A REVIEW IN THE LIFE AND WORKS OF THE

FIRST FILIPINO JOSE RIZAL

Revised by:
Andres R. Delos Santos
Orlando H. Ramos
Vanessa D. Umali
Melvin N. Ambida

Subject Teacher: Raymundo M. Maming

Name: ________________________________
Year & Block: __________________________
Date: __________________________________
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

The Rizal Law, also known as RA 1425, mandates the study of Rizal’s life and works. This Republic
Act calls for an increased sense of nationalism from the Filipinos during a time of a dwindling Filipino
identity. According to the judicial system, a republic act is a law that has already been passed and
implemented. In contrast to this, a bill is merely a proposed law, in other words it may or may not be
passed by the Congress.

The Republic Act was signed by the President on June 12, 1956. From the notes preceding the body
of the document, one may infer that the bill was originally proposed in the Legislative arm of the Philippine
Republic, in the Senate and House of Representatives. According to the Official Gazette, the law was made
effective thirty days after its implementation. The mere fact that the Act was passed on the date of our
independence seeks to stir up a greater sense of fervor in the Filipino, to believe in their own country and
national identity—who we are as a nation. It was this time the Philippines was heavily dependent on the
American government for support and guidance. Also, based on the fact that Jose Rizal is honored by the
Philippines as the Philippine national hero, it is but appropriate that the document written to
commemorate his accomplishments is written here, in the land of his birth.

There are important points that the author cited in this republic act that is worth noticing. First,
“Whereas today, more than other period of our history, there is a need for a re-dedication for which our
heroes lived and died.” This document was written in the year 1956 during Magsaysay’s regime when the
country was still recovering from the Japanese occupation and still very dependent on US governance.
Ideals of freedom and nationalism were very essential during those times since the Philippines was still
struggling for independence, and the country was still gradually developing its national identity and
integrity. During those times havoc also existed within the Filipinos since there were numerous uprisings
against the Philippine government. Moreover, even though this document was written decades ago, it is
still striking because this clause is very timely for this present generation when our culture is being
overpowered by foreign influence and Filipino diaspora is widespread.

Another important point from RA 1425 is “Whereas, all educational institutions are under the
supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop moral
character, personal discipline civic conscience, and to teach the duties of citizenship.” It is very important
to use our educational institutions to instill these values to the children who are at their prime years of
growing and learning. During one’s educational years especially the college level is when individuals
formulate their priorities and career tracks in life, and it is essential that institutions make students realize
that the country should be a part of their priorities and serving one’s country is an innate and inborn duty
for all. Also, embedding a profound and authentic moral character and a strong sense of personal
discipline in the youth would yield proficient, genuine, and selfless Filipinos of the future who would turn
the Philippines from an impoverished country to a globally competitive nation.

Lastly, “The Board of National education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal Philippine
dialects; cause them to be printed in a cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of
charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations and the Barrio Councils
throughout the country.” To provide a specific way to carry out this act is very helpful. It makes the goal
very SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time- bound. It is also important that the
effects of this act would be experienced by all students even those who are financially troubled. It is
commendable that in the context of this act, the poor is well represented and that is attainable regardless
of ethnicity, social stature, and language barriers.

The Birth of Filipino Nationalism

The rise of the Filipino nation was slow but inevitable. Even in the pre- Spanish era the Filipinos
were already possessed of qualities and traits for nationhood—a common racial origin, a common cultural
heritage, and a common love for freedom. Spain, unwittingly, helped to unite the Filipinos by giving them
the Christian religion, the Spanish civilization, and a centralized government. Unfortunately, the growth
of nationalism was slow because of the difficulty in social and economic intercourse among them. But the
nineteenth century saw the flowering of the national spirit stimulated by the following influences: (1) the
opening of the Philippines to world trade, (2) the rise of an enlightened middle class, (3) the Spanish
Revolution of 1868, (4) the opening of the Suez Canal, (5) the influx of liberal ideas, (6) the Cavite Mutiny
of 1872, and (7) the martyrdom of Fathers Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora.

Opening of the Philippines to World Trade. The opening of the nineteenth century was Europe
adopting a more liberal commercial policy. Spain, following the example of other European powers,
liberalized her economic policy in the Philippines by permitting foreign firms to do business in Manila. In
1809, the first English firm was established in the city. By 1859, there were fifth teen foreign firms in
Manila, of which seven were English, three American, two French two Swiss, and one German.

In the year 1834, Manila was officially opened to world trade. In later years more ports were thrown
open to world commerce, such as Sual, Iloilo, and Zamboanga in 1855; Cebu in 1860; and Legaspi and
Tacloban in 1873.

Owing to contact with the world trade, the Philippines experienced a remarkable progress in
agriculture, trade, and industry. There was material prosperity, and the people enjoyed a higher standard
of living. With material prosperity came political awakening. Then, too, contact with the outside world
broadened the people’s mind and made them conscious of the evils of Spain’s colonial administration.

Rise of an Enlightened Middle Class. Material prosperity produced an enlightened middle class,
consisting of well-to-do farmers, lawyers, physicians, writers, and government employees. They read
books and newspaper, discussed political problems and reforms, and sent their children to colleges and
universities in Manila and abroad.

From the enlightened middle class came the leading intellectuals of the country and the patriots of
the propaganda movement who stirred the Philippines into a revolution. Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, the Luna brothers (Juan and Antonio), Jose Ma. Panganiban, Mariano Ponce, Graciano Lopez- Jaena
and Dr. Pedro A. Paterno were among such men.

The Spanish Revolution of 1868. On September 19, 1863, a revolution broke out in Cadiz, Spain,
against the autocratic rule of Queen Isabella II (1836-1868), led by two able generals- Serrano and Prim.
The revolutionist took advantage of the time when the queen, with her family and court, was vacationing
at San Sebastian, a seaside resort in Spain. The queen, unable to stem the tide of a revolution that had
the support of the nation, fled to France, and the Spanish patriots, flushed with victory, established
provisional government, with General Serrano as reagent.
 The triumph of liberalism in Spain echoed in her colonies across the seas. Colonial officials with
democratic ideas were sent to Manila and the Filipinos soon enjoyed the blessings denied to them before-
religious toleration, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.

Opening of the Suez Canal. The opening of the Suez Canal to the world shipping on November 17,
1860, greatly affected the course of the Philippine History. The canal, built by Ferdinand de Lesseps, a
Frenchman, connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean linking Europe and the Orient closer. It
shortened, in particular, the sailing distance between Barcelona and Manila. Formerly, a steamer from
Barcelona had to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and would reach Manila after a hazardous voyage of
more than three months. By sailing via the Suez Canal, the same steamer could make the trip in one
month.

The Philippines was thus brought nearer to Spain. The canal facilitated travel and communication.
More and more Spaniards flocked to the colony and swelled the Spanish population. In 1810 there were
only 4,000 Spaniards in the Philippines; this number increased to 13,500 in 1870 and to 34,000 in 1898.
Not only Spaniards, but also world travelers with new ideas came to the Philippines via Suez Canal.

The Influx of Liberal Ideas. The ships that came to the open ports of the Philippines via the Suez
Canal carried with them men of liberal idea from America and Europe. They bought newspaper and books
that contained the enlightened thoughts of Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke, Stuart Mill, Jefferson,
Madison, as well as democratic ideologies of the American and French Republics. The Filipinos, after
reading such things, began to wonder at the deplorable political conditions in their country. They began
to discuss politics and reforms, liberty and justice; and in the course of time, they become bold enough to
yearn for reforms in the government- reforms which were ten urgently needed to promote the happiness
and welfare of their country.

De La Torre, Liberal Spanish Governor (1869-1871). The fall of Queen Isabella II and the rise of
liberalism in Spain brought a new Spanish governor- general to Manila General Carlos Maria de la Torre,
an able soldier and a true democrat. The Filipino people and the Spanish liberals welcomed hi, and
cheered him as he took office on June 23, 1869.

Governor de la Torre, as was expected, proved to be a true liberal. He lived simply without the pomp
and pageantry of his predecessors. He did away with the palace halberdiers who had surrounded the
Spanish governors- general since 1591 with the “pomp of power and boast of herald.” He went out the
city streets in civilian clothes unescorted by guards. Without a taint of racial prejudice, he fraternized with
the Filipinos as with the Spaniards and the mestizos.

Achievements of De La Torre. During his two- year term, Governor de la Torre had made some
notable achievements. He abolished the censorship of the press and fostered free discussion of political
problems, which right was guaranteed by the Spanish constitution. Because of this tolerant policy, Father
Burgos and his compatriots agitated for the Filipinization of the parishes.

On July 1, 1869, Governor de la Torre suppressed flogging as a form of punishment for dissertation
by Filipino soldiers. He substituted one month’s imprisonment for it evidently a more humane penalty
than flogging.

What is considered De La Torre’s greatest achievement, however, was the peaceful settlement of
the agrarian reform trouble in Cavite. It should be recalled that Cavite has been a hotbed of agrarian
unrest since middle of 18th century, because of the oppression suffered by the Filipino tenants and the
loss of their lands. In 1822 Luis Parangatarted the revolt which spread out to Imus, Kawit, Silang, Calamba,
Binan, Tanawan, and other towns; but it was finally put an end by Governor Ricafort in 1828. Years later,
however, another agrarian trouble flared up, this time led by Eduardo Camerino. Governor de la Torre, to
prevent further bloodshed, went to Imus, Cavite, and after a conference pardoned Camerino and his
followers. To give them a decent livelihood, he appointed them members of a new police forced called
Guias de la Torre (Aide of La Toree), with Camerino as captain.

The Cavite Mutiny of 1872. At sunrise of February 17, 1872 Father Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora,
together with their co- accused Zaldua, were escorted under heavy guard from Fort Santiago to the
Luneta. A vast crowd of soldiers and civilians, Filipinos and foreigners, were on hand to witness the tragic
event. Zaldua was executed first. Apparently, the Spanish promise of a sum of gold, which he was
supposed to receive for testing falsely against the three priests, was not fulfilled.

Of the priest- martyrs, father Gomez, 73 years old, was the first to be garroted. As he dignifiedly
walked towards the garrote (strangulation machine), his spectacles accidently fell to the ground. He
picked them up, slowly put them on, and said: “Let us go where the leaves never more without the will of
God.” These were his last words. He was followed by Father Zamora, age 37, who died unaware of his
fate, for he had lost his mind.

The last to be executed was Father Burgos, age 35, the youngest and most brilliant of the martyred
triumvirate. The executioner knelt before him and said: “Father, forgive me, for I’m going to kill you.”
Calmly Father Burgos replied to him: “I forgave you, my son. I know you are but complying with your duty.
Proceed then with your work.” As he was being strangled, Father Burgos prayed: “My Lord, Father of
Mine, receive unto your Bosom the soul of an inno…” Death cut short his last prayer.

Significance of the Martyrdom. The execution for Father Gomez, Burgos and Zamora was a colossal
blunder on the part of the Spanish officials in the Philippines. Fortunately, the Church was not a party to
the injustice done by the State. Prior to the execution, Archbishop Gregorio Meliton Martinez was
requested by Governor Izquierdo to degrade the three priests by taking off their priestly habits; but he
refused this unholy request, and thereby manifesting the Church’s doubt as to their guilt. On the day of
the execution, the church bells of the city tolled a funeral dirge as Christendom’s farewell salute to the
departing souls of the martyrs.

The Filipino people were stunned by the execution of the three priests. They knew they were
innocent and they died for noble cause; thus they regarded them as true martyrs of their fatherland. In
their indignation, they forgot tribal differences and regional barriers, they joined together as one people
to fight for a common cause. The execution of the Father Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora hastened the
growth of the Philippine nationalism, which ultimately brought about Spain’s downfall.

Rizal’s Tribute to the Martyrs. The martyrdom of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora is now a
cherished memory to the Filipino people. The greatest tribute ever paid to them his immortal novel El
Filibusterismo. The dedication reads as follows:

The church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been imputed to
you; the Government, by surrounding you trials with mystery and shadows, causes the belief that there
was some error, committed in fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by worshipping your memory and
calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability. In so far, therefore, as your complicity in the
Cavite mutiny is not clear proved, as you may not have been patriots, and as you may not have cherished
sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil
which I undertake to combat. And while we await expectantly upon Spain someday to restore your good
name and cease to be answerable for your death, let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves
over unknown tombs, and let it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks your
memory stains his hands in your blood!

Such a sublime and touching tribute to the martyrs by Dr. Jose Rizal himself a great martyr, is rare
in world literature. Perhaps never in history has a renowned martyr given a magnificent tribute to other
martyrs.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

The Philippines and Spain of Rizal’s Times in the 19th Century • The Spanish colonization of the
Philippines was planned for Spain to have a base on the Silk Road and a platform for her expansion
towards Asia. Once the Crown realized that its Asian projection was unfeasible, it decided to remain on
the islands. Because of their strategic importance, Spain linked her new territory to the Mexican
viceroyalty of New Spain and set up a minimum colonial administration made up of military, civil servants
and religious orders. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Philippines went from being
an agrarian subsistence economy to an intermediating economy, bridging the gap between Asia, America
and Europe by means of the commercial route of the galleon that joined Manila and Acapulco. The impulse
of trade, entrepreneurial activity and investment in the archipelago are steadily, above all in the second
half of the nineteenth century, thanks to the opening of the Panama Canal and to foreign capital. The
Spanish government was incapable of adapting colonial policy to the new situation and of maintaining
itself as the preferential market, preserving instead a stagnant administration opposed to autonomist
reforms. Nevertheless, in contrast with the negative and unfair outlook that all colonial processes entail,
the integration of the Philippines in the Spanish Empire brought about the social cohesion that favored
the construction of a national identity. In addition to the contribution of Catholicism-which exerted a great
influence in Philippine society-and to the immersion of the islands in an international economy, the
empire also promoted public works such as the building of lighthouses, the Manila Harbor Board and the
Hydro graphic Committee of the Pacific, and favored incipient scientific development with the
construction of the Manila Observatory.

A census drawn up in 1894 based on parish registrations shows a population of 6,414,373

inhabitants, to whom we should add another million who were not registered, made up of `heathen`
natives, Chinese, Moros and foreigners. This same census also includes another reference, that of the
Regular and Lay Clergy, comprising 2,751 members while Military Personnel comprised 21,513 individuals,
under three thousands of whom were from Spanish peninsula and the rest were natives. 59 imperialist
régime, dominated by an organized Spanish minority that used all the ideological and coercive resources
and its disposal.

The 1800’s were a time of change for the global world order likewise a time of flux among different
European powers. In the Philippines, the Filipinos were still under Spanish rule and resistance to it were
largely ineffective owing largely to the Spaniards’ policy of keeping the natives illiterate and divided along
ethnic lines.

The Philippines of Rizal’s Time in 1808 • Ferdinand VII was king of Spain during the critical years
following the Napoleonic Wars. The country was sharply divided between Liberals, who supported a
constitutional government, and Traditionalist, who distrusted modernist ideas, particularly regarding
“reforms” of church property. The South American colonies were in revolt, the country was recovering
from a horrifically destructive war, the government had been in the hands of foreigners for over seven
years, the treasury was nearly bankrupt, and a new constitution which radically reordered the government
had been ratified by the Cortes. An honourable, principled, and moderate leader was would have had
difficult ruling well during the age, and Ferdinand was none of the above.

The Philippines of Rizal’s Times in 1810 • Filipinos gain representation on the Spanish Cortes. An
overseas colony of Spain, was represented in Spanish Cortes, which drafted and signed the constitution
by Ventura de los Reyes, a Filipino businessman form the Ilocos.

The Philippines of Rizal’s Times in 1812 • The Cadiz Constitution is written the most important
legacy of the Cadiz Constitution to the Philippines was the termination of the oppressive galleon trade. It
put an end to the sufferings of the natives – the harmful effect of the trade. In 1815 the last galleon - the
Magallanes – left Acapulco, Mexico to return to Manila.

The Philippines of Rizal’s Times in 1833 • Carlist Wars erupt in Spain. Carlism is a traditionalist and
legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of the separate line of the Bourbon family
on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788-1855), and was
founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread dissatisfaction with the Alfonsine line
of the House of Bourbon. The movement was at its strongest in the 1830s but had a revival following
Spain’s defeat in the Spanish-American War in 1898, when Spanish lost its last remaining significant
colonies, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

NOTABLE ASIAN PEOPLE

 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

(October 2, 1869- January 30, 1948), commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi or Bapu (Father of
Nation), was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British- ruled India. Employing non-
violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-
violence, civil rights, and freedom across the world. The son of a senior government official,
Gandhi was born and raised in a Bania community in coastal Gujarat, and trained in law in London.
Gandhi become famous by fighting for the civil rights of Muslim and Hindu Indians in South Africa,
using new techniques of non- violent civil disobedience that he developed. Returning to Indi in
1915, he set about organizing peasants to protest excessive land- taxes. A lifelong opponent of
“communalism” (i.e. basing politics on religion) he reached out widely to all religious groups. He
became a leader of Muslims protesting the declining status of the Caliphate. Assuming leadership
of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty,
expanding women’s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing
 economic self- reliance, and above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from
British domination.

 Dr. Sun Yat-sen

(November 12, 1866- March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary, first president and founding
father of the Republic of China (“Nationalist China”). As the foremost pioneer of Republic of China,
Sun is referred to as the “Father of the Nation” in the Republic of China (ROC), and the “forerunner
of democratic revolution” in the People’s Republic of China. Sun played an instrumental role in
the overthrow of the Qing dynasty during the years leading up to the Double Ten Revolution.
Although he was in St. Louis, Missouri at the time, he was appointed to serve as president of the
Provisional Republic of China, when it was founded in 1912. He later co founded the Kuomintang
(KMT), serving as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post- Imperial China, and remains
unique among 20th - century Chinese politicians for being widely revere amongst the people from
both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

 Ho Chi Minh

Real name Nguyen Tat Thanh (1890- 1969), Vietnamese Communist leader and the principal force
behind the Vietnamese struggle against French colonial rule. Ho was born on May 19, 1890, in the
village of Kimlien, Annam (central Vietnam), the son of an official who had resigned in protest
against French domination of his country. Ho attended school in Hue and then briefly taught at a
private school in PhanThiet. In 1911 he was employed as a cook on a French steamship liner and
thereafter worked in London and Paris. After World War I, using the pseudonym Nguyen Ai Quoc
(Nguyen the Patriot), Ho engaged in radical activities and was in the founding group of the French
Communist party. He was summoned in Moscow for training and, in late 1924 he was sent to
Canton, China, where he organized a revolutionary movement among Vietnamese exiles. He was
forced to leave China when local authorities cracked down on Communist activities, but he
returned in 1930 to found the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP). He stayed in Hong Kong as
representative of the Communist International. In June 1931 Ho was arrested there by British
police and remained in prison until his release in 1933. He then made his way back to the Soviet
Union, where he reportedly spent several years recovering from tuberculosis. In 1938 he returned
to China and served as an adviser with Chinese Communist armed forces. When Japan occupied
Vietnam in 1941, he resumed contact with ICP leaders and helped to found new Communist
dominated independence movement, popularly known as the Vietminh, which fought the
Japanese. In August 1945, when Japan surrendered, the Vietminh seized power and proclaimed
the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) in Hanoi.
CHAPTER II: BIRTH & BOYHOOD

BIRTH OF THE FIRST FILIPINO

It was just an ordinary midnight of June 19, 1861 until an infant’s first cry echoed in a house owned
by a well-to-do family known by the surname Mercado. It was Wednesday and the moon shone beautifully
over the town of Calamba amidst the agricultural province of Laguna. Had it not to the divine providence,
the infant’s mother could have died during her delivery (Zaide & Zaide, 2008). The newborn was given the
full name José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, the apostle of Philippine freedom; and as
reasonably branded by the late Hon. Leon Ma. Guerrero, the “First Filipino”.

Guerrero (2003) argued that Rizal was the first among the indios to refer to himself as “Filipino” as
found in his works and writings. History has it that the people referred to as Filipinos at the time were in
fact the insulares or those Spaniards who were born in the Philippine archipelago (Ocampo, 2012).

Three days late José was christened in the town’s church by Father Rufino Collantes and it was
witnessed by his family, close relatives, and friends to the Mercados. His mother, Doña Teodora Alonso y
Realonda, a firm Catholic, chose “José” since she was a devotee of San Jose, the patron saint of workers
(Zaide & Zaide, 2008). His father, Don Francisco Mercado y Alejandro, gave the second name “Protasio” as
near to “protesto” as he thought wise to spell it (Craig, 1992). Despite of this seemingly radical thought of
naming his son, he was also raised as a stern Catholic whose devotion included his regular pilgrimage to
Antipolo in the nearby province of Morong (now known as the province of Rizal, aptly named after our
National Hero).

OF NOBLE ANCESTRY

The family name “Mercado” had been given to José’s great- grandfather by their Chinese great-
great- grandfather Domingo Lam-co in 1731, who migrated to the Philippines from Amoy, China and whose
succeeding generations had an important place in a society largely topped by elite Spaniards. Again in 1850
the Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria had decreed that “Mercado” should be the family name
(Craig, 1992). The Governor General had, indeed, been pleased to grant names, both new and old, through
the Royal Decree of 1849, to a vast number of families all over the Spanish- occupied areas through the
release of Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidosor Catalogoue of Alphabetical Surnames (Ocampo, 2010).

However, it happened that José’s father was a man of independent thought. To be called “Mercado”,
which means “market”, crossed his mind to be unsuitable for an inquilino or tenant farmer. Don Francisco,
called by the townsfolk as Mang Kikoy, was responsible for clearing, weeding, preparing the fields, planting
seedlings, raising them until maturity, harvesting and preparing the crops for sale, and providing draft
animals and tools (Sta. Maria, 2012). Therefore, he decided to modify his family’s surname and adopted
the word “ricial”, which means “green field”, changed the spelling to “Rizal”, and gave his children that
name, just for the sake of his independent soul and his sense of fitness. However, Rizal himself revealed
(Guerrero, 2003): “I am the only Rizal because at home my parents, my sisters, my brother, and my relatives
have always preferred our old family name, Mercado”. Don Francisco’s independent spirit, which his sons
and daughters inherited, did not get him into trouble that time, but it did later (Craig, 1992).
 If José Rizal inherited his free soul from his father, he inherited his genius largely from his mother.
Aling Lolay, as Doña Teodora came to be known in the neighborhood, had ancestors and uncles by the
dozen who had distinguished themselves as leaders and thinkers (Sta. Maria, 2012). Her brothers, Gregorio,
Manuel, and José Alberto were all unusual men. Her father Lorenzo Alberto Alfonso was a distinguished
engineer, who had received the title of “Knight of the Grand Order of Isabel the Catholic”. One grandfather
was attorney Manuel de Quintos; the other grandfather was Captain Cipriano Alonso. At least three of her
great- grandfathers were captains, and one of these came from the famous “Florentino” family at that time
(Craig, 1992).

THE ILLUSTRIOUS FAMILY

Both José’s parents were educated in well-established schools at the time. Don Francisco studied at
the Colegio de San Jose in Manila while Doña Teodora completed her education at the Colegio de Santa
Rosa, a prestigious college for girls in Manila. José described Mang Kikoy as a great model attributed to his
honesty, frugality, productiveness, composure, and profound dignity. José described Aling Lolay as a
woman of discipline, culture, literature, and religion. She was a good wife and amother of warmth affection.
Both of his parents were his source of virtues of patience and self- sacrifice (Zaide & Zaide, 2008).

The Mercados and the Alonso belonged to the principalia, that it to say, they had enough land and
money to raise a living, stone houses which were among the first of its kind in the town of Calamba, sari-
sari store of no other competitors, horses that only affluent families could own, preferences in civic and in
religious processions. They were the ilustrados, that is to say, they could read, write and figure, they owned
the largest built- in library in Calamba, they subscribed to newspapers, they travelled abroad, they went to
court, and they were completely oriented on the dynamics of political, economic, and social affairs of the
time (Guerrero, 2003).

Other members of José’s remarkably affectionate family are as follows: (Craig, 1992) Saturnina, the
eldest, born in 1850, Paciano, the only brother, born in 1851, Narcisa, born in 1852, Olympia, born in 1855,
Lucia, born in 1857, and Maria, born in 1859, were all older than him; the youngest sister were Josefa, born
in 1865, Trinidad, born in 1868, and Soledad, the youngest, born in 1870. As a matter of fact, in between
José and Josefa there was Conception, also called Concha, born in 1862, who only lived for three years and
died of illness. He could remember very well the death of Concha, thus he recounted (Guerrero, 2003):
“For the first time I wept tears of love and grief, for until then I had only shed them out of a stubbornness
which my loving and prudent mother knew so well how to correct.”

José was fondly called by his parents and siblings as Ute. Among his friends and acquaintances
especially during his Ateneo days, José was known by the nickname “Pepe” as people of the time used to
call anyone José by such. It was so since the Latin for “foster father” is “pater putativus” shortened by the
Spaniards as ”pp” pronounced as “fhefhe”, and converted into “Pepe” (Sta. Maria, 2012). Jesus Christ’s
foster father is Joseph or in Spanish, José.

The religiosity of the Mercado family could be traced back to their affluent ancestry. The fact that
Doña Teodora almost died upon giving birth to José subsequently made her to vow to go on pilgrimage to
the Virgin of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo. In effect, the Mercado children were bred in a firm
Catholic environment and grew up morally upright. José and his siblings were trained to offer prayer
altogether each day, like the Angelus at dusk and the Rosary before resting to bed. They were accompanied
to hear mass in the town church during Sundays and Christian feast days. At five years of age, José was able
to read, though short of fluency, the Spanish family bible known during the time as Historia Sagrada (Craig,
1992). José’s profound religiosity would be challenged and put at risk eventually as he faced many
adversaries while fighting for social reforms.

In later life, José’s siblings would rather become his firmest supporters to his vision of bringing
transformation in the land they claimed for all the oppressed natives. Each member of the Mercado family,
both parents and siblings, played crucial roles in the formation of his heroic consciousness. On this note,
the hero we have come to known as José Rizal was surrounded and molded by likely heroes as well.

MEMORIES AND STORIES LIKE NO OTHER

The Mercado family had a simple and happy life. Mang Kikoy and Aling Lolay love their children. They
were reared with strong faith and proper etiquette. They were thought to give respect and show obedience
to their elders. They were inculcated of social custom like kissing the hands of their parents. The younger
ones were taught to address politely their elder sisters with “Señora” and their brothers with “Señor” (Zaide
& Zaide, 2008).

José grew up in a two- story house in which the first floor was built of stone that was typical for
homes of notable families at the time (Craig, 1992). On the ground floor was his mother’s little store that
had its separate way to the open street. There was also a camarin, a large storehouse where rice and sugar
were kept. The family resided on the second floor which was made out of concrete woods where these
sections could be found: living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet facilities. The dining room
boasted a carved heavy wooden table and high back chairs popular at that time, and could likely
accommodate many other guests during special affairs (Sta. Maria, 2012). Among the regular meals of the
Mercado family included relleno, adobo, estopado, puchero, morcon, tinola, fried chicken, ayungin, pansit,
sardinas, secasor, tuyo. The favorite dish of the child of José wascarne asada or beef steak accompanied by
juicy sauce. He also loved champorado and made his version of it in many instances. The children were well
fed of a mixture of ordinary and exquisite dishes at the time (Sta. Maria, 2012).

The house had a private library which consisted more than 1,000 volumes. It had a grand veranda
called azotea that featured a collection of large clay jars for storing rain water. From there the children
used to watch the people passing by the streets below, and at night, the moon and the stars around them;
and in that very place many stories had also been told to them by either their mother or their ayas. They
were told of many enchanting tales, fascinating legends, and imaginary stories. José even got scaredby the
aya that he would be taken by creepy beings like osuang, nuno, tigbalang, or a strange bearded man if he
would not take his supper (Zaide & Zaide, 2008).

Among the stories he heard of, it was his mother’s fable about the moth that appeared to leave him
an everlasting fascination. It was one late night, when the whole Mercado family was sleeping except José
and his mother, that such a story was narrated in full. He was inattentive and busy doodling on some pages
of a book while Doña Teodora was teaching him to read in Spanish, a proof that she was the hero’s first
teacher. Soon he was allured by the flame contained in an oil lamp and the moths circling about it. Then
his mother stopped a little and told the child José to listen for she was about to read him a wonderful story.
In his delight of hearing the word “story”, José settled down to listen with complete curiosity and
expectation. So the fable of the moth was related by Doña Teodora. The story was that a young moth was
mesmerized by the beautiful flame, flew closer to it despite its mother’s warning not to do so, soon dazzled
until it was consumed by the flame and perished in it. José’s thoughts were stuck at the dreadful fate of
the insect and never realized that the story had come to an end. After its narration, Doña Teodora warned
José that if he would not adhere to the advice of his parents he would likely suffer the same thing as to that
of the young moth. On this note, the fable could serve fittingly the allegory of a young insurgent charmed
by the light of reason who died in it as well, very much like the fate of José Rizal. (Guerrero, 2003)

Behind the stone-house was a large garden filled with trees including atis, santol, macopa, duhat,
sampaloc, papaya, nanca, coffee, orange, kamias, chico, tampoy, balimbing, cashew, and coconut, all of
which became adobe to different species of birds like maya, kalaw, maria- capra, Martinez, pipit that
rendered a hymn and orchestrated a concert as the sun slowly vanished behind the mountains of Laguna.
He and his sisters often rushed to pick fruits that fell to the ground (Sta. Maria, 2012). They plucked fruits
from low- slung branches. There were also some varieties of flowers whose aroma roamed around the
area. José spent a lot of time in this place where a small nipa hut stood, constructed by Don Francisco for
his children (Zaide & Zaide, 2008). José was also presented by his father of a donkey named “Alipato” and
a dog named “Usman”. These pets and the garden made him closer to nature over which he developed
deep sense of prudence and affection. This childhood bliss always brought back memories to José that we
would treasure for the rest of his life.

THE TOWN THAT INSPIRES A HERO

Calamba is located in the midst of a rich agricultural region in Laguna, the lake province of Luzon,
famed for coconuts on the hillsides and sugar cane in the valleys. It is enclosed between the vast Laguna
de Bay and the enchanted Mt. Makiling. It is endowed with breathtaking landscape and comforting nature
that tenderly fondles the townsfolk from dawn to twilight.

The town of Calamba and its haciendas at the time were virtually owned by the Dominican friars,
hence, non- Spanish families were only renting the lands they tilled and were subject to pay taxes, mostly
excessive, in money or in kind (Constantino, 2005). This system known as encomienda became an
instrument of the unscrupulous friars for their personal gains. It left the people vulnerable to many forms
of cruelty and discrimination. However, despite of this difficult circumstance, life in calamba offered much
better opportunities than the other towns in and out of Laguna.

Just like many other children of Calamba, José was captured by the picturesque impression of their
town and from there he developed his powerful senses dedicated to poetry and visual arts. His town
essentially became one of his elated inspirations in his life bounded by many challenged. When a few years
later Rizal recalled those joyous days of his childhood in Calamba, he revealed his heart in the poem entitled
“Un Recuerdo Ami Pueblo” (In Memory of my Town).
MANY SPLENDID TALENTS

José was designed by nature to be an artist. This he revealed before he was five years of age, for
without any assistance from others he began to draw with his pencil and to mold in wax or clay of any
objects. His parents including his uncles recognized this unusual talent and gave him all encouragement.
They offered the boy an almost ideal environment for the building of genius (Zaide & Zaide, 2008). Uncle
José Alberto, a fine artist himself, helped him develop his innate gift in arts. Uncle Gregorio, a tireless
reader, often lectured the eager child on the foundations of success and profound logic and was immensely
important for an eye- minded boy like him in learning twenty languages in his later life. Uncle Manuel, a
sports and fitness enthusiast, encouraged him to nurture his frail body by way of athletic drills, martial arts,
and physical exercises.

José, in all proportion, was endowed with many skills and talents over which he had a full exploit in
his later life. His deep sensibilities in visual arts amazed everybody, though sometimes, he was teased by
her siblings due to his seemingly naïve crafts. One time, the young boy José was seen in his bahay kubo by
his señoras molding a clay figure which appeared to be Napoleon Bonaparte, the greatest French conqueror
in the early part of the 19th century. His sisters laughed at him but in like childlike defense of his
masterpiece he remarked that people would eventually create a standing monument in his image (Ocampo,
2012).

An important factor in José’s development was the realization of his relatives that they were dealing
with a child of many gifts, and their determination not to crush his tender genius. His father insisted that
all the customary subjects must be learned, not only well, but very well. For many months he kept an old
man in the family for the purpose of teaching the boy the beginnings of Latin (Guerrero, 2003).

Another happy influence in building José’s character was the parish priest who lived in the convent
just around the corner from the Rizal home. Father Leoncio Lopez was an independent thinker with wide
intelligence and sound judgment (Zaide & Zaide, 2008). He loved children, but above all the eager little boy
who asked serious leading questions about the things he had heard his elders say. Years later in Noli Me
Tangere, one of Rizal’s pair of novels, he paid a beautiful tribute to Father Leoncio. Perhaps, too, he had
this beloved old priests in mind when in El Filibusterismo he makes Father Florentino utter the most famous
of all quotations from Rizal’s prose writings (Craig, 1992): “Where are the youth, who will consecrate their
rosy hours, their dreams, and their enthusiasm for the welfare of their motherland?”

When he was nine years old he was sent to a school for boys in the town of Biñan, where his uncle
José Alberto was residing. His teacher was Señor Justiniano Aquino Cruz. He was a strict practitioner of the
ancient method of pounding knowledge not only into the eye and ear but also into the palm of the hand.
He used an especially tough switch for this purpose. Had it not been tough it would soon have worn out.
José’s childhood story preserves his memories of the just teacher where he recounted: “I used to win in
the competitions, for nobody happened to be better than I. Of these successes I made the most. Despite
of the reputation I had of being a good boy, rare were the days when the teacher did not call me up to
receive five or six blows on the hand… how it hurt! Then, a few moments later, José was instructed to go
home because he had learned all there was to be taught at Biñan. When his father found it out, José was
scolded and hurried back to the school. Señor Justiniano told Don Francisco that the boy’s statement was
true. So in 1871, José left Biñan for the Christmas vacation (Craig, 1992).
 The Mercado family or might as well can now be called Rizal as it will appear in the succeeding
chapters, was determined that José should continue his education in Manila. He was making preparations
to depart when an injustice occurred which threw the first shadow across his happy young life. His mother
was thrown into prison, accused of a crime of which she was so wholly incapable that everybody knew it
was a pure fabrication. The charge against her was that she had conspired with her brother, Alberto, to kill
his wife, who had separated from him. The real reason for the arrest, as everybody in the town well knew,
was the honest, independent Don Francisco had been too frank in dealing with two Spanish officials and in
denying them of their requests, a feed for their horses, and that these men now sought to wreak vengeance
on the father of José by arresting his mother. The poor Doña Teodora was forced to walk from Calamba to
Santa Cruz, a distance of 50 kilometers, and upon reaching there she was imprisoned at the provincial jail
for two years (Zaide & Zaide, 2008).

CHAPTER III: EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL

School Inclusive Years Age Course

Started
Biñan 1869-1871 9
Ateneo Municipal 1872-1877 16
Santa Isabel College 1873-1874 16 Spanish Private Lesson
University of Santo Tomas 1877-1878 17 Philosophy and Letters
University of Santo Tomas 1878-1882 21 Medicine
Universidad Central de Madrid 1882 21 Philosophy and Letters
Universidad Central de Madrid 1882-1884 23 Medicine Specialization
(Ophthalmology)
Paris 1885 24 Practice of Eye Specialization
University of Eye Hospital 1886 25 Practice of Eye Specialization
University of Leipzig 1886 25 Lecture on History and Psychology
University of Heidelberg 1887 26 Completed His Eye Specialization
University of Paris 1887 26 Attended Classes

PRECEDENT EVENT TO THE IGNATION LIFE

 Paciano, Rizal’s brother was studying at Colegio de San Jose under the tutelage of Fr. Jose
Burgos
 Cavite mutiny took place on January 20, 1872 led by Sergeant Lamadrid
 GOMBURZA execution February 17, 1872
 Arrest of his mother Doña Teodora
 Rizal took and passed the entrance exam in Letran
 Rizal matriculated in Ateneo in June 10, 1872
RIZAL’S EARLY INFORMAL EDUCATION

The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good character and fine
culture. On her lap, he learned at the age of three the alphabet and the prayers. “My mother,” wrote Rizal
in his student memoirs, “taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised
fervently to God.”

As tutor, Doña Teodora was patient, conscientious and understanding. It was she who first
discovered that her son had a talent for poetry. Accordingly, she encouraged him to write poems. To
enlighten the monotony of memorizing the ABC’s and to stimulate her son’s imagination, she related many
stories.

As Jose grew older, his parents employed private tutors to give him lessons at home. The first was
Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a former
classmate of Rizal’s father, become the boy’s tutor. This old teacher lived at the Rizal home and instructed
Jose in Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he did not lived long. He died five months later. After a Monroy’s
death, the hero’s parents decided to send their gifted son to a private school in Biñan.

The Mercado family enjoyed relative wealth as landowners who rented the land of their hacienda to
the Dominican friars in Laguna. Hence, education was a priority for the Mercado family and young Jose
Protacio was sent to learn from Justiniano Aquino Cruz, a tutor from nearby Biñan, Laguna. But the
education of a small town and a tutor did not sufficiently quench the young man’s thirst for knowledge and
soon, the family began to make preparations for his admission to the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, in the
capital of the Philippines.

The school was run by the Jesuit Order and was one of the most prominent and academic institutions
in the country which catered to the rich, the powerful and most intelligent students that country had,
certainly a place for a young man like Jose Protacio Mercado.

STUDYING IN BIÑAN

Rizal had his early education in Calamba and Biñan. It was a typical schooling that son of an illustrado
family received during his time, characterized the four R’s- reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced into the minds by means of tedious memory method
aided by the teacher’s whip. Despite the defects of the Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was
able to acquire the necessary instruction preparatory for college work in Manila and abroad. It may said
that Rizal who was born a physical weakling, rose to become an intellectual giant not because of, but rather
in spite of, the outmoded and backward system of instruction obtaining in the Philippines during the last
decades of Spanish regime. Jose goes to Biñan.

One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose, after kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful parting
from his sisters, left Calamba for Biñan. He was accomplished by Paciano, who acted as his second father.
The two brothers rode in a carromata, reaching their destination after one and one-half hours drive. They
proceeded to their aunt’s huse, where Jose was to lodge. It was almost night when they arrived, and the
moon was about to rise.
 The same night, Jose, with his cousin named Leandro, went sightseeing in the town. Instead of
enjoying the sight, Jose became depressed because of homesickness. “In the moonlight,” He recounted, “I
remembered my home town, my idolizes mother and my solicitous sisters. Ah how sweet to me was
Calamba, my own town, In spite of fact, that it was not wealthy as Biñan”.

FIRST DAY IN BIÑAN

The next morning (Monday) Paciano brought his younger brother to the school of Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz.

The school was in the house of the teacher, which was a small nipa hut about 3o meters from the
home of Jose’s aunt.

Paciano knew the teacher quite well because he had been a pupil under him before. He introduced
Jose to the teacher, after which he departed to return to Calamba.

Jose described his teacher in Biñan as tall, thin, long-necked, with sharp nose and body slightly bent
forward, and he used to wear sinamay shirt, woven by the skilled hands of the women of Batangas. He
knew by heart grammars by Nebrija and Gainza.

FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL

In the afternoon of his day in school when the teacher was having his siesta, Jose met the bully,
Pedro. He was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his conversation with the teacher in the
morning.

Jose challenged Pedro to a fight. The latter readily accepted, thinking that he could easily beat the
Calamba boy who was smaller and younger.

The boys wrestled furiously in the classroom, much to the glee of their classmate. Jose, having
learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger boy. For this feat, he became
popular among his classmates.

After the class in the afternoon, a classmate named Andes Saladanan challenged him to an arm-
wrestling match. They went to sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms. Jose, having the weaker
arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.

In succeeding days, he had other fights with boys of Biñan. He quarrelsome by nature, but he never
ran away from fight.

PAINTING LESSON 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
Juanchio freely gave him lessons in drawing and painting. He was impressed by the artistic talent of the
Calamba lad.

BEST STUDENT IN SCHOOL

In academic studies, Jose beat all Biñan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects. End of schooling in Biñan.

Before the Christmas season in 1870, Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him
of the arrival of the streamer Talim, which would take him from Biñan to Calamba. Upon reading the letter,
he had a premonition that he would not return to Biñan, so that he beamed sad. He prayed in the town
church, collected pebbles in the river souvenirs, and regretfully bade farewell to his teacher and classmates.

He left Biñan on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870, after one year and a half of schooling in
that town. He has thrilled to take passage on the streamer Talim, for it was the first time he ever rode a
streamer. On board was a Frenchman named Arturo Camps, a friend of his father, who took care of him.

LIFE AND STUDIES AT ATENEO (1872-1877)

On June 10, 1872, Jose accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila. He took the entrance examinations
on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the college of San Juan de Letran, and passed them. He
returned to Calamba to stay a few days with his family and to attend the town fiesta. His father who first
wished him to study at Letran changed his mind and decided to send him to Ateneo instead.

Upon his return to Manila, Jose, again accomplished by Paciano, matriculated at the Ateneo
municipal. At first, Father Magin Ferrando, who was college registrar, refused to him for two reasons: (1)
he was late for registrar and (2) he was sickly and undersized for his age. Rizal was then eleven years old.
However, upon the intercessions of Manueleres Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly
admitted at the Ateneo.

Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal,” He registered under his name at the
Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” as his surname at the College of San Jose and he was known
to the authorities as Father Burgos’ favorite student and confidant.

At the time Jose studied in the Ateneo, this college was located in Intramuros, within the walls of
Manila. He first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes’ walk from the
college. The boarding house was owned by a spinster named Titay who owned the Rizal family the amount
of P300. Jose boarded with her in order to collect part of dept.

JESUITS SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

The system of education given by the Jesuits in Ateneo was more advanced than that of other
colleges in that period. It rained the character of the student by rigid discipline and religious instruction. It
promoted physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies. Aside from academic courses leading to the
degree of Bachelor of Arts, it offered vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, mechanics, and
surveying.

The students heard Mass in the morning before the beginning of the daily class. Classes in every
subject were opened and closed with prayers.

FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873)

On his first day of class in the Ateneo, June, 1872, Rizal first heard Mass at the college chapel and
prayed fervently to God for guidance and success. When the mass was finished, he went to his class, where
he saw a great number of boys, Spaniards, mestizos and Filipinos.

Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he describes as a “tall, thin and with a body
slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep- sunken eyes, a sharp
nose that was almost greek and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin.

Being a newcomer and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class. He was
externo, hence he was assigned to the Carthagians, occupying the end of the line.

After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly. At the end of the month he became
the “emperor”. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a prize. “How pleased I
was,” he said, “when I won my first prize, a religious picture!” He was proud of it because it was the prize
he ever won at the Ateneo.

To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lesson in Santa Isabel College during the noon recesses,
when other Ateneo students were playing or gossiping. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons,
but it was money well spent.

SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-1874)

Nothing unusual happened Rizal during his second term in the Ateneo, except that he repented
having neglected his studies the previous year simply because he was offended by the teacher’s remarks.
So, to regain his lost class leadership, he studied harder, once more he became the “emperor”.

Some of his classmates were new. Among them were three boys from Binan, who had been his
classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.

At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal. With
such scholastic honors, he triumphantly returned to Calamba in March, 1874 for the summer vacation.

THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1875-1875)

In June 1874, Rizal returned to the Ateneo for his junior year. Shortly after the opening of classes, his
mother arrived and joyously told him that she was releases from prison, just as he had predicted during his
last visit to her prison cell in Santa cruz, Laguna. He was happy, of course, to see his mother once more a
free woman.

However, despite the family happiness, Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his studies as in
the previous year. His grades remained excellent in all subjects, but he won only one medal in Latin. He
failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was not fluency and with right accentuation.

At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal returned to Calamba for the summer vacation. He
himself was not impressed by his scholastic work.

FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO (1875-1876)

After a refreshing and happy summer vacation, Rizal went back to Manila for his fourth year course.
On June 16, 1875, he became an inferno in Ateneo. One of his professors this time was Fr. Francisco de
Paula Sanchez, a great educator and scholar. He became an admirer and friend of the slender Calambala,
whose God- given genius he saw and recognized. On his part, Rizal had the highest affection and respect
for Fr. Sanchez, whom he considered his best professor in the Ateneo.

In his student memoirs, Rizal wrote of Father Sanchez in glowing terms, ahowing his affection and
gratitude. He described this Jesuits professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for his
pupils”.

LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-1877)

After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila in June 1876 for his last year in the Ateneo. His
studies continued to fare well. As matter of fact, he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of
his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”.

Rizal finished his last year at the Ateneo in a blaze of glory. He obtained the highest grades in all
subjects: philosophy, physics, biology, chemistry, language, mineralogy, etc.

GRADUATED WITH HIGHEST HONOURS

Rizal graduated at the head of his class. His scholastic record received an excellent mark in all subjects
at the Ateneo from 1872 to be as follows:

1872- 1873
Arithmetic
Latin I
Spanish I
Greek I

1873- 1874
History of Spain and the Philippines
 Arithmetic & Algebra

1874- 1876
Rhetoric
French I
Geometry and Trigonometry

1876- 1877
Philosophy I
Mineralogy & Chemistry
Philosophy 2
Physics
Botany & Zoology

Prior to his enrollment in this prominent learning institution, his older brother Paciano Rizal Mercado,
insisted that Jose drop the surname “Mercado”, to ensure that the younger Mercado would be
disassociated with the outspoken and borderline subversive reputation of his older brother. As such, the
young man known as Jose Protacio Rizal enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.

Being the child of a family of wealthy landowners, Jose Rizal decided to study for a degree in Land
Surveying and Assessment at the Ateneo de Municipal de Manila where he graduated on March 14, 1887,
with honors or sobresaliente. He took and passed the licensure exam for land surveying and assessment in
1878 but was not given a license until 1881 when he turned 21.

In 1878, after his completion of his degree from Ateneo Municipal de Manila, he pursued his passion
for the arts as he enrolled at the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a degree in Philosophy at the University of
Santo Tomas. Although he excelled at philosophy, the news of his mother’s impending blindness convinced
him to study Medicine, and in 1878 he enrolled in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at University of Santo
Tomas to specialize in ophthalmology.

RIZAL ENTERS THE UNIVERSITY (1877- 1882)

In April 1877, Rizal who was nearly 16 years old, matriculated in UST, taking the course on Philosophy
and letters. He enrolled in this course for two years: (1) his father like it and (2) He was “still uncertain as
to what career to pursue”. He had written to Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo, who had been
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- 1878) in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal studied Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy,
and History of Philosophy.

It was the following term (1878- 1879) that Rizal, having received the Ateneo Rectors’ advice to study
medicine, took up medical course, enrolling simultaneously in the preparatory medical course and 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.
FINISHES SURVEYING COURSE IN ATENEO (1878)

During his first school term in the UST (1877- 1878), Rizal also studied in the Ateneo. He took the
vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor). In those days, it should be
remembered, the colleges for boys in Manila offered vocational courses in agriculture, commerce,
mechanics and surveying.

Rizal, as usual, he excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in the Ateneo, obtaining gold medals
in agriculture and topography. At the age of 17, he passed the final examinations in the surveying course,
but he could not be granted the title as surveyor because he was below age. The title was issued him on
November 25, 1881.

UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST

Rizal, Ateneo’s boy wonder, found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas suffocating to
his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at his Dominican professors that were hostile to him, the Filipino
students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards, and the method of instruction was obsolete
and repressive.

In his novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted
by their Dominican professors and how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching
of the natural sciences. He related in Chapter XII, “the class in Physics,” that his science subject was
taught without laboratory experiments. The microscope and other laboratory apparatuses were kept inside
the showcase to be seen by visitors, but the students could not even touch them

His scholastic records in the University of Santo Tomas (1879-1882) were as follows:

1877-1878 (Philosophy & Letters)

Cosmology & Metaphysics Excellent
Theodicy Excellent
History of Philosophy Excellent

1878-1879 (Medicine) 1st Year

Physics Fair
Chemistry Excellent
Natural History Good
Anatomy I Good
Dissection 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

After finishing the fourth year of his 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 parents’ 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 keep a secret. Thus Rizal’s parents, Leonor and the Spanish authorities knew nothing
of his decision to go abroad in order to finish his medical studies in Spain, where the professors were moral
liberal than those of the University of Santo Tomas.

Citing discrimination against Filipino students by the Dominican professors in Medicine, Rizal left the
medical program in 1882. Believing that education in the country was limited, he boarded a ship to Spain
with the support of his older brother Paciano but without informing his parents. The ten years he would
spend on the European continent would leave an indelible mark on his personality and open his eyes to the
world, develop his natural talents and strengthen his devotion to his motherland.

ACADEMIC IN EUROPE

In Spain, he continued the studies that were stalled in the Philippines and enrolled at the Universidad
Central de Madrid where he graduated in 1884 with a degree in Medicine, and a year later with a degree
in Philosophy and letters from the same institution. Even after the completion of these two degrees, he still
was not satisfied and traveled to France and studied at the University of Paris.

In his pursuit to further increase his knowledge in his chosen field of specialization—
ophthalmology—he studied at the University of Heidelberg under the distinguished eye specialist,
Professor Otto Becker.
CHAPTER 3: SELECTED NOVELS

NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO

The Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not/ Don’t touch me) is a novel written by Dr. José Rizal, the national
hero of the Philippines, during the colonization of the country by Spain to expose the inequities of the
Spanish Catholic priests and the ruling government. The title, in Latin meaning Touch me not, refers to John
20:17 in the Bible (King James Version) as Mary Magdalene tried to touch the newly rise Jesus, He said
“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” Early English translations of the novel used titles
like An Eagle Flight (1990) and The Social Cancer (1912), disregarding the symbolism of the title, but the
more recent translations were published using the original Latin title. It has also been noted by French
Writer D. Blumentritt that “Noli me tangere” was a name used by ophthalmologist himself Rizal was
influenced by this fact is suggested in his dedication, “To My Country”.

Originally written in Spanish, the book is more commonly published and read in the Philippines in
either Filipino or English. Together with its sequel, El Filibusterismo, the reading of Noli is obligatory for high
school students throughout the archipelago.

José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist and medical doctor, conceived the idea of writing a novel that would
expose the ills of Philippine society after reading Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He preferred
that the prospective novel express the way Filipino culture was backward, anti- progress, anti- intellectual,
and not conductive to the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment. He was then a student of medicine in the
Universidad Central de Madrid.

In reunion of Filipinos at the house of his friend Pedro A. Paterno in Madrid on 2 January 1884, Rizal
proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippines written by a group of Filipinos. His proposal was
unanimously approved by the Filipinos present at the party, among whom where Pedro, Maximino and
Antonio Paterno, Graciano López Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente and Valentin
Ventura. However, this project did not materialize. The people who agreed to help Rizal with the novel did
not write anything. Initially, the novel was planned to cover and describe all phases of Filipino life, but
almost everybody wanted to write about women. Rizal even saw his companions spend more time gambling
and flirting with Spanish women. Because of this, he pulled out of the plan of co- writing with others and
decided to draft the novel alone.

Publication history. Rizal finished the novel in December 1886. At first, according to one of Rizal’s
biographers, Rizal feared the novel might not be printed, and that it would remain unread. He was
struggling with financial constraints at the time and thought it would be hard to pursue printing the novel.
A financial aid came from a friend name Máximo Viola which helped him print his book at a fine print media
in Berlin named Berliner Buchdruckerei-Aktiengesellschaft. Rizal at first, however, hesitated but Viola
insisted and ended up lending Rizal ₱300 for 2, 000 copies; Noli was eventually printed in Berlin, Germany.
The printing was finished earlier than the estimated five months. Viola arrived in Berlin in December 1886,
and by March 21, 1887, Rizal had sent a copy of the novel to his friend Blumentritt.

On August 21, 2007, a 480-page then- latest English version of Noli Me Tángere was released to major
Australian book stores. The Australian edition of the novel was published by Penguin Books Classics, to
represent the publication’s “commitment to publish the major literary classics of the world.” American
writer Harold Augenbraum, who first read the Noli in 1922, translated the novel. A writer well- acquainted
with translating other Hispanophone literary works, Augenbraum proposed to translate the novel after
being asked for his next assignment in the publishing company. Intrigued by the novel and knowing more
about it, Penguin nixed their plan of adapting existing English versions and instead translated it on their
own.

Reaction and legacy. This novel and its sequel, El Filibusterismo (nicknamed El Fili), were banned in
some parts of the Philippines because of their portrayal of corruption and abuse by the country’s Spanish
government and clergy. Copies of the book were smuggled in nevertheless, and when Rizal returned to the
Philippines after completing medical studies, he quickly ran afoul of the local government. A few days after
his arrival, Governor- General Emilio Terrero summoned Rizal to the Malacaῆan Palace and told him of the
charge that Noli Me Tángere contained subversive statements. After a discussion, the Governor General
was appeased but still unable to offer resistance against the pressure of the Church against the book. The
persecution can be discerned from Rizal’s letter to Leitmeritz:

“My book made a lot of noise; everywhere, I am asked about it. They wanted to anathematize me
[‘to excommunicate me’] because of it… I am considered a German spy, an agent of Bismark, they say I am
a Protestant, a freemason, a sorcerer, a damned soul and evil. It is whispered that I want to draw plans,
that I have a foreign passport and that I wander through the streets by night…”

Rizal was exiled to Dapitan, then later arrested for “inciting rebellion” based largely on his writings.
Rizal was executed in Manila on December 30, 1896 at the age of thirty-five.

Rizal depicted nationality by emphasizing the qualities of Filipinos: the devotion of a Filipina and her
influence on a man’s life, the deep sense of gratitude, and the solid common sense of the Filipinos under
the Spanish regime.

The work was instrumental in creating a unified Filipino national identity and consciousness, as many
natives previously identified with their respective regions. It lampooned, caricatured and exposed various
elements in colonial society. Two characters in particular have become classics in Filipino culture: Maria
Clara, who has become a personification of the ideal Filipina woman, loving and unwavering in her loyalty
to her spouse; and the priest father Dámaso, who reflects the covert fathering of illegitimate children by
members of the Spanish clergy.

The book indirectly influenced a revolution, even though the author actually advocated direct
representation to the Spanish government and a larger role for the Philippines within Spain’s political
affairs. In 1956, the Congress of the Philippines passed the Republic Act 1425, more popularly known as
the Rizal Law, which requires all levels of Philippines schools to teach the novel as part of their curriculum.
Noli Me Tángere is being taught to third year secondary school students, while its sequel El filibusterismo
is being taught for fourth year secondary school students. The novels are incorporated to their study and
survey of Philippine literature.

MAKAMISA: UNFINISHED NOVEL

Makamisa (After mass) is an unfinished novel written by José Rizal. The original manuscript was found
by historian Ambeth Ocampo in 1987 while he was going through a 245-page collection of papers. This
draft is written in pure, vernacular Lagunense Tagalog and has no written direct signature or date of
inscription.

Rizal later restarted work on Makamisa, using Spanish. The Spanish-languange version of the first
manuscript mistaking Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere and this manuscript was called Borrador de Noli Me
Tangere by National Library of the Philippines. However, the novel remained unfinished. The draft in
Spanish was later translated to Filipino (under the name Etikang Tagalog: Ang Ikatlong Nobela ni Rizal) by
Nilo S. Ocampo.

Controversy. Sevral studies were performed to determine whether what is considered the third novel
by Jose Rizal. Based on the evidence gathered by Ocampo who identified the Makamisa the third novel of
Rizal. The so-called “evidence” is the three letter Rizal’s friend Ferdinand Blumentritt in, and the contents
of it are as follows:

Letter dated 22 September 1891 – with Blumentritt Rizal cited his desire to write the third novel in
an innovative way. According to him, it would subject the customs and traditions of the Filipino, and the
story is just barely about political issues. Only two of its Spanish staff, the parish priest and civil lieutenant
of guardiya.

Letter dated January 31, 1892 – Rizal spoke again with Blumentritt writing his third novel contains
customary Tagalog. It was written in Tagalog him to read his countrymen scarce knowledge of Spanish, and
to draw closer in the Tagalog which is the subject of his novel. He also told his friends to be easy for him to
write in Tagalog because he scarce proper knowledge and experience.

Letter dated April 20, 1892 – In correspondence with Blumentritt Rizal said that he surrenders writing
the third novel in Tagalog, and he will continue to be trained only in a language over him in Spanish.
According to Rizal, it was hard to write a novel in tagalog because some parts requires Spanish to be more
realistic.

The novel has only one chapter. It runs for only ten pages and is hand-written. Although written in a
different language, its style, characterization and setting mirrior those of Rizal’s two previous works, Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which he wrote in Spanish. The chapter ends with a short unfinished
sentence: ”Sapagkat nabalitang nasampal si aleng Anday ay wala man din silang” which in English is
equivalent to “Although it was rumored that aunt Anday received slaps on her face, they still do not [have]”
which therefore satisfies the theory of it being unfinished. The novel explores the mysterious ill-
temperament of the town curate Padre Agaton.