2. Early Education in Calamba and Biñan
At the age of 3, Rizal learned the alphabet from his mother.
At the age of 5, while learning to read and write, Rizal already
showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his family
and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his
moldings of clay.
At the age of 8, Rizal wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga
Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of one’s
language.
3. “Sa Aking Mga Kabata”
Kapagka ang baya'y sadyang umiibig Ang wikang Tagalog tulad din sa Latin
Sa kanyang salitang kaloob ng langit, Sa Ingles, Kastila at salitang anghel,
Sanglang kalayaan nasa ring masapit Sapagka't ang Poong maalam tumingin
Katulad ng ibong nasa himpapawid. Ang siyang naggawad, nagbigay sa atin.
Pagka't ang salita'y isang kahatulan Ang salita nati'y huwad din sa iba
Sa bayan, sa nayo't mga kaharian, Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
At ang isang tao'y katulad, kabagay Na kaya nawala'y dinatnan ng sigwa
Ng alin mang likha noong kalayaan. Ang lunday sa lawa noong dakong una.
Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita
Mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda,
Kaya ang marapat pagyamaning kusa
Na tulad sa inang tunay na nagpala.
4. Early Education in Calamba and Biñan
Rizal’s parents employed private tutors to give him lessons
at home. The first was Maestro Celestino and the second,
Maestro Lucas Padua.
Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a former
classmate of Rizal’s father became his tutor. This teacher
lived at the Rizal home and instructed Rizal in Spanish and
Latin. Unfortunately, he did not live long. He died five
months later.
After Monroy’s death, Rizal’s parents decided to send their
gifted son to a private school in Biñan.
5. First Day in Biñan School
Paciano enrolled Rizal to the school of Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz.
Rizal met the bully, Pedro. Rizal, who was angry at this bully
for making fun of him during his conversation with the
teacher, challenged Pedro to a fight. Rizal having learned
the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio Manuel, defeated
the bigger boy.
After class, a classmate named Andres Salandanan
challenged him to an arm-wrestling match. Rizal having the
weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his head on the
sidewalk.
6. Best Student in School
In academic studies, Rizal beat all Binan boys. He surpassed
them all in Spanish, Latin, and other subjects.
They were all jealous of his intellectual superiority that they
wickedly squealed to the teacher whenever Rizal had a fight
outside the school, and even told lies to discredit him
before the teacher’s eyes. Consequently the teacher had to
punish Rizal.
He received many whippings and strokes from the ferule.
Rare was the day when he was not stretched on the bench
for a whipping or punished with five or six blows on the
open palm.
7. Education in Manila
Ateneo Municipal de Manila
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1877
at the age of 16
Graduated as one of the nine
students declared sobresaliente
Continued his education to
obtain a degree in land surveying
and assessor
8. Ateneo Municipal de Manila
Rizal was a member of the academy of Spanish Literature
and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
Wrote his first poem Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First
Inspiration) which was dedicated to his mother on her
birthday.
He also wrote Through Education Our Motherland Receives
Light and The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education which showed the importance of religion in
education.
9. “Mi Primera Inspiracion”
Why falls so rich a spray Why seems to me more endearing,
of fragrance from the bowers more fair than on other days,
of the balmy flowers the dawn's enchanting face
upon this festive day? among red clouds appearing?
Why from woods and vales The reason, dear mother, is
do we hear sweet measures ringing they feast your day of bloom:
that seem to be the singing the rose with its perfume,
of a choir of nightingales? the bird with its harmonies.
And the spring that rings with laughter
Why in the grass below upon this joyful day
do birds start at the wind's noises, with its murmur seems to say:
unleashing their honeyed voices "Live happily ever after!“
as they hop from bough to bough?
And from that spring in the grove
Why should the spring that glows now turn to hear the first note
its crystalline murmur be tuning that from my lute I emote
to the zephyr's mellow crooning to the impulse of my love!
as among the flowers it flows?
10. Education in Manila
University of Santo Tomas
Studied Philosophy and
Letters during his first year
Shifted to Medicine
specializing in Ophthalmology
when he found out that his
mother was going blind
11. University of Santo Tomas
Rizal 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
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 the hostility in the
University of Santo Tomas.
12. Education in Europe
Traveled alone to Europe
Madrid in May 1882
Continued his studies in
Medicine at the Universidad
Central de Madrid
Degree of Licentiate in
Medicine in 1884
Degree of Philosophy and
Letters in 1885
13. Spain as a realization
It was a venue for realizing Rizal’s dreams.
He finished his studies in Madrid and this to him was the
realization of the bigger part of his ambition.
His vision broadened to the point of awakening in him an
understanding of human nature, sparking in him the
realization that his people needed him.
It must have been this sentiment that prompted him to
pursue, during the re-organizational meeting of the Circulo-
Hispano-Filipino, to be one of its activities, the publication of a
book to which all the members would contribute papers on
the various aspects and conditions of Philippines life.
14. Spain as a realization
The proposal for the book was unanimously approved.
But afterwards, difficulties and objections were raised, and
a number of gentlemen stood up and refused to discuss
the matter any further in 1884.
Rizal decided not to press the issue any longer.
Although the book was never written, the next year, Pedro
Paterno published his Ninay, a novel sub-titled Costumbres
filipinas (Philippines Customs), thus partly fulfilling the
original purpose of Rizal’s plan.
15. Noli Me Tangere
The idea of writing a novel
grew on him, and later he
decided to write and worked
hard for Noli Me Tangere
He never told anyone about it
until it was finished, though
some of his companions knew
what he was doing
He wrote half of the novel in
Madrid, a quarter of it in Paris
and the rest in Germany
16. Education in Europe
University of Paris (France)
University of Heidelberg
(Germany)
Earned a second doctorate
Inducted as a member of the
Berlin Ethnological Society
and the Berlin
Anthropological Society
under the patronage of the
famous pathologist Rudolf
Virchow
17. University of Heidelberg
25-year-old Rizal completed
in 1887 his eye specialization
under the renowned Prof.
Otto Becker in Heidelberg
Left Heidelberg a poem, “A
las flores del Heidelberg”;
both an evocation and a
prayer for the welfare of his
native land and the
unification of common values
between East and West
18. A las flores del Heidelberg
Go to my country, go foreign flowers, That when the rising sun the height Carry, carry, flowers of Rhine,
Planted by the traveler on his way, Of Koenigsthul in early morn first spies, Love to every love of mine,
And there beneath that sky of blue And with its tepid light Peace to my country and her fertile loam,
That over my beloved towers, Is pouring life in valley, wood, and Virtue to her women, courage to her men,
Speak for this traveler to say grove, Salute those darling ones again,
What faith in his homeland he He greets the sun as it begins to rise, Who formed the sacred circle of our home.
breathes to you. Which in his native land is blazing
straight above. And when you reach that shore,
Go and say.... Say that when the dawn Each kiss I press upon you now,
First brew your calyx open there And tell them of that day he staid Deposit on the pinions of the wind,
Beside the River Necker chill, And plucked you from the border of the And those I love and honor and adore
You saw him standing by you, very path, Will feel my kisses carried to their brow.
still, Amid the ruins of the feudal castle,
Reflecting on the primrose flush you By the River Neckar, and in the sylvan Ah, flowers, you may fare through,
wear. shade. Conserving still, perhaps, your native hue;
Yet, far from Fatherland, heroic loam
Say that when the morning light Tell them what he told you To which you owe your life,
Her toll of perfume from you wrung, As tenderly he took The perfume will be gone from you;
While playfully she whispered, "How I Your pliant leaves and pressed them in For aroma is your soul; it cannot roam
love you!“ a book, Beyond the skies which saw it born, nor
He too murmured here above you Where now its well-worn pages close e'er forget.
Tender love songs in his native enfold you.
tongue.
19. Rizal’s Life in Europe
Jose Rizal lived in Europe for 10 years.
He could converse in more than 10 different tongues.
Excelled at martial arts, fencing, sculpture, painting,
teaching, anthropology, and journalism, among other
things.
During his European sojourn, he also began to write
novels. Rizal finished his first book, Noli Me Tangere, while
living in Wilhemsfeld with the Reverend Karl Ullmer.
