Medical Studies at

the University of
Santo Tomas (1877-
1882)
CHAPTER 5
 MOTHER’S OPPOSITION TO
HIGHER EDUCATION
•Don Francisco •Paciano
• Gom-Bur-Za
• Dona Teodora

“Did my mother perhaps have a foreboding of what would happen to

me? Does a mother’s heart really have a second sight?”
 RIZAL ENTERS THE UNIVERSITY
• April 1887, Rizal’s then nearly 16 matriculated in the University of
Santo Tomas.
• Philosophy and Letters. [1] his father like it. [2] he was “still
uncertain as to what career to pursue”
• Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo.
• (1877-78) during his first year term he studied
COSMOLOGY, METAPHYSICS, THEODICY, and
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY.

• (1878-79) Rizal received the Ateneo Rector’s

advice to study medicine.
 FINISHES SURVEYING COURSE IN
ATENEO (1878)
• (1877-78)– Rizal took vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor
(expert surveyor)
• Obtained Gold medals in agriculture and topography.
• Passed the final examination in surveying course at the age of 17. (November 25,
1881)
• Participate actively in the Ateneo’s extra-curricular activities.
• President of the Academy of Spanish Literature.
• Secretary of the Academy of Natural Sciences.
• Secretary of the Marian Congregation.
 ROMANCES WITH OTHER
GIRLS
• “Miss L,” describing her as “fair with
seductive and attractive eyes”
[1] the sweet memory of Segunda was still
fresh in his heart and [2] his father did not
like the family of “Miss L”.

During his sophomore year at the

University of Santo Tomas he boarded in
the house of Doña Concha Leyva in
Intramuros.
• The next-door neighbors of Doñ a Concha
were Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela from Pagsanjan, Laguna who had a
charming daughter Leonor.
• He sent her love notes written in invisible ink.
• Orang (pet name of Leonor Valenzuela)

• But, as with Segunda, he stopped short of

proposing marriage to Orang.
• In 1879, at the start of his junior year at the university, he lived in
“Casa Tomasina,” at No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros.
• His landlord-uncle, Antonio Rivera had a pretty daughter, Leonor, a
student at La Concordia College where Soledad (Rizal’s youngest
sister) was then studying.

• Leonor, born in Camiling, Tarlac, on April 11, 1867, was a frail, pretty
girl “tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes”.
• “Taimis”
 VICTIM OF SPANISH
OFFICER’S BRUTALITY
• (1878) Rizal was a freshman medical student
at the University of Santo Tomas, when he
experienced his first taste of Spanish brutality.
• He reported the incident to General Primo de
Rivera, the Spaniard governor general of the
Philippines at that time.
• Later, in a letter to Blumentritt, dated March
21, 1887, he related: “ I went to the Captain-
General but I could not obtain justice; my
wound lasted two weeks”.
“TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH” (1879)
A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA

• In the year 1879 the Licio

Artistico-Literario (Artistic-
Literary Lyceum) of Manila, held
a literary contest.
 “THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS”
(1880)
• Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary contest
• Commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes,
Spain’s glorified man-of-letters and famous author of “Don Quixote”.
• Rizal submitted an allegorical drama entitled “El Consejo de los
Dioses”.
• He win the first prize because of its literary superiority over the
others.
• El Consejo de los Dioses is based on the Greek classics.
 “OTHER LITERARY WORKS”
• He produced other poems and a zarzuela, Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig).
“Now without comfort,
Sadly groans in the power of a foreign people,
And slowly dies
In the impious clutch of Spain.”
• Staged by the Ateneans on December 8, 1880 to honor the Feast Day of the
Immaculate Conception, Patroness of Ateneo.
• He wrote it as president of Academy of Spanish Literature in Ateneo.
• 1880 - he wrote a sonnet entitled “A Filipinas” for the album of the Society of
Sculptors. Serves as reminder for Filipinos to their Motherland.
• 1879 – he composed a poem entitled Abd-el-Azis y
Mahoma, declaimed by an Atenean, Manuel Fernandez, on
December 8, 1879 in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness. It
recalls the struggle between Spaniards and the Moors in
Spain.
• 1881 – Rizal composed a poem entitled Al M.R.P. Pablo
Ramon as an expression and affection to Father Pablo
Ramon, who had been so kind and helpful to him. It was
written on the occasion of the rector’s birthday.
 “RIZAL’S VISIT TO PAKIL AND
PAGSANJAN” (MAY, 1881)
• Rizal went on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of the Birhen Maria
de los Dolores.
• He was accompanied by his sisters – Saturnina, Maria and Trinidad.
• They stayed at the home of Mrs. and Mr. Manuel Regalado, whose son Nicolas
was Rizal’s friend in Manila.
• They were fascinated by the famous turumba.
Turumba, Turumba, Mariangga
Matuwa tayo’t masaya
Sumayaw ng Turumba
Puri sa Birhen Maria
• He was infatuated by a pretty girl colegiala, Vicente Ybardolaza,
who skillfully played the harp.
• From Pakil, they made a side trip to the Pagsanjan for two reason –
[1] it was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela. [2] to see the
world fame Pagsanjan Falls.
• He mentioned the Turumba in Chapter VI of Noli Me Tangere and
Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (United States – Saturday, May 12,
1888)
• “Niagara Falls was the “greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so
beautiful nor fine as the falls at Los Baños.
 “CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS”
• Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students in their frequent fights against
the arrogant Spanish students.
• Rizal participated in these student brawls. His prowess in wrestling and his
indomitable courage, he was particularly conspicuous in many fights.
• He was also the chief of a secret society of Filipino students, called
Compañerismo (Comradeship), which he organized in 1880
• The members called themselves “Companions of Jehu”
• Galicano Apacible as secretary.
 “UNHAPPY DAYS AT UST”
• He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of high learning because;
The Dominican professors were hostile to him.
The Filipino students were racially discriminated.
The method of instruction was obsolete and repressive.
• In El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were
humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward
was the method of instruction. (Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics”.)
• Rizal failed to win high scholastic honors because of the unfriendly
attitude of his professors
 His Scholastic records in the University of Santo Tomas (1879-82)
1877-78 (Philosophy and Letters)
Cosmology and Metaphysics EXCELLENT
Theodicy EXCELLENT
History of Philosophy EXCELLENT
1878 – 1879 (Medicine) 1st Year
Physics FAIR
Chemistry EXCELLENT
Natural History GOOD
Anatomy I GOOD
Dissection I GOOD
 1879 – 1880 (Medicine) 2nd Year
Anatomy 2 GOOD
Dissection 2 GOOD
Physiology GOOD
Private Hygiene GOOD
Public Hygiene GOOD
1880 – 1881 (Medicine) 3rd Year
General Pathology FAIR
Therapeutics EXCELLENT
Surgery GOOD
 1881 – 1882 (Medicine) 4th Year
Medical Pathology VERY GOOD
Surgical Pathology VERY GOOD
Obstetrics VERY GOOD
“Decision to Study Abroad”
• Rizal decided to study in Spain.
• He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry, discrimination, and hostility in
UST.
• He did not also bring his beloved Leonor into his confidence.
• Thus, Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities knew nothing of his
decision to go abroad on order to finish his medical studies in Spain, where the
professors were more tolerant and understanding than those of the UST.