Rizal's Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

• Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna, on June 19, 1861.
• He attended Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he excelled, earning the nickname "emperor" for his academic performance.
• He was awarded a religious picture for his first prize in a school competition.
• Rizal's first professor at Ateneo was Father Jose Bech.
• He studied surveying and agriculture at Ateneo in 1877-1878.
• Rizal graduated from Ateneo with the highest honors in 1877.
• He enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for a degree in Philosophy and Letters in April 1877.
• He shifted to medicine after a year, inspired by his desire to treat his mother's failing eyesight.

Literary Achievements

• Rizal wrote two early poems while at Ateneo: "Por la education recibe lustre la patria" (Through education, the country receives light) and "Alianza intima entre la religion y la Buena education" (the intimate alliance between and good education).
• His poem "A la Juventud Filipina" (To the Filipino Youth) won the top prize at the Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila in 1880.
• He won the first prize again in 1881 for his play "El Consejo de Dioses" (The Council of the Gods).
• Rizal's one-act play, "Juanito al Pasig," satirized the friars and was written while he was the president of the Academy of Spanish Literature at Ateneo.

Love Life and Relationships

• Rizal's first romance was with Segunda Katigbak, but it was unsuccessful as she was engaged to another man.
• Consuelo Ortega y Rey was another woman Rizal was romantically involved with, but their relationship ended because of their respective engagements to others.
• O sei-san, a Japanese woman, was another love interest.
• He also had a romantic relationship with Gertrude Beckett, but it ended because he could not reciprocate her feelings.
• Suzanne Jacoby, a niece of his landlady in Brussels, was another woman who fell in love with Rizal, but their relationship ended when he left Belgium.
• Rizal's romance with Nelly Boustead, the daughter of Eduardo Boustead, ended due to religious differences and disapproval from Nelly's mother.
• Rizal had a relationship with Pastora Necesario, a beautiful weaver from Dapitan, but she later married another man.
• He fell in love with the Irishwoman Josephine Bracken at first sight. They married but their son died a few hours after birth.

Journey to Spain

• Rizal decided to leave for Spain in 1882 due to the oppressive Spanish rule in the Philippines.
• He left the Philippines on May 3, 1882, taking the steamer SALVADORA under the name Jose Mercado.
• He arrived in Barcelona, Spain, on June 16, 1882.
• He spent three days at Hotel Noailles in Marseilles when his steamer docked there.
• He wrote the essay "Amor Patrio" upon reaching Spain and sent it to Basilio Teodoro Moran to be published in Diariong Tagalog.

Life in Barcelona and Madrid

• Rizal studied medicine and Philosophy and Letters at the Unibersidad Central de Madrid.
• He also studied painting and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in San Fernando.
• Rizal was deeply affected by the novels "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "The Wandering Jew" which furthered his ideas about the plight of the oppressed.
• He joined the Masonic Lodge Acacia in Madrid in 1883, taking the Masonic name Dimas-Alang.
• He joined the Masonry for two reasons: the abuse committed by friars against Filipinos and to seek protection from the tyranny and oppression of the Spanish rule.
• He became a Master of Mason in Lodge Solidaridad.
• He was involved in the riots at the Central University, protesting against the conservative position of the Catholic bishops.
• He was awarded a Licentiate in Medicine in June 1884 and a Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters in June 1885.

Explore the formative years of José Rizal, focusing on his early life, education at Ateneo Municipal de Manila, and literary achievements. The quiz covers his academic honors, influences, and notable works, providing insights into how his early experiences shaped his future endeavors.