Chapter 3

EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BIÑAN

Chapter 3 – Rizal’s Early Education in Calamba and Biñan

Teaching was characterized by four R’s :

 Reading
 Writing
 Aritmetic
 Religion
Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into
the minds of pupil.
By means of tedius memory method aided by teachers
whips.
Education in spanish era:

 Primary level to the tertiary level of education

 Schools focused on the Christian Doctrines

 Separate school for boys and girls

 Wealthy Filipino or the ilustrados were accommodated in

the schools
The Hero’s First Teacher

 The first teacher of rizal was her

mother

 A remarkable woman of good

character and fine culture

 Rizal at the age of 3 leared the

alphabet and prayers.

 Doña Teodora dicovered

Jose’s talent for poetry and
encourage him to write
Private tutors of rizal

 Maestro Celestino was Jose’s first private

tutor.

 Maestro Lucas Padua was second private

tutor

 Maestro Leon Monroy became the hero’s

tutor in spanish and latin. he was the
clasmate of Don Francisco (died 5 months
later)
Private tutors of rizal

 Uncle Jose Alberto – gave wise

direction in the studies of Jose

 Uncle Gregorio – instilled into the mind

of Jose the love for education.

Work hard and perform every task very carefully; learn to be

swift as well as thorough; be independent is thinking; and make
visual pictures of everything.
Private tutors of rizal

 Tio Manuel Alberto- seeing Jose was frail in nature, concerned

himself with the physical development of his nephew

 He also taught Jose to love for open air and admiration for
the beauty of nature.

 When Don Leon died; Jose’s parents decided to send him to

a private school in Biñan
Jose Goes to Biñan

 June 1869 – Jose goes to Biñan

with Paciano

 Carromata – transportation

 Lodged at her aunt’s house

First day in Biñan school

 School of Maestro Justiniano

Aquino Cruz – formal teacher

 Rizal Described his Maestro as tall,

thin, long necked, sharp-nosed,
with a body slightly bent forward.

 The school was in maestro’s house

First school Brawl

 Pedro (teachers son) (bully) – wrestling

 Andres Saladan- arm wrestling

 Jose never run away from a fight

Painting lessons in Biñan

 Near the school was the house of an old

painter, Father inlaw of the school
teacher
 Old Juancho
 Freely gave Jose painting lessons
 Jose Rizal and his classmate Jose
Guevarra become apprentices of old
Jauncho.
Daily life in Biñan
Jose’s Daily Routine:
 Hears mass at 4 a.m or studies lesson before going to mass
 Goes to orchard to look for a mabolo to eat
 Breakfast
 Goes to class at 10a.m
 Lunch break
 Goes back to school at 2p.m
 Goes home at 5p.m
 Studies lesson and draws a little
 Has supper
 Prays again
 Plays in the street if moon is bright
 Sleeps
Best Student in School

 Jose surpassed his classmates in spanish, latin

and other subjects

 His older classmates were jealous and squealed

to the teacher whenever he had fights

 Jose usually receives five to six blows.

End of Biñan Schooling

 December 17, 1870 Jose left Biñan after one year and
a half schooling in that town.

 Jose recieves letter from Saturnina

 Talim- the steamer that Jose rode

 Arturo Camps- frenchman and a friend of Don

Francisco, took care of jose during the trip.
Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za

 January 20 1872- Cavite mutiny

 February 17 1872- Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose

Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora were implicated and
executed

 Leaders of Secular movement. To filipinize the

Philippine parishes
Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za
Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za

 They inspired Rizal to fight the evils of

spanish tyranny

 Later in 1891, Rizal dedicated his second

novel elfilibusterismo, to GomBurZa.
Injustice to Hero’s Mother

 In 1872, Doña Teodora was arrested on

malicious charge that she aided his brother
Jose Alberto in trying to poison his wife

 Jose Alberto planned to divorce his wife

because of her infidelity

 Jose Alberto’s wife connived with the Spanish

lieutenant of guardia civil and filed a case
againts Rizal’s mother
Injustice to Hero’s Mother

 Antonio Vivencio del Rosario-Gobernadorcillio of

Calamba, helped the lieutenant arrest Doña
Teodora

 50 kilometers -Doña Teodora was made to walk

from calamba to the provincial prison in Santa
Cruz
Thank you for listening…
CHAPTER 4:
Scholastic Triumphs
at
Ateneo de Manila (1872 – 1877
)
 4 months after the execution of Gom-Bur-

Za and with Doña Teodora still in prison

 Jose, was sent to Manila

 He studied in the Ateneo Municipal

 Under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits

 Bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College

of San Juan de Letran

 Formerly Escuela Pia (Charity School)

 Established by City Government in 1817 for

poor boys in manila

 1768 Jesuits expelled from Philippines

 Returned to Manila in 1859

 Later, became Ateneo de Manila

Rizal Enters the Ateneo
 June 10, 1872 - Entrance Exam

 Father Magin Ferrando, College Registrar

 Manuel Xerez Burgos, (nephew of Father Burgos)

 He use “Rizal” as his surname instead of

Mercado

 Boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on

Caraballo Street, (25 mins. away from college)

 Titay (a spinster) owned the boarding house,

and owed the Rizal’s family the amount of P300
Jesuit System of Education
 Promotes physical culture, humanities, and
scientific studies

 Vocational courses on agriculture,

commerce, mechanics and surveying

 Religiously operate the school

- mass every morning
- classes/subjects are open & close with
prayer

 Students were divided into two:

Roman Empire – Internos (boarders)

Carthaginian Empire – Externos (non-

Each empires had its Ranks:
 Best Student – Emperor;
 2nd Best – Tribune;
 3rd Best – Decurion;
 4th Best – Centurion;
 5th Best – Standard Bearer;

 Student could challenge any officer in his

“empire” to answer questions on the day’s
lesson

 Failure to answer correctly (3) times, an

officer could lose his position
Both banners were used equally in the classroom:

1st defeat – left side of the room

2nd – Inferior position on the right side

3rd – Inclined flag was placed on the left

4th – Flag was reversed and returned to the

right

5th – Reversed flag was placed on the left

6th – Banner was changed with a figure of a

donkey

 Uniform
“hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”
 Coat material was called “rayadillo” – famous uniform
Rizal's First Year in Ateneo (1872 -

1873)

 June, 1872, first day of class in Ateneo

 Fr. Jose Bech, first professor of Rizal

 He was an externo and was assigned to Carthaginians

 At the end of the month he became "emperor"

 He was the brightness pupil in the whole class

 He took private lessons in Santa Isabel College and

paid three pesos for extra Spanish lessons

 He placed seconds at the end of the year although his

grades were marked "Excellent"
Summer Vacation (1873)
 March 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for
summer vacation.

 His sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to

Tanawan to cheer him up

 Visited his mother in prison at Santa Cruz

without telling his father

 After vacation, he returned to Manila for his 2nd

year term in Ateneo

 He boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6

Magallanes Street

 Dona Pepay was his landlady, an old widow with

a widowed daughter and 4 sons.
Second Year in Ateneo (1873 –

1874)

 He repented having neglected his studies the

previous year because he was offended by the
teacher’s remarks.

 Rizal studied harder, and once more he became

an “emperor” after losing his class leadership

 He had 3 classmates from Binan who had also

been his classmates in the school of Maestro
Justiniano

 At the end of the school year, he received

excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal
Teenage Interest in Reading
 During the summer vacation in Calamba (1874)

 1st favorite novel of Rizal “The Count of Monte Cristo” by

Alexander Dumas

 A voracious reader

 Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled “Universal History”

 “Travels in the Philippines” by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a

German scientist-traveler (1859 – 1860)
3rd Year in Ateneo (1874 – 1875)
 Shortly after the opening of classes, his mother
was released from prison.

 In the previous years, Rizal did not make an

excellent showing in his studies

 He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his

spoken was not fluently sonorous

 March, 1875 Rizal returned to Calamba for

summer vacation
4th Year in Ateneo (1875 – 1876)
 June 16, 1875

 He became an interno in Ateneo

 Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez inspired him to

study harder and write poetry

"model of uprightness, earnestness and love

for the advancement of his pupils"

 Rizal won five medals

Last Year in Ateneo (1876 – 1877)
 June 1876, last year of Rizal in Ateneo

 He was truly "the pride of the Jesuits"

 Obtained highest grades in all subjects

Graduation with Highest Honors

 "Excellent" scholastic records from 1872 to 1877

 March 23, 1877, Commencement Day

 Received the degree of Bachelor of Arts with

highest honors
Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo
 An "emperor" inside the classroom and campus leader
outside

 Secretary of the Marian Congregation

 Member of Academy of Spanish Literature and the

Academy of Natural Sciences

 Studied painting under the famous Spanish painter

Agustin Saez (left photo)

 Sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus (right photo),

noted Filipino sculptor

 Engaged in gymnastics and fencing

 Father Jose Vilaclara advised him to stop communing

with the muses and pay more attention to practical
studies such as philosophy and natural science
Sculptural Works in Ateneo
 Carved an image of The Virgin Mary on a piece of
“batikuling” (Philippine hardwood)

 Father Lleonart requested him to carve an image of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus

 The old Jesuit forgot to take the image with him to

Spain

 Ateneo boarding students placed the image on the

door of the dormitory and remain there for many years
Anecdotes of Rizal
 Felix M. Ramos – one of Rizal’s contemporaries in
Ateneo

 Manuel Xerex Burgos – whose house Rizal boarded

shortly before he became an interno in Ateneo

Poems Written in Ateneo

 Mi Primera Inspiration (My First Inspiration) – the
first poem Rizal probably wrote during his days in Ateneo.
In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, he wrote more
poems such as:

 Filicitacion (Felicitation)

 El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes

(The Departure Hymn to Magellan’s fleet)

 Y Es Espanol: Elcano, the first to

circumnavigate the world)

 El Combate: Urbiztondo Terror de Jolo (The

Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)
In 1876, Rizal wrote poems on various topics:

 Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblu (In Memory of My Town)

 Alianza Intima Entre la Region Y La Buena Educacion

(Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education)

 Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre La Patria (Through

Education the Country Receive Light)

 E Cultivero Y El Triunfo (The Captivity and the Triumph:

Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil)

 La Entrada Triuntal de Los Reyes Catolices en Granada

(The Triumphal Entry of The Catholic Monarches into
Granada)
A year later, in 1877 he wrote more poems:

 El Heroismo de Colon (The heroism of

Colombus)

 Colon y Juan II (Colombus and John II )

 Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great

Solace in Great Misfortune)

 Un Diarogo Alusivo a la Despedida de los

Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogue of the
Students)
“My First Inspiration”
Why falls so rich a spray
of fragrance from the bowers
of the balmy flowers
upon this festive day?
Why from woods and vales
do we hear sweet measures ringing
that seem to be the singing
of a choir of nightingales?
Why in the grass below
do birds start at the wind's noises,
unleashing their honeyed voices
as they hop from bough to bough?
Why should the spring that glows
its crystalline murmur be tuning
to the zephyr's mellow crooning
as among the flowers it flows?
Why seems to me more
endearing,
more fair than on other days,
the dawn's enchanting face
among red clouds appearing?
The reason, dear mother, is
they feast your day of bloom:
the rose with its perfume,
the bird with its harmonies.
And the spring that rings with
laughter
upon this joyful day
with its murmur seems to say:
"Live happily ever after!"
And from that spring in the
grove
now turn to hear the first note
that from my lute I emote
to the impulse of my love.
Dramatic Work in Ateneo
 Father Sanchez, his favorite teacher ask him to
write a drama based on the prose story of St.
Eustace the Martyr

 Summer 1876 in Calamba, he wrote the religious

drama in poetic verses

 June 2 1876, finished the manuscript

 He submitted the finished manuscript entitled

“San Eustacio, Martir” (St. Eustace, the Martyr) to
Father Sanchez in his last academic year in Ateneo
First Romance of Rizal

 16 years old, experienced his first romance

 Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14 years old Batanguena

from Lipa

 Sister of his friend Mariano Katigbak

 His sister Olimpia was a close friend of Segunda in La

Concordia College
First Romance of Rizal
 Segunda was already engaged to Manuel Luz

 His first romance was ruined by his own shyness and

reserve

 Segunda returned to Lipa and later married Manuel Luz

 Rizal remained in Calamba, a frustrated lover, cherishing

nostalgic memories of lost love
CHAPTER 4:
Scholastic Triumphs
at
Ateneo de Manila (1872 –
1877 )

End of present
CHAPTER 5

RIZAL’S HIGHER
EDUCATION
MEDICAL STUDIES AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF
SANTO TOMAS.
COURSES ENROLLED BY RIZAL
Philosophy and Letters
Medicine
RIZAL’S ENTERS THE
UNIVERSITY
April1877, Rizal who was then nearly
16 years old, matriculated in the
University of Santo Tomas , taking
course on Philosophy and Letters.
TWO REASON WHY HE ENROLLED THE
COURSE. (PHILOSOPHY AND LETTERS)

 His Father Like it.

 He was still uncertain as what career to pursue.
 1877 – 1878
- Rizal studied cosmology, metaphysics, theodicy, and history of
philosophy during his first term.

1878 – 1879
- Rizal took up medical course upon the advice of Ateneo’s rector to
study medicine.

Fr. Pablo Ramon – Rector of Ateneo.

FINISHES SURVEYING COURSE IN ATENEO
(1878)
 While Rizal was studying at UST, he also studied in Ateneo. He
took the vocational course leading to the title of “Perito
Agrimensor” (Expert Surveyor).
 He excelled in all subjects in the surveying course obtaining gold
medals in Agriculture and Topography.
 Vocational Courses:
1. Agriculture
2. Mechanics
3. Commerce
4. Surveying
 At the age of 17, he passed the final exam in the
surveying course but could not be granted the title as
Surveyor because he was under age.

 November 25, 1881 - the title as Surveyor to Rizal

 Extra-Curricular Activities:
1. President, Academy of Spanish Literature.
2. Secretary, Academy of Natural Sciences.
3. Secretary, Marian Congregation.
 ROMANCES WITH OTHER GIRLS
 Segunda Katigbak
 Miss L - fair with seductive and attractive eyes.
Reasons: 1. The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart.
2. His father did not like the family of Miss L.
 Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela - a medical student from Calamba, Laguna.

- daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela.

- Tall girl with a regal bearing.
- Rizal sent Leonor a love notes written in invisible ink.
 Leonor Rivera - Rizal’s cousin from Camiling.
- born in Camiling, tarlac on April 11, 1867.
- a student of La Concordia College where Rizal’s sister, Soledad was then
studying.
- frail, pretty girl, and tender as a budding flower with kindly wistful eyes.
 Taimis - Leonor’s pseudonym in order to camouflage their intimate
relationship from their parents and friends.
 Rizal lived in: Casa Tomasina No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros.

 Antonio Rivero – Rizal’s landlord-uncle. (father of Leonor Rivera).

 OTHER LITERARY WORKS.
- “Junto Al Pasig” (Besides the Pasig)
(Zarzuela)staged by the Ateneans on December 8, 1880 of the Annual Celebration of
the Feast Day of Immaculate Concepcion (Patroness of Ateneo).

- A Filipinas
(a sonnet, 1880) Rizal urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines.

- Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma
(poem, 1879) 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
- (a poem, 1881) Rizal wrote a poem as an expression of affection to
Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo Rector, who had been so kind and
helpful to him.
DECISION TO STUDY ABROAD.
- After finishing the Fourth Year of his medical course, Rizal decided to
study in Spain. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry,
discrimination, and hostility in the University of Santo Tomas. He did not
seek his parent’s permission and blessings to go abroad; and even his
beloved Leonor.
 Rizal is being disgusted with the
antiquated method of instruction of
the Dominican professors to Filipino
students so he decided to continue his
studies in Spain.
 Rizal’s Secret Mission
 He went to Spain to observe keenly the
life and culture, languages and
customs, industries and commerce,
and governments and laws of the
European nations to prepare himself in
the mighty task of liberating his
oppressed people from Spanish
tyranny.
 Secret Departure For Spain
 He’s departure in Spain was kept secret to avoid
detection by Spanish authorities and the friars. His
parents don’t even know because he knew that his
mother won’t allow him to go.
 Before his secret departure, he wrote a farewell
letter to his parents and to his sweetheart Leonor
Rivera.
 May 3, 1882- he departed on board the Spanish
steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore with tears
in his eyes and gloom in his heart.
 Singapore
 During the voyage to Singapore, he carefully
observed the people and things on board
the steamer.
 To remove or ease his boredom, Rizal played
chess with his fellow passengers who were
older than him and because he was good at
chess he defeated them all.
 From Singapore to Colombo
 In Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship
Djemnah, a French steamer. It was a larger and
cleaner vessel which carried more passengers.
 On board, because it was a French vessel, and the
majority of the passengers were French-speaking.
He attempted to converse with his fellow
passengers with French, but he was surprised and
embarrassed because he found out his book that
he learned at the Ateneo could not be understood.
 From Singapore to Colombo
 By conversing daily with the French passengers, he
was able to improve his knowledge of different
languages.
 He delightfully scribbled on his diary: “Colombo is
more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore,
Point Galle, and Manila.”
 First Trip Through Suez Canal
 For the first time, Rizal sighted the barren
coast of Africa, which he called an
“inhospitable but famous.”
 At Port Said, the Mediterranean terminal of
the Suez canal, Rizal landed in order to see
the interesting sights.
 Naples and Marseilles
 His first impression of Barcelona, was
unfavorable. He thought that it was ugly,
with dirty little inns and inhospitable
residents. Later, he changed his bad
impression and he found it to be really a
great city, with an atmosphere of freedom
and liberalism, and its people were open-
hearted, hospitable and courageous.
 “Amor Patrio”
 In progressive Barcelona, Rizal wrote a
nationalistic essay entitled “Amor Patrio”
(Love of country), his first article written on
Spain’s soul.
 “Amor Patrio” was under his pen-name
Laong Laan, appeared in print Diariong
Tagalog on August 20, 1882.
 Manila Moves to Madrid
 While sojourning in Barcelona, Rizal received
sad news about the cholera that was ravaging
Manila and the provinces.
 Many people had died and more were dying
daily.
 Another sad news from the Philippines was the
chatty letter from Chengoy recounting the
unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was getting
thinner because of the absence of a loved one.
 Life in Madrid
 November 3, 1882- Rizal enrolled in the Universidad
Sentral de Madrid(Central University of Madrid) in
two courses---Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.
 He budgeted his money and time. He lived frugally,
spending his money on food, clothing, lodging and
books---never wasting a peseta for gambling, wine,
and women.
 He spent his leisure time reading and writing at his
boarding house, attending the reunions of Filipino
students at the House of the Paterno Brother’s and
practicing fencing and shooting at the gymnasium.
 Romance with Consuelo Ortiga y
Perez
 Rizal was not a handsome man but he possess an aura
of charisma due to his many-splendored talents and
novel characters which made him attractive to
romantic young women.
 Before his romance with Consuelo could blossom to a
serious affair, he suddenly backed-out for two reasons:
(1)he was still engage to Leonora Rivera; and (2)his
friend and co-worker in the Propaganda Movement,
Eduardo De Lete was madely inlove with Consuelo and
he nourished to break their friendship because of a
pretty girl.
 “They Ask Me for Verses”
 In 1882 after his arrival in Madrid he
joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino
(Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society
of Spaniards and Filipinos.
 He wrote a poem entitled “Me Piden
Versos” (They Ask Me For Verses)
 Rizal as Lover of Books
 A favorite pastime of Rizal in Madrid
was reading.
 He economize on his living expenses
and with the money he saved he
purchase books from a secondhand
bookstore owned by a certain Senyor
Roses. He was able to build a fair-sized
private library
Rizal’s First Visit to Paris (1883)
 Rizal was mistaken by the Parisians as a
Japanese.
 The prices of food, drinks, theater, tickets,
laundry, hotel accommodations and
transportation were too high for his slender
purse so that he commented in a letter to his
family: “Paris is the costliest capital in
Europe.”
 Rizal as a Mason
 He transferred to Lodge Solidaridad
(Madrid), where he became a master
mason on November 15, 1890.
 As a mason, he played a lukewarm role
in Free Masonry, unlike M.H del Pilar,
G. Lopez-Jaena, and Mariano Ponce
who were very active in Masonic affairs.
 Financial Worries
 After his departure for Spain, things turn from bad to
worse in Calamba.
 The harvest of rice and sugarcane failed on account of
drought and locusts and the manager of the
Dominican-owned hacienda increased the rentals of
the lands cultivated by the Rizal Family.
 Due to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances
of Rizal in Madrid were late in arrival and there were
times when they never arrive, causing much suffering
to him.
 Financial Worries
 A touching in his life in Madrid occurred on
June 24, 1884 because he was broke and
unable to take breakfast that day.
 With an empty stomach he attended his
class at the university, participated in the
contest in Greek language and won the gold
medal. In the evening of the same day, he
was able to eat dinner, for he was a guest
speaker.
Rizal’s Salute to Luna and Hidalgo
 Speaking in sonorous Castilian, Rizal
held his audience spellbound.
 He saluted Luna and Hidalgo as the
two glories of Spain and the
Philippines, whose artistic
achievements transcended
geographical frontiers and racial
origins, for genius is universal.
 Rizal Involved in Student
Demonstrations
 November 20-22, 1884-the serene city
of Madrid exploded in bloody riots by
the students of the central university
that were caused by the address of Dr.
Morayta
 Studies Completed in Spain
 He completed his medical course in Spain. He was
conferred the Degree of Licentiate in Medicine by
the Universidad Sentral de Madrid on June 21, 1884.
 The next academic year (1884-1885) he studied and
passed all the subjects leading to the degree of
Doctor of Medicine.
 At long last, he completed his studies in Spain.
 By obtaining the Degree of Licentiate in
Philosophy and Letters, he is qualified to be a
professor of humanities in any Spanish University
Thank you. 