• The children of the Rizal family in their birth order

were as follows:
o Saturnina (1850)
o Paciano (1851)
o Narcisa (1852)
CALAMBA AT THE TIME OF RIZAL’S BIRTH o Olimpia (1855)
o Lucia (1857)
• Calamba is an enchanted town (Palma,1949)
o Maria (1859)
→ situated, as if enclosed in a valley, between
o Jose (1861)
Laguna de Bay and Mt. Makiling.
o Concepcion (1862)
→ panoramic with its landscape, as if nature has
o Josefa (1865)
lavished this town with all its tenderest
o Trinidad (1868)
caresses
o Soledad (1870)
• Calamba at the time of Rizal’s birth was an
agricultural town (Romero et al, 1978)
• The town was virtually owned by the Dominican
friars. RIZAL’S ANCESTRY
• Calamba became a prosperous town due to its
• Rizal came from a mixture of races.
specialization in the production of sugar.
• His great grandfather from his father side was a
• Life was filled with hardships on the part of the
Chinese merchant named Domingo Lamco.
people who were just tenants in the Dominican
• He married a wealthy Chinese mestiza, Ines dela
hacienda.
Rosa.
• Life was far better than in the other towns in Laguna
• In 1849, Domingo Lamco assumed the surname
during those times.
Mercado in keeping the gubernatorial decree of
• Nature has been good to the Calambeños.
Narciso Claveria on the use of Spanish surnames in
• With its fertile soil and favorable climate, the people the Philippines by all Spanish subjects in the colony
were able to raise and harvest different kinds of
and to free themselves and their children from the
crops.
prejudices associated with a Chinese surname
• The picturesque beauty of the town provided the (Craig, 1913).
young Rizal the inspiration and springboard to hone
• From the Parian in Manila, the couple moved to
his poetic and artistic sensibilities. Biñan, ending up as tenants in the Dominican
• The misfortunes suffered by the tenants from the hacienda.
hands of the Guardia Civil and the Dominican friars, • Rizal’s grandfather from his father side was Juan
had ingrained in his young mind hatred of
Mercado who married a Chinese-Filipino mestiza,
oppression and exploitation of the weak by the
Cirila Alejandro.
strong
• Juan Mercado became a gobernadorcillo of Biñan.
• Juan and Cirila had 14 children, one of whom was
BIRTH OF THE YOUNG JOSE Rizal’s father, Don Francisco
• Rizal’s great grandfather on his mother’s side was
• Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was
Manuel de Quintos, a Chinese mestizo from
born on June 19, 1861 (Zaide & Zaide, 1999)
Lingayen, Pangasinan (Romero et al, 1978)
→ his mother nearly died during his delivery
• Manuel married Regina Ursua, a woman with
owing to his very big head
Japanese ancestry.
• Three days after his birth, Rizal was baptized by Fr.
• One of their daughters, Brigida married Lorenzo
Rufino Collantes at the Calamba Catholic Church,
Alberto Alonso. The couple had five siblings. One of
with Fr. Pedro Casañas, as his godfather.
them was Teodora, who became Rizal’s mother
• Rizal was the seventh child in the family of 11
children of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora.
 RIZAL’S IMMEDIATE FAMILY
• Rizal was reared in a typical middle class family in
the 19th century Philippines (Capino et al, 1977)
• He lived a life of comfort and affluence, considering
that his family belonged to the principalia class or
ruling elite of his town (Guerrero, 1998).
• The affluence of Rizal’s family can clearly be gleaned
from the following:
o the family’s predilection for studies
o its stone house of adobe and hardwood
o ownership of carriage and horses - the symbols
of wealth and respectability during those times
o home library with numerous volumes of books
o presence of personal servants taking care of
the needs of the children, and private tutoring
of children in the family.
• The family’s thriving business in rice and sugar and
its ability to send their children for education in
Manila further indicate their socio-economic status
in Calamba.
• Rizal’s father, Don Francisco Mercado, was an
educated man.
• His father took courses in Latin and Philosophy in
Colegio de San Jose in Manila.
• Rizal described him a model father owing to his
honesty, frugality and industry.
• Rizal inherited a profound feeling of dignity, self-
respect, serenity and poise and seriousness (De
Ocampo, 1960)
• Doña Teodora was an educated woman. She
completed her education at the Colegio de Santa
Rosa, a prestigious college for girls in Manila then.
• Rizal described her as a disciplinarian, a woman
more than average education, a woman of culture
and religion, a sacrificing and industrious housewife.
• From his mother, Rizal learned the values of warmth
and virtue. He also inherited a practical
temperament, stoicism, self-sacrifice, temperament
of a dreamer and fondness for poetry. (Villa Abrille,
1969)
CHILDHOOD DAYS AND MEMORIES
• Owing to happy and comfortable life Rizal had, he
had good memories of his childhood days in
Calamba.
• He could not forget the times when the family
stayed in the garden to exchange stories.
• He always treasured the care demonstrated to him
by his parents due to his poor health. It was in this
garden where he experienced closeness to nature.
• Another is experience that he was not able to forget
was the daily family prayer during Angelus, where
all the members of his family gather and pray
together.
• Even the times when his personal servant narrated
to him legends and fairy tales at the azotea, after the
Angelus, was something Rizal treasured.
• These imaginary tales narrated to Rizal by his
personal servant aroused in him an enduring
interest in legends and folklores (Zaide, 1999)
• He grew up a pious Catholic owing to the training
provided him by his mother. At three years old, he
learned how to pray and even read the Bible.
• This training he had at home was strengthened by
his frequent visit to Fr. Leoncio Lopez, the parish
priest of Calamba, who made the young Rizal the
need to develop a sound philosophy of life. It was
also from him that Rizal learned the value of
scholarship and intellectual honesty.
• At the age of four, Rizal experienced his first sorrow.
This was when his younger sister Concepcion, whom
he fondly called Concha, died. It was the first time
he cried as a young boy, since it was from her that
Rizal learned the importance of sisterly love.
• As a young boy, he spent many hours down the
shore of Laguna de Bay, thinking of what was
beyond, dreaming of what might be over on the
other side of the waves (Craig, 1918).
• He even witnessed everyday acts of violence and
excesses committed against the Calambeños by the
Guardia Civil and the Gobernadorcillo.
• As his young age, he was always asking himself if
these incidents in Calamba were also happening in
the lands across the Laguna de Bay.
• From the usual activity of Rizal, it can be noted that
he was a good observer, noting every detail of what
he actually saw.
THE STORY OF THE MOTH AND THE FLAME
• One of the stories Rizal never forgot, narrated to
him by his mother was the fable entitled “The Moth
and the Flame” (Jose Rizal Centennial Commission,
1961)
• This story left a deep impression on Rizal. For Rizal
the moth died a victim of its illusion in search for the
light. Nevertheless, he came to realize the
sweetness of dying in search for the light. This story
can be considered as Rizal’s biography.
• Just like the moth that died a victim of its illusion,
Rizal died a martyr in search of the lights of truth,
freedom and justice.
• From the story, Rizal came to realize that one has to
sacrifice and to suffer the consequence of one’s
action for the attainment of a goal.
EARLY DEMONSTRATION OF INBORN
TALENT
• As a young boy, there were indications that Rizal
was intellectually gifted (De Ocampo, 1960)
• He was able to master the alphabet when he was
three years old. At a very young age, he showed
great interest in reading. He enjoyed reading the
books in their library at home, with Doña Teodora,
as his reading teacher and critic.
• The young Rizal also showed his knack in sketching,
painting, sculpture and literature. According to
Romero (1978), the panoramic beauty of Calamba,
and Rizal’s admiration of his mother led him to hone
his skills in art forms.
• Owing to the constant prodding by Doña Teodora
for Rizal through verses, Rizal was able to write his
first poem, when he was eight years old. This poem
was entitled Sa Aking Kabata or To My Fellow
Children (Laubach, 1936).
• The above poem clearly reveals that Rizal, even
during his tender years had a concept of
nationalism. Here, he associated love for the native
language bestowed by God with the desire for
freedom, which according to him was on mortgage.
• As a young boy, he was already aware that his
people had a language of their own. This language,
just like other languages, had its own alphabet and
system writing, which according to Rizal
disappeared because they were swallowed up by
tidal waves.
• We can see a young lad describing his native
language or Tagalog as comparable to Latin, English
and Spanish.
• Young Jose calling on his fellow children to love their
native tongue
THE FIRST TASTE OF INJUSTICE
• As a young boy Rizal witnessed how his town mates
were tortured, treated rudely and brutally by the
Spanish officials and the Guardia Civil. In fact, he
spent a lot of time thinking way why the people had
to suffer such brutality and unfair treatment.
• An incident, which opened his eyes to the injustice
of the regime, was the arrest and incarceration of
his mother in 1871 due to alleged complicity in the
attempted murder of his uncle’s unfaithful wife.
• This happened right after the arrival of his uncle,
Jose Alberto from Europe. Upon arriving at Biñan,
his uncle discovered the infidelity of his wife and
decided to divorce her. Being a devout Catholic and
to avoid public scandal, Doña Teodora advised and
convinced his brother to forgive his wife and forget
what happened and start anew.
• Jose Alberto was persuaded and the family break up
was averted. Nonetheless, Jose Alberto’s wife
conspired with the Spanish Lieutenant of the
Guardia Civil by filing a suit against Doña Teodora for
attempting to poison her.
• Doña Teodora was arrested and made to walk a
distance of 50 km from Calamba to Santa Cruz, the
capital of Laguna
• She was jailed for almost two and one-half years.
Attempts were made by Rizal’s family to absolve her
from the case, to the point of pleading at the Royal
Audiencia. She was freed later by Gov. General
Rafael de Izquierdo as a result of the request of the
young Soledad, whose graceful dancing charmed
the governor-general and his guests.
• This incident was something that Rizal never forgot.
The injustice suffered by her mother created in him
hatred of the Spanish Regime. Moreover, Rizal lost
confidence in friendship and developed mistrust of
his fellowmen. This was because the men who
arrested Doña Teodora were frequent visitors in
their home.
• An incident that greatly influenced Rizal’s goal and
life work was the martyrdom of Gomburza (Capino,
1977)
• Rizal was then 11 years when his older brother
Paciano narrated to him the injustice suffered by the
three Filipino priests for crusading for justice in the
parochial administration in the Philippines,
particularly the struggle waged by Father Jose
Burgos, his teacher at Colegio de San Jose.
• This particular event was something that Rizal
remembered as a young boy and inspired him to
redeem the oppressed Filipinos.
• If it were not for the unjust execution of the three
priests, Rizal would have been a member if the FORMAL SCHOOLING AT A VILLAGE SCHOOL
Society of Jesuits in the Philippines.
RIZAL MOVES TO BIÑAN
• The influence of the aforementioned event in his
dedication of the El Filibusterismo to the memory → After bidding his parents goodbye, Rizal left
of Gomburza. Calamba in order to study at Biñan.
→ Paciano accompanied him in his trip on board a
carromata. After one and a half hour of travel, Rizal
PREPARATIONS FOR FORMAL SCHOOLING and his brother reached their destination. It was
• Rizal’s first teacher was his mother. Owing to her already midnight when they arrived in Biñan. They
patience, conscientiousness, and understanding, proceeded to their aunt’s house.
the young Rizal at the age of three was able to learn → That same Sunday night, Rizal was invited by his
the alphabet and prayers. Eventually, Doña Teodora cousin Leandro for a walk around the town to
discovered that Rizal had an aptitude in poetry. familiarize Rizal with the place. Instead of enjoying
• To develop this talent, Doña Teodora encouraged their stroll around the town, Rizal felt homesick as
him to write verses. Later on, Rizal’s mother realized he remembered his mother and sisters.
that he needed a private tutor who shall teach him
at home. FIRST DAY AT THE VILLAGE SCHOOL
• His first private tutor was Maestro Celestino,
→ Paciano accompanied Rizal to the village school
followed by Maestro Lucas Padua (Zaide & Zaide,
under the charge of Maestro Justiniano Cruz, the
1999). The third tutor, however, was Leon Monroy,
next day. Paciano knew the maestro since he was his
a former classmate of his father. It was from Leon
teacher during his elementary school days. He
Monroy where Rizal’s skill in reading, writing, and
introduced Rizal to maestro Cruz and then returned
the rudiments of Latin were honed.
to Calamba.
• Rizal, just like other children from the principalia
→ Rizal was immediately given a permanent seat by his
class, was trained to become a middle-class
teacher. He was asked whether he knew Latin and
intellectual or ilustrado (Guerrero. 1998).
Spanish.
• First, he was subjected to education under private
→ Rizal responded by saying that his knowledge of
tutors. Then, he was sent to a private secondary
those two languages was quite very scanty (Jacinto,
school and went to a university for college degree
1879).
and completed studies in Europe.
→ Pedro, the son of Maestro Cruz, laughed at Rizal’s
• His trainings as an ilustrado could explain why Rizal
answers and made fun of him. This was something
did not have any real social consciousness. As he
he did not forget. That is why during their lunch-
grew up detached from the people, he did not
break, Rizal challenged Pedro to a fight.
understand their needs and aspirations at the very
→ Pedro accepted and to the surprise of his
start.
classmates, Rizal defeated Pedro in their fight.
Rizal’s victory over Pedro made him popular in class.
ACADEMIC STUDIES AT THE V ILLAGE
→ Even at this level of education, Rizal was able to
demonstrate his intellectual superiority.
→ He was able to emerge the best in his class in Latin,
Spanish, and the rest of the subjects in the
curriculum for elementary pupils (Zaide & Zaide,
1999).
→ Owing to this, many of his older classmates in Biñan
became jealous of Rizal. They did everything to
destroy Rizal’s reputation to Maestro Cruz.
→ Rizal, then, became involved in numerous school
brawls. Thus, he was always required to lie down on
the bench to receive from five to six blows almost
everyday
ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION AT THE VILLAGE
→ Rizal did not enjoy his schooling at the village school,
under Maestro Justiniano Cruz. In fact he did not
even like his teacher, who he described as a tall man
with a long neck, and a sharp nose and a body bent
back slightly forward (Guerrero, 1998).
→ Although Rizal did not like his mentor, he considered
him an expert in Latin and Spanish grammars. One
thing that he detested from his teacher was the use
of corporal punishment to make pupils learn the
lesson for the day.
→ To Rizal such kind of instruction was barbarous.
Rizal’s hatred of this kind of teaching was
highlighted in his novel, Noli Me Tangere (Guerrero,
1998).
→ The first thing that Ibarra proposed, upon arriving at
San Diego was to build a school for the children of
the town. To Ibarra, the school has to be a
playground of the mind and not a torture chamber.
→ Rizal’s derision of the sadistic method of teaching at
Biñan was due to his height (Guerrero, 1998).
→ He was quite small for his age. Thus, he tried to
overcome this deficiency in physical stature with a
self-assertiveness centered on aggressiveness. It
was not surprising, therefore, that he found himself
being on top of his class.
LIFE AT BIÑAN
→ Based on Rizal’s memoirs as a student, it was made
clear that he led a very systematic and disciplined
life.
→ As early as 4:00 in the morning, he was already on
his toes to attend the mass. After hearing the mass,
he had to go home and study his lessons. After these
initial activities, he had to take his breakfast and
attend his morning class until 10:00. Then he went
home for lunch.
→ After resting for an hour, he had to return to school
for his afternoon classes from 2:00 to 5:00.
→ At 6:00, he had to pray with his cousins and then
study for a while. After suppertime, when there was
a moon, he played with his nieces in the street
→ While pursuing elementary schooling at the village
school, Rizal also took painting lessons under the
father-in-law of Maestro Cruz, the Old Juancho
(Zaide & Zaide, 1999).
→ Since Rizal had an inclination towards painting, he
spent his leisure hours at the studio of Old Juancho.
He was given free lessons in painting and drawing.
The old painter noted Rizal’s talent in painting.
Eventually, Rizal became an apprentice of the old
painter.
→ The rigorous life that Rizal had as an elementary
pupil, at the village school equipped him with
competencies for secondary schooling in Manila.
Moreover, it strengthened both his body and soul as
a young lad.
END OF SCHOOLING AT THE VILLAGE
SCHOOL
→ Rizal returned to Calamba, after receiving a letter
from his sister Saturnina.
→ He returned to his hometown on December 17,
1870. Before leaving Biñan, he made his last visit to
the town church and bade farewell to Maestro Cruz
and his classmates.
→ After one and a half year of schooling in Biñan, he
will be seeing his parents again.
→ Rizal was so excited because he was going home by
himself on board a steamship named Talim.
→ He was overjoyed upon seeing his personal servant
waiting for him with the carriage. He felt very happy
since he will be living in his own home, with his own
family
 FORMAL SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE AT
ATENEO MUNICIPAL
→ Rizal entered Ateneo Municipal when he was 11
years old. Four months after the execution of
Gomburza.
→ His father decided not to send him at the Colegio de
San Jose because of the unhappy experience his
brother Paciano had in the said school.
→ Moreover, the mere mention of the institution
made Don Francisco remember the unjust execution
of Father Jose Burgos, Paciano’s mentor.
→ His father wanted to send Rizal to Letran but later
on decided to have him enrolled at Ateneo
Municipal, formerly known as Escuela Pia. Ateneo
at that time was the most prestigious college boys
for boys.
ENROLLMENT AT ATENEO
→ Rizal took the entrance examination at the Colegio
de San Juan de Letran on June 10, 1872 (Craig.
1918).
→ Paciano accompanied him, when he took the said
exam, which covered reading, arithmetic and
Catholic doctrines. It is worth mentioning at this
juncture that exams for incoming freshmen in the
different colleges for boys were administered at the
Colegio de San Juan de Letran since the Dominicans
exercised the power of inspection and regulation
over Ateneo at that time (Guerrero, 1998).
→ After passing the qualifying examination, Rizal
sought admission at the Ateneo Municipal. At the
outset, Rizal was refused entry into the institution
for two reasons. Aside from being a late registrant,
he was very frail and undersized for his age (Zaide &
Zaide, 1999)
→ Father Magin Fernando, the college registrar, was
at first very firm in denying Rizal admission.
Nonetheless, due to the intervention of Manuel
Burgos, the college registrar finally admitted the
young Jose.
→ Jose did not use the surname Mercado when he
enrolled at Ateneo.
→ He registered as Jose Rizal because his original
surname had rung a bell to the ears of the
authorities then due to Paciano’s association with
one of the leaders of the secularization movement,
Father Jose Burgos.
THE ATENEAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
→ Ateneo, at that time, offered a six-year program
that entitled a student to the academic title,
Bachiller en Artes. This academic program exposed
students to five learning areas, namely:
o Christian doctrine, Languages – Spanish, Latin,
Greek and French
o History and Geography – World History and
Geography and History of Spain and the
Philippines
o Mathematics and Sciences – arithmetic,
geometry, trigonometry, mineralogy,
chemistry, physics, botany, and zoology
o and the Classis disciplines – poetry, rhetoric,
and philosophy.
→ Aside from the regular secondary course offered,
Ateneo offered the following vocational courses:
o Agriculture
o Commerce
o Mechanics
o Surveying.
→ Compared with the other colleges, Ateneo prided
itself in offering the best secondary education for
boys. This was because it trained the character of
every student through rigid discipline and religious
instruction.
→ Students were required to hear masses in the
morning before the start of classes. Classes were
usually began and ended with prayers.
→ To stimulate the spirit competition among the
students for excellence in academics, Atenean
teachers enforced a program dividing a class into
two competing empires: the Romans and
Carthaginians.
→ Students who belonged to the Roman Empire were
the boarding students at Ateneo, while those at the
Carthaginian Empire were non-boarding students.
→ Both empires had their ranks and dignitaries,
namely:
o Emperor- the best scholar
o followed by a tribune, decurion, centurion, and
the standard bearer (Guerrero, 1998)
→ These two empires competed as teams through
question and answers. The hoisting and lowering of
their respective banners indicate victory and defeat.
→ Rizal understood the seriousness and severity of his
studies. In order to excel, he made himself follow a
daily timetable, which he rigidly observed. At the
 start, Rizal lagged behind his classmates. But in a
month’s time, he emerged as the emperor in his
class, a title given to the brightest in the class.
→ The method of instruction Rizal was subjected to at
Ateneo was the ratio studiorum, a system of
indoctrination under tight and constant discipline,
with every incentive of compensation and reward
(Guerrero, 1998).
→ Essentially, the aforementioned method of
indoctrination combined memory and
understanding.
→ Atenean education at that time pursued one aim, -
Ad majorem Dei gloriam or For the greater glory of
God (Guerrero. 1998). Thus, the ultimate task of
Jesuit teachers was to make lifelong Catholics.
→ The climax of secondary course centered on the
philosophy of man as a creature of God. Students’
life was, therefore, centered on the chapel, with
membership in religious confraternities as the
highest level of extra-curricular activities.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT ATENEO
→ Rizal studied at Ateneo from 1872 to 1877. His
scholastic records, reveal his commendable
academic performance as a secondary student
(Capino et al, 1979).
→ Rizal passed the oral examination on March 14,
1877. He graduated with the degree, Bachiller en
Artes, with the highest academic honors. From the
foregoing scholastic records of Rizal, it is evident
that he excelled in his academic studies during the
entire duration of his stay at Ateneo.
→ According to Guerrero (1998), Rizal’s academic
triumph at Ateneo can be attributed to three
factors, namely:
o racial pride
o monastic discipline
o and seclusion of boarding school life.
→ Owing to racial jealousy, he exerted extraordinary
efforts to prove to his Spanish classmates that the
Filipino student can compete with them
academically.
→ The monastic discipline of competition inside the
classroom triggered in him the motivation to outdo
his classmates in the daily learning activities
designed to test students’ memory and
understanding of their lessons in the various
curriculum areas.
→ Moreover, owing to the seclusion of his boarding
school life, he was able to devote more time to his
studies.
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT
ATENEO
→ Rizal did not only devote his time to academic
excellence, he became actively involved in extra-
curricular activities. He became a member and
eventually an officer in the religious confraternities
at Ateneo – Sodality of Our Lady, and Apostleship
of Prayer.
→ These religious confraternities were opened only to
students who demonstrated the highest degree of
scholarship and leadership.
→ He also joined the Academy of Spanish Literature
and the Academy of Natural Sciences. These two
academic societies were elite organizations for
students who excelled in literature and the sciences.
→ In addition to membership in religious
confraternities and exclusive academic societies,
Rizal honed his talent in literature. Through the
guidance of Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez, he
succeeded in developing his skills in poetry
→ To develop proficiency in Spanish, Rizal took special
lessons at the Convent School of Santa Isabel.
→ His study of poetry resulted not only in the
production of poem on religion, education and
childhood experiences. It elevated his feeling,
patriotic sentiments, and exquisite sensitivity.
→ He also took time to sharpen his skills in painting and
sculpture. During his free time, Rizal took painting
lessons under Agustin Saez and sculpture lessons
under Romualdo de Jesus. As a result of the talent
he had in fine arts, Rizal was able to carve the image
of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
He also sustained his physical fitness training he
started under his Tio Manuel. It was thru his uncle
that Rizal was able to learn gymnastics and fencing,
which greatly helped him develop his weak and frail
body
LITERARY WORKS AT ATENEO They need to seek knowledge in order to become
enlightened individuals, who could be instrument in
→ Owing to the perfection of his skill in literature, Rizal
elevating the country into a position of prestige and
was able to produce a number of poems. The first
honor.
poem he wrote as a student was entitled Mi Primera
→ Prudent education for Rizal, however, did not mean
Inspiracion (My First Inspiration). This poem was
solely as an education for truth and knowledge for
dedicated by Rizal to his mother on the occasion of
refinement. More importantly, he believed that it
the latter’s natal day, which according to some was
also had focus on love for one’s country. Prudent
allegedly written by his cousin (Guerrero, 1950).
education, therefore, consists of three vital
→ Another poem written by Rizal when he was a
components, namely:
student at Ateneo was the poem entitled Un
o education for truth
Recuerdo de Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
o education for refinement
This poem was written in 1876. The foregoing poem
o education for love of one’s country.
was his way of paying homage to his birthplace,
→ Another poem written by Rizal on education was the
Calamba. From this literary piece, it can be noted
poem entitled, La Alianza Intima Sobre Religion y
that Rizal never forgot the beauty and tranquility of
La Buena Educacion (Through Education the
his town, which in effect had inspired him to love
Country Receives Light) (Zaide & Zaide, 1999). From
nature and to have trust and confidence in the
the poem, it can be gleaned the influence of the
Almighty God
Catholic education Rizal had at Ateneo. Here Rizal
→ The immersion of Rizal into the Atenean system of
stressed the importance of religion to education.
education became evident in the poems on religion
For Rizal, education not centered on God cannot be
and education he wrote. Notable among these
considered true education. As implied from the
poems were the following:
poem, religion serves as a guide and nourishment to
o Al Niño Jesus (To the Child Jesus)
true education
o La Alianza Intima Entre Religion y La Buena
Educacion (The Intimate Alliance Between
Religion and Education)
o Por La Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria
(Through Education the Country Receives Light)
→ The poem Al Niño Jesus was an ode written by Rizal
during his student days, when he was 14 years old.
This poem was his expression of his devotion to
Catholicism, which his mother implanted in his heart
and strengthened by his schooling at Ateneo
(Laubach, 1936).
→ The poem Through Education the Country Receives
Light, reveal to us a lot of Rizal’s ideas on education.
First of all, Rizal compared education to a
lighthouse, considering that it can be guide people
in their behaviors and actions.
→ From the poem, Rizal singled out the benefits that a
country and its people can reap from a wise or
prudent education. He believed that through
education the country could have a pool of
educated youth who can steer it to progress.
Moreover, through education the youth of the
country can be directed towards the path of virtue
and rectitude.
→ His message in this poem was very clear – that the
people have to seek knowledge (Capino et al, 1977).

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the topic, students are able to:
o Evaluate the influences of the academic institutions
related to Rizal.
o Outline Dr. Rizal’s experiences and the personalities
he met while in Europe.
o Share and explain the scenarios happened while he
was studying in Madrid.
RIZAL AT THE DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY OF
THE PHILIPPINES
ENROLLMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
SANTO TOMAS
→ At the outset, Rizal was not certain of what course
to pursue after graduating with honors at Ateneo.
→ He was quite uncertain as to what career to pursue.
→ His former Jesuit mentors were suggesting that
Rizal should take either priesthood or farming.
→ Rizal considered going into literature, law or
medicine.
→ His brother Paciano discouraged him to pursue law,
owing to his belief that Rizal will not be able practice
the profession later due to the political conditions in
the country during those times.
→ Uncertain of what to take up, the sixteen-year-old
Rizal enrolled the course Philosophy and Letters,
during his freshman year at UST (1887 – 1888).
→ In the first place, the said course was what his father
wanted him to pursue.
→ Secondly, his decision to enroll in the said academic
program could also be attributed to his failure to
solicit the advice of Father Ramon Pablo, the rector
of Ateneo, who was then in Mindanao at that time
(Zaide & Zaide, 1999)
→ He, therefore, found himself taking up courses in
Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of
Philosophy.
→ It was also during this term that Rizal enrolled
surveying course, at Ateneo.
→ As expected, Rizal performed outstandingly in the
aforementioned vocational course.
→ He was conferred the title on Nov. 25, 1881 since he
was underage when he passed the final
examination in this course.
→ After his freshman year, Rizal shifted his course from
Philosophy and Letters to Medicine.
→ This was brought about by two factors.
o He was advised by Father Ramon to pursue the
course.
o Owing to his mother’s failing eyesight, Rizal felt
that he should finish medicine so that he could
cure his mother’s physical ailment.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT UST
→ Rizal’s academic performance at UST was not
comparable with how he fared in Ateneo.
→ Close examination of his scholastic records from
1872 to 1882, attests to his mediocre performance
then (Capino et al, 1977)
→ Why then did the brilliant Rizal perform poorly at
UST?
→ In the first place, Rizal did not enjoy his schooling
here (Zaide & Zaide, 1999).
→ His unhappiness at UST can be traced to three
factors, namely:
o the hostility of Dominican professors to Rizal
o Racial discrimination against Filipino students
o Obsolete and repressive method of instruction
at UST
→ There were three factors that could really explains
his below par academic performance at UST,
namely (Guerrero, 1998):
o Medicine, not Rizal’s real vocation;
o Dissatisfaction with the Dominican system of
education;
o The exciting distraction of youth.
→ From Rizal’s scholastic records, it was obvious that
he was not a good material for a medical course. His
grades in most of his medical subjects were
generally average, indicating that medicine was not
his real vocation but in the arts.
→ He was not also satisfied with the system of
education at UST.
→ This might probably be due to the Jesuit discipline
he went through, where professors were
encouraging and understanding which, in effect,
provided him the motivation to develop his talents.
→ This dissatisfaction with the Dominican system
could also be due to the obsolete and repressive
method of teaching utilized by the Dominican
professors.
→ Rizal stressed this in his novel, El Filibusterismo,
thru Father Millon, the professor in Physics and
Placido Penitente, one of the Filipino students in the
aforementioned subject.
→ In the Fili, Rizal thru Placido deplored how
instruction in science was done in the university and
how Spanish professors treated Filipino students
who had the potential to excel in class.
→ This is no longer true today, considering that UST is
one of the best higher education institutions in the
country.
→ In addition to the two factors cited, Rizal’s
unsatisfactory performance can also be attributed
to the exciting distractions of youth he experienced
as a student in Manila.
→ Rizal fascinated with women during his student days
at UST
→ At first, he became infatuated with Segunda
Katigbak of Batangas, whom he visited often in her
boarding house frequently.
→ When he learned that Segunda was to married, he
turned his eyes on other women.
→ In fact, at the time that he was courting Leonor or
Orang Valenzuela and Leonor Rivera.
→ After learning that Orang was already engaged with
another man, Rizal concentrated his efforts on
Leonor Rivera, his first cousin.
→ From these, we could infer that Rizal became very
busy with other things, which probably reduced the
time he could spend with his medical studies.
→ He joined parties, took part in gang fights and even
cut classes. No wonder his academic performance
was affected.
LIBERALISM AND FILIPINO STUDENTS AT
UST
→ Liberal ideas came to be felt in Manila than in any
place in the Philippines.
→ The influx of liberal ideas can be attributed to the
o ending of the Spanish Civil Wars
o the opening of the Suez Canal
o and the opening of the Philippines to world
trade.
→ Filipino students in Manila came to be affected by
the entry of these liberal ideas in the country.
→ They desired to understand and explain everything
(Guerrero, 1998).
→ This stemmed from their exposure to three
important revolutions of the 19th century in the
country:
o revolution of the senses against the other
worldliness of monasticism
o revolution of human reason against the
comforting certitudes of the cathechism
o and revolution of race and nation against
inequality and subjection.
→ Rizal and his colleagues were cognizant of all these
developments. Thus, they desired to reap scientific
and artistic achievement.
→ n as much as there was virtually no opportunity for
intellectual pursuit in the realm of science, the
cultivation of literature and the arts was taken
seriously (Guerrero, 1998)
→ To encourage the production of literary works in
Manila, the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila, an
organization of art lovers in the city, conducted
regular competition in literary writing.
→ Rizal joined the contests sponsored by the
association in 1879 and 1880.
→ His entries, A La juventud Filipina (To The Filipino
Youth) and El Consejo de los Dioses (The Council of
the Gods) were adjudged as the best entry in the
said competition.
→ He joined the competition to prove one thing – that
the Filipinos can equal and even surpass the
Spaniards in literary prowess.
IMPORTANT LITERARY WORKS AS A
UNIVERSITY STUDENT
→ Three of the best literary works Rizal wrote as a
university student were the following:
• A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino Youth)
- This poem was Rizal’s entry in the 1879
literary contest conducted by the Liceo
Artistico Literario de Manila.
- Rizal wrote this poem when he was 18 years
old (Craig, 1933)
- It won the grand prize in the competition,
with Rizal receiving a silver quill for
demonstrating his prowess in poetry.
 - As pointed out by Zaide and Zaide (1999), A
La Juventud Filipina was a classic in
Philippine literature for two reasons.
- As pointed out by Zaide and Zaide (1999), A
La Juventud Filipina was a classic in
Philippine literature for two reasons.
- First, it was the first poem in Spanish written
by a Filipino, recognized by the Spanish
authorities.
- Second, it was the first expression of the
nationalistic concept that the Filipinos were
the fair hope of the motherland.
- In essence, the poem can be considered
Rizal’s first testimony of his nationalism.
- In this literary piece, he clearly referred to
the Philippines as his motherland, Mi Patria.
The Spanish jury failed to recognize the
political implications of the poem.
- It regarded Spain as the Patria mentioned by
Rizal in the poem. Conversely, Rizal used the
term to mean the Philippines.
- Rizal, therefore, was the first Filipino,
considering that he was the first to call the
country his motherland.
- Another point that Rizal stressed in the
poem relates to the role of the youth in
nation building.
- From the poem, he called the youth, THE
FAIR HOPE OF THE MOTHERLAND (La Bella
Esperanza de la Patria Mia).
- For the youth to really be the fair hope of
the motherland, Rizal challenged the youth
of his day to do three things:
o to cultivate their talents in the arts;
o to develop their knowledge of the
sciences; and
o to look forward and break their chain of
bondage
• El Consejo de los Dioses (The Council of the
Gods)
- This play was Rizal’s entry in the literary
contest of 1880.
- It was an allegory in praise of Cervantes as a
co-equal of Homer and Virgil.
- The entry was judged the best entry in the
competition that year.
- The jury, however, upon discovering that its
author was a Filipino decide to confer the
grand prize to a Spaniard.
- Although Rizal was not able to receive the
much-coveted award, he was able to
disprove the alleged superiority of the
Spaniards over the Filipinos and to prove
that the Filipinos can compete with other
races in a fair play
• A Filipinas (To The Philippines)
- This sonnet was written by Rizal in 1880 to
not only to praise the Philippines for its
beauty but to encourage Filipino artists to
glorify the country through their art works
(Romero et al, 1978).
• Junto Al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)
- It is a one-act play, written by Rizal at the
request of the Jesuits and was staged at
Ateneo, in connection with the celebration
of the Feast Day of Immaculate Conception
(Guerrero, 1998)
- This play according to Guerrero can be
interpreted in several ways.
- They can be considered as a
o prophecy of 50 years of revolution
o invasion after invasion
o defeat
o subjugation and civil tumult.
- It can also be read as a continuation of
Rizal’s appeal for the Filipino youth to chide
alien people for causing them misery.
- It can also be interpreted as a purely
religious allegory, as the play depicted
Leonido, together with a choir of angels
successfully driving Satan and his devils out
of the land.
STUDENT ACTIVISM AT UST
→ Rizal displayed his leadership in student activism
when he was pursuing philosophy and medicine at
UST.
→ He espoused the cause of brown-skinned Filipino
students against the Spanish and mestizo students
(Zaide, 1971).
→ As both the Spanish and mestizo students labeled
the Filipinos indio or chongo, Rizal and his peers
retaliated by calling them kastila or bangus.
→ Bitter hostility existed between these two groups of
students at UST. This hostility, motivated by racial
animosity, often erupted in student rumbles in the
university campus and even in the street of Manila
→ Being the leader of his fellow Filipino students, Rizal
figured prominently in these brawls owing to his skill
in fencing and wrestling, coupled with his resolute
courage.
→ There was even a time when Rizal was wounded due
to a skirmish Filipino students had with Spanish
students at Escolta, Manila.
→ In order to show their Spanish detractors that
Filipino students were united, Rizal organized a
secret society of Filipino society of Filipino students.
→ This society came to be called Compañerismo. The
members called themselves Companions of Jehu,
the patriot general of the Jews.
→ Rizal naturally became the president of this secret
society, with Galicano Apacible as secretary.
→ Rizal’s activism was also expressed in his bold
criticism of the defective and outmoded university
education of his time.
→ He criticized the humiliating treatment of brown
Filipino students, who were often insulted by their
Dominican mentors.
→ He also condemned the archaic method of
instruction at UST.
→ He described comically the teaching of Physics
devoid of laboratory experiments.
→ Students could not even touch the different
laboratory apparatus and equipment as they were
always kept inside the display cabinets.
→ Moreover, favoritism and skin color, not
meritocracy and intellectual brilliance, were the
criteria for judging the actual academic
performance of students.
FIRST TASTE OF SPANISH BRUTALITY
→ Rizal had his first taste of Spanish brutality during his
first summer vacation at Calamba after his freshman
year at UST
→ While he was walking in the street, he failed to see
the man passing by owing to the darkness of the
night. Because he was not able to recognize the
man, who happened to be lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil, Rizal did not bother to salute nor greet him
Buenas noches.
→ Since, the lieutenant was expecting that he be
treated with respect and courtesy by everybody in
the town, what he did was to whip out his sword and
slashed it at Rizal’s back.
→ Rizal was wounded. He sent a written complaint to
Governor-general Primo de Rivera about the
incident.
→ Nothing positive came out from his complaint,
considering that he was an Indio. This incident left a
deep impression on Rizal.
→ Cognizant of his dignity, and of his ability to compete
with a Spaniard on equal terms, he found that as an
Indio, he was not accorded equality with a Spaniard
before the bar of justice.
→ According to Schumaster (1997), his demand for
recognition of equality of Filipinos and Spaniards
was to obsess Rizal’s thought in the years to come,
and its denial would provoke him into a clash with
offenders, no matter what the cost.
DECISION TO GO TO EUROPE
→ After completing his fourth year in the medical
course, Rizal decided to leave the country for
Europe.
→ This was due in part by his disappointment with his
schooling at the University of Santo Tomas. While
obviously, Rizal was to leave the country to
complete his medical course in Barcelona, Spain,
this was not the real reason for his sudden
departure.
→ This was evident from the Paciano’s letter to Rizal
dated May 26, 1882. (Guerrero, 1998).
→ From the foregoing correspondence, it is very clear
that Rizal was going to Europe not just to complete
his medical studies there.
→ There were hidden purposes for his voyage to a new
world.
→ It can be inferred from Paciano’s letter to Rizal that
the following were the real purposes of Rizal’s
voyage to Europe:
o to make a name for himself in the realm of
journalism;
o to observe and study European society;
o and to prepare himself for the task of liberating
the Filipinos from Spanish tyranny.
 RIZAL IN PENINSULAR SPAIN
RIZAL’S SECRET DEPARTURE
→ Rizal left on May 1, 1882 and was able to reach
Manila after ten hours of journey via a carromata.
→ No one from among the family members of Rizal
knew his departure for Spain, except Paciano,
Saturnina, his Uncle Antonio Rivera and a few
friends.
→ The trip was kept secret to avoid detection by
Spanish authorities, especially the friars.
→ His brother Paciano did everything to ensure that
Rizal can leave the country secretly.
→ He secured Rizal’s passport with the name Jose
Mercado
→ Rizal stayed in Manila for two days before his trip to
Spain.
→ He was scheduled to depart from Manila on the 3 rd
day of May, 1882 (Zulueta, 2004).
→ He then woke up early, heard the mass at Santo
Domingo Church in the Walled City and then
proceeded to Pasig River to board the steamer
Salvadora, bound for Singapore
ITINERARY TO SPAIN
→ From Manila, the Salvadora sailed for Singapore.
→ At first he felt very sad leaving his country and
family.
→ He tried to observe people and things around him
and noted many Spanish-speaking travelers spoke ill
of the country.
→ To entertain himself, Rizal made sketches of his
fellow passengers and things he saw along the way.
→ After one week of sailing, the steamer docked at
Singapore.
→ During his two-day stopover, he took time to visit its
botanical garden, art galleries, parks, and some
historical spots.
→ He recorded in his diary every detail of what he was
able to observe.
→ From Singapore, Rizal boarded the steamer
Djemnah, which shall ferry him to France.
→ With him on the ship were French-speaking
nationals.
→ From his boarding point, the ship had its stopover at
Point Galle in Ceylon, Aden and Port Said at Suez
Canal
→ The steamer reached Naples on June 11, 1882.
→ Rizal was impressed with Naples. An Italian City, for
its business activity, lively people and panoramic
beauty (Zaide & Zaide, 1999)
→ From Naples, the steamer sailed to France.
→ It docked at the harbor of Marseilles on June 12,
1882.
→ At Marseilles, Rizal was impressed by the courtesy
of the customs police.
→ He was, likewise, enchanted by its graceful and
impressive buildings, and the courtesy and refined
manners of the Frenchmen.
→ From Marseilles, Rizal took the train for Barcelona.
→ He reached the city, his entry point to Spain, on
June 15, 1882.
→ He reached Barcelona on June 16, 1882.
→ At first, Rizal had a negative impression of the city
and its people. Later, he came to like Barcelona due
to the prevalence of freedom and liberalism in the
city and the good qualities demonstrated by its
residents –
o open-heartedness
o hospitality and
o courage.
→ Rizal’s trip from the Philippines to Barcelona had
important consequences for him.
→ First, owing to his interaction with foreign nationals
on the board the Salvadora and Djemnah, there was
a sudden change in his religious outlook.
→ He started becoming inattentive to saints and
patron saints.
→ Instead on calling on them for guidance and
protection while on the journey to Spain, Rizal
prayed directly to God.
→ In fact, he became very curious of other religions, as
evidenced by his attendance in a Protestant
worship service in Singapore.
→ A second change in Rizal was the melting down of
his get along well with Spaniards on board the
foreign vessel, as well as with other nationals who
were with him in his trip to Spain.
RIZAL IN BARCELONA
→ Rizal was welcomed by the Filipinos in Barcelona,
most of who were his former schoolmates at Ateneo
Municipal.
→ The welcome party tendered to him was held at
favorite coffee house at Plaza de Cataluña.
→ After the usual exchange of toasts and news, Rizal
joined his friends for a walk around the city.
→ He was even able to see the famous historical spots
of Barcelona.
→ While in Barcelona, Rizal took time writing to his
family, relatives and friends in the Philippines.
→ In fact, he did not forget one of his missions – that
of making a name for himself in the field of writing.
→ Through writing, Paciano believed that Rizal would
be able to express his nationalistic and patriotic
sentiment, which in effect can arouse the hostility
and suspicion of the Spanish Regime (Guerrero,
1998).
→ For Rizal’s brother, when this happens, Rizal, a poet
will be transformed simultaneously into a patriot, a
novelist, and a nationalist.
EL AMOR PATRIO
→ Upon arriving at Barcelona, Rizal commenced his
writing of nationalistic articles.
→ The first of these articles was the essay entitled, El
Amor Patrio or Love of Country.
→ Rizal wrote this essay when he was 21 years old,
under the pseudonym Laong Laan.
→ It came out on August 20, 1882 in the Diariong
Tagalog in Manila.
→ For the first time, he used the term Tierra
Extranjera (Foreign Land) in referring to Spain.
→ Was Rizal’s first nationalistic essay where he urged
the Filipinos to love their motherland.
→ For Rizal, loving one’s country was the greatest,
most heroic and sublime or disinterested sentiment
a person could have.
→ On account of the foregoing, he directly challenged
the Filipinos to sacrifice for the welfare of the
country.
→ From this essay, Rizal made clear that for the love of
one’s country, Filipinos have to sacrifice their youth,
pleasures, splendor of genius and even their life.
→ Filipinos, according to Rizal should not fear losing
their lives, because they are going to live their
country two immense fortunes, namely: Liberty and
Glory.
→ After the El Amor Patrio, Rizal stopped producing
nationalistic articles.
→ His unproductiveness could be attributed to three
factors:
o the opposition of his mother
o the difficulty of recognition in a foreign
country; and
o his desire to finish his studies.
RIZAL MOVES TO MADRID
→ Rizal decide to move to the capital city of Spain in
September, 1882 to resume his studies.
→ He enrolled in philosophy and letters and licentiate
in medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid.
→ Despite his busy and rigid schedule,
o he took lessons in painting and sculpture at the
Academia de San Fernando;
o lessons in fencing at the Schools of Sanz and
Carbonell; and
o lessons in English, French and German in
Madrid.
→ He even contemplated taking the examination in
Roman law for possible enrollment in law.
→ He took the medical examination from June 5 to 26.
Fortunately, he passed the examination.
→ At the same time, he passed the examination in
Greek, Latin, and World History.
→ Rizal was awarded the degree of Licentiate in
Medicine for passing the medical examination for
the course.
→ He continued his doctorate degree in medicine but
was not conferred the Doctor’s Diploma due to his
failure to pay the fee for the presentation and
defense of his thesis, which was the final
requirement for the course
→ He also completed the degree of Licentiate in
Philosophy and Letters.
→ Despite his completion of his academic studies in
Madrid, Rizal was not happy with what he was able
to accomplish.
→ For him, there was no basic difference between the
educational system in Manila and Madrid.
→ Nevertheless, it was in this city where Rizal
completed one half of the novel, Noli Me Tangere
RIZAL AND THE FILIPINO EXPATRIATES IN
MADRID
→ Despite Rizal’s hectic schedule in his studies, he took
time to associate with the Filipino expatriates in
Madrid.
→ Here, he met Pedro Paterno, Graciano Lopez Jaena,
Gregorio Sanciano, Juan Luna, Felix Hidalgo,
Marcelo del Pilar, and a lot more.
→ He became closely associated with Jaena and del
Pilar. The three of them later on, came to be called
the Triumvirate of the Propaganda Movement.
→ At the time that Rizal moved to Madrid, he learned
that his fellow expatriates had formed the Circulo
Hispano-Filipino, whose moving spirit was Juan
Atayde (Guerrero, 1998)
→ Knowing that Rizal was a prolific writer, he was
asked to contribute a few verses to the review
published by the club.
→ Rizal submitted his poem entitled Mi Piden Versos
(They Ask Me For Verses)
→ Meanwhile, Rizal wrote to Don Francisco about his
involvement in the Circulo Hispano.
→ Later on, he told his father that the society
disintegrated owing to the differences between the
young student expatriates and the retired colonials,
due to differences in age and youth
→ At this time, Rizal was already feeling the effect of
hardships in Calamba.
→ The finances of Rizal’s family turned from bad to
worse after Rizal’s departure from the Philippines
owing to crop failures, brought about by drought
and locusts.
→ This was aggravated by the hike in rentals on the
hacienda lands of the Dominicans in his hometown.
→ As a consequence of this, there was a frequent delay
in his monthly stipend from the Philippines.
→ Thus, there were many occasions when he attended
his classes on empty stomach.
RIZAL JOINS THE MASONRY
→ Living in Madrid exposed Rizal to liberal ideas,
stressing the value of individual freedom of action
on matters of religion and expression (Zulueta,
2004).
→ Imbued with the vitality of youth and idealism, he
became fascinated with the manner by which
Spanish masons in Madrid discussed political issues
fearlessly.
→ He was overwhelmed by their progressive ideas on
government, politics, and religion.
→ Thus, he joined the Masonry for the following
probable reasons:
o the abuses committed by the friars against the
Filipinos;
o his association with many mason; and
o the possible assistance the masons can extend
him in his struggle against Spanish tyranny and
oppression.
→ He became a Master Mason in Lodge Solidaridad on
November 15, 1890.
RIZAL’S AFFAIR WITH CONSUELO
→ Filipino expatriates in Madrid then usually visited
the house of Don Pablo Ortega y Rey on Saturday
evenings (Zaide & Zaide, 1998).
→ Don Pablo was the former city mayor of Manila
during the time of Governor Carlos de la Torre.
→ Being away from home, he joined his fellow student
expatriates to visit Don Pablo’s residence.
→ He played with his colleagues and laughed with
them, together with Consuelo and Pilar, Don
Pablo’s daughter.
→ Rizal was attracted with Consuelo due to her refined
manners and enchanting smile.
→ He gave her flowers occasionally, which Consuelo
appreciated.
→ Consuelo fell in love with him.
→ Rizal, however, suppressed his emotions since he
was still engaged with Leonor Rivera, way back
home.
→ Besides, he did not want to destroy his friendship
with Eduardo de Lete and Consuelo’s love affair
with de Lete.
→ Before leaving Madrid in 1883, Rizal composed a
poem for Consuelo, which was entitled A La
Señorita C.O.y R. (To Miss C.O.y R.)
RIZAL’S TOAST TO LUNA AND HIDALGO
→ While Rizal was in Madrid, a very heartening news
made the Filipino expatriates rejoice.
→ Juan Luna and Felix R. Hidalgo emerged winners in
the 1884 Madrid Exposition.
→ Luna was awarded a gold medal for his painting, the
Spoliarium; while Hidalgo, a silver medal for his
entry. Christian Virgins exposed to the Populace.
→ A banquet was tendered in honor of these two
Filipino artists at The Café Ingles on June 25, 1884,
with Rizal delivering the keynote speech.
→ The speech of salute Rizal delivered during the
occasion came to be called Brindis.
→ Rizal was greatly applauded by both Filipinos and
Spaniards who attended the tribute to Luna and
Hidalgo.
→ For the first time, they heard a young Filipino
delivering a speech fluently in Castilian language.
→ Obviously, Rizal stressed the idea that genius knows
no race. Thus, he condemned the bigotry and
blindness of the friars to understand the university
of a genius.
→ The speech itself can be considered a direct attack
and challenge to the Spanish Regime.
→ From the Brindis, can be noted Rizal stressing on the
idea that the Luna and Hidalgo’s paintings were the
reflections of the reality of politics, society and
moral life of Filipinos under the Spanish conquerors.
→ Thus, he said that the two paintings clearly showed
humanity in severe ordeal, humanity unredeemed,
and reason and idealism in an open struggle with
fanaticism and injustice.
→ It was a direct challenge to the Spanish Regime, as it
indirectly called the institutions of the much-needed
reforms in the Philippine society.
DOÑA TEODORA’S REACTIONS ON RIZAL’S
SPEECH
→ News of Rizal delivery of the Brindis reached the
Philippines due to the full coverage given by the
Madrid Press to the occasion.
→ Nonetheless, Rizal was not cognizant of the
consequence of his speech.
→ Rizal’s mother became ill, as his son became the talk
of the town and the friars in Calamba.
→ Thus, in her letter to Rizal she advised him to refrain
from writing articles that might offend the friars and
the Regime; and that he should not fail in his duties
as a Christian.
→ Finally, she warned Rizal not to continue pursuing
further studies since he had fear that it could cause
him death later (Doña Teodora’s Letter to Rizal,
December 11, 1884).
→ Rizal responded to her mother by stressing the
following points (Guerrero, 1998):
o He will still have enemies, even if he puts an
end to writing articles considered anti-Spanish
and anti-friars;
o Life can’t be without sorrow;
oMisfortunes are welcomed when they can
avert debasement and degradation;
o Conscience has to decide whether to submit or
perish in the society where a person is born.
o People have to put their trust in God in the
sincerity of their purpose;
o The best legacy parents can give their children
are upright judgment; generosity in the
exercise of rights; and perseverance in
adversity;
o A son can pay honor to his parents thru honesty
and good name;
o Religion is the holiest of things but a person can
only believe by reasoning;
o Conscience can accept only what is compatible
with reason
→ From the kind of response Rizal sent to his mother,
we can see a new Rizal had emerged – a student
teaching Doña Teodora what should and what
should not be done.
→ From simply being a poet, he had become a
rationalist and nationalist
OBJECTIVES:
After the lesson, students are able to:
o Identify the different places visited by Dr. Jose
Rizal in France and Germany.
o Discuss the struggle of our Hero in foreign land.
After finishing his studies in Madrid, Rizal decided to
leave the Spanish capital and move to France and
Germany. His decision to migrate into these two
countries was due to his desire to specialize in
ophthalmology. His preference for ophthalmology as a
specialization in medicine was prompted by his desire to
cure the eye ailment of his mother. Side by side with his
studies in ophthalmology, Rizal continued his
observations of the government and laws, as well as the
customs and traditions of France and Germany.
 RIZAL IN PARIS (1885 – 1886)
→ Rizal was already 24 years old and a full-pledged
surgeon, when he migrated into Paris (Zulueta,
2004).
→ His sudden decision to move to Paris was brought
about by his intention to specialize in
ophthalmology.
→ Before going into gay Paris, Rizal went to Barcelona,
Spain to visit Maximo Viola, a student from San
Miguel, Bulacan.
→ They agreed to have a grand tour of Europe, once
Rizal completes his medical studies in France and
Germany
→ Rizal worked as an assistant at the eye clinic of Dr.
Louis de Wecker, for four months.
→ From Dr. de Wecker, Rizal learned the following:
o the actual performance of eye operation;
o recent studies on the ailment of the eyes; and
o the various techniques of eye operation.
→ Outside his working hours in the eye clinic, Rizal
took time to visit his fellow Filipinos in the city.
→  He frequently visited the residences of Felix R.
Hidalgo, Pardo de Tavera, and Juan Luna
→ His frequent contacts with other Filipinos in the city
contributed immensely to his ability to learn and
speak French fluently.
→ For a time, he stayed with Juan Luna in the latter’s
studio in Paris.
→ Here, Rizal became Luna’s model in two of his
historical canvasses: The Blood Compact; and Death
of Cleopatra.
→ He posed as Sikatuna in the Blood Compact and as
an Egyptian priest in the Death of Cleopatra.
→ Before leaving the city, Rizal had completed one-
fourth of his novel, the Noli Me Tangere.
RIZAL IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
→ After specializing in ophthalmology under Dr. Louis
de Wecker, Rizal left Paris for Germany. (Zaide &
Zaide, 1999).
→ He left Paris due to its high cost of living, which he
could not cope with.
→ He arrived at Heidelberg, the university town of
Germany, on February 3, 1886 after passing by
Strasbourg and other border towns of Germany.
→ For a time, he resided in a German boarding house
where he became a friend to some German law
students.
→ Since Rizal was a good chess player, he was
eventually recommended by his board mates to
become a member of Chess Players’ Club of
Heidelberg.
→ He became popular among these German law
students because he joined them not only in their
chess games but also in their beer drinking sprees.
→ After a few days, Rizal decided to transfer to a
boarding house close to the University of
Heidelberg.
→ He was privileged to work at the eye hospital of the
university, under the tutelage of Dr. Otto Becker.
→ It was at this university town where Rizal perfected
the techniques of diagnosing eye ailments, which
he learned under Dr. Otto Becker
→ While at Heidelberg, Rizal wrote letters to his
sisters, Maria and Trinidad.
→ In his letters to his sisters, Rizal described Germany
as country of order and obedience (Guerrero,
1998).
→ From the same correspondence to Maria in
February, Rizal described the German student as
affectionate, respectful, modest, and not boastful.
→ Women, however, were described by Rizal as tall,
stout and blonde
→ From the letter sent by Rizal to Trinidad, it can be
noted that he stressed so much the following good
qualities of German women: serious, studious,
simple, industrious, not afraid of men, and
concerned about education (Pecson, 1975).
→ The said letter, likewise, shows Rizal’s concern
about the training of his sisters so that they can be
able to emulate the virtues of German women
A LAS FLORES DE HEIDELBERG
→ Rizal visited the different scenic spots of Heidelberg
on weekends.
→ He usually strolled around the city, not only to see
its church and theater but also to savor the cool
breeze of the Neckar River, which was teeming with
flowers.
→ This scenery inspired Rizal to write a poem entitled
A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To The Flowers of
Heidelberg) on April 12, 1886.
→ As pointed out by Dizon (1961), the poem A Las
Flores de Heidelberg, is a poem of two of the
greatest loves of man on earth.
→ It is a poem of remembrance and a poem of the
motherland.
→ Close reading of the poem reveals the
aforementioned point.
→ Rizal, in this particular verse, expressed his longing
for his native land and commanded the flowers of
Heidelberg, forget-me-not (name of the flower)-, to
go to the Philippines and tell his countrymen and
loved ones of his love for the country.
SUMMER VACATION AT WILHELMSFELD
→ After composing the poem, A Las Flores de
Heidelberg, Rizal took a three-month vacation at
Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village at Heidelberg.
→ It was at this village where he met Dr. Karl Ulmer, a
pastor of the vicarage of Wilhemsfeld.
→ Because Rizal became a friend of Pastor Ulmer, he
stayed with the former’s family during the entire
duration of his summer vacation on the said village.
→ Owing to his pleasant disposition and personality, as
well as his talents in sketching and languages, Pastor
Ulmer’s wife greatly admired Rizal.
→ Rizal’s vacation at Wilhelmsfeld was quit an
enjoyable one for him.
→ He returned to Heidelberg on June 2, 1886
remembering the hospitality and friendship
accorded to him by the Ulmers.
→ Nonetheless, there was something appreciated so
much from his stay in the German village – the
religious tolerance the people practice in the area.
→ He observed Pastor Ulmer being able to get along
well with the Catholic priest in the area, something
that will not be possible in the Philippines as that
time due to the dominant belief of the friars that
only themselves were the only true purveyors of the
words of God.
FIRST CORRESPONDENCE WITH
BLUMENTRITT
→ Rizal sent his first correspondence with Professor
Ferdinand Blumentritt, after his summer vacation at
Wilhemsfeld, on July 31, 1886.
→ What impelled him to write Blumentritt was the
latter’s interest in ethnology and Philippine
languages.
→ Accompanying his letter was a book entitled
Aritmetica, authored by Rufino Baltazar Hernandez
and published by the UST Press in 1868.
→ Rizal’s first correspondence impressed Blumentritt,
the Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz (Zaide &
Zaide, 1999).
→ In return, Blumentritt sent Rizal two books.
→ This marked the beginning of the frequent
communication between Rizal and Blumentritt
through the medium of writing.
→ Similarly, it signaled the commencement of a lasting
friendship between them.
RIZAL TO LEIPZIG AND DRESDEN
→ After attending the fifth centenary foundation day
celebration of the University of Heidelberg, Rizal
visited other cities in Germany.
→ He arrived in Leipzig on August 14, 1886, on board
a train (Zulueta, 2004).
→ Part of his activities in this city was attendance at
the lectures given by German professors in history
and psychology.
→ It was at the University of Heidelberg where Rizal
came to know Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a well-known
German historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a famous
German anthropologist.
→ It was also in this city where he translated Schiller’s
William Tell into Tagalog, for the Filipinos to
become aware of the story of the champion of Swiss
Independence.
→ He also translated the Fairy Tales, written by Hans
Christian Andersen, for the benefit of his young
nieces and nephews in the Philippines.
→ While at Leipzig, Rizal worked as a proofreader in a
publishing company to augment his allowance.
→ He was fortunate enough to be accepted due to his
knowledge of German, Spanish and other European
languages.
→ Owing to the lower cost of living at Leipzig, he
stayed in the city for two months.
→ He left Leipzig on Oct. 29, 1886 and went to
Dresden (Zaide & Zaide, 1999).
→ It was at Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph Meyer,
the Director of Anthropological and Ethnological
Museum of the city.
→ After his three-day visit to Dresden, he left Dresden
for Berlin by train.
RIZAL IN BERLIN
→ Rizal arrived in Berlin in the evening of November 1,
1886.
→ He went to Berlin due to the following reasons
(Rivera et al, 1969):
o to further enhance his knowledge of
ophthalmology;
o to supplement his studies of languages and
sciences;
o to study and observe the political and
economic conditions of Germany;  to join the
circle of famous German scientists and
scholars; and
o to complete and publish his novel, Noli Me
Tangere.
→ At Berlin, Rizal was fortunate enough to meet in
person, Dr. Feodor Jagor, the author of the Travels
in the Philippines.
→ This book was one Rizal admired so much when he
was still a student at UST.
→ His admiration of this book was due to two reasons.
o First, it predicted the collapse of Spanish
Regime in the Philippines.
o Finally, it prophesied the coming of the
Americans into the Philippines.
→ His acquaintance with Dr. Jagor, through a letter of
introduction from Ferdinand Blumentritt, resulted
into his friendship with numerous German
intellectuals, like the following:
o Dr. Rudolf Virchow, a German anthropologist;
o Dr. Hans Virchow, a German professor of
Descriptive Anatomy; and
o Dr. W. Joest, a famous German geographer;
o Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger, a noted German
ophthalmologist.
→ His association with these German intellectuals led
to his membership in prestigious societies of
scholars and intellectuals in Berlin.
→ On the recommendation of Dr. Jagor and Dr. Meyer,
Rizal was accepted as member of the following
societies in Berlin:
o Anthropological Society;
o Ethnological Society; and
o Geographical Society.
→ Acting on the invitation of Dr. Virchow, Rizal
presented a paper in German entitled Tagalische
Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art) to the Ethnographic
Society of Berlin.
→ The paper was well appreciated, which proved that
Rizal was recognized for his scientific knowledge in
Europe.
→ Life in Berlin was not that easy for Rizal.
→ In the morning, he worked as an assistant in Dr.
Schweigger’s clinic.
→ Then he attended lectures at the University of
Berlin in the evening.
→ At his boarding house, Rizal continued his physical
trimming exercises and practice in speaking
German, French, and Italian languages.
→ Before resting in the evening, he took time writing
and completing his first novel.
→ Although Rizal was exposed to a lot of enriching
experiences in Berlin. There was a time that he
found himself penniless.
→ This happened from November 1886 to May 1887.
→ His brother Paciano was unable to send him his
monthly stipend owing to crop failures in Calamba.
→ In order to eat, he had to pawn the diamond ring
given by his sister Saturnina and sell his books to
second-hand bookstores.
→ Devoid of proper nutrition, he got sick with coughs
and colds, signs of tuberculosis.
→ Penniless at Berlin, he thought of burning the
manuscript of his first novel, which he had
completed