THE UNIVERSITY OF

SANTO TOMAS
THE UNIVERSITY OF
SANTO TOMAS
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
Fortunalely, Rizal’s tragic first romance, with its bitter
disillusionment, did not adversely, affect his studies in the
University of Santo Tomas. After finishing the first year of a
course in Philosophy and Letters (1877-1878), he transferred
to the medical course. During the years of his medical studies
in this university which was administered by the Dominicans,
rival educators of the Jesuits, he remained loyal to Ateneo,
where he continued to participate in extra-curricular activities
and where he completed the vocation course in surveying.
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
As a Thomasian, he won more literary laurels, had other
romances with prtty girls, and fought against Spanish students
who insulted the brown Filipino students.
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MOTHER’S OPPOSITION TO HIGHER EDUCATION
After graduating with the highest honors from the
Ateneo, Rizal had go to the University of Santo Tomas for
higher studies. The Bachelor of Arts course during Spanish
times was equivalent only to the high school and junior
college courses today. It merely qualified its graduate to enter
a university. Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to
pursue higher learning in the university.
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But Doña Teodora, who knew what happened to Gom-
Bur-Za, vigorously opposed the idea and told her husband:
“Don’t send him to Manila again; he knows enough. If he gets
to know more, the Spaniards will cut off his head.” Don
Francisco kept quiet and told Paciano to accompany his
younger brother to Manila, despite their mother’s tears.
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Jose Rizal himself was surprised why his mother, who
was a woman of education and culture, should object to his
desire for a university education. Years later he wrote in his
journal: “Did my mother perhaps have a forebonding of what
would happen to me? Does a mother’s heart really have a
second sight?”
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RIZAL’S ENTERS THE UNIVERSITY
In April 1877, Rizal who was then nearly 16 years old,
matriculated in the University of Santo Tomas, taking the
course on Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled in this course
for two reasons: (1) his father liked it and (2) he was “still
uncertain as to what career to pursue”. He had written to
Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo, who had been
good to him during his student days in that college,
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
asking for advice on the choice of a career. But the Father
Rector was then in Mindanao so that he was unable to advise
Rizal. Consequently, during his first-year term (1877-1878) in
the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal studied Cosmology,
Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History of Philosophy.
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
It was during the following term (1878-1879) that Rizal,
having received the Ateneo Rector’s advice to study medicine,
took up the medical course, enrolling simultaneously in the
preparatory medical course and the regular first year medical
course. Another reason why he chose medicine for a career
was to be able to cure his mother’s growing blindness.
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FINISHES SURVEYING COURSE IN ATENEO (1878)
During his first school term in the University of Santo
Tomas (18777-1878), Rizal also studied in the Ateneo. He
took the vocational course leading to the title of perito
agrimensor (expert surveyor). In those days, it should be
remembered, the colleges for boys in manila offered
vocational courses in agriculture, commerce, mechanics, and
surveying.
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
Rizal. As usual, excelled in all subjects in the surveying
course in the Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in agriculture and
topography. At the age of 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. The title was issued
to him on November 25, 1881.
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Although Rizal was then a Thomasian, he frequently visited
the Ateneo. It was due not only to his surveying course, but more
because of his loyalty to the Ateneo, where 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. He continued to participate actively in the
Ateneo’s extra-curricular activities. He was president of the
Academy of Spanish Literature and secretary of the Academy of
Natural Sciences. He also continued his membership in the
Marian Congregation, of which he was the secretary.
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ROMANCES WITH OTHER GIRLS
Notwithstanding his academic studies in the University
of Santo Tomas and extra-curricular activities in the Ateneo,
Rizal had ample time for love. He was a romantic dreamer
who liked to sip the “nectar of love”. His sad experience with
his first love had made him wiser in the ways of romance.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

Segunda Katigbak Leonor Valenzuela

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Shortly after losing Segunda Katigbak, he paid court to a
young woman in Calamba. In his student memoirs, he called
her simply “Miss L”, describing her as “fair with seductive and
attractive eyes”. After visiting her in her house several times,
he suddenly stopped his wooing, and the romance died a
natural death. Nobody today knows who this woman was. Rizal
himself did not give her name. hence, her identity is lost to
history. However, he gave two reasons for his change of heart,
namely: (1) the sweet memory of segunda was still fresh in his
heart and (2) his father did not like the family of “Miss L”.
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Several moths later, during his sophomore year at the
University of Santo Tomas, he boarded in the house of Doña
Concha Leyva in Intramuros. The next-door neighbors of
Doña Concha were Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela from Pagsanjan, Laguna, who had a charming
daughter named Leonor. Rizal, the medical student from
Calamba, was a welcome visitor in the Valenzuela home,
where he was the life of the social parties because of his
clever sleight-of-hand tricks.
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He courted Leonor Valenzuela, who was a tall girl with a
regal bearing. He sent her love notes written in invisible ink.
This ink consisted of common table salt and water. It felt no
trace on the paper. Rizal, who knew his chemistry, taught
Orang (pet name of Leonor Valenzuela) 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. But, as with Segunda,
he stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang.
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Rizal’s next romance was with
another Leonor--- Leonor Rivera --- his
cousin from Camiling. In 1879, at the start
of his junior year at the university, he lived
in “Casa Tomasina”, at No. 6 Calle Santo
Tomas, Intramuros. His landlord-uncle,
Antonio Rivera had a pretty daughter,
Leonor, a student at La Concordia
College, where Soledad (Rizal’s youngest
sister) was then studying.
Leonor Rivera
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
Leonor, born in Camiling, Tarlac, on April 11, 1867, was
a frail, pretty girl “tender as a building flower with kindly,
wistful eyes”. Between Jose and Leonor sprang a beautiful
romance. They became engaged. In her letters to Rizal,
Leonor signed her name as “Taimis”, in order to camouflage
their intimate relationship from their parents and friends.
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VICTIM OF SPANISH OFFICER’S BRUTALITY
When Rizal was a freshman medical student at the
University of Santo Tomas, he experienced his first taste of
Spanish brutality. One dark night in Calamba, during the
summer vacation in 1878, he was walking in the street. He dimly
perceived the figure of a man while passing him. Ot knowing the
person due to darkness, he did not salute nor say a courteous
“Good Evening”. The vague figure turned out to be a lieutenant
of the Guardia Civil. With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal, whipped
out his sword and brutally slashed the latter on the back.
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The wound was not serious, but it was painful. When he
recovered, Rizal reported the incident to General Primo de
Rivera, the Spanish governor general of the Philippines at that
time. But nothing came out of his complaint, because he was
an Indio and the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard. Later, in
a letter to Bluementritt, dated March 21, 1887, he related: “I
went to the Captain-General but I could not obtain justice; my
wound lasted two weeks”.
 THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
A POET IS BORN TO THE PEOPLE
In 1879, the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila held two
contests --- one for the peninsulares and another for the
natives. Rizal decided to submit a poem entitled “A La
Juventud Filipina”. It won first prize, consisting of a silver pen.
The poem cannot claim excellence, but it is significant in that
it was the first public expression of patriotism of Rizal. It urges
the Filipino youth to hold its head high for “its is the fair hope
of my motherland”.
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On it’s third year 1880-1881, the Liceo, in
commemoration of the death anniversary of Cervantes, held a
contest, this time without discrimination. Rizal entered the
contest and submitted a piece entitled “El Consejo de los
Dioses”. He was 18 years old. In spite of the fact that the
board of judges was composed of peninsulares, and that
there were 14 contestants, among them friars, journalists,
writers, and professors, Rizal got the first prize, consisting of a
gold ring, with the bust of Cervantes carved in cameo on top.
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The judges justified their decision with the following
declaration: “The idea and message are of great originality
besides the fact that it excels in its entirely in style, an
admirable wealth of details, delicacy of thought, and figure of
speech.” (Bantug and Ventura, 1997)
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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. Despite all
objections, the prize was awarded to Rizal, a gold ring on
which was engraved the bust of Cervantes. A Spanish writer,
D.N. del Puzo, won the second prize. For the first time in
history, an Indio --- a nineteen-year old Filipino medical
student at that --- excelled in a national literary contest,
defeating several Spanish writer of his time in Manila.
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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.
The winning allegory of Rizal was a literary masterpiece
based in the Greek classics. In writing it, Rizal, although a student
of the University of Santo Tomas, was aided by the kind Father
Rector of the Ateneo in securing the needed reference materials.
The allegory established a parallel among Homer, Virgil, and
Cervantes.
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The gods discuss the comparative merits of these great
writers and finally decide to give the trumpet to Homer, the
lyre to Virgil, and the the laurel to Cervantes. The allegory
gloriously closes with the naiads, nymphs, satyrs, and other
mythological characters dancing and gathering laurels for
Cervantes.
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El Consejo de los Dioses is a play in poetic prose which
narrates the meeting of the gods at Mount Olympus, presided
over by Jupiter to choose the most important work of universal
literature. The dialogue is very interesting and gives evidence
to the literary and mythological culture of Rizal. After a heated
debate, Jupiter, advised by Justice, decides that Homer, Virgil,
and Cervantes are of equal excellence. Rizal exalted
Cervantes and Hispanism.
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Aside from the two prize-winning works mentioned above,
Rizal, although studying medicine, produced other poems and a
zarzuela, this zarzuela was Junto al Pasig (Beside the Pasig), which
was staged by the Ateneans on December 8, 1880, on the occasion
of the annual celebration of the Feast Day of the Immaculate
Concepcion, Patrones of the Ateneo. He wrote it as President of the
Academy of Spanish Literature in the Ateneo.
As a piece of literature Junto al Pasig is mediocre. But there
are passages in it which express in subtle satire the author’s
nationalist ideas. For instance, Rizal makes Satan say that the
Philippines ----
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“Now without comfort,
Sadly groans in the power of a foreign people,
And slowly dies
In the impious clutch of Spain.”
In the same year (1880), he wrote a sonnet entitled A
Filipinas for the album of the Society of Sculptors. In this
sonnet, he urged all Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines.
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The year before, in 1879, he composed a poem entitled
Abd-el-Azia y Mahoma, which was declaimed by an Atenean
Manuel Fernandez, on the night of December 8, 1879 in
honor of the Ateneo’s Pastroness.
Later, in 1881, he composed a poem entitled Al M.R.P
Pablo Ramon. He wrote this poem as an expression of
affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the Ateneo rector, who had
been so kind and helpful to him.
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RIZAL’S VISIT TO PAKIL AND PAGSANJAN
In the summer month of May, 1881, when he was still a
medical student at the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal went on
a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of the Birhen
Maria de los Dolores. He was accompanied by his sisters ---
Saturnina, Maria, and Trinidad and their female friends. They
took a casco (flat-bottom sailing vessel) from Calamba to Pakil,
Laguna, and stayed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel
Regalado, whose son Nicolas was Rizal’s friend in Manila.
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Rizal and his companions were fascinated by the famous
turumba, the people dancing in the streets during the procession
in honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores.
In Pakil Rizal was infatuated by a pretty girl colegiala,
Vicenta Ybardolaza, who skillfully played the harp at the
Regalado Home. From Pakil, Rizal and his party made a side
trip to the neighboring town of Pagsanjan for two reasons --- it
was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela, one of Rizal’s girl
friends in Manila, and to see the world famed Pagsanjan Falls.
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CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS
Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students 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!” In
retaliation, the Filipino students called them “Kastila, bangus!”
Hostility between these two groups of students often exploded
in angry street rumbles.
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Rizal participated in these student brawls. Owing to his
skill in fencing, his prowess in wrestling, and his indomitable
courage, he distinguished himself in these student skirmishes.
In 1880 he founded a secret society of Filipino students in the
University of Santo Tomas called Compañerismo
(Comradership), whose members called “Companions of
Jehu,” after the valiant Hebrew general who fought the
Armaeans and ruled the Kingdom of Israel for 28 years (843-
816 B.C).
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He was the chief of this secret student society, with his
cousin from Batangas, Galicano Apacible, as secretary. As chief,
he led the Filipino students into cmbat against the Spanish
students in various street fights.
In one of the fierce encounters between the Filipino
students and their pale-skinned detractors near the Escolta in
Manila. Rizal was wounded on the head. His friends brought him
bleeding and covered with dust to his boarding house, “Casa
Tomasina”. Leonor Rivera tenderly washed and dressed his
wound.
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During Christmas vacation of 1881, Rizal received a letter in
Calamba from Leonor Rivera, with the signature she usually used
(Taimis). She complained of Rizal’s failure to write. His
subsequent conduct indicates, however, that Rizal’s love for her
had not diminished at all.
Jose Rizal was unhappy of his medical studies at the UST.
He was unhappy at this Dominican institution because of the
Dominican professors were hostile to him. Filipino students were
racially discriminated and their method of instruction was obsolete
and repressive. Because of this,
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Rizal failed to win high scholastic honors. In the first year of the Philosophy
course, Rizal got an excellent ranting, but not impressive in the four years
of his medical course.

DECISION TO STUDY ABROAD

After finishing the fourth year of his medical course, Rizal decided to
study in Spain. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry,
discrimination, and hostility in University of Santo Tomas. His older brother
readily approved his going to Spain and so did his two sisters Saturnina
(Neneng) and Lucia, Uncle Antonio Rivera, the Valenzuela family, and
some friends.
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For the first time, Rizal did not seek his parents’
permission and blessings to go abroad, because he knew that
they, especially his mother, would disapprove it. He did not bring
his beloved Leonor into his confidence either. He had enough
common sense to know that Leonor, being a woman, young and
romantic at that, could not keep a secret. Thus Rizal’s parents,
Leonor, and the Spanish authorities knew nothing of his decision
to go abroad in order to finish his medical studies in Spain,
where the professors were more liberal than those of the
University of Santo Tomas.