Hello, I'm Humi. In this chapter, we will talk about Rizal's high school and college life. What were his experiences as a university student at Ateneo, USTe, and various schools in Europe such as the Universidad Central de Madrid? We will also discuss his life abroad. What kind of work did he do in Japan, the USA, Hong Kong, and various countries in Europe? Above all, we will find out what the Propaganda Movement means and what it has to do with national heroes. Before we get to Rizal's studies at the Ateneo, let 's first talk about Gom-Bur-Za. Maybe there's... *9:52 brain fart sorry hehe Maybe you already have an idea who they are, or if not, you've likely encountered that portmanteau, especially last year because it became popular on social media. They went viral, but not because of their 150th death anniversary that year, but because of this clip. Netizens reacted strongly to this. The incident resulted in various comments, memes, and articles. Commentators say that today's generation only knows TikTok. That all they do is flirt and flirt instead of studying. The reactions from this clip range from concerns about the educational system to being borderline malicious. It even comes to the point that someone even made a parody song for the incident. I'll be honest with you, I'm more disappointed in the bashing the internet gave than the housemates' answers. This is because I don't really blame the housemates for not knowing who the Gom-Bur-Za are. Now, before you hit the dislike button.... - No, I already hit it. ...I have reasons why. Well first, because I used to be biased towards Gabb in MNL48 so I don't want to see her being bullied hehehehehehe. - Oh my god, this is just sad! - Double dislike. But on a serious note, let's first consider the context of this clip. They were playing quiz bee. So, it's easy to judge the housemates if you're just lying comfortably in your house facing the screen. That you don't feel the pressure of the game or that it's not in your mind that millions of people are watching you. If you were one of those who criticized them before and you're thinking about it now... - Well, that's just basic knowledge Humi. - Even a pressured child can answer that. Go ahead! Let's now test your knowledge of the three martyrs. The question… What are the full names of the three martyred priests? then ok, you're right. And I would like to apologize that I was wrong. Maybe the quiz bee was really easy and they should have answered it correctly. That's what I'm saying if you notice that this isn't Gomez, this isn't Burgos, and this isn't Zamora. This is Gomez, this is Burgos, and this is Zamora. But if you noticed that I jumbled their names, then I-I-I would like to apologize again. Sorry for tricking you, the passive-aggressiveness of my voice, and I should have known better. That's what I would say if you noticed that the surname Gomez is not spelled with a "z" but with an "s." According to Sol H. Gwekoh's book about the three martyred priests, when Mariano took on parochial work, he discovered that he had similar names. So what Mariano did was change his last name from Gomez (with a z) to Gomes (with an s). So he chose the letter "s" to reflect his identity as a Tagalista, which means you are proficient in the Tagalog language. Gomes (with an s) was also used by Mariano before he was killed. We can see this in his signed last will and testament. If you still noticed that, then fine, I just embarrassed myself. But another reason why I don't blame them is because it is unlikely that you will remember everything you were taught, especially in subjects that are very detail-oriented. One example of that is this course. You can't remember everything that happened in Rizal's life. There's a good chance you'll forget who his siblings are, or who his friends are, or how old he is, or what his exact height is. But just because you can't recall it, does that mean you're stupid? Of course not. How is history taught in our schools? Let's take GomBurZa as an example. Yes, they were taught Social Studies but when? Still elementary. If you're one of those who have difficulty recalling what you learned in college, then what else did you learn when you were younger? You could also argue that... There are books and the internet. There, they can get information. While it is true that there are always books and the internet to turn to for information, students may not use it due to a lack of intellectual curiosity. Even if your teacher is good, there's still a chance that they didn't study it very well or skipped it because their time was limited. Or because the school they attend requires too much work. Of course, the student also has a part in this. If a student who is not struggling with life and mental issues really doesn't want to study, no matter how hard or talented his teacher is and how good his school is, then there's nothing we can do. But saying that we don't have an educational crisis problem wouldn't solve anything. Also, what are these netizens saying that there is nothing wrong with the educational system? YOUR GRAMMAR IS WRONG, YOU GUYS--- Ok, we're getting a little carried away. According to Thomas A. Kempis in his book The Imitation of Christ, Hopefully the next time a clip like this goes viral again, and trust me there will be more, we will refrain from judging ourselves. I hope someone doesn't get called stupid, lazy, foolish, immature, or flirtatious just because they answered a quiz incorrectly. Because they're not like that. In fact, if we watch the entirety of this game, we will see that they answered many questions correctly. Also after this MaJoHa incident, the housemates went to a museum and took another exam. And you know what, they got a decent score. They got 8 out of 9 correct answers. I will end this rant with this quote from the Historian Xiao Chua in his take on the MaJoHa incident. Whether you have an idea or not, let's still go back to Gom-Bur-Za just for clarity. It is important for us to know what they have experienced because their deaths in 1872 had a great influence on the Independence Movement and the life of Rizal. As historian Teodoro Agoncillo said, " I note, there are many versions of this incident." And the reason for this is that we don't have a record of their trial. So, what we will use in this video is Edmund Plauchut's account. That's what we're going to use because that's what La Solidaridad used in 1892, and I've already done his PPT and I don't want to change it. So... On January 20, 1872, Filipinos working in an arsenal or weapons factory in Fort San Felipe, Cavite were shocked. They were shocked because their meager salary had been unfairly deducted. Their privileges to not pay taxes were removed. They also have to pay a fee so they are not forced to work. They had had those privileges since 1740, but they were withdrawn when a new Governor-General came to the Philippines, Rafael de Izquierdo. Because the Filipino workers were so angry at what the governor-general had done, that very evening they began to revolt against the Spaniards. The events that occurred here are what we now call the Cavite Mutiny. It's just that because the Spaniards had such strong power, this rebellion ended easily. It only lasted about two days. According to historian O.D. Corpuz, what followed the Cavite Mutiny was a period best described as the "Terror of 1872." Filipinos who participated in the uprising were imprisoned. Some were killed, some were sent away, there were soldiers who were finishing squads, and what people will never forget, the clubbing of three priests. On February 17, 1872, three priests, Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, were killed with a club in Bagumbayan. And the reason why they were killed was because they were the masterminds or the brains behind the failed uprising. I won't go into specifics about why the Spaniards are so hot on GomBurZa because that would be a pretty long explanation. But if you're interested in learning about it, there's a video here made by historian Xiao Chua. What you need to know right now is the impact of their deaths. The Filipinos were angry because they knew the three priests were innocent and they were killed even though they were innocent. The incident showed that the Spanish authorities were willing to kill innocent people just to maintain their power. That it is easy for them to belittle and not value the rights and dignity of a Filipino. What does this have to do with Rizal? This Paciano, Rizal's older brother, was a friend, student, and housemate of Fr. Jose Burgos. And Paciano witnessed how a person he had sought guidance and support from was killed. When GomBurZa was killed, young Rizal was only 10 years old. His older brother Paciano told him why clubbing his best friend was unfair. And this story left an indelible impression on Jose Rizal, inspiring him to become an advocate for social justice. And we can see this inspiration in his writings. As a tribute to the martyrs, Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to their memory. June 1872. Four months had passed since the three priests were killed with clubs. Rizal's mother, Donya Teodora, is still in prison due to a poisoning case that has not been proven. But first, Rizal had to put aside the noise of the world. He needs to focus on his own future first. He needs to prepare for his high school studies. On June 10th, Jose, along with his older brother Paciano, went to Manila. There, Jose took the exam at the College of San Juan de Letran, the school his father wanted for him, and he passed. When they returned to Calamba, his father, Don Kiko, changed his mind. Don Kiko said, you know, it would be better if instead of studying at Letran, you went to its fierce rival, Ateneo. I can't blame Don Kiko for changing his decision and tiring his children. In the 19th century, the Ateneo was the most prestigious university in the entire Philippines and the best place for a man to study secondary education. The reason for this is that the Ateneo was run by the Jesuits. The Jesuits of this time held rigorous intellectual standards and taught college-like courses even to students who were only in high school . Ateneo also emphasized religious instruction, advanced education, rigid discipline, physical culture, and the cultivation of the arts such as music, drawing, and painting. Where are you? That's why Rizal and his brother Paciano returned to Manila to enroll. However, he was not immediately accepted into Ateneo. Why? The college registrar at the time was Father Magin *Ferrando, and he refused Rizal's admission for two reasons. First, he registered late, and second, he was pale, thin, and small for an eleven-year-old. But fortunately, with the help of Manuel Burgos, Father Burgos' nephew, he was accepted into the institution. The name he used while registering was not Jose Mercado, but Jose Rizal. He can't use their last name, Mercado, because that last name would resonate with the authorities. The reason he is famous is because Padre Burgos is a friend of his older brother Paciano Mercado . Rizal earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ateneo, a six-year program that exposes a student to five subjects. There is Christian Doctrine. Languages of Spanish, Latin, Greek, and French. History and Geography including World History and Geography, History of Spain and the Philippines. There is also Mathematics and Sciences, which includes Geometry, Trigonometry, Mineralogy, Chemistry, Physics, Botany and Zoology. And the Classic Disciplines, which are Poetry, Rhetoric, and Philosophy. Teaching at Ateneo is also quite unique. To encourage healthy competition, classes in a section were then divided into two groups so that they could constantly compete against each other. The first group is the Roman Empire, which consists of interns or students who live within the school. The second group was the Carthaginian Empire, which consisted of externs or students who lived outside of school. Also within each empire, its members compete against each other to obtain the highest ranks, called dignitaries. The highest position in an empire was the Emperor, followed by the Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer. Now that we have a background on Ateneo, let 's find out what Rizal's personal experience was while he was a student there. On Rizal's first day at Ateneo, he first listened to mass in the university chapel and prayed fervently to God. May this give him guidance and success. After mass, he went to his class. Here he noticed that he had many Spanish, Mestizo, and Filipino classmates. Because he was a newcomer and not yet very proficient in Spanish, Rizal was only at the end of the class as an externo. However, he quickly proved that he was a diligent and capable student. After just one week, he was already promoted to a higher rank. In the following days, his rank continued to rise, and after just one month, he became the Emperor of their empire. In recognition of his achievement, Rizal was awarded a religious picture. If you're a little bored with the prize, I promise, he'll be thrilled with it. He said in his student memoir: “How pleased I was when I won my first prize!” To become more proficient in Spanish, Rizal took private lessons at Santa Isabel College during his recess. There, he paid three pesos per month, a significant amount of money at the time. The reason for this was because of the unkind remarks made to him by his teacher, which demotivated him. But let's be clear, Rizal's grades are not failing. Still high. I know it sounds devastating but he didn't fail, he just came in second. In fact, at the end of his first year, he still earned a grade of "sobresaliente" or "excellent" in all his subjects. The only difference this time was that he wasn't awarded a prize. When Rizal finished his first year at Ateneo, he returned to Calamba for vacation. He didn't enjoy it much because his mother was still incarcerated. That's why he decided to visit it in Santa Cruz. At first, he thought that the only thing he would feel from the visit would be great joy because he would be surprising his mother. But the opposite happened. Rizal's second year at Ateneo was not very interesting. All we can say about this part is that he is still disappointed with the rank he got last year. So this school year, he worked hard to fix it. That effort was successful because he returned to his position as emperor of their empire. When the school year ended, Rizal's grades were still outstanding in all subjects and he even managed to win a gold medal. When he returned to Calamba for vacation, Rizal did not hesitate and quickly visited his mother. He told Donya Teodora about his achievements at Ateneo and funny anecdotes about his professors and classmates. While the mother and daughter were talking, Donya Teodora told her about a dream she had the other night. His son gave it meaning. Rizal said that the dream meant that his mother would be freed after just three months. Donya Teodora just smiled, because Teodora felt that her daughter was just making her happy and comforting her. During this time, Rizal was entering adolescence. And like other teenagers at this time, his interest turned to reading romantic novels. His favorite book to read is “The Count of Monte Cristo”, a story about Edmond Dantes - a man imprisoned despite being innocent - who escapes to seek revenge. Maybe that's why Rizal's favorite was because he related to it. The book reminds him of the unjust imprisonment of his mother and the struggles experienced by his homeland. Another book that inspired Rizal was the book Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor. This book is not a romantic novel, but rather a historical book that criticizes the Spanish regime. When Rizal returned to Ateneo, his mother surprised him. Donya Teodora announced that her daughter's prediction was correct. That he will be released from prison after just a few months. In his studies, Rizal still struggled a bit with Spanish and felt that he was still not giving his best. His grades are still high , all A's, but he's sad because he only got one medal this school year. The medal he got was for Latin, but he thinks he should have gotten one for his subject Spanish as well. It just so happened that because his proficiency was still limited, the medal went to his classmate. But in Rizal's defense, the reason his classmate was fluent in Spanish was because he was a Spaniard. No, nothing good happened here. Uh... all we can say at this time is that Rizal is still disappointed in himself. Rizal's favorite teacher was Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez who is a Spanish Jesuit priest. During Pepe's fourth year at Ateneo, he was tutored by Fr. Sanchez in the subjects Rhetoric, Greek, and Geometry. Pepe, or as the priest calls him Pepito, has become his teacher, this Fr. Sanchez last school year. But strangely, Rizal did not mention this in his student memoirs. One possible reason is that Rizal was not happy with the results that year. And so are his parents, who this school year have already boarded Pepito at school. Which means, he is now an intern. This Fr. Sanchez had a great influence on Pepito's development as a poet. He noticed that Rizal was improving in Spanish and encouraged him to write in that language. This is one of the reasons why almost everything Rizal wrote was in Spanish. He knows Tagalog, but he uses it less when writing. The Noli, Spanish. El Fili, also Spanish. Makamisa, Rizal's third novel, was originally written in Tagalog, but he also rewrote it and wrote it in Spanish. Anyway, Rizal had a renewed enthusiasm for studying. With the encouragement of Fr. Francisco Sanchez, Rizal wrote these poems: The first poem, This poem is about Juan Sebastian Elcano, a Spanish navigator who completed the first circumnavigation of the world after Magellan died. This piece is, basically, a tribute to the SPANISH sailor. The second poem, this poem pays tribute to FERDINAND MAGELLAN and SPAIN. The third poem, WHAT THE FU- (Cannes-style acting) I trusted you Rizal! I trusted you! Wasn't this Rizal anti-Spain? I thought he had become aware of the Spaniards because of the oppression they inflicted on his mother and GomBurZa? But why are the poems we mentioned that he wrote in praise of the Spaniards? There could be different reasons. First, and you may have heard this, Rizal was not anti-Spain. He was just angry with Spanish officials and their abuses, but not out to betray the country of Spain. But this belief, that Rizal did not want independence, is still highly debated and a bit outdated, so let's not go down that route for now. You can also argue the ethics of the three people I mentioned. You could also say that Rizal was still young when he wrote this. Another reason is that maybe my interpretation of the three poems is wrong. I could be wrong because I'm not a poet and maybe there's an underlying meaning that I just can't see. You could pause the video to read the English versions of the three poems and give them your own meaning. I think the most logical reason why Rizal wrote this is because it was his assignment at Ateneo. At Ateneo where the subject taught is Spanish history. There is Philippine history, but Philippine history under Spain. I also note that not everything Rizal wrote about Ateneo was purely praise for them. According to the book "Jose Rizal: The Man and The Hero" by Pasigui and Cabalu, Anyway, by the end of his fourth year at Ateneo, he had earned five medals for his academic achievements. Two for conduct, one for rhetoric and poetry, one for French, and one for drawing. Rizal returned to Calamba in March 1876 and proudly presented his five medals and high grades to his parents. He was very happy, because he felt that he had at least somehow paid for his father's sacrifices. Before Rizal went on vacation, Fr. gave him Sanches of a challenging task. He gave the boy a Spanish prose version of an Italian versified drama called Saint Eustachius Martyr, that Rizal should turn into a Spanish verse. He also commissioned him to write a poem for his native town of Calamba. The reason he requested this was so that Rizal could perfect his poetic style and to occupy him healthily during vacation. So during vacation, Pepito tried to finish these tasks. Rizal gave the priest what he requested on the first day of class. This is where Fr. realized. Sanchez said that Rizal was good because of his beautiful writing and his ability to follow directions. Rizal graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts from the Ateneo. According to historian Gregorio Zaide, these are the grades he obtained in school. If we look at it, it's consistent. In all of his subjects, he got an excellent grade. I think one of the most important things Rizal learned at Ateneo was the importance of education. In a moving poem he wrote while in school, he likened education to a guiding lighthouse, illuminating the path of a person's behavior and actions. After Rizal studied at the Ateneo, he enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas, a Dominican School that was established since 1611. Rizal's study at UST was opposed by his mother. Which surprised Rizal, because Donya Teodora valued education very much, but now she no longer wanted to send him to school. Although, it's understandable why, especially since what happened in GomBurZa is still fresh in people's minds . In Rizal's student memoir , he wrote: At UST, Rizal took a course in Philosophy and Letters. This was because of his father, who wanted him to study metaphysics - a subject that would give him a solid foundation in the liberal arts, which could prepare him for a career in law. At the same time, he also took a surveying course at Ateneo. After a year, Rizal shifted courses at UST from Philosophy and Letters to Medicine. And the reason for this is because of his mother, who during this time, was going blind. He believes that if he takes medicine, he can cure it. When he was 17, Rizal completed a surveying course at the Ateneo. But because he was underage, he was not immediately given licensure as a surveyor. This title was only issued to Rizal after three and a half years. Rizal's performance at UST was not that good if we compare it to his performance at Ateneo. He still gets high grades, but his grades at UST varied from excellent to fair. It's not like Ateneo where everything is excellent. According to historian Gregorio Zaide, there were three contributing factors why Rizal was not happy studying at the university. First, Rizal's Dominican professors were said to be hostile towards him. Secondly, Filipino students were said to be experiencing discrimination. And third, the method of instruction at this school is said to be obsolete and repressive. The historian is Leon Ma. Guerrero also identified three reasons why Rizal struggled with academic performance at UST. First, he was not satisfied with the university's system of education. Secondly, Rizal was a young man so there were plenty of things to distract him from his studies. And third, the course he wanted wasn't medicine. It's not his passion and we can see it in his grades. Most of his medical subjects have grades that are acceptable, compare them to his true vocation, which is arts. In a literary contest, Rizal won first prize. This is for his poem "A La Juventud Filipina" or in English, "To The Philippine Youth." If you're a little unfamiliar with the title of the poem, here's one of the most famous lines Rizal ever uttered. The phrase "Youth is the Hope of the Nation." Although, he's just a character. In this poem, Rizal boldly declared that the Philippines is the homeland of the Filipino people, not Spain. He was also sincerely convinced that the Filipinos, despite their misfortunes, handicaps, and vicissitudes, were capable of greatness. In another literary contest conducted by the same society, Rizal won first prize again. The competitors entered the contest using assumed names. The contest was dedicated to the commemoration of the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, Spain 's greatest poet and writer of Don Quixote. The first prize was awarded to a beautiful allegory called "The Council of the Other Gods." But when the Spanish judges learned that the author of the allegory was a Filipino, they changed their decision. What happened next was that a Spaniard took home the prize. Rizal was also active as an activist at UST. He often led student protests against discrimination and mistreatment of Filipino students by their Spanish and Mestizo peers. During this time, at the university, racism is rampant. Spanish and Mestizo students call Filipinos "Indio" or "Chongo." Rizal returned the favor by calling them "Castile" or "Bangus." Because of this, student fights on campus and on the streets of Manila are now common. Rizal often won because he knew how to do martial arts. But there were also times when he came home all wounded, like on one occasion, where he was wounded in a fight with Spanish students in Escolta, Manila. To protect everyone from discrimination and mistreatment, Rizal formed a secret group or organization called “Companerismo,” whose members were exclusively Filipino students . Here he is the president and his secretary is his cousin Galiciano Apacible. Everything you've heard up to this point is from various textbooks, biographies, and articles that show Rizal's experience at university. And it is quite clear that our perception of the school at that time would be negative, especially when we compare it to Ateneo. So just to avoid being biased, let's listen to what people at UST say and you alone are the judge of what you believe. In a Facebook post made by The Nostalgic Thomasian, it explained that we have many misunderstandings about Rizal's experience at USTe. First, did Rizal experience discrimination? No, it's not. It is said that Rizal was given a highly unusual privilege where he was allowed to take pre-Med and Med proper. He was also reportedly supported by the Spanish friars at that time. Second, are Filipinos discriminated against? No, it's not. Because if they were discriminated against, why did they get such high grades? Of the original batch of 24 students in Rizal's first year, by the time he reached the 4th year, 17 of them were gone and there were only seven of them. And most of those who disappeared were Spaniards. The top four of the seven remaining students are Filipinos, while the bottom three are all Spaniards. Third, did Rizal get low grades at UST? They said no. They say we shouldn't compare high school to college, because they're different. If we were to compare, Ateneo wouldn't be better than UST, if not Rizal among his classmates. And it turns out, in his fourth year, Rizal ranked second in the class. The one who got first rank was Cornelio Mapa, who is also a Filipino. According to UST archivist Regalado Trota Jose, most biographers of Rizal describe the hero's stay at school too bleakly or negatively. However, the book by Fr. Fidel Villarroel, who was also used as a reference in the Facebook post, will provide us with enriching details and context to know what really happened. Aside from what we mentioned earlier, according to the book, the grades Rizal obtained at UST were almost the same as the grades he obtained while studying in Madrid. These grades are not excellent, but they are above average. It is also important to know that he did not complain about the grades he got at UST, while he complained about what he received in Madrid. According to Lito Zulueta, a UST faculty member, in his essay "Rizal at the University of Santo Tomas: The Misunderstood Years" included in the book Rizal+, it is also not true that Rizal was angry with the Dominicans, because he allegedly had friends of this nationality. It is also wrong to believe that Rizal left UST because of the way he was treated. According to Zulueta, he left because he was "a young man in search of himself." Various comments appear whenever Rizal's studies at UST are discussed. Some say it's biased, some agree, some criticize Rizal's biographers, some say what the connection is, and there's also something about this???????? So what do you think? Are people's stories about Rizal's experience at this school exaggerated? Or is it true that Rizal really did have grievances and that he really experienced discrimination. Again, you're the judge. Also, if you are interested in knowing the answer to this question. A) Why!? What's wrong with you? Why are you like that? What kind of childhood did you experience to be curious about such things? And B).... The answer is seven years. Seven years. Seven years. Seven years.