SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS IN ATENEO, 1872-77

Chapter IV

Four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za, with Doña Teodora still in prison, Jose was sent to Manila.

He studied in the Ateneo Municipal, a college under Spanish Jesuits.

Ateneo Municipal was a bitter rival of the Dominican-owned College of San Juan de Letran.

It was formerly the Escuela Pia (Charity School), a school for poor boys in Manila which was established by the city government in 1817.

The Jesuits had been expelled from the Philippines in 1768 and returned to Manila in 1859.

Jesuits were given the management of the Escuela Pia, whose name was changed to Ateneo Municipal and later became the Ateneo de Manila.

Rizal Enters the Ateneo

June 10, 1872 – Jose Rizal went to Manila and took the entrance examinations and passed them all.

Returned to Calamba to attend town fiesta.

His father first wished him to study at Letran changed his mind and decided to send him to the Ateneo instead.

Father Magin Ferrando, the college registrar of Ateneo Municipal, refused to admit him for two reasons.

(1) He was late for registration.

(2) He was sickly and undersized for his age.

Upon the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Fr. Burgos, he was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo.

Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal”.

Ateneo was located in Intramuros, within the walls of Manila.

He first boarded on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes walk from college.

It was owned by Titay, who owed the Rizal family 300 pesos.

Jesuit System of Education The system was advanced from that

other colleges in that peiod. It trained the character of the student by

rigid discipline and religious instruction. It promoted physical culture, fine arts,

and scientific studies. Class in every subject was opened and

closed with prayers.

Students were divided into two groups:

Each of these empires had its ranks.

The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of hemp-fabric trousers and striped cotton coat.

The coat was called rayadilla, which later became famous.

Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-73)

June 1872, first day of class, he prayed at the chapel for guidance and success.

Rizal’s first professor in the Ateneo was Fr. Jose Bech.

He was placed at the bottom of the class.

He was an externo, hence he was assigned to the Catthaginians.

At the end of the month, he became “emperor”.

He was the brightest in the whole class. He was awarded a prize, a religious

picture. He took private lessons in Santa Isabel

College to improve his Spanish and paid three pesos for it.

He placed second at the end of the year, although all his grades were still marked “excellent”.

Summer Vacation 1873 Rizal returned to Calamba but he did not

particularly enjoy his vacation. His sister Neneng (Saturnina) brought him to

Tanawan. He went to Santa Cruz and visited his mother

and told her of his brilliant grades. After summer, he returned to Manila and this

time he boarded inside Intramuros. His landlady was named Doña Pepay who had

a widowed daughter and four sons.

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74) He repented having neglected his studies the

previous year. To regain his lost class leadership, he studied

harder and he became “emperor”. He has new classmates, who had been his

classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano.

At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal.

Prophecy of Mother’s Release

Rizal gladdened Doña Teodora’s lonely heart.

Rizal, interpreting such dream of Doña Teodora, said to her that she would be released from prison in three months’ time.

Rizal’s prophecy became true. Doña Teodora, happily back in Calamba,

was more proud of her son Jose who was like the youthful Joseph in the Bible.

Teenage Interest in Reading

During summer vacation in 1874, Rizal began to take interest in reading romantic novels.

He became interested in love stories and romantic tales.

The first favorite novel of Rizal was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.

The reading habit helped to enrich his fecund mind.

He persuaded his father to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled Universal History.

Later Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, German scientist-traveler who had visited Philippines.

What impressed him in the book was:

(1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization

(2) His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed as colonizer.

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.

At the end of the school year, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation and he was not impressed by his scholastic work.

Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-76)

June 14, 1875, he became an internee in the Ateneo.

Fr. Francisco Sanchez, one of his professors. A great educator and scholar.

He topped all his classmates in all subjects.

He won five medals at the end of the school term.

Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77) He excelled in all subjects. The most brilliant Atenean of his time. “The Pride of the Jesuits”

Graduation with Highest Honors March 23, 1877, Rizal received the

degree of Bachelor of Arts with highest honors.

He graduated at the head of his class.

Scholastic Records at the Ateneo from 1872 to 1877

Extra-Curricular Activities at Ateneo

Active member, later secretary of the Marian Congregation.

Member of Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Fr. Jose Vilaclara advised him to stop communing with the Muses and pay attention on studies.

He continued to solicit Fr. Sanchez’ help in improving his poetry.

He devoted his spare time in fine arts. He studied painting under the famous

Spanish painter, Agustin Saez. He also studied the sculpture under

Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor.

Rizal engaged in gymnastics and fencing, under his sports-minded Uncle Manuel.

Sculpture Works in Ateneo Rizal impressed his Jesuits

professors with his artistic skills. He carved an image of Our

Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood)

Father Lleonart requested Rizal to carve an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Anecdote on Rizal the Atenean

Felix M. Roxas was one of Rizal’s contemporaries in the Ateneo.

Manzano and Lesaca, Ateneans. Rizal’s predilection to help the

helpless at the risk of his own life. Julio Melliza, one of the smallest

boarders.

Poems Written in Ateneo First poem Rizal wrote during his days in

Ateneo was Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) 1874

In 1875, inspired by Fr. Sanchez, he wrote more poems.

In 1876, he wrote poems on various topics – religion, education, childhood memories, and war.

In 1877, he wrote more poems, it was his last year in the Ateneo.

Dramatic Work in Ateneo Fr. Sanchez requested him to write a drama

based on the prose story of St. Eustace the Martyr.

Summer vacation 1876, he wrote a religious drama in poetic verses and finished it on June 2, 1876.

June 1876, he submitted to Fr. Sanchez the finished manuscript of the drama entitled San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace, the Martyr)

Fr. Sanchez read it and felicitated Rizal for work well done.

First Romance of Rizal At the age of 16, Rizal

experienced his first romance. Segunda Katigbak, a pretty

14 year old Batanguena from Lipa.

Mairano Katigbak, friend of Rizal and the brother of Segunda.

Olimpia, sister of Rizal and a close friend of Segunda.

Manuel Luz, townmate of Segunda.