870- Rizal left Biñan after one year and a half of schooling
 Arturo Camps- a Frenchman friend of Rizal’s father who took care of him on board

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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DAILY LIFE IN BIÑAN

- Heard the four o’ clock mass then at ten o’ clock went home at once and went at school at two
and came out at five
- The day was unusual when Rizal was not laid out on a bench and given five or six blows because
of fighting

MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA

 Night of January 20, 1872- about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under
the leadership of Lamadrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of
their usual privileges
 Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora- were executed at sunrise of
February 17, 1872, by order of Governor General Izquierdo
 The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny
and redeem his oppressed people
 Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za

INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER

• Before June, 1872- Doña Teodora was suddenly arrested on a malicious charge that she and
her brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poison the latter’s perfidious wife
• Antonio Vivencio del Rosario- Calamba’s gobernadorcillo, help arrest Doña Teodora
• After arresting Doña Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her to walk from Calamba
to Santa Cruz (capital of Laguna province), a distance of 50 kilometers
• Doña Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where she languished for two years
and a half
• Messrs. Francisco de Marcaida and Manuel Marzan- the most famous lawyers of Manila that
defend Doña Teodora

SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA (1872-1877)

• Ateneo Municipal- a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits

• Escuela Pia (Charity School)- formerly name of Ateneo, a school for poor boys in Manila which
was established by the city government in 1817
• Escuela Pia---- Ateneo Municipal--- Ateneo de Manila
• June 10, 1872- Rizal accompanied by Paciano went to Manila
• Father Magin Ferrando- was the college registrar, refused to admit Rizal in Ateneo for two
reasons: (1) he was late for registration (2) he was sickly and undersized for his age
• Manuel Xerez Burgos-because of his intercession, nephew of Father Burgos, Rizal was
reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 • Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He registered under this name at
Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under the suspicion of the Spanish
authorities
• Rizal was first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street. This was owned by
a spinster named Titay who owed the Rizal family the amount of 300 pesos

JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

-it trained the character of the student by rigid discipline and religious instructions

-Students were divided into two groups:

• Roman Empire- consisting of internos (boarders); red banner

• Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders); blue banner
• Emperor- the best student in each “empire”
• Tribune- the second best
• Decurion- the third best
• Centurion-the fourth best
• Stand-bearer- the fifth best
• The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers”
and “striped cotton coat” The coat material was called rayadillo

FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873)

• Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo whom he described as a “tall thin man, with
a body slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-
sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell
toward the chin
• A Religious picture- Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil in the whole class
• To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon
recesses. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons
• At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation
• When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year term in
Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was
an old widow named Doña Pepay

SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-1874)

-At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas- the first favorite novel of Rizal which made a
deep impression on him

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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 • Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded his father to buy him this set of historical
work that was a great aid in his studies
• Dr. Feodor Jagor- a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines in 1859-1860 who
wrote Travels in the Philippines

-Rizal was impressed in this book because of (1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of
Spanish colonization (2) his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that
America would come to succeed her as colonizer

THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875) -Rizal grades remained excellent in all subjects but he won only
one medal—in Latin -At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for the
summer vacation. He himself was not impressed by his scholastic work

FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO

• June 16, 1875- Rizal became an interno in the Ateneo

• Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great educator and scholar, one of Rizal’s professors who
inspired him to study harder and to write poetry -Rizal described this Jesuiot professor as
“model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his pupils”
• Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals at the end of the school term

LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-1877)

-Rizal’s studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant
Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”

• March 23, 1877- Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from his Alma
Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors
• Marian Congregation- a religious society wherein Rizal was an active member and later
became the secretary
• Rizal cultivated his literary talent under the guidance of Father Sanchez
• Father Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop communing with the Muse and pay more attention
to more practical studies
• Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under
Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor
• Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with
his pocketknife
• Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an
image of Sacred Heart of Jesus

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
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ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN

• Felix M. Roxas- one of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo, related an incident of Rizal’s
schooldays in Ateneo which reveals hero’s resignation to pain and forgiveness. “Neither
bitterness nor rancor towards the guilty party”
• Manuel Xerez Burgos- This anecdotes illustrates Rizal’s predilection to help the helpless at the
risk of his own life

POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO

-It was Doña Teodora who was first discovered the poetic genius of her son, and it was also she who first
encouraged him to write poems. However it was Father Sanchez who inspired Rizal to make full use of
his God-given gift in poetry

• Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration), 1874- the first poem Rizal probably wrote during
his days in Ateneo which was dedicated to his mother on her birthday; Rizal wrote it before he
was 14 years old -In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal wrote more poems, as such:
1. Felicitacion (Felicitationi)
2. El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet)
3. Y Es Espanol; Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First
to Circumnavigate the World)
4. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)

-In 1876, Rizal wrote poems on various topics-religion, education, childhood memories and war. They
were as follows:

1. Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a tender poem in honor of Calamba, the hero’s
natal town

2. Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y la Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education)- Rizal showed the importance of religion in education

3. Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the Country Receives Light)- Rizal
believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation

4. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil (The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle
of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil)- this martial poem describes the defeat and capture of
Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada

5. La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Catolices en Granada (The Triumphal Entry of the Catholic Monarchs
into Granada)- this poem relates the victorious entry of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel into Granada,
last Moorish stronghold in Spain

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 20
-A year later, in 1877, Rizal wrote more poems. It was his last years in Ateneo. Among the poems written
that year were

1. El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Columbus)- this poem praises Columbus, the discoverer of
America

2. Colon y Juan II (Columbus and John II)- this poem relates how King Kohn II of Portugal missed fame
and riches by his failure to finance the projected expedition of Columbus to the New World

3. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great Misfortune)- this is a legend in verse of
the tragic life of Columbus

4. Un Dialogo Aluviso a la Despedida de los Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogue of the Students)- this was
the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo; it is a poignant poem of farewell to his classmate

• Al Niño Jesus (To the Child Jesus)- this poem was written in 1875 when Rizal was 14 years old; it was a
brief ode

• A La Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary)- another religious poem which doesn’t have exact date when
it was written

• San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, the Martyr)- a drama based on the prose story of St. Eustace which
he wrote in poetic verses during the summer vacation of 1876 and finished it on June 2, 1876

MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882)

-After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), Rizal transferred to the
medical course

-“Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off
his head.”- Doña Teodora, vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue higher learning in the university

• April 1877- Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in the University of Santo
Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and Letters because (1) his father like it (2) he was
“still uncertain as to what career to pursue”
• Father Pablo Ramon-Rector of Ateneo, who had been good to him during his student days in
that college, asking for advice on the choice of a career but unfortunately he was in Mindanao
• It was during the following term (1878-1879) that Rizal, having received the Ateneo Rector’s
advice to study medicine
• During Rizal’s first school term in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-1878), Rizal also
studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor
(expert surveyor)

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 21
 • Rizal excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in
agriculture and topography
• November 25, 1881- the title was issued to Rizal for passing the final examination in the
surveying course
• Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila- a society of literary men and
artists, held a literary contest in the year 1879
• A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth)- Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted this
poem -is an inspiring poem of flawless form. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from
lethargy, to let genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break the
chains that have long bound the spirit of the people -this winning poem of Rizal is a classic in
Philippine literature for two reasons: (1) it was the great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino,
whose merit 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 Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem and gave it the
first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon
• El Consejo de los Dioses (The Councils of the Gods)- an allegorical drama written by Rizal
which he entered in the literary contest of Artistic-Literary Lyceum in 1880 to commemorate
the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes -was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek
classics
• The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust of Cervantes
• D.N. del Puzo- a Spanish writer, who won the second prize
• Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)- a zarzuela which was staged by the Ateneans on December
8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Feats Day of the Immaculate
Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo - Rizal wrote it as President of the Academy of Spanish
Literature in Ateneo
• A Filipinas- a sonnet written by Rizal for the album of the Society of Sculptors; in this sonnet,
he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines
• Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma- Rizal composed a poem in 1879 which was declaimed by an Atenean,
Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December 8, 1879, in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness
• Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon- Rizal composed a poem in 1881, as an expression of affection to
Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo rector, who had been so kind and helpful to him
• Vicenta Ybardolaza- a pretty girl colegiala who skillfully played the harp at the Regalado home,
whom Rizal was infatuated in Pakil
• Rizal mentioned Turumba (wherein the people dancing in the streets during the procession in
honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores) in Chapter VI of Noli Me Tangere and
Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (united States—Saturday, May 12, 1888), where he said that
Niagara Falls was the “greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so beautiful nor fine as the falls
at Los Baños, Pagsanjan”

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 22
 • Compañerismo (Comradeship)- Rizal founded a secret society of Filipino students in
University of Santo Tomas in 1880
• Companions of Jehu- members of the society whose after the valiant Hebrew general
• Galicano Apacible-Rizal’s cousin from Batangas who is the secretary of the society

UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST

-Rizal found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was
unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning because

(1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him

(2) the Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards

(3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive -In Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, he
described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and
how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences. He
related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”

SHATTERING THE MYTH ABOUT RIZAL AND THE PONTIFICAL UST

This can be very exhaustive as I deal with historical facts apropos of the relationship of Jose Rizal
with the University of Santo Tomas. I am indebted to Fr. Fidel Villaroel, OP, the eminent historian and
former archivist of the UST Archives for giving me the distinct privilege (without going through the
norms and policies) of touring the archives and letting me examined some important documents
pertaining but not principally to the history of the Philippines. As a pioneering institution of learning –
from the martyrdom of Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, to the propaganda movement, to the revolution of
1896, to the birth of the Republic in 1898, to the commonwealth period and finally to the restoration
ofindependence in 1946 – it is therefore presumptuous to assume the UST has had a hand in the making
of the history of the Philippines.

The second confusion was their failure to understand the underlying principles behind the anti-
friars and anti-UST writings of Rizal particularly the El Fili. After seeing the documents at the UST
Archives and reading Fr. Villaroel’s well-written study on Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas, I can
only scoff at those who bask at their ignorance and use many of the myths to advance their cause. Such
is the case of some pexers here who undoubtedly use these myths for their own good. In the words of
Dr. Serafin Quiason, former chairman of the National Historical Institue, “it is a great virtue of his (Fr.
Villaroel) study that he sweeps away many of the myths which have passed for facts for almost three
quarters of a century. He has solved many difficult questions and the readers can be grateful for a
valuable and devoted piece of work.”

This thread intends to rectify some issues pertaining to the negative pictures projected about
Rizal’s relationship with his alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas based on the study by Fr.
JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 23
Villaroel who had diligently dug through the archival materials of UST and Archivo de la Provincia del
Sto. Rosario. Was Rizal discriminated and treated shabbily by the Dominicans? Why did he leave UST?
Why did he criticize the University years later? How are the stories of El Filibusterismo to be
understood?

Here are some excerpts from Fr. Fidel Villaroel’s study:

MYTH: Rizal complained about his grades in UST and was discriminated and treated shabbily by the
Dominicans.

FACTS: (1) Rizal entered the UST in 1877, enrolling in the Pre-Law Course, which was made up of
philosophical subjects. The course was commonly called metaphysics. He passed the course brilliantly
with the highest grades in spite of his initial indifference to philosophy and his youthful distractions
through the year. Then he opted for the career of medicine. And in 1878-1879 he took simultaneously
the Pre-Medical Course and the First Year of Medicine; this was against the rules, but Rizal was favored
with a dispensation. The Pre-Medicine Course was also called Ampliacion, because the student, having
taken already Physics, Chemistry and Natural History in the high school, now took an advanced course
on the same subjects (Rizal did not take in Santo Tomas the “class of physics” described in El Fili but
rather in Ateneo).

In his courses of medicine, Rizal was a good student, above-average, though not excellent; but none of
his classmates were excellent either. Summing up, in the 21 subjects taken in UST, RizAL

(2) It can hardy be said that Rizal was discriminated and treated shabbily by the Dominicans since he was
granted the rare privilege of studying simultaneously in the Preparatory Course of Medicine and the
First Year of Medicine. Records likewise show that six Spaniards were enrolled with Rizal in the first year
of Medicine, of whom three were Peninsular and three Philippine-born. If the criticism of some
biographers were true, these six students would have been favored by the friars. Yet at the end of the
fourth year there remained only one Philippine-born Spaniard, Jose Resurreccion y Padilla, who
managed to get only a poor passing grade (aprobado), last among successful students, and who in the
following year received a crushing suspenso. It would be unkind to rejoice over failures, whether of
Spanish or of Filipinos, but the biographers of Rizal will not be convincing unless they prove with valid
documents the existence of “racial discrimination” in UST in the 19th century when it came to academic
grades.

(3) Rizal’s inclinations and abilities must be taken into account. While he was undoubtedly inclined to,
and remarkably fitted for, the arts and letters, he was not much attracted to Medicine. “Perhaps – says
Leon Ma. Guerrero – Medicine was not his real vocation”. Medicine was a convenient career taken up in
consideration of the poor health of Rizal’s mother, whom he wanted to help, and eventually helped as a
physician.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 24
(4) When Rizal transferred to Spain and continued his studies at the University of Madrid, he showed
there similar characteristics. He was sobresaliente in the humanistic studies (literature, languages,
history), while in Medicine he fared worse than at the University of Santo Tomas.

(5) Rizal had Dominican friends in the persons of Fr. Evaristo Arias and Fr. Joaquin Fonseca.

MYTH: Rizal is said to have left UST for the following reasons: a. because a certain professor of UST
caused him displeasure (P. Pastells, SJ, 1897) b. because the atmosphere in UST (meaning Thomistic
atmosphere) suffocated him, and “it is presumed that because of it he left” (E. Retana, 1907) c. because
in his class of medicine the lay professor made a statement contrary to the textbook and then he
refused to permit discussion or to give explanations; “so Rizal decided he was wasting his time to remain
in the University” (Craig, 1909) d. because he found unfriendliness in the University, (Lauback, 1936) e.
because UST could not give “fuller learning” to the youth, and its “usefulness was almost, if not
altogether nil.” (D. Abella, 1965)

FACT: Twenty authors quoting from the same erroneous source commit the same error twenty times
over. Therefore, what the quoted authors have said must be submitted to scrutiny. More significantly,
all the authors quoted above have one thing in common: none of them quote any historical source, like
words from Rizal’s correspondence, his articles, etc. If any source is ever mentioned it is infallibly the
novel El Fili.

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 25
LEARNING ACTIVITY:

Write poem related to Rizal point of view. 100 points

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 26
REFERENCES

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republic-act-no-1425/

https://www.slideshare.net/cudiaeduardo/chapter-1-7165598?next_slideshow=2

https://prezi.com/p/_ivlscgciv8j/19th-century-philippines-as-rizals-context/

JOSE P. RIZAL LIFE, WORRKS AND WRITINGS

CRISTITA T. RAMBOYONG
Instructress Page 27