Life of Rizal in Ateneo

Hist. 22
(Life and Work of Rizal)
September 23
2019
 Rizal Enters the Ateneo
• On June 10, 1872, Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went to manila.
• Jose took the entrance examinations at the college of San Juan de Letran and passed.
• They returned in Calamba for few days to attend the town fiesta.
• His father, who first wished him to study at Letran changed his mind and decide to send him in
Ateneo instead.
• Upon return to manila, jose accompanied by paciano, matriculated at the Ateneo Municipal.

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 Rizal Enters the Ateneo

• Father Magin Fernando (college registrar), refused to admit him for

two reason
• (1)He was late for registration and (2)He was sickly and Undersized
for age.(He was then 11 y/o).
• He was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo, upon the intercession of
Manuel Xerez Burgos.
• He was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”. family
name “Mercado” become suspicious of Spanish authorities.
• Ateneo during his time was located in Intramuros, within the walls
of manila.
• He first boarded in a house outside Intramuros, 25 min. walk from
college.
• The boarding house was
3 owned by a spinster named titay, who
owned the rizal family the amount of 300.
esuit System of Education • Student heard mass in the morning. Class is opened and
closed with prayers.
• Students are divided into two groups and student fought fo
position.
• (1) Roman empire consisting of the internos (boarder) (2)
• System of education given by the Jesuit at the Carthaginians empire consisting of the externos (non-
Ateneo is advanced from other colleges. boarder).
• Each of these empires has its rank. Best student (emperor),
• Rigid discipline, religious instruction, physical second Best (tribune), third best( Decurion), fourth best
features , fine arts and scientific studies is (centurion) and the fifth best (standard bearer).
promoted.
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 Jesuit System of Education
• Student could challenge any officer in his empire , his opponent could lose his position if he committed
three mistakes.
• Two groups were in perpetual warfare for supremacy.
• They had distinctive banners, red for the roman and blue for the Carthaginians
• During Rizal’s time student wear uniform. The coat material was called “Rayadillo”.

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Rizal’s First year in Ateneo (1872-1873)

• During his first day he heard mass at the college chapel and prayed
for guidance and success.
• He went to class, where he saw” a great number of Spaniards, mestizos
and Filipino boys.”
• Rizal’s first professor in Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech.
• He was an externo, hence he was assigned under the Carthaginians,
occupying the end ofd the line.
• As if to prove to his Spanish and mestizos classmates the intellectual
capacity of an ‘Indio”.
• In a month’s time , however, he was at the head , the class
“emperor”.
• To improve his Spanish, he took private lessons in Santa Isabel
College during the noon recess and paid three pesos for that.
• In the second half of the year in Ateneo, he placed second at the
end of the year although all his grades were still marked
“excellent”.

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 Summer Vacation (1873)
• To regain his lost class leadership, he
studied harder. Once more, he became
“emperor”.
• Some of his classmates were new. Some of
them were three boys from Biñan, who
had been his classmates in the school of
Maestro Justiniano.
• At the end of school year Rizal received
excellent grades and a gold medal.
• With scholastic honor he returned in
Calamba in March, 1874 for summer
vacation.

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Second Year in Ateneo( 1873-74)
• To regain his lost class leadership, he studied
harder. Once more, he became “emperor”.
• Some of his classmates were new. Some of
them were three boys from Biñan, who had
been his classmates in the school of Maestro
Justiniano.
• At the end of school year Rizal received
excellent grades and a gold medal.
• With scholastic honor he returned in Calamba
in March, 1874 for summer vacation.
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Prophecy of mother’s release
• Rizal lost no time in going top Santa Cruz to visit his mother in
the provincial jail.
• He gladdened Doña Teodora with his scholastic triumph at the
Ateneo and tell some tales about his professors and fellow
students.
• Doña Teodora told her favorite son about her dream the
previous night.
• Rizal interpreting such dream, said that she would be released
from prison in three months time
• Rizal’s prophecy became true, barely three months Doña
Teodora was set free.
• Doña Teodora went back in Calamba, was more proud of her son
Jose who was like the youthful Joseph in the bible.
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 Teenage Interest in Reading
• During summer vacation in the year 1874 in Calamba,
Rizal had interest in reading romantic novels.
• The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte
Cristo by Alexander Dumas.
• He read numerous other romantic novels, with deep
interest, enriching his fecund mind.
• He asked his father to buy him a complete set of the
“Hisstoria Universal” of Cesar Cantus which he
conscientiously read. Enabling him to won more prizes
in Ateneo.
• Later Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor
Jagor (German scientist)
• What impressed him in this book where (1) Jagor’s keen
observation of defects of Spanish colonization and (2) his
prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines
and America would come to succeed as a colonizer
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 Third Year in Ateneo (1874-75)
• Rizal returned to Ateneo for his junior year.
• After the opening of classes her mother arrived and joyously
told him that she was released.
• Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his studies as in the
previous year.
• His grade remained excellent in all subjects but he only won
one medal—in latin.
• He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken in
Spanish in not fluently sonorous.
• At the end of the school year (march, 1875) he returned in
Calamba for summer vacation.
• He was not impressed by hi s scholastic work. He said “I
returned dissatisfied to my home town.”

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Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-76)
• On June 14, 1875 he became an internee in the Ateneo.
• One of his professors this time was Fr. Francisco Sanchez, a
great educator and scholar ( whom he considered his most
beloved professor in Ateneo).
• He inspired Rizal to study harder and write poetry.
• Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest.
• He topped all his classmates and won five medals at the end
of the school term.
• He returned to Calamba for his summer vacation (march
1876) and proudly offered his five medals and excellent
rattling to his parents.
• He was happy that he was able to repay his “father somewhat
for his sacrifices”.

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Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77)
• After summer vacation, Rizal went back in
manila in June,1876 for his last year in
Ateneo.
• His studies continued to fare well. He
excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant
atenean of his time, He was truly “The
pride of the Jesuit.
• Rizal finished his last year in Ateneo in a
blaze of glory.
• Obtaining the highest grade in all subjects.
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 Graduation with Highest Honor
• Rizal Graduated at the head of his class.
• On commencement day, March 23, 1877, Rizal , who was 16 years old , received
from his alma mater, Ateneo Municipal, The degree of Bachelor of Arts, with the
highest honor.
• The night before graduation, his last night at the college dormitory, he could not
sleep.
• Early the following morning, the day of graduation , he prayed fervently at the
college chapel and “ commended my life,” as he said, “ to the virgin so that she
might protect me when I set foot in that world which inspired me with such
dread”
• Rizal did graduate with a grade of Sobresaliente or “excellent” in all the
subjects at the Ateneo municipal.
• But, we must never assume that he graduated valedictorian or top of his class.
• The record shows that of the 12 graduating students in Rizal’s batch, nine had
Sobresaliente grades. Eight other people had the same grade!
• By Rizal’s own admission, one of his classmates was better than he.
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 Extra-curricular Activities at Ateneo
• An emperor inside the classroom, he was a campus leader
outside.
• He became the secretary of the exclusive Marian Congregation.
• He composed poems that earned praise and admiration from
his Jesuit teachers.
• He studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin
Saez
• Sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus(Filipino sculptor).
• He continued his membership in the Academy of Spanish
Literature of which he became the president, and in the
Academy of Philosophical and Natural Sciences, of which he
was elected secretary.
• He was also engaged in gymnastic and fencing.

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Sculptural Works in Ateneo
Rizal carved statuette the most
admirable of which were those of
the sacred heart of Jesus and of Our
Blessed Lady on a piece of
Batikuling(Philippine hardwood).

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 Anecdotal on Rizal the Atenean
• One of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo was Felix M. Roxas, He related
an incident of Rizal’s school days in the Ateneo which reveals the hero’s
resignation to pain and forgiveness.
• Rizal was studying his lesson at the study-hall when two ateneans ,
Manzano and Lesaca quarreled and violently hurled book to each other.
• Rizal was hit in the face by one of the thrown books. He did not raise a cry
of protest.
• He went to the infirmary and undergone treatment for several days and
continued to attend his class with no feeling of bitterness toward the guilty
party.
• Another anecdote on Rizal was related by Manuel Xeres Burgos.
• Heard Julio Melliza from Iloilo, one of the smallest boarders crying—
because his kite was caught by the vines growing on the belfry of the
manila cathedral, which is near the boarding house.
• Rizal closed the book he was reading and told Julio not to cry, for he would
try to retrieve the kite. True to his promise he climbed the high cathedral
tower and recovered the kite.

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 Poems Written in Ateneo
• It was Doña Teodora who first discovered the poetical
genius of her son, and it was also she who first encouraged
him to write poems. However, it was Fr. Sanchez who
inspired Rizal.
• The first poem Rizal probably wrote during his days in the
Ateneo was Mi Primera Inspiration.
• Which was dedicate to his mother on her birth day.
• He also wrote poems in education he believe d in the
significant role which education plays in the progress and
welfare of a nation.
• He also wrote Religious poems to express his devotion to
his catholic faith in melodious poetry.

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 First Romance of Rizal
• After his graduation in Ateneo ,who was sixteen years old,
experienced his first romance.
• The girl was Segunda Katigbak, a pretty fourteen- year old
• It all started when he and mariano segunda visited his grandmother
who lived in trozo, manila
• The last time they talked to each other was one Thursday in
December ,1877, when Christmas vacation was start to begin. He
visited Segunda at La Concordia College to say good-bye.
• The next day Rizal arrived and her mother did not recognize him at
first due to his failing eye sight. His sister gaily welcomed him,
teasing him about segunda.
• The following day segunda and her family would not anchor in
Calamba because of the strong wind. She returned to lipa and
married Manuel Luz.
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Ateneo Group
Abdulhak, Wasel
Al-hajj, Mateab
Atangen, Kristyn Joy
Collado, Lloyd
Fronda, Ihnel Louis
Pumihic, Reinmark

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