Achievements of jose rizal

1. 1. Achievements of Jose rizal Rizal attended the Ateneo De Manila University, earning a
Bachelors of Arts. He enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters at the University of
Santo Thomas and then traveled alone to Madrid, Spain where he continued his studies at
the Universidad Central de Madrid, earning the degree of Licentiate in Medicine. He attended
the University of Paris and earned a second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg, Rizal
was a polyglot conversant in at least ten languages. He was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist,
correspondent, and novelist whose most famous works were his two novels, Noli me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. these are social commentaries on the Philippines that formed
the nucleus of literature that inspired dissent among peaceful reformists and spurred the
militancy of armed revolutionaries against the Spanish colonial authorities.
2. 2. Rizal’s lifeIn full known as Jose Rizal y Mercado, or Jose Rizal y Alonzo. Born on June
19,1861 and died on December 30, 1896 in Manila. Patriot, physician, and man ofletters
whose life and literary works were an inspiration to the literary works werean inspiration to
the Philippine nationalist movement.Rizal was the son of a prosperous landowner and sugar
planter of Chinese-Filipinodescent on the island of Luzon; his mother, Teodora Alonso, one
of the mosthighly educated women in the Philippines, exerted a powerful influence on
hisintellectual development. Educated at Ateneo de Manila and the University ofSanto
Tomas in Manila, in 1882 he went overseas to study medicine and liberalarts at the
University of Madrid. A brilliant student, he soon became the leader ofthe small community of
Filipino students in Spain and passionately committedhimself to the reform of Spanish rule in
his home country. He neveradvocated Philippine independence. The chief enemy of reform,
in his eyes, wasnot Spain, which was going through a profound revolution, but the
Franciscan,Augustinian, and Dominican friars, who held the country in political and
economicparalysis.
3. 3. Rizal continued his medical studies in Paris and Heidelberg; in 1887 he wrote his
firstnovel, Noli me tangere (“Touch Me Not”), a passionate exposure of the evils of the friars
rule,comparable in its impact to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s exposure of Negro suppression in
theUnited States, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. A sequel, El Filibusterismo (1891,
“Filibusterism”)established his reputation as the leading spokesman of the Philippine
reformmovement. In1890 he wrote an edition of Antonio Morgas’ Succesos de las Islas
Filipinas,which showed that the native people of the Philippines had a long history before the
comingof the Spaniards. He became the leader of the Propaganda Movement,
contributingnumerous articles to its newspaper, La Solidaridad, published in Barcelona.
Rizal’s politicalprogram, as expressed in the columns of the newspaper, included integration
of thePhilippines as a province of Spain, representation in the Cortes (the Spanish
parliament), thereplacement of the Spanish friars by native Philippine priests, freedom of
assembly andexpression, and equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law.Against the
advice of his parents and friends, Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892. Whenhe founded
a nonviolent reform society, the Liga Filipina, in Manila, the Spanish arrested anddeported
him to Dapitan in northwest Mindanao. He remained in exile for four years, doingscientific
research and founding a school and hospital. In 1896, however, an insurrection ledby the
nationalist secret society, the Katipunan, broke out; although he had no connectionswith that
organization or any part in the revolt, he was arrested and tried for sedition by themilitary.
Found guilty, he was publicly executed by a firing squad in Manila. His martyrdomconvinced
Filipinos from Spain. On the eve of his execution, while confined in Ft. Santiago,Rizal wrote
Ultimo Adios (“The Last Farewell”), a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse.
Life and Studies at Ateneo
The Jesuits were considered the best educators of Spain, and perhaps of Europe, and so, when they were permitted to
return to the Philippines, although their power to administer parishes was restricted except in the remote regions of
Mindanao, the privilege of founding colleges, they had to apply to the City of Manila for subsidies. That is why the college
which began to function in the year 1865, was called the Ateneo Municipal.

To enter the Ateneo a candidate was subjected to an entrance examination on Christian doctrine, reading, writing,
grammar, and elementary arithmetic. Jose did not take his entrance examinations Jose did not remain in Manila but
returned first to his town to celebrate the fiesta of its patron saint; it was then that his father changed his mind and
decided to send him to the Ateneo instead.

Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, had come under suspicion of the authorities because it was the name used
by Paciano when he was studying and working with Father Burgos, in whose house he lived, Jose adopted the second
surname, Rizal.

Paciano who accompanied Jose, found him a house in Walled City, but Intramuros looked gloomy to Jose, and he later
found lodging outside, in the house of a spinster situated on Calle Carballo, district of Santa Cruz. As if chance would
furnish him data for his future campaigns, he became acquainted in that house with various mestizos, begotten by friars.

The Jesuitical system of instruction was considered more advanced than that of other colleges in that epoch. Its discipline
was rigid and its methods less mechanical. It introduced physical culture as part of its program as well as the cultivation of
the arts, such as music, drawing, and painting. It also establishes vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, and
mechanics as a religious institute, its principal purpose was to mold the character and the will of the boys to comply more
easily with the percepts of the Church. The students heard mass before the beginning of the class, which was opened and
closed with prayers.

In the first two terms the classes were divided into groups of interns and externs: the first constituted the Roman Empire
and the second, the Carthaginian Empire. In each empire there were five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, Decurion,
Centurion, and Standard-Bearer. These dignities were won by means of individual competitions in which it was necessary
to catch one’s adversary in error three times. The empires considered themselves in perpetual warfare, and when an
individual of one empire was caught in error by one belonging to the enemy empire, a point was counted in favor of the
latter. At the end of each week or two, the points in favor of each were added and the empire, which obtained more point,
was declared winner.

There was a fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis Gonzaga, to which only those who distinguished themselves in the class for
their piety and diligence could belong. This fraternity met on Sundays and after mass held public programs in which poems
were recited or debates were held. With all these inducements it was only natural that should be a spirit of emulation, a
striving to surpass ones colleagues found in the Ateneo.

The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he describes as a man of high stature; lean body, bent forward;
quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin lips forming an arch
with its sides directed toward the chin." He was somewhat of a lunatic and of an uneven humor; sometimes he was hard
and little tolerant and at other times he was gay and playful as a child. Among Jose’s classmates were Peninsulares and
sons of Peninsulares; Francisco G. Oliva, very talented but not very studious; Joaquin Garrido, endowed with a poor
memory but with much talent and industry; and Gonzalo Marzano, who occupied the throne of Emperor.

From the first days Jose learned to systematize his work; he fixed a program of what he had to do in the twenty-four hours
of the day and did not in the least deviate from it. Thus he disciplined his will and subjected it to the commands of his
reason.

As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the class, but he was soon promoted and kept on being promoted so
that at the end of one month he had attained to the rank of Emperor. At the end of the term he obtained marks of
excellent in all the subjects and in the examinations. He had reason to feel proud of his advancement; and so when he
went home on vacation that year, he ran alone to see his mother in the prison and tell her the happy news.

He must have uttered this exclamation on learning from his mother that they had played her a mean trick. The judge, who
was a blind partisan of the friars having been a domestic of theirs, told her that if she confessed her culpability he would
release her at once. With the desire to see her children again, she pleaded guilty; but the judge, instead of releasing her,
convicted her. In a few months the judge asked her forgiveness for what he had done because according to him his
conscience hurt him, but the case had no remedy because it was already on appeal.

The second year, Jose had the same professor as in the previous year; but instead of lodging outside the City, he resided
at No. 6 Calle Magallanes. At the end of the term he obtained a medal, and upon returning to his town, he again visited his
mother in jail alone. This was three months before her release.

The rejoicing that her release produced in his spirit had much influence on the result of his studies in the third year, for he
began to win prizes in the quarterly examinations.

About that time he devoted himself to reading novels, and one of those he enjoyed most was Dumas’ (father) The Count of
Monte Cristo. The sufferings of the hero of the twelve years. He also asked his father to buy him a copy of The Universal
History by Cesar Cantanu, and according to himself he profited much from its perusal.

The family, who saw in Jose great aptitude for study, decided to place him as intern or boarding student in the college the
following year. In the corner of the dormitory facing the sea and the pier Jose passed his two years of internship.

In the fourth year of his course he had Fr. Francisco Sanchez as professor. Jose describes him as a model of rectitude, a
solicitude, and love for the student, and his studied mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek, and he must have progressed
much, for at the end of the year he-obtained five medals, which pleased him immensely because with them I could repay
my father somewhat for his sacrifices.

His aptitude for poetry revealed itself early, and from that time on he did not cease to cultivate it.

An incident which demonstrates Jose’s independence of character took place at this time. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, parish priest
of the town, who was a great friend of his father, also liked Jose as a little friend. He was cultured but at the same time
timid and tender. One day Jose’s mother showed Father Lopez a poem of his young friend and that the latter must have
copied it from a book. Jose, who heard this, answered the priest violently, for which his mother reprehended him.
Afterward Father Lopez came to know from the Jesuits themselves that Jose was a pupil who excelled in poetry; and, in
spite of his age, made a trip to Manila expressly to apologize to Jose. That gesture of Father Lopez’ won him Jose’s esteem
and they became good friends again, lending each other the books they had.

In the fifth years Jose had other professors: Frs. Vilaclara and Mineves. He studied philosophy, physics, chemistry, and
natural history, but his devotion to poetry was such that his professor in philosophy advised him once to leave it, which
made him cry. But in his rest hours he continued cultivating the Muses under the direction of his old professor, Father
Sanchez. Jose had then written a short story (leyenda), which was only slightly corrected by his professor, and a dialogue,
which was enacted at the end of the course, alluding to the collegians’ farewell. However, philosophy, just and serve,
inquiring into the wherefores of things, interested him as much as poetry; physics, drawing back the veil that divine drama
of nature was enacted, natural history seemed to him somewhat uninteresting although he much liked the shells and
sometimes imagined seeing a goddess in each shell he was on the shelf.

Jose was considered small of stature and he tried to correct this defect by applying himself regularly to gymnastics in the
college. He also engaged in other physical exercises, such as fencing. After his baccalaureate, he surprised his family with
his skill in handling the sword when he gave an exhibition bout with the best swordsman of the town.

He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In drawing and painting he was under the guidance and direction of the
Ateneo professor, the Peninsula Don Augustin Saez, who honored him with his affection and consideration because of his
progress. In sculpture his instructor was a Filipino, Romualdo de Jesus, who felt proud in the last years of his life of having
had such an excellent pupil.
A pleasant fun I found;
Memories of My Town At your rustic temple I prayed
With a little boy's simple faith
When I recall the days
And your aura's flawless breath
That saw my childhood of yore
Filled my heart with joy profound.
Beside the verdant shore
Saw I God in the grandeur
Of a murmuring lagoon;
Of your woods which for centuries stand;
When I remember the sighs
Never did I understand
Of the breeze that on my brow
In your bosom what sorrows were;
Sweet and caressing did blow
While I gazed on your azure sky
With coolness full of delight;
Neither love nor tenderness
Failed me, 'cause my happiness
When I look at the lily white
In the heart of nature rests there.
Fills up with air violent
And the stormy element
Tender childhood, beautiful town,
On the sand doth meekly sleep;
Rich fountain of happiness,
When sweet 'toxicating scent
Of harmonious melodies,
From the flowers I inhale
That drive away my sorrow!
Which at the dawn they exhale
Return thee to my heart,
When at us it begins to peep;
Bring back my gentle hours
As do the birds when the flow'rs
I sadly recall your face,
Would again begin to blow!
Oh precious infancy,
But, alas, adieu! E'er watch
That a mother lovingly
For your peace, joy and repose,
Did succeed to embellish.
Genius of good who kindly dispose
I remember a simple town;
Of his blessings with amour;
My cradle, joy and boon,
It's for thee my fervent pray'rs,
Beside the cool lagoon
It's for thee my constant desire
The seat of all my wish.
Knowledge ever to acquire
And may God keep your candour!
Oh, yes! With uncertain pace
I trod your forest lands,
And on your river banks
 ones colleagues found in the Ateneo.
Life and Studies at Ateneo
The first professor Jose had was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he
The Jesuits were considered the best educators of Spain,
describes as a man of high stature; lean body, bent
and perhaps of Europe, and so, when they were
forward; quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and
permitted to return to the Philippines, although their
inspired; small, sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin
power to administer parishes was restricted except in
lips forming an arch with its sides directed toward the
the remote regions of Mindanao, the privilege of
chin." He was somewhat of a lunatic and of an uneven
founding colleges, they had to apply to the City of
humor; sometimes he was hard and little tolerant and at
Manila for subsidies. That is why the college which
other times he was gay and playful as a child. Among
began to function in the year 1865, was called the
Jose’s classmates were Peninsulares and sons of
Ateneo Municipal.
Peninsulares; Francisco G. Oliva, very talented but not
very studious; Joaquin Garrido, endowed with a poor
To enter the Ateneo a candidate was subjected to an
memory but with much talent and industry; and Gonzalo
entrance examination on Christian doctrine, reading,
Marzano, who occupied the throne of Emperor.
writing, grammar, and elementary arithmetic. Jose did
not take his entrance examinations Jose did not remain
From the first days Jose learned to systematize his
in Manila but returned first to his town to celebrate the
work; he fixed a program of what he had to do in the
fiesta of its patron saint; it was then that his father
twenty-four hours of the day and did not in the least
changed his mind and decided to send him to the Ateneo
deviate from it. Thus he disciplined his will and
instead.
subjected it to the commands of his reason.
Since Mercado, the first surname of the family, had
As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the
come under suspicion of the authorities because it was
class, but he was soon promoted and kept on being
the name used by Paciano when he was studying and
promoted so that at the end of one month he had
working with Father Burgos, in whose house he lived,
attained to the rank of Emperor. At the end of the term
Jose adopted the second surname, Rizal.
he obtained marks of excellent in all the subjects and in
the examinations. He had reason to feel proud of his
Paciano who accompanied Jose, found him a house in
advancement; and so when he went home on vacation
Walled City, but Intramuros looked gloomy to Jose, and
that year, he ran alone to see his mother in the prison
he later found lodging outside, in the house of a spinster
and tell her the happy news.
situated on Calle Carballo, district of Santa Cruz. As if
chance would furnish him data for his future campaigns,
He must have uttered this exclamation on learning from
he became acquainted in that house with various
his mother that they had played her a mean trick. The
mestizos, begotten by friars.
judge, who was a blind partisan of the friars having been
a domestic of theirs, told her that if she confessed her
The Jesuitical system of instruction was considered more
culpability he would release her at once. With the desire
advanced than that of other colleges in that epoch. Its
to see her children again, she pleaded guilty; but the
discipline was rigid and its methods less mechanical. It
judge, instead of releasing her, convicted her. In a few
introduced physical culture as part of its program as well
months the judge asked her forgiveness for what he had
as the cultivation of the arts, such as music, drawing,
done because according to him his conscience hurt him,
and painting. It also establishes vocational courses in
but the case had no remedy because it was already on
agriculture, commerce, and mechanics as a religious
appeal.
institute, its principal purpose was to mold the character
and the will of the boys to comply more easily with the
The second year, Jose had the same professor as in the
percepts of the Church. The students heard mass before
previous year; but instead of lodging outside the City,
the beginning of the class, which was opened and closed
he resided at No. 6 Calle Magallanes. At the end of the
with prayers.
term he obtained a medal, and upon returning to his
town, he again visited his mother in jail alone. This was
In the first two terms the classes were divided into
three months before her release.
groups of interns and externs: the first constituted the
Roman Empire and the second, the Carthaginian Empire.
The rejoicing that her release produced in his spirit had
In each empire there were five dignitaries: Emperor,
much influence on the result of his studies in the third
Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer.
year, for he began to win prizes in the quarterly
These dignities were won by means of individual
examinations.
competitions in which it was necessary to catch one’s
adversary in error three times. The empires considered
About that time he devoted himself to reading novels,
themselves in perpetual warfare, and when an individual
and one of those he enjoyed most was Dumas’ (father)
of one empire was caught in error by one belonging to
The Count of Monte Cristo. The sufferings of the hero of
the enemy empire, a point was counted in favor of the
the twelve years. He also asked his father to buy him a
latter. At the end of each week or two, the points in
copy of The Universal History by Cesar Cantanu, and
favor of each were added and the empire, which
according to himself he profited much from its perusal.
obtained more point, was declared winner.
The family, who saw in Jose great aptitude for study,
There was a fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis Gonzaga,
decided to place him as intern or boarding student in the
to which only those who distinguished themselves in the
college the following year. In the corner of the dormitory
class for their piety and diligence could belong. This
facing the sea and the pier Jose passed his two years of
fraternity met on Sundays and after mass held public
internship.
programs in which poems were recited or debates were
held. With all these inducements it was only natural that
In the fourth year of his course he had Fr. Francisco
should be a spirit of emulation, a striving to surpass
Sanchez as professor. Jose describes him as a model of
rectitude, a solicitude, and love for the student, and his
studied mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek, and he must
have progressed much, for at the end of the year he-
obtained five medals, which pleased him immensely
because with them I could repay my father somewhat
for his sacrifices.

His aptitude for poetry revealed itself early, and from

that time on he did not cease to cultivate it.

An incident which demonstrates Jose’s independence of

character took place at this time. Fr. Leoncio Lopez,
parish priest of the town, who was a great friend of his
father, also liked Jose as a little friend. He was cultured
but at the same time timid and tender. One day Jose’s
mother showed Father Lopez a poem of his young friend
and that the latter must have copied it from a book.
Jose, who heard this, answered the priest violently, for
which his mother reprehended him. Afterward Father
Lopez came to know from the Jesuits themselves that
Jose was a pupil who excelled in poetry; and, in spite of
his age, made a trip to Manila expressly to apologize to
Jose. That gesture of Father Lopez’ won him Jose’s
esteem and they became good friends again, lending
each other the books they had.

In the fifth years Jose had other professors: Frs.

Vilaclara and Mineves. He studied philosophy, physics,
chemistry, and natural history, but his devotion to
poetry was such that his professor in philosophy advised
him once to leave it, which made him cry. But in his rest
hours he continued cultivating the Muses under the
direction of his old professor, Father Sanchez. Jose had
then written a short story (leyenda), which was only
slightly corrected by his professor, and a dialogue, which
was enacted at the end of the course, alluding to the
collegians’ farewell. However, philosophy, just and
serve, inquiring into the wherefores of things, interested
him as much as poetry; physics, drawing back the veil
that divine drama of nature was enacted, natural history
seemed to him somewhat uninteresting although he
much liked the shells and sometimes imagined seeing a
goddess in each shell he was on the shelf.

Jose was considered small of stature and he tried to

correct this defect by applying himself regularly to
gymnastics in the college. He also engaged in other
physical exercises, such as fencing. After his
baccalaureate, he surprised his family with his skill in
handling the sword when he gave an exhibition bout
with the best swordsman of the town.

He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In

drawing and painting he was under the guidance and
direction of the Ateneo professor, the Peninsula Don
Augustin Saez, who honored him with his affection and
consideration because of his progress. In sculpture his
instructor was a Filipino, Romualdo de Jesus, who felt
proud in the last years of his life of having had such an
excellent pupil.