CHAPTER

A Manila Student: The Ateneo Years, 1872-1877

n June 1872 Joséwas sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo Municipal. It was oniy
four months after the execution of the GOMBURZA priests at Bagumbayan. He
was then eleven
years old. The Dominican authorities who were tasked to supervise
secondary education in the Philippines since 1866 sent notice to the provinces about the
holding of entrance examination for students wislhing to take up secondary education.
Earlier in 1865 Queen Isabela II gave the authority for the Dominican-run University
of Santo Tomas supervise secondary and higher education in the islands. The royal
to
decree made the head of the University the ex-officio inspector of all colleges in the
islands. 1he announcement or aviso for the entrance examination was issued by Don
Antonio Estrada, the Secretary General of the University of Santo Tomas.
Estradas announcement was dated May 14, 1872 and examination dates were set
from June l to 15, 1872. It stated that the examinations be held either at the University
of Santo Tomas or at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Accompanied by his brother
Paciano, Jose left for Manila on June 10, 1872. It was Jose's first trip to Manila and he
took his examination at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
After passing the examination Jose was given a choice where to study. He chose
Ateneo which was also the choice of his father who at first wanted him to study in
Letran. The choice was a personal one. The Ateneo was the former Escuela Pia or charity
school of Manila which served as the citys municipal school. When the Jesuits returned
in 1859 the government placed it under their supervision. It was the counterpart ofthe
Dominican-run Colegio de San Juan de Letran. At that time the Ateneo was inside

Intramuros near the western walls facing the Manila Bay.

The Ateneo de Manila during

the Spanish period

59
 José almost did not make his matriculation in Ateneo because the school registrar
l a g i n Fernando believed that he was late for registration and because ne appeared

D e trail and sickly. Through the intercession ofManuel Xeres BurgoS, Jose was able to

nter the lesuit institution. José used the surname "Rizal" for thefirst time and he was
C nrst in the brood to do so to avoid anv association to the martyred Fr. Jose Burgos.
rear turned out to be unfounded as records at the University of Santo Tomas
Sowed that Rizal continued to use the surname "Mercado' and there was no reprisal
or
suspicion from the authorities.
Ose was called an cxterno or a living out student during his days in the Ateneo
wunicipal. He lived in a house in Caraballo Street in Santa Cruz outside the walled city.
was some twenty-five minutes from his school. The house was owned by a certain
itay who owed the Mercado family 300. Jose's
off the debt. stay in her house was a way to pay

kor the next ten from 1872 to 1882 Rizal would be a Manila student.
years
(Estudiante de Manila) This was what he called himself in his
memoirs. Of these years
five were
spent at the Ateneo. The style of education practiced by the Jesuits
emphasis to rigid discipline, character building and gave
began and ended with prayers. At the first religious instruction. All classes
the college day of classes in June, Rizal heard mass at
chapel. As a new student and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was ranked at the
bottom of the class. The Jesuits
encouraged completion among students.
In Rizal's class
they divided the class into two groups namely the Romans and
the
Carthaginians. this practice the Jesuits drew from history reminiscent of
In
wars of the
rival Carthaginian and the Roman the
was empires
grouped with the Carthaginians. The empires had ranks and during ancient times. Rizal
the standard bearers, which the leaders were
was the fifth best
standard bearer was the centurion; next was thestudent in the group; higher than the
tribune and the
emperor. Within the "empire" the students highest rank was the
the ones holding the ranks to fought for these
positions by challenging
empires the Roman and Carthaginian
answer
questions based on the
day's lesson. Between
he red banner empires fought for intellectual
given to the Romans and the blue supremacy with
empire gets defeated the banner is moved to the leftbanner to the Carthaginians. If the
side of the room. If it
again, it is moved to the inferior position at the gets defeated
defeat the flag is inclined on the left side of the right side of the room. Upon the third
room. On the
reversed and placed on the right. On the fifth defeat fourth defeat the flag is
it is
defeat the banner was replaced by a placed on the
donkey which was a symbol of left. On the sixth
Rizal's first day in the Ateneo and all the mediocrity.
with attendance to mass held at the days he spent a student there
as

training. On his first day of class Jose

chapel. Hearing mass began
everyday
prayed fervently for success and was part of his
went to his class which was
composed of peninsular guidance. Then he
natives. He remembered his hrst Spaniards, insulars,
description: "a tall, thin man withprofessor, whom he gave anmestizos and
Fr. Jose Bech
a
ascetic face, severe and body slightly bent
forward, with a hurried unflattering
inspired, small deep-sunken eyes walk, an
almost Greek and thin lips forming an arc and a sharp
nose which was
whose ends fell
towards the chin"
60
 Being a latecomer in the class and having a little knowledge of Spanish, Rizal
was placed at the bottom of the class and
assigned with the Carthaginians. His having
crude knowledge of Spanish was a source of ridicule from his Spanish classmates. Jose
studied hard and spent long hours reading. He convinced his father to acquire a whole
set of Historia Universal by Cesar Cantu saying that it is a required book in dass. He
became a lover of books both about fiction and nonfiction. Among his favorite books
were the Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexander Dumas and Travels to the Philippines
by the German scientist Feodor Jagor. To improve his knowledge of Spanish he took
private lessons at the Santa Isabel College during break time. In time he became
an excellent student during his first year and landed the position of emperor of the
Carthaginians. His prize was a religious picture. Rizal fondly remembers this as the
first prize he ever won in the Ateneo.
There was a fraternity in the Ateneo called the Fraternity of Mary and Saint
Louis Gonzaga in which admitted only those who distinguished themselves in class.
This group met on Sundays and after mass held programs where poems are recited and
debates were held. These weekly activities impressed on Rizal the need for emulation
and that there is a need to surpass oneself and his colleagues and strive for excellence.
This was necessary for one to become a worthy person.
During the second semester, however, Rizal did not try studying as hard as the
previous semester because he resented the disparaging remarks of his professors. Yet,
he placed second at the end of the year and his grades remained excellent. Rizal's life at
this time was marked by sadness because his mother was still in prison. Spending his
vacation in nearby Tanauan, Batangas on the invitation of his sister Saturnina did not
lift his spirits. At the beginning of his second year, he moved into the house of his new

landlady Doña Pepay who had a widowed daughter and two sons.
At the beginning of his second year, Rizal regretted having neglected his studies
the end of the school
during the last semester and he regained the title of emperor. By
for his excellent grades. During this year, he became a
year, Rizal received a gold medal
voracious reader. When Rizal returned for his third year, his mother was released from
at the end of the year,
prison. He was able to concentrate more on his studies. However,
he remained dissatisfied even as his grades remained excellent. He won only a single
medal in Latin as his Spanish classmate beat him in speaking Spanish.
Ateneo on June 14, 1875, he had
By the time he entered the fourth year in the
Francisco Paula de Sanchez whom he described as a great
as one of his professors Fr.
a solicitude, and had a great devotion to
educator and scholar, a model of rectitude,
Rizal became inspired to study harder and
the student's progress. Under Fr. Sanchez,
became an admirer and triend of the lad from Calamba.
write poetry. The older man
talent which he recognized from their very first meeting.
He recognized his God-given
him his highest affection and respect and
Rizal for this part reciprocated by giving
beloved professor in the Ateneo.
considered him the most
which were inspired by Fr. Sanchez. The
At this time, Rizal wrote many poems
ot Rizal's poems in Ateneo were
honed under his guidance. All
poet in Rizal was

61
 were
about history, childhood
These
Felicitacion (Felicitation): E
nature.
pro-Spanish in
'These were:
memories, and war.
('The Departure.
la Flota de Magallanes
Himno a
Embarque: Elcano, El Primer
Magellan's Fleet); Y Es Espanol:
Hymn to
He is Spanish: Elcana
en dar la Vuelta del
Mundo (And
El Combate.
the World) and
the First to Circumnavigate
Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of
Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The
tribute to the Spanish conquest of
Jolo). The last poem was a
de. Urbiztondo in 1851,
Jolo by Governor General Antonio
The Moro stronghold resisted all Spanish attempts to subdue
it for more than 200 years before it fell to Urbiztondos forces
Rizal's mentor and friend that year.
Fr. Francisco Paula de
Sanchez. Other outstanding poems written by Rizal in 1876
showed the unmistakable influence of Fr. Sanchez. These
included themes which were religious in nature, others were about history and
education. These were:
La Tragedia de San Eustaquio (The Tragedy ofSt. Eustace)-This poem narrates
the tragic story of St. Eustace;

Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of

My Town)-This is a poem written by
Rizal in honor of his birthplace, Calamba;

Alianza Intima Entra la Religion y la Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance

Between Religion and Good Education);
El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena
y Prision de Boabdil (The Captivity
and Triumph: The Captivity and
describes the
Imprisonment of Boabdil)-This poem
defeat, capture and imprisonment of
sultan of Granada, the last Boabdil, the last Moorish
in 1492;
Muslimkingdom to fall to the hands of the Spaniards
La Entrada Triunfal de los
Reyes Catolicos
Granada (The
en
the Catholic Monarchs into
Granada)-This Triumphal Entry of
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella I into Granadapoem narrates the entry of King
Moorish kingdom. following their conquest of the
During his final year in the Ateneo, Rizal wrote more
poems which were:
FLHeroismo de Colón (The Heroism
of Columbus)-This was Rizal's
Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the tribute to
Colon y II
America:
Juan (Columbus and John
of Portugal missed fame and riches II)-This poem narrates how
to the Americas; by failing to finance King John I
Colombus' expedition
 Gran Consuelo en la
This poenm is a Mayor Desdicha (Great Comfort and Great Misfortune)--
legendary narration in verse of the voyage of Columbus;
Un Dialogo Alusivo a la Despedida los
his Fellow a
Colegiales (A Farewell Dialogueto
Ateneo.
Students)-This was José's farewell poem to his classmates in the

Aside from
pro-Spanish themes of his poems some of them about religion.
Among them were AI Niño Jesus which was were

Maria which dedicated to the Child Jesus and Ala Virgen

was offered to the
Virgin Mary.
Under Fr. Sanchez's
won
guidance, Rizal topped
five medals and at the end of the
all his examinations in all
subjects,
school year proudly went back to Calamba to
show his excellent achievements
to his parents. Rizal was
able to repay his father for all his sacrifices extremely happy for he was
to allow him to
study
in Manila.
In
June 1876, Rizal returned to Manila to
obtained the highest grades in all complete his studies at the Ateneo. He
subjects and graduated at the head of his class. On
March 23, 1877, he received his degree of Bachiller en Artes with honors. The degree is
the equivalent of today's high school diploma.
During his stay at the Ateneo, Rizal's grades were all sobresaliente or excellent.
The subjects he took from 1872 to 1877 were as follows:

1872-1873
Arithmetic sobresaliente
Latin 1 sobresaliente
Spanish 1 sobresaliente
Greek 1 sobresaliente
1873-1874

| Latin 2 sobresaliente
Spanish 2 sobresaliente
Greek 2 sobresaliente
sobresaliente
Universal Geography
1874-1875

Latin 3 sobresaliente
sobresaliente
Spanish 3 sobresaliente
Universal History
sobresaliente
| History of Spain and the Philippines sobresaliente
Arithmetic and Algebra
1875-18776

sobresaliente
Rhetoric and Poetry
sobresaliente
French 1 sobresaliente
Geometry and Trigonometry

63
 1876-1877
sobresaliente
Philosophy 1 sobresaliente
Mineralogy and Chemistry sobresaliente
Philosophy 2
sobresaliente
Physics sobresaliente
Botany and Zoology

Rizal's diploma: Bachelorof

Arts, issued bythe University ofthe Philippines,
which was the official name of the Royal and Pontifical
Tomas
University of Santo
by virtue of the Moret Decree in force from 1870 to 1875.

The Other Aspects of Rizal at the Ateneo

The Painter and Sculptor

Aside from developing his love for poetry, Rizal developed his
fields. During his spare time, he studied potentials in other
painting under Agustin Saez, a famous Spanish
painter. He also studied under Romualdo Teodoro
de Jesus a noted
who had his studio in Santa Cruz, Manila. De Filipino sculptor
Jesus later formed an
called the Katipunan in 1888. This antedated the organization
Ladislao Diwa, Teodoro Plata and Andres Bonifaciobetter-known Katipunan founded by
known as the KKK
Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan) in l892. De Jesus who(Kataastaasang
as"Lolong impressed upon tlhe young Rizal the need to
was known
of the Filipino nation. He was the preserve and protect the
identity
likely model for the
navel "Noli Me
Tangere, not Paciano Rizal, as writtencharacter Filosofo Tasio in his
taught Rizal to sculpt and carve. by other historians. De
Jesus
n the Ateneo, Rizal
Blessed impressed his Jesuit protessors
Virgin Mary on a piece ot by carving the
nocket knife. One of his batikuling, a very hard image ot the
the Sacred Heart which heprofessors, Fr. Lleonart Philippine wood using just a
did in a few requested Rizal to carve an
days. The wanted to take the image
of
him to Spain but
forgot to do SO. Loing aller Jose priest
lett the image with
in the school for
twenty yearS where it Was Ateneo, the image remained
to remind the
students abou placed at the door of
the
shown to José during his inal the greathess ot their
hours at Fort alunus. Later this dormitory. It was
Santiago in
1896. sculpture was
64
A Devout Rizal
As a student in the Ateneo, Rizal became a member of the Marian Congregation
which he later served as its
secretary. He was accepted into the sodality, not only
because he was an excellent student, but because of his devotion. He regularly attended
mass in the morning before going to class which became his habit even as young
student in Binan.

A Lover of the Arts and the Sciences

Rizal was also an active member of two academies in the Ateneo, the Academy of
Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences. These two academies accepted
gifted members who excelled in these fields. Rizal showed an inclination to the arts and
often sought the guidance of Fr. Sanchez. One of his professors Fr. José Vilaclara once
told Rizal not to pay too much attention to the arts and balance his attention to other
fields such as the sciences and philosophy. Nevertheless, the lure of poetry and the fine
arts proved too intoxicating that Rizal remained at home with the Muses throughout
his days at the Ateneo.
Thus when the time came for Rizal to leave the Ateneo, gloom and melancholy
set in. His days in this school were according to him his happiest and memorable. It
was a pity that these days have to end.

The First Romantic Episode

Rizal's days just after leaving the Ateneo had a romantic climax-his first
romance. He was just sixteen years old
when he was attracted to a young lass from
was the sister of his friend Mariano.
Lipa, Batangas named Segunda Katigbak. Segunda
was rather short, with eyes that were
Describing the then fourteen year old, "she with an enchanting
eloquent and ardent at times and languid at others, rosy-cheeked, air of a
and provocative smile that revealed very
beautiful teeth and the sylph; her
Rizal was smitten by intoxicating poison of
entire self diffused a mysterious charm.
when he saw her among the guests in
love as his heart palpitated with a strange ecstasy
about his skill in painting
his grandmother's house. His grandmothers guests knowing
portrait.
her Rizal complied and as he was doing his sketch of
cajoled him into drawing
blushed.
her, Segunda smiled and he
in the coming days every tine he
Rizal came to know more about Segunda
was a boarding student at the
La Concordia College.
visited his sister Olimpia who
It was also apparent that Segunda reciprocated
Olimpia was a close friend Segunda.
of
tor the young lad. However, whatever love they had
José's overtures and had feelings to be married to her
one as Segunda was already engaged
for each other was a hopeless
his artistic and intellectual prowess was too timid
despite
townmate Arturo Luz. Rizal
sixteen and girls at the age of
At that tine boys at the age ot
and shy to propose to her.
considered marriageable.
fourteen are already
Rizal and Segunda met
for the last time durng the Christmas vacation of 1877.
Calamba while she was going back to Lipa the tollowing day
He was going hone to

65
 to take care of her baby sister. He bade her g0odbye and he
was waiting for her to say something that he wanted to hear
He munmbled that he will try to see her when she passes by

Calamba on the way to Lipa.

On the day of the arrival of the steamer carrying
Segunda, Rizal waited for Segunda at the dock at Calamba. He
was saddened by the news that the steamer will not be docking
in the town because high winds coming from the lake. The
Segunda Katigbak
boat will dock at Biñan instead.
izal mounted on his white horse and sped towards Biñan. Upon arriving at the
town, he was met
by a line of caromatas coming from the port. Segundas steamer early
dTINed and its passengers had disembarked. Many of them boarded the caromatas
Aboard one of thesehorse-drawn vehicles was Segunda. She saw Rizal and she waved
her handkerchief at him. Rizal was tongue-tied to say
to doff his hat at the caromata
anything and all he could do was
which passed like a swift shadow. Rizal returned to his
home in Calamba, dazed and
disconsolate. His first girl whom he truly loved was lost
forever by his own shyness and
her when the occasions
timidity. How he wished to have expressed his love for
presented themselves! Segunda returned to her hometown in
Lipa and later married Arturo Luz.
Three years later, Rizal would write of his first
romance:
"Ended at an early
mourn the reckless
hour, my first love! My virgini heart will always
step took on the flower-decked abyss. My illusions will
it
but indifferent, uncertain, return, yes
ready for the first betrayal on the path of love."
 Important Dates in the Life of Rizal
Rizal returns to Manila to resume his
in Surveying at the
studies; takes a course

6 January 1878 Ateneo and at the same time taking up

Philosophy and Letters at the University of
Santo Tomas.
wwwwwwwan

Rizal passes the examination for surveyors

21 May 1878 but is not issued the diploma for being
underaged.
Enrols in the Medicine course at the
2 June 1878
University of Santo Tomas.
Rizal receives award a silver pen for his
an
22 November 1879
winning poem A La Juventud Filipina.
Rizal fails to salute the lieutenant ofthe Civil
1880 Guard and gets whipped; he elevates the
no avail
case to the Governor General to

Rizal receives the first prize for his play El

13 April 1880
Consejo de los Dioses.
Rizal's work Junto al Pasig is presented at
8 December 1880
the auditorium of the Ateneo de Manila.
ww.a

Rizal is granted the title of Surveyor by the

25 November 1881
Direccion General de Administracion Civil

Rizal leaves Calamba as his first leg for his

1 May 1882
tripabroad.

67