1. B. RIZAL’S EARLY INFORMAL EDUCATION
(BINAN, ATENEO, AND UST)
1. The HERO’s FIRST TEACHER (Zaide and Zaide)
- Teodora Alonzo y Realonda – good character and
refined was Rizal’s first teacher
- At the age of three she taught Rizal arithmetic,
alphabet and prayers in Latin, Spanish and Tagalog
- Story of the Moth
- By age six Rizal become adept at drawing, clay
modeling and carving
- Maestro Celestino and Lucas Padua – 1st private tutors
- Don Leon Monroy – taught Rizal Latin and Spanish but
died five moths later.

2. 2. EARLY FORMAL EDUCATION (BINAN) June 1869-
Dec. 17, 1871
a. Rizal accompanied by Paciano left Calamba for Binan
in June 1869 – With his poker face Paciano gave
Rizal a cue on how a man should behave during
partings and sentimental occasions. Stayed in his
Aunt Tomasa Mercado.
b. Tomasa had an unmarried daughter Margarita and a
widower son Gabriel. Rizal’s young kinsfolk were
Leandro (mischievous), Florentina (vulgar type) and
Arcadia (hot headed, simple and honest) who
became his friend.

3. c. Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz – tall, thin and
stooped with a large neck and sharp nose, he
believed in “not sparing the rod”. Rizal complained
that rare was the day when he did not suffer five or
six “palmetazos” on his hands or his behind even
though he surpassed all of his classmates in Spanish,
Latin and other subjects.
d. Pedro teased Rizal uttering “un poco Senor” 2x who
became so vexed, he challenged Pedro to a fight
whom he defeated, Rizal having been taught the art
of wrestling by his Tio Manuel.
e. Old Juancho – gave and taught Rizal lessons in
painting and drawing.

4. f. His bitterness against these barbarous methods of
instruction never left him. In the Noli, the first thing
Ibarra proposes when he came home was to build a
house in San Diego where “the primer would not be a
black book bathed in children’s tears but a friendly
guide to marvelous secrets”. “Not a torture-chamber
but a playground of the mind”.
g. Other Binan memories:
- Playing in the streets in the evening under the
moolight, remembered his beloved father, idolized
mother and loving sisters.
- Rizal was shoved by his naughty nephew Leandro
into the river where he nearly drowned if not caught
by someone on his feet.

5. - Tasked to deliver viand to her Tia Tomasa’s
children, only to be suspecteded of consuming part
of it.
- Supper – one or two helpings of rice and single
piece of fish
Lunch – sent first on errand before allowed to sat.
h. For all of these he told his sisters Narcisa and Maria
he wanted to go home but was told he can’t go
home. Rizal must have felt he was in prison.
i. Rizal in Binan was a struggle, an initiation, cruelty for
one so young, felt displaced and as outsider.
- He left the country at aged 21, how can Rizal
create so detailed a portrait of San Diego – Noli Me
Tangere and El Fili?

6. j. Martyrdom of GOMBURZA
- Jan. 20, 1872 – 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen
of the Cavite arsenal and La Madrid a Fil. Sergeant
staged mutiny for abolition of their exemption from
tribute and polo y servicio.
k. Gomburza were implicated and by order of Gov. Gen.
Rafael Izquierdo, they were executed by garrote on
Feb. 17, 1872.
l. INJUSTICE TO HERO’s MOTHER (Zaide)
- In 1872 – Jose Alberto, Dona Teodora’s brother
found his children abandoned and his wife living
with another man.
- Dona Teodora prevailed over J. Alberto not to
divorce his wife as he announced.

7. - The wife was in no way repentant and resented the
reconciliation.
- J. Alberto frequented Dona Teodora in Calamba to
which the wife interpreted as they were plotting
something criminal against her.
- The wife filed a case against Dona Teodora and her
brother Don Jose Alberto and with the connivance of
Spanish Lieutenant of guardia civil and assistance of
Antonio Vivencio del Rosario, Gobernadorcilio of
Calamba, succeeded in arresting Dona Teodora.
Forced to walk from Calamba to Sta. Cruz.
- Dona Teodora was defended by Messrs. Francisco de
Marcaida and Manuel Marzan, most famous lawyers of
Manila. She was acquitted by Manila Royal Audiencia
and was released after two- and- half years.

8. 3. STUDIES IN ATENEO
- On June 10, 1872 Jose accompanied by Paciano
went to Manila and took the entrance examination at
the College of San Juan de Letran managed by the
Dominicans.
- Returned to Calamba on June 24 for the town fiesta
in honor of St. John the Baptist.
- Paciano following the instruction of Don Francisco
enrolled Jose in Ateneo using Rizal as Jose’s
surname to avoid suspicion by the Dominican’s,
Mercado being used by Paciano and marked by the
friars as liberal having been a desciple of Padre
Burgos.

9. - Fr. Magin Ferrando refused to admit Jose for being late,
sickly and undersized but with the help of Manuel Xerez
Burgos nephew of Padre Burgos Rizal was finally
admitted in Ateneo.
- Boarded in Dona Titay’s a spinster who owed the
Mercado’s 300 pesos/dollars?
- Rizal and bosom friend Pastor Millena daily hopped
across the Pasig river on the Puente de Barcas.
- SUBJECTS: Christian Doctrine, Spanish, Latin, Greek
and French; World Geography and History, History of
Spain and the Phil. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, mineralogy, chemistry, physics and botany
and zoology, Poetry rhetoric and philo.
- First day of class in Ateneo in June 1872, first he heard
mass. First Teacher – Father Jose Bech

10. - Some classmates: Florencio G. Oliva, a Lagunense,
great talent but mediocre industry; Joaquin Garrido,
mestizo of poor memory but much talent; Moises
Santiago, mathematician and penman Gonzalo Marzan –
interno and Roman Emperor of their class.
- Rizal an externo Carthaginian was at the bottom but
within 3 months became the Emperor and awarded a holy
picture for prize and crowned with a grade of
SOBRESALIENTE/excellent but got in prolonged sulk for
resenting some of Fr. Bech’s remarks – awarded only
ACCESSIT – meaning, Rizal was among the leaders but
not top of his class.
- Visited his mother, he said “How I enjoyed surprising her!.
Afterward we embraced each other and both of us wept.
We had not seen each other for more than a year.”

11. - Won medal the next year, visited his mother again
and predicted her release after 3 months which came
true.
- Took private Spanish lesson in Sta. Isabel College
SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO – 1873-74
- Rizal moved inside Intramuros and boarded at Dona
Pepay de Ampuero’s boarding house at No. 6
Magallanes St.
- “I was able to win prizes in all the semesters and I
would have won a medal if some mistakes in
Spanish, which unfortunately I spoke badly, had not
enabled a young European to have advantage of
me.”

12. The landlord was “very strict with me, which was all to
the good because I had to keep regular hours.” But
Rizal was distracted by four grandsons, Jose, Rafael,
Ignacio and Ramon which caused him to receive only
one first prizeand a medal in Latin.
- Carved an image of the Virgin; His Jesuit professor
asked him to carve a Sacred Heart which he did
using batikuling wood and penknife. Statuette
enshrined at the dorm, later in his execution would
ask from the Jesuit Chaplain if the Sacred Heart
carving is still there.
- Don Agustin Saez a peninsular – Rizal’s professor in
drawing/painting.
- Romualdo de Jesus, Filipino – Rizal’s instructor in
sculpture

13. - To remedy his defect in Spanish, he read DUMAS’
“Conde de Monte Cristo” – Edmond Dantes
amazingly escaped from dungeon of Chateau d’lf,
found a buried treasure on the rocky island of Monte
Cristo, returned in disguise to wreak vengeance on
his enemies.
- Persuaded his father to buy costly set of Cesar
Cantu’s historical work “Universal History”
- Read “Travel’s in the Philippines” by Dr. Feodor
Jagor, a German scientist who visit the Philippines
in1859-1860- contains observations of defects of
Spanish colonization and prophecy that Spain would
lose the Philippines to the USA.

14. THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO – 1874-1875
- Dona Teodora was released from prison
- Excellent in all subjects, won only one medal
FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO
- His professor Francisco de Paula Sanchez, great
educator and scholar inspired Rizal to study harder and to
write poetry. Became admirer of Rizal and Rizal
considered him his best professor. – model of
uprightness, earnestness and love for the advancement
of his pupils.
- Topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five
medals.
LAST YEAR IN ATENEO
- Most brilliant Atenean, “The Pride of the Jesuits”
- Obtained highest grades in all subjects – philo., physics,
biology, chemistry, languages, mineralogy, etc.

15. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (Zaide)
• Marian Congregation – religious society – as member & later on as
secretary/because of his devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception.
• Academy of Spanish Literature – member being gifted
• Academy of Natural Sciences literature and sciences
• Rizal cultivated his literary talent under Fr. F. Sanchez
• Fr. Jose Villaclara advised Rizal to stop communing with the Muses
and pays more attention to Philosopy and Natural Sciences.
• He studied painting under Augustin Saez, a Spanish and sculpture
under Romualdo de Jesus
• Jesuits father were amazed and impressed by Rizal’s scultural talent,
Father Lleonart requested him to carve Sacred Heard, now placed on
the door of their dormitory.

16. SOME POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO (Zaide)
• Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration – written by Rizal
before turning 14yrs. Old (1874) dedicated to his mother in her
birthday
POEMS WRITTEN IN 1875
• Felicitacion (Felicitation); El Embarque: el Primero en dar la Juelta
al Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcanon, the First to
Circumnavigate the Globe; el Combate: Urbistondo, Terror de Jolo
(The Battle: Urbistondo, Terror of Jolo); POEM WRITTEN IN 1876:
Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y la Buena Education (Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good Education); Por la Educacion
Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the Country Receives
Light); El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de
Bodbil (The Captivity and the Triump: Battle of Lucena and the
Imprisonment of Boadbil); La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes
Catolices en Granada (The Triumphal Entry of the Catholic
Monares Into Granada)

17. 1877 POEMS
• El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Columbus);
Colon y Juan II; Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha
(Great Solace in Great Misfortune); Un Dialogo Alusivo
a la Despedida de los Colegiales ( A farewell Dialogue
of the Students)
OTHER POEMS
• Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus); Ala Virgen Maria
(To the Virgin Mary)
• DRAMA – San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace the Martyr)
finished by Rizal in June 2,1876 upon the request of Fr.
Sanchez

18. JESUITS INFLUENCE (Leon MA. Guerrero)
• Jesuit RATIO STUDIORUM – under tight and constant
discipline, with every incentive of competition and reward
• Control of the minds of men from infancy
*RATIO STUDIORUM –”compilation of general principles and
detailed instructions for teachers, rather a spirit and a method
than a mechanical formula or a blind pedagogical technique”
• SPIRIT which is infused was the spirit of classical humanities,
the arts of human culture;
• METHOD – combined memory and understanding, t he daily
lesson being explained in a “prefection” and recited the next
day.

19. *AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM - For the greater glory
of God; to make steadfast lifelong Catholics, The
philosophy of man as creature of a personal God –
was the climax of the collegiate course; classes
began and ended with prayers and the whole
school life was centered on the Chapel; Highest
level of extra-curricular activities was found on
Congregacion Mariana or Sodality of Our Lady and
the Apostatolado de la Oracion, the Apostleship of
Prayer – members were students with highest
qualities of scholarship and leadership.

20. *Rizal was a pious child – Mother “taught me how to
read and say haltingly the humble prayers that I
raised pervently to God”; Pilgrimage in Antipolo, Our
Lady of Good Voyage; Family praying the rosary
every night; “Went often to the Chapel of Our Lady
of Peace” (Binan)
• First day in Ateneo – “How fervently I went to the
Chapel of the Jesuit to hear mass, what fervent
prayers I raised to God.”
• Year of Graduation “prayed fervently in the chapel
and commended my life to the Virgin”.

21. *RIZAL’s SENSITIVENESS and SELF
ASSERTIVENESS Blumentritt’s short biography of
Rizal
• Rizal felt deeply the little regard with which he was
treated by the Spanish. He strove to find out what
moral right the Spanish xxx has to despise a man
who thought like them, learned the same things and
had the same capabilities, simply because he had a
brown skin and wiry hair…
• In school there was no difference in the standard of
intellect between whites and the Indios.

22. “ A KIND OF RACE JEALOUSY HAD TAKEN HOLD ON
RIZAL” He rejoiced whenever he solved difficult
problems which his white classmates had been unable
to tackle. Had CONVICTION that other things being
equal, whites and Indios had the same capacity for
mental work and made the same progress. White and
Indios had the same mental ability.
• This explain his sudden improvement in his scholastic
record. It was a RACIAL PRIDE as much as the
MONASTIC discipline and SECLUSION of boarding
school life which had driven him to win five medals a
year.

23. • In school, the whites were taught in their mother
tongue while the Indios have to struggle to learn;
hence the Indios were mentally superior to the
Spaniards if they succeeded not only in keeping
pace with the whites but even in managing
occassionally to surpass them.
• Evaluating “the two years (his last in Ateneo
collegiate course) which I considered the happiest
in my life, if happiness can be said to consist in the
absence of disagreeable cares”.

24. • Jose found that the study of poetry and rhetoric”
had elevated my feelings”; also that “patriotic
sentiments as well as exquisite sensibility had
developed greatly in me.”
• We are bound to interpret those “patriotic
sentiments” in the light of his successful
experiments in racial capacities.

25. UNIVERSITY LIFE AT UST
- Jose Rizal to Blumentritt, 8th November 1888 – “xxx
I was sixteen when my mother told my father: Don’t
send him to Manila any longer; he knows enough; if
he gets to know any more, they will cut off his head!”
“Did my mother perhaps have a foreboding of what
was to happen to me” Does a mother’s heart really
have a second sight?” (Guerrero)

26. - Rizal uncertain as to what profession to follow :
Priesthood – natural propensity in young
boys/girls in religious school –
Rizal – a Jesuit.
Farming – seem to have been suggested by the
Jesuit
- Paciano to Jose 1883 “ I do not think that the study
of law will suit you but rather the arts; in this I am of
the same view as our parish priest.” “Those who do
practice law collect their fees for defending one side
or the other, whether it is right or wrong, something

27. which would run against the grain of your
conscience. While there are few who practice
medicine and the arts, they make progress here and
they live peacefully, the one thing we should look for
in this world.” (Guerrero) What if Rizal became a
lawyer???
- Enrolled Surveying in Ateneo got excellent grades
and won 2 medals in Topography and Agriculture
during his first day in UST (1877-1878). At age 17
passed examination in surveying but was issued
only the title on November 25, 1881.

28. - In April 1877, nearly 16 years old enrolled in UST
and took Philosophy and Letters for 2 reasons:
a) Rizal still uncertain what course to take;
b) his father liked it. TOOK MEDICINE – upon the
advice of Ateneo Rector and to cure his
mother’s growing blindness (Zaide)
“But so little taste did I have for if that I did not even
buy the textbook.” (Rizal reaction to his course in
Philo and Letters) – Got EXCELLENT grades in
cosmology, theodicy and the history of philosophy.
(Guerrero)

29. - 1877-78 (Philosophy and Letter)
Cosmology and Metaphysics, Teodicy, History and
Philosophy - Excellent Anatomy - Good
Physics - Fair Dissection - Good
Chemistry - Excellent
Nat. Hist. - Good
1879-1880 – 2nd year
Anatomy 2, Dissection 2, Philosophy, Private
Hygine, Pub Hygine – Good
1880-1881 – 3rd year
Gen. Pathology – Fair; Therapeutics – Excellent;
Surgery - Good

30. - 1881 – 1882 4th year
Med. Pathology, Surgical Pathology and Obstetrics
- Very Good
- Reasons for unimpressive grades – perhaps
medicine was not his real vocation; Unhappy with
the Dominicans; His “race jealousy appears to have
been outraged by professors who played favorites
and treated their Filipino students with contempt;
Exciting destructions for youth – boarding away
from school; His first infatuation – Segunda
Katigbak; Leonor Rivera and Leonor “Orang”

31. Valenzuela; Saturnina asking him to buy her a drum
at Escolta; Paciano asking him to check a forecast
of floods and to deliver to the Jesuits for their
museum a white iguana; Soledad who wanted taken
out of convent school because the nun beat her and
said all she did was eat, eat and eat; Parties, and
gang fights and flirtations. (Guerrero)
- VICTIM OF SPANISH BRUTALITY
Summer vacation in Calamba in 1878 – he dimly
perceived a figure of a man which turned out to be
Lieutenant of the Guardia Civil who whipped and
brutally shashed the latter (Rizal’s) back for not

32. saluting or greeting the former (lieutenant). “ I went
to the Captain General (Primo de Rivera) but I could
not obtain justice; my wound lasted two (2) weeks.
SOME IMPORTANT LITERARY WORKS
- A La Juventud Filipina an inspiring poem of flawless
form wherein Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to
rise from lethargy, to let their genius fly swifter than
the wind and descent with art and science to break
the chain that have long bound the spirit of the
people. Won first prize and Rizal was awarded
silver pen-feather-shaped and decorated with a gold
ribbon (Zaide).

33. -El Consejo de Los Dioses (Council of the Gods) –
Rizal won first prize and was awarded a gold ring on
which was engraved the bust of Cervantes despite
objections by the Spaniards. This is the winning
allegory of literary master piece based on the Greek
classics. (Zaide)
-Junto al Pasig – a zarzuela staged by the Atenean
on December 8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual
celebration of the feast day of the Immaculate
Conception containing subtle attire of Rizal’s
nationalist ideas. (Zaide)

34. -A Filipinas – A sonnet written by Rizal urging Filipino
artists to glorify the Philippines. (Zaide)
- Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon – Expression of Rizal’s
affection to Fr. Pablo Ramon the Ateneo Rector who
had been so kind and helpful to him. (Zaide)
- Abd-el-Azis y Maleoma – composed by Rizal in
1879 which was declaim by an Atenean, Manuel
Fernandez, on the night of December 8, 1879 in
honor of the Ateneo’s patroness. (Zaide)