Module 4

Medical Studies at the University of Santo Tomas

Prepared by:

Flor A. Docusin
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson you will be able to:
Summarize the achievements of Rizal in UST.
Explain the reasons for the disapproval of Rizal’s parents to Leonor Rivera.
Distinguish the educational system of Ateneo from UST.
Enumerate the factors why Rizal did not excel in UST.
Rationalize why Rizal’s trip abroad was kept a secret.
Discuss why did Rizal plan to study abroad.
Introduction
Rizal’s tragic first romance, with its bitter disillusionment, did not
adversely affect his studies in the University of Santo Tomas. After finishing
the first year of a course in Philosophy and letters (1877-78), he transferred
to the medical course. During the years of his medical studies in this
university which was administered by the Dominicans, rival educators of the
Jesuits, he remained loyal to Ateneo, where he continued to participate in
extra-curricular activities and where he completed the vocation course in
surveying. As Thomasian, won more literary laurel’s, had other romances
with pretty girls, and fought against Spanish students who insulted the
brown Filipino students.
Medical Studies at the University of Santo Tomas
Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education
The Bachelor of Arts course during Spanish times was equivalent only
to high school and junior college courses today. It merely qualified its
graduate to enter the university.
Doña Teodora-who knew what happened to Gom-Bur-Za, vigorously
opposed the idea and told her husband: “Don’t send him to Manila
again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut
off his head.”
Don Francisco kept quiet and told Paciano to accompany his younger
brother to Manila, despite their mother’s tears.
Jose Rizal himself was surprised why his mother, who was a woman
of education and culture, should object to his desire for a university
education. Years later he wrote in his journal; Did my mother’s heart
really have a second sight?
Rizal’s Enters the University
In April 1877, Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in
the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course of Philosophy and
Letters.
He enrolled in this course for two reasons:
1. His father liked it.
2. He was still uncertain to what course to pursue.
He had written to Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo, who had
good to him during his student days in that college, asking for advice
on the choice of a career. But the Father Rector was then in Mindanao
so that he was unable to advise Rizal. Consequently, during his first
year term (1877-78) in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal studied
Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of Philosophy.
It was during the following term (1878-79) that Rizal having received
the Ateneo Rector’s advice to study medicine, took up the medical
course, enrolling simultaneously in the preparatory medical course
and the regular first year medical course. Another reason why he
chose medicine for a career was to be able to cure his mother’s
growing blindness.
Finishing Surveying Course in Ateneo
He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor
(expert surveyor)
Rizal, as usual, excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in the
Ateneo, obtaining the gold medals in agriculture and topography.
At the age of 17, he passed the final examination in the surveying
course, but he could not be granted the title as surveyor because he was
below age. The title was issued to him on November 25, 1881.
Romances with Other Girls
Not withstanding his academic studies in the University of Santo Tomas
and extra-curricular activities in the Ateneo, Rizal had ample time for
love. He was a romantic dreamer who liked to sip the “nectar of love”.
His sad experience with his first love had made him wiser in the ways of
romance.
Miss L-describing her as “fair with seductive and attractive eye’s”. After
visiting her in her house several times, he suddenly stopped his wooing,
and the romance died a natural death.
Although Rizal was then a Thomasian, he frequently visited the
Ateneo. It was due not only to his surveying course, but more because
of his loyalty to the Ateneo, where he had so many beautiful
memories and whose Jesuit professors, unlike the Dominicans, loved
him and inspired him to ascend to greater heights of knowledge. He
continued his membership in the Marian Congregation, of which he
was the secretary.
Two reasons for his change of heart:
1. The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart
2. His father did not like the family of “Miss L”.
During the sophomore year at the University of Santo Tomas, he
boarded in the house of Doña Concha Leyva in Intramuros. The next
door neighbors of Doña Concha were Capitan Juan and Capitana
Sanday Valenzuela from Pagsanjan, Laguna, who had a charming
daughter named Leonor.
Rizal, the medical student from Calamba was, was a welcome visitor in
the Valenzuela home, where he was the life of the social parties because
of his clever sleight-of-hand tricks.
Leonor Valenzuela-who was a tall girl with a regal bearing. He sent
her love notes written in invisible ink. This ink consisted of common
table salt and water. The secret of reading any note written in invisible
ink by heating it over a candle or lamp so that the words may appear.
But, as with Segunda he stopped short of proposing marriage to
Orang.
Leonor Rivera-his cousin from Camiling, born on April 11, 1867, was
a frail pretty girl “tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful
eyes”. They became engaged. In her letters to Rizal, Leonor signed
her name as “Taimis,” in order to camouflage their intimate
relationship from their parents and friends.
In the year 1879-the Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary men and
artists, held a literary contest.
Rizal who was 18 years old, submitted his poem entitled A La Juventud
Filipina (To the Filipino Youth). Is an inspiring poem of flawless form.
The board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s
poem and gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-
shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon.
This winning poem of Rizal is a classic in the Philippine literature for
two reasons:
1. It was the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose
merit was recognized by Spanish authorities
2. It expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the
Victim of Spanish Officers Brutality
During the summer vacation in 1878, he was walking in the street. He
dimly perceived the figure of a man while passing him. Not knowing the
person due to darkness, he did not salute nor say a courteous “Good
Evening”. The vague figure turned out to be a lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil. With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal, whipped out his sword and
brutally slashed the latter on the back. March 21, 1887-he related: I went
to the Captain General but I could not obtain justice; my would lasted two
weeks.
Filipinos, and not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”.
“The Council of the Gods” (1880)
The Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary contest to
commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes, Spain’s
glorified man-of-letters and famous author of Don Quixote. This time the
contest was opened to both Filipinos and Spaniards.
Many writers participated in the contest—priests, newspapermen,
scholars and professors. Rizal, inspired by his poetical triumph the
previous year, entered the literary joust, submitting an allegorical drama
entitled El Consejo de los Dioses (The council of the Gods)
The judges of the contest were all Spaniards. After a long and critical
appraisal of the entries, they awarded the first prize to Rizal’s work
because of its literary superiority over the others.
Other Literary Works
Poems and Zarzuela
Zarzuela Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig), which was staged by the
Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual
celebration of the Feast day of the Immaculate conception, Patroness of
the Ateneo.
Junto al Pasig is mediocre. But there are passages in it which express in
subtle satire the author’s nationalist ideas.
1880-he wrote a sonnet entitled A Filipinas for the Album of the Society
of Sculptors. In this sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the
Philippines.
1879-he composed a poem entitled Abd-el-azis y Mahoma, which was
declaimed by an Atenean, Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December
8, 1879 in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness.
1881-he composed a poem entitled Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon. He wrote
this poem as an expression of affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the
Ateneo rector, who had been so kind and helpful to him.
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan
May 18, 1881-When he was still a medical of student at the
University of Santo Tomas, 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 and their
female friends. They took a casco (flat-bottom sailing vessel) from
Calamba to Pakil, Laguna, and stayed at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Manuel Regalado, whose son Nicolas was Rizal’s friend in Manila.
Santo Tomas, 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 and their family friends.
Turumba-the people dancing in the streets during the procession I honor
of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores.
Vicenta Ybardolaza-who skillfully played the harp at the Regalado home.
Champion of Filipino Students
Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students in their frequent
fights against the arrogant Spanish students who insultingly called
their brown Filipinos “Indio Chonggo”.
In retaliation, the Filipino students called them Kastila, bangus!”
Hostility between these two groups of students often exploded in
angry streets rumbles.
1880-he founded a secret society of Filipino students in the University
of Santo Tomas called compañaresmo (Comradeship), whose members
were called “Companions of Jehu,”
He was the chief of this secret society
Galicano Apacible- as secretary
Unhappy Days at the UST
1. The Dominican professors were hostile to him
2. The Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the
Spaniards.
3. The method of instruction was obsolete and repressive.
The class in Physics was taught without laboratory experiments. The
microscope and other laboratory apparatuses were kept inside the showcases to
be seen by visitors, but the students could not even touch them. Because of the
unfriendly attitude of his professors, Rizal, the most brilliant graduate of
Ateneo, failed to win high scholastic honors.
In his novel El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were
humiliated ad insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward the
method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences.
“The class in Physics,” that his science subject was taught without
laboratory apparatuses were kept inside the showcases to be seen by
visitors, but the students could not even touch them.
Because of the unfriendly attitude of his professors, Rizal, the most
brilliant graduate of the Ateneo, failed to win high scholastic honors.
Although his grades in the first year of the philosophy course were all
“Excellent,’ they were not impressive in the four years of his medical
course.
Decision to Study Abroad
After finishing the fourth year if is medical course, Rizal decided to
study in Spain. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry,
discrimination, and hostility in the University of Santo Tomas. His
older brother readily approved his going to Spain and so did his two
sisters Saturnina (Neneng) and Lucia, Uncle Antonio Rivera, the
Valenzuela family, and some friends.
For the first time, Rizal did not seek his parent’s permission and
blessings to go abroad, because he knew that they, especially his
mother would disapprove it.
He did not bring his beloved Leonor into his confidence either. He
had enough common sense to know that Leonor, being a woman,
young and romantic at that, could not keep a secret. Thus Rizal
parents, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities know nothing of hi
decision to go abroad in order to finish his medical studies in Spain,
where the professors were more liberal than those of the University of
Santo Tomas.
Summary
The academic climate at the University of Santo Tomas was quite
different from Ateneo. Rizal’s impression was not like that of Ateneo
because most Dominican professors seemed hostile to him. The
methods of instruction were traditional and in some cases repressive.
Because of the unfriendly attitude of his professors, this most brilliant
graduate of Ateneo, virtually failed to maintain high scholastic
honors. While some of his scholastic grades in medical education
were not excellent, however, they were all passing.