Chapter 4.

Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de Manila (1872-1877)

On June 10, 1872 went to Manila and tool the entrance examination on Christian
doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan de Letran. His father, who
first wished him to study at Letran, changed his mind and decided to send him to Ateneo
instead. Father Magin Ferrando, the college registrar refused to admit him because he
was late for registration and he was sickly and undersized for his age.
The system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was more advanced
than that of other colleges in that period. Students were divided into two groups. The
Roman Empire consisting of the internos (boarders) and the Carthaginian Empire
composed of the externos (non-boarders).
The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of hemp-fabric
trousers and striped cotton coat. The coat material was called rayadillo.
Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech. Being a newcomer and
knowing a little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class. To improve his
Spanish, he took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon recesses and he
paid three pesos for those extra Spanish lessons.
At the end of the school year, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation and
he did not enjoy his vacation because his mother was in prison. When the summer
vacation ended, he retured to Manila for his 2nd year term in Ateneo.
The first favorite novel of rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.
As a voracious reader, he read not only fiction, but also non-fiction. He persuaded his
father to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled Universal History.
Later, he read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-
traveler who visited the Philippines in 1858-1860. What impressed him in this book were:
Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization and his prophecy that
someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed her
as colonizer.
In his last year in Ateneo, he excelled in all his subjects. Rizal finished his last
year at the Ateneo in blaze of glory. He obtained the highest grades in all subjects. On
Commencement Day, March 23, 1877, Rizal, who was 16 years old received from his
Alma Mater the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
The first poem Rizal probably wrote during his days in the Ateneo was “My First
Inspiration” which was dedicated to his mother on her birthday.
Rizal who was then sixteen years old, experienced his first romance. The girl was
Segunda katigbak, a pretty fourteen-year old Batanguena from Lipa. It was apparent that
Rizal and Segunda loved each other. Theirs was indeed a love at first sight. But it was
hopeless since the very beginning because Segunda was already engaged to be married
to her town mate, Manuel Luz.

Learning Activities:
Answer each question: (3pts each )
1. How can you describe the life of Rizal in his 5 years studying in Ateneo de Manila.
• First year being a student
• Second year being a student
• Third year being a student
• Fourth year being a student
• Fifth year being a student
2. How will you compare yourself to Rizal being a student?(5pts)

Reflect on the importance of a person’s context and his/her awareness of the

various problems in society. What are the different problems in your community today?
How do these problems affect your daily life? How can these problems be addressed by
an ordinary student or a citizen? (10pts)
 Chapter 5. Medical Studies at the University of Santo Tomas

After graduating with highest honors in Ateneo, Rizal had to go to the University of
Santo Tomas for higher studies. In April 1877, Rizal matriculated in the University of Santo
Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled this course because his
father liked it and he was still uncdrtain of what career to pursue.
During his first school term, Rizal also studied in Ateneo. He took the vocational
course leading to the title of perito agrimensor (expert surveyor).
Shortly after losing Segunda Katigbak, he paid court to a young woman in
Calamba. He simply called her Miss L. However, he gave two reasons for his change of
heart, first, the sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in his heart, and second, his
father did not like the family of Miss L. Rizal’s next romance was with another Leonor.
Leonor Rivera his cousin from Camiling. Between Jose and Leonor sprang a beautiful
romance. They became engaged.
In the year 1879 the Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila, a
society of literary men and artists, held a literary contest. It offered a prize for the poem
by a native or a mestizo. Rizal submitted his poem entitled To the Filipino Youth. The
board of judges, composed of Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem and gave it the
first prize which consisted of a silver pen, father-shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon.
The winning prize of Rizal is a classic in Philippine Literature because it was the
first poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary
authorities, and, it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos,
and not the foreigners, were the fair hope of the Fatherland.
The following year (1880) the Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary
contest to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes. Rizal, inspired
by his poetical triumph the previous year, entered the literary joust, submitting an
allegorical drama entitled El Consejo de los Dioses.
Rizal, Ateneo’s boy wonder, found the atmosphere at the University of Santo
Tomas suffocating to his sensitive spirit. He was unhappy at this Dominican institution of
higher learning because the Dominican professors were hostile to him, the Filipino
students were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards, and, the method of
instruction was obsolete and repressive.
Because of the unfriendly attitude of his professors, Rizal, the most brilliant
graduate of the Ateneo, failed to win high scholastic honors. After finishing the fourth year
of his medical course, Rizal decided to study in Spain.
For the first time, Rizal did not seek his parent’s permission and blessings to go
abroad, because he knew that they, especially his mother, would disapprove. He did not
bring his beloved Leonor into his confidence either. Thus Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the
Spanish authorities knew nothing of his decision to go aboard in order to finish his medical
studies in Spain, where the professors were more liberal than those of the University of
Santo Tomas.
Activity
I. Answer the following questions (5pts each)
1. Why Rizal proceed a medical course in UST even he already done his degree at
Ateneo?

2. Aside from proceeding medical course in UST, why does he also take a vocational
course in Ateneo?

3. Why does Rizal poems and writings are being called a classic in the Philippine
Literature?

II. Choose a stanza from Rizal’s poem (To the Filipino Youth) and write your analysis
below. (10pts)