Higher Education of Rizal

Group 7
Art Andrei R. Dumalagan
Clint Jay S. Noya
• This section provides an overview of Rizal’s academic life. It
begins with his studies in the Philippines at the Ateneo Municipal
de Manila and the University of Santo Tomas to his schooling
abroad. It also highlights his observations, experiences, and
accomplishments that became the foundation of his nationalist
sensibilities.
• The execution of the Three martyr
priests, Mariano Gomez, Jacinto
Zamora, and Jose Burgos, collectively
known as Gomburza on February 17,
1872, Left Paciano, Jose Rizal’s
brother, deeply moved and angered by
the brutality of the Spanish colonial
government. He expressed his
frustrations to the younger Jose, making
him, even at a very young age, aware of
the atrocities of the Spanish colonizers.
• The execution of Gomburza stirred the nationalist
sensibilities in Rizal. He even dedicated his second novel,
El Filibusterismo. To the three priest. This also opened
Rizal’s eyes to the true conditions of the Philippine
society under the Spaniards.

Originally, Francisco Mercado wanted Jose to study at

Collegio de San Juan de Letran but paciano convinced him
to let Jose study instead at Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
With the help of Manuel Xerez Burgos, the nephew of the
priest Jose Burgos, Rizal was admitted to Ateneo despite
objections from some school administrators.
• In the first two terms at Ateneo, classes were into
groups of interns and externs. The interns constituted
the Roman Empire while the externs constituted the
Carthaginian Empire In each group, there were five
dignitaries: the Standard-bearer, Centurion, Decurion,
Tribune, and the Emperor who was considered to be
the best student in the class. Rizal, grouped in the
Carthaginian Empire, was ranked at the bottom of the
class at the start of the term. He kept on getting
promoted so that by the end of his first month, he had
already attained the rank of emperor.
• Rizal continuously exemplified Scholastic
excellence such that he was the pride of the
Jesuits as he received the highest grades in
almost all his class. On March 23, 1877, he
obtained the degree Bachiller en Artes and was
awarded sobresaliente (outstanding). During his
stay in Ateneo, he wrote poems and crafted
sculptures. One of these sculptures was the
Segardo Corazon de Jesus (Sacred heart of
Jesus) upon the request of his leader.