Jose Rizal

CHAPTER 1
Advent of A National Hero

BSAR -3C
GROUP 1
Dr. Jose Rizal
Dr. Jose Rizal is a unique
example of a many-
splendored genius who
became the greatest hero
of a nation.
Dr. Jose Rizal
He was a physician (ophthalmic surgeon),
poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian,
architect, painter, sculptor, educator,
linguist, musician, naturalist, ethnologist,
surveyor, engineer, farmer, businessman,
economist, geographer, philosopher,
translator, inventor, magician, humorist,
satirist, polemicist, sportsman, traveler, and
prophet. No wonder, he is now acclaimed as
the national hero in the Philippines.
The birth of a Hero
 The birth of a Hero
Jose Rizal was born on the moonlit night of
Wednesday, June 19, 1861 , in the lakeshore town
of Calamba, Laguna Province, Philippines.
His mother almost died during the delivery
because of his big head.
As he recounted may years later in his students
memoirs:
The birth of A Hero
I was born in Calamba on 19, June, 1861,
between eleven and midnight, a few days before
full moon. It was a Wednesday and my coming
out in this vale of tears would have cost my
mother her life had she not vowed to the virgin
of Antipolo to take me to her sanctuary by way
of pilgrimage..,
 The birth of A Hero
He was Baptized by Rev. Rufino
Collantes in the church of Calamba
on June 22 1861, three days after
his birth. His Godfather was Rev.
Pedro
Casanas. He was name “Jose” By
his Pious mother, in honor of St.
Joseph.
The birth of A Hero

Jose was the seventh of the

eleven children of Francisco
Mercado Rizal and Teodora
Alonzo Realonda.
Parents of the Hero
Francisco Mercado Rizal
The hero’s father (1818-1898)
• He was born in Binan, Laguna on
May 11, 1818
• He died in Manila on January 1898
at the age of 80
• He was an educated farmer having
studied Latin and Philosophy at the
College of San Jose in Manila
• He married Teodora Alonzo
Realonda on June 28, 1848
 Teodora Alonzo Realonda
The hero’s mother (1826-1911)
• She was born in Manila on November 8,
1826
• She died in Manila on August 16, 1911 at
the age of 85
• A graduate of Santa Rosa College, she was
a talented woman with high culture,
business ability, and literary gift
• Aside from helping her husband in
farming and business, she looked after the
education and moral training of her
numerous children
The Rizal Children
The Rizal Children
God blessed the marriage of
Francisco and Teodora with
Eleven children-
two boys and nine girl
 1. Saturnina
(1850-1913)
• She was the oldest of the
Rizal Children.
• She married Manuel T.
Hidalgo of Tanawan,
Batangas.
 2. Paciano
(1851-1930)
• He was the older brother of Dr. Rizal
• After his younger brother’s execution, he
joined the Revolution and became a
general.
• After the revolution he retired to his farm
in Los Banos and led the life of a
gentleman farmer. He died an old
bachelor, though he had a common law
wife.
 3. Narcisa
(1852-1939)
• She married Antonino
Lopez, a school teacher of
Morong, Rizal
 4. Olympia
(1855-1887)
• She married Silvestre
Ubalado, a telegraph
operator from Manila
 5. Lucia
(1857-1919)
• She married Mariano
Herbosa of Calamba
 6. Maria
(1859-1945)
• She married Daniel
Faustino Cruz of Binan,
Laguna
 7. Jose
(1861-1896)
• The “Lucky seven” in a
family of eleven Children.
• He married Josephine
Bracken, a pretty Irish from
Hongkong
 8. Conception
(1862-1865)
•She died at the age of three
 9. Josefa
(1865-1945)
• She did not marry; she died
an old maid
 10. Trinidad
(1868-1951)
• She died an old main, like
Josefa
 11. Soledad
(1870-1929)
• She was the youngest of the
Rizal children. She married
Panteleon Quintero of
Calamba
Ancestry of Rizal
 Ancestry of Rizal
Jose Rizal, Like a typical Filipino was
of mixed ancestry. In his veins flowed
the bloods of both east and west:
Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese,
Japanese, and Spanish.
Domingo Lam-Co
Rizal’s paternal great-great-grandfather

• A native of Chinchew,”China’s
City of Spring.”
• Francisco(father of Jose) was a
great grandson of Lam-co.
• Both his father’s father and
grandfather had been
Capitanes(town mayors) of Binan
 Eugenio Ursua
Rizal’s maternal great-great-grandfather

• It said than on maternal side,

Rizal’s ancestor was Lakan-
Dula
• Japanese blood
• Jose’s mother Teodora
belonged to a clan of gifted
men.
 The name “Rizal”
The original name of the Rizal family
was “Mercado”. It was a surname
adopted in 1731 by Domingo lam-co,
the paternal Chinese ancestor. In
English it means “market”
 Year 1849
Year 1849 Governer Claveria issued a decree
directing all Filipino families to choose new
surnames from a list of Spanish names. The
purpose of this is to hispanize the Filipino
surnames which were difficult to pronounce
for the Spanish authorities
 The name “Rizal”
Jose’s father Francisco is the one who choose
his own nickname “Rizal” even though it is
not on the list of Spanish surnames sent to
them. He thinks this new family name as
more fitting for his farming family clan then
Mercado which signifies “market”
 The Rizal Family
They are one of the richest
family in Calamba during the
times prior to its persecution
by the friars. They were the
first family to build a large
stone house in Calamba
 Chapter 2
Childhood Years in Calamba
 Childhood Years of Rizal
• Jose Rizal, just like Filipino boys, had
many beautiful memories of
childhood.
• His was a happy home, filled with
parental affection, impregnated with
family joys, and sanctified by prayers.
• In the midst of such peaceful, refined,
God-loving family, he spent the early
years of his childhood.
 Calamba, “Cradle of a Genius”
Rizal loved Calamba with
all his heart and soul. In
1876, when he was 15 years
old and was a student in
Ateneo, he remembered his
beloved town. Accordingly,
he wrote a poem Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo ( In
Memory of My Town)
 Earliest Childhood
Memories.
• The first memory of Rizal, in
his infancy, was his happy
days in the family garden.
• Because he was frail, sickly,
and undersized child, he was
given the most tender care by
his parents.
 Childhood days of Rizal
• His father built a nipa cottage in the
garden for him to play in the daytime.
• Another childhood memory was the
daily Angelus prayer. By nightfall,
Rizal related, his mother gathered all
the children at the house to pray the
Angelus.
• Another memory of his infancy was
the nocturnal walk in the town,
especially when there was a moon.
 Childhood days of Rizal
• With nostalgic feeling, he also remembered the
happy moonlit nights at the azotea after the rosary.
• The aya realted stories to Rizal children many
stories about fairies; tales of buried treasure and
trees with blooming diamonds, and other fabulous
stories.
• Sometimes, when he did not like to take his supper,
the aya would threaten him that the aswang, the
nuno, the tigbalang, or a terrible bearded Bombay
would come to take him away if he would not eat
his supper.
Childhood days of Rizal
Recounting this childhood experience,
Rizal wrote:
“Thus my heart fed on sombre and
melancholy thoughts so that even still a
child, I already wandered on wings of
fantasy in the high regions of the
unknown.
Childhood days of Rizal
• The Rizal children were bound together by
the ties of love and companionship.

• Their parents taught them to love one

another, to behave properly in front of
elders, to be truthful and religious, and to
help one another.
 FIRST SORROW
• They affectionately called their
father Tatay, and mother Nanay.
• Jose was jokingly called Ute by his
brother and sisters. The people in
Calamba knew him as Pepe or
Pepito.
 FIRST SORROW
• Of his sisters, Jose loved most little Concha. He
was one year older than Concha. He played with
her, and from her, he learned the sweetness of
brotherly love.
• Unfortunately, Concha died of sickness in 1865
when he was 3 years old.
• Jose, who was very fond of her, cried bitterly to
lose her.
Devoted Son of Church
• Young Rizal was a religious
boy. A scion of a Catholic
clan, born and bred in a
wholesome atmosphere of
Catholicism, and possessed
of an inborn spirit, Rizal
grew up a good Catholic.
Devoted Son of Church
• At the age of 3, he
began to take part in
the family prayers.

• When he was five

years old, he was
able to read haltingly
the family bible.
Devoted Son of Church
• He loved to go to church to pray, to
take part in novenas, and to join the
religious processions. It is said that he
was so seriously devout that he was
laughingly called Manong Jose by the
Hermanos and Hermanas Terceras.
 Childhood days of
Rizal
• One of the men he
esteemed and respected in
Calamba during his
boyhood was the scholarly
Father Leoncio Lopez, the
town priest.
Pilgrimage to Antipolo
• On June 6, 1868, Jose and his father left for
Calamba to go on a pilgrimage to Antipolo,
in order to fulfill his mother’s vow which
was made when Rizal was born.
• After praying at the shrine of the Virgin of
Antipolo, Jose and his father went to
Manila.
Childhood days of Rizal
• It was the first trip of Jose across Laguna de
Bay and his pilgrimage to Antipolo.

• He was thrilled, as a typical boy should, by his

first lake voyage. He did not sleep the whole
night as the casco sailed towards the Pasig River
because he was awed by “ the magnificence of
the watery expanse and the silence of the night.
First Education from Mother
• Jose’s first teacher was his
mother.
• 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 and all that she
learned in college.
Rizal’s Three Uncles
• There were 3 uncles, brothers of his mother, who played
a great part in the early education of Rizal.
• 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.
• Uncle Jose, who had been educated at Calcutta, India,
was the youngest brother of Dona Teodora. He
encouraged his nephew to paint, sketch, and sculpture.
Rizal’s Three Uncles
• Uncle Manuel was a big, strong, and husky
man. He looked after the physical training of
his sickly and weak nephew. He encourage
Rizal to learn swimming, fencing, wrestling,
and other sports, so that in later years Rizal’s
frail body acquired agility, endurance, and
strength.
 Artistic Talents
• Since early childhood Rizal revealed his God-given
talents for the arts.
• He drew sketches and pictures on his books of his
sisters, for which reason he was scolded by his
mother.
• He carved figures of animals and persons out of
wood. Even before he learned to read, he could
already sketch pictures of birds, flowers, fruits,
rivers, mountains, animals and persons.
 Artistic Talents
• Jose had a soul of a genuine artist.
• In his room, he kept many statuettes which he
made out of clay and wax.
• At one time, his sisters teased him: “Ute, what
are you doing with so many statuettes?” He
replied: “ Don’t you know that people will erect
monument and statues in my honor for the
future?”
Childhood days of Rizal
• Rather an introvert child, with a skinny
physique and sad dark eyes, he found great joy
looking at the blooming flowers, the ripening
fruits, the dancing waves of the lake, and the
milky clouds in the sky; and the listening to the
songs of the birds, the chirpings of the cicadas,
and the murmurings of the breezes.
 Prodigy of the pen
• Not only was little Jose skilled in brush,
chisel, and pen-knife, but also in pen. He
was born poet. His mother encouraged
him to write poetry. At an early age when
children usually begin to learn ABC, he
was already writing poems.
• The first known poem that he wrote was a
Tagalog poem entitled Sa Aking Mga
Kabata (To My Fellow Children).
 Prodigy of the pen
• Before he was
eight years old, he
wrote a Tagalog
drama. This
drama was stages
in Calamba in
connection with
the town fiesta.
Lakeshore Reveries
• During the twilight hours of summertime, Rizal,
accompanied by his dog, used to meditate at the
shore of Laguna de Bay on the sad conditions of
his oppressed people.
• Young that he was, he grieved deeply over the
unhappy situation of his beloved fatherland.
The Spanish misdeeds awakened in his boyish
heart a great determination to fight tyranny.
Influences on Hero’s Boyhood
1. Hereditary Influence
Malayan ancestors- love for freedom, innate desire to travel and indomitable courage.
Chinese ancestors- serious nature, frugality, patience and love for children.
Spanish ancestors- elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult and galanty to ladies.
Father- Profound sense of respect, the love for work and the habit of independent thinking.
Mother- religious nature, the spirit of self- sacrifice and the passion for arts and literature.
2. Environmental Influence
The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family- inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal.
The religious atmosphere at his home- religious nature.
Brother, Paciano- love for freedom and justice.
Sisters- courteous and kind to women.
Aya (Nurse Maid)- interest in folklore and legends.
Tito Jose Alberto- artistic ability.
Tito Manuel- frail walking and wrestling.
Tito Gregorio- voracious reading of good books.
Father Leoncio Lopez- love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
Sorrows in his family- character, enabling him to resist blows of adversity in late years. 
3. Aid of the Divine Providence
God- versatile gifts of a genius, the vibrant spirit of nationalism and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble cause.
 Chapter 3
Early Education in Calamba and Biñan
Rizal’s Early Education in Calamba and Biñan
Teaching was characterized by four R’s

• Reading
• Writing
• Arithmetic
• Religion
Instruction was rigid and strict. Knowledge was forced
into the minds of pupil. By means of tedious memory
method aided by teachers whips.
 The Hero’s First Teacher
• The first teacher of Rizal was
her mother
• A remarkable woman of good
character and fine culture
• Rizal at the age of 3 learned
the alphabet and prayers.
• Doña Teodora discovered
Jose’s talent for poetry and
encourage him to write
 Private tutors of Rizal
• Maestro Celestino was Jose’s first private tutor.
• Maestro Lucas Padua was second private tutor
• Maestro Leon Monroy became the hero’s tutor in Spanish and Latin. he
was the classmate of Don Francisco (died 5 months later)
• Uncle Jose Alberto – gave wise direction in the studies of Jose
• Uncle Gregorio – instilled into the mind of Jose the love for education.
• Tio Manuel Alberto- seeing Jose was frail in nature, concerned himself
with the physical development of his nephew
• When Don Leon died; Jose’s parents decided to send him to a private
school in Biñan
 Jose Goes to Biñan
• June 1869 – Jose goes
to Biñan with Paciano
Carromata –
transportation
• Lodged at her aunt’s
house
 First day in Biñan school
• School of Maestro
Justiniano Aquino Cruz –
formal teacher a
• Rizal Described his
Maestro as tall, thin, long
necked, sharp-nosed, with a
body slightly bent forward.
• The school was in
maestro’s house
 First school Brawl

• Pedro (teachers son) (bully) – wrestling

• Andres Salandanan- arm wrestling
• Jose never run away from a fight

Painting lessons in Biñan

• Near the school was the house of an old painter, Father in-law of the school
teacher
• Old Juancho
• Freely gave Jose painting lessons
• Jose Rizal and his classmate Jose Guevarra become apprentices of old
Jauncho.
Daily life in Biñan Jose’s Daily Routine
 Hears mass at 4 a.m.  Goes back to school at 2p.m
or studies lesson  Goes home at 5p.m
before going to mass  Studies lesson and draws a little
 Goes to orchard to  Has supper
look for a mabolo to  Prays again
eat  Plays in the street if moon is bright
 Breakfast  Sleeps
 Goes to class at 10a.m
 Lunch break
 Best Student in School
• Jose surpassed his classmates
in Spanish, Latin and other
subjects
• His older classmates were
jealous and squealed to the
teacher whenever he had
fights
• Jose usually receives five to
six blows.
 End of Biñan Schooling 
• December 17, 1870 Jose left
Biñan after one year and a half
schooling in that town.
• Jose receives letter from
Saturnina
• Talim- the steamer that Jose
rode
• Arturo Camps- Frenchman and
a friend of Don Francisco, took
care of Jose during the trip.
 Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za 
•  January 20 1872- Cavite mutiny
• February 17 1872- Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora were implicated and
executed
• Leaders of Secular movement. To filipinize the
Philippine parishes
• They inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish
tyranny
• Later in 1891, Rizal dedicated his second novel el-
filibusterismo, to GomBurZa.
 Injustice to Hero’s Mother 
• In 1872, Doña Teodora was arrested on malicious charge that she
aided his brother Jose Alberto in trying to poison his wife
• Jose Alberto planned to divorce his wife because of her infidelity
• Jose Alberto’s wife connived with the Spanish lieutenant of
guardia civil and filed a case against Rizal’s mother
• Antonio Vivencio del Rosario-Gobernadorcillio of Calamba,
helped the lieutenant arrest Doña Teodora
• 50 kilometers -Doña Teodora was made to walk from Calamba to
the provincial prison in Santa Cruz
 Chapter 4
SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA
(1872-1877)
 Rizal Enters Ateneo
• June 10, 1872- Rizal accompanied
by Paciano went to Manila
• Ateneo Municipal- a college under
the supervision of the Spanish
Jesuits
• Escuela Pia (Charity School)-
formerly name of Ateneo, a school
for poor boys in Manila which was
established by the city government
in 1817
• Father Magin Ferrando- was the college registrar, refused to
admit Rizal in Ateneo for two reasons:
(1)he was late for registration
(2) he was sickly and undersized for his age
• Manuel Xerez Burgos-because of his intercession, nephew of
Father Burgos, Rizal was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo
• Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He
registered under this name at Ateneo because their family name
“Mercado” had come under the suspicion of the Spanish
authorities
• Rizal was first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on
Caraballo Street. This was owned by a spinster named Titay who
owed the Rizal family the amount of 300 pesos
 JESUIT SYSTEM OF
•
EDUCATION
it was more advance than other colleges
• it trained the character of student by rigid discipline and religious
instruction
• it promoted physical culture, humanities, & scientific studies
• It offered courses leading to degree of Bachelor of Arts and
vocational in agriculture, commerce, mechanism and surveying.
• the student heard mass in the morning before the beginning of the
daily class
• classes in every subject were opened & closed with prayers
 JESUIT SYSTEM OF
EDUCATION
STUDENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS:
• Roman Empire- consisting of internos (boarders); red banner
• Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders); blue
banner
EACH EMPIRE HAD ITS RANK
• Emperor- the best student in each “empire”
• Tribune- the second best
• Decurion- the third best
• Centurion-the fourth best
• Stand-bearer- the fifth best
The students wore a uniform which
consisted of hemp-fabric trousers and
a strip trouser cotton coat.
The coat material was called
“rayadillo” which later became
famous because it was later adapted
as the uniform of the Filipino troops
during the days of the first Philippine
Republic.
 FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-
1873)
• June 1872, first day of class in Ateneo
• Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo
• He was an externo and was assigned to Carthaginians
• At the end of the month he became "emperor"
• He was the brightness pupil in the whole class
• He took private lessons in Santa Isabel College and paid three
pesos for extra Spanish lessons
• He placed seconds at the end of the year although his grades were
marked "Excellent"
 SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO (1873-
1874)
• At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold
medal
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas- the first favorite novel of Rizal which
made a deep impression on him
• Universal History by Cesar Cantu- Rizal persuaded his father to buy him this set of
historical work that was a great aid in his studies
• Dr. Feodor Jagor- a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines in 1859-1860 who
wrote Travels in the Philippines
• Rizal was impressed in this book because of (1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of
Spanish colonization (2)his prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and
that America would come to succeed her as colonizer
 THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875)
• Rizal grades remained excellent in all subjects but he
won only one medal—in Latin
• At the end of the school year (March 1875), Rizal
returned to Calamba for the summer vacation. He
himself was not impressed by his scholastic work.
 FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO
• June 16, 1875- Rizal became an interno in the Ateneo
• Padre Francisco de Paula Sanchez- a great educator and scholar,
one of Rizal’s professors who inspired him to study harder and to
write poetry
• Rizal described this Jesuiot professor as “model of uprightness,
earnestness, and love for the advancement of his pupils”
• Rizal topped all his classmates in all subjects and won five medals
at the end of the school term.
 LAST YEAR IN ATENEO (1876-
1877)
• Rizal’s studies continued to fare well. As a matter-of-fact, he excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant
Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”
• March 23, 1877- Commencement Day, Rizal, who was 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo
Municipal, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors
• Marian Congregation- a religious society wherein Rizal was an active member and later became the secretary
• Rizal cultivated his literary talent under the guidance of Father Sanchez
• Father Jose Vilaclara- advised Rizal to stop communing with the Muse and pay more attention to more
practical studies
• Rizal studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under Romualdo de
Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor
• Rizal carved an image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocket
knife. 
• ·Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred
Heart of Jesus
 Chapter 5

Medical Studies at the

University of Santo Tomas (1877-1882)
 Medical Studies at the
University of Santo Tomas (1877-1882)
• After graduating from Ateneo he had to go to UST for higher studies. His mother oppose at first she
knew what happened to Gomburza, she said don't send him to Manila again, he know enough if he
gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off his head. He enrolled in UST taking up Philosophy
and Letter for two reasons: 

1. His father liked it.

2. He was still uncertain as to what career to pursue, he ask the advise of Father Pablo Ramon(Rector of
Ateneo) but it was late.

And upon learning that he was advise to take up Medicine, he took up Medicine, simultaneously in the
Preparatory Medical Course and the regular first year Medical Course. During his first year in UST, he
also studied vocational course leading to the title of Expert Surveyor. At the age of 17, he obtained gold
medals in Agriculture and Topography and passed the final examination in surveying course, but he
could not be granted the title because he was below age, he was granted the title only in the year
1881,he was to 20-21 years old.
 Romances with other Girls
• After losing Segunda Katigbak he paid court to a young
woman of Calamba, he called her simply Ms. L describing her
as fair with seductive and attractive eyes. But after several
times of wooing her, he stopped and the romance died a
natural death.
• He gave 2 reasons: reasons:

1. The sweet memories of Segunda was still fresh in his heart.

2. His father did not like the family of Ms. L.
 Ms. Leonor Valenzuela
• Daughter of Capitan Juan nad Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela from Pagsanhan Laguna who were
neighbors of Doa Concha Leyva (owner of Rizals
boarding house in Intramuros. Rizal send her love
notes written in invicible ink, that could only be
deciphered over the warmth of the lamp or candle. He
visited her on the eye of his departure to Spain and
bade her a last goodbye.
 Ms. Leonor Rivera
• His cousin from Camiling,Tarlac. She was the pretty daughter
of his landlord-uncle Antonio Rivera. A student of La
Concordia College, where Soledad (Rizals youngest sister) was
then studying. Betweeen Jose and Leonor sprang beautiful
romance. They became engaged. In his letter to Rizal, she
usually signed her name as TAIMIS in order to camouflage
their intimate relationship from their parents and friends.
 Victims of Spanish Officers Brutality

• When he failed to greet a Guardia Civil because it was very

dark, he was brutally slashed by the latter.
 Excellent Literary Works of Rizal

• A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino Youth)- won 1st price

in Artistic Literary lyceum of Manila. The Council Of Gods-
won 1st price which defeated Spanish.
• Junto Al Pasig (Beside The Pasig) A Filipinas Abd-el Azis y
Mahoma Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon
 Champion of the Filipino Students

• Filipinos were often insulted by the Spaniards calling them

INDIO CHONGO and they retaliated the Spaniards KASTILA
BANGUS. This often leads to school brawls which involves
Rizal. He found the secret society of UST students called
COMPAERISMO (Comradeship), whose members were called
Companions of Jehu. Rizal was the chief of this secret society.
 Unhappy days at UST

• He was unhappy at this Dominican Institution of higher

learning because: The Dominican professors were hostile to
him The Filipino students were racially discriminated against
by the Spaniards. The method of instruction was obsolete and
repressive.
 Decision to study at Spain

• After finishing the fourth year of his medical course, Rizal

decided to continue his studies in Spain. His older brother
Paciano approved his plan and also his sisters Saturnina and
Lucia. He left the country in the name of Jose Mercado. His
parents and beloved Leonor did not know he left but they
were given letter right he left.