Por la Educación Recibe Lustre la Patria

por José Rizal y Alonso

Jose Rizal wrote this poem in 1876 during his fifth year in Bachiller en Artes in Ateneo Municipal.  The poem speaks of the Jesuits who established a strong relationship between education and faith, the ratio studiorum (plan of studies).  The poem also advocates the importance of education at a very young age.  He compared education to the goddess of light, wisdom, hope, peace and truth and also indicated that education is the hope to attain the country’s freedom. 

Learn this Filipino word:

mainit ang ulo