DR. JOSE PROTACIO MERCADO RIZAL ALONZO Y REALONDA MEANINGS OF NAME •Doctor- completed his medical course in Spain and was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid •Jose- was chosen by his mother who was a devotee of the Christian saint San Jose (St. Joseph) •Protacio- from Gervacio P. which come from a Christian calendar •Mercado- adopted in 1731 by Domigo Lamco (the paternal great-greatgrandfather of Jose Rizal) which the Spanish term mercado means ‘market’ in English •Rizal- from the word ‘Ricial’ in Spanish means a field where wheat, cut while still green, sprouts again •Alonzo- old surname of his mother •Y- and •Realonda- it was used by Dona Teodora from the surname of her godmother based on the culture by that time •June 19, 1861- moonlit of Wednesday between eleven and midnight Jose Rizal was born in the lakeshore town of Calamba, Laguna •June 22, 1861- aged three days old, Rizal was baptized in the Catholic church •Father Rufino Collantes- a Batangueno, the parish priest who baptized Rizal •Father Pedro Casanas- Rizal’s godfather, native of Calamba and close friend of the Rizal family •Lieutenant-General Jose Lemery- the governor general of the Philippines when Rizal was born RIZAL’S PARENTS Don Francisco Mercado (1818-1898) -born in Binan, Laguna on May 11, 1818 -studied Latin and Philosophy at the College of San Jose in Manila -became a tenant-farmer of the Dominican-owned hacienda -a hardy and independent-minded man, who talked less and worked more, and was strong in body and valiant in spirit -died in Manila on January 5, 1898 at the age of 80 -Rizal affectionately called him “a model of fathers” Dona Teodora Alonso Realonda (1826-1911) -born in Manila on November 8, 1826 -educated at the College of Santa Rosa, a well-known college for girls in the city -a remarkable woman, possessing refined culture, literary talent, business ability, and the fortitude of Spartan women -is a woman of more than ordinary culture: she knows literature and speaks Spanish (according to Rizal) -died in Manila on August 16, 1911 at the age of 85 THE RIZAL CHILDREN -Eleven children—two boys and nine girls 1. Saturnina (1850-1913) -oldest of the Rizal children -nicknamed Neneng -married Manuel T. Hidalgo of Tanawan, Batangas 2. Paciano (1851-1930) -older brother and confident of Jose Rizal -was a second father to Rizal -immortalized him in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere as the wise Pilosopo Tasio -Rizal regarded him as the “most noble of Filipinos” -became a combat general in the Philippine Revolution -died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor aged 79 -had two children by his mistress (Severina Decena)—a boy and a girl 3. Narcisa (1852-1939) -her pet name was Sisa -married to Antonio Lopez (nephew of Father Leoncio Lopez), a school teacher of Morong 4. Olimpia (1855-1887) -Ypia was her pet name -married Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph operator from Manila 5. Lucia (1857-1919) -married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba, who was a nephew of Father Casanas -Herbosa died of cholera in 1889 and was denied Christian burial because he was a brother-in-law of Dr. Rizal 6. Maria (1859-1945) 1 -Biang was her nickname -married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Binan, Laguna 7. Jose (1861-1896) -the greatest Filipino hero and peerless genius -nickname was Pepe -lived with Josephine Bracken, Irish girl from Hong Kong -had a son but this baby-boy died a few hours after birth; Rizal named him “Francisco” after his father and buried him in Dapitan 8. Concepcion (1862-1865) -her pet name was Concha -died of sickness at the age of 3 -her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life 9. Josefa (1865-1945) -her pet name was Panggoy -died an old maid at the age of 80 10. Trinidad (1868-1951) -Trining was her pet name -she died also an old maid in 1951 aged 83 11. Soledad (1870-1929) -youngest of the Rizal children -her pet name was Choleng -married Pantaleon Quintero of Calamba •Rizal always called her sisters Dona or Senora (if married) and Senorita (if single) •Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso Realonda married on June 28, 1848, after which they settled down in Calamba •The real surname of the Rizal family was Mercado, which was adopted in 1731 by Domingo Lamco (the paternal great-great grandfather of Jose Rizal), who was a full blooded Chinese) •Rizal’s family acquired a second surname—Rizal—which was given by a Spanish alcalde mayor (provincial governor) of Laguna, who was a family friend RIZAL’S ANCESTRY •FATHER’S SIDE 2 Domingo Lamco (a Chinese immigrant from the Fukien city arrived in Manila about 1690) Ines de la Rosa (Well-to-do Chinese Christian girl of Changchow Francisco Mercado Cirila Bernacha Juan Mercado (Rizal’s grandfather) Cirila Alejandro Had thirteen children, the youngest being Francisco Mercado (Rizal’s father) •MOTHER’S SIDE THE RIZAL HOME -was one of the distinguished stone houses in Calamba during the Spanish times -it was a two-storey building, rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones and hard-woods and roofed with red tiles -by day, it hummed with the noises of children at play and the songs of the birds in the garden; by night, it echoed with the dulcet notes of family prayers •The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in Spanish Philippines •The Rizal family had a simple, contented and happy life CHILDHOOD YEARS IN CALAMBA -Calamba was named after a big native jar -Calamba was a hacienda town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which also owned all the lands around it •Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a poem about Rizal’s beloved town written by Rizal in 1876 when he was 15 years old and was student in the Ateneo de Manila •The first memory of Rizal, in his infancy, was his happy days in the family garden when he was three years old •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 Rizal’s infancy was the nocturnal walk in the town, especially when there was a moon •The death of little Concha brought Rizal his first sorrow •At the age of three, Rizal began to take a part in the family prayers •When Rizal was five years old, he was able to read haltingly the Spanish family bible •The Story of the Moth- made the profoundest impression on Rizal -“died a martyr to its illusions” •At the age of five, Rizal began to make sketches with his pencil and to mould in clay and wax objects which attracted his fancy •Sa Aking Mga Kabata (To My Fellow Children)- Rizal’s first poem in native language at the age of eight -reveals Rizal’s earliest nationalist sentiment •At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first dramatic work which was a Tagalog comedy INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD 3 Lakandula (The last native king of Tondo) Eugenio Ursua (Rizal’s maternal Great-great Grandfather of Japanese Ancestry) Benigma (a Filipina) Regina Manuel de Quintos (a Filipino from Pangasinan) Brigida Lorenzo Alberto Alonso (a prominent Spanish Filipino mestizo of Binan) Narcisa, Teodora (Rizal’s mother), Gregorio, Manuel at Jose (1) hereditary influence (2) environmental influence (3) aid of Divine Providence •Tio Jose Alberto- studied for eleven years in British school in Calcutta, India and had traveled in Europe inspired Rizal to develop his artistic ability •Tio Manuel- a husky and athletic man, encouraged Rizal to develop his frail body by means of physical exercises •Tio Gregorio- a book lover, intensified Rizal’s voracious reading of good book •Father Leoncio Lopez- the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty EARLY EDUCATION IN CALAMBA AND BINAN •The first teacher of Rizal was his mother, who was remarkable woman of good character and fine culture —her mother •Maestro Celestino- Rizal’s first private tutor •Maestro Lucas Padua- Rizal’s second tutor •Leon Monroy- a former classmate of Rizal’s father became Rizal’s tutor that instructed Jose in Spanish and Latin. He died five months later •Sunday afternoon in June, 1869- Rizal left Calamba for Binan accompanied by Paciano •Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz- Rizal’s teacher in a private school in Binan -Rizal described his teacher as follows: He was thin, long-necked, with a sharp nose and a body slightly bent forward •Pedro- the teacher’s son which Rizal challenged to a fight •Andres Salandanan- challenged Rizal to an arm-wrestling match •Juancho-an old painter who was the father-in-law of the school teacher; freely give Rizal lessons in drawing and painting •Jose Guevara- Rizal’s classmate who also loved painting, became apprentices of the old painter •“the favorite painters of the class”- because of his artistic talent •Christmas in 1870-Rizal received a letter from his sister Saturnina, informing him of the arrival of the steamer Talim which would take him from Binan to Calamba •Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870- Rizal left Binan after one year and a half of schooling •Arturo Camps- a Frenchman friend of Rizal’s father who took care of him on board DAILY LIFE IN BINAN -Heard the four o’ clock mass then at ten o’ clock went home at once and went at school at two and came out at five -The day was unusual when Rizal was not laid out on a bench and given five or six blows because of fighting MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA •Night of January 20, 1872- about 200 Filipino soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under the leadership of Lamadrid, Filipino sergeant, rose in violent mutiny because of the abolition of their usual privileges •Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora- were executed at sunrise of February 17, 1872, by order of Governor General Izquierdo •The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za in 1872 truly inspired Rizal to fight the evils of Spanish tyranny and redeem his oppressed people •Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER •Before June, 1872- Dona Teodora was suddenly arrested on a malicious charge that she and her brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poison the latter’s perfidious wife •Antonio Vivencio del Rosario- Calamba’s gobernadorcillo, help arrest Dona Teodora •After arresting Dona Teodora, the sadistic Spanish lieutenant forced her to walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz (capital of Laguna province), a distance of 50 kilometers •Dona Teodora was incarcerated at the provincial prison, where she languished for two years and a half •Messrs. Francisco de Marcaida and Manuel Marzan- the most famous lawyers of Manila that defend Dona Teodora SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA (1872-1877) •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 •Escuela Pia---- Ateneo Municipal--- Ateneo de Manila 4 •June 10, 1872- Rizal accompanied by Paciano went to Manila •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 trained the character of the student by rigid discipline and religious instructions -Students were divided into two groups: •Roman Empire- consisting of internos (boarders); red banner •Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders); blue banner •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 Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat” The coat material was called rayadillo FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO (1872-1873) •Father Jose Bech- Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo whom he described as a “tall thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose ends fell toward the chin •A Religious picture- Rizal’s first prize for being the brightest pupil in the whole class •To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during the noon recesses. He paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons •At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation •When the summer vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year term in Ateneo. This time he boarded inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. His landlady was an old widow named Dona Pepay 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 5 •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 pocketknife •Father Lleonart- impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to carve for him an image of Sacred Heart of Jesus ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN •Felix M. Roxas- one of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo, related an incident of Rizal’s schooldays in Ateneo which reveals hero’s resignation to pain and forgiveness. “Neither bitterness nor rancor towards the guilty party” •Manuel Xerez Burgos- This anecdotes illustrates Rizal’s predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO -It was Dona Teodora who was first discovered the poetic genius of her son, and it was also she who first encouraged him to write poems. However it was Father Sanchez who inspired Rizal to make full use of his God-given gift in poetry •Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration), 1874- the first poem Rizal probably wrote during his days in Ateneo which was dedicated to his mother on her birthday; Rizal wrote it before he was 14 years old -In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal wrote more poems, as such: 1. Felicitacion (Felicitationi) 2. El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet) 3. Y Es Espanol; Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First to Circumnavigate the World) 4. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo) -In 1876, Rizal wrote poems on various topics-religion, education, childhood memories and war. They were as follows: 1. Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town)- a tender poem in honor of Calamba, the hero’s natal town 2. Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y la Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education)- Rizal showed the importance of religion in education 3. Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education the Country Receives Light)- Rizal believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation 4. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil (The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil)- this martial poem describes the defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada 5. La Entrada Triunfal de los Reyes Catolices en Granada (The Triumphal Entry of the Catholic Monarchs into Granada)- this poem relates the victorious entry of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel into Granada, last Moorish stronghold in Spain -A year later, in 1877, Rizal wrote more poems. It was his last years in Ateneo. Among the poems written that year were: 1. El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Columbus)- this poem praises Columbus, the discoverer of America 2. Colon y Juan II (Columbus and John II)- this poem relates how King Kohn II of Portugal missed fame and riches by his failure to finance the projected expedition of Columbus to the New World 3. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great Misfortune)- this is a legend in verse of the tragic life of Columbus 4. Un Dialogo Aluviso a la Despedida de los Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogue of the Students)- this was the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo; it is a poignant poem of farewell to his classmate •Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus)- this poem was written in 1875 when Rizal was 14 years old; it was a brief ode •A La Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary)- another religious poem which doesn’t have exact date when it was written •San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, the Martyr)- a drama based on the prose story of St. Eustace which he wrote in poetic verses during the summer vacation of 1876 and finished it on June 2, 1876 MEDICAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882) -After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), Rizal transferred to the medical course -“Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets to know more, the Spaniards will cut off his head.”- Dona Teodora, vigorously opposed the idea that Rizal pursue higher learning in the university 6 •April 1877- Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old, matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and Letters because (1) his father like it (2) he was “still uncertain as to what career to pursue” •Father Pablo Ramon-Rector of Ateneo, who had been good to him during his student days in that college, asking for advice on the choice of a career but unfortunately he was in Mindanao •It was during the following term (1878-1879) that Rizal, having received the Ateneo Rector’s advice to study medicine •During Rizal’s first school term in the University of Santo Tomas (1877-1878), Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor) •Rizal excelled in all subjects in the surveying course in Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in agriculture and topography •November 25, 1881- the title was issued to Rizal for passing the final examination in the surveying course •Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila- a society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest in the year 1879 •A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth)- Rizal, who was then 18 years old, submitted this poem -is an inspiring poem of flawless form. Rizal beseeched the Filipino youth to rise from lethargy, to let genius fly swifter than the wind and descend with art and science to break the chains that have long bound the spirit of the people -this winning poem of Rizal is a classic in Philippine literature for two reasons: (1) it was the great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary authorities (2) it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos, and not the foreigners, were the “fair hope of the Fatherland” •The Board of Judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem and gave it the first prize which consisted of a silver pen, feather-shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon •El Consejo de los Dioses (The Councils of the Gods)- an allegorical drama written by Rizal which he entered in the literary contest of Artistic-Literary Lyceum in 1880 to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes -was a literary masterpiece based on the Greek classics •The prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on which was engraved the bust of Cervantes •D.N. del Puzo- a Spanish writer, who won the second prize •Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig)- a zarzuela which was staged by the Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Feats Day of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo - Rizal wrote it as President of the Academy of Spanish Literature in Ateneo •A Filipinas- a sonnet written by Rizal for the album of the Society of Sculptors; in this sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines •Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma- Rizal composed a poem in 1879 which was declaimed by an Atenean, Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December 8, 1879, in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness •Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon- Rizal composed a poem in 1881, as an expression of affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo rector, who had been so kind and helpful to him •Vicenta Ybardolaza- a pretty girl colegiala who skillfully played the harp at the Regalado home, whom Rizal was infatuated in Pakil •Rizal mentioned Turumba (wherein the people dancing in the streets during the procession in honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores) in Chapter VI of Noli Me Tangere and Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (united States—Saturday, May 12, 1888), where he said that Niagara Falls was the “greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so beautiful nor fine as the falls at Los Banos, Pagsanjan” •Companerismo (Comradeship)- Rizal founded a secret society of Filipino students in University of Santo Tomas in 1880 •Companions of Jehu- members of the society whose after the valiant Hebrew general •Galicano Apacible-Rizal’s cousin from Batangas who is the secretary of the society UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST -Rizal found the atmosphere at the University of Santo Tomas suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of higher learning because (1) the Dominican professors were hostile to him (2) the Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards (3) the method of instruction was obsolete and repressive -In Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino students were humiliated and insulted by their Dominican professors and how backward the method of instruction was, especially in the teaching of the natural sciences. He related in Chapter XIII, “The Class in Physics” SHATTERING THE MYTH ABOUT RIZAL AND THE PONTIFICAL UST This can be very exhaustive as I deal with historical facts apropos of the relationship of Jose Rizal with the University of Santo Tomas. I am indebted to Fr. Fidel Villaroel, OP, the eminent historian and former archivist of the UST Archives for giving me the distinct privilege (without going through the norms and policies) of touring the archives and letting me examined some important documents pertaining but not principally to the history of the Philippines. As a pioneering institution of learning – from the martyrdom of Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, to the propaganda movement, to the revolution of 1896, to the birth of the Republic in 1898, to the commonwealth period and finally to the restoration of 7 independence in 1946 – it is therefore presumptuous to assume the UST has had a hand in the making of the history of the Philippines. Sadly, in spite of some efforts of few academicians and historians to present a more truthful history of the UST during the Spanish era, many still were caught off guard and instead decided to rely on meager source materials. Worse, some merely copied what pre-war and post-war authors written in the past 100 years. New generation writers, historians and biographers of Jose Rizal are no exception to such historians like Retana, Craig, Russel, Laudback, Coates, Hernandez and Zaide who had pictured a villain character of the university. As what Fr. Villaroel said, none of the biographers and historians took the time of looking into the original academic records of Rizal. Neither there were efforts on their part to make a study on UST based on the archival records of the Pontifical University. “It has been treated inadequately, at times, with a good deal of misunderstanding, exaggeration or prejudice.” The second confusion was their failure to understand the underlying principles behind the anti-friars and anti-UST writings of Rizal particularly the El Fili. After seeing the documents at the UST Archives and reading Fr. Villaroel’s well-written study on Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas, I can only scoff at those who bask at their ignorance and use many of the myths to advance their cause. Such is the case of some pexers here who undoubtedly use these myths for their own good. In the words of Dr. Serafin Quiason, former chairman of the National Historical Institue, “it is a great virtue of his (Fr. Villaroel) study that he sweeps away many of the myths which have passed for facts for almost three quarters of a century. He has solved many difficult questions and the readers can be grateful for a valuable and devoted piece of work.” This thread intends to rectify some issues pertaining to the negative pictures projected about Rizal’s relationship with his alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas based on the study by Fr. Villaroel who had diligently dug through the archival materials of UST and Archivo de la Provincia del Sto. Rosario. Was Rizal discriminated and treated shabbily by the Dominicans? Why did he leave UST? Why did he criticize the University years later? How are the stories of El Filibusterismo to be understood? Here are some excerpts from Fr. Fidel Villaroel’s study: MYTH: Rizal complained about his grades in UST and was discriminated and treated shabbily by the Dominicans. FACTS: (1) Rizal entered the UST in 1877, enrolling in the Pre-Law Course, which was made up of philosophical subjects. The course was commonly called metaphysics. He passed the course brilliantly with the highest grades in spite of his initial indifference to philosophy and his youthful distractions through the year. Then he opted for the career of medicine. And in 1878-1879 he took simultaneously the Pre-Medical Course and the First Year of Medicine; this was against the rules, but Rizal was favored with a dispensation. The Pre-Medicine Course was also called Ampliacion, because the student, having taken already Physics, Chemistry and Natural History in the high school, now took an advanced course on the same subjects (Rizal did not take in Santo Tomas the “class of physics” described in El Fili but rather in Ateneo). In his courses of medicine, Rizal was a good student, above-average, though not excellent; but none of his classmates were excellent either. Summing up, in the 21 subjects taken in UST, Rizal obtained one aprobado (passing grade), eight bueno (good), six notable (very good) and six sobresaliente (excellent). Majority of students in Rizal’s time, or in any time, would have been satisfied with the above grades. It is possible that Rizal was not, but it is a fact that he never complained about his grades, there is not a single word in his works showing displeasure at the unfairness of UST. Yet many of his biographers are angry, unreasonably angry (including anti-ust pexers?) at the treatment given to the national hero by his alma mater. How could Rizal, after a perfect record of “Excellent” in the high school (Ateneo) now receive such “low” grades at UST? The critics had to look for an explanation, and since they did not find fault in Rizal, then they had to blame the Dominicans and UST. And from Retana to Austin Craig, from Frank Lauback to Austin Coates and to quite a long line of Filipino biographers (with some exceptions), we only hear the same repeated lamentation that every school child must now learn in the textbooks: that Rizal was “below his usual standards”, and for the extremely serious charge that the “Dominican professors were hostile to him” and “the Filipino students were racially discriminated” (Zaide), and that there was “excessive harping on the alleged intellectual superiority of the Spanish (because he was white) to the Filipino, a brown man, and Indio (JM Hernandez), and so on. An objective historian must squarely face and honestly answer these grave statements, which sound like accusations. Was Rizal “far below his usual standards”? What standards, in the first place? If by usual standards we mean the grades of his Ateneo high school studies, the comparison is unfair. Nobody places elementary or high school standards against college or University standards. They belong to different levels. At Ateneo municipal, Rizal was excellent, though not the only excellent student. At the UST, none of his classmates ever got near to keeping a straight record of Excellent. And this was because Medicine was a different kind of stuff altogether. Therefore, if we are to arrive at a just appreciation of Rizal’s performance at the UST, we should compare, not his grades in the high school with those in the university, but Rizal’s grades in Medicine against those of his classmates. In the first year of medicine, Rizal’s class was made up of 24 students, but due to academic failures, seventeen of them were left by the roadside before they reached the fourth year, when only seven took the final examinations. And in this fourth (and for Rizal last) year, he landed in second place behind Cornelio Mapa. A persecuted Rizal would have probably ended by the 8 same roadside as the seventeen “debarred” classmates, or would have never boasted of being second when he left for Spain in 1882. (2) It can hardy be said that Rizal was discriminated and treated shabbily by the Dominicans since he was granted the rare privilege of studying simultaneously in the Preparatory Course of Medicine and the First Year of Medicine. Records likewise show that six Spaniards were enrolled with Rizal in the first year of Medicine, of whom three were Peninsular and three Philippine-born. If the criticism of some biographers were true, these six students would have been favored by the friars. Yet at the end of the fourth year there remained only one Philippine-born Spaniard, Jose Resurreccion y Padilla, who managed to get only a poor passing grade (aprobado), last among successful students, and who in the following year received a crushing suspenso. It would be unkind to rejoice over failures, whether of Spanish or of Filipinos, but the biographers of Rizal will not be convincing unless they prove with valid documents the existence of “racial discrimination” in UST in the 19th century when it came to academic grades. (3) Rizal’s inclinations and abilities must be taken into account. While he was undoubtedly inclined to, and remarkably fitted for, the arts and letters, he was not much attracted to Medicine. “Perhaps – says Leon Ma. Guerrero – Medicine was not his real vocation”. Medicine was a convenient career taken up in consideration of the poor health of Rizal’s mother, whom he wanted to help, and eventually helped as a physician. (4) When Rizal transferred to Spain and continued his studies at the University of Madrid, he showed there similar characteristics. He was sobresaliente in the humanistic studies (literature, languages, history), while in Medicine he fared worse than at the University of Santo Tomas. Ye no historian or biographer has ever complained about his poor performance in Madrid or hinted that Rizal was discriminated against in that Central University. (5) Rizal had Dominican friends in the persons of Fr. Evaristo Arias and Fr. Joaquin Fonseca. It was while studying at UST that Rizal obtained public recognition as a poet. It was the Dominican; Fr. Arias who helped him cultivate his craft in poetry. During his Thomasian years, Rizal composed the best poems of his pre-European period, one of them being A la Juventud Filipina, winner of the first prize in the contest organized by the Liceo Artistico-Literario in 1879. MYTH: Rizal is said to have left UST for the following reasons: a. because a certain professor of UST caused him displeasure (P. Pastells, SJ, 1897) b. because the atmosphere in UST (meaning Thomistic atmosphere) suffocated him, and “it is presumed that because of it he left” (E. Retana, 1907) c. because in his class of medicine the lay professor made a statement contrary to the textbook and then he refused to permit discussion or to give explanations; “so Rizal decided he was wasting his time to remain in the University” (Craig, 1909) d. because he found unfriendliness in the University, (Lauback, 1936) e. because UST could not give “fuller learning” to the youth, and its “usefulness was almost, if not altogether nil.” (D. Abella, 1965) FACT: Twenty authors quoting from the same erroneous source commit the same error twenty times over. Therefore, what the quoted authors have said must be submitted to scrutiny. More significantly, all the authors quoted above have one thing in common: none of them quote any historical source, like words from Rizal’s correspondence, his articles, etc. If any source is ever mentioned it is infallibly the novel El Fili. But is there not, we ask, a better source to support historical facts than a novel? In the present case, there seems to be no other, and for one fundamental reason: because Rizal never revealed in clear terms why he left the Philippines in 1882. Neither he nor his brother Paciano, nor his uncle Antonio Rivera, nor his most intimate friends. Not a clear word from them, who were the only persons who could have known. This fact leads us to conclude that the writers who put the blame for Rizal’s departure on the University of Santo Tomas are only guessing, honestly guessing of course, but mistakenly. It is almost needless to enter into discussion with those writers who lay the responsibility for Rizal’s departure at the door of UST. But let us face the question squarely. (1) It has been stated that a certain professor, more concretely a lay professor of medicine, disagreed with the textbook and refused to entertain discussion on the topics of his subject (so Pastells and Craig). This professor is identified by Craig as one who, some years later, was classmate of Rizal at the University of Madrid. He was Dr. Jose Franco who, as professor of Rizal in Santo Tomas, had threatened to fail the whole medical class (P. Pastells). But granting that Professor Franco was speaking seriously, it is quite improbable that Rizal decided to leave the Philippines for an incident with one professor, who besides did not fail him in the final examinations. Rizal’s companions and friends did not seem to have noticed any misunderstanding between Rizal and any professor, as shown in a letter of Jose M. Cecilio: “Your departure without notice has caused surprise among many friends to the point of stirring their curiosity. They ask whether there were serious matters going on which prompted you to leave.” (2) To attribute Rizal’s departure to what oneauthor calls “rampant bigotry, discrimination and persecution” existing in UST, whether said in general or whether specifically referring to Rizal, is a gratuitous accusation expressed in readymade phrases loaded with feeling. I presume that an educational policy like the one implied in such words has never existed in any school or university anywhere in any period. As for Rizal, we have already explained with academic records on hand, that there was in fact a discrimination in his favor when he was allowed to take simultaneously the Preparatory course of Medicine and the First Course of Medicine Proper. And finally, he was one of the seven, out of 26, who reached 9 the beginning of the fifth year course, which he started in Madrid. All this has been shown here without rhetoric, without feeling and only with the aid of laconic, diplomatic record as basis. (3) That the UST did not provide “fuller learning” to its students, and that this prompted some of them like Rizal to go abroad, as suggested by some authors, might be as true then as it can be true at any other period of her history. This can also be said of any Philippine university today. The temptation to try better institutions abroad is always better, and those who can afford it, occasionally fall for it. There is no denying that, in the last quarter of the 19th century, Europe offered to the students of science, philosophy, literature and every aspect of material progress, horizons of learning that no colonial land in other continents could possibly give in such measure. But if many student like Rizal went abroad is search of “fuller learning” and profited from that experience, it would be wrong to conclude that a university like UST was therefore worthless. Whether by choice or by the force of circumstances many more students stayed behind than left for Europe, and those who remained received a tertiary education of such quality that enabled them to become builders of the Philippine Republic. Thomasians trained here and only here were Pedro Pelaez and Jose Burgos, Apolinario Mabini and Cayetano Arellano, Manuel Araullo and the Mapa brothers, Sergio Osmena and Manuel L. Quezon, Leon Maria Guererro and Anacleto del Rosario, Felipe Calderon and Epifanio de los Santos, etc. and most of the men of the Malolos Congress, all belonging to the generation of Rizal. Until further historical research can project more light on the life of Rizal, little more remains to be said on this point. This little more is reduced to the following: If neither the UST records nor the correspondence of Rizal with Paciano and his family nor his letters to or from his intimate friends can support the alleged misunderstanding between Rizal and the University; if those documents do not explain the reasons for Rizal’s departure for Spain, then i believe that the only valid recourse left to the historian is the recourse to the oral tradition. And two traditions come handily on our way, one preserved in Rizal’s own family and another in the University of Santo Tomas. MYTH: The “Class of Physics” (Chapter 13) in El Filibusterismo is autobiographical of Rizal’s stay in UST and that Rizal’s antifriars and anti-UST writings are reflective of how the national hero loathed the University. FACT: (1) While in Europe (1882-1892), Rizal changed considerably in at least one aspect, in his attitude towards religion. He gave up some basic and essential tenets of his faith and ceased to be a practicing Catholic. This was due mainly to his continuous association with many rationalist thinkers and liberal politicians of Spain and other countries of Europe. A new rationalistic approach to life and his affiliation to freemasonry accentuated his anti-clerical sentiments and his antipathy for the Catholic Church, for her belief and external manifestations (dogmas, rites and rituals and devotional life). These changes in Rizal must be taken into account when assessing his ironic criticism of the Church, the religious Orders and the University of Santo Tomas. History showed that the attacks thrown by propagandists at Santo Tomas, particularly the Church, were just part and parcel of the clash between liberalism and Thomism. And that the attack thrown at Santo Tomas , which was under the Royal patronage of Spain, was not unique since every university in Europe like Oxford received the same fate for upholding Thomism. The Vatican in an encyclical endorsed Thomism as an instrument to counteract rationalism, which at that time began to penetrate all spheres of society. (2) Crucially affecting this new attitude of criticism were the events that occurred in Calamba from 1887 onwards as a result of the famous agrarian litigation between his family and the Dominican Hacienda. Whatever reasons for dissension might have existed in previous years due to worsening economic conditions affecting the country at large, Rizal’s personal intervention in the affair in 1887 precipitated the legal suit. The case ended in the courts with an adverse sentence against the family and other tenants and the tragic deportation of some of Rizal’s immediate relatives. That social question and lawsuit had nothing to do with the UST, but it surely soured Rizal’s pen when writing about an educational institution that was run by the owners of Calamba Hacienda. We have here another factor for his critical attitude; again he had not in mind any past academic experience. (3) The novel El Fili was written precisely during the years of the Calamba agrarian crisis (any student of literature or a practicing writer would agree that if there are things that affect the consciousness of a writer, it would be the moment, the milieu, and the race). The “Class of Physics” is the subject of chapter 13 of the Fili, a subject that some historians and biographers have used and abused lavishly. They have a reason, because the story comes in very handily to illustrate the student years of Rizal at the UST, regardless of the novelistic character of the source. The practical question here is whether the story of the “Class of Physics” really happened on even one day, whether it reflects educational methods practiced in UST in the 19th century, or whether Rizal was just creating a scene suitable to the aims of the novel, that is, to attack and discredit the religious institutes. Some biographers easily believe Retana’s remark that “this chapter is an accurate picture of what happened in the Pontifical University of Manila when Rizal studied there.” a remark written of course, when Retana had turned into a bitter enemy of the religious orders. But even taking for granted that Rizal based his story on some incident that happened during his university years, this is no reason to conclude that the general life of the University was similar. And as for the bleak picture of the physical classroom itself, the UST still possess the schedules of classes in those years, and the Class of Physics is invariably assigned to the Physics Laboratories, not to an ordinary classroom. Finally, Austin Coates’ statement that this chapter of the Fili is “clearly autobiographical” is totally unacceptable, if by autobiographical he meant that the experience of Placido was actually felt by Rizal personally or by some of his classmates. And the reason is very simple: Rizal did not take Physics at the UST. He had taken that course at the Ateneo 10 Municipal in 1876-1877. Rafael Palma who took up Physics and Chemistry in 1890 at Ateneo Municipal, a little over ten years after Rizal, recalled later that the laboratory materials in use at the Ateneo for teaching Natural History and Physics were “very poor” (Rafael Palma, My Autobiography, Manila 1953). The whole chapter is a caricature, very useful for the aims of the novel; it is not Rizal’s biography. IN SUNNY SPAIN (1882-1885) -After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal decided to complete his studies in Spain -Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizal has his “secret mission”—was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny -This Rizalian secret mission was likewise disclosed by Paciano in his letter to his younger brother dated Manila, May 20, 1892 -Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars •Jose Mercado- Rizal used this name; a cousin from Binan •May 3, 1882- Rizal departed on board the Spanish streamer Salvadora bound for Singapore SINGAPORE•Donato Lecha- the ship captain from Asturias, Spain befriended Rizal -Rizal described him as an affable man, “much more refined than his other countrymen and colleagues that I have met.” •Rizal played chess with his fellow passengers who were much older than he •May 8, 1882- while the steamer was approaching Singapore, Rizal saw a beautiful island, fascinated by its scenic beauty, he remembered “Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga” •May 9, 1882- the Salvadora docked at Singapore •Hotel de la Paz- Rizal registered here and spent two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of England FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO •In Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a French steamer, which left Singapore for Europe on May 11, 1882 •May 17, 1882- Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) •Rizal wrote on his travel diary: “The general appearance of Point Galle is picturesque but lonely and quiet and at the same time sad” •Colombo- capital of Ceylon -Rizal was enamoured by Colombo because of its scenic beauty and elegant buildings -“Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila” •For the first time, Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa, which he called an “inhospitable land but famous” •Aden- city hotter than Manila -Rizal was amused to see the camels, for the first time •City of Suez- the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal -Rizal was impressed in the beautiful moonlight which reminded him of Calamba and his family •Suez Canal- canal which built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat-engineer) which was inaugurated on November 17, 1869 •Port Said- the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal NAPLES AND MARSEILLES •June 11, 1882- Rizal reached Naples -Rizal was pleased on this Italian city because of its business activity, its lively people, and its panoramic beauty •Night of June 12, 1882- the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles •Rizal visited the famous Chateau d’If, where Dantes, hero of the Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned •Rizal stayed two and a half days in Marseilles BARCELONA •Afternoon of May 15, 1882- Rizal left Marseilles by train for the last lap of his trip to Spain •Rizal crossed the Pyrenees and stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou •June 16, 1882- Rizal finally reached his destination—Barcelona •Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the greatest city of Cataluna and Spain’s second largest city, was unfavorable •Las Ramblas- the most famous street in Barcelona •Amor Patrio (Love of Country)- nationalistic essay, Rizal’s first article written on Spain’s soil -under his pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882 11 -it was published in two texts—Spanish and Tagalog—the Spanish text was the one originally written by Rizal in Barcelona, the tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by M.H. del Pilar •Basilio Teodoro Moran- a friend of Rizal in Manila and the publisher of Diariong Tagalog where Rizal sent this article •Diariong Tagalog- the first Manila bilingual newspaper (Spanish and Tagalog) •Los Viajes (Travels)- Rizal’s second article for Diariong Tagalog •Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid)- Rizal’s third article written in Madrid on November 29, 1882 but returned to him because the Diariong Tagalog had ceased publication for lack of funds •Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging Manila and the provinces according to Paciano’s letter, dated September 15, 1882 •Another sad news from the Philippines was the chatty letter of Chengoy recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera •In one of his letters (dated May 26, 1882), Paciano advised his younger brother to finish the medical course in Madrid •Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid, the capital of Spain LIFE IN MADRID •November 3, 1882- Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in two courses—Medicine and Philosophy and Letters •Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando- Rizal studied painting and sculpture •Rizal’s only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in every draw of the Madrid Lottery •Rizal spent his leisure time reading and writing at his boarding house, attending the reunions of Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers (Antonio, Maximo and Pedro) and practicing fencing and shooting at the gymnasium •Antigua Cafe de Levante-during the summer twilights, this is where Rizal sipped coffee and fraternized with the students from Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, etc •On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived with his son (Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo) •Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle)- a society of Spaniards and Filipinos which Rizal joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882 •Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me For Verses)- upon the request of the members of this society, Rizal’s wrote this poem which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of December 31, 1882 -in this sad poem, Rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart •Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books from a second-hand book store owned by a certain Senor Roses •Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew- these two books aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 03:30:35 +0000
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