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History of University of Santo Tomas by Villa Rowel

It all started when Jose Rizal and his older brother Paciano studied in
UST during one of the most crucial periods of the history of this country and
of the said University. Paciano is said! to have lived in the house if
"urgos# he is further said! to have been a pupil of the famous priest. $or
two and half centuries% since its foundation in &'&&% the University of Santo
Tomas never e(perienced any serious challenges to its traditional structures
and order or to its constituted authorities. "ut as the school)year &*'+)&*,-
began to unfold% that tran.uility was threatened by a wave of democratic
currents that arrived from Spain as a byproduct of the so)called September
Revolution of &*'*. That year /ueen Isabel II was toppled from ger throne
by a pronunciamiento% and more liberal)minded regime too0 transitory
charge of he nation. 1s a conse.uence% a new sense of civic freedoms was
dawning in the Spanish colonies. In 2anila people began to tal0 assembly%
speech% of the press% of conscience.
3as there really anything wrong with the University4 3e can detect
two radically opposing points of view anout her which condemned her to be
a sign of contradiction% 5n one hand% some contemporary Spaniards had
become apprehensive about the new generation of graduates being bred in
the bosom of the university halls. 5n the other hand% many Spaniards here
and in Spain% as well as the emerging generation of $ilipino nationalists
being educated in the Peninsula thought that the trouble with the Universtiy
was not in the realm of political loyalties% but in the field of dontrinal
orientation. The 6ominican 5rder% which is in charge of education% has
given priority to theological studies.
The idea that University of Santo Tomas in the &+
th
century was
lagging far behind the progress of science does not doe easily. It is an idea
that flows from writer to wirter without the benefit of an e(planation. 7ot
very much unli0e 8-
th
century version% the university of Santo Toamsin the
time of Rizal offered two levels of education% the higher one of the $aculties%
and the fifth year were Physics% 9hemistry and 7atural :istory.
;iberalism is understood here in the conte(t of the &+
th
century use of
the term particularly in the <urpean countries Rizal would visit and admire.
1t the core of liberal spirit was a certain pride latent in the <uropean mind
about its con.uests in the sciences% in technology% industry% human
government% social =ustice% humanrights% etc. ;iberalism penetrated deep into
all areas of human thought and activity.
At the University of Santo Tomas
The first formal contact of the nationl hero with the University of
Santo Tomas too0 place when% at the age of eleven% he was told thar public
1viso% signed by the University>s Secretary ?eneral 6on 1ntonio <strada%
was posted at the 9ourt :ouse of 9alamba% informing all prospective
students of Secondary <ducation wishig to study in 2anila to go to the
9apital and undergo an entrance e(amination.
Paciano became a dedicated s0illful and contented farmer% the
breadwinner of the family and with their father>s wor0% the e(penses Rizal
needed at the 1teneo% at the University of Santo Tomas and in Spain are
defrayed.
1fter finishing the first year of the course in Philosophy and ;etters
@&*,,),*-A% he transferred to a medical course. 6uring the year of his studies
in the university% which was under the 6ominicans% rival education of the
Jusuits% he remained loyal to 1teneo% where he continued to participate in
e(tracurricular activities and where he completed the education course in
surveying. 1s a Thomasian% he won more literary laurels% had more
romances with girls% and fought against Spanish students.
Mothers position in higher education
1fter graduation with the highest position in 1teneo% Rizal had to go
the University of Santo Tomas in order to prepare himself to a private
carrier. The "achelor of arts degree during Spanish times was e.uivalent to a
high school diploma today. It merely .ualified its holder to enter a
university. "oth 6on $rancisco and Paciano that Jose should pursue a higher
learning. "ut 6ona Teodora did not want him to study more. <vidently she
had a premonition that too much 0nowledge would imperil his child life.
In a family council in the Rizal>s home in 9alamba% she vigorously
ob=ected to having her beloved Jose ac.uired a higher education. She was
thin0ing of the safety of her son. She 0nows the fate of $ilipino intellectuals)
$ather "urgos% 6r. 1ntonio 2a. Regidor% Jose 2a. "asa% and others of &*,8)
who were either e(ecuted or e(iled by the Spanish authorities% and blamed
their sad fate to their learning.
$earful of the Spanish authorities who seem to frown on those
$ilipinos who learn too much% she warned her husband. 6o not send Jose
again to 2anila. If gets to 0now too much% they will cut off his headB!
Jose% who was present in their family council when his mother said
this% was shoc0ed. :e 0nows her mother was a woman of education and
cultureC she even taught him and inspired him to write poetry# she came
from a family of higher learning D her own brother @and his uncleA Jose
1lberto 1lonso had been educated abroad and could spea0 multiple Spanish%
$rench% <nglish and ?erman.
Rial enters the university
In 1pril &*,,% Rizal% who was nearly &' years old% matriculated in the
University of Santo Tomas ta0ing up Philosophy and ;etters. :e enrolled in
this course for two reasonsC @&A his father li0e it and @8A he was was still
uncertain to what career to follow!. :e had written to $ather Pablo Ramon%
Recotr of the 1teneo% who had been good to him during his days in 1teneo%
as0ing for advice in the choice of career. Unfortunately% $ather Recto was in
2indanao and during those days it several months to travel a letter from
2anila to 2indanao. 9onse.uently% during his first term @&*,,),*A in the
University of Santo Tomas he studied 9osmology% 2etaphysics% Theodicy
and :istory of Philosophy.
It was during the school term @&+,*),+A that Rizal too0 up medicine%
enrolling simultaneously in the preparatory medical course and the regular
first year medical course.
The reason why he studied medicine were!
&.A :e wanted to be a physician so that he may cure his mother>s
failing eyesight.
8.A The $ather Pablo Ramon% the 6irector of 1teneo de 2anila% whom
he consulted for a choice of career% finally answered his letter% and
recommended medicine.
Rials unhappy days at UST
Rizal>s 1teneo boy wonder% found the atmosphere at the UST a
suffocating to his sensitive spirit. :e was unhappy of this 6ominican
Institution of higher learning because @&A the 6ominican processors were
hostile to him% @8A the $ilipino students were racially discriminated% and @EA
the method of teachings were obsolete and repressive.
Victim of Spanish "fficers #rutality
3hen Rizal was a freshman medical student at the University of
Santo Tomas% he got his first taste of Spanish brutality. 5ne dar0 night in
9alamba% during his summer vacation in &**-% he was wal0ing in the street.
:e dimly perceived the figure of a man while passing him. 7ot 0nowing the
person due to dar0ness% he did not salute or say a courteous ?ood
<vening.! The vague figure was a lieutenant of the ?uardia 9ivil. 3ith a
snarl% he turned upon Rizal% whipped out a sword and brutally slashed the
later on the bac0.
The wound was not serious% but it was painful. 3hen he
recovered% Rizal reported the incident to ?eneral Primo de Rivera% the
Spanish ?overnor)?eneral of the Philippines at that time. "ut nothing came
out of his complaint% because he was an indio% and the abusive lieutenant
was a Spaniard. In a letter to "lumentritt% dated 2arch 8&% &**,% he relatedC
I went to the 9aptain)?eneral but I could not obtain any Justice# my wound
lasted two wee0s.
The decision to study abroad
1fter finishing the fourth year of his medical course% Rizal decided to
study in Spain. :e could no longer endure the rampant bigotry%
discrimination% and hostility in UST. :is uncle% 1ntonio Rivera% ;eonor>s
father% encourages him to go abroad. "oth Paciano and Saturnina% whom he
contacted secretly% were of similar opinion.
$or the first time% Rizal did not see0 his parent>s decision and blessing to
go abroad% because he 0new that they% especially his mother will disapprove
his plan. :e did not also bring his beloved ;eonor in his confidence. :e had
enough common sense to 0now that ;eonor% being a woman% and young and
romantic at that% could not 0eep a secret. Thus% Rizal>s parent% ;eonor% and
the Spanish authorities 0new nothing of his decision to go abroad in order to
finish his medical studies in Spain% where the professors were more tolerant
and understanding than those of the University of Santo Tomas.
Romances with "ther $irls
7ot withstanding his academic studies at the University of Santo
Tomas and e(tracurricular activities in the 1teneo% Rizal had ample time for
love. :e was a romantic dreamer who li0ed to sip the nectar of love.! :is
sad e(perience with his first love had made him wiser in the ways of
romance.
Shortly after losing Segunda Fatigba0% he paid court to a young
woman in 9alamba. In his memoirs% he called her simply 2iss ;% describing
her as fair with seductive and attractive eyes.! 1fter visiting her in her
house several times% he suddenly stopped his wooing% and the romance died
a natural death.
Several months later% during his sophomore year at the University
of Santo Tomas% he boarded in the house of 6oGa 9oncha ;eyva in
Intramuros. The ne(t door neighbors of 6oGa 9oncha were 9apitan Juan
and 9apitana Sanday Halenzuela% parents of a charming girl named ;eonor.
Rizal% the medical student from 9alamba% was a welcomed visitor in the
Halenzuela home% where he was the life of the social parties because of his
clever sleight)of)hand tric0s. :e courted ;eonor Halenzuela% who was a tall
girl% almost as tall as Jose himself%! and had a regal bearing. :e sent her
over love notes written in invisible in0. This in0 consisted of common table
salt and water. It left no trace on the paper. Rizal% who 0new his chemistry%
taught 5rang@pet name of ;eonor HalenzuelaA the secret of reading any note
written in the invisible in0 by heating it over a candle or lamp so that the
lettering may appear. "ut as with Segunda% he stopped short of proposing
marriage to 5rang.
Rizal>s ne(t romance was with another ;eonor) ;eonor Rivera) his
cousin from 9amiling. In &*,+% the start of his =unior year at the University%
he lived in 9asa Tomasina%! a boarding house managed by his Uncle%
1ntonio Rivera% at 7o. ' 9alle Santo Tomas% Intramuros. :is landlord)uncle
had a pretty daughter% ;eonor% a student at ;a 9oncordia 9ollege% where
Soledad@Rizal>s younger sisterA was then studying. ;eonor% born in
9amiling% Tarlac% on 1pril &&% &*,'% was a frail% beautiful% tender as a
budding flower with 0indly% wistful eyes.! "etween Jose and ;eonor sprang
a tenderly beautiful romance. They became engaged. In her letters to Rizal%
;eonor signed her name as Taimis%! in order to hide their intimate
relationship from their parents and friends.

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