Rizal’s Life, Works and Writings

Zshyna Mae C. Vargas, MPA

 Childhood Years in Calamba

 At the age of 3, Rizal learned the alphabet from his
mother. They had a library with more than 1,000
books.
 When he was 4, his little sister Concha died.
 His 3 uncles (mother’s side) taught him many things.
 Uncle Manuel – fencing, swimming, wrestling,
horseback riding
 Uncle Gregorio – scholar and love for education
 Uncle Jose Alberto – paint, sketch, sculpture
 Childhood Years in Calamba
 As he turned 7,

Rizal and his
father made a
pilgrimage to
Antipolo to
fulfill a vow
made by his
mother should
she and her
then newborn
survive the
ordeal of
delivery.
 Childhood Years in Calamba
 One of his profound

memories was a fable told by
her mother about “The
Story of the Moth”.
 At the age of 8, he wrote his
first poem “Sa Aking mga
Kababata” written in
Tagalog.
 When Rizal was 10, his
mother was sent to jail on
malicious charge of poisoning
her sister-in-law.
 When he was 11, the
execution of GomBurZa
happened.
Childhood Years in Calamba

Childhood Years in Calamba

 Childhood Education

 Rizal’s first teacher was his mother, Doña Teodora.
 As Pepe grew older, his parents employed private
tutors to give him lessons at home. The first was
Maestro Celestino and the second was Maestro Lucas
Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a
former classmate of Rizal’s father, became his tutor.
He lived at the Rizal home and instructed Jose in
Spanish and Latin. Unfortunately, he died five months
later.
 Pepe’s parents later decided to send their gifted son to
a private school in Biñan.
 Childhood Education

 At the age of 9, Rizal stayed in Biñan at his aunt’s
house with his cousin Leandro.
 He continued his studies under Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz where he surpassed all Biñan boys in all
the subjects.
 On his first day in school, he had a fight with the
Maestro’s son – Pedro, and another in the afternoon –
Andres Salandanan.
 He met an old painter named Juancho, Maestro’s
father-in-law, who freely gave him drawing and
painting lessons.
 Childhood Education

Rizal’s daily routine
 4am attends mass / study lessons
 5am eat breakfast
eat mabolo
 7-10am attends class
 11-2pm lunch
 2-5pm attends class
 5pm play / study lessons
eat dinner
play at night
Childhood Education

 Rizal left Biñan after staying
there for 1 and ½ years. He
rode the steamer Talim and
he was taken care of by a
Frenchman named Arturo
Camps, a friend of his father.
 His father was surprised as to
why he was home. His father
needed to check if it was true
that Maestro Cruz has no
more to teach him. Rizal was
home on Dec.17, 1870.
 Rizal at Ateneo Municipal

 In 1872, Jose went to Ateneo Municipal (now Ateneo
de Manila), a college which was managed by the
Jesuits in Manila.
 However, he was refused by Fr. Magin Fernando,
College Registrar because he was late for registration
and he was sickly and undersized for his age.
 He was helped by Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Fr.
Burgos.
 He was assigned under the Carthaginian Empire
(externos).
 Though he started as a weakling he then became
“emperor”.
Rizal at Ateneo Municipal

Rizal at Ateneo Municipal

 During his 2 year, he had a
nd

prophecy that his mother would be

freed, and it came true during his
third year.
 He became an interno during his 4th
year. He graduated with highest
honors in all his subjects when his
schooling ended in 1877 with a
Bachelor of Arts degree. It entitled
him to enroll in any university.
 During his stay in Ateneo, he
continued writing poems and he also
made sculptural pieces. Sacred Heart
Rizal’s First Love
 Jose Rizal was only a 
young
boy of 16 when he first fell in
love, and it was with Segunda
Katigbak, a girl from Lipa,
Batangas, 14.
 Rizal went to Trozo, Manila one day to visit his
grandmother together with his friend, Mariano
Katigbak. Mariano's sister Segunda was there at the
old woman's house along with other guests. Rizal was
drawn to hear instantly. Some of the other guests
asked Rizal to draw a portrait of Segunda. He
obliged, and reluctantly worked on a pencil sketch of
the girl while blushing.
 Rizal’s First Love

 Unfortunately, Segunda was already engaged to be
married to her townmate, Manuel Luz, and although
Rizal had gotten hints of the lady's affection for him,
he timidly decided to back away and did not
propose.
 Years later Segunda returned to Lipa and wed her
betrothed, leaving a frustrated Rizal to the mercy of
his nostalgic memories. Rizal said while recording his
first romance three years later, "Ended, at an early
hour, my first love! My virgin heart will always
mourn the reckless step it took on the flower-decked
abyss. My illusions will return, yes, but indifferent,
uncertain, ready for the first betrayal on the path of
love."
Studies at University of Santo Tomas

 Studies at University of Santo Tomas

 In April 1877, Rizal enrolled at UST for a degree in
Philosophy and Letters. Because his father liked it and Fr.
Pablo Ramon (Ateneo Rector), hasn’t replied yet.
 After a year, he shifted to medical course as suggested by
Fr. Ramon and to treat his mother.
 During the same school year, 1877-1878, he also
studied surveying and agriculture course in Ateneo de
Manila. In 1878, he passed the surveyor’s exam at the
age of 17.
 Rizal experienced Spanish brutality and arrogance when
he was slashed at the back.
 Rizal won in a literary contest by the Artistic and
Literary Lyceum, in two consecutive years asserting the
prowess of Filipinos.
 Studies at University of Santo Tomas

1877 – 1878 (Philosophy and Letters)
Cosmology and Metaphysics Sobresaliente
Theodicy Sobresaliente
History of Philosophy Sobresaliente
1878 – 1879 (First Year – Medicine)
Physics Mediano (Fair)
Chemistry Sobresaliente
Natural History Mediano
Anatomy 1 Bueno(Good)
Dissection 1 Bueno
 Studies at University of Santo Tomas
Anatomy 2 
1879 – 1880 (Second Year – Medicine)
Bueno
Dissection 2 Bueno
Physiology Bueno
Private Hygiene Bueno
Public Hygiene Bueno
1880 – 1881 (Third Year – Medicine)
General Pathology Mediano
Therapeutics Sobresaliente
Surgery Bueno
1881 – 1882 (Fourth Year – Medicine)
Medical Pathology Aprovechade (Very Good)
Surgical Pathology Aprovechade
Obstetrics Aprovechade
 Miss L and Orang
 Rizal courted a

young woman in Calamba. He
called her simply Miss L describing her as fairly
seductive with attractive eyes. Nobody knows who
this woman was.

 During Rizal’s sophomore years,

he courted Leonor Valenzuela.
She was a tall girl who carried
herself with grace and elegance.
He sent her love notes, which he
wrote in invisible ink made from
a mixture of water and table
salt.
 True Love

 Rizal’s next love – believed by many as his true love
was named Leonor Rivera, his cousin from
Camiling, Tarlac.
 Leonor's father had provided
room and board in Casa
Tomasina, Intramuros for
Rizal when the youth was still
starting his third year at the
university. The young girl was
then a student at La
Concordia College where
Soledad, Rizal's little sister
was also studying.
 True Love
 Leonor was "tender

as a budding flower with
kindly, wistful eyes." She and Rizal eventually
became engaged. In her letters, she signed her
name as "Taimis" in order to hide their intimate
relationship from the girl's parents.
 In the autumn of 1890, however, Rizal received a
letter from Leonor telling him of her coming
marriage to a man whom her mother chose to be
her mate, Henry Kipping -- an Englishman -- and
begged for his forgiveness. This broke Rizal's heart
deeply.