SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO DE MANILA

(1872-1877)

 Jose was sent to Manila four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and with Dona
Teodora still in prison.

 He studied in the Ateneo Municipal, a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits.

 Formerly The Escuela Pia (Charity School)- for poor boys in Manila established in 1817. In
1859, its name was changed into Ateneo Municipal by the Jesuits and later became the
Ateneo de Manila. The bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de Letran.

 Rizal Enters the Ateneo:

1. June 10, 1872- Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila to take the entrance
examinations on Christian Doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan
de Letran, and passed them.

2. His father was the first one who wished him to study at Letran but he changed his mind
and decided to send Jose at Ateneo instead. Father Magin Ferrando, college registrar of
Ateneo Municipal, refused to admit Jose because of two reasons:

1. He was late for registration

2. He was sickly and undersized for his age (11 years old).

3. Upon the intercession of Manuel Xeres Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was
admitted at Ateneo.

4. Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. He used that surname at
the Ateneo because their family name “Mercado” had come under suspicion of the
Spanish authorities.

5. Ateneo was located in Intramuros, within the walls of Manila.

6. He boarded in a house on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes walk from the college. The
boarding house was owned by Titay, who owned Rizal family P300. Jose boarded there
to collect part of the debt.
 Jesuits System of Education:

1. Jesuits trained the character of the student by rigid discipline, humanities and religious
instruction. They heard Mass early in the morning before the beginning of daily class.
Classes were opened and closed with prayers. Students were divided into two groups:

1. Roman Empire - consisting of the internos (boarders) with red banners

2. Carthaginian Empire- composed of the externos (non-boarders) with

blue banners. Each of these empires had its rank. Students fought for positions.
With 3 mistakes, opponents position could lose his position.

Emperor Ranking:

1st best: Emperor 4th best: Centurion

2nd best: Tribune 5th best: Standard-bearer

3rd best: Decurion

2. Ateneo students uniform is consisted of hemp-fabric trousers and striped cotton coat.
The coat was called rayadillo. And was adopted as the uniform for Filipino troops
during the days of the First Philippine Republic.

 Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)

1. Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech. Rizal was placed at the bottom of
the class since he was a newcomer and knows little Spanish.

2. He was an externo (Carthaginians), occupying the end of the line. But at the end of the
month, he become emperor of his Empire. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class,
and he was awarded a prize, a religious prize.

3. Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon recesses to improve his
Spanish language paying P3.00 for those extra lessons.

4. He placed second at the end of the year, athough all his grades were still marked
“Excellent”.
 Summer Vacation (1873)

- Rizal didn’t enjoy his summer because his mother was in prison so Neneng (Saturnina)
brought him to Tanawan. But without telling his father, he went to Santa Cruz to visit her mother
in prison. He told her of his brilliant grades. After summer, he returned to Manila and boarded
inside Intramuros at No. 6 Magallanes Street. Dona Pepay, who had a widowed daughter and 4
sons, was his landlady.

 Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)

- Rizal lost the class leadership. But he repented and even studied harder, once more
became emperor. He received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal.

 Prophecy of Mothers Release

- Dona Teodora told her son of her dream the previous night. Rizal, interpreting the
dream, told her that she would be released from prison in 3 months time. It became true. Dona
Teodora likened his son to the youthful Joseph in the Bible in his ability to interpret dreams.

 Teenage Interest in Reading

1. The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.
His boyish imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in
prison, his spectacular escape from the dungeon of Chateaud. If, his finding a buried
treasure in the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and his dramatic revenge on his enemies
who had wronged him.

2. Rizal also read non-fiction. He persuaded his father to buy a costly set of Cesar Cantus
historical work entitled Universal History.

3. He also read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-traveler
who visited Phil in 1859-60.

4. He was impressed by: 1. Jagors keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization
2. His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Phil and that Anerica would come to
succeed her as colonizer.
 Third Year in Ateneo (1875-76)

- June 16, 1875- He became an interno in Ateneo. Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, one of
his professor, inspired him to study harder and write poetry. Rizal’s best professor in Ateneo.
Rizal described him as model of uprightness, earnestness, and love for the advancement of his
pupils. He returned to Calamba with 5 medals and excellent ratings.

 Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77)

1. Rizal- The most brilliant Atenean of his time, and was truly the pride of the Jesuits.

2. March 23, 1877- Rizal, 16 years old, received from his Alma Mater, Ateneo Municipal,
the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors. The night before graduation, he
could not sleep. Early morning on the day of his graduation, he prayed to the Virgin to
commend his life and protect him as he step into the world.

 Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo

1. He was an active member, later secretary, of Marian Congregation, a religious society.

He was accepted because of his academic brilliance and devotion to Our Lady of
Immaculate Conception, the college patroness.

2. He is also a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural
Sciences.

3. He studied painting under Agustin Saez, a famous painter, and sculpture under
Romualdo de Jesus.

4. He continued his physical training under his sports-minded Tio Manuel.

 Sculptural Works in Ateneo

1. He carved an image of The Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood)

with his pocket-knife. The Jesuits fathers were amazed. Father Lleonart requested him
to carve for him an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He intended to take the image
with him in Spain but forgot to do so. So the Ateneo boarders placed it on the door of
their dormitory. It plays a significant part in Rizal’s last hours at Fort Santiago.
 Anecdotes on Rizal, the Atenean

1. Felix M. Roxas- He related an incident of Rizals schooldays in the Ateneo which

reveals the heros resignation topain and forgiveness.

2. Manuel Xeres Burgos- his anecdote on Rizal illustrates his predilection to helo the
helpless at the risk of his ownlife.

 Poems Written in Ateneo

1. Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration)-first written poem of Rizal, which was
dedicated to his mother on her birthday.He wrote it when he was 14 years old.In 1875,
inspired by Fr. Sanchez.

2. Felicitacion (Felicitation)

3. El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes ( The Departure: Hymn to Magellans

Fleet)

4. Y Es Espanol: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo (And He is Spanish:

Elcano, the Fist to Circumnavigatethe World)

5. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)

6. In 1876, he wrote poems on religion, education memories and war. (e.g. In Memory of
my Town)

 Rizal’s Poem on Education

1. Through Education Our Motherland Recieves Light- education plays in the progree and
welfare of a nation.

2. The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education- showed that Education
without God is not true education.

 Rizal’s Religious Poem

1. Al Nino Jesus (To the Child Jesus)- written when he was 14 years old, expressing his
Catholic faith devotion.
2. A La Virgen Maria (To the Virgin Mary)
 Dramatic Work in Ateneo

- Father Sanchez requested him to write a drama based on the prose story of St. Eustace
the Martyr. He finishedthat request on June 2, 1876 entitled San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace,
the Martyr).

 First Romance of Rizal

- He experienced his first romance with Segunda Katigbak, a pretty 14 year old
Batanguena from Lipa. One Sunday Rizal visited his maternal grandmother in Trozo, Manila
with his friend Mariano Katigbak. One of whom was an attractive girl, who mysteriously caused
his heart to palpitate with strange ecstasy was Segunda. His grand mothers guests urged him to
draw Segundas portrait. From time to time, he reminisced, she looked at me and I blushed´Rizal
came to know Segunda more intimately during weekly visits to La Concordia College, where his
sister was boarding student. Olimpia and Segunda was a close friend. Their was indeed a love at
first sight´. But Segunda was already engaged to be married to Manuel Luz.