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
