UNIT III

“Rizal in Ateneo de
Manila and UST”
Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de manila (1872-1877)
■ Four months after the martyrdom of GomBur-Za and
Doña Teodora still in prison, Jose was sent to Manila. •
He studied in Ateneo Municipal, a college under the
supervision of the Spanish Jesuits • The Jesuits returned
to Manila in 1859, they were given the management of
the Escuela Pia or what we now know as Ateneo de
Manila
■ Ateneo de Manila during the Spanish regime
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Rizal Enters the Ateneo • June 10, 1872, accompanied by
Paciano went to Manila • His father, change his mind and
decided to send him to Ateneo instead. • He again return
to Manila, again accompanied by Paciano, Matriculated at
the Ateneo Municipal.
■ Rizal Enters the Ateneo • Father Magin Ferrando, who
was the college registrar, refused to admit him. • Rizal
was then eleven years old • Manuel Xerez Burgos
intercession • Jose was the first of his family to adopt the
surname “Rizal” • He first boarded in a house outside
Intramuros
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Jesuit System of Education • The Jesuit system of
education is more advanced than that of other colleges in
that period. • The student heard Mass in the morning
before beginning of the daily class. • Students were
divided into two groups: The “Roman Empire” and The
“Carthaginian Empire”
■ Jesuit System of Education • The two groups has an
emperor which is the best student • The Ateneo students
in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-
fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-73) • June, 1872, Rizal
first heard Mass • Fr. Jose Bech, Rizal’s first professor in
the Ateneo • Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class. •
He progressed rapidly and at the end of the month he
became “emperor”. • He took private lessons in Santa
Isabel College
■ Summer Vacation (1873) • He placed second at the end of
the year • End of the school year in March, 1873 and the
start of his summer vacation • His mother was in prison •
He went to Santa Cruz
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Second Year in Ateneo (1873-74) • Rizal repented
having neglected his studies the previous year • The
three boys from Biñan • Rizal received excellent
grades in all subjects and a gold medal.
■ Prophecy of Mother’s Release • Rizal immediately
go to Santa Cruz in order to visit his mother • The
Prophecy of Rizal to his mother
■ Joseph(Son of Jacob) Doña Teodora compare Rizal’s
ability to interpret dreams to Joseph
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Teenage Interest in Reading • Summer Vacation in
1874 in Calamba • The Count of Monte Cristo by
Alexander Dumas • Cesar Cantu’s historical work
entitled Universal History • Travels in the
Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor
■ Third Year in Ateneo (1875-76) • June 1874 – Rizal
returned to the Ateneo – His mother is release from
prison • He won only one gold medal in Latin • He
failed to win the medal in Spanish • End of school
year(March 1875)
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Fourth Year in Ateneo (1875-1876) • June 16, 1875,
he became an interno in Ateneo • Fr. Francisco de
Paula Sanchez • He won five medals at the end of the
school term. • He returned to Calamba for his
summer vacation (March 1876)
■ Last Year in Ateneo (1876-77) • Rizal returned to
Manila in June 1876 • He was “the pride of the
Jesuits” • He obtained the highest grades in all
subject
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Graduation with Highest Honors • March 23, 1877 –
Commencement Day • Prayed at the college chapel:
“to the Virgin so that when I should step into that
world, which inspired me with so much terror, she
would protect me,”
■ Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo • Marian
Congregation – secretary : devotion to Our Lady of
Immaculate Conception • Spanish Literature •
Academy of Natural Sciences • Father Sanchez -
literature
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ • Father Jose Villaclara – practical studies •
Agustin Saez – painting • Romualdo de Jesus –
sculpting • Tio Manuel – gymnastics and
fencing
■ Sculptural Works in Ateneo • Image of the
Virgin Mary – batikuling (Philippine hardwood
using a pocket knife) • Father Lleonart –
requested him to carve the image of Sacred
Heart of Jesus
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Anecdotes on Rizal, the Atenean • Felix M.
Roxas – resignation to pain and forgiveness •
Mansano and Lesaca – quarreled and violently
hurled books at each other • Manuel Xeres
Burgos – boarded shortly • Julio Meliza from
Iloilo – crying because of the kite
■ Poems Written in Ateneo • Mi Primera
Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) – dedicated to
his mother • 1875:
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ • Felicitacion (Felicitation) • El Embarque:
Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The
Departure: Hymn to Magellan’s Fleet) • Y Es
Espanol: Elcano, el Primero en dar la Vuelta al
Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First to
Circumnavigate the world.
■ • El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo (The
Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo) • 1876:
religion, education, childhood memories,
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ and war • Education: “Through Education Our
Motherland Receives Light” • “The Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good
Education” • Religion: “Al Nino Jesus” (To the
Child Jesus) • 1877: last year in Ateneo
■ Dramatic Work in Ateneo • Father Sanchez –
requested Rizal to write a drama based on the
prose story of St. Eustace the Martyr • San
Eustacio, Martir
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ First Romance of Rizal • Segunda Katigbak – 14-yr. old
Batanguena from Lipa • Visited his maternal
grandmother in Trozo, Manila with his friend Mariano
Katigbak • Segunda’s portrait • Came to know Segunda
more intimately during his weekly visits to La Concordia
College • “a love at first sight” • Hopeless – Segunda
engaged to Manuel Luz
■ • Thursday – December 1877; Visited her at La
Concordia College to say goodbye • First Romance:
“ruined by his own shyness and reserve,”
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ RIZAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO
TOMAS (1877-1882)
■ Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education  Her
Reason: If Rizal gets to learn more, the Spaniards
will cut off his head.  In contrary, Paciano and Don
Francisco wanted Rizal to pursue College Education.
 Take note: The Bachelor of Arts degree during
Spanish times was equivalent to a high school
diploma today.
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ ENROLLMENT AT UST Philosophy and Letters
during his freshman year. (1877-1878)  Why
Philosophy & Letters? 1.) Don Francisco liked it. 2.)
Uncertainty on what course to take up. 3.) Failure to
solicit the advice of Father Ramon Pablo, Ateneo’s
Rector, who was then at Mindanao.
■ Rizal’s Grades (1877-1878) Conversion
Sobresaliente Notable, Aprovechade Bueno Mediano
Aprovado Suspenso Reprobado = 1.00 Excellent =
1.50 Very Good = 2.00 Good = 2.50
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Fair = 3.00 Passed = 4.00 Conditioned = 5.00 Failed
Philosophy and Letters Cosmology & Metaphysics
Sobresaliente Theodicy Sobresaliente History of
Philosophy Sobresaliente
■  UST was under the Dominicans, rival of the Jesuits
in education.  He remained loyal to Ateneo,
participated in extracurricular activities and completed
a course in surveying in that same school.  perito
agrimensor  November 25, 1881
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Extra-curricular activities in Ateneo while studying
at UST: President of the Academy of Spanish
Literature Secretary of the Academy of Natural
Sciences Secretary of the Marian Congregation
■ Other Extra-curricular Activities • Literary contests:
Liceo Artistico Literario de Manila A La Juventud
Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) El Consej de los
Dioses (The Council of the Gods) • Wrote one-act
play: Junto al Pasig • Poems: Abd el-Aziz y
Mohama Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Medical Studies at UST  Shifting from PHL & Letters to
Medicine.  Why did Rizal Shift to Medical course? 1.)
Don Pablo Ramon, Ateneo Rector, advised him to choose
medicine. 2.) Rizal wanted to cure his mother’s growing
blindness.
■ Scholastic Records from 1878-1882 1st year – Medicine
(1878-1879) Physics Fair Chemistry Excellent Natural
History Fair Anatomy 1 Good Dissection 1 Good 2nd year
– Medicine (1879-1880) Anatomy 2 Good Dissection 2
Good Physiology Good Private Hygiene Good Public
Hygiene Good
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ 3rd year – Medicine (1880-1881) General Pathology
Fair Therapeutics Excellent Surgery Good 4th year –
Medicine (1881-1882) Medical Pathology Very
Good Surgical Pathology Very Good Obstetrics Very
Good
■ Reasons Why Rizal didn’t enjoy his stay at UST: 1.)
Hostility of Dominican Professors to him. 2.) Racial
discrimination against Filipino students. 3.)
Dissatisfaction with the method of instruction.
Reasons why Rizal performed poorly at UST:
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
Medicine is not his vocation.
 Discontentment with the system of education.
Distractions of youth.
■ Romances • Segunda Katigbak - Rizal’s puppy love
Batangas • Miss L – fair with seductive and
attractive eyes Calamba • Leonor Valenzuela –
Orang Pagsanjan, Laguna Parents: Capitan Juan
and Capitana Sanday Valenzuela Rizal sent love
notes written in invisible ink.
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Leonor Rivera – a frail, beautiful girl, tender as a
budding flower with kindly wistful eyes Camiling,
Tarlac April 11, 1867 Father: Antonio Rivera
University: La Concordia College Taimis •
Vicenta Ybardaloza Pagsanjan Can play Harp
■ Student Activism at UST • Rizal displayed his
leadership in student activism. • Indio/chongo vs
kastila/bangus • Bitter hostility exist • Racial
animosity
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Compañerismo (The Comradeship) – Inspired by
Alexander Dumas, Three Musketeers – Secret
Society of Filipino Students  Companions of Jehu
Inspired by Les Compagnons de Jehu Rizal
(president) Galiciano Apacible (secretary)
■ • Humiliating treatment of brown Filipino students •
Archaic method of instruction at UST • Favoritism &
skin color – criteria for academic performance
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ Spanish Brutality  happened during his 1st summer
vacation at Calamba after his freshman year.  Failure to
perceive a lieutenant during that night.  Gen. Primo de
Rivera – Gov. General of the Philippines at that time.
■ Finishing Medicine at UST • Notable in all of his subjects. •
He was the 2nd best student in a class of seven who passed
the medicine course.
■ Decision to Go to Europe  To complete his medical course
in Barcelona, Spain.  To make a name for himself in the
field of Journalism.
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■  To observe and study European Society.  To prepare
himself for the task of liberating the Filipinos from Spanish
Tyranny.
■ Important Literary Works as a University Student (UST)
■  LITERARY WORKS ᴥ Consejo de los Dioses El ᴥ Junto
al Pasig ᴥ Filipinas A ᴥ the Filipino Youth (A La To
Juventud Filipina)
■ To the Filipino Youth (A La Juventud Filipina)
■ To the Filipino Youth oLiceo Artistico Literario de Manila
o1879 oGrand prize
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ To the Filipino Youth • 1st Stanza: Unfold, oh timid
flower! Lift up your radiant brow, This day, Youth of
my native strand! Your abounding talents show
Resplendently and grand, Fair hope of my
Motherland!
■ To the Filipino Youth • 9th Stanza Run! For genius'
sacred flame Awaits the artist's crowning Spreading
far and wide the fame Throughout the sphere
proclaiming With trumpet the mortal's name
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST
■ To the Filipino Youth • 10th Stanza Oh, joyful, joyful
day, The Almighty blessed be Who, with loving
eagerness Sends you luck and happiness
■ References: • Rizalina site (www.seasite.niu.edu) •
Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot by De Viana
et al.
 Rizal in Ateneo de Manila and UST

■ References: • Rizalina site (www.seasite.niu.edu) •