RIZAL’S LIFE: Higher Education and Life Abroad pass an entrance examination in Christian doctrine, writing, reading,

grammar and elementary arithmetic.

 Jesuits – were regarded as the best educators in Spain.
Ateneo de Municipal Experience
 Father Magin Fernando – the college registrar who refused Rizal’s
Jose was sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo de Municipal, a school run by admission to the institution due to reason.
Spanish Jesuits, four months after the martyrdom of the Gomburza and while his  Walled City of Manila – the first house they found but Rizal was
mother was still in prison. This school was later renamed Ateneo de Manila and was reluctant to stay due to its cheerless atmosphere.
run by highly qualified educators. He was accompanied by his brother, Paciano, on  Calle Carballo in Sta. Cruz Manila – the boarding house owned by
his first at Manila. Don Francisco who had originally planned for Jose to attend Titay who has debt with the Mercado family amounting of 300 pesos.
Letran, changed his mind and enrolled his son at Ateneo. But Rizal was initially They let Rizal stay at the house to pay the debt.
denied admission for two reason. First, he was late for registration and second, he
The Jesuit educational system was thought to be more advanced than that of other
was frail and sickly in addition to being too small for his age. However, Jose was
colleges. Its discipline was strict and its method were more mechanical. Its main
finally admitted because of the intervention of Manuel Xeres Burgos, the nephew
goal was to shape the character and will of the boys so that they could more easily
of Jose Burgos. When Jose was enrolled in Ateneo, he took the surname Rizal
comply with the Church’s teachings. Prior to the start of class, the students heard
because the family name Mercado has raised suspicion with the Spanish authorities
mass. Classes opened and closed with prayers.
due to Paciano’s relationship with Father Jose Burgos.
The classes were divided into internos and externos for the first two terms: the
 College of San Juan de Letran – the first school where Rizal took the
Roman Empire composed of boarding students at Ateneo and the
entrance examination and passed all subjects. It was run by Spanish
Carthaginian Empire composed of non-boarding students. The Emperor, tribune,
Dominican Friars.
decurion, centurion, and standard-bearer were the five dignitaries of each empire.
 Colegio e San Jose – was the school where Paciano study and where they
Individual competitions were used to win these honours, in which one had to catch
do not want Rizal to study due to the experience of his brother in studying in
one’s opponent in error three times. Only those who distinguished themselves in the
this school.
class for their piety and diligence could join the fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis
 Ateneo de Municipal – the school where Rizal finally took his study. It was
run by the Spanish Jesuits Congregation. A candidate for admission had to
Gonzaga. This fraternity met on Sundays and held public programs after mass, such
as poetry relations and debates.
 Santa Isabelle College – is where Rizal took private Spanish lessons during
recess to improve his knowledge and fluency. He paid 3 pesos for said
private lessons.
 Father Jose Bech – was his first teacher. He was described as a tall man
with a lean body and a quick galt, ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired
As a newcomer, Jose was place at the back of the class at first, but was quickly
promoted and continued to be promoted until at the end of one month, he had
attained the rank of emperor. At the end of the semester, he received excellent
grades in all subjects and examinations. So when he took his summer vacation in
March 1873, he went alone to visit his mother in prison and inform her of the good
news. On his second year, Jose had the same professor as in the previous year but
instead of lodging outside the city, he resided at No 6 Calle Magallanes. Rizal
began reading novels such as:
 The Count of Monte Cristo – was written by Alexandre Dumas. This is the
story of the wrongs suffered by the prisoner at Chateau in which Rizal was
reminded the injustice done to his mother.
 Travels in the Philippines – was the Spanish translation of Feodor Jagor’s
work. This book is the observations of a German naturalist who had visited
the islands of the Philippines some fifteen years ago.
 Uncle Tomb’s Cabin – was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It describes
black slavery abuse done by the white men.
Jose’s family, seeing in him a natural ability to learn, decided to enroll him as
an intern or boarding student in college the following year. Jose completed his
two years of internship in a corner of the dormitory facing the sea and the pier.
 Father Francisco Paula de Sanchez – was his professor in the fourth
year of his studies. He was Rizal’s favorite teacher. Jose describes him
as a model of decency, solicitude, and love for the student. He guided
Rizal to develop his skills in poetry.
 Don Augustin Saez – he was Rizal’s instructor in drawing and painting
who honored him with affection.
 Romualdo de Jesus – he was Rizal’s instructor in sculpture who felt
proud in the last years of his life of having such an excellent pupil.
 Father Jose Leonardo – he was the one who requested Rizal to sculpt
the sacred heart who intended to bring it at home but forgot to bring it.
 Virgin – was the first ever work of Rizal in sculpture.
Under the guidance of Professor Father Francisco Paula de Sanchez, Rizal honed
his poetic language in his fourth year at Ateneo leading him to write numerous
poems on the themes of history, childhood memories, religion, education and war.
They were all pro-spanish. Felicitacion (Felicitation), El Embarque: Himno a la
Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet), Y Es Espanyol:
Elcano, El Primero en dar la Vueta del Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First
to Circumnavigate the World), Through Education, the Motherland Receives
Enlightement, Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education, and In
Memory of My Town.
Relationship with Women
Segunda Katigbak is a Lipa girl from a wealthy clan who was sent to La
Concordia at a young age by her parents. She was friend with Olimpia, while
Rizal was friend with his brother Mariano Katigbak. She was 14 years old when
she met Rizal who was 16 years old at that time. Tey first met at Rizal’s
grandmother’s house in Trozo, Manila which is known as Tutuban. She was
engaged to Manuel Luz Y Metra, a tall and wealthy man from Lipa.
Leonor Valenzuela was referred to as Miss L by Rizal, describing her as fair
with seductive and attractive eyes. Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela was the parents oh the girl living next door to Dona Concha. Rizal
as a medical student was always welcome at the Valenzuela home. He wrote
love letter in invisible inks and sent them to her. Water and common table salt
were used to make this ink. Her pet name was Orang. Rizal did not propose
marriage.
Leonor Rivera was the daughter of Rizal’s uncle Antonio Rivera. Rizal durng
that time resided at No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros, in Casa Tomasina, a
boarding house run by his uncle. Leonor was born on April 11, 1876 in
Camiling, Tarlac. She was frail, beautiful as tender as a budding flower with
kindly, wistful eyes. They decided to get married but keep it hidden from their
parents and friends. Leonor signd her letters to Rizal as Taimis. She was the one
who cure Rizal when he was wounded on the head during a brawl at UST.
University of Santo Tomas
Rizal enrolled in the UST in April 1877, when he was nearly 16 years old to study
Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled in this course for two reasons:
1. His father liked it
2. He was still unsure of what career to pursue
That’s why he wrote to Father Pablo Ramon, the Rector of Ateneo who had been
kind to him during his time as a student there, seeking advice on career choice.
Unfortunately, the father was in Mindanao making for a response to arrive faster.
As a result, Rizal study cosmology, metaphysics, theodicy and philosophy history
during his first year. Rizal began studying medicine the following year. He also
enrolled in the Ateneo vocational course, perito agrimensor, which is equivalent in
today’s engineering course. He pursued medicine for two reasons:
1. He desired to be a physician in order to cure his mother’s failing eyesight
2. Father Pablo Ramon, whom he consulted for a career choice finally
responded to his letter recommending medicine.
In the year 1879, Rizal entered a literary contest sponsored by Artistico-Literario
(Artistic Literary Lyceum) and submitted his poem A La Juventud Filipina (To
the Filipino Youth). He won first place and was presented with a feather-shaped and
gold ribbon-decorated silver pen. In his poem, he implored the Filipinos to rise from
their slumber, to let their genius fly faster than the wind and to descend with art
science to break the chains that had long bound the people’s spirit. The poem was
considered as classic because:
 1. It was the first great poem written in Spanish by a Filipino whose woth was
recognized by Spanish literary authorities
2. It articulated for the first time the nationalistic notion that Filipinos, not
foreigners, were the true hope of the fatherland.
They held another contest to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of
Cervantes, Spanish author of Don Quixote, to which Rizal submitted an allegorical
poem, El Consejo de los Dioses (The ouncil of the Gods). The allegory was
inspired by greek mythology. He received the first prize, a gold ring engraved with
a bust of Cervantes. Rizal published other works including Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma
in 1879.
 Jun al Pasig (Beside the Pasig) is a zarzuela performed by Ateneans on the
Feast Day of the Immaculate Concepcion, Patroness of the Ateneo on
December 8, 1880.
 Al M.R.P is a poem in tribute to the Ateneo’s rector, Father Pablo Ramon.
Rizal was ridely regarded as a champion of Filipino students. It appen durinf a
period of time when there were frequent student brawls between Filipino and
Spanish students. As a result, Rizal established Companerismo (Comradeship). A
society of Filipino students at UST. The members were known as the Companions
of Jehu. Rizal was the chief while his cousin, Galicano Apacible was the secretary.
Rizal decided to continue his studies in Spain shortly after finishing his fourth year
of medical school. Despite his enormous literary success, he was dissatisfied with
his stay at the Dominican-owned school for the following reasons:
1. The Dominican professors were hostile to him
2. The Spaniards discriminated the Filipino students based on their race
3. The teaching method was antiquated and oppressive
4. He did not receive high scholastic honors as a result of his professor’s
attitude
His decision to continue his education abroad was supported by his brother
Paciano, two sisters Saturnina and Lucia, as well as his uncle Antonio Rivera and
some close friends. They agreed to keep the decision from his parent’s knowledge.
Paciano send a monthly allowance of 35 pesos and his uncle would seek help from
friends for other expenses. An addition, he has a covert mission in Spain. This
mission was to closely observe the life and culture, languages and customs,
industries and commerce, government and laws of the Europeans nations in order to
prepare himself for the monumental task of liberating his oppressed people from
Spanish tyranny.
Victim of Brutality by a Spanish Officer
During his summer vacation as a freshman college student, while he was walking
down the dark street he fail to recognize the person that he saw, thus, failed to pay
respect and salute the enigmatic figure was a Guardia Civil Lieutenant. That’s why
he slash Rizal’s back with a sword. Rizal informed the Governor General of that
time, General Primero de Rivera who did not heed justice. He wrote a letter to
Blumentritt dated in March 21, 1887.
Rizal’s First Travels Abroad (1882-1887)
To avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars, Rizal’s departure for Africa’s barren coast which he described as a “inhospitable but famous land”. On
Spain was kept secret. Even his own parents didn’t know his mother wouldn’t let May 27, the stopever was Aden.
him. Only his brother Paciano, uncle, sisters Neneng and Luia, the Valenzuela
 Sir Thomas Standford Raffles was the founder of Singapore.
family, Petro Paterno, Mateo Evangelista, the Ateneo Jesuit Fathers and few close
friends were present. The Jesuit priests recommended him to the members of their
society in Barcelona.

 Jose Mercado was the name that he use in Spain.

 Antonio Rivera was the one who help Rizal in processing a passport to
travel.
 Salvadora the Spanish steamer that Rizal boarded that is bound to set for
Singapore.
 May 3, 1882 he left Manila to study abroad.
 Donato Lecha is the ship’s captain who befriended Rizal.
 May 9, 1882 – the Salvadora arrived at Singapore.

The SS Salvadora arrived at Singapore on May 9, 1882. He then stayed at Hotel de

la Paz for two days and went sightseeing tour of the city. He saw the famous
Botanical garden, beautiful Buddhists templates, shopping district and the statue of
Singapore’s founder, Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. On May 11 1882, he boarded
the ship Djemnah, a French steamer bound for Europe. It was bigger, cleaner ship
that carried more passengers. The Djemnah arrived at Point Galle a seacoast town
in Southern Ceylon on May 17, 1882. This town did not impress Rizal. The next
day, the ship sailed for Colombo, Ceylon’s capital. Rizal was awestruck by
Colombo’s scenic beauty and elegant architecture. For the first time, Rizal saw