MEDICAL STUDIES

AT UNIVERSITY OF
SANTO THOMAS
(1887-1872)
Memebers:
Borinaga, Gianna
Camantes, Edward Joseph
Casas, Lyn Gelicele GROUP 5
Catindoy, Catherine
Mother’s opposition to Higher
Education
 After graduating with the highest honors from Ateneo, Rizal had to go to
the University of Santo Thomas for higher studies.
 
 Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue higher learning in
the university. But Doña Teodora, who knew what happened to Gum-Bor-
Za, Vigorously opposed the idea

 She 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”

 
Mother’s opposition to Higher
Education
 Years later, Jose wrote in his journal; “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
   In April 1877, Rizal who was the nearly 16 years old, matriculated
in the University of Santo Thomas, taking the course on philosophy
and letters.
 
 He enrolled in this course for two reasons.

1. His Father’s like it

2. He was “still uncertain as to what career to pursue”
Rizal Enters the University
 
 He had written to Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo.
Asking for advice on the choice of a career. But Father Rector was
then in Mindanao so that he was unable to Advise Rizal.
 
 During Rizal’s first-year-term (1877-78) in the UST, he studied;
Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of Philosophy.
Rizal Enters the University
 
 During the following term (1878-79), Rizal received Ateneo
Rector’s advice to study medicine.
 
 Another reason why he chose medicine for a career was to be able
to cure his mother’s gorwing blindness.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
 During his first school term in the University of Santo Thomas (1877-78),
Rizal also studied in the ateneo.
 He took vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert
surveyor) .
 Rizal, as usual, excelled in all subjects in the surveying course, obtaining
gold medals in agriculture and topography. At the age of 17, he passed the
final examination in the surveying course.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo
 The titled was issued to him on November 25, 1881

 He frequently visited Ateneo, not only to his course but also more because of
his loyalty to Ateneo , where he made beautiful memories and whose Jesuit
professors, unlike the Dominicans, who loved him and inspired him to ascend
to greater heights of knowledge.

 He was the president of the Academy of Spanish Literature and secretary of

the Academy of Natural Sciences. He also continued his membership in the
Marian Congregation, of which he was the secretary.
 Romances with other Girls
1. Miss L. – he courted in Calamba, described her as “fair with seductive and
attractive eyes”. After several visiting in her house, he stopped wooing due to
romance died in natural death.

A. The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his memories.

B. His father did not like her family.
 Romances with other Girls
2. Leonor Valenzuela (Orang) – Sophomore year, daughter of his neighbor
in boarding house of Doña Concha Leyva in Intramuros. He courted ‘Tall girl
with a regal bearing’ , sent her love notes written in invisible ink.

A. Like segunda, he stopped short of promising marriage to Orang.

 Romances with other Girls
3. Leonor Rivera ( Taimis) – his cousin from calimiling. A student at La
concordia College, where soledad was then studying. A frail, pretty girl
‘tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes’
 

a. They became engaged, in letters to Rizal, leonor signed her name as

“Taimis” in order to camouflaged their intimate relationship from their
parents and friends.
Victim of Spanish Officer’s Brutality
 
When Rizal was a freshman medical student at the UST, he experienced his
first taste of Spanish brutality

 One dark night in Calamba, 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.
Victim of Spanish Officer’s Brutality
   With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal, whipped out his sword and brutally
slashed the latter on the back. The wound was not serious, but it was painful
 When Rizal recovered, he reported the incident to General Primo de
Rivera, the Spanish governor general of the Philippines at that time. But
nothing came out of his complaint, because he was an Indio and the abusive
lieutenant was a Spaniard
 Later, in a letter to Bluemintritt, dated March 21, 1887, he related; “I went
to the Captain-General but I could not obtain justice; my wound lasted two
weeks”
 A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA
(TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH)
 In the year 1879 the Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of
Manila a society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest. It offered
a prize for the best poem by a native or a mestizo

 Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted his poem entitled A La
Juventud Filipina

 A La Juventud Filipina is an inspiring poem of flawless form. In exquisite

verses, Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let their
geniuses fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break
the chains that have long bound the spirit of the people
 A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA
(TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH)
 The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s
poem and give it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feathered-
shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon

 The winning poem of Rizal is a classic in Philippine Literature for two

reasons;

1. It was the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit
was recognized by Spanish literary authorities

2. It expressed for nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not the
foreigners, were the “fair hope of The Fatherland”
EL CONSEJO DE LOS DIOSES –
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS
(1880)

https://youtu.be/cEMZvRbiJYA
 EL CONSEJO DE LOS DIOSES –
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1880)
 The following year (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, priest, newspapermen scholars and professors.

 They awarded the first prize to Rizal’s work because of its literary superiority over the
others

 The Spanish community in Manila, spear headed by the Spanish press, howled in great
indignation against the decision because the winning author was an Indio
 EL CONSEJO DE LOS DIOSES –
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS (1880)
 Despite all objections, the prize was awarded to Rizal

 The winning allegory of Rizal was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek
classics. The allegory established a parallel among Homer, Virgil, and Cervantes

 The gods discuss the comparative merits of these great writers and finally decide
to give the trumpet to Homer, the lyre to Virgil, and the (crown) laurels to
Cervantes

 The allegory gloriously closes with the naiads, nymphs, satyrs, and other
mythological characters dancing and gathering laurels for Cervantes
 CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS
• Rizal was the champion of Filipino students in their frequent fights against the
arrogant Spanish students,

• Rizal participated in these student brawls. Owning to his skill in fencing, his
prowess In wrestling, and his indomitable courage, he distinguished himself in
these student skirmishes
 CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS

• In 1880 he founded a secret society of Filipino students in the UST, called

Compañerismo (Comradeship) whose members were called “Companions of Jehu
(DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY)

• Rizal was the chief of this secret student society, with his cousin from Batangas,
Galicano Apacible, as à secretary.

• As chief, he led the Filipino students into combat against the Spanish students in
various street fights
THANK YOU!!