I.

PROLOGUE: RIZAL AND HIS TIMES

THE WORLD OF RIZALS TIME
a. Rizals birthday: June 19, 1861 (151 years ago)
b. American Civil War (1861-65) was raging over the issue of Negro Slavery.
c. April 1862: Napoleon III of the 2nd French Empire conquered Mexico.
d. Italians drove out the Austrians and French Armies from Italy.
e. Prussians (German Kingdom) defeated France and established the German Empire on January
1871.
f.
Flowering of the Western Imperialism: England emerged as the worlds leading imperialist power
(1837-1901).
i. British people acquired the island of Hong Kong.
ii. 1859: imposed her rule over the subcontinent of India.
iii. Conquered Burma.
iv. Other lands in Asia: Sri Lanka, Maldives, Aden, Malaysia, Singapore, and Egypt.
v. South Pacific: Australia and New Zealand.
vi. France conquered Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
g. 1853: America re-opened Japan to the world, ending Japans 214-year isolation. This modernized
the country by freely accepting Western Influences.
h. Germany was late in the scramble for Colonies.
i. 1885: proclaimed the Carolines (Yap Island) and Palaus as their own despite of the
presence of 2 Spanish ships
ii. This enraged Spain who claimed sovereignty over these islands by virtue of discovery
iii. Relationship of these 2 nations became critical
iv. To avert an actual clash, these 2 countries submitted their concerns to Pope Leo XIII
1. Pope Leo favored Spain but granted 2 concessions to Germany
a. Germany has the right to trade in the disputed Archipelagoes
b. Germany has the right to establish a coaling station in Yap for the
German Navy.
i.
Spain, during this colonial ventures, was stagnating as a world power
i. She lost her rich colonies in Latin America: Paraguay (1811), Argentina (1816), Chile
(1817), Colombia and Ecuador (1819)
ii. Lost the Central American Countries: Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatamela, El Slavador,
Nicaragua --- (1821), Venezuela (1822), Peru (1824), Bolivia and Uruguay (1825)
iii. But continued colonizing: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines
j.
Filipinos agonized the evil and unjust colonial power of Spain:
i. INSTABILITY OF COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION
1. In Spain: struggles between the forces of despotism (single entity rules with
absolute power/ one power/ one master)and liberalism
2. Political instability in Spain affected Philippine affairs: brought frequent periodic
shifts in colonial policies and officials
ii. CORRUPT OFFICIALS (Gov. Generals)
1. Gen. Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-73): executed Frs. Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos,
Jacinto Zamora (1872)
2. Gen. Fernando Primo de Rivera: enriched himself by accepting bribes from
gambling casinos in Manila
3. Gen. Valeriano Weyler
a. Arrived in Manila a poor man and returned to Spain a millionaire
b. Received huge bribes and gifts of diamonds from wealthy Chinese who
evaded the anti-Chinese law.
4. Gen. Camilo de Polavieja: executed Rizal
5. After Spains loss of colonies in Latin America:
a. Numerous job-seekers and penniless Spaniards came to the Philippines
b. They became judges, provincial executives, army officers, and
government employees.
c. They were either relatives or protgs of civil officials and friars.
d. Mostly ignorant, they conducted themselves with arrogance because of
their alien white skin and tall noses.
e. They became rich by illegal means or by marrying the heiresses of rich
Filipino families.
iii. NO PHILIPPINE REPRESENTATION IN THE SPANISH CORTES
1. To win the support of her overseas colonies during the Napoleonic Invasion,
Spain granted locals from their colonies representation in the Cortes, thus
Spanish parliament government.
2. Philippines experienced her first period of representation in the Cortes from
1810-1813.
3. However, the second (1820-23) and third (1834-37) periods were less fruitful
because the Philippine delegates were not energetic and devoted in
parliamentary work.
4. The representation of the overseas colonies (including the Philippines) was
abolished in 1837. Since then, the Philippine conditions worsened because there
was no means by which the Filipino people could expose the anomalies
perpetrated by the colonial officials.
5. Result: Propaganda Movement that led to Philippine Revolution (1896) was
launched.
iv. HUMAN RIGHTS ARE DENIED
1. Result of no Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes

v.

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

2. Freedom for Filipinos was denied

NO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW
1. Teachings of the Spanish Missionaries: All men, irrespective of color and race,
are equal before God.
2. Spanish colonial authorities, who were Christians, did not implement Christs
precept of brotherhood of all men.
3. Brown-skinned Filipinos are inferior beings: subjects to be exploited
4. Brown Filipinos and white Spaniards may be equal before God, but not before
the law and certainly not in practice.
MALADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
1. Justice was costly, partial, and slow. Poor Filipinos had no access to the courts
because they could not afford the heavy expenses of litigation.
2. Wealth, social, prestige, and color of skin were preponderant factors in winning
a case in court.
3. Justice delayed is justice denied: Juan de la Cruz (1886-1898) 12 yrs
a. Suspect for murder without preliminary investigation and proper trial
b. Jailed in Cavite for 12 years. In 1898, the Americans came and found
him in jail still awaiting trial.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
1. Spaniards called the brown-skinned and flat-nosed Filipinos INDIOS (Indians)
2. Filipinos dubbed the Spaniards as BANGUS (Milkfish)
3. A Spaniard, no matter how stupid he was, always enjoyed political and social
prestige and superiority.
4. Fr. Jose Burgos:
a. complained the Spanish misconception that a mans merit depended
on the pigment of his skin
b. complained of the lack of opportunities for educated young Filipinos to
rise in the service of God and country
FRAILOCRACY
1. Spanish political philosophy: union of Church and State
2. government of friars
3. Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans controlled the religious and educational
life of the Philippines: they acquire tremendous political power, influence, and
riches.
4. A friars recommendation is heard by the governor general and provincial
officials. He could send a patriotic Filipino to jailor denounce him as a filibustero
(traitor)
5. These friars were portrayed by Rizal in his novels as Padre Damaso and Padre
Salvi
FORCED LABOR
1. POLO: forced labor imposed on Filipinos in the construction of infrastructures
and public works
2. Falla: sum of money paid to government to be exempted from the polo.
3. ABUSES:
a. FIRST: Spanish residents, contrary to law, were not recruited for polo
b. SECOND: Laborers received only a part of their supposed original
stipend. Worse, they got nothing.
i. People who pay taxes are compelled to work gratis.
c. THIRD: this caused inconvenience and suffering because common
laborers are disturbed from their work in farms, shops, and labors are
far from homes and towns.
HACIENDAS OWNED BY THE FRIARS
1. Spanish friars were the richest landlords for they owned the best haciendas
(agricultural lands) in the Philippines.
2. The rural folks became tenants.
a. They resented the loss of their lands which belonged to their ancestors
since pre-Spanish times
b. The friars were recognized as legal owners of said lands because they
obtained royal titles of ownership from the Spanish Crown.
c. Rizal, whose family and relatives were tenants of a land, tried to
initiate agrarian reform.
d. Rizals advocacy ignited the wrath of the friars, who retaliated by
raising rentals of the lands.
3. Friar ownership of the productive lands contributed to the economic stagnation
of the Philippines.
a. Essay of Rizal: INDOLENCE (lack of concern) OF FILIPINOS:
Deceptions made by friars making the local folks believe that
plantations are prospering because they were under their care.
GUARDIA CIVIL (Constabulary)
1. Supposed to maintain peace and order in the society
a. Service: to suppress bandits in the provinces
b. They dont observe their duty: maltreating innocent people, looting
their livelihoods, raping women
2. Rizal directed his stinging satire against the hatred Guardia Civil, through Elias
in Noli Me Tangere.

I.

II.

III.
IV.

V.

a.

Exposed Guardia Civil as ruthless: disturbing peace & persecuting

honest men

b.

He proposed to improve the military organization by having it

composed of good men who have good education and principles; men
who are conscious of the limitations of authority and power.

CHAPTER I: ADVENT OF A NATIONAL HERO

Rizal as a Genius: physician (ophthalmic surgeon), poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian,
architect, painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist, surveyor, engineer,
farmer, businessman, economist, geographer, cartographer, bibliophile, philologist, grammarian,
folklorist, philosopher, translator, inventor, magician, humorist, satirist, polemicist, sportsman,
traveler, and prophet.
BIRTH OF A HERO:
a. Rizals birthday: June 19, 1861 (151 years ago)
b. Birthplace: Calamba, Laguna
c. Baptized in the Catholic Church; His name Jose was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of
the Christian Saint San Jose. (St. Joseph)
RIZALS PARENTS:
a. Jose was the 7th of the 11 children of Francisco Mercado Rizal & Teodora Alonso Realonda
THE RIZAL CHILDREN: (2 boys and 9 girls)
a. SATURNINA (1850 1913) eldest/ nickname: Neneng
b. PACIANO (1851-1930) older brother
i. Second father to Jose
ii. He immortalized him in Noli Me Tangere as Pilosopong Tasyo
c. NARCISA (1852-1939) nickname: SIsa/ School Teacher
d. OLIMPIA (1855-1887) nickname: Ypia
e. LUCIA (1857-1919) her husband was denied of Christian burial because of Rizal
f.
MARIA (1859-1945) nickname: Biang
g. JOSE (1861-1896) nickname: Pepe
h. CONCEPCION (1862-1865) nickname: Concha/ died of sickness at the age of 3
i.
JOSEFA (1865-1945) nickname: Panggoy/ died an old maid at the age of 80
j.
TRINIDAD (1868-1951) nickname: Trining/ died an old maid at the age of 83
k. SOLEDAD (1870-1929) nickname: Choleng
l.
Doa or Seora (if married) & Seorita (if single)
RIZALS ANCESTRY
a. Domingo Lameo
i. Rizals great-great grandfather on his father side: Chinese Immigrant

ii.
iii.

Married a Chinese Christian Girl: Ines de la Rosa

Assumed the surname Mercado because he was a merchant
1. Francisco Mercado: their son
a. Married a Chinese-Filipino: Cirila Bernacha
i. Juan Mercado: their son/ Rizals grandfather

1.
2.
VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

I.

Married a Chinese-Filipino: Cirila Alejandro

Had 13 children
a. Francisco Mercado: youngest/ Rizals father

THE SURNAME RIZAL

a. The real surname of Rizal was Mercado
b. Rizal, was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who was a family
friend.
c. Rizal in Spanish: a field where wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again
THE RIZAL HOME
a. Was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during Spanish times.
b. By day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the garden.
c. By night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers.
A GOOD AND MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY.
a. The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines.
b. From the farms, which were rented from the Dominicans, they harvested rice, corn, and
sugarcane. They raised pigs, chickens, and turkeys in their backyard.
c. In addition to farming and stockraising, they managed a general good store and operated a small
flour-mill and a home-made ham press.
d. They owned a carriage, which was a status symbol of the ilustrados (learned/ enlightened).
They also have a private library.
e. They sent their children to the Colleges in Manila.
HOME LIFE OF THE RIZALS
a. Whenever the children, including Jose, got into mischief, they were given a sound spanking.
b. They believed in the maxim: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
c. Every day, the Rizals heard Mass. They pray the Angelus, Rosary before sleeping.
d. After the family prayers, all children kissed the hands of their parents.
CHAPTER 2: CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA
CALAMBA, THE HEROS TOWN
a. Birth town/ childhood town: shaped Rizals mind and character
i. South: Mount Makiling (beyond the mountain: Batangas)
ii. East: Laguna de Bay

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

iii. North: Antipolo

b. Calamba was owned by the Dominican Order
c. Poem: In memory of my Town
EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
a. Happy days in the family garden
i. He was frail and undersized child: was given the tenderest care by his parents
ii. A kind old woman was employed as an aya (nurse maid) to look after his comfort
iii. He was left alone to muse on the beauties of nature or to play by himself
b. Daily Angelus Prayer
c. Nights at the azotea after the nightly Rosary
i. Imaginary tales told by the aya aroused in Rizal an enduring interest in legends and
folklore
ii. Aya: threat of terrible tales if supper is not eaten
d. Nocturnal walk in the town
THE HEROS FIRST SORROW
a. Jose was closely attached to Concha (Concepcion)
b. Jose was a year older than Concha. He learned the sweetness of sisterly love from her.
c. Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness when he was only 3 years old. He cried for the first time:
caused by love and grief.
d. This was Joses first sorrow.
DEVOTED SON OF THE CHURCH
a. 5 y.o.: was able to read the familys Spanish Bible
b. Fr. Leoncio Lopez: a Filipino priest. Jose listens to his stimulating opinions on current events and
sound philosophy of life.
PILGRAMAGE TO ANTIPOLO: 7 y.o.
a. To fulfill his mothers vow when Jose was born
b. Crossed Laguna de Bay: first lake voyage
c. Did not sleep the whole night: awed by the Pasig River and the silence of the night. Experienced
his first sunrise
d. Went to Manila afterwards to visit: Saturnina, eldest sister. Jose first glimpse of Manila.
THE STORY OF THE MOTH: fable of the young moth and the old one
a. Story told by her Mother: Made the profoundest impression on him
b. She was teaching Jose to read in Spanish: El Amigo de los Ninos (The Childrens Friend) when
everyone was asleep.
c. She was her ultimate critique in his poetical compositions.
d. Jose marveled how her mother sounded good in reading her Spanish phrases.
e. Jose watched a cheerful flame and moths encircling it when he paid little attention to reading.
f.
Mother told Jose a story when she noticed that he was not interested anymore in reading.
g. The word story promised something new and wonderful on Jose. Jose was full of curiosity and
wonder.
h. Warning of the old moth. Jose did not notice how her mothers story ended he was fixated on how
the moth died because of its attraction to the flame. For Jose, it died a martyr to its illusions.
i.
Mothers advice: dont behave like the young moth. Dont be disobedient, or you may get burnt
as it did.
j.
For Jose: Moths know how to warn younger moths. They advised like her mother. The light for
Rizal seemed to be more beautiful.
k. Noble death: sacrificing ones life for the light. It is something worthwhile.
ARTISTIC TALENTS
a. 5 y.o. : sketches with his pencil/ molding of clay and wax objects that attracted his fancy
b. Painted in oil colors a new banner for the town fiesta: better than the original
c. Spending so much time making images in clay and wax rather than participating in games: laugh
at me now, someday when I die, people will make monuments and images of me.
FIRST POEM: to my fellow children
a. Gift for literature
b. Poem is about loving the mother tongue : age of Jose was 8
c. Earliest nationalist sentiment
d. People who truly love their native language will surely strive for liberty like the bird which soars to
freer space above.
e. Tagalog is equal to Latin, English, Spanish, and any other Language.
FIRST DRAMA
a. A Tagalog Comedy, written after his first poem was done: bought by a gobernadorcillo from Paete
and staged it in his town fiesta.
AS BOY MAGICIAN/ PERFORMER
a. Making a coin appear or disappear in his fingers and making a handkerchief vanish in thin air
b. Magic lantern exhibitions: lamp casting its shadow on a white screen. He twisted his fingers into
fantastic shapes, making their enlarged shadows on the screen resemble certain animals and
persons.
c. Puppet shows: manipulating marionettes
LAKESHORE REVERIES
a. meditations at the shore of Laguna with his dog (Usman) on the sad conditions of his oppressed
people
b. Guardia Civil: everyday in his town, unarmed villagers are always injured. Villagers only fault: not
taking his hat off and not bowing.
c. There was no restraint put upon brutality
d. He always asks himself: if people live the same way across the lake
e. Jose grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his beloved fatherland.

f.
g.
XII.

I.

II.
III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

The Spanish misdeeds awakened in his boyish heart a great determination to fight tyranny.
With these injustices, Jose made a vow dedicating himself in studies to avenge the many victims
of his hometown. (same idea was written to his friend, Mariano Ponce)
INFLUENCES ON THE HEROS BOYHOOD
a. HEREDITARY
i. Malayan Ancestors: love for freedom, desire to travel, and courage.
ii. Chinese Ancestors: serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children.
iii. Spanish Ancestors: elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and gallantry to ladies.
iv. Father: profound sense of self-respect, love for work, habit of independent thinking.
v. Mother: religious nature, spirit of self-sacrifice, and passion for arts and literature.
b. ENVIRONMENTAL
i. Scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family stimulated the
inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose.
ii. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious nature.
iii. Paciano: love for freedom and justice
iv. Sisters: courteous and kind to women
v. Fairy tales told by his aya: awakened his interest in folklore and legends.
vi. Tio Jose Alberto: who had studied for 11 years in a British School in Calcutta, India, and
had travelled in Europe inspired him to develop his artistic ability.
vii. Tio Manuel: a husky and atheletic man, encouraged him to develop his frail body by
means of physical exercises, including horse riding, walking, and wrestling.
viii. Tio Gregorio: a book lover, intensified his voracious reading of good books.
ix. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, fostered Rizals love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
x. Sorrows:
1. Death of Concha and the imprisonment of his mother, contributed to strengthen
his character, enabling him to resist blows of adversity in later years.
2. Spanish abuses and cruelties, the brutal acts of the Guardia Civil and the
alcalde, the unjust tortures inflicted on innocent Filipinos, and the Execution of
the Gom-Bur-Za, awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him to
consecrate his life and talents to redeem his oppressed people.
c. DIVINE PROVIDENCE
i. A person may have everything in life brains, wealth, and power but, without the aid of
Divine Providence, he cannot attain greatness in the annals of the nation.
CHAPTER 3: EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BINAN
HEROS FIRST TEACHER
a. Typical schooling of an ilustrado son: 4Rs --- Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, Religion
b. Knowledge was forced into the minds of students by means of memory method aided by the
teachers whip.
c. First teacher: Joses Mother
i. At the age of 3: Jose learned the alphabet and prayers
ii. Discovered that her son had a talent for poetry
iii. She encouraged him to write poems and told him stories: to lighten the monotony of
memorizing the ABCs and to stimulate her sons imagination
d. Private tutors were employed: Spanish and Latin
JOSE GOES TO BINAN --- Jose experienced his first homesickness
FIRST DAY IN BINAN SCHOOL
a. School of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz
b. Students laughing at Joses answers
FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL
a. Jose met the bully, Pedro (Maestro Justinianos son)
i. Jose was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his conversation with the
teacher
ii. Jose challenged Pedro to a fight
iii. Jose having learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated the bigger
boy.
iv. For this feat, Jose became popular among his classmates.
v. After the class: a classmate named Andres Salandanan challenged Jose to an armwrestling match.
1. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with their arms.
2. Jose, having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the sidewalk.
vi. Jose was not quarrelsome by nature, but he never ran away from a fight.
PAINTING LESSONS IN BINAN
a. Juancho: father-in-law of the schools teacher
b. Jose, lured by his love for painting, spent many leisure hours at the painters studio.
c. Old Juancho freely gave him lessons in drawing and painting.
d. Jose and his classmate, Jose Guevarra, who also loved painting, became apprentices of the old
painter.
e. They became favorite painters of the class
DAILY LIFE IN BINAN
a. 4am: hearing the mass, Jose studies then goes to mass afterwards
b. Breakfast, goes to class and went out at 10. Jose goes home at once, have lunch and studies.
c. Goes to school at 2, and goes out at 5. Prays with cousins and goes home afterwards.
d. He studies lessons, drew a little, and then eats his supper.
e. Prays, and plays with his nieces in the street when the moon is out.
BEST STUDENT IN SCHOOL

a.
b.

VIII.

IX.

X.

I.

II.

III.

Jose beat all the Binan boys in academic studies.

Older classmates were jealous of his intellectual superiority.
i. They wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Jose had a fight outside the school, and
told lies to discredit him before the teachers eyes.
ii. Consequently: teacher had to punish Jose --- five or six blows.
END OF BINAN SCHOOLING
a. Letter from sister, Saturnina: arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Binan to
Calamba. This was Joses first time to ride in a steamer.
b. Rizals premonition: not returning to Binan
MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA (1872)
a. About 200 Filipino Soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the leadership of Lamadrid,
Filipino Sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because their usual privileges were abolished, including
exemption from tribute and polo (forced labor) by: Gov. Rafael de Izquierdo.
b. The mutiny was suppressed.
c. The Spanish authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto
Zamora, leaders of the secular movement to Filipinize the Philippine Parishes, magnified the failed
mutiny into a revolt for Philippine Independence.
d. Despite the archbishops plea for clemency because of their innocence, they were still executed.
e. Paciano, enraged by the execution of Burgos, his beloved friend and teacher, quit his studies and
returned to Calamba, where he told the heroic story of Burgos to Jose, who was 11 years old.
f.
The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny and redeem his
oppressed people. This motivated him to develop his studies.
g. He dedicated his 2nd novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za.
INJUSTICE TO HEROS MOTHER
a. Dona Teodora was arrested on a malicious charge that she and her brother, Jose Alberto, tried to
poision the latters perfidious wife.
b. Jose Alberto, a rich Binan ilustrado, had just returned from a business trip in Europe.
i. During his absence his wife abandoned their home and children.
ii. When he arrived in Binan, he found her living with another man.
iii. Infuriated by her infidelity, he planned to divorce her.
iv. Dona Teodora, to avert family scandal, persuaded him to forgive his wife.
v. The family trouble was amicably settled, and Jose Alberto lived again with his wife.
c. However, the wife of Jose Alberto, with the connivance of the Spanish lieutenant (had been friends
of the Rizals and was treated as their honored guest in their home) of the Guardia Civil, filed a
case in court accusing her husband and Dona Teodora of attempting to poison her.
d. This lieutenant happened to have an ax to grind against the Rizal family, because at one time Don
Francisco (Rizals father) refused to give him fodder for his horse. Taking the opportunity to
avenge himself, he arrested Dona Teodora.
e. After arresting Dona Teodora, the Spanish Lieutenant forced her to walk from Calamba to Santa
Cruz, a distance of 50 kilometers.
f.
After arrival to Santa Cruz, Dona Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where she
languished for 2 and years and was later on acquitted.
CHAPTER 4: SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA (1872-1877)
RIZAL ENTERS THE ATENEO
a. Ateneo: Jesuits vs. San Juan de Letran: Dominicans a school for poor boys in Manila
i. Ateneo: this college was located in Intramuros
b. His father, who first wished him to study at Letran, changed his mind and decided to send him to
Ateneo instead.
c. Fr. Magin Ferrando, who was the College Registrar, refused to admit Jose for 2 reasons:
i. He was late for registration
ii. He was sickly and undersized for his age, Rizal was then 11 years old.
d. However: through the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Fr. Burgos, he was
admitted.
e. Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname Rizal.
i. He registered under this name at the Ateneo because their family name Mercado had
come under the suspicion of the Spanish authorities.
ii. Paciano used Mercado as his surname at the College of San Jose and he was known to
the authorities as Fr. Burgos favorite student and confidant.
JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
a. Students are divided into 2 groups:
i. Roman Empire (internos: boarders)
ii. Carthaginian Empire (externos: non-boarders)
b. each of these empires had its ranks
i. emperor: best student
ii. tribune: second best
iii. Decurion: third best
iv. Centurion: fourth best
v. Standard bearer: fifth best
c. The students fought for positions:
i. Any student could challenge any officer in his empire to answer questions on the days
lesson.
ii. His opponent could lose his position if he committed 3 mistakes.
iii. Any student might be at the end of the line, but if he studied hard and was brilliant, he
could depose the officers one after another and become an emperor.
RIZALS FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO

a.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.
XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

Being a new comer and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class. He
was an externo, hence he was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.
b. After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly.
c. At the end of the month, he became emperor.
d. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a prize.
e. To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon
recesses, when other Ateneo students were playing or gossiping.
i. He paid 3 pesos for those extra Spanish lessons, but it was money well spent.
SUMMER VACATION
a. He did not enjoy his vacation because his mother was in prison.
b. He visited his mother and told her his grades.
SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Neglected his studies the previous year because he was offended by the teachers remarks.
b. To regain his lost class leadership, he studied harder and eventually became an emperor again.
PROPHECY OF MOTHERS RELEASE
a. Rizal, interpreting the dream of her mother, told her that she would be released from prison in
three months time.
b. Dona Teodora smiled, thinking that her sons prophecy was a mere boyish attempt to console her.
c. Teodora was released after 3 months. She was proud of her son whom she likened to Joseph the
Dreamer (interpreter of dreams)
TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING
a. Summer after his 2nd year: interest in reading romantic novels
b. First favorite novel: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
i. His boyish imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in
prison, his spectacular escape from the dungeon, his finding a buried treasure on the
rocky island of Monte Cristo.
ii. His dramatic revenge on his enemies who had wronged him.
c. Later Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a german scientist-traveler who
visited the Philippines. Rizal was impressed on this book because of:
i. Jagors keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization
ii. His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines
iii. America would come to succeed her as colonizer.
THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Won only one medal --- in Latin.
b. He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was not fluently sonorous.
FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Became an interno
b. Rizal had the highest affection and respect for Father Sanchez, whom he considered his best
professor
c. He topped all his classmates in all subjects and won 5 medals at the end of the school term
d. He was able to repay his father for his sacrifices
LAST YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly the pride of the Jesuits.
GRADUATION IN HIGHEST HONORS
a. At 16: received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
b. Commencement Day was a time of bitter sweetness.
c. Prayed to the Virgin: when I should step into that world, which inspired me with so much terror,
she would protect me.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN ATENEO
a. Was a campus leader outside the classroom
b. Became a secretary of a Marian Congregation because of his devotion to Our Lady Immaculate
Conception --- College Patroness.
c. Member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
d. Aside from writing poetry, he devoted his spare time to fine arts. He studied painting and
sculpture.
e. To develop his weak body, he engaged in gymnastics and fencing.
SCULPTURAL WORKS IN ATENEO
a. Carved the image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of Batikuling (Philippine Hardwood) with his pocket
knife.
b. Fr. Lleonart, impressed by Rizals sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an image of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus.
ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN
a. Felix Roxas (contemporary of Rizal)
i. Related Joses resignation to pain and forgiveness
ii. Jose was hit in the face by one of the thrown books from two quarreling students.
iii. He did not raise a cry of protest, although his wounded face was bleeding.
b. Manuel Xeres Burgos:
i. Rizals predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life.
ii. Jose courageously climbed the high cathedral tower and retrieved the kite of his board
mate.
POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO
a. 1st poem written by Rizal: My first Inspiration
i. Dedicated to her mother on her birthday
ii. Jose was 14
RIZALS POEMS ON EDUCATION

a.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

Believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation:
Through Education, Our Motherland receives Light
i. Education instills power
ii. Education may lift the country to its highest station
iii. It gives security and peace to lands
iv. Education breaks the neck of vice and its deceit
v. Education knows how to tame barbarous nations --- from savages create heroic fame
b. Education without God is not true Education: The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education.
RIZALS RELIGIOUS POEMS
a. To the Child Jesus --- Jose was 14
i. A Celestial King would rather choose to be a shepherd for his sheep than to be sovereign
b. To the Virgin Mary
i. Jose was close to her mother
ii. Mary was her spiritual fortitude/ sustenance
iii. His anguish from death is set free because of his faith with her
DRAMATIC WORK IN ATENEO
a. His favorite teacher, Fr. Sanchez, requested him to write a drama based on the prose story of St.
Eustace the Martyr.
FIRST ROMANCE OF RIZAL
a. After his graduation, Jose experience his first romance --- that painful experience which comes to
nearly all adolescents
b. The girl was Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14 y.o. Batanguena from Lipa.
c. When he reached his grandmothers house, he saw other guests. One of whom was an attractive
girl, who mysteriously caused his heart to palpitate with strange ecstasy. She was the sister of his
friend Mariano.
d. His grandmothers guests urged him to draw Segundas portrait. Jose was blushing every time
that she was looking at him.
e. Rizal came to know Segunda more intimately during his weekly visits to La Concordia College,
where his sister Olimpia was a boarding student. Olimpia was a close friend of Segunda.
f.
Their love was hopeless because Segunda was already engaged to be married to her townmate,
Manuel Luz.
g. Rizal, for allhis artistic and intellectual prowess, was a shy and timid lover. Segunda had
manifested, by insinuation and deeds, her affection for him, but timidly failed to propose.
h. Her mother is developing eye blindness and barely recognized him when he returned home.
i.
His first romance was ruined by his own shyness and reserve: he was tongue-tied twice when he
met Segunda
i. He visited La Concordia to say goodbye
ii. She waved and smiled at him while her carriage passed by him when her steamer
docked in Binan.
CHAPTER 5: MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882)
MOTHERS OPPOSITION TO HIGHER EDUCATION
a. The Bachelor of Arts course during the Spanish times was equivalent only to high school and
junior college courses today.
b. Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue higher learning in the university. But Dona
Teodora, who knew what happened to Gom-Bur-Za, vigorously opposed the idea.
RIZAL ENTERS THE UNIVERSITY
a. First course: Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled in this course for 2 reasons:
i. His father liked it
ii. He was still uncertain as to what career to pursue
b. After a year: Jose received the Ateneo Rectors advice to study medicine
i. Reason of Jose: to cure his mothers growing blindness
FINISHES SURVEYING COURSE IN ATENEO
a. During his first school term at UST, Rizal also studied in Ateneo.
i. He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor)
ii. At 17: he passed the final examination in the surveying course, but he could not be
granted the title as surveyor because he was below age.
b. Although he was a Thomasian, he frequently visited Ateneo.
i. It was due not only to his surveying course, but more because of his loyalty to the
Ateneo.
ii. He had so many beautiful memories and whose Jesuit professors, unlike the Dominicans,
loved him and inspired him to ascend to greater heights of knowledge.
iii. He continued to participate actively in the Ateneos extra-curricular activities.
ROMANCES WITH OTHER GIRLS
a. Jose had ample time for love. He was a romantic dreamer who liked to sip the nectar of love.
i. His sad experience with his first love had made him wiser in the ways of romance.
b. Miss L
i. Fair with seductive and attractive eyes
ii. Jose stopped his wooing with her and their romance died
iii. Jose gave 2 reasons for his change of heart
1. The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart
2. His father did not like the family of Ms. L
c. Leonor Valenzuela (Orang)
i. Their romance begins during his sophomore year.

ii.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

Daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitan Sanday: next-door neighbors of Dona Concha
Leyva (where Jose boarded)
iii. He was a welcome visitor at their house and he was the life of social parties because of
his clever sleight-of-hand tricks.
iv. Jose courted Leonor and sent her love notes written in invisible ink.
v. Jose taught Orang the secret of reading any note written in the invisible ink by heating it
over a candle or lamp so that the words may appear.
vi. He stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang because of Segunda.
d. Leonor Rivera
i. His cousin from Tarlac. Their romance begins at the start of his junior year.
ii. Lived in his landlord uncle where he saw Leonor, a student at La Concordia College
(where Soledad, Joses younger sister, was studying)
iii. They became engaged.
iv. In order to camouflage their intimate relationship from their parents and friends, Jose
knew Leonor under the name of Taimis
VICTIM OF SPANISH OFFICERS BRUTALITY
a. Happened when Jose was a freshman medical student
b. One dark night in Calamba, during the summer vacation in 1878, he was walking in the street.
i. He dimly perceived the figure of a man while passing him.
ii. Not knowing the person due to darkness, he did not salute nor say a courteous Good
Evening.
iii. The vague figure turned out to be a lieutenant of the Guardia Civil.
iv. With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal, whipped out his sword and brutally slashed the latter
on the back.
c. Rizal reported the incident to General Primo de Rivera, the Spanish Governor General of the
Philippines
i. But nothing came out of his complaint, because he was an Indio
ii. And the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard.
TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH
a. 1879: the Artistic-Literary Lyceum of Manila, a society of literary men and artists, held a literary
contest.
i. It offered a prize for the best poem by a native or a mestizo
ii. Rizal submitted his poem: To the Filipino Youth
iii. The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizals poem and gave it
the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and decorated with a gold
ribbon.
iv. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy
1. To let their genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to
break the chains that has long bound the spirit of the people.
b. Stanza 1: youth as the fair hope of our country
c. This is a classic Philippine Literature for two reasons:
i. Great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish
authorities
ii. It expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not the
foreigners, were the fair hope of the fatherland.
THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS
a. The following year, the Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary contest to commemorate
the 4th centennial death of Cervantes, Spains glorified man-of-letters and famous author of Don
Quixote.
i. The contest was opened to both Filipinos and Spaniards.
ii. Rizal, inspired by his poetical triumph the previous year, submitted an allegorical drama
entitled The Council of the Gods
iii. Many professional writers and scholars joined the contest.
b. 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.
i. The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust of
Cervantes.
ii. For the first time in history, an Indio --- a 19 y.o. Filipino medical student at that --excelled in a national literary contest defeating several Spanish writers.
iii. Rizal was particularly happy, for he proved the fallacy of the alleged Spanish superiority
over the Filipinos and revealed that the Filipino could hold his own in fair competition
against all races.
c. The allegory established a parallel among Homer, Virgil, and Cervantes.
i. The gods discuss the comparative merits of these great writers
ii. They decide to give the trumpet to Homer, lyre to Virgil, and the laurel to Cervantes.
iii. The allegory gloriously closes with the naiads, nymphs, satyrs, and other mythological
characters dancing and gathering laurels for Cervantes.
RIZALS VISIT TO PAKIL AND PAGSANJAN
a. Rizal went on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of the Birhen Maria de los Dolores.
b. In Pakil, Rizal was infatuated by a pretty girl colegiala: Vicenta Ybardolaza, who skillfully played
the harp.
c. From Pakil, Rizal and his party made a side trip to the neighboring town of Pagsanjan for 2
reasons:
i. It was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela
ii. To see the Pagsanjan Falls
CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS

a.

X.

XI.

In their frequent fights against the arrogant Spanish students, who were often surpassed by the
Filipinos in class work and who insultingly called their brown classmates: Indio, chongo!
b. Filipino students called them Kastila, bangus!
c. Hostility between these 2 groups of students often exploded in angry street rumbles.
i. Rizal participated in these brawls
ii. Owing to his skills in fencing, his prowess in wrestling, and his indomitable courage
d. Jose founded a secret society of Filipino Students: Companerismo (Comradeship)
i. Members were called Companions of Jehu --- after the valiant Hebrew general who
fought the Armaeans and ruled the Kingdom of Israel for 28 years.
ii. Led the members in street fights.
UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST
a. Jose was unhappy at this Dominican institution because:
i. The Dominican professors were hostile to him
ii. The Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards
iii. Method of instruction was obsolete and repressive
b. The class in Physics was taught without laboratory experiments.
i. Laboratory apparatuses were kept inside the showcases to be seen by visitors and the
students could not touch them.
DECISION TO STUDY ABROAD
a. After finishing the 4th year of his medical course, Rizal decided to study in Spain:
i. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry, discrimination, and hostility in UST.

CHAPTER 6: IN SUNNY SPAIN

RIZALS SECRET MISSION
a. To finish the Medical Course in Spain
b. Jose was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and
commerce, and governments and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the
mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny.
c. Reason why Jose left without asking permission from his parents:
i. All being fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of creation
ii. Jose cannot exempt himself from his duty to his country
II. SECRET DEPARTURE FOR SPAIN
a. To avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars.
b. The kind Jesuit Priests gave him letters of recommendation to the members of their Society in
Barcelona
c. Rizal departed on Board the Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore
III. FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO
a. In Singapore (colony of England), Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a Frensh steamer,
which left for Singapore for Europe.
b. Rizal attempted to converse with his fellow passengers in French, but to his surprise, he found out
that his book French which he learned at the Ateneo could not be understood.
c. Rizal was enamoured by Colombo, the Capital of Ceylon, because of its scenic beauty and elegant
buildings. It is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore and Manila.
IV. FIRST TRIP TO SUEZ CANAL
a. It took the Djemnah five days to traverse the Suez Canal
b. Rizal was thrilled because it was his first trip through this canal
V. NAPLES AND MARSEILLES
a. Naples: (Italy)
i. This Italian city pleased him because of its business activity, its lively people, and its
panoramic beauty.
b. Marseilles (France)
i. Visited the famous Chateau dlf, where Dantes, hero of The Count of Monte Cristo, was
imprisoned.
c. First impression on Barcelona, Spains 2nd largest city:
i. Was unfavorable
ii. Jose thought it was ugly, with dirty little inns and inhospitable residents
iii. Because he happened to stay upon his arrival at a dingy inn situated on an unimpressive
narrow street in the towns most ugly side.
iv. BUT: Jose found it to be really a great city, with an atmosphere of freedom and liberalism.
Its people were open-hearted, hospitable, and courageous.
v. The Filipinos in Barcelona, some of whom were his schoolmates in Ateneo, welcomed
Rizal.
VI. AMOR PATRIO (Love of Country)
a. In progressive Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay entitled Love of Country --- first
article written on Spains soil
b. Jose sent this article to his friend in Manila, Basilio Teodoro Moran, publisher of Diariong Tagalog,
the first Manila bilingual newspaper (Spanish and Tagalog)
c. This appeared in Diariong Tagalog under Joses pen-name Laong Laan.
i. The article caused quite a sensation among readers in the Philippines because of its
nationalistic flavor.
ii. Urged his compatriots to love their fatherland.
VII. MANILA MOVES TO MADRID
a. Jose received the sad news about the cholera that was killing many people
b. Another sad news: unhappiness of Leonora Rivera, who was getting thinner because of the
absence of a loved one.
I.

10

VIII. LIFE IN MADRID

a. Rizal enrolled in the Central University of Madrid in 2 courses --- Medicine & Philosophy and
Letters
b. He also studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando
c. He took lesson in French, German, and English under private instructors
d. Practices fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell
e. His thirst for knowledge of music, he visited the art galleries and museums and read all subjects
under the sun including military engineering
f.
He lived frugally. His only extravagance was investing on a lottery ticket
IX. ROMANCE WITH CONSUELO ORTIGA Y PEREZ
a. Rizal was not a handsome man. Hes only 53
i. But he possessed an aura of charisma due to his many talents and noble character which
made him more attractive to romantic women.
ii. Consuelo fell in love with him
b. But he backed out for two reasons:
i. He was engaged to Leonor Rivera
ii. His friend and co-worker in the Propaganda movement, Eduardo de Lete, was madly in
love with Consuelo and he had no wish to break their friendship because of a pretty girl.
X. THEY ASK ME FOR VERSES
a. Rizal joined the Hispano-Philippine Circle, a society of Spaniards and Filipinos
b. He wrote a poem entitled They ask me for Verses
c. He poured out the cry of his agonizing heart
d. Sad isolation: memories of happy friendship
XI. RIZAL AS LOVER OF BOOKS
a. He stayed at home and read voraciously until midnight
b. He purchased books from a second-hand book store and was able to build a fair-sized private
library.
c. Rizal was deeply affected by Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin and Eugene Sues The
Wandering Jew.
i. These 2 books aroused his sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people.
XII. RIZALS FIRST VISIT TO PARIS
a. During his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris, capital of France
b. Rizal improved his mind by observing closely the French way of life and spending many hours at
the museums, the world famous Louvre
c. The botanical gardens, Luxembourg
d. Libraries and art galleries
e. Laennec Hospital, where he observed Dr. Nicaise treating his patients
f.
Lariboisiere Hospital, where he observed the examination of different diseases of women
g. Rizal was mistaken by the Parisians as a Japanese
h. For Jose, Paris was the costliest capital in Europe
XIII. RIZAL AS A MASON
a. Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish Masons openly and freely criticized the government
policies and lambasted the friars, which could not be done in the Philippines.
b. He joined the Masonic Lodge called the Acacia in Madrid. His reason for becoming a Mason was to
secure Freemasonrys aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines.
c. Since the friars used the Catholic religion as a shield to entrench themselves in power and wealth
and to persecute the Filipino patriots, he intended to utilize Freemasonry as his shield to combat
them.
d. He became a Master Mason
e. His only Masonic writing was a lecture titled: Science, Virtue and Labor.
i. The duty of modern man is to work for the redemption of humanity, because once man is
dignified there would be less unfortunate and more happy men that is possible in this
life.
ii. Humanity cannot be redeemed so long as there are oppressed people.
iii. Humanity cannot be redeemed while reason is not free, while faith would want to impose
on facts, while whims are laws, and while there are nations who subjugate others.
iv. For humanity to be able to attain the lofty destiny toward which God guides it, it is
necessary that within its fold there should be no dissensions nor tyranny
XIV. FINANCIAL WORRIES
a. After Joses departure for Spain, things turned from bad to worse in Calamba.
i. The harvests of rice and sugarcane failed on account of drought and locusts.
b. The Manager of the Dominican-owned hacienda increased the rentals of lands cultivated by the
Rizal family.
i. The hacienda manager, a frequent guest at the Rizal home, used to ask for a turkey from
Don Francisco (Joses father), who was a good raiser of turkeys.
ii. Dreadful pest killed most of the turkeys.
iii. When the manager requested for a turkey, Don Francisco had to deny him because he
needed the few surviving turkeys for breeding purposes.
iv. Enraged by his failure to receive a turkey, the vindictive manager arbitrarily increased
the rentals of the lands leased by Don Francisco and Paciano.
c. Due to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances of Rizal in Madrid were late in arrival and
there were times when they never arrived. Causing much suffering to him.
d. June 24, 1884:
i. Because he was broke, he was unable to take breakfast that day.
ii. With an empty stomach, he attended his class at the university, participated in the
contest in Greek language and won the gold medal.

11

iii.

In the evening of the same day, he was able to eat dinner, for he was a guest speaker in
a banquet held in honor of Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
XV. RIZALS SALUTE TO LUNA AND HIDALGO
a. To celebrate the double victory of the Filipino artist in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in
Madrid
i. First prize: Lunas Spolarium
ii. Second Prize: Hidalgos Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace
b. Artistic achievements transcended geographical frontiers and racial origins, for genius is universal
--- genius knows no country, genius sprouts everywhere
c. Jose also assailed with refined sarcasm the bigotry and blindness of certain unworthy Spaniards
(bad friars in the Philippines) who could not comprehend the universality of genius.
d. Text:
i. In the history of nations there are names that by themselves signify an achievement,
that recall passion and greatness.
ii. That race, fallen into lethargy during the historic night while the sun illumines other
continents, again awakens, moved by the electric impact that contact the western
peoples produces, and she demands light confirming the eternal laws of constant
evolution, of change, of periodicy, of progress.
iii. In Spolarium:
1. The canvas is not mute, can be heard the tumult of the multitude, the shouting
of the slaves
2. With such vigor and realism
3. Shadow and mystery
iv. Hidalgo:
1. Light, colorful, harmony
v. Both coincide at bottom in spite of notable differences
vi. Both express our social, moral, and political life; mankind subjected to harsh test
vii. Reason and aspiration in an open struggle with preoccupations, fanaticism, and
injustices, because sentiments and opinions cut passage through the thickest walls,
because to them all bodies have pores, all are transparent, and if they lack pen, if the
press does not help them, the palette and brushes will not only delight the eye but will
also be eloquent tributes.
viii. Spain, as mother, teaches also her language to the Philippines in spite of the opposition
of those myopic men and pigmies, who, desiring to insure the present, do not see the
future, do not weigh the consequences.
ix. This banquet: to give form to the mutual embrace of two races that love one another, so
that they may form in the future one single nation in spirit, in their duties, in their views,
in their privileges.
x. I drink to the health of the Filipino youth, sacred hope of my native land.
xi. The furrow is ready and the ground is not sterile.
XVI. RIZAL INVOLVED IN STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS
a. Caused by the address of Dr. Miguel Morayta, professor of history, at the opening ceremonies of
the academic year, in which he proclaimed the freedom of science and teacher --- such a liberal
view was condemned by the Catholic Bishops of Spain, who promptly excommunicated Dr.
Morayta and those who applauded his speech.
b. Angered by the bigotry of the Catholic Bishops, the university students rose in violent
demonstrations.
c. They rioted in the city streets, shouting: Viva Morayta, Down with Bishops!
d. The Rector, who also took the side of the students , was forced to resign and was replaced by
Doctor Creus, a very unpopular man, disliked by everybody
e. A police lieutenant and a secret service man wanted to seize Ventura and Jose, but they managed
to escape. Two Filipinos were taken prisoners. This is why Jose needs to disguise himself three
times
f.
New Rector: treated persons without dignity. Students want to reinstate the old Rector
XVII.
STUDIES COMPLETED IN SPAIN
a. He was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid
b. He did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paid the corresponding fees, he was not
awarded his Doctors diploma
c. He was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters on his 24 th birthday with the
rating of excellent (sobresaliente)
d. He became qualified to be a professor of humanities in any Spanish university
e. By receiving his degree of Licentiate in Medicine, he became a full-pledge physician, qualified to
practice medicine
f.
He did not bother to secure the post-graduate degree of Doctor in Medicine because it was,
together with the licentiate in philosophy and letters, good only for teching purposes.
g. He knew that with his brown color and asian racial ancestry no friar-owned university or college in
the Philippines would accept him in its faculty staff.

12