. . .

Advent of the National Hero

Chapter 1

• Dr. Jose P. Rizal

• Spoke over 20 languages
• Not only a hero and political martyr
• Many-splendored genius
• A man with many talents
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• PHYSICIAN
He treated several patients afflicted not only with eye diseases.
• OPHTHALMOLOGIST
He graduated in an ophthalmologic college in Spain.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• POET
Rizal wrote over 35 poems including his famous Ultimo Adios.
• HISTORIAN
His annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas entitled him as one.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• FARMER-BUSINESSMAN
He had a partner in Dapitan in the Abaca business there (1892-1896).
• SCULPTOR
His works of his father and of Father Guerrico, S. J. typified his sculptural ability.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• CARTOGRAPHER
He drew maps of Dapitan, The Philippines and other places he visited.
• BIBLIOPHILE
He had a big library and brought many books abroad.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• PHILOLOGIST
Rizal loved of learning and literature is unequalled.
• PHILOSOPHER
Rizal not only loved wisdom but also regulated his life and enjoyed calmness of the life at all times.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• HUMORIST
There are many humorous incidents in the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
• TRAVELER
He traveled around the world three times.
• RIZAL: A MANY-SPLENDORED GENIUS
• SPORTSMAN
He fenced with Europeans and Juan Luna and other friends in Europe.
He played chess and bear several Germans and European friends and acquaintances.
He could shoot a target 20 meters away.
• And the list
goes on and on…
• BIRTH OF A HERO
• June 19, 1861 – Rizal was born
• June 22, 1861 – Rizal was baptized
• Father Rufino Collantes – baptized Rizal
• Father Pedro Casanas – Rizal’s godfather
• RIZAL’S BIG HEAD?
• RIZAL’S FAMILY
• Francisco Mercado Rizal
• Rizal’s father
• Born on May 11, 1818
• Studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose
• Became a tenant in Calamba
• Francisco Mercado Rizal
• Died on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80
• Teodora Alonso Realonda
• Rizal’s mother
• Born on November 8, 1826
• Studied at the College of Santa Rosa
• Died on August 26, 1911 at the age of 85
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
-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

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
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

• Rizal was called “The Great Malayan”

• actually had Negrito, Malay, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish blood
• Predominantly, he was a Malayan
• PATERNAL SIDE
• Domingo Lamco
– Rizal’s great-great-grandfather
– A Chinese immigrant from Chiangchow
– Arrived in Manila in about 1690
– Was baptized, married Ines dela Rosa
– Took the surname “Mercado” in 1731
• PATERNAL SIDE
• Francisco Mercado
– Son of Domingo and Ines
– Rizal’s great-grandfather
– Married Cirila Bernacha
– Resided in Biñan, Laguna
– Was elected gobernadorcillo of Biñan
– PATERNAL SIDE
• Juan Mercado
– Son of Francisco and Cirila
– Rizal’s grandfather
– Married Cirila Alejandro
– Was also elected gobernadorcillo of Biñan
– Had thirteen children
– PATERNAL SIDE
• Francisco Mercado
– Youngest son of Juan and Cirila
– Rizal’s father
– Lost his father at the age of 8
– Married Teodora
– Settled in Calamba, Laguna
– Engaged in farming and business
– MATERNAL SIDE
• Lakandula
– last king of Tondo
• Eugenio Ursua
– Teodora’s great-grandfather
 – Was of Japanese ancestry
– Married to Benigna (a Filipina)
• MATERNAL SIDE
• Regina
– Daughter of Eugenio and Benigna
– Married Atty. Manuel de Quintos
• Brigida
– Daughter of Regina and Atty. Quintos
– Married Alberto Alonso
– Had five children
• THE RIZAL SURNAME
• In 1731, Domingo Lamco adopted the surname “Mercado” (market)
• In 1849, Gov. Gen. Claveria ordered all Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames
• Francisco adopted the surname “Rizal”
• Was suggested by the provincial governor, who was a family friend
• THE RIZAL SURNAME
• Originally “Ricial”
• In Spanish, it means “green fields”
• Prophetic according to Leon Ma. Guerrero: “a field where wheat, cut while still in green, sprouts
again.”
• Only Jose used the surname Rizal until 1891
• THE RIZAL FAMILY:
A GOOD AND MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY
• A MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY
• The Rizal family belonged to the principalia
• Had a large stone house
• Owned a carjuahe (carriage)
• Had a private library with more than 1,000 books
• Sent their children to colleges in Manila
• THE RIZAL HOUSE
• A two-storey building
• Built of adobe stones and hard woods
• Roofed with red tiles
• Let’s have a field trip!
The famous landmark of Calamba, the gigantic jar which has all the Calamba towns written on its
surface.
The back of the Rizal house, then and now.
The grand staircase that leads to the main hall of the house
The original karwahe (carriage) of the Rizal family, still intact after all these years.
Unfortunately, the horse died many many years ago.
The living room
The comida or the dining room
The main dining room
The platera
The cocina or kitchen
Jose Rizal's bedroom.
The family well located at the back of the house
A most important seat in the house
A replica of Pepe’s little nipa playhouse
• HOME LIFE OF THE RIZALS
• The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life
• Believed in the maxim “Spare the rod and spoil the child”
• Everyday, the family heard Mass
• Prayed together the Rosary and Angelus daily

Childhood Days in Calamba Chapter 2

“Ah, Tender Childhood, Lovely town, Rich fount of my felicities.”--- Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal, like many Filipino boys, had many beautiful memories of childhood. His was a happy
home, filled with parental affection, impregnated with family joys, and sanctified by prayers. In the midst of
suc peaceful, refined, God-loving family, he spent the early years of his childhood. The beauties of Calamba
impressed him as a growing child and deeply influenced his mind and character. The happiest period of his
life was truly his childhood days in his natal town.

Calamba, “Craddle of a Genius.” The town of Calamba is situated on a verdant plain by the rippling
Laguna de Bay. A few kilometers to the south looms the legendary Mt. Makiling, and beyond this mountain
lies the coffee-producing Batangas. North of the town spreads the Laguna de Bay, “a lake of poems and
songs”, with many sailboats gliding by the somnolent Talim Island and numerous birds flying in the azure
skies. Beyond the lake, to the far distance in the north, is Antipolo, the famous mountain shrine of the
miraculous Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

                Calamba, with its fertile fields of rice and sugarcane, its evermore green meadows of innumerable
fruit trees and bananas, its singing birds abounding in lake, river, and fields, its starry nights ‘filled with the
poetry of sadness,” it’s lovely sunrises over lake and mountains, and its charming panoramic views, is a fit
place to nurture a growing child. So it came to pass that it became the “cradle of a genius”.

                Rizal loved Calamba with all his heart and soul. In 1876, when he was 15 years old and was a
student in Ateneo, he remembered his beloved town. Accordingly he wrote a poem Un Recuerdo A Mi
Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).

Earliest Childhood Memories

The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was three
years old. Because he was a frail, sickly, and undersized child, he was given the tenderest care by his
parents. His father built a little nipa cottage in the garden for him to play in the daytime. A kind old woman
was employed as an AYA (maid) to look after his comfort. At times, he was left alone to muse on the
beauties of nature or to play by himself. In his boyhood memoirs, he narrated how he at the age of three,
watched from his garden cottage the culilan, the maya, the culae, the maria-capra, the martin, the pipit, and
other birds, listening “with wonder and joy” to their twilight songs.

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.

With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the happy moonlit nights at the azotea after the nightly
rosary. The aya related to the Rizal children (including Jose) many stories about the fairies; tales of buried
treasure and trees blooming with diamonds, and other fabulous stories. The imaginary tales told by the aya
aroused in Rizal an enduring interest in legends and folklore. Sometimes when he did not like to take his
supper, the aya would threaten him that the asuang, the nuno, the tigbalang, or a terrible bearded and
turbaned Bombay would come to take him away if he would not eat his supper.

Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in town, especially when there was a moon.
The aya took him for a walk in the moonlight by the river, where the trees cast grotesque shadows on the
bank. Recounting this childhood experience, Rizal wrote: “Thus my heart fed on somber and melancholy
thoughts so that even while still a child, I already wandered on wings of fantasy in the high regions of the
unknown.”

First Sorrow

The Rizal children were bound together by ties of love and companionship. They were well-bred, for
their parents taught them to love one another, to behave properly in the presence of elders, to be truthful
and religious, and to help one another. They affectionately called their father Tatay and their mother Nanay.

                Of his sisters, Jose loved most the little Concha(Concepcion). He was one year older than Concha.
He played with her, and from her he learned the sweetness of brotherly love.
                Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865 when she was only three years old. Jose, who was
very fond of her, cried bitterly to lose her. “When I was four years old,” he said, “I lost my little sister
Concha, and then for the first time I wept tears of love and grief….” The death of little Concha bought him
his first sorrow.

*Search :Pilgrimage to Antipolo*

*Search:The Story of the Moth*

INFLUENCE ON HERO’S BOYHOOD

                Hereditary Influence

                Environmental Influence

                Aid of Divine Providence

RIZAL’S UNCLES WHO HELP HIM A LOT IN HIS DEVELOPMENT

                GREGORIO – Was a lover of books. He instilled into the mind of his precocious nephew*Jose) a
great love for books. He taught him to work hard, to think for himself, and to observe life keenly.

                JOSE – Who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the youngest brother of Doña Teodora. He
encouraged his nephew to paint, sketch, and sculpture.

                MANUEL – Was a big, strong, and husky man. He looked after the physical training of his sickly
and weak nephew. He encouraged young Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling and other sports, so
that in later years of Rizal’s frail body acquired agility, endurance and strength.

Rizal Life, Works and Writing

Chapter 3: School Days in Biñan

Best student in school.

In school studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects.
Some of his older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority. They wickedly squealed to
the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school.

End of Biñan schooling.

Tine came when Jose learned all that Maestro Justiniano could teach him. Accordingly, the teacher
informed his parents that he should be sent to college in Manila.
In December, 1871, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him of the arrival of
the steamer Talim which would take him from Biñan to Calamba.
He prayed in the town church, collected pebbles in the river for souvenirs, and regretfully bade
farewell to his teacher and classmates.
He left Biñan on Saturday afternoon, Dec.17, 1871.

Injustice to Hero’s Mother.

After the happy Christmas holiday in 1871, Don Francisco thought of sending Jose to Manila to
study.
Before June came. Tragedy struck the Rizal family. Doña Teodora was arrested on malicious charge
that she aided her brother, Jose Alberto, in trying to poison Alberto’s wife.
 Jose Alberto, a rich Biñan landowner, had gone to Europe on a business trip. During his absence his
wife abandoned their home and children. When he returned to Biñan, he found her living with
another man.
Enraged by her infidelity, he planned to divorce her. Doña Teodora, to avert family scandal,
persuaded him to forgive his erring wife. The family trouble was amicably settled, and Jose Alberto
lived again with his wife.
However, the unfaithful wife connived with the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil to fabricate evidence
that her husband attempted to poison her, with Doña Teodora as an accomplice.
This lieutenant had an ax to grind against the Rizal family because at one time Rizal’s father refused
to give him fodder for his horse.
Ordinarily, Doña Teodora, the accused, should have been confined in the Calamba jail.
The judge, who had also been a guest many times at the Rizal home, was vengeful. Like the
lieutenant, he nursed a grudge against the Rizal family because he imagined that he was not
accorded greater respect than the Filipino guests in the Rizal home.
The lieutenant forced the hero’s mother to walk on foot from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance of
more than 50 kilometers.
Doña Teodora, as a worthy mother of a hero, endured her cruel fate with Christian resignation and
courage.

The Martyrdom Of Gom-Bur-Za.

The Rizal family had not yet recovered from the painful shock of the mothers imprisonment when
another calamity occurred.
On January 20, 1872, the Cavite Mutiny flared up, followed by the execution of Fathers Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora on February 17th.
Jose’s older brother, Paciano, then a student in the College of San Jose, was boarding with Father
Burgos, his beloved professor anf friend. He was atrusted assistant of Burgos in the fight for the
Filipinization of the parishes.
Years later, Dr. Jose Rizal wrote of Burgos: “He awakened my intellect and made me understand
goodness and justice. His farewell words I shall always remember – “I have tried to pass on to you
what I received from my teachers. Do the same for those who come after you.”
Jose Rizal was nearly eleven years old when the tragic martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za took place.
Despite his tender age, he was deeply affected. It was another Spanish injustice, like that done to
his own mother.

Chapter 4- SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA (1872-1877)- Summary

Jose was sent to Manila four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and with Dona Teodora still in
prison. He studied in the Ateneo Municipal,, a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits.

Ateneo Municipal
 Bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de Letran
 Formerly the Escuela Pia(Charity School)- for poor boys in Manila established in 1817
 In 1859- name was changed to Ateneo Municipal by the Jesuits and later became the Ateneo de
Manila.

Rizal Enters the Ateneo:

June 10, 1872- Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila to take the entrance examinations on
Christian Doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan de Letran, and passed them. His
father was the first one who wished him to study at Letran but he changed his mind and decided to send
Jose at Ateneo instead.

Father Magin Ferrando, college registrar of Ateneo Municipal, refused to admit Jose because:
 He was late for registration and;
 He was sickly and undersized for his age (11 years old).
Upon the intercession of Manuel Xeres Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was admitted at Ateneo. Jose
adopted the surname “Rizal” at the Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under suspicion
of the Spanish authorities.

Ateneo was located in Intramuros, within the walls of Manila. He boarded in a house on Caraballo Street,
25 min walk from the college. The boarding house was owned by Titay, who owd Rizal family P300. Jose
boarded there to collect part of the debt.

Jesuits System of Education:

Jesuits trained the character of the student by rigid discipline, humanities and religious instruction. They
heard Mass early in the morning before the beginning of daily class. Classes were opened and closed with
prayers.

Students were divided into two groups:

1. Roman Empire- consisting of the internos (boarders) with red banners
2. Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders) with blue banners

Each of these empires had its rank. Students fought for positions. With 3 mistakes, opponent’s position
could lose his position.

 1st best: “emperor”

 2nd best: “tribune”
 3rd best: “Decurion”
 4th best: “centurion”
 5th best: “Standard-bet

Ateneo students uniform is consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”. The coat was
called rayadillo, and was adopted as the uniform for Filipino troops during the days of the First Philippine
Republic.
Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873).

 Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech.

 Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class since he was a newcomer and knows little Spanish.He
was an externo (Carthaginians), occupying the end of the line. But at the end of the month, he
become “emperor” of his Empire. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded
a prize, a religious prize.
 Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon recesses to improve his Spanish
language paying three pesos for those extra lessons.
 He placed second at the end of the year, athough all his grades were still marked “Excellent”

Summer Vacation (1873)

Rizal didn’t enjoy his summer because his mother was in prison so Neneng(Saturnina) brought him to
Tanawan. But without telling his father, he went to Santa Cruz to visit her mother in prison. He told her of
his brilliant grades.
After summer, he returned to Manila and now boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. Dona
Pepay, who had a widowed daughter and 4 sons, was his landlady.
Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)
Rizal lost the class leadership. But he repented and even studied harder, once more became “emperor”. He
received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal.
Prophecy of Mother’s Release
Dona Teodora told her son of her dream the previous night. Rizal, interpreting the dream, told her that she
would be released from prison in 3 month’s time. It became true.
Dona Teodora likened his son to the youthful Joseph in the Bible in his ability to interpret dreams.
Teenage Interest in Reading
The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. His boyish
imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in prison, his spectacular escape
from the dungeon of Chateau d’If, his finding a buried treasure in the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and his
dramatic revenge on his enemies who had wronged him.
Rizal alos read non-fiction. He persuaded his father to buy a costly set of Cesar Cantu’s historical work
entitled Universall History.
He also read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-traveler who visited Phil in
1859-60.He was impressed by:

1. Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization

 2. His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Phil and that Anerica would come to succeed her
as colonizer.

Third Year in Ateneo (1875-76)

June 16, 1875- He became an interno in Ateneo.
Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, one of his professor, inspired him to study harder and write poetry. Rizal’s
best professor in Ateneo. Rizal described him as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the
advancement of his pupils”.
He returned to Calamba with 5 medals and excellent ratings.
Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77)
Rizal- The most brilliant Atenean of his time, and was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”.
Graduation with Highest Honors
March 23, 1877- Rizal, 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal, the degree of
Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
The night before graduation, he could not sleep. Early morning on the day of his graduation, he prayed to
the Virgin to “commend his life and protect him as he step into the world”.
Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo
 He was an active member, later secretary, of Marian Congregation, a religious society. He was
accepted because of his academic brilliance and devotion to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception,
the college patroness.
 He is also a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
 He studied painting under Agustin Saez, a famous painter, and sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus.
 He continued his physical training under hi sports-minded Tio Manuel.

Sculptural Works in Ateneo

He carved an image of The Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocket-knife.
The Jesuits fathers were amazed.

Father Lleonart requested him to carve for him an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He intended to take
the image with him in Spain but forgot to do so. So the Ateneo boarders placed it on the door of their
dormitory. It plays a significant part in Rizal’s last hours at Fort Santiago.

Anecdotes on Rizal, the Atenean

1. Felix M. Roxas- He related an incident of Rizal’s schooldays in the Ateneo which reveals the hero’s
resignation to pain and forgiveness.
2. Manuel Xeres Burgos- his anecdote on Rizal illustrates his predilection to helo the helpless at the
risk of his own life.

Poems Written in Ateneo

Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration)- first written poem of Rizal, which was dedicated to his mother
on her birthday. He wrote it when he was 14 years old.

In 1875, inspired by Fr. Sanchez, he wrote more poems, as such:

1. Felicitacion (Felicitation)
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 Fist to
Circumnavigate the World)
4. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)

In 1876, he wrote poems on religion, education memories and war. (e.g. In Memory of my Town)

Rizal’s Poem on Education

 Through Education Our Motherland Recieves Light- education plays in the progree and welfare of a
nation
 The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education- showed that ‘Education without God is
not true education.’
Rizal’s Religious Poem
 Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus)- written when he was 14 years old, expressing his Catholic faith
devotion.
 A La Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary)
Dramatic Work in Ateneo
 Father Sanchez requested him to write a drama based on the prose story of St. Eustace the Martyr.
He finished that request on June 2, 1876 entitled San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, the Martyr).
First Romance of Rizal

He experienced his first romance with Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14 year old Batanguena from Lipa.

One Sunday Rizal visited his maternal grandmother in Trozo, Manila with his friend Mariano Katigbak. One
of whom was an attractive girl, who mysteriously caused his heart to palpitate with strange ecstasy was
Segunda. His grandmothers guests ureged him to draw Segunda’s portrait. “From time to time,” he
reminisced,”she looked at me and I blushed”

Rizal came to know Segunda more intimately during weekly visits to La Concordia College, where his sister
was boarding student. Olimpia and Segunda was a close friend. Theirs was indeed “a love at first sight”.
But Segunda was already engaged to be married to Manuel Luz.

Chapter 5
Introduction
Rizal’s tragic first romance didn’t affect his studies in the University of Santo Tomas.
After finishing his first year of Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), he then transferred to the medical
course.
Though Thomasian, he was loyal to Ateneo continuing extra-curricular activities there.
He also won many literary laurels, had other romances with pretty girls and fought against Spanish
students who insulted brown Filipino students.

Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education

Rizal Enters University
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo (1878)
Romances with Other Girls
Victim of Spanish Brutality
”To the Filipino Youth”
”The Council of the Gods”
Other Literary Works
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
Champion of Filipino Students
Unhappy Days at the UST
Decision to Study Abroad
Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education
After graduating from Ateneo, Rizal goes to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for higher studies.
Bachelor of Arts during the Spanish era was only equivalent to High school and Junior college courses
of today. Merely to qualify its graduate to enter university.
Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue higher learning in university. But Doña Teodora
opposed the idea.
Don Fracisco kept quiet at just instructed Paciano to accompany Jose Rizal to manila despite their
mother’s tears.
Rizal Enters University
In April 1877, Rizal nearly 16 years of age, enrolled in the UST taking course on Philosophy and Letters
with 2 reasons:
-His father liked it
-He was ”still uncertain as to what career to pursue”.
Consequently, during his first-year term (1877-78) in UST, he also studied Cosmology, Metaphysics,
Theodicy, and History of Philosophy.
During the following term (1878-79) Rizal took up the medical course. Another reason why he chose
medicine for a career was to be able to cure his mother’s growing blindness.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo (1878)
During his first term in UST (1877-78), Rizal also studied in Ateneo, taking up vocational course which
gave him the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor).
Rizal excelled in all subjects in Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in agriculture and topography.
At the age of 17, he passed final examination in surveying course but because he is below of age, the
title couldn’t be granted at that time. The title was then issued to him on November 25, 1881.
Though Thomasian, due to his loyalty, he frequently visited Ateneo.
Jesuit professors, unlike Dominicans, loved and inspired him to ascend greater knowledge.
Romances with Other Girls
Rizal had ample time for love. His sad experience with his first love made him wise in ways of romance.
”Miss L”
 - After losing Segunda Katigbak, he court a young woman in Calamba. He simply called her ”Miss
L”, describes her as ”fair with seductive and attractive eyes”. However, the romance died a natural death.
Until today, nobody knows who this woman was. Her identity is lost in history. There are 2 reasons for his
change of heart:
Sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh.
His father didn’t like the family of ”Miss L”.
Leonor Valenzuela
- Later, during his sophomore year at UST, he boarded in the house of Doña Concha Leyva in
Intramuros. Their neighbors Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela had a charming daughter
called Leonor.
- She was a tall girl with a regal bearing. He courted her and sent her love notes written in invinsible
ink consisted of table salt and water. Rizal taught Orang (pet name of Leonor) the secret of reading any
note written in invinsible ink by heating over a candle or lamp.
-However, he stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang.
Leonor Rivera
- Leonor Rivera was his cousin from Camiling. In 1879, he lived in ”Casa Tomasina”, No. 6 Calle
Santo Tomas, Intramuros.
- His landlord-uncle, Antonio Rivera had a pretty daughter, Leonor, a student at La Concordia
College, where Soledad (Rizal’s youngest sister) was also studying.
- Leonor, born in Camiling, Tarlac on April 11, 1867 was a frail, pretty girl ”tender as a budding
flower with kindly, wistful eyes”.
- Jose and Leonor sprang a beautiful romance and became engaged.
- In her letters to Rizal, Leonor signed her name as ”Taimis”.
Victim of Spanish Brutality
When Rizal was a freshman medical at UST, he experienced his first taste of Spanish brutality.
One dark night in 1878, he was walking in the street and perceived some man passing him, but due to
darkness he didn’t recognize the man and didn’t salute nor say corteous ”Good Evening”. The man turned
out to be a lieutenant of Guardia Civil, he turned upon Rizal and whipped out his sword, brutally slashing
his back.
The wound was painful and lasted 2 weeks. Rizal reported the incident to General Primo de Rivera, the
Spanish Governor General of the Philippines but nothing came out of his complaint because he was an
Indio and the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard.
”To the Filipino Youth”
In year 1879, Liceo Artisitico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila, held a literary contest. It
offered prize for the best poem by a native or mestizo. Rizal submitted his poem entitled A ’La Juventud
Filipina (To the Filipino Youth).
The judges were composed of Spaniards, totally impressed by Rizal’s poem,they granted the first prize
to him.
In this poem, Rizal beseeched Filipino youth to rise from lethargy.
This winning poem is a classic in Philippine literature for 2 resons:
It was the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino and was recognized by Spanish authorities.
For the first time, it expressed the nationalistic concept that Filipinos, not foreigners, were the ”fair hope
of the Fatherland”.
”The Council of the Gods”
In 1880, Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary contest to commemorate the 4th centennial
death of Cervantes, Spain’s famous author of Don Quixote(kee-hoh-tee). The contest was opened for
both Filipinos and Spaniards.
Rizal submitted an allegorical drama entitled El Consejo de los Dioses (The Council of the Gods).
The judges were all Spaniards and they awarded the first prize to Rizal’s work because of its literary
superiority.
The Spanish Community in Manila opposed because the winning author is an Indio. However, despite
all objections, the prize was still awarded to Rizal.
Rizal’s winning allegory was based on Greek classics.
Other Literary Works
Aside from the 2 prize-winning, Rizal produced other poems and a zarzuela, entitled Junto al Pasig
(Beside the Pasig), staged by Atenean on December 8, 1880 for the annual celebration of the feast day
of Immaculate Concepcion, Patroness of Ateneo. The piece was mediocre(mee-dee-oh-ker) but some
passeges express subtle nationalist ideas.
In the same year (1880), he also wrote a sonnet entitled A Filipinas for the Society of Sculptors. In his
piece, he urged Filipino artist to glorify th Philippines.
In December 8,1879, he composed a poem entitled Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma.
Later, in 1881, he composed a poem entitled Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon as an expression of affection to
Father Pablo Ramon, the kind and helpful Ateneo rector.
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
In summer of May 1881, Rizal went on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, accompanied by his sisters,
namely:
- Saturnina -Maria - Trinidad
They took casco from Calamba to Pakil, Laguna. Stayed at the home of Nicolas’ parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Regalado. Nicolas was Rizal’s friend in Manila.
Rizal was fascinated by the famous turumba.
While in Pakil, Rizal was infatuated by Vicenta Ybardoloza, a pretty girl who skillfully played harp at
Regalado’s home.
Rizal made a side trip to the neighboring town of Pagsanjan for 2 reasons:
It was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela
To see the world-famed Pagsanjan Falls.
Champion of Filipino Students
Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students in their frequent fights against arrogant Spanish
students, who insultingly call their brown classmates, ”Indio, chongo!”. In retaliation, Filipinos call them
”Kastila, bagus!”. Hostility often exploded in angry street rumbles.
Rizal participated in street brawls.
In 1880, he founded a secret society of Filipino students in UST called Compañerismo (Comradeship),
members were called ”Companions of Jehu”.
Rizal was the chief of the secret society and his cousin from Batangas, Galicano Apacible was the
secretary.
There was a time in their fights, when Rizal was wounded on the head, his friends brought him in his
boarding house and Leonor Rivera aided and washed his wound.
Unhappy Days at the UST
Rizal found the atmosphere at UST suffocating.
He was unhappy at the Dominican institution for 3 reasons:
Dominican professors were hostile to him.
Filipinos were racially discriminated against the Spaniards.
The method of instruction were obsolete and repressive.
In his novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by
Dominican professors and how twisted the method of instruction was. In Chapter XIII, ”The Class in
Physics”, his science subject was taught without laboratory experiments. Laboratory aparatuses were
kept inside the showcases to be seen by visitors, in reality, students can’t even touch them.
Rizal failed to win high scholastic honors due to the unfriendly attitude of his professors.
Decision to Study Abroad
After finishing Rizal’s fourth year of medical course, he decided to go to Spain because he could no
longer endure the discrimination and hostility in the UST.
Many approved of this. However, for the first time, he did not seek his parent’ permission for he knew
that they would disapprove it.
He also didn’t tell his beloved Leonor because he knew she couldn’t keep a secret.
Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities have no idea of his decision to go abroad to finish
his medical studies in Spain.
He believed that professors in Spain were more liberal than of those who’re in the UST