INTRODUCTION
What are we going to do in this subject?
Why do we need to study the Rizal course?
 Rizal Course is mandated by law under Republic Act 1425,
authored and fought for by Claro M. Recto. R.A. 1425 is
also known as the Rizal Law approved in June 1956.
 Is a compulsory to all students who are enrolled in different
colleges and universities
 A student cannot graduate in his course without taking and
passing Rizal subject
 Rizal subject is equally important to all other subjects.
Three provisions of the law
 First, it directs educational agencies such as the Department of
Education and the Commission of Higher Education to
include in the curricula of all schools, colleges and
universities, public or private, the study of the life of our
national hero, with emphasis on the original or unexpurgated
versions of the Noli and El Fili.
 Second, it obliges all the libraries of all schools, colleges and
universities to maintain an adequate number of copies of
Noli and El Fili in their collections as well as other materials
related to the life of Rizal.
 Third, it directs the Board of National Education to take charge
of the translation, reproduction and distribution of printed
copies of Rizal’s novels to interested parties through purok
organizations and barangay councils, free of charge.
Challenges in teaching the Rizal Course
 Antagonistic attitude of students toward the Rizal Course.
 The way teachers and professors handle and deliver the
subject.
 Rizal Law is obsolete and needs to be abolished or amended.
Criteria for Heroism:
 The subject would not just focus her/his discussion to life of
Rizal per see but rather made the life of Rizal as a
springboard of discussing the culture of the Filipinos, its
political, economic and social affairs in the past and relate
it at present situation of the people.
 Researches in order for the students to visit the school
libraries and use the library’s Rizaliana Collection. (ADMU)
 Study guides will focus on the primary sources—original
writings—of José Rizal as if he were just one of the many
authors that lived more than a hundred years ago.
 Important writings of Rizal, particularly his two novels Noli me
tángere and El Filibusterismo, as well as his two long
essays, “The Philippines a Century Hence” and “The
Indolence of the Filipinos”.
 A movie review, reporting, group activities and historical quiz
bee re Rizal as culminating activity. This serves as your
requirements.
RIZAL AND HIS TIMES
The Rizal’s Issue
 Adolf Hitler as illegitimate son of Jose Rizal
 Bonifacio or Aguinaldo as the National Hero
 Rizal as an “American-made hero’
Who made Jose Rizal the Foremost National Hero of
the Philippines and why?
How do we Define a Hero?
 is a prominent or central personage taking an admirable part in
any remarkable action or event.
 a person distinguish valor or enterprise in danger or fortitude
in suffering.
 a man honored after death by public worship because of his
exceptional service to mankind.
 To lead a life of exemplary achievement to be outstanding in
one’s character, work selfless service to others or a
combination of these.
 To leave behind a record one’s achievement in creative work,
writings, inventions or service to the group, community or
nation.
 To obtain in death after death, a degree of recognition from his
peers and future generations.
Rizal as Foremost National Hero
 To live or die during a period of significant changes in the
nation’s history and to be part of these changes.
 A true hero must embody the aspirations and ideals of his
people
 His teachings still hold relevance and meaning to our time.
 His life is an example of self-abnegation for the country in spite
of himself, family, and personal convenience.
 He bequeathed to us the legacy of freedom, thirst of liberty
and the value of human dignity and honor.
Rizal as the First Filipino
 He was the first who sought to unite the entire archipelago and
envision a compact and homogeneous society of all tribal
communities from Batanes to Sulu.
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 During the christening ceremony and Father Collantes told to the NARCISA (1852-1939)
ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO members of the family Pet name was Sisa
“Take good care of his child, for someday he will become a great Married Antonio Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school
He is a unique example of a many-splendored genius who became man.” teacher of Morong.
the greatest hero of a nation.
Jose Rizal was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco OLIMPIA (1855-1887)
Endowed by God with versatile gifts. These are as follows: Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda. Ypia was her pet name
Physician Poet Sportsman Married Silvestre Ubaldo
Dramatist Essayist Polemicist
Novelist Surveyor Satirist April 18, 1818 LUCIA (1857-1919)
Historian Sculptor Humorist The hero’s father was born in Binan, Laguna. Married Mariano Herbosa of Calamba (nephew of Father Casanas
Architect Philologist Magician
Herbosa) died in cholera in 1889
Painter Inventor Translator Francisco Mercado Rizal (1818 - 1898) Was denied Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of Dr.
Educator Prophet Philosopher  Father of Jose Rizal Rizal
Linguist Traveler Folklorist  Rizal called him “A Model of Fathers”
Musician Grammarian Cartographer  Born in Biñan, Laguna MARIA (1859-1945)
Naturalist Economist Businessman  Studied in San Jose College, Manila Biang was her nickname
Ethnologies Farmer Engineer
Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna
November 8, 1826
The hero’s mother Dona Teodora, was born in Manila and was JOSE (1861-1896)
Above all these, he was a hero and political martyr who consecrated educated at the College of Santa Rosa. Greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius
his life for the redemption of his oppressed people.
Nickname was Pepe. In Dapitan he lived with Josephine Bracken,
Teodora Alonso y Quintos he had a son by her hours after birth: Rizal
No wonder, he is now acclaimed as the national hero of the  Mother of Jose Rizal The baby boy died a few named him “Francisco” after his father
Philippines.  Rizal called her “Loving and Prudent Mother” and buried him in Dapitan.
 Mother of Jose Rizal was a business-minded woman,
June 19, 1861 courteous, religious, hardworking and well-read
“I was born in Calamba on June 19, 1861, between eleven and
CONCEPCION (1862-1865)
 Born in Santa Cruz, Manila Pet name was Concha
midnight. ”  Second Child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos Died of sickness of the age of 3
Her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
Did you know?
That his mother almost died during the delivery because of his big The hero‘s parents has an eleven children. Two boys
head. JOSEFA (1865-1945)
and nine girls. Pet name was Panggoy. Died an old maid at the age of 80
June 22
SATURNINA (1850-1913) TRINIDAD (1868-1951)
He was baptized in the Catholic church of his town by a parish
Oldest of Rizal children Trining was her pet name
priest Father Rufino Collantes, who was a Batangueno.
Nicknamed Neneng Died an old maid in 1951 aged 83.
Married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas
Did you know?
His name “Jose” was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of SOLEDAD (1870-1929)
the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph).
PACIANO (1851-1930) Youngest, Pet name was Choleng
Older brother and confident of Jose Rizal Married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba
He had two children

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Jose - was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the
Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph)
Protacio - from Gervacio P. which come from a Christian calendar
Mercado - adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the paternal great-
great-grandfather of Jose Rizal) which the Spanish term
‘mercado’ means ‘market’ in English.
Rizal - from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field where wheat,
cut while stillgreen, sprouts again.
Alonzo - old surname of his mother.
Y - and
Realonda - it was used by Doña Teodora from the surname of her
godmother based on the culture by.
Rizal‘s Ancestry
- As a typical Filipino, Rizal was a product of a mixture of races.
In his veins flowed the blood of both East and West: Negrito,
Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
- Rizal’s great-great grandfather on his father’s side was
Domingo Lameo (Lamco). A Chinese immigrant from the Fukien
city of Changchow who arrived in Manila about 1690. He became a
Christian, married a Chinese Christian girl of Manila named Ines de
la Rosa.
- The surname Mercado which was appropriate for him because
he was a merchant. The Spanish term “mercado” means “market”
in English.
- They had a son named Francisco Mercado, who resided in
Binan, and married a Chinese. Filipino mestiza Cerilia Bernacha.
One of their sons Juan Mercado which is the grandfather of Rizal.
Juan Mercado
- Rizal’s grandfather. Married Cirilia Alejandro, a Chinese –
Filipino mestiza. They had Thirteen Children (13) and the youngest
was Francisco Mercado, Rizal’s father.
Francisco Mercado
- Father of our national hero. Age of 8, he lost his father and
grew up manhood with the care of his mother.
- Studied Latin and Philosophy in the College of San Jose in
Manila. He met and fell in love with Teodora Alonso Realonda, a
student in the College of Santa Rosa.
June 28, 1848
- They were married after which they settled down in Calamba,
where they engaged in farming and business and reared a big family.
Dona Teodora’s family was descended from Lakan-Dula, the last
native kind of Tondo. Her great-granfather was Eugenio Ursua
(Japanese Ancestry) who married a Filipina named Benigna. Their
daughter Regina was Brigida, who married Lorenzo Alberto Alonso,
a prominent Spanish – Filipino mestizo of Binan.
Their Children were:
 Narcisa
 Teodora (Rizal’s Mother)
 Gregorio
 Manuel
 Jose
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The Surname Rizal
- The real surname of Rizal family was Mercado, which was
adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco or Lameo. Rizal’s family
acquired a second surname “Rizal” which was given by a Spanish
Alcalde Mayor of Laguna, who was a family friend.
The Rizal Home
- The house of the Rizal family, where hero was born, was one of
the distinguished stone house in Calamba during Spanish times. It
was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built adobe stones
and hard-woods, and roofed with red tiles.
A Good and Middle-Class Family
- The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy
in Spanish Phillipines. It was one of the most distinguished families
in Calamba. They have farms which were rented from the Dominican
Order, they harvested rice, corn and sugarcane. Raised pigs,
chickens and turkeys in their backyard.
In addition to farming and stockraising, Dona Teodora managed a
general goods store and operated a small flour-mill and a home-
made ham press.
As evidence of their affluence, Rizal’s parents were able to build a
large stone house. They owned a carriage , which was a status
symbol of the illustrados in Spanish Philippines and a private library.
Home Life of the Rizals
- The Rizal family had a simple contented, and happy life. Don
Francisco and Dona Teodora loved their children, but they never
spoiled them. They were strict parents and they trained their
children to love God, and behave well, to be obedient, and to
respect people, especially the old folks.
- Whenever the children, including Jose Rizal, got into mischief,
they were given a sound spanking.
They believe in the maxim:
“Spare the rod and spoil the child.”
(if children are not physically punished when they do wrong, their
personal development will suffer)
CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
Childhood Memories
 Jose was christened June 22, 1861 by a Filipino, Father
Rufino Collantes.
 His Godfather was Father Pedro Casanas, a Filipino Priest of
Kalamba Family.
 When Jose was just 3 years old her mother already taught him
how to read and pray.
 “Amigo de los Ninos” (Kaibigan ng mga Bata)
 He also remembered the aya (nurse maid) related to the Rizal
children many stories about the fairies; tales of buried
treasure and trees blooming with diamonds, and other
fabulous stories
 From the help of his sister Saturnina, Jose learned “abakada”.
 During 1865, When he was four years old, his sister
Concepcion, the eight child in the Rizal family, died at the
age of three.
 It was on this occasion that Rizal remembered having shed real
tears for the first time. Jose loved most the little Concha
(Concepcion), who was a year younger than him. He played
with her and from her he learned the sweetness of sisterly
love.
1865 – 1867
- During this time his mother taught him how to read and
write. His father hired a classmate by the name of Leon Monroy
who, for five months until his (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the
rudiments of Latin.
RIZAL’S THREE UNCLES
Uncle Gregorio - was a lover of books. He instilled into the mind of
his nephew a great love for books. He taught him to work hard, to
think for himself, and to observe life keenly.
Uncle Jose - who had been educated at Calcutta, India, was the
youngest brother of Dona Teodora. He encouraged his nephew to
paint, sketch, and sculpture.
Uncle Manuel - was a big, strong, and husky man. He looked after
the physical training of his sickly and weak nephew. He encourage
Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other sports, so
that in later years Rizal’s frail body acquired agility, endurance, and
strength.
Artistic Talents
 Since early childhood Rizal revealed his god-given talents for
the arts.
 He drew sketches and pictures on his books of his sisters, for
which reason he was scolded by his mother.
 Jose had a soul of a genuine artist.
4
He loved to ride on a spirited pony ( which his father bought for him)
or take long walks in the meadows for him) or take long walks in the
meadows and lakeshore with his big black dog named Usman. In his
room, he kept many statuettes which he made out of clay and wax.
At one time, his sisters teased him: “Ute, what are you doing with
so many statuettes?” He replied: “All right laugh at me now
someday when I die, people will make monuments and images.”
Rizal grew up a good catholic. At age of 3, he would take part in the
family prayers. When he was 5yrs. old, he was able to read the
Spanish family bible. He loved to go to church, to pray, to take part
in novenas, and to join religious processions.
Little Jose did not know Spanish very well, so far as conversational
usage was concerned, but his mother tried to impress on him the
beauty of the Spanish poets and encouraged him in essays at
rhyming which finally grew into quite respectable poetical
compositions.
One of these was a drama in Tagalog which so pleased a municipal
captain of the neighboring village of Paete, who happened to hear it
while on a visit to Kalamba, that the youthful author was paid two
pesos for the production.
A big influence in the formation of the child's character was his
association with the parish priest of Kalamba, Father Leoncio Lopez.
The Kalamba Church and convento, which were located across the
way from the Rizal home, were constructed after the great
earthquake of 1863, which demolished so many edifices throughout
the central part of the Philippines.
One of the men he esteemed and respect in Calamba was the
scholarly Father Leoncio Lopez, the town priest. He used to visit him
and listen to his stimulating opinions on current events and sound
philosophy of life.
Father Leonco never deceived himself and his judgment was sound
and clear, even when against the opinions and persons of whom he
would have preferred to think differently.
On June 6, 1868, seven year old Jose and his father left Calamba to
go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, in order to fulfill his mother’s vow,
which was made when Jose was born. After praying at the shrine of
the Virgin of Antipolo, Jose and his father went to Manila to visit
Saturnina, who was a boarding student in La Concordia College in
Santa Ana.
It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de Bay and his pilgrimage
to Antipolo.
He was thrilled, as a typical boy should, by his first lake voyage. He
did not sleep the whole night as the casco sailed towards the Pasig
River because he was awed by “ the magnificence of the watery
expanse and the silence of the night.
Aside from his sketching and sculpturing talent, Rizal possessed a
God-given gift for literature. At age of 8, Rizal wrote his first poem
in the native language entitled Sa Aking Mga Kababata (To My
Fellow Children).
After writing his first poem, Rizal who was then 8yrs. old, wrote his
first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy.
Before he was eight years old, he wrote a Tagalog drama. This
drama was stages in Calamba in connection with the town fiesta.
Rizal was also interested in magic. He learned various tricks, such
as making a coin disappear and making a handkerchief vanish in
thin air. He read many books on magic and attended performances
of the famous magicians in the world.
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)
Jose Rizal, just like 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 such peaceful, refined, God-loving family, he spent
the early years of his childhood.
Another childhood memory was the daily Angelus prayer. By
nightfall, Rizal related, his mother gathered all the children at the
house to pray the Angelus.
Another memory of his infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town,
especially when there was a moon.
The Rizal children were bound together by the ties of love and
companionship.
Their parents taught them to love one another, to behave properly in
front of elders, to be truthful and religious, and to help one another.
Of the stories told by Dona Teodora, Jose remembered the Story of
the Moth. The tragic fate of the young moth, which “died a martyr
to it’s illusions”, left a deep impress on Rizal’s mind. He justified
such noble death, asserting that “to sacrifice one’s life for it”,
meaning for an ideal, is “worthwhile”. And, like that young moth, he
was fated to die as a martyr for a noble ideal.
5

SCHOOL DAYS IN BIÑAN
Before the Formal Education
 The first teacher of Rizal was his mother. Doña Teodora was
the one that open the mind of the young Jose Rizal in
praying, going to the church, household chores; alphabets
which he learn when he is still 3 years old; and names of the
trees and it’s description
 Rizal was given further instructions by his private tutors, such
as Maestro Celestino and later Maestro Lucas Padua. Later
his father hired an old man, Leon Monroy, who had been his
classmate, to give Rizal, the first lessons in Latin. This old
Latin teacher lived in the Rizal home.
 Don Francicso was not discouraged by the loss of the private
tutor. He heard of a good teacher, who was running a
private tutor in Biñan, and being eager to give his son a
good education, he decided to sent the little Jose to that
town.
Early Teacher’s of Rizal
 Maestro Celestino
 Maestro Lucas Padua
 Maestro Leon Monroy
First Day in Biñan School
 On the first day of class in Biñan he tell his teacher how fluent
he is on Spanish and Latin language
 His first teacher was Maestro Justiano Aquino Cruz
 Jose described his teacher as tall, thin long-necked man, with
a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward. He usually
wore a Sinamay woven by the skillfull hands of the
Batangueñas
First School Brawl
 On his first day of school Jose Rizal already engage on a fight
with Pedro (son of Justiniano Aquino Cruz) Jose Rizal was
angry at this bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher in the morning.
 Jose and his classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved
 Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, painting, become apprentices of the old painter. They
thinking that he could easily beat the Calamba boy who was improved their art, so that in due time the became “The
smaller and younger. The two wrestled furiously on the favorite painters of the class.”
classroom. Jose having learned the arts of wrestling form
his Uncle Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this feat he
become popular among his classmates. Rizal List of Paintings
 After the class in the afternoon, classmate named Andres Title: Saturnina Rizal
Salandanan challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. Jose Remarks: Now in Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago
having a weaker arm lost and nearly cracked his head on the
sidewalk. Title: Dapitan church curtains
Remarks: Made in Dapitan, 1894
Daily Life in Biñan Title: A painting on a pair of mother-of-pearl
 Jose led a methodical life in Biñan, almost a Spartan in Remarks: Shells painted by Rizal in Dapitan and given as a gift to
simplicity. Such a life contributed much to his future Doña Leonor Valenzuela and later passed into the hands of Doña
development. It strengthened his body an soul Margarita Valenzuela
 Recorded memoirs
“ I heard the four o’clock Mass(in the morning), if there Title: Spanish coat of arms
was one; or I studied my lessons at the same hour and Remarks: Done during a fiesta of San Rafael in Calamba in 1867
heard Mass afterward. Upon returning, I took my breakfast
which consisted usually of a plate of boiled rice, and two Title: Allegory on a pair of porcelain bases of the new year
fried sardines. Then I went to class which is over by ten. I celebration
went home and if there was a particularly appetizing fish we Remarks: Made in Berlin in 1886
told to take it home. I returned and ate with them, study a
little bit then off to school by two and was out by five I Title: Christ crucified
played with my cousins before going home. Then I studied Remarks: 1875
my lessons, We ate our supper afterwards then we said our
prayers and then if there is a moon we play outside the Title: Immaculate Conception
house. Thanks to god, I never fell sick when away from my Remarks: Made in Manila, 1974
parents.”
Title: Portrait of Morayta
Remarks: Made in Barcelona, 1885
Painting Lessons in Biñan
 Near the school was the house of an old painter, called
Juancho, who was the father-in-law of the school teacher.
Jose, lured by his love for painting, spent many leisure
hours at the painter’s studio. Old Juancho freely gave him
lessons in drawing and painting. He was impressed by the
artistic talent of the Calamba lad.
6

Best Student In School
 In school studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed
them all in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects because of
that some of them get jealous of his intellectual superiority.
 Some student wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose
had a fight outside the school, and even told the teacher lies
to discredit him before the teacher’s eyes. Consequently, the
teacher has to punish Rizal.
 According to Rizal that “in spite of the reputation I had of being
a good boy, the day was unusual when I was not laid out on
a bench and given five or six blows.”
End Of Biñan Schooling
 Time came when Jose learned all the Maestro Justiniano could
teach him. Accordingly , the teacher inform his parents that
he should be sent to college in Manila.
 In December 1871, Jose received a letter from his sister
Saturnina informing him that he would take him from Biñan
to Calamba through a Steamer he had a premonition that he
would not return to Biñan so he prayed at the town church
collected pebbles at river for souvenirs and regretfully bade
farewell to his classmates and teacher.
 He left Biñan December 17, 1871. He was trilled and excited
riding a steamer and on board was Frenchman named
Arturo Camps, a friend of his father, took care of him and
the young Rizal got home regaled them with his stories of
fights and escapades, and school triumph in Biñan.
The Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za
 The Rizal family had not yet recovered from the painful shock
of the mother’s imprisonment when another painful calamity
occurs.
 On January 20,1872 , the Cavite Mutiny flared up, followed by
the execution of Father Gomez, Burgos and Zamora on
February 17.
 Paciano, older brother of Rizal was a student and trusted
assistant of Burgos fought for the Filipinization of the
parishes.
 After the execution of Gom-Bur-Za, Paciano quited college and
went back to Calamba.
Dr. Jose Rizal wrote to 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.”
Injustice to hero’s mother
- Before June, tragedy struck the Rizal family. Doña Teodora was
arrested on malicious charge that she aided her brother, Jose
Alberto, in trying to poison his wife.
The Story:
- When Jose Alberto when for a trip in Europe, his wife abandon
their kids and also their home. When he returned, he found her
living with other man. Enraged by her infidelity he planned to
divorce her, but Doña Teodora ,to avert family scandal persuaded
him to forgive his wife.
After then Jose Alberto settled back and lived again with his wife.
After the Problem
However the unfaithful wife connived with the lieutenant find a
fabricate evidence that her husband attempted poison her, with
Doña Teodora as his accomplice.
The Lieutenant had an ax against the Rizal because one time Rizal’s
father refused to give him fodder for his horse. He arrested Doña
Teodora brutally placing her under arrest.
Ordinarily the judge also have a grind against the Rizal, because he
imagined that he was not accorded greater respect than the Filipino
guest.
In that reason the judge ordered her to be place in a provincial jail in
Santa Cruz rather than in Calamba jail. Doña Teodora walked 50
kilometers on foot.
Dona teodora was imprisoned for two years and a half
She was defended by two lawyers namely:
 Francisco de Marcaida
 Manuel Marzan
7

SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA
(1872 – 1877 )
 4 months after the execution of Gom-Bur-Za and with Doña
Teodora still in prison, Jose was sent to Manila.
 He studied in the Ateneo Municipal
 Under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits
 Bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de
Letran
 Formerly Escuela Pia (Charity School)
 Established by City Government in 1817 for poor boys in
manila
 1768 Jesuits expelled from Philippines
 Returned to Manila in 1859
 Later, became Ateneo de Manila
Rizal Enters the Ateneo
 June 10, 1872 - Entrance Exam
 Father Magin Ferrando, College Registrar
 Manuel Xerez Burgos, (nephew of Father Burgos)
 He use “Rizal” as his surname instead of Mercado
 Boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street,
(25 mins. away from college)
 Titay (a spinster) owned the boarding house, and owed the
Rizal’s family the amount of P300
Jesuit System of Education
 Promotes physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies
 Vocational courses on agriculture, commerce, mechanics and
surveying
 Religiously operate the school
- mass every morning
- classes/subjects are open & close with prayer
 Students were divided into two:
- Roman Empire – Internos (boarders)
- Carthaginian Empire – Externos (non- boarders)
Each empires had its Ranks:
 Best Student – Emperor
 2nd Best – Tribune
 3rd Best – Decurion
 4th Best – Centurion
 5th Best – Standard Bearer
Student could challenge any officer in his “empire” to answer
questions on the day’s lesson
Failure to answer correctly (3) times, an officer could lose his
position
Both banners were used equally in the classroom:
 1st defeat – left side of the room
 2nd – Inferior position on the right side
 3rd – Inclined flag was placed on the left
 4th – Flag was reversed and returned to the right
 5th – Reversed flag was placed on the left
 6th – Banner was changed with a figure of a donkey
Uniform
“hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”
Coat material was called “rayadillo” – famous uniform of Filipino
troops during the 1st Philippine Republic
Rizal's First Year in Ateneo (1872 - 1873)
 June, 1872, first day of class in Ateneo
 Fr. Jose Bech, first professor of Rizal
 He was an externo and was assigned to Carthaginians
 At the end of the month he became "emperor"
 He was the brightness pupil in the whole class
 He took private lessons in Santa Isabel College and paid three
pesos for extra Spanish lessons
 He placed seconds at the end of the year although his grades
were marked "Excellent"
Summer Vacation (1873)
 March 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation.
 His sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to Tanawan to
cheer him up
 Visited his mother in prison at Santa Cruz without telling his
father
 After vacation, he returned to Manila for his 2nd year term in
Ateneo
 He boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street
 Dona Pepay was his landlady, an old widow with a widowed
daughter and 4 sons.
Second Year in Ateneo (1873 – 1874)
 He repented having neglected his studies the previous year
because he was offended by the teacher’s remarks.
 Rizal studied harder, and once more he became an “emperor”
after losing his class leadership
 He had 3 classmates from Binan who had also been his
classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano
 At the end of the school year, he received excellent grades in
all subjects and a gold medal
 With such honors, he triumphantly returned to Calamba in
March, 1874 for the summer vacation
Teenage Interest in Reading
 During the summer vacation in Calamba (1874)
 1st favorite novel of Rizal “The Count of Monte Cristo” by
Alexander Dumas
 A voracious reader
 Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled “Universal History”
 “Travels in the Philippines” by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German
scientist-traveler (1859 – 1860)
3rd Year in Ateneo (1874 – 1875)
 Shortly after the opening of classes, his mother was released
from prison.
 In the previous years, Rizal did not make an excellent showing
in his studies
 He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken was
not fluently sonorous
 March, 1875 Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation
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4th Year in Ateneo (1875 – 1876)
 June 16, 1875
 He became an interno in Ateneo
 Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez inspired him to study harder
and write poetry
"model of uprightness, earnestness and love for the
advancement of his pupils"
 Rizal won five medals
Last Year in Ateneo (1876 – 1877)
 June 1876, last year of Rizal in Ateneo
 He was truly "the pride of the Jesuits"
 Obtained highest grades in all subjects
Graduation with Highest Honors
 "Excellent" scholastic records from 1872 to 1877
 March 23, 1877, Commencement Day
 Received the degree of Bachelor of Arts with highest honors
Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo
 An "emperor" inside the classroom and campus leader outside
 Secretary of the Marian Congregation
 Member of Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy
of Natural Sciences
 Studied painting under the famous Spanish painter Agustin
Saez
 Sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor
 Engaged in gymnastics and fencing
 Father Jose Vilaclara advised him to stop communing with the
muses and pay more attention to practical studies such as
philosophy and natural science
Sculptural Works in Ateneo
 Carved an image of The Virgin Mary on a piece of “batikuling”
(Philippine hardwood)
 Father Lleonart requested him to carve an image of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
 The old Jesuit forgot to take the image with him to Spain
 Ateneo boarding students placed the image on the door of the Dramatic Work in Ateneo
dormitory and remain there for many years  Father Sanchez, his favorite teacher ask him to write a drama
based on the prose story of St. Eustace the Martyr
 Summer 1876 in Calamba, he wrote the religious drama in
Anecdotes of Rizal poetic verses
 Felix M. Roxas – one of Rizal’s contemporaries in Ateneo  June 2 1876, finished the manuscript
 Manuel Xerez Burgos – whose house Rizal boarded shortly  He submitted the finished manuscript entitled “San Eustacio,
before he became an interno in Ateneo Martir” (St. Eustace, the Martyr) to Father Sanchez in his
last academic year in Ateneo
Poems Written in Ateneo
 Mi Primera Inspiration (My First Inspiration) – the first poem First Romance of Rizal
Rizal probably wrote during his days in Ateneo.  16 years old, experienced his first romance
 Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14 years old Batanguena from
Lipa
In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, he wrote more poems such  Sister of his friend Mariano Katigbak
as:  His sister Olimpia was a close friend of Segunda in La
 Filicitacion (Felicitation) Concordia College
 El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes  Segunda was already engaged to Manuel Luz
(The Departure Hymn to Magellan’s fleet)  His first romance was ruined by his own shyness and reserve
 Y Es Espanol: Elcano, the first to circumnavigate the world)  Segunda returned to Lipa and later married Manuel Luz
 El Combate: Urbiztondo Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo,  Rizal remained in Calamba, a frustrated lover, cherishing
Terror of Jolo) nostalgic memories of lost love
In 1876, Rizal wrote poems on various topics:
 Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblu (In Memory of My Town)
 Alianza Intima Entre la Region Y La Buena Educacion (Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good Education)
 Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre La Patria (Through Education
the Country Receive Light)
 E Cultivero Y El Triunfo (The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle
of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil)
 La Entrada Triuntal de Los Reyes Catolices en Granada (The
Triumphal Entry of The Catholic Monarches into Granada)
A year later, in 1877 he wrote more poems:
 El Heroismo de Colon (The heroism of Colombus)
 Colon y Juan II (Colombus and John II )
 Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great
Misfortune)
 Un Diarogo Alusivo a la Despedida de los Colegiales (A
Farewell Dialogue of the Students)
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