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Ch. 5: MEDICAL STUDIES AT U.S.T. (1877-1882)

5.0. Remained loyal to Ateneo even when he was already a Thomasian
5.1. Mother’s opposition to higher education: coz of Gom-Bur-Za experience
5.2. Rizal enters university: April 1877, first term, took Philosophy and Letters; 2nd term,
took Medicine (1) at the advice of Ateneo’s Rector Fr. Pablo Ramon and (2) to cure
mother’s growing blindness
5.3. Cross-enrolled in Ateneo with title perito agrimensor (expert surveyor); Pres. of
Span. Lit., Sec. of Nat. Sc. and Sec of Marian Cong.
5.4. Romances with Other Girls: (1) “Miss L” – “fair with seductive and attractive eyes”;
(2) Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela – tall girl with a regal bearing; (3) Leonor Rivera,
daughter of landlord-uncle Antonio Rivera from Camiling Tarlac and were engaged;
exchanging letters with Leonor using “Taimis” as pen name
5.5. Victim of Spanish officer’s brutality: his back was slashed with a sword by the
Guardia Civil lieutenant for failure to salute; to Blumentritt (March 21, 1887) “I went to
the Captain General but I could not obtain justice; my wound lasted 2 weeks”.
5.6. A La Juventud Filipino won 1st Prize in 1879 Liceo Astistico-Literario
5.7. 1880: 4th Centennial of Cervantes (author of Don Quixote): El Consejo de los Dioses
was #1 over Spanish entries
5.8. Other Literary Works: zarzuela “Junto al Pasig” (Beside the Pasig); sonnet “A
Filipinas”
5.9. Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and Pagsanjan: at the house of Manuel Regalado in Pakil, he
was infatuated by Vicenta Ybardolaza
5.10. Champion of Filipino Students: founded Compañerismo (comradeship) as a secret
society in UST (Companions of Jehu)
5.11. Unhappy Days at the UST: (1) Dominican professors were hostile to him, (2)
Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Span,(3) method of
instruction was obsolete and repressive
5.12. Decision to Study Abroad: brothers and sisters were supportive; did not seek his
parent’s permission and blessings because he knew that they would disapprove it; to
continue MD studies in Spain where professors were more liberal