Medical studies at the university of

Santo Tomas (1877-1882)

Rizals first tragic romance, with bitter disillusionment did not

adversely affect his studies at the UST

After finishing first year in PHILOSOPHY and LETTERS (187778), he transferred to the MEDICAL COURSE

During his studies at the UST he remained LOYAL TO ATENEO,

where he participated in extra-curricular activities and
completed a vocational course EXPERT SURVEYING

As a THOMASIAN, he won more LITERARY LAURELS, had

ROMANCES with other girls

Fought against Spanish students who insulted the BROWN

FILIPINO STUDENTS

MOTHERS OPPOSITION TO HIGHER

EDUCATION
After graduating with the highest honors from Ateneo,
Rizal had to go to
university of Santo Tomas for higher
studies.
Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue
higher learning in the
university.
But Dona Teodora refuses and told her husband: Dont
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 mothers
tears.
Rizal was surprised why his mother, a woman of
education and culture, opposed his studies.
Years later in his journal Did my mother perhaps have a
foreboding of what would happen to me? Does a
mothers heart really have a second sight?

Rizal enters the university

In April 1877 Rizal who was 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

his father liked it
he was still uncertain as to what career to pursue

He wrote FR. PABLO RAMON, Rector of the

Ateneo, asking his advice on what course to take, who

was in Mindanao
During the first term (1877-78) he studied
COSMOLOGY, METAPHYSICS,
THEODICY, and HISTORY
OF PHILOSOPHY
On the second term, having received the advice, he
enrolled in MEDICINE

He also choose medicine to cure the failing eyesight of

Dona Teodora

Finishes surveying course in Ateneo

(1878)
During the first term in University of Santo Tomas
(1877-88) Rizal also studied at Ateneo.
He took vocational course leading to the title of Perito
agrimensor or Expert
surveyor.
At the age of 17, he passed the 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
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT THE ATENEO

President Academy of Spanish Literature

Secretary Academy of Natural Sciences

Secretary Marian Congregation

Romances with other girls

Notwithstanding his academic studies in the university, Rizal
had ample time for love
Shortly after losing Segunda katigbak Rizal next romance are
1. Miss L described by Rizal as Fair with seductive and
attractive eyes
2. Leonor Valenzuela
3. Leonor Rivera
Several months, during his SOPHOMORE , he boarded in the
house of DONA CONCHA LEYVA in Intramuros
Next-door neighbors were Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela, who had a charming daughter LEONOR
Rizal became the life of social parties due to his clever
sleight-of-hand tricks
Rizal sent her LOVE NOTES written in INVISIBLE INK,
consisting of common table salt
and water, which left no
traces at all

Rizal knew chemistry taught ORANG ho to decipher by

RIZALS NEXT ROMANCE

LEONOR RIVERA cousin from CAMILING, Tarlac

At the start of his junior year (1879) he boarded at CASA

TOMASIANA , No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros.
His Landlord-Uncle ANTONIO RIVERA
LEONOR RIVERA was studying at La Concordia College, where
SOLEDAD (younger sister) was studying
LEONOR (born April 11, 1867, Tarlac) was Frail, Pretty, and
Tender as a Budding
Flower with Kindly wistful eyes
A beautiful relationship sprang between RIZAL and LOENOR
Her pet name was TAIMIS, to camouflage their relationship
from parents and friend

VICTIM OF SPANISH OFFICERS

BRUTALITY
As Freshman medical student he experienced his first taste of
Spanish brutality
One dark night in Calamba, summer vacation of 1878, while
walking on a dimly lit
street, he perceived the figure of a man
passing him.
He did not salute nor say a courteous word GOOD EVENING
The vague figure happened to be a Lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil
With a snarl, he whipped Rizal with his Sword and brutally
slashed Rizals back
The wound was not serious
He reported the incident to Gov Gen. PRIMO de RIVERA, but
nothing came out of his complaint

To the Filipino youth (1879)

In 1879 the Liceo Artistico-Literario ( Artistic literary-Lyceum)
of Manila,
Held a literary contest it offered a prize for the
best poem by a native meztizo,
Rizal who was 18 years old submitted a poem entitled A La
Juventud Filipina ( to
the Filipino youth).
The board of judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed
by Rizals poem and gave
it the first prize which consisted of
silver pen
It is an inspiring poem of Flawless Form
He beseeched the FILIPINO YOUTH to rise from lethargy, to let
their Genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art
and science to break
the chains that have long bound the
spirit of the people
The winning poem is a classic in Philippine Literature for 2
reasons:
1. The first poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose
merit was recognized
by Spanish Literary Authority
2. It expressed for the first time the NATIONALISTIC concept

The Council of the gods

The following year (1880) the Artistic-Literary Lyceum

opened another literary contest to commemorate the 4th
centennial of the death of Cervantes, Spains glorified man-ofletters and famous author of Don Quixote.
This time the contest was opened for both Filipinos and
Spaniards

Many writers participated in the contest

Rizal, inspired by his poetical triumph the previous year,

entered the literary joust, submitting an allegrical drama
entitled El Consejo de los Dioses ( The Council of the Gods)

The Judges were all Spaniards

After a long and critical appraisal of the entries, they

awarded the first prize to Rizal, despite objectios by the
Spanish community in Manila because he was an Indio

The Council of
the gods
They awarded the first prize to Rizals work because of its
literary superiority over the others
The Spanish Community in Manila, howled in great indignation
against the decision because the winning author was an Indio.
Despite all objections, the prize was still awarded to Rizal

The prize was agold ring with engraved bust of Cervantes

For the first time in history a 19 year old Indio (Medical

Student at the UST), in a national literay contes, defeating
several Spanish writers

The allegory established a parallel among Homer. Virgil

and Cervantes.

The Gods discuss the comparative merits of these great

writers and finally decided to give the trumpet to Homer,
Lyre to Virgil and Laurel to Cervantes

Other literary works

Aside from the two prize winning works mentioned above, Rizal,
Although studying medicine produced other poems and a
zarzuela, this zarzuela was Junto al Pasig (beside the Pasig
Beside the Pasig) in December 8,1880, staged by
Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on the feast day of the
Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo

In the same year he wrote a sonnet entitled A Filipinas for

the album of the society of sculptors

In 1879, he composed a poem entitled Abs-el-Azis y

Mahoma, which was declaimed by an Atenean, MANUEL
FERNADEZ, in honor of the Patroness on December 8, 1880

In 1881, he composed a poem entitled Al M.R.P Pablo

Ramon, the ateneo Rector, who had been so kind and
helpful to him (an appreciation of affcetion to Fr. Pablo
Ramon)

VISIT TO PAKIL AND PAGSANJAN

Summer of 1881, he went to a pilgrimage to Pakil, famous for the shrine

of THE BIRHEN MARIA DE LOS DOLORES

Accompanied by sisters Saturnina, Maria and Trinida and female friends

Thery took a Casco from Calamba to Pakil and stayed with MRS.
MANUEL REGALADO, whose NICOLAS was Rizals friend back in Manila

Rizal was delighted to see to the famous TURMBA, and the people were
dancing on the streets during the procession

In PAKIL, he was INFATUATED by a pretty colegiala girl VICENTA

YBARDOLAZA

REASONS WHY HE WENT TO PAKIL:

1. Native town of LEONOR VALENZUELA
2. To see the worl famous PAGSANJAN FALLS

In the NOLI he mentioned the TURUMBA (Chap VI) and PAGSANJAN in his
travel diary (USA) he said Niagara falls has the Greatest cascades I
ever saw but Not so beautiful nor fine at the falls of Los Banos
(Pagsanjan)

CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS

He championed the Filipinos, in thier frequent fights,

against the arrogance of the Spanish students, who
insultingly called the Filipino Indio, Chong!

Rizal called them Kastila, Bangus!

Hostility sometimes exploded in angry street rumbles.

Rizal was involved in brawls

He ditinguished himself in student skirmishes becuase of

his knowledge in Fencing, Wrestling and indomitable
courage

1880, he founded a secret society of Filipino students in the

UST COMPANIONS OF JEHU after the valiant HEBREW
GENERAL, who fought the ARMENEANS and ruled ISRAEL
for 28 years (843-816 B.C.

CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS

He was the chief of this secret society, and GALICANO

APACIBLE (cousin from Batangas) as Secretary

As chief, he led the Filipino students into combat with the

Spanish students in various street fights

In one encounter in Escolta, he was wounded in the head,

brought to his boarding house Casa Tomasina, his
wounds dressed by LEONOR RIVERA

Unhappy days at the UST

Ateneos boy wonder found the atmosphere at the UST suffocating

to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at the Dominican
institution of higher learning because
First professors were hostile to him
Second the Filipino students were racially discriminated
against by he Spaniards
And third the methods of instruction was obsolete and
repressive

In EL FILIBUSTERISMO, he described ho Filipinos were

humiliated and insulted by Dominican professors, and the
backward method of instruction especially in NATURAL SCIENCES

In CHAP XIII, The Class in Physics, science was taught without

LABORATORY EXPIREMENTATION

Miceoscope and other Laboratory apparatuses were in showcases to

be seen by visitors, not to be touched by students

Scholastic records at UST (1879-82)

1877-1878 (Philosophy & Letters
Cosmology & Metaphysics
Excellent
Theodicy
Excellent
History Excellent
1878-1879 (medicine) 1st year
Physics fair
Chemistry Excellent
Natural History Good
Anatomy I Good
Dissection I Good
1879-1880 (medicine) 2nd year
Anatomy II Good
Dissection IIGood
Physiology Good
Private Hygiene Good
Public Hygiene Good
1880-1881 (medecine) 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 2 sisters Saturnina (Neneng) and Lucia, Uncle
Antonio Rivera, the Valenzuela family, and some friends

His parents and LEONOR RIVERA did not know about his
plans to finish his medical studies in Spain where
professors were more liberal than in the UST