Scholastic

Triumphs at
Ateneo de
Manila
CHAPTER 4

INTRODUCTION
4

months after the GOMBURZA martyrdom

Rizals mother Donya Teodora was still in prison
during this period
Jose had not yet celebrated his eleventh
birthday was sent to Manila

Ateneo Municipal
Formerly,

Escuela Pia

A charity school for poor

boys

Supervised

by Spanish

Jesuits
Bitter rival of College of
San Juan de Letran
Now known as Ateneo de
Manila

Rizal before he enters Ateneo

Accompanied

by Paciano went to Manila

Took entrance exam at San Juan de
Letran, and passed them
Returned to Calamba to attend the town
fiesta
His father decided to send him to Ateneo
instead

Rizal Enters Ateneo

Fr.

Margin Ferrando, the college registrar

refused to admit Jose for two reasons:
He was late for registration
He was sickly and undersized for his age

They

seek the help of Manuel Xerez

Burgos (nephew of Father Burgos of
GOMBURZA) and eventually Rizal was
admitted to study at Ateneo

Jose

was the first of his family to adopt the

surname Rizal

 He

first boarded in a
house outside
Intramuros
Boarding house
owned by Titay who
owed Rizal family
P300
Jose boarded with
her in order to
collect part of debt

A street view of the original

Intramuros campus of Ateneo
de Manila in 1909

Jesuit System of Education

More

advanced than
the other colleges
Train students by rigid
discipline and religious
instruction
Classes in every
subject are opened and
closed in prayers

 It

promoted physical culture, humanities, and

scientific studies
Academic courses, leading to the degree of
Bachelor of Arts
Other vocational courses are agriculture,
commerce, mechanics, and surveying.

 Students

are divided
into 2 groups:
" Roman Empire
consisting internos
(boarders)
" Carthaginian Empire
composed of
externos (nonboarders)

Students

ranks
Emperor- best
student
Tribune- 2nd best
Decurion- 3rd best
Centurion- 4th best
Standard- bearer5th best

uniform
Consisted

of:

Hemp- fabric trousers

Striped cotton coat

Rayadillo-

coat

material
Adapted as uniform
for Filipino troops

Rizals first year in Ateneo (1872-73)

First

heard mass at the college chapel

Fr. Jose Bech was his first professor
He was a newcomer and knows a little
Spanish
He was an externo, hence was assigned
as Carthaginians, occupying the end line
After a month, he became emperor

 He

took private lessons for Spanish in

Sta. Isabel College during noon
He paid three pesos

 Rizal

did not try hard enough to retain

his academic supremacy in the second
half of his first year
He resented some remarks of his
professor
He place 2nd at the end of the year,
although his grades were remarked
excellent

Summer Vacation (1873)

Rizal

returned to Calamba for vacation

Saturnina brought him to Tanawan with
her
He visited his mom at Sta. Cruz
After vacation, he went back to Manila
He then boarded inside Intramuros
His landlady was Doa Pepay

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)

He

repented having neglected his

studies the previous year
He once more became emperor
Three of his new classmates were his
classmates from Maestro Justiniano
At the end of year, he received excellent
grades and gold medal

Prophecy of mothers release

Rizal

lost no time in visiting his mom in

jail
He cheered her up with news of his
scholastic triumphs in Ateneo
He interpreted Doa Teodoras dream
Barely three months, Doa Teodora was
released
Rizals prophecy came true

Teenage interest in reading

He

is interested in
love stories and
romantic tales
Rizals first favorite
novel
The Count of Monte

Cristo by Alexander
Dumas
The

reading habit
helped him enriched
his mind

 He

persuaded his father

to buy Cesar Cantus
Universal History
Great aid in his studies
Enabled him to win more
prizes in Ateneo

 Later

Rizal read
Travels in the Philippines by
Dr. Feodor Jagor
A German scientist-traveler

who visited the Philippines in

1859-1860
Rizal

was impressed in this

book were:
1. Jagors keen observation of

the defects of Spanish

colonization
2. Someday Spain would lose
Philippines and America
would come to succeed her

Third Year in Ateneo (1874- 75)

His

grades remained excellent in all

subjects
But he won only one medal in Latin
He failed to win the medal in Spanish
because his spoken Spanish was not
fluently sonorous

Fourth Year in Ateneo(1875- 76)

He

became an interno
Inspired by Fr. Francisco de
Paula sanchez
Considered as best professor
Desrcribed as model of

uprightness, earnestness, and

love for the advancements of
pupils
He inspired Rizal to study
harder and to write poetry
Won

term

5 medals at the end of

Last year in Ateneo (1876- 77)

He

excelled in all subjects

Rizal finished his last year at Ateneo in a
blaze of glory
Obtained the highest grades excellent
The most brilliant Atenean of his time
He was truly the pride of the Jesuits

Graduation with Highest Honors

Graduated

on March 23, 1877 at the

age of 16
With the degree of Bachelor of Arts ,
with highest honors
*grades in the book

Extra-curricular activities in Ateneo

Active

member, later secretary of Marian

Congregation
He was accepted because of brilliance and as

devotee of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion,

college patroness
Member

of Academy of Spanish Literature and

Academy of Natural Sciences
Academies for gifted Ateneans

 Cultivated

literary talent under Fr.

Sanchez
Fr. Jose Vilaclara advised him to focus
on practical studies
Studied painting under Agustin Saez
Studied sculpture under Romualdo de
Jesus
Engaged in gymnastics and fencing

Sculptural works
Carved

The Virgin Mary on a piece

of batikuling (Philippine hardwood)
with his pocket knife
Fr. Lleonart request him to carve an
image of Sacred Heart of Jesus
Students placed it on the door of
dormitory
Played a significant part in Rizals
last hours in fort Santiago

Anecdotes on Rizal, the Atenean

One

of Rizals
contemporaries in Ateneo
was Felix M. Roxas
related that Rizal was hit in the

face by one of the thrown books

Reveals heros resignation of

pain and forgiveness

Another

related by Manuel
Xerez Burgos
Helped Julio Meliza to recover

the kite

Illustrates Rizals predilection to

help the helpless at the risk of

his life

Poems written in Ateneo

Doa

Teodora first discovered his poetic

skills
It was Fr. Sanchez who inspired him
most
First poem in Ateneo at 14 was Mi
Primera Inspiracion which was
dedicated to his mother on her birthday
* Other poems in the book about
education and religious

Dramatic work in Ateneo

Fr.

Sanchez requested him to write a

drama based on St. Eustace the Martyr
he wrote it during summer of 1876
Submitted to Fr. Sanchez with a title
San Eustacio, Martir

First Romance of Rizal

At

16, Rizal experienced his

first romance
The girl was Segunda Katigbak
14 yrs. old Batanguea from Lipa
Sister of Rizals friend Mariano
Studies at La Concordia College
Close friend of Olimpia
Engaged to Manuel Luz