First Education from Mother
• Jose’s first teacher was his mother, Teodora Alonso
y Realonda
• At the age of 3, Jose learned the alphabet and
prayers from her.
• Seeing Rizal had a talent for poetry, she encouraged
him to write poems. She gave her all her love to Jose
and used all her knowledge from college to tutor her
children
• The Story of the Moth
Late at night, the rest of the Rizal family went to
sleep while Jose and Teodora stayed up late. He
does not remember why, but to pass the time, he
decided to read El Amigo de Los Niño’s (The
Children’s Friend. At such a young age, he read it
poorly, and his mother decided to read it to him.
However, he showed no interest to what she was
doing, having been distracted by the moths flying
around the candlelight next to them. Noticing the
young Rizal’s disinterest, Teodora decided to tell
him a story (which according to him is how her
mother says it when she’s going to introduce
something new). It was a story about a mother moth
chiding her child not to get too close to the fire,
which tragically ended in the demise of the latter.
Teodora later tucked him in, and told him “See that
you do not behave like the young moth. Don’t be
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did.”
Rizal’s Three Uncles
• There were 3 uncles, brothers of his mother, who
played a great part in the early education of Rizal.
o Uncle Gregorio was a lover of books. He
instilled into the mind of his nephew a great
love for books. He taught him to work hard, to
think for himself, and to observe life keenly.
o Uncle Jose was the youngest brother of Dona
Teodora. He encouraged his nephew to paint,
to sketch, and to make sculptures.
o Uncle Manuel was a big, strong, and husky
man. He looked after the physical training of his
sickly and weak nephew. He encourages Rizal to
learn swimming, fencing, wrestling, and other
sports, so that in later years Rizal’s frail body
acquired agility, endurance, and strength.
Early Childhood Education
• First private tutors were hired by Rizal’s father,
Francisco Mercado
o Lucas Padua
o Leon Monroy (father’s classmate)
Secondary Education
• First formal schooling of Rizal was in Binan near
Calamba.
• Best and one of the shortest students in class
• Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz (1870 - 1871)
o Did corporal punishment to Rizal (whipped
to behave)
o Rizal would say “un poco” which meant that
he only knows how to speak “a little”
Spanish. Maestro Cruz would whip rizal with
a stick for saying this and called him an “un
poco” or a small child
o Young Jose always fought with other kids
and arm-wrestled with them
▪ Interpretations from Zaide and
Ocampo
✓ 1. Zaide was biased and said that
these actions proved that Rizal
fought for what he believed in at a
very young age. This symbolizes
that he already had established
principles and a sense of heroism
✓ 2. Ocampo stated that Rizal was
behaving like a normal kid. He was
childish and liked playing rough,
not necessarily meaning that the
sense of heroism was already
established
Prodigy of the Pen
• Not only was little Jose skilled in brush, chisel,
and pen-knife, but also in pen.
• He was born a poet. His mother encouraged him
to write poetry.
• The first known poem that he wrote was a
Tagalog poem entitled “Sa Aking Mga
Kababata” (To My Fellow Children)
• Other written poems include “Un Recuerdo de
Mi Pueblo” (“A Memory of My Town”), a poem
about Calamba

Rizal Enters the Ateneo
• On June 10, 1872, Jose and Paciano, went to
Manila
• Jose first took the entrance examinations at the
College of San Juan de Letran and passed.
• They returned in Calamba for few days to attend
the town fiesta.
• His father, who first wished him to study at
Letran changed his mind and decide to send him
in Ateneo instead.
Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)
• Upon return to Manila, Jose accompanied by
Paciano, matriculated at the Ateneo Municipal.
• Father Magin Fernando (College Registrar),
refused to admit him for two reasons:
1. He was late for registration because his
father changed his decision last minute
2. He was sickly and too undersized for
age. (He was then 11 years old).
Prophecy of Mother’s Release
• Upon the intercession/meddling of Manuel
Burgos, a relative of Jose Burgos, the close
friend of Paciano, Rizal was successfully
admitted to Ateneo
• He was the first of his family to adopt the
surname “Rizal” because his family name
“Mercado” was related to the crimes of
Teodora (getting arrested for 2 years) and
Paciano (for being a close friend of Fr. Jose
Burgos)
• Ateneo was located in Intramuros, Manila and
was run by Jesuit priests making the school very
religious
• Ateneo was only exclusive to boys and the upper
middle class
Third Year in Ateneo (1874-75)
Rizal’s First year in Ateneo (1872-1873)
• During his first day he heard mass at the college
chapel and prayed for guidance and success.
• Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech
• He tried to prove to his Spaniards and mestizo
classmates the intellectual capacity of an Indio
• In a month’s time he was known as the class
“emperor”
• To improve his Spanish, he took private lessons
in Santa Isabel College during the noon recess
and paid three pesos for that.
• In the second half of the year in Ateneo, he placed
second at the end of the year although all his
grades were still marked sobresaliente
“excellent”
• To regain his lost class leadership, he studied
harder. Once more, he became “emperor”.
• Some of his classmates were new. Some of them
were three boys from Biñan, who had been his
classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.
• At the end of school year Rizal received
excellent grades and a gold medal.
• Rizal lost no time in going top Santa Cruz to visit
his mother in the provincial jail.
• He gladdened Doña Teodora with his scholastic
triumph at the Ateneo and tell some tales about
his professors and fellow students.
• Doña Teodora told her favorite son about her
dream the previous night
• Rizal interpreting such dream, said that she
would be released from prison in three months
time
• Rizal’s prophecy became true, barely three
months Doña Teodora was set free
• Rizal returned to Ateneo for his junior year.
• Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his
studies compared to the previous year
• His grade remained sobresaliente or excellent in
all subjects but he only won one medal-in Latin.
• He failed to win the medal in Spanish because
his Spanish is not fluent
 • He was not impressed by his scholastic work. He
said, “I returned dissatisfied to my home town.”
Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-76)
• On June 14, 1875 he became an internee in the
Ateneo.
• One of his professors was Fr. Francisco Sanchez,
a great educator and scholar (whom he
considered his most beloved professor in
Ateneo)
• He inspired Rizal to study harder and write
poetry.
• Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest
o He topped all his classmates and won five
medals at the end of the school term.
o He was happy that he was somewhat able to
repay his “father for his sacrifices”.
Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77)
• He excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant
Atenean of his time; he was truly “The pride of
the Jesuit”.
• Rizal finished his last year in Ateneo in a blaze
of glory.
• Obtaining the highest grade in all subjects.
Graduation with Highest Honor
• On commencement day, March 23, 1877, Rizal
(16 years old), received the degree of Bachelor
of Arts, with the highest honor.
• Rizal did graduate with a grade of Sobresaliente
or “excellent” in all the subjects at the Ateneo
Municipal, but we must never assume that he
graduated valedictorian or top of his class.
o The record shows that of the 12 graduating
students in Rizal’s batch, 9 had
sobresaliente grades.
o 8 other people had the same grade as Rizal
and 1 even got a higher grade then him
✓ This shows that Rizal is just like all of us;
just because he is a hero, it doesn’t mean
that he is perfect
Poems Written in Ateneo
• Aside from his mother, Fr. Sanchez also inspired
Rizal to write poetry
• The first poem Rizal probably wrote during his
days in the Ateneo was “Mi Primera Inspiration”
(My First Inspiration)
o A poem dedicated to his mother on her
birthday.
• He also wrote poems in education. He believed
in the significant role which education plays in
the progress and welfare of a nation
• He also wrote Religious poems to express his
devotion to his catholic faith
First Romance of Rizal
• After his graduation in Ateneo, Rizal
experienced his first romance at the age of 16
• The girl was Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14-year
old
• However, it did not work out due to family
problems so she returned to her hometown in
Lipa, Batangas and married Manuel Luz
Rizal Enters UST
• In April 1877, Rizal nearly 16 years of age,
enrolled in the UST taking course on Philosophy
and Letters with 2 reasons:
-His father liked it
-He was ”still uncertain as to what career
to pursue”.
• Consequently, during his first-year term (1877-
78) in UST, he also studied Cosmology,
Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of
Philosophy.
• During the following term (1878-79) Rizal took
up the medical course. Another reason why he
chose medicine for a career was to be able to
cure his mother’s growing blindness.
Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education
• After graduating from Ateneo, Rizal goes to the
University of Santo Tomas (UST) for higher
studies.
• Bachelor of Arts during the Spanish era was only
equivalent to High school and Junior college
courses of today. Merely to qualify its graduate
to enter university.
• Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to
pursue higher learning in university. But Doña
Teodora opposed the idea.
• Don Fracisco kept quiet at just instructed
Paciano to accompany Jose Rizal to manila
despite their mother’s tears.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo (1878)
• During his first term in UST (1877-78), Rizal also
studied in Ateneo, taking up vocational course
which gave him the title of perito agrimensor
(expert surveyor).
• Rizal excelled in all subjects in Ateneo, obtaining
gold medals in agriculture and topography.
• At the age of 17, he passed final examination in
surveying course but because he is below of age,
the title couldn’t be granted at that time. The
title was then issued to him on November 25,
1881.
• Though Thomasian, due to his loyalty, he
frequently visited Ateneo.
• Jesuit professors, unlike Dominicans, loved and
inspired him to ascend greater knowledge.
Romances with Other Girls
• Rizal had ample time for love. His sad experience
with his first love made him wise in ways of
romance.
1. ”Ms L”
o After losing Segunda Katigbak, he court a
young woman in Calamba. He simply called
her ”Miss L”, describes her as ”fair with
seductive and attractive eyes”. However,
the romance died a natural death. Until
today, nobody knows who this woman was
o Her identity is lost in history. There are 2
reasons for his change of heart:
a) Sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh.
b) His father didn’t like the family of ”Miss
L”.
2. Leonor Valenzuela
o Later, during his sophomore year at UST, he
boarded in the house of Doña Concha Leyva
in Intramuros. Their neighbors Capitan Juan
and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela had a
charming daughter called Leonor
o She was a tall girl with a regal bearing.
o However, he stopped short of proposing
marriage to Orang.
3. Leonor Rivera
o Leonor Rivera was his cousin from Camiling.
o In 1879, he lived in “Casa Tomasina”, No. 6
Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros.
o His landlord-uncle, Antonio Rivera had a
pretty daughter, Leonor, a student at La
Concordia College, where Soledad (Rizal’s
youngest sister) was also studying.
o Leonor, born in Camiling, Tarlac on April 11,
1867 was a “frail, pretty girl, tender as a
budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes”
o Jose and Leonor sprang a beautiful romance
and became engaged.
o In her letters to Rizal, Leonor signed her
name as “Taimis”.
Victim of Spanish Brutality and Discrimination
• When Rizal was a freshman medical at UST,
he experienced his first taste of Spanish
brutality.
• One dark night in 1878, he was walking in the
street and perceived some man passing him,
but due to darkness he didn’t recognize the
man and didn’t salute nor say corteous
”Good Evening”. The man turned out to be a
lieutenant of Guardia Civil, he turned upon
Rizal and whipped out his sword, brutally
slashing his back.
• The wound was painful and lasted 2 weeks.
• Rizal reported the incident to General Primo
de Rivera, the Spanish Governor General of
the Philippines but nothing came out of his
complaint because he was an Indio and the
abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard.
Famous Literary Works from His Days in UST
1. ”To the Filipino Youth”
• In year 1879, Liceo Artisitico-Literario
(Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila, held a
literary contest. It offered prize for the best
poem by a native or mestizo. Rizal submitted
his poem entitled A ’La Juventud Filipina (To
the Filipino Youth).
• The judges were composed of Spaniards,
totally impressed by Rizal’s poem,they
granted the first prize to him.
• In this poem, Rizal beseeched Filipino youth
to rise from lethargy.
• This winning poem is a classic in Philippine
literature for 2 resons:
a) It was the first great poem in Spanish
written by a Filipino and was recognized
by Spanish authorities.
b) For the first time, it expressed the
nationalistic concept that Filipinos, not
foreigners, were the ”fair hope of the
Fatherland”.
2. ”The Council of the Gods”
• In 1880, Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened
another literary contest to
commemorate the 4th centennial death
of Cervantes, Spain’s famous author of
Don Quixote(kee-hoh-tee). The contest
was opened for both Filipinos and
Spaniards.
• Rizal submitted an allegorical drama
entitled El Consejo de los Dioses (The
Council of the Gods).
• The judges were all Spaniards and they
awarded the first prize to Rizal’s work
because of its literary superiority.
• The Spanish Community in Manila
opposed because the winning author is
an Indio. However, despite all
objections, the prize was still awarded
to Rizal.
• Rizal’s winning allegory was based on
Greek classics.
Other Literary Works
• Aside from the 2 prize-winning, Rizal
produced other poems and a zarzuela,
entitled Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig),
staged by Atenean on December 8, 1880 for
the annual celebration of the feast day of
Immaculate Concepcion, Patroness of
Ateneo.
o The piece was mediocre(mee-dee-
oh-ker) but some passeges express
subtle nationalist ideas.
• In the same year (1880), he also wrote a
sonnet entitled A Filipinas for the Society of
Sculptors. In his piece, he urged Filipino
artist to glorify th Philippines.
• In December 8,1879, he composed a poem
entitled Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma.
 • Later, in 1881, he composed a poem entitled 3. The method of instruction were
Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon as an expression of obsolete and repressive.
affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the kind
• In his novel, El Filibusterismo, he described
and helpful Ateneo rector.
how Filipino students were humiliated and
Champion of Filipino Students insulted by Dominican professors and how
twisted the method of instruction was. In
• Rizal was the champion of the Filipino
Chapter XIII, ”The Class in Physics”, his
students in their frequent fights against
science subject was taught without
arrogant Spanish students, who insultingly
laboratory experiments. Laboratory
call their brown classmates, ”Indio,
aparatuses were kept inside the showcases
chongo!”. In retaliation, Filipinos call them
to be seen by visitors, in reality, students
”Kastila, bagus!”. Hostility often exploded in
can’t even touch them.
angry street rumbles.
• Rizal failed to win high scholastic honors
• Rizal participated in street brawls.
due to the unfriendly attitude of his
• In 1880, he founded a secret society of professors.
Filipino students in UST called
• His grades in UST were much lower
Compañerismo (Comradeship), members
compared to his sobresaliente grades in
were called ”Companions of Jehu”.
Ateneo
• Rizal was the chief of the secret society and
his cousin from Batangas, Galicano Apacible
was the secretary. Decision to Study Abroad

• There was a time in their fights, when Rizal • After finishing Rizal’s fourth year of medical
was wounded on the head, his friends course, he decided to go to Spain because he
brought him in his boarding house and could no longer endure the discrimination
Leonor Rivera aided and washed his wound. and hostility in the UST

• However, for the first time, he did not seek

his parent’ permission for he knew that they
Unhappy Days at the UST
would disapprove it.
• Rizal found the atmosphere at UST
• He also didn’t tell his beloved Leonor
suffocating.
because he knew she couldn’t keep a secret.
• He was unhappy at the Dominican institution
for 3 reasons: • Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the Spanish
authorities have no idea of his decision to go
1. Dominican professors were hostile to abroad to finish his medical studies in Spain.
him.
• He believed that professors in Spain were
2. Filipinos were racially discriminated
against by the Spaniards. more liberal than of those who’re in the UST.