Scholastic triumphs at

ATENEO de MANILA (1872-1877)

On June 10, 1872, accompanied by Paciano. Rizal took the
entrance examinations on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and
reading at the College of San Juan d Letran, and passed them. His
father who first wished him to study at Letran, changed his mind
and decide to send him to Ateneo instead.
Escuela Pia whose name was changed to Ateneo Municipal and
later became Ateneo de Manila.
Upon entering Ateneo, Rizal was refused by the college registrar,
Father Magin Fernando for two reasons: (1) he was late for
registration and (2) he was sickly and undersized for his age.
Rizal was the eleven years old.
 Jesuit System of Education
The system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was
more advanced than that of other colleges in that period. It
promoted physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies.
Students were divided into two groups, namely: the “Roman
Empire” consisting of the internos (boarders) and the
“Carthaginian Empire” composed of the externos (non-boarders).
Each of these empire had its ranks. The best student in each
empire was the emperor; the second best, the tribune, the third
best, the decurion, the fourth best, the centurion, the fifth best,
the standard-bearer.
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, which later became the
uniform for Filipino troops during the days of the First Philippine
Republic.
 Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-73)
In June 1872, Rizal first heard Mass at the college chapel. Rizal’s
first professor was Fr. Jose Bech, whom he described as a “tall,
thin man, with a body slightly bent forward, a harned walk, an
ascetic face, severe and inspired, small deep-sunken eyes, a sharp
nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming and arc whose
ends feel toward the chin.”
Being a newcomer and knowing a little Spanish, Rizal was placed
at the bottom of the class. He was an externo, hence he was
assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying at the end of the line.
After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly. At
the end of the month, he became “emperor”. He was the brightest
pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a prize.
 Summer Vacation (1873)
At the end of the school year in March 1873,
Rizal returned to Calamba, he particularly enjoy
his vacation because his Mother was in prison.
To cheer him up his sister Neneng brought him to
Tanawan to cheer him up without knowing his
father. This did not cure his melancholy, he went
to Santa Cruz and visited his Mother in prison.
He told his brilliant grades and her gladly
embraces him.
 Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74)
Nothing unusual happened to Rizal during his
second term in Ateneo, except that he repented
having neglected his studies the previous year
simply because he was offended by the teacher’s
remarks. So, to regain his lost class leadership,
he studied harder and the he became “emperor”
again.

At the end of the school year, Rizal received

excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal.
 Teenage Interest in Reading
The first novel Rizal was the The Count of Monte Cristo by
Alexander Dumas. Rizal read numerous other romantic novels
that enrich his fecund mind. He read not only fiction, but also
non-fiction. He persuaded his father to buy hi ma costly set of
Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled Universal History. Later
Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a
German scientist-traveller who visited the Philippines in 1859-
1860. What impressed him in his book were (1) Jagor’s keen
observations of the defects of Spanish colonization and (2) his
prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that
America would come to succeed her as colonizer.
 Third Year in Ateneo (1874-75)
In June 1874, Rizal returned to Ateneo for his junior year,
his mother was released from prison. And he was happy of
course, to see his mother once a free woman.
However, despite the family happiness, Rizal did not make
an excellent showing in his studies as in previous year. His
grades remained excellent in all subejects, he won only
one medal-in Latin. He failed to win the medal in Spanish
because his spoken Spanish was not fluently sonorous. He
was beaten by a Spanish who, naturally, could speak
Spanish with fluency and with right accentuation.
 Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-76)
On June 16, 1875, he became an interno I nthe Ateneo.
One of his professors this time was Fr. Francisco de Paula
Sanchez a great educator and scholar. He inspired the
young Rizal to study harder and to write poetry. Father
Sanchez considered him as his best professor. He described
this Jesuit professor as “model of uprightness, earnestness,
and love for the advancement of his pupils:.
Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studies with
vigor and zest. He topped all his classmates in all subjects
and won five medals at end of the school term.
 Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77)
In June 1876, Rizal returned to Ateneo with
excellent grades. As a matter of fact, he excelled
in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his
time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”.
Rizal finished his last year at the Ateneo in a
blaze of glory. He obtained the highest grades in
all subjects– philosophy, physics,biology,
chemistry, languages, mineralogy, etc.
 Scholastic Records

1872-1873
Arithmetic……………………………………………………………..Excellent
Latin I………………………………………………………………….Excellent
Spanish I………………………………………………………………..Excellent
Greek I………………………………………………………………….Excellent
1873-1874
Latin II…………………………………………………………………..Excellent
Spanish II………………………………………………………………..Excellent
Greek II…………………………………………………………………..Excellent
Universal Geography……………………………………………………..Excellent
 1874-1875
Latin 3……………………………………………………………..Excellent
Spanish 3…………………………………………………………...Excellent
Greek 3……………………………………………………………..Excellent
Universal History…………………………………………………..Excellent
History of Spain and the Philippines
Arithmetic & Algebra……………………………………………..Excellent
1875-1876
Rhetoric & Poetry…………………………………………………..Excellent
French I……………………………………………………………..Excellent
Geometry & Trigonometry…………………………………………..Excellent
 1876-1877

Philosophy I…………………………………………………………...Excellent
Mineralogy & Chemistry……………………………………………...Excellent
Philosophy 2…………………………………………………………...Excellent
Spanish 3……………………………………………………………...Excellent
Physics…………………………………………………………..…...Excellent
Botany & Zoology…………………………………………………....Excellent
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 highest honors.
 In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, he wrote poems, as such:

1. Felicitacion (Felicitation)
2. El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes. (The
Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet).
3. Y Es Español: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al Mundo
(And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First to Circumnavigate the
World).
4. El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The Battle:
Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo)
 In 1876, Rizal wrote poems on various topics—religion,
education, childhood memories, and war. They were as follows:
1. Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town). A tender
poem in honor of Calamba, the hero’s natal town.
2. Alianza Intima Entre la Religion y Buena Educacion (Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good Education).
3. Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre la Patria (Through Education
the Country Receives Light).
4. El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de
Boabdil (The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and
the Imprisonment of Boabdil). This martial poem describes the
defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.
5. LA entrada Triunfal de los Catolices en Granada (The
Triumphal Entry of the Catholic Monarchs into Granada).
Thank You !
 In 1877, he wrote more poems, such as:
1. El Heroismo de Colon (The Heroism of Columbus)
2. Colon y Juan II (Columbus and John II)
3. Gran Consuelo en la Mayor Desdicha (Great Solace in Great
Misfortune)
4. Un Dialogo Alusivo a la Despedida de los Colegiales (A
Farewell Dialogue of the Students)
My First Inspiration
Why do the scented bowers
In fragrant fray
Rival each other’s flowers
This festive day?
Why is sweet melody bruited
In the sylvan dale,
Harmony sweet and fluted
Like the nightingale?
Why do birds sing so
In the tender grass,
Flitting from bough to bough
With the winds that pass?
 And why does the crystal spring
Run among the flowers
While lullaby zephyrs sing
Like its crystal showers?
I see the dawn In the East
With beauty endowed.
Why goes she to a feast
In a carmine cloud?
Sweet mother, they celebrate your natal day
The rose with her scent innate,
The bird with his lay.
 The murmurous spring this day
Without alloy,
Murmuring birds you always
To live in joy.
While the crystalline mumurs glisten,
Hear you the accents strong
Struck from lyre, listen!
To my love’s first song.
 Firs Romance of Rizal Click icon to add picture

On his 16th year, Rizal experienced his first romance with

Segunda Katigbak, a pretty fourteen-year old Batangueña from
Lipa. He described her as a “short, with eyes that were eloquent
and ardent at times and languid at others, rosy cheeked, with an
enchanting and provocative smile that revealed very teeth, and
the air of sylp: her entire self diffused a mysterious charm.”