JOSE

RIZAL:
THE
ATENEAN
 Life in Ateneo
By 1865, Ateneo was a secondary school that
offered rigorous courses almost equivalent
to college academics. It was considered as
the finest school in the Philippines because
of the rigorous intellectual standards of
the Jesuits.
It was formerly known as Escuela Pia (renamed
to Ateneo Municipal )
While attending Ateneo, Rizal developed into
a first rate student. His Ateneo years were
a coming out for Rizal because he did not
only became the leader of his fellow
students, but he also took up fencing and
gymnastics.
 Life in Ateneo
His first year in the Ateneo was as an
externo and lived at Caraballo street in the
house owned by Donya Titay who owed his
family 300.
His first teacher was Fr. Jose Bech.
He was placed at the back row as he was
just a newcomer.
Students were divided into the Romans and
the Carthaginians.
(EMPEROR>TRIBUNE>DECURION>CENTURION>ST
AND BEARER)
He also took private lessons in Santa
Isabel College in order for him to improve
his Spanish.
 Life in Ateneo
At the end of his first year, he was a
second place.
For his second year, he lived in the
house of Donya Pepay at Magallanes Street.
During his first two years in the
Ateneo, he would visit her mother every
time he would go home to spend his
summer vacation in Calamba.
It was during one of his visits that
his mother told him that she had a
dream that she would be released in 3
months. This happened through Soledad.
 Life in Ateneo
Rizal’s favorite teachers in Ateneo
were Fr. Jose Francisco de Paula
Sanchez and Fr. Jose Villaclara who
taught literature and philosophy and
science respectively.
In his last summer before his
graduation, he met a girl named
Julia when she had a picnic with his
friends in Los Banos. The girl was
only 14 years old.
He graduated on March 23, 1877 at
the age of 16.
 Life in Ateneo
Academic and Religious Affiliations:
a. Marian Congregation - Secretary
b. Academy of Spanish Literature –
President
c. Academy of Natural Sciences
Artistic Works
a. Image of the Virgin Mary made from
Philippine hardwood using a pocket
knife
b. Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which he
gave to Fr. Lleonart
 Life in Ateneo
Readings:
a. Historia Universal – Cesar Cantu
b. The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexander Dumas
c. Travels in the Philippines – Feodor Jagor
Writings:
a. Mi Primera Inspiracion – first poem in
Ateneo and dedicated to his mother.
b. Por la educacion recibe lustre la Patria – “ On
the Benefits that Mankind derives from
Education”
Jose Rizal:
The
Thomasian
Pre-UST Days: First Love
Rizal experienced his first love affair at the age of 16 with 14 year
old Segunda Katigbak.
He met her when he visited his maternal grandmother in Trozo,
Manila.
Segunda was having a vacation in Manila from Lipa, Batangas.

Rizal continued to visit her weekly at the dormitory of Colegio de

la Concordia where his sister Olimpia was also boarding.
There was not much that can happen to her marriage as she is
already engaged to Manuel Luz.
Pre-UST Days: The Choice
His mother was not in favor of Rizal studying any further.
Francisco even had to persuade him. If he were to take a
course it should be agriculture since the family’s livelihood is
in farming.
Rizal wrote a letter to Fr. Pablo Ramon, but unfortunately he
was in Mindanao.
When Fr. Ramon’s letter reached Rizal he was already
enrolled in UST taking up Philosophy and Letters.
Simultaneously, he was also taking up a course in land
surveying (Perito Agrimensor) to please his mother.
Writings
In 1879, Rizal wrote a poem entitlted “ A La Juventud
Filipina” which he submitted to the Liceo Artistico
Literario de Manila. The prize was a silver pen, feather
shaped and decorated with a gold ribbon.
It was directed to the Filipino youth who should try their
best to contribute to the arts of mankind, to use their
genius and wisdom and become great singers, poets,
painters and most of all, who must thank God for the
great gifts that they possess.
Writings
In 1880, the Artistic Literary Museum once again opened a
contest to honor the 5th centennial of the Spanish writer
Miguel Cervantes.
Rizal won the first prize with his allegory in prose “El
Consejo de los Dioses” but his certificate showed that he only
won second prize.
The allegory describes the gathering of the gods and
goddesses of Mt. Olympus. They discussed the comparative
merits of Homer, Virgil and Cervantes. They decide to give
the trumpet to Homer, the lyre to Virgil and the Laurel to
Cervantes.
Writings
In Ateneo, he also produced a stage drama Junto al Pasig
on the occasion of the annual celebration of the Feast day
of the Immaculate Conception.
A year later he wrote “Abd-el Azis y Mahoma” for the same
occasion. This was presented onstage by his friend
Manuel Fernandez.
He also wrote a sonnet “To the Filipino Artists” which
encourages Filipino artists to glorify the Philippines in
every work they do.
Love Affairs
When Rizal started to take up medicine, he
boarded in the house of Donya Concha Leyva where
he met his neighbor Leonor Valenzuela, daughter of
Juan and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela.
While having a relationship with Leonor, Rizal
moved to Casa Tomasina run by an uncle Antonio
Rivera. Here he met his lovely cousin, Leonor Rivera.
The two fell in love but kept their relationship well
hidden. Rizal calls her Taimis.
Victim of Social Abuse
During one of Rizal’s vacation at Calamba, he was
brutally whipped by a Spanish Lieutenant after failing
to pay respects to him.
In UST, the antagonism between the Filipinos and the
Spaniards was easily recognizable. The Spaniards
called them “Indios Chongos” while the Filipinos called
them “Kastila, Bangus.”
He formed a fraternal society of Filipino students
called as companerismo with Galicano Apacible as his
right hand man.
Did Rizal experience discrimination in
UST?
If there was discrimination in Rizal’s class, all the
Spanish students should have passed. In a class
of 24, 17 were not able to take the final exam.
Rizal together with Cornelio Mapa were part of
the last 7 students who managed to survive the
term.
By the time of their 4th year in medicine, only 1
Spanish student, Jose Resurreccion y Padilla
remained but got kicked out the following year
for getting a failing grade.