GROUP 4

TRIUMPHS IN ATENEO, 1872-1877

Members:
Ma. Fatima Hailie Mendoza
Renz Derick P. Ayag
Bunyi, Irvin Kian
Aiyezzeneil Jeffrey E. Del Espiritu Santo
Jabrica, Eric Jon
Parungao, Everiz Ann
Romulo, Cyzie Jay Pedronan
Christine Joy C. Sebial
Lenard Paul B. Velarde
TRIUMPHS IN ATENEO, 1872-1877

"Hold high the brow serene, O youth, where now you stand; Let the bright sheen of your grace
be seen, fair hope of my fatherland!"
- Jose Rizal

Brief Background
* Four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and with Doña Teodroa still in prison, Jose
was sent to Manila
* He studied in Ateneo Municipal (a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits)
* This college is 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, which was changed to Ateneo Municipal and later
became the Ateneo de Manila

Rizal Enters the Ateneo

* June 10, 1872 - Entrance Exam
* He took the entrance examinations on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College
of San Juan de Letran, and passed them all
* Upon his return to Manila, Jose with Paciano, matriculated at the Ateneo Municipal
* Father Magin Ferrando, college registrar that refused to admit him for two reasons:
1) he was late for registration and
2) he was sickly and undersized for his age
* However, upon the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was
reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo
* He used the surname "Rizal" instead of “Mercado” because it was known to the authorities as
Father Burgos' favorite student and helper (Paciano)
* Boarded in a house outside Intramuros, on Caraballo street.

“Jesuit System of Education”

* The system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was advanced from that of other
colleges in that period.
* Trained the character of the student by rigid discipline and religious instruction
* Promoted physical culture, fine arts and scientific studies
* Vocational courses in agriculture, commerce and mechanics and surveying.
* Students heard Mass in the morning before the beginning of the daily class and class in every
subject begins and ends with a prayer
* Religiously operate the school
-Mass every morning
-Classes/subjects are open and close with prayer

Students were divided into two groups, namely:

* Roman empire - internos (boarders)
* Carthaginian empire - externos (non-boarders)

Each empire had its ranks:

* Emperor - The best student in each empire
* Tribune - The second best
* Decurion - The third best
* Centurion - The fourth best
* Standard-bearer - The fifth best
* Any student could challenge any officer in his empire to answer questions on the day's lesson.
His opponent could lose his position if he committed three mistakes
* The two empires were in perpetual warfare for supremacy in the class

Rizal's First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)

* June, 1872, start of the class in Ateneo
* Fr. Jose Bech - Rizal's first professor in Ateneo
* He was an externo whereas he was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line
* After the first month, he became an emperor
* He was the brightest in the whole, and was awarded the first prize (religious picture) he won in
Ateneo
Rizal's First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)

* Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during noon recesses to improve his spanish.
* In the second half of his year in the Ateneo, Rizal did not try hard enough to retain his
scholarship supremacy which he held during the first half of the term.
* He resented more remarks of his professor
* He placed second at the end of the year, although all his grades were still marked "excellent"

Summer Vacation (1873)

* Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation on March 1873

* His mother was still in prison so he did not enjoy his vacation
* To cheer him up, his sister Neneng brought him to Tanawan with her
* Without telling his father, he went to Santa Cruz and visited his mother. He told her of his
brilliant grades in the Ateneo and tearfully embraced each other
* When the summer vacation ended, he went back to Manila and boarded inside Intramuros

Second Year in Ateneo (1873-1874)

* He repented having neglected his studies the previous year simply because he was offended by
the teacher's remarks.
* To regain his lost class leadership, he studied harder and became the "emperor" once more
* At the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold meal
* He triumphantly returned to Calamba in March 1874

Prophecy of Mother's Release

* On summer vacation, he again visited his mother at Santa Cruz.

* He gladdened Doña Teodora's lonely heart with his scholastic triumphs in Ateneo and with
funny tales about his professors and fellow students
* 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

* In summer vacation, Rizal began to take interest in reading romantic novels

* As a normal teen-ager, he became interested in love stories and romantic tales
* First favorite novel of rizal “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas
* He read not only fiction, but also non-fiction
* He persuaded his father to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu's historical work entitled
Universal History
* According to Rizal, this valuable work was of great aid in his studies and enabled him to win
more prizes in Ateneo
* Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, German scientist-traveler (1859-
1860)
* What impressed him on this book are: 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 (1874-1875)

* Shortly after the opening of classes, his mother arrived and joyously told him that she was
released from prison, just as he predicted during his last visit to her prison cell in Santa Cruz
* Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his studies as in the previous year.
* 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
* He was beaten by a Spaniard who, naturally, could speak Spanish with fluency and with right
accentuation

Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-1876)

* On June 16, 1875, he became an internee in the Ateneo

* Fr. Francisco Sanchez inspired young Rizal to study harder and write poetry.
* Inspired by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed his studies with vigor and zest
* He won five medals at the end of the school term
Last Year in Ateneo (1876-1877)
* He excelled in all subjects
* The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly "the pride of the Jesuits"
* He obtained the highest grades in all subjects - philosophy, physics, biology, chemistry,
languages, mineralogy, etc

Graduation with Highest Honors

* Rizal graduated at the head of his class
* Commencement Day, March 23, 1877
* Rizal, who was 16 years old, received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
* On the day of graduation, he prayed fervently at the college chapel and "commended by life,"
as he said, "to the Virgin so that she might protect me when I set foot in that world which
inspired me with such dread."

Extra-Curricular Activities at Ateneo

* He was also active in extra-curricular activities
* An "emperor" inside classroom, he was a campus leader outside
* He was an active member, later secretary, of a religious society, the Marian Congregation
* Rizal was also a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural
Sciences
* He also devoted his spare time in fine arts
* He studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture under
Romualdo de Jesus, noted Filipino sculptor
* Rizal engaged in gymnastics and fencing

Sculptural Works in Ateneo

* Rizal impressed his Jesuit professors in the Ateneo with his artistic skill
* Carved an image of Our Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his
pocket-knife.
* Father Leonart requested him to carve for him an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
* The Jesuit intend to bring this sculpture with him to Spain but forgot it.
* The sculpture was displayed by the students for nearly 20 years at the door of their dormitory..

Anecdote on Rizal the Atenean

* Felix M. Roxas, one of Rizal’s contemporaries in Ateneo
* Manuel Xeres Burgos, whose house Rizal boarded shortly before he became an internee in the
Ateneo.

Poems Written in Ateneo

* Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration), first poem Rizal wrote during his days in the
Ateneo, dedicated to his mother on his birthday
* Although Rizal was merely a teenager, he had a very high regard for education
* He believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress and welfare of a
nation O In another poem, he also showed the importance of religion and education

Rizal's Religious Poems

• During his student days Rizal expressed his devotion to his Catholic Faith in melodious poetry.
Dramatic Work in Ateneo
* Father Sanchez, his favorite teacher, asked him to write a drama based on the prose of St.
Eustace the Martyr.
* Summer 1876 in Calamba, he wrote the religious drama in poetic verses.
* June 2 1876, finished the manuscript
* He submitted the finished manuscript entitled “San Eustacio, Martir” to father Sanchez in last
academic year in Ateneo.

First Romance of Rizal

* 16 years old he experienced his first love
* The girl was Segunda Katigbak, a pretty fourteen-year old Batangueña from Lipa
* Segunda is the sister of his friend Mariano Katigbak
* His sister Olimpia was a closed friend of Segunda in La Concordia College
* Segunda was already engaged to be married to her townmate, Manuel Luz
* He remained in Calamba, a frustrated lover, cherishing nostalgic memories of a lost love

Contributions:
Ppt Maker:
Ma. Fatima Hailie C. Mendoza
Reporters:
Aiyezzeneil Jeffrey E. Del Espiritu Santo
Cyzie Jay Pedronan Romulo
Irvin Kian M. Bunyi
Eric Jon T. Jabrica
Everiz Parungao
Researchers:
Lenard Paul B. Velarde
Christine Joy C. Sebial
Renz Derick P. Ayag

References:
•Jose Rizal Life, Works and Writings by Gregorio F. Zaide
•https://pintakasiph.wordpress.com/2023/06/28/jose-rizals-statue-of-the-sacred-heart-by-rev-fr-
victor-badillo-sj/
•https://eyeofthetiger25.wordpress.com/rizals-romances/

Picture References:
•https://usa.inquirer.net/12894/jose-rizal-sacred-heart-jesus
•https://nyseogaseo.weebly.com/dr-feodor-jagor-and-jose-rizal.html
•https://fyumul.blogspot.com/2012/01/father-francisco-de-paula-sanchez.html
•https://astigngpinoy.blogspot.com/2010/12/about-segunda-katigbak.html
•https://discover.hubpages.com/education/Education-in-the-Philippines-Jose-Rizal-in-Ateneo
•https://philnews.ph/2019/09/19/jose-rizal-love-story-segunda-katigbak-first-woman-life/